Mindyluwho

Bloggy Blues

2009-09-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little lonely over at my new blog. I'm telling myself that it's because people haven't updated their readers with my new spot so they don't know I've been blogging again.

Or maybe they think I'll go away again for a long time.

Which could definitely happen. I make no promises.

Or maybe you are just as busy as I am. Tomorrow I have to be 7 places all around the same time. But I won't be at those places. Nope, I'll be eating ribs, (which you would know if you had read my blog) all-you-can-eat ribs. My mouth is already watering!

Anyhoo, it is nice to feel like I'm talking to someone other than myself, which, I must admit, happens just a little too often.

OK, it happens a lot.

And I'm done groveling here.

Have yourself a great day!

Time to move on...

2009-08-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

This blog has been giving me too many problems, so from now on you can find me here. Hopefully I can figure out how to transfer all my posts, but until then I will keep this one open.

Have a great day!

See These?

2009-07-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

These are the "fruits of my labor"...i.e. my first tomatoes of my first garden ever!

They were delicious!

Don't try this at home...

2009-04-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

or you will find that your body hurts in places it has never hurt before.

Just warnin' ya...

My hopes are dashed for being the next Miss California...

2009-04-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

well, except for the fact that I am already married...

Apparently if you wish to even be in the Miss USA pageant, you cannot believe in traditional marriage. You must leave your religious beliefs at the door.

According to Kathy Lewis, who runs the Miss California competition, "As co-director of the Miss California USA, I am personally saddened and hurt that Miss California believes marriage rights belong only to a man and a woman," said Lewis in a statement. "I believe all religions should be able to ordain what unions they see fit. I do not believe our government should be able to discriminate against anyone and religious beliefs have no politics in the Miss California family." (emphasis added).

Thank you Miss California Carrie Prejean for standing up for your values!

An eye-opening clip

2009-04-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I say it's an eye opening clip, but then if there is truly so much subliminal advertising...is it really eye opening?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQjr1YL0zg

After I watched this I googled subliminal images to see what I could "see" and got an eyeful of s3xx! Don't do it. You might run across the one I did where you are listening to this happy music and then a creepy picture pops up *shudder*.

My day is ruined.

I am still alive...really!

2009-04-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's funny but even though I haven't posted for a LOOOONNNNGGGG time, I still get visitors to my site. On the average of about 2 per day. I was curious as to who was coming by since I haven't posted in eons, so I browsed my sitemeter tracking file and found that almost all the people who came to visit were either sick and bored or very very hot.

Well, in other news, guess where I went last weekend??? It was a quick get-away with my husband and it was FREE too! He bought enough material from a manufacturer to qualify so we had a sweet four days (two spent flying) together. The ocean in Puerto Rico is the most beautiful color of turquoise and the weather was superb. From our room we could see two oceans, the Atlantic and the Carribean. Very cool!

Well, I've not got much else to say. Just trying to keep my head above water! Wish I were still in the Carribean doing that...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

2009-02-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

OK, so I am technologically lame and don't know how to do one of those little playlists, BUT if I did I would have put this song on it today...

You say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too--yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a party party

Yes we're going to a party party.

I would like you to dance--Birthday

Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday

I would like you to dance--Birthday

Dance

You say it's your birthday

Well it's my birthday too--yeah

You say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you.

By the Beatles you know, just sing along in your mind. Or go find it on iTunes or where ever you get your playlist from and think of me today!

And THANK YOU Nancy Face for being the first to wish me a Happy Birthday! (We share a great month!)

Lesson from Twixie

2009-02-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

Twixie is our hamster. She was named so because she is white, chocolate and carmel colored and reminded us of a Twix bar. She lives in a glass house, meaning she lives in a fish aquarium that's been converted to a hamster dwelling complete with soft bedding, a little pink couch and a spinning wheel. You'd think that's all a hamster needs to be happy. But not Twixie. She spends all of her waking time trying to get out. When we first got her she had a cute little wooden house in there so that when she got tired of being stared at she could go for privacy. But she didn't use it for that. She would get up on top of her box and push at the screen that was on top of her aquarium. We had to put a book on there so that she wouldn't push it off and climb out. One day we noticed a hole in the screen. Twixie had climbed up on her house and chewed the screen in her attempts to escape. We had to take the house out for fear of waking up one day to find she'd broken out. We've thought about renaming her Twixie Pettigrew. We've checked her toes to make sure she wasn't missing one, but she has all ten.

She has a little routine she follows over and over again. She first stands on her hind legs and tries to climb up the walls. She makes her way around the whole cage this way. Then she tries to climb up the outside of the spinning wheel, only to run and run until she finally falls down. She climbs up on the edge of her food bowl in the hopes that she can reach the top of the cage. She has a little water bottle that hangs inside. She stands on her hind legs and grabs hold with her paws and tries to pull herself up. It's really sad to watch her. She's obviously extremely unhappy with her present circumstances. I don't blame her. Her owner (my daughter) doesn't clean her cage as often as needed, so it is smelly and unpleasant.

Tonight I felt so sorry for her that I thought I'd help her out. I put a towel out on the floor and blocked off a nice large area that she would be able to run around in. I helped her out by holding the spinning wheel still so that she could climb out onto my hand. She was so excited to be out of that place! I was excited for her. I took her over to her nice big spot and set her down. I thought she's be so happy. I thought maybe she'd run around and do a little hamster dance, perhaps click her heels together in ecstacy or something. What did she do? Well, she immediately started looking for a way out. I watched her for awhile as she went from wall to wall and corner to corner trying to find an escape. I was sad for her. After awhile I took her back to her aquarium. She ran around for a little while,then finally went to her little corner where she's pushed all the bedding, burrowed in and fell asleep.

As you know, we've just moved. Our other house was a nice big house, but it was a frustrating one to live in. There was just something about the set up that made it a difficult house to keep in order. And it seemed like there was no end to the squabbling between the kids...and the parents. Not all the time, but enough to make it very frustrating. We were only supposed to live there a couple of years while we built our "dream home", but two years turned into four and we just couldn't take it anymore. As much as we hated the thought of moving, we hated even more the thought of staying there even one more month. So we checked on Craigslist daily until we found a house that would be the perfect place for us. After an ardous two weeks of hell (moving), we are finally (somewhat) settled in. It's a beautiful house with lots of space to spread out. My kids all have their own room except for the youngest two. My girls and I will have a dedicated craft/sewing room! We are very blessed.

And yet.

It's not home.

You see, I have been dreaming of my "home" for years. Over five years ago we purchased some acerage. We split it into three parcels with the intention of selling off two and building our "dream home" on the third. We've sold one piece, but are still waiting to sell the other. We've been waiting for four years now. We even have the house plans drawn up but we can't afford to build until we sell that last parcel. So "my home" lives in my mind. When I cook, I think about how "my home" has a much better kitchen. When I pick up a book off the bookshelf I think about how "my home" has a library. When I set the table I think about how "my home" has a beautiful dining room with a fireplace and a gorgeous view out the bay window. "My home" has a huge "great room" with a beautiful fireplace. "My home" has rustic hardwood floors, and an orchard, and a garden, and...........

As I watched Twixie run around in the new spot that I had created for her I wondered what she was thinking. What did she think she would happen if she were able to crawl over the barrier I had erected for her? I knew what would happen. She wouldn't stop to enjoy what was on the other side. She would keep running until she found another barrier, and then she would look for a way over that one. She would never be happy.

"My home" is an elusive place that exists only in my mind. When I am feeling like I can't cope anymore I retreat to it. But that's counter-productive. I'm forever trying to escape to it and in doing so I am missing out on so much that is real. Tonight I learned a valuable lesson. While I haven't been given what I want, I have been given what I need...more than what I need actually. I have been blessed in abundance. And even if I hadn't been blessed with such a beautiful house, I already had all the blessings I need. I have six beautiful and intelligent children and a husband who is patient beyond measure with me. "My home"has been here all along. Heavenly Father has just blessed me with a larger place in which to establish it.

I'm sorry for Twixie. I don't think she will ever be happy. But I will.

And now. I think I'll take another cue from Twixie and go burrow under my covers.

Good night!

Hi

2009-01-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

I'm still here.

The first of the year is always hard for me. I get overwhelmed with what I haven't done, you know, that setting of goals and not keeping them thing. I'm doing something different this year and when I figure it out I will let you know...maybe.

I'm also trying to keep my head above water with my children's education...help. I'm knee deep in the Constitution right now and neck deep in writing assignments.

And...on top of it all, we are moving. Not to the house that we were supposed to have built 3 years ago, but to another rental, with a little more room, just so I can keep my sanity.

I, of course, feel somewhat guilty of this because I know that I am very blessed in having comforts in my life, but........one can only take so much of three teenage girls sharing a room.

So, know that I read your blogs and I will comment now and again, but life, for awhile, will get the best of me.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!!!!!

2009-01-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

This was from last year's celebration. This year we just went out and yelled "Happy New Year!" really loudly for all the sleeping neighbors to hear!

I've enjoyed the association with all of my bloggy buddies over the last couple of years.

You're like the marshmellow in the hot chocolate.

The cherry on the icecream.

The frosting on the cake.

You make life sweet!

Here's to another great year of sharing the little snippets of our lives!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2008-12-01T23:23:00.000-08:00

I love this season. Actually I love this time of year beginning from about the middle of November when it starts getting crisp (remember, I live in California...it's still hot right before Halloween) until the end of February when I celebrate my birthday. That's also usually about the time that I slack off on my New Year's Resolutions and I start feeling guilty...

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. My brother and his family came to visit. I love having them close. We took our annual trip to Apple Hill where Christmas tree farms abound. We trekked around for a few hours looking for the "perfect" tree. I saw several which I proceeded to point out to my husband only to be given "the look" complete with "the rolled eyes". The poor man really needs a different house, one with a 20 foot ceiling. I kept having to remind him that it could only be 9.5 feet tall because our ceiling is 10 foot and I wanted a star on top of the tree this year. Oh, and I'm so excited because I finally talked him into getting a Cedar tree instead of a Douglas Fir. I love it because it doesn't have needles! I love a fresh tree...no artificial one at our house, but I hate the needles all over the place.

I haven't done a smich of shopping yet. Well, actually that's not true. I was going to say what I had done, but remembered that sometimes my kids read my blog so I guess I can't tell you! All I know is that I want to keep it simple this year...very simple kids, in case you are reading this...don't expect anything big at all...really....the stocking stuffers might actually fit in the stockings this year!

One of the reasons I love this time of year is because of the color red, which happens to be my favorite color. It is EVERYWHERE and I am in heaven!

Oh, in case you were wondering...I did get my rank back. It was only a simulation after all. And guess what. I have memorized the entire Declaration of Independence! Yessiree Bob, my girls and I can recite the whole thing! Can I just say, that it was really hard to do. At my age. Which is 42. That rhymed.

Well this was just a random post to let you know that I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I have been busy...memorizing.

Very punny!!

2008-11-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

My daughter accidently flushed her phone down the toilet yesterday. From the fuss that was made about it you'd have thought she accidently killed her best friend. Her father, upon hearing about it, exclaimed, "Nice to see that you treat your phone like crap!" She was not so amused but we laughed ourselves silly for a good ten minutes!

Be still my heart

2008-11-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

Don’t you hate it when you call to your kids that it’s time to come inside now and then you get busy getting ready to go somewhere and when you take a minute to check that they have all come in you realize that your seven year old is nowhere to be found so you send one of your other kids around to the neighbors to find the child and they come back without him because he’s not there and by now it’s very dark outside so you start calling around the house thinking he must not have heard you but he doesn’t answer so you go outside and start calling for him and he still doesn’t answer so you start running down the street calling for him and you go all the way around the block and even over to the park and you start crying because you think someone has stolen him and you might never see him again and you imagine all the horrible things that could have happened to him and you are running around in clogs so your shins start to hurt very badly and then you limp home so you can call the police and get the truck to start searching only to find out when you get home that the child has been hiding in the house all along because he “wanted to be alone”……

Change Is Coming...

2008-11-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

Can you say SOCIALISM?

The good news is my stint in the rain paid off...it looks as if Prop 8 is going to pass! With 95% of the precincts reporting it was passing by 52%. Close-but a victory nonetheless!

Singing in the Rain

2008-11-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last night my 12 year old daughter and I rallied on a street corner with our “Vote Yes on Prop 8” signs….in a downpour! There was quite a crowd there, most with “Yes” signs, but a few with “No”, and despite the rain we had a great time. We sang in the rain! We waved and danced and paraded around the pedestrian lanes when the little green man let us know it was our turn to go. I thank my stars that I live in a conservative area as most of the people passing by were honking and giving the thumbs up! I don’t know if our stint of standing in the rain will make a difference in the outcome today. I like to think it will. I hope it will.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we were asked by our leaders to support this proposition. The very foundation of our beliefs is in danger of being compromised. “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and… the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” The church itself has not given money, but the members were asked to donate money and time to help pass it. That has fired up some controversy in our congregations and some members have even come out against it and given time and money to the opposition. I am grateful for the gift of agency and that we live in an era where we are free to exercise that agency, but I am more grateful to live in an era with the gospel restored and a living prophet on the earth.

I am comforted by the following quote, given by Elder Neal A. Maxwell 30 years ago:

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

It is hard doctrine sometimes to go against what the world teaches. The word “bigot” was yelled at us more than once during our stint. This is one skirmish that is in danger of being lost. My daughter doesn’t fully understand the implications of what will happen if this proposition doesn’t pass. She doesn’t realize how much harder it will be to raise her own children in an age where marriage and family values would be severely undermined. But she does know that she is a member of a church with a living prophet at the head. She understands that the prophet is the mouthpiece of the Lord. She understands that if she follows that prophet's counsel, she has no need to fear. She understands that she has been asked by that prophet to stand up for traditional marriage and family values. She has stepped forward and will continue to step forward, rallying for truth and righteousness.

Please pray for California, and those other states where marriage is on the verge of destruction. Because if we lose today we won't be "singing in the rain" and your state will be the ones needing the prayers!

...does whatever a spider can...

2008-11-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

I wasn't tagged, but when I saw this post of Michal's I had to look and see what picture I would find.

Here are the rules. Post the fourth picture in the fourth folder of your picture files. Tell us about the picture. Tag a friend or two.

I found this picture taken in September of 2007:

If you'll recall, my boys like to use my camera while I am out.

And they like to dress up.

As superheros.

And do what superheros do.

Thanks for the fun game Michal! Since I wasn't tagged, I won't tag anyone, but if anyone feels like playing, let me know!

Stretch forth thy hand

2008-10-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

I love reading bluesdad. While my husband does drive a great big pickup truck, and my kids have occasionally drawn on tables (but not with my knowledge or blessing!), I am not offended by him at all; I like how he encourages me to ponder life.

I was just reading this post and as I started to comment I realized that what I wanted to say was probably about as long as a post and so I thought I might as well just make it one.

Tonight for family scripture study we were reading in the third chapter of Mark. Jesus enters the synagogue and there is a man with a withered hand. He proceeds to heal him, even though it is the Sabbath. The Pharisees are watching him (maliciously, it says) and rather than being happy for the man because he has been given a new lease on life, they are happy that they found something with which to accuse Jesus with, it being unlawful to “work” on the Sabbath.

We talked as a family about how we often find ourselves looking for and accentuating the negative in others rather than feeling compassion for them and doing things to ease their burdens. Lately it has come home forcefully to me about how I have been so very negative with my own children. I want them to be successful and happy in life, but rather than being encouraging about what they are doing right, I pick at what they are doing wrong. By accentuating the negative, I am actually contributing to their burden rather than easing it. I can see how that negativity has impacted them as they are not very confident in certain areas of their lives.

Thanks, Blue's Dad, for being humble enough to share a not-so-proud moment. It is these painful moments that define and refine who we truly are. Hopefully from them we can learn to be more compassionate and bring hope and healing to those around us. Hopefully we can learn to be more like the Savior who “saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”

%@#*!

2008-10-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you change the comment settings on your blog and you only find out after 70 people have viewed your post that your comments weren't working properly.......and since you only average about 10 hits per post you find yourself wondering how many of those 70 people would have left a comment if the comments had been working properly?

If you were one of those 70 people wishing to comment on the last post, please come back and do so!

The Price of Liberty

2008-10-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today something devastating happened.

I was stripped of my rank.

Huh?

You heard me. I was on my way to becoming a Four Star General, but was cut short.

No, I’m not in the armed forces. I’m just taking a class with my kids. It’s called Key of Liberty and we are learning about the men and women and the documents that formed this great country we call home. We read books, write papers, memorize documents, scriptures and the states, and participate in simulations. We have a list of requirements for each semester that, as we accomplish them, we earn rank. It is in the form of a paper that we put in the front of our binder and a colorful ribbon that we tie to these old-fashioned iron keys. The really cool part is that those of a higher rank get to order those of a lower rank around, asking them to get water, or whatever else we feel the need for during the course of our class! We don’t have to do the requirements if we don’t want to, but if we do then at the end of each semester we can earn a really great prize. The first semester’s prize is to have a flag flown IN OUR HONOR over the Capitol in Washington DC! Cool, huh! The second semester we earn a package with a quill pen, real parchment paper and ink. And then if we go ABOVE AND BEYOND by doing all the requirements each semester and a few more we earn the rank of Four Star General and we get to go to an etiquette dinner wherein we are honored and are presented with framed copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America!

So, I have been busy with my girls reading and writing and memorizing and reading and writing and memorizing and reading and........it has taken a lot of time! Writing doesn’t come easy to me. Teaching my kids how to write is even harder. I have sweated and cried over these paper - we have to write one essay per week! Actually three per week for me because not only do I have my own to do, but I have to help my girls with theirs before handing them in. And they aren’t easy questions; they take a bit of pondering:

Why are a moral people required for good government?
What are your God-given rights?
When is it right to defend your liberty with physical force?

On top of all the writing I have memorized the 10 commandments, the 13 original colonies and can place them on a map, and I have memorized almost HALF of the Declaration of Independence, researched and given a report on The Stamp Act, read several books, and much more, somehow fitting it all in along with being a mother, wife, homemaker, chauffer, physician, chef, maid…

Essentially, I have worked hard for all this, only to have it stripped away today.

And why was it stripped away?

Well, I shall tell you.

In class today our instructor laid on the table a plate of very delicious treats—and then proceeded to eat them in front of us, not offering to share. She gave her lecture and we discussed a book, during which she ate two or three treats in front of us while we all sat there drooling. Finally, she asked if we would like some. We all excitedly said yes. She then proceeded to give us a very tiny piece. She asked if we wanted more, of course we did! Well, she said, these treats represent liberty. She had worked and slaved over them. She had spent her own money and time in order to make them. She wasn’t just giving them away. If we wanted some we had to play a game. If we won, we would get the treats. If she won, she would get all our ranks and our ribbons. Did we still want some? Most of us said yes, but a few were apprehensive. But, we thought, it was just a game, surely it wouldn’t be too hard; and those treats looked might tasty, so in the end we agreed to her terms.

Our instructor had taken the Declaration of Independence and divided it into six sections. Each of these sections was cut into strips and placed in an envelope. She told us we had twenty minutes to put together the strips in the correct order. If we did so we won. However, if even one phrase was out of place, we lost. Four students were picked to represent the rest of the class, I being one of them. The rules were, we (the representatives) weren’t allowed to speak to anyone but each other, and the class was not allowed to help us.

She dropped the envelopes on the table and the game began. Thankfully, because some of us had memorized the first part of it, we were able to proceed through the first three envelopes fairly quickly. Then it got hard. Imagine, sorting through the strips, trying to piece 20 random phrases together into something that made sense, feeling the eyes of your classmates on you, knowing that if you fail, you not only affect yourself, you affect everyone in the class, some of who agreed to the terms, but others, who did not really want to do it, but were coerced into the game—needless to say, the pressure was a little intense. We persevered and were down to the last envelope...and then the time ran out.

Surely, we thought, she wouldn’t really take our rank, would she? After all, it was just a game and this was just a class...but no, we had to hand in our ranks along with the ribbon from our keys. All that hard work flashed before my eyes. And not only my work, but the work of my girls. They had been so excited about this class and about earning those awards. I had let them down. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I was embarrassed to be crying, but I couldn’t help myself.

Then our instructor started talking about the founders of our country. She picked up a handful of our ribbons and as she dropped them one by one, she started naming off things that were taken away from those who had signed the Declaration and those who had fought for our freedom: homes, family, friends, health, wealth. She asked us what we were willing to give for our freedom. Would we be willing to give up the comforts we have? Would we be willing to watch our husbands and sons march off to war? These ranks we just handed in were just pieces of paper after all, just colorful pieces of fabric. They were nothing compared to what others had given up.

Class ended. We didn’t get our ranks back and I drove home devastated. I tried to make sense of what had happened. I thought about all the time and effort I had put into it. I tried to relate it to my country. I could see what she was trying to help us understand, and it was very effective; I was grateful for the sacrifices of the founders of our country, but still, this was just a class. Did I really have to earn my rank back? I wouldn’t be able to read all the books again and write all the papers again before the end of the semester. It was too much for me to comprehend. I went through a variety of emotions, from frustration, to anger, to self-pity.

Then I started to contemplate the game. Why did we lose? I pondered on it for a few minutes, thinking about the document that we had been striving to put together, and then suddenly it dawned on me...we lost because of knowledge, or rather, a lack thereof. We didn’t know the Declaration of Independence well enough to win. If we had memorized the Declaration of Independence we wouldn’t have lost. We wouldn’t be in the position we were in. We would have emerged victorious, with our rank intact and the grateful praises of our fellow students.

After that realization my thoughts wandered elsewhere. I thought about Proposition 8. It is a measure on the ballot in California that if passed will be a constitutional amendment that will restore the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. A few weeks ago I was out campaigning door to door for Proposition 8, and out of the hundreds of doors that we knocked on, not one person knew what the proposition was about. Not one. The problem doesn’t stop there though, when people do find out about it, they think it's just about giving same sex couples the right to marry. But it’s about so much more. It’s about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and parental rights. It’s about fighting against tyranny by not allowing activist judges the power to go against the will of the people. There is so much at stake if this is voted down. But they don’t know this. Why? Because the educational system in our country has failed. They had not been taught the fundamental principles that are the foundation of our freedom and liberty. They lack the knowledge required for liberty.

Fifty years ago children had to memorize the Declaration of Independence in order to graduate from school. It was considered one of the most important documents ever. Today, I would venture to say that most people don’t even know what’s in it, aside from a few phrases. I stand guilty of that. As I have been memorizing it I have been awed by the timeless treasure of knowledge contained within that document. My mind is opening and expanding as to what liberty truly is. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America are an accumulation of the wisdom of the ages garnered through hours and hours of study by men and women who knew what true liberty was and who were willing to do whatever it required to obtain it and to secure it for their posterity. They had families to care for, church duties to fulfill, children to educate, houses to clean, farms to run, and businesses to operate. Many men were gone from their families for long periods of time leaving their wives to care for the farm and educate the children. But they were willing to sacrifice all this for liberty. And in doing so, they changed the course of history.

I thought of how I spend my time. I’m not really a TV watcher, but lately I’ve been tuned into the news a little too long. I’ve watched a few more movies than I should have. And, I’m on the computer way longer than I need to be. Just the other day I was looking at my bookshelf and lamenting that I hadn’t read many of the books there. I don’t read near as much as I used to because I have allowed other things to take precedence in my life. I used to study my scriptures on a regular basis, but now it is spotty at best. While I acknowledge that I am a busy person; like my predecessors, I have a family to care for, heavy church calling to fulfill, children to educate and a house to clean; still, I know that I don’t use my time wisely. What if, instead of watching a movie last night, I had spent that time working on memorizing the Declaration of Independence? Perhaps I wouldn’t be writing this post right now!

So, to my dear teacher - THANK YOU for the simulation. While the lesson you were striving to teach, that we would have a deeper appreciation of our country's founders, was ingrained in me, the larger lesson that I learned was that knowledge is the key that will save our country. It is the key that will preserve our liberty. If we “seek…out of the best books words of wisdom; [if we] seek learning, even by study and also by faith” we can do what those who fought so valiantly for our liberties did. By sacrificing of our time to learn and understand what our fundamental, God-given rights are, we too, can change the course of history.

And I’ll do everything else over again, but please, please, please don’t make me read the books and write the papers again!!!

Two more days...

2008-10-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Superman in training

2008-09-26T06:06:00.001-07:00

I didn't take these, by the way. My boys like to use my camera when I'm not around and it's become routine for me to find random shots like these when I download pictures!

Under Pressure

2008-09-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

So today my 16 year old son comes in and asks if he can please take an institute class. You see, he's still in high school, but he's taking a couple of classes at the local junior college and he found out some of his friends are taking an institute class and they told him he ought to take it with them...

Well of course I said yes. I love that positive peer pressure!

A Time to Sew...

2008-09-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like I’ve been very absent from here lately. Yes, I’ve put a post one here and there, but nothing of much substance. I’ve been trying to write something meaningful, but my brain has not been responding. I could say I’ve been in a slump, but truth be told, I’m not really a writer. I’ve never been good at keeping a journal (well, except when I was in Junior High, and I’m not sure a page with “I Love ______” all over it constitutes a journal entry).

That said, I still love blogging. And I still love reading blogs. I’ve not commented much lately because my life has been hectic with the beginning of school. That, coupled with my much unorganized, slow nature has hindered me from doing a lot of things I love.

Like sewing, for instance. Tonight I took my girls shopping to get a few school supplies and sundry items for classes. Our first stop was the fabric store….oh, how I love the fabric store. I love to sew and quilt and it’s been ever so long since I’ve sat down to do a project. I wandered over to the quilting section and perused the quilting books and as I browsed through a few of them I began to feel this lonely, sad feeling in my heart. It took me a few minutes to understand why and then I realized it was because I miss sewing. I miss quilting. I miss my Best Friend. Just recently I rearranged some cupboards and bookshelves and the extra items that I wasn’t sure what to do with got plopped in the office/sewing room. I haven’t had a chance to go in and assess the damage (all I know is that I can’t even walk in there) so consequently I haven’t been able to even consider sewing.

Several years ago I read a book, and I can’t even remember the name of it, but it was at another time in my life when I felt like I had no time to do anything I loved. I felt guilty for even thinking of sewing, but if I wasn’t sewing I was miserable. This book helped me to understand something very important. The author reminded me that God wants us to be creative. He loves beauty, and to prove that we need only take a look around us. Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork."

I can’t walk by a rosebush without stopping. I have to examine the intricate petals, and of course I have to bury my nose in their blossoms. Gardenias are heavenly to me also, with their waxy petals and intoxicating scent. Another flower that has no scent, but which I absolutely love is the hydrangea. I love all the little flowers that make up one big snowball like blossom. They are so easy to grow and I love how they last several weeks after being cut. When they are in bloom I always have a vase of them on my table. Flowers make me so happy and I can’t imagine what the world would be like if God had been too busy (or too unorganized) to make flowers.

Tomorrow (or today rather) I have to work my last shift at Sunsplash, so alas, I won’t have a chance to do anything with the room until next week. But after looking wistfully at the quilting books today, I am not going to put it off any longer. Come hell or high water, next week I’m cleaning out my sewing room and then, by golly, I’m going to create.

Lessons from Elder Busche

2008-09-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I read Yearning for the Living God, by F. Enzio Busche, which was one of the most inspiring books I had ever read. So imagine my delight when my sister-in-law sent me the following video:

Color Me Happy

2008-08-30T23:33:00.001-07:00

Before:

After:

Where were these when my kids were smaller?!? I bought some yesterday just to see how they worked and I LOVE them! They glide on smoothly, they don't break, the paper doesn't peel away. And...they come in these cool colors too:

I'm sold.

I still have smallish boys, so to go along with the crayons I bought this giant sized coloring book for them:

Imagine if you will a 2' x 4' Sponge Bob. (help!)

I also broke down and bought these:

I outlawed markers several years ago after finding intricate pictures drawn on the walls, cabinets and carpet, but now that my youngest is 7, I'm feeling brave.

We've spent the better part of the last two days coloring, but we seem to be running out of yellow.

Hmmm, can't figure that one out...

Off the top of my head...

2008-08-30T01:05:00.000-07:00

*Don't you hte it when you re typing nd one of your keys is sticky so tht everytime you hit tht key it doesn't work. I find it very nnoying. Cn you guess which one it is? I've been around the blogosphere commenting nd I kept having to go back nd hit that key extr hard. I'm tired of doing it so you will just have to suffer through ll the typos...

*Thnk you for letting me whine yesterdy. I feel much better tody. I ws ctully in the midst of rerrnging my fmily room nd it ws mess for a week. I don't function well in a mess, which is a problem since I am not a tidy person!

*It's shaping up to be an interesting rce for the White House. I like McCain's pick. I liked her speech. I've never relly identified with politician before, but I did with her. She's close to my age, has one less child thn me. I'm looking forward to seeing her face off with Biden.

*I mde it to bed by 10:00 every night this week... a record for me! AND...we had family scripture study every night too! We're trying a new schedule. We clean up the dinner dishes and then immediately sit down at the table for our study. It feels so good to hve it done nd the discussion is much more lively since we are not too tired!

*Did you know that the ncient Romans had flush toilets? I was just watching a show about how they did all the plumbing for it. Very fascinating...except that the bathroom was a very large room with rows of benches with holes...no individual stalls there. It reminded me of some of my weirder dreams where I have to go to the bathroom really bad and I keep looking for a private spot, but all the toilets seemed to be lined up outside...then I finally wake up...whew!

*You really wanted to know that about my dream, huh!

*Did you notice that the "a" is working now? Figures, just as I am about to wind up!

Good night!

Excuse me while I whine.

2008-08-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm having an off day. I'm so tired of making decisions about my children's education. I'm so tired of trying to organize my house because I don't have the shelf space I need for all the books that I use for said children's education. I'm so tired of trying to come up with a schedule that I will actually be able to follow for the new school year. I'm so tired of cleaning the house because even if it's clean I still hate it because nothing is my style and the sofas are threadbare and sagging. Besides, it never stays clean with said children home all day.

Waa, waa, waa.

I was complaining to my husband because our lot hasn't sold yet so we haven't been able to build our new home which will sport a library where I can house all my books and school supplies. I'm having serious doubts it will ever get built.

Waa, waa, waa.

My husband said, "Well you know that old saying, 'when life gives you lemons...'"

My answer to that?

I'm all out of sugar.

And the #1 song is...

2008-08-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

I found this on Michal's blog so I thought I'd copy her. She's such a trend setter! Well, she did "borrow" it from someone else so I don't feel so bad!

Go to this blog and find out which song was #1 on the day you were born.

For me it was:

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra

Kind of fun! Let me know what you come up with.

Let's face it...

2008-08-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

with the invention of texting, the English language is deteriorating.

So... my 13 year old daughter was using my cell phone today and this is what I found in my text messages when I got it back from her. She was having a 'conversation' with my 17 year old daughter.......

Yup.

No. Way.

Your face.

No your face.

Your face doesn't have a freakin kidney.

Well ur face is a dried up racoon with one eye walking down a alley with a flower singing "think of me".

Well your face is a dead snake on a trycicle and the trycicle is in the middle of kuntucky...

Your face has a purple banana growing out the side of it.

And ur face is a dead owl...

Your face has the chicken pox.

Your face has the meesles.

Your face can't spell.

Your face can't sing.

Your face can't dance.

Ah, yes. These is my girls! I actually edited some of the insults as they got to be a little morbid. It was all in good natured fun, and I laughed my head off while I was reading them, but I couldn't help thinking that perhaps they could have done better, after all they have both taken a couple of years of Shakespeare and if your going to insult, you need only look to the master of insults for inspiration. Perhaps the 'conversation' might have gone something like this:

And in thy brain which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, thou hath strange places.

Well, you are the must chaff, and you are smelt above the moon.

Ha! I was seeking for a fool when I found you.

Yeah, well, four of thy five wits went halting off, and now is thy whole person governed with one.

Well, you lisp and wear strange suits.

And you are a most pathetical nit.

Watch out, thou art winding the watch of thy wit, by and by it will strike.

Well, "More of [this] conversation would infect my brain" so I think I'll sign off for now. And you might want to "Weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain"!

The Bean Trees

2008-08-21T01:44:00.000-07:00

You know that gift from Motherboard I wrote about a couple of posts ago? Well one of the things in there was this book. I started reading it yesterday at 7:00 pm. It's now 1:45 am. I just finished it. I couldn't put it down. It's a very sweet, sad, heartbreaking, touching story. I loved the characters, the friendships, the relationships. The characters were very different from me, but I could identify with them on so many levels. Thanks, Motherboard, for the great read!

I love a story that captivates and takes you away from your life for awhile. But reality calls...it calls at 5:30 am when I have to be up to make breakfast for my 3 cemetary...errr...seminary goers!

Back to School?

2008-08-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

So... today was the first day of public school in our area. Since we homeschool we decided that a field trip was in order for our first day...

OK, well, these are not my kids...but you get the idea.

The place is normally so crowded that you have to stand in line for 1/2 hour or more sometimes. But today? We rode the Master Blaster twice in five minutes! It's days like these that I love being a homeschooler!

We'll be taking a teacher break for the next two weeks and then...sigh...back to the daily grind.

A long overdue Thank You!

2008-08-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

Guess what I just opened...finally! The bloggy gift I won at Motherboard's site, oh so many weeks ago! We had just "met" and I entered her birthday giveaway and won! (Yes, she gives things away on her birthday...how cool is that! I like the idea so much I just might do it next year.) However, it hadn't come before I left for my vacation, so tonight at dinner all of a sudden it hit me that I hadn't seen the package yet and I asked my husband what he had done with it. He had put it in the sewing room (which was a mess, so I hadn't even looked in there after I got home). I rescued it before it got swallowed up with all the other missing things that have gotten thrown in there over the last few months and quickly tore into it! My kids all crowded around and ooo'd and aaa'd over all the goodies, especially the Swedish Fish! I'm excited about the book, I've been needing a book to get lost in, and my son is extremely excited about the flower seeds. He even offered to keep them in a safe place for me!

Thank you Motherboard! It was a fun treat to come home to after an eventful vacation!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-08-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after being gone nearly 6 weeks, we arrived home! And while I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my family and other kin, I am happy to be home. And let me just interject here that I have the most fabulous Mother-in-law in the whole world? Yes, I came home to a spotless house. The table was set with a pretty white tablecloth and a vase of beautiful flowers on it and she had some tasty croissant sandwiches and fruit awaiting our starving selves with Bostom Cream Pie to finish off the meal...She had even had the carpets cleaned and closet doors and lightswitches that had been broken fixed! Oh, I just don't deserve her!

Today I had every intention of getting busy unpacking and cleaning out the car, but what did I do instead? I sat around in my jammies reading the Fablehaven series that my cute 11 year old daughter (E) has been pestering me to read. I couldn't put it down, and you know what? I only felt a little tinge of guilt that I should be unpacking, but quickly squashed that notion and finished book 3. Now I am anxiously awaiting the 4th book to be released. Who will get to it first, me or E?

I've missed all my bloggy friends. I've been reading your posts, but give me a week to get settled and I'll start start commenting again!

P.S. Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts on behalf of my brother. While he is out of immediate danger and has some complications from the infection that may be life altering, we are all just thankful that he is still with us.

Don't you hate it when...

2008-08-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

you forget your eyebrow tweezers when you go on vacation and you're gone for a month...

Windows to the Soul

2008-07-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my brother opened his eyes! He has been on two sedation medications since he's been in, but yesterday they took him off of one of them. His eyes had been open for several hours, but he had not responded to any of the nurses stimulation. That is, until he heard my sisters voice, then he looked directly at her. What a thrill! She called me and I'm sure I broke speed records getting up there! Most of the time he was not focusing on anything in particular, but several times while we were talking to him there was a flicker of recognition. Or his brows would furrow in annoyance when one of the many machines he is hooked up to would start beeping. Or when we were talking to him about his kids, he would get a concerned look on his face. Once he looked like he was trying to smile, and another time he looked like he wanted to say something, but it's hard to talk with a huge tube in your throat! I swear we even saw his eyes tear up when we were talking to him. I was giddy with emotion. As I sat and stared into his beautiful, brown eyes this scripture came to mind,

"The light of the body is the eye."

The eyes truly are the windows to the soul, and it was a beautiful experience to peek in and see that his soul is still there.

Death is all around us...

2008-07-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog you know that this past week has been very interesting for me. But you don’t know the half of it. Another event that has occurred this week is why I have given this post the title it has. Let me explain.

Five years ago on July 15, my mother passed away. Four years ago on July 17, my father-in-law passed away. This week on July 15 my brother was admitted to the hospital and was hardly expected to make it through the day. And just this past Saturday, on July 19 my grandfather passed away.

So you see, I have been contemplating death a lot lately. And I have also been contemplating why the Lord does things like this. It just seems so uncanny that it all happened this week. Another interesting “coincidence” is that on Sunday in Relief Society the lesson was on death...

One of the questions asked was, “As you think of loved ones who have died or who may soon die, what gospel truths bring you comfort?” As I contemplated that I thought of my mother. I thought of my brother. As my sister and I stood by my brother's bedside on that first frightening day we wondered aloud where my mother was, and even as we wondered we knew the answer. She was right there of course. This was her son, her firstborn. Where else would she be? My answer to the question is that I am grateful for the gospel truth of the sealing power that binds families together forever. Even though she is gone from this life, my mother is still my mother and will always be my mother and no one can take her away. My mother has accomplished more through her death in bringing about a better life for her children. Her presence has been felt many times by different members of our family in their times of need. She is still living and so is my father-in-law and so is my grandpa. And I am eternally grateful for that comforting truth.

Yes, death is all around us, but so is life. Eternal life.

Tender Mercies

2008-07-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

The days have all run together. It’s been a week since Roger was hospitalized and I don’t know where the time has gone. So many things have happened. So many ups and downs. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster ride for sure!

The official diagnosis is Tularemia, or more commonly “rabbit fever”. It was transmitted to him through a tick bite he received on the 4th of July weekend. While Tularemia is rare, only 200 cases per year, it is highly dangerous, it takes only one organism to cause the disease. If he had gone in within a few days of feeling symptoms, he would have been on antibiotics for a couple of weeks and probably would have been fine.

They have given him antibiotics for the Tularemia and have been able to contain it; however it is all the after effects that he is dealing with now. As a result of it running unchecked in his body he contracted sepsis, which is essentially blood poisoning. He has gone into respitory failure and his kidneys have stopped functioning. The Tularemia has also caused ischemia to occur in some of his fingertips, but the real danger lies in it spreading to his heart; in order to keep that from happening he may have to have the affected ones amputated. They have drawn marks on his fingers to check the progress. He also has some internal bleeding which they are not sure of the cause. He is under sedation right now and on a ventilator and is also receiving dialysis.

It all sounds very dire, but the doctors feel that since he is young (43) and relatively healthy that his chances are good for recovering. The main thing that needs to happen is for his lungs to begin working on their own. The ventilator is taking every breath for him and it is also keeping pressure in his lungs in order to keep them from collapsing. When he was first admitted they had him on 100% oxygen and the pressure level (PEEP) was 20. He is now down to 35% oxygen and the PEEP level is 16. It is the PEEP level that needs to go down to below a 6-8 before they will be able to take him off the ventilator. Most of his recovery depends upon him being able to breathe on his own. His body cannot get the oxygen he needs to his blood and certain organs until he starts to be in control of his breathing.

While his kidneys are still not functioning, there is an 85-90% chance that they will reverse themselves and he will be fine. Years down the road he may have some problems with them, but the doctors say that most of the time, in cases like this, people fully recover their kidney function. He will be kept on dialysis until he is able to begin breathing on his own and his kidneys begin to function again.

He is very bloated as they have to keep a certain amount of fluid in his body in order for his organs to receive the oxygen they need. While it is very uncomfortable, it is not dangerous to him. We were worried that it was what had caused the ischemia, but the doctor reassured us that was not the case. We are hopeful that because the Tularemia has been contained that the ischemia will stop progressing.

That is the medical side of things. On a spiritual note, the Lord has been in our midst throughout this ordeal. Yesterday as I was contemplating the events of the past few days this scripture came to mind:

But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith. (1 Nephi 1:20)

On Monday our family decided to do another fast for Roger. We gathered together at the hospital so that we could talk to the doctor and get a more detailed analysis of his condition. Since both waiting rooms were full the nurse took us back to the family meeting room in the ICU. The doctor met us there and answered our questions and gave us the information we needed. He then left the room and we were able to discuss what we needed to focus on in our fasting and prayer. We then knelt in a family prayer in his behalf. After the prayer we discussed who would give him a priesthood blessing and made that decision. We were just getting ready to leave when the nurse came back and was very surprised to find us still there. The doctor was supposed to escort us out after he was done, but he had not. I was grateful for that little tender mercy that the Lord showed to us in giving us a private place to gather and plead for the life of our brother. The nurse also allowed us all to go into the room while he was given the blessing, another tender mercy, because only two people are allowed into his room at one time.

Another tender mercy is the fact that I was able to be here at this time. I have felt that the Lord wanted me here to be with my family during this time. Usually in the summer we take our annual trip to British Columbia to go fishing. This year I wanted to visit my family and also go visit the church history sites. A couple of weeks before our trip we decided to cancel the church history tour because of expenses and decided instead to just stay in Oklahoma the whole time. I had been planning on going to Indiana for a week to visit a friend and also my father who lives in Wisconsin, but I got sick so I had put off the trip for a few days. I was sick for two days. On the day that Roger went to the hospital I was feeling better so that I was able to go into his room during those first very frightening hours. Funny little circumstances that kept me here where I needed to be. There have been other, more personal experiences that I have had wherein I know that the Lord is working in this family to bring us closer and to have the opportunity to exercise our faith together on behalf of our brother.

There’s so much that I wish to express, but feel that I need to keep in my heart. My prayer is that my brother will be able to recover and to have the capacity left in his body to fulfill the mission that I know he has still on this earth. I know that the Lord is near and Roger is receiving the spiritual strength that he needs. I pray that I will be able to see him awake before I leave. Please keep him in your prayers, and thank you again for your kind and supportive words.

Good News!

2008-07-17T11:26:00.001-07:00

Thank you for your prayers and uplifting words of support and encouragement. Roger (my brother) is improving. Since he's been in the hospital he has had to have 100% oxygen given to him on a ventilator that was also doing every breath for him. Last night he improved significantly so that today they were able to to take his oxygen input down to 80 percent! His blood pressure had been very low but has now returned to normal, so they have been able to take him off the blood pressure medication which means a reduction in the fluids they were having to give him that were bloating his body. He's still on dailysis for his kidneys, but it's only a temporary thing until his kidneys can begin to function on their own.

I have the most awesome family who have all pulled together for him. There are nine of us all together, six boys and three girls. One brother flew in from Alaska to be here and another flew from San Diego with his wife and thier 9 day old baby (she's a beauty!) to be here. We all fasted for him yesterday. I am blessed to be here with them and to witness the pulling together of our faith in his behalf. We know that our prayers are being heard.

Challenging Event

2008-07-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Funny how my last post was on challenging events that can take over your life. I don't have a lot of time to say what I'd really like to say because my vacation has made quite the detour. My big brother is in the hospital in critical condition. He has an infection that has caused sepsis. Last night he was touch and go and was only given a 50/50 chance of making it through the night...but he did, bless his heart. While he is still in very critical condition, the doctor said that she felt the prognosis was better today. We know the Lord is at work here as we have felt his presence many times throughout this ordeal. We believe in miracles and are fasting and praying that his life will be spared. Please think of us and pray for us at this time.

Real Living

2008-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenges are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do...No matter how difficult something you or a loved one faces, it should not take over your life and be the center of all your interest. Challenges are growth experiences, temporary scenes to be played out on the background of a pleasant life." Richard G. Scott, Ensign, May 1996

Isn't this a great quote? It's something I've been thinking a lot about lately. Too many times I have allowed events to take over while I am hovering somewhere over the top looking at my life being played out and not feeling like a participant.

That's all I have to say...just wanted to share the quote!

Summertime...and the livin' is easy!

2008-07-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, once we got to the destination that is.

Have you ever tried to drive across the country with 8 persons, 6 of whom are your kids, stuffed in a car for three days of 12+ hour driving? It is not for the faint of heart!

But now we are here and my kids are connecting with cousins, some of whom they have not seen for over 5 years. It's a slumber party every night! Fortunately I have lots of family here in the midwest, so we can disperse ourselves around and not make anyone too crazy!

We'll be vacationing for about a month, so my blogging life will be sporadic at best, but I'll be checking in when I can.

Hope you all are having an easy livin' summer!

For you Nancy Face!

2008-06-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

Presenting, for your listening pleasure, dear Daughter #2 singing a rousing rendition of

"Cookie!"

Ok, well, it's midnight and I had to beg her to perform, so maybe it's not so rousing, but ain't she a cutie!

It's a CRAZY world!

2008-06-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

I won a bloggy giveaway! I've only ever entered two and boy howdy was I shocked to win. It was about a week ago that I found out, but I was gone to Girls Camp so could not post about it until now. Here's the CRAZY place where I won. Just look at all the loot I will be getting! It was The Motherboard's birthday giveaway. What a fun idea to give away a gift for your birthday. (Must remember that for next year.) The fun thing is that I just met The Motherboard about a week before her giveaway. She left a very nice comment on one of my posts. Thank you Motherboard, I'm looking forward to the treats!

Another CRAZY person commented around the same time and I kept getting them mixed up because of the names of their blogs, and the funny thing is, I don't think they knew each other when they named their blogs, but they have a cool connection that you will just have to read about. Take a gander over to their blogs, it's definately worth your time!

I love the blogosphere. You just never know who you are going to bump into!

Campy Debriefing

2008-06-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

I loved going to girls camp as a youth. When I was first married I was the Beehive advisor, so I got to go that one year, but then was never involved with the youth after that...always in Primary. This year was my oldest daughter's last year though, so I called the stake camp director and begged her to let me go! Which they did--I worked in the kitchen all week. It was busy and tiring and my feet were killing me by the end, but it was invigorating to be around all those girls, the energy was astonishing! Oh, and I lost three pounds which was an added bonus!

A fun thing about being in the kitchen is the cute song the girls sing for you,

"Cookie, Cookie
Listen while we sing to you!
Cookie, Cookie
Listen while we sing, please do!
Anyone can make a bed,
Anyone can sweep.
But it takes our Cookie to make the things we eat, so
Cookie, Cookie!
Listen while we sing to you."

I didn't think about it until later, but my mom (who died about 5 years ago) was called Cookie by her family, so that was kind of a fun connection to be called her name, if only during camp time.

I missed out on repelling off a 65 foot cliff in the dark (I really did want to go, I was bummed!) because I was busy in the kitchen and the group left before I could get to the meeting place. Part of the reason I was so bummed was because it was my oldest daughter's group who was doing it and I wanted to be there with her. Instead I went back to my tent and cried... but I did get to do some archery and riflery which was a lot of fun. I'm really good at riflery, but archery, well, that's another matter. I have a really nice bruise on my left upper forearm to show for it! I also got to go on a 5 mile hike with my other daughter. It was not the prettiest hike I had ever been on (I was spoiled by going to Yosemite last month), but it was definately good exercise.

The highlight of my week was at the campfire Testimony meeting with our ward and the bishopric. It brought back memories of when I was a fresh new Beehive. That first campfire testimony meeting marked the beginning of my testimony. I clearly remember a feeling enveloping me that I had never felt before and I wondered how I could be crying and feeling good all the way down to my toes all at the same time! I loved watching the girls each take a turn to stand and bear witness to the truthfulness of the things they had been taught, but the very best part was when my 17 year old daughter stood and bore her testimony for the very first time ever. My motherly heart just melted in a pool of tears after that!

I love camp...

Cookie, cookie....

Hot, Sweaty, Tired

2008-06-21T12:52:00.001-07:00

Two words will describe my title...

Girls Camp!

I worked in the kitchen.

I had a blast.

I can't wait to take a shower, use my own bathroom and sleep in my own bed.

And I can't wait to catch up on all my favorite blogs!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered what it would be like to speak on one of the revered holidays of mothers and fathers. Today I found out. Here's my talk (it's long, so if you make it to the end, you have my undying admiration!):

Today being Father’s Day I was asked to speak on the topic of fathers. I wasn’t given any particular aspect of fatherhood, so as I contemplated on what to focus on my thoughts turned to some of the problems that plague our country and world today. The roles of parents have changed dramatically in the world. With the recent California Supreme Court ruling regarding same sex marriage, groundwork has been laid for the further erosion of the family. The sacred institute of marriage is in jeopardy. The idea of mom’s staying home with their children has long been ridiculed and single parent homes have been on the rise for the last 20-30 years. In a talk given by President James E. Faust in August of 2004 he says:

“Modern sociological studies powerfully reaffirm the essential influence of a caring father in the life of a child—boy or girl. In the past twenty years, as homes and families have struggled to stay intact, sociological studies reveal this alarming fact: much of the crime and many of the behavioral disorders in the United States come from homes where the father has abandoned the children. In many societies the world over, child poverty, crime, drug abuse, and family decay can be traced to conditions where the father gives no male nurturing. Sociologically, it is now painfully apparent that fathers are not optional family baggage.”

He goes on to say,

“One authority states: “Studies show that fathers have a special role to play in building a child’s self-respect. They are important, too, in ways we really don’t understand, in developing internal limits and controls in children.” He continues, “Research also shows that fathers are critical in establishment of gender in children. Interestingly, fatherly involvement produces stronger sexual identity and character in both boys and girls. It is well established that the masculinity of sons and the femininity of daughters are each greater when fathers are active in family life.””

With the changing climate it is even more imperative that we as members of the Church understand our parental roles and what better place to look for a role model than to our own Heavenly Parent.

A careful study of the characteristics and the attributes of God give a person the blueprint that can be used to build their own eternal character. Through the scriptures we are able to find various passages where God has revealed himself to us.

Exodus 34:6 says, “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth.”

Psalm 103:6,8 says, “The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”

In the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith submits that the attributes of God include: knowledge, power (faith), justice, judgment, mercy, and truth. As I thought about each of these attributes, examples of different fathers who exemplified them came to mind. Some are from scripture, some from books, and some are more personally acquainted with me.

Knowledge
D&C 131:6 states, “It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” Without knowledge of all things God would not be able to save any portion of his creatures. Because he is all knowing, he is able to give us understanding and enlightenment that will help us in our eternal progression.

A quote I often use with my family is, “Ignorance is not not knowing, it’s knowing what isn’t so.” True knowledge is a clear perception of fact, truth, or duty. It is enlightenment.

The Book of Mormon tells us that Nephi, “having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father.” We know that Lehi was a “visionary man”, and we know that he shared his dreams with his children, teaching them valuable principles as he expounded on them. Nephi took from the knowledge of his father and asked the Lord for more. I am grateful for that every time I read about the vision of the Tree of Life.

Most children are in awe of their fathers and think they know everything. A favorite comic strip at our house is Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is always asking his dad questions, and his dad, well, he has answers.

Calvin—Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?
Dad—That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.
Calvin—Where does the sun go when it sets?
Dad—The sun sets in the west. In Arizona actually, near Flagstaff. That's why the rocks there are so red.
Calvin—Don't the people get burned up?
Dad—No, the sun goes out as it sets. That's why it's dark at night.
Calvin—Doesn't the sun crush the whole state as it lands?
Dad—Ha ha, of course not. Hold a quarter up. See, the sun's just about the same size.
Calvin—I thought I read that the sun was really big.
Dad—You can't believe everything you read, I'm afraid.

Calvin—What causes the wind?
Dad—Trees sneezing.

Calvin—How come you know so much?
Dad—It's all in the book you get when you become a father.

Power
In the Lectures on Faith Joseph Smith says, “faith…is the moving cause of all action…without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental.” “It is the principle by which Jehovah works.” Faith is power.

I never knew a person who worked harder that my Father-in-law. Before and after he retired he was constantly out in the yard working. He had a large garden and a grove of fruit trees that produced a bounty of fruits and vegetables. He worked hard all his life and while he was never rich in the ways of the world, he was able to provide for his family in more than just temporal ways by teaching his sons the value of work. Through his example he taught his sons faith. Faith that through their own hard work they would be able to determine the quality of the life they lived.

Fathers have been given the blessing of holding the priesthood which is a source of strength and power. I have been plagued with allergies since I was a young girl. I hated the beginning of school because it coincided with the onset of hayfever for me. The first couple of months of school my eyes were red and puffy and I was completely miserable. My school pictures always reflected that as they were taken usually within the first month. Before school started each year my father would give me a blessing. I remember one year I was particularly stressed about my allergies. I wanted my dad to bless me that they wouldn’t bother me, but I didn’t know if it was ok to ask for that so I didn’t say anything. However, in the blessing he did ask that my allergies not be so severe, thus stating the desires of my heart. From that blessing and others he gave me I gained a testimony of the power of the priesthood and the strength that it can bring into our lives.

Justice
Justice is the virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due; it is practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men with each other.

I love the Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” The last stanza says,

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Laman and Lemuel were perpetually murmuring that life was not fair. Nephi, on the other hand, didn’t murmur. He turned to the Lord for answers and for help. In response the Lord says, “ Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper…and inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.” (1 Nephi 1:19-22)

That prophecy came to pass. We can see the consequences of these different approaches to fatherhood throughout the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s posterity had continual access to the light of the gospel, while Laman and Lemuel’s posterity were ignorant of the blessings withheld from them because of the choices of their fathers.

“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you." (H. Jackson Brown Jr.)

Judgment
The attribute of judgment gives power to the mind for the exercise of faith and confidence in God, and they are “enabled by faith to …wade through all the tribulations and afflictions to which they are subjected…believing that in due time the Lord will come out in swift judgment against their enemies.” (Lectures on Faith)

Psalm 37:28 says, “For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever.”

There is nothing that gets my husband’s ire up more than the thought that one of his children may be in danger or has had their feelings hurt in some way. He would move heaven and earth to keep his children safe.

Mercy
Mercy is that benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; it implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.

My sister tells a story which illustrates how my father applied the principle of mercy.

“When I was a teenager, I used to ask to borrow money from him so I could go out with my friends. He'd give me ten or twenty, reluctantly, and I'd smile and leave. Once I asked to borrow money again. He took out a piece of paper from his desk, tallied up the total, and asked me if I really wanted to borrow this. "Of course," I said. "Well then," he proceeded, "when do you plan to pay this back?" I stopped for a moment to think. I didn't realize I actually had to pay it back. I was a little shocked at this question, which he quickly picked up on. He then went on to explain that if I didn't intend to pay it back, then I should ask if I could 'have' ten dollars instead of 'borrow' ten dollars. If I asked to borrow it, then he wrote it down, expecting that it would be paid back. I then said, "I don't have the money to pay all of that back, so could I just have some money tonight?" He smiled and handed over ten dollars. I liked this arrangement much better. He decided to relinquish my debt and tossed the paper in the trash. His point had been made, and this little lesson taught me that he was actually a pretty cool guy.”

A merciful father seeks to understand his children and shows love through mercy.

Truth
Truth implies fidelity; constancy; steadfastness; faithfulness.

In the Book of Mormon, we have the account of Alma, the son of Alma, being numbered among the rebellious and doing all manner of iniquity. Alma the father prayed with much faith that his son would come to a knowledge of the truth. If you will recall an angel came and rebuked Alma,

“Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people."

“And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.” (Alma 27:13-14)

When Alma the Younger recovered from this experience, he was a changed man. He was appointed as the first chief judge by King Mosiah and went on to rule in righteous judgment. Later in his life he gives wonderful counsel to his sons Shiblon and Corianton instructing them in the ways of truth and righteousness.

If fathers would study and strive to develop these attributes within themselves, many of the ills of the world would be rectified. One of my favorite time periods in the Book of Mormon is after Christ’s visit which is written about in 4 Nephi. It is a relatively short period of time, only 200 years and only comprises one chapter, but I imagine that it was a time during which fathers (and mothers) embodied these attributes.

“And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land…And they were married, and given in marriage, and were blessed according to the multitude of the promises which the Lord had made unto them…And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people… And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings."

I am eternally grateful that I had a loving, caring, devoted father while growing up. I went through a period of struggle in my youth as most of us have. I was working and since I didn’t have my own car my parents would take me and pick me up. My dad liked to do it because it was an opportunity for us to spend time together. He wasn’t a particularly talkative man, but he was a good listener and when he did speak he instructed me in ways of truth. Those times are precious to me because he has since become inactive in the church, yet his teachings in my youth laid the foundation for the kind of person I have become and the faith that I am able to exercise in my own life.

My husband is everything I could have wished for in a father. He embodies many of the attributes that I have talked about. I think my kids would say that he is a “fun” dad. He keeps the mood light in our home through his banter and jokes. He loves his children more than anything else and shows that through his actions.

I’m also eternally grateful for my Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ. Knowing their attributes give me a feeling of total trust and confidence and also a great measure of comfort. This assurance spills over into my prayers, for I know that whatever I stand in need of, God has the power & knowledge to fulfill.

I testify of the truthfulness of these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

To die for...

2008-06-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I had White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake for dessert from The Cheesecake Factory. A mouthful to say and a mouthful of Heaven! Sadly this isn't a picture of the Heavenly creation, this is the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle...I think I'll try that next time!

Double Trouble

2008-06-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Who...us?

When they were younger we referred to them as Thing 1 & Thing 2, you know, from Dr. Suess's Cat in the Hat. They were quite the pair making messes from one end of the house to the other.

They still keep me hopping, but they aren't quite so messy anymore. In fact, their room is the cleanest in the house. They make their bed every day and do their chores almost without being reminded to. They are constantly giving me kisses and hugs. They make me laugh daily.

I think I'd be blue without Thing 1 & Thing 2.

Feeling Good and Looking Better!

2008-06-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

I got an email from my piano teacher this afternoon that made my day...or rather made my whole week...month...year?

Here's what she wrote:

"So I am having classes today, discussing the pros and cons of the kid’s recital experiences…when these 4 girls from your recital were discussing your Cristofori’s Dream they said they heard you were a mom! They couldn’t believe it because “she was so young and pretty, she didn’t look like a mom at all!” I thought they were talking about [your daughter], so I reiterated that [she] is the teenage daughter with the pretty long brown hair, but they said, “no, we’re talking about the girl who played 2 songs.” It was a crack up to me when I told them you were a mom, (& not a teenage mom), because you have 3 teenagers yourself. They couldn’t believe it. It kept me smiling through the afternoon….so I just had to share it!

Go have a YOUNG evening, will you?"

I usually get told that I look about 10 years younger than I am, but boy howdy, am I feeling good now!

What's your Guilty Pleasure?

2008-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

That's rhetorical, so please don't answer!

I had an interesting conversation with my MIL the other day. She was telling me about this TV show that she loves to watch. It’s a bit of a racy program and she said, “Oh, I know there’s some stuff in it that’s, well, kind of “hmm hmm” (her way of saying a little too much of the s3x*y stuff), but the bond these ladies have is why I really love to watch it.”

Now I love my MIL dearly, so this post is nothing against her, but her comment got me to thinking about something that I had just read in Pilgrim’s Progress. Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of a man’s search for the Celestial City(salvation). Christian, the hero of the story is on a journey to find the Celestial City and on his way he meets up with many temptations, threats and dangers. He finds a companion named “Hopeful” who also wishes for the Celestial City. They are directed to the path and given a Note of Direction. They are also warned about the “Flatterers”, nevertheless when they are at a crossroad and not sure which way to go a man “black of Flesh, but covered with a very light Robe, came to them, and asked them why they stood there?” They told him they were on their way to the Celestial City, but didn’t know what road to take. He told them to follow him, so they do, and consequently are led into a net where they become entangled. It is at this point that the “White robe fell off the black man’s back” and they finally recognize that they’ve been duped. They are helpless until a Shining One comes to their rescue.

When I first read that part, I was mad at them for following. It was obvious to me that they should have questioned who he was and where he intended leading them. But as I contemplated it further I thought of how sly the adversary is. He only has to “cloak” something in an appealing attire to entice us. They did recognize that the man was of “black flesh”, but the White Robe made them feel comfortable enough to follow and it was only after they became entangled in the net that he revealed himself.

My MIL’s show is all about friendship; women falling in and out of love, helping each other through the rough spots of life, day to day situations that we can identify with, scenes played out in hilarious, touching and sentimental ways—and before you know it, these women are like your best friends. You have to keep up with them; you have to know what happens to them each week.

But beneath the cloak lies the risqué. We may feel a little squeamish through some of those scenes, but we’re grown-ups. We can handle that kind of stuff right?

I’m definitely a guilty party here. I have watched shows that a friend terms a “guilty pleasure”. Last year I got hooked on a series. I had to watch it every week and I also got the DVD’s from Netflix so I could catch up and understand what was going on. I watched for a few weeks, but then noticed that my home felt a little dark. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I kept feeling like I needed to send the DVD’s back without watching them. I put it off for a bit, but finally I prayed about it and the impression was pretty strong. I’ve found through experience not to ignore those impressions, so I sent them back. Immediately the feeling in my home changed. It was like something heavy left. I try not to think about what my home would be like had I ignored the impression and watched the programs.

I will admit to another "guilty pleasure". My computer. It's now 12:44 am and I should be in bed...

Goodnight!

Be Still and Know That I am God

2008-06-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad today is over.

My girls and I all take piano from the most fabulous teacher. Everytime after our lesson I tell my girls, "When I grow up I want to be just like Sister____________. She is very encouraging and positive even when she is critiquing your work. And she's always smiling. I love people who always smile.

Anyway, back to why I'm glad this day is over. Today was our piano recital. I was playing two pieces, one by myself and one as a duet with my eldest daughter. I had practiced and practiced my own piece, but there were two parts that every single time I played them, I messed up. I would go back and work on just those parts over and over and over again, only to come back and mess up. The other struggle was that my daughter was at EFY all last week, so we were not able to practice our duet together until this morning! Let's talk about stress here...no, let's not!

I prayed, we prayed, my husband gave us blessings. We perservered and improved. Before the recital I said another prayer and asked that our minds would be quickened and our hands able to remember the notes, but I forgot to ask for one specific thing.............I forgot to ask that my hands not shake.

They shook.

So much so that EVERYONE noticed, and EVERYONE commented on it afterward.

I played my solo piece first and was so devastated with my shaking hands that I was unsure if I would be able to perform the duet with my daughter. So I prayed and as I was praying I remembered something I had read recently. It was from the 23 Psalm..."He leadeth me beside the still waters." I asked that my hands be made still and the words that came into my mind were, "Be still and know that I am God."

Our turn came and even though we made a few mistakes, my hands were calm.

I love it when the Lord answers right away.

But I'm still glad this day is over!

Bring on Summer...I'm Ready!

2008-06-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

I have a hot new job! Well a hot new cool job. Actually it's hot for me, cool for the kids...

Here's where I'm working for the summer...

I'm working at a water park! Cool huh? Well, like I said, cool for the kids, because they get to be there while I get to sweat my socks off serving hamburgers and pizzas! I work for the catering department. We set up and serve for the group events. My shift usually runs from 10-1:30ish, so on the days I work, my older kids come with me and play, and my MIL brings my younger two over around 1:30 and then I don my suit and we play until the park closes! I only have to work a total of 12 shifts over the summer to get the very COOL benefits--a summer pass for each member of my family! Usually we get to go only one time each summer, as a day pass costs $25.00 per person, or a summer pass is $80.00. Multiply that by 8 and, well, you see why we only get to go once per season. But not THIS year! We can go as often as we want...so often that we might even get sick of it...NOT!

The End of All Things

2008-05-29T22:22:00.001-07:00

I love the end of May. It signifies the end of the school year, the end of seminary, the end of dance lessons, the end of baseball, the end of trapshooting, the end of piano lessons, the end of endless chauffering of kids from here to there and everywhere. Right around the middle of May I get tired...very, very tired. I start thinking about next year and trying to figure out how I can stop the endless running around. I wish I lived on a farm, way out in the country, away from all the "life enriching" activities that I think my kids need.

I've been taking an online class where we read, study and discuss great literature and inspiring documents. The first document we discussed was Your Refined Heavenly Home, by Douglass L. Callister. I love this speech. Actually, I don't love this speech. Well, I do and I don't! It's an amazing speech that has caused me to take a closer look at the environment of my home. I love it because it has caused me to really think about my home and how conducive it is to cultivating the type of refinement that he talks about. And I don't love it because taking a closer look is painful! I so desire to have a "Refined Heavenly Home", but I have a looooong way to go!

I believe the first step to having a home where refinement can grow is to have a home that is ordered. I grew up in a home without order. There was constant clutter everywhere. I craved order, but did not know how to get it. Sometimes the only place in my home that was clean was the bathroom floor. I would take my book into the bathroom and sit on the floor to read. When I grew up I determined that I would have an ordered home. However, I was not taught good habits and consequently it has taken me years to understand how to order my home. In fact, I am still trying to figure it out. My problem, well one of many, is consistency. I start something, but can never follow through to completion.

One of my favorite scriptures is from Abraham 4:18. After completing their creations on the fourth day, “...the Gods watched all these things which they had ordered until they obeyed.” First the Gods put the elements in their place, then they watched them to see that the elements stayed. This does not mean they just sat and watched the elements, it also does not mean they forced the elements to obey. They would have had to keep making corrections and fine tuning things until the elements completely understood their place. The Gods prepared a place of order before introducing flesh on the earth. They created a beautiful place that refinement could then take place in.

See, that's what I'm not good at. The fine tuning. My world would have been one of chaos because I would have gotten everything in place and then...well actually it wouldn't have even gotten to that stage. I would have planned everything, had it written up on paper with umpteen charts, graphs, and illustrations...and then stopped.

But I keep trying. I can give myself credit for that. This week I have been going through my house area by area, purging and organizing; putting everything in place. I have such a strong desire to change. Over the past year I have been changing and learning and growing...minutely, but still progressing. I will perservere!

Go read the article and then tell me what you think.

Pass the tissues please

2008-05-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

"Slowly he took out the clothes in which ten years before, Cosette had left Montfermeil...he was remembering...he arranged the little things on the bed, the scarf next to the skirt, the stockings beside the shoes, the bodice beside the dress, and he looked at them one after another...She was no taller than that...she laughed, they walked along holding hands, she had nobody but him in the world.

Then his venerable white head fell on the bed, this old stoical heart broke, his face was swallowed up, so to speak, in Cosette's clothes, and anybody who had passed along the staircase at that moment would have heard irrepressible sobbing." (Um yes, irrepressible sobbing...beginning on page 1384 and lasting until the end of the book...)

Decorating 101

2008-05-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got all my wheat...now, where do I put it? Does anyone have any ideas of how I can incorporate 30 white buckets into my decorating scheme?

Who are you?

2008-05-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

Just little ol' Mindyluwho. My husband calls me that. He gives all his favorite people funny monikers. Mindyluwho is, of course, a take off of Cindy Lou Who (who is no more than two) from Dr. Suess's, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love the version with Boris Karloff as narrator. My husband's favorite book by Dr. Suess is The Sneetches. (That reminds me of when I was driving down the street once and I saw a girl walking by with a star tatoo around her belly button. All I could think of was "The Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars, but the Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars!")

I'm rambling.

Anyway... this post was to tell you that I'm changing the name of my blog back to Mindyluwho. I'm tired of being Under Construction...on so many levels. I want to move myself past the construction phase and into...another phase. Actually I'd really like to be under construction on my new house, but it's looking like that may never happen, or at least not for a long time...sigh...and the name Under Construction just seems to harsh for me with roses on my background and all. I've been trying to think of a new name, but haven't hit on one that describes me yet.

Tomorrow (or rather today, since it's past midnight) I'm going to see this movie.

Since I'm rambling...I stayed up until 3am reading Les Miserables on Monday. I'm now at the last book, Jean Valjean. I love this part of the novel. It's heartwrenching but extremely moving. Last time after I finished reading it I sobbed off and on for days.

After we finish Les Mis, we're going to read Alas, Babylon. I love this book. I read it several years ago. It's set during the Cold War and depicts how a community survived after a nuclear war set their civilization back 200 years. It will make you want your food storage! (I just had to get a plug in there somehow!)

Signing off now!

And now for a short break...

2008-04-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to be reading Les Miserables right now. I have to be to page 1170 by tomorrow so I can lead a discussion on the sub book Saint-Denis tomorrow. I'm on page 1073. Only 97 pages to go, but I keep falling asleep so I took a break and read a few of my favorite blogs and had no trouble keeping my eyes open, you all are so entertaining!

Well, back to reading. Wish me luck. Of course, you won't read this until I'm done...hopefully!

More Food Storage Stuff...

2008-04-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a VERY cool website for tracking your food storage. You input your inventory and then can print out three forms: A goal sheet, an inventory sheet and a needs list. The needs list is cool. After you've input all your inventory it calculates your target percentage. So for instance I need 3,023# of grains. I have 1,048# I am at 34.67% of what I need. Sobering number, but motivating to see. The grains are broken up into various items. For wheat I need 1,358#. I have 748#, which puts me at 55.10% of my target. Hopefully after I have gone to the cannery several times next week I will be at 100% of my wheat!

I've only input what I have for long term storage. I plan on going through my pantry and inputting items like pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, spaghetti sauce, dried potatoes, etc. After it is all input I will get a real clear picture and might be surprised at how much I really have.

Go get your wheat!!!!

*Update. My husband was able to get 30 bags of wheat from the cannery today...Whoohoo! I have all my wheat now!

All is safely gathered in...or is it?

2008-04-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

“And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:..And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed. … And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: … And I saw in my dream … seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: … And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, … God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. … What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; … And God will shortly bring it to pass” (Gen 41:17-20, 22-26, 28-30, 32).

A friend of mine called around a couple of days ago to some places where she has ordered wheat from in the past. They told her they didn’t have any and furthermore they said if she knew of a place to get it then she had better get all she can from there. So yesterday we went to the LDS Cannery to buy some wheat. She wanted 36 bags and I wanted 24. They would only sell us 15 bags each. Other people were there buying wheat as well. They had only one full pallet when we got there and by the time we left it was nearly gone. They didn’t know when they would be getting more in. The cannery, so long as I have known, has never run out of wheat. They run out of it now on a regular basis. They have also not raised their prices in years. A couple of months ago they did.

There is a food crisis in the world. I have been ignorant of the immensity of it until just recently. Watch this interesting video:

Then read this, this, this, & this

In October of 1998 President Hinckley gave this talk in the Priesthood session of General Conference. It was the one where he said there was a portent of stormy weather ahead. He recounts the Pharos dream which Joseph of Egypt interpreted to mean there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He essentially tells the men that the time has come to get their houses in order.

In October of 2005 President Hinckley gave this talk. He talks of the calamities that were happening around the world. Then he says this:

“Now, I do not say, and I repeat emphatically that I do not say or infer, that what has happened is the punishment of the Lord. Many good people, including some of our faithful Latter-day Saints, are among those who have suffered. Having said this, I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes. Those of us who read and believe the scriptures are aware of the warnings of prophets concerning catastrophes that have come to pass and are yet to come to pass.”

At the end of the talk he again refers to the dream which Joseph interpreted.

It’s interesting to note that these talks are seven years apart.

I don’t wish to be an alarmist (I know, it's too late for that!), but I’m more than a bit worried. President Hinckley ends his 2005 talk thusly:

“May the Lord bless you, my beloved brethren, to set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts. That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable" (emphasis added).

The emphasis of a prophet of God is about as strong an emphasis as I wish to hear. I can't quite feel the peace in my heart yet. I've still got a bit to gather in. With my last batch of wheat I have only about two-thirds the amount of wheat I need for my one year supply. I’m calling the cannery every day next week to find out when they have wheat. My husband works near there and if they have it he’s on the alert to rush down there and get whatever they will give him.

Wish I had listened a few years ago, I would have paid much less for my food storage than I am going to now.

Bloggy Maintenance

2008-04-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

I added a couple of items to my sidebar. "Great Are The Words of Isaiah" is a compilation of the posts I've done on Isaiah. I listed them by chapter to make it easier to find in the event anyone decides to dig into Isaiah (come on, I know you are dying to). "My Favorite Places" is just what it says, a listing of my favorite blogs that I visit.

Renaissance Maiden

2008-04-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the hot little Renaissance Babe you've been waiting to see!

She's my eldest, alias: Curly Sue. Not exactly a Renaissance name, but it's her nickname. Not that she has curly hair or anything now, but when she was a baby she had some cute little curls and so we started to call her that and even after her hair straightened out, the name stuck.

This is the "Demure Maiden" pose...

The "Elegant Duchess" pose...

Are we done yet Mom?

Yo, Shakespeare!

The Beginning of the End...

2008-04-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

The play was last night. And while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm very glad it's over. In fact it's the beginning of the end for me. Three more weeks of driving my kids to the college. Five more weeks of driving to co-op classes and dance classes. Freedom to live a less hectic life is in the near future!

The play was a rousing success. They did Comedy of Errors. My oldest daughter (I've got to get some aliases for you here soon) played the duke, except they made her a duchess. (Hers was one of the costumes I sewed.) My other daughter played the merchant in the beginning of the play. She was actually supposed to be one of the Dromios, but didn't want such a big part, so they gave her one of the shorter ones instead. Which was fine with her. Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare's funniest plays, and the kids did it up just right. It was so good, in fact, that I got so immersed in it that I forgot to take pictures! So last night after we got home, I made my daughter put her dress back on so I could post a picture for you. Here they are:

Well, does anyone know what I am doing wrong? It takes FOREVER to download pictures to Blogger. Am I saving them wrong? I waited for 5 minutes for the pictures to download and they never did. I don't have time to sit around waiting for it to happen. That is why I don't post pictures very often. Am I saving them in the wrong format? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Sorry, you'll just have to wait for another post for the pictures. I've got a life to get back to!

I've been SEW busy...

2008-04-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

I'm tired of my best friend. She's been all up in my face lately. Usually we have fun together, but this time I haven't enjoyed her company so much. We're going to have to give each other some space. Next time we get together it will be on my terms.

(My girls are in a Shakespeare play and I am on the costume committee.)

100

2008-04-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Here it is. Number 100. I've tried and tried to think of something to write about. I've written several posts in my mind and even a half a paragraph on paper. Nothing was right. It's kept me from posting, and I think that's silly, not to post just because I think I have to have something witty or profound to say to mark my 100th milestone.

So here you go.

Happy 100!

Nothing witty.

Nothing profound.

Nothing.

Except...

Thank You!

You are why I keep writing.

What did you learn?

2008-04-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

As I watched Conference today I missed President Hinckley. I missed his warm humor. It seemed incomplete somehow without him. I loved how he would end the Conference with some of his quirky humor. I wondered how it would be with President Monson. I need not have worried. What a dear man. He had me laughing through half his talk, and crying through the other half! What an awesome responsibility he has. I could see it in his face, he looked tired and older. He asked for my prayers on his behalf. He has them.

I remember growing up in Utah and listening to General Conference on the radio. I didn’t understand what General Conference was. It was a weekend off from going to church and listening to some old men talk on the radio. I didn’t understand what they said, but I felt good when they spoke.

We moved to Oklahoma when I was 12. General Conference was still a weekend off, only we weren’t able to listen to it on the radio so I rarely heard it. When I graduated from High School, I attended Ricks College. General Conference weekend came and I still didn’t attend, but I got to listen to it on the radio again. There was a talk given, I don’t remember by whom, but the understanding it gave to me of a principle is still fresh in my mind. It's the first clear memory I have of actually learning something from Conference.

After I married, the habit of taking the weekend off continued. If we could get Conference on TV then we would watch it…on Sunday, that is. We had children, and the idea of taking them to sit for two hour stretches twice a day for two days in a row…well, anyway, we didn’t. My listening to Conference was sporadic at best. I would wait for the Ensign to come and then I would read the talks, or some of them, but reading isn’t the same as listening. You miss so much.

Over the last few years I have tried to make it a priority for our family to watch General Conference. We always watch on Sunday, and we try for Saturday, but it doesn’t always happen. There always seems to be something come up, like yesterday for example. A Shotgun Shooting Tournament, Baseball Opening Day, and a Karate Tournament…all on the same day…all on General Conference weekend, sheesh….

I’m sad I missed this particular one. I would have liked to have raised my hand to sustain our new prophet when it was really happening. Oh, I’ll still raise my hand when I watch it on the internet, but it won’t be the same.

Some principles I learned today:

The Faith of our Fathers is the faith given to us by our Father in Heaven.
Being born again is more of a process than an event. It is a gradual lessening of the disposition to do evil until we joy in doing good continually.
When we obey God’s law, he is bound to bless us. One of the great blessings is to be worthy to enter the House of the Lord and partake of the covenants there.
Continuing revelation does not displace previous revelation. The ultimate source of latter-day revelation comes from the Living Christ.
Joseph’s prayer was not “what I want to know”, but “what I need to do”. It was an action based question. Faith is a principle of action and power. Faith in Christ leads to action and enlarges the power within us. We should pray with the expectation to act.
Don’t be part of the crowd. The crowd came to see, the woman came to be healed.
Don’t rush pass the fleeting moments, take time to enjoy them.
Families need unstructured time to form relationships, don’t overschedule the family.
Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, find time for myself to cultivate interests.
Pray, study, and teach the gospel to my children.

I finished my Isaiah study *patting myself on the back*. After reading through all 66 chapters and hearing the same thing over and over again I realized something. Isaiah is just a bunch of Conference talks. He says the same thing over and over again, in myriads of different ways. He was teaching the same principles over and over again, and when I finally understood that, I was able to get past the repetition and uncover the beautiful concepts and principles awaiting me. General Conference is like that. It's nothing new. The Lord has been trying to tell us the same things for thousands of years, over and over and over again. And if we are listening with the right spirit, each variation opens our minds a little more, enlarges our soul, and brings us closer and closer to the principles that will ultimately save us.

I have my inbox down to 20 now!

2008-03-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

And it's spring break this coming week... for some of our activities. One of the struggles with homeschooling is that we are at the mercy of several different organizations for spring break and not all of them take it on the same week. So while our homeschool co-op is taking the break this week as well as the junior college, the school district and dance studios decided to take it the week after Easter. So we have seminary this week since they follow the school district, but next week there's no seminary and no dance classes. Oh well, at least it gets us up in the mornings!

In other news, my NEW & IMPROVED job chart is working miracles...truly! My house has been spotless without me yelling, bribing, threatening, and barely lifting a finger. My kids rooms are clean and the laundry is all caught up. The showers are all scrubbed and the floors mopped and vacuumed. Life is bliss! But I'm not going to tell you anything about it until three months from now because consistency is the hardest thing for me, so the trick will be to see if it can last more than two months.

Since it's spring break (sort of) this week I might even be able to get caught up on some of my blog reading. I've actually read a few here and there, but I might even be able to get around to commenting!

About the Literature class. It's really not anything too over the top, just lots of reading. See what happened is my oldest daughter was going to be taking two classes this semester and was all set to go, but after the first week the teacher had some personal struggles and was unable to continue teaching. She is an awesome teacher (and friend) and my daughter had been looking so forward to the classes, so in order to soften the blow a bit I volunteered to teach the Literature class (not that I can hold a candle to my friend, but I was willing to give it a try). The other class was one you have to be trained to teach, but the Lit class was just mostly reading and discussing Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Les Miserables on alternating weeks. I love Les Miserables and feel I can hold my own there, but Shakespeare is a little different story, so I've been having to do a lot of extra reading of commentaries and finding discussion questions so that I can sound like I know what I'm talking about.............yeah, mmm hmmm, I don't think I have them fooled, but it's been fun trying.

I think Shakespeare is a lot like Isaiah in that there is language and history I'm not familiar with and there's lots of imagery that is obscure and hard to find, at least for a novice like me. But you know me and Isaiah, we are getting along pretty good these days...speaking of Isaiah, I thought there were only 63 chapters, but it turns out there are 66. Yea, you're thinking, "big deal, what's three chapters?" Well, we're talking Isaiah here, that means at least two to three more weeks of study! But guess where I am........tomorrow I start chapter 65! I'm almost there! I've been studying him now for nearly 8 months, that's averaging about 8 chapters a month (with some days off here and there!). I have to say that this is the longest I have ever stuck with anything and these past months have been ones of incredible growth and understanding of so many things. It's no wonder I love the man!

Well, it's late and I need to get to bed...dang seminary!

Have a good one!

...

2008-03-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

I have 565 items in my email "inbox"...

All my blog feeds are highlighted, with multiple posts to catch up on...

I haven't the foggiest idea for a post in my brain...

On Wednesdays I am gone from 9 am until 6:30 pm...

Just taxiing people around in my gas hogging SUV...

I'm teaching a Literature class and we are studying Shakespeare...

It's the first time I have ever studied Shakespeare...

The teacher wasn't able to keep teaching...

I volunteered...

My two oldest kids are taking an intensive writing course...

My two middle are taking a writing course...

My two youngest are watching lots of TV...

I just started a NEW & IMPROVED job chart...

It's about the 129th one in my 16 years of child rearing...

It's 12:46 AM...

I was waiting for my two older kids to finish one of their writing assignments...

I think I'll go to bed now...

Don't give me any lip

2008-02-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

My scripture study has been lacking a little as of late. My goal was to be through Isaiah by today, but I still have 7 chapters left, which was the same as I had a week ago...

I'm almost there though, considering there are 63 chapters and I am on 56. I can pat myself on the back can't I???

But still, I need to finish my goal.

So I was thinking that maybe if I posted something from Isaiah, it might get me motivated to start moving along again. I browsed through my notes and found this scripture:

"Then said I: Wo is unto me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5).

These are the little ponderings I wrote about it:

What kind of example am I and what company do I keep and what kind of encouragement or discouragement do I give? How are my “lips”? Do I speak kindly? How are the “lips” of my children? What can I do to improve our “lips”?

Then I thought "Well that's kind of boring to post about, my readers need something more profound than that". So I started of thinking of lips and songs and naturally this came to mind:

You know, Larry can be very profound sometimes...

What's on your coffee table?

2008-02-29T07:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun Meme I "borrowed" from Kimberly's blog. She has some really fun ones.

The Rules of the game:

1. Find the nearest book to you.
2. Name the book and author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
5. Copy out the next 3 sentences and post to your blog.
6. Tag three other people.

The book I have is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Page 123 opens on Act V, Scene I of Measure for Measure. The Duke is speaking to Lucio:

"I find an apt remission in myself;
And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon.
You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,
One all of luxury, an ass, a madman!
Wherein have I so deserv'd of you
That you extol me thus?"

Ok then!

If you feel like playing the game clue me in!

Two for you

2008-02-27T22:56:00.000-08:00

Today was business as usual...on Wednesdays I leave my home at 9:30 am and am pretty much on the go the rest of the day taking kids to and fro, from here to there and everywhere. But as promised, even though it is 11 pm and I should be in bed, I'm posting a Meme just for you.

Two names I go by:
Mind (short i)
Lu
Two things I'm wearing right now:
Grey sweatshirt
Purple striped pj bottoms
Two things I'd want or have in a relationship:
Honesty
Patience (with me)
Two of my favorite things to do:
Quilt
Read
Two things I want very badly right now:
Our property to sell
Our property to sell
Two things I did last night:
Read Les Miserables
Ate a piece of German Chocolate cake (homemade by my fabulous husband/chef)
Two things I ate yesterday:
Aforementioned German Chocolate cake
Cupcake with pink icing
Two things I did today:
Renewed a friendship
Read Les Miserables
Two longest car rides:
Taking my son to the hospital
Driving from California to British Columbia in 24 hours straight
Two favorite Holidays:
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Two favorite beverages:
Water
Strawberry lemonade
Two jobs I’ve had in my life:
Window washer
Service provider for mentally disabled
Two places I’ve lived:
Paradise, Utah
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Two of my favorite foods:
Cheetos Natural Cheese Puffs
Cheesecake (made by my husband)
Two places I’d rather be right now:
In my new home that isn’t built yet
Oklahoma

Thank you to everyone for my birthday wishes! I love my birthday, I look forward to it every year because it is MY day and I feel special all day long!

And did you know that 69 + 25 makes 94 which means I only have six posts left until the BIG 100! And that I passed my 1 year bloggy anniversary on January 25 and didn't even know it?! Wow, I've been doing this for a year...that's the longest I've ever stuck with anything on purpose!

Me Me Me from A to Z

2008-02-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

A - Available/Single: Married.
B - Best Friend: Jeff, Laura, my sisters, my sisters-in-law.
C- Cake or Pie: Cheesecake, German chocolate cake, cherry pie, Black Forest cake…oh, and Birthday Cake!
D - Day Of Choice: Today of course, it’s my birthday.
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday: My computer, it’s essential isn’t it? I mean I need to keep in touch...
F - Favorite Colour: Red, most definitely red and various shades of red, like coral.
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms: Neither, I hate those things. Pass the malted milk balls please.
H – Hometown: Can you guess?
I – Indulgence: Lindt dark chocolate truffles.
J - January Or July: February actually.
K – Kids… Yes, six: The Drifter, Bug, Bob 1 & Bob 2, Thing 1 & Thing 2 (more descriptions to follow in later post.)
L - Life Is Incomplete Without: Me. Oh that sounds so self absorbed…but it’s my birthday! Ok, chubby little cheeks to pinch.
M - Marriage date: August 12.
N - Number Of Siblings: Eight, I’m the second in line. Oldest girl. Lots of diapers. Before disposable. Get the picture?
O - Oranges Or Apples: Mandarin oranges, those little yummy things that I can eat like candy!
P - Phobias/Fears: Suspensful movies.
Q - Favorite Quote: “Ignorance is not not knowing, it’s knowing what isn’t so.” Attributed to Mark Twain.
R - Reason to Smile: I’m quilting.
S – Season: Autumn, most definitely. Lots of red colors in Autumn.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: You, you, you!
U - Unknown Fact About Me: Secretly I think it would be cool to act in a Shakespeare play.
V - Vegetable you don’t like: brussel sprouts, asparagus cooked too long.
W - Worst Habit: Clicking my jaw. It drives my husband crazy.
X - X-rays You’ve Had: Dental, and my back...car wreck…thanks Jenn!
Y - Your Favorite Food: Steak, that my husband makes, he’s the BEST cook!
Z - Zodiac Sign: I can’t spell it, it starts with a P.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-02-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Meme coming soon. But alas, the day doesn't stop just because it's my birthday. I'm late for a class and my daughter is sitting here bugging me, so gotta go!

Me Me Me

2008-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

My birthday is coming up so I'm celebrating all week by posting Meme's.

(I can see you all jumping with joy.)

To start off with, I thought I'd see how unique I really am and do what Nancyface did. I'll see if I can name 5 things none of you can...

CD I Own

Christmas with Silver, Wood & Ivory

Book I own

Warrior Scarlet, by Rosemary Sutcliff

DVD or VHS I Own

The Littlest Angel, starring Johnny Whittaker

Piece of Technology or any sort of tool I own

An Oster milkshake maker

Place I've visited

Telegraph Cove, British Columbia

Have a great day!

Me.

I've discovered Photobucket!

2008-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Now I can have a new background every day! Or every week. Or whenever the whim hits me...maybe once a month. Oh, but that sounds to much like PMS, which I don't usually have a problem with.

Well, anyway, I've spent too much time on it this morning. If you had been here you would have seen my background change ten times, all with roses.

And that's another thing I've been thinking about. I'm thinking of changing my name, something to reflect my love of roses and all things vintage. Hmmmm...

Just as I thought...

2008-02-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks Michal, this was fun! Click on the picture to see what Jane Austen character you are.

Take the Quiz here!

Dreaming of Summer

2008-02-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

Movie watching 101

2008-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

My 8 year old son is just like me when it comes to movie watching. If there is something suspensful or potentially embarrassing for a character he covers his eyes or hides under a pillow or blanket and plugs his ears, or sometimes just gets up and runs from the room. He also giggles and laughs continually throughout a movie; sometimes it's more fun to watch him than to watch the movie! Occasionally while riding in the car he will burst into laughter over seemingly nothing. When questioned about it he will say that he was thinking of a certain part of a movie and then try and describe it to you all the while giggling uncontrollably. He certainly has the art of movie watching down!

Yesterday I took my kids to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. We love Veggie Tales and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. My son was sitting beside me and was his usual entertaining self: giggling, plugging his ears, squirming in his seat. The only problem was he didn't have a blanket to hide under and he couldn't get up and run out of the theater, so to compensate, at one point when he had his ears plugged. he yells out "Mom, quick! Put your hands over my eyes!"

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T21:09:00.000-08:00

Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.

Love looks not with the eyes,

but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
~William Shakespeare

Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.

Ah! a blessing beyond all fate
My sole mate 'tis my soul mate.~Pixie Foudre

A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love'
Til you give it away.
~Oscar Hammerstein

Coming Up For Air

2008-02-12T10:37:00.001-08:00

Breathe in...Breathe out...In...Out...

Oh hello. I'm just coming up for air after being deep in the throes of decluttering my kitchen for the last four days.

OK, well that's not all I've been doing. I did go to church on Sunday, and did the usual chauffering of the troops. I even stopped to make a couple of dinners (sadly, an unusual phenomenon).

It's an interesting feeling walking into a newly decluttered kitchen. Even though the outside appearance hasn't changed much, I feel a difference (just knowing I can open my cupboards and nothing will fall out on me is exhilirating!). My kitchen is clean from the inside out and I can feel it, in fact I feel clean when I walk into my kitchen. I have five grocery bags full of items that I decided I really didn't need. Only five you say? It's amazing how many things can fit into a grocery bag! My criteria was such that if there wasn't a place for an item, it was gone. Some things were harder to part with than others, and some were down right agonizing.

Well, the pantry's next. Time to dive back in...

My Favorite Places

2008-02-08T00:25:00.000-08:00

If I'm Not Here...

You'll Find Me Here...

5 Too Many

A Rose By Any Other Name

authorblog

A Waist is a Terrible Thing to Mind

Busy Bee Lauren

Becoming

{Crazy Lady on Road 80}

Crazyland

Grace for Gayle

Is It Just Me?

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

Love the Life You Live

Mental Tesserae

Moments of Madness with Diana

Nancy's Nonsense of Nothingness

Steadfast and Immovable!

Temporary? Insanity

The Life and Travels of Me...

Tristi Pinkston

What makes you happy?

2008-02-07T23:04:00.000-08:00

I’m not a mall shopper. In my younger days I was, but now I avoid it (except when I am craving See’s candy). However, I do have a few department and specialty stores that I particularly like. The other day I was driving home from an appointment and my route took me past my favorite shopping center. Some of the stores include Marshalls, Michaels, Old Navy, Bath and Body Works, and Barnes & Noble. As I passed by them I felt the familiar giddy excitement welling up in me and I fought the desire to turn in and shop. I love browsing through Marshalls housewares department looking for the latest kitchen gadget or fun decorative items to display around my house. A new set of dishes makes me very happy. I also love to ramble through Barnes & Noble; I usually find three or four books to add to my ever expanding book collection. My husband is into political books, but I like anything Jane Austenish. I also love reading young adult literature. Oh yes, books make me happy. And then there’s Michaels…now there’s a store I can spend a lot of time in. They have oh so many things to help feed the creative genius within me; scrapbooking, jewelry crafting, yarn, silk flowers, etc. The only thing they lack is a fabric center. I have to go to JoAnn’s for that. Yep, sewing and crafting makes me happy. Oh, yes and Old Navy where you can come out with two huge shopping bags for under $100.00. They have such good deals at Old Navy. Seeing my kids dressed in the latest fashion at such a good bargain makes me happy. And let us not neglect Bath & Body Works. The smell alone pulls you into that store. I love their body wash, lotion and bath splash. Goodness, you can get them in so many different fragrances. I especially love the Sweetpea fragrance. Taking a nice hot shower and then pampering myself with their lotion makes me happy.

Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together, they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.*

Oh, I know that scripture. I just studied it. Bel and Nebo are some idols of the Israelites. I think they were made of metal or something very heavy. I think it slowed the Israelites down when they were carrying them and they were taken into captivity…but wait, what does that have to do with what makes me happy? I don’t have any idols. Well anyway, where was I…oh yes…

...I was good however and resisted the urge to turn in. I drove home instead. When I got there my daughter reminded me that I needed to order a couple of books she needed for her Japanese class. I turned on my laptop and went to Amazon.com. I looked over the list of books in my shopping cart. Yep, there were her books…along with a few others that I had heard were must reads and a couple more that I found while browsing around their site, and did you know that you can buy so much more from Amazon.com than books? Yessiree Bob, I found a case for my Blackberry and a couple of games as well. I proceeded to the check out and with a few clicks of the mouse my order was complete. I would be getting some packages in the mail in just a few days, I love getting packages in the mail... it’s almost like Christmas!! Did I mention that books make me happy?

They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.*

What…huh?...what does money have to do with this? And what’s this about a god? Do you mean like a false god? Like idol worship? Oh, yeah, those Israelites, they paid a lot of money for their gods, they even made them out of gold. Can you imagine? I don’t get it. But wait, this is a post about what makes me happy, what does it have to do with idol worship? Try not to interrupt me again…

ANYWAY…So after I was done ordering the books I took a look around the house. It was a bit messy. Well maybe a little more than a bit. O.K., I tell you, I cannot get out from under the housework, it seems all I do is clean house. Dusting around all those knick knacks takes a lot of time! And laundry…hoo boy, I have laundry piles in every room, that’s a never ending task. And then there’s the constant shuffling of books; they are all over the place, in baskets on the floor, on the coffee tables, stacked in corners of the room. I need more bookshelves.

They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place… *

Oh that's the best part. Those foolish Israelites, they carried their god all over the place with them. That must have been a lot of fun, carting him all over the place when they moved, because you know, they moved a lot, but I digress, I was talking about what makes me happy…

After looking about a bit, I decided I needed a little pick me up before I got started picking up so I headed to my sewing/craft room. I moved a couple of projects off the desk so I could have some space to sew. I opened the closet door so that I could get the quilt I started a couple of years ago. After moving a stack of material and some crafting supplies I finally located it, however by the time I got done rearranging things I noticed the clock said 5:00…oops, time to start dinner. I went to the kitchen and started looking for the sauce pan I needed to fry up the hamburger. After moving several pots and pans out of my way I finally found the one I like to use best. Then I had to find a spatula to stir the meat with. I tried to open the utensil drawer, but it was stuck, I guess it was a little to full….dang it, I broke a nail trying to get the drawer open and I had just painted my nails too. Oh, why does life have to be so hard? Sometimes I get so depressed and weary trying to keep up with my life. I feel like a slave in my own home constantly moving the clutter around. If I could just get my home organized I would be happy.

...wait a minute. Did I just insinuate that I am not happy? Because this is a post about what makes me happy.

and he standeth… yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. *

...yeah I know, when the Israelites were unhappy they cried to their god, but it couldn't answer, because it was just metal after all, just another thing sitting around cluttering up their...ummm...cluttering up their, uh...space.

I think I’m getting the hint...

but you know what would really make me happy right now? A nice hot shower and then some soothing lotion...

*Isaiah 46

Great Are the Words of Isaiah

2008-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

So we have heard anyway, but who can ever stay focused enough to get through his words, let alone understand them?! In August of 2007 I undertook the task of reading through Isaiah. My goal was not a complete and thorough study, but to simply to read his words, ponder the imagery, and write down my thoughts.

At the time I started the task (for it was a task, indeed) I was going through some intense personal struggles. I wasn't sure of where my place in life was. I felt sad...a lot. I cried every day, several times a day. It sounds like I was depressed, but I wasn't. I was just at a point in my life where I needed direction and wasn't sure where to find it. I hadn't been reading my scriptures with any regularity and I knew that I needed to study them in order to move past these struggles. I distinctly remember being on my knees and asking the Lord what to do. His answer was, "Read Isaiah." So I did. It took me 8 months. I finished my study in March of 2008.

It has been a rewarding experience. I am amazed at what the Lord has shown me through the words of Isaiah. I learned who I was, but more importantly, I learned that the Lord knew who I was. I received personal revelation that gave me the direction that I so desperately needed. It would not be out of line to say that Isaiah saved me.

After a few months of reading and writing I felt compelled to share what I had learned. I went back through my writings and found some of the more precious gems and endeavored to turn them into something worth reading. I'm not really a writer. You will find many grammatical errors here, but as I have tried to pen my raw scribbles into something cohesive, I have found that the words have just come to my mind and I know that someone higher than me has been at work here.

Since my study has taken another course and my life has gotten a little hectic, I have slowed down in the Isaiah posts, but I have many more gems to share so I will continue writing and will add links as I post. (When I did post it wasn't in any particular order, so I am putting the links here by chapter so they are easier to find.) If you, dear reader, ever decide to study the words of Isaiah, I can promise you, you won't regret it. And I hope if you do read Isaiah, that you will share your thoughts and insights with me.

Great Are The Words of Isaiah

What's The Point?

Isaiah 1-Musings From Isaiah, Chapter One

The Sands of the Sea

Isaiah 1-Come Now, Let Us Reason

Isaiah 1-Of Terebinth Trees

Isaiah 1-No More Dross

Isaiah 2-You Can Come Back

Isaiah 5-By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

Isaiah 5-Illumination

Isaiah 6-Don't Give Me Any Lip

Isaiah 9-The Prince of Peace

Isaiah 12-My Salvation

Isaiah 12-The Lord Is My Light

Isaiah 12-Sing Unto the Lord

Isaiah 30-Cease From Before Us

Isaiah 46-What Makes You Happy?

I'm Back!

2008-02-04T15:48:00.000-08:00

I missed you! But you didn't even know I was gone did you, since I can go days without posting sometimes!

I had a great weekend.

But first I want to talk about President Hinckley’s funeral. I have watched and listened to numerous General Conferences and have come away uplifted and encouraged to be a better person, but watching his funeral was a life altering experience for me. He was a remarkable man. I came away with an immense desire to work harder, to make more light of my struggles and trials, and to find more humor in the trying situations of my life. He brought happiness wherever he went. What will people say of me when I am gone, I wonder? I want to be known as someone who was happy and who made others around her happy. I want to have the outlook that “things will work out because they always do”. I want to love more deeply and feel the joy of living. My sister-in-law has a plaque that she made with a quote of President Hinckley that says, “In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” I find myself enduring rather than enjoying. I desire to change that. A few years ago I read Glimpses which is a book about Marjorie Pay Hinckley. I loved that book. I loved her. I wanted to be just like her. I was for awhile, but then I let life get the upper hand and I again just endured. How long will this current feeling last? I think I need to read Glimpses again, and possibly finish President Hinckley’s biography. Hopefully that will prolong the desire!

So here’s a picture of us watching the funeral:

I suggested to my family that even though we would be watching it at home, we should wear our Sunday dress and there was no argument. They all have a deep love and respect for him as well and had a desire to show their respect.

After the funeral we took off to visit my brother and his family. They live “over the hill” (translated: over the mountain - the snowy, treacherous mountain).

The usually 2.5 hour drive took 5 hours (with a 45 minute stop at Cabela’s), but we enjoyed the time together, (me with my new found sense of happiness and everlasting patience) scrunched together in our large SUV with 4 wheel drive.

The reason for the trip was this:

My newest nephew. He was being blessed on Sunday. I am so proud of my brother. He has worked so hard to bring his life to this point where he is worthy to hold the Priesthood and bless his family with it.

We enjoyed our stay very much. We played “Dice” and the longest game of “UNO” ever recorded, I’m sure! We ate lots of popcorn and Clarissa even shared her Reese’s PB Cups with us. That was an event in and of itself. She hoards those things like they were the last treat on earth! Thank you Clarissa!

On our way home we listened to the Super Bowl on the radio. It kept fuzzing in and out because of the mountain pass, but we got most of the highlights and especially the very best highlight of all…if you are a Giants fan, that is…the winning touchdown! Actually we are not Giant fans (actually I’m not a football fan; I like watching games live, but get too distracted watching it on TV), my husband is a die-hard Miami Dolphins fan. When he was a kid and started watching football he liked their colors best and has been a fan ever since. Well, Miami holds the record for having an undefeated season and then winning the Super Bowl, so you see, if the Patriots had won, his team wouldn’t hold the record any longer…

We decided after our trip that we like where we live because it doesn’t snow here. We don’t have to worry about slipping and falling, or sliding all over the road, or shoveling our sidewalk and driveway. If we want to play in the snow we can drive an hour where we can ski or snowmobile and then come home to a green lawn!

Yes, life is good and I’m ENJOYING it!

2008-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Shhhhh...I'm hiding out in my room so that my girls won't find me. They want me to help clean their room...It looks like a tornado hit it...all I want to do is get a big trash bag and start throwing things away...

Darn, they found me.

Illumination

2008-01-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite ways to study the scriptures is to choose a word and look up all the references listed in the Topical Guide. I did this with the word “order” once and wow, did I ever learn about order. But that’s for another post. This time as I was reading Isaiah 5 I came upon this scripture, “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge…” (Isaiah 5:13). This is the chapter that relates the parable of the vineyard, and some of the sins that Israel were committing are listed: oppressing the poor, engaging in revelry—drinking and making merry and forgetting the Lord, rebelling against Him; and their sins were leading them into captivity. The reference for “captivity” tells us to look in the Topical Guide under “Bondage, Spiritual”. So wanting to understand more about what spiritual bondage is I looked up several scriptures that were referenced and was led down an interesting journey of what I would call line up line, precept upon precept. And rather than telling you what I learned at the end I’m going to list the scriptures with my thoughts and impressions so that you can see the connecting threads as well.

John 8:32—“and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” This leads to a reference in D&C 50:25 –“you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you”. So the more truth we know, through our study and meditations, the freer we are. If truth leads to freedom and light, therefore lack of knowledge leads to spiritual bondage or darkness.

Mosiah 5:7-8 tells us that because we are spiritually begotten, through our covenants, we are made free. Through faith on his name, our hearts are changed.

Galations 5:1 references the Law of Moses with spiritual bondage—possibly meaning no saving ordinances?

2 Nephi 1:13 describes spiritual bondage as being in a deep sleep, the “sleep of hell”. Our worst nightmares come true?! It also describes bondage as “the eternal gulf of misery and woe.”

Mosiah 16:5—a person who is sinning and rebelling remains in the fallen state and the devil hath power over him. “Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made.” The atonement is null and void for that person.

Alma 5:7-13—Seeking knowledge brings illumination. Light allows us to “see” and to “chase darkness away”. Spiritual bondage is darkness. Verse 9 describes how “their souls did expand”. Darkness is the absence of light and the expansion of light dispels the darkness. A person who does not study the word of God has a narrow focus, only what the adversary wishes him to see. The word of God expands that focus.

Alma 12:11 gives more meaning—those who “harden their hearts are given the lesser portion of the word” (a narrowing of light), “until they know nothing” (are in darkness) and “then they are taken captive by the devil “(spiritual bondage). Remember the change of heart talked about in Mosiah 5:7-8, what is in our heart is directly related to our state of bondage.

Alma 41:11—spiritual bondage is to be without God “contrary to the nature of God…a state contrary to the nature of happiness” Spiritual bondage is unhappiness (misery and woe).

If we look at the sequence here we see that knowledge is the first step in being free. Knowledge is brought about by a study of the word of God. That knowledge illuminates our path; it changes our hearts and increases our faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement. It draws us into His light.
I have generally thought of spiritual bondage as being a state for really wicked people, but now I realize there are different stages of spiritual bondage and yesterday I realized that I was in one.

Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness ensues when we withdraw ourselves out of the light, for that is how it happens. It’s like being in the light of a lamp; the lamp doesn’t move, it’s a steady, continual light. I am the one who moves away from it. By my neglecting the Word, I put myself in darkness. I haven’t been studying my scriptures very regularly lately, and when I have studied, I haven’t really applied myself, it’s been more of reading to say I read rather than reading to increase my knowledge.

I don’t think of myself as really wicked, but just really slothful. When I move away from the light I find that my sense of order seems to diminish. I forget my priorities and I become very unproductive. My housework suffers, my children’s education suffers, and dinners don’t get made. I also find myself becoming more impatient. My heart hardens and I am not very sympathetic to my family’s needs, I become selfish. I am not happy because I am “contrary to the nature of God”.

Fortunately God can reach out into the darkness and find me. “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” I can catch hold of his hand and he can guide me back into the light. A couple of days ago he did just that. I had been watching a movie and fell asleep on the couch. I had a really weird, evil feeling dream and woke up to darkness (everyone had gone to bed and the TV had been turned off). I was stumbling around trying to find my way upstairs when I had a thought I should read my scriptures to try and erase the feeling from the dream. It was about 1:00 am, but I decided that I should listen, so I got my scriptures and proceeded to read a chapter from the Book of Mormon. I read from 1 Nephi 15 and here are a few phrases that popped out at me:

“Have ye inquired of the Lord?”

“If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.”

“Wherefore if they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.”

“Whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish.”

“Give heed unto the word of the Lord.”

Notice how all these phrases have something to do with what I learned about spiritual bondage? Do you think He was trying to tell me something?

“Hey you, little girl out there stumbling around in the dark, get over here and study your scriptures!”

I gave heed and the last couple of days I have studied my scriptures with a little bit more intensity. Now if you will excuse me, I have some housework to attend to.

Randomness

2008-01-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's midnight and one of my goals this year was to get to bed by 10:00 pm...

But I haven't been able to get around to all my favorite blogs lately, so that's why I'm up, only I've not been able to read them all so I guess I will have to catch up on the rest tomorrow.

Friday I took the kids rollerskating. I found some muscles that I forgot I had. I had a ball though and thoroughly enjoyed skating with my kids. The sweetest thing happened. My six year old has never really skated aside from trying out his siblings rollerblades a couple of times, so it was quite the experience for him. So much so that he decided that he needed some extra help so he found a little corner, three times, and knelt down to say a prayer...my heart melted seeing him kneeling there! He said that the first two prayers didn't work, but the third one did! I agreed as he was able to make it around the whole floor without holding my hand and only falling, oh say, four or five rather than 20 times!

It's been raining here for a week, on and off, but mostly on. I love it, but today I decided that it really makes me tired. I don't know how you people who live in Washington do it. I love the rain, but all I want to do is curl up in front of the fireplace and read a good book...only I have six kids and a husband who need to be fed, clothed and educated and carpooled around (educated and carpooling--meaning the kids, although there are some things that I would like my husband to be educated in...won't go there).

I've been washing my face lately at night. I've never been a face washer at night, and don't know why I'm even telling you that, except that my face feels really nice and I'm wondering why I didn't do it before. The other day I found myself in the skincare aisle at the market looking at all the anti aging creams...I guess I'm starting to worry about the tiny lines around the eyes, not to mention the big dark circles underneath. I bought myself some anti aging eye cream that makes the skin tingle around my eyes, and Ponds Cold Cream (only it's not called that anymore). I've always wondered what it was like and I've always liked the name, so I bought some and also some Ponds facial wash. Now I know what it's like, and I like it.

Today I was standing in the kitchen and I started to smell something and thought it was a nice smell, but couldn't fingure out what it was. I left the room for a bit and then came back in and the smell was a bit stronger, but still a good smell. Then it got a bit stronger and I looked over at the toaster oven and remembered the english muffins I had put in there several minutes ago...black. It drives my husband crazy, the penchant I have for burning toast. I think I have only NOT burned toast like 5 times in my whole life, and I eat toast several times per week! I put it in a just forget about it. Last year I joined Toastmasters so that I could improve my public speaking skills (then I found out you had to write speeches and after only writing one in six months I decided to quit and will only go back after I have four prepared speeches...I think it will be awhile). ANYWAY my husband's only comment when I told him that I had joined Toastmasters was that now maybe I would learn how to properly make toast. Nope, didn't happen.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I do have another Isaiah post I've been working on and I finally thought of an ending for it today, I have such a hard time with endings. Hopefully I can get it finished and up here in the next couple of days.

Going to bed now...do you think that staying up late and dark circles under the eyes have any connection?

Goodbye

2008-01-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well I don't know if you can see this picture. I can't because my computer is not showing me pictures today. All I can see is a little white box with a red X in the middle.

It's a picture of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I will miss him. I will miss his humor. I will miss hearing him speak in General Conference. I feel a little emptiness in the world. I know that a new prophet will be sustained and I am ever grateful for that fact, but I will miss President Hinckley. I never got to meet him personally, but I was able to be in the same room with him when he came to our town to dedicate the temple. I cannot properly describe it, but will never forget the feeling I had when he walked into the room and I knew that I was in the presence of a prophet of God. It was glorious. He lived to be 97 years old...wow.

I am glad that he is now with his beautiful wife, Marjorie. I know he was lonely for her and I can just imagine their glorious reunion, I cried more over that than I did that he died, because even though I know why we are here and where we are going and that we will be with our loved ones again, I know what it's like to miss someone who has gone. My mom died a few years ago, and even though I know I will see her again, I miss her. I'm glad for him that the wait is over.

Goodbye President Hinckley.

God be with you till we meet again.

A Daily Dose

2008-01-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

A daily dose...there are a lot of things I need a daily dose of, but don't always get it. Chocolate is one thing I can think of...ok, well I don't need it. And the funny thing is, I'm not really a chocoholic, or at least I didn't used to be or didn't think I was at any rate until yesterday when I was driving home and found myself dreaming of chocolate and imagining the creamy goodness in my mouth...Lindt, dark chocolate truffles, mmmmm...but I digress, chocolate is not the point of my post. Other things I really do need on a daily basis are hugs from my kids, kisses from my husband, time in my scriptures, and last, but certainly not least...to read my favorite blogs, which brings us to the real point of this post...

Joey gave me an award, the Daily Dose award:

"It's for blogs that I must read every day without fail . . . They make you laugh, cry, think and feel connected every time you read a post..."

Thank you Joey. (She's on my daily blog list.)

When I first started blogging, it was mainly with the thought of keeping connected with my family (ahem, family, are you reading this? If they are, they keep their comments to themselves! Except PJ...and Betsy and Jenn now and again!). Then someone commented on my post who wasn't family (Joey) and my blogging experience expanded. And what fun it has been. I find myself thinking of these people that I've never met; I enjoy reading about them and their insights and outlook on life.

So now I get to pass on the award, and it's hard to decide who to give it to, because I love to read all my favorites on a daily basis, or whenever they post. If I had my blogroll on my sidebar you would see all the places I love to go to, but when I changed my template all the widgets got erased (widgets, widgets...who thought of calling them that? Widgets, deeleebobbers, thingamajigs...ok, I'm really getting sidetracked here).

I say it's hard to decide, but to be honest, the first person I thought of was Rebecca.

Now, before you go over there, just a little side note. She just posted a blog about how she doesn't have any awards, and just to make things clear, she wasn't fishing for awards, and you'll just have to read her post to understand it (it's Princess's fault). It's just a uncanny coincidence that she posted that on the same day that I got my award. And really, you have to pass these things on, you know, spread the love around! So, I'm giving the award to her because I really love reading her blog when she posts, which isn't every day, so I can't really get a "daily" dose from over there, but as soon as I see she's posted, I'm over there man! She's funny, insightful, talented in so many ways (she really needs to post another song...hint, hint!), and just an all around delight to read.

And really, Princess needs something pretty to see on her mommy's sidebar!

Caught In The Middle

2008-01-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

So I was reading in the paper yesterday an article on internet usage wherein it described the social networking of Generation X and Y users. What caught my attention was that the article said Generation Xers were between the ages 27-40. I mentioned to my husband that since I am 41 I guess I must not be a Generation Xer. Then he said that his year was the last of the Baby Boomers. He's two years older than me. So where does that leave me? Not a Baby Boomer...not an Xer...

Goodness...I've lost my identity!

Pity party is over.

2008-01-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm done with feeling sorry for myself. Today was a good day. My daughter was happy, my house is fairly clean (that's about all it ever is, so that's good), and my laundry is almost caught up. What I mean by that is the big pile at the end of my bed is gone and the couple of overflowing baskets in the laundry room and the others sitting out in the adjacent hall are all folded and put away. I still have a couple of loads to wash and dry and some socks to sort, but they are contained in laundry baskets and will be run through tomorrow.

Tomorrow I might actually get to sew. I bought the fabric for my kitchen curtains and got them cut out a few days ago (before sickness) and tomorrow I will buy the lining and get that cut out and hopefully by the middle of next week my kitchen windows will be sporting curtains.

This evening I spent reading a book that I couldn't put down, so I finished it and then played "Phase 10" with my girls whom I beat handily, or at least by one phase.

Not really an extraordinary day, except for the fact that I am able to walk up the stairs without getting winded...and I finally have a bit of an appetite. Not sure I'm happy about that as I have lost 7 pounds from being sick. There's a silver lining in every cloud!

A day from hell...

2008-01-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

I was just going to type in here that I have a 13 year old daughter who was unhappy today and that would probably have been enough explanation for my title.

And maybe I should leave it at that rather than spewing forth venom and ruining all of your evenings.

Then I thought I should title it "Thank You Fellow Bloggers", because I needed something to take my mind off my day, so I surfed around to all my favorite blogs, and laughed and shuddered and sniffed and laughed some more and generally got uplifted.

I didn't leave any comments, because I was afraid of writing anything in my current mood that might offend or be taken in the wrong way, but I did thoroughly enjoy all of your posts and when I get caught up with my life (see below) then I will delight you with my enlightening comments (cough, cough).

I've learned my lesson too many times that when I'm in an especially emotional mood that it's just best to keep quiet.

Remember the stomach flu I had?

Well it went away and was replaced with another flu.

One that zaps all your energy.

I've been laying around since Sunday.

Let me rephrase that: I've been trying to lay around since Sunday, but every day this week (and usually more than just once per day) someone(s) had to be somewhere and since I am the chauffer and I don't have a backup, then I had to drive kids around, and while my charges were in doing their various fun activities, I layed around...in my car...until I could finally come home and either get in the bathtub or on the couch.

I think I am finally on the mend and tomorrow I don't have any places to be or things to do except my appointment with the washer and dryer.

I have piles of clothes, both clean and dirty, laying in various locations throughout my house.

Why doesn't life stop when I do?

It's gonna be a good year

2008-01-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it, I wrote down some goals for 2008. Last year and the year before that I rebelled and did not make any...because I got tired of making goals and then when I didn't accomplish them I felt like a failure.

I'm going about it differently this year. This time I'm making a list of things I would like to do this year and then each month I will look at my list and pick a couple of things to do and make plans on how to accomplish them. I know that I probably won't accomplish everything on my list, especially if by some miracle we get to start building our home, but if, at the end of the year, I can say I did a few then I will be happy.

With that, here's my list (in no particular order):

Exercise 4 days per week
Finish Isaiah and write essays on insights
Make blankets to give away to charity
Obtain 72 hour kits
Obtain basic food storage
Read all the math literature I've been collecting over the last 2 years
Read the Book of Mormon, underlining all references to the Savior
Ride my bike 1000 miles
Sew 4 quilts
Sew 4 seasonal wallhangings
Sew advent calendars
Take a writing class
Read Verse by Verse, The Four Gospels

There, I did it. It's up for all the world to see...Go Mindy!

Poor Me

2008-01-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago my husband spent the whole night upchucking the contents of his stomach. He attributed it to food poisening as he had eaten a hamburger on the way home the night before and assumed it was the culprit. Well last night I spent part of the night crouched over the toilet bowl...apparently it wasn't food poisening! My oldest son and my youngest son threw up last night as well, so me and the little guy are hanging out in my bedroom and we're getting ready to curl up together and watch "Toy Story" to try and distract our minds from our queasy stomachs and achy limbs.

Hope your day is going better than mine!

By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

2008-01-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

“Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I look that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down." (Isaiah 5:1-5)

My husband and I have spent countless hours driving around the countryside looking for the perfect place in which to build a house. Not any place would do, we had our criteria. We wanted a place with enough room for the kids to play, a place for a garden and fruit trees, and lots of privacy. After many days, weeks and months, even years of searching, we finally found the perfect spot.

In the parable of the vineyard the first verse says, “My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill”, meaning the master of the vineyard chose carefully where he was going to plant his vineyard. It had to be the perfect spot, a place where the ground was fertile and would bring forth the best fruit of the vine. I imagine he spent a lot of time searching before finding the perfect spot for his vineyard.

After picking out the perfect location for the vineyard, the master shows his great diligence in what it takes to prepare for his precious fruit. First he puts up a fence to keep out predators, protecting the vineyard from outside influence. Then he combs the ground for stones, anything that might hinder the growth of the tender young vines. He picks the choicest vines, the very best he can afford to plant in his vineyard. He builds a tower so that he can watch over the fence for anything that might bring harm to his precious vineyard. He bought a wine press so he would be prepared, because he expected the vines to bring forth good fruit. He was a caring, dedicated master expecting nothing but the best by all his preparations in his vineyard. Imagine his immense disappointment when his vines bring forth bad grapes, after all his care and diligent sacrifice.

Matthew 21:33-44 gives a more complete picture of the parable. After the master carefully prepared the vineyard he let it out to husbandmen, people he trusted to the stewardship of his vines while he was away. After awhile he sent servants to the husbandmen to receive the fruits, but they beat and stoned them. Finally he sent his son saying “they will reverence my son”. “But when the husbandman saw the son they said among themselves, this is the heir; come let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.”

Because of the wickedness of the vineyard wherein they would kill the masters son, in his anger the master takes down the hedge and breaks down the wall, which wasn’t in good shape anyway according to Proverbs 24:30-31: it“was grown all over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down”, probably because of neglect of the husbandman.

I love parables. I love finding the unseen little gems that a careful study will produce. The Bible Dictionary defines a parable as being “Greek in origin, and means a setting side by side, a comparison…In parables divine truth is presented by comparison with material things. The parable conveys to the hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the dull and uninspired it is a mere story, “seeing they see not,” while to the instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true knowledge. Only he who seeks finds."

Isaiah uses the parable of the vineyard to symbolically tell the tale of Israel’s destruction and scattering and as I pondered upon it I considered how to apply it to me personally. My thoughts were led to the idea of comparing the vineyard as being my home, and my husband and I, the husbandmen. How is the soil in our vineyard? Is it fertile? Are we constantly nourishing it to keep it thriving and strong? Are we teaching gospel precepts that will help our family grow in truth and righteousness? Are we having personal and family scripture study? How is the ground? Do we allow stones that are thrown in to clutter up and hinder our growth? And what are the stones? How many activities are taking up valuable family time? What weaknesses are we stumbling over? What are we doing with those stones? Are we using them to build the wall, or carrying them around in our backpacks? How about the tower? Are ever watchful for enemies? What or who are those enemies? Are we aware of who our children’s friends are and who our friends are? What TV programs and movies are we watching? What magazines are we reading? What content is coming in to our homes from the Internet? How is our wall? Are we constantly keeping back the thorns and nettles? Are we preparing for the return of the master? What fruits will we be able to present to him?

When my husband and I found the perfect spot for our home, there were many obstacles to overcome. We had to split the property in three parcels and sell two of them before we could begin construction on the third. We have sold one and are still waiting on the other to sell. The economy has taken a downturn, and it’s anyone’s guess as to when it will sell. When we bought the property we began going to church in the ward whose boundaries our property was in rather than where we were renting our house. But after being there a couple of months I began feeling like we needed to go to the other ward. My husband hates change and didn’t want to, and I loved the ward as well. It was a difficult decision. One day after listening to a particularly uplifting lesson in Relief Society I thought in my mind how much I loved this ward and wanted to stay here. Immediately another thought followed, “You’re needed elsewhere.” I knew then that we needed to change wards and so after some prayer and deliberation we did. Our children have thrived in the new ward. And I know that things have not progressed on our house because our children needed to be here for whatever reason. My dream of living in the perfect house on acreage has had to take a back seat for awhile.

Right after I finished my ponderings of Isaiah 5, I picked up a sheet of paper that I had tucked into my scriptures. It had this quote from President Howard W. Hunter, “If we can pattern our life after the Master, and take his teachings and example as the supreme pattern for our own, we will not find it difficult to be consistent and loyal in every walk of life, for we will be committed to a single sacred standard of conduct and belief.”

I want to choose where my vineyard is, but I realize that I am not the master of the vineyard, I am the steward, and it is the Lord who chooses the place. It has taken me awhile to learn that it doesn’t matter where we are or what kind of home we are in, whatever area the Lord has chosen for us is the place that will be of the most value in our progress and it is the place that I am to nourish. The pattern he has given us in this simple parable has relevance in every aspect of our lives. How we choose to conduct ourselves in the vineyards we have stewardship over are intrinsically related to the happiness and wellbeing of our families. The consequences of our conduct have eternal significance, and that eternal significance will be very clear when the Master comes to gather the fruit of his vineyard. I think the final question is: When the Master comes, how will I greet him and how worthy will be the fruit in my vineyard?

Was Isaiah 5, but rambled in another direction...

2008-01-04T00:47:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to finish up my first run through of Isaiah. I’m currently on chapter 41, so I only have 15 more chapters to go. Sounds simple enough, but when you consider that sometimes Isaiah can only be digested a verse at a time, it might just take me the rest of the year to finish! Maybe not though, I started my study in September, so I’m averaging about 10 chapters per month which would put me finishing near the end of February. Maybe I’ll make it a goal to finish by my birthday.

I remember when I started my study. I was at a spiritual low and was casting about in my mind what I should study. Should I read the Book of Mormon again? Should I try to catch up on the Sunday school study (being in Primary I never was very good at keeping up when I’m not there to discuss)? Maybe I’d go with the Old Testament, since that would be the Seminary course of study. As I sat there trying to decide, the thought came, “study Isaiah”. Hmmm, I’d tried that before, in fact I had even gotten as far as chapter 2…

I started my study, or rather; I resumed my study with chapter three. I stumbled through, getting my feet wet with the language, asking lots of questions, getting few answers, but a couple of gems came through. Then I came to chapter five. I read through it the first time…fuzz…I started in again, this time taking it slowly, picking it apart. And that’s when I had my Eureka moment; my whole attitude and understanding of how to study Isaiah changed. I was so excited about what I had learned that I wanted to share it with the whole world!

Isaiah saved me. I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I have been going through a mid-life crisis. Right around that time I was in the thick of it, (although I didn’t recognize that that was what I was going through) and Isaiah pulled me out of it. I have been given many answers through my study. I still don’t know anything about Isaiah really, but I know a heck of a lot more about me!

I got a book for Christmas that I’m very excited about. It’s called Verse by Verse, The Four Gospels. It’s a small, little book (only a measly 856 pages). It’s a commentary on the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and gives an understanding of the history, geography, archeology and language of the New Testament era. In the beginning of the book the authors give suggestions for getting the most from your scripture study. They say, “It has been suggested that when we want to talk with God, we pray; when we want him to talk to us, we study the scriptures. Write down your impressions while studying his words. Occasionally when you are deeply involved in reading and pondering the scriptures, the Lord will reveal something to your mind, maybe even unrelated to what you are reading on the page, but something that will improve your life, enhance some relationship, or resolve some problem or conflict.”

A couple of years ago I had started writing down my thoughts while studying the scriptures and I can’t tell you how many times during my study sessions I have been given something unrelated to what I am reading. Of course, my mind tends to wander to a lot of unrelated things as I have studied Isaiah, because, well, Isaiah tends to wander himself. But it has been a beautiful way of learning how the Lord speaks to me.

Well, this post actually started out being an introduction to Isaiah 5 so that I could share it with you, but seeing as how this post has gone on too long, you will just have to come back tomorrow...or rather, when you see on your blog feed that I have posted something!

Also, since I did mention goals in the beginning of this post I might as well tell you that I plan on putting my goals out here for all the world to see, but I’m still working on them, trying to hone them down to something that I will actually do! One is to finish Isaiah, and another will be to get to bed at a decent time every night…oops, too late to start today!

Well, Good Night and Happy New Year!

Curtains and Scary Movies

2007-12-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

I've been busy today. I'm putting up curtains...finally. My mother-in-law gave me money for Christmas so yesterday, while I was at the department store, after talking to my friend (see previous post) I took a gander over to the curtain aisle and found 4 sets of matching drapes for my living room. I was at Ross Dress for Less and four matching sets is quite a struggle to find! It took some digging, but my do they have good deals on curtains, so it was worth it. I brought them home along with some curtain rods and today I proceeded to hang them. Then I wasn't sure if I liked them so I went back and bought a few different styles and have had a good ol' time changing them around and trying to decide which look best.

I've lived in this rental for almost three years now without curtains because I thought we'd only be here a year and didn't want to spend the money or put in the effort. But seeing how the good Lord has not seen fit to sell our property so that we can build our "dream" home, I know I'll at least be here for another year, probably more, and dang it if I'm gonna sit around staring curtainless windows for another year. I'm movin' in...finally.

The kitchen will be next and is compliments of my best friend from high school. She sent me a JoAnn's gift card (fabric store, she knows me too well!) for Christmas. I'm going to buy my favorite fabric, Norfolk Rose by Waverly, for that room. There are already curtain rods up in there thanks to the previous renters, but I'm going to put up cafe curtains, so I'll need to purchase those. My birthday comes up in February, so I'll get a new dose of money from my mother-in-law then and will proceed to the family room. Hopefull by the end of March I'll have the whole house done.

I'm sitting in my living room right now with my beautiful curtains in view. They still have wrinkles in them, I didn't want to iron them until I knew which ones I was keeping, but nevertheless, they sure do warm up a room.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda done this three years ago...

PS. Don't go see "I Am Legend" if you are a big scarety cat like me. My fingers were numb by the time I left the theater last night because I was pushing them against my ears so hard trying to drown out the sound. I would have gotten up and walked out, but that would have meant I would have to open my eyes and might see some hideous mutant "dark seeker" jumping out from some dark hole and I don't think the other theater goers would have appreciated me falling all over them as I scrambled my way out to the aisle. I took 5 Lindt dark chocolate truffles with me to savor during the show, but I couldn't eat them because that would mean I would have had to take my fingers out of my ears and move my jacket from in front of my face to get to the pocket they were in...

The Temperature of the Heart

2007-12-21T13:01:00.000-08:00

When my kids are quarreling and I tell them they need to make up and forgive each other, they say "how can I forgive someone I am still mad at?" How indeed? It is a hard thing to do and I wasn't sure exactly what to tell them. Then I read this quote and it was an epiphany for me.

"Forgiveness is not an emotion...Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart." Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie Ten Boom was a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. She wrote two books, one is called The Hiding Place where she tells the story of how her family helped hide Jews in their home during World War II. Consequently they were caught and sent to concentration camps where her father and sister both died. Her other book, Tramp for the Lord, details her life after her release. She began to go all over the world sharing her experiences and preaching the Word of God. She went without purse or scrip, following the promptings of where to go next and trusting that she would find people who would feed and house her and assist her in her work.

One experience she writes about is when she came face to face with a former guard who asked for her forgiveness. It happened just after she gave a sermon on how we are to forgive our enemies. The guard had heard the sermon and came up to her afterward and told how after the war he had become a Christain and how he knew that God had forgiven him for the cruel things he did as a Nazi guard, and he was asking for her forgivness as well. Then he stuck out his hand.

She froze.

She remembered him as being one of the most cruel of all the guards, and her thoughts raced back to seeing her sister suffer and die as a result of the cruel treatment. She said the act of raising her hand to meet his was the most difficult thing she had ever had to do, but she knew that she had to do it. She prayed silently, "help me...I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling." She lifted her hand and grasped the guard's hand. Then a most amazing thing happened. She said a current started in her shoulder, raced down her arm and sprang into their grasped hands; then she felt a healing warmth flood her entire being.

What an amazing story. I'm so grateful that I have never had to endure such hardship. But I can understand to a small extent how hard it is to forgive someone; how hard it is to make my heart feel that forgiveness. What I glean from her experience is that it is not up to me to supply the feeling of forgivness. I am to "lift my hand" and the Lord will take care of the rest.

Beautiful.

Merry Christmas...wait, can I say that?

2007-12-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

I received an email from one of those watchdog groups today that I found to be somewhat entertaining and disturbing at the same time. It made me laugh, but not in a joyful way, rather it was a laugh of incredulity.

The email was about the silly controversy regarding Mike Huckabee and his TV ad where he wishes people a Merry Christmas. In the background is a bookshelf, which, because of the light, takes on the shape of a cross. Also displayed on the bookshelf are three ornaments, which critics deem to be representative of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. He is accused of sending an overt religious appeal to voters.

Oh please. So what if he was? He says the cross in the background was not intentional, but even if it was, so what? He was sending a religious message to voters; he was wishing them a Merry Christmas…which is a religious holiday… about Christ. He was interviewed on the Today Show by Meredith Vieira and I like how he defends himself, saying that some will probably think that through his blinking he was sending a Morse code message about religion.

But then it made me think of something Isaiah said:

“This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” (Isaiah 30: 9-11)

I think this is a prophecy that has come to pass.

Meme Christmas

2007-12-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

While catching up on my blogs I found this Christmas meme that Suzanne did on her blog a few days ago. I liked it...

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags are easier of course, but there’s something very exciting about opening a wrapped package!

Do you have a Nativity scene? I have several. I try to collect a new one every year, even if it’s just a little one. I have two favorites that I put out every year, others I rotate.

Do you like eggnog? I love eggnog! I drink gallons of it at Christmas time.

Favorite Christmas movie? It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story (we’re getting a Red Rider BB Gun for our 8 year old this year…hope he doesn’t shoot his eye out!)

Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Well, last year I ordered these cute photo cards, put stamps on the envelopes, addressed most of them. Then I was too lazy to hand write my return address so I kept meaning to buy some stickers that I could put through the computer, but kept forgetting…anyway, I might mail them out this year…or not. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…

Easiest person to buy for? Myself…oh, but you meant someone else? Then normally I would say my 6 year old because he doesn’t require much to make him happy. Except this year, I’m not so sure. When my visiting teacher asked what he thought he was getting for Christmas he told her he thought it would be a Wii, or perhaps a Nintendo DS. Huh? I was behind him madly shaking my head NOOOO!

Real tree or artificial? Most definitely real. This is our tree this year, they always look smaller out in nature. It usually takes several hours to find just the right tree. We drive to a place where there are several tree farms about 1 hour from here and usually end up going to all 50 some odd farms, before ending back up at the first one we started with. My husband has to have the perfect tree—not perfectly trimmed mind you, some people don’t like our trees, they are a bit on the wild side with branches poking out everywhere, but they have to have a certain fullness to them. We left him one year to fend for himself after several fruitless hours.

Angel or star on the tree top? Ok, more on the tree…my husband always likes to pick out a tree that’s four feet taller than what would fit in our house, so then he has to figure out where to chop off footage, from the top or the bottom? He doesn't like losing the branches on the bottom so he tends to chop off the top, unless I’m out there supervising, then I can usually save the top of the tree from getting a buzz. If I’m not (like this year) then the top gets chopped and when it's finally in the living room it looks like it’s growing through the ceiling, so there’s no room for a star, angel or even a bow!

Have you ever recycled a Christmas gift? Yes. But it was food, and I had had too many treats and needed a gift to take to some party I was going to. That’s ok isn’t it?

Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Hallelujah Chorus.

Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay home because if we left my mother in law would be all alone and we couldn’t do that to her, and besides, all my family lives too far away, except my little brother Big Mac and his wife who usually come but can’t this year because they just had a baby!

White lights or colored on the tree? White.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pumpkin desserts, cinnamon rolls, Lindt chocolate truffles, eggnog, my mom’s Poppyseed Cake which I haven’t had in years, ham, homemade shortbread cookies.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? “On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen. To the top of the roof, to the top of the wall, now dash away, dash away, dash away all. And “Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer...”

When do you put up the tree? We usually get it either the weekend of Thanksgiving or the following, depending on how early Thanksgiving is.

What is your favorite place to go at Christmas? I love looking at Christmas lights.

Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning. We usually open our stockings, have breakfast then open the presents.

What do you love most about Christmas? I love the smells, the cozy feeling of my home with the Christmas lights and soft music playing; shopping for my kids and being excited about what they are getting; the colors (red and green are my favorite colors); and reading “The Littlest Angel” on Christmas eve, a tradition my mother started when I was a child.

P.S. Can someone tell me what Meme stands for? I'm writing this tiny, because I feel dumb that I don't know, yet here I am doing one!