Traditions

Ok so i know it has been a long time. But i wanted to share my family with you. We have a great tradition we do every year. Each year is a little different. And I am sure that there will be more changes in the future too. But who's life stay the same all the time anyway. this year had it own special surprises.
My daughter expressed our tradition so well on her blog i am going to steal it and hope this works so you can hopefully feel the joy we feel being together as family, celebrating life and the life after and creating opportunities to give to others around us.
http://bethmunns.blogspot.com/2010/12/mega-cookie-baking-day-2010.html

It All Started On My Way To Work

This will probably be the most bizaar post anyone will ever read. In fact i am not sure how to write it. It seems that the only time i blog any more is when i get annoyed. I am not sure that is a good thing but it is very therapeutic.
Also, and this may actually scare some people, i am not sure how to write this because i have voices in my head. They have a tendency to spout out lines from movies or mimic children's voices or people i have come across in my life. Now don't worry about me i know the voices aren't real. At least i hope not.
But laughter is great medicine and this morning i have been laughing for almost an hour straight.

It all started on my way to work.

Hummm that sounds like a good opening line for a book.
It all started on my way to work.

I think Jimmy Stewart would be good in this movie.

Oh yea my blog.
As most of you know, I drive from Idaho Falls to Rexburg everyday. Everyday for 10 years now. It is actually quite a nice drive, most days. It gives me time to ponder (or at least reacquaint myself with those voices in my head)
But lately, i have noticed a pattern in the the drivers around me.
There is about a 3 mile stretch of construction going on right now. They are building an overpass across the highway.
I have figured out in my own little thought process the conversations that must be going on in the cars around me.
Now I hope some of you have watched some of the movies and TV shows i have so that you will be about to put the voices with the comments and see why i have been laughing so much this morning.

As we enter (and i say we because Kristy and i carpool right now. And needless to say when she is in the car and i get started on the drivers around me it is kind of like putting gas on a fire)

Oh yea where was i

It all started on my way to work . . .
every morning we approach the construction zone. Within a 500 yard span we are instantly transported to the Indy 500 "I MUST GET IN FRONT OF THAT CAR SO I CAN BE 10/100 OF A SECOND AHEAD OF WHERE I MIGHT HAVE BEEN!"
Luckily we are quickly transported back to real time for about 1/2 a mile.
Then it happens.
Wait for it....
Wait for it....
bam
the orange barrels. The shinny orange barrels the glow in the reflection of headlights.
WE MUST SLOW DOWN!
"I CAN'T HELP IT. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL"

Whew made it through that and can accelerate again BUT WAIT MONTY THERE'S MORE

On top of the construction signs are 2 little flags
BONUS we must slow down again
LOOK CAN YOU SEE THEM FLAGS! FLAGS! CAN YOU SEE THEM! LOOK LOOK MOMMY FLAGS MOOOOOOOOOOM FLAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

breath people breath push the long pedal

OH NO
time to slow down once again regardless that the speed limit is posted 55

"a flashing light on top of a truck. I have never seen such an amazing thing in my whole life! Let's stop and watch!"

and last but not least
"THE CRANE THE CRANE"

All i can say is i am so glad that construction only lasts 3 miles.

Don't wish your life away

When I was a little girl and into my teens, I would say things like "I can't wait until I am 16" or "I wish this day were over" or "only 3 months until summer vacation". My Grandmother would just say "don't wish your life away".

My Grandmother was always right. I miss her so much.

The other day I was cleaning my room and flipped through my kids photo albums. There were my babies. Oh I miss them so much. It almost seems like they were never that little. But when they were babies I couldn't wait until they could hold their own bottle, or sit up, or walk or start school. I could always hear Grandma saying "dont wish your life away".
Now I miss them so much.

I found myself saying just this morning, "is it Friday yet?"

In the last 2 months I have lost 2 friends to cancer. One was just about an hour ago. They were great women and about my age. They don't even get this Friday.

So I would encourage you

Don't wish your life away. Enjoy your joys and trials every minute.

friendship part two (you may want to read part one first)

So this morning i get up extra early because i want to do something nice for colleen. I run into walmart to buy her some flowers and a vase. i pick them out and pay for them and go into the bathroom to fill the vase with water. The faucets are the motion censored and out of 3 sinks not one worked. I ended up getting some water from the drinking fountain. not wanting to be late for work i hurry to pick up Kristy. obeying all traffic laws on the way. :0)

I pull up to Kristy's house and use her garbage can for a table to trim the stems using the knife from my 72 hour kit. Miss preparedness you know. As I am trimming the flowers i get bombarded by a couple of bees trying to get to the flowers. I get the stems trimmed as fast as i can, put the flowers in the car. I clean up the stem mess and get into the car to notice that a bee is in the car. I reach over to open the passenger side door to let the bee out and knock over the vase and fill the passenger seat with water just as Kristy walks up to the car. Luckily i have a blanket in the back seat for her to sit on. Man I am really prepared huh!

I will admit right now i like to bake. I don't do flowers. Kristy kept looking at them and i asked her if the arrangement was driving her nuts. She is kind of a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like that. (I new it would drive her nuts so i had a bag and the knife ready just in case she had an urge to fix the arrangement hee hee)

so here's to true friendship. Someone who can laugh with you when you run out of gas. Some one who can save you when you run out of gas. Some one who loves you enough that when you have gas they will still arrange your flowers for you.

true friendship part one

I decided a few weeks ago i wasn't going to blog anymore or get on face book. I just feel like it was one more thing I had to get done. But the last 24 hours or so just can't be ignored.

If you are a true friend of mine you will learn that friendship with me is like a a roller coaster. You had better just hang on and enjoy the ride because things just keep happening.

Yesterday as I got into the car to pick up Kristy for work I realized I was low on gas in my car. But you need to know my car. My car just turned over 200,000 miles and all but 20,000 are mine. It is a great car compared to the cars I have had in my life but that is a story for another time. My car runs close to perfect but the gas gauge doesn't work. So I have to watch the mileage per tank. I have gone as far as 382 miles without running out but have also run out of gas at 320.

So when I got into my car yesterday morning my miles were around 320 but it is the first week of the fall semester and work is very busy and we didn't want to be late so with a promise for Kristy to remind me to stop for gas before we headed for home we went to work, and work was crazy.

There is a section right now on the way home where it is down to 1 lane each direction due to construction so I made sure i went potty before hitting the road just in case we got stuck in the construction. That proved to be a very smart choice on my part.

We were both exhausted and anxious to get home. We pull on to the highway and realized that I forgot to stop for gas. The next exit for gas was in Thorton but I couldn't remember if it had been blocked off because of the construction. We are now at about 340 plus miles. As we approached thorton I am in the right lane and when i realized that it was open but there was too much traffic to get over. So we chanced it.

Kristy and I were laughing so hard. What if we run out of gas in the construction zone and back traffic back to Island Park. Just as we leave the construction zone still laughing because the buff guys that were in the car behind us that we knew would stop if we needed it went speeding buy us. So much for our back up plan. I look over at kristy and say maybe i should speed up just in case so we could coast to Rigby. Not 2 seconds after I said that the car runs out of gas. I put it into neutral and start to coast both of us screaming and laughing. We coast to with in 1/2 mile of the Rigby exit. Car after car after car go wizzing past. So much for the knight in shinning armor. I see a car pass that looks like Colleen, a lady I work with. Kristy keeps asking are you sure that was her. I respond yes i am positive. I remember that i have her cell number in my phone and call her. She answers and we are laughing and screaming in the phone that we ran out of gas. She agrees to go get a gas can and help us out thinking all the time that we are crazy which is probably correct. As we sat by the side of the road we came up with some of the best jokes about gas of course. Everything was so funny. We were exhausted and frustrated. I was trying to figure out how colleen was going to get to us because if she was in Rigby she would have to drive almost back to Rexburg to turn around. As we are sitting there waiting i text Del and tell him that i was sitting on the side of the road out of gas. Kristy and i were about to hijack a couple of horses in a field close by when my phone rings. It is Del. He asked what i wanted him to start for dinner. Really? Dinner? I said i am stranded and he wants to know what to start for dinner? come to find out he never got my text. It just made everything even funnier. Just then i look behind me and there she was. It wasn't her that passed us. thankfully she was just leaving Rexburg and stopped at the station in Thorton, bought a gas can and filled it at the station I passed.

colleen brings us the gas can and they aren't the same as they used to be. they have all sorts of parts and pieces and on off switches. Oh brother. I look down at it and there is a little piece of plastic that says "to start flow use scissors to remove this tab" REALLY Do you think if you are on the side of the road out of gas you actually have scissors. I really don't want to use my teeth. Then i remember that i just bought a little girly tool kid for the car that has scissors in it YEA for clearance sales at the book store. We get it out of the glove box and there is one of those plastic zip ties on the zipper because it was brand new. ARE YOU KIDDING ME But being the storage girl i remember my 72 hour kit and it has a pocket knife. Whew. We get the gas in the car. Get to the gas station. Fill up and go get a chocolate frosty.

Sigmund

When I was growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, yes I said 60's and early 70's, my parents were involved in a lot of self awareness group therapy session in our home. My dad was a Lutheran Minister, that is why they held the sessions in our home. I heard a lot of "But I hated my mother" and "that's cool" and "you need to learn to trust" yadda yadda yadda.
So often times when I am pondering I find myself, self evaluating and talking to myself. Now now don't be sacred. At least that way I am never lonely. Hee Hee
Most time if I am really honest with myself, I can admit when I am feeling jealous, prideful, selfish or just plain lazy. I really would like to blame someone else for the way I feel, but then alas, I can hear my dad say as plain as day "no one can make you feel anything". I really hated that growing up (almost as much as I hated "I don't like what you are saying to me with your eyes" I wanted so much to scrunch up my face and say "So how's this? Really wouldn't have been wise) because I really wanted to feel like it was someone else making me mad or making me sad. It was their fault not my choice.
Sometimes I feel cheated because this kind of thinking was impressed on me at a very early age. A lot of people back then didn't hear this kind of stuff until college.
So I am a deprived child who never got to blame anyone and I had to be accountable for all my own emotions.
But on the positive side, Sigmund (Sigmund Freud) keeps me from being lonely

Along with all the other voices in my head. ;-)

Get over yourself

Sometimes there are those days when you wonder what happened. Things that happened yesterday would have never bothered me 20 years ago, things I would have taken in stride, things that would have run off my back like water off a ducks back as my Grandma would say. But oh no, not yesterday.
It's funny how things look in the thick of things. Work was totally crazy. Every time I tried to start and finish a project, there were complications. All were settled by the end of the day, and all projects were completed. But I was frazzled.
I got home just in time to do Relief Society visits. That was a great way to remember what was important. I sure love visiting.
Then I went over to Kristy's house to decompress. It is so nice to have a friend that lets you just crash on the couch without a purpose.
But then of course I got home to discover we were out of milk. Not a disastrous thing. But something that makes life a little more pleasant. So if i was going out for milk, I might as well get everything for the week. Did you realize that on Thursday night at 10 there aren't any people in WINCO.
I found it interesting that when you have a day like that little things really eat at you. It is pretty stupid. It seems that it was so easy to over look the things that got done compared to the things I felt should have been done. People can't read my mind.

I just need to get over myself.

Today is much better

My Sister and My Mom

Many of you know my mom passed away on Dec. 30, 2009. My sister, Debbie, was my mom's full time care giver. She and mom had a very special relationship. They were more than mother daughter but more like partners in life. Mom helped Debbie raise her daughters when she was single and Debbie took care of mom. They had a very strong bond. I am giving you a link to Debbie's blog. She is an amazing writer and has written of a Vision or Dream she had. I wanted to share it with you.
http://jdschulzfamily.blogspot.com/

No Good Deed Goes Un Punished

I decided tonight since Del had to work I wanted to do something nice for him. So I decided that I would mow the lawn. Now I have mowed many lawns in my time. But if anyone knows me well, I do not like to sweat. At All! If an activity involves sweating, count me out. But I was will to sweat to do something nice for Del. And it just so happens we have a self propelled lawn mower which makes it much easier .

After I mowed the front lawn I decided it would be nice to have it edged also. So I got out the weed whacker.

(cue scary music from Jaws)

(du dum, du dum, du dum)

I need to tell you about this weed whacker. When we bought it I knew that Del would be the main one using it, so he picked it out. Del is very tall, and most gardening tools are hard on his back because of his height. So he picked out a gas powered, very long weed whacker so he wouldn't have to bend so much.

Needless to say I am at least 11 inches shorted than Del.

I pull out the weed whacker, check to make sure it had gas, adjusted the choke and started pulling on the cord.

One yank, nothing

Two yanks, nothing

Three yanks, nothing

Four

Five

Six

At this point I have sweat dripping off the tip of my nose. Gross huh.

The I look down and see

(cue the scary music from Psycho)

(eee, eee, eee)

I had for gotten to flip the "on" switch.

(Deep sigh)

I flip the switch and the weed whacker roars to a start.

I look up just in time to see the bottom 4 pieces shoot across the garage!

I shut the weed whacker off, go pick up the pieces

And wonder

HOW MUCH DOES A GOAT COST!

Competition

Del just couldn't stand it. He had to top me!

But if it is any consolation he doesn't think it is broke, just bruised.

Way to go!

low blood sugar????

Ok after 1 bag of bbq chips, 1 pkg hostess mini chocolate donuts, 1/2 a bag of licorice and a clean house life looks much better.

TGIF

It seems that always planning for the future is a great way to set goals. At least that is how I have always looked at it, but lately I have been wanting to return to the past.

Life as I remember is was so much different.
I would walk to the park and pick flowers. I actually would sit on the concrete slab at the park and throw flowers into peoples cars. It really made some people very happy and I think I scared some of them too! I would walk for miles all around town. Never being in a rush to get anywhere. Sometimes my friends and I would just sit and talk. (no texting back then) Sometimes we would go downtown to the fountains. Or drive to the Rhododendron gardens. Or cruse Mt Tabor. Or drive to Multnomah Falls. Or feed the ducks at the park.
I can't remember the last time I walked to the park and picked flowers. Not worrying that i had to be somewhere. Let alone there are never any flowers in Idaho Falls.
I didn't care if I had any money in my pocket I didn't need any. I didn't worry about what to fix for dinner because if I did or didn't eat it really didn't matter.
I never worried about clothes, or for that matter as long as I had transportation, be it my parents car, bus or walking I really didn't want for anything. Life was simpler.
So I want to know what changed? How did everything get out of hand?
Is really worth it? The things, I mean. Are things really worth it?

I seems to me they just complicate everything.

If you want a car you have to get a job to pay for it. If you get a job you have to buy clothes to go to work. If you go to work you can only eat at certain times whether you are hungry or not. You have to go to bed at night even when you aren't really tired and get up feeling exhausted.

Then the price of gas goes up, and so does everything else.

It just keeps going and going.

May be I need to go pick some flowers.
I wish I could tell myself it was OK. I think I forgot how.
I think I am lost.

But don't worry about me. Today is Friday and by Sunday everything should be fine again.

Sigh

I guess i am feeling a little melancholy today. For those of you young bucks

melancholy
Part of Speech:
adjective
Definition:
depressed, sad

My Grandmother, who lived with us since i was about 1, used to get so upset with me because i always lived in the future. I miss her a lot.

I am always planning, plotting and dreaming.

Lately though, for some reason my dreams seem so far away that i will never be able to reach them.

Don't get me wrong I have achieved many of my dreams. I have a husband who loves me and is the best in the world. (he will be the first one to tell you that :)) I have the best kids that i wouldn't trade for anyone (except my grand kids) I have a beautiful home, my health is good. I have a great job and am blessed to live very comfortably.

But lately things have seemed different. I don't know if it was because winter was so long or what. But dreams seem so far away.

Del and I had a conversation a little while ago. We were talking about what trees to plant in our yard. I commented on that it didn't really matter because we would be dead before they matured.

I know it sounds morose but that is how i have been feeling lately.

morose-adjective

1. gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.

So here's to my dreams

my dream car 1966 mg roadster convertible

This would be Del's dream car 67 Camero GTO

Some of my dream vacations

Alaskan cruise

A tour of Castles in Western Europe

Seeing all the great architecture in England

Relaxing on the beach of Hawaii

and my dream of living on the Oregon Coast (see 4 blogs ago)

But more than anything

I would like to grow old with Del

and just sit on the porch and watch the world go by.

This dream is the one I know will come true.

Pondering

I think about blogging a lot but never seem to get to it.


I want to blog about my feelings at the fourth of July parade, but is it too late now?

I want to blog about ice cream cars. That one might come sometime.







But right now I am feeling, how should I say this, somewhat sad.



Some what apprehensive.









I am watching the things going on in the world. I talk to people who are hurting so bad. People who are unemployed or underemployed. I watch the young mothers around me and pray so hard every night that they are preparing themselves spiritually and teaching their children.









We live in a bubble around here but the bubble is getting very thin.




You can no longer live with blinders on. You need to be deeply rooted in the Savior.




So when the time comes you will not waiver.

I was reading this morning that Satans greatest tools are Pride, Materialism and immorality. I can see this so clearly. Can you?

Your children are watching and learning from you every second. What are they seeing?




When daddy loses a job, are you falling apart or are you prepared and spending time on your knees talking with your Father asking for guidance?









If Mommy get sick does Daddy give her a blessing?









There will come a day when your kids come home and you realize that they are teenagers and as much as you try you cannot influence them as much as you used to be able to.




Do they already know what you believe? Can they tell by your actions?




And do your actions reflect the Savior? or the world?



Some decisions may seem so small now but may have such a lasting influence. Good or bad.



Change is inevitable. It has been prophesied. We know that.








I don't know if I am strong enough.









I have had to deal with a lot of things in this life and I know I am a fighter.









So with that said, To get STRONGER, I will EXERCISE my faith by trying harder to read and study my scriptures, have more meaningful prayers and serve more.






I will keep praying for you because I Love You. I mean that.

5 Little Ducks

I am trying to figure out how to post this blog with out audio. So I will do my best but you have to work with me here.

First think in your head the song

Five little ducks went out to play

Over the river and far away

But the mother duck went Quack Quack Quack

Four little duck came scurrying back

Ok, got it?

Now i will go on with my story.

My Grandson who is 4 1/2 was in the bathroom today just singing away.

He was singing but the words were not quite the same.

Five little ducks went out to play

One fell into the pond and died

My daughter was a little concerned until she heard his chorus.

You need to think in your mind of a very enthusiastic religious singer

This is how his song went

(singing sweetly at first)

Five little ducks went out to play

One fell into the pond and died

Now wait for it . . . .

Singing as loud as he can . . .

NOW HE LIVES WITH JESUS CHRIST, HE LIVES WITH JESUS CHRIST!!!!

Four little ducks went out to play

One fell into the pond and died

NOW HE LIVES WITH JESUS, HE LIVES WITH JESUS!!!

Gotta love grand kids.

Hummmm Do you think it's broke?

Living the dream

Picture this

A small coastal town just barely off highway 101 in northern Oregon, Cannon Beach

A small 900 square foot cape cod bungalow covered with cedar siding that has grayed with age. The front yard it is about 15 feet wide by 8 feet deep. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas in all shades of pinks and purples flank a stone walkway that runs down the center of the yard. A large hanging flower pot filled with bright fuchsia's hangs by the front door. There is a 3 foot white picket fence surrounding the front yard.

As you enter the modest home you pass through wooden door with 9 small window panes on the top half of the door. An eyelet lace cafe curtain is pulled to the side during the day to let the sun fill the room, but drawn in the evening to ensure privacy. You enter the living room. Beautiful oak floors, that have flawed over the years, run through the entire house. There is a couch, a mismatched love seat with rocking chair there. Just enough room to accommodate a few friends. The house has 2 or 3 bedrooms, one for you, one for family and one for guests. A small kitchen sits at the back of the house with white painted cupboards, a big farm sink and a large window over the sink that overlooks the private back yard. A solid wood table is located in a nook off the kitchen creating a connecting area between the living room and kitchen. The table is draped with a tablecloth that was passed down for 3 generation and there are real flowers arranged in a canning jar adorning the table. Out back the yard is surrounded by a laurel hedge with a large shade tree. If you look close you can see a small tree house camouflaged by the leaves and an old tire swing hangs from a stately limb. A brick patio, shaded by the tree, is just big enough for a hammock, a porch swing and a table for 4 and a barbque.

2 blocks away is the sandwich shop. A small place with about 6 tables with single fresh flower one each and extra chairs along one wall in case friends drop by. On the opposite wall is a piano. Just in case the mood strikes to play. Straight ahead is the counter where you can order a modest sandwich, home made soup, fresh potato salad, fresh fruit or tossed green salad. To the right is a display case where the morning baked goods are displayed. These will change everyday depending on the mood. Ranging from blueberry muffins to coffeecake, maybe a sweet roll, and of course, hot chocolate chip cookies. Coffee will be served, but not any of that fancy stuff. Just a fresh cup of coffee for about 50 cents. Tea, hot chocolate, pop and juice will also be offered and a cup of water will only be a nickle. And of course fresh lemonade.
There won't be any grill or deep fryer to cover the aroma for the fresh baked good. The shop will be clean and crisp with a large ceiling fan that ever so quietly moves the air.
There will be 2 big windows on the front with the name "The Simple Life" spanned across the glass.
3 tables will be out front on the sidewalk and of course a newspaper or magazine to share.

Connected to the sandwich shop will be a small print shop. It will have graphic services and multiple printers for different mediums. It will be organized but modest. A large leather couch will be available to rest on. Peaceful music will be playing softly in the background. A grand bookcase will be on the wall filled with books to read when the time allows. And of course free WIFI.

During the summer life will be hectic. Tourists will be in larger numbers, strolling the streets, enjoying the day. But during the winter life will be pleasant and peaceful. The locals will have more free time and come to sit and rest. You will know them by name an inquire about their family while sipping on some lemonade.

Walking from place to place will be the norm. Recycling and energy conservation along with a hybrid car are a way of life.

Fresh fruit, fresh seafood, garden vegetables and a little meat are at every dinner.

When the weather is good, you enjoy a midnight stroll on the beach with someone you love.

That,
is my dream.

My Vacaction

We got to the coast in time for dinner. We ate at a very nice place called Quimby's. A small place that was located it what looked like a remodeled house.

Just as we got back to our room the sun was setting.

So Beautiful

The next day we went on a road trip (of course). We headed down to coos bay. I can't think of a more beautiful drive than hwy 101

I know it sounds like lots of driving but i am so glad that Del likes to drive.

Pictures just don't do this justice.

We stopped at several beaches and sea lion caves.

I would recommend this trip to everyone.

Today we were able to meet up with my sister and her husband

and watch a sand sculpting contest,

did a little shopping, stopped at the Tillamook cheese factory for ice cream, went to Moe's for dinner. Basically we ate our way down the coast.

The weather was perfect

The company the best

The food amazing

The problem. I could move to Cannon Beach in a heart beat.

where in the world

I thinking about posting a new blog everyday but for some reason it doesn't get done. I have some down time over the next couple of days so i will try and get caught up.

the reason for the down time

i am actually on vacation.

Now for some of you this is probably not a big deal. So let me recap

Del and i have been married almost 33 years. I must say we have and are having a great life but we really have not done a lot of vacations

We have taken trips with the kids to Grandmas in oregon, to the other Grandmas cabin.

About 22 years ago we got a free vacation to St George through Dels work. About 15 years ago we took the kids to Disneyland. But for trips for Del and I without the kids it goes about like this.

Del and I went with his mom and Aunt and Uncle to Denver with out the kids for 2 nights 29 years ago. We went to a wedding in Oregon alone 4 years ago

That is the extent of our vacation.

So Del and I are actually at the Oregon Coast. Just the 2 of us. No kids, no weddings, no other family. Can you believe it? I am loving it.

But to be completely honest my sister and her husband are meeting us tomorrow. And I am so glad about that. It is a win win in my book.

It was a long drive. We left Idaho Falls after work Thursday and drove to Ontario Oregon. We got there about midnight. We decided to take the central Oregon route through Bend. We are glad we did but I don't think we will do it again. All in all it was about 780 miles and 15 hours.

stay tuned for more vacation

same bat time

same bat channel

(I put that in for some of you older readers i doubt the younger ones recognize that saying)

It is all about YOUR choices

One of my biggest fears when is started this blog was that i felt i couldn't be totally honest because people would judge me. But i have had enough. If you feel you are close enough to me to be following my blog then you are going to get to know the real me.

I am trying to prepare my RS lesson for Sunday. I know what i want to say. But i must be tactful. But this is my blog and if you are reading this you can exit out whenever you want.


WHEN DID CHURCH BECOME OPTIONAL!

Church on Sunday means all 3 meetings

Life changes all the time. We don't out grow covenants. Just because you have a change in your life doesn't mean the Lord does not still what to bless you. But He can't if you don't do your part.

Church isn't a punishment. It is a privilege. All our Father in Heaven wants to do is give you blessings. He wants to bless you through other people and have you bless others. That doesn't work if someone doesn't make the first move.

Have you noticed that we are back to teaching Gospel Principals. Have you noticed that ward conference was a call to re dedicate yourself. Have you noticed that general conference is back to teaching basic gospel principals. We are taking 2 steps backwards. In conference they said that we are only one generation from the church become extinct! Are we the generation that is going to allow that to happen?

It is all about choices.
Are you choosing to live worthy of your Heavenly Fathers blessings?

Lists

I know it has been a while. But as I read other blogs it sounds like everyone else is a busy as I have been.
I don't think that my life is any busier than yours but holy cow!
If any of you know me well, I am a list maker. I come from a family of list makers. My mom had a list every morning. She always used those small legal pads. So does my sister. She uses a planner.
When everything is feeling out of control and I have trouble keeping everything straight, nothing feels better to me than to make a list except crossing those things off the list that I have accomplished.
My list has gone from 21 things to 11. It's a start. I have 2 weeks to finish the rest.
Then off for vacation!
(i had better quit here i keep adding things to my list)

Mornings

I have never been a morning person. There is a standing joke at work that I am not fully functional until 11:00. I get a burst of energy at about 8 pm most nights. For example I started moving furniture last night about 7:30 and got done about 10:30. This in itself was probably not a bad thing but I had to be at work this morning at 6:30 for inventory. (On of my supervisors said i needed to be on eastern standard time this morning. )

Needless to say as I was driving to work I wondered

What was I thinking.

My Favorite Verse About Motherhood

I loved you enough

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them:

I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford to buy one for you.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to make you take a Milky Way back to the drugstore (with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

Erma Bombeck

God

I know God has a sense of humor because

He put the knees on Cranes backwards

Another Blond/Grey Moment (this one is for you Kristy)

My daughter Nicki calls me at work last week just as i am trying to go home for the day. As we talk about up coming events i can't seem to find my cell phone. I am checking my pockets. I have dumped out my purse. I am getting very frusterated. I tell my daughter how this is nuts. I just saw it. I want to go home where in the heck could it . . . . Oh I am talking on it.

Life With Grandkids

I know that those of you who read my blog are in a different stage of life than I am. I only hang around with cool, hip, young people. Not old people with bad hips and hot flashes HeeHee!

Last night we had some what of a slumber party at my house. Del was at work as was Katie my 20 year old daughter. My oldest daughter, Nicki (32 years old) and her 3 boys, Jake 6, Brody 4, and Chase 7 months, my 2nd daughter Beth (26 years old) and her daughter Bailey 20 months were spending the night.

this is how it kind of went

5:45 Grandma comes home from work. The house is quiet. Everyone is on my kingsize bed watching TV and talking. Jake says he is bored.
6:00 Grandma and Nicki start fixing dinner.
6:05 Jake and Brody decide it is time to liven things up and start chasing the dog around and around the island (which they learned to do from their Grandpa) and yelling for him.
6:30 Tacos are ready. They sit down to eat
6:45 Dinner is over we go out to plant the strawberries Nicki broght me for Mothers day.
7:00 Everyone is covered with mud and is freezing. Brody is very unhappy (that is a mild statement) because he got dirt in his eye and it really hurt.
7:30 Brody is still very vocal about the dirt in his eye. Nicki has bathed him, rinsed his eye, put drops in, and got him in his PJ's and we are trying to distract him by watching cartoons.
7:35 Brody is on my bed still being vocal about his eye and falls asleep. Jake and I play 2 rousing games of battle ship. ( I won one he won one) We never cheated either! hee hee
8:00 Grandma is trying to watch Lost and clean up after dinner while the to girls put jake in his PJ's and Bailey to bed.
9:00 I read Jake two stories, he heads to bed and Grandma is wondering why the heck she is so tired.
9:15 the girls start a movie and Chase the baby starts laughing hysterically at the dog. It was so funny he could barely breath he was laughing so hard. that lasted for almost an hour.
10:00 Chase goes to bed
10:30 Del and Katie come home from work.
11:00 movie ends
11:30 We head to bed. Nicki and her boys sleep in my room because of the big bed and i slept in the family room.
1:00 Grandma is still awake wondering if the church will ever decided that coffee isn't that bad after all

Sure it is tough when everyone gets together. It is loud and out of control most of the time.
I may talk tough


But i wouldn't have it any other way.

This ones for you beth

My daughter wants me to post more about my life with Del before kids. So to my many fans and blog readers (all 3 of you) you get to read occasionally about my "other" life.

One of the first times Del and I went on a date, we went to the Sandy river in Oregon to a small park called Dabney. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out of town. When we got there, we got out of the car and Del shut and locked the door. . . . with the keys still in the ignition.

I couldn't believe it. I said well I have hitch hiked before lets go back to Portland and get your spare key.

Del said that we should stay and enjoy our lunch and afternoon then we would take care of it. So we did. I don't remember what we ate but i do remember playing on the rocks in the river and enjoying each other and the beautiful day.

We decided it was time to head home. I told him lets go out to the highway and start hitch hiking. He suggested that he get the spare key he had wired under the car.

He knew the key was there all the time. I stewed all day about not having a key. I should have know then that i was getting involved with a big teaser.

A few days later we went to the Columbia River and played in the sand throwing each other around. We got back to the car and he told me the keys must have fallen out of his pocket and he hadn't put the spare back yet.

Oh yea he says they're in my pocket!

Oh brother. Ever since I carry a spare key to my car in my purse.

By the way that right before our first kiss.

Stay tuned for more stories

Pointless Ponderings

I called my blog pointless ponderings because I like to have fun thinking about odd things. For example at work today i think i received the most favorite email i have ever gotten. So I want to share it with you.

I loved them all but my favorites are

1-2-5-6-14-18-19-23

especially 1-19-23



1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.

10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

18.. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?

21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'

22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your behind tomorrow.

Blond or grey moment

Most people when they have a blond moment (no offense to any blonds out there) they don't tell anyone. But I believe if you can't laugh at yourself who are you going to laugh at.

So here is my blond moment I had at work

I needed to leave a note for a co worker that was out of town. So I wrote it down on a post it note. I wanted to put it on her computer screen. I often have post its on the bottom of my screen (as well as in my planner, on the dash board of my car, on my fridge .. . .)I go into her office to stick it on the bottom of her screen and she has some on the top of her screen standing up. (if you know what I mean)

So here comes the blond moment. For just a split second (probably because I am not really blond but grey so my moments are shorter due to short term memory loss Hee Hee)

I couldn't figure out where she got post its with the glue on the bottom of the paper instead of the top!

We have joked about this for 2 weeks at work now and have decided that she got the ones with the glue on the bottom because they were received by someone who was left handed.

I knew there was a reason.

All I Want To Do I Read

I would say I have many different sides to my personality as all of us do, I am sure.

I think one of the one that is most frusterating for my family is I have some compulsive behaviors. Hmmm imagine that. Never would have guessed it huh.

I have been reading the Fablehaven series of childrens books. Lets put it this way. I read the first one Thursday and Friday. Saturday I did absolutly nothing but read. Katie ended up cleaning the kitchen and Del did the laundry. I finished book 2 the same day.

I had to wait until I got back to work Monday to buy book 3 and 4. I am over halfway through book three, starting it pretty much when I got home from work Monday.
Katie cleaned the kitchen again last night and vacuumed.

I really haven't cooked since Thursday, we haven't had to start the dishwasher. Needless to say that this morning when I got up to have breakfast, I had to drink my milk out of a milkshake glass.

When I was reading the Harry Potter books several years ago, my kids would come up to me and say "Mom, are we going to eat soon?" When I do take a day to do nothing but read, which isn't really that often, I will be sitting on my bed reading, and various family members will just come in and lay down next to me. After a few minutes they get up and leave the room. It is so nice to know that they really miss me when I am not around.

Well hang on family, I only have 2 and 1/2 more books to read in the series.

(but just don't tell them I heard about 2 more series that sound really neat)

Who are these old people and why don't i look like i feel

So here is the story. I was working at a lunch counter in a store call Newberries in downtown Portland. My sister worked there, her best friend worked there, 2 people she rented rooms to worked there. Our manager had a new assistant come join him. It also happened to be his brother in law. It also happened to be Del. There were 3 lunch counters in the store. I usually worked by myself at the hot dog counter. Del came in as the new assistant manager and tried to tell me what to do. Well that didn't go over very well as you can imagine.

I had made friends with one of the other girls there and we would go out after work and grab a snack. We started talking about religion. She had joined the church a year previous. When I started asking questions she couldn't answer she told me to go talk to Del or Bill (the manager who is now my brother in law). Del and I would go for long drives. I would show him around Portland and we would have religious discussion in the car.

I had just ended a 3 year relationship. I had a promise ring and we had planned on getting married the next year. But due to shall we say an awakening of how things were really going to be the relationship ended.

So Del was going to get me to join the church being the good return missionary then move on and I wasn't sure how to get back into the dating pool and Del seemed to be safe enough to practice on then I was going to move on.

I guess being together for the last 34 years we forgot to move on.

I joined the church. Del baptized me and Bill confirmed me 2 days before my 19th birthday. We were married year and and 4 days later in the Idaho Falls Temple.

I can't say that life has always been perfect. But is it so much more amazing than I could ever dream. Del and I will celebrate 33 years of marriage in Oct. of this year.

I am so grateful he has stuck by my side. He is truly my best friend.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Canada?

My phone rings at 6:30 this morning.

That is never a good sign.

It was my oldest daughter, Nicki. "Mom, do you want to run away to Canada with me?"

"What is going on?

"The kids have been up coughing, my kitchen hasn't been cleaned in 2 days, I am exhausted"

I remember those days. But I lived to far away from my mom to call for help. I may not be going to Cananda this afternoon, but I am off to Pocatello armed with toys, coloring books, wii games, magazines for nicki, and chicken noodle soup fixins.

Grandmaisms

I wrote a few weeks ago about my Grandma. She was the wisest woman I have ever met. She could do anything (except drive a car)
She had wisdom about everything in life. She had a little saying for just about everything so I thought I would pass some of her wisdom on to you.

For example here is some well know wisdom . . .

If your nose itches you are going to kiss a fool
If your ears burn someone is talking about you
If you step on a crack you will break your mothers back

Now a lot of you have probably heard those three but did you know. . .

If there is enough blue sky between the clouds to make a Dutchman a pair of pants the weather is going to clear up

I know she was always right with that one because she was a seamstress in a factory for years

Then we have more weather up dates . . .

Red sky in the morning sailors warning
Red sky at night sailor’s delight

And how about . . .

When you are walking with someone and you have an object come between you like a telephone pole or a fire hydrant you have to say

Bread and butter

Speaking of bread and butter . . .

If you eat burnt toast it will give you white teeth
If you drop a fork you will have a female visitor
If you drop a knife you will have a male and female visitor
If you drop a spoon you will have a male visitor


Then there is the one that always creeped me out. . .


If you have a shiver someone is walking on your grave

And finally my love hate relationship . . .

If your left palm itches you will receive money
If your right palm itches you will pay money

So now you are just about as smart as my Grandma.
It is too bad these kind of traditions get lost along the way. My kids look at me like i am nuts when I call out randomly

BREAD AND BUTTER

But what do they know i just wished them good luck.

And what every happened to the good old silly songs and poems
But that is for another blog.

When the Cat's Away the Mice Will Play

WHAT MORE ABOUT MICE!

Just kidding.

Whenever the management of the Bookstore got to conferences we have something that has been lovingly called snack day.

I love snack day.

Everyone just brings a treat. Anything they want to bring. My favorites are shrimp dip, fresh veggies and of course cookies.

Today was snack day.

Life is good.

A Moment Of Silence

They caught the mouse last night.

Well, caught is a much nicer word that what really happened but we won't go there.

Welcome to My World

I am sitting at my desk this morning at the start of the day. When the lady I work with all of the sudden says "OH". I said what's wrong. She said "are you afraid of mice?" My first thought was, "am I? I really don't want to find out!" She said "come over here and maybe go out the door a mouse just ran under your desk." I was very obedient. So Linda and one of our managers spent probably 1/2 hour trying to get the mouse out from under my desk. My desk is metal and attached to the wall so this makes it much more difficult. I went into the storage room so i would not have to be in my office to complete an inventory I had been working and the next thing i hear is "he just ran out here"
Holy Cow he is after me!
But alas he got away. So I proceeded to vacuum my office and my desk drawers making sure there were no crumbs left.

Needless to say so far today i have had may attempts by my co workers to try and scare me or send me mouse emails. I think i just need to bring some of my Mickey Mouse decorations to work.

As a side note i told my blog fans about how my ceiling caved in at work. Well last night the conference room ceiling caved in from a large water leak from food services.
Gotta love new construction.

Out of Control

I have had so much on my mind lately. And if you read this blog on a regular basis you know my mind in always going (in one way or the other)But lately it has been out of control. One of the women i work with teaches RS in her ward. Her lesson last sunday was to not worry about the things you can not contol. I need to learn that.

apology

Ok i guess i owe oakland construction an apology. We are now thinking that the flood in my office that colapsed the ceiling tile was from foodservices upstairs. great just great.

Spring Thaw

I get to work this morning and find out that since the snow is melting we have water problems. We are 3 flights down from the roof. They think water leaked in around something called a mechanical room where all the duct work from the building meet. (as I understand it) Well it must have gotten a ton of water in it from the snow melting and the ducts above my desk filled up with water, soaked the insulation and leaked onto the ceiling tile. The tile soaked up so much water that it fell out of the ceiling on to my desk. They cleaned it up over the weekend but when I got here I looked at my phone and keyboard and they were disgusting and I just cleaned them Friday. Then I picked up my calculator and there was a puddle of water under it and I have it by my space heater trying to dry it out. My mouse pad was wet so I had to get a new one. I took Clorox wipes and cleaned everything up. I hope there are no more surprises today. Gotta love Oaklands (the contractor) roofing skills. This is the 3rd leak the bookstore has had and we are on the first floor and it is a brand new building.

Grandma L

I thought i would tell you about my Grandma L. She was my mothers mother. When i was very little probably not much more than a year old she came to live with us because they thought my dad was going to die. She had just been widowed for the second time and my mom had 3 kids under 4.
She was my everything. She kept 2 boards by her bed so we could sit on her bed and play solitaire. We watched soap operas together. I would get to sleep with her on monday wednesday and friday and my sister slept with her on tuesday thursday and saturday (because she had a tv in her room with a clicker as she called it). But she got to sleep alone on sunday.
Every morning from the time i was in about 3rd grade until i was a senior in high school she brought us 2 pieces of toast and cocoa in bed every morning.
She was a seamstress by trade. She worked in factory's and when she retired they gave her the sewing machine. A big singer machine. It did one stitch, very fast. My sister in law has it now, i think it still works. She could sew anything. My sister got a blouse for her birthday one year and i just loved it. Grandma went to fred meyers bought some fabric, no pattern, and in an hour i had my shirt and it looked just like my sisters.
Grandma never learned to drive. She would take us on the bus to the mall. It would scare me to death because she would make me walk halfway across a 4 lane road and stand in the middle of the street to wait for the traffic to clear in the final 2 lanes then finish crossing so we could get to the bus stop. There was a lunch counter at the mall and she would buy us a hamburger. This was a big deal. They didn't have kids burgers then and we had to eat every bite. I always wanted a tulip chocolate sundae after. (Funny i have my own set of tulip sundae dishes they just make ice cream taste better). She would sip her coffee as i ate. I was so full tears would be streaming down my face. I would look up at her and she would say "you ordered it you eat it". So we would sit until all was finished while she sipped her coffee.
Grandma would make the most beautiful quilts. But we never went to the store to buy fabric we cut up our old clothes and kept the scraps from when she sewed for us. I still have one of those quilts. She would have a quilt up and we would make a fort under it. When we got bigger we helped quit. I didn't even know there was anything called a tied quilt until after i moved to Idaho.
She also taught me how to embroider. we would make embroidered pillow cases for the couples my dad would marry, and satin baby blankets for the babies my dad would baptize.
She never wore a pair of pants until just a few years before she died. She always wore a house dress and apron.
i remember one day i was being a crummy teenager and i made her cry. I told her i was sorry but i never wanted to have a feeling like that ever again. I felt horrible.i remember when i got baptized. I was afraid to tell her because she was a strong Lutheran and didn't want to make her cry ever again. So my mom told her. She asked "was she baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost?" my mom said yes. Grandma said "that's ok the rest is all man made anyway".
Del got to meet her one time. She died just a few days later and she was buried the day i got my engagement ring
I guess i thought about her today because i was telling someone about Grandmaisms. But that will be tomorrows blog,

I have been thinking once again

Ok a bunch of random thoughts. Imagine that from me

Why does a computer promt and a red light make us come to a complete stop when parents we cant stop our kids?

It dawned on me this morning that even though it is winter in Idaho and other places, that in Portland they are wondering what flowers to plant. Why cant everyone at the same lattitude be the same weather. Maybe i wouldn't be so bummed about winter if more people were freezing with me.

When someone comes up to you and says something like have you been crying? or are you tired today or do you feel ok? Actually what they are really saying is you look like ....
Thanks I thought i looked pretty go today.

Why is it when you get your picture taken it looks nothing like the person you think you look like?

Do you really think it makes a difference if you take off your shoes to be weighed at the doctors.

computers bah humbug

Well at work once again they are trying to make things bigger better and faster. We now have a mac daddy server. It is supposed to be so great.
Lets see if i log on to our site, and turn away from it for about 4 minutes it kickes me off and i have to log on again. it is very frusteratings.
and yes our IT guy is working on it. He has been here all night.

All for the cause of computer safety and privacy.
Lets all go back to cash or the barter system.

I am still here

I know it has been a while since i posted. I thought i had better write something or i might lose my huge fan base. It has just been crazy lately. Not so much busy but stressful.

We had to get both cars fixed. My daughters dog needed surgery. And our lap top had issues. It is a good thing i work with a bunch of college kids that are much more tech savvy than i am. I just feel like we have been hemorrhaging money. Good thing i am as rich as i am good looking.

I have been listening to the old testament in the car on my way to and from work. I know some of the old testament but have never read (listened) to the whole thing before,

there is a radio guy named Paul Harvey. Some of you may know him. He does a show called the rest of the story. I am noticing that there is a lot of the rest of the story stories around.

So what does this have to do with the old testament. I am hearing about the israelites. they took over the promised land. What about the people they took it from. What is their story?

there are a lot of holes in the Old Testament. But that is what happens when it is translated a billion times.

Superstitions

I have been thinking about superstitions. (can you see why i call my blog amy's pointless ponderings!)

I am a woman of faith. I say i don't believe in superstitions.
But doesn't everyone believe in them just a little bit?

For example yesterday my car started acting up.

This morning as i was getting ready for work I dropped my little mirror, broke it into a million pieces. My first thought was "drat (or something like that) now my car is going to cost a fortune to fix!"

How about the saying "step on a crack you break your mothers back".
My mom broke her back twice in her life and i have back problems also. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Then when a black cat runs in front of you don't you for just a split second think "OH NO!"

It just make great sense to not walk under a ladder you would just be taking you life in your hands.

If I haven't gotten you on any of those, how about this.
When you open your fortune cookie and is says
"great wealth will come your way"
don't you tape it to your bathroom mirror?

Or when you look at the horoscope and it only has 2 stars
"DON'T READ IT"

But like i said, i am a woman of faith, not a woman of superstition.
But if it cost a fortune to get my car fixed

i am buying a plastic mirror!

Harry Potter

I will admit that I really like the Harry Potter series. It came into my life when i really needed a distraction without a huge emotional investment. But I also liked the fact that it got kids reading again.

However I read on a face book from a friend of mine that there is going to be a nude scene in the next movie. I am so upset. I know these books have morphed into more than kids books but i am so disappointed that they would put a nude scene in a movie that it really isn't necessary.

I have never seen titanic or the proposal for that very reason.

Maybe i am a fuddy duddy.

I wish i could shake the director and ask him what he is thinking,

So I guess I can spend my money elsewhere.

Even though i am very disappointed.

Facebook

Face book is driving me nuts.

To be honest i get on to snoop anonymously into peoples lives. Lately all i see is people playing games. It drives me crazy. How am i supposed to snoop if no one is talking?

I understand i only have about 4 people who read my blog but i need to vent somewhere.

Have we become such a people that face book and computer games and texting have become the only way for humans to communicate? When i was in High School they told us we really needed to learn how to type correctly because it would be very useful in our lives. I don't think they ever anticipated this! We text, we face book, we blog, when do we talk? When do we carry on a face to face conversation where the other person can actually interrupt our train of thought? How are we going to learn conversational etiquette with other people? Where is the skill of being able to think as we are talking with out losing our tempers? And being able to discern what someone is saying by the fluctuation in their voices? I could actually be screaming right now and you would never know it. Our personal interaction with others of human race has become so mechanical. At what point to stop putting "excellent interpersonal communication skills" on our resumes?


I wonder if this is how people felt about the telephone.

enough of being serious

I have decided that my blog has been way to serious lately. Time for something else

I would like to thank Gina for my new background because it matches my cell phone

Surviving Last Night

So last night went a lot better than I thought. When i got to the house i realized i have met this woman before. Her daughter and my oldest daughter went through school together. Although we were not got friends, we have met years ago.

I had steeled myself before going over last night. Like i said it was better than i had expected. I think if i am prepared for the conversation i do a lot better than if the topic of cancer just pops up like in a movie or something. I have to be prepared.

She has finished her chemo and her hair was coming back. Her surgery was over and radiation was left. That is a snap compaired to chemo.

But she was experiencing some symptoms i had forgotten. How funny, i had forgotten that you have memory problems during chemo. Weird huh. To all you who read this that explains a lot huh.

It really helps that she has a positive attitude.

I didn't cry or throw up. That was good. But it did bring back a lot of memories. (there is that memory thing again) Some funny, some sad, some very spiritual.

I didn't have any nightmears last night but from 5am to 6am a lot of dreams about chemo.

So there you have it. I survived.

Hopefully none of you will ever have to experience cancer, but if you do i am strong enough to help now.

If you haven't yet, please get regular mamograms. They only found my cancer by compairing current years to past years pictures. I never had a lump