Somewhere there is sun...

Today, as I drove through the gray afternoon to pick up my girl from school, I hit a patch of sun, about ten seconds worth. My first thought was, ahhh, if only I could lay in it; let it soak into my cold fingers and toes, my face, my hair, let it burn through my jeans and turn the world red under my eyelids. Of course, in this last day of January's 30-degree weather, even Mr. Sun couldn't do all that, but the thought was so delicious. I am seriously lacking Vitamin D and it shows everywhere: I'm too white, too cold, too crusty, just like the ice lumps outside my door. Hurry up, Spring...melt me.

Happy Birthday...

Today would have been my daddy's 72nd birthday. I love this picture (though blurry) in May of 1981 of "Poppa" with his first two grandbabies. Oh, how he loved them all! Oh, how he STILL loves us all. Happy Birthday...thanks for the memories. Did I ever tell you you're my hero? xoxoxo...

Royal Obsession

Okay, for those of you who REALLY know me, you will understand why I've posted this adorable picture! Ever since Princess Diana appeared on the scene 30 years ago (whoa!), I've been fascinated (and yes, a bit fanatical) about the Royal Family. I got up early that morning in July of 1981 to watch the wedding and followed that poor, sweet girl from that day to now. My life is a little bit intertwined with hers--I, too, was married at 19; our babies (mine-C, hers-W) were born just a few months apart; and the day she died, I was at the family cabin and sobbed all night long in disbelief. Now, here is her handsome, GOOD son, getting married (at last!) to the girl he loves. I can see Diana, beaming at them! I watched the interview they gave to the BBC, and when William said that they like to "have a good giggle" together, I was smitten all over again. I'm sure I'll be getting up early again to see THIS royal wedding, too, and crying a little to think how much his mum would have loved the party.

Toffee Heaven

A year ago, my son introduced me to Garden Gate English Toffee, and I am hooked! As you can see above, I am down to my last two pieces (yes, they really are that gigantic!) They are the best I've ever tasted--and believe me, I've tried more than my share. They are NOT cheap, either, and can only be found at Christmastime in a charming little candy shop in SLC. I've been good to only eat a piece--or even a BITE--a day, just to make them last a little longer. The end is now in sight for another year (sigh)...

Be careful what you pray for...

Yesterday, after my glorious trip to the temple, I came home to a swamp-load of jobs to be transcribed. Now, don't get me wrong--I LOVE my job. I have a zero commute (unless you count shuffling down the hall in my slippers) and free lunches (PB&J, usually) and munching snacks & rotating laundry between calls. But the downside is that no one works--or works very little--during holidays and vacations, including my buddies, the callers on the other end of my earphones. So, November/December, the months when money is at the forefront of the scene, are very, v...e...r...y slow and my paycheck is very small. I've been praying for the work to increase since the first of January, and here it comes! I worked (with the above-mentioned breaks) from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM yesterday! Awesome. Unfortunately, my body is complaining today. My shoulders are tight, my arms are sore (I tend to type with my whole arm when I'm tired), and I don't think I've warmed up yet (might need to invest in a space heater one of these days). Thanks for the tender mercy, Father! I can't wait to see if today is just as fruitful.

Dreaming

I am a crazy dreamer, literally. Sometimes I wish I could replay my dreams and watch from the outside in, instead of the other way around. Last night, my dream was, again, pretty fantastical, but the thing that has hung around with me this morning is that I was in my childhood house on Bristol Way in Vegas. There I was, scrounging under the bed in my brother's room for a stray sock, like it was the most natural thing in the world to be there in that spot I haven't been for over 30 years. I saw the same old carpet, the same closet door, the same big window I once smashed with a basketball. Strange how that happens in dreams. Sometimes I'm in Grandma Lillie's basement, with her canning jars full of pickles and peaches and pears; sometimes I'm in Grandma Mary's attic, with the trunks full of Life magazines and celebrity tattlers. Sometimes I'm in the little studio apartment where my Quiet Man and I were newlyweds, where the radiator hissed on cold February nights and we walked through the bedroom to get to the kitchen. Sometimes I'm on 625 West, with the brick fireplace in the master bedroom and a laundry chute cut out of the bottom of the bathroom vanity. Sometimes I'm in Old Greenie, the Idaho farmhouse where I watched President Kennedy's assasination on a black and white TV with my weeping mother. Funny that the tangle of memories takes a step forward when I'm dreaming. Wonder where I'll be tonight--stay tuned.

Rain

Yesterday, as I sat in my little office, typing away, the room got darker and colder...and then I heard thunder. Thunder in winter is a surprise, a rarity. It drew my attention away from my keyboard and out the window to see a downpour of wild, heavy rain and even a few minutes of hail. The mild day had melted much of our snow, but this rain--this drenching, soaking rain--all but obliterated the patchy snow on the lawn. It only lasted a short time, but it gave me a small taste of spring. I'm not much of a winter person, so this is my first hope that it won't always be cold enough to snow and freeze. Even the sight of green--and MUD--is a good sign. Today is sort of sunny...I think I'll sign off and walk to the mailbox to soak up some Vitamin D. Rain, rain, come again ANY day...

Each New Day

This post has taken some serious reflection and thought over the past several days since one of my sweet friends suggested it: What ten things did I do right in the past month/weeks/days? I finally came up with ten...
1. I continued some wonderful traditions with my grandchildren, such as gingerbread house decorating and Christmas Eve Grammy time. Precious time spent with five precious blessings!
2. I did my Visiting Teaching, making sure my three sister-friends know that I care about them and love them, no matter what.
3. I did some service for families in our ward/neighborhood to help them through the holiday season. Happily, I shared that service with my Ness, so she could feel the blessings, too.
4. I surprised the tenor section at chorus with a small gift before the holiday break...they were genuinely appreciative (I'm the tenor section monitor, also known as "Mom").
5. I wrote a story for my mom and siblings for Christmas, a fable called "Travelers". It was a labor of love to emphasize the positive characteristics we each bring to our family. It was a joy to write and give away with love.
6. I went to the temple with members of my ward and stake. I didn't ever want to leave...
7. I've "gently" helped my family start regular Family Home Evenings--three weeks in a row!
8. I had two basket parties with Scentsy! It was a good month, thanks to those girls & their friends.
9. I treasured every minute of Christmas music I could. I was sad when the radio stations started playing "noise" again.
10. I helped my sister a couple of times when she was down and feeling hopeless & helpless. I only wish I could have done more.
Whew! that was hard! Everything I wrote, I thought, "but I COULD HAVE..." It's hard to acknowledge the positive and give ourselves a pat on the back. Good thing each new day is a new beginning. What shall I do today?

Girls Night

Last night, for a few brief hours, we had SIX (7 if you count me) girls under our roof, laughing and having a good time! My poor Quiet Man was outnumbered, but didn't seem to care all that much. My sweet little A-team were here while their mommy & daddy had a date night (the pic above is actually from Christmas--why don't I wear my camera around my neck during these far-too-frequent moments in my life?) and J had invited two darling friends to spend the night with her. We had a "little girl" dinner of chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese, and then they all played "house" and Wii for a while. I love seeing my J interact with her nieces and her friends. She's animated, happy, and adorable. This morning was waffles and a little Suite Life on TV. It's one of the great blessings of my life to be surrounded by these wonderful girls...

Ah, yes...Almost there

Scripture Power

The other day, I learned a truth that verifies "out of the mouth of babes". My sweet girl humbly admitted that reading the scriptures not only feeds her spirit, but helps her "not to get sick", a fact she learned the hard way a few years ago when she spent the summer feeling punk. We tried vitamins, tummy meds, all the outward remedies...but in the end, she believes it was the nightly scripture power that healed her. I will never look at my own feasting on the Word in the same way, for I, too, am better when my day begins with "and it came to pass..."

In many ways, I envy those who served missions and immersed themselves in daily scripture STUDY. Several years ago, when my soul hungered, I went through a couple of study guides and thoroughly loved the seeking and finding that occurred. I need that again. A friend suggested starting at Page 1 of "Preach of My Gospel" and allowing the spirit to teach through this inspired manual. Wonderful. I'm going to do it, along with those daily Centrum Silver vitamins and the teensy Bayer 81mg aspirins.

P.S. Thanks for the kind words, C...I'll work on that "list" for tomorrow's post.

Just Thinking...

...that I sit at my computer for hours at a time (thanks to my perfect at-home job) and sometimes there are no calls to transcribe...and I really should be using that time to WRITE, since that is my first perfect job/dream/wish. In the last few months, I've got the beginnings to three or four great stories, but no endings...and that's frustrating to a wanna-be writer. Thus, the thought: This may be late in coming--12 days late, in fact--but I'd like to have at least one New Year's Resolution that I can actually keep and see blossom. It may take some rearranging of this "for fun" blog that I only look at once-in-a-blue-moon (and you, too, good reader), but I'm sure my girl(s) can help polish it up and keep it vibrant. There, I'm ready to commit - and try with all my "heart" to spill my kinda boring, kinda old-fashioned, kinda trivial little life into a daily blog. Some of you asked for it, so here goes:
President Thomas S. Monson said, "I have carefully chosen four action-packed objectives for your guidance and eternal joy. They are: Gaze Upward, Look Inward, Reach Outward, and Press Forward. ...Write down your goals and what you plan to do to achieve them. Aim high, for you are capable of eternal blessings." (Ensign, May, 1999) Wow, I should have those objectives tattooed on my forehead! (Where are my sticky notes?) The new year is a time of introspection, and I'll admit mine has been painful. I omit so many good things from my days to satisfy whims and justify laziness. I am half a century old (ugh!) and I feel like such a baby at times. When will I learn? Every year, I resolve to do better, only to fail and fall short. This year--this hopeful 2011--I'm taking eensy-weensy steps. They say two weeks of a daily task can form a habit--I want to prove them right!
This is what I'm working on in January (see, I'm writing it down and making a plan!):
**Daily prayer - How blessed I am to be associated with a group of angelic, spiritual women who pray daily for our neighbor/sisters, and what a blessing it has been to write down their names and speak their names aloud. It is powerful.
**Diligent Family Home Evening - Yes, there are only three of us, but I can't express the SPIRIT we've felt the past two Monday nights as we've opened the scriptures, read inspiring stories, and discussed elements of the Gospel. Wow. (and to think my lazy self wasted precious weeks and months on Monday Night Football...)
**Monthly (at least) temple worship - I live 10 minutes away. What is my excuse? I have time. I have a car. I resolve that every 3rd Thursday morning will see me in the temple. Come join me...
Okay, I can do this. I will do this. Conquer one dragon, move on to the next. I'm definitely a "work in progress"...
Talk to you tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Nessa-Bess!

Another birthday yesterday for my growing-up girl! She wanted to go book shopping again...so we splurged! I'm so happy that she likes to read, even if her tastes are more for vampires, mermaids, and fairies right now. Happy Birthday, JEB! I love you to the moon and back!