Gifts that keep on giving

This year for Christmas we received some generous and thoughtful gifts from our children. The thing I like most about them, is that we are still enjoying them and will continue to enjoy them for some time to come.

Dave and Courtney gave me some wonderful bathroom products. I've enjoyed the bubble bath, fizz aromatherapae balls and lotions from Bath and Body - one of my favorite places. I'll enjoy pampering myself all year long. They gave Rick the new BYU Vault football book. It's a compilation of a bunch of BYU football facts and memorabilia. He loves it and I've enjoyed reading it as well. It sits on our coffee table and is enjoyed by all who visit us. They couldn't have thought of a better gift for him!















Jord and Jake gave us this meaningful word collage wall hanging. They asked each person in our family to submit some words that they thought exemplified each of us. Jord knew a woman in her area who makes these tribute posters for income. The designer took each of the words submitted by our kids and their spouses and then she decided the font size, color and placement of each phrase or word to make the word collage . It was very humbling to see which words our children chose to describe each of us. I hope we live up to the words they attributed to us! It was very sweet of all of them and a gift we will enjoy for years to come. (I covered up Rick's occupation with the blue post -it note since he didn't want that shown here.)


Claire and Rich gave us this digital photo frame. We love it! It sits on our piano and we love to turn it on and watch some of our favorite family moments once again. Claire loaded 100s of pictures on it and some video chips. We love to see all those family faces smiling out at us when we pass by. When we start missing our family too much, we can turn this on and great memories come flooding back. Cherished family memories are preserved and shown in such a fabulous new techno way!
Thanks again to one and all. We send our love.

Size 12

I just want to be a size 12. Always and forever. For years I was a much smaller size. Been there, done that. Smaller is OK, but in my advancing years - size 12 works better for me. Obviously I'm a bit larger than that (not much) but I don't like it. I feel thick. I just want to be a size 12 again. All my clothes are a size 12. I refuse to buy new BIGGER clothes. I'm not influenced by the media or the beautiful people (although I do admit to being motivated by my sisters sizes, because they are less than size 12, one and all) I'm influenced by my closet. I DO NOT want new clothes.


Having said that, here are some truths I have found over the last couple of years:

~If you don't move, you gain. If you sit, you gain. If you eat, you gain.

~I hate exercising, but it is necessary evil.

~Exercising goes down much better with a friend.

~You have to starve yourself to lose weight after age 50. Seriously, it does not come off otherwise.

~You can never eat sweets again. Never. OK, maybe on your birthday you can have a small piece of angel food cake with non-fat Cool Whip, but that's it.
~You will never bake again. Heck, you don't hardly cook anymore either. It doesn't take much skill to throw a frozen chicken breast on the George Foreman and steam up some asparagus spears.
~Fruit in moderation. All the fructose just turns to SUGAR anyway.
~Carbs (the bad little devils) are the enemy -especially those white ones. They're like the plague...the whiter the bread, the sooner you're dead. White rice - that's a no, no. Rolls, doughnuts, cookies - eat em and you're weak, you poor sorry person. Get some gumption!
~packaged anything - completely out of the question
~Fast food - another "fast" route to big bottom, big thighs, big stomach,
~Multi grains - good in moderation, but no jam or honey on your wheat toast. Watch the spread you put on the toast as well. Always vigilant!
~Milk - only skim of course (Claire always thought it was called SKIN milk and she refused to drink it. Consequently, we only had the good stuff around when she was growing up.)
~You can only eat lean meat and vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables. Watch the dip on the fresh veggies, that will get you every time.
~You can never eat as much as you want to ever again. Never. You must eat small, child size portions for the rest of your days.
~You will pass up good stuff day after day and have very minimal results on the scale or with the measuring tape. And when you do lose some - why is it that you will lose in all the wrong places...you know -- the places where you would LIKE to keep some inches.
~Your weight redistributes. You know those women with large stomachs? They let those pounds accumulate and take up residency around the middle and they refuse to be evicted. Ain't leaving, no how, no way.
~You must change the fats you eat. Out with the bad fats, in with the good fats. How does your body know the difference? You have to be a scientist to tell the difference.
~Drink only water. Don't drink your calories. Water, water, water. I feel like Noah. Would someone please send the dove back with the olive branch? Enough already.
~Take the stairs. Walk, walk, walk. 10,000 steps a day. Just keep walking. Sing a song, hum a tune. Try and get your mind off the tedium of walking, walking, walking. Those pioneer children have got nothing over me.
~For 48 years I couldn't understand what people were complaining about. It couldn't be THAT hard to lose a few pounds. I enjoyed eating that crow with some tasty salsa on the side.
And all of this for WHAT I ask you? Just to be a size 12!
Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel and make Lane Bryant my new best friend. Sad, but true.

Bathroom cleaning

I must be living in the dark ages. I've been using Comet to clean my sinks and tub for years. We've been using an old fashioned toilet bowl cleaner with a toilet bowl brush and some less than effective tub and shower cleaner. I recently found two new items I love for cleaning the bathroom! Granted, Rick mostly cleans the bathrooms, but I decided to give him a break and I took a turn last week. These new products are great! Comet is good for the kitchen sink, but I'm moving on to these other products for the bathroom! The toilet wand will clean THREE toilets before it loses steam, and then you just toss it on the garbage can. No sick, wet toilet brush sitting around. Brilliant! The scrubbing bubbles action scrubber is great for the shower and tub and it too is disposable after use. There goes the germs, there goes the mess. Who knew?

Happy 200th birthday Mr. President

I thought these photos were so interesting, and I wanted to give a belated shout out to Abraham Lincoln on his 200th birthday! It's been wonderful to read more about his life in the last few weeks and to celebrate his amazing accomplishments as the greatest President this country has even known. Ever since my dad worked for the Lincoln National Life Insurance company, I've had a keen interest in Abe. My dad had some keepsake Lincoln items that I loved to look at. He had some plaster casts of Lincoln's hands that I remember well (where did those end up anyway??) They were huge hands that accomplished much good in his life. Happy 200th Birthday Mr. Lincoln!!

Here is some Lincoln trivia I found interesting:

• When Lincoln was inaugurated, there were five living ex-presidents: Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan.
• Lincoln was the first president to have a beard, is the only one to have had a beard and no mustache.
• Lincoln was the first member of the Republican Party to be elected president. However, he was re-elected on the National Union ticket. Following Lincoln, Republicans were the dominant party from 1869 to 1885.
• Lincoln taught himself law and was admitted to the bar in 1837, when he moved to Springfield, Ill. During his 23-year law career, he was involved in more than 5,000 cases in Illinois. He and his partner appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court more than 400 times.
• Lincoln made good money as a lawyer before becoming president. By 1858, he was earning about $5,000 a year. In terms of dollars his biggest case dealt with ownership of land at the mouth of the Chicago River. Sued for more than $600,000, the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad hired Lincoln. The case eventually went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but his clients ended up paying only half the original amount.
• When moving to Washington, the Lincolns decided it would be too expensive to move their belongings, so they held one of the first "garage sales" of their day. A bill of sale in Lincoln's handwriting shows that a druggist named S.H. Melvin paid $82.25 for "6 chairs, 1 spring mattress, 1 wardrobe, 1 whatnot, 1 stand, 91?2 yards of stair carpet and 4 comforters."
• When Lincoln was shot, the only money in his pocket was a $5 Confederate note.
• Lincoln's assassination stunned the nation. As the first president to lie in state, his body was viewed by tens of thousands of mourners.
• At 6 foot 4 inches, Lincoln was our tallest president.
• When it came to his likeness, Lincoln preferred photographs to paintings. That may have been in part due to the fact there was an exceptional photographer named Matthew Brady in Washington at the time. In fact, Lincoln credited an early photograph taken by Brady for helping him get elected. In those photographs, Lincoln never smiled — so no one knows what his teeth looked like.
• Among other things, Lincoln has had an automobile, a ballistic missile submarine, an aircraft carrier and an American faction of the International Brigades (during the Spanish Civil War) named after him.

Here's a fun quiz to take to test your knowledge of our 16th President.

Lauren's birthday tribute

Since I was actually visiting Lauren when she celebrated her 3rd birthday, I didn't write up a birthday tribute for her. I wanted to include that on my blog so she will remember how much I love her. She is very bright, sweet, independent, kind to her sister, a quick learner, funny, silly, a good dancer, a great reader, a big mommy's helper, daddies little angel girl, friendly to her little playmates, "a little shy" sometimes, she has beautiful big blue eyes, almost white blonde hair, a darling smile, an inquisitive mind, she is obedient, helpful, loves to say prayers and always says very good prayers. She loves to watch Dora shows, play with princesses, play "mommy," swing, go swimming , go to the park and play and do a craft for fun. She always remembers to bless Uncle Andy in Mun-go-l-i-a. I look forward to many more
years being Grandma to little Lauren. Grandma and Grandpa love you sweet girl!

Lauren & Ellie videos

Stand tall

Check out this interview recording with an LDS student at Harvard named Rachel Esplin. It takes about 20 minutes to hear the entire interview, but it is well worth the time it takes to listen to it.

This young woman (who is a student at Harvard) spoke at a religious symposium and represented the LDS church. I think she is only 20 years old, but she is amazing. She is very poised and articulate as she explains what we believe and the principles of the Gospel as we understand them to the audience. President Hinckley has always asked us to practice tolerance with other people's beliefs. I hope other people were tolerant of her beliefs as well. She does a beautiful job explaining what we believe and in answering the questions that were put to her. She is a credit to my religion and she capably explains my own religions beliefs.

Facebook

I did it. I succumbed. I joined Facebook this week. I've received invitations to join, but never really though it would be for me. Then came this week's issue of Time magazine. See this article. It gave 10 reasons why Facebook is for Old Fogies like me. I bought the hype. Here is a partial list of reasons to join Facebook from the article:
1. Facebook is about finding people you've lost track of - I've already connected with several in one week.
2. We're no longer bitter about high school. - I wasn't bitter, but it's good to see that people do move on.
3. We're lazy. It's very easy to operate.
4. We're old enough that pictures from grade school or summer camp look nothing like us.
5. We have children. There is very little that old people enjoy more than forcing others to pay attention to pictures of their children. Facebook is the most efficient engine ever devised for this.
6. We're too old to remember e-mail addresses.
7. We're not cool, and we don't care.

There was a time when it was cool to be on Facebook. That time has passed. Facebook now has 150 million members, and its fastest-growing demographic is 30 and up. At this point, it's way cooler not to be on Facebook. We've ruined it for good, just like we ruined Twilight and skateboarding. So git! And while you're at it, you damn kids better get off our lawn too.

Let me know if you want to be my friend!

Romeo & Juliet

Last night we saw R&J at Pioneer Theatre. I would give it a B grade. As you may know, this is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and I'm rather picky about the players. Juliet was quite shrill and over dramatic and the Nurse was completely overcooked (even though she plays a comic character.) Romeo did a fine job. I give all the actors praise though because they memorized and delivered three HOURS of continuous dialogue in Shakespeare without a hitch- no small task. The set was amazing and the costumes authentic.

I liked these notes from the director: One need search no further than daily news headlines to find palpable evidence that Shakespeare's story lives on. Long-standing feuds whose root causes pre-date memory continue to sever families, countries, cultures, classes, races; bloodshed erupts, young people die, lessons are sometimes learned. It is, in part, because we do not embrace these lessons that we are compelled to re-tell this story, it is also because Romeo and Juliet is a ravishing feast for the ears and for the eyes, that its symmetrical structure gives us a perfect balance of comedy and tragedy, and that the traffic on the stage is peopled with some of the most memorable and compelling characters Shakespeare created.

the enticements of Satan

Recently, three families I'm aware of have fallen into ruin because of the enticements of Satan. It makes me feel so sad for those involved. All for different reasons, all the same result. Broken families, broken promises, broken trust and broken hearts. So much pain.

On my way to work today I was listening to the general conference tapes from October conference. This talk stuck me so powerfully I got tears in my eyes while driving. If you don't read anything else all week, please read this talk. It has application for everyone, even though it was given in the priesthood session. I'd never heard it before. It is powerful. It would make a great FHE lesson and discussion.
It is entitled - Winning the War Against Evil by Elder James J. Hamula. Here are some excerpts:

With God’s kingdom restored to the earth and your entry into the world, Satan knows that “he hath but a short time.”14 Therefore, Satan is marshaling every resource at his disposal to entice you into transgression. He knows that if he can draw you into transgression, he may prevent you from serving a full-time mission, marrying in the temple, and securing your future children in the faith, all of which weakens not only you but the Church. He knows that nothing can overthrow God’s kingdom “save it [be] the transgression of [his] people.”15 Make no mistake about it—the focus of his war is now on you—you who seek to “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”16
Now, my young friends, you need to appreciate that our days now and the days that lie ahead are “perilous.”17 In this regard, President Boyd K. Packer has observed:
“I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in the history of the world to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds in wickedness and depravity that which surrounds us now.”18
In referring to the perils of our day, I do not intend to inspire fear, but soberness. Being sober means being earnest and serious in assessing your circumstances, and careful and circumspect in weighing the consequences of your actions. Soberness therefore yields good judgment, as well as measured conduct. No wonder then that prophets counsel young men to be sober.19 Remember Mormon’s observation that what made Helaman’s 2,000 stripling warriors so effective in battle was not just their courage, strength, and trustworthiness, but their “soberness.”20 Mormon valued such a trait because he was blessed to possess it himself. It was Mormon who was entrusted with the sacred records of the Nephite nation at only 10 years of age because he was a “sober child” and “quick to observe.”21 And it was Mormon who, at age 15, was “visited of the Lord” and “knew of the goodness of Jesus” because he was of a “sober mind.”22
So, as we enter the final climactic stages of the war against Satan, be sober, my young friends. Understand that you cannot partake of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. You cannot participate in pornography or other immoral activity. You cannot lie, cheat, or steal. You cannot use false, demeaning, or dirty language. You cannot deface your body with tattoos and other piercings. You cannot do these things and be victorious in the battle for your own soul, let alone be a valiant warrior in the great struggle for the souls of all the rest of our Father’s children.23
Understand, my young friends, that there is only one way to win the war against Satan, and that is to win it in the same way it was won in the beginning. When victory was finally achieved in the War in Heaven, a loud voice was heard to declare:
“Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. . . .
“For they [referring to Michael and his angels] have overcome him [referring to the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death.”24 Do not miss the significance of this declaration. Satan was overcome in the beginning by (1) faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice, (2) testimony of Him that was steadfastly kept to the very end, and (3) consecration of oneself to the Lord and His work. If this was the means for defeating him in the beginning, you can be sure that this is the one sure way to defeat him now.25

Happy Valentines Day too!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Click on each photo to enlarge it for better viewing!

Week in the land of the sun

I got back Saturday night from a wonderful week visiting family. I loved the week! The weather was nice (a little cooler than normal) but compared to Utah, it was a welcome change. Rick had a conference to attend, so while he was away, I went away as well. He is a genius who thought of the idea of having me go to visit while he was gone and helped make it happen. Here is a little sampling of what we did:
~Arrived Sunday night late, played with the girls and helped put them to bed.
~Monday - played all day with the girls (which involved playing "Mother" princesses, putting puzzles together, reading, singing, hiding, playing chase, swinging, etc.) , sewed some capes for the birthday party, went shopping for some valentine surprises, Jord made a wonderful dinner (salmon on the new grill cooked by Jake) and invited Mom and David and our family in the area for dinner. Paul was able to make it and we had a nice evening eating great food, chatting and playing Yahtzee. Favorite quote of the evening was when Paul gave Lauren a darling little paper doll (actually felt clothes on a wooden doll) for a gift. We asked her to say thank you, and all she could say was "I'm a little shy." So darling! I drove Jord's car back to Mom's home and stayed overnight with her and David. I read my book The Glass Castle into the evening- amazing book...
~Tuesday - HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY LITTLE LAUREN - visited with Mom and David, played some games, ate breakfast. Ran errands and went shopping with mom. Showed her the great 70% off cashmere sweaters at Dillard's - she bought one. I was already wearing mine from an earlier purchase made in Utah. Lunch at the place my sister Ann recommended called Poppy's. We had a great salad and sandwich and valentine cookie. Drove back to Jordan's home and helped her get ready for Lauren's 3rd birthday party. Lauren opened her gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and she was happy! Helped put the girls to bed again. Loved it! Finished sewing the capes.
~Wednesday - Lauren's party got in full swing about 10:30. Balloons, crepe paper, little kids running all around - tutus for the 7 girls, capes for the 4 boys. One little boy wanted a tutu instead of a cape. It's all good! Jord hired a dance teacher to come over and teach the little kids some moves. It was so darling. Seriously, is there anything cuter than a room full of three year olds in tutus (and capes)? Lunch was served. Pink birthday cake was loved by all, especially the birthday girl who literally licked the cake platter. Afterward - nap time for all. Picked delicious grapefruit off Jord's LOADED grapefruit tree and tried to force it off on the party guests. Mostly successful. Afternoon visit from my sister Ann. She came over and brought two fun crafts for us to do. We had a great visit and produced some good Valentine decorations. Watched some American Idol and Malcolm in the Middle. Jake grilled us steaks on the new grill for dinner. Yum!
~Thursday - While Jord went to her book group, I went to story time at the library with the girls. Three girls (one of the daughters of Jord's friend) in a two child stroller. They didn't like "touching. " Pushed it back to Jord's home (maybe 1/3 of a mile) holding Ellie in one arm while pushing the stroller with two girls in it with my one free hand. Nap time for all! Baked in the afternoon - wheat bread with the new wheat grinder, oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookies, put together Ann's oatmeal pancake mix. Played with the girls, bathed them and put them to bed while Jord and Jake had a little get away. Finished reading the Glass Castle and left it for Mom to read. Such an interesting book!
~Friday - Had the oatmeal pancakes with the buttermilk syrup for breakfast. Got ready to visit Mom again. Met at Rosa's for lunch with Trace and Ann and Mom. Delicious chips and salsa and food enjoyed by all. Great visiting. Watched the girls at Mom's home while Jord got her hair cut and went to the temple. Walked with David while Lauren rode her tricycle and pushed Ellie in the stroller. Chatted with Mom. Visited by DeNae, followed by a visit from cousin Susan and her husband Chris who had come to town to see Ann and Trace. Jake left town headed for Utah with his priest's quorum on a snowboarding adventure. We girls had a pizza party and movie night.
~Saturday - watched the girls while Jord went to the grocery store. Sewed a dust ruffle for Lauren's bed. Went to lunch at Flo's- a great Thai restaurant- but we got shut out because of a large crowd and had to go to a soup and salad place. Reminded me of Zupas. Went to Lauren's ballet class at the community center. So incredibly darling. Watched her dance for 45 minutes. She takes her dance class very seriously and does just what the teacher asks. Left from there to head to the airport. Filled Mom's mostly empty suitcase with about 50 pounds of grapefruit from Jord's tree. It was over weight! Had to move 5-6 random grapefruit to my carry on bag. I just hoped I wouldn't drop it and send grapefruit flying through the security section. Seriously, those Ruby Red pink grapefruit on Jord and Jake's tree are the BEST. Said goodbye to Jord and the girls. Left with Lauren blowing me kisses and Ellie saying Bye Bye. Made my heart skip a beat. How I love those little girls!!! Jordan and Jake are such wonderful parents. I don't even know how to put into words how proud I am of them. They are doing an incredible job raising our grandchildren. Started my second book Eat, Pray, Love on the flight.
I was met at the airport by my Valentine who hefted the grapefruit laden suitcases for me. He had me close my eyes and he took me to one of my favorite restaurants in SLC called Trio. It was a great meal and a wonderful evening with my best friend! I'm happy to be back home with him. It was a fabulous weekend in the land of the sun. I tip my cup of Ruby Red grapefruit juice to Jord and Jake. Thanks for having me down!

A return to virtue

This topic has been on my mind since last October when Elaine Dalton gave this talk in general conference. Because of her message, I've been more aware of the influences that surround us. I went to the screening on the influences of the media (see previous post) because of this talk. I wanted to learn more and be more aware of what is happening. Here is an excerpt from her talk - a return to virtue:

Elaine S. Dalton, “A Return to Virtue,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 78–80

Could it be that we have been slowly desensitized into thinking that high moral standards are old-fashioned and not relevant or important in today’s society? As Elder Hales has just reminded us, Lehonti in the Book of Mormon was well positioned on the top of a mountain. He and those he led were “fixed in their minds with a determined resolution” that they would not come down from the mount. It only took the deceitful Amalickiah four tries, each one more bold than the previous, to get Lehonti to “come down off from the mount.”8 And then having embraced Amalickiah’s false promises, Lehonti was “poison[ed] by degrees”9 until he died. Not just poisoned, but “by degrees.” Could it be that this may be happening today? Could it be that first we tolerate, then accept, and eventually embrace the vice that surrounds us?10 Could it be that we have been deceived by false role models and persuasive media messages that cause us to forget our divine identity? Are we too being poisoned by degrees? What could be more deceptive than to entice the youth of this noble generation to do nothing or to be busy ever-texting but never coming to a knowledge of the truths contained in a book that was written for you and your day by prophets of God—the Book of Mormon? What could be more deceptive than to entice women, young and old, you and me, to be so involved in ourselves, our looks, our clothes, our body shape and size that we lose sight of our divine identity and our ability to change the world through our virtuous influence? What could be more deceptive than to entice men—young and old, holding the holy priesthood of God—to view seductive pornography and thus focus on flesh instead of faith, to be consumers of vice rather than guardians of virtue? The Book of Mormon relates the story of 2,000 young heroes whose virtue and purity gave them the strength to defend their parents’ covenants and their family’s faith. Their virtue and commitment to be “true at all times” changed the world!11