Sassy water

Do you ever want to drink something besides water? Do you want to try something that doesn't have any calories and is still flavorful? Well, try making some sassy water! It's refreshing and easy to make and it lasts for 2-3 days.

Here is the recipe:

2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root ( I don’t always have this, so I skip it. You can find ginger root at a health food store.)

1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

12 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill in the fridge and let flavors blend overnight.

I refill the container and use the flavoring for 2-3 days.

Enjoy! From the Flat Belly Diet Book.

The amazing Japanese

I know we've all watched in horror as the tragedy that is going on in Japan unfolds. First a deadly earthquake, followed shortly by an absolutely powerful and terrifying tsunami, followed by the disaster of the nuclear power plants. How can one country take so much? I've watch several videos on CNN and other news outlets of the damage and the reaction of the people.
I'll say this much - I totally admire the spirit and resiliency of the Japanese people. For the most part, they don't tend to freak out. They don't scream and cry. They don't protest and beg for help. They don't just sit there and wait for someone to save them. They stay calm and they go about getting their lives back in order as much as they can. They help each other. They watch out for the aged, the children and those with disabilities. They get to work. There isn't a bunch of looting. People wait in line with patience for food and water. They are well behaved, organized, intelligent people who try to take care of themselves.
I'm in awe of this and I admire the Japanese people. A lot.
I have a dear friend who is Japanese and I've observed these same qualities in her. She is strong. She is kind and she goes about quietly doing good. She doesn't get emotional about things and she takes what is dealt to her with courage. I love having her as a friend. She teaches me so much. She has been very saddened by this disaster and even though her family has been in the US for a couple of generations, she is very concerned for the people of her heritage.

I found this interesting explanation of the Japanese people:

"Two phrases offer some insight into the Japanese psyche.
One is "shikata ga nai," which roughly translates as "it can't be helped," and is a common reaction to situations beyond one's control. The other is "gaman," considered a virtue. It means to be patient and persevere in the face of suffering.
Theories abound as to what makes the Japanese so resilient and willing to cooperate. Some cite the centuries-old need to work together to grow rice on a crowded archipelago prone to natural disasters. Others point to the hierarchical nature of human relations and a keen fear of shaming oneself before others.
"It strikes me as a Buddhist attitude," Glenda Roberts, an anthropology professor at Tokyo's Waseda University, said. "Westerners might tend to see it as passivity, but it's not that. It takes a lot of strength to stay calm in the face of terror."

I think it's time for a donation to the LDS Humanitarian aid fund.

An epiphany

Two things happened in the last several days that really got me thinking.
First, I attended a lecture given by my boss at the annual Hickman lecture on campus. He got this great write up in the D News. Check it out for more info. Here are the main points of his lecture based on solid research:

Sacred living strategies shield families, strengthen marriages and build a shield that will temper many of the storms raging against families today.

Sacred living checklist:

FORGIVENESS:
When my partner hurts my feelings can I forgive him/her easily?
Can I move forward after conflicts or do I pout for days?
If my partner upsets me, can I absorb the hurt and find
ways of letting go?

SACRIFICE:
Do I sacrifice my time, energy and even money for others?
Do I put others' interests before my own?

COMMITMENT:
Do I act like this is the person I want to be with more than anyone else?
Do I avoid comparing my partner to other people and just for a moment
thinking that someone else would be better for me?

KINDNESS:
Do I stand up for my spouse?
Am I sensitive to his/her needs?

RELATIONAL AGGRESSION:
Do I avoid sharing private information about my spouse behind his/her
back?
When I'm upset, do I refuse to gossip about my spouse?
After a confrontation or conflict, do I stonewall and ignore my spouse
or do I find a way to express my feelings?

This topic was on my mind over the weekend. It made sense to me that simply going through the motions of living a religious, Christ centered (Christian) life has little meaning if we don't incorporate the teaching of Christ into our lives. We can't just attend church and go through the religious rituals and expect to be more Christ-like. We have to walk the walk and incorporate those principles into our lives every day.

Second. In Sunday School yesterday we had a lesson on the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes and this is where the epiphany struck me. What matters most in life is how we treat people. Period. We can go through the motions of religion, we can attend church and do all that is required of us, but until we treat people with kindness, forgiveness, patience and love, we aren't really reaching our full potential and being true followers of Christ. How we act in our homes, at our work, in our communities and in our relationships with other people is simply a time to practice the Beatitudes taught by Christ. He is the only human who mastered them. It's our challenge to truly follow His example. It can be life changing as we strive to do just that. I've known this truth before, but it was reinforced again over the weekend. Our family life will go better, our marriages will be stronger, our friendships and extended family relationships will be stronger and we'll be better people all around if we truly give ourselves over to following the example of Christ.

3-11-11

Progress report to keep me motivated.
11 in 11
1. visit 11 temples this year and do the the temple work for at least 22 of our departed ancestors

• 1. Provo temple-10 sealings for couples and sons

• 2. Provo temple - 5 initiatory
• 3. Albuquerque temple - 5 initiatory
• 4. Mesa temple - 1 endowment
  

2. lose 11 pounds

• no comment
  

3. read 11 books

• 1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

• 2. Heidi (a childhood favorite - loved reading it again)
• 3. Same Kind of Different as Me
  

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books

• nothing yet

5. visit 11 elderly people

• 1. G.G. 2. G.D.E.
  

6. sew 11 items and give them away

• 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 blanket for Skippy, 1 skirt of Lauren, 1 skirt for Ellie, 1 skirt for Ada

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places

• 1. drove around Utah Lake for the first time

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to

• 1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S.
  

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile

• 1. Dances with Wolves

• 2. First Knight

• 3. Mama Mia

• 4. Groundhog Day

10. make 11 new recipes

• 1. Lentil soup (won't be making this again - it wasn't a hit with the husband)

• 2. Zita Primavera

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner

• 1. Lacey M. and friends, Pat & Vern
• 2. Valentine dinner with the Mark & Colleen, Trent & Kelley
• 3. Cleofon group of women for luncheon

Birthdays of long ago

Back in the 60s, celebrating a birthday wasn't a huge deal. There just wasn't a lot of fuss. Mom would make a cake for us of our choosing (which was always a homemade white cake -no cake mixes- for me with white frosting & vanilla ice cream) and she would usually cook our favorite dinner as well. We would get a new outfit or some other small gift from our parents and maybe a few small gifts from siblings and/or friends. Everyone would sing happy birthday and we would move on. I think I was probably 14 or 15 in this photo. Why do I know? Because I got contact lens near the time of my 16th birthday and the glasses were no more. Now about that Twiggy haircut...
I remember this birthday so well. I woke up and saw a dress that my Mom had made me hanging on the door of my bedroom. I was so excited to wear this green beauty complete with bell sleeves and gro-grain trim, with lace around the neck and around the bottom of the sleeves. So stylish and cute! I also got the lovely pen necklace you see feature in the photo from my friend Carla. The blue cat eye glasses and the white headband complement the outfit so well. All together it makes for a smashing statement. Now about those teeth...
I was the happiest girl in the world on my 6th birthday. Mom let me have a birthday party and invite some friends over. You can see the expression of sheer joy on my face. I was pretty progressive to invite three boys and two girls to my party. Little brother Paul (isn't he cute) is was my left. I remember bossing everyone around and having a great time. My oh my how some things don't change much over the years...love the ringlets!
I got this stylish green suit complete with matching skirt and slacks when I was in 6th grade for my birthday. It was so fashionable and I loved wearing it. I was devastated the day I was chasing some boys around the gravel playground at Lincoln Elementary school and slipped on the concrete-rock-covered-sidewalk and ripped the knees about of the slacks. We weren't allowed to wear slacks to school very often and it was a real special occasion when we were allowed to wear them. And then I had to go and ruin my favorite pair of slacks. I was heart broken that my fashionable green three piece suit was ruined. We finally had to cut the slacks off to shorts, but it didn't look good to wear shorts with a jacket. Don't you just love the haircut with the side curls? I faithfully taped those curls every night with Scotch tape to achieve the look. Fashion can be exhausting sometimes.

Last week I celebrated by 56 birthday. I can't believe that I'm this old. My Mom was 56 1/2 when she lost our dad. I thought it seemed pretty "advanced in years" back then, but now I have a completely different perspective. Becoming a widow at 56 is very young. At this age, "things" start changing fast. Life becomes more precious and more tenuous. Kids grow up and move on. Relationships with friends and family become more meaningful. We have time to do some stuff we haven't had time to do for years. I think I'm going to like this next chapter of my life.
And guess what? My dear husband gave me this for my birthday. It beats the blue pen necklace all to heck.