I MISS you!

One of the things I DID lose with my old computer was my list of favorites, which means I've lost all of your blog addresses! If you are a friend or a reader (which is just a different kind of friend) and you don't mind me reading your blog, could you please just email me your site (mdwillpoet@msn.com) OR just comment here and it should link me to you. I get tired of hearing my own thoughts and love to hear about what YOU are doing, thinking and of course, eating. So, please respond!

Parker, The Science Guy

Last week when I posted about going to the State Science Fair at BYU, I couldn't find the pictures I had taken (on my computer. Go figure. I'm still in the learning curve.) But I wanted to post Parker and part of his project (the incredible catapults aren't shown) I was totally impressed since no one in our family has EVER made it to State with a science project. Love this boy!


(I can't remember if I told you that one of the uses of early catapults was to fling dead or diseased bodies over to the enemies camp. Really? Man's inhumanity to man is amazing...)

There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact. ~Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883

Jumping the Gun

Last Thursday Valene and Funny Kathy and I went to play. We had lunch at a restaurant that Valene's sister, Janet (Voila!) told us about. It is downtown Salt Lake and fabulous! We're dreaming of going there again. Soon. Today. (I wish!) All the meals are $11 and come with dessert. The menu is eclectic and funky and our food delicious! (And just to note, I've edited this following picture about a dozen times to take Valene's arm out...and the edit just won't save. Grrrr.)

We also hit Quality Wholesalers to get our geraniums for the year. You want to go now, when the plants are gigantic. One plant fills a whole hanger planter.

Good thing I took David's truck. I was a scaredy cat but Valene and Kathy kept encouraging me when I started hyperventilating. (Remember I crashed it last time I drove it....)

Unfortunately the day after we got plants, it snowed. Not this snowstorm (this snowstorm is this morning...) but one of the biggest snowstorms of the year. Welcome to March in Utah!

But, never fear, the plants are tucked safely away in my greenhouse. At least I can DREAM of spring.....

Kiddo Day

Mondays I usually have two of the kiddos. I had promised Hallee Babe forever that we would go to Build a Bear to get a new pinkie bear since the last one we built was absolutely dead (disgusting.) She was finally ready to let go....and this time chose "Floppy" the bunny (the name is still under consideration but she kept exclaiming on the way home, "She is so darling- I LOOOOVE her so much!") Addi has more stuff animals than she knows what to do with so she was content with a ZhuZhu pet. We had lunch and were thrilled to learn the Easter Bunny was in-house! I reminded the girls of my favorite story. When I took Tanner to the Easter Bunny (age 5) and he acted all pouty. When I asked him why, he replied he knew it wasn't the "real" Easter Bunny....he could see he was wearing a mask. He said, "I think it was Santa Claus dressed up like the Easter Bunny just trying to trick me!" I think that story is so funny. My 4 and 6 year old didn't get it. They didn't even laugh.

Sometimes the kiddos just tolerate me.

Like Sunday, poor Joshua mentioned he really like mythology. I immediately shared with him the story of the god Cronus, who worried that his children would grow up to dethrone or kill him. I was going on and on....and even when I saw Joshua's eyes glaze over, I didn't stop. Oh no, I had to keep going how each time Rhea would have a child, Cronus would swallow them up. That kind of got his attention but then he went back to glaze. So I continued. Finally, Rhea, aching for a child, had a baby and hurried and substituted a stone for the baby and wrapped it up in the baby's blanket. Cronus swallowed the blanketed stone and Rhea spirited the baby away to safety on an island. Of course the baby, Zeus, grew up and eventually was the ruin of his father.

As if that wasn't enough, then I had to drag out an old poem of mine that I wrote, inspired by that story.

BREAKFAST ISN’T FOR SISSIES

Sally skimmed headlines while stirring lumpy batter.
Shooting By Student. Car Jacking Kills Bystander.
She pulled the plastic seal on the orange juice,
squeezed the concentrate into the blender.
Teenager Sues Parents Over Car Rights.
Music from the radio do-si-doed around the kitchen
until a newsflash told of another tornado.
A baby had been whipped from his mother’s arms,
had yet to be found in the rubble.

By the time the bacon was sizzling, (Gang Fight At Local Mall),
Sally was in a heap on the table.
That’s when the children came in for breakfast,
sleepy-eyed and rosy, AND when Sally decided THEY
would be breakfast.
Quickly, like Cronus, she swallowed her children,
one-two-three, ignoring the huge lump in her throat,
knowing now she would have nothing to fear
except indigestion. She reached for the Tums.

When Frank came into the kitchen with briefcase and overcoat,
he shook his head at her new, lumpy figure,
wiped the tears from her cheeks and said, "What, again?"
Sally just held on to Frank for dear life.
"What else could I do?"
"Only those who never love, never hurt," he reminded her.

Oh, it was hard. Hard to lay your heart out on the alter
each day like a shiny beating apple,
where the children, running out the door to world
could volley it back and forth,
oblivious that any given bite of life
could diminish her core.

Sally sniffled, then blew her nose real hard,
looked up at Frank with swollen eyes
and said, "Okay, you’re right. Can you help me out?"
And Frank gave her a squeeze, the Heimlich really,
and out popped the kids. One. Two. Three.
And the children scrambled to their chairs,
laughed over the pancakes with lopsided Mickey Mouse ears
and Frank gave her a wink and a pat on the rear
before he headed out the door, just as a glass of juice was spilling,
and the day began again.
　

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Josh was truly sorry he had even brought up mythology. David just stood there shaking his head, hoping someone didn't mention hummingbirds or elephants or Beethoven or my other topics of the month. Like I say, sometimes my kiddos have to just tolerate me. Like David. (to be fair, Josh did laugh at the line "Frank gave her a wink and a pat on the rear.") (He's such a boy!)

Constant Growing Amazement Cooks!

After fearing that I had lost all my recipes from my hard-drive and since so many of you email me asking about a certain recipe I've posted.....I've decided to start a cooking blog so you don't have to skim through lots of posts looking for a specific recipe. There is a link on the upper right of my blog- Constant Growing Amazement Cooks! - just click on it and it will take you to the cooking blog. Or the URL is www.constantgrowingamazementcooks.blogspot.com

I will try hard to always have pictures and since I have over 100 recipes on this blog (see label to the right "recipes").....I actually have hundreds on my computer that I eventually hope to get switched over. But it is a long process so I'll try and post a few a week. It will make it easier since the recipes will be listed in categories. Hope you enjoy it. Anyone who would like to contribute, just email me your picture and the recipe and I'll post it. I'd LOVE your favorite recipes.

Posting Error

As you can tell, I've messed up my blog layout but don't have time to fix it until later today. I'm off to a wedding of one of my nephews. I'm doing the dessert table so it means lots of running around. I promise I won't eat a one!

Sadie Jo

We celebrated Sadi's first birthday with a family party at Travis and Tenille's home. The party had a lady bug theme. This is the cake that everyone ate (except me....you know, I'm still trying to lose butters/pounds.) (Sadie's birthday was really the 19th of March.)

Tenille had everything looking cute in black and red and pink. Sadie was in coordinated clothes. I loved the centerpiece with a tall vase chuck full of red and black candies with balloons coming out the top.

But this cake was the prize. The prize for turning one.


First she grabbed the head and stuffed it in her mouth. She reminds me of me...

By this time, although we were cheering, we were also starting to worry if the red food dye would ever come off of (or out of!) our sweet Sadie. And that is Rylee making sure she gets every last bite!

Success!!!



We love you baby Sadie! We think you are adorable any way you look at it!

Rejoicing

So, I have been bawling for weeks thinking that when I lost my computer, I lost my hard drive as well. I have been in mourning and eaten pans of funeral potatoes. When you find something that you thought was lost (especially if that thing was of great value) it makes it even sweeter when you have it once again. What if I had lost this sweet picture of my father-in-law. Next week it will have been two years since we lost him. We still aren't over that missing....

And I thought I had lost all my crazy pictures in my files. How could we forget this one?

Not having this one to remind me of years past would have really hurt.

How quickly things change!

Tomorrow night I am teaching a journaling class in Voila's Ward. I love, love, love to do this.... so although I haven't been journaling, I have been thinking about it. Today I went to get my last crown replaced at the dentist which always reminds me of an object lesson I always use when I teach about journaling. I tell them how much I hate to floss so how happy I was when I heard a commercial that said, "New studies have shown that you don't have to floss your teeth...." I was jumping up and down. Then the commercial continued, "just the ones you want to keep."

Oh.....

Kind of like writing down memories in your journal. You don't have to do it but do you really want to lose them? I'm so happy to have my pictures and poetry and addresses and letters....all that I thought was lost, back again and restored. I'm going to take better care of them. I've become a believer in "backing up." I'm so grateful for this blog since all of it was preserved with blogspot but I really am committed to a hard copy of all I deem precious.

Today I got to spend the day with Brandi. Parker (my oldest grandchild) got to go to BYU where the State Science competition was held. Remember all the headaches when he was doing his project? He was chosen to compete both from his school and district. He did great and I think it was a good experience for him to excel in something besides sports. I loved being with Brandi. We got to have lunch together (where I introduced her to the Avocado Egg Rolls and the Thai Crunch salad at California Pizza Kitchen!) and just talk. And I loved being with Parker as well. We parked by the law school and since we had a few minutes, we walked through and found David's picture with the first graduating class. We laughed because he looked like Tanner....and had a tie on that was about 5 inches wide! It was probably one I made for him. Honestly! I made him several ties! Me! Who hates to sew! What in the heck was I thinking?

So excited because tomorrow I get to spend the day with Valene and funny Kathy. We are heading to our favorite nursery to get our giant geraniums for the year. We're hoping to get a truck load. I've missed being with my friends. We've all been so busy lately. Kathy just got back from a trip to Ecuador (really, do my friends have fabulous, exciting lives or what?) and she said it was the worst of trips and the best of trips. Can't wait for all the details. Can't wait to hear what ridiculous things Kathy did (she never disappoints me!) Which reminds me of the last "Kathy-ism" I didn't report. When I hosted Girl's Night Out a couple of weeks ago, we were talking about Kathy's daughter's upcoming wedding. Kathy was filling us in on all the details and someone said, "Did you go to Tauna for your wedding dress?" Tauna is in our group....was sitting next to Kathy. Kathy turns to Tauna with amazement and exclaimed, "You make wedding dresses?" It was dead silent for a moment and then we all burst out laughing. Hello! Mind you, Tauna has "worked" at a bridal shop for about 1 1/2 years. And this group of friends meets once a month (just for 25 years!) Earth to Kathy. Earth to Kathy!

I love her! And did I mention she had the highest IQ in her school? (laughing!)

And just so you know, Aunt Pat and Cousin Casey spent the weekend (Pat and I had a movie marathon. Leap Year was cute.) While watching movies, Pat and I filled 1700 Easter eggs! Can't WAIT for spring!

I'm Kind of Up and Running

The good news is....

I have a computer.

The bad news is....

I still can't open and utilize my programs until I download a system.

but I'm excited.

Tomorrow I'll be more excited.

Today I'm just tired. Today was a busy day.

I-

• took my MIL to the Dr.'s



• grocery shopped



• picked up one kiddo from her home and one from kindergarten and watched them for the day.



• picked up and set up new computer



• made dinner and delivered to 4 households



• did a million dishes



• cleaned out two boxes of "stuff."



• did the first treasure hunt of the year for kiddos



• washed my car. Didn't get inside cleaned out. Oh well.

Peggy (Jenny the dog's mother-by-default and my BFFfromcollege) called me today to update me on their scuba trip to Fiji. They were in the middle of a cyclone watch almost the entire time. I could laugh when she was telling me because since she was talking to me, I knew she didn't die in the cyclone...but wow! What the adventure.

My life seems a little mild compared to hers ....

just cooking and cleaning. No boarding up tiki hut windows while the ocean rages. No threat of death by flying coconuts.

You know what they say....what doesn't kill you makes a good story!

Still Unplugged

This week has been a roller coaster of frustration with trying to get a new computer. I won't go into details (and I have enough options) but you don't want to hear my whine. But I'll be up and running by next Tuesday...




David and my MIL went to St. George for 4 days. It was the State Bar Convention (is) and I was planning on going but then I realized he was taking his horses. So the Bar convention was the excuse (he did need accreditation hours) but that he was also roping with his brother. Which meant I was stuck without transportation and girlie friends to play with. So I said no thanks and called Aunt Pat (not my aunt) to see if she'd like to come for the weekend. And we're in the middle of a movie marathon. Last night we went to see Remember Me (TOTALLY NOT recommend it) then we came home and watched Love Actually while we filled Easter Eggs.

Can you believe that this is the first time I've mentioned Easter Eggs? And it is the middle of March? Usually by this time I have almost a 1,000 eggs filled! But this year? Not one. Well, until last night. We filled about 300 but plan to do that many more today. I have decided that instead of doing the egg hunt the day before Easter, which changes each year...and fighting the weather, I'm going to call it the Spring Celebration each year, doing it the first Saturday in May. So this week it will be on May 1st which is the perfect May Day experience! I realize I will be competing with the kid's sports but a decision had to be made. So, those of you that come, I'll be sending the details next week....when I have my new computer!

I'm off. We're going to Leap Year now. Today truly is the first day of spring (on the calendar) which makes me want to do a cartwheel. Well, although I used to be amazing at cartwheels (like kiddo Hallee Babe is)....this spring I will pass. The words "pulled something-or-other" come to mind. I'm not a spring chick. I don't have spring in my sprint. My legs are stumps, not springs. I get motion sickness. I'm just gonna fill Easter Eggs and call it good.

But happy? Yes!

Happily

It is actually looking a little like spring outside. I just put some seeds and nuts out for my birds and they are happily singing. Especially after the tons of snow that we received this past week (also happily since our State depends on skiing for tourism plus we are a desert climate and depend on water to not look like a raisins.)



So, I have many "happily" things to report:



1- our water softener (that we turned off due to problems for a couple of years now) is finally up and working, not up and spraying. And skin problems that I added up to being closer to 100 than one...have actually refined to looking more than 50 than 100! (I'm laughing...the whole aging thing is startling to say the least!)



2-I love how my reupholstered furniture turned out. And I love our new leather chair (that reclines and rocks.) And I love that my favorite son-in-law has consented to come fix the holes in the wall (two holes...two different kiddos) that have been chunked in the walls due to over -zealous rocking!





3-and although the bad news is that my motor (power?) went out on my computer ruining the mother board (which I keep referring to as the "mother lode")....I believe my hard drive is OKAY!!!! Really, I was trying to be so mature (very difficult for me...) and not be a bawl baby about losing all my pictures/poetry/recipes/addresses (not to mention my obituary I update every Jan. 1st)...but that which I thought lost is hopefully saved! Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions and thoughts and tears on my behalf. I have gained 4 pounds eating funeral potatoes this week! (And yes, Sherrie, we used to call them "Company potatoes" or "Delicious potatoes" but here they call them "funeral potatoes" and everyone knows what they are.....)

4- and fun things are happening but I can't write about them now SINCE my husband's laptop...you know...makes me NUTS.....(are my fingers too chubby? I can actually wear my wedding rings for the first time in 4 years!)


The sun is shining, the birds are singing...and as long as my husband keeps working so we can pay the enormous bills from this week, life is good. Better than good. It is truly happily!

Mourning

So, my computer did get some horrible thing. The technician called on Saturday later and said he didn't think it was salvageable.





So this message is a warning. BACK UP your computer! David and I had talked about it recently but I hadn't done it.





So I'm realizing I have lost thousands of pictures. My kiddos. My vacations. My art files.



I have lost my poetry file....many of the poems not printed in hard copy.



I have lost hundreds of meaningful recipes.


I have lost two different novels that I was working on.

Lost lots of talks and lessons I needed to keep.

Lots all the family information files.

Hundreds and hundreds of files. Addresses.

Did I mention all my kiddos pictures?


So, please back up for meaningful information.

And feel free to send sympathy cards.

I have lots of things to write about but David's laptop makes me grouchy. I hate paying the consequences of my foolish actions.....

Rescued

This week the news highlighted a small boy in California who called 911 after his home was broken into by gunmen. The boy grabbed his little sister and hid in a bathroom, locked door and called 911. You can hear the conversation here. The terrible part is that you can hear the gunmen break down the bathroom door to grab the kids.





http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/35812563#35812563





This scary but true story has reinforced my thoughts this week.....that of rescue. Isn't it a wonderful thing to be rescued.



Yesterday I picked my son, Ryan, up for lunch. We had the lunch planned but when I talked to him about where to meet, he told me that on his way to work, a lady ran a red light and creamed his car. His car had to be towed away. Thankfully no one was hurt.



We say "thankfully no one was hurt" almost automatically as if that statement sums up all our feelings. I have constantly reminded myself since yesterday that "I am SOOO grateful that my son's life (and the other driver's) was preserved." It is no small thing, this rescuing that goes on probably more than we know. I want God to know I'm THANKFUL. How quickly life changes in an instant.





Last Sunday in Relief Society, Toni Bunnell's daughter came and spoke to us. She is a nurse and went to Haiti the first week of the rescue efforts. Her story was amazing and she described the roller coaster of even getting there in the first place. Being unprepared for the devastation. Being taught by the goodness of people and the beauty of the Haitian community. Our hearts were opened by the things that she shared and we felt. Can you imagine limbs, fingers, toes etc. being amputated without anesthetic in some cases? She said that this generation will be one of amputees. One of loss. But thankfully we know that when we give our burdens to the Lord, He will sustain us and teach us to be strong again.





This week, in the middle of chaos, I felt "rescued" several times in one day. Nothing life saving but sanity saving. I felt like God was giving me a little hug to sustain me. He rescues me every day!





And since the story of Abraham and Isaac has been on my mind (Sunday School lesson)...and we are reminded of the similitude of Abraham sacrificing his son/ to God sacrificing his Son.....



I am thankful for our Savior who "rescued" us all. Who continues to rescue. That I am allowed to have my son today. That my life isn't filled with sorrow. Tragedy (earthquakes worldwide!) and collisions in life have made me thoughtful and grateful.


Last week at our Bucket group, we acknowledged that it has been a year since our friend, Gail Miller lost her husband. She expressed her amazement at the outpouring of love and concern of friends and strangers. It is a good reminder to each of us that as much as we can, we help rescue others in times of pain and loneliness, ill health and troubles. I have quoted Gail's favorite quote in part before but here is the full quotation:





Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.



Melodie Beattie

Party in Green

Girl's Night Out. It was a GREAT evening.

Menu: (semi- in- honor of St. Patrick's Day)

Zupa's Cream of Mushroom Soup (leprechauns sit under toadstools, I'm pretty sure...)

Zupa's Irish Stew (I used little ramekins so they could have each soup)

Two kinds of rolls- hot herbed rolls and cheesy rolls. Yumo.

Brandi's Strawberry salad (mixed greens, strawberries, grapes, cashews and a creamy strawberry dressing. Recipe is in the recipe file to the right or just put in Brandi's Strawberry salad on my blog's search (upper left corner of my blog.)

Baked Meat Pie- a sausage, spinach and cheese pie.

shrimp with cocktail sauce (we can't have GNO here without shrimp... it is expected)

Crunchy corn salad

Dessert: I was going to make Key Lime cheesecake bars for dessert but I had made a pina colada cake to take to someone for dinner last night and it got switched until today...so we ate their Pina Colada cake with raspberries. This is one of my favorite cakes. Our Relief Society presidency brings a little birthday gift around each year and this year this brought this darling rubber spatula (scrapper?) with the pina colada cake recipe attached. Darling little gift idea.

The Room:

The chandelier was the wowzer. The picture doesn't really do it justice but it was everyone's favorite thing.

Here's the whole table. (sorry I don't know how to take pictures or turn off the flash.)

I loved having a little red mixed in with my St. Patrick's day green.

Everyone got a little "Lucky to have you in my Life" treat bag. I made the striped tablecloth from fabric I got at Akia. I say "I" but I really meant BFF Cathy. I ironed the fabric and took it to Cathy to sew (since she doesn't swear when she sews) (I don't sew because I don't want to swear...) She hemmed the cloth for me while I talked and ironed. Thanks, BFF!

I also made a little cloth for my red bread bowl. I gave everyone a cello bag and one of the little cards that Brendalyn and I made...with the charge to go home and think of someone to write a "I'm lucky to have you in my life" note.

And then everyone got to take home their St.Patrick's day hanger I had Sophia make for everyone. I had hung them on the back of each chair.

I didn't take pictures of all the food (because I DO get mocked when I start taking pictures of everyone's food...) but here are a few:

Crunchy Corn salad

Baked sausage,spinach and cheese pie.



and the delightful pina colada cake with fresh whipped cream and raspberries.

Consequently, I'm NOT going to "weigh-ins" today!

Taking Care of Each Other

I mentioned a week or so ago that my Uncle Grant passed away in Montana. I only knew him a little from his drifting in and out of our lives. He was a broken (mentally) man who did whatever kind of work was available. He had lived in Dillon, Montana for years now. He often rode his bicycle around town, sometimes to the taunts of kids. He was defended by kids as well. He mumbled when he spoke....and then, when a memory triggered his mind, he would sit upright and speak clearly and coherently. I know he idolized my father.







I have had so many feelings about my non-involvement with this relative who died, with those around him not realizing he had family. Thankfully he had found his way back to church many years ago and his ward community helped take care of him and were there at his graveside. A cousin was able to be there and say a few words. One of the things that we have talked about is our gratitude for good people who watched out for "one of our own" when we couldn't or didn't. And that, although we can't make it up to Grant, we can make it up to him when we serve others. Service has always been important to me but this past week I have been looking with new eyes. Looking for a few downtrodden that need some extra love and care. I didn't have far to look. I've made the commitment to take meals to my next door neighbors (she recently from the hospital and always in poor health...and he's worn out from taking care of her) and also a widower and a separate widow in our Ward whose health is failing. Every Monday. Forever. If I can't make a difference to Grant, I'll make a difference to someone in his name. And hope that he knows of his family's love and that he really did matter. Last night I took both families dinner and I think it mattered to them, mostly that someone was thinking of them. Everyone needs to know they matter. Even grown men who ride a bicycle and mumble...





So, today is busy getting ready for the party and overnight company as well. Also one of my best friends,Penny has shingles!!!! So I'm going to run dinner to her and her family. I'm dying for her!




Well, pina colada cake just came out of the oven. Need to frost cinnamon rolls I made last night for Penny's family. Today is a nonstop running day.....

Thinking Partytime!

-today I am having my newly reupholstered living room sofa and love seat delivered. We have been without furniture except for odds and ends for a few weeks. I have been looking for new l.r. furniture for a while but couldn't find anything I liked better than the set we've had for a hundred years so I went to my favorite upholstery place -"European Expressions" and they have done a rush job for me. I love the owner, Patrick (from Ireland, of course) and they've made sofas, ottomans, pillows for me before. I'm so excited! (I don't get new furniture often so this is a jump up and down for me...)

- on Tuesday night I'm hosting GNO! I've been working on a loose St.Patrick's Day theme. I planned the menu and afterwards realized that most of these people probably would rather have other than Irish food. Not everyone is crazy about corned beef and cabbage. But maybe, maybe. Who knows. I keep changing my mind. I love to think up menus for parties so I'm sure I'm just stringing out the fun. I can't wait to share pictures of my table and treats.

-Tuesday night after the party, I'm expecting the Idaho crew. Kyle is going into the MTC (missionary training center) in Provo on Wed. so we will get his mom, Jan, and Dee and wife Christine (whom I adore!) and baby Cord (can you tell his dad was a rodeo guy?) and Buff (who had the major rodeo accident...) I LOVE these people and can't wait. I hope we can all stop crying (saying goodbye for two years is a killer) long enough to have another party.



-the past weekend was fun. Saturday I took the kiddos to the movies. Okay, I learned my lesson from the last time....I took reinforcements! My wonderful SIL went as well (I couldn't fit the 8 of us in one car.) We saw "The Tooth Fairy." It seemed to be the perfect choice since most of the kiddos are missing teeth. The movie was okay. Okay, a little fun. I wasn't mesmerized by it but, then again, I didn't have to crawl around on the floor looking for everyone's 3-D glasses so THAT was a plus. I learned something new this week. Remember when I told about my last disastrous movie excursion with the kiddos?

(http://constantgrowingamazement.blogspot.com/2009/10/toy-story.html)


Toy Story in 3-D? I remember thinking the 3-D was a rip-off.....I only saw a few effects. On television this week, they were talking about 3-D and said that you can't see it if your eyesight isn't in sync. That your eyes have to work together. Hello? I have mono-vision....no wonder I couldn't see a thing! Next time I try 3-D (just shoot me) (kidding)....I'll wear glasses that correct my mono.

-we had Rylee longer than the rest of the kiddos on Saturday so she got to go out with David and I for dinner at the Salt Lake Burger Company. It was fun to have one on one. Afterwards she beat me at Blokus. I can't believe her mind!


Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you're just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric. ~Pam Brown

Lessons from Abraham

Today's Sunday School lesson was on Abraham and Sarai. And Hagar, the handmaiden. And Issac and the (almost) sacrifice (and why.) I wrote two poems about both of these events a million years ago.

Even though Abraham was given a blessing that his posterity would number greater than the sands of the earth and stars in the heaven, his wife Sarai (Sarah) was barren. I can't imagine the point when Sarai decides that in order for this prophecy to come forth, she should give her handmaiden, Hagar, to Abraham for posterity. I have tried to imagine myself in Sarai's position...and of course failed. I tried to imagine what she was doing that particular night....

THE BLESSING

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children. Genesis 16:1



She spends the night counting.

"One, two." That bright one there.

The heavens dark as slate, dark

as the eyes of the sloe-eyed

Egyptian woman, who was in Abram’s tent.

No, do not think of Hagar’s eyes,

glistening, bright, but watch

the stars. Try to number them.

She scolds her attention

and takes a deep breath. The scent

of jasmine and honeysuckle

fills her lungs, the same

scent that anoints the Egyptian’s

black plaited hair."


Please Lord," she cries,

adding, "three, four."

This will be counted

for righteousness, this child,

this posterity, her posterity,

through the loins

of Hagar, her handmaiden.



On bended knee, Sarai’s hands

comb the sand, make a fist.

The sand, numerous as the stars

in the heaven, flows

through her fingers.





Marilyn Darley Williams

Of course we know that in her old age, Sarai did bear a child (God always fulfills his promises) -and how she and Abraham must have loved Isaac!

Some would wonder why God would ask this sacrifice of Abraham. God already knew whether Abraham would be obedient or not, but as Truman Madsen once said, "maybe Abraham needed to learn something about himself." I think trials do that to us. We choose whether or not we will be victorious. And we needed that example of faith. I think the Bible is also filled with extremes of situations....so that they can be better examples to us in our lives. Would you be willing to give up everything to serve the Lord? Does doing what the Lord want us to do in life matter enough to us to make searching for that "purpose" a priority? Does ridicule from the world prevent us from changing our behaviors? Or bad habits? I remember hearing Michael Wilcox say that he imagines these great examples will stand for eternity. When we are making excuses to the Lord about the sacrifices we've had to make in this world, maybe the Lord will say, "Excuse me. Abraham, will you come over here for just a minute...." Or when trials have been too great ("Job, will you stand right here while this lady shares her troubles...) We have a lot to measure up to.





Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “This story … shows the goodness of God in protecting Isaac and in providing a substitute so he would not have to die. Because of our sins and our mortality, we, like Isaac, are condemned to death. When all other hope is gone, our Father in Heaven provides the Lamb of God, and we are saved by his sacrifice”





OH ABRAHAM

I cannot look too closely
on that scene as you take Isaac
and then to the Mount depart
lest I look within myself
and find my own unwilling heart.


Marilyn Darley Williams


I think the scriptures are constantly reminding us, through metaphor, of Christ's sacrifice and atonement for us. In this marvelous example of Abraham, we see another who can somewhat understand the agony of the Father when his Son was crucified. Abraham. My hero.

A Blast from the Past

I'm frustrated that I don't make myself go to the gym. I totally lack motivation. You would think at least I could go downstairs on the treadmill. Or I could hula hoop. But I am so not athletic! I'm a bit of a slug. And I'm not sports savy either. As I've been copying off my blog for my hard copy journal, I found this old entry. It pretty much sums me up...


Saturday, February 9, 2008

The Geek Takes on Sports....

I’ve been thinking about embarrassing moments for some reason. As you can imagine, I have more than my fair share. I have regularly done ridiculous things my entire life....and have lived regardless. I have shared many in this forum but, of course, not the worst ones. The worst ones hopefully will stay put in my brain and my children won’t remember them to share at family gatherings. So I won’t be, you know, the entertainment. When we went to the BYU game the other night, it got me thinking about the millions of games- football, soccer, basketball, some wrestling, baseball- that I attended through the years with four boys. David complains about all the parades he went to (ha!) and dance performances with one daughter but I would like him to times that by 4. You would have thought I would have/could have learned to LOVE the game. Well, actually I didn’t mind baseball at all. And wrestling was a favorite. But football was the worst. One year I had 3 boys playing football at once. Three boys times five practices a week plus games on Saturday. All day. I think that is when my brain started seeping out of my head. But as I’ve pondered some special moments, I think I realize where I took a wrong turn. Subconsciously my body was reliving embarrassing moments and lived in terror that another one was just around the corner.




For instance, let’s just address Travis. It was time for him to start football. His dad had been a high school quarterback and sports was entirely in Travis’s blood. He came out of the womb throwing a spiral football. As you know, I wasn’t really sportsie. Although I did seem to excel in PE when younger, the older I’ve gotten, the more ridiculous I’ve performed. I’ve never been able to concentrate on reading the rule-books so I've always been clueless on procedure and game plays. Oh well. And you can imagine how long some of those games lasted for an attention-deficit person, who, well, wasn’t really interested. I was interested in the boys and wanted to support them but I could have done a MUCH better job “enjoying” their sports. I think maybe I “kind of” enjoyed them a little bit but giving up all day Saturday each week, plus going from one ball field to another, plus always chasing a baby or little kids around, plus not knowing what was going on was.....a long day. But like I said, maybe some of the reason for my lack of enjoyment was I had suppressed experiences holding me back.I’ll tell the second one first. Travis and football. Travis was a star. He excelled in everything he did. At one game, he intercepted the ball near the other teams goal line and ran it clear to the other end of the field, bodies flying everywhere in his path, for a touchdown. I knew he couldn’t do it without me because I ran the entire length of the field, yelling and screaming and jumping up and down...I didn’t care who heard me cause my boy was scoring a touchdown! You can imagine what kind of a scene I could make. But then, I had to pridefully saunter back to my spot along the sidelines through all the parents. My boy just scored a touchdown and “I” helped him the entire way. I could see David’s face, his eyes rolling in the back of his head which was shaking. Then he pointed out to the field. “What, what?” I questioned. He was pointing to a yellow flag that had fallen at the beginning of the play. The yellow flag that everyone else had seen except me (Travis didn’t count...he didn’t have time for yellow flags. He was just about getting the job done!) So all my running and yelling and jumping up and down was just....for humiliation I guess.


But I had already been there. Because this is how Travis’s ball career began.I don’t know if you have ever been to Little League sign-ups. Especially at football, there were a million dads, all ex-football players with excess testosterone. Imagining their sons filling their shoes. A lot of back slapping and chest bumping and growling going on. David was out of town on a water skiing trip with the boys so I got the privilege of going to football sign-ups alone. For the first time. There I was in a sea of the male species who were already bonding in a way I couldn’t and would never understand. Hundreds. Literally hundreds of men and their little clone boys. All talking the sport. Already tackling and head butting and well, acting totally like boys.I stood in line. There were many lines and there I stood, surrounded by a sea of foreign bodies. Finally, I got to the front of the equipment line, gave the male equipment manager, form-taker, my form. And he proceeded to give me my son’s uniform and shoulder pads and socks and jersey. It was quite an armful. So then, perky me, trying to act as if this was as exciting as braiding Brandi’s hair into 312 little braids and curling the ends so she would look like every other drill team spiral-curled dancer at every drill team competition, I said, “Do I need anything else?” The guy paused and said, “Do you want to buy a cup?” I could almost hear that whole swarm of men quiet down. The earth stood still. You could have heard a pin drop. All eyes were focused on me, this young mother-girl, this ninny, this sports clueless blonde as I squealed, “Oh how cool! Little cups! Does everyone put their names on them?”




Oh, not so much about drinking cups. Sometimes I still hear the dead silence and then the roar of laughter. It is not always easy being a sports geek.

Tasting Crime

Yesterday was lunch with my two writing friends. I've told you that quarterly we get together....and have a writing assignment. I've been shaking my head since our last get-together because "someone" came up with the topic of M & M's! Really? I have to write a poem about M & M's (or at least mention them?) I really do love to see what comes from these assignments (not necessarily mine but what Linda and Carolyn write) and I wasn't disappointed today. I love everything these two friends write. Mine was just tolerable but I'll share it here anyway.

Tasting Crime

Out in the country
you couldn’t afford to be
picky about friends.
I made it
to their front porch
before packing boxes
gathered dust in the
living room. The
dad nodded indoors
with his can of brew,
while puffing Marlboro’s
on the rickety stoop.
The pin-curled mom
putting away groceries,
expressed thanks
for the jam and apologized
for the mess.
After introductions,
the girl pulled me down
the short hallway
to a cell of a room she shared
with her younger brother.
From underneath her sweater,
she pulled out the prize, a large
package of M & M’s,
that staked her position in
the neighborhood.
"I stole’um" she bragged,
"while my mum was getting
milk."
She was only two months older
than me, but at that moment
I was a mere child,
believing each candy color
was flavored differently-
not yet knowing the passion
that was green,
trying hard to remember that crime
didn’t pay. All the while,
my mouth was watering.

Marilyn Darley Williams

Card Making. Again.

Brendalyn and I had so much fun last month making Valentines (using products from Stampin' Up) we decided last night to make St.Patrick's Day cards. David had scouts so he didn't even miss me. We watched Idol...and Nicole, from Canada, you are right! The women were fabulous! I haven't had time to watch and hadn't seen the women perform. I actually really do like most of the men's voices but for the most part, the women were incredible! I can't even pick a favorite since I enjoyed them all. But can I say, if I were a contestant (ha! I HAVE had a paying musical career. I had roommates that paid me not to sing!) I would be totally confused by the advice they are getting.

Woo-Hoo!

Bucket Group

Today was Bucket group at Annette's home. (In case anyone has missed what this is....I have a group of women that meet once a month to "fill our buckets." Each person hosts once a year and decides the activity that will enrich our lives. Wonderful food is always involved. Today we tied a quilt for the humanitarian center, then had a fabulous lunch. (Orange Almond Chicken recipe below.) Annette had asked us to come prepared to share a service that we had either rendered or when a service was done to us that really mattered. The thing that was awesome about this assignment was that immediately, wonderful experiences of goodness filled my heart. I thought of a million kindnesses that have mattered to me.....which in turn was gratitude unmeasured. I know I have shared most of these before but since they are on the tip of my heart, I'll share a few I've been remembering.



~the care packages my mom continually sent to us while young (and VERY poor) marrieds. David was just starting his Junior year of college when we got married so that meant we had 5 years to go (while producing 2 kids as well.) Sometimes the boxes came bearing the signature of "amomyous."

~my MIL came and helped for almost every one of my children when they were born. I remember she came for Brandi, stayed for two weeks. She would get up with her in the night, bring her to me in bed so I could feed her, listened until we were through and then changed her and rocked her until the baby fell asleep again. I don't think I changed Brandi's diapers for two weeks. She never seemed judgmental that I was scattered and not as organized as she was. My MIL was/is love unfeigned.

~when Brandi was about 8, she had an appendicitis attack. I ran her to the hospital and she was in such pain, I carried her in the hospital. She started throwing up while I was trying to get her admitted....and NO ONE came to help me. It was unreal. Except one mom in the waiting room. She ran over and started barking orders, grabbed a wheelchair. Rescued us. I've never forgotten her.

~we had just moved into this home after a remodel. I ran into Susan Nebeker in the halls of church....someone I had known a million years ago but didn't live in our Ward. When she asked what I was up to, I told her about the move, about Tanner just leaving that week for his mission. She immediately said she was bringing dinner the following Sunday. I told her that we were fine....and that although the upstairs wasn't finished, the downstairs kitchen was. She said it didn't matter, she was bringing dinner. And she did. But not an ordinary dinner. It was a full prime rib. Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy. Homemade rolls. Homemade pie. On and on and on. It was an over-the-top meal. She had confided in me that when they had once moved, no one in the neighborhood had helped them (which is so unusual)...and that she had vowed to never let anyone that she heard of moving ever feel that way. I honestly had not even had association with this woman for about 15 years! Unbelievable.

~when my son-in-law had a brain tumor and a business reversal, I could write a book about the people that helped them in every way possible. My daughter's friends were truly amazing. Kitchen cupboards and their freezer was stocked with food. The kiddos were farmed out and nurtured. Meals continually came. One sister-in-law to B. came each week to clean their bathroom. What an amazing service. I will NEVER forget the kindnesses that were shown to them.

~when I was almost inconsolable when my son, Ryan contacted malaria and dengue in Guatemala on his mission. I was mad at God for not protecting my boy, devastated that my worst fear of him going there had occurred, frustrated that he was in a hospital alone, in a foreign land and not knowing how he was doing. The doorbell rang and I found a battery-operated cow dancing on my porch holding a sign that said "M.A.M." (Mothers Against Malaria.) Plus a big basket of chips and salsa and goodies. It was just the thing that broke my depression, that gave me the zing to be able to stand up again with faith. It was girlfriend nurturing at its best.


~when David and I went to Guatemala to pick up Ryan after his mission, I got terribly ill. I honestly thought I was going to die on top of a pyramid there, my heart was almost beating out of my chest. I later learned I was experiencing thyroid storm which meant my heart really could have burst! When we got home, I continued to get worse until it was diagnosed (thyroidities.) I was immediately put on beta-blockers among other things which puts you in a verrrry slow, almost comatose state. (kidding.) The problem was I had a booth in Swiss Days (a big celebration each year that I've talked about with a huge art and craft fair) in Midway....and a basement full of unfinished projects. One night the doorbell rang...and in marched a herd of my friends....all headed to the basement to finish my projects. I was amazed... BFF Cathy and Brandi and hubbie Ryan set up our booth and manned it for the two day fair...while I just sat there, drugged, like a limp ragdoll in my lawn chair. Great image, isn't it.... Not a pretty sight....


~whenever I volunteer or get asked to do a huge project, I somehow con my friends into helping. My friend, Pretty Patty Petty lives in Boise....but that didn't stop her from helping me bind and tie or cut almost 50 quilts for our Stake humanitarian project. Or coming here to sew 50 school bags another year. Brendalyn always helps with every project I do as well. We are a good team. I think of all the friends that helped so much this summer with all the huge projects that were going on. I don't think I could survive without these great women in my life and I certainly don't express my appreciation to the extent of how much I feel.

~Aunt Pat (not my aunt) who always says "give me a list"...then always gets the job done. We couldn't (wouldn't want to) go to Lake Powell without her.


It was wonderful today to hear about all these great friend's cherished memories. We always have a good cry and a few laughs and leave with our "buckets" full and overflowing.


Totally grateful!

Grouchy

Dentist: I have to pull the aching tooth, but don't worry it will take just five minutes.

Patient: And how much will it cost?

Dentist: It's $200.00

Patient: $200.00 for just a few minutes work???

Dentist: I can extract it very slowly if you like.

Brandi just called to see if I was doing any better. I've had a rough day. I spent hours at the dentist today, half of it having a mishap fixed. I'm sore and grouchy. Then I wrestled with bank things and bill things all afternoon. I really WAS grouchy then. So when Brandi called, I perked up and said, "Yes!" But only because I'm going to bed and today will be over!

Do you ever have days like this?

But it came on the heels of a wonderful weekend. Got together Saturday with Kirk and Cathy. Had dinner, played Hand and Foot and tried to synchronize our plans for Italy. We can't all get on the same page. Cruise or land? Who wants to go where? Husbands that work also put a damper on our enthusiasm. (laughing.) We are thinking October....

but I'll believe it when I see it.

Yesterday we drove to Blackfoot, Idaho for our nephew Kyle's mission farewell. He did such a great job! He is going to Alaska which is perfect since he's such an outdoors man. He said that the first question everyone asks him when he tells them where he is going is "Can you hunt and fish?" He replied that surprisingly he can. Then he quotes the scripture that talks about hunting for "the one" by turning over every rock and becoming a fisher of men, a great missionary scripture. ( Jeremiah recorded: “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks” (Jer. 16:16). Afterwards it was awesome to be at the family gathering and watch the miracle of the food. We set all the food on the table and every time it got low, more relatives or friends were coming in with more food. It was a good thing because they had a ton of people. I loved being with Kyle's mom (who is really my ex- sister-in-law like Aunt Pat) (but who will always be my sister in love...) And I loved being with my nieces and nephews. We had picked up David's Aunt Marcille in Logan, and she and mom and David spent much time at another relatives that has cancer. This is the father of the girl (Janet Arave) that lined David and I up on a blind date at BYU a hundred years ago. She came later and we were able to visit and it was fun to talk. Lots of time in the car, traveling there and back (we are about 3 1/2 hrs. each way) but worth it especially for my MIL who got to see so much of the family.

I made friend Sophia's Crunchy Corn Salad for the luncheon. It really is a winner.

Crunchy Corn Salad

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup chopped green or red pepper (I used both)
1 cup red onion, chopped (I used about 1/2 of a large)
2 cans drained corn (I used frozen.)
2 cans mexicorn, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag chili-cheese Fritos - crushed to bits

Mix all except for the Fritos and chill. Just before serving, add the fritos and mix well.


(okay, okay, I forgot the shredded cheese at home in the refrigerator. It was a little far to go back and get it! But the salad even tasted great without it.)

Tomorrow is Bucket group. I can't wait. I need the lift. I also have my service to "Kay" day this week, another Dr.'s appt., a fun lunch with my writing friends (our writing assignment this time had to include M & M's! What a crazy topic! I can't wait to see what the two others wrote...) and art class on Friday. David and I had planned to go to Palm Springs this weekend but I'm not sure if we are on or off. Today I don't even want to think about it...











I did have a happy thought. I wanted to post this recipe that Suzanne actually sent as a comment. It sounds like a MUST DO! Of course I can't eat Rice Krispies or butter or Milky Ways but I WILL dream about them tonight! And I have been laughing since my high school friends and I have been madly emailing that we can't wait two years for our next get-together like we planned. We going to do a California trip in July. Fay, of couse, wondered today if there was enough time to catch me dieting...for her to fit into her thong. I don't think she was referring to flip-flops. Really, these friends are CRAZY fun.







Milky Way Rice Krispie Treats



5 cups rice Krispies



one package Milky Ways, funsize or snack size.



1 cube butter



17 Dove chocolates







Put the Milky Ways into a microwave safe bowl after you have unwrapped them, ofcourse, with a cube of butter. Melt on high two minutes; stir, then give them one minute more. Stir all together. Pour over the rice krispies and stir till they are all coated. Press into 8x13 pan. Melt 17 Dove individually wrapped chocs dark or milk for one minute. Stir and make sure they are all melted then spread on the top of rice krispie squares. Cut and refrigerate until cooled. These are the best and so quick amazing. (Thank you, Suzanne!!!)