I am going to just start typing and see where it takes me. If it doesn't make sense to you don't worry. It isn't making sense to me either. Even in my head. And usually the blog in my head is fantastic. :)
All blog thought started this week when I started thinking about Jane Austen....
As you can tell by the graphic on my blog, I am a Jane Austen fan. (Well, more specifically a Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy Pride & Prejudice fan...but I like all things Austen too..)
Jane Austen has brought women all over the world--from all walks of life, all ages, etc. etc.--together with the shared love of a good story, a brooding hero and a spunky heroine.
I have a friend who is probably the biggest Colin Firth fan around. She and I were just acquaintances until the Sunday she taught a lesson and managed to throw out an obscure Pride & Prejudice quote. I am fairly certain I was the only one in the room who caught the line, and after class I talked with her about it and we have been good friends ever since.
A&E's version of Pride & Prejudice has made it so anyone who has seen it multiple times will immediately know the scene if someone simply says, "On foot?" But anyone who can pull off throwing Austen-speak into a Sunday school lesson...well, that is something special. :)
This friend of mine had a birthday a while ago, and to celebrate she and a bunch of other women in our neighborhood got together to watch the new British version of Emma. It was good. It was a bit disconcerting for me to watch though, because partway through the movie my head started comparing Austen characters to real-life people and I distracted myself.
So here is where my brain wants to work through this really well. It is trying. I hope this comes out coherently...
I've decided that for the most part, a lot of women who read Jane Austen or watch movies based on her novels have chosen favorite characters and wish that their life would imitate her art. At least a little.
Most women who are Austen fans wish their significant other had a little bit of Darcy's presence. Maybe a little bit of Bingley's charm. Perhaps some of Mr. Knightly's common sense. And we really, really hope that he has no resemblance whatsoever to Mr. Collins. :)
Most women who are Austen fans probably wish they were a little more like Elizabeth (witty, bold, and thought to be one of the prettiest girls in the county), and perhaps a little less like Emma (although pretty, she tends to be more like the rest of us--speaking before thinking, accidentally hurting other's feelings, being a little bit flighty and self-centered)
I guess that is what a good writer hopes to accomplish. Having the reader be able to put themselves into the heroine/hero part without thinking about it. Being able to relate to some, if not all of the story and characters.
I know I have a 'Mrs. Bennett' in my acquaintance.
I know women who have characteristics of Jane Bennett. Elizabeth is a bit more of an enigma, but some of her traits can be seen in some of my friends.
I DO know men like Mr. Collins. Happily, my husband isn't one of them.
My mom doesn't like Jane Austen books. She knows they are British and reads them as haughty. I think she would like the humor if she would 86 the accent. :)
Anyway. That's my rambling on Jane and her characters for today. I hope that if I ponder on this any longer, that I will pinpoint some of the character qualities that I wish I had personally and try to work on them.
Or maybe I will just start speaking in a bad British accent...that might be easier.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Just a conversation to share :)
Here is how the mind works in the children of this family...follow along with their conversation they had with me while driving home from some random activity this past summer:
Kady(age 17): "Mom, I have no clothes. They are all too small or not good for summer. We need to go shopping."
Victoria (age 12): "Yeah. What she said."
Kady: "See? We all need clothes. You can take Victoria and me shopping. Otherwise we will have no clothes at all and will have to go to school naked."
Victoria: "Yeah."
JD (age 10--popping off from the backseat of the car): "If they had 'Naked Day' at school, I don't think I would like it very much."
Kady: "JD!"
Victoria: "There are definitely some kids who wouldn't look good naked."
JD: "I was thinking that it would be bad to see the naked teachers."
Me (age old): "Maybe 'Naked Day' would actually be a good thing to help with obesity in children. We'd hear them say "Dang, 'Naked Day' is coming up in just a couple of months..I'd better go work out and stop hitting the vending machines instead of eating lunch."
Husband: "Maybe we should stop talking about 'Naked Day'."
Party pooper. ;)
Kady(age 17): "Mom, I have no clothes. They are all too small or not good for summer. We need to go shopping."
Victoria (age 12): "Yeah. What she said."
Kady: "See? We all need clothes. You can take Victoria and me shopping. Otherwise we will have no clothes at all and will have to go to school naked."
Victoria: "Yeah."
JD (age 10--popping off from the backseat of the car): "If they had 'Naked Day' at school, I don't think I would like it very much."
Kady: "JD!"
Victoria: "There are definitely some kids who wouldn't look good naked."
JD: "I was thinking that it would be bad to see the naked teachers."
Me (age old): "Maybe 'Naked Day' would actually be a good thing to help with obesity in children. We'd hear them say "Dang, 'Naked Day' is coming up in just a couple of months..I'd better go work out and stop hitting the vending machines instead of eating lunch."
Husband: "Maybe we should stop talking about 'Naked Day'."
Party pooper. ;)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Voting Day
Today is Election Day. I have already done my civic duty and voted this morning. Some Republican, some Democrat.
One thing always sticks out for me when I vote... I never study the judges enough to have a clue as to whether I think they should stay in or be voted out. I tell myself every year when I leave the polling booth that "next time you will read those over better and go in with an idea of who shouldn't be there anymore."
I don't ever, ever listen to myself.
All I remember is that most of them seemed to have pretty high ratings.
And I feel a bit silly hearing the beep of the voting station as I just hurry through and click 'yes' on all of the judges. It seems to shout out that I am not very informed and am just having a really good time pushing the screen button.
Another thing I re-learn at election time is that I wish I had a better head for politics. I have a few convictions. I am not good at voicing political opinions I have. I wonder if I practice that if I would get better, or if I would still know that somewhere back in my brain I have a fantastic rebuttal to something someone has just said...but I can't for the life of me remember exactly what that rebuttal would be. I have a tendency to mix metaphors and juxtapose stories so that instead of two really good points, I make one half-baked crazy sauce point.
I'd be really good at making points for the opposing team. Whichever team that may be at the moment.
I would love to be able to hold up my end of a political conversation. I would love to sound as informed as Glenn Beck--love him or hate him, the man knows his stuff and he loves his country.
Plus he disses Joy Behar which is fun to hear. [She is a bitter woman. How can she stand to be that unhappy all the time?]
Doug would like to be involved in politics. He would be fantastic at anything like that. When he mentions it, I try so very hard to keep it all about him and not swing it my direction..i.e. "I can't be a _____'s wife. People will ask me questions. I will have to have my brain working faster than my tongue--which has never happened in my entire life. I will have to look composed and "with it"...crap."
I guess I should just start my 2011 resolutions now...1. Study the issues and get an opinion set enough that you can vocalize it in a social situation, but not be so stuck on it that you can't understand both sides. (I didn't say agree with both sides--just understand them).
It is a darn good thing people are told to avoid talking religion and politics in social situations. Maybe I will be okay...
I also need to start listening to myself. If I don't, I might miss out on hearing myself say something really awesome in 2011. That would be sad.
Go vote.
God Bless America. :)
One thing always sticks out for me when I vote... I never study the judges enough to have a clue as to whether I think they should stay in or be voted out. I tell myself every year when I leave the polling booth that "next time you will read those over better and go in with an idea of who shouldn't be there anymore."
I don't ever, ever listen to myself.
All I remember is that most of them seemed to have pretty high ratings.
And I feel a bit silly hearing the beep of the voting station as I just hurry through and click 'yes' on all of the judges. It seems to shout out that I am not very informed and am just having a really good time pushing the screen button.
Another thing I re-learn at election time is that I wish I had a better head for politics. I have a few convictions. I am not good at voicing political opinions I have. I wonder if I practice that if I would get better, or if I would still know that somewhere back in my brain I have a fantastic rebuttal to something someone has just said...but I can't for the life of me remember exactly what that rebuttal would be. I have a tendency to mix metaphors and juxtapose stories so that instead of two really good points, I make one half-baked crazy sauce point.
I'd be really good at making points for the opposing team. Whichever team that may be at the moment.
I would love to be able to hold up my end of a political conversation. I would love to sound as informed as Glenn Beck--love him or hate him, the man knows his stuff and he loves his country.
Plus he disses Joy Behar which is fun to hear. [She is a bitter woman. How can she stand to be that unhappy all the time?]
Doug would like to be involved in politics. He would be fantastic at anything like that. When he mentions it, I try so very hard to keep it all about him and not swing it my direction..i.e. "I can't be a _____'s wife. People will ask me questions. I will have to have my brain working faster than my tongue--which has never happened in my entire life. I will have to look composed and "with it"...crap."
I guess I should just start my 2011 resolutions now...1. Study the issues and get an opinion set enough that you can vocalize it in a social situation, but not be so stuck on it that you can't understand both sides. (I didn't say agree with both sides--just understand them).
It is a darn good thing people are told to avoid talking religion and politics in social situations. Maybe I will be okay...
I also need to start listening to myself. If I don't, I might miss out on hearing myself say something really awesome in 2011. That would be sad.
Go vote.
God Bless America. :)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Hints and Clues...and NaNoWriMo
Here are some hints and clues I have learned or observed recently that might make your life easier to navigate. I wish I had paid more attention to the learned part before the learning had to take place. (Kind of a 'learn from my mistakes' thing):
1. If you start out a conversation with your husband "I did something today, but if it makes you mad I can fix it.", you probably realized at some point during the doing of the thing that your husband might not approve. Like getting sucked into a door-to-door salesman's pitch for the first time in years and then, yes, after having the conversation with your husband having to go and cancel agreements before the '3-day rule' expires. Basically, if you know you will probably have this conversation, tell the salesman "No". Saves time, hassle, and marital bliss.
2. You can wish and hope and pray, but in the end if you don't eat more healthy and be more active there will come a day when "sucking it in" is no longer an option. And with that, holding your breath while standing on a scale at the doctor's office will NOT make you lighter.
3. When keeping your appointments on a calendar, you must LOOK at the calendar to make sure you don't miss anything. Just writing it down does not automatically make you remember what you have going on...which is why you wrote it down in the first place. I could give too many examples of this, so instead I will just move on...
4. Things to not forget in order to feel like you are a decent parent: 1. Tooth Fairy, 2. Early-out days at school, 3. Tooth Fairy. (seems like such a small thing, but seriously...if you have ever been awakened by the sad face of a kid who thinks the tooth fairy forgot them...I'm just saying, don't forget that one. Trust me...)
5. Blogging only works if you publish what you write. I have about a dozen unfinished blogs all waiting patiently for me to either finish or delete. Since it has been since April that I have posted, I need to work harder on this one.
6. If you facebook, don't post profile photos that make you look unnaturally thinner than you look in real life. (key word: unnaturally) I have some fb friends who have done that and it is borderline creepy looking. If you are heavier, rejoice in the extra you. ;) That said, I haven't changed my profile photo for a long time because I don't have any "good" pictures of me. Which translated means "makes me look thinner". Guess I will have to actually lose weight to get that kind of photo. Dang it.
I really hope that is enough insight to give for now. I'm starting to depress myself. :)
On a side note, I've decided to join the NaNoWriMo this month. Which means I am going to start today from scratch and write for 30 days through this month of November to complete a 50,000 word novel. It won't be good. The point is to just write. No editing, etc. This is a "get 'er done" type challenge. If it ends up decent, December will be my go back and edit month. We'll see how it goes.
It might be that I'll come back and add a #7...Don't try to write 50,000 words when kids won't even let you use the bathroom without suddenly needing something and pounding on the door. Guess I might be having some late night write fests.
I'll let you know how it goes. :)
1. If you start out a conversation with your husband "I did something today, but if it makes you mad I can fix it.", you probably realized at some point during the doing of the thing that your husband might not approve. Like getting sucked into a door-to-door salesman's pitch for the first time in years and then, yes, after having the conversation with your husband having to go and cancel agreements before the '3-day rule' expires. Basically, if you know you will probably have this conversation, tell the salesman "No". Saves time, hassle, and marital bliss.
2. You can wish and hope and pray, but in the end if you don't eat more healthy and be more active there will come a day when "sucking it in" is no longer an option. And with that, holding your breath while standing on a scale at the doctor's office will NOT make you lighter.
3. When keeping your appointments on a calendar, you must LOOK at the calendar to make sure you don't miss anything. Just writing it down does not automatically make you remember what you have going on...which is why you wrote it down in the first place. I could give too many examples of this, so instead I will just move on...
4. Things to not forget in order to feel like you are a decent parent: 1. Tooth Fairy, 2. Early-out days at school, 3. Tooth Fairy. (seems like such a small thing, but seriously...if you have ever been awakened by the sad face of a kid who thinks the tooth fairy forgot them...I'm just saying, don't forget that one. Trust me...)
5. Blogging only works if you publish what you write. I have about a dozen unfinished blogs all waiting patiently for me to either finish or delete. Since it has been since April that I have posted, I need to work harder on this one.
6. If you facebook, don't post profile photos that make you look unnaturally thinner than you look in real life. (key word: unnaturally) I have some fb friends who have done that and it is borderline creepy looking. If you are heavier, rejoice in the extra you. ;) That said, I haven't changed my profile photo for a long time because I don't have any "good" pictures of me. Which translated means "makes me look thinner". Guess I will have to actually lose weight to get that kind of photo. Dang it.
I really hope that is enough insight to give for now. I'm starting to depress myself. :)
On a side note, I've decided to join the NaNoWriMo this month. Which means I am going to start today from scratch and write for 30 days through this month of November to complete a 50,000 word novel. It won't be good. The point is to just write. No editing, etc. This is a "get 'er done" type challenge. If it ends up decent, December will be my go back and edit month. We'll see how it goes.
It might be that I'll come back and add a #7...Don't try to write 50,000 words when kids won't even let you use the bathroom without suddenly needing something and pounding on the door. Guess I might be having some late night write fests.
I'll let you know how it goes. :)
Monday, April 19, 2010
In Case You Missed My Rambling Ways :)
It has been 5 months since I have added to my blog. Yes, FIVE months...it flew by for me, and all the spam comments I just 86'd only emphasized the fact that I really should check my blog more often.
I probably should write more frequently if for no other reason than to take some of the pressure off for writing something brilliant. I mean, if I haven't written for five months surely something fabulous has happened or some extraordinary mental genius has come to my attention to write about here.
Surely.
Okay, I was dreaming too.
Really the only great insight I have made lately is that I am shocked that a six year old child who has grown up in this household thinks that if he throws himself on the ground screaming and arching his back to emphasize his world collapse as he knows it, will somehow get me to change my answer from "No" to "Yes".
Why do my kids (all of them, really) think that whining will make me want to jump up and do whatever it is that will make them happy.
You would think that after all this time with having me as the mom, they would realize that I am just as thrilled to keep saying 'no' when they are throwing fits as I was the first time I said 'no'. More so, actually. I start getting a kick out of calmly stepping over the thrashing form of child and going about my merry way.
The old "what part of no did you not understand" is probably over used in our house, but seriously. The first time I change the "no" to a "yes" because I don't want to hear the screaming fit anymore will be the end of my reign as 'Queen' here, and I will just become a lowly peasant placed here to cater to the children's every whim.
I soooo don't need that.
I keep waiting for my kids to get old enough that reasoning with them works. To figure out that their actions have consequences. That no means no--and that I rarely say no just for the heck of it.
I think my mom is probably still waiting for me to figure those things out too.
I want to keep this post kind of short just so I make sure I actually post the blog. So to end, here are 5 things I have learned over the past few weeks that have to do with my kids:
1. 5 minutes in the microwave is too long for microwave popcorn. It scorches. And it makes the house smell bad for a solid 24 hours.
2. 6 year old boys and 5 year old girls should not be allowed to use a microwave unsupervised. (See #1) --['allowed' is a tricky word there....if they don't ask permission, they don't hear 'no'. They hear 'NOOO!!', but by then they have had their fun. :) ]
3. A 10 year old boy can hold an entire conversation about video games in a way that seems like I should understand at least a few of the words coming out of his mouth, but ends up with me zoning out--like when Grandma used to tell her meter-maid stories for the 50th time--instead of me trying to keep up with the whozits and the whatzits of the gaming world.
4. I have moody daughters. I was hoping to get a pass on that, since I am not the moody type. I guess with 5 girls, my odds were stacked against me anyway.
5. I must really love my son to be able to sit though an "opera" about the rock cycle that was completely written by four classes of 4th graders, and still act thrilled to be there. He did a marvelous job. It was a solid hour of "Holy crap, how did Doug get so lucky to be out of town this week on business?" And honestly the 5 minutes my kid was onstage made it worth it--he was "Joker Rock" and had to do a staged fall that ended up being him really tripping over his monkey slippers and hitting his goggled face into the stage. Looked like it hurt, but he was sure it was a sign that he is a really good actor to make the fall more real. I could have done without the other 55 minutes, but what the heck. I now know more about the rock cycle than I ever wanted to know.
(My parents can thank me later for 'forgetting' to mention the opera to them, so they didn't have to sit through it too. :) )
I will start writing more regularly again. I guess that can be good or bad depending on your take on my blog I suppose.
If nothing else, I have not forgotten how to ramble. So I have that going for me.
I probably should write more frequently if for no other reason than to take some of the pressure off for writing something brilliant. I mean, if I haven't written for five months surely something fabulous has happened or some extraordinary mental genius has come to my attention to write about here.
Surely.
Okay, I was dreaming too.
Really the only great insight I have made lately is that I am shocked that a six year old child who has grown up in this household thinks that if he throws himself on the ground screaming and arching his back to emphasize his world collapse as he knows it, will somehow get me to change my answer from "No" to "Yes".
Why do my kids (all of them, really) think that whining will make me want to jump up and do whatever it is that will make them happy.
You would think that after all this time with having me as the mom, they would realize that I am just as thrilled to keep saying 'no' when they are throwing fits as I was the first time I said 'no'. More so, actually. I start getting a kick out of calmly stepping over the thrashing form of child and going about my merry way.
The old "what part of no did you not understand" is probably over used in our house, but seriously. The first time I change the "no" to a "yes" because I don't want to hear the screaming fit anymore will be the end of my reign as 'Queen' here, and I will just become a lowly peasant placed here to cater to the children's every whim.
I soooo don't need that.
I keep waiting for my kids to get old enough that reasoning with them works. To figure out that their actions have consequences. That no means no--and that I rarely say no just for the heck of it.
I think my mom is probably still waiting for me to figure those things out too.
I want to keep this post kind of short just so I make sure I actually post the blog. So to end, here are 5 things I have learned over the past few weeks that have to do with my kids:
1. 5 minutes in the microwave is too long for microwave popcorn. It scorches. And it makes the house smell bad for a solid 24 hours.
2. 6 year old boys and 5 year old girls should not be allowed to use a microwave unsupervised. (See #1) --['allowed' is a tricky word there....if they don't ask permission, they don't hear 'no'. They hear 'NOOO!!', but by then they have had their fun. :) ]
3. A 10 year old boy can hold an entire conversation about video games in a way that seems like I should understand at least a few of the words coming out of his mouth, but ends up with me zoning out--like when Grandma used to tell her meter-maid stories for the 50th time--instead of me trying to keep up with the whozits and the whatzits of the gaming world.
4. I have moody daughters. I was hoping to get a pass on that, since I am not the moody type. I guess with 5 girls, my odds were stacked against me anyway.
5. I must really love my son to be able to sit though an "opera" about the rock cycle that was completely written by four classes of 4th graders, and still act thrilled to be there. He did a marvelous job. It was a solid hour of "Holy crap, how did Doug get so lucky to be out of town this week on business?" And honestly the 5 minutes my kid was onstage made it worth it--he was "Joker Rock" and had to do a staged fall that ended up being him really tripping over his monkey slippers and hitting his goggled face into the stage. Looked like it hurt, but he was sure it was a sign that he is a really good actor to make the fall more real. I could have done without the other 55 minutes, but what the heck. I now know more about the rock cycle than I ever wanted to know.
(My parents can thank me later for 'forgetting' to mention the opera to them, so they didn't have to sit through it too. :) )
I will start writing more regularly again. I guess that can be good or bad depending on your take on my blog I suppose.
If nothing else, I have not forgotten how to ramble. So I have that going for me.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Catching Up on Rambling x 10
I can't believe the entire month of October passed without me posting even a tiny blog entry.
Well, actually I guess I do believe a whole month can pass without me posting...truth is that I can't believe the entire month (and most of November) has past. Period.
This time of year seems to pick up serious speed. I wonder if I would get Christmas shopping done early if the Oct.-Dec. time period would slow down a bit.
Since I don't see me actually getting Christmas shopping done before December 24th, I probably will never know the answer to that question. Oh, well.
My reconstruction surgery is scheduled for December 17th...so I guess I'd better start figuring Christmas out a little sooner rather than later. I don't think my kids will be that thrilled if I tell them my new boobs are their Christmas present this year too. I can see how well that conversation would go over... ;)
Here are some catch up topics I wanted to touch on that have gone through my head at least twice these past couple of months:
First, I want it on record that I personally think the health care issue thing about not getting mammograms until age 50 is retarded. If I had waited that long I would be looking into mastectomy, chemo, the works. There has to be a happy medium for the higher-ups. Or they need to put a woman on their panel. Either way is good. Enough said.
Second, Montana is a lovely State. We went there last weekend for my nephew's non-farewell and non-open house. He entered the MTC this past Wednesday and will be going to Costa Rica. He is excited. Great kid.
I thought that I would freeze in Montana in November, but actually Utah right now is colder than Montana.
Third, I could go my whole life and not have to spend an aimless hour and a half driving around Idaho Falls again. Been there, done that. On the way home from Montana we stopped at the Walmart in I.F. and bought a fuse for the converter thingy (yes, that is the technical term) to the power do-hickey (not the technical term, but it should be) so that the kids could continue watching movies on the way home from our trip and the parents could maintain some semblance of normalcy. Then we found out that Wendy's closes early in IF. And we drove around looking for another fast food place. Seriously took waaayy longer than it should have. And it put is home at 2 a.m. instead of midnight like we had planned.
Fourth, have you ever looked back at what you had or didn't have your kids involved in and wondered where you went off track? I remember when I first got married and though about having kids, I pictured my daughters all taking dance and playing soccer (I took dance from the time I was 3 until I was 16...and I've played--and still play--soccer forever), and my sons would be involved with baseball and soccer (husband is the baseball guy, and again me with the soccer). I also thought my kids would love horses just because I do--having owned horses and having been able to ride since I was 3, and because my husband also had a horse growing up).
I know those aren't huge problem type issues, but I really pictured those things being part of our lives. Soccer is, so I guess you can see where my real priorities have been. But my kids have never taken a dance lesson, my older son played 2 years of baseball and that is all, my youngest hasn't ever played; my oldest daughter is actually afraid of horses--which is actually what shocked me into this direction of thought. Some of my most fun times were with horses. My first date with my husband was me taking him riding through Snow Canyon when we were both at Dixie College. I feel like I've cheated them out of something. I'm sure they don't mind at this point, but when I was first married I would never have thought that 18 years later I wouldn't have dancing baseball playing kids.
I'll get over it eventually. It is just such a weird thing to me.
Fifth, have you noticed that you look better in some mirrors than others? Maybe it is just me--okay, most definitely it is just me, but still...--It might be the lighting, it might be the actual mirror itself, but some mirrors I look at myself and think "Huh. Not too shabby today", others I have an almost uncontrollable urge to give myself the wink and the gun, and then the evil mirrors that make me look like a 41 year-old housewife (oh, wait...that's what I am....dang). I was thinking that if I could figure out what makes the wink and the gun mirror work the way it does, and then make that work the same way in a camera--I'd be set for life. Because honestly, even if I pass a wink and gun mirror and then get my picture taken...photo ends up looking like I got ready in front of evil mirror. Why can't someone invent a camera that REMOVES 10 pounds instead of adding it?
Sixth, here is another thing I have always found myself doing. I want to decorate my house more. I want nice paintings, etc. So I go look at home decor places or boutiques and look around. And I see a lot of things that I could totally do equally well if not better (in my humble opinion), so I don't buy any of the paintings, etc. But the key here is that I don't actually go home and make them myself. So just because I CAN do something better, doesn't usually (ever) mean that I will actually DO the thing. So my house isn't decorated like I'd hope because I'm too vain to buy something I think I can do better, and yet also too lazy to just get off my backside and do it. Which is an annoying trait to realize I have. And it is even more annoying to know the odds of my getting over the trait is slim to none.
Seventh, I decided I'm already not looking forward to January and New Year's Resolutions. Just so you know.
Eighth, I think that people who dread being called to serve in the church nursery either haven't actually been in the nursery before, or they are not seeing the great potential that is there. I mean seriously. How bad can a calling be when you have the parents take care of any diaper issues, you take kids to their parents if they are being overly upset that day--both of which means that you really only get to have the good part of playing with little kids--happy and dry and non-stinky--and you get to sing songs, play with toys, color, and--hello--eat snacks. C'mon. Seriously. It is a primo church calling.
I am not in nursery right at the moment. I am in YW. Not a bad gig either, but 16 and 17 year old girls tend to frown on their adult leaders breaking out into 'Once There Was a Snowman'. I have found they are fine with being offered mini-marshmallows or goldfish crackers though. :)
Ninth, what is hotter? A man in a tux, a man in a military/police/firefighter uniform, or a man giving out free chocolate. Not just any chocolate...but your very favorite kind? Just wondering.
Tenth, there are a few videos/movie lines etc. that can make me laugh just thinking about those particular scenes. Some like in the movie 'Night Shift'--that I can't actually see again since I've given up on 'R' rated movies, but it is still one of my favorite comedies of all time--when Michael Keaton's character yells "I'll save you Chuck!" and belly flops off the balcony. (You had to be there). I like things that make me laugh. I've shared these two things before, but I figure if you've read through this far you deserve a little humor too. The first is a link to one of my all-time favorite Barats & Bereta clips from YouTube and the second is the German Coastguard thing that cracks me up when I remember the punch line. So enjoy.
And thanks for putting up with 10 rambling topics. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1-M5Ze0p8
Well, actually I guess I do believe a whole month can pass without me posting...truth is that I can't believe the entire month (and most of November) has past. Period.
This time of year seems to pick up serious speed. I wonder if I would get Christmas shopping done early if the Oct.-Dec. time period would slow down a bit.
Since I don't see me actually getting Christmas shopping done before December 24th, I probably will never know the answer to that question. Oh, well.
My reconstruction surgery is scheduled for December 17th...so I guess I'd better start figuring Christmas out a little sooner rather than later. I don't think my kids will be that thrilled if I tell them my new boobs are their Christmas present this year too. I can see how well that conversation would go over... ;)
Here are some catch up topics I wanted to touch on that have gone through my head at least twice these past couple of months:
First, I want it on record that I personally think the health care issue thing about not getting mammograms until age 50 is retarded. If I had waited that long I would be looking into mastectomy, chemo, the works. There has to be a happy medium for the higher-ups. Or they need to put a woman on their panel. Either way is good. Enough said.
Second, Montana is a lovely State. We went there last weekend for my nephew's non-farewell and non-open house. He entered the MTC this past Wednesday and will be going to Costa Rica. He is excited. Great kid.
I thought that I would freeze in Montana in November, but actually Utah right now is colder than Montana.
Third, I could go my whole life and not have to spend an aimless hour and a half driving around Idaho Falls again. Been there, done that. On the way home from Montana we stopped at the Walmart in I.F. and bought a fuse for the converter thingy (yes, that is the technical term) to the power do-hickey (not the technical term, but it should be) so that the kids could continue watching movies on the way home from our trip and the parents could maintain some semblance of normalcy. Then we found out that Wendy's closes early in IF. And we drove around looking for another fast food place. Seriously took waaayy longer than it should have. And it put is home at 2 a.m. instead of midnight like we had planned.
Fourth, have you ever looked back at what you had or didn't have your kids involved in and wondered where you went off track? I remember when I first got married and though about having kids, I pictured my daughters all taking dance and playing soccer (I took dance from the time I was 3 until I was 16...and I've played--and still play--soccer forever), and my sons would be involved with baseball and soccer (husband is the baseball guy, and again me with the soccer). I also thought my kids would love horses just because I do--having owned horses and having been able to ride since I was 3, and because my husband also had a horse growing up).
I know those aren't huge problem type issues, but I really pictured those things being part of our lives. Soccer is, so I guess you can see where my real priorities have been. But my kids have never taken a dance lesson, my older son played 2 years of baseball and that is all, my youngest hasn't ever played; my oldest daughter is actually afraid of horses--which is actually what shocked me into this direction of thought. Some of my most fun times were with horses. My first date with my husband was me taking him riding through Snow Canyon when we were both at Dixie College. I feel like I've cheated them out of something. I'm sure they don't mind at this point, but when I was first married I would never have thought that 18 years later I wouldn't have dancing baseball playing kids.
I'll get over it eventually. It is just such a weird thing to me.
Fifth, have you noticed that you look better in some mirrors than others? Maybe it is just me--okay, most definitely it is just me, but still...--It might be the lighting, it might be the actual mirror itself, but some mirrors I look at myself and think "Huh. Not too shabby today", others I have an almost uncontrollable urge to give myself the wink and the gun, and then the evil mirrors that make me look like a 41 year-old housewife (oh, wait...that's what I am....dang). I was thinking that if I could figure out what makes the wink and the gun mirror work the way it does, and then make that work the same way in a camera--I'd be set for life. Because honestly, even if I pass a wink and gun mirror and then get my picture taken...photo ends up looking like I got ready in front of evil mirror. Why can't someone invent a camera that REMOVES 10 pounds instead of adding it?
Sixth, here is another thing I have always found myself doing. I want to decorate my house more. I want nice paintings, etc. So I go look at home decor places or boutiques and look around. And I see a lot of things that I could totally do equally well if not better (in my humble opinion), so I don't buy any of the paintings, etc. But the key here is that I don't actually go home and make them myself. So just because I CAN do something better, doesn't usually (ever) mean that I will actually DO the thing. So my house isn't decorated like I'd hope because I'm too vain to buy something I think I can do better, and yet also too lazy to just get off my backside and do it. Which is an annoying trait to realize I have. And it is even more annoying to know the odds of my getting over the trait is slim to none.
Seventh, I decided I'm already not looking forward to January and New Year's Resolutions. Just so you know.
Eighth, I think that people who dread being called to serve in the church nursery either haven't actually been in the nursery before, or they are not seeing the great potential that is there. I mean seriously. How bad can a calling be when you have the parents take care of any diaper issues, you take kids to their parents if they are being overly upset that day--both of which means that you really only get to have the good part of playing with little kids--happy and dry and non-stinky--and you get to sing songs, play with toys, color, and--hello--eat snacks. C'mon. Seriously. It is a primo church calling.
I am not in nursery right at the moment. I am in YW. Not a bad gig either, but 16 and 17 year old girls tend to frown on their adult leaders breaking out into 'Once There Was a Snowman'. I have found they are fine with being offered mini-marshmallows or goldfish crackers though. :)
Ninth, what is hotter? A man in a tux, a man in a military/police/firefighter uniform, or a man giving out free chocolate. Not just any chocolate...but your very favorite kind? Just wondering.
Tenth, there are a few videos/movie lines etc. that can make me laugh just thinking about those particular scenes. Some like in the movie 'Night Shift'--that I can't actually see again since I've given up on 'R' rated movies, but it is still one of my favorite comedies of all time--when Michael Keaton's character yells "I'll save you Chuck!" and belly flops off the balcony. (You had to be there). I like things that make me laugh. I've shared these two things before, but I figure if you've read through this far you deserve a little humor too. The first is a link to one of my all-time favorite Barats & Bereta clips from YouTube and the second is the German Coastguard thing that cracks me up when I remember the punch line. So enjoy.
And thanks for putting up with 10 rambling topics. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1-M5Ze0p8
Monday, September 28, 2009
Update on Me
It is official.
I no longer have cancer.
I'm not done with reconstruction...but the cancer has been removed completely with something as "simple" as a mastectomy.
I had it a little easier than some. I won't need radiation or chemo. All the test results came back that they got all of the cancer and it had not spread or moved into lymph nodes.
Everything moved so quickly from getting the mammogram to having the surgery--July 23rd was the mammogram, Aug. 26th was mastectomy surgery--that it has taken awhile to really sink in that I just kicked cancer's butt.
I have learned a few things through all this.
One: I have pretty fantastic friends and family and neighbors. Everyone has been supremely supportive and helpful. I have been given the luxury of not having to worry about my youngest kids after school or dinners for my family for the three weeks following surgery because of volunteers who wanted to help.
It is actually pretty humbling to see everyone around so willing to serve and go out of their way so that I can get back to normal as soon as I can. There really isn't anything more surprising to me than people actually saying yes when asked if they can watch three 5 year-olds for 3 hours after they get home from kindergarten. And to top it off, they have actually said nice things about my kids after the fact. So either my kids were on best behavior or my neighbors are fabulous liars. :) Either way, I will forever be grateful to everyone and am going to be permanently put on the list on helping anyone else in need in the future. I am looking forward to being on the other end of the service thing.
Two: I have a pretty fantastic community too. School teachers making sure my kids are dealing okay with everything. School administrators letting me get a parking pass for my daughter at the high school even though she is a junior and passes are for seniors, just so she can be mobile during my recovery and better able to help me out. The list is longer, but you get the idea...there are genuinely nice people in this world.
Three: I still really need to work on showing gratitude. My whole life I have had a hard time showing excitement about anything. At birthdays, Christmas, baby showers, etc. I have had to psych myself up to force a cheerful expression. On the inside I can be happy and grateful, but I've always had trouble showing it on the outside. So I tend to come across as not very grateful or excited, which is usually far from the truth. Which probably makes all of the above mentioned genuinely nice people maybe not quite as thrilled about giving me service. It is hard to serve people who give the impression of maybe thinking that service is somehow 'owed' to them. Which is how I am afraid I come across sometimes...although that is far from how I actually feel.
Well, that was depressing enough.
I just want to thank everyone who has asked about me, prayed for me, thought about me, helped me. Even if I haven't demonstrated sufficiently enough, I am grateful. You have all cheered me up, eased my mind, and helped me in more ways that I can count.
For a physical update on me, I am almost done with the tissue expanding part of my reconstruction. My surgery to complete all this is scheduled for December 17th--mainly because I really want to get it done before the end of the year so I don't have to cough up the insurance deductible again--but also because it will make it easier for family to shop for me for Christmas :) I'm getting new boobs for Christmas so I've got bras and shirts on my list. :)
The feeling is coming back in my chest--the nerves are healing and putting themselves back together--which means that I actually have more pain at the moment after each tissue expanding appointment than I did after the mastectomy surgery. Which is unpleasant. But I should only have one or two more of those appointments left since I am close to the size I am shooting for.
Everything seems to be going well. No more cancer and a bra size I never in a million years would have thought I would wear without dr. assistance--and since that wasn't ever happening as an elective surgery (I'm not a fan of pain, even for vanity), I'm perfectly fine with this being my 'silver lining'. If I had to get cancer, at least I get a bigger chest out of it. :) I do wish my nerves decided to take longer to heal so that I couldn't feel this expansion thing quite so well, but I can't have everything.
So thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers. They were felt and needed. And even if I don't look it on the outside, on the inside I am filled to the brim with gratitude and appreciation for you.
I no longer have cancer.
I'm not done with reconstruction...but the cancer has been removed completely with something as "simple" as a mastectomy.
I had it a little easier than some. I won't need radiation or chemo. All the test results came back that they got all of the cancer and it had not spread or moved into lymph nodes.
Everything moved so quickly from getting the mammogram to having the surgery--July 23rd was the mammogram, Aug. 26th was mastectomy surgery--that it has taken awhile to really sink in that I just kicked cancer's butt.
I have learned a few things through all this.
One: I have pretty fantastic friends and family and neighbors. Everyone has been supremely supportive and helpful. I have been given the luxury of not having to worry about my youngest kids after school or dinners for my family for the three weeks following surgery because of volunteers who wanted to help.
It is actually pretty humbling to see everyone around so willing to serve and go out of their way so that I can get back to normal as soon as I can. There really isn't anything more surprising to me than people actually saying yes when asked if they can watch three 5 year-olds for 3 hours after they get home from kindergarten. And to top it off, they have actually said nice things about my kids after the fact. So either my kids were on best behavior or my neighbors are fabulous liars. :) Either way, I will forever be grateful to everyone and am going to be permanently put on the list on helping anyone else in need in the future. I am looking forward to being on the other end of the service thing.
Two: I have a pretty fantastic community too. School teachers making sure my kids are dealing okay with everything. School administrators letting me get a parking pass for my daughter at the high school even though she is a junior and passes are for seniors, just so she can be mobile during my recovery and better able to help me out. The list is longer, but you get the idea...there are genuinely nice people in this world.
Three: I still really need to work on showing gratitude. My whole life I have had a hard time showing excitement about anything. At birthdays, Christmas, baby showers, etc. I have had to psych myself up to force a cheerful expression. On the inside I can be happy and grateful, but I've always had trouble showing it on the outside. So I tend to come across as not very grateful or excited, which is usually far from the truth. Which probably makes all of the above mentioned genuinely nice people maybe not quite as thrilled about giving me service. It is hard to serve people who give the impression of maybe thinking that service is somehow 'owed' to them. Which is how I am afraid I come across sometimes...although that is far from how I actually feel.
Well, that was depressing enough.
I just want to thank everyone who has asked about me, prayed for me, thought about me, helped me. Even if I haven't demonstrated sufficiently enough, I am grateful. You have all cheered me up, eased my mind, and helped me in more ways that I can count.
For a physical update on me, I am almost done with the tissue expanding part of my reconstruction. My surgery to complete all this is scheduled for December 17th--mainly because I really want to get it done before the end of the year so I don't have to cough up the insurance deductible again--but also because it will make it easier for family to shop for me for Christmas :) I'm getting new boobs for Christmas so I've got bras and shirts on my list. :)
The feeling is coming back in my chest--the nerves are healing and putting themselves back together--which means that I actually have more pain at the moment after each tissue expanding appointment than I did after the mastectomy surgery. Which is unpleasant. But I should only have one or two more of those appointments left since I am close to the size I am shooting for.
Everything seems to be going well. No more cancer and a bra size I never in a million years would have thought I would wear without dr. assistance--and since that wasn't ever happening as an elective surgery (I'm not a fan of pain, even for vanity), I'm perfectly fine with this being my 'silver lining'. If I had to get cancer, at least I get a bigger chest out of it. :) I do wish my nerves decided to take longer to heal so that I couldn't feel this expansion thing quite so well, but I can't have everything.
So thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers. They were felt and needed. And even if I don't look it on the outside, on the inside I am filled to the brim with gratitude and appreciation for you.
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