Regret

I regret to inform you that my motivation didn't last long.  Guess you must have figured that out.

Since it has been quite a while, I would like to share a few things. . .

First,

there are no words to describe the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets near my home. 

Second,

there is a roadrunner living in the windowsill of my garage.  We call him Reggie.  My husband thinks it may be Regina.

Third,

my first born returns from his first semester of college in one week.  Is it just me or did he just graduate from high school one week ago?

And lastly,

speaking of my first born. . .you may be interested to know that he has been called to serve here!

Motivation

I finally put my finger on it.  I'm not motivated.  Good thing Dr. Oz set me straight.  While recently watching his show he spoke right to me when he explained you have to act first, then motivation will follow.  I mistakenly thought it was the other way around. 

I gave it a try, with things like exercise, eating right, and even posting on my blog.  Turns out, he was right.  As I make an effort, motivation kicks in and sees me through.  Not only that, but I'm motivated to act again.  Genius. 

Be Strong

"Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."  Joshua 1:9.  This is the Young Men and Young Women theme for the 2010 year. 

I think of this scripture often and it reminds me that I'm not alone.  It reminds me that my children are not alone when they are away from me.  It reminds me to be brave and stand up for my beliefs.  It reminds me to take heart in each new day and opportunity I'm given.  It helps me negotiate life. 

Aha!

I figured it out.  It hit me yesterday.  When my father died, I quit journaling.  I didn't want to write it down, or express my thoughts about it.  Too difficult.  Time slipped away and it was years before I started jounaling, now known as blogging, again.

So every day for the last week I've logged into my blog, but refused to write.  Then the Aha! moment hit me.  My first born has left home and I really don't want to talk about it.  Too difficult.  I realize a bird has left the nest and others will soon follow.  I realize I'm getting older.  I realize bigger moments like missions and weddings are literally right around the corner, and I just don't want to talk about it.

So I won't.     

Obstacles

 
I'm out of rhythm.  Can't seem to find a routine.  Every day is a different wake up time.  Don't know when to schedule in exercise, scripture study, or blogging.  I'm still reacting to everything as it hits me, instead of preparing for it's impact or perhaps even preventing an obstacle from slapping me in the face.  I'm hoping time will help me sort out our new routines. 

In the meantime, I wish my college boy was scheduling time for blogging.  He could write of funny stories that happened on campus, or detail what he ate for dinner last night, or acknowledge if he has clean clothes to wear or talk about obstacles he has to overcome.  I'd be a "follower" for sure, never miss a post, and maybe even make an occasional comment.  But since it's time to officially cut the apron strings, I'll settle for the occasional phone call.  I'll climb the obstacle that is called letting go.

Two Items of Business

Item One:

I was a substitute teacher for first grade today.  At the end of the day a child said to me:  "Mrs. Clark, you are so weird.  Promise me you'll never come back."  Nothing like a slice of humble pie. 


Item Two:

My son leaves for college in the morning.  Nothing like two slices of humble pie in one day. 

Press Forward

Phineas and Ferb are always telling me "there's 104 days of summer vacation. . ." but we only got 80.  My kids have already put a big, red X over 8 school days and only have 172 to go.

Schedules are crazy again.  Nights are short.  Days are long.  But there's one thing I have decided I must do, and that is press forward.  As Timon once said, "You got to put your past behind you."  You must learn from the past, mind you, then continue to press forward.  There is always hope in a new day.  Most things in life, dare I say all things in life, can be overcome. 

So as Kuzco and Pacha once said before they fell over a waterfall with sharp rocks at the bottom:  "Bring it on."

 

I Swear It's True

The Washington All-Star boys of summer made their way to San Bernardino today to compete in the Western Regional Baseball Tournament.  One of those boys happens to carry my DNA.

He called tonight to say they'd arrived safely.  Then he asked, "Mom, is this heaven?"  And I replied, "No, it's Iowa."

Kidding.

He actually said, "Mom, this field we're gonna play on is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. . .
besides you."

I swear it's true.

Reflection

It's been a year since I had to brace my emotions and brace my son physically.  It's hard to believe we can put a big red X over the past year.  Only five more to go.  I have to say it's certainly gone smoother than expected, and that is due mostly to my son's positive attitude.  I'm so thankful for his discipline and courage. 

Reflection of the past year reminded me of the time I ran into my husband's grandmother in the church hallway one Sunday afternoon.  She asked what we were doing in town and I told her my sorrowful scoliosis news while fighting back tears.  When my story was complete she continued on her way and said, "If you're going to have kids, you're going to have trials."  I was left with an open mouth, fully expecting sympathy - not sound advice.

The past year has taught me that a grandmother who's had her share of trials in a lifetime (like losing her husband in a plane crash shortly after she had their ninth child) knows what she's talking about.  Life is full of trials and the key to getting through them is positivity and hope.

I hope for a time when we can give the brace the boot.  Until then, we'll continue to slap the brace on and slap a smile on our face while we're at it.   

It's Done

 
I did it. It's done.  Finally.  Remember this post from January? Well I just now got around to opening the box and getting out those plastic gloves.  Only I didn't use them.  I wrapped a towel around my shoulders, gave the plastic gloves to my 10-year old daughter and told her to "go nuts."

Know what?  She did a great job!  My husband came home from work and didn't even notice I had washed that gray right out of my hair - which is a good thing because it means we matched my natural color really well AND that my gray wasn't so obvious that coloring it made me look different.  Exactly what I was hoping for. 

I also got a coupon from Great Clips in the mail for a $6.99 haircut so I cruised on over and got some layers to improve the curliness of my curls.

Amazing what you can do with a five dollar box of color and a seven dollar haircut.  Negotiation IS the name of my game (even if it does take me six months to get it done). 

Soda and Chocolate

 
Anyone who knows me knows I have a hankerin for the sweeter things in life.  As proof, I must tell you that once a Relief Society sister called to ask me if I would lead a group of women in early morning exercise.  I respectfully declined the invitation but offered to lead a group of women in the early evening who wanted to eat treats.

My treat of choice for the past 25 years has been soda, Coca Cola to be exact, and chocolate.  Recently, June 10th to be exact, I gave up caffeine and haven't looked back.  It was a healthier choice I felt I had to make.  Chocolate, however, is still on the menu (in moderation of course) and perhaps can even do me some good?

Just to mix things up, I threw caution to the wind while driving through Sonic and mixed my two favorite things:  soda and chocolate.  That's right - Sprite with chocolate flavoring.  And you know what?  Mmmmm, mmmmm, good.  It was very Sprite-tasting with an after taste of chocolate.  Right up my sweet tooth alley.

Venus

Our move brought us to a home that is nestled against a hill.  The bonus of this is that there are no homes behind us - only hill and sky.  The sky makes for enlightening entertainment on summer nights, especially since my son recently acquired the Star Gazer App on his phone, making it possible for us to identify stars and constellations.

The star that is most easily identified each night is Venus.  It's always there - always bright - no matter the weather, no matter the night.  (Hey - that rhymed!).  So as we sat gazing last night I offered a bit of motherly advice to my children.  I advised them to be like Venus, which is to say: reliable, radiating light.  And seeing as advice is defined as "a recommendation offered as a guide to action," it's my hope that seeing Venus in the sky will always be a call to action - a call to love.  Venus is, after all, named after the Goddess of Love.

Finally

Summer FINALLY arrived at my house last Wednesday.  It came with a 7 AM morning temperature of 74 degrees - but because summer had arrived I didn't meet it until I woke up at 9 AM at which time the temperature had risen to 79.

Summer's arrival was official because the day was wide open.  No plans, appointments or ballgames.  A leisurely morning turned into an hour of toastiness pool side.  Lunch in town, an Orchard Salad, followed by downtown window shopping.

My favorite part of the day was dinner.  Pandora boasted Michael Buble and the likes (Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Norah Jones) while we cooked and danced around the table.  Chicken Supreme was our main dish with crusty french bread and fresh peaches.

After dinner we made a quick run to the nearest gas station for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and licorice to snack on while watching America's Got Talent.   And when the sun had FINALLY gone down, we sat on the back porch and star gazed into the beauty of a sky untouched by city lights. 

Welcome summer.  Feel free to stay a while.   

Free Candy

So there we were, the Detroit airport, making our way from one gate to the next for our connecting flight home.  I was in "hurry up" mode and had gotten quite a ways ahead of my husband and son.  Because of the distance I'd gained I could not hear my husband calling my name.  After several attempts of trying to alert me that I was losing them, he hollered "FREE CANDY" and stopped me dead in my tracks. 

My first thought was, "I hope it's chocolate" as I turned to see who was giving out free candy.  Then came the realization that there was no free candy as I saw my husband and son laughing at knowing me all too well.  I moved to the "stand" side of the moving walkway and waited for them to catch up.  We made our way to the gate and because we made it in plenty of time I rewarded myself with a Mrs. Fields cookie, or three, I forget.   

Sidetracked

My family had a laugh last night at my expense.  It seems I had gone to get a band-aid for my husband's blistered feet (football camp) and never came back.  On my way to the cupboard for band-aids, I stopped to put in a load of laundry, then wipe down the kitchen counters and soon his poor feet were the last thing on my mind.  He accused me of having a Homer Simpson moment - like the time Homer knew the guy his sister-in-law was about to marry was a fake but instead of objecting, this is what happened. 

In fact, it's funny because as I put the laundry in (instead of getting band-aids mind you) I remembered that my son had asked me for a book earlier.  Two days earlier. But I got sidetracked.  You might wonder why my husband didn't get his own band-aid, and my son his own book.  Afraid the blame lies with me.  You see we've recently moved and as I'm unpacking I'm easily, well, shall we say, sidetracked.  So the band-aids and books and other things are in random locations that only I know.

So the order of the day will be organization!  I'll put everything in the place it should go, right after I check my email, pay some bills, fold some laundry, do the dishes. . .

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Wear your sunscreen.  They've been warning us for years.  I never listened.  I'm a quick tanner, inherited it from my dad.  He used to get so dark in the summer that he told me he was an Indian.  I believed him until I was old enough to figure it out (last year).  So imagine how silly I felt holding my husband's hand in the dermatologist's office while they cut off a piece of his face containing basal cell carcinoma.  Me with a golden brown tan, and a doctor with several assistants looking at me thinking "you'd like to be next would ya?"

So I'm turning over a new leaf.  Sunscreen has become part of the morning routine.  Carnation Instant Breakfast, allergy meds, sunscreen.  It's taken some getting used to.  I have to admit I love the way I feel/look with a good tan.  But I'd like the next 40 years of my life to be as cancer-free, not to mention wrinkle-free, as possible.  I figure one of the best ways to negotiate life is to eliminate as many negative variables as possible.  Sunburns are one negative variable I can actually do something about.  Now if only there was a way to eliminate dirty dishes.  

Post Script:
After writing this post I ran into town.  I ran into a friend of mine who has been battling cancer for years now.  Not the cancer that gets cut off, but the cancer that grows from the inside out.  My heart sank as she revealed the cancer is not going away.  I bought her a soda and we drank to tomorrow.  It's my hope/prayer that she'll have many more tomorrows.  It's my hope/prayer that I'll always have the gratitude in my heart that I felt tonight.  Gratitude for good friends and gratitude for the opportunity to negotiate life. 

Absence of Schedules

So lately just living my life requires negotiation.  I haven't spent a solid day in my house since we moved in June 1st and summer began.  We've been living our life out of suitcases, mostly due to baseball related travel.  I was starting to get a little irritated, thinking I haven't even had my swimsuit on yet and it's going to be the 4th of July next week.  In fact, I'm still not completely un-boxed and don't even know if I could find my swimsuit if I tried. 

Then it hit me, summer is the absence of schedules.  I'm gonna stop looking for the lazy days of summer and start enjoying the fact that we run like the wind all day and fall into bed at night when PM is turning into AM.  I should be glad that I haven't had a regular trip to WalMart for groceries since June 5th.  Soon enough I'll be buying chips and drinks for school lunches and once again we'll be living our scheduled life like clockwork. 

I'll enjoy my days spent soaking up sun at the ballpark and eating snack shack hot dogs for lunch.  Bring on the days scheduled according to game time - not work time.  And here's to you Mr. Portable Toilet Cleaner Outer  - since summer is the absence of regularity - we appreciate your service - even though we throw back ice-cold ROOT-beer with our dogs.

Its A Small World, After All

Here is a list of cities I was in this past Friday:

Cooperstown, New York
Palmyra, New York
Syracuse, New York
Detroit, Michigan
Salt Lake City, Utah
Provo, Utah
Saint George, Utah

Here is a list of people I ran into in those cities:

Cooperstown:  A high school friend I haven't seen in 20 years.
Palmyra:  Former next-door neighbors.
Syracuse:  Baseball teammates
Detroit:  A former co-worker
Salt Lake City:  Former next-door neighbors parents.
Provo:  In-laws.
Saint George:  Three children who missed their parents for eight days.

I'm Lovin It

A few things I'm lovin in New York:

My hair.  The humidity has given my curly locks some stupendous ringlets.  I could do a great rendition of "The Good Ship Lollipop."  Darling.

The scenery.  Green, rolling hills are a beautiful sight and they go on forever.  Love the vintage homes.  Unbelieveable. 

Fireflies.  Never seen one before in my life, until yesterday.  Amazing.

The food.  Deli's, Pizzarias, and Bakeries, oh my!  Tasty.

Quality time with my husband.  Precious. 

Afternoons at the ballpark watching my boy play.  Thrilling.   

Opportunity for more of life's negotiations.  Awesome.

Busy

Busy watching baseball games at Cooperstown Dream Park.  Busy eating glazed donuts from Schneider's Bakery as suggested.  Busy eating pizza from New York Pizzaria.  Busy strolling the halls at the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Busy congratulating the Red Dirt Boys on their win.  Busy loving life.

I Knew You Could

At my son's graduation the valedictorian did not recite a long, boring speech.  Instead, she read a darling children's book that I loved so much I went out and bought it.  If you've got a minute, I'd like to share it with you.  If you're pressed for time, or your visiting teachers are knocking at your door, I totally understand.


I Knew You Could - by Craig Dorfman

I knew you could!  And you knew it, too --
That you'd come out on top after all you've been through.
And from here you'll go farther and see brand-new sights.
You'll face brand-new hills that rise to new heights.

I wish I could show you the stops that you'll visit,
But that isn't my choice to make for you, is it?
Instead, I can tell you some lessons and tales
That I've learned and relearned in my time on the rails.

First of all, you must find your own track,
So you can start right away and not be held back.
But which track is yours?  Well, that all depends
On which way it's going and where it might end.

Different tracks wind around,
over, under, and through,
So pick out the one
that works best for you.
Though the track you start out on
will feel like "the one,"
You might take a few more before you are done.
And now, with your eyes on your new destination,
Start up your wheels and roll out of the station.

On your new trip, you'll make plenty of stops,
In deep river valleys and on high mountaintops.
Some will surprise you and some will be planned,
And you'll roll through each one saying, "I think I can!"

You'll go through tunnels, surrounded by dark,
And you'll wish for a light or even a spark.
You might get scared or a little bit sad,
Wondering if maybe your track has gone bad.

So here's some advice to help ease your doubt;
The track you took in must also go out.
So steady yourself and just keep on going -
Before you know it, some light will be showing.
And then you'll be out, heading to a new place.
You'll be ready for the next tunnel you face.

Sometimes you'll look up and see planes in the sky,
And you'll think to yourself, "I wish I could fly."
The cars on the roads will seem quick and free -
You'll feel stuck on your track and think, "I wish that was me."

But the plane might wish he could get out of the air,
Saying, "I wish I could travel like that train down there."
The cars will watch as you speed right along,
And they'll say to each other,
"Look how fast and how strong!"
Don't worry about not being a car or a plane,
Just enjoy the trip you'll take as a train.

Don't be afraid to toot your own horn,
If you need to be heard or there are people to warn.
Or if being yourself just makes you so proud,
That you want to share it and sing it out loud.

You'll follow your track
through twists and through bends,
And stop at new stops and pick up new friends.
They'll all come aboard with smiles and greetings.
You'll have such great times
with the people you're meeting.

On the days when you're sad and feel you can't go,
Speak up and ask a friend for a tow.
That's what friends do, so don't be afraid.
You'd do the same if your friend needed aid.

You might stop at some stops that you never have toured,
And look for new friends, but they won't come aboard.
So you'll have to head out with a creak and a groan,
Setting out once again on your track, all alone.

Try to remember that the world is so wide,
Full of all kinds of people with their own trains to ride.
Just stay true to yourself as you travel your track,
With no second-guessing and no looking back.

Once you're on the right track, you'll probably say,
"This one is mine - I'm here to stay."
Try to enjoy the track that you choose -
Stop now and then to take in  the views.

If you rush forward, as a general rule,
Before you arrive, you could run out of fuel.
Don't overwork, but save up some strength.
That way, every day, you can travel great lengths.

You'll need all that strength on the days when you're stuck,
Or tired, or sad, or just out of luck.
When your belief in yourself doesn't feel quite so pure,
And your "I think I can" doesn't sound quite so sure.

That's when to push and to strive and to strain,
To show the world you're not a giving-up train.
And you're wise if you know that doing your best
Means that sometimes you should just slow down and rest.

Speeding through your whole trip will bring only sorrow,
So slow down today to be happy tomorrow.

There's more about life that you'll learn as you go,
Because figuring things out on your own helps you grow.
Just trust in yourself, and you'll climb every hill.
Say, "I think I can!" and you know what?
You will!

Kindness and Love

Our family has a motto:  kindness and love.  Kindness and love are the areas in life I hope my family and I will have the most success in.  It's a work in progress.  I'm constantly encouraged by by the kindness and love of family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.  For example:

A sweet someone I do not know sent me her husband's book.  "The Divine Virtues -14 Values To Live By."  Due to time constraints, I've only started to ready it, but I love it and appreciate so very much the thoughtfulness of this gift.

An acquaintance of mine showed up at my house last week as we were moving and offered to bring us dinner.  I didn't know what to say, so I said yes.  Then I cried tears of gratitude.  It was the only home cooked meal we had in a week and it was wonderful.  

A friend showed up during our move with all the seats taken out of their minivan and declared themselves ready to help.  Without them, our move would have lasted several more hours into the night. 

Strangers leave comments on this very blog offering advice, encouragement and prayers.

My husband, children and extended family offer to give of themselves to lighten my load.

These kind acts (and a million more) inspire me to better serve others.  How thankful I am for kindness and love.  

Random

I guess our move scattered my brain along with our belongings.  Here are some random things I'm thinking about:

We leave for Cooperstown, New York this Friday so my boy can play in a baseball tournament.  We will be gone for 10 days.

My husband was just diagnosed with skin cancer.

There are still many a box to unpack lying in random places around the house. 

The only things in my fridge are milk and water. 

What kind of cupcakes will my daughter bring home from the Sweet Tooth Fairy tonight after work?  VaNIElla, I hope.

Will the Celtics beat the Lakers?  Kidding, I'm not thinking about that at all. 

Will I accomplish my list of random things to do today? 

World peace.

Graduation

I'm verklempt.  Talk amongst yourselves.

Sweet Tooth Fairy

If I had three wishes, I'd want them granted by a "sweet tooth fairy."  And it just so happens that the one and only "Sweet Tooth Fairy" is coming to our town, so I'm in luck!  If you read Nie, you may already be familiar with the gourmet bake shop called Sweet Tooth Fairy .  Nie is a big fan, they even named their vanilla cupcake "vaNIElla" in her honor. 

When my 16-year old daughter heard The Sweet Tooth Fairy was coming, she emailed the Fairy and expressed her interest in employment.  I cautioned her that school and dance might be a heavy load in itself, but she was determined.  A few weeks later she was granted the wish of an interview and now she'll be granting sweet tooth wishes regularly and bringing home a paycheck to prove it.  I'm so proud!

So if you're in Southern Utah this Saturday, please come to the grand opening of The Sweet Tooth Fairy and pick yourself up something nice.  After all, you deserve it. 

Apologies

Too late to apologize for my infrequent blogging?  I read somewhere that you really shouldn't apologize for not blogging on your blog - that's boring.  But I do feel bad each day as the time slips away from me while I run here, there, and everywhere.

And another thing, our house looks like a tornado hit it and we must deal with the damage.  Truth is we must box up the damage and move it three blocks down.  Then there's the cleaning in hopes of getting a full deposit back, that part makes me nervous.  Last time we moved our landlord refused to give our well deserved deposit back, so we took them to court.  Many stressful weeks later we got our well deserved deposit back.  I'm hoping for a nice and easy move this go around.

I continue to take each day one step at a time.  It's all I can do, and I hope no apology is needed for that.   

M-O-V-E

M-O-V-E gotta move, gotta move, gotta move.  This is a cheer I used to do in high school.  It was meant to encourage the football team to move the ball down the field.  These days, it is the story of my life. 

The location of our home is usually determined by the University my husband is coaching for.  But occasionally, it has happened twice now, we are forced to move because a landlord has decided to sell the house we reside in.  So, two weeks from today, we'll be three blocks down from the address we currently call home.  We'll also be in a different ward. 

Our family has decidedly embraced change.  We get antsy if we stay in a place longer than two years.  We like the idea of a new home, new surroundings, and new people to meet.  We love the adventure.  It's gonna take some effort, some moving boxes, and a few cleaning supplies, but we'll soon be enjoying life from a new perspective and I can't wait!

Still Swimming

Washer broke and flooded the house.  I'll have to just keep swimming.  Literally. 

Telegraph

Reservoirs of strength getting shallow.  Stop.

To Do list becoming unachievable.  Stop.

Laundry piling up.  Stop.

Refrigerator running low on food.  Stop.

Gas running out of car before payday.  Stop.

Children becoming impatient with post-end of level testing-homework.  Stop.

Made paper chain to summer.  Stop.

Send reinforcements.  Stop.

Lunch Ladies

Sometime during my last year in Elementary school I was assigned lunch duty.  Lunch duty involved a plastic apron, plastic gloves and a hairnet.  It also involved serving food to others, wiping down tables where other people ate (and spilled), and washing off other people's lunch trays.  There's a smidgen of OCD in me that makes other people's stuff a little unnerving.  Handing out milk at the end of the lunch line was the best gig, but one day I was assigned to serve the green beans.  I can still smell those darn green beans.  Ugh!  It's a fact that I still won't eat green beans to this very day.

My fourth grader was assigned to lunch duty last week.  The OCD bug has filtered down to my children so I felt a twinge of concern.  As it turned out, she LOVED lunch duty.  The responsibility, the feeling she was completing a grown up job, the service to others, the authority.  She didn't even mind scraping the mashed potatoes off the trays.  You go girl!

Here's a shout out to all you lunch ladies.  Your tireless effort to serve up food with ice-cream scoops does not go unnoticed! 

Busy

Busy negotiating life today, but I'd still like to make you smile.  Try this.

City Slicker

I've lived in small town USA for a little over two years now.  When we moved here I thought to myself:  "we're going to blow in and out of town before anyone knows we were here."  My thought process was heavily influenced by my husband's professional life as a football coach.  As two years are turning into three I've paused for reflection. 

Last night we spent FHE on the red rocks of Washington, Utah watching a stupendous fireworks show.  The cause for such an occasion was Cotton Days.  When I commented that no one does fireworks like Washington, my daughter responded by saying: "That's because all the city has to spend money on is fireworks and little league."  She could be right.  And since fireworks and little league are two things we love the most, that turns out to be a big bonus for us. 

My small town offers me professionals, like doctors and dentists, who treat me like family.  Familiar faces around town are comforting, like Miguel down at Jiffy Lube.  Roads less traveled offer room for exploration and I've come to find that exploration is enlightening.  Hard to believe, but this city slicker is finding much joy in living a small town life.

Life and Death

 My youngest was recently gifted ten dollars in a card from Grandma Judy.  It's a regular occurrence to open the mailbox and find an envelope from Grandma Judy that has smiley faces, love, and cash inside.  The question was clear:  how to spend the money?

After weeks of pondering options, it was decided.  A fish, because a guinea pig was absolutely denied!  A date was selected when we would actually have time in between obligations to make the purchase.  It seemed the obvious choice to go where we go for everything else in our life:  WalMart.  We could get a fish, a loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter.

A big black fish was chosen and named Emperor Kuzco in honor of our very favorite Disney movie "The Emperor's New Groove."  In the movie, the Emperor is turned into a lama.  In real life, our Emperor turned into a fish floating on it's side the morning after we got it.

The Emperor's death led to a great discussion on life and death.  Then we did what we should have done in the first place:  went to an actual pet store where someone could tell us the best choice to make and give us suggestions for sustaining life.

We've kept our new beta fish, named Inca, alive for three days now and we couldn't be more pleased.  Life is good.      

Go Figure

Yesterday while supervising kindergarten recess I asked a boy not to touch some of the teacher's supplies that were outside her door.  His response was immediate, polite, and came in the form of a question:  "Is it OK if my hand hovers above it?" 

Kids these days.  Go figure. 

Politics

My spunky 16-year old is running for student council.  Things like student elections, cheerleader/dance tryouts and sports tryouts make parents nervous.  But sticking your neck out is good for kids and life lessons can be learned. 

Here are some slogans we've used:

Bark if you're voting Clark!
Don't be left in the dark, vote Clark.
Vote Clark, give PineView some spark.
Make your mark for Clark.

Here are some slogans that got vetoed:

Vote Clark, or get eaten by a shark!
Vote Clark, she's endorsed by Tony Stark.
Vote Clark, you'll be as happy as a lark!
Vote Clark, she'll hit it out of the park.

Perhaps she should just say:  Change We Can Believe In.  That seemed to work. 
 

Carpe Diem

Seize the day.  That's my goal.  More often than not I'm just trying to get through the day.  If I can just get to tomorrow, the weekend, the end of the month.   But I don't want to live for tomorrow.  I want to live today.   Days keep turning into nights and nights into days and I'm left wondering if I just went through the motions.



Not today.  Today I will complement cashiers and fast food workers.  Today I will help a coworker.  Today I will make a meaningful connection with my husband and make time to communicate individually with my children.  Today I will smile and look for opportunities to laugh.

My mom gave me a picture for my home, I'll bet you have one like it.  It says "Live.  Laugh.  Love."  Today I plan to.  She also reminds me regularly that the present is a gift.  Today I plan to embrace the gift.  Today I will find joy in the journey!

Miracle

Miracle is defined as "an extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause."  We experienced a miracle this past Friday. 

The time had come to check my boy's back to see if the brace he wears 18 hours each day is doing what it's supposed to.  It's supposed to keep his curvature from getting worse.  We visited with Dr. Smith and he explained to us that bracing works for 70% of kids who use them.  The other 30% continue to experience more curvature despite the brace.  Oh how I prayed to be in that 70 percentile.  He also explained how bracing can't fix curves, only stop them from getting worse. 

Here's where it gets interesting.  My son's curve has been measured at 33 degrees since it's discovery during his first year of life.  This past Fall we found his curve has worsened to 39 degrees, making the brace a necessity.  So you can imagine my shock this past weekend when his x-rays showed his curve to be 29 degrees! 

I looked to the doctor for explanation.  He had none.  I asked if we could toss the brace in the dumpster on the way out.  He said no.  We'll continue to wear the brace as long as the boy's growing to help prevent further curving and quite possibly to straighten the curve more, even though it's technically not possible. 

Hallelujah is defined as "praise the Lord!"

Cool

Don't know about where you live, but where we live it's warming up.  Matter of fact, we flipped the thermostat switch from "heat" to "cool."  Yeah baby.  In celebration I'm posting a summertime recipe here.  Enjoy!

Dear Old Dad

My dad was the best.  Nicest guy you'd ever meet.  Humble.  Full of love.  How I miss that guy.  He was 53 when we noticed his behavior was a bit strange.  He'd get lost coming home from work, not know how to get familiar places, and forget a lot of things.  Many doctor visits confirmed his diagnosis of Early Onset Alzheimer's. 

It was a difficult diagnosis to come to terms with, especially at such a young age.  Dad called it "Big Al."  He faced it courageously and became my bosom buddy so mom could keep working and provide their income.  For two years we did everything together.  Did I say everything?  I meant EVERYTHING.  It was awesome.  Two years I wouldn't give up for anything.  Difficult?  To say the least.  Rewarding?  More than you will ever know.  At 55 his battle ended and now my bosom buddy is my guardian angel.

Mom wrote a book about "Life with Big Al."  It was her greatest desire, still is, to help others who care for loved ones whose lives have been interrupted by a visit from Big Al.  The book is a diary of dad's decline and ways we coped with it.  It is also a grand expression of love. 

If someone you know or love is negotiating Alzheimer's, feel free to get in touch with the woman I am blessed to call "mom."  You can reach her, and order her book if you like, at her website. 

Just Keep Swimming

The hamster wheel I'm on is going about 90 mph these days.  Here is a list of activities I was involved in last week:

Primary activity
Young Women camp hike
Soccer game
Basketball game
City service project
Senior Ball
WalMart grocery shopping

And that was on Saturday alone.  The other days of the week keep me running just as fast.  In fact, there were a few times last week when I felt like tears were imminent.  It was at those times that these words came to my mind:  just keep swimming.  If you haven't seen Finding Nemo, you can see what I'm talking about here. 

Funny how a quote from a Disney movie came as my inspiration.  But it did.  And I did it, I just kept swimming.  And you can too.  And if you do, relief will come.  Prayers will be answered.  Hard work will pay off.  You will be strengthened.  I promise.

A Recommendation

I'm reading this book because my brother-in-law suggested it.  I think you might like it too.

Icing On The Cake

Sung to the tune "On The Good Ship Lollipop" chorus

He's a good kid,
Alex Clark
Journalism -
where he'll make his mark.
Off to B-Y-U
on a half-tuition scholarship!

I'm bursting with pride for my boy.

Rules To Live By

Lately I've been breaking all the rules, rules I've set for myself to live by.

One rule is bed by nine o'clock.  We're up at five, so early to bed is important.  Lately, little league is pushing back bed time.  I'm also tired of the bed time and feel like I ought to be able to stay up and see who gets voted off Celebrity Apprentice if I want to.  So there.

Another rule is nothing to drink after dinner.  Not talking alcohol here, just liquid in general.  My bladder won't tolerate it unless I want a three AM wake up call.  But I like to have a tall glass of milk with those cookies gosh dang it - so I'm drinking it down and paying the price. 

Next rule, exercise.  Haven't done it in weeks.  Don't feel like it.  Too tired for it (see first rule).  I'll get fit in the summer when I'm not driving kids back and forth to school, dance, basketball, baseball and soccer.

This rule is a biggie, limiting intake of soda.  I don't want to be addicted, really I don't.  But for some reason, Coca-Cola is an emotional comfort for me and if I feel like I want one, I'm having one. 

So now that I can see it on paper (well, the computer monitor) I can see that my self discipline is weak.  I must have caught a little senior-itis from my graduating senior.  Time to take a deep breath, determine to do better, and get it done.  Wish me luck, I'll need it.    

Yes To Carrots

Whenever I endorse a product on my blog I feel like a door-to-door salesman.  Truth is, I'm really just trying to hook you up with a product I use and like, because I use it and I like it and I think you might like to use it and like it too. 

So today I'd like to introduce you to "Yes To Carrots."  Yes To Carrots, according to their website, "combines high-quality organic fruits and vegetables with a special mineral elixir derived from the Dead Sea to nourish and hydrate naturally."  I found Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tint while waiting for a prescription to be filled.  I'd recently lost my lip gloss and my lips cannot go dry in the desert environment I live in.  Well it wasn't long before I was lovin the way my lips felt and even looked while wearing this balm.  I even like the small size because I carry a small purse.

So if you want to say Yes To Carrots, and I know you do, click the pic above and you'll be magically transported to a nifty website where you can purchase your very own balm, lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

Did that sound too rehearsed?  I felt like I rushed it a bit.