Thursday, April 16, 2009

How Deep Is Your Snow?




On a snowy day in March I blogged just how cold & snowy the day was considering the date on the calendar. After all March does boast the first day of Spring.  I must now admit my complaints & sarcasm were premature. It is now April 16 and again we woke up to a boat load of snow. Will this winter ever end? All morning long I thought of sarcastic one-liners to describe snow in April.  Then I reminded myself of a kindly farmer type that once told me, "Spring snow is like a layer of fertilizer." I am sure the snow helps in the greening process, but is anyone else tired of the soft white blanket outside? Sad, but true...in August I will need someone to remind how cold this April snow was as I am complaining of the hot, dog days of August. But at the present time I am keeping my fingers crossed that warmer weather is just around the corner.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Colored Eggs or Colored Walls?



On Saturday while all families with kids were busy dipping boiled eggs in dye...Grandpa & I dipped paint brushes in paint to freshen up a room in our home. Thanks to the generous help of Austin, Amy,  Robby, & Ashlyn we were able to start Friday evening & finish Saturday afternoon. The next day Austin, Reese, Eric, & Robby even moved the office furniture in...Now I need to clean the blind and hang pictures. I hope you all had fun coloring eggs, but I'll admit I'm happy I have newly colored walls!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Thank You....Thank You Very Much!


I am grateful for the many hands that helped prepare for and those family and friends in attendance at Amy & Eric's wedding & dinner. In sending out thank you notes I do not want to leave anyone out that contributed in time, effort, or coin. I appreciate the effort of those that traveled, especially those with children. It is disruptive to schedules and costly. Thank you for your support. The closer to the day, it seemed  more details wanted immediate attention. Thanks to all that pitched in whether it was cooking, cleaning, crafting, sewing, combing kids hair, tending children for long hours, shopping, running errands, melting chocolate, playing a musical instrument, picking up flowers or shirts, etc. As you can see the partial list is lengthy and there was so much more help..too much to list. The important message here is thank you for your help. I couldn't have pulled it off alone and every contribution was valuable making each of you a hero in my eyes.

Give

March 26, 1944  I wonder if any of the people sitting in warm, comfortable homes have any idea what it must be like to be a beggar? Have any of those "good, dear people" ever asked themselves about the lives of poor people or children around them? All right everyone gives a beggar a few coppers now and then. But it is usually pushed hurriedly into his hands, and the door is closed.
We are all born alike; they were helpless and innocent, too. Everyone breathes the same air, a great many people believe in the same God! Everyone is born the same, everyone has to die, and nothing remains of their worldly glory. Riches, power and fame last only for a few years! Why do people cling so desperately to these transitory things? Why can't people who have more than they need for themselves give that surplus to their fellow citizens? Why should some people have such a hard time during their few years on this earth?
The true greatness of a person does not lie in riches or power, but in character and goodness. Everyone is human, everyone has his faults and shortcomings, but everyone is born with a great deal that is good in him. And if one were to begin by encouraging the good, bu giving poor people the feeling that they are human beings, too, one would not even need money or possessions to do this.
Everything begins with the little things. For instance, don't only stand up in a tram for the rich mothers, no, remember the poor ones too. Say you are sorry if you step on a poor person's toes as you would for someone rich. People will always follow a good example' be the one to set the good example, then others will follow. More and more people will become friendly and generous, until finally poor people will not be looked down upon anymore.
How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing the world! Ho lovely that everyone, great and small, can make a contributions toward introducing justice straightaway! Just as with so many thins, most people grumble because they think they receive so little themselves. Open your eyes, first make sure that you are always fair yourself! Give of yourself, give as much as you can! and you can always, always give something, even it it is only kindness! If everyone were to do this and not be as stingy with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world. Give and you shall receive, much more than you would ever have thought possible. Give, give again and again, don't lose courage, keep it up and go on giving! No one has ever become poor from giving! If you do this, then in a few generations no one will need to pity the beggar children anymore, because they will not exist?
There is plenty of room for everyone in the world, enough money, riches and beauty for all to share! God has made enough for everyone! Let us all begin then by sharing it fairly. 

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Tall, Dark & Handsome



I was walking down the hall at church Sunday, when I was stopped by a young woman. She excitedly asked me if my son reffed basketball. I said yes. She turned to the other girls around her & told them she had told the girls at the basketball game that the "hot" one (ref) was in her ward. She was so excited to have a close connection to the "hot" one. It made me snicker.  So word of warning Rob the Ref...the ninth grade girls think you are "hot"! As your mother I prefer to call  you tall, dark, & handsome. I tried to get pictures of Rob in action, but the lighting in the gym wasn't working with my camera. These shots are between games as he sat & chatted with gramps & I.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Laugh Out Loud

I have lost sight of the fact that I started this blog as a journal for myself. I don't always blog events I want to remember, as much as I blog for my audience. Then when I don't get the reaction I anticipate I go through a rejection/unpopular cycle. New rule for myself...blog for myself so I can remember the happy events of my life.  Too bad this won't actually erase the bad hair days of my lifespan so I only have good hair days to remember! So with that preface, last night I had a crazy dream with a large cast which included a few relatives & a bunch of their friends. We were in a large vehicle and there was a lot of stopping with people getting in & out. Those that got out at stops didn't always get back in, but the vehicle was always full as new riders joined us. Fast forward, I ended up in Jennifer's kitchen, which was not her current kitchen,  but I knew I was at her house. I was loading the dishwasher when I noticed a new shelf that had never been there before where I could put glasses. As I was putting dirty glasses on this newly discovered shelf, Jennifer came along & pushed the front of the shelf towards the back & immediately I could clearly see I was not loading a dishwasher, but had somehow confused a shopping cart for a dishwasher & I was trying to load the toddler seat with dirty glasses.  I realize in retelling dreams the personal emotion that accompanies the dream can never be fully shared, but in this case it is the point of my post. As soon as I realized my mistake I started laughing & laughed so hard I couldn't even speak. In fact I think I was holding my breath, because I also experienced the feeling I couldn't breathe...all because I was laughing so hard. It felt so good to laugh. I love to laugh & I love to find humor in the many embarrassing situations I have found myself in. So my question is...have you ever laughed in a dream? I have been very frightened in a dream. I have had lots of crazy dreams where I don't remember having any emotional reaction. I have woken up mad at Bill because of what he did in my dream. I don't remember ever laughing in a dream. I think this is my first laughing dream. Analyzing this dream could take another page or two as I believe dreams are linked to concerns in the brain while we sleep, then the brain tweeks them. But I would love to know if anyone has ever laughed in a dream & if you have how often...maybe we can figure out what triggers a laughing dream, bottle it, & sell it as a cure-all. I woke up laughing & plan to continue to laugh all day! p.s. The shopping cart was blue with white writing on one side, sometimes I dream in color.