Reflections

It's Saturday morning.
The house is still quiet,
mostly.
Mr W. is in bed still,
with the Ninja Baby
and Boofus and The Caboose--
all whispering and occassionally giggling.

I can't tell what they're saying,
but it sounds pretty good from where
I'm sitting.

We have the Ninja baby down here
this weekend.
He is a drug for whatever ails you,
I swear.

We're getting ready for an overdue
Saturday breakfast.
Since my new job,
we haven't had a really good one
in at least a month and a half.
Being in the Working Mom class,
has cut into my life
interrupting the sweet things
and stealing away moments like
Gollum eating Frodo's crackers...
sneaky and unapologetic.

But today I'm off.
And tomorrow
n' Monday.
Three whole days to relish
"Home"--
to talk and laugh with my yahoos.
To sit on the edge of their beds
while they clean their rooms.
Did you know that just doing that one thing
gives my yahoos motivation to clean?
I don't know why,
but it works, it does.
It's like soul-therapy--
they talk while they clean
and I listen with both ears.

Which I don't always do--
listen with both ears, that is.
But today and tomorrow
I am.
I'm honing in on my yahoos voices
with my mother-heart,
and try to hear everything they're saying
and everything they're not.

This will be a weekend of healing
for this Working Mom.
It's long overdue for all of us.

I need to reconnect with these wonderful souls
I'm sharing this journey with--
to knit and weave the little blemishes
that daily life
and separation cause eruptions.

Unfinished sentences and thoughts
will be given priority--
I have nowhere else to go today.
Nothing is more important than the words
my family wants me to hear.

This is who I am.
This Mother-gig I have going,
the Nurturer of the home.
That's Me.


MMMM...I hear the crackling of bacon cooking
and the smell is wafting up to the loft.

Let the healing begin.

Trick or Treating on the Sabbath?

Every 7 years there's a bit of noise
in the cultured Universe about
Halloween being on a Sunday.
The dilemma, of course,
surrounding whether or not
people of faith
are going to participate in the
"trick or treating" celebration
or not.

I've lived in communities as a child,
where we simply moved the holiday to the
Saturday night,
and that was accepted by the community.
But that's not how it is here.

We have had this conversation in our own home
only 3 times with my yahoos.
(Remember,
my oldest is 27 and my youngest is 9.)
We don't trick or treat on the Sabbath.
We just don't.
We do have opportunities to celebrate though,
by going to our Church's
Trunk R' Treat during the week ahead,
and on the Sunday Halloween,
we'll make caramel apples or popcorn,
or some other treat
and we turn off our porch lights
so that our neighbors know
we're not participating in the
trick r' treating that year.
This year.

I'm not worried about offending my neighbors.
Those that know us,
know why.
We believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy.
We treat it differently every other week of the year--
my kids don't play on Sunday.
Sunday is Church and Family Day.
Just because a holiday falls on it,
doesn't change
how we honor the Sabbath.
This is how I "mother"-
I don't want my kids to rationalize away
what
"Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy"
means,
just like I don't want them to use the phrase:
"Everybody else is doing it!"
or
"You let us play last Sunday!"

Nope,
that's just not an argument I want.
It is unnecessary.
What we're talking about is pretty benign:
playing dress-up and going around to get some candy.

Well we did that already this week at the church party.
And the kids are having a party today at school.
Then on Sunday,
we'll have special treats with the family.

I think that's enough.

And I also look at it like this is just
One Halloween Sunday in the
Trick or Treating Life
of my yahoos,
maybe two
ever.

My oldest kids survived skipping it,
with no apparent damage to their self-esteems
or egos,
and maintained their neighborhood friendships
just fine.
So I think our family philosophy works for us.
And I don't have any negative feelings about those
whose philosophy differ.
That's what so cool about choosing your own standards--
you get to decide what they are in the first place
and how you want to live them.

These are our standards.
This is who we are.
 It feels good to have these small defining moments
come along once in a while
that encourages us to review our choices
n' see if we still feel the same way.

What's the deal in your family?
Inquiring minds wanna know.

I found another link about this same topic
you might enjoy too.
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/18016/Tiffany-Gee-Lewis-Is-the-Sabbath-day-trick-worth-the-treat

CSN Stores: A Giveaway for the Holidays!

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Just in time for the holidays,
have I got something awesome for you!

So this is the deal-io:
CSN in all of their magnanimosity
has given me a fantastic opportunity
to bestow
(don'tcha love the word "bestow"?)
a sweet online gift
to one of you,
my super
wonderful
awesome
Friends!!

It's worth 75-buckeroos
to use as your heart desires
on their fantabulous website!!

I love Free Stuff.
Well, good free stuff anyway.
And CSN has lots of cool stuff!

So what must ye do to toss your hat into the mix?

1- Follow, Follow Me. I want a year long commitment. Just profess your undying devotion 
2- Tell Your Friends on your Blog about the contest with Pizzazz and lots of exclamations points!!!!
3- Leave a comment.Come back and tell me you did it ANDDDDD
4- In the comment, tell me what you'd like to use your $75 on at CSN Stores.com.
5- G'head n' take a look, I'll wait.

This could really help out with Santa's list this year!!
ready. set. go.

Contest ends on Friday, November 5th. Winner will be chosen randomly. Many will enter, One will Win!
And as always, we thank you for shopping at JCPenney, where fashion comes to life.  
Oops.  JCPenney has nothing to do with this.
Thanks for shopping at CSN!! Ya'll come back now, y' hear?

Brett Favre and Me: Leaving a Legacy

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, 

and only one bad one to lose it." - 

Benjamin Franklin

I've been thinking lately--

well, as much as my noggin will allow, right?--

and not to get morbid here,

because some people don't like to think of 

their own mortality.

But I do, 

and I've been wondering what 

my personal "legacy" will be

when I've cashed in my chips,

taken a dirt nap,

passed on,
kicked the bucket,

departed,

taken a trip to the

Garden of Sleep...

well, you get the picture--

what will be my legacy,

my reputation?

What will my yahoos tell their yahoos

about Dear Ol' Momza?

I bravely put the question out there

this past weekend,

here are the responses:

Nana: "I'm not talking about this. It makes me sad."

Daisie: "My Mom was nuts."

Joseph: "You're awesome and you're not dead. Can I go play now?"

Ari: (puts her arms around my neck) "That I love you. No fair that Joe gets to play,

can I go to Natalie's?"

No help.

I tried calling Dani and David Scott to ask them,

but they didn't answer.

And when they called me back later,

I forgot the question.

Oh well.

What got me really thinking about

legacies is the word

"reputation"--

as in a person's reputation

and what that means.

Ben Franklin got it right.

We're all innocent until proven otherwise.

We all have a great reputation until we don't.

Brett Favre.

I'm not a big football fan.

I endure football season because my Mr. Wonderful

IS a football fan.

My one contribution is Super Bowl Sunday cupcakes.

no kidding.

But I know who Brett Favre is...

was.

As far as I knew 

he was a family man.

a Christian.

a Granpa.

And there's something about him being a really 

good

Quarterback for a zillion years in there too.

And being a really good Quarterback,

I'm sure he has said "No" to many temptations

in his life.

I'm sure he has turned his head,

closed his eyes,

locked his heart,

and walked away

from temptations more than we will ever know.

Until he didn't.

And now he has another reputation.

This one he didn't want.

This one that pains his wife and family.

This one he probably never thought he'd have.

And that stinks.

He changed his own legacy
and not for the good.
What can he possibly do now
that would blot out this stain on his reputation?

Whatever he does,
it'll always be in a foot-note in every article
that will ever be written about him.
No matter all the good he has done,
the charities he's contributed to,
the repentance he offers,
it will be there like a bad penny
always showing up at the bottom of my purse.

Which makes me grateful
I am just a speck on this earth.
I'm not going to be on the five oclock news--
unless my house burns down
or I'm found wandering around,
clueless to my own identity,
chompin' on a Three Muskateers
and wearing my underwear over my clothes.
"Woman Found Eating Chocolate and Wearing Only Her Underwear--next on NewsFour!"


Hey, it could happen.

Okay, back to the point--
I've made mistakes.
If my kids were being honest,
they have alot on me--
the good
the bad
and the ugly.
Who I am now,
is not the same person I started out as...
I've evolved.
I've read books about parenting,
wife-ing,
Live-ing,
Choos-ing
and Own-ing my life.

And while I wish I could've absorbed every good thing
I've ever read and made it apart of me instantly,
I'm sorry to say that only a fraction actually took root
and that stuff took awhile to grow
and even longer to blossom.

I'm not perfect.
Sheesh.
I hate that word.
I am not even nearly perfect.
And yet,
I hope that the legacy that is left
when the dust settles
and the stories are passed down
from one generation to the next,
that if my name is ever mentioned
it will to the tune of:
"Youre just like your Granmomza--she was so fun."
or
"That was Dawn's favorite hymn."
or
" Mom loved pie."
or
"Remember that time when Mom dropped the whole pan of spaghetti sauce and it
exploded everywhere?"
or
"Mom always chose her Super Bowl team by their jersey colors, and that's how she chose Super Bowl cupcakes too!"

I don't know.
That's really kinda naive to think of only the positives.
But, as Joseph put it so well,
I'm not dead yet.
So there's still time to make amends for my flaws and flubs
and hopefully,
they'll just be footnotes in the legacy I leave.

On Brett Favre,
I hope he makes his life right again.
He's got alot of work to do.
That's something he and I have in common:
We both have time to do it.


What about your legacy?
Any thoughts?

The Myth of The Perfect Mother

Shawni over at 71 Toes 
hits the nail on the head today.
Go. Read. Your mother heart will be glad you did.

What's Kickin' Around My Noggin

First,
I appreciate so much your words of concern
for my human experience in memory loss.
I did absolutely nothing yesterday aside from making my bed.
I rested.
And ate leftovers.
And napped.

Today is a new day
and I feel more clarified (? is that really a word?)
I feel better.
So thank you thank you thank you!!!

Tonight is trunk r treat at the church.
Ari wants to go as a "Baby"...she really wants to wear
her footie-pajamas
and the Boofus wants to wear his Sunday suit
and go as a "Business Man".
So grateful these yahoos are going simple this year.

We still haven't replaced the main floor television.
I don't know if I want to.
Initially,
it was a "crisis" when the old one died--
there was much
weepin', n' wailin' n' gnashing of teeth.

But now,
the house is quieter.
Kids are actually reading,
playing with their toys,
hanging out in each other's rooms,
and in general, being civilized.
Which is always when the yahoos
act civilized, yes?

The behemoth is still sitting there.
ded.
D-E-D. ded.
I don't even know what we'll do with it
once we replace it.
I don't think I can sit it out on the curb?
Idunno.

I got a bill from the public library yesterday.
A bill.
for books that we checked out probably 2 months ago.
for $161.00
no kidding.
The books were returned last Friday,
before we got the bill,
but still.
I flat -out forgot to return them.
Heck, I forgot that we even had them.
Nana's the one who took 'em back for me.
It's probably time to just cancel our cards--
I really can't be forking over late fees for library books.
That's just stupid.

It was 27o here last night.
Twenty-seven.
When the Caboose heard the mountains got snow
she lamented this morning,
"Where's our snow?"
It's coming, little girl, dontchu worry about that.
The heater is officially "ON"...
about stinkin' time too.
It's the end of October!
Bring on the SNOW already!
I'm just kidding.
a little.

Elections.
Am I the only one who is so
sick
sick
sick
of the political commercials?
They're pathetic liars.
Whomever is in charge of each candidates' PR
should be fired...
cuz they couldn't sell cocaine to a drug addict.
I mean,
the good people of our country
are looking for some sound, honest citizens to
lead US,
represent US,
occasionally look over their shoulders
back at US,
but my land!
who can tell if there's a leader like that
in our midst for all of the contention,
mud-throwing,
pure ugliness,
that pollutes our airwaves and our minds??

Where are the Good Guys in the white hats??

I know of only one race where I will vote with a clear conscience:
that's the Mayoral race here in Colorado Springs.
We know one of the candidates, Brian Bahr.
He's as good as they come,
and an easy pick in my mind.
He has absolutely no political experience,
but he has other qualifications and a sound character
that I can trust.
N' for that, he'll get my vote.

What else?
I'm down to a 4 day work week.
Whew. I feel better already.

Also,
after watching "Julie and Julia",
I thought I'd like to do something
for 365 days and blog about it.
Here are some of my ideas--
don't steal them, okay?:
365 of Tortillas
365 of Spinach
365 of Random Acts of Kindness
365 of Not Cooking
365 Days of Not Making My Bed
365 Days of FlipFlops
365 Days of Oprah

That's all I've got so far.

If you were going to do a "365-Days-of-Something",
what would you do??
Inquiring minds wanna know.
So Spill It.

Of Brains, Whispers, and Gratitude

Where to start...

So I have encephalopathy
which affects my short-term memory.
This, you know already.

While it used to freak me out
and I mean
freak. me. out.
when I couldn't remember ordinary things
like my address
my phone number,
where I was going in the car--
all momentary lapses,
but still.

Nowadays,
I just give myself a minute to relax
and most of the time
my rolodex brain brings forth the lost information.
Or
I just give myself permission to not
know
and go forward.

The neurologist (took me 3 tries to get that spelling right--
I forgot about spell-check!)--
anyway,
the neurologist says there's nothing we can do about
whatever's going on in my brain,
but we established one trigger--
being tired.

I started working almost 2 months ago.
No, I can't recall the actual time--
it was around the time the yahoos
went back to school,
so I'm guesstimating here.

The job, it turns out
is more stressful than
one can imagine.
It's been in a state of transition,
as it moved from one location to the next,
new management,
new merchandise,
new procedures--
it all adds up to alot of stress.
Which, in my case,
adds up to less sleep.
=
blank spots in my memory
and
affects my speech
and now I notice,
my typing.

This post has taken me longer
than normal
because my fingers go all wonky
and it looks like a 2 year old's been
pounding piano keys.

Anyway,
there's a point to this--
Saturday at work,
it was super busy
because we had a
TENT SALE.

I was supposed to count the cash drawers out--
I counted one twice
and thought I'd counted the other one
once.
At the end of the day
however,
the numbers weren't adding up--
that's when I realized that
perhaps
just maybe,
my count had been off.

I wracked my brain
over and over.
Then my good friend, Kelly
asked me,
"You did count that, didn't you?"
I stood there, thinking as hard as I could,
and my rolodex brain just froze.
Nothing there.
But I couldn't think of a reason WHY
I wouldn't have counted both correctly,
so I said, "Yes."
But then, something I hadn't expected happened--
the Spirit said,
"No, you didn't."
I was filled with a horrible feeling.
Did I or didn't I?
Didn't I count them both?
I had written my count down on a peice of paper,
but someone had tossed it out.

So I couldn't really remember what the count was
and feel certain.

By the time I got home,
I sat in my driveway, nearly in tears.
How could I NOT have counted correctly?
For Pete's Sake,
I've been a bank teller.
I know how to count in and count out a drawer.
I tried to imagine what was in the drawer
that morning.
I could only remember that there were 114 ones.
114 ones?
Who keeps 114 ones in a drawer?

Nobody.
That's too many.

And what about the other drawer?
How much was in that one?
How many 20's?
nothing.
How many 1's?
Quarters?
Nothing.
It was then that I realized
I hadn't counted the other drawer at all.
And my heart sank at the realization
I had lied.
Not by design, but still.


I went inside the house,
and life took over the rest of the day.
At evening,
I told Mr W what happened,
and he says stuff like that happens all the time
and I shouldn't be so hard on myself.

Yeah, but it doesn't happen
or I should say,
didn't happen
to me.
Until now.

I asked for a Priesthood blessing
yesterday,
while our Home Teacher was here.
I really need the Lord's help with this trial.
In the blessing,
I wasn't told it would be healed.
I wasn't told that this is temporary.
I was told to lean on the Lord.
To ask for help from others.
To not listen to the voice of discouragement,
that that voice is not the Lord's.
I'll do fine in my job.
and the blessing that means so much,
that I'll remember my family always.
That last little part,
spoke to a real deep concern of mine.
I worry that one day,
I'll wake up
and I won't know my family.
So to have that fear assuaged
was such a tender mercy to me.

And now that I've had some time
to reflect on this,
there's something else I hadn't expected:
that the Lord was already guiding me
and speaking to me in the midst of this trial.
The fact that the Spirit spoke to me in the first place
and I heard it.
I am not alone in this human experience.

So this morning, my friend and manager called
and I told her what really happened.
My confession was met with understanding and support.
That's what makes her my friend.

I am feeling better.
My speech got a little off late last night--
Words wouldn't come out normally,
I had to "dig around" a little to find them.
I had a little vertigo this morning,
but I'm here.
And I know all the names and faces of my children today.
Can I just say I'm feeling very grateful for that
and not sound cheesy or melodramatic?
I am Grateful with a capital "G".

I know my struggles could be much worse.
I'm grateful this is all I have to deal with,
and I'm not alone in it.

Quiet Blogging

It isn't that I've had nothing to say.
and
It's not that I've not wanted to share it.

My brain has been foggy the last few days
and I'm just not getting the words out right
or typing them either.

Just tired.

A Real Few Days

Jen over at Denton Sanitorium invited her readers
to share the "Real Deal" of our lives--
I think I do this most of the time here at
Momza's House,
but loved her invitation so much,
I'm joining the party today.

Daisie went to her Homecoming Dance.

She found the dress THAT day.

It was 22.00 at Macy's.

It was also immodest, with a one-shouldered strap.

So Nana and I raced all over town looking for an appropriate

cover-up and found this one, one hour before the dance.

Nana fixed Daisie's hair. "Fixed" meaning wadding up into a knot. 

Where I spend most of my day-- 

grateful

but no fun.

truth.

 *****

Nana's Bday yesterday--

she and I spent the day together,

lunch

shopping

catching up.

Then in the afternoon,

 Pics were taken, and the birthday dinner commenced to being made:
Diana chose one of her favorite casseroles that I make,
and everyone got involved.
That's Joseph sitting on the counter, peeling shrimp.

 The Ingredients

 The birthday girl and helper with the finished dish:

   Rich Seafood Casserole

1 ½ lbs. unpeeled, large shrimp*

1 ½ c. dry white wine

¼ c. chopped onion

¼ c. fresh parsley sprigs or celery leaves

1 TB. Butter or margarine

1 tsp. salt

1 lb. bay scallops

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 c. half-n-half

½ c. (2 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese

1 TB. Lemon juice

¼ tsp. lemon pepper

1 (7oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 c. soft whole wheat breadcrumbs

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. almonds**

2 TB butter or margarine, melted

Hot Cooked Rice

Peel shrimp & devein, if desired. Set aside. * Easier: use ready-to-eat shrimp.

Combine wine & next 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to boil.

Add shrimp & scallops; cook 3 to 5 mins. or until shrimp turn pink.

Drain shrimp mixture, reserving 2/3 cup broth.

MELT 3 Tb. Butter in Dutch oven over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.

Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Gradually add half-and-half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add Swiss cheese to sauce, stirring until cheese melts.  Gradually stir in reserved 2/3 cup broth, lemon juice, and lemon pepper.

STIR in shrimp mixture and mushrooms.

Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11X7- inch baking dish. (If desired, cover and chill overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 mins before baking.)

COVER and BAKE at 350o for 40 minutes. 

Combine breadcrumbs and next 3 ingredients; sprinkle over casserole.

BAKE, uncovered, 10 mins.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Serve over hot cooked rice.  YIELD: 8 servings.

** optional

 King Sooper's made her dessert of choice:

Now, while I was busy posting this blog--

here's the reality check:

ARI: "Mom, I need a magazine for science today."

"We don't have any magazines. Wait, what about the American Girl one you got yesterday?"

ARI: "NO! I'm not taking that--we're gonna cut it up!"

The she brings me "The Friend"--

"What about this?"

"No."

**

"Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom."

"Yes?"

nothing.

"Yes? I'm listening--?"

nothing.

"Mr. Hinkle saw what you wrote in my planner, 'bout the scouts thing,

and he wrote back, 'cool'."

***

::::dog whining in the background::::

"Will someone, has someone...fed the dog this morning?"

::dog continues to whine from her crate:::

(she's been let out already, but gets into things still,

so unless we're all paying attention, 

which we are not in the mornings,

she stays in her crate)

"Has anyone fed the dog yet?
Anyone?"
Joseph: "Uh I think, yeah, I did."

****

"Did you brush your teeth yet?"

Ari: "I just had orange juice, it's gonna be gross."

"You still have to brush your teeth."

Ari: "ugh."

"You have to."

Ari: :::Whining:::

Her Golden Birthday!

Twenty years ago

today,

I woke to the first frost of the season

in Spartanburg, S.C.

and to my water breaking

just as my feet hit the floor

that morning.

A great thrill 

went thru my whole body

as I realized 

this baby was coming on her

due date!!

It was a short, easy labor

and before I knew it,

there she was!

My sweet little girl,

Diana.

So to Celebrate,

here are 20 Random Things

about my Nana-doos:

1-At One Year Old, she'd crawl to her bed, 

hold up her arms, 

to be picked up and put in it to go to sleep. 

She never cried about taking naps either.

2-At 2, she liked to wear costume jewelry every day.

3-On her 3rd birthday,

we gave her a playset of "The Wizard of Oz"--

when she saw the witch, she yelled, 

"The Witch? You got me the witch?!"--

then tossed the witch across the room!

4-She was terrified of helium balloons until she was close to 4 years old.

5-At five years old, she hated spiders. She also hid poptarts under her pillow, as well as other treasures, away from her siblings. I loved making her bed in the mornings, because I knew there was gonna be a surprise under her pillow!

6-At six she loved school and her best friend was Hilary.

7-At 7, she loved the green fields of Wales and the Beefeaters at the Tower of London.

8-At eight years old, she was baptized.

9-Her comfort foods include: mashed potatoes and sushi.

10-She wore braces for two years.

11-She loved her 4th-5th grade teacher, Mrs. Gutekinst.

12-She played handbells in elementary school.

13-Plays piano now.

14-She would walk quite a ways down the way 

to walk by a particular boys' house. She thought I didn't know.

15-As a freshman, she won an audition for a High School production by singing,

"How Can I Not Love You?" from Anna and the King.

16-At 16, she worked afterschool and on weekends when Mr. W was outta work.

She bought her own homecoming dress for $4.99 at Ross!

17- She loved her Seminary teacher, Brother Fuhr, at Eagle HS in Idaho.

18-She still loves to sing. And was invited to be in her high school's production of

"Singin' In the Rain" by the drama teacher but declined so she could focus on her senior year grades.

19-Last year has been one wild year. She has been a nanny, going to school, dating, and progressing.

She is set to go to BYU-Idaho in January (Business Admin)

and hopes to begin a mission this time next year.

20- She loves her family. And especially her nephew, Garrett.

Happy Birthday, My Nana.

Make It Do, Make It Last, Make It Over or Do Without

We have this idea in our house
that you have to identify
NEEDS VS. WANTS.

Most times,
the call is evident regarding
a
Need
and
a
Want.

Like new shoes
a new coat
stuff like that.

Not on the list of needs?
Ipods
Ipads
and a host of other things that
saturate the airwaves these days.

I look at things and think:
"Am I being a responsible steward,
if I spend money on this?"

I know it's cheesy.
Archaic.
Dull.

Yet, that's the message in my head.

So,
getting to the point,
we have a dinosaur TV.
It's a behemoth,
n' bulky
and unbelievably heavy--
nothing like those
sleek
plasma
Hi-Def
LED
LCD
LMNOP
TV's that taunt me , I mean, my yahoos
whenever we're at Best Buy
with their 55 features
and magnificent color.

I've been telling the yahoos
that we don't need
one of those
awesome things
because the one we have
works fine.

But guess what, chicken butt?

The ol' box
up and died on us
last weekend.

I am so stinkin'
excited

sad.
sad.
sad.
so much.

Thoughts On Trials

Hey!
I'm over at my most Favorite place today!
http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/2010/10/sign-on-shore.html

I'm Really A SAHM at Heart

I started working full-time
six weeks ago.
Since then, I've learned alot of things--
first off,
working full-time really cuts into my LIFE.

I miss being home when the yahoos get home.
I miss lazy mornings of puttering around the house,
running errands
going grocery shopping before 8pm
Knowing exactly what the yahoos are doing in school.
I miss being the SAHM where the neighborhood yahoos
come to play.
Staying up later than 9pm.

I bought a pair of those Skecher shoes
with the uneven soles--
so my dogs wouldn't ache so much
from being on them at work.
One hundred dollars on shoes
that
are
not
cute.
There's something wrong in the Universe
when a woman spends that much money
on a pair of
un-cute shoes.
Even if I did have a coupon.

I haven't cooked a family favorite meal
in weeks.

Not good.
So totally not good.

I work with a great friend.
And someone who is not a great friend.
That stinks on ice.

I like a professional environment.
I am not a good audience for drama queens.
I've got teenagers if I want drama, right?

And mi familia has noticed my
absence.
And they are cranky about it.
As much as I might enjoy where I'm spending
my time--
it is no substitute for my love of home and family.


Every day I look on Realtor.com--
why?
Because that's the whole reason I'm working--
to buy a house next summer.
Looking at homes online
motivates me
reminds me
to look past the stuff I don't like
about working out of the home.

That in the longrun,
this will be a blessing for me and my family.

This week,
I am going to make a family favorite meal.
I am going to leave work on time.
I am going to sit with my kids and listen to them read.
I am going to go to the Church for
mutual
and
scouts
and
activity days.
I am going to make time to putter.
I am going to sit and be still and listen
to my own heart.

Inspiration...Right here

http://sarager.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-choosing-faith-makes-impact-by.html

Go. Take your Cup. It will be filled.
Promise.
Promise.

Dear Family:

They say
By their fruits ye shall know them...

 I'm just going thru our picasa file and found all these ... um, fruits??

And I'm just wondering, mi dear familia,
what kind of fruits are you??

And you even influence your friends....

And missionaries...

and college classmates...

and more missionaries...

How do you do what you do, so well?

I just can't figure out where you kids get this from?

A Day To Remember 10-10-10

It's 10-10-10 today.
Which I think is kinda cool.
In honor of this cool day,
I am sharing a special review I've been asked to
participate in...
CSN Stores has invited me to review
a product of my choice from their
many
many
many
awesome websites...
I looked over them all

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be a stylish handbag, a chic bar stool or even cute cookware!

And after much
oogling
and ohhh-ing
and ahhh-ing
I chose this
Cuisinart Elite 4 Cup Chopper/Grinder - CH-4DC
So when it arrives,
I get to try it out!
I've always wanted a Cuisinart.
And my current food processor is outta comission
on account of my dropping the bowl and
breaking it.
So we'll see if this fulfills all of my cuisinart-food-chopping-and-grinding-dreams.

Thanks CSN!!

Sucking it up in the Dentist's Office

This morning I went to the dentist sans children.
It was my turn to get my teeth cleaned.

I love these kind of appointments.
You know, where I am alone.
A L O N E...

While I'm in the waiting room,
I read all the latest gossip rags
that I would never buy,
but secretly devour.

Did you know that Amy Grant and Vince Gill
like a good argument now and then?
That she hates to clean and cook
and he can have a hot temper?

Or was it the other way around?

Anyway, it's stuff like that
that I need to know,
like important stuff, right?

So the dental hygenist came out and called me
before I could finish reading about
some other starlet who wonders how long her
light will shine before dimming to a spark.

Meh.
I was ready for my turn.
Like I said,
I love getting my teeth cleaned.
It's like getting in a bed
with clean sheets on it...
so nice and crisp and tingly.

The one thing I find awkward is
the obvious:
trying to carry on a conversation
while someone is digging the gunk
outta my teeth with a pick axe.

The conversation is forever being interrupted
by the cleaning,
which is,
I know,
the point of the whole gathering--
but I can be a Chatty Cathy sometimes--
I know, it's hard to believe,
but there you have it.
And the constant scraping
swishing
spitting
sucking
is disruptive at best.
OK OK
so there is a POINT to this
and here it is--

After the hygienist finished up,
I had some time to wait before our
awesome Dr. Rogers could come in and
examine my chiclets;
so she sits me up,
and points out the magazines
for me to choose if I want to,
to pass the time away.

I look over and all there are
are four National Geographics
and one O (for Oprah--the TV celebrity, not our dog).
I half-want to choose the O magazine,
but it's really 15% content and 85% advertisements,
AND truth be told,
reading National Geographic magazine makes me
feel smarter just looking at the pages.
Don't judge.
Aww, g'head, judge away.
I'm old, I've got nothing to hide at this point.

So I choose a National Geographic.
Flipping thru the pages
I come across the fantastic photography,
interesting stories about forgotten cultures,
and then,
I stopped skimming when I came to a story
that choked me up...
there I sat in the dental chair,
with tears welling up in my eyes
and a lump in my throat.
tears, people.
in the dentist's office!
And not because I was in pain!
No, because I'm a boob!

Thank goodness for a spark of clarity
that summoned my senses to the present situation--
I heard the dental hygienist coming
and knew Dr. Rogers was with her...
they could not see me in tears,
I told my self:
Suck it up! Dawn. Man, you're such a boob.


And I did.
Until I got to the car,
and then I just let myself feel a little sad
about the story,
and felt a little guilty for the privilege
of having my teeth cleaned.
It's such a luxury, you know that, 
right? 
Man, I can't take me anywhere.
I shoulda brought the kids.
Is this what happens when you get old?
Weepy n' stuff?
Sheesh.

HEY! I'm Over Here!

I'm being featured over at one of my most favorite places today!

Check out the Mormon Mommy Blogs!

Where I've Been and What I've Been Doing Pt.2: Making Progress

So as promised, 

here are some peeks at the progress

our designers have been making in the 

new

All About Home 

design center...

Take note and what you'll see is very vibrant colors...

lotsa RED and YELLOW and BLACK

And notice the use of BIRDS...

not on the fabric, but in the accessories.

Remember, birds are a trend right now,

so keep it simple.

Also, LIGHTING is way important--

always have a variety of light sources in each room.

 Use accessories that add "punch" to quote Karen.

 That's our builder guy...lovin his work!

 NUMBERED THINGS ARE A TREND TOO RIGHT NOW

We're not done yet...but it's coming together!