Friday, November 20, 2009

Just Dance

A new thing around here, Dance as found in my everyday life
Every once in a while I'll show you how it looks.
Here is the first installment

Dance at work

Niece and nephew dance


"The body says what words cannot"
One of my favorite sayings goes like this:
"Dancing is like singing a song, except I get to use my whole body."

So, just dance.




Indeed.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Now that's what I'm talking about

Another day, another team, another outcome.

Tonight was the marching band banquet. I'll post pictures at a later date. It was an amazing banquet to top off an amazing year. But I want to talk about the team I had to help me with the banquet.

First is the band director. We sat down with the budget in hand and decided what we could afford to do food wise. Decoration was totally up to me. Once upon a time, I did party decorating. At that time I told him that as long as I had a student in the band, I would decorate for free, but when I didn't have a student in the band- he had to pay me. So the decoration budget is only limited by my time and money. Which this year were both at a premium.

Anyway, food was planned and part of it was ordered to be picked up today. I met with my committee and we kicked around ideas for themes and decorations and discussed how much time we all had to devote to each item. We came to an agreement on decor and who would do what. I told them that I probably would not send out reminder e-mails, so unless they told me otherwise, I was just going to assume they would follow through.

And they did.

I went to the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang this afternoon. Parents were there waiting for me. So were band members. They came and went in shifts. They covered the tables with paper. They set silverware and napkins on the tables. They put food in the warmers and set up the serving area. More food was delivered.

Dessert was donated by Kneaders.

Because the show the band did was music from Cirque de Soliel, we went with a circus theme and the colors were taken from the color guards flags- black and yellow. All I did was blow up balloons and put them together as bouquets.

At one point I said, "We should have done popcorn and peanuts. That would have been fun." One of my committee members was headed to the store to grab something for her. We had 90 minutes and everything was done. When she got back she had 1 lb of peanuts, which we scattered on the tables. She also had a couple bags of pre-popped popcorn and Jiffy Lube of Linden had donated popcorn bags. Then she dished the popcorn into the bags and we had them during the video recap of the season. It was a big hit.

After the banquet? I gathered the flowers off of the table and went to put them in my bag. I turned around and the tables were almost all cleared off. So I went into the serving area, picked up the 4 dessert boxes, took them to the garbage can, turned around and the rest of the serving area was almost cleaned up. I put the left over ham onto plates for the committee to take home and they had finished clearing everything else. So I headed back into the eating area. All that was left was to sweep. The band director walked in with three brooms and they were claimed by parents before I could even move.

The entire banquet area was cleared and cleaned in less than 20 minutes! The only thing I had to do the entire evening was blow up those balloons and then return the paper roll and cart to my office.

How do you thank a committee like that? They were amazing and I am thankful for their help.

Oh, and if you live close to Utah County, get a copy of this week's Timpanogos Times. Read page 5.



Indeed.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Done

Not much to say tonight except,

I am so glad that class is done and over with!!! I changed learning teams for this class to help out another class mate. I now know why no one wants to be on this learning team. Can I just say, If you tell me I will have your part of the group project by 8 pm Tuesday so I can compile it and turn it in by 9 pm Tuesday, DON'T WAIT UNTIL 4:30 ON WED TO GIVE IT TO ME!! because I will turn everything except your part in on Tuesday at 9 pm as agreed.

AND if you say you can meet at 5 pm to do a quick run through of the oral presentation- THAT IS OUR FINAL GRADE, don't breeze in at 5:30 and then spend the next 20 minutes running off your individual assignment, finding out what chapter tonight's test is on, and deciding where you are going for dinner during the break!

Because that oral presentation tonight? I am not a happy woman.

Because I will be mad and when it comes my turn to give you your group grade, it won't be 4/4.

And that is a promise.



Indeed.

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PGHS marching band- not marching



PGHS performs in the PGHS Got Talent competition





Indeed.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Take Note

Memo

TO:Self

RE:For future reference

When you are working full time and going to school full time, do NOT volunteer to be head of the committee in charge of the marching band banquet. Especially when said banquet is held the day after the last day of class. The day after you have a test on 5 chapters of reading. The day after a 6-10 page paper is due along with 6 lesson plans and a group oral presentation.

Memo

To: Trevor

RE: Thanks

Thanks for cooking supper and doing the dishes tonight while I finished my paper. I appreciate the help and I was in bed before midnight. First time in the last 6 weeks.



Indeed.

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Today

This is for my friend. Today is the anniversary of the day her son left this life. She is a very strong woman. I can only imagine the pain and emptiness she has felt in the last 4 years. Has it really been 4 years?

I never wrote about this before. It was too painful, too personal, too emotional, too...... But today, Today I thought of him again and knew I had to write it down.

The phone call came from another neighbor. My first thought, well wasn't really a thought because I could not process what she was telling me. Hadn't he just been at my house 2 days before? In my garage helping Donovan with his car engine rebuild? Wait, What? I don't understand what you are telling me.

My second thought was, "Oh man, I have to call Donovan and tell him. I don't want to call Donovan and tell him."

Third thought, "Now I have to tell the rest of the kids. Why do I have to be the grown up? I don't want to be the grownup any more." But I told them and then we had to deal with the fact that it was Young Men/Young Women night and I had crying grieving children, a 6 year old that really didn't understand what was going on, dinner cooking, and an intense need to go to his parents.

I called Donovan, or Kristina, I don't remember who I ended up talking to. Either way it was not a phone call I wanted to make, as they were all three friends and class mates. I think the kids and I prayed, I don't remember, but would like to think we did. I turned off dinner, sent the older kids to YM/YW, where a loving leader helped Jessica make it through the evening because she really should have stayed home. Her grief was almost overwhelming. I packed a back pack with quiet toys, books etc for Brandi and we went up the street to his parent's home. And I just sat with them for a while.

It was a hard time for us, but I am sure it was even harder for his parents. I cannot even begin to understand the trial of burying a child.

But let me tell you about my freind's son. As a young boy he was full of mischief. If there was something going on, he most likely was there. But it was never malicious mischief, just boy full of energy mischief.

But he was also one of the most polite young men you have ever met. He was a loving caring person and would bend over backward to help you out if you needed it.

He once told me he wanted to be an architect and described some of the things he wanted to design and build. And he could have to.

The thing I miss most about him is his laugh. He had the best laugh in the whole world. And he laughed with his whole heart.

I don't know the answer to why he had to leave this world so early, but today, friend, know that you are loved and I am thinking of your family today.

(I am including this video because everytime I hear it I think of him)






Indeed.

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

Personal Horn blowing ahead

I stole this whole post from LDS Publisher. But I can totally justify it, I am too lazy to write my own and copy and paste all of the links and stuff. Mostly because my e-mail program is all wacked out and it would take more brain power than I have right now, but also because it is just easier this way and she has written it so well. And with a title like this book has, well it was just begging for a stolen post, wasn't it?

Pre-order your copy now!

Title: Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season

Author: LDS Publisher, ed.

Publisher: LDS Publisher*

Release Date: November 21, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-931858-16-8

Size: 108 pages, 6x9, softcover

Genre: Christmas Short Story Collection

What happens when you’re so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful—there’s a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Featuring LDS authors:

Roger Bonner
Don Carey
Laura Craner
Joyce DiPastena
Sarah M. Eden
L.T. Elliot
Gussie Fick
Melanie Goldmund
M. Gray
Taegyn Hutchinson
Angie Lofthouse
Lori Nawyn
Tristi Pinkston
Brian C. Ricks
Sandra Sorenson
Janice Sperry
Christine Thackeray

Stolen Christmas will be available for order through Amazon.com on November 21st or you may pre-order copies through LDS Publisher now. Pre-orders are expected to ship on or before November 28th.

Indeed.
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