Sidetracked

My plan yesterday was to get my Urban Botanic stuff cleaned up, reorganized and condensed in order to get ready to close shop. Then I was going to move all of my beads into that space. In order to move the beads, I needed to condense them into something. I had them in a few misc. containers, but mostly in ziploc bags and those stored in bigger bags.

What really happened is this. After the girls and I went to lunch, we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up some glue. While there I saw an organizer for beads. It has 5 containers for beads, pockets for tools and projects in progress. And the best part, the price was within my budget. So I got it as well. When we got home, I thought I would put all the beads in the containers and have that done.

I got sidetracked and ended up with these:

A set I call Safari

I wore it today and love it

Star Spangled
I had hard time getting a good picture of this one

Then today, Brandi and I had an adventure. Now, when I tell you that I don't go outside during the day from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., I am serious. But today I went out and I have the headache to prove it. So when we got home I didn't finish up in the office, as planned. Instead, I lay down on my bed. Finally the pain is easing up enough that I can do something, and I am using a LOT of UB lotion on the sunburnt parts of my body.

But Brandi and I had a blast and I wouldn't change it because we made some great memories. We took 150 pictures and I will share some of them with you later.

Until then, here is a teaser.

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Indeed.

Jumbled post

*I dreamed I was coaching Brandi's soccer team. That was weird.

*I started a new exercise program today. I used to dance. Every. single. day. This morning I felt like a 5th grade boy in ballet class. And I was glad that there was no one to see me look so stupid.

*My ankle on my right leg is hurting now. I tore all the ligaments and tendons to shreds when I broke my foot a few years ago. I don't know how to help them be strong again. Any new workout is painful for a few weeks.

*I can't take pain killers anymore. They mess with my kidney's creatin levels and my rheumatologist makes me have my blood drawn over and over. But that is better than the alternative.

*The boys are gone at scout camp. They left Saturday and will be home late, late Wednesday.

*My house is quiet. And clean. No dishes in the sink. No laundry piled. No dirt on the floor. I even managed to get all of the cupboards scrubbed off, floor mopped, dusting and vacumming done and there is nothing piled on my table, or in my front entry, or on the table behind the couch. And there are no random dishes in the family room or the office. I think there is a corelation between this and the above fact.

*The girls and I are going to Los Hermanos for lunch.

*When I come home I am rearranging the office.

*Urban Botanic's financial backer pulled funding so we are having to close. If you were thinking you might want to have a party, or get a refill or something new do it before July 31. I will have stuff after that, but I can't guarentee that I will have what you need in stock.

I am reading Home by Marilynne Robinson and it is slow going. It is a good book, but she mostly tells you the story and there are no chapter breaks, so I find a place and stop. But it is still a slow read for some reason. I have read 2-3 other books since I started this one. I checked it out of the library and had to renew it, so if you want to read it do it when you have 1-2 days to do nothing but read. Amazon has it as released this coming Sept., but it is the paperback version.

*I watched a couple of movies this weekend- uninterrupted by Mom, Mom, Mom. I watched:

-Congo- not worth my time sorry I wasted it,

-Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brenden Fraiser and enjoyed it

-City of Ember another good movie. It did remind of The Giver in spots, though.

*I am looking for a good place to purchase unfinished wood bangle bracelets. No one in this county has any so I am going to have to purchase them online. I just wish I could find a good bulk price.

*I need to can these cherries before they go bad. Better get on that as soon as I get back.

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Indeed.

Pretty Flowers

Ok, I am a bit late to the party here, I know. I don't watch American Idol so I missed this song when it was performed in season 8. I just heard it on another blog this morning and thought it was a cute song.

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Indeed.

Strawberry Days 2009

Strawberry Days 2009 has come and gone. I didn't do as much with the celebration this year as I have in years past. I didn't have a booth, I didn't go to the Craft Fair or the carnival. No, I went to class or stayed home and wrote a paper or ate birthday cake and homemade ice cream.

But, I did pin the hemline on the uniforms for the marching band and hem them for the drum line. I did help get the trailer to the end of the parade and then watch the parade and cheer for our band. I even took pictures and film.

Ethan is the sousaphone on the right

Jacob is on bells right behind the other sousaphone. He reminds me of Donovan his first year in marching band.

Jacob on bells and cowbell

Ethan on sousaphone

But Hunter was more fun to watch than the parade

Hunter and Kristina

He was trying to put a flyer in his pocket

Keeping time with a band

Watch to the end, it just cracks me up

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Indeed.

Happy Father's day

Today's post is going to be a repost. Sorry daddy, with everything, I didn't get a card, or a present or anything sent. I don't know when I got so disorganized as to forget to do these things. But I do want you and the rest of the world to know how much I love you and how glad I am that you are my daddy.

My Daddy is my hero. He is not faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or even able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But he is my hero and those are not the kinds of things I need done anyway.

One of my earliest memories of my daddy is him with a horse. You see, he grew up on a ranch, and you can't do ranch work without a horse. Daddy got us all on a horse when we were quit young. However, I am not fond of riding horses. When I was eight years old, Daddy took my younger brother and I with him when he went to do some branding. I don't remember much about the day except it was hot and smelly. I did't like the bawling of the calves as they were worked, but I did understand the reason.

Everett, my brother, and I were taking turns sitting on Dad's horse as the calves were being worked. It was my turn to sit on the horse. Grandpa, my uncles and my dad had a calf down when something spooked the horse. I had no clue what to do with an out of control, bucking horse. I was slipping off of the saddle, pulling the reins tight, scaring the horse even more. The horse started going in circles around and around the branding fire. I was slipping more and more and any minute I would fall and hit the fire. Terror filled me, I knew I was going to die. Then all at once, I was free from the horse and my daddy had me in his arms, saving me, protecting me and calming me down, telling me everything was alright. My hero. (but I never did go with him to brand again and I am not so fond of riding hores anymore even though Daddy made me get back on a horse later that day)

I had a black cat. His name was Sambo. Not politically correct, but it is what it is. I loved this cat and he loved me. He would lay draped on my shoulders as I played outside, or sat and read a book. We were together almost as much as if he were my faithful sidekick, dog. Sambo was not a small cat. No, he was one of those big, full bodied, long haired cat. But he was also a cat that went outside to do his business and roam around, as cats do.

By this time, my dad worked in a copper mine. He carpooled to work. One member of the carpool was his brother, Steven. On the day I am thinking about, Daddy had just been dropped off from work by Uncle Steven. I remember hearing tires squealing and Daddy going back outside to see what had happened. I also remember Daddy not letting me outside to see. When Uncle Steven backed out of our driveway that day, he hit Sambo. It was not pretty and Daddy didn't want me to see. Sambo didn't die right then, he ran off but came back a couple of days later, then ran off and died. But, my daddy tried to spare me the trauma of seeing my beloved pet as he died. My hero.

My daddy played basketball when he was younger. One of my earliest memories is of traveling to the stake center in Mt. Grahm to play in the stake tournaments. Of course I remember my daddy being the best player on the floor. It was through my daddy's love of the game that I grew to love basketball as well. He would often drive me to the highschool games. I am sure, now, that that is not how he would have liked to spend his Friday nights- in town, at the basketball games, watching kids that he didn't know, play basketball. But he did it because I wanted to go. Sometimes I would even be in the student council concession stand working, and he would sit through the game by himself. Other times I would sit with him. I remember one time he cheered a play by the opposing team. When I asked him about it, he said to me "You should always applaud a good play no matter who makes it. The other team works just as hard as yours and a good move is a good move no matter what jersey they are wearing." Always true in all aspects of life, don't you think. My hero.

Also, during this time, my mom was not feeling well and driving us to early morning seminary became too difficult for her. Since my dad works shift work, he was not always able to be there to do it- probably only 2 weeks out of every 6 would that be possible. I was very sad about the prospect of not being able to finish my senior year of seminary. But that didn't happen. Why, because my hero found out that we could do home study seminary with him as our teacher. So besides everything else he had to do, he took on guiding us through our lessons and correcting them so that we could continue with seminary.

My daddy is a hard worker. In late '86 or early '87 the doctors found that my daddy had a rare kidney disease. By the late '90s, he was on dialisis and put on a transplant list. Did that stop my daddy? No it did not. I remember on summer day, he and my mom were up visiting. We were having a family get together and we all gathered at my brother's house. My brother's garage needed a new roof and I bet you can guess who was up there nailing shingles on. Yep, my hero.

Daddy hates hospitals. Hates even stepping inside the front door of them and doesn't do it unless he absolutely has to. When my sixth child was born, my parents were in Utah for the my sister's wedding. They would be stopping in Provo for the night and then on to Logan for the wedding. I would not be going, I had been sick and in bed for 3 months and the baby was born 6 weeks premature the day before they were to arrive. Mom said she would come by the hospital and see us on the way through. However, when she got there and I looked up, there stood my daddy in the door to my hospital room on the third floor. He said hi, and then he and my brother took a walk, but I didn't care. He came to see me. My hero.

When ever my life is getting complicated or confused or I feel like it is spiraling out of control, he is always there for me, to listen to me, even if I am doing nothing but whining and crying, he is there with a sympathetic ear and words of wisdom to guide me through it.

Dad writes poetry. I was going through the many that he has given me and realizing again how much I love this man. How much he has taught me by his life example as well as his words of wisdom. I hope he will forgive me if I use one of his poems to illustrate the type of life he has lived. (it was hard to choose, so many of them that I love)

The Prescription

It's five A.M. I'm up and dressed

And headed out of doors

The day has started in the country

It's time to start the chores

There's cows to milk and horses to feed

And that just starts the day

After chores and breakfast are done

It's time to cut the hay.

Cause you plow and plant and fertilize

Then you have to irrigate

The crops come up; so do the weeds

So you have to cultivate.

There's corn to chop and grain to thresh

And the dogies food to blend

If you're ever caught up with it all

There's always some fence to mend.

And then the pigs will get out of the pen

And go running to the neighbor's

It seems there never is an end

To a country man's labors.

There's calves to brand and hay to bale

You'd take a break if you could

But about the time you think you can

It's time to haul the winter's wood.

Of course the wife is busy too

Helping with all those chores

There's not a lot of time for her

To be settin about indoors.

But when she's working in the house

You know she's also planning

On the winter coming up, cause

It's time to start the canning.

Then one morning when I got up

I didn't feel very well

So my wife took me to the doc

To see what had caused this spell.

Well, he poked and proded, punched and listened

Said there was nothing wrong,

But he had a prescription he'd give to me

That would help me live quite long.

He said it was something simple

I could do it with my wife

If we'd just follow his advise

We could live a long and happy life.

Then when he gave me the prescription

I nearly punched his eyes

Whe he said what you need most

Is to get some exercise.

Gary L. Hulsey September 1992

My dad and mom on their wedding day

I am the baby

Dad and Mom and their first

great-grandchild (my first grandchild)

Nov. 2007

Love you Daddy!

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Indeed.

The fine art of recycling

Huh. Matthew showed me this video which I would upload here but don't know how from this site.

I bet it saves money on choreographers, animators, etc. And I would have never noticed if he hadn't shown me this.

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Indeed.

It's raining... again

Not complaining, mind you. My lawn looks as nice as the neighbor's that waters all day long, every day and I haven't had to pay a dime for it. My garden is growing, but so are the weeds and it hasn't been dry long enough to weed. But that is ok, it isn't blazing hot either so I haven't had to run the cooler.

This is for everyone that would like one day for the ground to dry out, though.

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Indeed.

From the mouths of babes

Yesterday Brandi wanted me to make that chicken dish I made about a month ago. She couldn't remember what it was called but she thought it was chicken alfredo. I could not ever remember making chicken alfredo.

"It's in that healthy food cook book mom. And if it isn't, well you said it was healthy anyway."

I couldn't find chicken alfredo in the cookbook and I was still pulling a blank so I pulled out the weekly menues for the past couple of months. Nothing that even sounded like it could be what she wanted. Until-

Chicken Scallapini? could that be it?

Then this morning I was typing up some notes for tonight's midterm. The radio was on in the background and Brandi was making some blueberry muffins. You Belong With Me by Talor Swift came on the radio. I was ignoring it because it is not my favorite song. Brandi said, "They sure play this song a lot." and then started singing it in that silly make fun of the song voice that she and I use when this song comes on.

Then the second verse starts:

Walkin the streets with you in your worn out jeans

But because Taylor Swift doesn't always enunciate her words but slurs them together, Brandi doesn't understand what she says. So right after Taylor sings the above line Brandi says:
"Mom, what are one eyed jeans?"

I laughed for 5 minutes!

Chicken Scallopini

Saute:

floured chicken strips, turkey bacon chunks, artichoke hearts, capers, mushrooms, onions

Serve over angel hair pasta. Top with

Lemon Butter Sauce

1/4 cup white grape juice

1/2 TBSP onion or garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tps lemon juice

1/4 cup melted butter

2 TBSP Veganaise (I like this one and you can find it at the grocery store)

3 cups water + 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup coconut milk or rice milk (I use coconut milk- find it in the Asian section of the store- it comes in a can like canned milk)

Minced green onion, chives or parsley

Combine all ingredients with a hand blender. Simmer until thick and serve over pasta.

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Indeed.

Advice for life

* Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

* You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

* It's OK to let your children see you cry.

* Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.

* Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

* When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an
answer.

* Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't
save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

* Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

* The most important sex organ is the brain.

* No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

* Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will
this matter?'

* Forgive everyone everything.

* What other people think of you is none of your business.

* Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

* However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

* Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

* Believe in miracles.

* If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab
ours back.

* No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

* Yield.

Taken from a column written by: Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

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Indeed.

Substitutions

It is Strawberry Days here. That means bowls and bowls of luscious ripe red strawberries and oodles of cream. The way I like them is to slice the strawberries into my bowl, spoon the sugar on top and then pour either half and half or cream over them and then sit back and savor.

Except this year I have a problem. I no longer eat sugar. Or cream.



A few days later we will pull out the ice cream freezer and make strawberry ice cream.



Again, a problem. Ice cream is loaded with cream and sugar.

There was a time that even though I no longer eat sugar or cream, I would make an exception. But I made an exception for a piece of cake at a party with some friends the other day and within minutes I had a pounding headache that requiered medicine and the next morning the rest of my body was in a lot of pain.

I have tried making ice cream with coconut milk and honey instead and while it is ok, I really miss that creamy goodness that comes off of the dasher in the freezer. And a spoonful of stevia is not quite the same in a bowl of strawberries and coconut or soy milk.

Does anyone have any suggestions for substitutions? Because I don't want being healthy and pain free to be an experience of missing my favorites.

strawberries and cream from google images
ice cream picture curtesy of this blog

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Indeed.

Changes

I have been mucking out and getting rid of things around here and it feels good. Until I walk in the garage and see the pile of things to go to either DI or Freecycle, then I just wish I could get my car back into the garage.

I have cleaned out my closet. I ended up with 2- 30 gallon size garbage bags of clothes and shoes that I never wear. Yet my wardrobe still overfloweth! But it is organized now with this turned on its side on the closet floor with these in the cubbies to hold shoes/purses/boots etc.

My jewlery drawer has been cleaned out. Well basically reorganized with these. So much nicer to open that drawer now. And I even had one of the long ones left over that I filled with my belts and put in the closet in one of the cubbies.

Next up will be the laundry room. I finally was able to buy the stuff to make this.

There is one are of my house that I have always hated more than any other. My coat closet. I have tried so many different things to help the kids hang their backpacks/coats/gloves/scarves and what ever other paraphanalia they had in there, but nothing worked. I always end up with coats on the railing and shoes/boots in the front entryway. So I think I will move all of that stuff to their respective rooms and I am going to do this instead. Matt says I should leave the door on, but I say Matt is moving out in a few weeks anyway, so his vote shouldn't count. And perhaps if they don't have to actually go to all that work to open the door, things might get put away?

(and Sharon, you know if I do do this, I will have what color? painting questions for you)

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Indeed.

Short but sweet

In my qwest for a sugar free life style there are a lot of things that I miss. Raspberry or Strawberry Lemonade is one of those things. Until now.

Raspberry/Strawberry Lemonade

1 (12 oz) can frozen pineapple juice concentrate

4 lemons juiced

6 cups water

Frozen berries

Blend with 6 cups ice cubes and enjoy

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Indeed.

In response

I have not had a lot to say lately that wasn't surface only. I was beginning to think that I was going to spend the summer writing in depth for class only. And this is my 600th post, so I wanted it to be something with a bit of teeth in it. I hope I have found that with this.

Deseret News has an online e-zine called Mormon Times. I get the daily e-mail telling me what is in that day's edition. Sometimes I click over and read and sometimes I don't. Wednesday I didn't. But David Woolley did and then blogged about one of the articles by Jerry Johnston entitled "Great novels need doubt as vantage".

I read David's post first, last night when I had just come home from school and was tired from all the ethic codes and laws we have to learn for next week's midterm. So I read, left a short comment and went to bed. This morning I printed out both Jerry's article and David's blog- complete with all 4 comments (there are more now) and took them with me to Brandi's soccer practice so I could formulate a coherent reply. 2 hours and almost 5 pages later, I was still writing and decided that I was either going to leave a super long comment or I needed to write my own response post. I decided on the response post.

Response to Jerry Johnston- "Great Novels Need Doubt as Vantage" and David G. Woolley- "The Great Mormon Novel"

Jerry's article is about his belief that the writing of the Great Mormon Novel will never happen. David, on the other hand, believes that such a novel is possible. Makayla, one of David's commentors wants it to be possible, but is not sure it can be done. I have opinions about it all.

The Surrender

According to Jerry Johnston, to be a Mormon "means a complete surrender of one's ego, ideas and ambitions." David tells us that the Great Mormon Novel "...will portray the shedding of one's ego and ambitions. And it will find its voice, not in the surrendering of one's ideas, but by celebrating the divine creativity that flows from discovering that the will of God is an infinitely more holy road..." . As I read Jerry's article, this is the place I first decided I did not agree with him. I do not have a problem with a character in a novel, or the writer of the novel being willing to surrender ego and ambition, I am not sure that the shedding of one's ideas is something we are required to do.

Without individual thought and ideas, do we not become as automans, blindly putting one foot in front of the other on the path, plodding along without further light, knowledge and understanding? without knowledge and understanding one cannot "discover the will of God" and we are stuck, yet again, with a secular dead-end first step story.

The surrendering of one's ideas should take the form of the character allowing God to refine ideas until individual ideas form from the fact that we are of one mind and one heart and all ideas have the goal of furthering the kingdom of God. Those are the ideas that will flow with "divine creativity."

The Half-way Back Story

Jerry tells us that Wallace Stegner believes the Great Mormon Novel will be written, but that it will be written by an author that has left the fold and made a fray into the returning. Has come half-way back. Is still on the outside, but beginning to look in on a familiar scene.

David says not so, but that the novel will be about the one that has continued as a disciple and has learned to accept "God's will as his own". He also believes that"it will give us hope that men are that they might have joy. Divine. Eternal. Joy."

Redemption

It is in the living of life that one experiences the depths of doubt, despair, faith, sin, forgiveness, darkness and light. Even the "active, bishop-like,tithe-paying, Relief Society President-like, moral, obedient, humble, temple-going, ecclesiastic supporting soul" who lives a "life of discipleship" trying to "adopt God's will as his own" will have moments of real doubt and despair as their spirit stretches and grows and learns and experiences mortality.

And if the doubt and despair do not belong to the disciple- it will be provided via someone close to the disciple, someone whom the disciple has been sent to help and guide. Someone the disciple loves beyond him/herself. and that someone's doubt and despair will wrench the heart of the disciple as if in two. And the faith it takes for the disciple to continue will grow. The understanding deepen. And when the despair is shed, the happiness is just as sweet for the disciple as it is for the doubter.

By this same token, one can understand forgiveness without desending into the depths of darkness and evil. There is no one that has not needed to both forgive and be forgiven. The difference is in degrees.

Again, I would propose that the understanding of true evil is possible without having descended there. It is possible for the hand of true evil to reach out and affect lives, even those who never leave the fold. The depth of one's soul that must be plumbed in order to learn to forgive in the face of that blatant evil is dizzying. And when the evil emminates from a loved one it is even more so. Should that loved one ever decide to rejoin the fold and shed the evil and have a change of countenance and heart- the joy felt by the disciple is just as exquisite as that of the returned.

David tells us, in the comment section,

For a novel to be a great Mormon Novel the idea of enduring to the end, or the divinity of men, or the divine potential of becoming more like Christ has got to be part of the novel. It isn't just a novel about "what would Jesus do." Its a novel about actually becomming like Jesus.

Its the doctrines of the restoration that must drive the great Mormon Novel. Not just the hand of a Mormon author telling any story well.

Conclusion

I believe that it is possible for the Great Mormon Novel to be written and heralded by the "LDS faithful and the literary world", and I believe it can be written by one who has not left and returned. It is not necessary for an author to have had personal experience with their subject matter in order to understand it and write about it in a way that lets the reader feel, know and understand as well. When I read the scene in David's Promised Land series where Sariah gives birth*, I remembered exactly how it felt and I felt Sariah's pain and rejoiced in the new life she brought forth. Now I am pretty sure that David has never experienced those pains and the exquisite anguish, but yet he was able to get it right in a way that allowed the reader to feel it and experience it with Sariah. Just as the Great Mormon Novel will allow the reader to know the joys and triumphs in the redemption and following of Christ.


*Forgive me, David, I cannot remember which book it was and if I stop to look it up, I will get lost in the book and not get this written today and perhaps tomorrow as well.

ETR:

I have taken out a section of this post and edited it in response to feedback.

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Indeed.

Summer Reading Book List

My list of summer reading.

As was stated in the previous post, the reading thing sponsored by LDS Publisher requires books by LDS authors, so I will include some in my list.

Soccer for Dummies-

It's All About Him- Denise Jackson

All the Stars in Heaven- Michelle Page Holmes (sequel to Counting Stars)

Alma the Elder- H.B. Moore (release date Sept 1)

Agent in Old Lace- Tristi Pinkston

English Trifle- Josi Kilpack- (released in Aug. This is the book I helped with the recipes that are included)

I would include Compass of God by David G. Woolley except the SRT ends Aug. 31 and David's book doesn't come out until Sep.

Broken Things to Mend- Jeffrey R. Holland

Ok, those are the ones that I can think of just off the top of my head. I have no idea how many of them will make it in the time period. It all depends on how many papers I need to write, oral presentations, and text book chapters I need to read and how busy that keeps me. I know I had to purchase the DSM IV for the next couple of classes. Heavy reading, that one.

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Indeed.

Summer Reading Thing

My friend Karlene always does a summer reading thing contest. In fact, that is the whole reason I started this blog 2 years ago. But not this year. Karlene's daughter is getting married in a couple of weeks. 15 days, 13 hours and some odd minutes to be exact. But who is counting? (they are, in fact, and that is where I got the time)

The point being that Karlene says she is too busy to host a reading thing this summer. So I was going to have no reason to read something other than text books this summer. Who are we kidding? I would read for fun anyway because I don't know how to not. But then LDSPublisher decided to host a Summer Reading Thing and I decided to sign up.

The rest of the post is lifted from the LDS Publisher blog. I will post my list in the next post.




Join us for the Summer Reading Thing 2009 reading challenge!

SRT 2009 is a great opportunity to set a reading goal and to share what you're reading with your bloggy friends. This "challenge" is meant to be fun and there are only a few rules.

Who: Anyone and everyone! Need a little incentive to read? Or just want to share some good books? This challenge is for you.

What: This is a low-pressure, easy challenge. You set your own goals. All you have to do is make a list of fiction by LDS authors that you want to read during the challenge (as few as one, or as many as you want). You can make changes to your list as needed—drop books that weren't as fun as you thought they'd be; add books if you finish early. Set the goals that fit your schedule. No pressure, no minimums. (We'd like to encourage you to pick at least one title posted on the LDS Fiction site, but that's optional. And YES, you may use titles that you're already using for other challenges, as long as they're by LDS authors.)

Post a short review on your blog of at least one of the books you read during the challenge. If you like to do reviews, you can post one for each of the books you read. Please keep the reviews family friendly. I'll set up a Mr. Linky where you can link to your reviews. (Don't have a blog? Keep reading.)

When: Summer Reading Thing 2009 runs June 1 through August 31.

Where: Post your goals and your reviews on your blog. If you don't have a blog, Karlene Browning has agreed to make one available to you. Simply e-mail your list and reviews to her and she'll post and link you up, making you eligible for prizes.

Why: We really want to encourage reading—especially reading of fiction written by LDS authors. Also, we love reader reviews—it helps us find good books to read. Plus, reading together provides motivation and fun; it also builds friendships across the blogosphere.

How: Make your list and post it on your blog. Then link to your post using the Sign-up Mr. Linky. As you read your books, post a review on your blog and link to your review post using the Review Mr. Linky. At the end of the challenge, post a wrap-up and link to the Wrap-up Mr. Linky (coming the end of August).

Prizes: Yes, there will be prizes. Yes, they will be books. Some will be provided by me (a few gently read); others will be provided by authors or publishers. (If you're an author or publisher and you want to provide a prize, send me an e-mail.) We'll give away one prize each week. Due to shipping costs, you must live in the U.S. or Canada to win a prize. (Sorry.)

Ways to earn entries for prizes:


•Sign up to participate in the Summer Reading Thing at the Sign-up Mr. Link here. (1 entry; does not expire. Re-enters you every week.)

•Post a review on your blog and add it to the Review Mr. Linky. (1 entry per review; does not expire. Each review re-enters you every week.)
•Put a Summer Reading Thing 2009 button (see below) on your blog, website or Facebook profile. Leave a comment here to let me know you've done that. (1 entry per site; does not expire. Re-enters you every week.)
•Put an LDS Publisher button (click here) on your blog, website or Facebook Profile. Leave a comment here to let me know you've done that. (1 entry per site; does not expire. Re-enters you every week.)
•Leave a thoughtful comment on a post at LDS Fiction or LDS Fiction Review (1 entry per comment; entries expire at the end of the week.)
•Post a wrap-up and link to the Wrap-up Mr. Linky (coming the end of August).

The more books you review and the more comments you make, the better your chances to win a book.

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Indeed.

What is a percussionist favorite instrument?

Anything they can hit. As witnessed in these videos.

This will be the last of the video posts. These are from Jacob's final band concert.

George of the Jungle

Over 70 Percussion Students

Pirates

Proof that they will play anything

If you didn't catch Jake's joke in the middle, I'll post it at the bottom*

Jake has a timbali solo in the next clip. He had to make it up during the performance, so what you see and hear is pure improvisation.

Cha Cha Rufus

He is so excited for marching band this year because he doesn't have to carry the banner in the parade anymore. Nope, he is bona fide member of drumline. Go Jake!

*You all know that driving an SUV is bad for the economy, right?

I agree with that. That's why I drive an 18 wheeler! ba dump dum.

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Indeed.

Peace

The feeling comes again

The feeling when the heart is so battered,

So bruised and torn that the beating of it is enough

Enough and all that is left

Except to turn to Him

The Healer

The One

And ask

Please, let this time be the end

Let it be the last time

Can it be over, please?

And when He says

Daughter, you must learn

Learn of peace

You say, as the Centurion of old

I believe, help my unbelief.

Then He will say,

I know you,

I love you

And when you have learned the lesson

I sent you to learn

It will be enough.

Though you still hurt

And the being is of the walking wounded

The heart feels

The gentle, beseeched peace

Reached at last

A Twilight Theme?

Jacob and Brandi's spring piano recital. Brandi played Swans on the Lake. This was one of my first recital pieces. Jacob played the original Bella's Lullaby- not the one from the movie but the one originally written for the movie that was later changed. It was not until I was trying to decide how to post them that I saw a theme.

Brandi

Swans on the Lake

Jacob

Bella's Lullaby

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Indeed.

Freedom Festival kick off

There are enough videos that I needed to decide how to post them: all at once, one at a time, by event, by child, by time period.. whatever? I decided that I should group them by event and you can watch at your leasure. Or not.



Our school stopped having a Freedom Festival choir a few years ago. I was disapointed that Brandi would never have the opportunity to sit in the giant flag at the Marriot Center and sing the songs. Someone decided that the schools that stopped having choirs should do some preshow entertainment. Brandi signed up for that.

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Indeed.

Fall Recital

These are old videos that I just never got around to posting.

Brandi in her first piano recital

Playing Catbot

Next up

Jacob

Cristifori's Dream

He plays it better now, but didn't want to let me retape it today, so you are going to have to trust me on that.

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Indeed.

More Soccer

Playing Snakes in the Grass before practice

The point of this game is to make it, with your ball, from one side of the field to the other. Other members are snakes and do not have a ball and try to kick your ball out of bounds. If that happens, you then become a snake. They go back and forth until there are only snakes. No one could get Brandi out today and everyone was trying to get her out. But she made it. This time.

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Indeed.

Updated technology?

About 5 years ago when I bought a new laptop I was excited for all the new things I could do. Then when I got my video camera I was excited to be able to post videos. Until I discovered that the cord that goes from camera to computer has one end that is not USB but Firewire. And the computer did not have a firewire port. So I bought an adapter and happily posted videos.

Then last month the motherboard on my computer died. After much considering and pondering and that sort of stuff, I bought a new computer from PCLaptops where they build it for you. And I forgot to mention the firewire problem. I forgot all about it until I wanted to post Jacob's and Brandi's piano recital, Jacob's drum solo, Brandi's.... and I still don't have a firewire port. And the new adapter port? A different shape and size than the adapter I have.

So I mosied on over to the electronics store to purchase a new adapter. They were out of stock. Their sister stores were out of stock. The warehouse was out of stock. They said my best bet would be to order it online and if I ordered at the store, I wouldn't have to pay shipping. So I did.

When I got home I had an e-mail informing me that my item would be shipped the next business day- which would be Tues. since this was the Friday before Memorial day. No problem.

Tuesday I get an e-mail stating that the item is back ordered and will be shipped in 2 weeks. Still not a problem.

Thursday an e-mail stating that item is completely out of stock and they have no idea when they will receive more. I was informed that it might be best if I cancel my order and try to find the adapter somewhere else. I was so busy that I did not deal with that.

Monday- e-mail stating that my order had been shipped.

Thursday (today) Adapter has arrived!!

Prepare for an onslaught of kid videos and be prepared for Jacob to impress. Really.

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Indeed.

A day in the life video

As I was watching the Today show this morning, a report about military families having to live apart came on. The story so paralleled Donovan and Kristina's life that I just stood there watching and crying.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Indeed.

And I got paid to attend

Friday Matthew graduated from high school. Child #4 is now ready to leave home and get on with life. I only have 3 children left at home. How and when did that happen?

Sheryl, one of the secretaries at work, has a daughter that graduated as well. She also has another daughter getting married tomorrow. And Sheryl has been teary eyed and emotional for the last month. I told her it was because Arica is her last daughter to graduate and she is stressed over wedding plans. I only got emotional when Sheryl did. Hey, I have done this 3 times before and was fine.

Friday dawned with nice weather and beautiful. I got up and started getting ready for the day. It was a bit weird to be getting ready while everyone else slept. I went to work where we had a staff-ilty breakfast. Then there were the usual end of year remarks by the principal and the recognition of teachers leaving, summer birthdays, weddings, babies and gifts handed out for all of those occasions. Then the two assistant principals that are leaving made some comments. I was fine until the principal that hired me and has been my supervisor started talking. I really tried not to cry, but I am going to miss him. He is the life blood of the school. He does so much behind the scenes that very few people-even the head principal- know about. He has made sure that at least once a month there is some kind of card/note/gift on our desks as a thank you for working. He even had flowers for us just because and took us out to lunch a couple of times. He greeted me each and every day for the last 9 months with a smile and "Good to see you today" And everyday he told me how glad he was that I choose to work with him. I am going to miss him and someday I should do a post about him.

After breakfast we all gathered outside for the annual staff-ilty picture. (staff-ilty is easier to say than staff and faculty so that is what we were always called) Then I went back into the school to check on what was left to get done for the end of year. Then I headed home to get everyone ready for the graduation.

I remembered that I had not ironed Matt's graduation robe so I called him to take it out of the package and get the iron set up for me. He told me that Whitney's mom had steamed it for him the day they picked up the robes. I was torn between emotions at this news. Part of me was grateful that she did that because I was running out of time to get things done, but the other part of me was sad that I did not get to do this small service for my son. I teach my children to iron as soon as they are about 8, sew on buttons when they are 6 or so, do their own laundry as soon as they can reach the washer... so I haven't ironed anything for Matt for a very long time and wanted to do this for him. But it was done so I was just grateful that someone did it for him.

When I got home I had to change my shoes. I had worn heels and my feet were starting to hurt so I put on some flats and after putting Matt's cap, gown and cords in the car, took him and Ethan to the high school to ride with the band to the Marriot Center for graduation. Then it was back home to collect everyone else.

Brandi got home from school and changed her clothes, Jake was finishing getting dressed and Jess was ready. Their dad came from work and we all drove in together. May I just say this about every road in between here and there--Construction. The graduates were supposed to be in their caps and gowns at a certain time and I was not there with Matt's. He started calling to ask how close we were about 15 minutes before then. I kept telling him I would be there in time. And I was.

After handing Matt his attire and helping him get his cords on the gown, we headed down to the floor. Because I work at the school and had a student graduating we got floor seats. Along the way I passed some of the students that I have grown close to this past year and I was able to give them a hug without worrying about ethic and legal issues.

Then the processional of students started. And it hit me. And I started crying. Jess looked at Kristina and said, "Oh great, my mom is already crying!" But I could not help it. These students are all my kids. There were the students that brought a smile to my face every day, and those that brought a frown. The students that at the start of the year were so far behind in credits that I did not believe they would ever graduate- yet the knuckled down and did it. The student that is the first of his siblings to graduate- his 5 older brothers didn't, his dad didn't, his grandfather didn't- but he did. The student that was late everyday because his mother was always drunk or strung out and he made sure his younger siblings got to school. The students I taught when they were in my nursery class in primary and then later 11 year olds when I was in the primary presidency. The students I have watched grow the last 5 years in marching band. The students that have hung out at my house weekend after weekend. And the ones that hung out in the office wanting help and advice.

And Whitney who has been such a part of our lives.

And Matthew. I call him my perfect child even though we all know he has his faults. My first to have perfect attendance every single year since 4th grade. Straight A's since kindergarten. Graduating with honors. Polite, kind, compassionate, a gentleman. My friend. My child that is most like me, the one I understand the most. The one that "gets" me more than any of the others.

The speeches were great- and short. Then the principal stood to give his remarks and turned some time over to our assitant principal (the one that is leaving) to give us some Words of Wisdom, one last time. Just as he has for the past innumerable Mondays and Fridays. And we all repeated his final line with him, just as he gave it each and every week for the past 6-8 years:
"Keep and follow all the rules, make it a great day or not, Don't stop believing and we'll see you at the top. Be there!"

When the day was over and we left the Marriot Center, I felt as if I had just participated in a spiritual experience. I had that reverent feeling you have after leaving a temple session. I have no idea why, other than I just watched so many students that I know and love move to the next phase of their lives.

Matt on his way back to his seat after receiving his diploma

The rest of the pictures are turned sideways and I have no idea why. They are not that way in my picture folder and I can't figure out how to turn them. And Jess has not processed the pictures she took. I'll post them when she does. Until then sorry you'll have to look sideways. Oh, and my camera batteries gave out.

My two favorite grandchildren. Aren't they just adorable?

The proud graduate

That's Whitney's dad in the background

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Indeed.

Soccer Camp

Today was the first day of soccer camp for Brandi. We got there, got her t-shirt and a pleasant surprise. She also got her own soccer ball to use and keep. She choose a blue one with a silver swoosh design. After putting her shirt on and writing her name on her ball she headed over to the coaches.

To start the day off and get everyone limbered up and running, they played a game called Wipe Out. Everyone needed to defend their own ball and at the same time kick someone else's ball out of the circle marked by cones. If your ball was kicked out of the circle you had to dribble your ball around another circle of cones and back into the ball circle.

Brandi was pretty good at defending her ball. She got coach Ben's ball out three different times and was happy about that.

We had to leave practice 1/2 an hour early, though. As the day wore on I noticed that Brandi was not participating as much as is usual for her. The coaches would ask the kids to do something and she would do it once or twice and then stop and watch everyone else. That is not like her at all. After the first water break she came to me and told me that she had a pain in her stomach. It was hot and I assumed that she drank her water to fast. About 1/2 hour after that she came over to me again. This time she was crying and told me that she needed to throw up. So I took her home. She ran to the bathroom and was sick. She spent the day resting on her bed. I have made sure she drank plenty of fluids the rest of the day and she is doing better tonight so hopefully she can have a better day at camp tomorrow.

Playing Wipe out

Dribbling around the circle to get back into the game

Defending her ball from coach Ben and another player

Listening to Coach Derek give instructions

Learning to juggle using her knees

I can't remember what this technique is called.

They have to roll the ball to the side with the foot

More moving the ball

Again

I think this is the toe taps.

We left right after this

She'll have plenty of things to practice and work on this summer

when she is not cleaning her room, practicing the piano or playing with friends.

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Indeed.