At Christmas time Trav and I rearranged our living room furniture so we could put the tree in a new more relevant spot; we liked the arrangement so much we have decided to leave it. The unfortunate thing is the arrangement changed the placement of lamps, so now when I want to read instead of watch football I have been reading in the dark, well almost dark.
I was standing in line at Costco the other day and suddenly noticed the packages in front of me...it is the typical "last chance" buy that I fell for. There was a stack of night reading lamps - the kind that hooks onto the book - 2 for $12. I picked it up and took it home with me.
They are called "Mighty Bright" - there are two heads on it that move every-which-way so you can use one or both as needed. I think this will be a great solution to my problem and I think I will even try reading in bed...GASP...If the lights are off why should Trav care...We will see.
I Am Grateful,
HB
I know I have been very lax on photos - I lost my camera battery charger, but believe I found it. Hope to make up for the lack of visuals soon.
Diva Quote: "You can do anything, but you cannot do everything." Don Ward
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Day #121 - Tear Jerker's
I am realizing more and more what a big softy I am. Not only me, either. Travis is almost more of a bawl baby then I am when it comes to watching some movies. I will never forget the first time I saw Travis really cry.
I was watching "The Little Princess" with Shirley Temple when he came in the door from basketball or something. He came in and sat down to watch for a minute. In case you don't know the movie, the little girl had been left behind when her father went to war (I think it was war) and her situation turned unfortunate. In the meantime, she always remained positive she would see her father again. The scene Trav sat down to was the reunion between Father and Daughter, only the Dad did not know Sarah, he had been injured and had memory loss. Little Sarah (Shirley) was crying huge sobbing tears and pounding her little fists on his chest saying over and over again, "Daddy, Daddy, It's me Sarah...Daddy".
I was totally absorbed in the movie and heard a sniff next to me. I remember looking over at my tough husband and asking, "Are you crying". Travis looked for a split second like he was going to deny it, but then he let it out in a heart wrenching, "Yes...but she is so sad". I am ashamed to say I started laughing...hard. It was sooooo cute. That was the day I really saw through my husband's crust and into his soul. I can now spot it quite often and know when to look for it. I treasure those moments.
Tonight I watched a "Hallmark" movie called "The Lost Valentine" while I folded the laundry. I am not going to say it was a mind blowingly good TV movie, but I did enjoy it. At the end I was just folding my 15th rag and the next minute I was bawling...not like the sweet romantic tears running down my cheeks, but the wind pipe closing off, gulp air through your mouth, weird involuntary sound escaping kind of cry. It was sort of weird...Betty White said, "My husband is coming home today," and that was it...I was done. I just teared up again thinking about it.
There is something wonderful about a good cleansing cry, especially when it is not related to your own life. It is so GREAT to watch a movie that carries your emotions along with it. It makes me wish Trav had watched it with me so we could boo hoo together.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "To lead a symphany, you must occasionally turn your back on the crowd." John Olds
I was watching "The Little Princess" with Shirley Temple when he came in the door from basketball or something. He came in and sat down to watch for a minute. In case you don't know the movie, the little girl had been left behind when her father went to war (I think it was war) and her situation turned unfortunate. In the meantime, she always remained positive she would see her father again. The scene Trav sat down to was the reunion between Father and Daughter, only the Dad did not know Sarah, he had been injured and had memory loss. Little Sarah (Shirley) was crying huge sobbing tears and pounding her little fists on his chest saying over and over again, "Daddy, Daddy, It's me Sarah...Daddy".
I was totally absorbed in the movie and heard a sniff next to me. I remember looking over at my tough husband and asking, "Are you crying". Travis looked for a split second like he was going to deny it, but then he let it out in a heart wrenching, "Yes...but she is so sad". I am ashamed to say I started laughing...hard. It was sooooo cute. That was the day I really saw through my husband's crust and into his soul. I can now spot it quite often and know when to look for it. I treasure those moments.
Tonight I watched a "Hallmark" movie called "The Lost Valentine" while I folded the laundry. I am not going to say it was a mind blowingly good TV movie, but I did enjoy it. At the end I was just folding my 15th rag and the next minute I was bawling...not like the sweet romantic tears running down my cheeks, but the wind pipe closing off, gulp air through your mouth, weird involuntary sound escaping kind of cry. It was sort of weird...Betty White said, "My husband is coming home today," and that was it...I was done. I just teared up again thinking about it.
There is something wonderful about a good cleansing cry, especially when it is not related to your own life. It is so GREAT to watch a movie that carries your emotions along with it. It makes me wish Trav had watched it with me so we could boo hoo together.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "To lead a symphany, you must occasionally turn your back on the crowd." John Olds
Day #120 - Little People
Our friends Jen and Steve brought their daughter, Erika, up to dinner tonight. We asked her how old she is and she said "3"...she is only 2. She has energy to BURN!!
We made a fish stew for dinner - new recipe that turned out pretty good - She ate her noodles before our dinner was done and we put on one of her favorite shows that we downloaded from Netflix. It made dinner pretty easy and after her show was done and the TV shut down she objected strongly until Travis explained the TV was tired and had to go to bed. She totally got that logic and accepted it with no questions asked.
Kids have this innocent trust that is so refreshing. We have all heard there is an inner child in all of us, nothing points that out more clearly then spending time with a precocious two year old. It might do us all good to imagine what we would be like as a child today - it is easy to forget how little anything matters except enjoyment of life, including all the little things, and love.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance." Oprah
We made a fish stew for dinner - new recipe that turned out pretty good - She ate her noodles before our dinner was done and we put on one of her favorite shows that we downloaded from Netflix. It made dinner pretty easy and after her show was done and the TV shut down she objected strongly until Travis explained the TV was tired and had to go to bed. She totally got that logic and accepted it with no questions asked.
Kids have this innocent trust that is so refreshing. We have all heard there is an inner child in all of us, nothing points that out more clearly then spending time with a precocious two year old. It might do us all good to imagine what we would be like as a child today - it is easy to forget how little anything matters except enjoyment of life, including all the little things, and love.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance." Oprah
Friday, January 28, 2011
Day #119 - Polish
I painted my fingers and my toes tonight w/red polish - most of it got on my nails. My toe nails are so wonky that I almost have to keep something on them to cover them up. The only problem is, I have no patience for the dry time. Just when I think they are good to go I manage to need the restroom and scrunch the pattern of my pants into the polish - I hate that.
I have tried many a remedy to speed up dry time. Once I bought this "super quick dry" spray from Avon, but kept getting over confident and zipped the polish right off on my coat, or nicked it while unloading the dishwasher, etc. Then I tried hairspray, but it didn't keep me from pressing on my nails too soon to test for hardness and touch ups were inevitable. Then there's the blow dryer - I think that might just make it worse. Now I have talked myself into waiting as long as possible and then I run my nails under cold water to see if that speeds it up at all.
The question is - do I ALWAYS hit my nail beds on so many things or just when I am trying NOT to? It is unbelievable. It is like trying not to spill on my shirt - the harder I try NOT to spill the more likely it is the tide stick is coming out.
I do have this thing with buying fingernail polish. I am always tempted to try a new color just to get home and realize I have a very similar shade on hand already. It seems I use one color several times in a row and then store it away, buy something new, and forget all about that amazing red just waiting around for me. I bought this yellow color once...it seemed like a good idea at the time and I can't bring myself to throw it away. Maybe it will work in the summer? The bottom line is, there are so many fun colors to choose from - the sky is the limit - why not try something new?
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still." Henry Hodel
I have tried many a remedy to speed up dry time. Once I bought this "super quick dry" spray from Avon, but kept getting over confident and zipped the polish right off on my coat, or nicked it while unloading the dishwasher, etc. Then I tried hairspray, but it didn't keep me from pressing on my nails too soon to test for hardness and touch ups were inevitable. Then there's the blow dryer - I think that might just make it worse. Now I have talked myself into waiting as long as possible and then I run my nails under cold water to see if that speeds it up at all.
The question is - do I ALWAYS hit my nail beds on so many things or just when I am trying NOT to? It is unbelievable. It is like trying not to spill on my shirt - the harder I try NOT to spill the more likely it is the tide stick is coming out.
I do have this thing with buying fingernail polish. I am always tempted to try a new color just to get home and realize I have a very similar shade on hand already. It seems I use one color several times in a row and then store it away, buy something new, and forget all about that amazing red just waiting around for me. I bought this yellow color once...it seemed like a good idea at the time and I can't bring myself to throw it away. Maybe it will work in the summer? The bottom line is, there are so many fun colors to choose from - the sky is the limit - why not try something new?
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still." Henry Hodel
Maybe I didn't get most of it on my fingernails!! HA
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Day #118 - $$ CHA-CHING $$
I went to the laundry room this morning to pull out my freshly washed and dried laundry and when I opened the door MONEY just came bursting out...well, not really bursting, but it was right on the edge like it had been trying to escape down the lint trap and fell out the open door instead. It sounds like a lot of money popped out, but it was a $5 bill and ten $1's. TRAVIS??? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Just kidding - it is mine.
Travis and I played poker with some friends the other night and I WON...hence the dollar bills (you know - real high stakes). I must have forgotten to empty my pockets when I got home and so got to experience the thrilling discovery of the money pocket.
I LOVE THE MONEY POCKET. It is ALWAYS unexpected, ALWAYS delightful and there is just this little girl thrill that goes all the way to my toes...the jumping up and down kind (at least inside). I find dollar bills here and there quite often, but I found a $20 in my coat last winter and once I found a $50 dollar bill in my Levi's. It turned out it was my brother's fee for the football pick 'ems that I was supposed to give to our friend Matt, but hey, it was thrilling while it lasted.
WHEW HEW - CHA CHING!!! $15 bucks - Subway here I come!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Tell the negative committee that meets in your head to sit down and shut up." Kathy Kendall
Travis and I played poker with some friends the other night and I WON...hence the dollar bills (you know - real high stakes). I must have forgotten to empty my pockets when I got home and so got to experience the thrilling discovery of the money pocket.
I LOVE THE MONEY POCKET. It is ALWAYS unexpected, ALWAYS delightful and there is just this little girl thrill that goes all the way to my toes...the jumping up and down kind (at least inside). I find dollar bills here and there quite often, but I found a $20 in my coat last winter and once I found a $50 dollar bill in my Levi's. It turned out it was my brother's fee for the football pick 'ems that I was supposed to give to our friend Matt, but hey, it was thrilling while it lasted.
WHEW HEW - CHA CHING!!! $15 bucks - Subway here I come!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Tell the negative committee that meets in your head to sit down and shut up." Kathy Kendall
Day #117 - Do You Feel Me?
A few weeks ago I was in my friends salon getting my hair done and chatting with the other stylists I have come to know. It is a fun group of women with very diverse personalities. One of them has a VERY strong personality that can be off putting, but that I like quite a bit. She is very opinionated and I am sure she is "right" quite a bit...who I am kidding? She is probably right all the time.
She made a comment this last time we talked that has put me to thinking in a deep way - she said something along the lines of "once you betray me, that is it, no more chances". After I told her "that is too bad", she went on to explain she is one of those friends you can ALWAYS count on and she will do anything for the people she cares about. When someone shows her she does not matter as much to them, she lets them go.
I said "it sounds like you have a hard time forgiving people. What if they learn from their mistakes and do better in the future? What if, because of the lessons they learned from you, they grow and change?" She went on to explain that she forgives them, she just doesn't put them in a position to hurt her again.
"What if you hurt someone else? Don't you want to own up to your own mistakes and be forgiven and receive a 2nd chance?" I asked.
"Of course," she says,"but when I say I am sorry, I mean it, if they choose not to re-engage the relationship, I respect their decision and let it go."
Now, do I believe it is so cut and dry for her? I don't know. But I have thought about this conversation a surprising number of times in the last weeks.
Today I had one of those experiences that cut to the quick. It felt like a friend betrayed me, mostly because I had put myself in a vulnerable position and, to make a long story short, was rejected. Now that I make it sound so mysterious it makes me smile a bit - it sounds so intriguing, yes? I would rather just leave the actual situation out of this post. At this rate I will never work my way around to my point...What is the point?
The point is, I am not sure if I want to be the type of person that can turn off my feelings the way Ms. Right can. The intriguing part, and the part I am not quite clear on is, maybe it is healthy to be able to shake off the energy that comes from betrayal. Think if you could, not only push the feelings aside, but just step aside from them completely and move on without feeling the loss of something...bigger.
Ms. Right SAYS she lets things go, but I don't know if I believe her. I know I would be devastated if I had hurt my friend the way it feels like she hurt me (don't worry I am not talking about my Debi - heaven forbid). I would want to make it right, I would want to understand and obtain forgiveness - I wouldn't just want to step left and move on "oh well, nothing I can do about it now".
The other part of the "betrayal" question is always accountability. I learned in a 'self improvement' class some years ago that I am accountable for every situation in my life. This is one of those mind bending concepts when you really think it through - of course I am accountable for gaining weight when I put doughnuts in my mouth, but am I accountable for getting in a car accident because the person behind me was too close? These are the concepts I struggle with.
ANYWAY, I finally worked my way around to my accountability in today's situation and can see clearly how I participated in it. It actually helps to gain the accountability perspective even if it doesn't make it hurt less. It is often difficult to be honest in ones accountability with oneself. The question now is, do I let her know how I feel? If so, can I manage it in a way that is not passive aggressive and designed to make her feel as bad as I do? What would it really gain? I will sleep on it.
So, what in all of this can I be expressing gratitude for? I am grateful for deep feelings. I am grateful for the ability to express them here and I am grateful that I cannot simply turn away from them without experiencing a strong consequence in my relationships.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "There is always a second RIGHT answer." Roger von Oech
She made a comment this last time we talked that has put me to thinking in a deep way - she said something along the lines of "once you betray me, that is it, no more chances". After I told her "that is too bad", she went on to explain she is one of those friends you can ALWAYS count on and she will do anything for the people she cares about. When someone shows her she does not matter as much to them, she lets them go.
I said "it sounds like you have a hard time forgiving people. What if they learn from their mistakes and do better in the future? What if, because of the lessons they learned from you, they grow and change?" She went on to explain that she forgives them, she just doesn't put them in a position to hurt her again.
"What if you hurt someone else? Don't you want to own up to your own mistakes and be forgiven and receive a 2nd chance?" I asked.
"Of course," she says,"but when I say I am sorry, I mean it, if they choose not to re-engage the relationship, I respect their decision and let it go."
Now, do I believe it is so cut and dry for her? I don't know. But I have thought about this conversation a surprising number of times in the last weeks.
Today I had one of those experiences that cut to the quick. It felt like a friend betrayed me, mostly because I had put myself in a vulnerable position and, to make a long story short, was rejected. Now that I make it sound so mysterious it makes me smile a bit - it sounds so intriguing, yes? I would rather just leave the actual situation out of this post. At this rate I will never work my way around to my point...What is the point?
The point is, I am not sure if I want to be the type of person that can turn off my feelings the way Ms. Right can. The intriguing part, and the part I am not quite clear on is, maybe it is healthy to be able to shake off the energy that comes from betrayal. Think if you could, not only push the feelings aside, but just step aside from them completely and move on without feeling the loss of something...bigger.
Ms. Right SAYS she lets things go, but I don't know if I believe her. I know I would be devastated if I had hurt my friend the way it feels like she hurt me (don't worry I am not talking about my Debi - heaven forbid). I would want to make it right, I would want to understand and obtain forgiveness - I wouldn't just want to step left and move on "oh well, nothing I can do about it now".
The other part of the "betrayal" question is always accountability. I learned in a 'self improvement' class some years ago that I am accountable for every situation in my life. This is one of those mind bending concepts when you really think it through - of course I am accountable for gaining weight when I put doughnuts in my mouth, but am I accountable for getting in a car accident because the person behind me was too close? These are the concepts I struggle with.
ANYWAY, I finally worked my way around to my accountability in today's situation and can see clearly how I participated in it. It actually helps to gain the accountability perspective even if it doesn't make it hurt less. It is often difficult to be honest in ones accountability with oneself. The question now is, do I let her know how I feel? If so, can I manage it in a way that is not passive aggressive and designed to make her feel as bad as I do? What would it really gain? I will sleep on it.
So, what in all of this can I be expressing gratitude for? I am grateful for deep feelings. I am grateful for the ability to express them here and I am grateful that I cannot simply turn away from them without experiencing a strong consequence in my relationships.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "There is always a second RIGHT answer." Roger von Oech
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Day #116 - Coaster
This will be a pretty simple and straight forward post - I am grateful for coasters - not the "roller" kind, although those are pretty cool as well, but the "prevent water rings on wood" kind.
Do you know I did not own a coaster until I moved to Park City? It's true. I just used books, magazines, paper, napkins...whatever was handy, to keep my drinks from dripping on the side table. Come to think of it, I don't think I really had side tables either. Interesting. There were a lot of changes made when I moved into this house.
Now, no matter what my beverage of choice, milk, ice water, soda, tea, hot chocolate, etc., I never have to worry about ruining my table(s). Awesome.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "It's how you walk through the fire that counts." George Lazares
Do you know I did not own a coaster until I moved to Park City? It's true. I just used books, magazines, paper, napkins...whatever was handy, to keep my drinks from dripping on the side table. Come to think of it, I don't think I really had side tables either. Interesting. There were a lot of changes made when I moved into this house.
Now, no matter what my beverage of choice, milk, ice water, soda, tea, hot chocolate, etc., I never have to worry about ruining my table(s). Awesome.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "It's how you walk through the fire that counts." George Lazares
Monday, January 24, 2011
Day #115 - Cup, cup, cup, cup, cup, of, of, of, of, of, tea, tea, tea, tea...
That is a My Fair Lady reference for those of you who did not watch it a million times as a teenager - the one with Audry Hepburn. Hmmmm...makes me want to change my gratitude post to "old movies" - another time perhaps.
One of my favorite things is a cup of herbal tea. I just bought some new flavors recently and tonight I sip on Acai Berry tea w/hibiscus, rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, chicory root, blackberry, acai fruit & licorice powder. Sounds good, yes?
I've been trying to drink more water and sometimes I just get watered out. The tea is a good alternative without resorting to Crystal Light , other fake sweet drinks or diet soda. Plus a warm cup of tea is like a warm cup of hot chocolate or milk...makes me feel cozy and sleepy.
I have this dream of growing my own herbs to make my own tea flavors. I don't think the growing season here is conducive to growing any kind of producing herb, but maybe I will give it a go in the spring and see what happens. The other alternative is to grow it inside, but my cat has a plant eating fetish that is aggravating. If it is alive and green (or pink, orange, yellow, etc) she eats it and then picks the worst spot on the carpet to barf it up. Not cool Kitty!
Tomorrow night I shall try Orange Peel...looking forward to it.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Why is it that when anything goes without saying, it never does?" Marcelene Cox
One of my favorite things is a cup of herbal tea. I just bought some new flavors recently and tonight I sip on Acai Berry tea w/hibiscus, rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, chicory root, blackberry, acai fruit & licorice powder. Sounds good, yes?
I've been trying to drink more water and sometimes I just get watered out. The tea is a good alternative without resorting to Crystal Light , other fake sweet drinks or diet soda. Plus a warm cup of tea is like a warm cup of hot chocolate or milk...makes me feel cozy and sleepy.
I have this dream of growing my own herbs to make my own tea flavors. I don't think the growing season here is conducive to growing any kind of producing herb, but maybe I will give it a go in the spring and see what happens. The other alternative is to grow it inside, but my cat has a plant eating fetish that is aggravating. If it is alive and green (or pink, orange, yellow, etc) she eats it and then picks the worst spot on the carpet to barf it up. Not cool Kitty!
Tomorrow night I shall try Orange Peel...looking forward to it.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Why is it that when anything goes without saying, it never does?" Marcelene Cox
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Day #114 - Shower Power
Today was my Cousin Natalie's baby shower - her baby is due in 6 weeks. I knew it would take several hours out of my Saturday to go to Mapleton, but this family has been so supportive of our family over the years that I knew I had to go. My sisters, Amy & Keri, and I decided to make a day of it and drive down together. We met at a park and ride area at 3300 S. in Salt Lake and piled in with Amy's 3 kids and Keri's baby Seerie. We dropped the two oldest off to spend the afternoon with Grandpa and picked Mom up to go to the shower.
When we got there we were all lead at different times to some baby photos displayed on the fireplace hearth. Mom asked Aunt Darla (Natalie's Mom, Mom's Sister) why they had photos of Leeanne's baby displayed. Darla said, "That's Natalie's baby". WHHHAAAT? That's right, Darla thought it would be a hilarious surprise to not tell anyone the baby was born this last week. She was right, but it was quite shocking. Even Natalie's best friend showed up, gave Nat her gift and was sitting next to me on the couch for about 10 minutes when she asked whose baby photos those were. It was so weird, but fun too.
The baby is still in the hospital, but is for the most part healthy, just early. He is 5.5 lbs, named Jayden. Natalie seems happy and the other word for it is "calm". I got a real sense of calm from her today. I still can't believe she still held the shower when she just had a baby this week...crazy.
The other funny thing that happened today was baby Seerie met her 2nd cousin (Jason I think) who is only a month or so younger then she is. He is Julie's baby (Mom's Brother's daughter). Jason and Seerie were totally enamored of each other, but when Jason turned his back on Seerie she grabbed his shirt and pulled him over. Jason looked so surprised, but he put on his big boy face and didn't cry after being bested by another Demanding Dana girl (like mother like daughter). It was so cute to see them crawling around with each other.
I think it is good there are events such as a Baby Shower that bring the extended family together. It is too easy not to make time to meet with each other, but these events create the opportunity. It was just good to spend time with everyone again.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Don't ever forget to have Faith in Your Abilities, Your Talents, Yourselves" Cortney Dana (Dad) to his daughters
When we got there we were all lead at different times to some baby photos displayed on the fireplace hearth. Mom asked Aunt Darla (Natalie's Mom, Mom's Sister) why they had photos of Leeanne's baby displayed. Darla said, "That's Natalie's baby". WHHHAAAT? That's right, Darla thought it would be a hilarious surprise to not tell anyone the baby was born this last week. She was right, but it was quite shocking. Even Natalie's best friend showed up, gave Nat her gift and was sitting next to me on the couch for about 10 minutes when she asked whose baby photos those were. It was so weird, but fun too.
The baby is still in the hospital, but is for the most part healthy, just early. He is 5.5 lbs, named Jayden. Natalie seems happy and the other word for it is "calm". I got a real sense of calm from her today. I still can't believe she still held the shower when she just had a baby this week...crazy.
The other funny thing that happened today was baby Seerie met her 2nd cousin (Jason I think) who is only a month or so younger then she is. He is Julie's baby (Mom's Brother's daughter). Jason and Seerie were totally enamored of each other, but when Jason turned his back on Seerie she grabbed his shirt and pulled him over. Jason looked so surprised, but he put on his big boy face and didn't cry after being bested by another Demanding Dana girl (like mother like daughter). It was so cute to see them crawling around with each other.
I think it is good there are events such as a Baby Shower that bring the extended family together. It is too easy not to make time to meet with each other, but these events create the opportunity. It was just good to spend time with everyone again.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Don't ever forget to have Faith in Your Abilities, Your Talents, Yourselves" Cortney Dana (Dad) to his daughters
Day #113 - Game Night
So, I am not a super game person, but my neighbors across the street, John and Kathy, are super game freaks. They have asked us a few times to play with them and we are like....sure??? The last two times we have hung out they brought over a new game to play. Tonight they brought a game called "Things". I cannot tell you how fun it was!! We were laughing our guts out!! My stomach hurts, I laughed so hard. I am going to buy the game soon so I can play it with my family.
Just for example..."Things you should not do at a circus." Everyone writes down a "thing" and turns it in to the reader. Then you take turns guessing who wrote what...I was super surprised at the results. Sometimes I just KNEW Matt wrote "blank", but it was really Travis...so weird and totally funny. One question was "Things that would make high school better"...I am sorry to say every person at the table wrote something about "hot for teacher" references (really? Mrs. Riley???)...not me...I actually wrote "colored pencils"...WHAT?? Total Dork!!! It was a lot of fun.
My family loves to play cards. I never "feel" like playing, but when I do I LOVE IT. I am going to try to be more open to 'game night' in our lives. There is too much joy to be had not to.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "When you're through learning, you're through." Vernon Law
Just for example..."Things you should not do at a circus." Everyone writes down a "thing" and turns it in to the reader. Then you take turns guessing who wrote what...I was super surprised at the results. Sometimes I just KNEW Matt wrote "blank", but it was really Travis...so weird and totally funny. One question was "Things that would make high school better"...I am sorry to say every person at the table wrote something about "hot for teacher" references (really? Mrs. Riley???)...not me...I actually wrote "colored pencils"...WHAT?? Total Dork!!! It was a lot of fun.
My family loves to play cards. I never "feel" like playing, but when I do I LOVE IT. I am going to try to be more open to 'game night' in our lives. There is too much joy to be had not to.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "When you're through learning, you're through." Vernon Law
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Day #112 - Exercise to Energize!!
...Or to get UNANGRY.
MAN I had a bad morning. The first thing I got to take care of today is a house that flooded one week before closing. ARGHHHH! My poor agent. I called just as I finished reading his email and the flames hadn't finished racing to my face yet. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!!!" It is what it is, but then I wonder at all the ways it could have been avoided. Not really much more we could have done when you come right down to it, so we moved on and hope we can resolve the issues before closing in 1 week.
Ya know how when you are super irritated at one thing and the next thing that happens is SUPER BIG when it is really no big deal - that happened when I went into the break room to eat lunch and it was FULL of about 20 agents - standing room only. It was 2:00 p.m. for crying out loud. I grabbed my coat - TACO BELL here I come. When I started to head out it sounded more quiet, so I went in and cooked my left over spaghetti instead and shifted my bad energy enough to enjoy the women still in there. I got to brag about my sister's new exercise class and got to get to know people better that I normally only pass in the hall.
Then I took a bill down to the 1st floor to put in the mailbox outside - still wearing my coat - might as well walk around the building - super nice crisp day - then I took the 5 flights of stairs back up to my office. My forehead didn't stop sweating for about 20 minutes and my left calf cramped for a second, but it felt good to stretch my legs and made the afternoon feel much better!! Shake it off Heather!! I will try to do this more often.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright (HA)
MAN I had a bad morning. The first thing I got to take care of today is a house that flooded one week before closing. ARGHHHH! My poor agent. I called just as I finished reading his email and the flames hadn't finished racing to my face yet. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!!!" It is what it is, but then I wonder at all the ways it could have been avoided. Not really much more we could have done when you come right down to it, so we moved on and hope we can resolve the issues before closing in 1 week.
Ya know how when you are super irritated at one thing and the next thing that happens is SUPER BIG when it is really no big deal - that happened when I went into the break room to eat lunch and it was FULL of about 20 agents - standing room only. It was 2:00 p.m. for crying out loud. I grabbed my coat - TACO BELL here I come. When I started to head out it sounded more quiet, so I went in and cooked my left over spaghetti instead and shifted my bad energy enough to enjoy the women still in there. I got to brag about my sister's new exercise class and got to get to know people better that I normally only pass in the hall.
Then I took a bill down to the 1st floor to put in the mailbox outside - still wearing my coat - might as well walk around the building - super nice crisp day - then I took the 5 flights of stairs back up to my office. My forehead didn't stop sweating for about 20 minutes and my left calf cramped for a second, but it felt good to stretch my legs and made the afternoon feel much better!! Shake it off Heather!! I will try to do this more often.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright (HA)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Day #111 - Snow-valanche
I sort of already wrote about the Snow-valanche when I spoke of being in the right place at the right time, but I count this as different because this post is more specific. The problem with the Snow-valanche is when you DON'T get it.
If you are not experiencing Snow-valanche from the roof of your home in Summit Park after back to back super snow storms, you have approximately 4 feet of snow on your roof just sitting there. That is what happened to us when it got so cold after the storms last week and the snow just would not melt. We finally had to get someone to come shovel off our roof (I ain't getting up there on a metal roof).
Travis had suggested we get our nephew Zach to take care of it for us...UHHHHH NO...That would be FANTASTIC to call his parents and let them know we let Zach climb around on our roof and "ooops" he had a tiny accident. Even the professional almost went off with the snow...thank goodness he got caught by the fireplace. Trav did have a good point - even if they did fall off the roof, there is so much snow on the ground there is not much chance of serious injury. Well, unless you land on a railing or tree branch.
Here are some photos of the latest and greatest snow piles. If you will note the top of the 5'fence, and Bart by trees branches that I can walk upright under.
Hard to think of where all that snow is going to end up. At least it is not on my roof.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." Mark Twain
If you are not experiencing Snow-valanche from the roof of your home in Summit Park after back to back super snow storms, you have approximately 4 feet of snow on your roof just sitting there. That is what happened to us when it got so cold after the storms last week and the snow just would not melt. We finally had to get someone to come shovel off our roof (I ain't getting up there on a metal roof).
Travis had suggested we get our nephew Zach to take care of it for us...UHHHHH NO...That would be FANTASTIC to call his parents and let them know we let Zach climb around on our roof and "ooops" he had a tiny accident. Even the professional almost went off with the snow...thank goodness he got caught by the fireplace. Trav did have a good point - even if they did fall off the roof, there is so much snow on the ground there is not much chance of serious injury. Well, unless you land on a railing or tree branch.
Here are some photos of the latest and greatest snow piles. If you will note the top of the 5'fence, and Bart by trees branches that I can walk upright under.
Hard to think of where all that snow is going to end up. At least it is not on my roof.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." Mark Twain
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Day #110 - Who's There...?EEEEEK!
I was totally prepared to do snow talk again this evening, except I was in the kitchen doing my Neti Pot thing, preparing to drink my fizzy vitamins for the night, blowing my nose and shaking my ears out when I hear a very light...knock, knock, knock...I pause with the Kleenex half way to my nose, head cocked to one side - did I hear a...? Then again, very lightly...knock, knock, knock. HO, adrenalin RIGHT to my head!
I tip toe over to the fridge and poke my head around it to look toward the garage with, I am sure, what must have been the hugest eyes I could possibly make. All I see is a small florescent light moving back and forth...HOLY CRAP! Someone is in my garage. The door opens and it is our renter downstairs just letting me know my garage door is open and he knew we wouldn't want it that way. "Oh" nervous laugh, "you scared the crap out of me" - Yes, I know, classy as ever...thinking and saying "crap" over and over.
By this time Bart is having an adrenalin rush of his own and bringing the house down, Travis I KNOW is going to come hauling out of the bedroom any minute wishing he had a bat in his hands and so I basically shew our renter out of the garage with a "Wow, Thank You" and shut the door remembering I had left it open, purse and phone in the car, because I thought Trav and I were going back out just after I got home from work. How rude to shew him, now that I think back on it, but I was SOOOO startled.
There are SO MANY things about this experience that boggle my mind...could he have knocked any softer? Then I think, well, what if he banged on the door? Would that really have startled me less? Maybe if he had rang the front door bell - that way I wouldn't have been so freaked out that someone was IN MY GARAGE!!!
Tip toeing? REALLY?? That's the best you can do Heather? Tip toe to the fridge and peak around in a FULLY LIT house out to a totally dark garage in hopes ya MIGHT be able to sneak a peak at your killer? Couldn't have grabbed a pair of scissors, knife or something at least?
Maybe he could have shown the light in his face instead of the slow wave he was doing with it...it felt like taunting. SURE - he could have turned the light around to his face and that shadowed, sinister trick ya do at the campfire to make the ghost stories better would most likely have comforted me!!!
THEN to top it off, Travis really does come high tailing it out of the bedroom yelling "What is going on??!!" As if I can control our ranting dog when both of us (Bart and I, that is) were startled to our finger nails - Sorry to destroy your beauty rest before I come in and snore you awake!!
Needless to say, not much was good about the experience except, well, Bart and I survived it and our renter made sure we were locked up safe for the night. Plus, it was funner to write about this then the snow again.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "We have no difficulty finding leaders. They have people following them." William Gore
I tip toe over to the fridge and poke my head around it to look toward the garage with, I am sure, what must have been the hugest eyes I could possibly make. All I see is a small florescent light moving back and forth...HOLY CRAP! Someone is in my garage. The door opens and it is our renter downstairs just letting me know my garage door is open and he knew we wouldn't want it that way. "Oh" nervous laugh, "you scared the crap out of me" - Yes, I know, classy as ever...thinking and saying "crap" over and over.
By this time Bart is having an adrenalin rush of his own and bringing the house down, Travis I KNOW is going to come hauling out of the bedroom any minute wishing he had a bat in his hands and so I basically shew our renter out of the garage with a "Wow, Thank You" and shut the door remembering I had left it open, purse and phone in the car, because I thought Trav and I were going back out just after I got home from work. How rude to shew him, now that I think back on it, but I was SOOOO startled.
There are SO MANY things about this experience that boggle my mind...could he have knocked any softer? Then I think, well, what if he banged on the door? Would that really have startled me less? Maybe if he had rang the front door bell - that way I wouldn't have been so freaked out that someone was IN MY GARAGE!!!
Tip toeing? REALLY?? That's the best you can do Heather? Tip toe to the fridge and peak around in a FULLY LIT house out to a totally dark garage in hopes ya MIGHT be able to sneak a peak at your killer? Couldn't have grabbed a pair of scissors, knife or something at least?
Maybe he could have shown the light in his face instead of the slow wave he was doing with it...it felt like taunting. SURE - he could have turned the light around to his face and that shadowed, sinister trick ya do at the campfire to make the ghost stories better would most likely have comforted me!!!
THEN to top it off, Travis really does come high tailing it out of the bedroom yelling "What is going on??!!" As if I can control our ranting dog when both of us (Bart and I, that is) were startled to our finger nails - Sorry to destroy your beauty rest before I come in and snore you awake!!
Needless to say, not much was good about the experience except, well, Bart and I survived it and our renter made sure we were locked up safe for the night. Plus, it was funner to write about this then the snow again.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "We have no difficulty finding leaders. They have people following them." William Gore
Monday, January 17, 2011
Day #109 - Slippery Slope
I am beginning to think I have a slipper hording problem.
I LOVE NEW SLIPPERS. Putting on a new pair of slippers is like sitting in a warm tub of water or snuggling under a cashmere-ish blanket. Soft, warm, luxurious. The only problem is I seem to love old slippers just as much. I am having a hard time deciding what to do with my oldie but goodies...
Even I know I do not need 5 pairs of house slippers. I wear them constantly though, even during the summer. One pair has a harder soul then the others and sometimes I wear them for a quick run to the store. One has a full heel, but they are sort of big and clumsy to get on and off. One is so old the shape is all weirdo, but I threw them in the wash and they feel more cushioned then the newest pair. See...they all have redeeming qualities, but they are taking over my shoes...I have no where to put them all. Bother.
Maybe I will hold on to them all for a bit longer before I decide...The one thing I know about my slippers...Putting them on and taking them off is the first and last thing I do every day.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about." Dr. John DeMartini
I LOVE NEW SLIPPERS. Putting on a new pair of slippers is like sitting in a warm tub of water or snuggling under a cashmere-ish blanket. Soft, warm, luxurious. The only problem is I seem to love old slippers just as much. I am having a hard time deciding what to do with my oldie but goodies...
Even I know I do not need 5 pairs of house slippers. I wear them constantly though, even during the summer. One pair has a harder soul then the others and sometimes I wear them for a quick run to the store. One has a full heel, but they are sort of big and clumsy to get on and off. One is so old the shape is all weirdo, but I threw them in the wash and they feel more cushioned then the newest pair. See...they all have redeeming qualities, but they are taking over my shoes...I have no where to put them all. Bother.
Maybe I will hold on to them all for a bit longer before I decide...The one thing I know about my slippers...Putting them on and taking them off is the first and last thing I do every day.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about." Dr. John DeMartini
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Day #108 - ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Not the sleeping kind of zzzzzzzzz, although that is great as well, but the kind that is alarming at first and turns out to be...not so bad after all.
Travis called me into the kitchen tonight to listen for an odd sound he kept hearing. It was a quiet zzzzzzzz sound, like the low hum of electricity. Ah, it was by the fridge...no, not the fridge, the dishwasher. I leaned my ear close and it stopped, but only for a few seconds...under the sink? I opened the door, but it stopped again...I didn't hear it anymore and neither did Travis.
I shrugged my shoulders and head back to the family room where I get all tucked up in my blanket again so we can watch the Golden Globe Awards. Trav also gets settled, but then the cat starts perking up and looking toward the kitchen. She tenses up like she is going to sprint on in there and Travis says, "That's it...let's go back in there and figure out where that sound is coming from."
Sigh...Once again we head in there and flip on and off the lights, put our ears to the oven? Nope. The dishwasher? Nope. The fire alarm? Nope. The oven? Wait a minute...is that a bug? "Hey, Travis, could it be this little guy?" - squish, sorry little fella...YEP!! It was a stinking CRICKET!!! How random is that? Crisis averted, no going to bed fearing the house might burn down from some sort of electrical short...
I Am Grateful - & a little sorry for the cricket,
HB
Diva Quote: "You can start with nothing, and out of nothing and out of no way, a way will be made." Michael Bernard Beckwith
Travis called me into the kitchen tonight to listen for an odd sound he kept hearing. It was a quiet zzzzzzzz sound, like the low hum of electricity. Ah, it was by the fridge...no, not the fridge, the dishwasher. I leaned my ear close and it stopped, but only for a few seconds...under the sink? I opened the door, but it stopped again...I didn't hear it anymore and neither did Travis.
I shrugged my shoulders and head back to the family room where I get all tucked up in my blanket again so we can watch the Golden Globe Awards. Trav also gets settled, but then the cat starts perking up and looking toward the kitchen. She tenses up like she is going to sprint on in there and Travis says, "That's it...let's go back in there and figure out where that sound is coming from."
Sigh...Once again we head in there and flip on and off the lights, put our ears to the oven? Nope. The dishwasher? Nope. The fire alarm? Nope. The oven? Wait a minute...is that a bug? "Hey, Travis, could it be this little guy?" - squish, sorry little fella...YEP!! It was a stinking CRICKET!!! How random is that? Crisis averted, no going to bed fearing the house might burn down from some sort of electrical short...
I Am Grateful - & a little sorry for the cricket,
HB
Diva Quote: "You can start with nothing, and out of nothing and out of no way, a way will be made." Michael Bernard Beckwith
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day #107 - Boot Scootin' Deal
I drove a friend from work to pick up a chair she had purchased from The Store (Salvation Army) since it wouldn't fit in her car. While we were there I decided we should take a quick look around. We wound our way through the furniture, clothes, household goods 'til we reached the shoes.
I have always liked to go looking for good used shoes and I was trying to find some boots that might interest me. I had decided to follow my sisters lead and buy a pair with the X-mas money my parents gave me. Turns out there were two pairs of boots in my size that zip up just past the ankle - One Tan and one Red. They are not exactly what I was looking for, but they were cute and boots were listed at $10 per pair. Ya can't really beat that price, so I decided to just get both.
I went to the register to pay and the gal hollered to her co-worker, "These still buy one get one free?"...Turns out it was my lucky day. I pulled out the $10 bill and she handed me back a $5. I said, "Aren't boots listed as $10 per?" She informed me that applies to full length boots and these were shorties so they are only $5 per. I got two pairs of gently used boots for $5 bucks!!
To tell you the truth I sort of felt guilty and held my hand there for a minute with the 5 bills in change thinking what to do...I was just about to hand it back to say, "keep it" when I wondered if it would seem...insulting. I decided I could make a donation another time...hopefully before next Christmas :). I stuffed the money back in my purse and walked out with my new shoes. I wore the tan pair today - Trav said it actually made me a few inches taller...Sweet.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time." Marian Wright Edelman (have I used this before? It is a good reminder)
I have always liked to go looking for good used shoes and I was trying to find some boots that might interest me. I had decided to follow my sisters lead and buy a pair with the X-mas money my parents gave me. Turns out there were two pairs of boots in my size that zip up just past the ankle - One Tan and one Red. They are not exactly what I was looking for, but they were cute and boots were listed at $10 per pair. Ya can't really beat that price, so I decided to just get both.
I went to the register to pay and the gal hollered to her co-worker, "These still buy one get one free?"...Turns out it was my lucky day. I pulled out the $10 bill and she handed me back a $5. I said, "Aren't boots listed as $10 per?" She informed me that applies to full length boots and these were shorties so they are only $5 per. I got two pairs of gently used boots for $5 bucks!!
To tell you the truth I sort of felt guilty and held my hand there for a minute with the 5 bills in change thinking what to do...I was just about to hand it back to say, "keep it" when I wondered if it would seem...insulting. I decided I could make a donation another time...hopefully before next Christmas :). I stuffed the money back in my purse and walked out with my new shoes. I wore the tan pair today - Trav said it actually made me a few inches taller...Sweet.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time." Marian Wright Edelman (have I used this before? It is a good reminder)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Day #106 - Family Calendar
In writing a bit about family history in the last post, I began thinking about my own personal history. One of the greatest things my family does is a calendar each year. I have a rather large family and as it grows we see less of each other. There was a time when we would all go to dinner together or a movie, etc. but everyone's life begins to diverge into separate worlds and when we do get together it is more like we meet for a few hours and gather snippets of updates from everyone. Oh, some of us see more of each other then the rest of us, but for the most part it is more like a family reunion once a month or so.
I remember when we were children we would see our cousin's fairly often - then POOF - we didn't. I hate to think of that happening with my close knit family, but kids grow up and have families of their own and it is no longer feasible to get everyone together in one place as often as you would like.
One year for Christmas all the kids got together to brainstorm on what to get Mom and Dad. I am sorry to say I don't remember whose idea it was, but our parents had boxes of photos just dumped in a jumble. In the days of scrap booking this hardly seemed like a good idea, so someone snuck the boxes from their house and we all went through to sort the photos into stacks by sibling - there are 6 of us. Then we took our own stack of photos and scrap booked them for our parents into a photo album by age - oldest to youngest, baby photos to current time. It was one of those gifts you never forget giving. They were SOOOO SURPRISED and of course they bawled like babies.
The next year we decided to create a calendar of the family to add to the photo history we all started. Now, every year we create 12 new pages to add to our parents scrap book. We also decided to make ourselves calendars as well and it is a vibrant living history of our families lives. I always get two - one for my home and one for my office and I LOVE having it hanging there for me to look at every day. Plus it helps to remember B-Days, Anniversaries, peoples ages, etc.
I have a goal this year to call or mail a B-day card to my nieces and nephews. I called my 5 year old niece, Avery, on her B-day Jan. 5th to ask how it was going. "Horrible...I'm sick and Archer threw-up. My Birthday was cancelled". It was so FUNNY & endearing. I'm so glad I called.
This year Amy had the nerve to suggest we skip a year of calendaring. I think we have been doing it for about 8 years now (?) and it is a lot of work, plus we are always waiting until the last minute to get it done. I couldn't believe she would want to miss a year...then I wondered if everyone felt the same way...? Thankfully no one else jumped on THAT band wagon and we snuck it in under the wire in time for Jan. 1, 2011.
I was setting up my new cubicle at work today and trying to find just the right spot for my family. I hope we keep this tradition up for many years to come.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." Lewis Carroll
I remember when we were children we would see our cousin's fairly often - then POOF - we didn't. I hate to think of that happening with my close knit family, but kids grow up and have families of their own and it is no longer feasible to get everyone together in one place as often as you would like.
One year for Christmas all the kids got together to brainstorm on what to get Mom and Dad. I am sorry to say I don't remember whose idea it was, but our parents had boxes of photos just dumped in a jumble. In the days of scrap booking this hardly seemed like a good idea, so someone snuck the boxes from their house and we all went through to sort the photos into stacks by sibling - there are 6 of us. Then we took our own stack of photos and scrap booked them for our parents into a photo album by age - oldest to youngest, baby photos to current time. It was one of those gifts you never forget giving. They were SOOOO SURPRISED and of course they bawled like babies.
The next year we decided to create a calendar of the family to add to the photo history we all started. Now, every year we create 12 new pages to add to our parents scrap book. We also decided to make ourselves calendars as well and it is a vibrant living history of our families lives. I always get two - one for my home and one for my office and I LOVE having it hanging there for me to look at every day. Plus it helps to remember B-Days, Anniversaries, peoples ages, etc.
I have a goal this year to call or mail a B-day card to my nieces and nephews. I called my 5 year old niece, Avery, on her B-day Jan. 5th to ask how it was going. "Horrible...I'm sick and Archer threw-up. My Birthday was cancelled". It was so FUNNY & endearing. I'm so glad I called.
This year Amy had the nerve to suggest we skip a year of calendaring. I think we have been doing it for about 8 years now (?) and it is a lot of work, plus we are always waiting until the last minute to get it done. I couldn't believe she would want to miss a year...then I wondered if everyone felt the same way...? Thankfully no one else jumped on THAT band wagon and we snuck it in under the wire in time for Jan. 1, 2011.
I was setting up my new cubicle at work today and trying to find just the right spot for my family. I hope we keep this tradition up for many years to come.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." Lewis Carroll
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Day #105 - Plain History
Today I left work early to go meet my Mother-in-Law at the Daughter's of Utah Pioneers Museum. I vaguely remember visiting the museum when I was much younger, but do not remember how big it is. There are four levels plus a carriage house with two more levels just chuck full of items carried across the plains to Utah. Some favorite items for me were:
The wooden foot one man made for himself to walk with after his leg was amputated due to a rogue cow kick. I am sure the cow didn't mean it, but that was one tough dude who walked around with an old fashioned wooden leg for the rest of his life and it sounds like he walked from Alpine, UT to SLC, UT to help build the Salt Lake Temple - what is that like 40 miles of what was sure to be rough road back then?
The button strings - there was a much cooler name for them, but now it escapes me - but the girls had a tradition of collecting buttons on a string from their friends. The idea was to collect 1,000 buttons from friends, neighbors, family, etc. and when the 1,000 button appeared, so would your one true love. It was like a charm necklace the way they turned out.
The Quilts - There were so many displayed and some with the most detailed, decorative stitching. I joked with Joleen that people seemed to be much more productive and creative with their time before TV was available. I can't even seem to find the time to machine sew some squares together...
The clothes - there were many different fashions displayed that represent the years gone by. The one thing that was pretty clear is how much bigger people are today then they were back then. Everything was so tiny, even the furniture was tiny. It is hard to believe these items weren't just built as miniature replicas for display.
The pianos - There were SEVERAL pianos displayed throughout the museum. These things were HUGE - I am wondering why I didn't take a photo to share. There was one story of a family that took their piano across the plains, but there was a problem, so they buried the piano on the trail, protecting it with buffalo skins, and came back later to dig it up. I couldn't stop thinking about how valuable those pieces would have to be to their owners for them to haul them so far in such a difficult situation.
These are just a few things that stuck out for me. I also took a photo of a beautiful stain glass window -
It was so pretty with the sun shining through:
After the museum Joleen and I went to dinner. I think we both had a lovely time and I am glad I took the time to visit something that is such a large part of her life these days.
It sounds like my Mother, my sisters and I are all daughter's of Utah pioneers as well. I called Mom last night to see if she could give me any names to check out from our family history - well, I actually called to see if I should call my Aunt Darla, but Mom truly had the information at her fingertips. I found out tonight that she had actually been on the phone with Darla just the hour before to chat about some of the family line as well...weird.
Anyway, the qualification is to have an ancestor who came to live in UT before the railroad arrived. I will have to get the exact dates, but Hyrum came to Utah when he was 4 years old and he was born in 1845...so he qualifies. We looked to see if there was an existing history on him and there is not, so I think I will try to write one up based on the information compiled by Mom's family several years ago.
I also have vague memories of Grandma Dana telling us stories of an ancestor that lived in a literal Mountain Home cut out of the hillside...I will have to look her up as well.
One thing I truly do appreciate when it gets right down to it is...THANK GOODNESS I was not expected to haul myself through the plains to a new world. Those people worked sooooo hard. If I am smart, I will NEVER complain about doing the laundry again!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Lord of the Rings
The wooden foot one man made for himself to walk with after his leg was amputated due to a rogue cow kick. I am sure the cow didn't mean it, but that was one tough dude who walked around with an old fashioned wooden leg for the rest of his life and it sounds like he walked from Alpine, UT to SLC, UT to help build the Salt Lake Temple - what is that like 40 miles of what was sure to be rough road back then?
The button strings - there was a much cooler name for them, but now it escapes me - but the girls had a tradition of collecting buttons on a string from their friends. The idea was to collect 1,000 buttons from friends, neighbors, family, etc. and when the 1,000 button appeared, so would your one true love. It was like a charm necklace the way they turned out.
The Quilts - There were so many displayed and some with the most detailed, decorative stitching. I joked with Joleen that people seemed to be much more productive and creative with their time before TV was available. I can't even seem to find the time to machine sew some squares together...
The clothes - there were many different fashions displayed that represent the years gone by. The one thing that was pretty clear is how much bigger people are today then they were back then. Everything was so tiny, even the furniture was tiny. It is hard to believe these items weren't just built as miniature replicas for display.
The pianos - There were SEVERAL pianos displayed throughout the museum. These things were HUGE - I am wondering why I didn't take a photo to share. There was one story of a family that took their piano across the plains, but there was a problem, so they buried the piano on the trail, protecting it with buffalo skins, and came back later to dig it up. I couldn't stop thinking about how valuable those pieces would have to be to their owners for them to haul them so far in such a difficult situation.
These are just a few things that stuck out for me. I also took a photo of a beautiful stain glass window -
It was so pretty with the sun shining through:
After the museum Joleen and I went to dinner. I think we both had a lovely time and I am glad I took the time to visit something that is such a large part of her life these days.
It sounds like my Mother, my sisters and I are all daughter's of Utah pioneers as well. I called Mom last night to see if she could give me any names to check out from our family history - well, I actually called to see if I should call my Aunt Darla, but Mom truly had the information at her fingertips. I found out tonight that she had actually been on the phone with Darla just the hour before to chat about some of the family line as well...weird.
Anyway, the qualification is to have an ancestor who came to live in UT before the railroad arrived. I will have to get the exact dates, but Hyrum came to Utah when he was 4 years old and he was born in 1845...so he qualifies. We looked to see if there was an existing history on him and there is not, so I think I will try to write one up based on the information compiled by Mom's family several years ago.
I also have vague memories of Grandma Dana telling us stories of an ancestor that lived in a literal Mountain Home cut out of the hillside...I will have to look her up as well.
One thing I truly do appreciate when it gets right down to it is...THANK GOODNESS I was not expected to haul myself through the plains to a new world. Those people worked sooooo hard. If I am smart, I will NEVER complain about doing the laundry again!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Lord of the Rings
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Day #104 - Ethnic Cooking
Being married to Travis has led me into a life of expanding taste buds. When I got married I was super opposed to anything onions, mushrooms, raw and NOT American or Italian fare. I am sure there are many more items that I "didn't like" mostly because I hadn't ever tried it.
In the last 16 years I have developed a liking for Sushi, Indian Cuisine, Chinese/Asian food beyond cashew chicken and really countless other foods I never liked before.
Last night I actually cooked Indian cuisine in my kitchen - Chicken Korma & Butter Chicken w/Jasmine rice. It took a lot of preparation - chopping onions, mincing garlic and ginger, cutting up chicken into bite size pieces (Thanks Trav) and pulling out and measuring all kinds of spices - an interesting blend of things like clove, cinnamon, garam marsala, cardamon, turmeric, poppy seeds and more.
WOW was it fragrant. The dishes didn't turn out perfect, but they were really quite delicious and I made some notes on what to do differently next time. It's fun to create in the kitchen and take on challenging recipes once in a while.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Everything has a price. Success has a price, and so does failure. Choose either, but be prepared to pay the price for your choice." Larry Winget
In the last 16 years I have developed a liking for Sushi, Indian Cuisine, Chinese/Asian food beyond cashew chicken and really countless other foods I never liked before.
Last night I actually cooked Indian cuisine in my kitchen - Chicken Korma & Butter Chicken w/Jasmine rice. It took a lot of preparation - chopping onions, mincing garlic and ginger, cutting up chicken into bite size pieces (Thanks Trav) and pulling out and measuring all kinds of spices - an interesting blend of things like clove, cinnamon, garam marsala, cardamon, turmeric, poppy seeds and more.
WOW was it fragrant. The dishes didn't turn out perfect, but they were really quite delicious and I made some notes on what to do differently next time. It's fun to create in the kitchen and take on challenging recipes once in a while.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Everything has a price. Success has a price, and so does failure. Choose either, but be prepared to pay the price for your choice." Larry Winget
Day #103 - Moving Day
I am a few days behind...The first of last week we were told our desks would be moved beginning on Friday to the other side of the building. The first reaction is "OH SNAP!" because it is a pain to move. My 2nd reaction is "NEW, NEW, NEW"!!
NEW SPACE - well, same old work space, but moving forces me to re-organize, which is something I have wanted to do for a long time. It is like living in the same house for 20 years - "STUFF" builds up if you do not constantly make an effort to downsize. I actually took a box of books home and 2 bags of things like CD's, decorations and a CD player that has been sitting under my desk for at least two years. I regret that I didn't have time to go through ALL the files and papers stashed all over, but I am determined to do that as I unpack.
NEW ENERGY - I have been feeling like I need an energy shift at work for quite a while. I don't quite understand why I think changing spaces will necessarily lend to this shift, but I do. Maybe it is the feeling of NEW itself that helps leave the OLD behind.
NEW FOCUS - Right now my cubicle is open to my neighbor Sheryle. We did this on purpose so we can communicate regularly. The problem is I like her so much I tend to communicate rather more then necessary and she does the same so it is hard to stay centered on the business. The way the cubicles will be set up on the other side means we will be putting up a wall between us. I have mixed feelings about whether this will be a good thing because we do tend to file share a lot, but I KNOW it will be good for me to stay zoned in and be more effective.
It will be an interesting week as we begin to transition to our new spaces and I am excited.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "All you need to decide is how to use the time you are given." Lord of the Rings
NEW SPACE - well, same old work space, but moving forces me to re-organize, which is something I have wanted to do for a long time. It is like living in the same house for 20 years - "STUFF" builds up if you do not constantly make an effort to downsize. I actually took a box of books home and 2 bags of things like CD's, decorations and a CD player that has been sitting under my desk for at least two years. I regret that I didn't have time to go through ALL the files and papers stashed all over, but I am determined to do that as I unpack.
NEW ENERGY - I have been feeling like I need an energy shift at work for quite a while. I don't quite understand why I think changing spaces will necessarily lend to this shift, but I do. Maybe it is the feeling of NEW itself that helps leave the OLD behind.
NEW FOCUS - Right now my cubicle is open to my neighbor Sheryle. We did this on purpose so we can communicate regularly. The problem is I like her so much I tend to communicate rather more then necessary and she does the same so it is hard to stay centered on the business. The way the cubicles will be set up on the other side means we will be putting up a wall between us. I have mixed feelings about whether this will be a good thing because we do tend to file share a lot, but I KNOW it will be good for me to stay zoned in and be more effective.
It will be an interesting week as we begin to transition to our new spaces and I am excited.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "All you need to decide is how to use the time you are given." Lord of the Rings
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day #102 - Garage Door Opener
For some reason when I tried to blog this post last night it would not allow me to enter anything into this box...weird. Anyway, there was a time not too long ago (almost exactly 1 year and 5 months) I did not have a garage in which to park my car. Now that I have been spoiled with BOTH a garage AND a garage door opener I feel totally let down and disappointed that my opener often fails to work.
Travis and I continue to work on various solutions to this seemingly random issue...first we called for assistance and they came out for a service fee and showed us a few wires that sometimes get disconnected - it was about a 2 minute fix. The next time it stopped working we checked and reattached the wires ourselves, then we reset the whole box, then we called the code people, then we took apart and stripped the wires and started over. Now it randomly works off and on. Sigh.
The point of this post is NOT to whine, although that is what I am doing, the point really is to comment on the magic, convenience, wonderful, easy luxury of the garage door opener. It is lovely to come home in a snow storm and pull right in without getting ones shoes wet, no interruption of the book on tape, no frigid air rushing in the open door...just smooth sailing into home. I sometimes wonder if I will ever learn to be grateful for things WHEN I have them, or if I am destined to lose them before I realize it?
Tonight the door went up AND down both when I left this morning and when I returned home tonight...Sweet!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "You are not born knowing how deeply you can love and care for another...These are spiritual qualities that must be learned." Carolyn Myss
Travis and I continue to work on various solutions to this seemingly random issue...first we called for assistance and they came out for a service fee and showed us a few wires that sometimes get disconnected - it was about a 2 minute fix. The next time it stopped working we checked and reattached the wires ourselves, then we reset the whole box, then we called the code people, then we took apart and stripped the wires and started over. Now it randomly works off and on. Sigh.
The point of this post is NOT to whine, although that is what I am doing, the point really is to comment on the magic, convenience, wonderful, easy luxury of the garage door opener. It is lovely to come home in a snow storm and pull right in without getting ones shoes wet, no interruption of the book on tape, no frigid air rushing in the open door...just smooth sailing into home. I sometimes wonder if I will ever learn to be grateful for things WHEN I have them, or if I am destined to lose them before I realize it?
Tonight the door went up AND down both when I left this morning and when I returned home tonight...Sweet!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "You are not born knowing how deeply you can love and care for another...These are spiritual qualities that must be learned." Carolyn Myss
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day #101 - "Sure...Why Not?"
Tonight Travis and I were invited to a friend's house for lobster tails...Normally, when we receive a call at 7:07 p.m., we just got home from work, changed into our P.J.'s and are 10 minutes into a 20 minute pressure cooking of a chicken, we would say "no thanks". Well, not us...I was thinking I have always really wanted to try a good lobster, I know and like Brad and Elizabeth and I have a whole chicken I can share with them even though it is my first pressure cooker chicken...Why not?
I was able to talk Travis into going without too much trouble simply by admitting to him my concern that we almost always say "no" when sometimes it feels like we should say "yes". Granted I truly believe we might have been the 4th couple they called, but it turned out to be just like I thought it would - We had a quick meal with friends and then we went home.
PLUS, the Lobster really was quite delicious and the chicken turned out superb. I think I will really enjoy that pressure cooker...What should I cook up next???
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Make every obstacle an opportunity" Lance Armstrong's Mom - Their family motto.
I was able to talk Travis into going without too much trouble simply by admitting to him my concern that we almost always say "no" when sometimes it feels like we should say "yes". Granted I truly believe we might have been the 4th couple they called, but it turned out to be just like I thought it would - We had a quick meal with friends and then we went home.
PLUS, the Lobster really was quite delicious and the chicken turned out superb. I think I will really enjoy that pressure cooker...What should I cook up next???
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Make every obstacle an opportunity" Lance Armstrong's Mom - Their family motto.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day #100 - Miss Lissa
My sister Melissa is heading back to Florida tomorrow. I got to spend a nanosecond of time with her while she was here. I have lots of reasons and excuses for not being able to spend more time together, but as I started to list them I realized that is exactly what they are and it bothers me that I felt like I needed to list them. Frankly, it doesn't really matter that I didn't get to see her as much as I wanted to or felt like I should, because I feel I have been lucky enough to develop a special relationship with her through blogging.
In one of my earlier posts I mentioned how personal the blog can be and there is a certain amount of vulnerability involved in blogging about ones life and experiences. I have seen some unique sides to my sister that I adore and some that have always been there that I have gotten to know better.
Melissa is funny and inspiring. She is a fantastic Mother and an avid student of life. She is the Queen saver, but also a big spender when it counts. She drags suitcases full of "freebies" from Florida to Utah to share with her siblings and I think she managed to give something to all of us this trip. Her personality is big and can be a force to push back at, but always she means well and she is quick to find common ground. She cries easily whether it be from laughter, matters of spirit, joy or sorrow...the flood gates open often. I am proud to be her sister and feel so lucky that I have been able to get to know her more thoroughly by following her blog and am honored that she has taken the time to follow mine as well.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Expect the Best. Be prepared for the worst. CELEBRATE IT ALL!" Larry Winget
In one of my earlier posts I mentioned how personal the blog can be and there is a certain amount of vulnerability involved in blogging about ones life and experiences. I have seen some unique sides to my sister that I adore and some that have always been there that I have gotten to know better.
Melissa is funny and inspiring. She is a fantastic Mother and an avid student of life. She is the Queen saver, but also a big spender when it counts. She drags suitcases full of "freebies" from Florida to Utah to share with her siblings and I think she managed to give something to all of us this trip. Her personality is big and can be a force to push back at, but always she means well and she is quick to find common ground. She cries easily whether it be from laughter, matters of spirit, joy or sorrow...the flood gates open often. I am proud to be her sister and feel so lucky that I have been able to get to know her more thoroughly by following her blog and am honored that she has taken the time to follow mine as well.
Thanks M - I love you.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "Expect the Best. Be prepared for the worst. CELEBRATE IT ALL!" Larry Winget
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Day #99 - Pressure...
Did you know you can cook a 3 lb pot roast in 45 minutes to pull apart tender? Sheryle told me this months ago, but I did not have a pressure cooker in which to try it until Christmas - my gift from Travis. I called her today to ask her how she does it and MAN was it GOOD. I used two forks to pull it out of the pot and it just fell apart.
Strangely we chose to make homemade macaroni and cheese to compliment the roast instead of the standard potatoes and gravy and I have to say that turned out to be a delightful combination. Travis decided he wanted to try it and it turned out delicious - he has the magic chef touch.
I guess the term "feels like a pressure cooker" makes some sense...cooking is quick and hot with lots of moisture to sweat the food. I guess today's take away is a good roasting can present some mighty excellent results...maybe a little pressure isn't so bad.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."
Henry Ford
Strangely we chose to make homemade macaroni and cheese to compliment the roast instead of the standard potatoes and gravy and I have to say that turned out to be a delightful combination. Travis decided he wanted to try it and it turned out delicious - he has the magic chef touch.
I guess the term "feels like a pressure cooker" makes some sense...cooking is quick and hot with lots of moisture to sweat the food. I guess today's take away is a good roasting can present some mighty excellent results...maybe a little pressure isn't so bad.
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."
Henry Ford
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day #98 - New Year's Resolve
AH - New Year's Resolutions...In trying to determine how much information to share about mine I decided to look up the word to see just what I was actually committing myself to; how big is the word anyway?
Resolution: the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose; the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
Well, that sounds pretty serious to me. As I look over my list of "Resolutions" for 2011, I feel tired instead of energized. I think most of it is because my list doesn't really change that much year to year and I keep writing down the same old things. I just took some time to alter the list a bit and yet I know better then to eat an elephant...
Eat an Elephant: Biting off more then you can chew
Everyone knows when setting a big goal one should set little ones to meet first.
Resolve: to be reduced or changed by breaking up or otherwise, to break up or disintegrate; to come to a determination; make up one's mind
Over the last week I have considered my weight loss goal in particular. I think this has been at the top of my New Year's Resolution list since high school. Most of the time I am the cliche' New Yearer and do great for the first few months and then whack my efforts to shreds spending the rest of the year beating myself up and ruining all my good work.
So I will break it up into smaller pieces this year and say "lose 15 lbs." then I will set the next goal. I worked out a daily checklist for myself today and think that will break down the steps enough to begin gnawing on that Elephant skin (yuck).
Some of the other goals I am excited about is sewing a quilt for my bed and re-organizing the living spaces in our house. Travis and I have done a decent job keeping the place up from week to week, but when I REALLY look the place over I notice all the little piles...on and in the hutch, under the kitchen counter, stashed in a corner behind an end table, littered in a basket hidden on a shelf, stuffed in a drawer by the table...on and on. Why do I need these piles? What purpose does it serve? I want to get to the bottom of it and find a place for everything to live or chuck it. I am also determined to use daily affirmations and positive thinking to help with these goals.
I would be interested to know if you have a Resolution you are going to work on this year...Please share. Here's to ALL the possibilities 2011 has to offer us!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see." Barry Neil Kaufman
Resolution: the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose; the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
Well, that sounds pretty serious to me. As I look over my list of "Resolutions" for 2011, I feel tired instead of energized. I think most of it is because my list doesn't really change that much year to year and I keep writing down the same old things. I just took some time to alter the list a bit and yet I know better then to eat an elephant...
Eat an Elephant: Biting off more then you can chew
Everyone knows when setting a big goal one should set little ones to meet first.
Resolve: to be reduced or changed by breaking up or otherwise, to break up or disintegrate; to come to a determination; make up one's mind
Over the last week I have considered my weight loss goal in particular. I think this has been at the top of my New Year's Resolution list since high school. Most of the time I am the cliche' New Yearer and do great for the first few months and then whack my efforts to shreds spending the rest of the year beating myself up and ruining all my good work.
So I will break it up into smaller pieces this year and say "lose 15 lbs." then I will set the next goal. I worked out a daily checklist for myself today and think that will break down the steps enough to begin gnawing on that Elephant skin (yuck).
Some of the other goals I am excited about is sewing a quilt for my bed and re-organizing the living spaces in our house. Travis and I have done a decent job keeping the place up from week to week, but when I REALLY look the place over I notice all the little piles...on and in the hutch, under the kitchen counter, stashed in a corner behind an end table, littered in a basket hidden on a shelf, stuffed in a drawer by the table...on and on. Why do I need these piles? What purpose does it serve? I want to get to the bottom of it and find a place for everything to live or chuck it. I am also determined to use daily affirmations and positive thinking to help with these goals.
I would be interested to know if you have a Resolution you are going to work on this year...Please share. Here's to ALL the possibilities 2011 has to offer us!!
I Am Grateful,
HB
Diva Quote: "The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see." Barry Neil Kaufman
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