Instant Teenager

We were able to pick up Jay, our foreign exchange student from China, on Monday night. He has been trying to catch up with our time zone all week, but seems to be adjusting well.

Jay is the nicest person I have met in a long time. He is so polite. Jay opens all the doors for me, won't let me carry his plate to the kitchen sink, wouldn't let me carry anything from baggage claim to the car when he arrived, has offered to help me with chores tomorrow and lets us drag him anywhere we want to take him.

The very first night he was here and we took his things downstairs and just before we went to bed, he asked if he could call us "Mom" and "Dad". Travis and I looked at each other and said "sure". Travis told me later he was going to tell him to just call him "Travis", but that hasn't happened yet, so I think we just needed to get used to the idea. The best part now is, Travis calls me "Mom" when he is talking to Jay - i.e. "Jay, go ask Mom if she wants a glass of water"...very cute. Truly, it is not really that weird because the program calls us the "Host Mom and Dad" it is really just interesting for us because we have never been a Mom or Dad.

The first few days here Jay was a bit shy, but he is opening up more each day. He finally told me he did not want to do something today, which I thought was a good sign that he is getting more comfortable with us. Travis constantly teases Jay. I think he is getting used to it and is a very good sport. I know it is hard for Jay because, while he understands much of what is said, he does not understand it all and he runs into road blocks. It would be very difficult to go to a foreign Country to study without fully knowing the language. I bet in two months Jay will be a pro.

Jay also brought us gifts and was planning to bring gifts to the family get together this evening and we told him "no". He seemed confused because that is what they do in China when they are invited to someones house for the first time. No wonder he was dismayed at the size of my family - he might not have enough gifts in his bags :). In this picture you can see the panda decoration Jay's parents sent with him. We also got some tea and a very nice set of 8 pairs of chop sticks.

Jay Long - very tall

It has been very good having Jay with us this past week. I think he is going to like it here just fine and I think we will really love getting to know him. It is definitely and adventure for all of us, that is for sure.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward." Spanish Proverb

Cedar's Shakespeare

I attempted to take a few days off work last Thursday and Friday to spend some time at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, UT with my Mother-in-law (Joleen) and Sister-in-law (Vikki). I actually had a pretty great time.

I had different expectations of the festival than I actually experienced. I pictured lots of medieval costumes, there were some, and I thought ALL the plays were Shakespeare plays...nope. We saw a total of 4 plays in 2 days.

The first night we saw "Loves Labors Lost" - this IS a Shakespeare play. We learned this was one of his first comedies written and performed. It is about a tiny kingdom and a Prince who enlists his friends to do nothing but study for three years - no overindulgence of any kind and no women. Well, here comes a princess and her buddies on an errand from a neighboring kingdom, one with which this other smaller kingdom has a treaty with. Needless to say, shenanigans ensue and lots of things are said that escaped me, but the actors did a fantastic job translating the feelings into the speeches so, even if I missed something that was said, I still followed what was going on. I only nodded off a few times.

The next morning we went to a 'reading' of a new play being put in production. There was just a table and some chairs on the stage and the actors had their binders open and were semi-reading the lines of the play. It was pretty incredible how they were still able to convey all the emotion behind the words and I realized we didn't even need the costumes and the scenery to experience the play. This one was called "Shunned" and is about an Amish boy who falls in love with the theatre and struggles with the choices he needs to make concerning his life's commitment to his family and way of life. It was pretty sad and thought provoking.

The afternoon play was "Anything Goes" - this was a pure musical. LOT's of costume changes, great dancing and singing, funny dialogue, old Hollywood glam...really fun. I did fall asleep a few times, but I was still entertained by a very good show.

The last, and best, show was "Peter and the Star Catcher". This play is the pre-qual of how Peter Pan became the boy that stays a boy, can fly and comes to be on the Island of Neverland. It was very unique, the way they used the props of the play. I don't think I can even explain it on this post, but there was very little use of actual scenery, but props of people and ropes were used to fashion doors and stairs - it sounds strange, and it was, but it really worked. This is the only play I watched that I didn't actually nod off in - it was action packed, funny and smart.

Besides plays, we did a bit of shopping, ate every meal out (some were VERY good), watched a few green shows (pre-shows with dancing, singing and terrible comedy), had a run in with a transvestite, laughed a lot, cried just a little, overreacted to my excellent driving skills, bought a bushel of peaches, stopped by the cheese factory on the way home to stock up on cheese curd, watched to make sure the price of chicks did not exceed 99 cents, shared a room with snoring (me), early rising (Joleen), deep sighing (Vikki) ladies who were very easy going and fun companions.

I'd do it again - and next time I'll bring my Mom as well.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -- Henry Miller

Good Times

Company Time

I just got home from our companies first annual Summer party. It sounded like a great way to get to know some of the new agents that recently joined the company (over 60 to be exact) and to meet some of the agents families that I have been working with over this last year.

I was expecting hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, but should have known George and John do nothing normal. The food was WONDERFUL. There was a zucchini, bean & olive salad, crab macaroni salad, raspberry/walnut green salad, smokey baked beans with a little spicy kick, raspberry grilled chicken and smoked pork tenderloin w/pineapple habanero sauce. Yum.

There was also two big bouncy houses, tug-o-war (very funny), volleyball, prize packet drawing for a big bucket of family games, face painting, etc. Pretty nice party. I realize I gave the bosses the credit - it was really one of our Broker's that put it all together and she did a VERY nice job.

The best part of the night was all the little kids. There seemed to be 50 two year olds there - all these darling little people, not quite chatty yet, just running all over the place. So cute. I did get a chance to catch up with several of the agents I have gotten to know this year and also spent some time with some of the new agents - it was good.

I was also happy Travis was there with me. There was natural resistance initially, but I love bringing Travis to meet the people I work with. He is so good looking and I love it when people ask how long we have been married and I get to say "18 years" and they always do a double take on Travis. It always makes me laugh inside.

Just today, after Travis left the party, I had several people tell me how good looking he is. I love telling Travis about it later - he gets embarrassed and I am sure it makes him feel good. I like to think it adds some mystery to me in the viewers eyes..."what is so great about Heather that she has a husband like that"? Well, you will just have to get to know me to find out. LOL.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "At every party there are two kinds of people - those who want to go home and those who don't. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other."  Ann Landers

Somewhere...

I finally captured a good picture of a rainbow. We have received quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks. We have also received 3 roof bids and 2 paint bids. This photo reminds me of all the beautiful nights we get to spend outdoors and makes me feel, even with all the money and work to do on this high maintenance house, a sense of gratitude and peace.

Yesterday I was so excited that my sister Melissa, visiting from Florida, had agreed to come down to my new office (yes, I moved again) to assist me with decorating and getting organized. I pictured us doing a bit of carefree shopping, hanging things on the bare walls in a way that actually looks good (thanks to her) and then going out to dinner and having a one on one sister time chat.

Instead, Melissa showed up and had to wait for 30 minutes while I wrapped up some business, we went shopping where I ended up drenched in sweat (man was I HOT), and in between I called my friend back, because she had uncharacteristically sent me two urgent messages, to find out her daughter's baby (she was 26 weeks pregnant) had died in the womb and they had taken her to a hospital near my office so she could deliver him. She ended up getting sent home and will not go back to try again until this weekend - it would be so hard to have that unfinished when the end is known. My friend asked me to go be with her until she could get there from CO or to at least check in on her. Needless to say my sister and I rescheduled.

Just this past weekend I had attended a baby shower for this dear friend. You can picture the excitement, the gifts, the pictures and all the plans that were discussed. Now imagine going to your normal appointment to find out the bad news. Shocked and devastated are only minor words to describe this experience. I cannot even imagine what she must be going through.

I thought it was interesting to note my original and immediate reaction to the news was white hot anger...at who? I don't know, just at the situation I think. I have been thinking these last 24 hours about where there might be a silver lining in the situation. I am sure I can and have come up with a few, but I have decided that sometimes there does not need to be a silver lining. Maybe this can just be a sad loss and things like a beautiful rainbow can just bring a moment of peace after the storm.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: “That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt” -- John Green

Three Blind Mice...See How They Run?

Whenever I get a new car or drive a car I am unfamiliar with I always try to be more aware of the blind spots; really do a good wide neck craning to make sure there is no stray, road colored car there that I might have missed, prior to changing lanes. I do this because there are natural blind spots I am unfamiliar with - the windows are a different shape or size, they may be bigger or smaller or have tinting I am not used to.

I am on year four of driving my current car and I have become accustomed to its natural blind spots, but the other day I almost got in a wreck except for a smooth moving car who, luckily, had a lane to move to when I almost side swiped him in my unawareness of his presence and over-reliance on my mirrors. Queue "apologetic wave..."

It made me think about a question our new...not sure what his title is...but he is organizing all of us from the bottom up and will be a decision maker for our company moving forward. His name is Les and he is giving us weekly lessons in smart business practices - I have started to call them "Lesisms". A few weeks ago he asked all the staff if we know where our personal blind spots are...

One of the examples he used was how parents always want to believe the best about their children even when the proof is blatantly clear they have made an error, the parent always wants to believe it is a mistake or there is some other explanation for the incorrect action. I remember an after school special called "Not My Kid" about a high school girl that got addicted to drugs - I don't know why, but I never forgot that show.

I am not sure I can actually name my blind spots, but I'm pretty sure Travis could point some out. I'm pretty sure I may not want to know what they are...that probably isn't true, but perhaps I really DON'T want to know and maybe that is one of my blind spots. How DO we figure out where we need to do a bit more neck craning in certain areas of our lives?

• Listening - people will tell us in both blunt and subtle ways what we need to hear if we just listen for it. If I have several people telling me the same thing, even in multiple ways, I should probably take a good look over my shoulder and then change lanes. 
• Asking the "right" people - Travis would never want to hurt me, but I know a few people that want to see me fail. Who would be the better person to ask about my personal blind spots?
• Reading - Les is very big on reading. Not only do we have our book of the month to get through, he gave us a reading assignment for 2 other books. Les believes he has learned more about business, communication and relationships by reading books than he ever learned in school. Reading broadens our minds and makes us ask questions. 
• Education - Learning for me comes in many different varieties, but the important thing is to keep learning from experiences, mistakes, reading, observing, etc. These things may also open your eyes to your own blind spots as new information comes into your sphere. 

After reviewing my last several days I feel these may be some of my own blinds spots:

Blind spot #1: Today I kept getting mad because I couldn't get off the phone long enough to get any of my "tasks" done. I think I may have a slight blind spot when it comes to "righteous" anger. Perhaps I feel I am more busy than you are and therefore my time is more valuable or the explanation is not worth the time it will take to review more than once. This is something I must work on and certainly I need to stop sighing so loudly. 

Blind spot #2: I LOVE being sarcastic and joking around, but I wonder if sometimes sarcasm can be hurtful and unintentionally cruel. I need to work on this. 

Blind spot #3: I tend to be a know it all, hard to believe "I know"...enough said. 

I know it is important to recognize our own distressing short comings so we do not hurt others intentionally or otherwise. I am determined to be more patient and kind tomorrow. 

I Am Grateful,

HB

Diva Quote: "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert Einstein

That Blows Chunks!

Travis and I were taking the long way home from the grocery store the other day and as we drove past the library I did a double take..."TRAVIS, turn around, I'm sorry but you have GOT to see this." He did what I asked and as we came back by the library he looked on in astonishment to see a car high centered over some rocks in the library parking lot.

Oh MAN!! That really does blow. Here is the sorry truth of the matter...Travis looked at me and said, "That seems like something you would do." Gee Thanks! The only problem is I was thinking the same thing. Truthfully though, I think I am actually a pretty good driver even though I lose my temper easy enough. We probably all think we are good drivers.

I'm trying to think back at any less than brilliant things I have done while behind the wheel...I backed into a pole in a parking garage a year or so ago. I closed the garage door while the hatch was open and scratched it. Travis actually backed out of the garage before the door was open all the way and broke out the red reverse light at the top of the hatch within 1 week after I got the car fixed, so he is not perfect. I remember coming home all upset from the grocery store complaining about how irresponsible and rude people are who break things on your car and don't at least leave a note - at which time he confessed to the incident.

Several days ago I was driving home from work and there was a Semi that had caught on fire. Just yesterday I passed ANOTHER vehicle on fire - this time a camper. It is times like these that I wonder what happened? What went down? How could this have been avoided? I will never know if the gentleman driving the car above was on the phone, had bad eyesight or was just not paying attention, but I'm glad it wasn't me this time.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quotes: "Never take a solemn oath. People think you mean it." Norman Douglas

Magpie High

The other day Travis was telling me about the aggressive Magpies that were surrounding Bart when he was trying to discretely do his business in the yard. He said he got so mad that they were getting so close to him and making all kinds of noise so he had to go down to the yard and run them off. I told Travis that they did the same thing to my brother's cat that was in the yard slinking around a week or two ago. I couldn't believe the daring of those birds and it put me in mind of the terrifying yet thrilling Alfred Hitchcock movie.

When we had this conversation we were sitting on the deck after a long day of work and it hit me that they must have been protecting a nest or something. Just as I told Travis this I happened to look over the railing and there, right on the ground, was a baby magpie...WHAT? We both got up and looked more closely at it. The darling little thing was just sitting there and then would stumble around a bit.

I am always quite astonished and awed by nature. I can't help it. We continued to watch over the little guy for a few hours and saw the parents come around to feed it now and then. Eventually it stumbled into some tall weeds and we went in for the night. Poor Bart didn't even have a clue there was a tasty little morsel out there (I don't think he would really hurt it, but you never know).

Just last night my sister Keri, her husband Golden and daughter Seerie, came up to share some ribs Travis cooked up for us (so good) and we were telling them the story about the baby magpie and Keri looks over the railing and says "OH, there it is" then "OH, there are two of them"...sure enough there were two of them hanging out this time.

This morning I went out to water my flowers and we saw yet another one out front...how many are there? Who knows, but I took a photo of the one I saw today:

Not the sharpest photos, but you can see how cute they are. I just looked up some information on the magpie to find out more about them. Here is what I copied from the site (I thought it was interesting):

"Pairs form during the fall and winter, and some will mate for life. The pair will engage in a lengthy courtship centered around the male providing food for the female. Both the male and the female will help build the nest, which takes approximately six weeks. The nests of black-billed magpies are sturdy domed structures that are often used in later years by mammals or other birds. The nest consists of a mud anchor in which twigs and sticks are inserted to create a dome-like structure. Then, a mud bowl is constructed atop the mud anchor and lined with grass. The number of eggs incubated varies greatly (between one and nine). The female sits on the eggs for the approximately eighteen day incubation period. The male provides food for the female while she is sitting on the nest. Young are born without down, and their eyes will remain closed for the first week. Both parents feed the young until the young leave the nest at about three to four weeks of age. The young are still dependent on their parents for food for up to two months after leaving the nest."

I am glad to know they didn't just fall out of their nest, but that this seems to be a normal thing for them to wonder around for a bit after they leave as semi-independent 4 week olds. Once everyone seems to have moved on I plan to go nest hunting - it has to be somewhere close by and I bet it is pretty cool. Maybe by then Bart will be able to do his business with some dignity again. 

I Am Grateful,

HB

Diva Quote: "Excuse me, I have to use the toilet. Actually, I have to use the telephone, but I'm too embarrassed to say so." Another great Dorothy Parker quote