simple gifts - my musical history

Yo-Yo Ma is a genius. He knows how to make a cello sing, literally.  I particularly love his version of Simple Gifts from his album Classic Yo-Yo.  His cello accompaniment to the vocals of Allison Kraus is so spare and roomy, it perfectly highlights the message of simplicity, balance and finding your own space.  For me this version is like a long, calming, deep breath of cool air, and when I listen to it I am instantly filled with peace and calm.

I also sang a version of Simple Gifts at my sister's wedding, so I have vivid memories of this song, that whole beautiful day and all the love that was present.  Even though I was struggling with having lost my voice, I still sang and by the end of the song my voice regained its strength and was true.

I remembering thinking that's how my life is.  I don't always start off strong, but bit by bit, step by step my true strength and character is being revealed.  Like the lump of clay on a potter's wheel shaped by the gentle, visionary hands of a master, I too am shaped by the Master and he helps me take on my true form, just as all of us are.  "To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come round right."

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
    'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
    'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
    To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
    Till by turning, turning we come round right.
                         -by Elder Joseph Brackett, a Shaker


Enjoy.  I especially like the photos in this video.



Link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYi9Vr8bHJY

making a home - bedroom

last night i came home to this.

and before the contents of this huge box take over my bedroom,

i thought i would finally get around to showing how i pulled my bedroom together.

i like to keep things simple, with clean lines to minimize distractions.

the bedroom is long and narrow and that means

the only place to put a queen size bed is under the windows.

my beautiful wrought iron headboard wouldn't work in this room

(and sits in storage at the moment)

with the radiator on the right forcing me keep my bed about six inches from the wall.

the simple solution:

a cute white, bead-board top, console table from here.

(sorry, it's no longer in stock)

 it also has two drawers, so it will be the perfect vanity someday.

in this narrow room there isn't room for a lamp table,

but this one holds all my necessities: reading lamp and materials, family photos,

and of course, spencer bear and coco my chocolate-lab puppy.

these two always stay close by.

spencer bear has been my buddy for a long time.

my mom sent me coco when i was in afghanistan.

the lamp is from here.

photos of some of my favorite girls, and my guardian angel.

the square tulip cup is from england, perfect for holding ear plugs.

(i love english china.)

my grandmother's hope chest is on the right side of the room just inside the door,

and is the perfect storage place for sheets and blankets.

i polished it up and topped it with a pashmina wrap from afghanistan

and a collection of black and white photos from england from my friend mike.

 

a monet print gives a calming pop of color. i love monet.

the bedroom door sort of hides the storage stack in the corner.

(i haven't found the perfect white storage cupboard yet.)

see that huge monstrosity on the right.

if it wasn't my AC unit, i would totally hate it.

because is pours out cool air i only hate it a little.

but it really does take over the whole room.

(at least it's portable and i can hide it away when i don't need it.)

i love my room, it's calm and light. it has windows.

i have the hand-quilted double irish chain quilt my mother made for me on my bed.

it's like a hug every night from my mom.

and that completes the tour of the bedroom.

(my sister-in-law was bugging me for this one.)

p.s. i love my cordless blinds from here and the microsuede blackout curtains from here.

i hemmed the curtains up for the perfect length and added some brown ribbon for ties.

oh, on the left i have a tall white dresser with silver handles.

i like white furniture for the bedroom.

the perfect mom?

today i went to the chiropractor to get some work done on my lower back.  i really like dr. h, she's funny, takes the time to chat and doesn't force a manipulation if it doesn't happen naturally.

we spent a few minutes chatting about why my shoulders are so tense and why my lower back was acting up again.  she asked me how many hours a day i was spending in front of the computer--way too many.  then she asked if i was lifting children frequently.  when i said no, she looked surprised and asked if i had children.  i said no, and then she said that i look like i am the perfect mom.  hmmm, not sure what that means, but i'll take it.

here's hoping.

wtb - week 17

Ladies, y'all understand when it's that time of the month there's no way any of us want to get on a scale.  And you also know that there really is only one cure for PMS--Chocolate!!  M&M's are often my happy pills of choice. 

One of my favorite chocolate-food combinations is chocolate with pretzel.  The salty crunch of the pretzel with the creamy smoothness of the chocolate is heaven to my taste buds, but not the waistline.  When I saw the new Pretzel M&M's I had to try them.  The great news is that they taste great and each bag is only 150 calories! When compared to 240 calories for the Milk Chocolate M&M's or 250 calories for the Peanut M&M's, 150 calories is awesome news.  Who knew M&M's were counting calories too. 

Y'all know what this means?  I can eat a bag of Pretzel M&M's and spend a little less time on the ellyptical... or not.  Yay!

image via: m&ms.com

I ♥ M&M's.

no cares

image via commons.wikimedia.org

there are days when i want my summer to be here

all day

every day

with no cares

and

lots and lots of sun screen.

especially when it's a reserve weekend and the weather is perfect and i want to be outside.

"The central purpose of our mortal probation is to prepare to meet God and inherit the blessings He has promised to His worthy children. The Savior set the pattern during His earthly ministry and encouraged those who followed Him to become His disciples.

via commons.wikimedia.org

"The following has been written about discipleship: “The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act [like] he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares … in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of [a] saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength.”" -El. L. Tom Perry, “Discipleship,” Liahona, Jan 2001

all i need is a miracle - my musical history

Whenever I hear this song I am instantly transported back in time to the summer I was sixteen years old.  I love this song!


Link to video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf8vud4Ifjs&feature=player_embedded

This was my song when I was teenager. I remember calling the radio station to request this song and then listening all afternoon so I could then record this song and listen to it again and again. One of the best concerts I ever attended was Paul Carrack's birthday celebration at Royal Albert Hall in London with my friend Mike. Miss ya Mike!

the pashmina

So, last year my mom had surgery to repair her collar bone with a metal plate and then to repair her neck and upper back with more metal screws and plates.  She's doing really good now, but because of all that metal in her, she now gets really cold in AC.  She asked if I had any ideas and I immediately said, "Yes, a pashmina."

My mom asked me, "What is a pashmina?"

I said, "It's a long rectangular scarf or wrap that you wear in a variety of ways around your shoulders."

"Oh," she said.  "I think you're going to have show me how to wear it."

"Okay, maybe I'll do a post on how to wear a pashmina," I said.

So, Mom this is for you. Hope this helps you and others out there who need a little help with how to wear a pashmina.


I like the basics of this one video.
Link to video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cmwxirkd18



This one is funny with a guy model, but the shop owner knows what he's doing.
Link to video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRsGZTngZfM

wtb - week 16

"The best diet is the one you don't know you're on."  I like it.

This is the mantra of the the book Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink, PH.D.  So far, I've learned that eating in the U.S. is a mind game.  Every package, recipe, menu, serving presentation, plate size, grocery store and restaurant is designed to get us to eat more.  Typically, we use visual cues for how much to eat.  If we see that there is more, then we eat more.  If we have bigger plates, bowls and glasses then we eat more.  If we see that we've eaten alot, then often we will stop eating.  And even though we may say, I'm smart and have educated myself about food, we can still fall for the illusions of what we see rather than thinking seriously about how much and what we weat.  Wansink has lots of proof up his sleeve and cites the many interesting studies he has conducted or read.  Interesting food for thought.  Yes it's a pun, and a bad one.

I'm hoping to learn to re-program my mind when it comes to food and not fall for the gimmicks. 

via: missiongettinghealthy.blogspot.com

Which serving size do you want?

things my dad taught me

1. be honest
2. work hard to play hard
3. listen to advice from others, especially from my mother (even if i'm going to do something completely different)
4. speak up 
5. taking care of the family's chickens builds character
6. serving people and my country is a way of life
7. tell people they are loved and show it as well
8. how to change a flat tire, check the oil and fill up the carburetor on a car
9. hoeing beans teaches important life skills, like finishing what you started or fulfilling obligations
10. my siblings are my best friends

via

father's day

happy father's day.

i'm thankful for the good men in my life,

especially those in my family.

i love you all!

romance shmomance

not much has changed since I wrote this.

Originally written in 22 January 2007

I just read a friends blog about failed relationships and I'm thinking, whoa, you really have lost hope. My mom says I'm a hopeless romantic, but I say I'm a hopeful romantic.

Hopeful, because I've had it in my hands. I've been in love. I've been swept off my feet by the hopeless romantic. I've been seduced by love and the promise of happily ever after, into giving my heart to an ultimately undeserving hopeless romantic. I've loved, hated, talked, cried, shouted, cried some more and had my heart broken.

Love sucks, yet it's the most wonderful gift I've ever had. I want it again, and I have complete faith that because it found me once, it will find me again.

Someone once said to me as we ended our relationship that in our case the reward wasn't worth the risk. He was right. He was not worth the risk.

Love, however, is worth the risk... completely worth the risk. Even the risk of breaking my heart, and crushing my hope once again. It is so worth it.

So, here I am. Ready to leap...

random number 3

sometimes my head gets stuck on the number 3.  i don't know why, it just does.

suddenly, i will find myself thinking for minutes at a time, of how evenly the number 3 will divide into super long numbers such as:

1,234,567,891,011 / 3 = 411,522,630,337

or

4,921,367,580,143,556 / 3 = 164,045,586,0047,852

weird, right?

and i so don't do math.

more than we bargain for

via commons.wikimedia.org

You ain't seen nothing yet!  The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us so much more than we bargained for.  Think about the lame at the gates of the temple putting out his hand to Peter and John for alms.  He certainly got more than he ever dreamed.  Instead of giving the man money, Peter looked down at him and said, "'Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.'  And he took him by the right hand, and alifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him." (Acts 3:1-10)  Imagine what's in store for us.  The tokens already appear.  -El. Jeffrey R. Holland, Suitland, MD Stake Conference, 6 June 2010. 

jessica's theme - my musical history

Is there a song that takes you back in time, that defines an era of your life for you?  I thought I would start sharing some of my musical history, the songs I love that have special meaning to me.  These songs cover a wide variety of genre and loves for me, and they all have specific memories associated with them.  If I had ever had to choose an all time favorite song it would be really hard.

Here's the link to the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_erOWnqc8g&feature=player_embedded

Jessica's Theme from Man From Snowy River was the sound track to my daydreams when I was a girl.  It was the first song I memorized for the piano and I can still play most of it to this day without sheet music.  The movie is one of my all time favorite movies, and Jim Craig was the man for me.  My best friend, at the time, and I dreamed of moving to the Snowy River Mountains, finding our very own Jim Craig and then living a blissful life in one of the most rugged mountain ranges in all of Australia.  The closest I got to the Snowy River Mountains was Brisbane, but that's another post entirely. 

Can you see why I was in love with Jim?

I would go weak at the knees whenever he tipped his hat to Jessica.  Oh, baby!

I've also been accused of being Jessica's doppelganger.  In my late twenties, I walked into Alta Muffler & Brakes on Main Street in Logan, Utah one afternoon to get some work done on my car.  The clerk behind the counter was busy with another customer and kept looking over at me.  He was obviously the mechanic there as well.  He was the epitome of a grease monkey with thick, curly dark hair framing his fleshy face and covered with a sweat stained ball cap.  A bushy black mustache covered his upper lip under a rather wide nose.  He was wearing a grey-ish, too short t-shirt which at some point was white, but now covered in greasy hand prints and other stains that didn't quite cover his large belly, and grimy red suspenders which barely held up his jeans. 

He finished with the customer, escorted him out to the newly repaired car and then came back inside to help me.  I was completely unprepared for his next move.  He stepped back behind the counter, and then leaned across it putting his chin in his hand to stare up at me, and batting his eyes with a big sigh asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Jessica from Man From Snowy River?"  It was all I could do not to laugh while graciously accepting the compliment.

Yep, we do kind of look alike.

I highly recommend the movie if you've never seen it.  Great romance, good acting, well written, excellent cinematography, beautiful soundtrack and gorgeous scenery.  All the stuff a girl's dreams are made of.

cake!

I actually do listen to my brothers, most of the time.  They're all really great cooks and enjoy good food.  So when my brother Rob called me a few days ago to tell me about a rhubarb cake his wife, Nick, had made recently, I listened up.  Rob said if I took this into work or to a church singles potluck, that the guys would be lining up to propose.  Everyone certainly enjoyed this cake at the singles potluck, but no proposals so far.

I give you the (Strawberry) Rhubarb Pudding Cake.

Here are the ingredients you need:

Rob recommended just doing rhubarb, but I love strawberry rhubarb pie.

Everything's better with strawberries in it.

Cut up 4 cups of rhubarb and strawberries, mix together with 1 cup of sugar and let stand while preparing the rest of the cake.  The sugar will start to draw out the natural juices of the fruit mixture.

Prepare the yellow cake mix as directed on the box.  I like the mixes with butter and not oil, because the yummy butter flavor definitely comes through and adds so much to the mix.  One tip: the butter mixes better at room temperature.  **Update: this morning while making the peach-blackberry version for work, I realized that I had left the water out of mix when I made it last time.  I compensated by adding a half cup of milk and it totally worked.  I did the same thing again this morning, because it worked so well.

Pour the batter into a well greased 9x13 inch cake pan.  Get the fruit mixture ready!

Spoon the fruit mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.  Oh yum!

But wait!  What about that pint of heavy whipping cream from the first photo?!?!?!

Take that pint and pour the whole thing over the cake.

Keep pouring until it's all on there.  Heavy cream is sooooo good.

Stick that yummy, fruity, creamy goodness in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees and bake it for 50-60 minutes.  As it bakes, the fruit and cream will sink to the bottom of the pan and create a creamy, sweet, fruity pudding on which the cake will float.

This is what the finished product will look like. The fruit and cream are on the bottom and they transferred their flavor into the cake as well.  The cake got a little over baked, but with the cream and fruit on the bottom it was still very moist and I think it added just a bit to the yummy-ness.  It was a hit at the potluck as well.  I took a bite and stopped in amazement at how good it was.  This is a guaranteed hit for any occassion.  Thanks for sharing the recipe Nickolee! 

Here's the recipe.
Rhubarb Pudding Cake
Ingredients:
1 two-layer yellow cake mix (Get the one where you add butter, it's better.)
4 cups chopped rhubarb (I added strawberries, 'cause strawberry-rhubard pie is the best!)
1 cup sugar (I think with other fruits less sugar would be okay.)
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Chop rhubarb (and fruit, if desired) into small pieces, combine with sugar and let sit while preparing the cake.
3.  Grease a 9"x13" baking dish.  Prepare yellow cake mix according to instructions on the box and pour into pan.
4.  Spread the rhubarb-sugar mix evenly over the top of the cake.  Be sure to get rhubarb out to the edges for more even baking.
5.  Pour the cream over the top of the cake.
6.  Bake for 50-60 minutes.  As the cake bakes, the rhubard and cream will sink to the bottom, creating a fruity, pudding like layer that is thick but runny.  The cake will bake like a normal cake, in that when a toothpick is inserted to test done-ness it will come out clean.  However, the cake will slide around a bit on the bottom layer, so it will seem as though the cake is not done.  Test the cake before removing from the oven.
My notes:  (a) The addition of strawberries to the thubarb was a great combination. However, 1 cup of sugar was a little too much sugar, as the cake and fruit mixture was very sweet.  Granted rhubarb is very tart, but I think having more of the tartness would have been better.  I'll be experimenting with sugar levels.  (b) I think there are a lot of great fruit possibilities this cake:  peaches & blackberries (I'm making this tomorrow morning for a work potluck.), or raspberries.

wtb - week 15

okay, so after 15 weeks i feel as though i don't have much to show for myself.  this week, i'm going back to square one where i write everything down that i eat and drink, what time i do this and how i feel afterwards, i.e., starving, hungry, satisfied.  next week, i might even share my notes with you.

i'm also reading a book called Mindless Eating.  the title alone got me thinking about my eating, and i decided to start off the book by writing it down, so my eating isn't mindless for me anymore.

on a side note, all my fresh veggies froze in the vegetable and fruit drawers in my fridge this weekend.  i had to throw out quite a bit of stuff.  here's a photo of what i managed to rescue.  zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes and onion topped with olive oil, salt and pepper, and italian seasoning under the oven broiler until the edges are browned.  it's all absolutely divine!  veggies are yummy.

fly a flag

Today is Flag Day.

via commons.wikimedia.org

Said Washington to Betsy Ross, "A flag our nation needs

To lead our valiant soldiers on to high and noble deeds
Now can you make one for us, to which she made reply,
"I am not certain if I can; At least I'll gladly try."

So she took some red for the blood they shed
Some white for purity,
Some stars so bright from the sky overhead
Some blue for loyalty,
And sewed them all together,
For loyal hearts and true,
And hand in hand as one we stand
For the red, the white and the blue.

Said Betsy Ross to Washington, "Your country's flag behold!"
And through his tear-dimmed eyes he saw the stars and stripes unfold.
Then to his breast he clasped it, and looked to heaven above.
"Oh may it ever stand," he cried, "For rights and truth and love."
 -Popular school song, as recalled and submitted by Anne Dreisbach

via commons.wikimedia.org

Don’t feel downcast or despair if you don’t feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible—and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.   -El. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24

sunday dinner

Sunday Dinner was a big, white fearsome rooster.  He ruled the hen house with iron spurs and a cut throat beak.  I was terrified of him.

At a very young age I was the keeper of the family chickens, responsible for every aspect of their well being.  I gave those chickens their food, water and oyster shells (these made for very strong shells), opened the door to let them out to enjoy the sunshine and bugs, and gathered and washed their eggs.  A very thankless job, as I don't recall a single one of those chickens ever saying thank you, but I digress.

Sunday Dinner was even less thankful.  That rooster hated me with a vengeance.  Every time I entered the chicken coop that rooster was lying in wait to deter the intruder of his domanin.  He wasn't going to let me get those eggs come hell or high water.  He would come at flapping his wings and clawing with his great claws, and go straight for my face.  I hated that rooster with a passion and taking care of those chickens was hell for me.

To make matters worse, Sunday Dinner wasn't afraid of my dad.  My dad, who has a penchant for naming animals after the foods they would become, would walk into the chicken coop with me, and that rooster would just stand in the corner watching us.  He would try to flap his wings at us, but my dad wouldn't stand for that and back into the corner that rooster would go.  Dad also tried to teach me not to be afraid of Sunday Dinner and show him who was boss, but I could never past his powerful wing span that beat against me every time he got close enough to inflict pain upon me.  I was plain scared of Sunday Dinner.  He was largest, meanest rooster I knew.  Granted he was the only rooster I knew, but still.

Dad wasn't always available to go out there with me, so I enlisted my brother Raymond to act as my body guard against Sunday Dinner.  Hey, I needed all help I could get!  Raymond grabbed a broom and followed me out to the chicken coop.  At the door I sent Raymond through first, and followed close behind.  As soon as Sunday Dinner caught sight of me, the attack began, and Raymond began beating him off me with the broom while I gathered eggs and checked the feeders and waterers.  Without my brother, that rooster would have gotten me good.  I was always glad my brother had my back.  It made my job a little easier.

As for Sunday Dinner, he never did live up to his name.  Instead, he lived a very long and not so fruitful life, as none of those eggs he was diligently guarding ever got a chance to hatch.  He was outside one day, scratching for bugs and enjoying the sunshine when he dropped dead in his tracks.  Dad was pretty sad about that, and dug a grave for him somewhere by the chicken coop.

After gathering all those eggs and washing them, and taking care of all those chicken, I couldn't eat eggs for many years.  Eggs just simply grossed me out.  I was okay with eggs that were mixed into baked goods and other things, but scrambled eggs, fried eggs and boiled eggs just made my gag reflex kick in.  It was years before I was able to eat scrambled eggs or even hard fried eggs.  Just last year I was able to eat my first boiled egg without tossing my cookies.  And don't even try to get me to eat a eggs over easy, blegh!

I don't have fond memories of taking care of the chickens or of Sunday Dinner, but I do have good memories of my brother Raymond who always had my back when I was up against that devil of a rooster.

all images via commons.wikimedia.org

a more peaceful ending

today was a vaguely unsettling day.

a feeling of something not quite right somewhere in the world persisted at the back of my mind for most of the day.  i didn't like this, not one bit, nor did i know the cause of this unsettling feeling.  i tried various things to shake it: a prayer, a primary song, telling a trusted friend at work about it, listening to someone's problem, doing a lot of work, researching the answer to a work-related problem, more prayer and reading the scriptures online for a few minutes.

in the end all of the above must have worked because the feeling diminished, it's not quite as present now as it was earlier today.  as always i am amazed at how quickly peace comes when i turn to the lord.  he calmed my troubled mind today so that i could focus on the tasks at hand.  and that dear friends is a beautiful and wondrous thing.

while today wasn't a big storm in the scheme of things, i can certainly relate to this thought:

All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives. A few of them, though temporary like [those] on the Sea of Galilee, can be violent and frightening and potentially destructive. ...we have had sudden squalls arise which have made us ask one way or another, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” And one way or another we always hear in the stillness after the storm, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”


None of us would like to think we have no faith, but I suppose the Lord’s gentle rebuke here is largely deserved. This great Jehovah, in whom we say we trust and whose name we have taken upon us, is he who said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” (Gen. 1:6.) And he is also the one who said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.” (Gen. 1:9.) Furthermore, it was he who parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground. (See Ex. 14:21–22.) Certainly it should be no surprise that he could command a few elements acting up on the Sea of Galilee. And our faith should remind us that he can calm the troubled waters of our lives.  -Howard W. Hunter, “‘Master, the Tempest Is Raging’,” Ensign, Nov 1984

winning the battle - week 13

not much to report this week.

didn't get on the scale this morning.

not feeling so hot this week.  i am running again.

sometimes you feel it and sometimes you don't i guess.

my new favorite treat for under 100 calories:

edy's fruit bars in pomegranate have caught my taste buds.

just the right amount of sweet and tart.  oh yum!

37 years is a very long time

37 years is a very long time.

(i'll find out soon enough next year.)

mom and dad have made it through

a lot of lovin' times,

good times,

cryin' times,

laughin' times

and rough times.

lots of love, laughter, joy and tears.

we put them through a lot.

they survived:

me coming along nine monts and four days after they got married!

raising six kids

lots of emergency trips to dr. g's for stitches

chickens, cows, rabbits, goats, dogs and cats, oh my

four of us were teenagers at all at once, oh help

three of us serving missions at one time

having all three of us move back home at the same time

all six served missions

driver's education and learner's permits, yikes

numerous car wrecks by two daughters, yep me and my sis

countless practical jokes

lots of dating

raising kids, animals and a garden

lots and lots of firewood cutting and stacking

four weddings, so far

eleven grandkids, so far

losing a child

a daughter deploying

kids moving away from home

grandkids coming for visits

and

much, much more.

all i can say today is

congratulations on 37 years mom and dad.

wow!

i love you both.

*good* stuff

the weekend is off to a *good* start
with lots of *good* stuff.

via southernliving.com

an early morning run around capitol hill.

my muscles hurt--such a *good* feeling.

image via here

seventh hill

the pizza here is sooooooooo *good*.

the crust guy is un maestro e bellismo.

p.s. he speaks italian.

image via here

georgetown cupcake

yummy moist *good*-ness in every bite.

more *good* stuff to come.

via commons.wikimedia.org

much needed *good* quiet time will be spent here.

via commons.wikimedia.org

a *good* tour here, 'cause cemeteries are way cool.

image via lds.org

i get to listen to this *good* man teach on sunday!

he's a disciple of christ, a modern day apostle.

so much *good* stuff this weekend.

it's gonna be *good*.

reasons to car pool

This is a very serious post about the advantages of carpooling.
Heck, with all the problems that come from oil consumption,
there are actually some really good reasons to car pool:

10.  One less car on the road

9.  Company while traveling

8.  Able to use the car pool lanes during rush hour

7.  Save $$$$ on parking

6.  Save time by using car pool lanes

5.  Reduce carbon footprint

4.  Way more fun than going alone

3.  Use less gas

2.  Save $$$$ on gas

And the number one best reason ever for carpooling:

image via tennesseebillotr.com

'Cause heaven knows you wouldn't want to ride alone with Hitler!

I love WWII motivational posters.  :)

winning the battle - week 12

I've been at the same weight for two weeks now.  This is encouraging, because I'm maintaining, but I would like to lose a few more pounds.  I'm hoping that this week with my resumed workouts and better food choices, I'll make a dent in things.  I'll let you know.

I love three-day holiday weekends.  Sleep is so important and I got to play, or rather sleep catch up this weekend.  It was nice.  I've definitely noticed that when I get close to eight hours of sleep that my body is happier.  I'm happier.  My brain is happier.  My appetite is also happier and more settled.  I don't feel like I'm compensating for a lack of sleep with more eating. 

When I'm well rested, I crave more healthy foods.  Fruits and veggies with the right amounts of proteins and grains, and a good solid sleep all serve to make me a happy girl.  Plus I really do need my beauty sleep.

via

eavesdropping

I admit I am an eavesdropper.

Sometimes, I just can't help it.  I'll be sitting somewhere minding my own business and over hear someone's conversation.  I don't intend to listen, but sometimes I do because it's way more interesting than what I'm doing.

For instance, while lying on the beach two weeks ago in Florida I overheard the following conversation between two women several yards away.  They were discussing education, and I believe one of them was an elementary school teacher.  One of her colleagues does a 15 minute exercise DVD each day in her classroom with her students, because as she put it, "I don't have time to do my workout, so I just incorporated into my class time.  That way I get my workout in, and my students get some physical activity as well."

How brilliant is that!  What a great teacher and what an imaginative way to get a workout in.  I don't feel guilty at all for eavesdropping on that conversation.

This WWII poster sums up the importance of a good workout,
'cause we all want to get hot, see.

via tennesseebillsotr.com