February Features

Doing a monthly recap is one resolution I intend to keep. So far, I haven't missed a month. Yay!!

Highlights

Feb 1 - Decided to start my resolutions for the year: Eat healthy, read the Book of Mormon, and exercise regularly.

Feb 4 - My 52nd birthday. We had german chocolate cake at work and I went to a movie with a friend. Thomas Monsen was announced as the next President of the church with Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf as counselors.

Feb 6 - The local McDonalds reopened after being torn down and rebuilt over a space of five months. I have mixed feelings because it's easier for me to avoid the other fast food places. But the owner is a friend so I went to the open house and it's really a nice bulding: wall of water, fireplace, Playstation, a huge play tree. Now if I can just stay away.

Feb 7 to 10 - Took a trip to Salt Lake to see my kids and grandson. Lincoln is so much bigger but even cuter. He is so fun to play with. He doesn't just drool, he screws his little eyes shut and blows. What fun?? Anyway I had to buy him new toys, didn't I? We ate out at California Pizza Kitchen for my birthday and I got to babysit while Stacey and Jordan went to a movie. The next day, Cassie and I went shopping: JoAnns, Famous Footwear, Tai Pan, and Target. Then we ate out again and Cassie, Stacey and I went to a play at the Hale Theater, "Lend Me a Tenor." We just barely made it but the seats were great and the play was fun. Cassie bought my ticket for my birthday. Isn't she sweet? The next day was time to head home. I got to visit with Alyson and Katie for a minute as we loaded Katie's stuf into my car for the trip home. Katie has been living in Layton but decided to move home. It was a fun trip. I never even got sleepy since the conversation just flowed.

Feb 17 - I had to talk in Sacrament Meeting with one of the Stake Presidency. The topic was on service. Yikes.

Feb 19 - Relief Society Book Review. There were just two of us there so we only discussed the book, "Drawing on the Powers of Heaven" for a minute. Besides, my copy fell apart. Next month, we are going to review "Twilight," and no, it was not my suggestion. We're hoping to get some of the Young Women to attend.

Feb 23 - Stake Humanitarian Day. About 100 sisters got together to make Easter baskets for the folks at the care center. Each ward also tied a quilt for its Relief Society closet. I was there until three doing ours. We were the last ones there and my back was killing me. Thanks to my mom who stayed and helped even though her ward finished hours earlier. We had really good soup for lunch. All in all, a good day.

Feb 29 - The month is over; and my branch met our goals one more time. I'm not sure what the bonus is; but there were only two branches in my area that met their goals. High Five!

Feb 29 - A look back on my resolutions: I took the Book of Mormon to work and refused to take anything else to read, so that resolution is being kept. The one I'm reading has comments and notes right alongside the script so I'm gaining lots of great insights. So far, I have exercised exactly zero times (Hang my head in shame) and really blew the eating right this past week. Well, I had to buy doughnuts for work when we hit our goals on Tuesday, didn't I; and I had promised pizza since January and McDonalds was just too enticing. I'm disgusted.

Books Read

**I Married the Klondike by Laura Beatrice Berton, Rated 4.5

**Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robinson, Rated 4.25. The author left me a comment so that's always fun.

**The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, Rated 4.75. Recommended by Katie, thanks very much.

**New Moon by Stephanie Meyer, Rated 4.25. I am now a Twilight junkie.

**Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer, Rated 4.5. And I'm in love with Edward and I like Jacob lots.

**Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather, Rated 4. Recommended by Cheya, another good one.

**Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, Rated 3.75.

**The Chase by Clive Cussler, Rated 4

**The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, Rated 4.25

Currently reading

**The Book of Mormon

**Mark Twain by Ron Powers. It's 600+ pages and I'm on page 67. Partly interesting, partly contradictory and mostly a little boring. I sure hope it picks up.

Movies watched

**Twenty-Seven Dresses. This is the movie I attended with a friend from work. I really enjoyed it. Katharine Heigl has a flair for comedy. I liked her much better in this than on Gray's Anatomy. The ending was hilarious.

**Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. Not nearly as good as the Colin Firth version but much shorter. I love Donald Sutherland but I prefer the Mr. Bennett in the other version. And Darcy grew on me. He was really cute. And what was up with Mr. Bingley's hair? It was a good thing he has 5000 a year.

What's on TV

Dance Wars is over. Bruno's team won. They will get a recording contract; but, based on the single they performed, I doubt if I will buy it. There were some great performers on both teams and the show was fun to watch. But it's two more weeks until Dancing with the Stars. And when does Gray's Anatomy start again?? I did watch the Oscars. Isn't it funny that they kept cutting the speeches short and then the show ended ten minutes early? And the red carpet show at the first was weird. I didn't see very many of the dresses and those were mostly presenters that you saw anyway. Guess I'll have to wait for People magazine.

New Acquisitions

Three new pairs of shoes. The cutest pair have one size 7 and one size 8.

Lots of great stuff from Tai Pan, Easter decor, a ceramic hen, wire basket and ceramic balls.

New clothes from the Dress Barn. I love that place.

Six new CD's from BMG: Bon Jovi, KT Tunstall, Hayley Westenra, Josh Rouse, Nora Jones and James Blunt.

I bought six books at Barnes and Noble, won a giveaway book, and mooched nine more. I mooched nine away so I really only gained seven books.

Overall impression

The month started out freezingly but we had a great thaw mid month. Of course, the farmers are worried because too quick of a thaw will hurt the water situation. It's still pretty warm but foggy the last week. I leave my house each morning in dense fog, drive into the sunshine after about three miles, then the fog has reached town by the time I get off, just not nearly as thick as it is at my house when I get home. I do love the fog except to drive in it. Today, I watched out my front window as it ebbed and flowed. First I can't see the house in the field across the street and ten minutes later, there it is. Great stuff. Things are going pretty well at work, except for teller gave notice. We're getting a transfer but haven't replaced the other yet. Hate that. Even so, it's been a pretty good environment for a while, and everyone gets along quite well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.