History Tag

I was just tagged by Tristi at her blog with this history meme. You know me, I love these things. After I'm done, I'll tag five more bloggers. Here we go: 1. Go to Wikipedia and type in your birth date only -without the year. February 4 2. List 3 events that occurred that day: 1789 - George Washington is unanimously elected to be the first President of the United States by the U. S. Electoral College. (I love George.) 1933 - Senator Huey Long of Louisiana gets the Governor to declare a bank holiday. The reason cited in the holiday declarationwas that the US broke diplomatic relations with German on February 3 and February 4 in 1917. February 3 was not declared a bank holiday. (What happened to this very important holiday?? I think both the 3rd and the 4th should continue to be banking holidays. Please write your congressman.) 1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkley, California. (And to think I let getting a promise ring on my 18th birthday take precedence over this!!) 3. List 2 important birthdays: 1677 - Johann Ludwig Bach, German composer d. 1731 (Ahh, Bach) 1947 - Dan Qayle, 44th Vice President of the United States 1948 - Alice Cooper, American musician ( I cheated and picked three, but I really liked the contrast between Quayle and Cooper) 4. List 1 death: 2006 - Betty Friedan, American feminist, b. 1921 (Interestingly, she was also born on Feb 4. So is it her lucky day or not?) 5. List a holiday or observance: World Cancer Day (Odd sort of holiday, isn't it? Let's call it "Day of the Framed" instead.) Now I get to tag five other bloggers. Hmmmm, let's go with: Booklogged Alyson Cassie Mes Bijoux Cardine If I didn't tag you, please feel free to take part anyway. Thanks, Tristi, this was fun

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

I received the following article from a friend and decided to share it all with you. I think visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was one of my most memorable experiences while visiting Washington D.C. Learning more about the ritual and the men who volunteer for this duty was very fascinating and moving for me.

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns ------All three missed it .

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
2. How long does he hesitate after his about-face to begin his return walk and why? 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1
3. Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.
5. How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30. Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor recipient, Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

God Bless and keep them.

Enrichment Night

CHARITY NEVER FAILETH

**Quit groaning, this is not an exhortation to devote more time to the poor and needy. Surely you all know me better than that, even though Charity is my middle name. (Said with all the sarcasm that my self-criticism can deliver) I just want to journal a wonderful experience the ladies of my ward shared yesterday evening. It was the annual Relief Society Birthday dinner, and we invited the sisters only. Some men grumbled but, honestly, do they really, sincerely care that Relief Society has been around for 160+ years? I think not. To begin the evening, we met in the RS room to hear a special musical program presented by a women's choir of 15 women in the area. It's not a large room so we were quite close to the choir. I had to sit on the front row, which was great for me. The program consisted of songs and dialog taken from scriptures and church history. Some of the songs were "The Pure Love of Christ" and "Charity Never Faileth" by Julie and Lex De Azevedo, "Sisters in Christ" (you may have heard this sung by Gladys Knight), and "As Sisters in Zions." Truthfully, I haven't always loved "As Sisters in Zion," but it is growing on me; and this choir had mastered it. I liked their rendition of "Sisters in Christ" even better than Gladys Knight's, and hers is very good. They ended the program by singing "We Rejoice." It is such a triumphant anthem to the glory of the gospel and God's love for us. A truly fitting ending. I know most of the audience were choked up and I saw some tears from the performers as well. On the back of the program was printed this quote:

"Music is well said to be the speech of angels, in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite." Thomas Carlyle

It really did seem that we had just heard angels sing to us. I know everyone who was priviliged to attend left feeling a little closer to divinity. We all need to look for these kind of experiences to refill our lamps in a world that is so draining.

My Visual DNA

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MOOD: SOFISTICATE

You can be both calm and peaceful, and you like to feel free to explore your environment. You can be a little nostalgic and you love revisiting familiar places and memories. (Really, I always want to go somewhere new.) When it comes to art, you're definitely unconventional. You appreciate precison and hard work. As for music, You're a discerning (Oooh, I like that) listener - romantic and passionate. (ditto) You love the buzz you get from watching music live - there's nothing like it. Your choice of treat shows you love being a little bit naughty. Being good all the time is a bore. You've got a good sense of fun and maybe an infectious giggle. (Is this saying that I'm a saucy wench?)

FUN: ESCAPE ARTIST

You really value your 'quiet time' - to recharge and reconnect with yourself. You're not afraid to take yourself away from people and explore your imagination. (It's so true) For kicks you like to indulge in your great passions. You are probably happy spending time alone, and your drive and curiosity will take you all over the world. When it comes to holidays, you'll take experience over comfort every time, whether under canvas or under the stars. (Whatever. Give me a Hilton next to that beautiful scenery.) You love the chance to be in the wilderness and the freedom of being in charge of where you're heading. (I love the wilderness as long as I don't have to sleep there. Being in charge is highly overrated, but as long as Cheya's done all the research on the best places to go, I'm okay. In our family, no one is in charge.) What grosses you out? You like people to be well-groomed, with a tight bod and heaps of sex-appeal. (Everyone but myself) Wobbly bits and hairy areas are a complete turnoff. (Aren't they trivializing the total grossness of that fat, hairy back?)

HABITS: JUNKIE MONKEY

Even if you have a healthy approach to life, you still have your vices and a craving hunger drives your needs! (Well, that's not very flattering.) So you'll supersize it, you love convenience and that taste . . . (Guilty) Clean and pure - your choice of drink shows that you care about your health and make sure you're putting the right stuff in. (I try) As for the home, you have a very cool and contemporary taste. It's not just about function - your environment has to be as stylish as you are. (I just really like the windows, but I can live with stylish. Wish I was.)

LOVE: HOME SOUL

You're a real home soul. You care deeply about family life and all that comes with it, the love a child is very special. (Am I getting fixated on this new grandbaby?) When you think of freedom - you think of living for the here and now. (Yeah, but's what's gonna happen to me in the next life??) You're pretty fearless and take any opportunity given you. (Snort!!)

This was a fun exercise, and some things are pretty true. To be very honest, I almost chose the guy reading on the toilet as a treat. It just tickled me. And I had a hard time deciding on my favorite holiday and scenery. I've enjoyed seeing this on some other blogs as well. Hmmm, I guess I never really knew your guys.

A Weekend in the City

I spent the past weekend in Salt Lake with my four fifty-ish friends. We are continuing our new tradition to celebrate our friendship by finding fun and interesting things to do together. Truthfully, Ann is the one who has come up with the great ideas, but Nikki, Marla, Judy and I are eager followers. So Saturday morning, we traveled to Salt Lake and met Marla who flew up from St. George. We stayed at Little America and had lunch in their wonderful dining room. The afternoon was spent shopping and I bought four books. (A small amount compared to some of the others) It's so fun to discuss books with these women. Then dinner at P F Chang's where we all ate too much. That night we attended a performance of "Little Women," a musical presented at the Hale Centre Theater in West Valley City. It's theater in the round and we had front-row seats. That made it up-close and personal. Judy had bought everning gloves for all and we were very elegant even though we didn't take the time to change into our dresses after shopping. The play was superb, beautiful music, fantastic voices, and a great story. I had to take my gloves off to wipe a tear from my eye since I didn't want mascara stains on them. I definitely want to go to future productions at the Hale. On Sunday morning, we attended a sacrament meeting at a gorgeous old church on 4th South that was built in 1909. We arrived early and explored. They don't make churches like that now with the beautiful woodwork and stain-glass windows. The regular ward-members made us feel so welcome. Another great idea of Ann's that we all appreciated. Then it was back to Little America for their famous Sunday breakfast bar. Wonderful fresh fruit. Cheya, you would die for those raspberries and the blackberries were even better. After seeing Marla off on the shuttle to the airport, we headed for home, missing the worst of the snow storm that blew in that afternoon. I know that there was great conversation except I slept most of the way home. I am fifty-one after all. Judy, Nikki and Ann are still young 50-year-olds.

memoirs of a Birthday

I celebrated number 51 last Sunday. Usually, I don't say much about birthdays since . . . well, it's 51 . . . nuff said. But this was a nice day. I went to church. I gave the lesson in Relief Society and there were lots of good thoughts and ideas shared. Several people wished me Happy Birthday. I was told I didn't look 51. Is it okay to lie in church? Sacrament Meeting was particularly spiritual. I went home and got on the internet while I ate a quiet dinner. My mom stopped by and gave me a book for my birthday, always a welcome gift. My daughter called and we chatted for a long time. She's such a sweetie. Then my son called and gave me a great present. . . I'm going to be a grandma in September! What a fantastic birthday.

What a Life

*I thought it was time to just do an update on my life. I'm a month into 2007 and approaching the big 51. That's seem so much older than 50. According to my brother who turns 60 next month, I shouldn't be complaining. It continues to be bone-chillingly cold although we are getting above zero during the day. Apparently, this is the colder winter in 34 years. I'm hating life and haven't even got the gas bill yet. My brother from Virginia visited this weekend and the family gathered at Mom's for dinner and birthday cake. We sang for my sister-in-law and me. And yes, we blew out all the candles. She's 58 but looks much younger than me. Today, some of the family drove to Salt Lake for a farewell lunch with Wayne. I know

Mom and Steve went but I'm not sure about the Weber's. I had to stay behind for a much needed root canal. Just after Christmas, I hurt my tooth eating candied popcorn and finally got around to getting it fixed. It's has been quite painful lately. The endodontist said the tooth is cracked and I'd better get a crown as soon as possible. That would be the 14th, the soonest my dentist can get me in. Sounds like I'm on soup and jello for a couple of weeks. At least this year's Valentine's

Day will be eventful. Tonight, we reviewed "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale in a Relief Society activity. I suggested it since I thought it was such a wonderful book. I know one family in which the grandmother, mother and 8-year-old daughter have all read it since we picked it the first of December. Actually, the daughter has read it two times along with a couple of Hale's other books. I think she will be a great book blogger someday. The book was a huge success with all ten ladies who attended. One had even visited Shannon Hale's website and printed off a quiz about this book. It's alarming how many details I'd forgotten since I read it in November. Next month we are reviewing "The Five Love Languages" and "Where the Heart Leads." (LDS Fiction) I went to Amazon to get used copies of each. There are several different "Love Languages", so I got the one for singles. Who knows where that may lead. Here's hoping things warm up in February. It's hard to turn the page when you're mummified in blankets.

Ten Things I Love that Start with "T"

I have seen this meme on a few other blogs so I asked to be assigned a letter. Thank heavens it wasn't "X", but "T" was great. Here we go in no particular order:

T*T*T*T*T*T*T*T

1. Technology -- I don't always understand how to work everything, but I love my computer, my car, TV, DVD, cell phone, medical advances, etc. I would make a lousy pioneer.
2. Time -- I sure wish I had an endless supply of this. I remember watching the movie, "Groundhog Day", and feeling so antsy at first, but later thinking how wonderful it would be to do all the things he was able to do by repeating the same day over and over. Just think how many books I could get read.
3. James Taylor -- I love to listen to James sing.
4. "Trinity" -- This book was written by Leon Uris and, along with "Exodus," is my favorite of his works. (I've read most of them) Conor Larkin is one of the most romantic male characters I've ever read. I think I fell in love with him when I read this in my early 20's. I may have to read it again although I've read it a few times already and it is a big book. Maybe when I'm in the mood for a good cry.
5. Trees -- What a barren waste the world would be without big, tall, leafy trees. I love to sit under one, listen to the breeze move through the leaves, and watch them turn bright, gorgeous colors in the fall.
6. Temples -- I love the feeling of peace I achieve each time I visit an LDS temple.
7. Thanksgiving -- My favorite holiday is the time I get to eat wonderful food and spend quality time with the family.
8. Theater -- There's nothing like attending a live production.
9. Tolerance -- Not of crime or cruelty, but of cultures and ideas. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we just tried to accept others who are different than we are?
10. Tolkien -- "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy have been among my favorites since I first read them in 8th grade. I sure wish I could get my set back from my daughter or daughter-in-law, whoever has them.

I actually came across a few "T" words of things that I hate that deserve a mention: trash, traffic, tempers, tambourines, and toupees.

NEW LYRICS

Last February, I celebrated my 50th birthday and a friend at work gave me a copy of this e-mail. I just ran across it and laughed again. So in honor of my upcoming 51st (gasp) birthday, I am sharing these profound sentiments with all of my blogging fans.

SOME OF THE ARTISTS OF THE 60'S ARE REVISING THE HITS WITH NEW LYRICS TO ACCOMMODATE US BABY BOOMERS. THEY INCLUDE:

1. Herman's Hermits - Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker

Wasn't Herman the cutest thing? Major crush

2, Bee Gees - How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?

3. Bobby Darin - Splish, Splash, I Was Having a Flash

4. Ringo Starr - I Get By With A Little Help From Depends

5. Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face

6. Johnny Nash - I Can't See Clearly Now

7. Paul Simon - Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

8. Commodores - Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom

9. Marvin Gaye - Heard It Through the Grape Nuts

I love Grape Nuts

10. Proco Harem - A Whiter Shade of Hair

Only my hairdresser knows for sure

11. Leo Sayer - You Make Me Feel Like Nappping

12. The Temptations - Papa's Got a Kidney Stone

13. Abba - Denture Queen

14. Helen Reddy - I an Woman, Hear Me Snore

Does anyone watch Gray's Anatomy?

15. Tony Orlando - Knock 3 Times on the Ceiling if You Hear Me Fall

16. Willie Nelson - On the Commode Again

17. Leslie Gore - It's My Procedure and I'll Cry if I Want To

It had a good beat and you could really dance to it.

WE ARE GETTING OLDER, BUT ALSO BETTER, hopefully.

It is soooo cold. I know, I know, I live in Utah, what do I expect?? Still, we haven't been this cold for a long time. Friday, it snowed and snowed and snowed and snow....well, you get the picture. The storm was moving so slow that it just stayed right over Vernal and dumped its load all day. And the wind blew. That is not a normal weather phenomenon for this area. The wind blows a lot in the spring and summer but winter usually is breeze-free. After work, I braved the wind and went to Walmart for groceries. Then I had to plow through a drift to get into the carport. In the morning, I checked the themometer and saw a brisk ten degrees F. But the wind had died and the sun was shining. It was so pretty. Out I went to do my duty to the driveway. The drifts were hard to move, but luckily there were large patches the wind had blown clean. About halfway through, a neighborly neighbor stopped by to say he would come over to plow the snow, but I was in the groove and quite enjoying myself. Two hours later, I was finished and very warm. I can't believe it took that long, but I did a really good job and slowed down a lot at the end. When I went to bed that night, it was nine degrees F below 0. Brrrrrrr. But I have a nice down comforter and stayed toasty all night. I woke up to a cold (-11) foggy morning.I like the fog even when it is so cold. I love the way t coats the trees with frost and makes everything so quiet. Two hours later, the fog was gone but the frost still sparkled on the trees and bushes, sparkling in that cold winter sunshine. I liked to say that the cold snap has passed on. Unfortunately, today it was -21 first thing in the morning. What????? I'm staying inside playing with my warm computer and doing warm-up chores around the house. Tomorrow, it's back to work if I can get my car started. I've always thought living in Phoenix was over-rated, now I'm not so sure. The weatherman says it will be warming up this week to a balmy 4 degrees, so I'll try not to get too hasty and just enjoy the view while sitting in front of the window wrapped up in a cozy blanket with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Cheers!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Duchess Framed the Lush of Chignall Duntisbourne Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

A new blogger friend, TB , had this interesting website on her blog. I find my title to be quite fitting. BTW, Lush is short for lucious, not what some of you may mistakenly think.

Annual Shopping Trip to SLC

This was only my second trip on the annual shopping trip. My sisters and mother have been doing this for about four years, but I jumped on the bandwagon, never to be left behind again. It is kind of mushrooming into a family-type reunion. (Last year, we spent three hours at Target's food court, trying to decide where to go for dinner) So this year, one sister and Mom missed the trip. We really missed them. But I got to drive my "new" used car to the big city for the first time. I've had it a week. I really enjoyed the ride. Plus my 17-year-old niece went with me. She was great company, and I liked her music. I'm not sure she was all that thrilled at spending three hours with her old aunt, but she hid it well. (By the way, I forgot to get my key back.) During the course of the weekend, I got to visit with my daughter, son and daughter-in-law and brother and his son, another brother and his girlfriend who all live in Salt Lake, my niece from Layton, my sister and another niece from Cedar City, another nephew from Cedar City who is currently living and working in Vernal, Katie, who rode out with me, and another niece and her husband and two kids who also drove out from Vernal. We managed to see two movies--"The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, and "Stranger than Fiction" with Will Ferrell. I recommend both, but I liked "The Holiday" best. It was funnier and more light-hearted, and Jude Law is hot. We tried out a new restaurant called Cafe Med, with Mediterranean and Greek food. Really good. The last day, we ate at IHOP. And we even managed to get in a little shopping. May I just say that I love Tai Pan? I could shop there for hours. I bought a few things for the Christmas tree which is looking extremely lovely, I must add. The tree topper is growing on me. A few of us even managed to go to Temple Square to see the lights. It is quite spectacular as you can see from the picture. I passed this year but I try to go down there every few years to soak up the Christmas spirit. I got most of my shopping done, spend quality time with the fam, and spent too much and ate too much. All in all, a very succesful trip.

Holiday Meme

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Both, of course.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?I grew up with pinning my stocking to a place on the couch and all my Santa gifts would be displayed there the next morning. So I followed that tradition with my kids. Of course, they laid awake in bed until I went to sleep and snuck out and saw everything. I learned this a couple of years ago. What a relief when they told me Santa wasn't real so I told them he would not be visiting anymore. Now I can sleep through the night.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? It depends on my decorations. Most years the lights are white. Lots and lots of lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Why would I do this?

5. When do you put your decorations up? Probably the first weekend in December unless there is something better to do. Never before December 1. That's sacreligious.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Our Christmas Eve family home evening. We would read Christmas stories and poems, A Visit from St. Nick and act out the nativity. And really bad Christmas caroling.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Some mean kid told me in 2nd grade. I was devastated. I'm sure he's in prison now.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Growing up we could open one present on Christmas eve after the our family Christmas program. It was always a new pair of pajamas from Mom and Dad. I've carried the tradition on with my children. We still go to Mom's on Christmas eve and have a special program. Afterwards we open our presents from "Grandma" and she opens ours to her. We also do an exchange present with one of the siblings in the family and we open that while all the families are gathered on Christmas eve. (This is straight from Booklogged)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I love coming up with new themes for my Christmas tree. It started with an angel tree with white lights and lots of different angel ornaments that I either made or bought. It now includes gold curly ribbon and gold beads. Very pretty. Next I got into snowmen. It also has white lights and lots of different kinds of snowmen and snowflakes. I like lots of different sizes of ornaments on my trees so some snowmen are small and some are 8 or 9 inches tall. I also have little mittens and red berry sprays. When I got bored with those two, I ventured into the Santa market. This may be my favorite tree. I usually use colored lights and tons of Santas and reindeer and elves and toy ornaments. I have a Ho-Ho-Ho garland that I put in the middle. Then I fell in love with those huge multi-colored light bulbs and came up with color tree. I use the little colored lights and those big lights and jewel-toned ornaments. It's not my favorite tree but those lights put me in mind of Dr. Seuss. I know I have lots of Chirstmas decorations, so I am ashamed to say that this year I will unveil a new tree theme. I hope it turns out well. If so, I will post a picture later, but I won't it describe it yet.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? In a perfect world, it would start snowing just after dark on Christmas Eve. You know the kind of snowing I'm talking about. You go outside and it's so quiet you can almost hear the snow falling. You truly understand the meaning of Peace on Earth. Christmas morning you wake up to a Winter Wonderland. The next day, it melts away. 12. Can you ice skate? Useta could.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My daughter is a gift-giving wonder. She puts so much thought into it and I always love what she gets me. I really enjoyed the year we all got my mother the Willow Tree Nativity set and she had already bought herself one. I was so disgusted with her for buying her own at Christmas time. You can imagine my surprise when I opened my daughter's gift and there was that Nativity Set. She was pretty disgusted with me since I had bought myself one when I bought one for my mom. Last year she gave me presents with an exercise theme, a nativity theme (Jim Shore with the hanging angel: I love angels) and a relaxation theme. She really overspent.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with my family. My family has so much fun together during the holidays and it's aways so wonderful to get to see those who don't live close. They really are my best friends. Next is listening to Christmas music. I probably own 30 Christmas CD's and I try to listen to them all. My two favorites, this year anyway: Michael Crawford's "A Christmas Album" and Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember." Honorable mention to Celine Dion, Alan Jackson, and Mannheim Steamroller.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Something I don't have to make. At Thanksgiving, I would have to say lemon meringue or apple pie. At Christmas, it's all about the candy: peanut brittle, fudge, caramel popcorn.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love our progressive dinner. One night some time before Christmas, we visit each family member's home in our town to see their Christmas decorations and eat a different course of a meal. We've been doing this for six years and it's fun to look at the pictures we take each year of the families in front of their tree. On Christmas Eve, I like to watch my younger brother read "A Visit from St. Nick" at the speed of light. It's hilarious.

17. What tops your tree? The angle tree used to have a big angel but I now have a star. The snowman tree has a sign that says, "Let it snow." The Santa tree either has a big Santa or a sign that says, "Dear Santa, Define good." The color tree has a great big bow. (That may be why I don't like it as well.) I don't know what I'm putting on this year's tree.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I love giving except it is so stressful trying to find good gifts. And my daughter's presents are so thoughtful that I love getting them and seeing the pleasure she gets from it. (Cassie, I don't expect you to do this every year so don't pressure yourself.)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love the way Andy Williams sang "O Holy Night". I love "Ave Maria." I can't sing either of those very well but I like to sing "Silent Night" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." I dislike "Away in the Manger", "Little Drummer Boy" and "I Heard the Bells."

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? Yuck.

These are the times . . .

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. "

The above quote was written by Thomas Paine at Valley Forge on the top of a drum as there was no paper. Washington was so moved when he read it, that he immediately shared it with the troops who were suffering there.

~~Today in church, we had a couple of talks given on the Atonement. They really hit home. The lady talked about how rough her life was as she grew up; both parents were drug users and physically and verbally abusive. She was living on her own at the age of 16 and made all kinds of wrong choices. By 18, she was an unwed mother. She talked about reaching the depths of despair and finally turning to God for a way to help herself and her son. It was through this prayer that she begin to apply the Atonement to herself and talked about the hope and strength it gave her to change her life. Her husband shared some quotes from church leaders and the story, "He Took My Beating for Me." I've heard it several times and it always gets to me. Because there was additional time left after the two speakers, a high councilman was asked to speak. He shared the above quote from Thomas Paine and applied it to the Atonement. With a little artistic license, we can apply the term summer soldier and sunshine patriot to ourselves. . . how we shrink from doing what is right when it's hard. Or we don't make needed changes because, even with the Atonement, it's so difficult. We need to remember, "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value." Finally, exchange the word FORGIVENESS for FREEDOM, and consider that for a minute.

~~I was very moved by all the speakers today and wrote this blog so, hopefully, I can remember the feelings I had. I'm so thankful that my life has been relatively blessed and easy, but I hope I will not take my blessings for granted and that I won't take that monumental gift of the Atonement for granted. Certainly, I can apply it to myself in a much greater degree.

We Might as Well Dance

A friend of mine who has MS sent me this email. I decided to share this with all my blogger friends and hope it makes you take a good look at what's important. It reminded me of the friends and family that I am so grateful for and all the possibilities that are open to us.

*Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.
*I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible. How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you? How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television? I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about goingto lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
*Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit." When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
*Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you. Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. *It's National Friendship and FAMILY WEEK Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.To those I have sent this to... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do. "Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

About Me Meme

BOOKS

Four things you may not have known about me.....

(One of my high school friends e-mailed this to me. I've added a few more categories. It was fun making this list. )

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Popcorn girl at the movie theater

2. Legal secretary

3. Bartender at a country club

4. Bank manager

Four movies I have watched over and over:

1. Meet Me in St. Louis

2. Apollo 13

3. While You Were Sleeping

4. Notting Hill

I should list all the movies I watched with my kids until we had them memorized. (He-Man, Last Unicorn, Karate Kid, etc. etc.)

Four places I have lived:

1. St. John, Newfoundland, Canada

2. San Francisco, CA

3. Lincoln, Nebraska

4. Utah

Four TV shows I love to watch

1. Dancing with the Stars

2. Extreme Makeover - Home Edition

3. Gray's Anatomy

4. Northern Exposure (It counts, I own the DVDs)

I could add The Batchelor but that would be too embarrassing. (See embarrassing below)

Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Pacific Northwest

2. New England

3. Monterey

4. Disneyland, of course.

Maybe someday I will make it out of the country, besides Canada.

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Prime Rib

2. Pizza

3. Cheese burgers

4. My mom's roast beef

Unfortunately, I can't eat most of these on a regular basis so I like them even better now.

Four living people I would like to meet:

1. Sherry Dew

2. David McCullough

3. Katie Couric

4. Gordon B. Hinckley

Four non-living people I would like to have met:

1. Abraham Lincoln

2. Theodore Roosevelt

3. Lucy Maude Montgomery

4. Eve

There are so many, but I think the conversation would be very interesting with these four. I would like to meet the Savior also, but I will someday.

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Italy

2. Santa Fe

3. New Zealand

4. Peru

Four Favorite Holiday Memories:

1. Very early morning breakfasts with my kids and other family on Memorial Day at Steinaker Lake. I don't want to do those again, but I love the memories.

2. Christmas Eve at my mom's, especially when all the kids were younger.

3. New Year's Eve at Booklogged's, especially the first year we played "What if . . . then."

4. The 4th of July we spent on Vancouver Island and how hard we laughed on the ferry ride back that night.

Four Embarrassing Moments:

1. I thought I had my church talk memorized but didn't and had to leave the podium and get my paper. I was 10 or 11.

2. Tripping and falling over a cord at work.

3. Tripping and falling on a tile edge during remodeling at work. (There's a theme here.)

4. Slipping and falling down the cement stairs at the Tabernacle after stake conference.

The last three were actually quite painful as well, but crying would have just been more embarrassing. Can I add that I am often very embarrassed for those women on the Batchelor? I probably watch it to see people doing more stupid things than I've ever done.

Four people who will respond to this meme:

1. Booklogged

2. Cassie

3. Alyson

4. Cardine (Someday, we are going to have to meet in person. I love your comments)

It's a Great Day

***Your Birthdate: February 4***
You have an extraordinary character - moral, responsible, and disciplined.Your sincerity and honesty shine through in almost every situation.Driven and focused, you rarely let your emotions get the better of you.You're level headed and rational. People count on you to look at things objectively.
Your strength: Your unwavering loyalty and ethics
Your weakness: Your rock solid stubbornness
Your power color: Navy blue
Your power symbol: Shield
Your power month: April
What Does Your Birth Date Mean?http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/

Thanks to Write from Karen for this idea. I'm sure I'm all this and more. But what's up with that weakness. I'm not stubborn. Do you think I'm stubborn? Because I can sit on you till the cows come home. Actually, I truly question the disciplined part and being driven and focused. Well, I'm very focused when I'm reading. And I don't look all that great in navy blue . . . now, powder blue, that's a different story. Rrrrrrrr.

The Great Salt Lake Book Festival

On my first visit to the Book Festival in Salt Lake City, I had such a good time. First, the Salt Lake City Library is amazing. (See the head mobile at right) What a great setting to talk and learn about books and the people who create them, and to share it with my mom, sister, daughter and two nieces. I know my sister and niece have both mentioned this event on their blogs, but maybe I can add another perspective. Here are the sessions that I attended:

Ken Jennings Ken really does look like what he calls himself, a trivia nerd. But he has an amazing set of facts at his command in that boyish head, and he is truly funny. I enjoyed his stories about Jeopardy, appearing on QVC, and the research for his book, "Brainiac." I loved some terms he used: trivia nerds are loserish, British quizaholics, and game show contestanthood. He signed his book, "Who is . . . Ken Jennings?"

Peter Brown Peter is 27 but looks and acts younger. He's an incredibly talented illustrator. He told great stories of how he grew up drawing. I didn't buy his books and regret that. They would be great additions to my childrens shelf. If you want to learn more about him, his website is www.somebrownstuff.com.

Lawrence Yep Even though this was my least favorite session, Lawrence was still entertaining. He read excerpts from several of his stories, while I would have preferred to hear him discuss his writing and feelings. Still, I bought his book, Dragon's Gate, and he was very gracious when he signed it, "To _______, another person with wings." He included a small drawing of a dragon.

Peter Rock and Walter Kern This session was moderated by Doug Fabrizzio, a very good-looking local radio personality which really excited my daughter. She got his autograph, I got Peter Rock's. I really liked the format of prepared questions which drew out some interesting answers from both authors. They were both extremely interesting and humorous. Walter talked about the trance an author can go into when he's really into writing his book, and for the reader when he reads it . . . you forget you're writing or reading. I've experienced that with a good book. I hope I like Rock's book, "The Ambidextrist." "He signed it, With all joy! May this reward you."

Ivan Doig This author's current book, "The Whistling Season", is on my TBR list. However, I purchased "English Creek" since it was a paperback, my definite preference. Ivan discussed how important libraries are to all of us. A couple of things he said that I really liked, "There's always the chance online, that ignorance could be shared." and "Childhood is the one story that stands by itself in every soul."

Karl and Anne Fleming This married couple are journalists with such a wide range of experiences. He is 79, I believe, and has covered the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement in the south and the riots in Watts. Anne is 22 years younger, has interviewed Truman Capote, and covered the women's movement. Again, this was the question format that I found most informative and interesting.

Shannon Hale Shannon is so young and funny. She has very strong opinions about reading for enjoyment (why else would you read?) and why secondary schools should assign books for students to read that will encourage and stimulate them instead of those boring and depressing classics. I know when I was in high school I enjoyed reading everything including classics, but I know so many that hated reading because the books didn't interest them. I was able to get Shannon to sign two of her books, "The Princess Academy" (signed, "I hope you climb to the top of your own mountain") and "The Goose Girl", my next read (signed, "I hope you fall in love with many stories").

This was quite the book-buying weekend. At the Festival, I purchase five books (I already owned The Goose Girl). I also received a free copy of "The Christmas Box" just for answering a survey. We went to Barnes and Noble before Ken Jennings and I bought two books: "The Time Traveler's Wife" and "Blessings". My daughter gave me the cutest Halloween book, "Sheep Trick or Treat", that she got free at the Festival. Then when I got home, I found a box from Deseret Book that had three more books in it: "1776", "Leven Thumbs and the Whispered Secret" and "Christmas in Haggerty." THAT'S 12 BOOKS!!!!! I must be crazy. And just how do those authors sign so many books and write as much as they do? or draw? That is just phenomenal. My hands hurt in sympathy. Besides, they were all so gracious and visited with you while they signed. I was so impressed.

I look forward to attenting the Festival next year. Maybe I could travel to similar festivals in other areas. Wow, two pleasures in one. Rating: 10

2006 FALL TRIP

TO COLORADO

On October 12 through October 15, my mother, sister, brother and I drove through beautiful Colorado. We met in Grand Junction, which is a wonderful smallish city near the western border of Colorado. This picture was taken of the Colorado River from Rifle as we drove up I-70 to Glenwood Springs and then down to Aspen. Everyone knows Aspen. We spent some time there looking in very fancy shops and admiring the mountain scenery. It is very much the tourist town. What I remember best is the smell of the fallen leaves as we walked through the tree-lined plazas in the shopping area. From Aspen we drove to Independence Pass on a narrow (sometimes only one lane) winding, sheer-drop to the side road. While the trees are gorgeous between Grand Junction and Rifle; they've mostly fallen as you travel north. Independence Pass is just snow covered. And it is windy and soooooo cold. It's the highest pass in the country and where we crossed the Continental Divide. Down from the Divide is the old mining town of Leadville. The Miners Museum was of great interest to my brother, the history teacher. Soon we reached Denver and checked into a very scary motel. Needless to say, my sister forgo her early morning walks the two days we spent in this neighborhood. The plus was that it was close to downtown. That next morning in Denver found us lined up to go into the Denver Mint. I was disappointed that they no longer show the gold bars (damn terrorists are ruining everything) but it was fascinating to watch them put the unminted discs into the machines and turn out real money. A short walk from the Mint led us to the State Capitol building. Close by is the architectural wonder, the Denver Art Museum. Unfortunately, we did not get to spend as much time there as we would have liked. We also visited Molly Brown's house before traveling south to Littleton to see the LDS Temple. We were not sad to leave our motel the next morning to head west again. First stop was the Coors factory in Golden. The process of brewing beer was incredible to watch. Our bus tour guide was hilarious. Golden is a great town and we enjoyed shopping an old-time variety store there. Then we started back over the Rockies just in time to hit a snow storm. Luckily the roads weren't too bad and it soon turned to rain. Along the way, we stopped in Georgetown, another charming mining town and Vail, a typical ski resort. Things warmed up as we got closer to Grand Junction. Right now, we are planning our next year's trip to the area around Grand Junction and Moab, Utah. But that's a year away. I was glad to visit Denver but don't feel a need to go there again. But the mountains of Colorado are beautiful. There are more sights to be seen there. It was just fun to spend time enjoying each other's company and the gorgeous views and interesting sites.

FRUSTRATION

I was away from my computer for four days last week. Four!!!! "What can happen in four days?", you ask. Good question. Whenever I get on the computer, first thing I check is my e-mail. The link is listed on my favorites. Only, this time, the usual site didn't come up. I got an error message. Over and over again. I finally found a home page for my provider completely different from the one I was used to. Then I had to figure out how to get to my e-mail. But I got there and it wanted my user name and password. Huh??? I have been with this provider for six years and have never needed this information before. The computer remembers all this whenever I connect to the internet. So I had to find where I had hidden that information. Of course, it was in the most logical place in the world, at least it was logical six years ago. Finally, my e-mail was up. But the whole page has been re-designed. It looks like the page where my suspicious e-mail used to be sent waiting for my thumbs-up or down. But there were my messages. At least my messages sent after Thursday. All my previous messages are gone, gone, gone to some unfathomable and dark abyss. I read what I could and found an interesting one to forward to others (Not something I do very often). But what the H*&^%**ck! MY ADDRESS BOOK IS GONE. Oh, the agony. The horror. The violation. They've gone too far. I've been a model customer up to this point, but a person can only take so much. Tomorrow, I will be on the phone threatening chaos and disorder until my address book is released. Maybe I'll get lucky and get those saved messages also. I'm sure they were important or why would I be saving them? Wish me luck, folks. I'll need it as I'm really very polite. I just don't know how much chaos and disorder I can create with common courtesy. In the back of my mind runs the thought that I've done something dumb and created the whole mess myself. In that case, my provider is wonderful and can fix any mess I create.