Friday Favorites

I've spent some time this week surfing the internet, that's what happens when you can't sleep, your throat hurts, and it's midnight, or 2 am, or sometimes even 4 am.  At least that's what happened 'round these parts this week.  And, I found some amazing blogs, inspirational, funny, enviable, so cool, if only I could be like you kind of blogs.  So I thought, what the heck, I'll share some of my insomniac inspired finds with you. 

Clover Lane

http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/

This photo is from the first post on her blog that I came upon, and I was intrigued.  You gotta love someone who thinks of decorating with marshmallows, or even just has a friend who thinks of it!  She is clever, and witty, and there is quite the variety of topics-posts to make you think, and more to make you smile.   This is also where I learned to change my blog header-by myself-using Picasa instead of very tricky and very expensive Photoshop!  Love It!!

Something to Do

http://www.somethingtodo-jamie.blogspot.com/

Full of fun projects, before and after photos (love those!), tutorials, and fun snapshots of life in the frozen north.  She and her husband are busy taking a 100+ year old home from this:

to this:

Inspiring! I love all the projects, love, love, love the style, and love even more the step by step tutorials!

Those are a couple of my favorite finds this week, hope you stop by and enjoy them.  Who knew there was so much to discover and love about people you  never met.  Where have you been peeking lately?

A Good Book, or Two

I think I'm getting sick.  I hate that feeling.  The itch in the back of the throat, the fog in the brain (although I'm not sure that's so unusual), and of course the crabbiness.  I don't feel good, and all I really want is to crawl under my down comforter (yes, I have one & use it, even though we live in Arizona-I keep telling you...it FEELS cold here!) and bury my head.  Then later will I peek out, and find some peppermint herbal tea, and a good book to lose myself in.

I just finished reading two books, one was for book club (pictured above).  It's a mystery, about a little girl who was found abandoned on a ship to Australia just before the First World War, the story about discovering who she really was, and all the family intrigue that you'd expect. That's the only thing I didn't like about this book.  Predictable.  A mystery should be a mystery, you shouldn't figure it all out 300 pages before the book is over.  Setting that aside (if you can) I loved the writing and the author's choice of words took my breath away at times.  I am really looking forward to book club this Thursday, to see what my friends and fellow book lovers thought of this book.

This book was pure indulgence.  You see, I loved this author's first book, back in 2005, that's right it's been nearly 5 years that I have been salivating, waiting to feast on more of her words.  She has the most amazing way of using language to paint a picture, every page is like a treasure.  It astounds me that some people have these stories living in their heads, and can share them so beautifully.

 

This was her first book, a must read if you haven't added it to your list of books yet.  I love The Historian, it is one of my all time favorite reads, I couldn't put it down, loved every twist and turn, and immediately sought out more by Ms. Kostova.  And found nothing, nada, zilch.  It was very disappointing.  Every so often I have checked my sources for announcements of her next masterpiece.  And nothing.  For 5 years, Nothing!  Then last week I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted it for sale.  I immediately texted my friend Jenny to share the good news.  She loves The Historian right along with me!  I knew she would understand the delight and pure joy that exploded inside my heart when I saw this new novel.  And she did!  So much so that it proved irresistable, and too much to wait on a list at the library...she bought it!  And being the unbelievable, gracious, generous, amazing friend that she is, she showed up at my door, unannounced, with said book in hand.  She had too much to do this weekend, and couldn't risk opening the book, but she couldn't resist the purchase.  And, as I said, being the generous soul she is, she brought it to my doostep so I could read it.  BEFORE SHE DID!!!  Her friendship truly  knows no bounds!

And, it was good.  I liked it.  I didn't quite love it like The Historian, but to be fair, it would have been hard for any novel to live up to the 5 years of hype in my head.  I learned so much about Art, which I loved doing, and it made me think, which I also loved. It has some crude language, not enough to overwhelm the story, but enough that I need to put the disclaimer in, just in case you want to pick it up and give it a read. 

I'm feeling better just thinking about reading these books, I really need another one, 'cause I'm feeling sick.  And achey, and my throat itches.  I think my bed is calling to me...have any recommendations?

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

January means "bee" time at our Elementary School, Geography Bee, and Spelling Bee  being the two biggies.  Our 6th grader loves these events, this was his third year in the Spelling Bee, and he won the class competition for the Geography Bee (2nd year) as well.  He has a soft heart though, and he knew he was going to the Spelling Bee, which is where his heart truly lies, and so he offered his Geography Bee spot to his good buddy, who was the class runner-up.  So his buddy went to the Geography Bee, and it was just as exciting to our sweet boy that his friend took 2nd place as if he had won the award himself.  The next day was the Spelling Bee, and he was nervous, I could tell.  He hid it well, but a mother knows.  At least, he was nervous until he got the microphone in his hands...

The photo above is him in the first round, he is a natural on stage.  Give this kid a microphone and an audience, and he is in heaven.  He  comes alive, and truly adores it.  Have you been to a spelling bee before?  Not usually a whole lot of stand up comedy, or wise cracking, right?  Well, you weren't at this spelling bee.  He was making the audience laugh, and cracking jokes about the words he got, even the judges were laughing.  He is a hoot!  Not sure where he gets it, but I think we'll have to encourage him to take Drama in Jr. High and High School, maybe Speech and Debate as well...we'll see.

After 65 minutes, and many sad kids leaving the stage after a mistake, the winner was....

So we say Congratulations, Tate!   You are an awesome speller, and a fabulous boy!  Way to go, you earned it!

Making Pretzels!

We found a recipe for soft pretzels and thought it would be fun to try it out, and it was! This was our first attempt, and the first batch cooked a little long, but the second set was perfection! It was so simple, and the kids had a ball shaping their pretzels into funny, personalized shapes. In fact, it said quite a bit about their personalities, K-$, Q-"Q.K.G." (this kid loves his monogram!) T-HI! and T, Th-a big smiley face, S-a heart and the number 8, she can't wait for her birthday 5 months from now!

**Seek**

I haven't put pen to paper, or in this case, finger to keyboard, and committed to my word for 2010.  This is the form my New Year's Resolutions take, you see, rather than a list of goals and ideals I like to choose 1 word, or idea, 1 focus for myself.  This year I have chosen the  word "SEEK."  Last year I chose Listen, and I tried hard to listen more to my children, my spouse, my friends and especially the Lord.  As I found myself focusing on truly listening I found my relationships improving, and myself changing.  Listening instead of hearing has profoundly changed the way I live.  A few months ago I found myself with a growing desire to have more out of this change, it wasn't enough to listen anymore, I couldn't define what was wrong, but I knew there was more just around the bend, if only I could find the way there. 

I found the beginnings of the path around that bend in road in October 2009's General Conference, especially as I listened to Elder Robert D. Hales and Elder Russell M. Nelson speak.  I pondered on their talks, reviewing them as they were posted on http://www.lds.org/ and again when the November 2009 Ensign Magazine arrived in my mailbox. 

SEEK

Such a concept, to be active, to search knowledge and not wait for it to arrive.  To look for, and find inspiration, revelation, knowledge, and more.  To not just LISTEN to the spirit, but actively engage in finding it, and having it in my life. 

SEEK

All that I want from 2010 can be found in this one word.  I want to seek out in every part of my life the best I can find, and not sit idly by waiting for something to present itself.  I will seek out of the best books, I will seek the spirit, I will seek a better understanding of my children,  I will seek to know the Lord's will for me, I wll Seek to find all that He would have me do, and I will do it.  Because seeking isn't just looking, it's a verb, it means ACTION.

SEEK

blogging by text...so the picture still didn't send, darn it! I will figure this out. I love gadgets and gizmos aplenty! (what's that movie?)

Blogging by email???

I learned tonight about mobile blogging. I tried sending this picture via text and it was too big, so now I'm testing it as a mobile email. Fun if it works! I love a rainbow, and this one is a double, can you see the 2nd one?

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Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

Hard is Good

I have finally recovered enough to comment on the Sunday I had last week, December 27th that is.  My good husband and I both spoke in Sacrament Meeting, and then I taught Relief Society.  It was crazy.  Did I mention I don't speak in public ?  That the very idea of getting up in front of a crowd makes me slightly    somewhat    exceedingly nauseaus?  Well, it does.  From the moment I know I need to get up and talk I start to quiver, and I feel the knots begin to form, and they don't truly go away until it's over, and done with, and I can stop the fight to keep my insides where they belong. 

We got the call to speak in Sacrament about 3 weeks before we were to speak.  Every one of those 21 days was torture.  Why did they think we needed to agonize for that long?  I believe it was a form of payback for the grief I gave the Bishopric while I was the Primary President, there are only so many forms of acceptable payback after all, this being one of them. 

And, our topic was the Savior, something-anything about the Savior, or he says, with it being the last Sunday of the year, we could talk about goals, or resolutions, or something of that nature if we chose.  I wanted so badly to do a good job, to be a faithful servant, and deliver an acceptable offering.  I don't do this easily, I don't sit down for an hour and whip out a talk, that's just not the kind of girl I am.  No, I study, and read, and surf http://www.lds.org/ for hours.  No matter how often I prayed and studied however, I felt no guidance, no direction, no epiphany of revelation directing my words, I didn't even know what topic to focus on.  In short, I felt like a mess!

Then, with about 11 days until t-day I got a call asking if I could teach Relief Society, I said "well, I'm speaking in Sacrament Meeting, I don't think you want to listen to me for 2 hours"  She said"Oh, we would never ask you to do both.  Nevermind, I'm sure I can find someone else."  Whew, dodged that bullet.  Then came the tickle in the back of my mind that I really should have said yes, after all the lesson was on the Savior, and I'd already read the talks from October 2009's General Conference from President Uchtdorf and President Eyring, both about the Savior, while preparing for my talk.  I kept having the thought that if I taught the lesson it would be a blessing to me, but I really didn't want to listen.  It just wouldn't stop though, so I called a few days later and asked if she had found a teacher yet, "No, not yet" came the reply, and I had my answer.  I asked her to please allow me to teach, as I had felt it would truly be a blessing for me to learn more about these talks, and study them more diligently.  And she agreed.

And, it was a blessing!  I loved spending the Christmas season so absorbed in studying the life of my Savior, and so diligently seeking the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the direction of the Lord.  It was a sweet experience that I will always treasure, and under all the knots in my stomach, and the pain of knowing eventually all this preparing would lead to actuallly getting up in front of people and talking, was the amazing blessing of drawing closer to my Savior and Father in Heaven. 

So, the day came, and still that morning I was feverishly rewriting my thoughts and trying to be more articulate.  I sat on the stand and reviewed it all in my head, I had to stop, and force myself to listen to the two truly great, and well prepared, youth speakers.  Then it was my turn, and wow was it hard to keep it all together.  I stumbled, and I faltered, and nothing was as well spoken as it sounded in my head.  But I didn't throw up, and I didn't freeze, and I did manage to say what I felt my Father in Heaven wanted me to say.  And, I was done!  So I sat, and thoughts of inadequacy flooded my mind and heart, I felt a deep despair of letting down my Father in Heaven, and floundered for a few seconds as my husband began to speak.  Then the second greatest blessing of this experience happened, and I felt the spirit speak to my heart, and I knew all those negative thoughts came from the adversary, as he sought to undermine me before I taught in Relief Society.  I knew if I gave in and listened my lesson would be a total disaster, for I would not have the Spirit with me, and isn't that just what he wanted?  So I shut it all off, and focused on my husband as he bore a sincere testimony of the Savior and coming unto Christ. 

The final hymn was sung, the prayer was said, and I stood up to go and teach some more.  On the way out the door there were the usual comments and smiles, I tried to accept them kindly.  Why is it I never believe anyone is sincere when they tell me they enjoyed my talk?  I see a smirk in a smile, and hear mockery in every voice.  Another thought for another day, I suppose...Anyways, I went and taught in Relief Society.  And it was hard.  It was a first for me, and I'm thankful it's not my new calling (which is Cub Scout Committee Chair, by the way).  But, it was good for me.  Which was supposed to be the point of this whole post, Hard is Good.  Hard teaches.  Hards empowers.  Hard can uplift if we let it.  Hard makes us better, stronger, more of who we were meant to be. 

So, I ended the year doing two hard things, and I am better because of it.  I am closer to my Savior, I am more diligent in my prayers, and more aware of the Spirit.  I am stronger, I am more aware of the adversary's fight to bring us down, and I am ready to face a new year.  So, thank you for the torture, the agony, and the challenge of doing hard things.  I have faced, and I have conquered....I really think I should be good for a while, don't you?  Who do I talk to about getting on the "don't need to speak in public" list?