Star struck

I have 'almost' met a couple of famous people in my lifetime.



Oprah was one. Not kidding. She walked in-between me and my sisters as we were blocking her way into Christie's while we were in NYC. It happened so fast, I didn't have time to react. One moment she was storming out of her big black SUV, (with 2 bodyguards mind you,) while I was quickly rummaging through my purse to find my camera, next thing I know, her bodyguard is asking us politely to step aside, I look up and there she was, right in my face. Or maybe I was in hers. Never found my camera, couldn't have gotten a shot off anyway, this was skinny Oprah and she was in good enough shape to walk the few feet in 3 seconds flat. Anyway, it all happened so fast, we didn't even have time to come to our senses. None of us said 'HI', or 'We love you', or 'You're skinnier in person', or anything. We just stood there with our mouths hanging open, all of us thinking the same thing. Did that just happen? Did we just almost meet the Big O? You'll be happy to hear I did get a picture of her big black SUV. It's proudly displayed in my scrapbook.



My other famous almost got to meet, was David Letterman. Yeah, no kidding. Same NYC, this time with my husband. We were one of the lucky couples chosen to sit on the 2nd row. I'm not sure if this had anything to do with the fact that we actually watched the show (this was before we found out his true adulterer character, of course) and knew who what's-his-name was. Not the bald piano band leader, the black guy that always wears the headphones.

Did I mention Tary was with me? You know, my husband who remembers every little thing...like people's names? Anyway, the Letterman people must have been so impressed with our Late Night knowledge, they put us on the 2nd row. That night, David was in the audience playing "Stump the Band", which by the way, I tried out for, but they weren't impressed with my rendition of 'I stuck my head in a little skunks hole'. I'm just guessing that the band already knew that one and it wouldn't have been a challenge for them, that's why they didn't pick me. Anyway, the lady they did pick was sitting directly behind Tary. So David was standing right behind and to the side of him. Tary, of course, had to play it cool, since his face was on the camera, but I, on the other hand, got to turn and look at him, up close! It was so cool. He's taller in person.



Well, a couple of months ago, I got to meet another famous person. And I actually said Hello! And she said Hello back to me! I was starstruck...and I so wanted to run back to the truck and get my camera and have Tary take a picture of us together...but I didn't want to seem like one of those crazy fans that jump up and down and scream and cry...so I played it cool and pretended to be normal, when really my insides were jumping up and down and crying and screaming for me to go get the camera! Ugh! I should have listened to my inner voice, but I didn't! I came home so disappointed in myself for trying to be so cool. Cool is so over-rated.



Then last week, I had a chance to redeem myself. I got tickets to go see a taping of "Good Things Utah" at the channel 4 studios where she was going to be a guest on. I was so excited! I packed my camera, making sure the battery was fully charged. Left an hour early for the 15 minute drive so I wouldn't be late. Found a parking spot up front...went inside...but the receptionist wouldn't buzz me in. She pointed to the sign that said, "No purses. No photography. No jumping up and down and crying and screaming for our guests." Just kidding, but not about the camera part! So I returned back to my car and locked my purse and camera inside. I would have smuggled it in if it was a small, sleek little thing like the one I got my husband for Christmas and saw on his dresser that morning, and thought about taking, but decided against it because mine had a bigger zoom lens. UGH! I couldn't believe this was happening again!



Well, I made it inside safely. The rest of her fan club made it too. When she walked out on stage, we clapped and cheered, and inside I'm sure we were all jumping up and down and screaming and crying. Can you guess what happened next? Out came the camera's. Of course, they were all little, and sleek, and able to be smuggled in. Heavy sigh. No one is going to believe my story, because I didn't even jump in the picture when she had all her home girls gather around the set for a group hug.

Failed again, I was ready to shuffle back to car for a good cry...but I couldn't, no I wouldn't, let another opportunity go by. So I marched back to my car, grabbed my big ol' zoom lens camera, smiled sweetly at the receptionist till she buzzed me back in, then floated back to the green room where my dear sweet cousin took a picture of Me and Vanessa...together...at last!



By the way, she is much littler in person.

Boredom

Have you ever had a day in which you had nothing to do...Oh the prospects of such a day. Well, I'm having one of those days. But instead of feeling motivated to sew, or scrapbook, or clean a closet, or all those other things on my list of "Things I'll do when I have more time", I'm doing none of them. I have the perfect case of "Mom...I'm bored". I hate to let a good whine go to waste, so here it goes:

I've had the past two days off from work, so my housework is pretty much done, although when does it ever stay done. So if I were to be completely honest, I would say 'I'm tired of cleaning the house. The closets can stay cluttered for a few more months.'

My daughter is home from college this weekend, so my normal laundry day has been postponed.

I tried out my new Jillian Michaels 30-day shred yesterday, so obviously I'm much too sore to workout today.

My son has a basketball game in 2 more hours, so pulling out the scrapbook stuff, or starting a new sewing project would be redundant. It takes me 2 hours just to pull everything out, get organized or decide what new project I would want to start. By the time I would be ready to get going, it would be time to get going.

I could plop myself down on the couch and read a good book. However, since I finished my last time-taker-upper 2 weeks ago, "The Maze Runner" (which is really good, I highly recommend it) I haven't been consumed with anything since then. I could go to the library and find another one to read, but I currently don't have a car, and walking is out of the question, since I'm still too sore, and it's much too cold.

Shopping is always a good cure for the boredoms, but again, I don't have a car. My husband is fixing it. The door handle hasn't worked on the inside of my car for the past year, so everytime I need to get out of the car, I have to unroll the window and open it from the outside. How embarrassing is that? It's especially fun when it's pelting rain or snow at me. I think he chose today to fix it on purpose, knowing I would be bored, therefore shopping would inevitably follow.
Being bored today wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a continuation of last night. Friday nights Tary and I usually go out, it's our date night. On occasion, we have a chaperon tagging along, namely our son, who because we usually feel guilty leaving him alone to eat cold cereal while mom and dad go out to eat, he often comes along. But last night, he was spending the night at his friends house...sweet. However, since our college daughter was coming home for the weekend, I felt equally as guilty saying, 'we're going out, find yourself a bowl of cereal or make yourself a sandwich', since that is what she pretty much lives on up at college. So, I made a lovely homemade dinner for her, and us, and hoped to catch a movie with Tary afterwards.

Don't you just hate having expectations? They never go as you had planned. First of all, there really weren't any movies we were just dying to see, or willing to pay $8/person, or stay up till midnight to watch. Movies out...what then? Chalk it up to middle age, or complacency, or martyrdom, but we didn't do a dang thing. At least not together. I ended up going grocery shopping. How pathetic is that. I did realize that the best time to go food shopping is 8 pm on a friday night. You pretty much have the whole store to yourself. Nice. Attitude, not so nice. I was pretty much a poop the rest of the evening.

Being bored does have it's advantages though. I have a lovely new background to my blog. I thought it reflected my theme quite nicely...much ado about nothing. They look like they have nothing to do as well, just lay around and daydream, and play hide and seek in the forest of fairies.

Being bored makes you grateful for the days when you do have alot to do. My old home-ec teacher from high school used to say, "Idle hands are the devil's work", or something like that. I think what she meant is that when we're bored and not doing anything useful with our hands, we end up doing something we shouldn't be doing or we're just wasting time. Like spending hours playing Ma-jongg on the computer (guilty) or making cookies (cuz i'll eat them all) or sitting in front of the tv in a stupor.

Ho-hum. Dull-drums.
Being bored is no reward.
when life is fun, we get more done.
when life is dull we feel a lull.

Nice. You've all been spared further poor poetry. Kayla's laundry is done...my car is fixed and ready to go...it's lunchtime and everyone is hungry...

well, being bored was nice while it lasted.

If Doe was a deer, what is Faun?

(Read to the tune of Doe-a-Deer)


Let's start at the very beginning,

a very good place to start;

when conceived you begin with birds and bees

nine months later on the 10th of Jan-u-ary

Faun-bur-day, Faun-bur-day

the first three notes just happen to be

doe-day-mi, doe-day-mi

but today we'll sing it my-ay-way

doe-day-me-faun-fro-hap-pee-

let's see if I can make it easy.

Doe-a-deer, a female deer

day, it follows with the sun;

mi, a name I call myself

Faun, the deer that is so fun.

Fro, a head of frizzy hair,

Hap, occurence or event;

Pee, don't eat the yellow snow

Bur, there's frost inside my tent.

Now children, doe-day-me-faun-fro and so on

are only the tools we use to build a song;

Once you have these notes in your head

you can sing a million different tunes by mixing them up,

like this:

Hap-pee-bur-day-Faun-fro-mi

now you try...

Hap-pee-bur-day-Faun-fro-mi

when you know the notes to sing,

you can sing most anything!

Hap-pee-bur-day-deer-faun,

Hap-pee-bur-day-fro-mi!

I love ya!

Thanks for 44 years of laughter, and 44 more to come!

20 Years Ago...

Well, the day has finally come. I don't have more any teenagers (at least for another 6 months). Kayla turned 20 years old today, and officially became...well, not a teenager anymore. But still not quite an adult. It's an awkward stage in a young womans life. Old enough to be married like her friends, but not old enough to put a nickel in a slot machine. But that's ok, for both situations.

Going away to college and living on her own has really helped Kayla grow up and learn about fiscal responsibility. Never mind that her and her roommates spent their hard-earned education money to fly off to Los Angeles for a week to see a Korean boy band perform, who cares if they were the only caucasian girls in the audience. I'm sure it was their high enthusiasm and exuberance that caught the eye of one of the band members to give them a wave and a shout-out, not their white skin and blonde hair against the sea of brown and black. Being financially responsible means staying the week in the home of his cousins best friends grandmothers home, so they could afford the $120 concert ticket and $200 plane ticket. See how responsible she's become.

She's grown into such a lovely young woman. She doesn't paint her face up and scare the neighbors anymore. These days, she's learned a natural shade of red is much more appealing. Easy to come by when by eating whole raw habenjeros peppers. She's learned to always wear a good mascara, because you never know what's going to make you cry, and milk not only does a body good, but helps relieve the burn going down. Her roommates have been such a good influence on her. Her digestive tract will never be the same again.

She's become pretty adventurous since she's gone away. She joined the college womans Rugby team, playing against girls so big, they make the Trunchbowl look like a pansy.

(ok, slight exaggeration on my part)

This summer she danced at the Stadium of Fire, and learned how to windsurf. She sailed the entire distance of the lake and back without the need of a rescue party. It was a pretty small lake, but still....It was impressive for a first timer.

And after 4 years of working for a grocery store, she's finally in a more mature job that requires her to dress in slacks, wear heels, and take money without the exchange of food. At least she's off her feet.

The best part about having a 20-year old who doesn't live at home anymore...is when she does come back home.

Happy Birthday! Love you!

Out with the old...In with the New!

Out with the old...

In with the New!

(It's just a figure of speech dear)

I hate long good-bye's...I always get too emotional. So this will be short and sweet!

It's been a year with ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good-byes and hello's...and alot of growth. But since I'm a glass mostly full kind of gal, I'm going to focus on the good that's happened this year. Starting with:

January! I start my new position at work. I now work as a Corporate Trainer, and absolutely love what I do! I was terrified of accepting this new position. I felt so under-qualified, but someone saw some potential and gave me a chance, for which I will forever be grateful. It's the best thing that almost didn't happen for me.

February! Hmm, does anything good happen in february? Oh yeah, valentines. I'm sure I must have gotten a little something that was good. Overall, it's just a cold, yucky month. No wonder they make it shorter than all the others.

March! A month for birthdays...Tary turns a half a century...a hope for spring...things are starting to look up.

April! Tary and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary! No, it wasn't on a cruise, or on a beach, it was in a pyramid with mummies! If your thinking Egypt, you would be...wrong. Anniversary Inn, next best thing!

May! If April showers bring May flowers, what does May flowers bring? (no, it's not June moon. I tried that one.) Pilgrims! That's it. I'm sure it was a good month, flowers, pilgrims and all.

June...This month didn't start out so good, and only got worse. Joe's Dad passed away. A great loss, one that is felt by many.

July! Girls camp...scout camp...family camp...and the best part of the month, was Paisley! Oh, how we needed a little sunshine in our lives. Trey turned 12 and received the priesthood, that was pretty special too! And I can't forget my unforgettable night with Paul McCartney...and Tary too.

August! School starts! Kayla back in college, Trey starts Jr. High. Need I say more?

September! Kids still in school! Christmas is right around the corner!

October! General Conference...pumpkins...decorating...fall baking...cool weather...shorter days...sister craft day...Halloween! I love this time of year!

November! Christmas music! (no, it's not too early) Turkey's...new pie recipe's...finishing my christmas quilt that's been 4 years in the making...Thanksgiving...watching Mom pick up the stuffing she dropped on the floor...eating the stuffing she dropped on the floor, (yeah, it's that good!)

December! Transforming my home into a Winter Wonderland...shopping...sister candy day...baking...partying...more baking...giving...Christmas eve with the family...watching my mom knock over the tree...watching my mom try to pick up the tree...(are we sensing a new tradition with my mom on the holidays?)

Overall, it's been a good year. I'm hopeful this new year will be even better.

Happy New Year's everyone!

Silent Night

I hope Mary's ok with the donkey holding the baby

(Paisley got to be baby Jesus)



I'm not sure she liked her present, but she loved the wrapping paper.

Ah, the day after Christmas. Otherwise known as "The Big Let Down". I'm just grateful I had a day to do nothing but sit and recoup at church. I've never been more grateful for 'a day of rest'. I'm already dreading next year when I have to go to work the day after Christmas.




I've decided Christmas is much like vacation. You plan and prepare and look forward to it for so long, that when it finally comes, it may or may not live up to your expectations, and you always seem to need another vacation to rest up from it.





So many of our traditions are centered around food. As a child, I looked forward to Christmas eve as much or more than Christmas day! Every year, my mom would bring down her glass serving sets. They were cute little glass trays and cups that they used to use in the good ol'days for wedding receptions, just the right size for a little kid. We would have Sprite (soda-pop was a rare treat growing up) and make our own mini-pizza's, customizing it to our likes. Olives were a must, crackers and chips, vegi's and dip, and the traditional yule log.



Spouses and 20 grandkids later, we've had to replace the pizza's with soup to make it more manageable. But our traditional junk night is a staple on Christmas eve.



And now, I have our own Christmas food traditions. Every Christmas we have a traditional turkey dinner with mashed and sweet potatoes, rolls, beans, and my once a year red-hot jello salad, and of course, yule log.


Despite all the hard work, it was a great day. I even got to sleep in til 8 am. Of course I didn't fall asleep until after 1 am (yeah, i'll admit, i had a hard time falling asleep). The kids were happy with their presents, the husband was happy with his, and when they're happy, I'm happy. And when Mom's happy, everybody's happy. It was a happy day.


Today was a good day too. I've tried hard not to let the Christmas blues take over, and it's been nice to be able to finally relax. I didn't even make a big sunday dinner, thanks to leftovers. Then we all sat down together as a family and watched one of the movies we got for christmas. Who would have thought toys could make me cry? Ah, it was a good cleanser cry. I feel refreshed.

Christmas day is over,

The tree is bare once more.

the presents have all been opened,

the gifts neatly stacked on the floor.

Christmas carols are softly fading,

Christmas greetings are no longer heard.

The feelings of anticipation,

no longer within us are stirred.

The joy of the season starts fading,

the day the tree comes down;

we box up the memories and trinkets,

they'll keep till next year comes around.

But the meaning of Christmas shouldn't be stored with the lights

and only come out once a year;

No, the meaning of Christmas should live in our hearts,

the feelings of love always near.

And so my gift to the Christ child

this year I'll give to him,

to keep his spirit within me;

Good tidings for men will not dim.

I'll keep the Spirit of Christmas

every day of this new coming year;

kind acts, good thoughts and deeds

will keep me in Merry Christmas cheer.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it was a good one...I hope we can all keep Christmas, not just 12 days of the month, but 12 months of the year!

Christmas memories

I think one of the reasons I love Christmas so much, is because of the fond memories I have of christmas as a child.

Part of those memories come from watching the old silent home movies., before the vcr and videotapes were invented. My favorite family home evenings were the times Dad would drag out the old film projector and big reels of 8 mm film. Family vacations, camping, running through the sprinklers, and every childs birthday and the blowing of the candles were forever captured in our memories thanks to those old movies. But the ones I looked forward to watching the most, were when my brother and sisters and I were lined up in front of the roaring fireplace, in our new pajamas that Mom made us every Christmas eve.

We were allowed to open one present on Christmas eve, of course it was always preselected by our Mom, and it was always a new pair of pajamas. As I recall, in the movies I was usually twirling, my sister twisting/dancing, and my brother would be stomping on some invisible bug. The trees would change from year to year. One year it might be flocked in white with big red crepe paper flowers adorning it, or green with tinsel and popcorn strung about. Our pajama's would also change as the years went by; flannel pj's with new minnie mouse slippers, or tricot nightgowns that were slick and flowing, perfect for sliding down the dining table leaves that doubled as a homemade slippery slide.

Whatever the wardrobe or tree looked like, our faces always held the same look of anticipation for who was to come, in what would always appear to be the longest night of the year!

I'm surprised Santa even made it to our house, with all those wide eyed children who found sleep impossible and was ready to catch him in the act with every bump and clatter they heard. When my sister and brother and I moved to the basement rooms, with our little siblings asleep upstairs, we would stay up late, with our radio turned down low, listening to the Santa sightings and estimating how long it would be before he found his way to our neighborhood. When we could stand it no more, we would sneek upstairs to see if the big guy had made his appearance. I don't know how he did it, but every time he came and left before we caught a glipse of him. And as was often the case, the temptation to sneek a peek at what he left was too great. With our stockings overflowing and presents piled so far and wide around the tree, it was almost overwhelming and made sleep near impossible. And most often than not, it was Mom and Dad who was shaking us awake in the morning, because eventually we drifted off to sleep and couldn't seem to wake up on our own, even knowing what awaited us upstairs.

Traditions are an important part of Christmas, and one of the traditions I've kept alive with my own children, is to let them open one present on Christmas eve, and if you guessed it was a new pair of pj's, you would be right.

The other tradition, you know, the one about having a hard time sleeping at night...oh don't you worry. Pathetically I'm still keeping that tradition alive as well.