So You're Saying I Have a Chance

Isn't it amazing what you can learn when you give people a chance? This weekend one of my friends asked me a little about the relationship I'm in right now. I explained to her that I wasn't so interested in Boy at the beginning, which made it easy to ask him out because I wasn't risking too much hurt if he rejected me. Then, as he started asking me out a little, there were things that I just thought I couldn't handle.

Well, I've come to find out that pausing for a little while and going with it can turn into a good thing. The more I've gotten to know him, the more I feel like I understand where he's coming from - I see different motivations behind his actions (than I would have presumed before), which are positive. Now - why he is still dating me is harder to figure out; maybe I've done too good of a job of hiding my flaws. I'm grateful for the chance to develop a friendship and learn about someone very different - in some ways - than me.

I Know it's Late, but . . .

I didn't post last week, so I wanted to write something quickly tonight. What a roller-coaster of a week this has been. I kind of had a melt-down on Thursday. It was very scary for me - the worst I've felt in the past 2 or so years, I think. I know a lot of prayers were said for me that day, for which I am so grateful because prayer is real, and Heavenly Father answers prayers. Anyhow, even with the downs (and, thankfully, I have been up more than down), I got to go to a semi-formal with the boy on Friday night [so I bought this dress for the occasion. I'm feeling self-conscious when I walk out to greet the boy, and his first comment was a dismayed "I thought it was a brighter blue" or something like that. "Do you want me to change?" I showed him a different outfit I could wear. Eventually he says - now in an exasperated tone because I don't think he really cared what I wore, "Look, I think you look beautiful, so -" "Oh, alright. Let's go!" If he had only known that was all I needed to hear at the beginning, we could have been out the door much sooner. :) ].
Then, on Saturday, I got to spend time with some of my family, which was great, and then I got to go to a dinner-theater with the boy, which was so much fun - even though I had a little panic attack in the middle! Happy December!
P.S. I almost left work on Thursday, but I took it a little at a time and eventually started to calm down and was able to make it through the day. One of my students (who didn't know what was going on, except that I was sick and stressed), was so sweet and told me that she was proud of me - or something like that - for sticking it out. Precious!

The Law of Conservation of Hair

According to an acquaintance of mine, hair cannot be created or destroyed. Therefore, according to him, when a man appears to start losing his hair, it's not that he's really losing it; it just starts growing in other places on his body. So glad I told you, huh?

Messing Up

I knew I wasn't writing everyday, but I'm surprised to see that Monday is the last time I posted. So, last night the boy called me on being selfish. He was right, but, ouch! it kind of stings, eh? One of the things I get so tired of in regards to being mortal is not being perfect. I want to be good and treat people well and make them feel loved and happy, but I certainly fall a good deal short. It stinks knowing you've messed up, and there's nothing you can do to remove what you've done or not done. All you can do is apologize and try to not make the same error again. But you might. And even if you don't, there are plenty of others to make. I guess we're all in it together, though, and maybe if we can remember that, we can cut others some slack for not being perfect, either.

Reminders

I have been so blessed to not have to deal with too much anxiety for quite awhile that I'm afraid that it might be coming back a bit to remind me that it's not leaving my life for good, like I would like it to. Relationships (not just the boy/girl variety) just seem to have so much potential for driving me nuts - crazy, I know (in more ways than one - chuckle, chuckle). Anyhow, I have a strategy that has to do with some things I thought about yesterday, as well as what I learned during that broadcast last night, and I'm attempting to try it out - I think it just might really help. Not to mention I got on the elliptical today - for not long enough, but I'm glad that I did it even if it was for just a short time; it's good to try to help out with the serotonin issue, you know?

Totally unrelated, but oh-so-important - Happy Birthday, Katy!! I hope it's been a blast!

Give the Lord Equal Time

"Always give the Lord equal time." Tonight there was a broadcast from BYU to the 18-30 year olds. Elder Ballard, an apostle, addressed us, and one of the points that sticks out to me is giving the Lord time in my life. There are so many things that can distract me if I let them - things that aren't even bad. It's just that the Lord is more important - most important, right? - and He will guide me to the most joy that I can have if I will let Him. I definitely feel like I need guidance in my life, and I've been slacking spiritually for quite awhile now, so I'm really grateful for that counsel, and I plan to start implementing it tonight. If I remember, I will link to Elder Ballard's address soon.

Even Though I Lost

Well, I lost Nablopomo already this year because I was out too late with the boy last night - I think that is an okay reason to lose, though, so I can't be too upset about it. My emotions have been rollercoaster-ing lately, and I was afraid something awful was going to happen last night, but instead I had a nice evening full of T-bone steak and freshly made limeade, dancing - including to So She Dances (a few of you might know how I feel about that) - and games with fun people. I'm SO very glad the day ended the way it did.

Self Discipline

This morning I talked to my mom about my lack of self-discipline. I believe that we are all on this earth to make decisions and to learn how to make the right decisions. I am so complacent so often, though; I don't exercise that freedom I have to do the things that I know will bring me the greatest happiness and peace. How annoying! How can I possibly live with myself when I know what I should be doing, and I'm not doing it? I wrote down a schedule for myself - I think it was last week - to try to get the things done that I needed to, but I didn't even follow it. I ought to be able to get myself to do the things I need to, but for some reason it seems easier to try to get other people to get things done, rather than myself.

Election Results

To my fellow Americans, I have to say that although I am mostly glad with the results of elections, I am still disappointed in how many of you haven't come to my side of the line. I'm glad that the conservatives took the House, but how could the liberals still hold the Senate? Huh? I don't understand. Not to say that I am glad about all of the Republicans in office, either. I had a hard time voting for my Republican incumbent senator. Why he was voted for in the primaries is beyond me. Why several incumbents were reelected is beyond me.
Still, I think this election is a step in the right direction, and I feel hope for America. I believe that my confidence in its people is higher than it was before. I just hope we can keep our momentum because there's still a lot that needs to be done, and its going to take longer than the next couple of years.

Voting Day

Guess what? I just voted! Did you vote? If you didn't, I hope you feel guilty enough that you make it happen next time. However, that being said, I'm not much better. I did vote, but I didn't do my homework, so I was woefully uninformed, and I didn't vote in every category. So - I myself feel guilty because I voted pretty much down party lines - which, as my dad pointed out, might not be so bad this time around, but one ought to know who one is voting for. As far as the props went, I called my brother-in-law and got his opinion, and then I called my folks. My little brother helped me on one of the local propositions; the other ones I didn't vote on. For shame! May I be informed and more active next time. It's such a wonderful freedom we have - we should all be active participants in our government.

The Five Senses

Tonight it has occurred to me how much I love the five senses, and I find myself wondering which ones you appreciate the most. Which is/are your favorite(s)? Is there one that doesn't seem to matter as much to you? - Although, if it was taken away, I bet you'd miss it. When the boy left tonight, I told him that I learned that if he holds me long enough, I get some of his cologne on me, which I love continuing to smell after he's gone - I love that smell! And then I thought about how I love smelling flowers - roses, in particular, but blooming flowers/trees are so amazing to smell! So, I really love the sense of smell.
My love language is touch, I think, so then I thought about that and how I love touch. I feel the most loved/validated/cared for when I am touched. It means that somebody actually cares about me enough to be close. I also love how different things feel - like rose petals.
Sight is another great sense. There's nothing like a beautiful sunset or lightning storm or tree-filled valley/mountainside or changing fall colors or a peaceful ocean. I love being able to see those things.
Sound it totally important to me. Just this weekend I played a song that is really beautiful to me on the piano. Music can be totally inspiring, and when I hear something full of beauty, it's not uncommon for me to cry.
Taste is the one that I maybe appreciate the least - and yet, there's nothing like biting into a rare, juicy steak, is there? Or a truffle? Cheesecake? Okay, so I like this one, too.
I'm so glad that God has blessed us with these senses that make life so much richer.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Do you know what else today is? One of my Facebook friends had something up about it. I was glad for the reminder.

More Weekend

I think I've just been talking about weekends lately - and that's what I'm going to do again tonight. Don't be too bored. Things should become more varied soon because in one week (fanfare, please) NaBloPoMo starts, and I will try to do it again. And I guess I've just had some pretty awesome weekends lately, so I just keep writing about them. This weekend was no different.

It started with me taking Friday off of work, so I could drive to another city and spend way too much money at a Brazilian steakhouse in celebration of the birthday of a former roommate. The food was good, and it was nice to be able to celebrate with a friend. (P.S. It was also my brother's and cousin's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) From there, a roommate took me to the temple, where I met up with the Boy. After our time there, we went to his brother's house, where we were going to connect with the family and go to a trunk-or-treat together. We beat them to their own house, but they soon showed up. Boy's brother has a big family - 7 KIDS!! Can you believe it? And there's another one on the way. So chaos commenced as the kids and parents got dressed up. Eventually, everyone was mostly ready and we left. After a yummy meal of chili and corn bread/rolls, sister-in-law suggested we divide up the kids amongst us and conquer, which is what we did. That night, with most of the kids in bed, the adults played Settlers of Catan - not my fave, but it was pretty laid back and nice. Boy and I read the next chapter in The Horse and His Boy, and I went to bed - they made one of the nephews give up his room for me ("If you smell anything in there, it will probably be Axe and deodorant. He's in that phase right now.") - how nice of him, yes?

What with there being so many children, I figured I wasn't going to get many hours of sleep before the noise recommenced in the all-too-soon-to-come morning. However, I managed to stay in bed until 8:00-ish. Not bad. When I went downstairs, I found breakfast and children, and Boy making bread (he's domestic like that). After the kids did their chores, we went to a festival thing at some gardens, which was fun. Part of the festivities involved a hay (or no hay, depending on the vehicle) ride to a pumpkin patch (which was really a field they put a bunch of pumpkins in and then pretended like it was a patch). It was a lot of fun. I really like the family. They were nice, and it was easy to feel comfortable with them.

After that, we went to my sister's place and visited with her and her husband for a little bit. Then we all went to my other sister's place, where I got to see that sister and her husband briefly (they had a date that night). And I got to see my niece! Besides the two that left, the rest of us went and picked up pizza and fruit and went to the park. My niece was mostly interested in the strawberries. After dinner, we let her slide and swing, and then we went back to her place, and Boy and I drove home and read another couple of chapters of the book. What a terrific weekend! Now I have to deal with AIMS this week - uggh!

30th Birthday!

Well, if anyone thought that The Spinster Chronicles wasn't quite an appropriate title for my blog before, they couldn't deny it now because I just had my 30th birthday. And what a lovely birthday it was. I had a bunch of girls over - did I already tell you this? - and we DANCED. It was so much fun, and I was totally sore a couple of days later, which means I should probably do that more often. It was mostly a girl party, which is not like me, but it was great. A few, select boys came later, and they were very welcome. My roommate made my traditional German chocolate cake, which was delicious. Since then, my coworker brought in a red velvet cake for me, which was also scrumptious!
Then came the more planned part to my birthday - a cruise! A roommate suggested it several months back, we planned it, and four of us girls took off a week ago Saturday. We spent a couple of nights at my uncle's. He dropped us off at the Long Beach Pier on Monday, and after slowly making our way through the security line, we finally made it on the boat. We spent the week sleeping a lot (glorious!), eating a lot, dancing, watching the ocean, and just relaxing. We walked around Catalina Island, which was beautiful. We went to La Bufadora in Ensenada, Mexico, and spent money at the flea market. It was great! My aunt picked us up on Friday. Then we made our way to San Diego and Balboa Park, which is one of my most favorite places on earth. We spent the night with my parents and came back home on Saturday. It was a terrific week, and now it's back to reality - what a great opportunity to relax and celebrate, eh?

Communication Between the Sexes

First of all, the earth-shattering news is that I'm dating someone. I guess I have been, but I just didn't know it, which leads to the title of the post. A couple of Wednesdays ago, I met up with the boy for a little DTR. Boy tells me, "I'm just trying to get to know you right now," which was slightly exasperating because I felt like we'd been on enough dates to kind of figure out if we were going to date - and to continue to get to know each other - or not. However, I had been on the I-don't-want-to-date-him page only days before, so I figured it was fair and I would just have to be patient and wait for him to decide if he wanted to date me or not. Not only that, but not dating was kind of convenient because a good friend of mine had asked if he could take me on a real date sometime, and since Boy told me he might go out with this girl that some people are trying to set him up with, I was at total liberty to go out with my friend (which I did). Since that time, we've spent a ton of time with each other, and I feel like he's treated me like he's dating me. I mean, he bought me a tree for my birthday - doesn't that mean something?? :)
This evening I was talking to him on the phone, and something comes up about him not being able to invite girls over or something, and so I replied something like, "Why not? We're not dating." To which he replies that he thinks we are, or something. What?? So we had a fun conversation about how he's not dating anybody else, and he tells people we're dating. I don't know how I was supposed to get that out of what he had said before, but oh well. I know now. Communicating with boys - good times.

General Conference Weekend

General Conference is the best! I love it! I love that I can watch it at home - the only problem is that I seem to forget that my laptop will inevitably be unable to connect to the internet when I first try on Saturday morning, and thus I never give myself enough time to connect. This means that we missed Pres. Monson's opening address; I'm glad that I can still watch it online or read it in the Ensign. The other usual problem didn't happen this time, for which I am very grateful. My laptop usually overheats - at least, I think that's the problem. Therefore, we have learned to hook up Roommate's laptop to the t.v. and not mine. However, her laptop isn't working at the moment. So, I stuck an ice pack under my laptop, hoping it would keep it cool enough - I don't know if that's what did it, but lappy didn't fail, so we did get to watch the 7 hours and 45 minutes of Conference that it was connected for - YES!!

It's just great knowing that we have a prophet today who receives revelation from God. It's great knowing that God does not change. We can trust Him, as Elder Eyring discussed today. He is not who we create Him to be, rather He created us, and when we follow His plan for us we are blessed.

Sometimes You Just Need a Vacation from Your Vacation

Crazy weekend - I am so very tired. Friday night I packed and cleaned until it was well into Saturday because I'm a moron and didn't take care of things ahead of time. Saturday, Friend shows up just after 7:00, and awhile thereafter he, Roommate, and I took off for Vegas. Now, Las Vegas might be a place for lots of people, but I'm probably not one of them. I mean, I didn't mind going, I just didn't get all excited to be going there. The reason for the trip was to watch our friend's senior recital. She's one of the nicest/funnest girls ever. She is majoring in composition, and I'm excited for the day when I can tell people that I actually know her. The performance was cool, but I was so tired after it that while waiting in the choir room for directions on where we were going next, Friend told me to go sleep in the car. Which is what I did - glorious! And I slept well that night, only to have to get up early this morning to leave to head back home. We stopped in one city for church. Then we stopped in another to visit Lu and her husband. I've really been craving my Lu lately, so I'm so glad for the visit even though it was brief. It was a wonderful trip, but then I was supposed to make birthday cakes for a couple of students tonight, and I'm just too tired. Maybe tomorrow.

The Girl Called

Miss Montreal called me this week! Therefore, I took off after work on Thursday and drove up to the city she was staying in. It's one of those cities that you think should be right off the freeway, but it's not, so then it feels kind of long to get there. I was supposed to meet her at a church, where she was participating in a volleyball tournament, and that's what I did, only I didn't tell her I was there because she was on the court when I arrived. Instead, I sat on the stage and watched as she played 3 or so games. When I finally did tell her I was there, she scolded me because she had been looking for me, apparently, when she was off the court. Oops! Anyhow, we went to get dinner, but I didn't know my way around that city, so we actually ended up in a different city, and then my brother-in-law told me where to go to get food there, which we did. It was nice having that connection back to my mission, and I am glad I was able to get caught up on some of the Montreal news.

Longer than Planned

I finally saw Eclipse last Monday, and I liked it! Just got to throw that in there. Somehow, that fascination just lives on. Now I get to wait for Harry Potter and hope that the last two are better than #6 was.

Also, I stayed with my baby sister and her husband Friday night and Saturday. It was fun to visit them. I was planning on seeing a girl who was coming down from Montreal. I thought I would spend the night at my sister's, go hang out with my other sister and my niece the next morning, see this girl from my mission, and then go home. Unfortunately, the girl never called me, and I didn't have her number. I didn't want to leave in case she did call, so I imposed on my family all day. They definitely win the hospitality award. They were nice and laid back, even though they weren't planning on having a visitor all day. Thanks, guys!

Weekend

Date
Youth Conference / Dancing
Date / Gaslight Theater
Family
Church
Games
Sleeping In
Scriptures
Cleaning
Date / Tikka Masala / Eclipse

What a great weekend!

Mi Chinita

I don't know if there's anything as endearing/precious as watching a baby run to you with outstretched arms and a big smile on her face. That was how I was greeted when I came out of my room this morning. I had a great time visiting with my Desi and Emilee, and here are some pictures:

Dating - What Else?

First of all, I saw a Jewish family today while at the optometrist's, which made me happy because I have this special affinity for Jews. I hope that doesn't sound awful - I just feel connected to the Jewish people; I think I have a lot in common with them, and I feel like they're my brothers.

Anyhow, the real reason for the post is to ask, Why does it hurt to not be in to somebody? There's this guy who I have mentioned on here recently that I just am not interested in dating seriously, and yet it hurts whenever I am reminded of that. Maybe it's because people keep bugging me to try. "Give it time," my roommate says, but I really feel I already know. We're going out soon, and it hurt after he asked me. I just talked to him, and it hurt coming home after. Maybe the aching really comes from wanting something but knowing it's still not to be. I want to follow another roommate's advice and just let us be friends and see if anything comes later (which I think I know it won't), but this guy actually does things right, I believe, in that he treats me like a girl. Instead of the too casual buddy/buddy thing that my generation does, we actually treat each other with that deference one should give to a potential partner. All part of that awkward dating process that I would so like to get beyond.

Musings

I just ate an unhealthy amount of Brazilian food tonight and think I might just slip into a food coma, so I will try to write quickly. Besides getting to hang out with my former roommate (who is from Brazil - hence the food) and her husband, I also got to see her husband's son, who is a friend of mine. Isn't it just great getting to see dear friends who you haven't seen for awhile? I mean, it would be great to see them more often, but when that's not really possible, how fun to have that occasional little reunion. I would have liked to take a walk with him and get some good one-on-one time to catch up on his life. But, seeing as how there were other people there to see him, too, that didn't happen. What did happen, though, was horse shoes and a bee bee gun, and lots of good eats! On my drive home I enjoyed the view of the sparkling lights of the city below. Earlier, on the way there, I got to look at some of the beautiful desert plants, prettily arranged on a hill. Isn't life great?!

A Little Reminder

I'm a big fan of PJTV. Lu's husband and my brother introduced me to it, and I am totally hooked - maybe in kind of a bad way because I am becoming more and more polar right. Anyway, my favorite program on the site is Trifecta, in which these three guys talk about different political issues. They get me pretty fired up about things. They recently did this segment where they showed clips of military people coming home and surprising their families. It was a beautiful segment; two of the guys even got emotional about the clips and the people who sacrifice to serve our country. I wanted to find the clip that they used, and I think this is it. I hope you will watch it and appreciate our servicemen and women.

Emilee is Talking!!

My niece really is starting to talk. I went to visit this weekend, and I heard "hi," "bye," "boo" (blue - apparently every color is blue right now), etc. So cool! I wish I had taken my camera so I could have taken some pictures. How do we learn to speak, anyway? I know I can look it up and understand more, but really, how do we do it? Since she was a very wee baby, Emilee has stuck her fingers in my mouth, for some reason. She hasn't done that for a long time, but when I was there on Saturday, she came up to me and shoved them in. After a bit, she started to make the "T" sound. "That's right - teeth." But how did her brain figure out how to make that sound? It's just kind of amazing if you think about it.

Am I Incapable of Having a Relationship with Someone?

I have decided that I can only handle about 8 dates with a guy before I just know that it's not meant to be. Several years back was probably my first experience with that. I don't know if we actually went on that many dates, but the boy was pretty slow moving, so it dragged things out for awhile. Then there was a shorter, month-long saga recently. And now there has been this past week. I've been out with the boy a few times before. Then this past week seemed to be this marathon of testing the waters, if you will. Monday, Wednesday, Friday (and that was camping, so that probably counts as more), and last night. I'm not sure if I like it that way because then it's over fast. I'm not sure if he's on the same page as I am, but we have another date scheduled next month, so unless things actually turn sour, or something, I would imagine there may be a few more dates, but then that will be it. Fortunately for me, this time I think the boy will decide it's not right, too, so hopefully it will end with nobody feeling hurt.
What I will be (and obviously already am ) feeling is a little frustrated. How do people ever decide that they actually like each other? I hope the boys keep coming, though (Believe me, I'm very surprised and grateful for that part - totally unaccustomed to it.), and that it actually works one of these times.

Emilee said "Cool"

and "I don't know." I swear she did. I've been trying to get her to speak for quite awhile now. We have this deal that if she says "Hi" I will buy her ice cream. Instead of saying it, she likes to smile and sign it (when I think she's perfectly capable of uttering that one simple word). Anyways, I was talking to her on the phone the other day, and I really think I heard "cool" and "I don't know" during the conversation. In fact, I wondered if one of her parents was in the background saying those things to trick me. I told her that I owed her ice cream for talking to me, so when I went to visit her this weekend, we purchased some orange/vanilla ice cream (that she selected) and some cones. By the time we got back to her place, she was asleep, so I didn't get to be there when she got her treat. My sister sent me some pictures of the event (Thanks for taking them!), and I hope she won't mind my posting one of them here.P.S. My brother heard her say "I don't know" while we were driving somewhere the day we went to visit, if that gives more credence to my claim. She wasn't responding to anything in particular - she just said it.

Love Triangles, Revisited

Once upon a time, I posted about a love triangle that I was a part of. I'm afraid I might be a part of one again. Actually, maybe it's bigger than a triangle. It's more like that one song - "He loves her, but she loves him (a different guy), and he loves somebody else." I recently saw this guy that I've been interested in for the last couple of years - stupid Jamie!, I know, but he's so much what I want that it's hard to get over him, I guess. Anyways, seeing him was great, but painful at the same time; I knew it would be. Meanwhile, I'm nervous that this other guy I know is interested in me, which doesn't happen to me very much, so I get pretty distraught over how to handle it. If I'm right, I'm upset because I don't return that interest, and I dread it coming to me having to get that message to him somehow. I was thinking, maybe I should just ask Dream Boy - "How do you deal with me when you have to know how I feel, and you totally don't feel the same?" Because knowing how upset I am over hurting this other friend makes me wonder if Dream Boy gets annoyed with me. I know he cares about me, and I don't see how he could be oblivious to how I feel about him, so is it just totally obnoxious to him that I can't just accept what he has to offer me? Does he wonder why I must insist on ruining a perfectly good friendship? I try to separate my heart self from my friend self for him because I value his friendship and don't want to lose it, but I probably don't always do a good job of keeping how I feel in my heart away from my real, just-friends relationship with him. Oh, the joys of being single and trying not to be.

First Ever Trip to D.C. - continued

Monday

• Uncle Bucks - a restaurant we found near our actual destination. I didn't want to eat at a national chain, so we found this place, and it lived up to its name. The people there were "real, live Southerners," which was too exciting to me. I heard accents, I saw a man kiss a woman's hand, I ate corn fritters.
• Luray Caverns - it's this really cool place that is full of stalactites and stalagmites. One of the cool things about it is an organ that uses the formations for the sounds.
• Next to the caverns is a car museum. Our fee for the caverns included the museum, so we walked around it. It seemed like a random thing to be next to the caverns, but it had some pretty sweet old cars.
• Skyline Drive - beautiful drive through part of the Shenandoah National Park, I think.
• Margherita pizza for dinner - delicious!

Tuesday

• D.C. Temple - Sadly, when we got there, we realized it was closed. The visitor's center was open, though, so we went in and walked through a beautiful exhibit they have right now of bronze sculptures depicting scenes of the Savior and His mortal ministry.
• Mt. Vernon - I was so excited to go there, and it was great! We first watched a little orientation video for Mt. Vernon (hosted by Pat Sajak, no less), as well as a short video about Pres. Washington. The video made me even more excited about being there because I was reminded about what a statesman he was. The grounds were totally beautiful - I can see why Pres. Washington loved his home so much.

There were many things that I didn't get to see. Hopefully I can return sometime, so I can visit more places. I agree with my friend that fall would be a good time.

First Ever Trip to D.C.

I'm halfway done with my trip to D.C. I am SO GLAD that I have had the opportunity to come here. You probably know that I am in to history, you know that I'm in to America and its founding, so I'm having an amazing trip. So far, this is what I have done:

Thursday

• Library of Congress - The Great Hall is beautiful. The architecture is Neo-classical, I believe, and the inscriptions on the walls about learning, books, and God are wonderful. A Gutenberg Bible was there, amongst many other very cool things.
• Good Stuff Eatery - Local, greasy burger and fry joint. Yummy!
• We saw the Supreme Court building, as well as the Capital Building. We actually tried to go into the Capital, but water bottles are not allowed, and as we had nice, non-disposable ones, we left.
• The National Archives - Amazing!! I got to see the Magna Carta (started to tear up), the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The Declaration is so faded, one can hardly see any of the writing, but it was still awesome to see that original document. I was really touched by a man who was behind us in line that I overheard explaining the value of some of those documents - invaluable.
• National Museum of Art - This is my favorite museum that I visited. It had a French painters exhibit, where I saw many pieces of art in person that I have seen pictures of - Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, David, etc.
• Museum of Natural History and Museum of American History - Hope Diamond, Dorothy's ruby slippers, Kermit, etc.
• Chinatown - We just went to dinner there. The part I saw wasn't very impressive.

Friday

• We dealt with a couple of hiccups - I guess after seeing so much the day before we had to make a payment for it in the form of broken water heater and car.

Saturday

• Arlington National Cemetery - I really like cemeteries, and I wish we had more time for this special one. We only had time to walk to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where we watched the changing of the guard. Then we had to book it back to the metro. The rows of graves are impressive. I was also glad for the reverence given by the spectators during the changing of the guard, which kind of took awhile. It was a very formal, deliberate event.
• Holocaust Museum - One picks up an I.D. card before starting the tour. The card contains the story of one actual person who lived during the Holocaust. You turn the page at specific times during the three floors of the tour. I didn't get too involved during the first floor of the tour, but it got to me during the second, and I certainly shed some tears, which seem to be coming back now. I didn't even read everything or look at or watch everything I could have. It's just awful to think about what happened. And it's not like it doesn't happen today - there's definitely still genocide today. The last floor has stories about many people who helped hide people during the Holocaust, and that was wonderful to learn about. There were many people who helped, which is heartening.
• The National Portrait Gallery - Very cool! It has portrait paintings of important people in American history (and not-so-important, as well. The biggest painting we saw was of LL Cool J - what??).
• Dinner at Clyde's, which is in or near Chinatown (although it wasn't Chinese food) - Yummy!
• Washington Monument - Too bad we didn't think ahead about getting tickets to go to the top. It was still awesome to see!
• World War II Memorial - I don't know if I was aware of this memorial. It is really beautiful with pillars (each has the name of a different state on it) bordering a pool of water with fountains in it.
• Lincoln Memorial - I kept thinking about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Mr. Smith is very reverent about seeing Lincoln. I wish the people there would have been quiet - I think that would have made the experience even better, but the memorial is very impressive. It was very important for me to see it, and I'm so glad I did.
  

Sunday

• Church, End of World Cup (yea Spain!), dinner, and Just Dance. I don't think I have heard of Just Dance before. It's a Wii dance game - I might have to look into purchasing that sometime.
  

Now you know more than you wanted to, and just think, there's more to come . . .

An Observation

I had an appointment with a periodontist yesterday for the first time in my life. My dentist referred me to her. It was kind of weird, and I will tell you why. As the pronoun a couple of sentences ago suggests, the periodontist is a woman. Have you ever had a female dentist? I haven't - weird. Like my dad said, female doctors - yes. Female dentists - no. Have you had a female dentist? I have friends and acquaintances that are dentists - they are all males. To my knowledge there is no kind of law or anything barring women from being dentists, so I just wonder why there is so much disparity. It doesn't bother me - maybe guys just like being dentists, and women are attracted to other professions. It is just strange in today's world. I've had both male and female doctors, both male and female massage therapists, etc. I guess I've never had a male dental hygienist, nor a female chiropractor. Anyway, it was just something I noticed - curious.

One of My Favorite Patriotic Songs

You can listen to this song while you read my 4th of July post, if you want. Or you can just watch it; it's one of my faves.

Independence Day

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise . . .
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance . . .
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.
19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. (1 Nephi 13)

I love these verses, written by a man who lived in the Americas 600 years B.C., close to 2000 years before Columbus was inspired to come to the Americas, and a few hundred more before the pilgrims came. I love the United States of America - I love the principles it was founded upon. I love those who fought for independence, and I love the Founding Fathers for all that they did, like writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Today we live in a time of apology for who we are and what we mean, which is absurd to me. Those who came before us tried a new and exciting - an inspired and well-thought-out and debated - experiment. It was an experiment that succeeded and brought hope to other people throughout the world. It gave a Dream to the world - a dream that I'm so grateful to be a part of. All of the success comes from the Lord and is really a part of His work. Our danger today is in forgetting - forgetting Him and forgetting what history teaches us; that this experiment really works. It works better than any other imperfect system I know of. God bless America, and may we put in the effort that we each need to in order to preserve this great experiment.

Grandpa Christensen

My dad sent me this picture of my grandpa (and my grandma) - tears! He was a great man, and I'm excited to see him again someday. I would have included this in my Father's Day post if I'd had it then.

Good Bye

This weekend my sister, brother-in-law, and niece moved to a different city. My parents came to town and a bunch of us helped the family move. When I said "helped" I use the term in regards to myself loosely. I don't know if I have shared on here before, but I HATE moving. I LOATHE it. So I kind of did the easy things, like watch my niece or pick up food for people. Anyway, I'm sad! My sister is the one who put the idea of moving to my current city in my head. She and I lived together until she got married. I still saw her often after that. And then, once she had my niece, I saw both my niece and her at least weekly, for the most part. My sister knows that I am absolutely crazy about my niece - well, I guess you know that, too, as many of my posts have been about the little cabbage. I got to hold her outside the car before the family left last night. I cried. I don't have a spouse or kids, so this little one is so very important to me. And now she's removed from my regular life - me no likey!

My sister knows how important my niece is to me. She may not realize how important she is to me. We didn't get along well growing up, but I'd say we're pretty close these days. I really like going to her place and talking - and we sure can talk - just ask her husband or our dad. How I will miss her!

And, I've had some good times with my brother-in-law, as well. It's sad to see the family go, although I know it's good for them, and I wish them luck.

Happy Father's Day!

Here a some pictures of a few great dads I know. I wish I had a picture of my grandpa Christensen to include here, too. Happy Father's Day, you wonderful fathers you!

I Couldn't Have Danced All Night

Whoever wrote the real lyrics to that song must have actually known how to dance, or they didn't know and never tried to do it for an extended length of time, because after finally getting to go tonight, I know that I could not have done it all night. Even though I couldn't have hacked an all-nighter, I had a great time, though, and I danced a lot - I have the battle wounds on my feet to prove it. I had a wonderful, patient, energetic partner - did I mention he was patient? When we arrived, they were teaching fox trot, which is one of a very few dances that I don't feel like a total ignoramus about. However, they certainly played a lot of dances that I don't feel so great about - Rumba, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Tango, etc. And the Boy also requested the Viennese Waltz a couple of times. That one was pretty fun because it's fast, so I don't think you have as much time, as the girl, to try to take over.
At the beginning of the evening, Boy requested that I close my eyes a couple of times so that I had to rely on him and couldn't try to be in charge. He was really good about trying to explain things to me; sometimes he audibly counted, I think to try to help me stay on, and it really did help. I wish I had more natural talent at picking up the steps, but I guess I just need to practice a lot more and maybe I will improve? Besides my klutziness, I also got kind of dizzy - dang motion sickness! I didn't want to tell Boy that I was feeling a little sick, so I just tried to press on. After a couple of hours when he checked the clock and asked if I wanted to leave soon, I was so ready. I just ran out of steam, which is weird to me because if I'm at a normal-by-today's-standards dance, I can go, go, go. I think I can do the same when I salsa. Maybe having someone to dance with me the whole time, combined with my lack of experience/know-how, which means that I had to exert myself not only physically, but mentally, too, added into a tiring experience.
However, like I said before, I had a blast and would love to say to the Boy, "Well, Friend, when are we going again?" I suppose I should let my feet forgive me first.

Cliques and Hypocrisy

Someone I know has semi-recently become friends with a group of people comprised of acquaintances of mine. They used to just be acquaintances to both of us, but she seems to be merging into their circle. Since this friend and I do most of our socializing together, when she is invited to do something with them, I am pretty aware of it because I am not invited. Don't get me wrong - it's not like I feel like they are on purpose not inviting me. I just have not made that effort to become buddies with them. And, even though I feel a little sad when I'm not invited along to something, the less prideful side of me doesn't really mind it - maybe because it's a bit exclusive.

I would label these people as well-educated, intellectual type people. I like to think of myself as one of those people (conceited, I know). Some people like to think and talk about "smart" things and be smart - and I don't mean it's in an in-your-face sort of way. It just has to do with things that people are interested in. I went through a period in college where I dabbled in not being smart. I had fun not talking about smart things - not thinking politically or sociologically, etc. My grades from that year and a half would prove my change in interests. When I went back to school after my mission, though, and decided to try to get good enough grades to be able to get into a masters program, I realized that I really did like learning - I'm a nerd! Then I graduated, moved, and ended up living with someone who helped spark that interest in thinking about things.

Back to this group of folks, though. As much as some people want to not think they're part of a clique, we all have the desire to be accepted by others, and we tend to gravitate to those who have similar interests. Thus, my friend has been moving into this circle that is probably full of really cool - to her - people because they're of a more intellectual, academic bend, and she values that. And although I also value intelligence, I think I stay kind of aloof from it because I don't want to totally throw myself into that. There's some kind of warmth lacking from some of these people - although they're friendly to talk to and not purposefully snotty or anything.

On to the second part of the post's title. In writing this, I am a total hypocrite. I also am thinking about that. In fact, last night I told my roommate that I was having an Emma evening. In case you haven't read or seen it (or seen Clueless), it's about a rich, upper-class woman who decides to take a lower-class woman under her wing. The lower-class girl is like her little good-will project. I won't continue on with the details, but although I'm not rich, I think I feel like the better-educated, more socially acceptable Emma trying to "help" another. Isn't that awful?! Sorry to expose you to some of my ugly hypocrisy, but it's true. I feel like every Christian should know better than to put one's self above - or below - another because we are all God's children and therefore brothers and sisters, and yet we do it. I guess it's one of those natural tendencies that we have to fight. I don't know how to tie my thoughts together tonight, but to me, they're connected.

I Went on a Date

Isn't that nice? We ate homemade chili, bread, and other stuff. Then we went to a different house and played games.

And can I just say that gentlemen are appreciated? He complimented me, he opened the car door for me; it was nice. I hope I was a lady, although I feel less clear on what that means than I do on what it means to be a gentleman. Chivalry dictates all kinds of specifics for guys, but what does being a lady entail? Just smiling and saying thank you when they take care of you? At any rate, it was a pleasant evening and a great way to end the week.

A Couple of Weekends Ago . . .

I got to meet a new niece and nephew. My entire family met up at my parents' house for the weekend. It was nice to see everyone, and it was great to meet the newest members of the family. The kids are not newborns - one of them even talks. She talks quite a bit, in fact. It was an enjoyable new experience to actually be called "Aunt." I'm still working on bribing the one in the picture to say "Hi." Almost every time I see her I tell her that if she says "hi," I will buy her an ice cream. So she waves. I explain to her that that is not what I mean, but I still haven't gotten her to speak that one simple word. Maybe she doesn't know what ice cream means yet. Or maybe I need to bribe her with something even better than ice cream - like chocolate.

A Dating Article

I read this and I thought it made sense.

Mothers (and Emilee and Me)

Happy Mother's Day to all of you terrific moms!

Evil Palo Verde Tree

Too late to post much, but I just have to say that sometimes when one door closes, sometimes another opens. Or sometimes you are at least reminded of the possibility of other doors opening, which is great.

On a different note, part of this palo verde tree in my yard blew over the other day. Not cool. So, then I called this one friend of mine - who also happens to be my home teacher, and one of the best I've ever had - and he found a saw. He came over without even changing out of his work clothes, which are not wood-chopping appropriate, and then he proceeded to saw through the part that was still connected, which was not the funnest thing, I'm sure, because the saw was not electric. Not only that, but are you familiar with palo verde trees? They're not very nice. They have evil spikes sticking out, just waiting to inflict pain on whoever gets too close. Friend says a few of those spikes are becoming a part of his body because he hasn't been able to remove them. I did surgery on my finger to remove the one that got me. Anyways, our neighbors no longer have the tree branch on their property, which is good. I found out from my landlord that she did not plant the tree; it just grew there. I wonder if she's set on the tree staying . . .

Disillusioned

From Dictionary.com:

dis·il·lu·sion   /ˌdɪsɪˈluʒən/ Show Spelled[dis-i-loo-zhuhn] Show IPA
–verb (used with object)
1.to free from or deprive of illusion, belief, idealism, etc.; disenchant.
–noun
2.a freeing or a being freed from illusion or conviction; disenchantment.

About that Other Blog

So I did recently start a political blog. Here is the address: jeffersonsdaughter.blogspot.com
If you like politics, you may like checking it out, especially when I get some cool people contributing to it - I have a few such people who have agreed to help. If you go to it and have any comments/suggestions, please make them. Thanks!

Happiness is . . .

going to a special place in another city and randomly just happening to end up there at the same time as one of your very best friends who happens to live in an even different city.

reading a good book with a friend.

going to sleep on time (which I'm not, but it would be a happy thing if it did happen).

D.T.R.

Ahhh . . . the relief that can come from talking things out. The D.T.R. is generally something dreaded and avoided, I think, but in my very limited experience, I also believe that it is one of the best things ever. One of my friends recently stressed to me that "ABOVE ALL, the best thing in a relationship is open communication." A good D.T.R. certainly fits into that. It lets a person exhale and move on in the chosen path.

180th General Conference

I am quite tired tonight, so I don't think I have enough energy to really blog right now. However, I do want to say that General Conference was great, as always. I feel like a big theme of it was families and how important it is for parents and children to have close, personal relationships. Many people spoke of how important it is for children and youth to be taught well. I totally agree and am glad for the talks because the family in our society today is certainly in danger and often not what it ought to be, as is very much evidenced by other societal problems that would not be so widespread if there were stronger families.

On a different note, I have started a new blog. I only just began and don't have anything other than the initial post up, so I will wait to give you the address until I have more. It is going to be political in nature, meaning that there will probably be a lot of venting on it. I am hoping to get some other people to contribute to it, so when I get the address put on here, I hope you will check it out to see if it will be of interest to you.

He Lives

He Lives
This is a nice little message with testimonies of the living Christ. I hope you like it. He does live. I am so glad to know that because of how I feel and how I am blessed. I am so not worthy of His love, but I am so grateful for it.

One by One

To add to my increasing discomfort and incredulity at our government, this is what I learned about one of the healthcare "fixes" today. You will notice that what I am talking about is not healthcare. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable about the government continuing to dig itself into things more and more? I'm on the verge of setting up a political blog. If I do, you won't have to read my rants - or you can go there, read them, and contribute. More to come on that soon, I hope.

Testing

You know, I have the hardest time uploading videos - I think they're just too big. This was supposed to be a video of my niece that I think I took a week ago. Oh well . . . Okay, so I just uploaded it into YouTube. I don't think anyone else can see if but you people, so hopefully I won't get in trouble for uploading it there. If you want to finish reading my post, finish before you click on the following link because it will take you to YouTube. Or, hit the back button after you finish. Here it is.

Other than that, the garden fortifications have been breached, not only by little ground squirrels, but one of my roommates has seen bunnies, as well. One of my roommates was planning on pulling a Bunny Foo Foo - with a shovel - if she caught them, only now she's talking about more humane ways to try to get rid of them. I just think we need a cat.

Another Link about the Bill

A few points of the bill.

NOOOOO!!!!

"10:47 PM ET: The House has passed health care reform by a vote of 219 to 212. They will now vote on the "fixes" they want to the Senate bill.

"11:42 PM ET: As Republican consultant Kevin Madden just said on CNN, whatever you think of the bill you have to admit that this is a historic moment. Certainly the most dramatic change to the American health care system since the 1960s. Maybe the biggest change to the federal government's relationship to its citizens since the creation of Social Security in 1935. And all that in a very polarized political atmosphere during an economic crisis. Pretty incredible."

- You can find the above quotes, plus more updates by Andrew Golis, Editor of Yahoo! News blog here.

In reaction to the 11:42 entry - it certainly is historic, and how do you feel about Social Security? Have the gains been greater than the losses? We've just given more power to the government, which I feel extremely sad about. Take my already crappy mood that began with my sleeping way too long this afternoon, and go and make it worse. Thank you Congress, for destroying the American ideal even more.

I feel like I am watching the destruction - piece by piece - of something very unique, beautiful, noble, and inspired. And it is being done at the hands of the very people it has blessed. The children of America and the Constitution are now teenagers who think we know better than them how to prosper. We think we are smarter, better educated, better suited to run things, to be in charge. But what will happen as we age and realize that our parents know best? Will the prodigals be able to return, or will it be too hard to find them?

By Emily Dickinson

Heart, we will forget him,
You and I, tonight!
You must forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.

When you have done pray tell me,
Then I, my thoughts, will dim.
Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging
I may remember him!

Count Your Blessings

I have been pretty frustrated with some of my colleagues lately - well, for quite awhile (especially with one of them). However, it recently occurred to me how blessed I have been at my job. I mean, I've been grateful for the job, but I have only just realized that I have been really blessed with what I need to handle it over these past several years. When I was having a really rough time mental health-wise I worked with an AMAZING T.A. who was really understanding and very on top of things. I mean we totally could have reversed the titles at any point. It was really helpful to work with her during that time; I didn't have to worry about whether or not someone would take care of things if I couldn't. Last year I was doing quite a bit better, and I had a T.A. who did a great job with grading. This year, I feel like there is only one other staff member that I can really trust - but at least I have felt a lot healthier. So, even though my situation isn't as ideal as I would like it to be, I feel like it's still not too much for me to handle. Which is just evidence to me of God's love for us.

Garden Round Two

Isn't Tucson beautiful? A month-ish ago, my friend who helped till the backyard for my first attempt at a garden came over to till again. He showed up, and he and I re-mulched and tilled. It was cooler outside than it was the first time, which made it MUCH nicer. Not only that, it was a lot easier and took way less time. Then, a week later, my roommate and I bought seeds and planted carrots, lettuce, and beans. At some point after that, Roommate also planted beets. We've had quite a nice amount of rain lately, and I think that, combined with better soil, has helped our garden. Like - we actually have one!! So far, I would say our only failure is beans, as we only have one (but at least we have one, right?). We are still planning on planting squash, herbs and sunflowers. Here are pictures (#1 carrots, #2 beets, #3 lettuce, #4 bean):

Must Keep Grading, But . . .

I wanted to show you this. My little bro showed it to me and it's maybe the most awesome geeky thing ever.

Hospitality

Being in that transitory, single time of life for many years now, I have had the opportunity to put many people out on many different occasions. Thus, I have really come to appreciate good hospitality. There's nothing like having to not be in your own bed for a night or two and arriving at a temporary sleeping place to find a space reserved just for you - maybe even a bedroom with a bed all made up and the sheets turned down, invitingly. Maybe a bathroom to yourself. You get in late, find these simple pleasures awaiting, and fall asleep as content as you can be when not at home. Then the next morning you wake up, get ready, and join your benefactors in the kitchen, where Substitute Mom is making you pancakes. Substitute Dad places a glass of orange smoothie down in front of you. And these people don't even know you - have never me you before. It just makes the weekend of adventure that much better! And to all those who let me crash on their couch - thank you, too!! Hospitality isn't necessarily connected with amenities - it has more to do with the attitudes of the people putting you up. There's nothing like feeling at home and at ease even when you are not at home.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Today I went to my second ward conference of the year for my church. It is so interesting being in a normal family congregation because I have attended college congregations for the last decade of my life. It was kind of funny recognizing a lot of people - "Oh, I remember seeing him around before . . and him, too . . . oh, and her . . . and . . ." The reason that I REMEMBER seeing them is because they used to be single and they are not single now. And then there's me. I think a benefit of getting to be around these family congregations is that it might prep me for my return to them when I age out of the singles ones. I'm going to have to re-learn how to pay attention to speakers while babies are all around making noise (kind of unrelated, but true).

4 Reasons for Today

• Arizona's Birthday
• Chinese New Year
• Valentine's Day
• the Sabbath

Flannel Sheets

Tonight I was playing a game - well, actually I played a couple of different games - and at some point we got to flannel sheets. I learned that people have very definite opinions about flannel sheets. I am on the "I LOVE them!!" side of things. I purchased some a number of years ago because I thought they would be nice, and I don't think I have ever regretted them. There were several people that were part of the conversation who seem to loath them - or at least on the "No way!" side of the spectrum. In fact, I might have been the only one who really likes them. Hmmm . . . maybe nobody likes them except for me, and I am the anomaly here. What say you?

Civil Rights Day Weekend 2010

I had been missing my Lu for awhile and decided that the long Civil Rights Day weekend would be the perfect time to visit. Lucky for me, she and her husband said I could come visit. The sad thing was that I ended up needing to be back on Sunday, which meant that I only got to spend Saturday with one of my most favorite people in the entire world. My youngest brother went with me, and it was really nice to have his company on the drive. Pretty much the visit consisted of LOTS of talking, as well as eating a delicious breakfast (which was actually at lunch time - we slept in!) in honor of the husband's birthday and watching various things on their new projector. Besides that, we took a drive, and I got a few pictures from it. Isn't it nice to take off and visit great friends?

Apathy

Recently I went on a little rant to my students - pobrecitos! they really have to put up with a lot sometimes - about how we don't appreciate our abundance. I continue to think about that. Last night I was with a friend who told me that he's not really into politics. Hence, the title of this post. I think we have a responsibility to try to be politically active. I feel like a hypocrite because there is so much I don't know. However, I really think we have an obligation that many of us ignore to take an interest in our government. Otherwise, the historian in me says, like the cliche, history is doomed to repeat itself.

I think that our generation has been so blessed in having our own needs met (and even a lot of wants) that we selfishly don't think we need to worry about anything. And then there are people in dire need in places like Haiti. It makes me so mad at us. We have so much, even during these hard economic times. A lot of people in the world would probably much rather be in our "hard" times than in their current situations. If we don't take an interest in our government, how are we going to feel if things go south? And maybe it won't affect us too much. Maybe we won't have to reap the rewards of our apathy, but I kind of think somebody will - like maybe our children, or theirs. Why are we okay with doing that to them, especially when there have been many generations of people before us, working so that we could have this abundance that we enjoy?

Haiti

I just read an article on Yahoo about an 18 month old girl rescued in Haiti by some Australian news crews, as well as Haitians. Then I found the video that covers the rescue. I wanted to link to it so that you can watch it, but I warn you that it's pretty emotional; at least, it is for me. One of the elders in my mission is from Haiti. Since the earthquake I have wondered about his welfare, as well as that of his family - and friends, for that matter. I'm kind of nervous to try to find out. Anyway, I haven't been following the news on Haiti, which makes it easier to be less upset. Watching the video makes the situation more real, and I feel so upset for out brothers and sisters there - which is what they are. I don't know what to do besides send aid. My roommate prayed for the Haitians tonight, which I think is about the only other thing most of us can do, and I hope that we do pray for them.

Happy 1st Birthday, Emilee!

Today is my nieces 1st birthday!! Why do we call it that? Last year was her birth day - this year is her 1st birthday anniversary. I got to go over to her place for presents and cake and ice cream. It was great! She doesn't understand presents yet - she really wasn't very interested in them. Maybe that's a good thing. She also didn't attack the cake - she's unaccustomed to eating food with her hands, I think. However, she did eat her cake. Her mom even gave her some ice cream, which she seemed to enjoy. Happy birthday, Em!! I love you so much!

History

Today I read this article about the upcoming change to Texas' social studies curriculum. It was interesting to me, especially because it looks like the changes in Texas can affect curriculum in other states. Whether you read the article or not, I would like to draw your attention to a few things.

A) I think that it is good to address the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers when teaching about them. What they believed affected the founding of our country. There's nothing wrong with bringing that up.

B) I really have a beef with revisionist historians, who I feel are too quick to apply (unconsciously, I would hope) presentism to their revision. Christopher Columbus was not the devil. I really get upset with today's views that he was a horrible man. He wasn't. I'm sure he wasn't perfect, but he wasn't trying to destroy the world when he left Spain, nor was he trying to destroy the world when he discovered America. And I feel fine in saying "discovered." Sure, other people also found it, but his arrival influenced a heck of a lot of European history to come. Some may argue that I'm just a pompous W.A.S.P., but I don't think there's anything wrong with being a W.A.S.P. They've accomplished quite a lot in the past 250 years. Not only that, but given my religious background, I can claim mistreatment, misunderstanding, displacement, etc., etc. And although those things are a part of my religious history, they don't keep me from celebrating this country or its people.

About Conan and The Tonight Show

I'm not a big watcher of The Tonight Show or any of the other late night shows:

1) I don't regularly watch t.v.

2) These shows are on late.

3) They're usually a bit racy.

That being said, I have enjoyed many clips that I have seen. My dad used to watch Johnny Carson. I don't think I really watched Jay Leno, but I know a lot of people did. I did spend a summer watching The Late Night Show with Conan, and I kind of liked it. I think it's great that he moved to the earlier show, too, and I loved his driver's license commentary early in his new, California life - I would link to the clip, but I didn't see it on YouTube. Anyway, I found an article talking about how NBC is placing Leno's show later, which would push The Tonight Show to a later time slot. Conan won't do it, and I kind of like what he has to say. I think it's cool that in addition to how he feels about moving The Tonight Show to a different time, he doesn't want to push Jimmy Fallon and The Late Night Show to a later time - I wouldn't have a problem with that because, let's face it, Jimmy Fallon does not seem meant to host that type of show. Noble of Conan to not push him, though, when that very thing is happening to him. And I agree with him that NBC hasn't given him enough time.

I probably wouldn't even be commenting on this - I'm very much not a regular watcher, but I like Conan's statement, and I wanted to share it.

Reflections on 2009

1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2009?(What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?)
I survived? I'm not sure if the reflections on this past year will be very good because I don't think I can recall too much. I made Chinese dumplings. I made pies for the first time in my life. I moved without having a nervous break-down. I actually took my S.E.I. courses for work. I flew by myself twice without freaking out about it. I realized that I am over a grudge that I didn't want, but couldn't quite let go of before - the Atonement is great! Most important, I think, I have started forming a better habit with saying my prayers at night.

2. What is there to grieve about 2008?(What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?)
I didn't finish Nanowrimo or Nablopomo. I didn't post for over a month. I didn't stay caught up with grading. I wasn't as social as I should have been. I think the worst thing about me this past year is that I was casual in my worship of God and in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I will try to forgive myself for not being perfect. One of my friends actually talked to me about how I feel about myself, and I think he was right and that I need to allow myself to be imperfect while I am trying to be better.

3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete?
To declare 2009 complete, I think I need to say that I feel like the Lord has really blessed me with better mental health this past year. I am SO GRATEFUL for that! It has been so wonderful to feel much better - not perfect, of course. I have just felt so much healthier. To declare this year complete, I also need to mention the wonderful experiences I have had with my family this year. I have seen my parents a little more, I think, which has been great. I have spent more time with my siblings this year, too, and have really enjoyed that. And Emilee came - she is the joy in most of our lives right now. She was born almost one year ago and has been a source of wonder and light and beauty! She has made my life more meaningful and complete.

2010 is my year of balance, I hope, as I try to tackle goals a few at a time all year long.

After a Silence

For the first time ever, I think, I have gone for more than a month without posting, which is really a shame because I did not want that to happen. I have been pretty stressed with work and other things, as of late, and I feel like I am really behind in most aspects of my life. Hurrah for the new year and resolutions, though, right? The chance to try to do better - I have written several goals for this year, and I want to try to accomplish them Benjamin Franklin style - a little at a time. I still need to complete my inventory for the past year. Stay tuned . . .

P.S. Happy Birthday, Brother-in-law!