I'm a sucker for romance ...

... which may not seem too extraordinary.  Lots of girls are. 

Favorite movies?  Romantic comedies.  Favorite TV shows?  Well, those are rarely romantic, but it sure helps if there is some husky, manly lead character with great shoulders that I can lust after.  Books that I read over and over?  Romances.  Or maybe I should re-categorize that as love stories, since the traditional "romance novel" is generally trash I avoid.  I adore love stories, especially love stories set in times when men were gentlemen and women were modest.  Hence my Austen compulsion.  I often loose myself for days in the countryside of Regency England, falling in love over again with dapper young men in riding coats, preferably with a small fortune at their disposal.  I'm no classics snob, though, and I've even been known to fall for an old fashioned vampire and a modern werewolf all in one story.

I have discovered a new author who transports me to another time and place,

 introducing me to strong, compelling women and honorable men who love them.  Annette Lyon is an LDS author with six titles under her publication belt, four of which are historical novels centered around Utah temples in the 1800s.  Having read and loved Spires of Stone (which I would briefly summarize as Much Ado About Nothing builds the Salt Lake Temple), I was quite excited and very flattered to be asked by Annette to preview and review her new novel, Tower of Strength, set around the construction of the Manti Temple.  See a beautifully done book trailer by clicking here.

Tower of Strength features Tabitha, a young bride who is tragically widowed before the birth of her first son.  Fear has kept her from returning to her hometown of Manti for nearly seven years.  Now a woman with greater maturity and courage, the purchase of the local Manti newspaper brings her back home to face her past, in the form of her cold and accusing mother-in-law.  

Enter Samuel,  a simple yet charming British immigrant himself recently widowed.  Together Tabitha and Samuel find fast friendship and companionship that progresses into something more.  

Far from a sugary story of love at first sight with a ride into the sunset, Annette addresses themes of pain and loss and reluctance to love for fear of losing more.  And far from a flat telling of boy meets girl, Annette knits and purls rows of texture--equine adventure, news reporting, crime sleuthing-- and colorful characters who make you cringe and smile and laugh and cry.  The resulting creation is a compelling tale that you can wrap around your shoulders and warm up with.

Though the setting is early Mormon Utah, I am confident that my non-LDS friends would enjoy Tower of Strength as well as my Mormon friends.  Annette's writing has universal appeal.  Her characters are real, their stories ring true.

Find Tower of Strength at Deseret Book.  Annette's work can also be purchased on Amazon.  

On a personal note, I'd like to add that happy as I am to have found a new source of romantic prose, I am more happy to have become acquainted with Annette through her blog, The Lyon's Tale.  Annette is funny and kind, articulate and interesting, with diverse talents and interests.  (Plus, she's practically my long lost twin!)  If you're a grammar fanatic, or even just a sometimes wannabe writer like me, be sure to check out her Word Nerd Wednesday posts for an academic laugh.  (Ooh, it's Wednesday--click over now!)

Priorities (3 of 5)

Sher asks: If you were told you had only one year left to live, what would you do?  What would you change, if anything, in your life?

I must say that a lot in my life would change.  Some of these changes would be changes that I should make in my life anyway ... I need to read the scriptures more, I need to spend more one on one time with my kids, I need to be less verbally critical of my family and less critical in my head of others.  I need to write in my journal and I need to throw away a lot of junk.  I need to go on more walks with my husband and kids.  I need to relax.

But there are many things that I'd change simply because priorities change with time.  When I am working on my "list" for Christmas, things start getting cut the closer I get to the holiday.  Does that mean that these were bad or not worthy of my time to begin with?  No.  All it means is that finding myself down to 4 days left, I need to start deciding what is absolutely essential, or nothing will get completely finished.  So if I were to learn that I only had a year to live, instead of the 40-50 more that I anticipate, I'd begin to cut out the non-essential.  That would include blogging.  That would even include being my son's team mom.  I'd still happily go to the games, but I doubt I'd spend my limited time to make sure everyone remembers their week to bring the snack.  I wouldn't worry about losing weight.  I'd hire someone to clean the house if I could afford it.   Like most of us, these changes would largely revolve around my family and my God and finding ways to spend every possible moment with them.

Some of you may argue that we never really know how much time we have left.  I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.  (It's always a bus, isn't it?)  Absolutely.  And I agree that I should work on those things listed in the first paragraph because of it.  But if I live my entire life assuming that it will be short, I will miss out on a lot of great non-essentials.  My kids would feel smothered.  I've written before about the end of summer and the growing pit in my stomach which develops as I worry that I'm not making the most of my remaining vacation time.  It makes for a less enjoyable time off.  I think the same would happen if I assumed my life was ticking down to a premature finish.  That's no way to live.

I am thankful for a long life expectancy and relative good health.  I am thankful that the days are getting longer again.  I am thankful for the beautiful rainbow we saw out our front window yesterday.  May we all live life a little more fully and be happy with where we are.

Weakness (2 of 5)

Sher asks:  What is your greatest weakness?  Why?  Another great question that makes me think.  I'm going to answer this in a couple of different ways.

My greatest weakness is lack of discipline.  I hate making myself do things I don't want to do, or stop doing things that I like, and I frequently don't.  I know it sounds immature.  It is.  But that is the root of most of my struggles.

When I was first married, any time I became frustrated with my life, I'd make a laundry list in my journal of every flaw, every major shortcoming, and I'd map out a plan to overcome each.  After a decade or so of this I began to look over past entries and found that nothing was ever fixed.  I struggled with the same issues again and again.  Bemoaning this fact to my husband, he pointed out that part of my problem stemmed from the fact that I am not a routine oriented person,  (editorial note: following a routine takes discipline) but I am, rather, a project-driven type.  This clicked.  It explained in one nice little sentence a seeming smorgasbord of problems.  It brought some degree of relief.  I felt a little less out of control--I really just had the one major problem to work on.

Three years ago I joined Weight Watchers and lost 30 pounds.  I'd kept to the plan and was successful.  I thought that if I could find control over this little piece of my life, perhaps I would be able to find it elsewhere.  Well, no sooner had I reached my goal than I was hit with a nerve disorder that consumed me for months.  Everything else, including good eating habits, was put on hold.  Once my meds were regulated and pain was minimal I returned to life as normal, except for the better nutrition thing.  Over the last 2 years I have regained 20 of those pounds.  For the past year I have been making feeble attempts to lose them, and have lost and found 7 to 9 pounds twice.  Clearly, I really don't have this discipline thing down after all.

Yet I find myself with a new problem.  I used to go to great lengths to hide these weaknesses.  I was mortified by discovery of any imperfections.   However, in the past year, and in the past few months particularly, I have experienced a shift.  I have gone from embarrassment over weakness to embracing it, strutting it about, even.  At first, I saw this as a breakthrough--being more honest about my struggles, feeling better about who I am.  And that sounds healthier, doesn't it?  Well, I am beginning to think that it is not.  In developing this new habit of self-degradation, in the name of coming to terms with my weaknesses, I have let go of responsibility to become something better.  I've given myself permission to fail.  I went from privately moping about how horrible I am to publicly laughing at my nature and viewing myself as a vicitim of it.  Neither outlook is adaptive.   

So my next move?  Well, I feel like I need to take some time to reconstruct my self-image.  I need to look at my potential, my talents and my STRENGTHS.  I need to do it without apology.  Discipline is nothing more than consistent good choices.  I need to decide that I am strong enough to choose to be better.  Again and again.  It doesn't mean I need to stop laughing at myself.  But it means I need to stop treating myself like a big slob to get laughs so often.  This will not be easily put into action, I know.  I also know that the outcome may be worthwhile.  

Interview by Sher, Part 1 of 5

Sherrie, over at Sher the Love!, has sent me 5 questions for an interview-style tag.  She answered all of the questions she'd been asked in one fantastic post, but my editing skills are not so finely honed.  I will therefore complete this tag in five separate posts.  I first want to take a second to tell you all how much I adore Sher and her blog.  She's talented, open, honest, funny, and thought-provoking.  And those are all qualities of a blogger that really attract me.  This month she's been doing daily bucket-fillers, and she's done a fabulous job.  So go check her out, after you read and comment here, of course.

The first question is:  What is your life's passion?  Tell us about why, and how you came to love that thing.

This question intimidates me a little.  Especially because of who's asking it.  Sher has a passion for music and running and has accomplished much with both. 

I'm not certain that I have a life's passion.  Is that horrible of me?  I don't think I have the patience or focus for one.  Larry suggested that he was my passion.  True, I adore him.  But he got lots of bloggy love in my last post.  He then suggested that blogging was my passion.  Ugh.  I'm just not even going there with my ambivalence toward this enticing compulsion in which we all indulge.

As I thought, I decided that while I may not go so far as to label the following "passions" I certainly have a category of things that I really love.  I love the arts.  In nearly all of it's forms.  I figured out too late in college that humanities is the study of exactly that.  I would have minored in it.  

I love music.  I love listening, I love singing, I love playing the flute and the piano.  I'm not fabulous at any of it, but it makes me happy.  When I'm feeling discouraged, music lifts my spirits.   The iPod is one of the best technological advances ever.  It makes it so easy to listen to anything at any moment as the mood dictates.  I also love the Hymns.  The song of the righteous is a prayer unto God.  And I often communicate my feelings to my God best through song.

I love visual arts.  I love going to art museums.  I love the Impressionist movement particularly, but seeing anything is amazing. I also dabble in this.  I've been interested in paper cuts lately, and love to incorporate meaningful words where possible.  I paint a little and draw a little, and do calligraphy a little.  Again, I'm not brilliant at any of it, but I have fun.  I like to teach basic art lessons to elementary and middle school kids.  I had a great opportunity to learn to do this in the last community we lived in.  Here I've used this new skill to do some art projects with #3's school class, and they're hooked.  

Literature.  I love to read.  In fact, it's about time to pack up the books so that I won't be tempted as we try to move in the next week or so.  I love to write and you all see some of the products of that hobby here.  This post isn't my best sample, I fear.  It feels too much like a list.  I'm sure there is a way to improve on it.  I am also sure I don't really feel like figuring out what that is at the moment.

There was no big journey leading me to the arts that I can pin point.  I've been singing since I was two, making intricate construction paper masterpieces since not long after that.  As a teenager I listened to the Beatles and Pink Floyd and Bach and Handel.  My walls were plastered with Cassatt and Degas prints. (Though at age 12 it was kitties and Rick Springfield.)

I think that the arts speak to many, if not most, of us.  They touch our souls and evoke emotion.  So not only am I not quite passionate, I am also not original or unique.  But, like Popeye, I am what I am.  And aside from the occasional desire to be the master of one rather than a Jack of all trades, I'm happy with my interests and talents.  Maybe someday I'll find the desire to apply myself and find that passion.  In the mean time I'll go finish that grocery list that I started this morning, brush my teeth, and get to feeding my family.

Note:  Please be patient with me over the next few weeks as I visit your blogs a bit more sporadically than usual.  Once we're settled in the new house, I am sure I'll be back to my regular stalking habits.  Thanks, Mina

And the Winner Is ...

Well, this drawing drew in more folks than I ever would have imagined.  There were an astounding 77 comments on that post, which I realize however may be small potatoes to some of you, and a total of 63 entrants.  Among those 63 people there were a grand total of 152 separate entries in the give-away.  

I am especially grateful for those of you who have stuck around and continue to read and comment.  I hope I am getting around to all of your blogs.  I am trying, anyway, and I have found some great ones.  And really, that is what this was about, getting to know more of you wonderful fellow bloggers.

With 152 entries, #2 and I decided to assign each entry a ticket, which took a while longer than one may think!  Tickets assigned, they were put into a 40 oz peanut butter jar that had been finished off and washed out just last week (fabulous timing!).  Now, I must admit that #2 decided to do practice drawings all afternoon, letting me know who won each dry run.  I won't sport with your feelings by letting you know the outcome of those drawings.  

At 8:00 we checked my email to make sure there were no stragglers.  #2 held the tub while I pulled out Ticket # 286 677.  We checked our list to find that number belonged to a fellow knitter ...  Annette at The Lyon's Tale!!!  Congratulations, Annette.  I will be in touch about where to send your purse and chocolate.

If any of you have not been over to The Lyon's Tale, please go check it out.  Annette is an LDS fiction author, and she's lately been blogging about her journey to publication.  It is fascinating to read.  I also appreciate that Annette is one of those girls who signed up for the give-away but has returned and become a genuine reader, always with a comment or an email.  

Thanks, Annette!  Thanks, everyone!

Aw, Shucks!

Well, it's been pretty good for a Wednesday.  I actually will have more to post about my birthday on Friday, but I wanted to get a couple of thanks out there today.  

I got the older girls up for school as usual at 6:20, and then since it was my birthday I curled up in my favorite chair with my warmest blanket and snoozed until it was time for them to leave.  When they opened the front door they found this:

Which had apparently by delivered the night before by my sweet sister-in-law Kim and her family.  The note under "We love you" is letting me know that she'll be bringing dinner by tonight.  Score.  a)  Kim is a brilliant cook.  Yum!  b)  My girls had wanted to make tacos for me tonight for dinner, and when they saw this said, "Good, we can make the tacos Thursday.  That's two nights off!  ThAnKs, KiM (and Eric and Kids)!

Also, a package arrived last week from Shauna, who is so incredibly sweet to keep track of her bloggy friends' birthdays.  (I'm lucky I'm keeping track of all of your blogs.)  Since I'm a little mental about not opening presents early, this afternoon I opened a talk from President Hinckley called "In the Arms of His Love," a picture of the Savior, and a card and magnet that read, "The most precious things are not things."  Shauna also posted on her blog about my birthday.

ThAnKs, ShAuNa!!

Larry and I went to Subway for lunch, and I came home to sixteen Facebook birthday greetings and seven new birthday comments on my last post.  Thanks to everyone for contributing to a great birthday!

Cyber-Walk of the Stars ...

A big THANK YOU to a big friend for a big award.  Erin, over at If you Give a Mom a Moment, has graciously bestowed me with the Super Stalker Award.  I'm guessing most of you stalk her blog anyway, but if you don't ... head on over.  She's funny and honest and entertaining.  And she's a great stalker and commenter herself.  She has become a good friend.

This award is presented to a Super blogger. This person is not only a terrific person, but a great bloggy friend. More than just a Stalker, they are a loyal reader who cares. The comments that they leave in their wake are sincere and heart-felt -making it apparent that they are truly interested. That someone cares. To which we reward them by saying:

YOU ARE A SUPER STALKER!

This award belongs to YOU!

All we ask is the following:
1-In your own time, share this award with ONE other blogger who you feel is worthy of the Super Stalker title. This award is not to be handed out freely, but deliberately given from one Super Stalker to another -Making the recipient deserving. Keeping the award true to its form and the reason for its beginning.
2-As you award that one Super Blogger, include this message in its entirety along with your acceptance speech.

3-Enjoy your REWARD! You DESERVE IT! You EARNED IT!

Well, I do try to care about the people in the blogs I visit.  I read their entire post, and I leave comments that usually show that fact.  (I will always have an opinion.)  I figure that's how I want people to treat my blog and that is how they will get to know me a bit.  It won't be by skimming.  Of course, I'm not perfect, and I do have this thing called a family that I'm supposed to be taking care of ... so before I start to wallow in my distress over these conflicting pulls on my time, I will announce the recipient of this award.

This Super Stalker Award goes to someone who faithfully reads and comments on my blog and has spread her blogging wings with great rapidity and flair.  I now see her all around "town."  The best thing for me is that this stalker lives close enough that we are able to use this tool to make a real, live, face-to-face friendship out of it.  And I'm grateful, because otherwise she'd still just be "that beautiful Valiant 9 teacher who teaches with her husband."  This is for YOU, Heatherlyn.

Nativity?

Well, before the actual post begins, I need to take care of a little bloggy business.  

First off: ThAnK yOu!!! to all who voted for me over at Mormon Mommy Blogs.  I came in third of nine, which I could hardly believe, and which may have had something to do with my husband, an employee of whom started talking to me about my blog the other night.  Anyway, thanks everyone!  It sounds like they are going to run spotlights on the top three blogs.  Cool.  (I probably would have known this is how they roll if I headed over there more often.  Sorry, Motherboard!)

Secondly: Less than 2 days left to enter my GiVe AwAy!!!  If you have left a comment on the original post, you are entered.  Many of you are entered multiple times.  I'll have to count, because I'm unsure if there are enough BINGO numbers for all of the entries.  If there aren't, we'll have to change plans just a tad and use tickets instead.  (Which I have on hand as a few years back I had a great plan for doling out TV watching privileges.  I never did it.  Don't ask me why those aren't in long-term storage, like the photos I'd love to scan in for the following post, because I'm not sure.)  Deadline= Tuesday, Jan 20th, 8:pm MST.  The winner will be posted Wednesday night at 8:pm.  Good luck!

Every year, as the date approached, my mother would begin to tell again the story of the most special birth we knew.  I learned the events of the weeks preceding, those of the birth itself, the visitors to the baby, and the gifts they brought.  I knew all of the details as if it were the story of my own life.

Wait a minute.  It was the story of my life.  Forget the birth of the Savior (although I knew that one very well, too) when I was growing up the most important holiday of all was my birthday.  I won't bore you all with the story in the detail that I annually heard it recited, only with the most important fact that my dad had been drinking Dr. Pepper at some point that morning.

With that kind of build-up, you may imagine the day itself.  It was always  over the top.  Even if I wasn't having an actual party there were flowers and streamers and balloons and once little silk flowers hanging with the balloons.  Always my favorite dinner and always a chocolate swirl cheesecake.  My birthday was just a huge deal.  And it was my favorite holiday.  

Then came my 18th birthday.  I was living in the dorm at college.  My mom had made me a cheesecake over the Christmas break, just so that she wouldn't miss it.  I was afraid my big day would be not so special at all.  Then came the box.  Jenny, you'll remember.  There were not only presents, but decorations and plates and forks and napkins.  And it was good she included those paper goods, because she used the BYU food department's service of sending me a chocolate cake complete with balloons.  Not only that, but that day on campus there was a guest speaker--Rosa Parks.  So I went.  That was amazing.  She was living history, and I got to hear her speak.  What a birthday!

Then came my 19th birthday.  Six of us girls were renting an apartment off campus.  My mother had sent me back on the airplane with pink carnations (among my favorites).  I can't remember if she'd made me a cheesecake, because I made one myself for the actual day.  I got a big package from her on my birthday, balloons from one of my roomies, a dozed beautiful red roses from a, ahem, friend in the Navy, and chocolate turtles from Larry, who wasn't sure what message he was trying to send with them.  That day, I'd had to see my social psych professor about an assignment I needed some guidance on, and he told me that I could be a mouth model.  Again, if I had to be away from home, I couldn't ask for a better day.

Then came my 20th.  I'd been married for three and a half weeks.  I wasn't yet as good as I am now about bluntly telling Larry my expectations for any given event.  In fact, I wouldn't do it at all.  Because that's not romantic.  (Don't worry, I've learned!)  So we went to a play that I had to attend for a humanities class, and I think I made myself dinner, and Larry got me the movie "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead."  Have you seen this?  It's great.  It's Hamlet told from the perspective of, obviously, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  I love it.  And I loved it then, which he knew.  Um, but not for a birthday present.  I think I cried that night.  I learned that birthdays are not such the big deal for every family that they were for my mother.  My husband began to learn that he'd need to put a lot more effort into holidays than he thought if he wanted a happy wife.  I say "began" because this was a lesson years in the learning.

Now?  Well, now birthdays are not the major holidays for me that they once were.  And I say that entirely honestly.  I sometimes don't even have any dessert at all.  And I don't care.  Rarely flowers and never balloons.  And that is fine.  As long as I don't have to cook dinner.  I don't care if Larry takes me out or brings home take-out, I am happy.  No cooking, no dishes, happy birthday to me.  And as for my kids, I certainly try to make a special day for them, but I'm also trying to not set them up for disappointment on that first married birthday.  If they're having a party, though, I do tend to go all out.  But that's a subject for another post.

This year I will turn 35.  I am teaching an art lesson to #3's class in the morning, and I'm going to see if Larry will then meet me for lunch.  #3 also has a guitar lesson to go to and that night #s 1& 2 have Young Women at church and Larry has Scouts.  I'm guessing I'll need to remind him that I don't want to cook.  And that's fine.  It's certainly better than being pissed that he forgot.  I'm not seeing cheesecake in my near future.  I'm getting an awesome present though.  (I'll tell ya how it went later.) 

And, maybe, if they're interested, I'll tell my kids the story of the birth of their mother.  In detail.  Just this once.

This is NOT a photo of the purse you could win:

It's a photo of a green one just like it that I made for my step-mom's birthday. I finished it on the 10th.  Her birthday was on the 8th.  It's wrapped and waiting for me to mail it.  And that's how I roll.

This design is taken from my dear friend Leslie, who introduced me to hand-felting.  She made a purse like this for me a few years back, and I've wanted to try it since.  I'm just now getting to it.  I probably should be more original, but I don't think she'll mind.

I thought I'd take another photo with my hand, to show size better.  The  green yarn (and my hand) are reading a little washed out.  Oh well, you get the idea:

And finally a shot of your purse in progress.  (Again, this yarn is reading slightly lighter than it is.  But it's close.)  You can see that I'm about 1/2 way done with the first side as of Monday afternoon:

I'd have gotten further Sunday night during 24, but I couldn't find my red yarn and Jack Bauer was being all Jack Bauer-y so I didn't have patience to look for long.  I should be able to get the purse almost knitted during 24 tonight (well, last night as you read this).  

Don't you love 24?  I was so bummed last year with those selfish strikers who thought nothing of ME and what I was missing out on.  At least he's back in action now.  My husband seems to think he's heard this is it's last season.  Could that be true?  I certainly hope not.  I do love House, but he's nothing to drool over.  I used to pride myself when I was newly married on not lusting after TV and movie stars like I did as a teenager.  And I didn't.  I guess my head was elsewhere.  Like nursing and diapering and all of that great stuff.  But now, I might as well be 15.  I don't even mind admitting it.  Funny how your outlook changes like that.

So where was I?  Ah yes, the contest.  Entries accepted up to a week from today.  If you're interested, please comment on the ORIGINAL POST, or I may think I've already entered you.  I'm astounded by the number of entrants I'm getting.  I was figuring I might pick up a couple of new readers who were friends of friends who might be kind enough to post my mug on their sidebar.  I assume it's because of all of the unanticipated traffic from Mormon Mommy Blogs.  I'm not sure how I am going to keep up with everyone.  I guess I'll just say that if you begin to be a regular commenter, I'll be sure to read you, too.  Maybe only a few days a week, (I've got to find some balance here!) but I'll be there!

A Little History ...

**Please remember to give me a vote at Mormon Mommy Blogs, if you haven't already.  Tuesday is the deadline!**

I began this blog in April of 2006 when I tried to comment on the new blog of an old friend and somehow didn't see how to do it without creating a Blogger account.  This was, clearly, back before Google owned Blogger.  I saw later how to just comment, but I'd already taken the plunge.

My blog was never meant to be an actual journal of daily life, never really a way for friends and family to keep track of us.  I wasn't interested in that.  I wanted only to write.  

A few years before I made a list of things from my childhood that I wanted to write about.  I think I wrote two essays.  I emailed them to my dad (and probably also my mom) to read.  He's not an easy critic, and he was impressed.  But I never did more.  So I saw this as an opportunity to continue with these stories.  I'm not sure that I've actually blogged anything off of that list, but I've been inspired by my thoughts and feelings and other memories that have arisen as I went.

I used to post about twice a month.  That was my goal, at any rate.  But sometimes it was less.  My audience of 6 consisted of my dad, my mom, my college roommate Jenny, sometimes my HS best bud Kelly, a dear friend from forever Laura, and the occasional person who actually followed the link that is at the bottom of all of my emails.  Jenny used to comment on each post.  Sometimes I'd get an email from my mom or Laura about a post.  Once my dad emailed me that he thought I should have a much broader readership than I did.  Laura emailed me that she thought I could write a column.  But really, it never mattered much to me.  I was writing for myself.  And I read my posts much more frequently than I wrote them.

Then this summer I moved to Idaho after 14 years in Southern California.  And I am glad, but I have felt very displaced.  For some reason, at this same time, one of my sometimes-readers who many of you know as Clan of the Cave Hair seemed to be visiting my blog a little more frequently and I was checking out hers more in return.  I was impressed with all of her readers, all of these friends that she had in the blogging world.  For a while I really assumed that these were all people she knew in real life who happened to blog.  I'd been "blogging" for two years, but had never really entered any portion of the blogging community and did not understand how it ticked.  

So, being lonely, I started peeking in on some of these blogs of gals who commented on Lisa's posts.  But I would never presume to comment.  These people didn't know me and would probably be annoyed that I was invading their privacy.  But then on Brittany's blog (an author, WOW) there was a post or two about a meet and greet.  After a couple of readings I realized that everyone was meeting each other.  Like, for the first time.  I think Brittany was the first person who's blog I commented on.  She loves Jane Austen books, and so do I, and I thought that might give me an in.  She didn't seem to mind, so I continued.  

I can't remember all the details of how this blogging experience blossomed for me, but it gradually did.  And I came to understand that most of these girls (and men, Ca-Joh) were a lot like me.   Not the kids at the cool table, as I'd originally assumed,  but misfit kids and insecure ones and funny ones and sweet ones and neurotic ones and pretty normal ones.  I found that I could make friends.  Not fake friends.  Real friends.  Just on-line.

I also realized that I'd need to post more often than twice a month to keep an audience.  Figuring out just how to do that continues to be a challenge for me.  I don't want tons of fluff on here.  I don't mind and even quite enjoy reading it other places, but I want to keep the purpose of this blog largely in tact as a place for me to write.

That is not why I want begin to post the occasional "Friday Flashback."  I want to do it because I've written some pretty good stuff in the past nearly three years, if I do say so myself, and I'd love to have more than 6 people read it.  (I may even get 12 people to read it now!)  Look for my first flashback on the 16th.  I'll pick a good 'un.

Nothing Says "Celebrate" Like Bribing Bloggers to be Your Friend ...

... and I'm not proud.  (Vain, but not proud.)  So that's just what I'll do.

This is my 100th POST!

Can you believe it?  After a short 2 years and 9 months I have finally pressed "publish post" 100 times.  And what do folks here in bloggy-land do to celebrate 100 posts but have a cool GIVEAWAY!!??

And what, you may ask, am I giving away?  A beautiful felted purse!  Lovingly knitted and expertly hand-felted by yours truly.  (It will be ready to go in denim blue or choose your favorite color and wait a couple of weeks for production.)  The purse will likely contain some chocolate, which every giveaway should include.  It's perfect for times when you (or your wife) just need enough space for your cell, lip gloss and ATM card.  You could even fit in some mints or a mini-pack of tissues.

The Method:  I realize that there are marvelous, fancy-pants tools out there for finding winners.  But that is not nearly as fun as assigning each entrant from 1 to 5 BINGO numbers, putting the balls in the cage, and giving it a spin. (Also, this way, I can get the kids involved in my blogging, which will make me feel better about repeatedly putting them off to post and read my blog-list.  I'm a thoughtful mom like that.)

How to Enter:  You earn your first entry by commenting on this post.  Pretty typical.  You may earn additional optional entries, up to FOUR MORE,  by:

1. Being or becoming a follower or being Kristina P.
   
2. Mentioning my giveaway on your blog in a post or on your side bar, linking back here. (You'll need to let me know you've done this.)
3. Reading a past post from September 2008 or earlier, and commenting on it. (If you're Jenny W., comment on newer posts!)  Read as many as will get you to a grand total of FIVE.

The Deadline:  Get all of this done by Tuesday, January 20th, 8:00 pm MST. 

The Drawing:  Wednesday, January 21st.  I will announce the result at 8:00 pm MST.

Good luck.  And YEAY ME!

VOTE FOR ME!!!

Wow, I just found out this morning that I am on the ballot for the January Spotlight Blog over at Mormon Mommy Blogs.  I'm totally honored.  Thank you, thank you, to whoever nominated me!

So if you have liked what you've read here, please take a second and pop over and give me a vote.  Tell your friends.  Tell your coworkers.  Tell your husbands (or wife).  I don't even really have to win--although that would be cool.  I'd just like to make a decent showing!

Polls close Tuesday,  January 13th.

Simply Said

Nothing is simpler or more potentially powerful than one well chosen word.  

Apparently there is an idea circling the blogoshpere of using one word to inspire one's year in terms of improvement (I hesitate to use the "R" word).  I've now seen it a few times, some posts serious and some in jest, but I got this idea initially from Octamom.  While I'm rarely known for my brevity, the idea of a single word directing my progress appeals to me.  It seems more achievable than a laundry list of all of the areas in my life which I feel are lacking.  Finding that word, the one word that will make a bigger difference than any other, that is another story.

I think that people are drawn to different words the way they are drawn to colors or symbols.  Words are in fact symbols, often, of deeper meanings.  Many of the words that seemingly appeal to the masses have little pull on me.  They seem broad in meaning, trite, pedestrian.  Words inspiring change and improvement often fall into this category for me.

So change.  Looking for change, for improvement.  I thought about "skinny," but that sounded crass.  I've seen "simplify" and I can appreciate that, but my problem would then using that simplified time and space wisely, which does not necessarily follow.  "Blog less, Mother more" is a phrase rather than a word, and something I'm not sure I'm ready for.

This then, for me, came down to identifying my biggest challenge, or at least the most meaningful.  That is easy.  It is in my spiritual health that needs the most attention.  I attend church meetings more than regularly.  I fulfill my callings with thought and organization and care.  When the compassionate service leader calls, I am there.  I am a decent Visiting Teacher.  I hold regular Family Home Evenings, family prayer and family scripture study.  I also feed my kids breakfast and make their lunches.  But I often don't eat myself.  And I generally don't read my scriptures on my own, and my prayer habits are not regular.  

I do think a lot about my relationship with God, and my inadequacies there.  Because I like to think.  I don't need a schedule for thinking.  So if some of that thinking can count as having a prayerful heart, maybe I'm not quite as bad off as I think.  Taking an honest inventory, it seems I do best at personal spiritual health habits when I have made a project out of it for one reason or another.  Because I also like a project.  Or at least I am good at getting a project done.  

So my word for the year is "Discipleship."  I think discipleship is what is most important for me to develop, to focus on.  Maybe a year-long project will turn into something more permanent, some changing of the hard-wiring in my system.  I hope and suspect that other problems I see in my life will then fall into one of two categories.  They will either naturally improve as a function of trying harder to follow my Savior or they will not matter so much.  And I think I am at a stage in my life where I at least have the desire to let go of the things that matter less.

Now, first thing's first.  I need to find a super-cool quote for my blog and contact my local vinyl lettering sales woman.  Well, maybe not.  But I do need to go have a morning prayer.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Twelve canes of candy

Eleven cranes a-folded

Ten points on antlers

Nine manger figures

Eight links for counting

Seven pm concert

Six handmade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four excited kids

Three bloggy gifts

Two dozen cookies

and a PRETTY DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE!

Merry Christmas, Bloglanders!

...and we will now soon return to our regularly scheduled programming.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Eleven cranes a-folded

Ten points on antlers

Nine manger figures

Eight links for counting

Seven pm concert

Six homemade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four handmade stockings

Three bloggy gifts

Two dozen cookies

and a pretty decorated Christmas tree.

Though I do do some origami, and can make cranes (with the instructions in front of me) I did not make these, but the friend of a friend who knows that we were without our regular decorations this year.  So kind to share ...

On the Tenth Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Ten points on antlers

Nine manger figures

Eight links for counting

Seven pm concert

Six homemade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four excited kids

Three bloggy gifts

Two dozen cookies

and a pretty decorated Christmas tree.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Nine manger figures

Eight links for counting

Seven pm concert

Six homemade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four excited kids

Three bloggy gifts

Two dozen cookies

and a pretty decorated Christmas tree.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Eight links for counting

a Seven pm concert

Six homemade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four excited kid

Three bloggy gifts

Two dozen cookies

and a pretty decorated Christmas tree.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

a 7:pm concert (played by #2)

Six homemade stockings 

Five birthday guests

Four excited children

Three gifts from Shauna

Two dozen cookies

and a pretty, decorated Christmas Tree

#2 plays flute in the 7th grade concert band.  The flutes are the first two rows to the right of the conductor.  #2 is on the second row, second chair.  I have to say, these kids are amazing.  I have heard (and been in) my share of jr. high and high school bands, and this is one of the best I've heard, especially for how young they are.  They play well, play together, and have an amazingly full and talented percussion section, which adds depth and fullness.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas I posted on my Blog ...

Six homemade stockings

Five birthday guests

Four excited children

Three gifts from Shauna

Two dozen cookies,

and a pretty decorated Christmas tree.

The other "Mina's Christmases" picture this post will paint for you has not to do with the photo, but the time.  I have set all of these posts to publish at 7 am.  Some are missing photos as events are on-going, but I have been able to get them all ready by publish time.  Not the stockings.  I taped them up (because I need to buy hooks), shot them and uploaded the pictures the minute they were finished.  (And these were pretty sloppily done by my standards--thank goodness the photo hides much of that.)  It will be 1:40 by the time I post.

I spend all season, and all year for that matter, procrastinating.  I always want to have everything ready to go ahead of time.  But it almost never happens.  The only time I was ready for Christmas early was the year I was scheduled to be induced on Dec 23rd.  The sad fact is that if I had not decided to post about our stockings, they would remain yet unsewn.

Tomorrow's post is scheduled to publish at 9 pm.  That is not because of procrastination, but because of the time of the event I will be posting about.  Just so you know...