Monday, May 25, 2009

Bloggy Bragging!

I know some people who know famous people. OK, maybe I don't actually KNOW them, but I have left a post on their blog or they've left a post on mine. So in a sense I know people who know people who know famous bloggy people.

DaNae had a famous person send her a CD of music to listen to, just to see what she thought of it. Wow! She knows someone who has made a CD! Her name is Sherri and it's beautiful music. And DaNae is sorta famous too! DaNae has commented on my blog before....is that bloggy bragging? In fact, DaNae is about the funniest person I've ever blogread before.

Then there is a bunch of people who know Annette Lyon who has written a series of pretty good books. Jan was sent one of Annette's books by Annette herself to read and review it. Wow! Jan was so into the book that she dressed up in character, and if there is one thing I have figured out about Jan is that she IS a character. Fun blog!

Then there is another blogger that I've really enjoyed reading and she's commented on my blog before. The thing that is so totally awesome about Farmergal's Market is that she just got back from Pioneer Woman's ranch! YES, that's true! Anyone who is a blogger knows who PW is. Well, Farmergal's niece won a contest and they got to spend a weekend at the Lodge cooking with Pioneer Woman! Can you believe? Farmergal is an incredible photographer and funny writer. Very warm. I don't know if PW has ever commented on Farmergal's blog, but who needs a comment when you actually get to be there?

Shauna is so dang famous that famous people send her all kinds of stuff and she gives them away on contests and giveaways! Shauna had her picture taken with Sher (see above) and is giving away one of her CD's too! I actually won a book from Shauna's blog "100 Poems to Lift Your Spirits" It's a beautiful book and I've loved reading it. Shauna is probably one of the most generous famous people out there. Her blog is darling! Thank you Shauna!

And then there is Wendy, she's so dang famous that she gets "enjoyable" phone calls! Wow Wendy, wish I were as famous as you! NOT!

So, as pathetic as my bloggybragging is, I just needed to comment about the famous people I know who are famous or who know famous people or who have met their cousins sister's hairdresser that walked their dogs.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Ahh Sunshine

There aren't words to describe how beautiful this morning is, so I'll shut up and just enjoy the day.
Yesterday was beautiful (and I made it through church without anyone asking about their bodily functions even though some of the Sisters in my ward threatened to on my last post!)
Hope you all have an awesome Monday!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Things NOT to say in church......

I read this post from Cherie and it really got me to thinking, kinda in a different direction, but thinking all the same. You really need to check this post out cause it made me laugh, think and agree all at the same time!

Her thread was all about conversation killers. Well, my head started thinking about conversations people have had with me because I'm a nurse. I think sometimes since I am a nurse people can tell me about their latest ache, pain or menses and the irregularity thereof. It's true when I'm at work I ask very weird, personal disgusting questions. The following are questions I ask anyone sitting in my ER room:
-when was your last bowel movement?
-do you have burning with urination?
-how much do you smoke?
-could you be pregnant?
-do you have more than one partner?

The list goes on and on. These are questions that are totally appropriate to ask someone sitting in the ER with complaints of abdominal pain and various other ailments. These are not questions that would be appropriate at church. "Hi Sister Jimbob, how was your lesson and could you be pregnant?" Nope, doesn't work does it?
But this is my world in the ER; however, it is NOT my world in church.

So.......my point (yes, I'll get there eventually) because I'm a nurse, there seems to be a misconception that I want to hear certain things. For example, several years ago an older gentleman sat down by me at a meeting and began telling me about his prostate and the difficulty he was having with it. Can I just tell you I was mortified? Should I have been? First off, I was in church....there needs to be a safe place. Second off, I had to look at him sitting on the stand each week and my mind wondered if his prostate was OK!!! My mind really didn't want to know! I promise! I'm trying to be reverent and have uplifting thoughts, not thoughts about how high his PSA is! Sheesh!

Along the same line, a few years ago on Fast Sunday, this sister gets up and tells about her recent hysterectomy. I'm sorry, I am sitting in church and I don't want to hear the word hysterectomy from the pulpit. (I'm uncomfortable anyway because just the night before she and her hubby had been in the ER and I had been the nurse. She was worried because of her recent hysterectomy and they'd been ....uh...you know...well anyway) I'd heard about her surgery the night before in the ER. I didn't want to hear about it the next day from the pulpit OK??? She expounds and expounds and then before I could prepare my ears she said the word UTERUS! Out loud! In church! The word uterus! I kid you not! (safe place violation!) I promise I'm not a prude in fact, I'm the opposite. I'm just thinking about all the moms out there who may have to go home and discuss sensitive issues because of what they learned in Sacrament meeting.

So a couple of questions for ya...
Am I weird?
Am I oversensitive?
Was this out of line?

I guess the moral to this story is: If you know someone who is a nurse, she may not want to hear about your uterus in church. If she's at work, she probably does.
Disclaimer/double standard: If I am in church and ask YOU about your prostate or uterus or itching or burning then I am genuinely concerned and want you to tell me about it.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Buzy Crazy Dayz

It's hard to believe that my baby is going to graduate from high school in less than a week. Where have the years gone? Wasn't it just yesterday that I had a houseful of destroying angels tearing the house to pieces, spilling milk and having wet diapers?
Five children later I'm going through the final ritual....the last concerts, the last senior trip, the ordering of the graduation announcements, the final tests...I may very well be losing my mind.
The month began busy and it sounds like it will stay that way.
On the 4th of May we had her Senior Violin Recital. It was very hard to contain the emotions. I'm so proud of her and the talent that she has with the violin. It's been a joy to listen to her practice and never been a chore to get her to do so. It was more like "hey put that thing down and get to bed already!"

She's not holding her violin in this picture because she also sang two numbers. Her voice is pretty incredible! Do I sound like I'm bragging? Ya, well it's my blog and I'll do what I want to.
May 4th was also my oldest baby's 30th birthday! She too is a most beautiful girl.

She's holding her first and only baby and introducing her to the ocean. Can I really be the mother of a 30 year old?
These last two nights were Candi's final music concerts. Tuesday night was the final Symphony Orchestra Concert.

She presented the orchestra teacher with a small gift...Teddy Grahams....she's a very big spender. I'm sure there is a story there.

The Bel Cantos concert was last night. She was able to play the violin and be in the choir. There were some very tender moments. These kids have traveled to many states and performed many times together. They have become very close through the years. This past February they lost a classmate in a car accident. It was tragic and the kids were invited to sing at his funeral. They sang Be Still my Soul. They sang it again last night in his honor. There wasn't a dry eye in the building.

It was a beautiful tribute.
Who knows what the future holds for any of us? Things change in a heartbeat.
She grew up........in a heartbeat.
I love you Angel Baby.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

I'm livin' the dream

If your dream is to be up to your elbows in chocolate and making candy, I'm livin' it!
I used to work here and learned a great skill that has brought me lots of satisfaction over the years. Even though it's been over 15 years since I've worked there, I still manage to dip chocolates a couple of times a year.

This year I'm dipping chocolates for little gifts for the sisters in our ward. I did it last year and loved doing it, so I begged the bishop to let me do it again.

So today my kitchen smells divine and I'm having a blast.


This is an orange cream, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....very delicious.

This is a bunch of chocolate that is being tempered to the right temperature before dipping, it will be nice and shiny. It works best being "worked" on a marble slab.

I am a chocolate snob, I only use this kind.


Yummy chocolates waiting to "cure" and on Tuesday the YM and YW will be coming over to package them into cute little bags and tied with ribbon. They will pass them out to the women on Mother's Day after the Mother's Day program.

I sometimes wish I had different talents, like spending hours running marathons or playing the piano or violin. Those are useful talents. I wish I hated chocolate. I don't hate chocolate. I love chocolate. That's why I'm not winning the Fitness Challenge. Sigh.

Oh, well, maybe someday I will find a talent that has a better use than putting unwanted pounds on hips, but in until I come across it, I'm livin' the dream.