Wildlife Adventures!

I know, second post today, but I just have to show some of the pictures from my walk today.  It has been a day with alternate sun and rain, which makes the sunny part of the day even prettier.

Bailey and I walked down to the lake only to find a lot of the ducks huddled together.  Today, a lot of the females were gathered around a big white goose.  They even swam together as if the goose was their mother with the adult females following it.

But the best part was seeing a young mother duck with her TWELVE little tiny ducklings.  The mother was so young she didn't even have the normal marking of a female adult.  The ducklings followed her in a tight little group until one of them strayed in the wrong direction.  I sat watching for several minutes as the stray duckling swam farther and farther in the wrong direction, making peeping noises.  It was clearly distressed.  At first the mommy duck didn't notice as she was taking her brood to swim among some lily pads.  Then she noticed.  The animal world is amazing.  She started peeping too until the little stray one finally went in the right direction and they reunited.  Hooray for a mother's instinct!

Click on the photos to see them full-sized...

One of those lucky shots!

Looking up the hill, lined with hanging flower baskets

This little group was hilarious playing Follow the Leader.

There's the young family!  Can you tell which one is headed in the wrong direction?

Minutes later, reunited!  I'm sure he got a speech about not wandering off again.

All accounted for, making their way to the water's edge.

One last look before we cross the street and head home.

Documentary Review: Hitler's Children

It feels horrible to have the name "Hitler" and to have a picture with a swastika on my blog, but I recently saw a documentary that was incredibly powerful, and I wanted to write about it and encourage others to see it.

It is called Hitler's Children, available for streaming on Netflix, and the winner of multiple awards.  As we know, Hitler himself did not have any biological children. This film consists of interviews of descendants of those within his inner circle.  It is a ground-breaking film in that we see that, similarly to the descendants of Jewish families who were affected by the horrors of the Holocaust, the families of the Nazi war criminals live their own brand of hell, living with the surname of those responsible.

Amon Goeth, Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Hoess, Hans Frank, and Hermann Goering.  These are some of the most famous names associated with the atrocities of that period in history.  What would it be like to be related to these men?  How do you establish a separate identity apart from the bloody legacy they left behind?

Coming to terms with their infamous relatives has not been easy for any of the people who are interviewed.  The common denominator is guilt, because everyone wants to love and honor their parents.  In the case of Niklas Frank, the son of Hans Frank, Hitler's chief legal counsel, the answer is--you don't.  He has completely denounced both of his parents and his 4 older siblings--all now deceased--who denied their father's actions.

Others who participate in the documentary are the daughter of Amon Goeth (the sadistic officer portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List,) Heinrich Himmler's grand-niece Katrin Himmler, Rudolf Hoess's grandson Rainer, and Hermann Goering's niece Bettina.

The family lies that all of these people grew up hearing are chilling.  Many of them have done their own research to find out the truth. They have considered changing their names, and often try to disassociate themselves with their homeland.  They've written books, visited schools, and some have even opted for sterilization in order to end the family line.

Two parts of the film made the most impact on me:  when Monika Goeth described the way she felt seeing the portrayal of her father in Schindler's List; and when Rainer Hoess spoke to a group of teenagers at Auschwitz, many of whom had lost relatives at the hands of his grandfather.  (The incredible film The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is obviously loosely based on the Hoess family.)

Thankfully, none of the people in the film make any excuses for what their relatives did.  On the contrary.  They have tried their best to live good, decent lives and to prove that such evil is not hereditary.  As Katrin Himmler explains, to believe those traits can be passed down through the generations is to align yourself with Nazi ideology about race and genetics.

As time separates us more and more from what happened in Germany during World War II, it becomes easy to forget it as a crucial moment in history.  I personally believe that every school child should be taught about this time period as a way to ensure that it doesn't happen again.  (Although we know that it is happening today in some parts of the world, to some degree.) 

If you feel your child is old enough and mature enough to handle the subject, I recommend watching (together with your child) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (PG-13) and then Hitler's Children (unrated, but probably a PG because of language.) Neither film shows graphic images although there is some violence in Pajamas.  Both are available for streaming on Netflix. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is fictional, based on the book of the same name, but powerful. The documentary is mostly in German with English subtitles.

Some helpful links:
Official Website for the documentary, Hitler's Children. 

Our Beautiful Lake

I just have to pay a quick tribute to the beautiful lake in the middle of our town.  With the weather finally warming up and blue skies nearly here to stay for a while (after July 4th we're in the clear,) I can't help taking pictures of it.  Luckily, I have a patient doggie who is used to me stopping every few steps.

We live 4 houses up from this well-manicured park.  I'm so glad that the city takes such pride in it and keeps it watered and mowed all year round.  Here are some photos from this week.  All were taken with the iPhone 5 and edited on iPhoto.  They look much better in their full sizes.  Click on them to see a full sized slide show.  Isn't Nature beautiful?

Adventures in May--Vegas! Osmonds! Copperfield!

Wow, it has been a while since I've written on any of my blogs!  Best to get back to it before I lose my blogging mojo.

In May we had our "big trip for the year."  Back in February, while watching an Osmond Family reunion DVD we bought in Vegas in 2011, my husband and I go the idea to look on the family site and see their tour dates.  As it turned out, the brothers were going to be performing for 3 nights in May.  We looked at each other with that glint in our eyes and spent the rest of the day planning a trip.

By the time we were done, it consisted of a 5 day/4night stay, with tickets to see Donny & Marie one night, a matinee of David Copperfield the next day, and the Osmond Brothers (Merrill, Jay, Jimmy) on the final night.

Things started off bumpy!  I was wearing a skirt with several buttons and it set off all sorts of alarms at the Portland airport.  I've flown through that airport more times than I can count, but this time I was led to a private room and patted down.  Fun!

When we arrived at the Flamingo Hotel, our home for 3 nights, I discovered that my conditioner bottle had leaked in my suitcase.  Grr.  Fortunately, and miraculously, it didn't get on any clothes!

But the part that really got our trip off on a sore note was discovering that Donny & Marie had cancelled their performances up until the day after we were leaving.  We don't know why and we received no notification. We tried to roll with it and figure out what to do.  That evening we had an awesome sushi dinner at Bally's, then took a cab to this tiny casino called Ellis Island that we heard had great karaoke.  I was under an a/c vent the whole time, which just wiped out my voice (not to mention smokers everywhere.)  But Eric did great and had the whole place mesmerized with a BJ Thomas song and then an Elvis song.

We spent the next day walking around the Forum Shops, but as the day progressed we still didn't have plans for the evening.  I had the idea that we get tickets for the Osmond Brothers for that night.  So what if we saw them twice?  We knew their show would be good, clean, and 1/3 of the price of Donny & Marie.

Jay, Merrill, and Jimmy--3 nights of superb entertainment!

It turned out to be a SUPER idea!  The brothers' show was great!  They were playing at The Orleans, off the Strip, and we were so impressed.  No glitz, just the 3 brothers and 4 musicians.  Both Eric and I have a great respect for pure talent, and these guys have it.  Superb harmonies and a very personal show.  We were so glad we were going to see them again!




The next day we went to the Venetian and visited Madame Tussaud's wax museum (cool, but overpriced) and walked around the Canal Shops there.

The King at Madame Tussaud's

In the afternoon it was time to head over to the MGM Grand for our David Copperfield show.  I was pretty excited because I'd been watching his specials since I was a kid.  Eric had hardly heard of him, but I knew the show would be great.  We had a very enthusiastic cab driver who took us to the MGM, assuring us that "not in 2,000 years, since time of Jesus Christ, does a man do this kind of stuff!"

You must see his live show.  Incredible!

The show was AMAZING.  The cab driver was right!  Even sitting in one of the closest seats revealed nothing.  He made an audience member fly!  He turned an origami butterfly into a real one.  He walked through a giant fan.  He read minds.  He made a group of 10 people disappear, and many more incredible illusions.  If you ever get a chance to see Copperfield in person--do it.

But it was a matinee, so we were done around 5:30pm....what to do?  If you know my hubby you know he is a huge Osmond Fan, so yes, we went and saw the brothers again.  Amazingly, we had the best seats of all 3 nights when buying our tickets only an hour before the show. 4th row center.  And we think that night's show was the best of the three.

Enjoying the gardens at the Flamingo Hotel

Flamingos at the Flamingo!

The next day we moved from the Flamingo to the Orleans.  It was a very relaxing day.  I hung out at the pool and then got a massage at their spa. (I must've been really relaxed, because at one point I remember snoring myself awake!) Being off the Strip, there was less of a party atmosphere and more of a family atmosphere.  Both of us agreed we would definitely stay there again. The pool area was great--I spent hours there reading on my Kindle. And the breakfast buffet?  $5.95/person!

I will admit that by the 3rd Osmond concert, it felt like a little much.  But I'm still glad we did it.  Eric enjoyed every moment and seeing him so relaxed and happy brings me great joy.  He really earned that vacation.   And we had SO much fun!  I just love those kinds of experiences with my hubby.  I'm not really a Vegas person at all (he loves it,) but it is a lot of fun with him.

Our "Osmond Wall" got 2 new additions after this trip!

We came home on a high note, rested and thrilled with the way our trip all turned out!

Movie Review: 42

As more generations continue, the more the Civil Rights movement becomes "ancient" history.  But we have to remember that there were pioneers in the fight against racism even before the movement.  Jackie Robinson was one of those pioneers.  Like many individuals who were not world leaders but whose actions still led to important changes in America, Jackie Robinson's name will rarely (if ever) appear in a history book.  That does not, however, lessen the significance of his contribution.

42 takes us through Jackie's life from the time when Brooklyn Dodgers owner, Branch Rickey (fabulously portrayed by Harrison Ford--I see an Oscar nomination and possible win,) was choosing one man from the pool of talented Black players from the minor leagues up until the end of Jackie's first season in the majors.

There are 3 things that make this film great:  the cast, the pace, and the slice of time being shown.

Each member of the cast, from the gruff and salty Ford, the determined Chadwick Boseman as Jackie (a breakthrough performance,) to the teammates, managers, and Nicole Beharie who plays Rachel Robinson--is giving 100%.  Ford is the most recognizable, which is a good thing, because you focus more on the characters.

The pace was very well done.  The love story, the highs and lows of what Jackie dealt with that first year were just enough to educate and entertain, while still moving the story forward.  At the end, a few sentences of information were given on those who were profiled. What I already knew about Jackie Robinson was enhanced greatly by seeing this movie, including some very special information about the #42.

Some things to know if you plan to take your kids:  the film runs 2 hours, but is never slow or boring.  There is "PG's" worth of swearing, but the "n" word is used frequently (especially in one scene where the Pittsburgh manager was being particularly horrible.)  Still, that word was used a lot at the time, so it felt more historically accurate than offensive. (Of course, others may feel differently.) That is probably what earned the film a PG-13 rating. The only violence is a scuffle outside a hotel and a scuffle on the field. There is no nudity, no F-word.  One sh-word.

If you plan to discuss the film and its story with your child, I recommend it highly.  I think it is appropriate for kids as young as 10, but make it a learning experience.  I was especially touched by a scene in which a father and son were sitting in the bleachers, and the son was taken aback at everyone shouting at Jackie to get off the field until his father joined in, at which point the son joined in too.  It was a short, but very powerful, commentary on the influence parents have on their children's beliefs.

Again, a very worthwhile film to see, perhaps even one that will eventually find its way into classrooms.  I hope so.

Observations in This Week's Wake

Maybe I'm feeling things deeper than usual because of an unexplained sleepless night, but I cannot help thinking about this week in America.  The Boston Marathon Bombing, the poisoned letters in Washington D.C., the factory explosion in Texas, and, of course, North Korea and their ongoing threats.  The world's feeling a little bit scary right now.

Eric needed to go to Seattle for work, so with an extremely free day today I decided to drive down to Portland and go to the temple.  In the wake of everything happening lately, it was the most peaceful place to be.  I had planned to go today anyway, and now I'm especially glad.  The experience made me feel centered and calm, things that are difficult to feel when the media want you to feel otherwise.  The photo above is one I took as I arrived this morning.  I found it a poignant reminder.  And, like the Mr. Rogers quote that is circulating, notice the helpers.  It is during these tragedies that you see people rise to the occasion and help perfect strangers, carrying them to safety, offering them water, or simply comforting them.  We need reminders of the good.  There is a lot of it.

Interestingly, I saw some odd things during my drive.  Heading towards my destination early this morning and just off the freeway, I watched as a truck's wooden beams went sliding right off the bed and onto the ground.  It was like what you see in the movies. Fortunately, there was no car behind the truck as it was making a left turn when the beams slid off.  They were about 15 feet long. 

A few hours later I marveled at the heavy traffic on the other side of the freeway.  Then I saw the cause.  Another truck had dropped part of its load on the ground.  Small, unidentifiable items were scattered all over the place, with the driver scrambling around the cars and picking the items up by hand.

Still, I feel like I was in the right place this morning.  I arrived extra early for the temple session, so I picked up the Book of Mormon and started reading in Helaman.  I came across two very comforting scriptures that I had never paid much attention to before.  Helaman 3:27-28:
27  Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon His holy name.
28  Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, [even to those] who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

Honestly, just finding those two verses during my wait made the drive worth it today. 

A Spiritual Weekend

Twice a year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has something called General Conference.  It is held on a weekend in April and October.  Instead of going to our church meetinghouses we have the opportunity to listen to our modern-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, apostles, and other church leaders.  It is a chance for us to feel connected to the Church and leaders on a world-wide level, to receive counsel, and to hear about some of the the things the Church has been doing around the globe, like building new temples and missionary and humanitarian work.

This past weekend was General Conference weekend.  And on Saturday, April 6th, it was also the 27th anniversary of my baptism.  Sometimes, though, I feel like I've only been a member for 17 years, because I wasted 10 of those years being inactive.  One this weekend's talks was on the light of Christ in our lives, and while I never really let the light of Christ extinguish completely, I will admit that I spent many years letting it stay dim and not basking in its full glow.

Happily, those days are behind me.  I don't want to let that happen again, which takes work, humility and, did I mention work?  For many years on Conference weekend I saw it more as a vacation weekend.  I would watch it sporadically or not at all, sometimes reading random talks when they were published in The Ensign (the Church magazine for adults) the following month.

Last October I made the commitment to dedicate all of Conference weekend to watching Conference.  That's 2 two-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday.  And you know what? I appreciated it in an entirely new way.  It wasn't boring.  I listened intently to every talk and took copious notes, which forced me to be an even more active listener.

OK, I will admit that by the end of the last session on Sunday I was tired.  But it was a happy, uplifted, tired.  I learned a lot and was able to recall those things in the coming months, both in my own life and when they were brought up in our local church meetings.

This weekend I did the same thing, getting up by 8am or earlier so I could be showered and dressed, armed with the iPad to take notes, and having the TV all set up on time for the first session at 9am PST.  It was a good decision.  A decision I want to make again and again. 

I plan to write about the talks in more detail on my other blog Improvise the Harmony, but I will say that the running theme this weekend seemed to be obedience to the commandments.  I know our church leaders look at the world sometimes with dismay at the lack of morality, greed and materialism.  It is hard not to.  I do it too.  But the wonderful thing about the way their talks are presented is that, even though the messages are powerful and thought-provoking, they are always presented with love and a feeling that there is always hope--hope for the world and hope for us as individuals.

As I said, I will post more about the talks at a later time, maybe tomorrow, on my other blog, but I will leave you with 2 things:  A link to listen to the talks yourself and a video of one of my favorites from the weekend.

If you are not LDS, let me assure you that these talks are for everyone of every faith.  The messages are universal because we are all imperfect, we are all trying our best, and we are all children of a Heavenly Father who loves us.

This is my challenge to you.  Watch just one and see if you are uplifted in some way.  I want to share with you a little of what I got to see and feel this weekend.  And if you are uplifted and want to see more, click on the link that takes you to the index of talks from the conference.  I was particularly impressed with the one on the light of Christ by Pres. Uchtdorf, which I will post below.  The one on chastity by Elder Bednar was fantastic, Elder Clayton did a wonderful talk on marriage, Elder Holland spoke on faith and how to gain and nurture it.  These are just a few.

As I said in one of my Facebook posts, my spiritual cup is full, very full, and it is a great feeling.

You can view any of the talks HERE.

And now one of my personal favorites. (Pres. Uchtdorf is so eloquent, I find myself gravitating to his talks all the time, and I know I'm not the only one!)

An Easter Message

Today is Easter.  It was created to celebrate the Savior's resurrection and the final step after his crucifixion and death in order to pay for our sins.

The Atonement is Heavenly Father's and Jesus Christ's greatest gift to us.  While it was Jesus who died for our sins, it was Heavenly Father who sent His Beloved Son to earth in order to make this sacrifice.  He did it for us--for you and for me.  Whether you believe in Him or not, He died for you. Whether you have faith or not, He waits to embrace you with loving arms.  He loves you, He knows you, and He gave everything for you.  Let's not forget that, and let's live our lives the best we can in order to be worthy of all He did.

A blessed Easter to all.

Adventures in California...

It isn't often that I spend only a week in California while visiting my family, but I did this time.  "Tuesday to Tuesday," was what I named this trip.  And a busy one it was, too!

Having my plane delayed nearly 2 hours on my departure day wasn't the best way to begin, but things smoothed out later.  On my first full day there I gave my mom her perm (I've been doing that since I was 12,) and we went out to dinner at one of our favorite places in Pasadena, Kathleen's.  Everything they make is so fresh!  Cobb salad with creme brulee for dessert...yum!

On Thursday we went to go and get my mom a new printer.  After 9 years, her previous one was finally beyond help, refusing to print for months and mocking us with this little light that kept blinking and refused to stop.  She got a wireless one, similar to the one Eric and I have, and it only took me 2 hours to install it instead of 3 like ours.  I call that progress!

Thursday nights is when my niece and nephew come to spend the night at my mom's house.  Both my brother and sis-in-law start work very early on Fridays, and it makes it easier for everyone.  We had dinner together, chicken and homemade mac 'n cheese, and veggies.  After dinner and bathtime was storytime, a staple in that house all through my growing-up years.

(All pictures can be viewed full size by clicking on them...)

"Abuelita" reading to the grandkids before bedtime...There's No Such Thing As A Dragon--a family favorite!

I caught this cute picture the next morning as the kids were waking up with their bed heads and sleepy eyes:

Good morning, sleepyheads!

And now...ready for school!

After we picked them up it was time to go to the nursery and buy some flowers for the pots in my mom's yard.  Little did we know that my niece was coming down with a cold.  Sick child equals cranky child, and she was asleep by the time we got back to the house.  A 3 hour nap helped.  Later that night my mom and I just collapsed after they got picked up.  They are fun, but a lot of work like most little ones!

Spring was just bursting with color at the local nursery!

I just love orchids. So beautiful and fascinating to behold.

Cute nephew in front of the little fountain

Self pic with my favorite boy!

On Saturday was the Steve Tyrell concert, the reason I was down there in the first place.  Eric and I had bought these amazing tickets for my mom's birthday back in October.  A dinner buffet was even included.  Our seats were in the 6th row and the show was incredibly enjoyable--one of the best concerts I think I've ever attended.  Steve had a great rapport with the audience, his songs were mostly old standards, and he has a cool easy-going way about him that just makes you relax and enjoy the music.

Sunday was church and relaxing.  Monday we went to the Norton Simon Art Museum for about 2 hours.  We have been going there for years and people who have been there will agree with me when I say that, for the size, it has probably the highest quality collection available.  All of the famous artists are there:  Rembrandt, Rafael, Boticelli, Degas, Pollock, Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gaugin, Fragonard, Van Gogh, Van Dyck, Klee...seriously, the list goes on and on.  I never get tired of going there and I always find something new that I never noticed before.

Iceland poppies outside the entrance of the Norton Simon.  I planted some in our front yard today!

Rodin's Burghers of Calais

Degas' Little Ballerina--I have a relief of this in my living room--with a Degas painting in the back on the left and a Monet on the right.  I love this museum!

Van Gogh's fiery tree.  Doesn't it look like it is moving? 

Renoir has always been my favorite.  I love his feathery brush strokes and the serenity of the faces.

Girl Writing a Love Letter--another favorite.  A canvas print of this painting hangs in my living room, and I love visiting the original.

The museum grounds, with sculptures by Henry Moore and Paul Klee.  Such a glorious, glorious place.

Monday night was my mom's Family Home Evening with some of the "empty nesters" from the ward, most of them close friends that I have known for nearly 30 years.  It was potluck night, so we noshed on lasagna, chili, salad, homemade bread, fruit, homemade candy....oh yum, everything was so good!

Tuesday morning was all about preparing to leave.  I cut it a little bit close with my bus to the airport, forgetting to make allowance for unforeseen Los Angeles traffic, but I made it in time, checked in and go through airport security relatively quickly.  The flight was uneventful, just the way it should be.

Eric was given extra work days, so my friend, Erin picked me up from the airport (I'm so grateful!)  I arrived home around 9pm back with my sweet husband, who was waiting up for me and ended up going to work the next day on about 5 hours of sleep.

The following morning I awoke early and rested, went to pick Bailey up at the kennel and went into "tornado mode" at the house getting everything into "Kristie's version" of "ship shape."

I'm glad I got to visit and I'm glad to be home.

It is days like this that really make me grateful to be back home.  This is the view half a block away from our house.  Is that gorgeous, or what?  I took this picture today while walking Bailey.  Home sweet home.

Some More Time Out...

You know how it is when you hear a really great talk that applies to your life and then--poof!--it's over and gone?  The talks at last November's Time Out for Women conference were so good that I bought the DVD so I could listen to them again and again.  Yes, they were that good.

Happily, some friends were interested in listening to them too.  So last night we had a mini Time Out for Women conference in our family room.  We watched the 3 talks that I consider to be the best of the weekend, pausing after each one to discuss its applications to our lives.  Rarely have I heard talks that resonated so strongly with me, with the way women think and feel and act, and with such spiritual connections.

The first, by Virginia Hinckley Pierce, was on Forgiveness.  She addresses the topic with logic that I have never heard before--the idea that forgiveness is between you and the Lord, not necessarily you and the person who hurt you.  That person has already been forgiven.  She talks about what a gift forgiveness is...to you and to the other person.  It allows you to move on and it allows the other person to spiritually progress.  Does it mean saying "it's OK?"  or putting yourself in Harm's way again?  Certainly not.  But it is about healing and letting go of your own pride that may be an obstacle in your current "forgiveness project."

The second was by Sheri Dew, an absolute force of nature of a woman who is also the CEO of Deseret Book.  Never married, she addressed the role of women in the LDS church.  Mainly, she addressed the "poor oppressed Mormon woman" as many who are not familiar with the church think exists.  She reminded us that everything that the Lord promises men he also promises women.  That significant events in the Bible and Book of Mormon happened to women and because of women.  Hers was the last talk of Friday evening for those of us who attended in person, and we left feeling very empowered...or should I say...reminded that we are already empowered.

The last talk was by Laurel Christensen, a VP at Deseret Book.  She's a year younger than me, one of the main organizers of the Time Out for Women event, and was single at the time that she gave her talk (she has since become engaged.)  She spoke on the idea of waiting, and living "As If" what you are waiting for and praying for is right around the corner.  She reminded us of the Lord's timeline, and that we are exactly where He knew we would be in our lives.  And that the Lord waits too, waiting to answer our prayers if we would just pray and ask.  Waiting to give us His richest blessings if we would just get our lives in order, or maybe do things in the right order.  The most poignant quote from her talk?  "The Lord values our [free] agency more than our happiness."  How powerful is that?

So that was my Saturday night--sitting in the presence of 5 wonderful women who came over to partake of all that wisdom.  We munched on many goodies strewn across the bar in our huge downstairs family room, we listened intently, and we internalized the amazing messages that these 3 women shared with us.

A really good night.

Birthday Blog...the big 4-2

Another year passed.  Call me childish and immature, but even at this age I still like having a fuss made over me on my birthday. 

Today was a lovely one. 

Thanks to a dog with potty issues half the night, I was awake bright and early as Eric left for work.  A beautiful card with loving sentiment inside awaited me. 

The next few hours were spent fruitlessly trying to go back to sleep.  It wasn't to be. 

After prepping some pepper steak for Eric's dinner tonight I got ready for my birthday lunch, attended by 4 lovely ladies from church.  Even the snarky waitress couldn't spoil the fun.  I had a chicken chef salad...dark meat!  It's almost as if they knew.  I received a beautiful yellow tulip, a gift certificate, and some Wild Orange essential oil.  Mmmm. Plus some gorgeous cards with loving words from friends inside.

After lunch I scrambled to run errands and walk the dog before leaving to help with the set-up at our Relief Society Anniversary dinner.  The time flew, I helped with the meal, and still had time to eat nd enjoy the program.  After being involved in the planning, it was thrilling to see the night go off without a hitch and to see everyone have a good time.  Another good friend presented me with a sweet basket filled with lavender-scented items and a lovely card.

I was able to spend a short time in the evening with my hubby upon arriving home.  He makes me so very grateful for the life we lead together. 

As another birthday comes to a close I thank the many who made today special.  Cards and phone calls from friends and family, a fun lunch, countless Facebook birthday greetings...(If you want to feel loved on your birthday, go to Facebook.)  As an extra treat, the sun was shining brightly and the day was gorgeous.

I am truly content, not wanting to take any of these things for granted.  Thank you, Heavenly Father for another year, my husband, family, friends, and this life I enjoy.

Pink Polka Dot Creations...The Creativity Never Ends!

This week I was visited by new Visiting Teachers and I learned about a new website.

Sidebar for those who do not know what Visiting Teaching is: in the LDS (Mormon) church the ladies are paired up and assigned to visit a small number of other ladies once a month (about 3-4.)  The Church provides a message for us to share when we go visiting and we are encouraged to think of the ladies we visit as a stewardship, but to get to know them and love them.  We should know their needs, if they're sick or having problems, and they should know that they can call on their Visiting Teachers at any time.  Each man is assigned a group of families to visit, and his responsibilities to them are the same.  That is called Home Teaching.  These are amazing programs because it means that if you ever need something, you know you can call on your Visiting or Home Teachers.  No one is forgotten.  Isn't that wonderful?

Well, when my new Visiting Teachers arrived this week I was given a mini loaf of homemade bread and a cute little card with the month's spiritual thought.  Anything cute and creative on the computer immediately catches my eye (since I have no plans to make homemade bread.) After a lovely visit with my company, I went to the website where the card came from and was so impressed.  Pink Polka Dot Creations. (The name is the link.)



Aside from the monthly printables for Visiting Teachers to use, there are recipes, crafts, ideas for making your own household items, and many other unique and very doable ideas.  I am just amazed at the level and variety of creativity exhibited by Rita, the lady who runs the site.  Whenever she posts a new printable or craft she is already talking about the next one.  And the best part?  She shares all of her incredible ideas with the rest of us who are a little slower on the uptake.  Yes, one day I'll jump onto the digital scrapbooking bandwagon..or not.

Here's an example of her gorgeous Visiting Teaching handouts.  All credits to Rita at pinkpolkadotcreations.com:

Aren't those beautiful?  For $2.99 I bought a 25 pack of cardstock, plus some scalloped crafting scissors and, voila, my VT companion and I are all set for our March visits.  (You are welcome to use the March message I have posted here, but I will not be doing this on a monthly basis. But rest assured, her site is very user-friendly.)

Yay!  I love discovering new sites, new ideas, and new ways to be creative!