The Inner Light

Despite the fun things I like to post on my blog, it has been difficult not to be affected by some of the events happening in the world lately...the recent riots in England, the tragic deaths of the soldiers in that military helicopter, the famine in Africa, and, of course, our American economic troubles.

I'm one of those people who, if I allow it, can focus on the sadness of these things too much. It is a very helpless feeling to see people suffering and know that the problems are so widespread. It is also maddening to see the greed and decadence in other parts of society. Will there ever be a happy medium? Probably not. I remember feeling that way too as a teacher and having to remind myself that any dent of progress I make is a step, however small, in the right direction.

Now that I'm not teaching I need to find other ways to relieve those feelings. It is hard to find that balance of not being too affected, yet still wanting to be informed about what is happening.

I find myself having a lot of internal dialogue. One good thing about not having to work full time anymore is that I'm more available to help others. I helped a family from church clean their floors before moving a few weeks ago and I was so glad I could. And I get to be a more diligent Visiting Teacher.

Meanwhile, I also try and focus on what I like to call that "inner light" that we all possess. That part of us that contributes, either positively or negatively, to the rest of the world. What am I supporting (or not?) What am I condoning (or not?) What is my tolerance level for certain worldly things?

No matter how small, we all contribute a certain attitude and energy to the world we live in. I'm trying to make more of an effort to contribute in a positive way.

Leave Me...a short, very poignant film

This is a complete 180 degree turn from my last post, but I had to share it. This morning I was browsing videos on wimp.com, one of the most interesting sites out there. I came across this short film called Leave Me.

It is about 5 minutes, and well worth the time. Before watching, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the blog page and pause the music.

After watching, ask yourself...how many of us would do the same thing as this man, if we could, under the same circumstance?

LEAVE ME...

We've been Mr. and Mrs. for 1 year!

Yesterday Eric and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary. One year! In some ways it feels like the time has flown, and in other ways I cannot believe all that has happened in this year we've been married.

Most importantly, I cannot believe how my love for this wonderful man continues to grow and grow. It is amazing to have found someone who knows me so well, accepts and still loves me for my flaws, is so fun to be with, and who makes my happiness a priority every day. I am truly blessed, and he was definitely worth waiting for!

We wanted to do something special, different, but simple to celebrate this wonderful occasion. We heard a commercial for a supper club/lounge in Portland, OR called Tony Starlight's and did some research on it. It is, literally, a little hole-in-the-wall place that serves dinner and has a show. We decided to go and listen to a swing band called the Shanghai Woolies. The dinner was yummy and the musicians very, very good. Admittedly, I found the lead singer girl very irritating, but fortunately she only performed with them about 50% of the time and the others more than made up for it. The music was fun and nostalgic and we were seated right up front!

We had researched hotels in the area and decided to add to the anniversary adventure by staying in a 105 year-old B&B called The Lion and the Rose:
It was built by a German brewer at the turn of the century and has been operating as a B&B for about 20 years. Stepping inside was truly like stepping out of a time machine and into another era:
And, although Eric educated me on the fact that the house was not in the best part of town, it wasn't that bad. It felt a lot like the older parts of Pasadena...older, slightly run-down buildings that attract a certain bohemian element.

Our room, one of 8 bedrooms, was called the Escapade Room, which was roomy and comfortable with a tiny bathroom and tinier shower:
And we ate a nice breakfast of fruit, pastries, eggs, sausage, and blueberry pancakes in this beautiful dining room the next morning:
It was nice to not have a very long drive back home. We were back in town by 10:30 that morning, where we did some quick shopping and picked up the pooch at the kennel.

The rest of the weekend has been relaxing, watching movies, going on walks, and enjoying each other's company before Eric had to return to work today. It was a quick, but fun adventure to celebrate the wonderful day one year ago when our lives came together in this great thing we call being married. Everyone should be this happy.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig...

This past week I went back to good ol' Southern California to spend some time with my mom, grandma, and nephew. I also checked on my house there to see how it is doing and we renewed the lease with the tenants for another year. That is a load off my mind.

I must say, that this was probably the best trip back to CA of the 3 I've taken since getting married. Every day had something fun, I wasn't overbooked, and I got to see my cute nephew 5 out of the 7 days. He even accompanied my mom to pick me up and drop me off at the airport.

On one of the days I got to spend several hours with my cousin, Laura, who was my maid of honor and who recently moved back from San Diego. We enjoyed a pedicure, along with her daughter, C., who was my flower girl. Then we went to In n Out burger and loaded up on food to take back to my mom's house. The 3 of us, my mom, and X. sat around the dining room table and talked and ate and ate and talked. OK, X. played with his remote control forklift and trucks, but the girls talked! My brother joined us a little while later with my little niece, and we talked for about 2 more hours while the kids played in the family room. It was a lot of fun.

X. and I also drove out to visit and have lunch with my grandma, who is doing great a month after my uncle was killed in that horrible car accident. We exchanged pictures to look at and enjoyed some yummy turkey and avocado sandwiches at a nearby restaurant.

My Uncle Howard at age 20, and my dad at age 16 getting ready for Howard's wedding.

X. behaved great, despite being a little contrary when it came to taking pictures with his great-grandma. He is, after all, only 3 years old. But by the time we got ready to go he was very accommodating and we got some great pictures of them together. He fell asleep on the drive back to my mom's house, but not before commenting that he thought great grandma "was a very nice lady."

My favorite nephew and his great-grandma. These are priceless!

Thursday was Disneyland with my friend, Tracey. We chose a hot, crowded day, but it was the only one she could spare from work that week. Being former annual passholders, the crowds didn't hinder us too much and we got a lot accomplished, including going on the new Star Tours after a 50 minute wait. I've never been a big fan of Star Tours because it makes me nice and motion sick (not as bad as the Teacups--or, as I call them...the Vomit Cups--but close!) I'm glad that I went on it though, because they really have spiffed up the graphics you see during the ride.

We chose a beautiful, sunny day to go to Disneyland!

I took a video of some great musicians in one of the alleyways of New Orleans Square, my favorite section of the Magic Kingdom. I also bought Eric a new sweatshirt to replace the one I accidentally shrank. Watch as the people dance through the middle of their performance. It's pretty funny...



Disneyland and the resulting tiredness was a culmination of a great week full of fun and family. I feel very blessed that Eric has assured me that I can go back and visit my family anytime I want. And, although I do not want to exhaust his generosity (or our finances,) it is nice to know the offer is there!

I have the best Home Teachers...

Last night, while Eric was on his last night of graveyard shift, I was invited to Family Home Evening at my Home Teachers' house. Steve and Diane Pond are the best Home Teachers I could ask for, and I know that it was an inspired decision to match us up.

Bro Pond did a great lesson on being cheerful, even in the midst of the depressing things around us in the world, from an article in a recent Ensign.

I just feel very blessed to have these two wonderful people in my life, and they have added to easing the transition of moving to Washington. And the icing on the cake is that they live just 1 block away.

Even with their own 7 seven children, many grandchildren, and other responsibilities, they are diligent Home Teachers who make me feel loved and looked after. They're awesome.

Sight or Sound...

I had an interesting experience this morning. After having a lingering ear infection for about 3 months, my doctor wanted me to go for a hearing test.

I sat in a little sound-proof room (supposedly sound-proof, although I could hear the distant chatter in another office) and, wearing headphones, said "OK" every time I heard a series of low-volume beeps at different frequencies. First in the right ear, then in the left--the infection has been on the left side.

After the beeps, the audiologist had me repeat back a list of words that would come through first on the right side, then the left. The volume decreased as she spoke until I could barely guess what she was saying.

The results were that my hearing is fine, better on the right than the left, but that may have nothing to do with the ear infection, which was in the Eustachian tube and was causing pressure and that feeling like you just got off an airplane.

My relief was more than I expected and it made me really grateful. Sound is so important, and, if I had to give up either sight or sound, which would I give up? I think I'd rather give up sight. Those days when my left ear was all plugged up, I felt partially cut off from the world.

Hopefully I will never have to completely give up either sense, but it did get me thinking. What would you give up?

3 MONTHS Since My Last Post? Shame on Me...

I cannot believe how much time has passed since my last blog! My only excuse is...nope, I've got nothin'. There is no excuse.

Still, a lot has happened in these last 3 months.

In April, shortly after my last post, Eric and I took a little vacation down to Salem, Oregon. We visited Willamette University, his alma mater and football stomping grounds. What a beautiful campus! The same care that I remember going into the campus at BYU, just a lot smaller. We also saw a wonderful production of WICKED. My 4th time to see it, Eric's 1st, and he loved it. The theater was beautiful, with an incredible green and white basket weave design inside. They also added to the fun by having green apple flavored drinks in the lobby during intermission. Eric got a green apple smoothie that was to die for!
In May I took a trip to California. No Disneyland adventure this time, but I did have a lot of quality time with my nephew and the trip, as a whole, was a lot less stressful. My first return to CA back in January was spent wrestling with the unemployment office (that has all been sorted out, thank goodness,) and tenants at my CA house over 2 bounced checks (also straightened out.) We also had a little family get together, which was great, because I hadn't seen my aunts and uncles and my cousin, Laura, who was my maid of honor, since my wedding last August.

I digress for a moment to point out that in less than a month, Eric and I will be celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary. Isn't that amazing? And, if possible, I love him more now than I did then...*sigh* (happy sigh)

In June we had another CA trip planned with the 2 of us. The purpose was to attend the church wedding of my cousin, Robby, who is in the Air Force and was married 3 years ago in a small civil ceremony. The plan was to make it a big vacation...hotel, rental car, Disneyland, and any other fun that we could pack into 5 days. Unfortunately, life had other plans...

Our white kitty, Ramius, who is only 2 years old, had a dramatic reaction to a vaccine and we ended up taking him to the emergency vet the week before our CA trip. It was a 4 hour, 80-mile round trip odyssey that started at 10pm and ended up costing $300...all for a quick consultation and some under the skin fluids.
The very next day, as we were recovering from a horrible night's sleep, the washing machine died. More $$$.

The following Monday, Eric sprained a ligament in his leg and was in a lot of pain. By Wednesday (we were supposed to leave Thursday, June 9) we still planned to go, but it was not to be. Thursday morning we got up and Eric was in such pain that he just didn't think he could go. I called the airline and cancelled his reservation, and cancelled with the car rental and hotel. I thought, OK, I'll go alone and just stay at my mom's house like in the past.

The kicker came when I called my grandma to change our plans for a visit while I was down there. My dad's wife answered and alerted me of the tragic news...my dad's older brother had been killed in a horrible head-on collision the day before.

At that point I just felt all the wind go out of me. I didn't want to get on a plane. I didn't want to leave my husband. I didn't want to go through all of that. My sweet grandma had lost her remaining child. I felt so bad, but I also knew that she would need her time to grieve before wanting any company. Which led me to plan my upcoming trip next week.

Eric had taken vacation time for our CA trip and still wanted to use it, so we had to think of other things to do locally that were fun and interesting during those 12 days he had free. One of the things we did was go and visit Mount St. Helens. There are several visitor centers along the highway, but the closest one has a fantastic view only 5 miles from the mountain. You feel like you're looking right into it!
My mom came and visited last week and was here for the 4th of July, the biggest event in town. She and I went to the local outlet mall and raided the Coach store, Eddie Bauer, and the Ralph Lauren outlet where she found some beautiful bedding for when she has her bedroom redone. We also took her to Mount St. Helens, which she loved, and enjoyed the 3 days of holiday festivities, all of which take place right down the street at Lake Sacajewa, culminating in a 20 minute firework show the night of the 4th. Although, backyard fireworks are legal here, so the rockets red blare went on until nearly midnight!

See? Busy?

Other than that, life is nice and quiet. I was called to be a teacher in Relief Society at church. My first lesson is on Sunday...Lesson 35 on Obedience. I'm an over-planner, so I'm sure I have more material than I need--I finished prepping yesterday morning--but better to have too much than not enough. I'm just amazed at the church website...so much information! The last time I was a Relief Society teacher, the website didn't even exist (the internet barely existed!)

This Saturday I'm also hosting my 2nd "Ladies Movie/Karaoke Night." The first one, 2 months ago, was a rollicking success, with 12 ladies total from church enjoying a viewing of Tangled on blu-ray and a couple of hours of karaoke using our little homemade setup, plus lots of yummy munchies and a chance to relax and laugh together. We had a great time. This Saturday we're watching Emma, and it looks to be another fun night.

I'm also trying to finish the book for my book club (of which I'm now the leader!) The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton. A complicated story, but worth the time and effort.

Happy Summer to all! I'll try and do better about staying updated!

I'm Kristie, and I'm a Gadget-holic...

...and also an iPhone convert. I'll back up...

Since Eric and I got married, there have been many decisions to make about merging our possessions, health insurance, dentist,taxes (that was fun!) etc. Two things have been looming over us: car insurance and cell phone servers.

I'm happy to say that one of those is now done, and it isn't car insurance! (I have insurance, but we haven't joined our plans yet.)

Having different cell phone servers is almost like being of different religions or political parties...each provider thinks is they are the best. Each one can tell you what is wrong with the others. Each one will tell you what will happen if you don't use theirs. Each one makes it hard to leave.

What to do? Eric was with AT&T, I was with Verizon. I have been with Verizon since 1996 when I got my first little StarTac cell phone. (Remember those?)Eventually having a couple of LG "candy bar" shaped phones (couldn't find pictures.) Then there seemed to be a period of time when the thing was to find the smallest phone possible:

(Actually it has been kind of fun to look up images of past phones.)

Then the "smart phones" stated to make their way onto the scene. For a while it was a battle of the Palm and the Blackberries. The Palm attracted me because of the touch screen and the QUERTY keyboard. I LOVED my Palm, and still remember it with affection, even though it basically died at the end of 2 years, which was convenient because that is when we're all eligible for a new phone anyway. But it had its little stylus and internet and email and was just cool. You couldn't add apps or anything, but I didn't care. It still felt like a little computer in my hand. Of course, the price you paid for all the bells and whistles was that the phone was bulky.

I mainly jumped on the smartphone bandwagon because the internet filter at my district was really strong and I couldn't even get my email. I felt really cut off not being able to check my email for hours. Enter smartphone.

Quick story: one time when I was having a REALLY stressful day at school I had my Palm next to my Trader Joe's salad container and accidentally threw my phone into the trash. School ended a couple of hours later and...where was my phone? I had no idea what I'd done. I looked everywhere, and eventually went into the office and had one of the office workers continuously call the number so I could try and track it down by sound. A nerve-wracking half an hour later I heard my ringtone coming from one of the trashcans in the staff lunch room. Suddenly I realized what must have happened. I had to fish it out of the trash, BIG yuck, and clean it off. I got really lucky, it was a lot cleaner than it could've been! (Someone had dumped some unwanted beans right next to it.)

When my Palm began to die, there was really only one choice for a smartphone through Verizon, and that was the Blackberry, because Palm was retooling their smartphones and the one I'd had was now obsolete. There was an LG phone that was all touchscreen, but I preferred giving up the touchscreen feature in order to have a keyboard.

I settled on the Blackberry Curve shortly before the touchscreen Storm came out (the Storm never really did much for me) and as my cousins who use AT&T were raving about their new iPhones. Not an issue. Verizon didn't have iPhones, and I had no plans to leave Verizon, so the iPhone mystery would have to remain that, a mystery.

My Blackberry served me well these last 2 years. I got pretty quick with thumb texting, there were a few apps available for download and I even had a GPS feature on there for a while that worked pretty well (although I love my Garmin nuvi 1300 GPS much better.)

Once in a while I would tinker with the new phones that had touchscreens at the Verizon kiosks, never really seeing one that appealed to me, but always on the lookout for a new phone so I could make an informed decision when my 2 years ended.

All of that changed when Eric and I had to merge our plans. First we had to choose a provider. Would I leave Verizon or would he leave AT&T? I have had only good customer service with Verizon and would be sorry to leave, but up here in the small city of Longview, WA, it really became a reception issue. I have not been getting good reception up here with Verizon when I would call CA. It has happened several times.

LONG story short (can you say "ode to my cell phone history?") we decided on AT&T. Now to pick a phone. A new Blackberry curve like the one I had? An iPhone 3G or the new 4? Or one of the iPhone copycats, many of which are very good?

Oh, the pangs of curiosity! There are certainly benefits to going with the original that everyone is raving about. I learned that with my Microsoft Zune mP3 player. Great, great player, but everything out there is made for the iPod. Even the beautiful Bose speaker my mom bought has an iPod dock.

It is the same with the iPhone. All of the fun apps, cases, etc., are geared toward the iPhone.

The older 3G was only $50, the newer iPhone 4 was something like $199. The only difference is the shape and supposed speed. Eric said to get whatever I wanted, but I actually liked the feel of the 3G more than the 4. I could try it for a month with only a $5 restocking fee if I changed my mind. The Blackberry Curve--also $50, had a $35 restocking fee. (Coincidence? No, they push those iPhones.)

So, I walked out of there with an iPhone 3Gs.

24 hours later, never having looked at any directions, I was completely comfortable with it and the touchscreen keyboard, which requires me to type with fingertip and not fingernail. The apps are awesome and super easy, most are free. Organizing the screen to my desire is easy, and the phone is lightning fast. The video camera works awesome (the videos I would take on the Blackberry were terrible, always with inaudible, garbled sound.)

One day later I returned to the AT&T store and bought a case and screen protector.

One week later I'm still loving it.

Favorite apps?

• the Kindle app, which is free, and lets me download the books I already have on my Kindle account for no extra charge.
• the Scriptures, which was $15...so easy to navigate, and also have the hymns and many other accessories. I have the Scriptures on my Kindle too, but I think the iPhone version is actually easier to use. Faster, too.
  
• Words with Friends, a word game favorite that is basically Scrabble with other owners of iPhones, either people you know or people you don't.
• Facebook...good ol' Facebook, can't survive without it!
• Twitter...I've had a Twitter account for ages, but the iPhone's simplicity makes it a lot easier to navigate throughout the site, so I've rediscovered Twitter and am using it a lot more.
  
• weather...I found one I like much better than the one that came with the phone. It has been very accurate and had awesome graphics

And, of course, there are the fun ones like People magazine updates, a little piano app, Solitaire, Uno, Othello (a personal favorite game,) and many others.

At this point I'm just getting past that "I'm obsessed with my new gadget" phase that we all go through. I've had the phone for a week now and it feels like longer simply because I'm so very comfortable with it. I'm hoping that my mom gets one through Verizon when she's eligible for a new phone because it is so user-friendly.

Bottom line, gadgets are fun! They are a part of our lives now and they aren't going away, so it is good to know what is out there and to try what you can. My main gadgets: my Kindle, Zune, Garmin GPS, and iPhone are mainstays that each serve their own purposes and make my life easier and create a lot less clutter because of their storage capacities (the Kindle and Zune, mainly.)

Yes, I'm Kristie, and I'm a Gadget-holic. And happy to be.

Being Grateful...

In church on Sunday we had a lesson on pride. Being proud vs. being prideful. One of the ways to combat pride is to be grateful.

I was thinking about the many uses of being grateful. I've never really struggled with pride that much, but I have struggled in other ways. For me, I often don't appreciate the moment I'm in and am always looking forward to the next moment. Sometimes that leads me to getting into little funks of depression. Not DEPRESSION, but not being as happy as I know I could be.

During a little self-analysis Sunday afternoon I realized that those little bouts can also be fought with being grateful. Usually they circle around missing California and my family. Sometimes it is just a matter of being a little bit lonely when Eric is working that long 12-hour day and I'm home with just me and the pets. Aside from Fred Meyer and walking the dog by the lake, there isn't a whole lot to do in this town. BUT...

If I work on being more grateful during those moments, I am reminded of how lucky I really am.

The most basic things to be grateful for lift me out of those cloudy moments. Some standards:

1. My wonderful husband. He's the most wonderful man I've ever known. He loves me 100% unconditionally, faults and all. He's smart, fun, sweet, Supportive, chivalrous, generous, musical, sensitive, spiritual, and extremely funny. He is truly my best friend.

2. My family. They may be far, they may be scattered, but they are still my foundation of life.

3. Our home. It is a quirky-looking house, but it suits us perfectly, and the location cannot be beat.

4. Church. The spiritual uplift, extended family, and understanding of my life's purpose, where I came from and where I'm going. To know that we are all part of something greater and that we're loved by Heavenly Father is a wonderful thing.

See? I feel better already.

Slook Karen Takes the Floor...

Karen, your comment was so good, I'm going to publish it as a blog entry. (For the confused ones, we called each other "Slook", rhymes with "spook", in college, I forget why, but it has lasted.)

In response to the challenge of parents in teaching their children the importance of modesty, Karen wrote:


As far as girls' clothing goes, it's definitely scary what people think is okay for little girls to wear, and there seems to be less and less difference between the styles in the juniors section and the girls section. Oy! All I can say is teach, teach, teach, and start talking when they are still very young. I remember doing an FHE lesson using Barbies years ago. We dressed them up in all kinds of outfits then talked about what was modest and why and what things we didn't want to wear. A few weeks later, we were at Olive Garden for dinner, and it was obviously prom nite somewhere. A bunch of girls in beautiful dresses strolled by with their dates, and Courtney leaned over and said, "Mom, that girl's dress isn't modest." =) They can recognize it just like we can. One other thought: I was at a stake YW activity last nite - in conjuction with the broadcast from Salt Lake - and the evening was all about being modest. Part of the program included a video with clips from different young men around the stake talking about how they view girls who dress immodestly. It was interesting to hear the two same points over and over again: 1) it actually makes them extremely uncomfortable and 2) their assumption is that the girl must not really care about herself very much. It's almost a feeling of urgency for me. Looking at the state of the world and its values and wanting to do everything I can for my daughters. I keep coming back to making sure I teach them well - not only about what's right and wrong but also about who they truly are and building their confidence so they can more easily rise above the filth all around them. Sometimes, those long-ago days of toddler tantrums look pretty good. =)

Great, response. I love the idea of using Barbies (or any doll--I wasn't allowed to have a Barbie when I was young) to illustrate modest vs. immodest dress. And, even though I don't have a daughter, I did teach school for 13 years and I still remember the feelings of protectiveness I had towards my little girls of all ages. Teaching in inner city neighborhoods, the girls seemed to grow up even faster, if you can imagine, and when I would sometimes see them at school events not wearing their uniforms I was just saddened and appalled at the things their parents would buy. Not all, but some. I think about those girls now and wonder where life has taken them. Part of me wants to know, and...part of me doesn't.

(By the way...the image above is something I found when Googling the search "modest vs. immodest." It took me to another blog by a mother facing the same challenges. The doll is one her daughter got as a gift. Mom felt the outfit was too suggestive and she modified it. Bravo! Her entry can be found HERE.)

40 'n Fabulous and Other News...

I'm tired! Must be because I'm 40 now. I'm slowing down.

My mom was with us for 8 days up here in the Evergreen State. Days were spent preparing for her arrival. She and I had a nice time, trying to get her to slow down from her usual busy pace in California with grandkids, church activities, and Tuesday night Weight Watcher meetings.

We walked the dog, went shopping, had a mani/pedi lunch date with my mother-in-law, and had company over the evening before she left. I love having company, bringing out the good plates and setting the table all pretty, but it is a lot of work. The dinner consisted of my mom, this lovely couple from church that lives a block away, Eric and me. My mom helped a lot, but I still cleaned and cooked and set the table and had the responsibility of being the hostess. We had a nice time and it was all worth it.

On Wednesday, Eric shaved off his goatee. I'm still getting used to seeing him all clean-shaven!

Yesterday I burned out the vacuum and we had to get a new one. We braved the local Walmart and came home with this Bissell heavy-duty monster that is picking up so much stuff I almost miss vacuuming in blissful ignorance. Ick!

This morning we had a repairman (who was a woman) come to the house and do the yearly inspection of the heating/cooling unit. That took over 2 hours. It was a beautiful day and I could not stay inside so I went out and got some groceries, went to the bank and the post office, and...(she said sheepishly...) went and picked up the ring I had on hold that went on sale today. A little birthday $$, a little extra to supplement, and you have what I call my "40 'n Fabulous ring."

I wish I didn't have such a weakness for bling, but I do. I'm the 3rd generation on my mother's side with such a condition, I'm afraid. Anyway, I know it is completely frivolous, but I love it and plan to make it my new right hand ring. The original plan was to get a ring with my birthstone (aquamarine) but I'm just not a fan of that stone. When I saw this one with its Ceylon Sapphire and the rim of cognac diamonds I fell in love with it. Getting husband's and mother's approval sealed the deal.

Isn't being a girl fun? Even a girl at 40, which, I'm told, is the decade where you really relax and become truly comfortable in your skin. I can see that.

Speaking of girls, I'm going to segue into something more serious. Lately I have run across a few different blogs, postings, and articles about the way the media and advertisers are targeting girls at younger and younger ages to act and dress older. Today Abercrombie & Fitch were highlighted on Facebook for coming out with a padded bikini top for 8-14 year olds. Are you freakin' kidding me? As fun as I think it would be to have a daughter, I would be worried about raising one in today's world. Gail, Karen, Andrea, Trish, Sal, and other friends with preteen and teen girls...I can only imagine the challenge to keep them from growing up too fast. Even without a daughter of my own, I shudder when I see some of the clothes in the girls' and juniors departments at stores.

The other day I was on Gail's site and she linked to a recent blog entry by a mother who had had enough and just had to vent on the way products and clothing are becoming more and more suggestive and the daily challenge for responsible parents to preserve their kids', especially daughters', innocence. It is a fantastic read. Bye for now! Click the title:

"What About Our Girls? Childhood Cut Short."

My Birthday Present...

For some time now, Eric has been wanting to get me a Kindle. I was reluctant because I wasn't sure if I would be able to easily transition from a tactile book to a digital screen simulating a book page. I had never even seen a Kindle in person before, and the only person I knew who had one was my cousin, Laura, and hers was new and she'd had it since we last saw each other.

I began to seriously consider Eric's Kindle offer on the plane home from Las Vegas. There were 2 women with eReaders sitting nearby. Meanwhile, I was traveling around with my thick copy of The Help, the current book club selection at the time, stuffed in my purse. It fit, but tightly, and it added plenty of extra weight.

Two days after returning from our trip I went to my book club meeting. Two of the ladies there had new eReader...the Nook, designed by Barnes & Noble. One was a fancy touch-screen color device, and the other was a black and white one without a touch-screen (except for the bottom part where you make your reading selection.) The idea of having a Kindle became even more appealing...I definitely knew that I did not want a Nook after seeing them in person.

After researching the kind of Kindle I wanted...6-inch screen or 9-inch? (There is an almost $200 difference.) Wi-fi + 3G (which allows you to download books from anywhere) or just Wi-fi (which requires you to be near your home network.) (A $50 difference in those 2 kinds...)

My research also led me to discover that there are thousands of free books and a few free games available for download. The highest quality free books are classic novels published before 1923. Other free books are those you would find in the discount bin or at a garage sale...not really high quality reading.

So I settled on a white 6-inch screen Kindle with Wi-fi+3G. I also got a Kindle case that is especially offered from Amazon that has a small LED light that feeds off of the Kindle's power. (The Kindle has 2 notches on the side which the case hooks into.)

I've had it for 9 days now and love it.

The screen is non-glare and really does look like you are looking at a page of paper, but no wrinkles, smudges, tears, or fading. It is very pleasing to the eye.

Right now we are reading Cold Sassy Tree (my suggestion) in the book club and it was available for download for only $4.95, which I did, and lent my book copy to another lady in the group who is always counting her pennies.

Eric likes the Kindle because he doesn't hear the shuffling of pages being turned when I'm reading in bed. See, something for everyone.

I was able to download all of the scriptures for church for only $9.99. Last Sunday I took only the Kindle to church for the first time, after practicing my "scripture navigation" skills for several days before. Thanks to the adjustable sizes of type-face, I was able to participate easily and find my way around the books quickly.

I am not seeing the Kindle as a replacement for books, which was my initial fear. I love books and always will, but there are definite advantages to owning a Kindle, starting with space. A Kindle can hold up to 3,500 books! I'm sure I'll never own that many in my lifetime, but it is a nice feature to have. It is light and eco-friendly. The books for download are less expensive than buying a book. New hardbacks that run $25-$30 are $10-$15 on the Kindle. The average price of all of the books I've seen is $9.99.

Think of it as an Mp3 player for books. It is light and easy to use. I'm looking forward to enjoying mine for many years to come!

The Big 4-0.....no!!!! No?

Please, can't I still be in my 30's?

The momentous occasion, in which my 30's will be a shadow of the past, arrives in 4 days. I can't believe it!

But I did accomplish something big--being single for such a long time, I prayed that I would be married before I was 40. See how the Lord answers prayers with a little bit of humor attached? I was nearly 39 1/2!

I will remember my 30's as a decade of growth, milestones, and major events. I felt a lot more comfortable in my skin throughout my 30's. I bought a house (which as a single person in Southern CA is no small feat,) I lost my dad and 2 grandparents and a step-grandpa and a stepsister, I became an auntie--twice--to the 2 most adorable children in the world, I loved and lost (as I dated a wonderful man for several months who passed away tragically at 42 back in 2006,) I changed school districts, I was laid off after 7 years in my new district, I got married, and I left my beloved home state of California to begin a whole new life with my husband in Washington State.

My goodness, I'm tired just reading this!

Let me focus on my first point though: I really have felt a lot more comfortable in my skin in my 30's. I am more accepting of myself as a person, recognizing my strengths as well as admitting my flaws. I feel like my personality has become more mellow, and yet stronger, without being abrasive. I've learned about tact in ways I never knew (a lot of tact was required in different situations as a teacher, especially in my most recent school district). And despite the bumps along the way, I know it has helped me grow. All of the "life bumps" I encountered in my 30's helped me to grow.

So what do I look forward to in my 40's? Well, one thing I have learned is that no matter how much you prepare, life often has other plans for you, which you can embrace, struggle against, or push aside. I would like to think that my 40's will be the decade where I'm no longer living for myself, but as half of a partnership that will last for many decades to come. I'm looking forward to growing together more and more with my wonderful husband. Perhaps we'll have a child, perhaps not (some current medication I'm on for my eczema is putting any efforts on hold,) but, whatever happens, I think will be for the best.

I look forward to meeting more people in my new neighborhood and church community. I look forward to enjoying life more at a slower pace. A lot of my 30's was lost to working as a teacher, and, noble as the profession is, it engulfs you, especially where I worked. My 40's will hopefully be the time where I can focus on old and new hobbies, my house (we do love our house here in WA,) and, again, supporting my husband in any ways he needs.

I feel very hopeful for this decade, and it is probably a good thing that I didn't get married until I was 39, because now I appreciate it so much more than I think I would have in my 20's or 30's.

So what do I say to the 40's? BRING 'EM ON!

My skin is dumb...

Really, there is no other way to say it. Ever since eczema decided to surface its genetic self on me back in college, my skin has been a source of frustration.

Now, living in the Pacific Northwest, I face a new challenge--lack of continuous sunlight, which healthy skin thrives on (in healthy doses.)

So today I had an appointment with the dermatologist. My 3rd time seeing him since moving to WA. I explained to him how I'm ALWAYS trying to stay one step ahead of the itch and the scratch, trying to figure out which combination of creams, ointments, and pills to take to ward off the itch of the day.

He almost seemed excited. Apparently he attended this dermatology conference in New Orleans last week where they discussed a new kind of eczema, and what I was describing seemed to be it. I'm now on an 8 week course of new pills. Great. Now I'm an itchy guinea pig.

Did I mention that my skin is DUMB? (Scratch, scratch, scratch...)

A Vegas Valentine...

Guess who just had their 6 month wedding anniversary? Can you believe it?

The week after I got back from California, Eric and I were talking about the neat opportunity I had to meet Marie Osmond and all of a sudden he started to get that "glint" in his eye. Next thing I knew, we had VIP tickets to see Donny and Marie in concert at the Flamingo, reservations on Alaskan Air, and a room booked at the Flamingo for 2 nights. We're not especially spontaneous people, but this was a little spontaneous! It was also our first trip together since our honeymoon and our first time riding an airplane together.

It took some thinking about how to handle the pet situation, but we ended up boarding Bailey for 3 nights and setting the kitties up on the house's main floor with plenty of kibble, water, and clean sand. We had to take our chances with the kitty who isn't supposed to get much kibble. We also had to take our chances with the kitties not destroying the house while we were gone. Luckily, it was a fast trip.

We arrived to Las Vegas safe and sound and checked into our very pink hotel room at the Flamingo. I should've taken a picture of it. It was like sleeping in a Baskin Robbins ice cream shoppe. We had a great view though, of the pools and gardens.

After dinner we decided to see if there was a karaoke place nearby. There was! Right next door at Bill's Gambling Hall & Casino. Now, I have never been to a karaoke bar before. This was more like a stage off to the side of the casino than a bar. There were all of the poker and blackjack tables, the air heavy with smoke (cough! cough!) and a stage off to the side with about 12 tables in front of it. The guy running it was a good singer and he got things going. They had big spiraled notebooks of songs and Eric and I each write down something to sing. I couldn't believe I was going to do that. I hadn't sung in public in so long I couldn't even remember!

We were there from 8pm until after 11pm. I got my chance around 9pm to sing up on stage for 100's of people to hear. I was so nervous at first, but I actually calmed down and did pretty well. Fortunately, we have a karaoke machine at home and I there are certain songs I've practiced.

I did HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU (click to hear) and Eric did YOU'RE AN OCEAN (click to hear). He did great. Then later on we did a duet of ALWAYS (click to hear). All of these we've sung on MySpace, but it was still fun. We left tired and drained, after a really fun time and had a midnight burger at the Flamingo's food court.

The next day was the concert! We had several hours to kill before getting all dressed up, which we did by visiting different hotels. Then we had a quick early dinner and went to get into our evening outfits. With VIP tickets we were able to go to a special line and we had front row seats.

The show was a lot of fun. It was a tight 90 minutes with no intermission. Donny and Marie both look great for being in their 50's. They did 10 minutes of duets, then Marie sang for 20 minutes, then Donny had his 20 minutes, then a 10 minute finale. During Marie's segment she kissed a few men on the forehead, including Eric, leaving a big red smooth behind. We imprinted it on a napkin and asked her to sign it later at the meet-and-greet we got to go to.

After the show the meet-and-greet took place at a room down a ramp near the theater. Our time was quick, but we did get to meet them. Donny is a lot shorter than I thought! We were given 8x10 pictures for them to sign, which they did. Eric also had Marie sign the napkin with the lipstick. We were a little bummed because it seemed especially rushed, compared to my experience meeting Marie in CA and Eric's experience at 2 previous concerts, but we still had a great time.

The next day we checked out of the hotel and headed over to Mandalay Bay to see the Shark Reef exhibit, since our flight wasn't until 4:30. The exhibit was great, as always. I hadn't seen it in about 10 years.

We arrived home, happy that the house was in one piece, happy that the kitties didn't leave any unauthorized "gifts" for us, and just happy to be home after the over-stimulation of Las Vegas. Still, we had a very fun time!

Here are some pictures:
This last picture is of the doll I bought at Disneyland. So cute!

Me 'n Marie

Just a quick post today. The lady who took my picture with Marie Osmond sent it today. I look weird and over-exposed, but it was a neat experience and she was very nice and personable.

Book Clubs and Blessings...

I have wanted to be part of a book club for ages, but it just never happened. The only one I knew of in my Southern CA neighborhood met during the day when I worked.

But now I'm part of one in Southern WA. Like the one in CA, it is comprised of ladies from church. I love to read, but I'm not voracious. I devour my magazines like People and Reader's Digest from cover to cover, but I'm especially picky about books. I love a good book, but I refuse to waste my time on a book that doesn't capture my interest from the beginning. Like everything else, my standards for books are high: I like good stories, I like to learn something, I like good writing and well-rounded characters. Those requirements are harder to find than you may think. I have started a lot of books and not finished them.

It is unfortunate that I began this book club with a selection that I simply could not get absorbed by and, apparently, I wasn't the only one.

The selection this time was Traveling With Pomegranates, by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor. Sue Monk Kidd wrote the fantastic book The Secret Life of Bees, which I loved. I so wanted to like this book, which is a memoir of this mother and daughter's travels. Alas, I did not. I didn't find it to be interesting. I didn't care about where they went or what they were doing. It was like looking at someone's boring vacation slides. I just didn't care. After 85 pages and no sign of any improvement in the writing or my curiosity, I decided I'd had enough. Oh well, can't win them all. I found out last night that there were others who read even less, all feeling the way I did.

Despite the lack of enthusiasm about month's selection, we did have a nice time. At its maximum, the group has about 15 ladies, but only 5, including myself, attended last night's meeting. I hope that in the future more ladies attend.

The meeting ran longer than I expected, and it was 9:30pm when I arrived home to our menagerie of pets. Eric was working graveyard, so it was me and the four-footed creatures.


And, even though the most recent book was something of a bust, our little group mapped out a plan for the next few months. We each gave suggestions and I'm pretty excited about what is ahead:

FEBRUARY
I've heard great things about this book. I'm excited to read it!



















MARCH
This was my suggestion. I love this book and its characters. It will be fun to revisit it.



















APRIL
About a lady who forms an unlikely soccer team. Highly recommended...



















MAY
All I know about this book is that it takes place in Russia and one of the ladies loved it. It's historical fiction, one of my favorite genres.


















All in all it was an interesting night. Some things that I expected and some things I did not. I am glad to be involved in something extra curricular and intellectual, though. Now that I'm not teaching it has been a process getting used to using my time differently. But I like it!

Here are some other suggestions that we discussed last night:
The Hoarders by Stringham
Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Christy by Catherine Marshall
A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Beyond Summer by Wingate
To Have Not by Frances Lefkowitz
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Can you go home again?

3:30am and I'm awake. Funny, because I just saw that my friend, Gail, also posted a new blog entry during the 3am hour.

Here's what's happening...

I've just been to:
California. My first trip back since moving up to Washington in October. I was there from a Tuesday to a Tuesday and, boy, did it fly. It is amazing how the preparations and packing take so long and then the actual trip goes by so quickly.

Tuesday, Jan 11: flew into Ontario, CA airport, went to In n Out with my mom (yum!), went back to her house to unpack, got phone call from Eric saying that our tenant's check had bounced, spent the next few hours on phone with property manager, unpacking, trying to relax.

Wednesday, Jan 12: visited with my grandma, went to meet with the lady managing my house to plan strategy with tenant. Visited at my brother's house for an hour to see my niece and nephew.

Thursday, Jan 13: Went and wrestled with EDD (unemployment) from whom I still haven't seen a penny since suspending my claim 3 days before getting married. It still isn't resolved. The office is about a mile from my last school, so I went there around lunchtime and visited for about half an hour before having to get my mom's car back to her. Listening to the teachers talk about their current stresses with kids, parents, and administration, the words flashing through my head were "I don't miss this one bit!"

Friday, Jan 14: XANDER DAY! I have been missing my 3 year old nephew sooooo much it has almost hurt. Last Friday we had him all day. We took him to his baby music class, which I absolutely love visiting. The program is called Music Together (click for the link.) If you have a young pre-K child, I highly recommend this class. Babies go too! Then we went to have Japanese food and then we played and played at my mom's house. I love that kid so much! He is so fun! Xander quote of the day: "You got to buckle up otherwise you fly through the window!"

Saturday, Jan 15: Disneyland! Boy did this day turn out interesting! The original plan was to meet my friend, Tracey, at 9am and spend the day there. Instead, she was late and I walked into the entrance to see that Marie Osmond was having a signing event from 11am-1pm. I was so torn on what to do. You had to buy one of her products in order to get in line. If I wasn't married to Eric, who loves Donny & Marie, I probably would've passed by, but, I didn't. I quickly ran and got a locker for my jacket, called my mom to get her opinion (thumbs up,) bought one of the darn things, and got in line at 9:35am. I was about the 20th person. It was hot, there was no place to sit, and I had no camera. Even the camera on my Blackberry was malfunctioning. But I had to do it. Mainly because Eric had been pulled up onstage by Marie 2 years ago at their Vegas show, had made himself very memorable because he sings so well, and I wanted to see if she remembered him. I finally got to meet her at 12:30pm (3 hours in line!) and she was as nice as you would imagine. There was none of that star-struck nervousness that I've had before when meeting a famous person, it was like I knew her. The best part? She totally remembered Eric! And there was a lady there to take pictures. I'm still waiting for her to email mine. I hope she does!

Sunday, Jan 16: This was supposed to be a restful day, and I guess it kind of was, but not as much as I had hoped. In the afternoon, my mom and I went and saw The King's Speech, with Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh....what an incredible movie!!! A true story, a heartbreaking story in many ways. It is about King George VI, the current Queen Elizabeth's father, who reluctantly took the throne when his brother abdicated in order to marry the American divorcee', Wallis Simpson. George (Albert, nicknamed "Bertie") had a horrible stutter, exacerbated by years of verbal abuse by his father and nannies. Now forced to be the voice of the nation, his wife (the late Queen Mum) finds an unorthodox speech therapist and amateur actor named Lionel Logue to help after dozens of conventional methods have failed over the years. These 2 men form an unusual friendship that transcends rank and position as Bertie finally starts to relax and get comfortable in his own skin. It is an amazing journey to watch. The R rating is surprising and shouldn't prevent anyone from seeing it. There is one scene with some language and that's it. It is truly an incredible movie and I can't wait for it to be released on DVD/blu ray. See it! You can't help but love it.

Monday, Jan 17: Another Xander day! My sister in law knew that I wanted to spend time with Xander, so she let us have him for the day. We went to the park, although it was a pretty warm day, and then went and had Japanese food again. He loves miso soup and teriyaki salmon. Have I mentioned how much I love that kid?

Tuesday, Jan 18: Time to fly home to WA. My mom and I said our goodbyes. She wanted me to thank Eric for letting her borrow me for a week. I had a smooth flight home and Eric was at the Portland, OR airport to pick me up. We had lunch, went to Trader Joe's in Vancouver, WA (the nearest one to us) and drove home in the gray, rainy weather. Bailey was peeing himself with excitement that I was home, especially since he was boarded with the groomer for most of that week. The kitties came out and said hello and went back to their regularly scheduled programming.

The thing that has struck me the most since being back in our house in WA is how much at home I feel here. I knew that I would feel a little displaced in CA because I was no longer in my own house and didn't have my car there. I was amazed at how little emotional connection I felt with my house, which is right across the street from my mom's. I was also amazed at the wave of relaxation and tension release that swept over me when I stepped into our WA house. The fact that the tenant's new cashier's check was in the mail helped a lot too.

Yesterday was a slow, relaxing day at home. Slept in and did a bit of grocery shopping and laundry. That was it. We've been enjoying our new blu-ray player immensely, which lets us stream movies from Netflix and has YouTube. Awesome! We watched Endless Summer, a childhood favorite, and watched some hilarious YouTube videos by this creative guy named Nice Peter. SO funny!

It was a good trip. Yesterday was a good day. I'm happy to be HOME.

Our First Christmas...

Before I begin, I would just like to say that I hope that everyone had a nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

I would like to say that our first Christmas was shiny and perfect, but the truth is, I missed celebrating with my family in CA. I've never spent Christmas away from them in 38 years. I guess it wouldn't be normal if I wasn't a little homesick. I think that part of it is that we are all still mourning the loss of our traditional Christmases at my grandparents' house, which ended after they both passed away in 2008.

So, partly because of that, I think I came into the Christmas season a little on the emotional side this year. I am happy, though, that we were able to give a really nice Christmas Eve to Eric's family. My family decided to not do gifts this year, so Eric and I were able to focus our attention on his parents, nieces and nephew, who his parents have raised.

We went to Vancouver, the closest big city (about 40 miles away) about 2 weeks ago and did a marathon shopping day that turned out to be pretty productive and successful. I wrapped everything a few days before Christmas.

His family does things pretty informally, which is the complete opposite of my family. But, since we were hosting and because I have certain high expectations of myself as the hostess, I wanted to set a beautiful Christmas table for them. We used our wedding china for guests for the first time and my grandma's silver, which I'm so thrilled to have inherited.

The dinner was simple: some pizza, and I made BBQ chicken in the oven, Mexican rice, a salad, and my special chocolate chip sherry bundt cake, but we had a nice time. Eric's mom has been in a physical therapy rehab center with a broken foot and she just lost her sister about a week and a half ago, so knowing that we could give her a lovely evening away from the hospital for a few hours helped me to get out of my own pity party.

The evening was nice and comfortable and ended a bit earlier than what I'm used to simply because Eric's dad had to drive his mom back to the hospital (she had gotten leave for a few hours.) Eric and I cleaned up after the dinner and took Bailey for a walk in the rain, looking through windows and seeing other families celebrating their Christmas Eves and counting our own blessings.

Christmas Day was quiet. We only had one gift to open, from Eric's best friends, the Porters, which turned out to be a bean bag tic-tac-toe set up for the family room downstairs. It was a relief to see what was in that box, because we had been guessing for a week and had absolutely no idea what it was. We had fun setting it up and hurling the beanbags through the holes for about half an hour. Next came a quick phone call to my mom, who was at my brother's house, a nice Christmas breakfast, and a little more emotional tears from me followed.

But once again I had an opportunity to put things into perspective. We went and saw his mom at the hospital. If that doesn't make you count your blessings, nothing will. It was the proverbial scene with elderly people lining the hallways, looking a little lost. I tried to smile at the ones whose eyes I met, again counting my blessings, of which we have so, so many.

After the hospital and a quick trip to drop off an old TV/VCR to Eric's dad, we came home, grateful to have a nice warm home, grateful to have each other, and reminded of what Christmas is all about. We ended up snuggling downstairs watching A Christmas Story on TV and laughing uncontrollably at the funny jokes that never made sense when you watch that movie as a kid.

What a day! What lessons learned.

Christmas and its changes...

In this year of multiple life changes, I'll be spending Christmas in WA with Eric and his family this year. Maybe it is because this is the first year in my life that I will not be spending Christmas with my family, but I had the need to have reminders of Christmas all over the house. Fortunately, Eric and I each had trees from our previous houses. Instead of debating which one to use and where, we used them both:

Mine in the living room as the main tree.

Eric's little 5-footer in the kitchen. His mom used to work for Hallmark and every year she would pick one ornament for him and let him pick one himself. There is an interesting assortment of Santa and football-themed (her choices) and religious, Nativity-themed ones (his.) The size is just right for the room.

And, since we spend a lot of time downstairs in the subterranean family room, I thought we needed a tree down there. So we got a white tree and red and gold ornaments to match the crazy carpeting down there, which I admit, is beginning to grow on me. I'm still waiting for that to happen in our very orange kitchen. Although the kitchen itself is awesome.

We are still settling in and deciding which projects to tackle, so, unfortunately our fireplaces will not have any fires this year until a chimney sweep comes out and inspects them. Who knows when they were used last. I do miss the hearth at my house in San Gabriel's living room. It was so pretty. Maybe one day we'll build more of a mantle in this house. All in good time, though.

This nativity is one that I bought at my favorite antique shop down in San Juan Capistrano. My gut tells me that it is not an antique, but I love the figures and the serene looks on all of their faces. It is sitting on my grandparents' console (which I can finally use because of the size of this house) in the dining room.

I saved the best for last. I am thrilled to have inherited this item from my grandparents' house. No one else showed much interest in it. This is a Mexican nativity scene that my grandma bought. Together, she and my grandpa built the diorama around it. It is the blending of the best of their talents...my grandpa, the thinker, the builder, the engineer. My grandma, the artist, the organizer, the decorator. I was able to put all new lights in it and bring it back to its former glory. I love having it set up during this season. It brings back so many great family memories.

Not only will this Christmas be a change for me, but also for the rest of our family as we all continue to adjust to the changes in our lifelong holiday traditions now that my grandparents are gone. Last year we had Christmas Eve at my house, and this year it will be at my mom's. This will also be the smallest gathering, as 6 out of the 7 grandchildren will be unable to attend. 5 are now out of state and my brother as obligations with his in-laws. Happily, my mom and her siblings are determined to be flexible and continue the family Christmas Eve traditions. Next year Eric and I plan to attend.

Lastly, another change this year is that it seems my whole family is doing very little in the gift department. I'm OK with that as long as everyone is agreeable, but as the person who has been in charge of the Christmas Wish Lists for the last several years, it feels weird not to be scrambling around collecting them from everyone.

The great thing about that, though, is that none of us really NEED anything. We're all so fortunate, so blessed, and have such abundance, that Christmas gifts almost feel redundant this year. And, as much as my life has changed this year, so much of it has been changes for the better. Now really, what Christmas present can top that?