grateful

First, a big UGH because now that I've upgraded to IOS 7, my blogger app on my iPad isn't working and I've had a post in the drafts section for 2 days.  It's used up so much of my time trying to get it to work.  So now I'm on my husband's laptop and copying the whole thing.  I wouldn't care if it was a silly recipe or decorating post.  But this one means something to me.  So here it is:

The past couple of days I've been thinking about an LDS General Conference talk.

I know I'm really an infant when it comes to understanding the Atonement.  And I really enjoy thinking about it and reading about it and trying to understand it.  In reading and thinking about this particular talk, it's taken me around to thinking about my life and life in general.

Like about how all of us make sacrifices in our lives for people we love and sometimes for people we don't love.  But none of us, really none of us, totally sacrifice our lives.  But it was different for the Savior.  From this conference talk:  He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience."  (Henry B. Eyring)  And another quote:  "Christ's voluntary suffering during life was in addition to the suffering in the garden and on the cross."  (Kent F. Richards)

Those are such powerful thoughts for me!  I don't often think on His suffering throughout His life.  He sacrificed His entire life for us!  Because of this, "it will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior's promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us."  (Henry B. Eyring)

I love thinking about this.  It helps me feel grateful.  Especially during times when I'm sinking into a little sadness or self-pity.  Life is so good, and I'm really, really grateful for the Savior's sacrifices for me and for all the people I love who continually sacrifice for me. 

relief

So, we've been packing and selling and trashing and cramming and cleaning for the past while - preparing for our move back to Nevada. (ridiculous how much one can collect over a few short months) So our darling apartment has felt gloomy and disorganized and downright sad. Well, last night was our first night out of the apartment. We've moved in to my daughter's family's basement for a few nights before beginning our trek home. This is an unfinished basement ... with feelings of creepy-crawlies. So imagine the great welcoming it was for me when I finished up cleaning the apartment and walked into the basement to set my suitcase and found this:


and this:


Brooke and Steven transformed their basement into a home for us. A home complete with a softly lit lamp and essential oils burning in the diffuser.


They even placed rugs in all the right spots. My tired bones and my weary mind is ever-so-grateful!


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car conversations

There is a lot I'm going to miss about our New York months. One of those is my time with 4-year-old Gage in our car, just the two of us.


Not quite a daily occurrence, but several times a week, Gage would climb into the back of the car, proudly strap himself into his car seat, and off we'd go to our apartment.


Our conversations would go something like this:
Gage: Grandma, how many chocolate balls can I have when I get to your house?
Me: 4 Sweetie.
Gage: Ok, but call me Super Gage today.
Me: Ok Super Gage. What do you want to do at my house?
Gage: I want to eat chocolate balls and draw super heroes and ... Grandma, why do super heroes save the world?
Me: Cuz they're good guys.
Gage: I'm a good guy too. I protect people.
Me: Is that why you're Super Gage today?
Gage: I'm Super Gage. I protect my sister, but I don't protect bad guys. But Grandma, Henderson is close so I can visit you whenever I want.
Me: Well, Super Gage, it's not as close as our apartment is so you can't come over every day, so let's facetime ok?
Gage: Ok. I will. But what if Daddy and Mommy are skyping you and I'm in bed? Then I won't be able to facetime you. I have to stay in bed at night and I can't get up to facetime. So I can't facetime you all the time. Sorry Grandma, but I can't.
Me: It's ok Gage. I mean, Super Gage. It's ok - we'll just facetime during the day and not at night ok?
Gage: Ok, but Heaven's really close.
Me: Yes it is. But I'm not going to Heaven - I'm just going to Henderson.
Gage: But when are you going to Heaven Grandma? Because that's closer than Henderson.
Me: Not sure Super Gage. But when I leave I'll miss you.
Gage: It's ok Grandma. You won't have to cry because I'll facetime you and if you cry I'll be sad.


It's never been quiet when Gage and I ride in the car. And I'm never quite sure the direction the conversation will go, but I'm pretty sure that super heroes will be part of every conversation.
I'll miss you Gage-Man.


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delicious autumn

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
- George Eliot


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impending separation

my worst quality:
I am a huge wimp when it comes to separation. I can't stand it. It makes me physically sick. And it doesn't matter how exciting the future is, what great event or thing is coming up - when I have to say goodbye to someone or something I don't do well. Probably because I am so blessed. If I had a crummy "here and now" or stinky relationships, leaving would feel good. So, goodbye summer, goodbye sweet ones, goodbye New York. I'll miss you.





























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I'm no Meg Ryan

but days like today I fancy myself Kathleen Kelly in "You've Got Mail", all foggy headed with a cold in bed. Somehow, the image in my head:

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isn't quite reality:

and the romantic bouquet of daisies (which should have been accented by sharpened pencils) is actually a pile of used tissues with a couple of apple cores mixed in.

(don't apples feel good going down your throat when your head is full of gunk?)

Anyway, not much productive happens in my life when I'm all foggy-headed, but it all seems a little happier when I'm Kathleen Kelly and can't help but look cute with those darling PJs and beautifully messy hair.

Kathleen Kelly: "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." 

 I think I'll go read a book now.

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Temple Worship

I am a Mormon.  I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We worship on Sundays in our local church buildings, but also have Temples for special worship. This video describes what takes place inside of our temples.  I'm excited to share it with you!  

cozy

Oh THUNDER, I love you! It makes me want to jump into a fluffy bed and sing "My Favorite Things".


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Or roast chestnuts on an open fire (I've never done this - I've not even ever tasted them .... but it sounds so cozy and romantic.


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Or just curl up on the couch with a really, really good book. And maybe some soup.


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Easterners get a bad rap

... so here's some well-deserved praise:

School traffic everywhere is a bit of an inconvenience. We're only in our 2nd week of school, here in Upstate New York ... just a few days of driving during school traffic for me so far. It could be absolutely frustrating, but so far, without fail, someone stops and let me in before I can barely blink an eye.


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You don't see that everywhere. It's common courtesy, and it's abundant here. THANK YOU to the kind strangers in New York who get nothing in return, who think more of helping a stranger than of beating the clock.

Then there's the kind old gentleman at the post office the other day. If you're like me, when you know there's going to be a line, and someone else is walking at about your pace in the same direction, you pick up speed - trying to not seem obvious - to secure the closer place in line. Well, I pulled into the PO parking lot, got out of the car with a couple of small packages and saw an older gentleman approach the door just inches ahead of me. No, he didn't rush in. He opened the door and waited for me to enter before him.


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This he did twice more as we approached the line. I told him to please step in front of me since he had actually arrived first, and this he did. Bit by bit the line dwindled. When it was his turn to go, he stepped back and with a flourish of his hand and a slight bow he motioned for me to go ahead of him. "Did you really think I'd go before you?!?", he asked with a twinkle. THANK YOU kind gentleman for the smile I carried with me all day.

And there are more experiences where these came from. In just a couple of months time I've come to love the strangers of New York. They're kind and generous and their accents crack me up. And while we're touting praises to New York, let me just mention that I LOVE the rain here! Except for that one time for about 25 seconds when I was driving and couldn't see anything.


It's refreshing and clean and it sounds pretty. But oops - after the last rainstorm I set my shoes out to dry .. they were just about dry last night.


Another week and I should be able to wear them again


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really?

Anyone else ever shocked by your own behavior? I would think by age 54 wisdom would not be so elusive. Good grief. Why, oh why don't I exercise more control? And then, to top it off I stew on it - exactly what I tell my children NOT to do. And then I obsess and forget about the amazing grace of the Atonement and how it really is personal and how it really really works.

Oh how young I really am in spiritual maturity. The more I learn, the less I know. .... feeling a little down and know I need to buck up.

Enough! I will smile! Forward!

Thanks for being my friend and letting me vent.
hugs and kisses to all of you.


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the best breakfast ever

So it's been a while since I last blogged. When I was talking with Brooke yesterday about blogging I had a shot of YIKES run through me ... we were traveling and at the hotel I took an ambien because I hadn't slept much the night before and I was going to be the driver the next day. Well, after taking the ambien I got a glimpse of my back fat in the bathroom mirror and I vaguely remember being so disturbed by it that I blogged about it. oh. my. WORD. I had totally forgotten about that until yesterday. When I checked my blog I found it was just in the drafts section. PHEW. Anyway, I thought a much more appropriate post would be today's breakfast. Actually, it's been the breakfast every day for a while because .. YUM. It's like eating dessert for breakfast. PS - I added up the calories and with the fruit, syrup and milk added it's still a measly 172 calories!


In our house we call it CHIA-SEED-OATMEAL-PUDDING and it's the easiest thing in the world to make:


If you have a "flaker" (one of the top 5 best investments I've ever made) then flake 1/4 c of oat groats. If not, dump about 1/3 cup dry oatmeal into your saucepan.


Add water to cover the oats and rise about 1/2" above the oats, put on medium-high heat and add 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds. Stir the seeds into the oats and cover.


It takes hardly any time to cook, so watch it. When you can tell it's boiling, turn the heat down to low or even all the way off. Stir again, cover and let sit till the liquid is absorbed. This whole process takes only about 5 minutes.


Add 1 Tblsp pure maple syrup and whatever spices you like (LOVE cinnamon in the fall!) but I've also added a little vanilla and it's delish.


Fresh apples are plentiful now, so I dice 1/2 apple and add to it. It's ready to eat then, or you can let it sit a little longer to heat up the fruit. For me, what makes it taste like pudding is adding about 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. BEST BREAKFAST EVER. In our home we've been eating a boiled egg for protein and this breakfast stays with us easily through the morning!


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