Blogging Manners

OK, so is there a book about proper etiquette for bloggers? I guess mostly I want to know, do I have to leave a comment on every blog I read just so the author will know that I have read it? I want there to be a place where I can leave a check mark that indicates that I was here but have nothing to say. What about the length of blogs? I've been so busy that I haven't been keeping up with everyone, so am I obligated (or perhaps I should want to) go back in time and read everything that has been written? Some people write book length blogs, what is the proper amount of time I should spend reading what someone else has to say? What if I disagree with someone, can I publicly express my disapproval or should I send them a confidential email or should I keep my opinions to myself? Perhaps in the book store there is a Blogger Self-Help book. Anybody read it?

Let it Snow!

Book Friends

This month was my turn to host a luncheon for "book club". We're not really a club in terms of membership, dues, and initiations, but we are a group of LDS girlfriends who enjoy reading and get together once a month to discuss a book that we've all read. Each month the hostess provides lunch (always delicious) and offers book selections from which we collectively choose the next book to read. We select books a couple of months ahead so that everyone has a chance to obtain and read the book. There are 12 women in the group thus everyone gets a chance to host once a year. I was invited to join in 2002 so that means I've read and discussed 84 books with my girlfriends. That represents many enjoyable hours of reading and about 168 hours of talking and laughing and crying with some dear friends.

Not everyone attended but here are the women pictured from left to right and why I enjoy them. Please note that my reasons are subject to change and there isn't room for all I could say. Karen - I have worked with her in the church for most of my years in Merced. I served as her counselor when she was Relief Society President and then she served with me when I was Young Women's President (about 10 years total) we relate in so many ways, obviously we really get along well. She has been a mentor to me in so many areas. I'll have to devote a whole blog to her someday. Julie - is a kick in the pants. We have spent time together sitting on the organ and talking on the phone. She knows exactly the feelings of my heart right now as I am just enjoying my family so much. If you ever need a boost in your day, just call Julie. Kathy - is a mother with spunk. She loves to tease and somehow I can see her standing on the piano singing and raising her skirt just a little. We challenged each other to memorize the Proclamation on the Family and The Living Christ. We memorized while on early morning walks. Laverne - my favorite book choice of hers was A House on Mango Street. She came to me once when I was really struggling and shared some of her own struggles with me and I will never forget that. Nese - is my favorite person to discuss books with, sometimes we have additional discussions outside of book club just to share our thoughts and feelings She reads a ton, quilts, sings and teaches school. I have learned lessons from her about letting others make their own choices and letting them be responsible for themselves. They have been good lessons for me. Jenny is homemaker extraordinaire from repairing everything to building anything she is amazing. We all enjoy her meals and I wish I could cook like her. Sue - is in another ward and so I only know her from book club. What I love about her is her pragmatism. For about 8 years (I think) she taught seminary and wore her hair "seminary style" a short bob with a perm. I love realistic people who change themselves to fit their circumstances. Janet Weed (not pictured) - taught Scott in seminary last year. He loved her and when I asked him why he said, "She is always so happy and she KNOWS the gospel". To me that is a great compliment. Janet Hendricks I also know mostly from book club. The thing that is amazing about her is she served for 5 years as Young Women's president and then was called as Relief Society president and served for another 5 years. She is totally a hard worker. Christa is currently serving in the temple and so only attends a few times a year. She has the greatest comments and reads a ton. I was so impressed by her memorizing Shakespeare while mowing the lawn - multitasker. So those are the women in my group.

I served a spinach bacon salad, roasted winter vegetable soup with homemade croutons, bread, and stewed berries with vanilla ice cream.

Confessions

I have a box of Premium M&M's (chocolate mint) hidden in my sock drawer. I don't want to share. I only get into them once a week..or so, mostly when I put my clean socks away. This box has lasted since the beginning of October and it is still half full. I like chocolate mint.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Good Morning

One morning this week Emily walked out the front door and said, "It's a froggy day". So here is what a froggy day looks like.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Cumorah's Hill

On Saturday, Scott and Douglas will be performing in our Stake's From Cumorah's Hill production. A cute story about Scott.....just about 12 years ago I was playing in the orchestra for the same production. For that production the Stake made "sharing the gospel" a major focus. We were all encouraged to bring non-members and to give out copies of the Book of Mormon. In the orchestra I was sitting next to a gentleman who was not a member of the church. Scott took a Book of Mormon and wrote his testimony in it, mind you he was only about 4 years old. At the first performance I was sitting with the orchestra warming up and I will never forget him walking in with Matt, my mom, Karin and Doug as a baby. He marched over to the orchestra, ducked his head under the directors music stand, walked right over to this gentleman and said, "Here this is for you". It was so cute. Then our Stake President gave a brief overview of the Book of Mormon explaining the sticks of Joseph and Judah etc. Then he explained the significance Cumorah's Hill. This gentleman turned to me and said, "That makes so much more sense, I thought they were singing about Sodom and Gomorrah". During all of our rehearsals we never saw the words and so it was the best he could do to make some sense of the production. I've played with him several times since then and we remain friends.

Bah Humbug

OK, seriously folks I know you are all wondering why my neighbor has two cranes in the vacant lot next to his house. Well, Christmas is just around the corner. Really, I'm serious, every year these cranes show up and elves begin stringing lights on ALL of his trees and around his house. These cranes showed up last Friday - that's October 17th - mind you. I've heard that the company charges $100 per tree. So I walked around my yard and counted 55 trees, that $5500 I could spend plus a few more hundred for the house. Can you imagine the stress this puts on my husband? If you can believe it, we have only one electrical outlet on the outside of our home; so Matt has to string all of our lights together and then attach them to extension cords, then climb up on the roof and carry the cords to the back of the house where the outlet is. If he doesn't go through this dangerous ritual then he must endure the holiday mockery of those who drive through our neighborhood and compare our lights with our neighbors. He told me this year - he is going to spray paint a piece of plywood with the words "Bah Humbug" and post it in our front yard. You'll have to drive by in the daylight though to see it.

Avenue 9

Today I took Emily to Children's Hospital for an E.coli follow-up (something we'll be doing for the next decade). I can't drive down Avenue 9 without a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I know I'm headed to a very special and even spiritual place. The first time we drove this road we were in such a panic for Thomas' health. After months of pain and visits to the doctor, we were unexpectedly called and told to go immediately to the hospital with Thomas. Since that first trip in May of 2003 I have driven this road many times. I think sometimes we forget that there can be sacred places on earth other than the Temple. This hospital is such a place for me. I have thought a lot about why it feels this way. It is a place where ALL the staff have been trained to be so helpful to patients and their families; but I think more than that it is a place of yearning. Just as we yearn for our littles ones to be healthy and free of disease and pain, we also yearn for the hand of God in our lives. We especially long for Him in times of sorrow and difficulty. I have met many parents there and have watched stories of courage, endurance and sorrow being lived. I have seen children happily play with toys with tubes and bandages covering their bodies. Yes, sacred things do occur here, most can't be written. When we reach the orange grove we are almost there and I can hear Thomas' pleas from the back seat, "No pokes mommy, no pokes". This time I wanted to stop at the grove and just walk around, I found my own emotions pouring out, "No pokes for mommy either." When I drive past this tree again in the spring, the orange will be orange and we'll be going to Thomas' follow-up. By the way, Emily didn't even remember the hospital.

Preserving Marriage

Just a quick note tonight. I just returned from the LDS Broadcast regarding Prop. 8 here in California. (I guess this blog is for out-of-staters). It was really, really good. I hope it becomes available to the church membership at large; I know Karin also saw it tonight at BYU. All the California residents attending BYU were invited and they are also participating in phone banks there. In fact, in the Wilk they have phone booths set up where anyone can spend as much time as they have making calls to voters in California. So cool! Anyway, sometimes I feel like people are glad they don't live in California because then they don't have to deal with these issues. I don't believe any state will be isolated forever and these are the trials of our generation. For me though, there has been a benefit. I have had to study and decide how I feel about some of these issues, for instance tolerance versus sin. And then I have had the opportunity to listen to the Prophet and the Apostles and attempt to follow them in faith. I have become so convinced of some truths.....I love it! It is great to be able to testify of the truth. (Wow, this is just like Personal Progress) Anyway, I'll be sure to write more later, but check out the video at the bottom of the page from www.PreservingMarriage.org, the bald surfer dude grew up here in our ward. When Matt takes his annual fishing trip to Yellowstone, it is with this family. Be sure to VOTE YES or send money (www.protectmarriage.com)!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Halloween or Die

Thomas is very concerned because I have not set out any Halloween decorations yet. Yesterday he took matters into his own hands. This is the sign that is on my front door. This sign is a testament to me that girls and boys are very different. A girl would have written "Happy Halloween" or "Best Wishes for a Goulish Holiday" or "We are 'batty' but come on in". However boys are concerned only with death, dirt and doodoo (just go so scout camp), thus the sign. Needless to say, I began pulling out decorations this morning. In case I get behind again.....Happy Halloween 28 days early.

My Favorite Place to Hang Out

I love sitting in the swing overlooking the patio and next to the creek. I like to say that Matt built it for me. It's very romantic that way.

A Sweet Experience

I spent last weekend with Karin, mom and my two sisters Peggy and Kelly. Mom had tickets to the Relief Society General Meeting and invited us to attend with her. Kelly is not in the pictures because Jerry raced 100 miles on his bike and she was supporting him and didn't have time to get all the way to Salt Lake City (isn't she a great wife). Karin and I loved the meeting. It is sweet as a mother to have spiritual experiences with your daughter. I will never think of Cumorah's Hill, the Sacred Grove or Palmyra without thinking of our mother/daughter trip there. It's one of my favorite memories.

A Bad Day

Yesterday Thomas came home from school and announced it had been a bad day. He had to be last in line all day, the puzzles were all taken when he finished his math, and he had to drink strawberry milk at lunch (because he was last in line, the regular and chocolate milk was all gone). Thank goodness Friday was crazy hat day, he needed a break.

So Much Joy

Black Rascal Creek runs through my backyard and is an attraction for all sorts of animal life. My backyard is always filled with animal sights and sounds. I've seen raccoons, coyote, skunk, herons, egrets, hawks, hummingbirds, bullfrogs, and foxes right up on my lawn. For the past few mornings several mallards and grebes have gathered early in the pre-dawn hours calling to each other. This creek and the animals that come to visit, is one of my favorite things about my life. In this picture two mallards are just going around the corner away from me. When Matt went out to BBQ our dinner this evening, 12 ducks flew off from the creek.

Motherhood

Do you realize that Americans oppose mothers working outside the home by 2 to 1. However as of the year 2004, 77 % of working women had children between the ages of 6 and 17 and 62% of working women had children under the age of 6.

What Do We Have Against the White Male?

Last week I listened to Bill O'Reilly discuss with a guest as to whether or not Sarah Palin is a good choice for Vice President. The discussion centered on whether or not a "mother" could and should hold such a position. However, this part of the discussion didn't bother me, what did bother me was O'Reilly's comment about her husband. He said that if she became Vice President, he (her husband) was going "to have to step it up". What I wonder is this - is Mr. Palin lounging around on the couch drinking beer and watching Sports Center waiting for his wife to come home and do all the work? I don't know why we can't give any credit to men. I know plenty of them who are hardworking and responsible, but for some reason we continue to belittle the white male. I see this all the time in church meetings. The praise of women is often accompanied by the belittling of men. While I'm sure that there are some male slugs out there, I hate to have my teenage boys hear this kind of talk. I feel like it gives them an excuse to be incompetent, in fact they shouldn't expect anything else of themselves. Let the women rule the world. I imagine that in a family where someone is the Governor of a state both spouses are "stepping it up" even if they are not perfect. I am not making excuses for a family I don't even know. I just think we need to give more credit to the white male. OK one last pet peeve. Why is it that when a mother (without her husband) is on an outing with her children she is credited with caring for her family and when a man (no wife) is out with the children - he is merely babysitting?

Reasons to Support

1 Children in public schools will be taught that both traditional marriage and same-sex marriage are okay.
2 Churches will be sued if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings that are open to the public.
3 Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father.
4 Religions that sponsor private schools and which provide housing for married students will be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if it runs counter to church doctrine.
5 Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages will be sued for hate speech.
6 It will cost you money. A change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits. Think of your church contributions being spent on legal fees.

Proposition 8 Supporters

It's Hard to Say Goodbye

Well, my home feels empty again. In the afternoon, when all the boys arrive home from school, I still feel like someone is missing. I guess it is true. Karin returned to the University yesterday - excitement for her, melancholy for me. Girl friends that are older than me and have sent their own children into the world become my truest friends because they know my heart. When they ask how I'm doing and see a tear in my eye, their eyes tear up too. Without any words said, they know what I am feeling. I am glad not to be the first mother to have these feelings.

Getting Started

Well, here goes. I've thought about doing this for a long time but my greatest fear is letting everyone know that I am not a creative writer (or creative anything). I've read other blogs and am so intimidated by the authors.

So why now? Truly my incentive today is the Proposition 8 battle here in California. I read M. Russel Ballards article on sharing our gospel knowledge and testimony on the Internet in the July Ensign and then today I read through some ideas suggested by our California leaders in charge of gaining support for Prop. 8. One of the suggestions read "Young Single Adults are encouraged to set up blogs". I am happily married so maybe I'm trying to consider myself "young". Anyway, I figure, why not? Even though I may not be able to express myself eloquently, I can share my testimony - simply.

So here goes....