Day 352, Countdown

Countdown to what? The end of vacation? The beginning of a new school year? The end of my 365-day blog goal? Yes to all of the above. Life seems to be about countdowns, doesn't it? And I am already counting down the days till my next trip to Hawaii.

Today Ron, Ellen, and I went and saw Charlie St. Cloud. The critics hated it... said to skip it.... but we liked it... I really liked it. I cried most of the way through it, but thought the message was a meaningful one.... and the acting was great. I suppose with no boob shots, "f" bombs, or graphic violence, the critics lost interest. Apparently the general public shares that sentiment because the theatre was empty. Oh well.

The rest of the day I pretty much slept....and read. Exciting, eh? Well, there was the bit where I had to chase Mick all over the neighborhood....dork dog!

Day 351, Sniffle, sniffle

Thank goodness this week is over. It began in Maui and ended in Lake Elsinore. Is that poetic justice,,,, or just bad luck? If that wasn't bad enough, a couple people showed up sick, so guess who has a sore throat and stuffy nose? Eh hmm. Yah. I don't think that was very nice of those people, do you? Why,,,, do people insist on sharing their germs with others? One guy said to me, after he gave me a great big hello hug,,, "Man, I've been coughing my guts up for the past week...it's been horrible." A big THANK YOU!!! to that fella. A warning BEFORE you hugged me would have been politically correct, don't you think? Remind me next time, and I will sneeze in your capuccino!
THEN, to end the week, one of the staff members came in this morning..could barely utter a sound...and informed me that she had spent the night coughing so hard she coughed up blood...and her throat hurt so bad she couldn't talk. Nice! It took us 30 minutes to convince her that she should go home. Why? We all try to be polite... We say, "You should be home, resting..." Or, "You should go see a doctor..." Or,,, "You are too dedicated...you need to take care of yourself so you can get well..." Yeah. What we are REALLY saying is, "Are you freaking kidding me? You showed up why? Because you insist on making sure we all get sick too? Are you S-T-UPID? What are you thinking? Stay the friggin heck away from me.... idiot!" Ah, but somewhere in the back of our pea-brains, we think that showing up to work when you're sick is noble....and shows strength of character. Blah blah blah! What it shows is that you care more about your reputation with your boss than you do the health and consideration of your colleagues. Guess that's survival of the fittest, right?

Well, this survivor is going to go drink some Nyquil and go to bed. Hopefully, I will wake up cured.

Morons.

Day 350, Wow... 15 more days to go!

What shall I do when my 365 days are up? Continue to blog I guess. Of course,, I will have to keep you updated on the my book.... and on the new job.... and on the grandbabies.... hmmmm...., and I suppose I should give the old RAKs another try (you may have noticed I sort of took a vacation from them... it was too depressing to admit that I'm not a very nice person.) Speaking of RAKs, we had to take a leadership survey today....to determine our strengths and weaknesses. Guess what my strength was? Challenging the system..., My greatest weakness? Ah come on... take a wild guess. .... .... I'll check back with you tomorrow and see if you were right.

Meanwhile..,. I have one more day of summer institute... and it's another early day, so I better hit the hay. For the rest of you...., Enjoy your Friday :)

Only one more week of vacation. Sigh!!!!!

Day 349, Life after vacation

You know what's really fun? Coming home from a vacation in Hawaii...and then getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go back to work. Oh baby.... yeah... that's fun. NOT. I dragged myself through the day---and no, I do not expect anyone to feel sorry for me. I am well aware of the fact that I have no reason to complain about anything. So I'll just suffer in silence :) Usually.... about a week before we go back to work, I start to feel some level of excitement about the upcoming year, and I mentally begin the planning process. But this year, I am so not there. On the contrary, there is a part of me that is sad that I won't be greeting students on the first day of school and going through the beginning of the year acvtivities. Instead, I will report to my cubicle at the district office and wait for someone to tell me what to do. That is so not me.

Enough belly-aching. I am sure once I make the mental shift to my new position, things will begin to fall into place. Sigh. Is it okay that I am already looking forward to next summer? Part of the reason this summer felt so short is because I had to work for almost 3 of the weeks. That won't happen next year.

Better get some sleep.... 5:30 comes really early!

Day 348, Living in a coma

Call it only getting one hour sleep last night, losing three hours in the time difference, or an internal sadness that vacation is over, but today I have existed in a state of near comatose..... My eyelids are heavy and all I want to do is sleep. What's up with that? And tomorrow,,,, I have to get up way early to be at work by 6:30am. Who in the world makes those rules??? That's inhumane.

So for now, I am signing out....and hopefully, as I sleep tonight, I will dream about our next vacation---and our next visit to tropical paradise.

That's all I've got.

Day 347, Leaving paradise

Yes... I will miss the island paradise we're leaving behind. We sat on the beach this morning, and the water looked bluer than ever...It would have been much easier to leave if it had been a yucky day. But... I wouldn't wish a yucky day on anyone.

Our last day wasn't without an adventure, however; we ventured up to Haleakala for a look at the famous crater and a bird's eye view of the island. The view was spectacular from 10,000 feet. Best part? I did not get car sick on the drive to the top :)

I can't leave without thinking of the words to the Beamer Brother's Honolulu City Lights. It's a song I heard for the first time over 30 years ago. Now I understand them. "Looking out upon the city lights, and the stars above the ocean.... Got my ticket for the midnight plane, and it's not easy....to leave again." I have to agree; it's not easy to leave. I am already looking forward to next summer, when hopefully, we will visit the islands again.

This has been the very best vacation ever!!! Many thanks to all the efforts of my husband, who made sure my experience was all I dreamed it would be. Love you honey :)

Aloha from Wailea Beach

Greetings from Wailea Beach :)

It seems that the old saying is true---all good things gotta come to an end, and so it goes with my vacation in paradise. I am sure to write a review when I get home,,, a review which I am certain you are all waiting to read.

Today I went to church in Kihei, which was very interesting, particularly because the service was done in Hawaiin. It was actually a pretty cool experience.

Afterwards, Ron and I went to Wailea, which is one of the prettiest resort areas I've seen in Maui. I loved it. Come to think of it, there aren't many beaches in Maui that I haven't loved. It's simply a beautiful place. If asked to name my favorite of them all, I would respond by saying that I need 4 or 5 more trips to know for sure.

Tomorrow is our last day,,,it will be sad to leave all this behind, but I am so grateful I have had the opportunity to be here.

Hawaii was everything I dreamed it would be, and more.

Day 346, Aloha from the Royal La Haina Luau

These pictures are from the Royal La Haina Luau that we went to last night. Ron upgraded us to VIP seats, so we did not have to wait in the long line outside....instead, we were invited to sit comfortably in the lounge. They sat us in the very front row, right in the center, and we were first to be escorted to the food. It was awesome :) And the pork.... oh man, the pork was yummy!

During dinner, we had hula lessons (yes, I went on stage, and no, there are no pictures of that on my cell phone...) and then watched a show featuring hula dancers---men and women. I have great pictures on my camera,,,, but only a couple that turned out on my phone because it was so dark. I'll post some of the other pictures after I download them from my camera.

 

 

Today, we lounged on the beach, and I finally finished reading my book. AND, when we went snorkeling today, I ventured way out, and I didn't get too scared. I saw tons of fish and beautiful coral reef. It was beautiful. It's still a little freaky for me when I think about being under water....but it really is cool.

Sunburn? Not too bad... I suppose it could be much worse. Know what hurts the most? My scalp! I never thought of protecting it,,, and it hurts like the dickens.

Tonight we ate at "3's." It was very nice... good food, nice setting... and very friendly service. It has a very local "flavor" which I really enjoyed. We ate outside...in the moonlight.

This vacation stuff is pretty awesome!

I love Maui.

Day 345, Got Snuba?

Okay, I never heard of this before until my brother told me about it....a cross between scuba diving and snorkeling....called snuba. Today Ron and I signed up for the Lani Kai cruise to Molokini Island for a snorkeling adventure, and we both decided to give snuba a try. I almost chickened out....Seriously, I almost started crying, and I wanted to throw up in the beginning. I was scared to death..... but after a compelling self-talk conference, which took place in my mind, I convinced myself to try. It took about ten minutes for me to relax and enjoy the experience, but once I did, it was awesome. Don't ask me what kind of fish we saw.... I was too busy breathing, watching our guide, and keeping myself equalized to pay attention. Thank goodness our guide took a bazillion pictures.

By the end of the dive, I realized that this was one of the coolest things I've ever done. And yes, the water really was that blue... unbelievable, isn't it?

Awesome!

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our luau at the Royal La Haina....... It was great!

Have I mentioned that I love Hawaii?

Day 344, Relaxing in Kihei

Today was a day of snorkeling and relaxing at our very own beach in Kihei. We needed a slow day after yesterday's tour of Oahu. We began early...jumped right in and practiceD snorkeling. To my total surprise and delight, we ventured out a little further and over to some rocky areas along the coast, (shown in the distance in this photo.) As we did, we spied several varieties of fish and colorful coral. It was amazing! I am shocked that I was actually able to do it. I think I was able to release some of my fear because I was distracted by the beauty of it all. Mind you, I was probably only in about 8-10 feet of water, but that was pretty deep for me. I kept thinking about how much my kids would enjoy this! I would love to bring them here some day.

These are a couple views from our balcony. Using my cell phoned, the beach appears a little further away than it actually is, but you can get the idea. We leave our parking lot, cross the street, and step onto the beach. Changing our room has made a huge difference in the enjoyment of our vacation. I'm so glad Ron was able to make that happen for us. It's surprising what a difference a view makes :)

Tomorrow we will be sailing on over the Molokini to do some "real" snorkeling, and if I can muster the courage, I will try snuba. I am praying for a sunny day, because when the clouds block the sun, the water looks dark and scary!!! So, please join me and pray for lots of sunshine tomorrow morning, ok? Believe it or not, I am quite nervous about our excursion.....but if I don't at least give it a try, I will always regret it. So,,,, I'm scared..... but I'm going to give it a whirl tomorrow. Stay tuned to find out how it went. Maybe I'll rent an underwater camera and take some pictures...??? Well, we'll see. (I put that last part in just for you, Ron ;)

Tonight, Ron took out a second mortgage on our house and bought some fresh fish. Then he made an amazing fish dinner.... Ono.... and a delicious fresh mango/pineapple salsa to go on top. It was yummy!! The pineapple here is definitely to die for.

Tune in tomorrow, for more updates. I am in Heaven!!!

Day 343, Aloha from Oahu!

Greetings from the Island of Oahu! Today began with a 3:45am wake up call. Aye aye aye..... but it was worth all the effort. Ron and I flew over to Oahu for an all-day tour of the island. It was awesome. We spent most of our time along the North Shore areas....saw the LDS temple, BYU Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Dole Plantation, and the Pipeline, to name a few. I was blown away by the lush landscape and local flavor of the area.

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC,) stunned me. I was not expecting such a huge place with so much going on throughout the day. We were there for about 3 hours, and could easily have spent more time.

The shows we saw were fun....and the canoe parade was awesome. They had dancers from Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand. These dancers are the ones from Samoa....they were one of my favorite.

The PCC is surrounded by some of the prettiest landscape---waterfalls, flowers, trees--it's simply breathtaking. Everywhere I looked I wanted to take pictures....I had my phone camera in one hand (because that's the fastest way for me to get pictures on my blog,) and my digital camera in the other. You could say I was a bit excited. We went on a canoe tour of the grounds which gave us a great sampling of the various cultural backgrounds.

Before we got to the PCC, we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I am embarrased to admit this, but I kind of sort of thought pineapples grew underground. How dumb is that? I was shocked when I saw pineapples growing in bushes :)

One of the biggest highlights of my day was Pearl Harbor. It was actually our first stop on the tour. I really needed about another hour there in order to soak it all in, and there is a lot to soak in! This caused a stirring of some negative emotions in me... I was surprised by how angry I felt about the attack on Pearl Harbor, and I had an intense feeling of sadness...a foreboding, that is difficult to describe in words. It was eerie standing on the Arizona Memorial and looking down at the actual ship, knowing that there are bodies entombed there. I knew about the oil and the bubbles, people have told me about that for years, but I did not realize I would be able to see the ship. I thought about Art O'Keefe and all his stories about that day. It is amazing to have known someone who was actually a first hand witness of that day. He was only 15 years old, and watched it all from the deck of a neighboring ship.

All in all, this was a fabulous day.... Tiring and long... but fabulous! It's an experience I will never forget.

Day 342, Maui Wowie

Greetings from the Island of Maui. Today Ron and I tried snorkeling for the first time. Too bad we don't have any pictures to document that. We were like Laurel and Hardy out there. Both of us are determined to be good at it by the end of the week. My problem is that I am afraid of ocean water....deep water that surrounds you on all sides.... it totally freaks me out. Ron's problem is that he doesn't swim---definitely problematic when you snorkel. Will we rise to the challenge? Stay tuned.

This morning my hero of a husband contacted the management of our unit and requested a room change. Tomorrow, while we are visiting the Island of Oahu, they are going to move all our things to a different unit...one with a better view (we hope.) I will keep you posted on that one.

You can't tell from this picture...., my phone is not a great camera, but I just have to say that the Maui sunset tonight was beautiful. The sky lit up with all kinds of colors---shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, blue.... it was amazing. Postcards are not an exaggeration.... it really is that good.

Today we drove up to Lahaina and walked around the shops, had happy hour at the Hula Bar and Grill, and enjoyed live music while looking out over the ocean. It's the stuff that dreams are made of.... my dreams, at least. It was a great day!!

Tomorrow we get up at 3:45am and get ready for a 5am flight to Oahu. I am so excited to see Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We also get fresh pineapple from the Dole plantation--and a buffet luncheon at the PCC. Yum! It will be a long day, but we are looking forward to it. Tune in tomorrow for details.

Day 341, Aloha from Maui :)

I finally made it to Hawaii.... Yay!! I'm thrilled to be here. Ron and I watched the sunset on the beach...it was beautiful. Our condo is a bit of a let down....we have a view of a tree and a parking lot :(... but.. on the other hand.... we are right across the street from the beach, and it is gorgeous. The water is warmer than California beaches,,, but still much colder than I expected. I will let you know tomorrow after I try snorkeling....that should be very interesting....because I don't know how to breathe out of my mouth. Ron and I took a walk through some of the shops in "downtown" Kihei tonight... that was very cool. Tomorrow we rent our snorkel gear....and head to the beach. I think we will have to have fish and chips too ;) I will keep you posted on how things go... right now,, I am just really happy to finally be here.

Oh... it may be 12:58 your time... but in Hawaii it's only 9:58,,,, so I am well within my posting time.

Can't wait to explore the island this week......and relax on the beach. The sky is freaking amazing!!

Day 340, Wow,,, Only 25 days to go!

Aloha! No, I'm not in Hawaii yet, just practicing. Today I went to church with three of my children...I enjoyed that. Taylor was one of the adult speakers, and he did a good job. He spoke about the worth of souls, and I kept thinking about the lives that Andrew is impacting by serving a mission...and how much he loves the people of Peru. Soon, Taylor will embark on a similar journey, with similar opportunities to bring souls to Christ. When you consider how many potential lives may be changed (via posterity,) when one person recieves the gospel, it can be staggering.

This afternoon, we all gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's house for hamburgers and cake. Nice combo, eh? Wes and Safa were there with their kids too. I know it makes my mom and dad happy to have their family around them.... even though after a couple hours, it begins to take its toll on them. I am so grateful to have them...and that they have been such a major part of my kids' lives. They have been, and remain, a tremendous blessing to us all.

Tomorrow morning, I leave for a week in paradise. Aloha :)

Day 339, Count down to paradise

Two more days..... Tonight I sleep, tomorrow I pack, Monday we land in Maui. How cool is that?

Today was girl's day... Kathy and I walked this morning and got caught up on things....Then I took Raechel and Ellen for pedicures, lunch, and a movie----"Eclipse." Then we stopped off at Grandma and Grandpa's to say hi. I love having my girls with me.

My eyelids are heavy....Aching to close!!! I am getting sleepy...sleepy.... sleeeeeeeeeeee....ppp.......................yyyyy......

Day 338, Oops

Yeah.... I missed the midnight deadline again..... Oh well. We went to the airport to pick up Raechel tonight... yay :) Good to see her. And that means that I am one step closer to Hawaii. Busy day.... got my oil changed (and they messed up my tires,) helped Ellen bathe Billy, ran errands, walked four miles... [Where are the violins? There should be violins by now,] and had to deal with the bank.... and five minute request that ended up taking over two hours. Yeah, THAT was fun.

Time for bed....Looking forward to girl's day out tomorrow.

Day 337, Holy Wacky Weather Batman!

So I'm sitting in the nail salon, watching the sky turn black, when all of sudden I see huge bolts of lightning strike the ground....Wow. I thought for a moment I had traveled to another state or something. There were several lightning strikes, and then the fire trucks came. I wasn't sure where the strikes hit exactly, but the thunder was exceedingly loud. One of the customers in the salon got a call from a family member in Murrieta telling her that they were in the middle of a terrential downpour.

The elements are in commotion.... isn't that one of the prophesies of the last days? It definitely is one of the natural consequences of global warming. But hey,,,, global warming is just a myth, right? Isn't that what the government wants us to believe?

The lightning strikes continued after I got home, and you should have seen the circus in our house. Billy, our sweetheart of an old dog who is scared of his own shadow, came bolting into the house and turned circles in our family room....too nervous to lie down, too scared to leave the room. Mick, our neurotic and deaf dog, sat with a confused expression on his face....couldn't hear the commotion, but knew something was wrong..... And then there's the cats. What a crack up! Topaz, affectionately re-named, To-Spaz, jumped six feet and flew like a crazy cat out of the room and down the hall. She tore through the house with lightning speed. It was hysterical. Then, all the animals came together with the humans in the family room to wait out the storm. You know, they say pets reflect their owners' personalities... well, in that case, we have a house full of neurotic, paranoid, crazy people.

No comments please.

Raechel comes tomorrow.... Yippeeeee!

Day 336, Summer has arrived

It is now officially HOT in Temecula.
There goes the electric bill.

Had a very quick lunch with the girls today to celebrate Joyce's 74th birthday. Had to fly out early to be there for Taylor, who was having his wisdom teeth pulled. We are one step closer to getting those mission papers ready.

Five more days till Hawaii. I can't wait!

Day 335, Short and Sweet

Don't bother me, I'm reading.

Day 334, Hey,,,, 31 days left!

31 days. That's a month, for those of you who were unable to make the connection. :)

I have to be honest... I don't feel like writing right now. It's hot. My mind is in a million different places...and I'm suffering from a bout of resentment flu. Hmmm. Think I'll go look up an inspirational thought. Be right back. .... ..... .........

~~~"There are two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give." ~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

There. I feel better already. I have much to be grateful for, in the grand scheme of things, I am very very blessed. I love my husband--and he's a good man. I love my children--and they are good kids. I love my friends--and they would be at my side if ever I find myself in a tight spot. I love the gospel--thank goodness for the gospel of forgiveness. Without forgiveness I would be nothing. I need to remember that when resentment flu sets in. Forgiveness is cleansing; resentment will only hurt me in the long run.

Everything will be okay. Those are some of my most favorite words in the world. Another favorite saying? This too shall pass. God willing, I will have another birthday this year ;)

Day 333, Scattered showers and a chance of sunshine

She's getting big, isn't she? They grow fast, and before you know it, They are almost 23 years old and flying home for a visit in five more days. Astounding, the concept of time. And even more intriguing to realize that it only exists, as we know it, on our planet. Ever wonder how people age on other planets?

 

Today I played the organ in Sacrament. It occurred to me that there is so much about the organ that I have not even begun to master. It's an interesting and almost intimidating instrument....much different than the piano. The piano is more forgiving.

Ellen gave a talk about families. She did a great job. Bless her heart, she misses having her brothers and her sister around. She is stuck with only Ron and I as companions. I'm glad she still likes hanging out with us,,,,it will be a sad day for us both when the inevitable happens---driver's license, boys, college..... It makes me sad to know it will all come to an end in the next three years. I, for one, do not think I will take the empty nest well. Always thought I would welcome the day when the house was quiet, but now I fear that a quiet house will just be a lonely house. How do mother's do it? It's no wonder grandchildren are spoiled. I hope my kids will stay as close to me as I have to my parents....and that they will live close to me. I know that it asking for a lot,,,,and it's unlikely to happen,,,but I will hope nonetheless.

Time to write to Andrew. My Boo Boo will be 21 in just a few more days. Aye aye aye!!!

Day 332, Purple skies and gray clouds

Strange weather we're having, eh? It's as if it can't decide if it's summer, spring, or fall. Love those clouds that come in at night...makes me feel like I live at the ocean. This morning Ron and I walked down to the gym and worked out. Then I made up strawberries for my mom and dad, and then I went to the temple. All in a day's work.

Tonight Ron made fried green tomatoes and shrimp scampi. Yum yum! Oh, and can't forget the butterscotch pie. So much for working out this morning. Next week,,, I am going get nails for my Hawaii trip. Only nine more days! Can't believe I'm finally going after all these years. Would love to lose another 5 pounds before then,,,,, impossible??? Hmmm.

Day 331, Friday night at the movies

Tonight finds Ron and I alone once again. We went to the movies to see Robin Hood with Russell Crowe (I enjoyed it,) and then to dinner at Blarney's. And what are we doing now? What do you think? We are sitting in our La-Z-Boy chairs watching British television.

Ron had his best game of golf ever today.... Shot an 84... Cool, eh?

I had lunch with Roxanne....very nice.

I am contemplating my plans for the upcoming week.... thinking how I might maximize my summer days off. I feel a plan formulating.... just don't know if I can pull it off. After all, I have portraits next week, and Taylor is getting his wisdom teeth pulled.... so,,, hmmm.... ????

Day 330, What happened to summer?

Why am I putting on sweats in the morning,,,when it's the middle of July? Why? I fear a very late and long summer is before us...which means no Fall. Should I complain? After all, am I not the one who brags through January and February that I am still wearing shorts?

My first blog was July 17th, one year this month. I wrote about the day I stopped writing. I didn't start my "blog a day for a year" until August, but I figure next Saturday is my official one year blog birthday. Sounds like a good reason for to celebrate, eh? Only 35 days left to make my blog a day goal. Hard to believe.

RAKs seem to be falling by the wayside.... and my famous quotes have all but quit.... Guess I should remedy that and end strong, eh? At least I've had my daily puppy going...and my daily inspirational thought.... but I wonder if anybody ever notices them? They are so far down on the blog page, that I doubt they are ever appreciated. And... guess what? My followers disappeared....Poof! Like magic! What's up with that?

Ellen finished the second book in the Hunger Games series. She read it in one day.... just like her big sister. Yup, it's that good.

Oh... I have an RAK today.... I went to Costco for my mom and dad. Truthfully, even though I bought stuff for us too, I would not have gone if my dad had not asked, so I'm counting it as an act of kindness.

I have been eating plums from my dad's tree.... I LOVE plums! I could be a plum.

I still have a belly ache. Too many plums? Nah... that's impossible.

Day 329--Part Two, More Disney...

There's the chicken that might be doing the chicken dance inside my stomach as we speak. Why are we smiling? Because the waiter fired up the heater behind us, and we were finally warm. This is where we stayed for the rest of the evening,,, doing what ladies do best.... eating, talking, and laughing. Where's the chocolate?

Oh, by the way, This counts as an extra post,,, so I am now ahead of myself.

Germany lost the World Cup. Sigh. That was disappointing.

Day 329, Ahhhhgggrrrrr! Aye Matey

Well, you know what they say, while the cat's away, the mice will play. :) You know, ya gotta wonder .... these poor guys are probably thinking, You have GOT to be kidding!! These women are freakin OLD!!! But we didn't care, we were having fun.

Here we are on Pirates of the Carribean....It took some coaxing, but we convinced Joyce to get on the ride. How cute is she? Ah, girls gone wild :) I love the expression on Joyce's face...she looks so guilty!

Today my stomach hurts...It's been an Alka Selzer and Pepto Bismo day. Not much of an appetite... that's a sure sign something ain't right. Missed my visit with Jane this morning, that was a bummer.

Day 328, Oops.... A day late and a dollar short!

Greetings from Disneyland.... Yeah, I realize I did not post last night....because I got home around 1am and was too tired,,,,but I'll make good on my committment, and I will post twice today. Such lucky readers!

As you can see, I spent the day at Disneyland...my first time in about 12 years, and my first time to see California Adventure. I went with three friends....and I realized that since I've had children, I have never gone to Disneyland without them (and then, only twice that I can remember.) It was sort of strange to be there and not be worried about somebody stealing one of my babies, or one of them getting LOST----Andrew!! I find that even at 48 years old, I still get excited when I see the Disney characters. They make me smile . Best part of my day was sitting at the Plaza for two hours under the heaters (it was colder than sin,) just talking with the girls and waiting for the fireworks--which were amazing.

Today my stomach hurts. Food poison? Sun poison? Dunno.... but I'm not feeling the happy this morning.

Day 327, Random Rumblings

Today I have a belly ache...not because I ate too much or ate the wrong things.... but because I like to read. I know, that makes no sense at all,,,,but if weren't for me reading, I would have paid attention to how long I had been laying in the sun. Yeah, I had on plenty of sunscreen, but apparently, 3 hours in the sun on white skin is too much. Hmmm. Go figure. I am now a perfect model of neopolitan ice cream. And my tummy hurts.

Tomorrow I'm going to Disneyland. First time in about ten years. It's the happiest place on earth, right? My biggest dilemna? Deciding what to wear....You just never know what to expect with OC weather. Sandals or tennis shoes? Shorts or pants? Jacket or no jacket? Decisions decisions decisions.

My favorite quote from Eclipse ---- Jacob to Edward, "I'm hotter than you." And Edward's wordless response said it all. I think I liked that tent scene the best because Bella was asleep and I didn't have to see her one and only facial expression. Aye aye aye!

Got my weekly e-mail from Andrew today. Next week he'll be 21 years old. Wow. It was strange enough when Raechel turned 21,,, now Andrew? What's the world coming to? I miss my son.

I think I want to buy a Kindle someday.

Did I mention my tummy hurts?

Day 326, Happy Birthday America!

Happy Fourth of July everyone :) I hope your day was full of fabulous fun, fireworks, and family bar-b-ques!!! Wish all of our family could be with us today. Here's our grandbaby enjoying her first 4th of July on the beach.

How grateful I am to live in this country. I rant and rave about our flaws, but I am ever reminded that we are blessed to live in the promised land---prepared from the beginning to be a land of religious freedom where the gospel could be restored in its fullness. I think of the Saints who sacrificed so much to travel here so they could be part of that restoration. And I think about the price that was paid for our Independence from all other nations. And then I remember the time I spent a week outside of our country's borders, and how I understood what people felt when they say they kissed the ground when they came home. I am grateful to be an American citizen.

Today Charlene and I played our organ/piano duet of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I was nervous, knees knocked with unnatural rapidity, but I got through it. Whew! And I didn't mess up my solo :) Hopefully, the congregation was moved. Then I did an "on the fly" Sunday School lesson for Ellen's class. That was fun. AND then, I taught the lesson in Young Women's. It was awesome to be with the young women again.

Oh guess what? I got a new calling today. I am now the choir director for our ward. When you stop laughing, I'll continue.................. Okay, that's quite enough. It's not THAT funny!!! I may not be able to sing a lick, but I know good music when I hear it :) 

DAy 325, Wow, only 40 days left!

Forty days...until my blog obligation is fulfilled. Wow,,, what will I do with all my spare time? Write my sequel perhaps? Tonight I actually completed a chapter....Hip hip Hurray. I hope to see some improvement in my writing this time around,,,, but so far, it all feels very familiar. Hmmmm.

Tomorrow is Fourth of July,,, and I am playing a piano/organ duet with Charlene. We're playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It's one of my favorites. I know the piece well,,,, but have a major fear of choking when I play the solo parts in front of the congregation. I am praying for a miracle....that the Angels will play with me tomorrow...and that the piece will bring the Spirit to the members of our Ward. It definitely has the potential. Afterwards, I will be teaching a lesson to the Young Women's group. That should be fun.

Right now, I'm about to fall asleep at my computer.... my eyes are heavy!!!! They just want to close.... close..... clossseseeeeeeeeeeee.

Oops...  goodnight everybody :)

Day 324, Breathing a sigh of relief

I'm 48 years old, and for the first time, I have a complete living room set---one that wasn't second-hand, that is. So, welcome to my living room, and this unsolicited ad for Ashley Home Furnishings. At the end of the day, we moved the sofa sleeper out, the dual leather reclyner up, the bunk bed in, and the couch to its final resting place.

Know anyone who needs a sofa sleeper? Hate to get rid of it, but we have run out of rooms.

Today Charlene and I went and saw Eclipse together. Much better than the other two Twilight movies. In the tent scene between Jacob and Edward, Robert Pattinson FINALLY pulled off the role of Edward. For the first time, he looked and acted just the way I had Edward pictured in my mind. And, thank my lucky stars, Edward finally smiles in this movie. It's about time. Now,,,, if they could just turn Kristen Stewart into a real actress with more than one facial expression, maybe she could pull off a Bella. ... Nah. Probably not. Disappointing was the final scene of the movie. They left out the whole, "Deals off," part (one of the steamiest parts of the book if you ask me,) and gave Bella a monologue that was anything BUT Bella, if you know anything about her character in the book. I won't spoil it for you, but it was all wrong, and totally out of form. So, there's my movie critique for the day. Oh, best part? The fight scene. Wait, this would be incomplete if I didn't tell you about the very OLD man that decided to sit right next to Charlene. Obviously, he did not read the books, nor see the first two movies. He laughed through the entire movie, and made comment after comment. Seriously, he was almost as entertaining as the movie, but bordered on annoying. I'm glad he wasn't sitting next to me. I might have gone German on him :)

It will be fun to see the movie again with both my girls. Two weeks from today, and Raechel will be here.

Hmmm. The house is strangely quiet right now. And I just realized it's midnight. How eerie.

Day 323, Shop till you drop!

Today began with a 4-mile walk with Ellen. For some reason, I was weak, but Ellen told me that it's all in my head. So, tomorrow I will tell myself there is no pain, and I feel good, and I can run a marathon. Think that will work? And while I'm at it, I'll will a money tree to grow in my backyard. Oh, and I'll will ten more pounds away too. There.... you see? Piece of cake. All in my mind!!!

After my walk, we went to see my mom and celebrate her birthday....ate chocolate cake and put fresh new sheets on her bed. Happy Birthday Mom :)

Then it was off to Kohls for a small shopping spree for Ellen---so she can be set for her week with big sister. Can't wait to see Raechel in a couple weeks!!!

RAKs---Ron made fried green tomatoes... Yum! Ya gotta love the south :)

Didn't get to see Eclipse yet... Gotta get that on the agenda asap. Furniture tomorrow. Ron needs to leave town for a couple hours. What  he doesn't know, won't hurt him, right?