These days, I struggle with getting the kids to go to church. I can't seem to get them to want to come with me. So, I go without them.
Then, I see all their friends sitting with their families. Those parents don't have any difficulty getting their kids to attend... why do I? I know that later, after Sacrament meeting, Will's friends will walk over to our house to try to convince him to come to Sunday School with them. He usually turns them away. But that never stops them from trying.
I have asked around about this dilemma before. I know many people (my parents included) who have told me; "I simply didn't give them a choice. If they want to live under my roof, they have to attend church."
Really?
Are you really ready and willing to let your child move out of your house at the age of 15, because you forced him/her to go to church or get out? Do you really think that forcing them to attend will give them a firm belief in the gospel? It is more likely to give them a firm and abiding dislike of their parents. Because, let's face it. Most kids are trapped by that statement. They can 'run away' to a friend's house and the parents will just have the courts drag them back, since the parents are the legal guardians. And let's just analyze the Christian content of that statement. Did Christ force people to follow him, or believe in him? So, should I force my children to be good Christians by attending Sunday meetings? Those sort of absolute (and ignorant) statements are not Christian in nature, and are not helpful to me in trying to find a way to inspire my children to want to attend church.
To me, that ranks right up there with; "I won't let my son get his driver's license until he earns his Eagle Scout."
Wow. That is very manipulative. What does one have to do with the other? Do you make your daughters get their Young Woman's Recognition Award before they get their licenses, too? (The answer, there, by the way, has almost always been 'no'.) So. Sexist and manipulative. I see.
Anyway, it makes me very sad to know that my kids don't see church as a means of getting closer to Christ. They don't see the gospel, they see the imperfect people there who are trying to live the gospel. Or not. There is some hypocrisy in every congregation. Goodness knows, I am probably one of the worst offenders there.
I don't have any answers here. The only thing I know how to do is tell them it makes me sad, and ask them to come to church. If not for themselves, then at least come for me. I am their mother. I am not asking them to do anything that would be bad, dangerous, or make them break any personal/moral codes. It seems like such a small gift to give me, if only they would.
And I pray for them.
Today's message in Sacrament Meeting was actually about Sacrament Meeting itself. You may recall that I told you there are two other meetings after Sacrament, making church attendance on Sunday last 3 hours. Of all the meetings, Sacrament is supposed to be the most important, and the most reverent. So people can feel the spirit and come away feeling uplifted. So less active congregation members and visitors to the congregation can feel welcome.
Our meetings are often loud. Before the Bishop starts the meeting, there are usually loud conversations going on. People arranging appointments and activities (for visits or for scout stuff, that sort of thing), or just catching up on each others lives since they saw one another last Sunday. When the Bishop stands up to the pulpit, people hurry to their seats for the meeting to start. This is not isolated to my congregation, either. It tends to be a church wide phenomenon. The speakers today reminded us that such visiting is appropriate out in the foyer, not in the chapel. The chapel should be a place of reverence and introspection. Of course, we can't possibly force little children to be silent, and parents have always struggled with teaching children how to be reverent in the chapel, but how ironic that the adults have to be reminded of the very thing they try to teach their children!
After the meeting, as I approached the pulpit to give the Bishop my tithing, one of my visiting teachers came up to me. Visiting Teachers are a program in the church where two ladies are partnered up and assigned some other ladies in the congregation to visit monthly and make sure they are doing well. In theory, a great system. With a lot of love and friendship, a beautiful system. It builds community and provides the opportunity for both service and a way to seek help if needed.
Well, as I said, one of my visiting teachers came up to me as I was standing in the chapel, at the pulpit, giving the Bishop my tithing. She asked if they (both ladies) could come visit this afternoon. I wonder if she was even aware of the irony of her request following the message we just received?
I said 'yes'.
Then I skipped out on the rest of church so I could clean my house for the expected visit. I will admit, though, that I was going to go home anyways, so I can't really blame her for skipping Sunday School. But I really hadn't intended to clean house on the Sabbath.
Oh well.
Lacrosse
Today seemed to be a day dedicated to my son, Will. I spent the morning with him, helping him with his Algebra 2 homework assignment. We had to put that on hold, however, while we went to his lacrosse game; which was held up in Bountiful. That's about a 40 min. drive north of here, passing through Salt Lake City. His team lost, but his friend, Dallan, who plays an attack position, did make one of our team's scores! Will plays defense, so he doesn't make scores. But he was kept plenty busy, since the other team kept driving down to score against us.
Will's team is pretty raw. We arrived early enough for team warm ups, and I noticed (from afar) that Will and his friend, Dallan, seemed to be directing the warm ups. It appears that they are stepping into sort of leadership roles since they are the older boys on the team, and have played for a few years, now.
The varsity game was held just before Will's game. It was a much more intense game! The score was very close. The players and coaches were much more on edge because of it. At one point, one of the refs threatened to call off the game if the sideline didn't cool it. There really is no reason to get that worked up about these games! The fall league is meant to be fun and has no tournament or other reason to get worked up about who wins and who loses. The lacrosse league is also much more strict about spectator behavior, too. I used to cringe over parent behavior at Will's football games... and that was back when he was in elementary school! I am glad that the parents are so low key at lacrosse. I spent part of the varsity game chatting amicably with a mother from the opposing team. Everyone is so friendly and no one is screaming at the refs, players, or coaches. Of course, that could be because most of us have no idea what the rules are to this game our sons have decided to play! Most of us have no idea why the ref even blew the whistle, let alone whether it was a fair call or not!
Still, it was a beautiful, blue sky fall afternoon; with a cool breeze that made the sunshine comfortable. I really do love fall here!
After lacrosse, and some grocery shopping, Will and I went out to do some more practice driving. He is still most comfortable on country roads, but is willing to venture forth into some quiet residential streets. He also did a bunch of 'touch and go's' in the parking stalls at a local elementary school's empty parking lot. 'Touch and go' is a flying term for practice take-offs and landings. I used to ride along with my Dad as he did 'touch and go's' in a little two-seater Cessna single prop airplane when I was about Will's age. Will's 'touch and go's' were of the parking variety.
Now Will is outside, setting up a back yard camp-out (complete with campfire); and I am inside, settling in to wait for the wandering teenager, Helena, who is off at the Homecoming dance on a double date with her best friend, Megan. I will write more about that tomorrow when I have heard about all of her adventures.
AF is in the white jerseys. Will is on the far right.
#22 is Will's friend, Dallan. He plays an attack position.
Will running to get the ball before the other team does.
Will is #14.
Will's team is pretty raw. We arrived early enough for team warm ups, and I noticed (from afar) that Will and his friend, Dallan, seemed to be directing the warm ups. It appears that they are stepping into sort of leadership roles since they are the older boys on the team, and have played for a few years, now.
Will is on the right.
Lacrosse is pretty action packed, with people being smacked by sticks, tripped by sticks, or just being bashed into!
Will is in the middle of this shot, with his long pole angled down.
Will is the front runner on the left of this shot.
Still, it was a beautiful, blue sky fall afternoon; with a cool breeze that made the sunshine comfortable. I really do love fall here!
After lacrosse, and some grocery shopping, Will and I went out to do some more practice driving. He is still most comfortable on country roads, but is willing to venture forth into some quiet residential streets. He also did a bunch of 'touch and go's' in the parking stalls at a local elementary school's empty parking lot. 'Touch and go' is a flying term for practice take-offs and landings. I used to ride along with my Dad as he did 'touch and go's' in a little two-seater Cessna single prop airplane when I was about Will's age. Will's 'touch and go's' were of the parking variety.
Country (and lake) view while driving.
Spin Class
Last night, when I entered the spin cycle room, I noticed immediately that someone else was on my bike!
Grrr!
Okay, so it isn't really my bike. But you know how it is, you get used to using a specific machine and everyone just sort of has 'their space' in the room?
It threw me off for just a moment, and I stood there just inside the doorway, forlornly looking around at the other stationary bikes and debating which one to try out. Not all of them work well, and about half of them don't have the clipless pedals that I need to go with my shoes.
The funny thing, though, is that once I chose a bike, it turned out to have better functioning pedals (my 'old' bike was very difficult to clip into) and a smoother ride. The tension knob was much more loosey goosey. My 'old' bike only needed fractional turns to ratchet up the tension. This bike needed full on turns of the knob to get the job done.
The lady who took my spot ended up leaving early, but by then I had forgiven her. We can be so silly sometimes about the most random things.
By the way, tonight was my last outdoor swim of the season. The bubble gets installed this weekend. The whole rec center will undergo a general cleaning for the week and re-open the following weekend. So, I'll have to do all my exercising outside next week and skip my swimming workouts. Once the place opens again, I will be able to return to swimming, just indoors.
Transformation
What does it take to transform yourself into a new person?
Time and effort.
And more time.
And more effort.
And more time.
And more effort....
...repeated forever.
I was the couch potato type. I 'exercised' 30 minutes once or twice a week on an elliptical and felt so self righteous that I had made that 'effort'. I felt cheated that I was winded just walking up stairs, and that my pants were too tight. I was exercising, after all, and I wasn't really all that fat.
The fact is, the 'effort' was negligible and two workouts a week is not enough. We are meant to MOVE! Our bodies were built for movement. And not just a little bit of it.
What made me start the transformation I am currently undergoing?
I was asked to participate in a 5K in the summer of 2010. I was on the Steel Days committee (our local city's summer celebration) and we were all asked to support the 5K director by participating. Of course, you didn't see the other committee members all submit artwork to the art show; my committee assignment. Still, I thought I could do that.
I could, but only barely. At the time, 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) seemed like a HUGE distance to move my body. I had no stamina. I couldn't run. I couldn't jog. I walked most of the distance. It took me almost 48 minutes. There were elderly people finishing faster than me. There were obese people finishing before me.
I was so ashamed.
Once upon a time, I was on a swim team. Once upon a time, I competed in international ballroom dance. True, I wasn't some super-athlete, but I had a body I could rely on and I had adventures!
I decided I just couldn't let that be the end of it. We have had an annual pass to the city rec center for over 10 years, now. It is only a block away from my house, so it just made sense to maintain access to it, even if I neglected to go more often than not. It isn't big and fancy like a Gold's Gym, but it has everything I could possibly need for this journey.
I shifted from the elliptical to the treadmill. I had observed that the skinnier people used the treadmills and the chunkier people stayed on the ellipticals. Fine. So, the treadmills became my machine of choice. I can now tell you that a treadmill will definitely give you a tougher workout than an elliptical machine.
I spent months just walking, then speed walking on the treadmill several times a week. I didn't get all dedicated to daily exercise, at first. I was doing good if I got there 3-4 days a week. But I no longer watched the time. I watched the distance. 5K every time.
Slowly, so you'd barely notice, I was getting faster. Every time the challenge was to just improve my time. Even if by a tiny bit. But, oh, how I ached!
I ached EVERYWHERE! My hips hurt. My thighs hurt. I got shin splints from time to time that required care. I groaned like an old lady every time I sat down or stood up. And my FEET!!! Oh my gosh! Every morning it was agony to put my weight on my feet first thing.
I can't tell you what kept me going through the aches and pain. Each morning I hobbled out of bed knowing that the pain would be temporary and would subside in 5 minutes, once I got moving! Each workout that started out so tough would get better once I passed that 'wall' of toughness about 5 minutes into it. 5 minutes became the magic number. If I could just survive the first 5 minutes, I could actually enjoy the rest of it.
The biggest motivator for me, though, was the incredible feeling I got after a workout! I was HAPPY! The endorphins that exercise give you are such a natural high.
One day, I decided to keep going after I hit the 5K mark. Just to see.
I went 7 miles in 90 minutes. Holy cow! I did some mental math and thought, could I do a half marathon? Could I really move for 13.1 miles?!? The 7 miles weren't that hard. I decided I would train for a half marathon!
I completed my first half marathon 3 months later. I'm not gonna lie. That was HARD! I walked parts of it. I was sore for a full week afterward. BUT I DID IT!!! In 2 hours, 43 minutes.
I completed another half marathon 6 weeks later and improved my time by 10 minutes. 2 hours and 33 minutes! And I recovered after only a couple of days. Two months after that, I completed my first sprint triathlon. 600m swim, 12 mi. bike, 5K run. Remember swim team? Oh yeah!
Now, I am cross training. Exercising 6 days a week. Two days of swimming, two days of running, two days of biking. I don't wake up sore. I don't have to get past the 5 minute barrier anymore. I have MUSCLES! But, best of all, my heart is strong and I feel 10 years younger. My current goal is to complete my first full marathon next spring...
... and complete an Ironman in the summer of 2013!
My current stats?
5K (3.1 mi.) run: 27 min. 30 sec.
1 mi. swim: 40 min.
14 mi. bike: 1 hour
Life is full of adventure! You won't find it on your couch.
Get up and MOVE!
Time and effort.
And more time.
And more effort.
And more time.
And more effort....
...repeated forever.
I was the couch potato type. I 'exercised' 30 minutes once or twice a week on an elliptical and felt so self righteous that I had made that 'effort'. I felt cheated that I was winded just walking up stairs, and that my pants were too tight. I was exercising, after all, and I wasn't really all that fat.
The fact is, the 'effort' was negligible and two workouts a week is not enough. We are meant to MOVE! Our bodies were built for movement. And not just a little bit of it.
What made me start the transformation I am currently undergoing?
I was asked to participate in a 5K in the summer of 2010. I was on the Steel Days committee (our local city's summer celebration) and we were all asked to support the 5K director by participating. Of course, you didn't see the other committee members all submit artwork to the art show; my committee assignment. Still, I thought I could do that.
I could, but only barely. At the time, 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) seemed like a HUGE distance to move my body. I had no stamina. I couldn't run. I couldn't jog. I walked most of the distance. It took me almost 48 minutes. There were elderly people finishing faster than me. There were obese people finishing before me.
I was so ashamed.
Once upon a time, I was on a swim team. Once upon a time, I competed in international ballroom dance. True, I wasn't some super-athlete, but I had a body I could rely on and I had adventures!
I decided I just couldn't let that be the end of it. We have had an annual pass to the city rec center for over 10 years, now. It is only a block away from my house, so it just made sense to maintain access to it, even if I neglected to go more often than not. It isn't big and fancy like a Gold's Gym, but it has everything I could possibly need for this journey.
I shifted from the elliptical to the treadmill. I had observed that the skinnier people used the treadmills and the chunkier people stayed on the ellipticals. Fine. So, the treadmills became my machine of choice. I can now tell you that a treadmill will definitely give you a tougher workout than an elliptical machine.
I spent months just walking, then speed walking on the treadmill several times a week. I didn't get all dedicated to daily exercise, at first. I was doing good if I got there 3-4 days a week. But I no longer watched the time. I watched the distance. 5K every time.
Slowly, so you'd barely notice, I was getting faster. Every time the challenge was to just improve my time. Even if by a tiny bit. But, oh, how I ached!
I ached EVERYWHERE! My hips hurt. My thighs hurt. I got shin splints from time to time that required care. I groaned like an old lady every time I sat down or stood up. And my FEET!!! Oh my gosh! Every morning it was agony to put my weight on my feet first thing.
I can't tell you what kept me going through the aches and pain. Each morning I hobbled out of bed knowing that the pain would be temporary and would subside in 5 minutes, once I got moving! Each workout that started out so tough would get better once I passed that 'wall' of toughness about 5 minutes into it. 5 minutes became the magic number. If I could just survive the first 5 minutes, I could actually enjoy the rest of it.
The biggest motivator for me, though, was the incredible feeling I got after a workout! I was HAPPY! The endorphins that exercise give you are such a natural high.
One day, I decided to keep going after I hit the 5K mark. Just to see.
I went 7 miles in 90 minutes. Holy cow! I did some mental math and thought, could I do a half marathon? Could I really move for 13.1 miles?!? The 7 miles weren't that hard. I decided I would train for a half marathon!
I completed my first half marathon 3 months later. I'm not gonna lie. That was HARD! I walked parts of it. I was sore for a full week afterward. BUT I DID IT!!! In 2 hours, 43 minutes.
I completed another half marathon 6 weeks later and improved my time by 10 minutes. 2 hours and 33 minutes! And I recovered after only a couple of days. Two months after that, I completed my first sprint triathlon. 600m swim, 12 mi. bike, 5K run. Remember swim team? Oh yeah!
Now, I am cross training. Exercising 6 days a week. Two days of swimming, two days of running, two days of biking. I don't wake up sore. I don't have to get past the 5 minute barrier anymore. I have MUSCLES! But, best of all, my heart is strong and I feel 10 years younger. My current goal is to complete my first full marathon next spring...
... and complete an Ironman in the summer of 2013!
My current stats?
5K (3.1 mi.) run: 27 min. 30 sec.
1 mi. swim: 40 min.
14 mi. bike: 1 hour
Life is full of adventure! You won't find it on your couch.
Get up and MOVE!
The Watson Family Recipe Book Project
I have a drawer that is crammed full of all the recipes I have collected over the years. Some of them are typed up neatly and 'organized' into a binder. Others are jotted down on a scrap piece of paper, or printed from the Internet and floating freely in the drawer. It makes it very difficult to find and reuse recipes I particularly like and sets me in a panic if a favorite recipe goes temporarily missing.
I have come up with a solution.
I have an old, abandoned blog. For a couple of months, I was diligently photographing every meal I ate, in an attempt at being more honest about what I was putting into my body. Every single snack had to be photographed and accounted for on the blog. It helped me avoid snacking too much because I didn't want the hassle of reporting it at the end of the day.
It was a very boring blog. And ultimately, I ran out of steam. It has been dormant for over a year.
I have re-tooled that blog to create The Watson Family Recipe Book! I am slowly entering each and every one of my recipes into this database, which is fully cross referenced! I am very excited! Now I can go to the Recipe blog, click on ... say, 'gluten free', and see all my recipes that are safe for Bill! Another great feature is that Helena will be able to access the recipes after she moves out, too!
It will take me quite a while to get all the recipes transcribed. I will include a picture where possible. Where I don't have a picture, I'll just have to make that recipe sometime soon so I can create a picture to go with it!
I have come up with a solution.
I have an old, abandoned blog. For a couple of months, I was diligently photographing every meal I ate, in an attempt at being more honest about what I was putting into my body. Every single snack had to be photographed and accounted for on the blog. It helped me avoid snacking too much because I didn't want the hassle of reporting it at the end of the day.
It was a very boring blog. And ultimately, I ran out of steam. It has been dormant for over a year.
I have re-tooled that blog to create The Watson Family Recipe Book! I am slowly entering each and every one of my recipes into this database, which is fully cross referenced! I am very excited! Now I can go to the Recipe blog, click on ... say, 'gluten free', and see all my recipes that are safe for Bill! Another great feature is that Helena will be able to access the recipes after she moves out, too!
It will take me quite a while to get all the recipes transcribed. I will include a picture where possible. Where I don't have a picture, I'll just have to make that recipe sometime soon so I can create a picture to go with it!
Sugar Report No. 2
Well, I had very little trouble during the week, just as I had predicted. Most days were no sugar days, other days I followed my plan and drank 16 oz. of water and waited 15 minutes. Though that didn't pan out quite like I thought it would.
You see, I was driving around with Helena and Megan on Friday afternoon. We decided to stop at Sonic for drinks because they have this beautiful daily 'Happy Hour' special from 2:00 to 4:00 where all drinks are 1/2 price. It was 3:45. I knew that if I waited the 15 minutes before ordering the drink, I'd end up paying full price.
That's no good.
So, I ordered water... and a cherry limeade. I drank the water and waited 15 minutes, but I was already committed to drinking the sugary treat. My original thought was that if I drank water and waited 15 minutes I could probably talk myself out of having the sugar all together.
That was a fail. Still. Forcing myself to put those extra steps in front of my sugar consumption did stop me from eating something sugary on several occasions this week. So it wasn't a total fail and I will keep it up!
After church today, Bill had his gluten free sugar cookie with a glass of milk. Oooh! That looked good!
So, I made sugar cookies.
Bad bad.
I didn't even drink my water or wait 15 minutes before sampling the dough or eating a couple of cookies.
You have to know how rare it is for me to bake anything, though! Baking almost always requires flour, which is a major contaminant in our kitchen. If I am going to use flour and the mixer, I have to be willing to wipe down and decontaminate my entire kitchen afterwards to avoid letting any gluten work its way into Bill's diet.
It was worth it, though. I think. I have a plate full of cookies and a Norman Rockwellian sort of image in my brain of my kids coming home from school tomorrow and sitting down to a plate of milk and cookies before tackling homework.
Now, here is my final thought for this September 11th. I took a picture of the 'Service Flag' and our American Flag as seen through our front window. The blue field is on the right because the flag is meant to be viewed from the street, where the blue field will show to the left, which is proper.
You see, I was driving around with Helena and Megan on Friday afternoon. We decided to stop at Sonic for drinks because they have this beautiful daily 'Happy Hour' special from 2:00 to 4:00 where all drinks are 1/2 price. It was 3:45. I knew that if I waited the 15 minutes before ordering the drink, I'd end up paying full price.
That's no good.
So, I ordered water... and a cherry limeade. I drank the water and waited 15 minutes, but I was already committed to drinking the sugary treat. My original thought was that if I drank water and waited 15 minutes I could probably talk myself out of having the sugar all together.
That was a fail. Still. Forcing myself to put those extra steps in front of my sugar consumption did stop me from eating something sugary on several occasions this week. So it wasn't a total fail and I will keep it up!
After church today, Bill had his gluten free sugar cookie with a glass of milk. Oooh! That looked good!
So, I made sugar cookies.
Bad bad.
I didn't even drink my water or wait 15 minutes before sampling the dough or eating a couple of cookies.
You have to know how rare it is for me to bake anything, though! Baking almost always requires flour, which is a major contaminant in our kitchen. If I am going to use flour and the mixer, I have to be willing to wipe down and decontaminate my entire kitchen afterwards to avoid letting any gluten work its way into Bill's diet.
It was worth it, though. I think. I have a plate full of cookies and a Norman Rockwellian sort of image in my brain of my kids coming home from school tomorrow and sitting down to a plate of milk and cookies before tackling homework.
Now, here is my final thought for this September 11th. I took a picture of the 'Service Flag' and our American Flag as seen through our front window. The blue field is on the right because the flag is meant to be viewed from the street, where the blue field will show to the left, which is proper.
Tribulation
This was the subject of today's Sunday School lesson. I thought it was rather appropriate to the day.
One of the basic, fundamental questions that most Christians wrestle with as we strive to come closer to God is, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?"
Tribulation can be anything from struggling with a personal addiction to the agonizing events that happened 10 years ago today.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. I don't know the mind of God. But let me tell you what I believe.
First of all, this discussion requires just a little background in my theological beliefs.
I believe that I have an eternal soul. I existed before I came here, I will exist still after I die. This mortal existence is merely one part of my greater purpose in the universe.
I believe God created the Earth. I have no beef when it comes to evolution vs. creationism. I personally think they are both right. God's timeline is probably much grander than our own and his 'days' in the book of Genesis are probably not Earth days. So, sure. Dinosaurs roamed the earth, we probably did evolve from amoeba in the primordial swamp, and we probably share a common ancestor with the modern chimp. I firmly believe in the accuracy of carbon dating, I am a big fan of the Big Bang Theory, and science in general. To me, this does not cause a rift with Adam being the first human at all. I think God is infinite in his wisdom and that someday when we return to him, it will all make perfect sense.
I believe that I came here to Earth to learn and to hopefully grow more like God. More knowledgeable, more compassionate, more wise. In order to learn, I have to be allowed to make choices for myself. The ability to choose is fundamental to my beliefs in finding my purpose in life. If God is our Heavenly Father, then I can use the analogy of teaching my child through choice to help me understand how God deals with us. To develop an independent mind, we allow our children to make choices and learn from them. God does the same with us. With choice, however, comes consequence. Some consequences are good. Some are not.
I believe that if I have the right to make choices and face the consequences of those choices, then so does every other human being on the planet. Unfortunately, the consequences of choices are not always isolated to the person who made the choice. And that is where the dilemma facing Christians comes into play. How can a kind and merciful God allow the evil choices of other men to bring suffering to the innocent?
I believe in Jesus. I believe that he chose to suffer for the sins of all mankind. I believe he atoned for those sins. That means that he paid the eternal price, or consequence, for the sins of all who will accept that atonement in their lives. That doesn't mean that we will be free of the mortal consequences of sin here on earth, however. But we will be free from the eternal consequences of sin, namely, separation from God. So, in that sense, although we suffer for a time here on earth, God knows it will only be for a small moment in the grand scheme of things and if we have become disciples of Christ, we will be able to rise above mortal strife.
I also believe we will never be given trials greater than our ability to withstand them. Small comfort though that may be in the midst of pain and anguish.
I believe that the suffering we feel when facing tribulation, or trials, can bring us greater empathy for our fellow men. I have suffered the sudden and tragic death of a younger brother. In that sense, I have a greater compassion, or empathy, for others who are currently struggling with the grief over the sudden death of a loved one. The ability to 'see' through another's eyes... someone else's perspective... is a God like quality that we can develop here on Earth.
Now, if God were only concerned with our happiness, he would take away our ability to choose and would make choices for all mankind in order to prevent any unhappiness. But, where is the learning in that? Where is the growth? How would we become more compassionate and wise? As a parent, would you want to continue to make EVERY choice for your children all of their lives? Are you only concerned with their happiness? Or is there more to being a parent?
I believe that God is concerned with much more than our temporary happiness. It is our eternal soul that he is concerned with. So, yes, we will have to face the consequences of not only our own choices, but those of other people as well. Some will suffer. Others will die. But the soul lives on, and grows... hopefully into something beautiful.
So. The Sunday School lesson today focused on 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1. In it, the apostle Paul is writing about tribulation to the people of Corinth. In it he encourages them to comfort one another in their times of trial, as Christ comforts his people. We are to become the hand of God in other people's lives. We are to use the wisdom and empathy we have gained from our own trials to lift those around us who are suffering. In order to do that, we must know our neighbors. How can you comfort and support a neighbor who just lost a parent if you don't even know it has happened? We have to reach out to one another in friendship and Christian love.
The lesson ties in beautifully with a blog post I read recently. Here is a small blurb from it...
Here is a link to the whole blog post if you'd like to read all of it. If gives us all a lot to think about.
So, all in all, it was a good lesson. Sorry for the rambling sermon. It uplifted me and I hope did the same for you. This is why I go to church.
One of the basic, fundamental questions that most Christians wrestle with as we strive to come closer to God is, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?"
Tribulation can be anything from struggling with a personal addiction to the agonizing events that happened 10 years ago today.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. I don't know the mind of God. But let me tell you what I believe.
First of all, this discussion requires just a little background in my theological beliefs.
I believe that I have an eternal soul. I existed before I came here, I will exist still after I die. This mortal existence is merely one part of my greater purpose in the universe.
I believe God created the Earth. I have no beef when it comes to evolution vs. creationism. I personally think they are both right. God's timeline is probably much grander than our own and his 'days' in the book of Genesis are probably not Earth days. So, sure. Dinosaurs roamed the earth, we probably did evolve from amoeba in the primordial swamp, and we probably share a common ancestor with the modern chimp. I firmly believe in the accuracy of carbon dating, I am a big fan of the Big Bang Theory, and science in general. To me, this does not cause a rift with Adam being the first human at all. I think God is infinite in his wisdom and that someday when we return to him, it will all make perfect sense.
I believe that I came here to Earth to learn and to hopefully grow more like God. More knowledgeable, more compassionate, more wise. In order to learn, I have to be allowed to make choices for myself. The ability to choose is fundamental to my beliefs in finding my purpose in life. If God is our Heavenly Father, then I can use the analogy of teaching my child through choice to help me understand how God deals with us. To develop an independent mind, we allow our children to make choices and learn from them. God does the same with us. With choice, however, comes consequence. Some consequences are good. Some are not.
I believe that if I have the right to make choices and face the consequences of those choices, then so does every other human being on the planet. Unfortunately, the consequences of choices are not always isolated to the person who made the choice. And that is where the dilemma facing Christians comes into play. How can a kind and merciful God allow the evil choices of other men to bring suffering to the innocent?
I believe in Jesus. I believe that he chose to suffer for the sins of all mankind. I believe he atoned for those sins. That means that he paid the eternal price, or consequence, for the sins of all who will accept that atonement in their lives. That doesn't mean that we will be free of the mortal consequences of sin here on earth, however. But we will be free from the eternal consequences of sin, namely, separation from God. So, in that sense, although we suffer for a time here on earth, God knows it will only be for a small moment in the grand scheme of things and if we have become disciples of Christ, we will be able to rise above mortal strife.
I also believe we will never be given trials greater than our ability to withstand them. Small comfort though that may be in the midst of pain and anguish.
I believe that the suffering we feel when facing tribulation, or trials, can bring us greater empathy for our fellow men. I have suffered the sudden and tragic death of a younger brother. In that sense, I have a greater compassion, or empathy, for others who are currently struggling with the grief over the sudden death of a loved one. The ability to 'see' through another's eyes... someone else's perspective... is a God like quality that we can develop here on Earth.
Now, if God were only concerned with our happiness, he would take away our ability to choose and would make choices for all mankind in order to prevent any unhappiness. But, where is the learning in that? Where is the growth? How would we become more compassionate and wise? As a parent, would you want to continue to make EVERY choice for your children all of their lives? Are you only concerned with their happiness? Or is there more to being a parent?
I believe that God is concerned with much more than our temporary happiness. It is our eternal soul that he is concerned with. So, yes, we will have to face the consequences of not only our own choices, but those of other people as well. Some will suffer. Others will die. But the soul lives on, and grows... hopefully into something beautiful.
So. The Sunday School lesson today focused on 2 Corinthians, Chapter 1. In it, the apostle Paul is writing about tribulation to the people of Corinth. In it he encourages them to comfort one another in their times of trial, as Christ comforts his people. We are to become the hand of God in other people's lives. We are to use the wisdom and empathy we have gained from our own trials to lift those around us who are suffering. In order to do that, we must know our neighbors. How can you comfort and support a neighbor who just lost a parent if you don't even know it has happened? We have to reach out to one another in friendship and Christian love.
The lesson ties in beautifully with a blog post I read recently. Here is a small blurb from it...
He answered his phone…I saw that he was just listening…I could hear that the person’s voice was getting louder and louder and louder………..my husband just listened. He turned his back to me a little so I wouldn’t hear. But I could hear it….It seemed to go on and on and on……..
These were the things I could hear on the other end of the phonecall….
“You are bringing down the value of my property with that ugly sign!”
“What are you doing?”
“That is the most obnoxious sign, do you have a permit to have that out there?”
“Are you starting a used car lot?”
“You have got to get all of that moved and out of here or I am calling the authorities”
I sat there, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated, mad, sad, devastated. I was certain that this would snap my husband back into his dark hellish place.
But, when the man was done ranting, my husband waited a second and then very calmly said something that I will never, ever forget…….
“Sir,” he said, “There was a time in this country, in this community…when if you drove past your neighbor’s house and saw every single thing they own was for sale in front of their house…and that their lawn had not been mowed for weeks….that you would stop and say….WHAT IS GOING ON, SOMETHING MUST BE TERRIBLY WRONG, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU?”
The man was silent…..and then my husband went on to tell him a few details about what was going on with our family….
The man waited a moment and then his tone changed…..he apologized….I mean, really apologized and then said…
“I am going to call all of my friends and see if any of them need any of this stuff….”
Here is a link to the whole blog post if you'd like to read all of it. If gives us all a lot to think about.
So, all in all, it was a good lesson. Sorry for the rambling sermon. It uplifted me and I hope did the same for you. This is why I go to church.
Always Remember
From a 'Proud American' to a 'Fierce Patriot'
What Older Generations Have Been Trying to Tell Us All Along, but We Were Forced to Learn from Experience
Publish Date: 09/10/2011
I used to 'roll my eyes' whenever older generations talked about how everyone could remember exactly what they were doing when a national tragedy struck. In my grandparents' generation it was the attack on Pearl Harbor that catapulted us into WWII. In my parents' generation is was the Kennedy assassination.
For my generation is was 9/11/2001.
For my generation is was 9/11/2001.
It was a normal day.
I was getting ready for work. The kids were getting ready for school. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Until my husband called.
He leaves for work quite early in the mornings, so he was already at work when he called. He said, "Turn on the TV. Now."
I asked him what channel? He said, "It doesn't matter."
I walked into the living room and turned it on.
And found the world changed.
I had just barely begun to process what I was seeing, what they were saying, and what it meant when the south tower collapsed.
Live.
It was so surreal. My mind was thinking, 'that can't be real. It looks just like something you'd see in the movies, or on a planned demolition. How can it go straight down like that?' Simultaneously, my heart was twisting and tearing apart because I knew... I KNEW ... I was witnessing the deaths of thousands.
I remember grabbing the doorjamb for support as I cried out and tears coursed down my face. I kept saying aloud, "Oh please, God! Let them all be out of the building!!! Oh! They can't all have gotten out, yet!!!" My young daughter, only 7 at the time, came in and wanted to know why I was crying. "What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked.
I wasn't sure how to tell her what was wrong, or what it would mean to our country. I just knew I didn't want her seeing what I was seeing. She was so young. So innocent. I remember telling her I was sad that a lot of people had died. I also hugged her tight and told her that everything would be alright and she should go finish getting ready for school. Then I sent her firmly out of the room.
But I kept watching.
At some point I forced myself to turn off the TV and get out the door for work. I am an art teacher, working part time. When we got to the school, I walked around in a daze. The surreal feeling intensified for me because the school was just too quiet. Too normal. My mind was screaming and ripping itself apart over the images that were burned into my brain. How could anything be normal again?
Of course, things weren't normal. All of the teachers knew what had happened and were robotically going about their routines in a state of shock. The administration made the quick decision to not allow live news coverage in the elementary school classrooms. I do think that was for the best. We aren't talking about teenaged students here. These were very young children who couldn't possibly process what was going on. The school library was closed down for the day and the TV there was left running so that the adults in the building could stop in as often as possible and stay informed.
I didn't realize until I got home later that day that my husband was spared the trauma of seeing the buildings collapse live. He was listening on the radio when he called me. Of course, we all watched the events of that morning unfold hundreds of times afterwards, in a never ending loop of pain. But that first moment? Of realizing I was witnessing mass murder AS IT WAS HAPPENING? I can't even begin to describe it. It will never leave me.
I will never forget.
Do you remember how silent the skies were that day? When every flight was grounded? You never realize the background noise of planes on approach to the airport until there are no planes on approach.
Do you remember the pride you felt in the heroes of Flight 93? How brave and terrified they must have been! How they made an impossible choice that changed the tone of everything? They were Americans, fighting back!
Do you remember how much we honored firefighters, police men, and even the thousands of construction workers and volunteers who risked their lives in the aftermath?
Do you remember how our country came together? We were so UNITED! It no longer mattered what your religious or political credo was. We were all American. Every American flag was out, lining the streets, hanging from homes, flying from cars.
Do you remember how full the church congregations were? Everyone turning to their faith to see them through those dark times.
In the weeks and months following that horrific day we became the nation we were meant to be. Strong, caring, compassionate...
... united.
My brothers went to war. Jeff, a Naval officer, served several tours of duty to Iraq and Afghanistan. He came back with amazing stories... and bullet holes in his plane. Peder, an Army Special Forces officer, also served several tours ... including a lot of time on the ground in Baghdad. His stories were also incredible, though it was the stories that he didn't tell that made my heart ache for him. Anyone who is ignorant enough to ask a veteran if he killed anyone in the line of duty should be shunned right out of the conversation. I still don't know the answer to that question, and I'll never ask it.
I was blessed that they both came back home. It is enough for me.
Four years ago, my oldest joined the military. He is a Marine. I have never felt so proud as I did on the day I attended his basic training graduation at MCRD, San Diego. I still have the 'Service Flag' hanging proudly in the front window for him. The 'Service Flag', or 'Blue Star Flag', is a symbol of a family's sacrifice when an immediate family member is in active service during a time of war. If that family member should be killed in the line of duty, a gold star would replace the blue star. The practice of hanging a 'Service Flag' dates back to WWI. I am proud to display it, though I will be glad to take it down when we are officially at peace.
It is 10 years after the tragic events that we commemorate today. Ten years.
Many have forgotten. Or become complacent. They have gone back to their normal lives. There is bickering. There is dissent. There is arguing and back stabbing and doubt even about what this war is really about. Or that it even was a terrorist attack.
Shame on them.
Always remember what we lost that day.
Never forget what your freedom costs.
How has 9/11 changed me? I will forever be a fierce patriot. I am an American who knows it is the duty of every citizen to stand and defend our sovereign soil. I was proud of my military family before, but I am honored by them now. I stand with previous generations who have faced the refiner's fire...
... and I will never forget.
Biking, Lacrosse, and Other Saturday Activities
Bill went on an early morning bike ride with Erik and Deanna today. I really, really wanted to go, too. However, Bill was leaving the house at 6:15 am and I had stayed up until 1:00 am the previous night.
I did not go with him.
I could have done a 50 miler if I had gone with them.
Durn it!!!
Why didn't I just go to bed earlier, you ask?
Someone has to stay up and wait for the wandering teenager to make it home by curfew. Then that same someone has to stay up just a little bit longer to hear all about the wandering teenager's adventures. Curfew is midnight on weekends. That means a 1:00 am bedtime for me.
Bill went to bed at 9.
I'm not bitter, though, because I went on a bike ride of my own this morning. After a full night's sleep. I decided to try riding on the road instead of the trail. I still headed for the canyon, because that does create a nice uphill/downhill course for me. Road cycling requires more up-close and personal exposure to cars, but everything went well. I never felt like any of the cars got too close to me and I didn't feel awkward when stopping at lights, either. However, I was only about 1/4 of the way through my planned route when my right gear shifter seemed to freeze up. I couldn't get into my 'granny' gears. Grrr! I decided to cut the ride short by hopping onto the trail at the top of the elevation and using it to cut back home more quickly than planned. I was going to do a rectangular loop, instead the trail let me cut diagonally back to my house and created a triangular loop instead. Of course, when I got home, the shifter was working fine again. Phooey! Bill says it is just time to get me a new bike. My current bike is now over 15 years old, I think.
Bill also says that maybe we can go on one of the long rides next week... just later in the morning so I can get a good night's sleep, too!
When we both got back from our bike rides, we saw that Will had made himself an Orange Julius and we both suddenly knew we had to have one, too! Unfortunately, Will had used the last of the frozen orange juice! Drat! So, I improvised with some frozen limeade concentrate, and Bill improvised with some orange flavored Emergen C packets. I threw in some maraschino cherries, and we both added vanilla protein powder. I think both smoothies turned out pretty tasty!
Will's first lacrosse game for fall league was this afternoon. Lacrosse is actually a springtime sport, but there are fall leagues that are more casual and meant for skill building and just plain fun! They played Lone Peak... and got slaughtered! Will's team has a lot of new players on it. There was not a lot of ball handling skills to be seen from the Cavemen JV team today. Will was definitely one of the best players on the team! There are two teams for the school, Varsity and JV... or the "A" team and the "B" team in casual fall lacrosse. Will, being a sophomore, is on the "B" team. There are so many new players this fall that the coaches are planning to create a "Freshmen" team in the spring to accommodate the youngest new players.
In the meantime, the score didn't seem to phase Will much, he just had a great time playing! I am so glad! Such a change from when he was beating himself up for not stopping a goal! He did have some great stand out plays... like the time he knocked an opponent's stick right out of his hands while he was carrying the ball. Yes! In lacrosse slang this is called a 'yard sale'. On a couple of occasions he stopped an opponent from scoring by checking the ball with his own body. That will leave some bruises. I am looking forward to next week's game!
After the game, I took Will to Shakey's Pizza for all you can eat buffet. Buffets are a real waste of money for me, but a great deal for him! I can barely finish off one plate of food before I am done. Will goes back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths! Oh, and dessert! I really feel like I get my money's worth when ordering buffet for him.
Now I am just sitting around thinking, 'I am REALLY, REALLY tired!' I want to go to bed, but...
...you guessed it. The wandering teenager won't be home until midnight, again.
Yawn.
I did not go with him.
I could have done a 50 miler if I had gone with them.
Durn it!!!
Why didn't I just go to bed earlier, you ask?
Someone has to stay up and wait for the wandering teenager to make it home by curfew. Then that same someone has to stay up just a little bit longer to hear all about the wandering teenager's adventures. Curfew is midnight on weekends. That means a 1:00 am bedtime for me.
Bill went to bed at 9.
I'm not bitter, though, because I went on a bike ride of my own this morning. After a full night's sleep. I decided to try riding on the road instead of the trail. I still headed for the canyon, because that does create a nice uphill/downhill course for me. Road cycling requires more up-close and personal exposure to cars, but everything went well. I never felt like any of the cars got too close to me and I didn't feel awkward when stopping at lights, either. However, I was only about 1/4 of the way through my planned route when my right gear shifter seemed to freeze up. I couldn't get into my 'granny' gears. Grrr! I decided to cut the ride short by hopping onto the trail at the top of the elevation and using it to cut back home more quickly than planned. I was going to do a rectangular loop, instead the trail let me cut diagonally back to my house and created a triangular loop instead. Of course, when I got home, the shifter was working fine again. Phooey! Bill says it is just time to get me a new bike. My current bike is now over 15 years old, I think.
Bill also says that maybe we can go on one of the long rides next week... just later in the morning so I can get a good night's sleep, too!
When we both got back from our bike rides, we saw that Will had made himself an Orange Julius and we both suddenly knew we had to have one, too! Unfortunately, Will had used the last of the frozen orange juice! Drat! So, I improvised with some frozen limeade concentrate, and Bill improvised with some orange flavored Emergen C packets. I threw in some maraschino cherries, and we both added vanilla protein powder. I think both smoothies turned out pretty tasty!
Will's first lacrosse game for fall league was this afternoon. Lacrosse is actually a springtime sport, but there are fall leagues that are more casual and meant for skill building and just plain fun! They played Lone Peak... and got slaughtered! Will's team has a lot of new players on it. There was not a lot of ball handling skills to be seen from the Cavemen JV team today. Will was definitely one of the best players on the team! There are two teams for the school, Varsity and JV... or the "A" team and the "B" team in casual fall lacrosse. Will, being a sophomore, is on the "B" team. There are so many new players this fall that the coaches are planning to create a "Freshmen" team in the spring to accommodate the youngest new players.
In the meantime, the score didn't seem to phase Will much, he just had a great time playing! I am so glad! Such a change from when he was beating himself up for not stopping a goal! He did have some great stand out plays... like the time he knocked an opponent's stick right out of his hands while he was carrying the ball. Yes! In lacrosse slang this is called a 'yard sale'. On a couple of occasions he stopped an opponent from scoring by checking the ball with his own body. That will leave some bruises. I am looking forward to next week's game!
After the game, I took Will to Shakey's Pizza for all you can eat buffet. Buffets are a real waste of money for me, but a great deal for him! I can barely finish off one plate of food before I am done. Will goes back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths! Oh, and dessert! I really feel like I get my money's worth when ordering buffet for him.
Now I am just sitting around thinking, 'I am REALLY, REALLY tired!' I want to go to bed, but...
...you guessed it. The wandering teenager won't be home until midnight, again.
Yawn.
Not All Dreams Have to Stay That Way...
... So.
I know my last post seems, what?
Selfish? Horribly depressing? Unattainable?
Therefore, I decided to write today's post about a dream of mine that I am currently turning into a reality!
After all, not all dreams require money!
I have dreams that involve walking confidently into a room, knowing I look GOOD.
Oh, you know! We all dream of looking sexy. Deny it all you want, but I don't believe you.
I dream of fitting into a slim and trim not-too-revealing-but-still-oh-so-sexy little black dress. Of every eye in the room turning in admiration of all the hard work it took to get the body that fit into said dress.
I am in the middle of the hard work right now. And don't kid yourself... it is hard work. It takes dedication to force yourself to work out every single day. Yes, I do enjoy the workouts... once I am doing them. But I still have to force myself to get started each and every time. It is just so much easier to stay sitting on the couch.
But that won't get me my dream. So, I get up and I go.
I have muscles again!
Muscles are sexy. I will admit that when I am alone I flex my muscles just for the joy of having them!
My face has thinned out some. My neck looks thinner, too! And the 'double chin' look is disappearing. Some of my clothes are too big, now. Other stuff from the back of the closet is fitting again, when I thought it never would again. When I walk past a mirror, I like what I see! It motivates me to get to my next workout.
I know my last post seems, what?
Selfish? Horribly depressing? Unattainable?
Therefore, I decided to write today's post about a dream of mine that I am currently turning into a reality!
After all, not all dreams require money!
I have dreams that involve walking confidently into a room, knowing I look GOOD.
Oh, you know! We all dream of looking sexy. Deny it all you want, but I don't believe you.
I dream of fitting into a slim and trim not-too-revealing-but-still-oh-so-sexy little black dress. Of every eye in the room turning in admiration of all the hard work it took to get the body that fit into said dress.
I am in the middle of the hard work right now. And don't kid yourself... it is hard work. It takes dedication to force yourself to work out every single day. Yes, I do enjoy the workouts... once I am doing them. But I still have to force myself to get started each and every time. It is just so much easier to stay sitting on the couch.
But that won't get me my dream. So, I get up and I go.
I have muscles again!
Muscles are sexy. I will admit that when I am alone I flex my muscles just for the joy of having them!
My face has thinned out some. My neck looks thinner, too! And the 'double chin' look is disappearing. Some of my clothes are too big, now. Other stuff from the back of the closet is fitting again, when I thought it never would again. When I walk past a mirror, I like what I see! It motivates me to get to my next workout.
I have dropped a dress size. I am on my way towards that little black dress!
Dreams are only waiting for you to take the initiative. Work to make them realities!
"If I Were A Rich Man"
I do have wishes and dreams about financial freedom.
No. Not dreams of getting out of debt. We have a couple of small debts, but compared to many in this country, we aren't buried in it.
I dream (OK, daydream) about money not existing. About simply being able to have whatever I want without having to come up with the money for it. Like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof when he sings "If I Were A Rich Man"...
I bet I'm not the only one. I am willing to bet that most people have a list of the things they'd do and/or buy if there was no limit to their budgets. So, here is my list of the things I would do and/or buy if I had a never ending cash flow (or money wasn't a requirement for having the list fulfilled). The list is organized in timeline order. That means that I'd do number one first, then march on down the list until everything on it is accomplished!
- Get my varicose vein removed. While my blessed youngest child was in utero, he 'sat' predominantly on the right side, cutting off the blood flow to my right leg and creating this oh-so-attractive varicose vein going down my inner thigh and knee. It can get painful if I stand too long. I know I should have it removed since it is a medical issue, but I keep putting it off because other medical concerns always take precedence, like Helena's braces, or Will's heart murmur... or Bill's bike-injury-of-the-year. There is always something else more important. But, if money were not an object, this is the first thing I'd deal with.
- Remove every mole on my body! I am one of those unfortunate people who could play connect the dots with the moles all over my body. I have had over 20 moles removed so far, but I could easily have that many more removed again and still have enough left over to connect the dots indefinitely. Grr! I hate most of my moles... with the exception of the one just below my right eye. That one is in a perfect 'beauty' spot. That one can stay. The rest are gonna go!
- Get my teeth whitened. Most of you might puzzle over this one on the list. Yes, I know there are over the counter whitening products that do a fabulous job... on everyone else. My teeth... and, I think, every bone in my body... were stained through and through when I was a small child and had my tonsils removed. At the time, Tetracycline was the most common antibiotic treatment. Now the medical community knows not to use tetracycline in small children because of the way it stains teeth. Every dentist I have ever had has gone nuts over trying to remove the stain. No go. The stain goes all the way through. The only solution I know of is to remove the fronts of the teeth and install veneers. A very pricey procedure that my dental insurance won't cover. Ohhh! I have always hated my teeth.
- Pay for my kids' college. I do believe that paying your own way through school makes it more meaningful. I had several friends and room-mates in college who wasted their time and their parents' money because, "Hey! Who cares! I'm not paying for it!" But, man! Working your way through college is HARD! I know because I did. And I did it without student loans or scholarships. Still, I am a mom. I would do anything to make my children's lives better/easier, even if it isn't the best thing for them.
- Finish the remodel to my house. And add the attic addition I recently designed. If I had my way, my house would have 4 bedrooms, three baths, a library, a small office, an epic kitchen, a mud room, an exercise room (with sauna)... and a separate one bedroom 'in-law apartment' over the garage. You should really see the plans! The house would be beautiful and still true to its 1920 craftsman bungalow heritage! It's funny. I know most people would ditch their current house and upgrade to some bigger, fancier abode if there was no limit to the finances. Not me. I love the character of this house and I'd just love to see it turn into what I see in my head! The finished square footage would be hovering somewhere in the 3,000 sq. ft. range. Not too big, not too little... just right!
- Finish the landscaping for our yard. Actually, I'd hire someone to make it look fantastic!
- Buy a place for my folks. It doesn't have to be big or fancy. Just the perfect place for them. Where ever they want to live. No bills for them. And maid service. Yup. Just comfort and beauty! Ahhhh!
- Make sure my MIL, Doril, is all taken care of, too! That would probably include remodeling her hundred year old house.
- Build my hot tub/pool patio behind the garage. There would be a resistance current pool for exercising, a party sized hot tub, a deck for lounge chairs and tables, and an outdoor kitchen! It would have access to the exercise room and sauna, too. That space is currently 'the garden', aka 'the weed patch'.
- Hire a maid. Enough said.
- Hire a gardener. Need I say more?
- Buy my convertible sports car. Red. With a white stripe down the middle. Manual transmission. 8 cylinders to make Bill happy. :D
- Buy a boat for my son. A sailboat so he can be a sailor like his grandpa.
- Buy property for my kids to inherit. You know, land. So they can have a good start in a beautiful place. Just a little spot for each of them. It doesn't have to be big, or even very expensive. Just a place of their own. They'd pick the locale.
- Travel the world! Alternate stateside trips with globe trotting trips. I don't want to buy property in all sorts of random spots. I just want to visit. I daydream about meeting locals and getting to be friendly enough to see the 'real' locale, not the touristy stuff. Staying with families. Of course, I daydream about luxurious hotels and cruise ships, too!
And there you go! I know I will probably fulfill at least some of this list slowly, over time... after budgeting and saving and just plain working hard for it. That doesn't mean I can't dream just the same. I also know you have one of these lists in your head, too. It is good to get it out of my head, even just for a little while. So thanks for your patience while I indulge in a little printed daydreaming. Now, go off and entertain your own list!
........... the random post
I really don't have anything inspired or uplifting to say tonight.
Had a good day at work today.
Went to spin cycle class tonight.
Mostly avoided sugar. My yogurt has some sugar in it, but I don't count that in the overall scheme of things. I had one Girl Scout Thin Mint after lunch today. That's it. Gah! Afternoon cravings are hard. I made it just by being stubborn.
Wasn't my best self with my kids tonight. Especially my daughter. She had a 'bad' day today though she couldn't pinpoint the cause. Her 'bad' mood rubbed off on me and I wasn't the better person I should have been. Darn it.
Discovered that my son has been struggling to understand his math alone because he thought I wouldn't be able to help him due to a miscommunication. I had made the comment that he'd soon be at a math level that I wouldn't be able to help with... meaning that in future years, when he is in calculus and statistics, he will have moved beyond my level of math education. He mistook me to mean that I wouldn't be able to help him this year in Algebra 2. He seemed rather relieved to find out that I CAN help with it after all. Though, I also recommended he stop in at the school's math lab after school tomorrow for help from tutors and teachers.
Found out that my daughter currently has straight As, even in her AP classes. Her dad promised he'd buy her a car at the end of the year if she pulls straight As for the entire year.
Hmmm. Here's hoping for that 4.0 and a great auto deal!
Had a good day at work today.
Went to spin cycle class tonight.
Mostly avoided sugar. My yogurt has some sugar in it, but I don't count that in the overall scheme of things. I had one Girl Scout Thin Mint after lunch today. That's it. Gah! Afternoon cravings are hard. I made it just by being stubborn.
Wasn't my best self with my kids tonight. Especially my daughter. She had a 'bad' day today though she couldn't pinpoint the cause. Her 'bad' mood rubbed off on me and I wasn't the better person I should have been. Darn it.
Discovered that my son has been struggling to understand his math alone because he thought I wouldn't be able to help him due to a miscommunication. I had made the comment that he'd soon be at a math level that I wouldn't be able to help with... meaning that in future years, when he is in calculus and statistics, he will have moved beyond my level of math education. He mistook me to mean that I wouldn't be able to help him this year in Algebra 2. He seemed rather relieved to find out that I CAN help with it after all. Though, I also recommended he stop in at the school's math lab after school tomorrow for help from tutors and teachers.
Found out that my daughter currently has straight As, even in her AP classes. Her dad promised he'd buy her a car at the end of the year if she pulls straight As for the entire year.
Hmmm. Here's hoping for that 4.0 and a great auto deal!
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