Don't close my blog please. Someday I May become more verbose again.

Don't shut me down. Just in case a magical retro thing happens, or I stumble upon the niche of a lifetime and blog so much that my blog becomes so cluttered with add that it's too difficult to read.

Don't shut me down. Also, you should check out the semi colon movement. I don't subscribe to tattooing, but the idea is fabulous.  Maybe semi colon bracelets?

Don't know how long I could go without posting before they shut me down.

I don't know what the squatter's rules are so I thought I would post something in case they take my page away.    In case anyone cares, most of the reason I blogged was to keep in touch with family.  Now pretty much everyone is on facebook and that is just so much faster.   I don't have crafts to share or regular profound preaching, so.... just claiming it in case I need to.

Happy August!

Christmas: Small things, big things and an experiment/invitation

First, have you heard about the Candy Bomber?  Gail Halverson was a soldier helping deliver flour and other staples to the West Germans after World War II had ended.  To keep the story short, he shared the two pieces of gum he had with a group of children, who tore the wrappers into strips and passed them around to let all the children enjoy smelling the minty smell.  That led him down a path that ended with the dropping of tons (literally) candy to West German children.  His father had told him that from small things, big things can happen.  Those two pieces of gum led to a change in the feelings of the West German people toward the US  troops and gave hope to a generation of children.

Second, on the back of the December New Era is a quote:
"Please accept this conference invitation.  We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just "one" between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And what a wonderful gift to the Savior."  Elder Ballard, Oct 2013 conference.


Thinking about these two things, I would like to try it out.  I wonder if our reaching out to to just one person, to help them feel the love of the Lord could lead to big things.  A few smiles, a few kind words, a few hugs or acts of service.  Could it be as awesome as a giant domino thingy falling?   Of course these small things can take time to grow into something big.  You might not actually get to see what develops,  but that isn't the point , I guess.

So, if you are interested, try this with me.  Pray about someone you can help feel the love of the Savior, and then follow through on the  prompting you receive.  Write down what you did in your journal. Or don't if you have a thing about journals. Then all together we will have done something big!

Don't blink. It's dangerous.

I have a lot of thoughts that I think would make great posts, but by the time I get to the computer later, I don't even remember that I had something to post about. Sigh.

Tonight I was driving home from taking dinner to Hayden at work.  "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" by U2  came on the radio (a strange occurrence itself).  Suddenly I realized that I must have blinked and 20+ years have gone by.  I have three kids, I drive a mini van, and I live in Utah.  How did I get here?  Where did the time go?  I got a degree, a husband, became a mother, played with toddlers and suddenly I have teenagers, one of whom will leave home in the next 2 years.   It felt very existential and I felt small and insecure and not a whole lot different than the girl who drove  an old toyota  and listened to the same song.  Which I am, but am I an improved version or not?  What am I supposed to do with the next 20 years of my life? I already gave up my identity of being a mother of young kids.  On the next blink, I will have no kids at home.

Here is where the wheels can come off for some people.  Thank goodness I have the gospel to be my lug nuts and keep my wheels on.  Heck, it's been keeping the wheels on for as long as I can remember.  I know why I'm here and where I'm going.  My life should always have  purpose if I understand and remember the Great Plan of Happiness.  So I guess it's Satan who whispers in our ears that we are only one thing and when that ends, we are nothing.  So don't blink.  Or just tell Satan to shut up.  :)

Avert your eyes!

That last post really kicked up my OCD.  Also made me grateful for my awesome husband, children, parents and siblings. and my friends. :)  Can't have a steady diet of that, so today I am shaking it up.  Now without further ado, I give you:

DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE UNTIL YOU KNOW IT'S ALL GOOD.

Last week we had the privilege of attending a session of General Conference at the conference center.  That was a great experience and I am not ready to talk about the awesomeness that was General Conference.  Because all the talks were so good and so for me, I don't want to make you feel bad by telling you that they were talking to me and not you. But I saw some stuff that cried out for help.

I really don't feel as judge-y as I know I will sound.  I would want someone to tell me, if I were the one who needed to wear a slip but wasn't wearing one.  Yes, it can be surprising how see through some fabric can be, especially in the sunshine.  If you don't have a husband, parent, roommate, sister or child to help you, please use a mirror.  If you don't own a slip, check back with me at the end of this post.

If you are wearing a sheer top with something underneath, please move about a bit and then ask your appearance checker to make sure the underneath piece is still where it should be.  'Nuff said.

Patterned hosiery does not make it better if your skirt is too short to start with.  Sitting on the aisle, I was exposed to more thigh at my eye level than I wanted to be.  Glad my boys were inland by a few seats. I am going with the premise that it's all you had. It's how I cope.

This last little bit is just my own bias, not anything anyone should take seriously, it just makes me roll my eyes:  wearing tube tops, halter tops, halter top dresses, strapless dresses with a white tshirt underneath.  Of course the tshirt is preferable to skin, but it's always struck me as trying to dip your toes in the Babylon hot tub without getting in. Awkward.

Lastly, if you love someone, don't let them leave the house with a too sheer top or skirt, without a slip if they need it, if their slip is hanging below their hem, if you can see undergarments.  That is why they call them UNDERgarments.  ;)  It is a kindness, in my thinking, to whisper to someone that their dress is inside out or any of the things mentioned above.

Now, if you don't own a slip and can't find a half slip that works for you, send me your waist and the length you need (from waist to hem) and I will whip you up one.  Because I love you and don't want you to be embarrassed. :)