Thursday, December 30, 2010

Great Depths of Gratitude

Some days one must take count of one's blessings. Musn't one?

Family
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost
Friends
Revelation
Ability to Choose
Happiness
Peace
Comfort
Understanding
Guidance
Laughter
Light
Conversion
Delight
Optimism
Respect
Joy
Laughter of Children
First smile of a baby
Inside jokes
Sincere complements
WWW
RRR
SSS
TTT
Mom O
Dad O
Mom V
Dad V
Grandparents!!!!!
Humor
Graduation
Last day of School
Lasagna
Chocolate
Pizza
Good book
Good movies
Beautiful hikes/walks
Walking
Moving
Tasting
Seeing
Hearing
Touching
Words
Wisdom
Scriptures
Love
Pioneers
Contentment
There are many more.  I just don't think you'd want to spend the entire next week reading them all. :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 
Now and R and S three years ago. The three wise men were standing behind them in the first photo. :)  Thank you, Cherry (their CTR teacher).

Friday, December 24, 2010

Goal: Become a Frugalista

New Years is just around the corner.  One of my many goals is to become a Frugalista [froo-gal-ee-sta] as in decidedly wise and economical in all purchases.  I know I have claimed this title before, but I think it was an error.  But now . . .

This challenge will be fabulous for me. I have been reading several frugalista blogs on coupon clipping, deal hopping, and such. I plan on becoming a fabulous haggler. I have oodles of food storage that needs to be used--it is my goal to use it soon.

an old picture of me

I think I am finally up for it. I would love your advice on how you frugalize.

Oh and if you see me making unnecessary purchases--please fake a serious case of hiccups so I remember my goal. My bank book and I thank you.

Thursday, December 23, 2010








Here is what it looks like--sort of.  The middle one is the one that is the closest to how it looks as far as I can tell.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A $72 Learning Experience

 Tonight W got home a little early (yay). So I rushed across the street to get my hair cut. I was hoping the young Chinese guy would be there to cut it, but it was an older Chinese guy (with 3 little girls--although they were not there).


I had determined prior to going there that I was going to make my hair go blond.  Blond like the middle one [2009], although I would have settled for the albino-ish 2010 look.  I was so excited.

The hair sample book was propped open and I pointed delightedly to the blondest samples and I said, "I want this." I got a magazine, opened to several different lovely blond pictures and said, "This is what I want." I told everyone in the salon that I was going blond.  They all nodded at me--sensing my excitement and joy at finally accomplishing a life long goal.  Blondness.

It all started when I was little and my cousins Michelle and Nicole were around.  Their hair looked fabulous. Nicole specifically had the most darling blond-ish curls now and then and I was wracked with jealousy.

So I am sitting there, he puts the blue stuff on and I'm thinking. Baby blue--it is a good sign--it will be lighter in no time. I am going to be [school-girl giggle] gorgeous.

I go to get it rinsed. Apparently the color didn't stick so they added more. I think they thought they were being sneaky and because it was my first time hair dying at a salon.  But I knew. Even if I couldn't understand a single solitary word they were saying to each other.

So I get to the mirror and my hair is . . . darker than my original hair color-- 2004 Reese-ish.  And I'm like, "I asked for blond."

The guy said, "Beautifur color, right?" (All his "L"s turned to "R"s, as it happens with some Chinese people).

Me: "Uh--I asked for blond."

Him, "It is brond."

Me: "This, is not blond. This is dark brown." (When reading this, I want all readers to understand my voice was even and not grouchy--but firm).

Him: {nothing--just the blare of two blow dryers on my head)}

The Chinese-speaking Vietnamese owner came over.

Me: I asked for blond.

Her: It is brond.

Me: No this is brown.


She got the color sample book. I showed her the sample I asked for. She pulled out the insert and compares the hair.

Her: They are same.

Me: They are not the same.  This one is the one I wanted. See?

I pointed to the hair sample and to the word next to it--"Blonde #9"

Me: Not Brown.

I pointed to the hair sample that was the most similar to my current hair and to the big bold word "Medium Brown" right next to it.

The owner excused herself to help someone else leave.  It was one of the people that I had bragged to about getting blond hair--she had come for a haircut but ended up getting a pedicure. I turned to her for reassurance that I had in fact asked for blonde. She nodded and hurried out the door.  My thoughts screamed to her, "That's right. Leave before it's too late!!!"

I began shivering. I cannot decide if it is because I felt so angry or if it is because I was actually freezing.  I asked for my coat.

I waited until he was done blow drying (they are really good at styling).
  
Me: Well, it is not blond. I asked for this color [pointing back to the sample].

Him: It does not come out that coror. It come out yerrow. The coror next to the hair. See? Yerrow.

Me: Really? {I nodded a little because I knew this guy was telling a terrible lie and because I was fairly certain he was pointing to the mixture instructions}.  It is still not what I asked for.

Him: You go home. If your husband doesn't like it come back and I'll change it for free.

Me: He wanted me to try blond too.

Him: Just see what he says.

I nodded again, unconvinced, feeling a lump raising in my throat. Then I thrust my money into his hand (he looked like a kid on Christmas morning). I fled back home until I reached W and then cried an eighth of a cup of tears.

Part of me is thinking, this is a good thing, right?  Now you won't have to do too much upkeep because it is much closer to your natural color than blond.  Think of all the money you'll save.

But the other part of me is hyperventilating and crying out, "But I wanted to blo-ha-ha-ond." (The ha-ha in the middle of the word blond is my other part crying.)

This morning I looked at my hair. It is almost a dark brown-red with purple-ish highlights.  Yeesh.

What would you do if you were me?

Monday, December 13, 2010

Pondering about Christmas

My mind has been pondering Mary, the mother of Jesus and the very unique individual she was.  After having an angel appear to her I imagine her going to visit her cousin Elizabeth, both to enjoy Elizabeth's company, but also to read all the prophecies about Jesus Christ that she could so she would know what she needed to teach him and what to expect.  I can imagine her hands gently touching the manuscripts and her mind racing while reading about her son and realizing there would be great joy and sorrow.  Then I imagine her talking with Elizabeth and both of them rejoicing in the great goodness of the Lord.


How she and Joseph must have talked after they were wed.  How, when in the stable, the scriptures they'd read made sense and they must have smiled and nodded at each other with a happy peace that this was the way it needed to be.


None of my guesses are scriptural, but it helps to me think of these individuals on a more personal level.

Friday, December 10, 2010

S lost her first tooth

S lost her first tooth yesterday during the playgroup at our house.  About five minutes after she pulled it from her mouth she lost it.  Finding a tooth that is a centimeter-ish long is not an easy thing to do--anywhere. 

So this morning she looked under her pillow and found $1 with a note that said something like:

Congratulations you lost your first tooth. I know I'll be visiting your house a lot through the next few years.  I haven't found your tooth yet. I know you wanted to show it to your class, but for now show them the place where the tooth used to be.
Hugs, the Tooth Fairy

She was soooo excited this morning when she found the note under her pillow. She was smiling all the way to school and stopped to tell the crossing guard in the middle of the street that she lost her tooth.