A Simple Woman's Daybook~February 20, 2012

Taking a Moment to Contemplate the Journey!

Just For Today...Monday, February 20, 2012

Our lives pass swiftly by!
I want to do something to remember
the everyday moments and my thoughts.
That is what this daybook is all about.
Focusing on the little things that become my life.
One week at a time.

Outside my window...The silhouettes of the bare branches are just beginning to peak through the long night. James is off to work for the day and I have time...time to do so many necessary things. I think we have skipped winter this year. I like all the implication of that except water shortages. The mild weather suits me just fine otherwise. It is supposed to be another glorious sunny day highs in the 60's.

I am thankful for...Hazel settling into her cast with five weeks to go. I am going to call her on the phone today for a little chat. I am thankful Jen will most likely get to go on her trip to see Laura and Grampa Camp with the four girls will proceed unscathed by the broken leg of our little angel. I am thankful that my friend Caroline may be coming to spend some girl time with me on the week Jim is gone. That could be a very fun and relaxing time should it all work out. Fingers crossed. I am thankful some health issues are resolving for our daughters...honestly always something but the Lord does provide His watchful care over our family.

From the learning room..lots of fun genealogy things are coming to me now and beginning to make sense. It has been quite a climb but Jim and I are proceeding forth in the right direction with the Lord's help. Yay! We have been able to help more and more people find their ancestors lately. It is very rewarding for us and exciting for them. What more could one desire in their work? Oh, $ maybe. But seriously this is strictly a labor of love, and a gift I'd never want $ for doing.

I am reading..."Rutka" still and lots of genealogy books and always scriptures and gospel related reading. The stack here on my desk is a little overwhelming. I think I'll put some away today. I have a 340 page book sitting here on searching Google. Seriously how can there be that much info? Hard to fathom but ...there is!

From the kitchen...Need to do some planning today and restocking but I am not enthused about it. Luckily we have a dinner invitation tonight with friends and then on Thursday one for church. So awesome, two days I don't have to think about the kitchen.

I am missing...one of my friends that has been traveling lately and will hopefully be home soon. My blogging buddies and of course the family...always the family and Robert especially.

I am hearing...Whitney Houston (RIP) I Believe in You and Me.

I am wearing...only half as much as I should be and I am freezing. Gotta get up and fix this asap.

I am quoting...“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley

Somethings that made me especially happy this past week...We have had two meetings with our genealogy study group since I last did a daybook. It is so much more fun to collaborate and study with a few other people. The synergy of doing that is phenomenal. We went to a travel show over the weekend and got to see our favorite travel guru speak...Rick Steves. Wow, what a bundle of electrifying energy and passion for his work. Made both Jim and me want to go to Europe again. We think our next adventure will be in Wales hopefully spring of next year. This year we are going on another family reunion at Sundance with all the kids but Robert. Secured the dates this past week and sent the deposit. So it is in the works. We are very excited to be returning to that fantastic place we had last year once again.

We thoroughly enjoyed that on Saturday and then we went to dinner at a young couple's home. That was such a beautiful experience. Jim and Tim work together at the temple and he and his wife prepared a lovely dinner and the evening was just fancy fun. Margo and I just gabbed and gabbed and it was like we had known them forever. It is so much fun to meet new friends and get to know them. They are keepers. It made us miss our own kids and our singles' ward experience. Love the energy and optimism of a young couple that is grounded and heading for a great life ahead. Very inspiring. We also had the missionaries over for dinner this week so we had some youthful experiences. Maureen and I went to Room With a Past and I found a great Italian piece of art for our bathroom. We always look forward to that. It was a week of awesome sociality and people lifting us up. Yay!

Some spiritual thoughts I have been pondering...We have been reading in 2 Nephi and found chapter 2 so inspiring. The choices we have to make seem so clear in this foggy mess of society we are living in now. Why can't more people just choose the right? It would make all the difference if they just did. And yet our agency to chose is such a precious gift and everyone basically writes on the pages of their own life. Not to say there aren't tremendous stumbling blocks along the way and pain and sorrow that we do not cause or choose, but for the most part we do write our own script. It is the day to day choices that prepare us for the trials. I find Lehi's last words to his sons so poignant and exactly what we would tell our own kids when the time is short. CTR! (Choose the Right!)

I am going...to increase my discipline in areas I am working on to improve my lot in life. That is code for getting my act together and doing the Weight Watcher program with a little more dedication and consistency and commitment.

One of my guilty pleasures...daydreaming of the possibilities in life. I rarely feel bored and most days wakes up with the enthusiasm to give this great life another go. What a blessing. I see so many people that just don't do that anymore. The stretching and growing and learning is the life blood of this time in life. That and great relationships with God and those around you. What else can give more meaning to your life?

Pet Peeve...politics...I am not a fan of an election year. Hate the lying and backbiting and empty promises of most politicians. They are so self-serving!

One of my favorite things...talented, inspiring people. Those who give it their all. And never give up. Wow, they are everywhere. Do you see and appreciate them?

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...without question, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. THE best movie we have seen in ages and ages.

I am curious about...how many times we will go to Utah this year and how expensive it will be with gas potentially going over $5.00 this year. I was pretty much blindsided by the $71.15 total when filling my car up on Friday. I just hadn't been paying attention lately. Seriously, what a crime..highway robbery, literally.

If I could change one thing it would be..that Hazie was not in that horrendous cast for another five weeks and of course that Robert was home. I know that was sneaking in two but hey...it is my party. Where else can I do whatever I want on a whim?

A few plans for the rest of the week...today catch up on my work around here after the weekend. Dinner with our friends, tomorrow WW meeting and work at the Family History Center, Wednesday is looking open until the evening when we will be working with some kids on their genealogy right here in town. Thursday visiting teachers and teaching and a great women's conference and dinner in the evening. Also a class in Oakland in the afternoon. Friday friends meeting in the morning and then...who knows? That evening a movie with James. Saturday not sure yet.

Wow, looks like a fairly light week compared to last week. Good deal. I may have a bit of time to get started on looking for fixtures for our bathroom remodel off the family room. Honestly always something but we are getting there one project at a time. It should go pretty fast, new paint, new shower glass enclosure, new sink and john and floor. OK, so pretty much the whole thing but it is small so that might help??

Some photos and thoughts I'm sharing this week...I stopped in at a local thrift shop last week and look what I found for $8.99. A brand new pair of Born clogs in red patent leather. Serendipity. The car just urged me to stop while passing by. For every fifty times I go in there I find something this awesome..this was my lucky day. The shoes had never been worn. Curious but awesome. I feel fancy in them. They are awesome with jeans and so comfy. Cha-ching, cheap and fun. Lucky me.

I just love it when something cool like this happens!