Bewitching thoughts

I should be sleeping--
but I'm not.
There is something about a long drive
that keeps me awake
for hours after the fact--
maybe it is all the thoughts
i have been mulling through my brain.
I have gone so many different directions.
thunk so many thoughts.
Interested in some in site into this trap of mine?

Let's start with Bewitched.
The TV show
not the remade movie
(which even with Nicole Kidmans cute nose
was not good)
That was a show that i LOVED growing up
I was so intrigued every time they would say
"Now in Technicolor"
I had NO idea what technicolor was
but i figured it must be a pretty cool thing
if they were announcing it.
Yes, i lived in the stone age with a black and white TV.
We would even have to get up to actually change the channel.
I would try wiggling my nose
Samantha style
in hopes of it working
but alas.....

We still have to get up to change the channel most days
but it is not from lack of technology.
It is from lack of remotes.
Isn't it ironic that they are called "remotes"
since most of the time they are ......
remote--
During remote development
i bet they sat around thinking
"what should we call this thing?"
"Well since most of the time it will probably be lost
let's call it remote."
Yep, I'm pretty sure that's how it all went down.

So anyway
back to Bewitched....
The reason i started thinking about this show
was her ease in accomplishing things
when she became overwhelmed
or behind...
and as long as Darin didn't find out
everything would be OK---
but he usually found out and then would be upset.
Did he not fully appreciate the many things she had to do?

My mind was a flutter as i was driving
projects that i could envision
re-organizing
cleaning
upholstery
wood working.
So many things i want to do!

Here is wishing i could wiggle my nose
to make it happen.........

Blessed is being a friend

I am thankful

for so many things!
i am blessed
even in my trials and frustrations
I know i have people
around to support me.

I hope i see their needs....
I hope i am supporting them......

A wise man once said this
and i thought I would share it

"If you sometimes get discouraged,
consider this fellow.

He dropped out of grade school.
Ran a country store.
Went broke.
Took 15 years to pay off his bills.
Took a wife.
Unhappy marriage.
Ran for House.
Lost twice.
Ran for Senate.
Lost twice.
Delivered speech that became a classic.
Audience indifferent.
Attacked daily by the press
and despised by half the country.
Despite all this,
imagine how many people all over the world
have been inspired by this awkward,
rumpled,
brooding man
who signed his name simply,
A. Lincoln."
(Wall Street Journal.)

'It is important to know,
when you feel down,
that many others do also
and that their circumstances
are generally much worse than yours.
And it's important to know
that when one of us is down,
it becomes the obligation of his friends
to give him a lift.

I hope that each of us
will cultivate a sensitivity
toward the feelings of others,
and when encouragement is needed,
make an effort to extend it.
Be a friend,
and you will have a friend.
God be thanked
for wonderful friends.'
--Gordon B. Hinckley,
"Strengthening Each Other,"
Ensign, Feb. 1985, 3

monday frustration

This morning came early.
Actually it came at the same time it does everyday,
but my body and mind
were rejecting the fact that it was morning.
I felt like i was in a fog.
Walking, driving--functioning?
Awake,
but still mentally asleep.
I could have closed my eyes
and been back to sleep in less than a minute--
but i didn't,
and i stumbled through till noon
and then the fog cleared
and i was awake--
TAH DAH.
Such a weird morning.

To add to the fog of the morning
was a lost cell phone.
I feel like this modern technology
is like a thorn in my side.
I am sooo in favor
of a phone implant.
That way, the only way it could be lost
would be if i misplaced my head.
And all i have to say is that on mornings like this,
it could be a possibility.

I ran around the house
calling myself
NOTHING--
I called my husband
and had him call me at my moms.
NOTHING--
Nothing but....
frustration.
All the while i am looking--
I am telling myself
that i love my little one
(cursing him under my breath)
because i am sure that he has gotten it
and lost it somewhere in the house.
I checked all the bathrooms,
the sinks,
tubs and toilets.
NOTHING!

There is nothing like the handicapped feeling
of being without your phone.
My lifeline,
and all my numbers
(which i have slowly been recovering from the Chicago loss--
call me so i can replace yours--if i haven't talked to you in a while)
I had given up
and sent my daughter home to look for it.
I was at my mom's
and imagine my surprise
when i heard a ringing
from under the love sacs.
What do you know--
there was my phone....
Probably where I left it on Saturday--
my little one had nothing to do with this disappearance.
I owe him an apology--well sorta.

So i finally had my phone back.
Important phone calls were being made--
and dropped.
{AHHH, i love modern technology.}
I was talking with the doctors office
and not once but twice
my call dropped.
Finally we got it worked out--
Only then my phone went dead
when i was talking with a friend
catching up--
(sorry D.L.)
So now i have a dead phone at my moms
and no way to charge it--
because my charger was in the Van
which the older daughter had taken to swim practice
(because i thought i wouldn't need the van)
Then the doctors office called the house
(remember the cell phone is dead)
and the younger daughter rode over to my mom's
to tell me that they wanted me to come in
NOW.
And guess what
I couldn't find the keys to the other car
My poor daughter
had to ride back and forth
making calls for me
to her dad
the doctors office
and such.

After today
i am going to invest in
a telegraph machine--
or maybe work on my
smoke signals--
And then i am buying a horse--

I realize that technology
is supposed to make our lives easier
but today...
it just seemed to complicate my life
and fill it with frustration.

my olympic dream--dashed

I went on the website for the Olympics last night.

There are many sports that fail to get any exposure on TV.

I didn't even know about some of these events.

Like.....

Trampoline?!.

Yes, jumping on a trampoline is an Olympic sport.

I started thinking...

i could do that-----

then i saw how

HIGH

they jumped

and the crazy flips they did

and then i remembered

the one thing that would hold me back

more than anything else.

Can you say

FIVE KIDS

and

BLADDER CONTROL.?

There goes my Olympic dream....

Maybe there is an opening on the table tennis team?....

olympic awe

I feel that i have been remiss in my writing.
Lately by the time the evening rolls around,
i am sooo tired and bleary eyed
that i can barely put two thoughts together
let alone a whole sentence.

I have been burning the candle at both ends--
but those days are soon over.

Along with the rest of the world
I have been staying up late to watch the
OLYMPICS--

Every four years
I find myself in this sleep deprivation.
I really remember it starting with the 84 Olympics.
We were living on the east coast at the time
and we had to deal with the 3 hour time difference.
I remember staying up many late nights
to watch men's volleyball
and Mary Lou get her gold in gymnastics.

There are certain things in life that are monumental.
Events that change the world,
and you remember where you were
when it took place.
I was too young to remember Mark Spitz

and his 7 gold medals
(although years later we went to the pool in Germany

where it took place)
I have heard a first hand account about this event

from someone who was also there swimming,
and it was interesting to hear their perspective.
It is amazing that the gold medal record stood for as long as it has
And if you watched any of the events
you know it was not a easy feat.
Shall we talk about his 100 butterfly?
One one hundredth of a second--
it was Michael's to lose--
and yet he won.

Is Michael Phelps the greatest swimmer/Olympian ever?

That will be debated--

but on this particular week

against those particular athletes

he managed to put together perfect swims.
All those medals are not his alone.
He needed his teammates to be at their best
for a few of them.
These medals are his moms, his families, his coaches and teammates.
All these people helped to make him better.
They have been there supporting him
pushing him--perfecting his talent.
And for this week
he was perfect!
Maybe this will never happen again.
Maybe it will be another 36 years before it will happen.
But until that day
I will remember sitting at my moms
watching it take place on the big screen
cheering for Michael
cheering for our country
and all those representing it.
Filled with amazement and awe.

Age on Dreams

As much as i love the Olympics

i find it to be a real time sucker.

Usually when i have the TV on

i am doing something else as well.

Keeping busy

Accomplishing things.

But that is not the case with the Olympics.

You actually have to stop

and watch

and wait

to get the full effect.

And as much as i am enjoying the sports

I do find it frustrating.

It is a good thing that it only happens every 4 years

otherwise i would have to banish myself from the TV.

I have enjoyed watching a 41 year old woman

Dara Torres--

have the ability to swim and compete at this level.

Age wise--she could be some of her competitors mother.

At the prelim for her event

one of the other swimmers suit ripped.

In a motherly like fashion

she calmed the other swimmers down

and took care of the situation with the officials.

Such a mature display of sportsmanship.

Would she have done that 20 years ago?

I don't know.

I felt such pride for her and her medal accomplishment.

She missed the gold by one one hundreth of a second

to a much younger swimmer.

When asked what she would tell her own daughter

about this olympic experience she said

"you don't have to put
an age limit

on your dreams"

I love that!!!

And the there was Lezak

the anchor swimmer in the men's relay

He is in his 30's

He is the swimmer that was key in winning the 4X100

Not that the 30's are old

but in a sport dominated by young punks.....

And then how about the 33 year old

gymnast from Germany?

She has a son that had leukemia.

It is amazing that she was still out there competing

against the 10 year olds from China

(oh wait--they were actually 16--wink wink

they only looked like 1o years old)

I know there were many other stories of

"grown ups"

with families

and lives

but sometimes i forget

in this world

obsessed with body image

and youth--

that being in your prime

is not just about being in your 20's.

We all have dreams

sometimes it just takes some of us

longer to realize them than others.

I guess the morale of the story is

"don't give up"

or

"if you dream it--

you can achieve it"

SiNG--SiNG a Song

UPDATE:

I had no clue that there is like

50 million versus to

"this little light of mine"

and i will probably not remember

any of them.

That's just the way my mind works

or maybe it doesn't work.?

WHATEVER.

thanks for your help

and now i know,

this little box that i randomly type into

well guess what----

it is the holder of any and all

useless and trivial information

(OK i already knew that but it slipped my mind)

Now i am trying to figure out a song that was in a movie.

don't actually have the words

but the tune is like this

HMMM---HMMM--Hm--Hmm

so any thoughts?

anything?

OK fine--

sleep on it

and let me know in the morning.

Those that know me well

know that i am not known for my voice

at least not the one for singing.

I am not a HorRible, Horrible singer

just not a very good one.

I'm OK with the fact that i don't have that talent.

I have other talents,

and i am perfectly content to listen to others sing.

I enjoy sitting back and taking it in

without the pressure to perform.

But....

I do like to sing and rock out on occasion.

Years ago when i was on a special ED route

we had to sing to keep one of our kids happy.

She liked to sing "Jesus" songs

we didn't know the songs she did,

so the other driver and i would sing primary songs.

It kept her happy

and she didn't care that I didn't sing so well.

I often find myself

wanting to sing while i am driving the bus.

(and when i sing i like to belt it out)

I have to continually remind myself

that there are people on the bus and

to refrain from singing

while i drive.

Some how i don't think they would appreciate

my primary songs or my other randon songs.

You never know the songs that pop into my head

Often the songs are soooo

RANDOM.

I have no idea where they come from.

The problem with these random tunes

1. you can't get them out of your head

2. I often don't know all the words

So i am left making up lines to sing

or i keep singing the same line over and over again.

That is the case these past few days.

Will someone please tell me the rest of the words to

"This little light of mine"?

I know the next line is

"I'm gonna let it shine"

And yes i have been singing those two lines

over and over again

Isn't that a sign of being crazy--

doing the same thing over again

but expecting a different result?

Help me!

my sanity is depending on you

otherwise the next time you see me

I might be in a lovely white jacket

with really long sleeves that wrap around--

huddled in the corner

singing or humming to myself

"this little light of mine--

I'm gonna let it shine--

this little light of mine--

I'm gonna let it shine--

this little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

let it shine

let it shine

let it shine."

Wait I think that is the whole song

it's kinda like

"the song that Never ends--

it goes on and on my friends--

AHHH the insanity!

OK--i will stop right there

now that will be stuck in my head the rest of the day

will some one please find something else to fill that void

between my ears......

My Mantra

In working with my friend Liz last year at her house,
there was something that i would say again and again.
It became my mantra.
I believe it with all my heart--
I live it--
because when i don't it makes me crazy!

It is simple,
but OH SO PROFOUND--
the right tool makes the difference!
From the right hammer to the right screwdriver,

and in hanging crown I love my saw

(although i have been salivating over another--

but can't justify another when the one i have works well)

I live and die by a book that gives me the correct cutting angels.

It makes a difficult task just that much easier

glow of happiness

Sometimes.....

it is the small things that leave me feeling a

warm and fuzzy

Satisfied.

Glad i am a mom--Today.

Hugs from teenagers--

Little boys snuggling up to go to sleep.

Sweet kisses from the little one.

And a dog that loves and adores me.

When we recall the past,

we usually find that it is the simplest things -

not the great occasions -

that in retrospect

give off the greatest glow of happiness.
Bob Hope

movie review

I am going to start this entry

by saying:

I realize i am in the minority in what I am about to say.

I know you will think i am WRONG

maybe even FrEaKish.

but i must go on the record as saying

{and again i will state i know i am one of the few}

I HATED

(yes, that is with a capitol H)

I mean really HATED

Batman.

Oh, the relief i feel

finally getting that off my chest.

The majority of the time that i was watching the movie

my conscious kept telling me to leave

and did i listen--NO.

Do i wish i had--YES.

I just felt like it sucked the light out of me.

It left me feeling depressed

about the real evil that is present in the world.

It was NOT cartoon-ish to me

and i felt such sorrow for Heath Ledger

and the role he played

and how he died.

While a few of my children have seen it

the remainder will not.

Call me a mean mom

but i am going with my conscious on this one.