Halloween Stories

Halloween was fun, we had about 300 toddlers, kids, teenagers, and adults show up this year. Someone asked me if I stood and counted how many came to the door (yea, like I don't have a life and have nothing else to do). I told them no, it is just that we had three bags of candy that had approximately 120 pieces in each bag which was a total of 360 pieces of candy and I know I did not eat that much candy. So onto the stories. Two little (about 4 years old) African-American boys came and the one just looked at me and said "So do you have any candy?"

Ken opened the door and a little girl asked if she could have Faye's dog instead of candy. Ken told her she would have to fight it out with Faye.

One woman reported that a whole family came to her door - the whole family included the children, parents, and grandparents and all of them had their own bags for the candy. I know we are in a recession but I didn't realize how bad until I heard this as a way to get a year supply of snacks. Well, OK, maybe they have something about a family that trick or treats together stays together or an evil person might say that everyone in that family is really selfish and they won't share their candy so it is everyone for themselves. A friends teenage son dressed up really scary and was having fun making little kids cry (I don't know this for sure) and scarring everyone but when it came to the candy he was giving out fist fulls until his mother caught him. She took over the job of handing out the candy and let him continue scarring people. Heck, I think this is one missed guided mother. Let the kid hand out the candy in fist fulls, who cares, I'd rather dress up as a witch and run after kids just to hear them holler. Well, my time is up, I hope all of you had a good Halloween and are ready for that ugly bird we all enjoy eating. Until next time, try not to behave yourself.

I have done some amazing things

Ok, if you were to ask me outright what those amazing things were I would have to say I don't remember. I mean so much time has passed that I am sure that I have done a least one amazing thing - maybe it was so amazing it went right over my head and I didn't realize it or I am just in the habit of doing amazing things and just don't realize how amazing I am. Then there is always the argument that every person has a different perspective of what goes on around them - for instance Ken might feel that when he gets home and I am dressed and not on the computer is an amazing thing. I just had my 59th birthday and to some that is amazing to be that old and still walking around. At the rec center that I go to for water aerobics there is a very tall slide, you have to walk up three flights of stairs and last Friday I went down that water slide not once but twice - that is amazing, especially to those women who said they would NOT be going down that slide. I tried to tell them if they were afraid of going down the slide how were they every going to be able to go sky diving next year when I turn 60. One older lady (probably in her 80's) decided that she would go down the slide. She was having a few problems getting back on her feet when she hit the water and I just happened to still be in the pool so after a few seconds I thought it might be a good idea to help her get her head above water so I grabbed her arm, the thing is when I saw her head my first thought was "what happened to all of her hair, she looks bald". After I got her head out of the water I heard someone scream pull her out of the water - it didn't phase me one bit because I was still focused on where had all of her beautiful white hair gone to. Any way, she coughed a little and complained about water in her ears - everyone clapped for her because she did the amazing thing of going down the waterslide. My thoughts on the whole matter is that if you look bald when you have wet white hair - I don't want any part of that, I'll just get me a supply of black hair dye.

Good Thoughts

I was searching in Gospelink for God's promises and came upon these verses and thought I would share them with you. I think they are good to ponder on.

EVEN AS I AM by Neal A. Maxwell

"Gospel gladness is possible even in the midst of affliction, because of the reassuring realities that pertain to our mortal circumstance. The everlastingness of certain things puts the temporariness of other things in perspective. God's promises to us are so rich that even difficult tactical circumstances cannot conceal our causes for genuine cheerfulness: God is in charge; God's plan of happiness is underway; momentary tribulation does not set aside the universal resurrection, which is a reality; individual identity and personality are thereby assured; death has been defeated by Christ's atonement; and Satan and his misery-causing minions will finally be defeated. Each of these (and many more) form the litany of reassuring reality. Thus we should not let the gray mists of the moment obscure the bright promises and prospects of eternity. Gospel gladness is a precious, precious perspective—essential to have, if one is to keep his attitudinal balance while traveling the straight and narrow way. The way is often no more than a path. It inclines sharply, and it is strewn with loose rocks. Indeed, there are points along the way to be traversed only on one's hands and knees." Woman by Marion D. Hanks (pg 109)

" David Grayson, in the book Great Possessions, talked to this intent with a lady and then said to her, "I see now why you have just one rose on your table." "Yes," she responded eagerly, "isn't it a beauty! I spent half an hour this morning looking for the best and most perfect rose in the garden and there it is." We need to look widely, but also to be discriminating. It is also important to be alive to what is around us. From an unknown source comes this testament: "Life is what we are alive to. It is not length but breadth. To be alive only to appetite, pleasure, pride, moneymaking, and not to goodness and kindness, purity and love, history, poetry, music, flowers, stars, God and eternal hope, is to be all but dead." The mind is a magnificent instrument that in many of us is scarcely used. It can be fed, exercised, filled, emptied, stretched, and disciplined. It is the seat of content and the source of strength. Samuel Johnson gave it a respectful summation: "The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the griefs which he purposes to remove."

Oh no, I understood Isaiah

If someone was to ask me what I spend most of my time on during the day it would be either exercising or my most favorite, studying the scriptures. I can only do so much exercising before my body demands that I stop and at times I fall asleep while soaking in a tub of hot water and apple cider vinegar. Studying the scriptures is a whole different story because I could go hours reading and researching, going from one topic to another and eventually finding the day is almost gone and Ken is due home in a few minutes. Now, don't get me wrong I don't sit without moving, I get up about every 10 minutes to let Sophie (Faye's puppy) out to do her business, or I am getting a drink of water, etc. but my mind is going at the usual speed of 1,000 mph. and I am also taking notes but sometimes I come to a scripture that stops me dead in my tracks and I don't move except for the horror racing through me wondering, "Oh, no do I do (did) that?" It is like one of my earlier posts on murmuring. Well, I have an even better one than that and of all places it is a quote from Isaiah. Now I know I am in trouble because not only did I understand Isaiah I could readily apply it to me - See the horror in this. To share this little tid bit you can find it in 2 Nephi 7:1 "......Behold for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves......" My first thought was; "I have prostituted myself for candy!" If that was my first thought I am not going into the other thoughts that followed (I am afraid you would die of either laughter or horror). My question to you; what have you sold yourself for?

Weight

The Correct Way to Weigh Yourself I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.

Murmuring

I love reading and studying the scriptures because I always see a new insight into something that I have read over a hundred different times. This time through the Book of Mormon I am dissecting it verse by verse word for word, OK well it sounded good, actually I'm not sure day to day what is going to transpire because I'm not really sure where my spirit is going to lead me. But today's reading I was in 1Nephi and he talks about murmuring - yep it's about Nephi's favorite bros. Laman/Lemuel but this time even Lehi murmurs - basically it came down to this; the righteous do not murmur. So I've been thinking about murmuring - I can see why the Lord chastised Lehi for murmuring and why we shouldn't or rather why the righteous do not murmur. So my question to you is "Do you murmur?"

It was one tough lock

This week started out rather, ummmm, interesting. I go to the gym 5 days a week and I go to the locker room but what stuff I don't need in the locker, lock it and go do my thing for an hour, go back to the locker change from workout clothes to swimsuit, etc, etc. Oh yes, then there was Monday. After taking out my towel I shut the locker and put the ole lock on, hear that click that confirms that all is safe inside and then I realize that the keys are now inside the locked locker and I really can't call anyone because my phone is also inside and I don't know any ones phone number. End result - the female lifeguard had to break my lock. Oh, it was a good lock because it took forever for it to break. Now I am thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to get a lock that has numbers instead of a key but then the BIG question is - will I remember the numbers? Makes me wonder what is going to happen next. I love my life, it is so full of mishaps, experiences, and once in awhile sensational.

When will I ever learn?

I had this really bright idea (oh, when will heaven ever protect me from my ideas?) to make all of the birthday, holiday, thank you, etc cards this year. My thinking was that by making them it had to be cheaper than buying them (Ken's outlook is - are you going to need to spend a $100 first getting the "tools" and "supplies" to make the cards?). I was excited to make Valentine cards for my grandchildren until it seemed that everything was taking so long, time was flying by and the deadline to get them in the mail rushing at me like a speeding train. One day I told Ken that I gave up, the valentine cards to my grandkids were now becoming their birthday cards. I had spent the whole day (not really but it seemed like it) coloring - you see I can't just color, I have to shade every little piece, etc, etc. Well, I persevered and I got them done and in the mail. Well, I was satisified with my finished products. There are some things I would do differently, like make sure there are envelopes that the cards will fit in, but isn't this all a part of learning? I have already made my son, Glenn, a Birthday Card and I am looking toward Easter. I just might have a new hobby. Ken did have one suggest, that I start the Valentine cards in December.

I thought I had done it all

Well, it has come to pass . . . . I was called a Dork. I go to water aerobics 5 mornings a week and usually take my towel and toiletries out to the pool so then I can just grab them and go right to the showers after the class. Well last week I did what I do everyday and after taking a shower I reached for my towel and it wasn't there! I started shouting that someone had taken my towel and I really needed it - my friend, Kristin, comes walking in from the pool and tells me to calm down (I thought I was calm, I mean how would you feel if you were standing in a public shower stall wet and naked with the possibility of having to walk your wet naked body to your locker where the only other towel you have is a hand towel?) and tell her what happened - well I don't know how many women went looking for my towel - many nice towels were brought to me but none of them were mine. Kristin then asked me where my locker was and I told her I remembered that I had taken it out to the pool. Well, you guessed it. I had left my towel on the bench and had brought only the basket with my toiletries in with me. As Kristin came walking in with my (you left it?) towel she looked at me and said "You are such a DORK!" Now everyone in the class watches as I leave to make sure my towel is with me! I am such a Dork. Oh, and the add injury to insult (?) Kristin asked me if I would please get a bright colored towel so it would be easier to find.

I did it, I finally did it

I know it has taken me a loooonnnggg time to finally get something on my blog, but I finally did it. And to think that I have finally accomplished something in this high tech world and I have absolutely nothing new going on - now that is rather depressing. I guess I could report that I got a new vacuum and it now takes me over an hour to do one little area (the new vac has intelli clean feature). But some how that just does not seem news worthy. How about I almost have the dust ruffle for my bed done - it has only taken me 2 (or has it been 3) years since I got the material. I wanted to take pictures of the progress and Ken got the camera out for me. I was so excited until we realized that a part was missing - the part that connects the camera to the computer. My question is; who has the part and where is it?

Anyway back to my project. I thought I was really clever when I thought of hanging the dust ruffle with doublesided tape. Yea, well that worked for about a couple of hours.

Hopefully my life will get exciting, but it will need to come in small doses because I don't want to faint from over excitement. Until then happy trails to you and yours.