IMO

I spent several precious minutes yesterday working on a new entry. I thought I saved it. I didn't. So for those of you who have had this happen to you in the past, you will understand that I am less than enthused about trying to remember what I had typed. I'm sure it was enjoyable.

I have been out of town the last two weekends: Calgary 2 weeks ago, and Utah last weekend. The fact that I was also a little bit pressured at work made travelling less thrilling. But I did enjoy the break during the moments when I wasn't thinking about work. I usually went to sleep and woke up trying to figure out how to get things done when I wasn't in the office. I can now say that two-thirds of my stress is now resolved. And the other third is a little out of my hands. So I'm feeling better...On to the new stress!

The trip to Utah was nice. We stayed at Little America which turns out to be very convenient in many ways: coffee shop, little store, location, Richelieu furniture...yeah, don't know what that is either, but we had it. I really missed my Sleep Number bed and ceiling fan. I sleep hot and I don't like to touch my own skin at night, so I really depend on a little circulation to cool down.

I ordered room service every morning except for the last day. On Friday, Mom and I ate together. Saturday and Sunday I was by myself. I did the usual "throw them off" order: I was by myself, but I wanted eggs, bacon and pancakes, too, so I ordered 2 drinks so the delivery guy would never suspect that I was going to eat both breakfasts myself! I'm so clever. Like they really care. Some of you know that I am compelled to justify, clarify, and defend my every action. I just can't look at someone and say "nunya". Anyway, the french toast was very good. Better than the pancakes which I only tasted! Just in case you are wondering.

Rather than give a complete rundown of each day, let me share some random thoughts:

Conference Visitors - You see all types of people at the Conference Center. Some of the obvious foreign visitors were from Ecuador, I think. A gentleman wearing a dark blue wool poncho, ankle length linen type pants, canvas and rope type sandals with the rope tied around his ankles, a hat and a long single braid down his back. Ecuador? I think so. If the hat had been a little different, I would have said Bolivia. There were also some African outfits that were interesting. Being me, I also have to comment on those people that were wearing outfits that screamed "what were you thinking". Then I had to remind myself that maybe this WAS their Sunday best, and I pulled the "beam" out of my own eye. I, however, looked spectacular!

Distribution Center - It's been a long while since I have "needed" anything from there, but I still feel the need to browse. It's difficult to resist grabbing up a bunch of the "No Charge" items, but then, what would I do with 50 Personal Progress books? Sell them? So just to keep them in business, because I know they are struggling, I buy the token miniature Book of Mormon. It's so cute. Don't know what I'll do with it yet, but I love the feel of the pages. Good smooth paper. I now have a complete family of the BoM- large print Daddy size, regular Mommy size, and little bitty baby size. Now if Three Bears ever come calling, I'll be able to convert them!

Downtown SLC - It's either wonderful church sites, or scum of the earthville. What is up with that? I know there is a lot of renovation going on, and I can't wait. The parking is horrible, and there are no decent restaurants. You can eat at The Garden, or The Lion House. And you know what? I think it's the same darn food! All they do is use different dishes, and let you decide whether you want to do it cafeteria style or have a waiter bring it to you. One thing for sure - the rolls are the same! So how about a little variety? Why can't someone open a Texas Roadhouse or In and Out Burger in the vicinity? How about a new ice cream store since they killed Snelgroves? Who's with me on this?

Ok. I think I'm done. I still don't remember what I originally typed, but I guess it doesn't matter. I'll try to get some pics posted. That's my next goal.

Here and There

Yes, I knew that trying to post at least once a week would be difficult. Nevertheless, I will keep trying. I have noticed that my desire to post is directly correlated to my stress level - the higher the stress, the less likely that I will post. Hence....I'm feeling a little less stressed right now.

I just got back last evening from a short visit to Calgary to attend the blessing of Melinda and Michael's new baby, Claire. When I left AZ, the temp was around 85. When I got to Calgary, it was 1 degree. Keep in mind that there is a change from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Still, quite the swing in temp. And it snowed Saturday night, but it was beautiful - big, fluffy flakes that stacked up on the smallest branch. Life does not stop for a little snow in Calgary. I always enjoy visiting with the family, and an added bonus was that Kerri and Luke were there, too. By the time they left, Luke would actually look me in the face. I also feel that I made progress with Erik, Lara and Sean's little boy. He does not really speak to anyone, choosing instead to communicate by growling like a lion, a sweet, gentle little lion. If you growl back, he seems pleased that you are actually acknowledging him. He did approach me a few times and I picked him up and chatted about whatever, anything to keep his attention and let him know that I'm someone he can trust. When Sean and Lara were leaving on Saturday evening, I became aware that Erik was kind of sing-talking in the background, not really to anyone in particular, just out loud. As I listened, I realized that he was singing "good-bye, Judy - good-bye, Judy"! What? He said my name. I am a real person as far as Erik is concerned.

I hope this doesn't sound like some kind of social experiment, because it wasn't. But anyone who has been around Erik knows that it is a gift for him to acknowledge and actually enjoy your presence. Right?

So the actual reason for the trip was the Baby Blessing. I will post more on that when I attempt to also post some pictures! I know, don't faint!

Same Ol' Stuff

What's new? Not really anything. I was talking to Cathy Melchin the other day and she used the phrase "every day is Groundhog's Day". That's what I feel like sometimes - same routine, different day, with very few exceptions. Even down to reporting the activities of others, it's still the same thing, different week. Mom and Zack went on a road trip last week, got home this week. Becky and I were alone in the house and sometimes we even saw each other - she goes to bed around 7, or earlier. So on my late nights, I didn't see her. I wandered around the house all by myself, nobody to talk to, so sad....not. I enjoyed the quiet.

One thing that is new and different, I am now a red-head, with blond highlights. It's really not so shocking and now that I have red hair, I realize how non-descript my actual hair color is. As the roots start to show, I have the feeling that I will keep this red hair!

I also want everyone north of the border to know that I'm wearing sandals today, and it's almost 80 outside, a crisp coolish 80 degrees. I have to make the most of it right now because all too soon it will be a crisp hotish 100 outside. And nobody will be jealous.

I'm still crocheting like a mad woman, trying to get a white blankie done for Melinda's baby who came early without asking permission! I'm actually almost done with it, then I have to figure out how to get it in her hands before March 30th, the blessing day. I'm thinking the best way is to deliver it personally.

Mom and I are also planning a trip to SLC for Conference. I'm looking forward to that - I always enjoy the break. The only real vacation I'm anticipating is going to Calgary in May. The last few trips there have been in the Winter, so I've seen lot's of snow. Better not be snowing in May - although I seem to remember snow 4 years ago when Melinda and Michael got married. Hmmm....June?

Went to the grocery store last weekend (oooo! big news!) and saw the cutest thing! Those who know me well are aware of my attraction to almost anything miniature: tiny ketchup bottles, tiny little books, tiny flashlights, etc. Well, can you imagine my delight when I saw itty bitty little cartons of Haagen Dazs ice cream? They were 10 for $10! So I bought 5. They are/were so cute! I sat down that night with a spoon, opened the teeny tiny lid, and pulled off the teeny tiny paper. I waited a teeny tiny minute to give the ice cream a chance to soften a little. I took my first teeny tiny bite. Yummo. Haven't had HD for awhile. Second bite. Just as yummy. Third bite as well. Fourth bite hit the spot. As I scraped the bottom of the teeny tiny carton, I decided that I needed a teeny tiny bit more! Next time, I'll splurge a teeny tiny bit!

Happiness and Joy

I decided to list some things that bring Happiness and Joy to my life. I thought I would start out with 20, then decided that I needed to reduce that to 10. Then I decided that if I have more than 10, I'll keep going, so who knows where this will end up? These are not really in any particular order, but those of the psychology persuasion might say otherwise...

1. Being able to relax and crochet: When I am sitting down to crochet, it usually means my mind is clear, so that's always a good thing. Making a blankie is another experience altogether, expecially if I'm crocheting with a purpose. For instance, right now I'm working on a blankie for Melinda's new baby girl (a white one for her blessing day). So as I stare at the yarn while crocheting, I get to think of Melinda and the baby, even though I don't know her yet. A few weeks ago, I was working on a pretty deep pink blankie which was also for Melinda's baby. Sadee was watching me and quietly said "I want a blankie like that." So in mid-crochet, I changed the owner to Sadee, and everytime she saw me working on it, she would smile and say "that's my blankie". I still have enough yarn to do one for Melinda's baby, though.

So that was way too long for one entry, and I don't know if I should count it as 1 or 2...

2. A clean room: order, peace, quiet. I love my room, but I especially love it when it's basically clean.

3. Sunday after church: Our meetings start at 8:00 this year, but before you groan, remember that starting at 8 means we get out at 11! Love that!

4. A clean car: Haven't had that in a while, but it does bring me happiness.

5. Driving home from work: Does this really need explanation?

6. Fresh nails: Yes, this is shallow, but I love having freshly painted nails.

7. An empty dishwasher: I absolutely detest unloading the dishwasher! But, if the dishwasher is empty, I love loading it. Don't know why this is, but it just is. Becky and I have worked out a nice symbiotic relationship - she empties, I load. I'd rather load it 100 times, than empty it once.

8. A good batch of cookie dough: Chocolate chip, of course. Normally, my mouth starts to water when I'm stirring in the flour and chips. What I love is a big spoonful of freshly made cookie dough. I don't even have to bake any cookies. Lately, though, I've not been too happy with our vanilla extract. I need to buy some good vanilla.

9. Mornings that I don't have to wash my hair: This particular chore adds a good 30-40 minutes to my morning routine, and those of you who know me well, know that I would rather sleep than wash my hair. I love clean hair, mind you, but drying it takes way too long. So I love knowing that I don't need to get up "early". This morning was a "no wash" day. Love it.

10. Three little girls: When the front door opens and I see those little girls, my day immediately gets brighter. I love to watch them - they absolutely know the routine at our house. One time, several months ago, I let Emma and Sadee have some hot chocolate. They pulled chairs up to the counter. I gave them cups, spoons and the can of hot chocolate mix. I let them spoon in however much chocolate they wanted, and I gave them marshmallows. They would put a handful in the cup, eat the globby marshmallows, and then ask for more. Sure, I said. Eat all you want. Did they make a mess? A little bit, but nothing that didn't wipe up. Did they drink all the hot chocolate in their cup? No. But watching them brought me happiness and joy.

11. Looking at pictures from the family reunion: I can't believe that it's almost a year since our reunion. I'm still amazed at how wonderful it was to see everyone! I love to look at all the faces, and even though we don't see each other so often, it gives me happiness and joy to remember that week we spent together.

12. Looking forward to a trip/vacation: I love having something to anticipate. I plan every detail in my head. I'm notorious for packing early. This is a good thing.

13. Knowing that my DVR actually worked: Ok, another shallow thing. But it's true. I think I'm more proud of my accomplishment in setting it to record than actually watching whatever was recorded.

Ok. That's it for now. Maybe you should make a list, too. For a few moments, just thinking about these few pleasures will bring a smile to your face. Have a wonderful week!

Just Desserts

Ok, so I missed a week. Sorry about that. I feel like I owe myself an apology because I had a goal to post at least once a week.

Since my last post I have visited the Happiest Place on Earth. There was a trip planned, but because of Becky's surgery, we weren't sure if we could go. We went. It was fun. Our 2nd day there, Becky rented an electric cart. All that walking on the day before took it's toll. So she zoomed off in her cart down Main Street, quite literally leaving us in the dust, seemingly unaware that we were not jogging to keep up with her. When we finally got her to stop, she lowered the speed on the cart and that seemed to work better. The advantage of the cart was that she didn't have to walk so much...so we thought! The REAL advantage was something that we hadn't even considered...when one of the party is in a cart or wheelchair, the entire party gets to avoid the lines and go right to the "jumping off point". Kinda fun, for the first few rides. Then we even became impatient with that...Why are we waiting so long? Can't they see we have a person in a cart? Is this discrimination towards cart people? There is also some pressure to not look too happy that you have a cart person in your party. It would just not be right to be so happy about someone with a disability, would it? That night Sarah, Sadee and I wanted to go on the Matterhorn, but how to do it without a cart person? A-ha...switch places with the cart person. So I did, and I found that the crowd seemed to part in front of me. We did have to go through part of the line, but not the last snaking part. The whole time I was in line, I started to panic that they were going to ask me why I was in the cart...what if my reason for being in the cart was severe enough to keep me off the ride? The whole "blue", must-explain-everything part of my personality was bubbling to the surface! Panic. Uhh, I have a bad knee? I have a bad back? I have a sore throat? I just had surgery? I'm lazy and didn't want to wait in line? Sarah finally convinced me that I didn't have to give any explanation, so I did my best to keep my mouth shut and not smile because I didn't have to wait in line. I dutifully hobbled over to the little Matterhorn car and stepped in, buckled up and held on. Within the first couple of jerks of the ride, I realized 2 things: 1) I didn't really like this ride at night, and 2) I think the jerking has wrenched my back. Good thing I have an electric cart!

Medical Check-up

We are mostly healthy now. A couple of weeks ago Becky developed a gut pain that would not go away. She stayed home from work, thinking she might need to go to the emergency room. I had a commitment in north Phoenix, so I took her to the ER, but I could not stay. It was weird to just drop her off "bye" and then then leave. Mom was able to get over there by mid-morning. After a few tests and scans, it was determined that she had an obstruction and she was transferred to the hospital in Phoenix to see her surgeon. How many people do you know that have a surgeon? Well, Becky does. He said she had...well, I don't really understand what the issue was, but they went in laproscopically (sp?) and repaired it. By 8:00 that night she was out of recovery and sleeping like a drugged up baby. The sore throat that she felt coming on a few days prior was a distant memory. This all happened on a Wednesday. She came home on Friday and recovered the following week. Yesterday the doctor released her to return to work, but she has a restriction - she cannot lift anything over 20lbs for a month. I guess she'll have to postpone her clean & jerk training until late March. And we'll only buy 10lbs of potatoes at a time. My mom is concerned because all of her kids have been in the ER and/or hospital within the last 8 months. She, however, has been healthly. We decided that it might be our Taylor genes. Becky and I were wondering if we are all hypochondriacs, but each time there has been a legitimate malady. Becky wins the prize, though. She's been in twice. Becky had a surgery in June. Zack went in October - kidney stone. I went the end of October - kidney cyst. Jeff was in for MRSA - look it up. Jennifer - dislocated hip. Mom is getting a reputation at the Family History Center for the least healthy children: "I need to leave. My daughter is in the hospital." "I need to leave. My other daughter is in the hospital." "I won't be in. My son is in the hospital." " I need to leave. My other daughter is in the hospital. No, the other one." Fact of the matter is that we don't really get "sick", we have just had some weird issues. But for the moment, everything is good...knock on wood!

It Finally Happened

Well, I was going to post last night so that I could keep up with my "once a week" posting goal. However, our evening was filled with trying to find out information about Pres. Hinckley. It was very interesting how quickly the news spread. We do live in an amazing age of technology. While knowing that he could go at any time, once it happened it was a jolt to the system. Poor man, every time he got up to speak, we all evaluated how much he had aged in the last few months. I read in one of the articles about him that he prayed that he wouldn't "linger" in his old age. How wonderful that he was productive up to the very end. There are so many thoughts that I have about him, and about the organization of the church. I am looking forward to his funeral. I remember when Pres. Kimball died and the first thought I had was that he would be reunited with his mother who had passed away when he was a boy of 10 or 11. He missed her so much. When I was born, David O. McKay was president of the church. He is the prophet who issued the call to Pres Hinckley as an Asst to the Twelve in 1958. I will give one piece of advice: If you have not already read Pres Hinckley's biography by Sheri Dew, read it. If you have read it, read it again. He is an amazing man.