My 200th Post!

Unless I'm mistaken, this is my 200th blog post. The only fitting way for me to celebrate is to share  200 assorted items of "interest". 

 

Don't worry - there will be an intermission. ;)

 

1. I saw this marquee a few weeks ago...

 

 

What the deuce?!  It was mighty tempting, the idea of partying in a pool with cannonballing canines, but I never did make it in there before it was too late.
When I drove past a few days later, I noticed that somebody had removed the ad. Probably couldn't keep up with demand...

 

 2. That reminds me of when I worked at Dairy Queen and decided to put this message up on the sign out front: "Like a pig to its slop, so am I to my chicken strip basket!" It was probably not the best way to advertise a hot meal, which might have been why my manager asked me to change it shortly after I finished putting it up. Oops. =)

 

3. You know when teens refuse to wear a jacket or coat to school? I think it's because they believe the other kids will think they look cool. To me it just looks like they're cold. Same diff?
No.

4. "Same difference" doesn't make any sense.

5. I'm constantly looking at words I just typed and thinking they are spelled wrong when they aren't.  I do a spell check that doesn't highlight any errors, so then I intentionally mess a word up and click it again to make sure spell check is working. What can I say? I have issues.

6. I like Costco's canned roast beef.



I often use it in lieu of ground beef in recipes such as taco soup, shepherd's pie, etc. Yum.

 

 7. I'm an expert mushroom-picker-outer. Even the ones in cream of mushroom soup. Me no likey mushrooms.

 

 8. This week marks 3 months of gym-going. My arms are getting noticeably musclier.

9. What if I could see the facial expressions of anyone who's in the middle of reading my blog? Sometimes I wish I could. To know if I should stop trying so hard. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few eyes rolling, or many eyes closed in slumber.

10. Don't you hate it when you get bits of floss stuck between your teeth?

11. I miss the tiny white envelopes that used to come with the store-bought boxes of valentines.

12. Hot dog nose: The term I use for my snout when it's shiny and in need of powdering.

13. I finally watched "Nacho Libre" a couple of weeks ago with Ryan and Oliver. I'd resisted so long  because I didn't really want to see Jack Black in that grody get-up, nor do I like to watch wrestling.  But the movie was surprisingly funny.

14. Once Oliver left a toy dolphin in the driveway. I told him to move it so it wouldn't get backed over by the car. A few minutes later I came back and saw that he'd put it right behind the tire of our parked car. =) He is such a boy.

15. There's a warning on the Bisquick box: Do not eat raw batter. It should also say:
Trust us, it will not taste good!

16. Megan and I basically have the same voice. One time we saw each other at Target in the toy department and started chatting. I wondered if anyone could hear us from the next aisle and mistook us for one person talking to herself.

17. I like the sound of my phone telling me I have a new text. Even if it's just the neighbor asking me to send her kid home.

18. I wonder if anyone has ever named a new daughter "Mom".

19. I think a funny name for a girl would be "Guy".

20. I recently mailed birthday presents to two friends. I carefully wrote their shipping info on

 the packages with a calligraphy pen, only to have the postal clerk type the same info onto a label and slap it on over my writing. Ugh! I guess I'm obsolete!

21. In a past post regarding the Idaho Aquarium, I mistakenly referred to a particular little shark as a  hammerhead. Come to find out, it's a bonnethead. I'd never even heard of a bonnethead. Silly me.

22. I'm going on another personal spending hiatus starting today. I haven't decided for how long yet. Long enough to make a difference. I don't need anything, and I only feel guilty when I find sweet deals on cute knick-knacks and clothes I don't need. I have to make myself stay out of stores!

23. Oliver lost his first tooth on 2/20/13.

24. One of my biggest pet peeves: When people write "your" when it should be "you're".

25. I don't have a smart phone. Honestly, the main appeal of them for me is the cute cases. =)
I saw a sprinkle-print one and almost died.

26. Why do people always blame auto correct? I don't have it, but don't you have the option of looking at what you just typed before you send it? Quit blaming technology for your failure to proofread. Gosh!

27. I need to invite at least one person over every week to ensure I'll clean the house at least that often.

28. The word "snooze" always looks so weird to me when I select it several times each morning on my phone alarm.

29. Some sweet soul left this note on my windshield last week...
 





 

This is a first. I don't think I've ever been called that before. =)  I wonder if he was watching me as I read it. I should have flung myself on the hood of the car, weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth. Instead I inspected my slightly crooked parking job. I was inside both lines, but I hadn't bothered to straighten the wheel. The tires did look wonky, but they weren't in anyone's way. I would never park in a manner that would prevent anyone from accessing their vehicle. Anyway, it's good to know there are people out there practicing random acts of rudeness.

 

30. Maybe I'll start leaving a Shannequin (mannequin of me) sitting in the front seat whenever I'm doing any public parking. It would have a video camera in its eyes to capture any mischief going on around the vehicle.

 

31. Here's some cheesy chicken chowder I made. It's Jane's favorite.

 

 

Who wants chowder?  ;) 

 

 

32. Good news: This year my skin hasn't been quite as dry as winters usually make it.

 

33. I guess I'm growing out my bangs. Unless anyone objects.

 

34. I was given a "creamy caramel" flavored Dum-Dum yesterday. It tasted like cooked noodles. =/

 

35. That's how old I'm going to be this year.

 

36. I talk to myself a lot. Usually under my breath.

 

37. I don't own any red shirts. I just never know what to wear one with. If I paired a red top with black bottoms, I'd look too hellish. With blue jeans, I'd look too patriotic. Not that I have a problem with patriotism. And with khakis, I'd look like a Target employee.

 

38. The chore I most dread is dusting.

 

39. There will be no sisters' trip this year. =(  It's a good thing the reason we aren't going anywhere (PJ) is so ridiculously cute. I've already totally forgiven her.

 

40. I like wearing church clothes every Sunday. It makes me feel all feminine and stuff.

 

41. I like wearing ruffles and lace. You know, all the ruffly, lacy blouses and sweaters and such available these days.

 

42. I understand the logistics of a "bad hair day", but how do "bad face days" work? What makes the same person look good one day and not-so-good the next? Is it stress, lack of rest, what?

 

43. Last Saturday Ryan and I went on a quadruple date with some of our pharmacy school friends. We went to dinner at Louie's and then downtown to a Chicks n' Giggles show (Megan's improv comedy troupe). It was a pretty fun night.

 

44. I'm secretly jealous of Megan's ability to command a room and make a crowd laugh at her zany voices and antics.

 

45. Erin (my older sister) said that she and I are the "athletic supporters" of the family. =) When the confidence and social prowess were distributed among us kids, Megan and Gavin got all of it. Which is perfectly fine since we have fun either way. =)

 

46. We are big cereal eaters. I'd say we typically have a bigger selection than Seinfeld ever had.

 

47. It would be so much easier if people could feed themselves with as little effort as pets do. What if we didn't have to agonize about what to make for every meal, every day, for the rest of our lives? Can't we have a people equivalent to bagged pet food? It would be a heck of a lot easier, but I guess we'd get sick of the same crap day in and day out. Maybe that's the main reason animals have such a short life span. And I guess we already do have bagged food. It's called breakfast cereal.

 

48. Ever since we got our greenish-blue Chrysler Pacifica, I've noticed them everywhere. Same color and everything. It makes me want to meet the drivers and see how much we have in common. I know there are conventions for certain notable cars, but wouldn't it be interesting to get together with a big bunch of "transportation twinners"?

 

49. I cannot stand to watch people smoosh or press on their noses. Just thinking about it is giving me the willies. Cartilage has always creeped me out.

 

50. I'm a quarter of the way through. Woo.

 

51. Whenever I see a large, empty store space I wish someone would open up a new roller rink there.

 

52. A while back I was cleaning the pantry. There is a sizable sack of rice in there. It was accidentally torn open on the side, so the bag lies on the floor with a gaping hole. I was leaning over to do something or other when I noticed a gargantuan grain of rice amidst all the others. I picked it up out of the bag, only to discover it wasn't rice, but a large shard of a Pep-O-Mint Lifesaver. It had probably fallen there during one of Oliver's top-shelf treat raids. If anyone knows the first thing about Ryan, it's that he cannot tolerate the taste, smell, or sensation of mint. My finding this minty chunk among the rice was a miracle. It diverted a potential dinner disaster. And to think I could have scooped it up and cooked it up one night with the rice....

Oh boy..... Suppertime would have sucked.  =) Actually, that gives me a good idea for April Fools' Day.... ;)

 

53. I guess you could say I'm pretty alert. ;)

 

54. "Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired".

- Robert Frost

 

55. I don't talk in my sleep, but I have woken myself up laughing before.

 

56. I was singing along in the car to "Dancing in the Street". I asked Oliver if he would dance in the street. He said no! When I asked him why, he replied: "Boys don't dance".  I hope to change his feelings on that. =)

 

57. When will I learn to not slather my hands with lotion just before I need to open a door?

 

58. When will I learn to put my necklaces on after I use the blow dryer on my hair? The heat always makes the metal chains burn my neck meat.

 

59. Can Murphy's Law and faith coexist in the same person?

 

60. Sometimes when I watch people crammed in a car together, I think: Out of all the people in the world, that's who they're with. And then I sincerely hope they are happy.

 

 61. I've only been as far away as Arizona and California, but I am determined to travel Europe someday. 

 

62. I love castles, and one of my wishes is to visit some.
 

63. I often consult my thesaurus to satiate my desire for fun words. Like ninnyhammer.

64. I still have a pair of friendly-looking hedgehog slippers that I got for Christmas when I was 16.

65. I am an avid people-watcher.

66. I remember in high school I used to get the theme song to Doogie Howser stuck in my head during math tests.

67. I love looking at the sky when it is bright blue, and festooned with large, fluffy clouds. I also love the night sky when I can see clusters of twinkling stars.

 

                          68. I'm eating some zesty grape tomatoes right this instant.

 

69. Nanobots, the new TMBG album, comes out March 5!

 

70. While Cora and I were out shopping, she came up with an idea for a loungewear company called Sweats Are For Sitting.

 

71. Cora wanted a coat with substantial pockets, which inspired our idea for a store called

Lotsa Pockets.

 

72. Don'tcha wanna just be with your mama?

-me

 

73. I don't know what I'd do without Google. I consult it all.the.time. To check my work, look up lyrics, ideas, anything. I almost always find exactly what I'm looking for before I even finish typing it in the browser.

 

74. I wonder how long until my kids stop thinking I'm amusing.

 

75. Welp, I think it's time for an intermission. Go get a snack and come back.

 

..................................................................

...................................................................

...................................................................

 

76. I went to that Dazzling Convo course. Now that I've learned it all, who wants to be my guinea pig? ;)

 

77. It wouldn't have mattered if I brought a buddy with me.

 

78. They separated buddies for the conversing exercises.

 

79. The instructor's first name is Vandye (rhymes with Andy). He is 70.

 

80. His wife's first name is Vondi. No joke.

 

81. I hope that's not the main reason they married.

 

82. I don't think it is, as they seemed to suit each other well.

 

83. They brought Girl Scout cookies and Dum-Dums for the class. Noodle-flavored Dum-Dums.

 

84. Vandye had each partnership practice how to give an introductory handshake. Like 5 times. Every one of us was dazzled.

 

85. There were two Shannons and one Shanna in a class of 27 people. What are the odds?

 

86. Are Shannons predisposed to seek conversational assistance?

 

87. I wonder how many other Shannons were silently considering signing up for the class but were ultimately too shy.

 

88. Although I do think too much time was spent going over how to shake hands, I'm glad I went. 

 

89. The main thing I took away from the class was that I need to be the first one to approach a person if I want to meet/talk to them.

 

90. And I need to walk over there and introduce myself first. Because they are as scared of me as I am of them. =O

 

91. It just feels awkward to go around spouting my name to people. Cuz what if they don't tell me their name in return?

 

92. I've made the dreadful mistake of asking new faces for their name before I tell them mine.

 

93. I knew it wasn't the proper procedure, but I tried it anyway.

 

94. So from now on I'm going to do it the right way.

 

95. I often forget names before I even ask the next question.

 

96. Vandye also said to smile while looking the other person in the eye. During the initial intro.

 

97. Extend your hand for a handshake first to eliminate confusion.

 

98. Have you ever thought someone was offering a handshake when he/she really wasn't? And you lamely grabbed the hand that wasn't trying to shake yours? Yeah. Story of my life.

 

99. That's not going to happen anymore. Next time if I think it's happening, I'll ask the person if they want to shake my hand a few minutes before I try to grab theirs.

 

100. Yay, we're at the halfway point.

 

101. Maria is getting a dalmatian puppy soon. Only one. ;)

 

102. Back to the dazzling class.

 

103. Vandye wrote a book called "No Risk Is Too Great When Your Dream Is Big Enough".

 

104. Everyone got one. It was included in the class cost.

 

105. On the cover is a quote I don't remember ever hearing before, but Google knows all about it, so Vandye doesn't get credit.

 

106. The quote is:

If it is to be it is up to me.

 

I really like that, and not only because it's a big meaningful string of strictly two-letter words.

 

107. The inside of the book has tip after helpful tip about taking risks and stuff.

 

108. Chapter 17 has over 126 "guaranteed conversation starters".  Here are some of his ideas...

 

109. Some of them are typical ...."Find a shared experience or common ground: Nice party, seminar, concert, etc.... Say something nice about the other person.... ask: What do you do? Do you like it?"

 

110. But others sound like odd ways to start up a good chat. Such as:

 

111. "What in the last year has given you the most pleasure?"  O_o

 

112. "Which pictures in a museum mean the most to you?"

 

113. "If hospitalized for three months, whom would you want in the bed next to you?"

 

114. I think next time I introduce myself to someone new -- right after the exchanging of names, smiles, and handshakes -- I will go ahead and ask one of Vandye's tried and true conversation starters. I'm anxious to know how that will go.

 

115. One other thing Vandye said was that you don't have to be shy if you don't want to be.

Mmm hmmm...

 

116. Every time I've moved to a different place I've told myself that I'm going to take advantage of the fact that nobody knows me, and I'm going to suddenly be a social, secure person.

 

117. Anyway, the class was a good nudge for me, and I hope I'll be more outgoing. Even if the only motive is to push myself out of my comfort zone. I was kind of hoping he'd cover more about how to talk to people I already know.

 

118. "What we call human nature in actuality is human habit."  Saw this yesterday on the cover of Jewel's Pieces of You album. I suppose there is some truth to that.

 

119. I have not succumbed to Pinterest, nor do I plan to.

 

120. I think some people are here just to make other people miserable.

 

121. I've heard that it's good to eliminate "toxic" people from one's life. To me, that seems like a really selfish thing to do. If everyone avoids the folks who drag them down and exhaust them with their constant negativity, then there is eventually nobody around them (the toxics). And it's probably these type of people who need the most care. They don't need everybody to abandon them.

 

122. I'm sick of the Keep Calm and (blahblahblah) merchandise. I saw a Beatles t-shirt with Keep Calm and Rock On.

No, no, no! They've gone too far. That was the last straw for me.

 

 123. 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12. Dooo-doo-doo-doo-dooo-doo-doo-doo....

 

124. I slept in until almost 11 this past Saturday morning. I don't remember the last time that happened. Well, I got woken up a few times in the process, but I kept drifting back to la-la land. It was nice. 

 

125. Here's a choco-cherry cake I made for Ryan's mom's birthday last Friday. It's a bundt cake.

 

 

 

 

 

126. Here's what we had for dinner on Valentine's Day. I made pink-ish pancakes with strawberries  sliced to resemble hearts. 

 

127. 

 

128. Ryan's plate.

129. I also made some mini quiches that didn't turn out very well.

 

 

130. Cora's plate.

 



 

131. Jane's plate. She's anti-fruit. 

 

132. Ryan tried to surprise me with a new griddle (which I'd been wanting) but when he got home from work he saw that I'd gone out and bought one earlier that day. Oops.

 

133. Jane makes her own Monster High housing units.

 



 

134. She uses shelves, a chair, and the floor for the different rooms.

 

135. And shoe boxes for beds. The bedding is washcloths.

 

136. All the wall decor is stuff she cut out of the dolls' packaging.

 

137. It keeps her busy and happy.



138. Megan and I used to make our own Barbie "houses" when we were little. But they weren't anywhere near as detailed as Jane's handiwork.

 

139. I like the word "uproariously".

 

140. A lady at church who looks like Mariah Carey told me I look like Carly Rae Jepsen. I think it must be the long dark hair and bangs. Maybe I'll keep the bangs.

 

 

141. I

 

142. am

 

143. totally

 

144. running

 

145. out

 

146. of

 

147. things

 

148. to

 

149. talk

 

150. about.

 

151. I

 

152. kinda

 

153. sorta

 

154. wish

 

155. this

 

156. was

 

157. only

 

158. my

 

159. 150th

 

160. gee-golly

 

161. blog post.

 

162. Oh yeah....

 

163. I

 

164. remembered

 

165. something

 

166. else

 

167. I

 

168. was

 

169. gonna

 

170. bring

 

171. up.

 

172. I've begun playing Song Pop on Facebook. It's kind of fun, but I don't think it's always a true representation of my musical knowledge.

 

173. For instance, when I'm given a genre like "Rap", it's doubtful I'm going to know any of the artist or song names.

 

174. But sometimes I get lucky and pick the right answer. It makes me feel like a liar. Because I had no idea what the answer was, but I still earned points.

 

175. Or I totally know the answer and accidentally click on the wrong choice.

 

176. Like the time I slipped and clicked Gloria Estefan when it was obviously Josh Groban.

 

177. When I'm playing against someone and it shows what answers they're going with, when I don't know the answer, I follow them to the "right" answer. But sometimes it's wrong. Then I feel all sheepish.

 

178. It bugs me that some of the songs are not the original versions I heard on the radio. It totally throws me off.

 

179. And I'm surprised at how many artists' names I've apparently never heard said.

 

180. For instance, the Buggles?! Yeah, I recognize "Video Killed the Radio Star", but didn't ever catch the band name.

 

181. The song selections seem to cycle through really fast, so I'll hear the same 10 songs (or so it seems) until I learn them.

 

182. Some of the songs/artists I only "know" because of this game. Because they keep rotating through and I have no choice but to remember them.

 

183. I think I'll go grab something to eat.

 

184. What are you eating under there?

 

185. Did you know my blog openly accepts anonymous comments?

 

186. I'm bummed that most of my friends who used to blog no longer blog.

 

187. And that means they no longer read blogs (especially mine) because it just reminds them that they got really behind on theirs and it depresses them.

 

188. Now I'm really going to go down and fetch something to gnaw on.

........................................................................................

........................................................................................

 

189.  Are you still there?

 

190. I'm back with almonds, string cheese, and more grape tomatoes.

 

191. I'm looking for inspiration from a site called "Best Quotes Ever". We'll see if they deliver.

 

192. Wouldn't that be a good business idea? A quote delivery service. All you do is contact them and they bring you a touching, handwritten quote. Daily, weekly, monthly...whatevs.

 

193. "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget the way you made them feel."

-Maya Angelou

 

194. Oh, hey. This one fits nicely with what I learned at the convo class:

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." -Winnie the Pooh

 Amen to that.
 

195.“You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are. ”
― Fred Rogers

 

196. I went to the temple with my mom and sisters a few Saturdays ago. It was nice. And I saw a few familiar faces there. One of them was Nancy, one of my R.S. counselors when we lived in Chubbuck. It was so good to see her. She and her husband moved to Nampa.

 

197. It's been almost 5 years since we moved back to Boise from Chubbuck. My mind=blown. I miss all the people I met there. I've been wanting to go visit them. Probably next month. =)

 

198. I went back and read my 100th blog post the other night to make sure I wouldn't be repeating myself here. At the beginning of that one I said I definitely wouldn't be doing any similar milestone posts in the future, due to their crazy length. Apparently I changed my mind.
Also, I'd forgotten that my 100th post was published two days before Becky left us. =(
She took the time to read it and comment.

I'll always miss her.

 

199. Sometimes I see a vehicle with a decal stuck to the back window that says:

In memory of So-and-so.

1978-2012

While it's a nice sentiment, I'm not sure I'd want the back of some Chevy dedicated to me when I'm gone. The only way I'd approve of it is if my name happened to get slapped on the rear of a pink and turquoise, candy/cupcake/flower-coated classic car (anything pre-1967) or ice cream truck. 

 

200! (kind of...)  I guess that's it for now. If you need me I'll be doing something more useful for a while.

 

 

 



Family Game Night

My brilliant little sister (Megan) decided to host a family game night at her house on Sunday evening, January 20th. Just for the fun of it. =D

 

We were only missing Jason and Jamie's fam, Barry, and Gavin. But we still managed to have a good time.





 

Cora took this pic of Meg's adorable baby, PJ.

 

She is such a sweetie pie. I love her chubby little cheeks.

 

 

Here's Erin, Meg (plus sleepy PJ) and my mom...

 

 

Discussing something or other.

 



 

I don't know what had Erin looking so stricken, but I was happy to have captured it...

And I'm sure my mom would be thrilled with some of these pictures. Sorry! ;)





I think this was them making the dividing line between two teams.

 

 

We played Encore, Mad Gab, and Spot It!

 

Encore is a team game where players are given a word and are then expected to spontaneously sing part of a song containing that word. It volleys back and forth between the two teams until one is stumped. It's amazing how much of a mental block a game like this will cause. I kept coming up with great song examples later that night after we'd all gone home. I couldn't believe some of the ones I spaced in the heat of the moment. =/

 

 

Meg and Mike graciously supplied us with pizza and Rice Krispies treats. She came up with a delectable chocolate covered cherry version (pictured below).

 



A fun time was had by all. I think...

Cora tackles the piano.

Since we were aleady in the manner of videoing piano performances this afternoon, I convinced Cora to play for me and "the camera" (everyone). She's getting so good! I love hearing her play, and she practices without being told to. =)

Have a listen...

Battling the Piano

As I've mentioned before, I'm the ward Relief Society pianist. I have had this calling at least five  times, starting when I was 18. I've spent many a meeting fumbling through an opening or closing song, progressively slumping down to hide behind the piano as each wrong chord is struck. Sometimes I wish I'd never admitted to anyone my "ability" to play. Why do I continue to put myself and everyone else through my weekly jittery hymning? I don't know why, really. I guess a part of me keeps holding on to this wacky idea that the more I do it, the easier it will become. I've had faith that I'll get better. But that hasn't really happened.

The frustrating part is, I can play all I want in the privacy of my home, with few bloopers, but no matter how much I practice and how well I play alone, the moment I get to church and the chorister stands up, I freeze up. Not every time, but often enough that I have this constant feeling of humiliation hanging over me.

When I was given the list of songs for this month, one of them was "True to the Faith". I've always thought it was too hard, so I never really tried to play through it. But rather than immediately requesting an emergency hymn swap, I sat down at the piano and tried to play it. It was definitely rough, but I decided that with some serious work I could learn it. I wanted to challenge myself, see if I could wow everyone with my sudden huge improvement. If nothing else, it could be a beautiful, inspirational story to tell.

During the next two weeks, I played the song slowly, over and over, rehashing each chord and run until it was good and learned. But it's not a slow song. It says on the top of the page that it's supposed to be played "vigorously".
So I practiced it fast, again and again and once more. It's actually a pretty fun one to play. I wondered why I'd avoided any attempt to play it before. I felt pret-ty accomplished to at last be able to add this song to my repertoire.

Today was the moment of truth. I felt oddly confident. I looked forward to showcasing all my valiant efforts. I kept silently hoping and praying that I'd play it well, for my own benefit, but moreso for all the other ears in the room who've surely had enough of my butter fingers. I had this cute little vision of me not messing up this super tricky song. 'Cause I'd worked so hard on it.

I'd like to say I didn't make any mistakes, but that would be a lie. It didn't go nearly as well as I'd wished it would. I got through the short intro without a hitch, which was a success itself (that's typically where it all goes downhill), so after that I was trying to not be scared or let any negative thoughts take me over, but instead I began to feel more nervous than I've ever felt before! My hands were shaking like crazy, which obviously makes finger maneuvering difficult.  But I was so stinking determined to get through it. Maybe a lot of the problem is I just think about it too much. My mind starts racing and I get so worried about hitting all the right notes that I inevitably flub up. =/

The good news is I didn't totally ruin it! =) I mostly kept up and got through it even though I had to drop a few notes here and there. I thought that overall I did "okay", which is at least a huge improvement over the dreadful way I played two weeks ago. I did such a lousy job that day I felt the need to send an apology email to the R.S. presidency and chorister. Starting next month I get to choose the hymns. =) 

Since I didn't play "True to the Faith" at church as well as I'd rehearsed, I asked Cora to get video evidence of me successfully playing it from the comfort of my home to prove that I can actually play it.  

Hey, maybe they'd consider letting me play from home, via Skype or something like that.

Hmmmm...

=)

Like Mom Always Said...

Sometimes I wonder what my kids will say of me in the future. What will they remember most about their mommy? How I treated them ... what I said to them and about others ... how I presented myself?

What kind of impression do I make on their lives?

How will they complete the sentence: Like Mom always said... ?  Will they be able to fill in the blank with anything noteworthy?

Hmmm...

Other than the predictable (yet sincere) spoutings of "I love you", I think I'm in trouble. The only phrases I say frequently enough that they might recall later are:

1. Lump up and get dressed!

2. Put on a wonderful outfit!

3. Time to hop/jump out the door!

4. Will you please unload the deeshwarsher (dishwasher)?

5. Be careful! (Has this phrase ever in the history of childhoods made a kid take extra safety precautions?)

It's not as though I don't ever say useful or uplifting things to them. I just don't have any good signature sayings; things to say regularly that will be worth repeating and remembering.

I think I need to come up with some.

Sounds

Misophonia. The term was coined (I don't know when) by a couple of sweet American neuroscientists. The word means 'hatred of sound'. If it is an actual disorder, then I'm afflicted with it.

There are certain everyday audio stimulants that make me want to cover my ears, scream, and hastily vacate the room. Mouth noises, for one. Especially a mouth that has far too much saliva churning about as it tries to say stuff. I know I've brought this up before. It just reeeeaaally bothers me. I try not to visibly cringe when it happens. I know it would be uncouth of me to ask a person if he/she wouldn't mind speaking a little less wetly, so I try my best to appear unruffled until the conversation ends. It's most excruciating when I'm stuck in the car with an offender. There's nowhere to run! =/

Other mouth sounds that annoy me are:

- Chewing. If the food is crunchy in nature, it doesn't bother me; but anything that sloshes?
Get. me. out. of. there! Sometimes I can hardly bear to hear myself eating.

- Teeth chomping down on or hitting against an eating utensil.

- "Macaroni mouth". Anyone who's ever been in a meeting with a moist-mouthed orator and a
microphone knows what I'm talking about. When the words come out, suddenly the only thing listeners are aware of is the sound of someone stirring a warm vat of macaroni. But there is no macaroni. Just an overly emotional mouth.

I can't think of any other sounds that really make me feel enraged.

Now, I don't mean to be so negative. So I will go ahead and list some sounds I enjoy:

- A car slowly driving over gravel.

- Music boxes. I have always loved the dainty tunes they emit. I find them very pleasing to my ears.

- The sound of someone writing on a chalkboard  (all except the accidental screeches, of course).

- I think it's cute when people really pronounce the "g" at the end of a word. I can only think of  two gals I've ever heard do this, and it just struck me as odd. Yet acceptable. =)

- I like the sound of my hair swishing past my ears when I'm doing jumping jacks, running, etc.  I haven't heard that since I started going to the gym. It's too noisy in there with the music blasting in the classes.

- The sound of library books opening. Like when a librarian or somebody holds up the book so the
kids can see the pictures as she reads it aloud. It has to be a book with that plastic/mylar stuff encasing it. That's the part that makes the sound I love.

- Expensive camera taking pictures. I like the sound of the shutter. =)

- I love hearing Oliver laugh at cartoons. Or at anything. I just love his giggles.

- Oldies! I can't get enough of them lately. I like how so many of them have the catchy tunes, crisp harmonies, and cheesy lyrics. Much of the current music cannot offer those features. I'm not saying I don't like today's hits, but they sometimes make me feel "different" than I otherwise could be. Anyway, 99.5 FM is my "go-to" radio station. Those songs brighten my mood every time I listen (except for the ones I can't stand). =)  Oldies are so stinking fun to sing along to.

But sometimes I like the sound of silence. The song (by Simon and Garfunkel) and/or the absence of noise. Quiet is nice. But when it isn't, I'm glad there are so many sounds around to delight my ears.

I'll keep them handy in my heart for when I have one of those scary misophonia flare-ups.



 

-