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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Spring Break......is over







My adorable kids came home from college for the week, along with Mikey's roommate Brad.
We didn't do much of anything....and yet it was a great week. There was a lot of catch up stuff....Emma's old glasses were from 6th grade, her phone was broken and she needed socks.
So we found some great glasses, killer socks and great news!! The phone only needed a new memory card.

Mikey had to get a MRI on both shoulders and then hope the news from the doctor was good. So one day he had an MRI on one shoulder, and another day, the other shoulder....and then another appointment for the doctor. Turns out he has some extra bone....nothing serious...so another cortisone shot....and one day he can have surgery if he wants....I wish I had the picture Emma took of him getting the cortisone shot....


One day they snuck into the pool at Hard Rock.

They watched basketball endlessly.

Mikey helped me load dirt and mulch into the back of the truck for spring time planting....twice.

Emma helped Ashleigh time runners at a track meet.....

And they slept a lot...

Emma and I went to the beauty shop one day to get some girl stuff done and then we went and bought a lot of candy.....

Sunday we set the table with all the good stuff....china, silver, centerpiece and everything (why didn't I take a picture?) Then we had a delicious dinner with Betsey and Richard. Their son Matt is on a mission in Mexico and he played football with Mikey and Brad....we just sat around the table and talked about everything and nothing....and ate ourselves silly.

We ate a lot of pizza....and I think Mikey and Brad got 'Canes (a local fastfood place) every night no matter how much we fed them.

We went to the temple one day and got amazing Mexican food on the way home at our favorite Mexican supermarket. Mikey loves to order everything in Spanish...

Raymond and Mikey went shopping and bonding....

Allergies killed us and our energy....the weather went from good to great to cold...

It was a nothing special week....except all my children were home. And nothing is better than that.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Chevy Volt, Secretary Chu and Finding Another Outlet


Yikes! I just saw Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu get grilled at Congress. If you ever receive an invitation to chat with congress at their house...run for your life!!
The memo didn't get to Secretary Chu. And all I can say is yikes!

I did learn a great deal about the Chevy Volt....one Secretary Chu doesn't have one. But he would like for me to have one (thank you) but he doesn't have one. But no flies on him, he doesn't have a car at all. So from what I could tell his remedy for high gas prices is the vaunted Chevy Volt....an electric car. Now don't get me wrong I would love to just unplug my rollers and plug in my car. That 60 to 70 dollar a week gas bill - and going up - is killing us. But I want Secretary Chu to understand that as a mother I have been using that line of reasoning since my kids were little. For me it didn't matter what it was that we couldn't have or get or afford, we simply made whatever that was.....uncool. So who needs expensive shoes when you can go to Payless? Who needs a horse when you have a dog? Who needs to stay in a great hotel when you can camp? Who needs Disneyland when you can pop a quarter in the stuffed animal crane game at Wal-Mart?

See Secretary Chu I am on to you.....who needs to buy gas if you have a Chevy volt? Just plug it in, and the transportation problem is solved. Fabulous!! Because we all know that when demand goes down so will the price. Except that isn't how this works. Demand has gone down...and the price goes up.

The message Secretary Che wanted us to get was....Buy a Chevy Volt, and you won't care how high the gas price will go!!

But it might be problematic on a different level, while I could cram my considerable derriere into that tiny little car (I am still iffy on the $40,000 price tag...but hey if Al Gore can drive one around so could I)...I am not so sure how the volt is going to transport my pop tarts here from California...or a load of lumber for Home Depot.....Mayflower moving vans will have to trade in one big truck for 2,000 Chevy volts huffing and puffing up the hill with one families belongings....one long extension cord hanging out the back of the last one....but, dang it all, we are still going to have a gas problem that the volt cannot solve.

Sorry Secretary Chu my kids didn't buy it when I tried to use that logic. We may have to fix the problem instead of wishing real hard that it doesn't exist. And Chevy may have to put that darn little car back into production in order for us to even buy it....and figure out why it has a tendency to burst into flames.

Just sayin'

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

We Cannot Escape The Influence Our Lives Have On The Lives Of Others.


Ever think about how much you influence other people? I know I didn't either....until something happened the other day and I had to consider the influence we really have on each other.

It is the butterfly thing, you've heard of it right?

Sorry Einstein, "The Butterfly Effect"

Here is the explanation....The Butterfly effect is a term used in chaos theory to describe how initial conditions can affect large, complex systems. The term comes from the suggestion that the flapping of a butterfly's wings in South America could affect the weather in Texas, meaning that the tiniest influence on one part of a system can have a huge effect on another part.

Wow, I feel like the scarecrow (thank you Chelle) right after he got a brain...spouting all kinds of smart, intellectual stuff -

The reality is our lives truly reflect the butterfly effect...the tiniest influence in our lives can have a huge effect on other parts of our lives....

For instance...My uncle called the night before my mother's funeral. He couldn't attend and I was giving the eulogy...he wanted to give me support knowing I was going to be scared and useless. This is how it came out...."Donna! You can do this...you remember you are made of better stuff." That's it, one conversation, not only did I get through the eulogoy, but I have heard that voice for the past 12 years. When I get in a position where I need extra confidence, I just remember that fine Texas voice..."Donna! You are made of better stuff." And I remember I am.

My speech teacher in high school....a woman I already thought was made of gold, telling me simply...."You are good....you are really good." That one statement moved me through college. When I fell short, when criticism was intense.....and when I couldn't hear my better angels, her words would come to me..."You are good.."

The parent of one of my seminary students called one night to talk about her daughter. There had been some serious problems and I was one of many trying to help. She said this amazing thing to me...."you probably don't think about us very often, but we think about you every day." I was without words. She didn't mean it to be flattering....what she was saying and what I understood so plainly was....we need help and you are helping us and we are so grateful.

Recently a dear friend saved us in a way no one was else was able to. The butterfly effect...I whispered in his ear....."There will never be a night that passes that we don't pray for you and for your family, we are grateful forever." What he did for us was a sacrifice for him...but he followed an impression and it helped us so much.

Jan Graham sending the Mormon Missionaries to my home...one phone call changed my life forever. I learned how to share what means the most to me.
Pat Scott bringing a cooked ham to my home after a miscarriage...I learned how to bring in meals.
Betsey Holley coming to my house with a car full of food after a particularly difficult episode in my life....we cooked and laughed all afternoon! I learned how to serve my friends.
My grandmother teaching me how to set a table...and to never save your good things for a day that might not come. I learned how to share the best of what I have with others.
My daughter telling me her teacher only liked the "cool kids". I learned how important it is to treat people with love and respect...no matter how young they are.
My mother-in-law telling me how happy she was I married her son. I learned to accept people even if their culture and religion was different.
Beth Miller insisting I move back to Las Vegas from Houston....one month later I met my husband and began building the family I love so much. I learned to listen to wise people!
Molly Hyer who loved me when I was mess...never gave up on me and now cries each time she sees me....I learned to love people even when they don't really seem to want it, and are a little hard to love.
There have been endless times I have been the recipient of a small act that influenced my life in a big way.
The Butterfly effect works the other way too....negative flapping of butterfly wings...and I have let those demons shout my better angels down....but it's not much fun. So I continue to work hard to hear my angels....and to look hard to see what the smallest fluttering of butterfly wings will bring to my life.

Remember, remember, remember......we influence people every day.....mostly when we aren't looking.

We cannot escape the influence our lives have on the lives of others...President Thomas S. Monson.

My love to all the butterflys!!

Hey log on to my son Mikey's blog, it is a lot of fun!! http://suufootball.blogspot.com/