Table for Eight

It makes sense that we would get our weekly email from Elder Meehan on the day I post about my habit of worrying. (It's like Murphy's Law was written just for me.) Thankfully, he's healthy and well, and there isn't really much to worry about. But if I were going to worry, which I'm not, here's what it would be about, in a nutshell. In fact, there's really so much to be grateful for as Elder Meehan serves his mission. ( See, look at the improvements I'm making--and it's only Day 2 of the Worry-Less-Athon. Yay me! ). Some of the reasons NOT TO WORRY, BUT TO BE GRATEFUL: 1. He's healthy and well and in a state where people show him such kindness. Between the mission leaders, mission president/wife, other missionaries, an awesome missionary companion, members of the wards there where he serves, and the help of the Lord, he's doing great (and also taking beautiful photos of the area.)    2. The package we sent him last...

I'm going to admit something here that makes me somewhat embarrassed, but I guess there really isn't that much I don't share on the blog, so here goes: As grateful as I am for my life (Dave, children, family, friends, church, etc.), I don't often feel very peaceful. Maybe it's my nature? Maybe it's my nurture? Maybe it's too much sugar in my diet? Maybe I'm just scapegoating the issue and it's something I've simply trained myself to do? But no matter what the cause, I'm a worrier. Yup. I worry a lot. In the morning. Throughout most of the day. Before I fall asleep at night. (And even when I wake up in the middle of the night.) What do I worry about, you ask? (Or maybe you didn't. Haha) I worry about BIG and SMALL things. I worry about health. I worry about our children. I worry about safety. I worry about Elder Meehan on his mission. I worry about our children and their education, happiness, faith, choices, and future ...

Our kids on the dock at the lake near our house. (Date-stamp looks odd to me now, but I am glad to have it.) One of my favorite books on the entire planet is a book by Marianne Williamson called A Return To Love . Dave bought it for me probably 16 or 17 years ago, and I think I have read a portion of it--or all of it--every week for that time period. I like it that much. But my point! The most profound statement I've considered in the whole book is this one: "In every situation, in every interaction, you can choose peace or you can choose war." Now, I remember reading this 10+ years ago and thinking, "Well, that's nice Ms. Williamson, but I'm not at war. Ever." Yup. Those are the ABCs of me: 32 year old Dawn = literal readings. But today, as I read this statement, I see the depth of it. (Yes, I'm going to sound like a hippie here.) Every interaction in life--my life, your life--affords us the opportunity to pursue peace o...

Lots to rememb er and  honor here in the US today: 1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, legacy, and birthday observance today. 2. The Inauguration of President Barack Obama. (c) Lainey Melnick, via @pinterest at the Inauguration Ceremony ***** I hope you have a beautiful start to your week! PS: I wanted to share this with you today.  Yes, it's religious. Ye s, it's forward of me. But for me, God is LOVE--regardless of your belief-system. So everywhere and every time I hear GOD, I think LOVE. Much love to you today. God Is Able by Smokie Norful God is able, God is able God is able and He won't fail Tell me who can make a mountain Move out of my way And who can make a miracle Because of my faith And when the doctor says no Who can still say yes And when I'm in trouble Who's right there to help me pass every test God is able, God is able God is able and He won't fail Tell me who can make a r...

Papaya, Bam, Ray and the "Oquirrh Mountain Temple Cat." Okay, today has been the most hilarious day--and it's only noon. On our way inside the Temple this morning, we came across a kitty-cat. So ... of course, our kids wanted to see it, and hold it. (Did I mention we had 4 cats at one time in our lives--despite city ordinances banning such cat-chaos? That's another story though.) Okay, my point! The kids were able to pet and hold the kitty-cat; it was so friendly.  And as they were holding him, I wondered, How does such a friendly cat hang around the Temple without being "picked up" or sent to a shelter? And just about the time I was asking the kids that very question, they started reading the tags on his collar. And this is the part that cracked me up: because most pet tags just say the animal's name and a phone number to call when/if  they are lost. But the Temple Kitty's collar was like a paragraph in length! It read: ...

(c) LaughingSquid.com It's hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since the 9/11 attacks. Like so many of you, I remember the details of that day so vividly. It was such an unbelievably horrible day.  Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Three thousand people.  That's 3,000 fathers, mothers, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, civil servants. And 3,000 families left with sorrow and loss and grief. It's just so hard to imagine HOW something like 9/11--or any major war/conflict/genocide-- happens. HOW and WHY do people, groups, nations ... go from being frustrated and angry to actually causing physical harm to those they are frustrated and angry with? (Yes, I'm ending the sentence with "with.") It seems impossible.  It's something I don't relate to at all: that kind of anger and intolerance. And yet, if I'm honest, the more I look at my own life, the more I realize that I don't always respond to situati...

I was telling Dave this yesterday ... Our lives aren't perfect. We have lots and lots--and lots--of "challenges" to face. And often, once we tackle/WIN a challenge, the next one is just waiting for us around the corner (to kick our butts). BUT ... even in the midst of these challenges, I feel grateful for each day on Planet E. Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis?  Or maybe I'm just finally getting what life's all about? Either way, what I'm trying to say is, I'm grateful for each day. And, I'm grateful to all of you who read this blog. It means a lot to me. The End. Zu, Lu, Jr., and Papaya with the "finished" experiment. We're making stalactites. (Baking soda, water, food coloring, string, paperclips, and a now we wait.) We got the Star Wars Cookbook at the library yesterday. It's been checked out forever. How cool is this? We looked at Ukuleles yesterday. Our daughter Papaya (Who...

Lately, I've felt like life is moving at Sonic-Speed.  So, I thought it would be a good week to slow things down. --No unnecessary shopping. --No speaking engagements. --No telling the kids "hold on a few minutes." --Less time indoors on the computer and TV. --Fewer phone calls, emails, and texts. --And more time to j ust BE. I. Can't. Wait. It's a Mother's Day Staycation. Woo Hoo! (PS: I'll be back to blogging Friday, May 11th--in time to pay tribute to my mom, Dave's mom, our g-mas, and the other special moms in our lives!) Jr. and Zu at the lake near our home.

Today I wanted to share an excerpt from one of my favorite books: "Life Is A Verb," by Patti Digh (PattiDigh.com): "The book Art and Fear  brings us the story of a pottery teacher who tells half his class that they'll be graded solely on the quantity of the work they produce. He'll even use a scale to weigh their output and determine their grade. Fifty pounds of pots would rate an A, for example. The other half [of the class] would be graded on quality and need only produce one pot--a perfect one--to get an A. "The works of highest quality," the authors reported "were all produced by the group being graded of quantity . . . while they were busily churning out piles of work--and learning from their mistakes--the quality group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay." I just LOVE that excerpt. For one: I love metaphors! And a po...

Holly Bobo--Whitney Duncan's cousin. Missing since April 13, 2011. Life can be so incredibly beautiful. And yet so incredibly painful. Like, punch-you-in-the-gut painful . And today I am reminded of that pain as I pray for my soul-sister of a friend, Whitney Duncan and her family. Some of you Survivor fans may already know this, but today marks one year since Whitney's cousin, Holly Bobo, was abducted from her home in Tennessee. (You can read more here: Holly Bobo ) The story is truly too much to take. Holly is a college student. She's bright, beautiful, and kind. She's lives at home. She's got a wonderful family and friends. She lives in a safe/supportive community. And yet that all changed last year when someone or something took Holly away. It's something I just can't comprehend.  There are no words. It's just not right. It's not the way life is supposed to be. And yet, we're asked to face these impossible strug...