Table for Eight

Not my photo, but way cool. Yesterday we were driving around Salt Lake City, running some errands, when we saw a really old car for sale. A really old mini-van, to be specific. And immediately one of our kids said, "Who would buy that?" And while I saw this kiddo's point: no one should have to drive a yucky car (IMO), I immediately thought, "Funny how perspective changes everything." Because if you didn't have transportation, I bet that old clunker would be AWESOME. Or if your car was in the repair shop and you couldn't do your normal out-and-about, I bet that clunker would be SWEET. Right? Funny, I thought about that car all day yesterday. Because I think we're somewhat in control of our perspective(s): --We can choose to see things from multiple vantage points.  --We aren't hard-coded to see ONLY our perspective.   ( As author Eckhart Tolle says, you can make room for "competing narratives.") I feel like tha...

Lu and Me getting ready for her baptis m--two weeks after m y return from Survivor South Paci fic (2 summers a go). First of f, Happy Friday ! G uess what? It's snowing here in Utah this morning. Woo hoo! Okay, so back to my point : I have a confession to make. A s much as working out and taking care of my phy sical/mental body/mind has CHANG ED my life (Survivor was the o riginal cataly st) ... after Survivor Caramoan, I somehow lost my love for doing anything remotely physical. And I mean anything. And as a result, I stopped working out (minus a few random long walk s, hikes, and trips to the pool) until this past M onday. This past Monday! Yup. I hadn't worked out--really worked out--si nce Monday of this past week. It's hard to believe (for me) , but true. I don 't know why I stopped ( W e 'll I do. My brain just said "NO " ) . And I'm not sure why I started again ( T he brai...

My fridge. Okay, I get the Rachel Ray Magazine  (love it) each month and one of my favorite sections is the one where Rachel shows the inside of a celebrity refrigerator. I find the Celebrity Fridge section fascinating for a number of reasons: 1.) It seems celebrity refrigerators are always STOCKED with the most colorful fruits, veggies, and cool condiments. (Just once, I'd like to see someone with an empty fridge--one with mustard, ketchup, an empty container of milk, takeout, and some wilting lettuce.) 2.) Celebrity refrigerators are so dang clean.   (I can't stand cleaning our fridge. Blech.) 3.) Most celebrity fridges have very little junk food. (Now granted, these celebrities know that THE Rachel Ray is coming to photograph their fridge, so maybe they take out the cookie dough, ice cream, or other BMI-unfriendly foods. But come on! Can't someone show me a gallon of chocolate milk? Four containers of really cheap cream? Or a half-eate...

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.

(c) VW, 2012. I have one simple goal today. It's not --Clean garage or --Organize spice cupboard or --Change oil in car Nope. I'm buying a pi ñ ata. Blam! Have a great weekend.

I have spent a good part of my adult life training my brain to see the good in most situations. When something "hard" or "bad" happens, I really do try my best to reframe it--and FIND some life lesson or positive that comes as a result of said hard/bad experience. Sometimes this is easy. Like when the hard thing is gaining weight: Well, I'm fortunate I have enough food TO gain weight. OR when the bad thing is getting laid off: Well, this gives me more time with my family AND I never really liked that job anyway . But most of the time--and I mean MOST OF THE TIME--this is a difficult thing to do: --Like say for example, when you get in a car accident and one of the other drivers leaves the scene. --Or when your best friend is fighting an awful disease and has to bend metal with her mind just to tell you what's on her mind. --Or when your other BFF has to have a bone marrow biopsy. --Or when your other other BFF br...

Our son took this photo Friday night--after catching this loose horse outside his friend's home.     I consider myself a "big city girl." I like paved roads, sky-rise buildings, shopping centers ... the busy-ness that comes from thousands of people sharing their lives. But I've got to be honest, after our family's weekend visit to a local farm, I'm feeling like we should all spend at least a few months of our lives living in a rural area.  If only for the adventure. What about you?  Are you a City Slicker or Farm Chica/Chico? And why? Lucky for us, this piglet spoke English. For some reason, big pigs just aren't as cute as piglets.  (I wonder if I look like this when people take pics of our kids without asking?) My favorite part of the visit ... the FREE -range chickens. (They were HUGE!) Hard to believe this is just miles from our home. It's like a different wo...

Thank you Pinterest, (c) 2012. About once every three years I get a cold that takes me down for the count. That time would be now. And while I'm not one to complain (usually), I will say this, this cold has turned my week upside down. Truly, every area of my life feels UP-side DOWN. (Get it. My typically UP vibe is DOWN.) --My work and school schedules? Down. (I missed class!). --My parenting style? Down. --My sleep? Down. --My humor? Down. --My dinner-making plans? Down. --My tolerance for virtually any negative? Down. And what's worse? 3 out of the 6 kids also have this cold. AND I'm eating more than the Hungry Caterpillar --because I keep  thinking, "Oh, this will make me feel better," only to find that I can't TASTE a blasted thing at all! Well, I guess that's one UP-- my weight. (Awesome.) Hope you're having a better week than me. Looking forward to blogging when I'm right-side UP again. PS: I ate 9 ...