Kelly is the mother of 5 adorable kids--4 boys and a girl. The girl came in a package with a boy (twins).
Kelly is married to a charming young man who lives and breathes computers. They are also guardians for three nieces and a nephew.
She is active in the community having served as PTA President of a local elementary school,
on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins, as a district round-table trainer with the Cub Scouts, as a volunteer for Sidelines (a support network for Women on bed rest during pregnancy) and she and her husband are active in the LDS Church.
Salt Lake LDS Temple Centennial with a full 3D model of the building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
This Single Image Stereogram was done at the 100 year anniversary of the building's completion.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to
drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation,
a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
I grew up in a mid-sized town on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. When I was a kid I had friends who lived next door, across the street and around the block. As a teenager my friends lived a little further away, but still in the same basic area.
Kearns was often looked down on by those in neigbhoring cities as the "wrong side of the tracks." But it was my "wrong side of the tracks". It was where my friends lived. I could walk around all over it and encounter people that I knew. When the town had a parade I was either in it or waving to my friends who were. It was home.
A couple years after high school I decided to serve as an LDS Missionary. No, they aren't all white shirt and tie wearing young men. I was sent to serve in Virginia and the surrounding area. I was there for a year when I was sent to a very small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pembroke, like most small towns, is a place where everyone knows everyone. Though I was an outsider I lived their long enough to get to know the people in that town. I could walk into the bank, the hardware store, the five and dime store, or anywhere else in town and know the people and they knew me. I loved being in Pembroke. It felt like home to me.
Though I felt like Pembroke was home, I longed to return to my hometown of Kearns. I longed to see the people who had always been there.
There is a saying that you can never really go back home after leaving it. That may be true in some ways. At least it felt that way upon my return to Kearns.
A couple days after returning I tagged along with my mom to the local grocery store. As we walked into the store I felt that I was an outsider in my own home town. I knew absolutely no one.
The following Sunday as I walked into church I saw people I recognized, yet so many others that I did not. People had grown older. Children were older and taller. People had moved away and others had moved in.
I was not back home very long when I got married and moved to Colorado. We lived there for a couple years and though I had a few friends there, I took every opportunity to return to Utah that I could. When my husband was offered an chance to gain employment back in Utah we jumped and in no time we were back, but living in the county south of the Salt Lake Valley.
We were still close enough to visit family but far enough away to be on our own. In Orem I had a few friends, but they all lived very close to me. Orem was a small city. I tried to fit in but it was still so big. So much of it was unfamiliar to me. I spent most of my time with my young children. We would go to the local parades each year and not see a single sole we knew.
A few years later we moved to a fairly good sized city of West Jordan. I got involved in the parent organization at the local school and felt that I knew a few more people than I had in Orem. We lived there for nearly 10 years yet, my sphere of friends and acquaintances was still rather small and remained very localized.
Then, needing a bigger house, we moved out to a fairly small city of Herriman in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley. My children were getting older and I had more opportunities to get involved. I got involved in the local parent organization at the school. I joined the local choir. I helped out with the local cub scout round table. I got to know many of the parents of my teenagers.
We have been here a mere 5 1/2 years, yet I feel that I know people all over this little city. People know who I am and I know who they are. My teenagers tell me that they cannot take me anywhere without running into someone that I know. It can often take an extra half an hour to get my grocery shopping done because I have to talk to someone I haven't seen in a few days. We have to catch up on everything. I walk into one of the local fast food restaurants and the young gal behind the counter is the daughter of one of my friends. I even know the librarian at our local library.
I had previously written about the songs that say something about my life. Today I realized that I had omitted a very important song in all that. As I was driving home from taking my son to jazz band practice before school I heard playing on the radio Eternal Flame by the Bangles.
The significance of this song goes back a little over 20 years...at a dance on April 14, 1989.
On March 31 of that year I was at a dance at the student union building on the University of Utah campus. I had just broken up with a guy I had been dating for a couple months or so, but rather than feeling heart broken I was now free to find someone new. On the way to the dance I had told my friends that I would indeed meet someone that night.
Knowing the guys who ususally show up to these dances the group of girls I was with found it more entertaining to form a big circle and just dance. But as I was dancing in that big circle with the girls a thought came to me, "you won't meet him dancing with the girls."
I left the circle and walked to the other end of the ballroom. I was asked to dance by some guy I don't remember much about. At the end of that number I didn't make it back off the dance floor before another guy asked me to dance.
This guy, I quickly learned, knew enough of the swing that he had my attention. We danced and talked the rest of the evening.
A little less than a week later he gave me a poem he had written for me**.
When I saw you on the dance floor The rest just faded away, I asked if you would dance with me Afraid of what you would say. We talked and danced the night away, And had a lot of fun. I never thought I'd fall for you Before the night was done.
The feel of your hand next to nine Is like a dream come true. No matter what I'm thinking of It ends up being you. My heart's been tugged on once or twice, But never quite like now. You stole it right away from me. I don't know why or how.
I never knew the simple joy Of sitting down together, And talking with each other Regardless of the weather, Or looking through a picture book Of friends and places past And seeing how those friendships Are something that can last.
There's something deep within my soul, A flame that's burning bright. It makes me smile as I think of you Every day and night. I've heard that strong fires burn out soon. I hope that it's untrue. I also hope that what I feel Is also felt by you.
A week and a half later I had prayed to know if this was the guy I should be with for the rest of my life and eternity. The next evening at the dance in April of 1989 the words of his poem ran through my head as we slowly danced to Eternal Flame...and I knew.
We were engaged a week later.
**(A side note to this: he had shown the poem to his sister who warned him that it might scare me away.)
Also: he has since written many poems to me. Life is good.
A friend of mine teaches at Utah State University. He gave his students an assignment to come up with some songs that they would consider their "life" trak and write it. They also included with their paper a CD of the songs that were chosen.
I decided to do it as well.
These are songs that mean something to me in a real way. At some time or another most of these songs have been written about by me on this blog. I believe that the first song has not been used, but that is a mere oversight. So, I include in here the posts that describe these songs, and where necessary, a bit more about them and how they apply.
Collin Raye--In This Life
Though I have not written about this song in the past it does not mean that it has any less significance in my life. I have met many people in my life who may not be present in my daily life yet have previously been a significant part of it.
For every mountain I have climbed Every raging river crossed You were the treasure that I'd longed to find Without your love I would be lost
Let the world stop turnin' Let the sun stop burnin' Let them tell me love's not worth going through If it all falls apart I will know deep in my heart The only dream that mattered had come true In this life, I was loved by you
I cherish the memory of their love...whether present or not.
I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.
I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.
The Climb lyrics Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;
I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying "You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high
There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing The chances I'm taking Sometimes might knock me down But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it But these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong Just keep pushing on
...
Keep on moving, keep climbing Keep the faith, baby It's all about, it's all about the climb Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa
John Denver--Country Roads
Almost Heaven One night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.
Such was the case that night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.
Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.
All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.
Country roads, take me home To the place, I belong West Virginia, mountain momma Take me home, Country Roads
Ahh... Life is good!
Lee Ann Womack--I Hope You Dance
This one reminds me all the time of getting out there and just doing...being active and living life. I once asked my husband how it was that he knew how to do so many things. His response was that he just did them. I have taken that to heart. But I also realized that I had already started to do that to a degree.
Just before my senior year in high school began I decided that I was going to enjoy that year. I was going to make it a point to say hi to everyone in the halls and to find some way to compliment them as I passed them. I gained so many friends and had the most enjoyable year. It does not mean I was free from heart ache, but I was living life to the fullest.
As an adult I have made it a point to be involved. I have been a PTA President at a local elementary school. I have served on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins. I currently serve on the district cub scout round table staff and am the Council PTA President over 9 local elementary PTAs. People ask me how it is that I know so many people. I know so many people because I have served along side them.
When opportunities come my way, I do not hesitate to jump right in and dance.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger, May you never take one single breath for granted, GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean, Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, Never settle for the path of least resistance Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin', Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter, When you come close to sellin' out reconsider, Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
Mike and the Mechanics—The Living Years
When given the opportunity, you might say, to say one last thing to someone who was once a friend, this song came to my mind very powerfully. I had only one chance and I had to get it right.
Crumpled bits of paper Filled with imperfect thoughts Stilted conversations I'm afraid thats all we've got.
You say you just don't see it He says it's perfect sense You just can't get agreement In this present tense We all talk a different language Talking in defense.
Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye.
So we open up a quarrel Between the present and the past We only sacrifice the future It's the bitterness that lasts.
So don't yield to the fortunes You sometimes see as fate It may have a new perspective On a different day And if you don't give up, and don't give in You may just be okay.
Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye.
It was with these words that I realized I no longer held any hard feelings. It was about forgiveness.
In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.
Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.
Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".
I said "go if you wanna go, Stay if you wanna stay" I didn't care if you hung around me I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right I'll admit I was never wrong I could never make up my mind I made it up as I went along
And though I treated you like a child I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you All I need is a miracle, all I need is you All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
I never had any time And I never had any call But I went out of my way just to hurt you, The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool Yeah, I thought I was being strong But it's always the same old story You never know what you've got 'til it's gone
If I ever catch up with you I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle) All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle) All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.
Michael Buble—Lost
For me, this song speaks of the need to be there for one another. We are not alone. If you want to have friends...be a friend.
Can't believe it's over I watched the whole thing fall And I never saw the writing that was on the wall
If I only knew Days were slipping past That the good things never last That you were crying
Summer turned to winter And the snow it turned to rain And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognized the girl you are today And god I hope it's not too late It's not too late
'Cause you are not alone I'm always there with you And we'll get lost together Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done And the darkness has won Babe, you're not lost When your world's crashing down And you can't bear to fall I said, babe, you're not lost
Life can show no mercy It can tear your soul apart It can make you feel like you've gone crazy But you're not
Things have seem to changed There's one thing that's still the same In my heart you have remained And we can fly, fly, fly away
'Cause you are not alone And I am there with you And we'll get lost together Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done And the darkness has won Babe, you're not lost When the world's crashing down And you cannot bear to crawl
I said, baby, you're not lost Mmm yeah yeah, yeah yeah I said, baby, you're not lost I said, baby, you're not lost Ooh yeah yeah, I said, baby, you're not lost
and finally,
Tim McGraw-- Live Like You Were Dying
This song goes back to the thoughts associated with "I hope you dance". In early 2006 a good friend had just learned she had breast cancer. She had just turned 40.
In the words of Tim McGraw---
"He said I was in my early 40's, With a lot of life before me, And a moment came that stopped me on a dime...."
My mantra for life is to live life to the fullest, forgive everyone, be a friend and don't forget to appreciate God's wonders. Life is short.
We discovered that we have a nut dispenser in our freezer. Actually, we had a nut dispenser. It all started when I was defrosting our upright freezer to make room for some meat we had ordered. I was putting everything I could inside our freezer that is part of our refridgerator unit. I put things where ever I could...including on top of the ice in the ice maker.
After I defrosted the freezer I put everything back in the upright freezer...well, almost everything. Everything except one bag of nuts and dried fruit that that had been put atop the ice maker.
This ice maker is one of those that allows us to get the ice by pushing a lever on the door. It has a setting for crushing the ice as it comes out.
The forgotten bag was still there when my oldest son woke up the next morning and got himself a drink of ice water. He put water in his cup and then set the ice to come out crushed. As he started to take a drink from his cup he discovered something foreign in his drink.
"Mom, " he said, "there is something wrong with the ice maker. It is putting something funny in my drink."
It was then that I remembered the bag of nuts in the freezer. I spent the next half an hour cleaning bits of plastic, nuts and fruit from the coils of the ice maker.
NOTE to self: This would make a great April Fools joke....or maybe not.
A couple months ago we found ourselves the proud owners of a cute little kitten. We learned, from the people who gave us the kitty that she was female.
Well, today we took "Bessie" to the Vet to get fixed...
....
....
We found out later that this cute little girl kitty was, in fact, a male.
!!!!!!!!
Okay, so we didn't check the parts very carefully.
Next time we won't believe what the previous owners tell us.
When I was growing up I had seen people on television doing the swing, waltz, cha cha, et al. I never imagined doing them myself. In fact, I had not given the idea much notice at all.
That all changed during the summer after I turned 16. I was given the opportunity to be in a dance festival that was held during that summer. The festival was held on the football field of a local high school. By the time we arrived at this performance we had practiced quite a number of times and I was hooked on doing the swing.
One of the guys I liked, at the time, was also in this festival. So, at church youth dances we decided to show off. One of the fanciest moves we had learned was the 'Octopus' (see below). Soon after the festival, at one of the youth dances, they held a dance contest. There was no doubt that we were gonna be in it together.
Anyone who wanted to be in the dance contest just had to dance during the preliminary round. Then the judges went around holding their hands above the heads of those who would go onto the next and final round. As they prepared for the next round we thought we hadn't been picked...until the judges inticated that they had one more couple and motioned for us to come to the center of the dance floor.
We danced our hearts out in that final round. At the end of the final round the judges held their hands over each dance couple's heads one by one as they had everyone vote by noise level as to their favorite. In the end we had won with the loudest noise coming from the rest of our peers. My interest in the swing was now complete. I wanted to do it all the time.
Several years later I found a ballroom dance class offered at the University of Utah as part of the PE requirements. It was a beginning ballroom dance class. In it I learned not only how to do the swing correctly, but how to waltz and cha cha.
I later took country swing, intermediate ballroom and advanced ballroom. Now I don't claim to be very good at it, but I sure have a lot of fun doing it.
During the term that I was taking the advanced ballroom class I met the guy I would marry. No, we did not meet in the class, but on another dance floor. It was because he knew how to dance the swing that I gave him a second look.
They now teach 'social dancing' as a PE credit in the high school my boys attend. My oldest has learned how to do the swing. This mom is proud.
My hubby decided to get creative the other day. Behind our lot is a field with a ton of weeds. Among those weeds grows some wild wheat. I say "wild" because no one planted it.
But, to my hubby, wheat is wheat. He thought, "this will be a great lesson for the kids." He gathered a bunch of it, put it in a pillow case and gathered the kids around. He put it on the patio and told the kids to hit the pillow case with sticks with all the energy they could muster.
Then we had the fun part. Separating the wheat from the non wheat. It helps if you have a bit of wind to blow the chaff away. After some effort we managed to get it all separated.
After grinding it into flour with our wheat grinder he made a loaf of bread.
This makes "living off the land" take on a whole new meaning.
Now, speaking of living off the land. We also planted a real vegetable garden. This has been thriving for the first time since we moved out to this house. We have been able to keep the deer away (for the most part) as we planted marigolds which the deer to NOT like.
We also discovered that if you plant green beens between rows of corn they grow a lot better.
In the bottom picture you will see our squash patch. We are growing zucchini (there is a joke about them that I will tell in a bit), bumpkins and spaghetti squash.
We are also growing carrots, leaf lettuce, chard, and tomatoes.
Now for the joke about zucchini:
Why do Mormons leave their cars locked during church in the summer time??
Its so their neighbors don't fill them up with zucchini while they are in church.
If you have ever grown zucchini you would understand why this is so funny.
Now I just hope my tomato plants will grow a bit faster.
I picked this up from a friend's blog. I have more serious blog subjects forming in my head, but as yet they haven't reached the surface or found themselves in print. So, I thought I would fill the space to day with something a bit more trivial.
In five words, explain what ended your last friendship? A huge (let me say that again) HUGE misunderstanding (that was more than five words...oops!
How was your prom night?
Prom night...oh my that was so long ago I don't remember
Do you have any famous relatives?
Not that I know of
Have you taken out loans to pay for college?
No, I paid as I went or went when I could pay.
What did you receive last in the mail?
A book from a friend (Thank you, JB, btw)
What beverages have you drank today?
Orange Juice
Do you leave nasty messages on people’s answering machines?
No way, that would not be nice.
What’s the most painful surgical procedure you’ve had done?
Surgery??? oh, hmmm....don't recall having surgery ever.
What is out your back door?
A patio with a picnic table and a natural gas grill
Do you usually go out on the weekends?
Yes, my hubby and I go play DnD with friends every Saturday night.
Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
I don't go to the ocean often enough to know what it does to my hair.
Have you ever visited a planetarium or do you even know what one is?
Yes, I have even taken the kids to the planetarium.
What is your favorite flavor of pudding?
Tapioca...fresh out of the pan...nice and warm...mmmmmmmmm
Describe your keychains:
My keys are all on great big paperclips.
Where do you keep your change?
Where ever it lands...in my purse, on the night stand, in my pocket, in my coin purse, in the car....
When was the last time you got up and spoke in front of a large crowd?
A few months ago I spoke during church...oh and I also spoke at a convention on the subject of twins.
What kind of winter coat do you have?
Mine is short, denim...
What was the weather like on your graduation day?
Sunny
Do you sleep with the door to your bedroom open or closed?
Usually open
Is there anything purple within 20 feet of you?
Yes, a bottle of cough medicine (children's)
What is the strangest thing you’ve put in the microwave?
Ice cream...to melt it slightly so I could scoop it out of the container.
Can you speak any Japanese?
NO
Do you look good in the color yellow?
Ya, I have a few shirts that are yellow...very nice...IMHO.
Do you spit or smoke?
That is just gross
What is your favorite color(s)?
Pink, army green, teal...
Ever played an instrument?
I play the piano a bit and used to play the violin a bit.
Do you believe in Bigfoot, or Sasquatch?
No
Ever been to a palm reader?
I don't believe so.
Did they tell you the truth about your future?
N/A
What are you thinking about at this very moment?
How to answer this question
Have you ever received a black eye?
No
What is your biggest current disappointment?
That I lost a good old friend
What are some of your favorite drinks? Root beer, lemonade, strawberry lemonade
Do you have anything that hurts on your body at this time?
Not if I stay sitting
Have you ever ridden in a taxi?
No
What is the last alcoholic drink you had?
Lets see....I had a sip of champaign in 1986.
Did you do anything special last night?
My family and I went to see a local production of the Sound of Music....VERY Well done!! [new idea for blog entry]
Patrick at Born Again Redneck had been tagged and rather than pass the tag onto specific people he said, "Now I'm supposed to name 5 or 6 people I want to know more about but I'm just going to tag anybody who reads this because I'd like to know more about everyone who reads my blog."
Well, since I read his blog on a regular basis, I guess I should consider myself tagged.
Here are the rules of this tag.
The rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was a mom with 5 young kids who ranged in ages from 7 on down to 1.
2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
Grocery shopping
Pick up some things from my mom
Clean the kitchen
Do some laundry
Fix dinner
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Ritz crackers and cheese
Popcorn with lots of butter
Jumbo shrimp (cold with coctail sauce)
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
-Buy the property behind my house. Plant lots of trees and install play areas for these kids.
-I would start a fund to help families torn apart by meth and other desctructive drugs.
-Buy a nice house for my parents or remodel (overhaul) their existing home because they wouldn't want to move from the house they have lived in for more than 40 years.
-Provide college educations to all 9 kids in this house.
-Then I would save the rest.
5) Three of my bad habits:
Staying up too late at night
Talking too much
Leaving the dishes till the next morning
6) 5 places I have lived (not in any order):
Salt Lake County, UT (Salt Lake City, Kearns, West Jordan, and Herriman)
Ft Collins, CO
Orem, UT
Pembroke, VA
Bluefield, WV
7) 5 jobs I have had:
Kitchen help in a small hospital
Cafeteria help in a large hospital
Reading aide in an elementary school
Webmaster for a small company
Child day care (at home)
Now I need to pick 5 or 6 people to tag. I like Patrick's line of thinking...so I am going to tag anyone who reads this blog. If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged.
Thanks to some neighbors we are now the proud owners of two fiesty male Betta fish. The neighbor who gave them to us gave them with very little instructions for their care.
We had a naming vote to decide what to call them. The names of Pinky and the Brain won out.
Luckily, I have a good friend who knows a thing or two about taking care of pet fish...particularly bettas. He was able to give me some very valuable instructions on their care.
When we got them they were in two separate tanks. This, btw, is a very good thing. Male bettas will try and likely succeed at killing one or the other. The tanks came with an aeration pump, but had yet been inserted into the tanks.
Another neighbor had some extra betta food to tie us over until I could get to the closest pet store. It took me over a week to get the necessary supplies to properly clean out the tanks and add the aerator pumps. I also bought some small rocks and some scenery for the tanks.
Finally, this last Saturday, I got the chance to clean out the tanks and get things in place with the aeration, rocks and scenery. At first Pinky was not sure about his new surroundings. The Brain, however, thought it was cool to swim about the plants and loved being able to hide among them.
By the next day Pinky had decided that his tank was okay and has been more lively since.
In a previous blog entry [I am NOT a hard core gamer] I discussed how I had become hooked on a particularly fun computer game.
A few weeks ago my husband convinced me that I ought to play City of Heroes. I have resisted the idea of playing any MMORPGs. For those who don't know, an MMORPG is an online game where you get to wander around with a bunch of other people, interacting, and beating the snot out of creatures and bad guys...or rather getting the snot beat out of your character.
Along comes this invitation/arm twisting/gentle prodding to play the game. Before the week was over I was hooked. I have to play the game on my kids computer, however, because mine....ahem...does not have the wherewithall to run the game.
Well, since that time, my computer has been upgraded and I can run the game on my own system. This has allowed me a bit more flexibility in when I can play. Because of this I have now advanced one of my characters (heroes) to the final level (50).
This is no small task, mind you. In July 2007 I started a new character that I named Cho Leigh. Cho is a martial arts kick and punch type of hero. It is Cho who took me along from one adventure to another and from one team to another as she advanced in abilities and levels to reach this final capstone.
Though I resisted the idea of playing this game, initially, I must say that this is ONE FUN GAME!! And now my friends are ribbing me about how much I play. Ah, but tis such great entertainment.
Now, to pull myself away from my game to clean the house....sigh...
My daughter and my niece (who lives with us) were complaining that their pants were gettig a bit too short. The two of them are 11 years old. The niece had grown a good 3 inches (my guess) since Christmas. She is officially taller than me and VERY thin.
Needless to say, her pants had become too short on her, but still fit around the waist. I took her to buy a couple pairs of new pants and, while we were successful in getting two pair, it was not an easy task. You try finding size 5 juniors in a tall length. Most kids who are as tall as her aren't as thin as she is. Most kids who are as tall as her aren't still 11 years old.
After I bought the new pants for her, my daughter decided to take matters into her own hands. She has discovered my sewing machine and my fabric closet. All on her own, without talking to me about it before hand, she added extensions to two pair of her own pants and one pair of her cousin's pants.
Though she has a few things to learn about sewing, I must give her credit for taking the initiative to tackle this job on her own.
The next day they proudly wore these altered pants to school.
My dad had a friend when I was younger who had a private pilot's license. One day, when I was just 2 years old, my dad took me with him on a airplane ride with this friend. I remember getting into the plane. I remember that the plane was a small light weight plane with only 4 seats.
We took off from Salt Lake City's smaller airport. I can't tell you what the take off was like. I just remember being way up in the air. This is where my memory kicks into high gear.
The fact that we were way up in the air settled quite profoundly on my 2-year old self. I remember being completely aware of the ramifications of our position in the clouds. When an airplane turns it does not simply turn like a car. It tilts. So when our plane tilted so that MY window was pointing down this 2-year old got a "little" uneasy.
It was at this point that my little self said, "DON'T TURN THE PLANE UPSIDE DOWN!!!!"
This blog is run by none other than my favorite guy in the whole world. Our friends hope that when he takes over the world that they will be included as his minions. I remind them that I will be head minion.
The guy running this blog is another good friend who will soon marry another good friend of mine. He writes about an number of things that come to his head.
Another good friend keeps this blog going. She is the friend who won the heart of Tungsten above. J~ often writes reviews for games and articles here and there for game magazines and the like.
In the words of his own blog, this good friend writes, "Intemperate rantings from a passionate developer, sometimes manager, and general all-round techno-geek." His blog is peppered with tidbits from his personal life
This is a somewhat professional blog that often has tidbits of from his personal life. The Rampant Coyote is a good friend who is married to our social director--see above. He writes mostly about his experiences of being a full time game developer/part time indie game writer.
This blog is run by one of my favorite sisters. I have 3 favorite sisters. She and her family are traveling the country in a HUGE RV teaching their kids as they go from one historic site to another.
This blog is actually run by a couple of guys. One of them is a good friend. They may seem a little crazy on the surface, but I know better. Of course, they would not want me to tell you that.
This blog cannot be left from my list. Right after I started my own blog a few years back I stumbled on this political blog and have never left. From his blog I have met many others whose blogs I visit regularly
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There are many other great blogs out there. But I wanted to give these my thumbs up.
In the Jan 8, 2008 edition of The Escapist Magazine there is an article about my local group of friends and me. It was written by one of our own at the request of the Magazine. In the article I am one of the friends who came along later. These are the friends I mentioned in my blog entry "The good things in life." The picture to the right is the cake mentioned in the article. Yes, that is a cake.
"The opportunities created by the internet and advances in multiplayer games have increased the number of nights we're together again, and we've played everything from StarCraft to EverQuest and most recently City of Heroes, where every Tuesday we patrol the streets of Paragon City and bring safety to the unwashed masses."
"...John is crafting plans for world domination, which requires minions and a machine with lots of buttons and levers. Kelly claims the position of head minion, and the rest of us are the staff. We figure world domination should be simple as compared to planning a raid or running a task force. Now we just have to figure out which mobs to camp."Read more...
Now that Christmas and the New Year celebrations have come and gone I would like to voice some thoughts I have had over the last couple weeks.
Our family was the recipient of some anonymous Christmas giving. First of all someone did a variation of the 12 days of Christmas for us. Each day a bag was left by our door or mailbox with a note explaining how it applied along with an ornament to match the day and something to go with that day.
Day 1: "On the first day of Christmas a friend left for me...the pears, but no partridge or tree..." (In the bag was a bunch of pears.)
Day 2: "On the second day of Christmas a friend gave to me...turtles and doves of course :)" (In the bag was found a bag of turtle chocolates and dove chocolates.)
Day 3: "On the third day of Christmas a friend gave to me... well... what the French Hens are drinking this time of year." (The bag had three bottles of sparkling grape juice.)
Day 4: "On the fourth day of Christmas a friend gave to me... Calling Birds??" (The bag included a very noisy toy bird that sang some Christmas song.)
Day 5: "On the fifth day of Christmas a friend gave to me... Golden Rings." (It was two boxes of Cheerios.)
Day 6: "On the sixth day of Christmas a friend gave to me Six geese a-laying." (This was a nice fuzzy warm blanket.)
Day 7: "On the seventh day of Christmas a friend gave to you "swans" swimming." (The bag included these funny 'rubber' ducks that lit up when we pressed on them.)
Day 8: "On the eighth day of Christmas a friend gave to you something for your milk." (We got some chocolate milk mix.)
Day 9: "On the ninth day of Christmas a friend gave to you some music to dance to." (It was a CD of Christmas music.)
Day 10: "On the tenth day of Christmas a friend gave to me the thing that scared the lords into leaping." (We got a toy Christmas monster from the Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer movie.)
Day 11: "On the eleventh day of Christmas a friend gave to me what the pipers were piping." (The bag included several recorders for the kids to play.)
Day 12: "On the twelfth day of Christmas a friend gave to me...well.. ok..so drummers are guys..and you know how much guys like "fart" jokes...so ...Merry Christmas." (In the bag was 'noise putty'.)
Then on Christmas eve another neighbor left a bag of presents...one for each child in our home. We have suspicions about who may have left these things on our doorstep. But we are letting them have their reward of doing these things for us anonymously. To them I say, "THANK-YOU!!"
Other things that have been on my mind...
As I contemplated the new year and what the previous year has brought me I am found with mixed emotions. Though a old friend has fallen by the way-side (with much sadness) I have gained new ones. There is no way the new ones can replace the old...however...I am EVER so grateful for the new as I have come to care about them as I did the old.
So, to all those I call a friend, here is a toast to friendship.
PS: and that toast includes all those who have continued to be a friend....from the past on into the future.
In May 2005 I launched the Paperclippings blog. I have had a website by the same name since 2003 or there about. Over the last 2 1/2 years I have had some favorite entries. These posts are MY favorite entries. These are not in any particular order.
I have other favorites, but decided to keep it to 10.
Below is the top ten most popular posts from this blog. These are posts that have brought the most comments. These are in order. Ya, so you can see just how few people come to my humble abode.
Why teenagers shouldn't be allowed to trick or treat ;)
My youngest teenager still likes to go out trick or treating. He is on that fence between wanting to be a kid and wanting to be grown up. His costume was a bedraggled-hair wig...period. He carried a small cooler with the strap around his neck. Rather than say, "Trick or Treat." His plan was to say, "donations!!?, donations!!?"
We let him go out anyway because he was taking a couple of the younger boys with him.
...at least he didn't come back with a pillow case full of candy like some of our other kids.
