I always disliked those examples to girls (did they do that for boys?) where the leader would chew gum and hand it to the girls, making the point that if they have sex, nobody will want them. There were others. Mashed up cake. I thought they were silly and ineffective.

I talk to teenage girls sometimes now–the girls who came to help me clean for a yard sale, for instance. I just told them right out “If you’re going to have sex, use condoms AND the pill.” And, “the odds of you getting dumped rise exponentially when you give in and sleep with him.” And, “being a mom at 16 is a cheap thrill. Don’t do it.” Read more »

When I was a young visiting teacher and hardly any mom worked in our neighborhood, we just picked a day and went. Without calling first. It seems a bit crazy now, but it worked.

I don’t remember when calling and setting appointments to visit became the status quo. I don’t remember when visiting became a more formal affair, even just between friends. My friends didn’t call to ask if it was convenient, they just showed up.

Boy, I haven’t done that in years. But I did the other day. And it went pretty darn well. Read more »

Watching Meet The Press. If they cut social security and Medicare from us “affluent” seniors and more of the younger generation are on welfare than working (not referring to my hard -working young friends) there will not be enough taxes to support a nation of mooches. Read more »

I’ve been ticked off and disillusioned because of my experiences re Mormonism in my ward these last few years. The situation with my friend’s son who was convicted of sexual crimes did a number on all of us, but I think it affected me the most (it’s always all about me, in my mind…..well, it is my mind, so there you go. It might be about you in your mind). Because of my childhood and family situation, this neighborhood and the ward have been my surrogate family. Finding out we aren’t a perfect little family was a blow to my psyche from which I haven’t fully recovered.

However, yesterday, a neighbor who is the Switzerland in our ward told me she was pretty sure we’re getting a temple in Cedar City. And instantly, I was on board. I felt invigorated and excited and definitely want to be part of that effort. Read more »

My daughter works at McDonald’s as a manager to help her husband through school. She works from 4 am – noon, rising at 3 am. Her husband gets up with their baby and goes to work at Olive Garden as a waiter at 11 am. His sister watches the baby for that hour; it’s a good setup for the little guy because with their differing days off, he only has to be tended a few hours a week. Her husband gets home at 5 pm, then goes to night school till 10 or 11. It’s hard on them, but worth it. Read more »

The president had declared a war on violence and mental illness. If, in specifying gun violence, he’d proposed legislation or executive orders banning the violence in media.

If, instead of saying: “Weapons designed for the theater of war have no place in a movie theater.” he’d added “Nor do movies containing graphic violence and gun death.”
Read more »

I love the Bible. I learned the Bible stories as I wandered into many different churches as a child, seeking direction and haven from the chaos, filth, and degradation of home. The Bible was and is much more real to me than the Book of Mormon. I’ve read both books cover to cover countless times, but my heart stays with the Bible, which really, is kind of a confusing mess. Outstandingly dysfunctional.

I learned the words to the song “The Old Rugged Cross” by heart when I was eight. I loved the melody and didn’t register the horror of the cross. I was thinking maybe I’ll have somebody sing it at my funeral; the words “exchange it one day for a crown” kind of appropriate for a funeral. They sang it at my grandma’s funeral—my grandma that I didn’t meet until she was 16 and was a Methodist. I felt a kinship when I read the program and realized she, too, must have loved that song. Read more »

I enjoy watching Meet the Press. I chose it long ago because of Tim Russert and I’m okay with David Gregory. He gets accused of being too nice and friendly, but I like that. Both men have a cordial air; they’re not into attacking. I seldom watch FOX news or MSNBC or even NBC because I don’t like being yelled at or that sarcastic, “I’m smarter than common people” look on Matt Lauer’s face when he interviews conservatives.

I record it and sometimes I miss it, but this morning I listened to parts of David Gregory’s interview with the President. He still reminds me a bit of Jimmy Carter, but he is a lot more effective than Jimmy Carter was and less preachy. Read more »

We’ve lost many children in our ward in many different tragic ways. Those of us who were close to those children feel their loss deeply; there is an empty space where they used to be. Our lives were forever changed by their deaths. But we lost them one at a time. I cannot imagine the pain (and it is a terrible physical pain)the people of Newton, Connecticut are enduring right now. God bless them. God bless them.

It’s an interesting and a bit awkward situation when we meet people we’ve become acquainted with on-line in real life. Let me see, I’ve met: Cathy Cann and Bridget of “Life in Red Shoes” (awesome women, that wasn’t awkward, for me, anyway); Heather (I can’t remember which Heather she was, but we’d both recently read the same book—I don’t think she wanted me to hug her. I’m a hugger); Marta Silver (THAT wasn’t awkward at all, Marta’s the easiest person to be around on the planet); Sara (I can’t remember the name of her blog, but she focused on mental health issues); a random John and Amira (that was awkward, but for me it was because Bill and I were so unhappy at the time. John, I still feel guilty about that chocolate bar you gave me because I really didn’t like it); and Brian Gibson, who absolutely rocks and has the warmest personality. I think that’s all. Read more »

I have recently renewed my interest in the Holocaust. I pretty much traumatize myself every few years by immersing in, and re-reading, books about the Holocaust.

This time, something struck me and I want to share it. There were no camps in Belgium, Bulgaria or Denmark. One, Westerbok, in Holland. The other camps were spread around Europe, with, of course, the most in Germany and Poland. Read more »

I’m actually enjoying the Deseret News I get on Saturdays; it’s not the real Deseret News. I don’t know how to explain it. We get the Church News and then a section of Deseret News, which is mostly editorials (Daniel Peterson figures prominently). I don’t always read them carefully (what else is new) and parts bother me, but still…

I was caught by this headline “Goals Gone Wild” so I have read that, which was in last Saturday’s paper (actually dated Sunday, Nov 4). The author, Michael De Groote, points out the many flaws of goal setting and how goal setting can be self defeating, taken to a fault. He discusses how some goals motivate us to accomplishments for the wrong reasons. Read more »

I posted something on FB about my longing for a lot of money to pay for extensive plastic surgery and my friend, Renee Thurber, sent me this experience from her own life. I think it’s worth a read:

Virtue would go far if vanity did not keep it company.
~Francois de La Rochefoucauld

I am a vain woman. Heck, I was a vain kid. on the morning of my very first day of kindergarten while I was primping before the mirror I felt a little confused so I asked my mom “am I pretty, or cute?”. obnoxious, i know. and the thing is – this was a serious question for me, one that I felt was weighty and consequential and deserved an honest answer. (Now, I find it amusing that my wisdomic mom’s response irritated me a bit – actually her cavalier answer absolutely annoyed me. “well, you look just fine Nay. and I’d say you’re pretty-cute!”) Read more »

I lead the music in sacrament meeting which is pretty funny because I cannot sing a lick. I’m tone deaf and can’t read music. But I can count time and I smile and I love music, so it’s working, for now. I have a couple of strong singers in the congregation who know I will be following them. I’ve taped myself singing a few times and it’s pretty funny, but I still love to sing.

A couple of weeks ago, the organist failed to practice the closing song which was “All Creatures of Our God and King.” So she said she was going to set the organ to play the song—I guess the organs nowadays have the accompaniement in them. She had a little trouble with the buttons, but got them set (I thought) and we successfully went through the song several times before church. Read more »

Last Sunday I watched a bit of an interview of Mitt and Ann Romney on their campaign bus. They were asked a question regarding their lack of empathy for the less fortunate. She responded that her MS had given her empathy and the notion that they lacked empathy was ridiculous.

Which statement was lacking in empathy itself. I am sympathetic (not empathetic) to her struggle with MS and I empathize with anybody who has chronic health issues, but it’s becoming laughable how the Romneys toss out MS every time someone suggests he can’t understand the poor or the minorities of America. Read more »

She did. My friend doesn’t like her and got a bad impression, but last night she gave a wonderful speech, wonderfully. She’s gotten more beautiful over the last four years. Her polish and conviction are a credit to her husband and her party.

I expected the Democratic Convention to be smoother, more cinematic. The Democrats have more “stars” after all. The Republicans missed more than a few boats. In the days since the Republican convention, I, along with media people, wonder where George HW Bush was?? Why wasn’t there more emphasis on our military? I swear, one big minus in my head about Romney is his seeming penchant for employing stupid advisors. He needs me on his campaign. Read more »

Last Sunday a counselor in our bishopric approached me with a request to chair a party committee for our ward’s Autumn Festival, a traditionally well-attended party held in a barn on a farm. A big focus is involving non-members and inactive members, who seem to look forward to the party every year. I immediately said I didn’t think I would be up to it physically, but the counselor powered through and I ended up taking the paper he held listing all the tasks needed for the celebration. Read more »

As I’ve watched the news the last few days, I’ve thought that Democrats must be thanking God on their knees for the weather. I would be….takes attention from Republicans and necessitates them to mute their enthusiasm for Romney; makes President Obama look more presidential. He does look presidential and he sure got out on top of it which Bush failed to do.

But the Romneys have handled it in a classy fashion. For the most part. Ann Romney’s cheerful wish at the beginning of her speech that no one would be harmed or property destroyed was kind of laughable in its naivete. I would have written that differently and directed her better in her delivery there. Read more »

Last week I went to Bill’s gospel essentials class, which is supposed to be attended by investigators and those who are becoming reactivated. None of them showed up, but there were five others who came, I’m not sure why, they are all active.

The lesson was on charity and we were discussing judging and comparing and I said something off-hand about that part of the quote in Desiderata that goes: “do not compare yourself to others, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”

Boy, they thought that was wise and asked me to repeat it. I’d been a little embarrassed to even quote it because it’s kind of schmaltzy and, I thought, passe. They’d never heard of Desiderata. In my teenage day (late 60′s, early 70′s), one was thought to be deep if you could quote it—-and/or Kahlil Gabran. I would sit on the lawn in front of the library and hope some cute boy would see how wonderful I was to be reading “The Prophet.” Read more »