Call me Ahab

Early this morning when I woke up, I first headed to the restroom. I hadn't put my contacts in yet, and for anyone who knows me well, you know this means I am pretty blind. So, I noticed something large, black and moving in the shower adjacent to where I was sitting. This was pretty alarming to me. Since I couldn't see well, I had to make some educated guesses. It was a spider - I was sure - based on the quickness of it's movements. It was also quite large. I'd say definitely bigger than a quarter. I quickly assessed the situation.

a) I couldn't see.
b) I didn't have any bug spray at my disposal. Nor did I have a dustbuster.
c) we have very hot water in our house...like, burn your skin hot.
d) I have a hand-held shower head.

These points added up to one option. I leaned over, and turned on the shower...all the way to HOT. Then the blurry black object really started scurrying. Luckily for me, he seemed unable to crawl out of the shower basin. He decided to stay very still in the corner farthest from where the water was landing. I removed the shower head. And I sprayed him down. I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. I sprayed him right into a tiny black ball and down the drain.

Ugh. I hate spiders.

Bronco Mendenhall is my new hero

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend one of the BYU pre-football game firesides. They do this for every football game, whether home or away. The evening prior to the game, they hold a fireside at a local stake center (local to wherever the game is being played, that is). At any rate, this year my stake was lucky enough to be selected for one of the home games. Today is the season opener against Northern Iowa. So, last night was the pre-game fireside. The youth of our stake were invited along with several other stakes and it was held at the American Fork Tabernacle. It was a packed house, as you can imagine. I was very lucky to be sitting in the very front row. It was an amazing fireside. The first speaker was one of the players (I didn't take notes, so I'm not sure of his name...but I think it was Brock Richardson?) He was so great! He talked about taking the scriptures literally and applying them to your life. He talked about Joseph Smith and how he read James 1:5 and took it literally to apply to him. That if HE wanted to know, then HE should ask God. He then shared a personal example of when he first joined the BYU team, as a JUCO transfer. He talked about how they ran and ran and ran, and how he was having a hard time at the end of the day and asked his younger brother (who was also on the team) how he was in such great shape (he had been ahead of him in every heat). His brother shared with him D&C 89, you know "run and not be weary" and how he BELIEVED that applied to him. It was such a great talk. Then they had two players do a musical number. One played the guitar and one played the piano. They played a beautiful arrangement of "If You Could Hie to Kolob". Then another player spoke. He talked about becoming a disciple of Christ...which was the theme of the fireside overall. Then they had another musical number, this time with 50 players from the team, all there in shirts and ties, sang "Army of Helaman". It was honestly so great. One of the players was accompanying them on the piano, and they sang acapella the 3rd verse. It was very powerful. So good! Then Bronco's wife, Holly spoke next. I really like her. She is very down to earth and you can tell...she says what she thinks. She told this story of being in church, for a missionary farewell talk (I think) and during the musical number, two people sitting in front of her started talking about a BBQ they had gone to the night before. She shared how they had taken away from the meeting for her, and that she just didn't understand, what were they there for? She talked about how you can attend your meetings just for the sake of attending, checking it off your list, or you can be there to be a disciple of Christ. You have to be an active participant. Finally Bronco Mendenhall spoke. He talked about the team "theme" or goal this year "The Quest" and how he has been questions numerous times about it, by people who think it is very arrogant to be on a quest for perfection. But then he explained that its not just about football. They, as a team, are on a quest for perfection because that is what Christ taught and asked us to do, "Be ye therefore perfect" He said that football comes fourth for those players. First is their relationship with Christ and being a disciple of Christ. Second is their education. Third is their relationship with friends and family. And Fourth is Football. I loved it. I could tell that he meant it. He shared some stories about the team this year and I loved the story he told about how they (without his prompting) decided to record themselves singing, "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and send it to President Monson for his birthday last week. How cool is that?

As I sat there listening to the entire fireside, I couldn't help but think about my young women, and most especially about the ones who had chosen not to attend the fireside. I was so sad for them to be missing out on the lessons they could have learned. It was such a great evening.

And Bronco Mendenhall...you are my new hero.

Favorite Things

Have you tried Izze beverages? They are awesome! Besides looking totally fabulous with their bright glowing colors...they are really good too! They are basically fruit juice, with sparkling water. No added sugars. Yum! They are one of my new favorites.

And my other new favorite thing? Salt and Pepper Pistachios. Oh my goodness these are amazingly addictive. Who knew that the addition of pepper could do so much for the pistachio?
And the best thing about both of these delightful treats? They are available at your local Costco for a great price!

I can Hardly WAIT!

Wednesday, October 1st....Pushing Daisies returns! Have you watched it? Are you anticipating it's return like I am? Who is YOUR favorite character? I'm torn between Olive Snook (how can you help but love Kristen Chenoweth...between Wicked and The West Wing - she will always be a favorite actress) and Aunt Lily - you gotta love the eye patch with bling! Of Course, I love all of them, truth be told. Ned, Emerson Cod, Aunt Vivian, Chuck, Digby - each and every one!

Graphic Design Fun

I found this java applet on Jude and Eliza's blog a while ago. I remembered it yesterday and decided to share it here. :)

Basically you can create your own "wordle" by entering the words you want. The more a word is repeated the larger that particular word will be. This one is, obviously, the YW theme, along with the 2009 Annual Theme for the youth. Once the word cloud is created, you can tweak it by selecting different fonts and different color combinations, and different types of layouts (all horizontal, mostly horizontal, all vertical, etc.) It is so fun to play with. I think I could sit there tweaking for hours. It works well for the proclamation on the family (along with your family name) , the lyrics to "I am a Child of God" with your child's name, and so many others!

Anyway....you can create your own here!

Learning to Quilt

I recently thought it would be fun to share my love of quilting with Ariel, who's cousin was having a baby boy (she gave birth last Saturday!). Since Ariel is one of my Miamaids in Young Women's we thought this would also work as a GREAT personal progress project.

Ariel and I started by picking up some charm packs of Moda's "Wee Play" collection. We liked the vintage feel of the patterns, and thought it would make a great "boyish" quilt. Ariel eliminated any patterns that were "floral" in any way, then arranged the squares in an 8x8 arrangement. This took quite a while, to make sure the colors were working together and we weren't putting duplicate patterns side by side. I left all creative control up to Ariel and she did all the "design" work for the quilt. (She did a GREAT job, don't you think?)

Here is the final result of the layout design. Then we began sewing the pieces together.
Ariel sewed....and I did all the ironing and pinning for her, to help the work along. Then we took the finished top to the Quilt Shop in AF to be quilted together. Then we had to sew on the binding and hand sew the finishing touches. Here it is all completed!



Isn't it adorable?

By Request...

Ok....here are my latest X-rays. These were taken BEFORE the previously posted MRI. If you look closely at the Talus bone, you can see a slightly darker spot. That is what the MRI was looking more closely at. It is the "suspicious spot".

And just as a point of note, all those metal screws and plates get to stay forever in my leg/ankle. If you look closely you can see the spot where the two long screws were removed. They are starting to fill in, but will likely always be there on an Xray.

Two-Dollar Tuesdays

Yesterday, for Young Women's, we took the Beehive and Miamaid classes to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum. They have $2 Tuesdays all through the month of August. It was a mad house. The girls had fun though. It was just SO unbelievably crowded. The miamaids (most of them, anyways) cruised through the entire exhibit in about 25 minutes. Then they went through again. The rest of the group was having fun looking at every single thing, trying every interactive exhibit. When I texted the other leader, she said they weren't even half-way through yet. So, we (the miamaids and I) ended up in the cafe, snacking, chatting, and waiting for the second group to work their way through the exhibit. It was entertaining texting the other leader to see where they were, while we ate pretzels. Finally, we all met up in the cafe, and the second group of girls wanted pretzels too...only, the Cafe was all out. Sad Pandas.

A story...about impulse buying

So, yesterday, on my way home from work, we decided to make a quick stop at the local grocery store. We needed some basics...you know, bread, chicken, broccoli, and watermelon. And then, on our way out of the store, after purchasing the food, I saw these lovely outdoor chairs. And they were on sale....1/2 off, and this particular set was missing it's table...and so it was marked down even more. They were so comfy, so beautiful looking, they could not be resisted. And now they are on the back porch!


It involved calling a neighbor (brave on a Monday night!) and asking for the use of their truck, as I discovered that the back of my Honda CR-V is not quite as roomy as I like to think it is. One lounge chair fit...but the love seat was not going to fit no matter how it was twisted. Then, we sat on the porch and watched a lovely storm develop (are those clouds cool or what?!?)

I love a nice August evening outside. Especially when it is a bit windy...to keep the mosquitos away. At any rate...I love when a quick trip to the grocery store for watermelon can result in such a great find!

And for comparison....what I did for work today...

A lot of computer work. A lot of paperwork. A lot of phone calls. And see that giant bottle of ibuprofen??? :)

Just kidding. The ibuprofen is because of the ankle. (Not because of my job!). I really do enjoy my job. I just thought it would be fun to show you a little of what my REAL work consists of. Today I am working on ordering a whole bunch of office furniture. I need to get the order in last week. I'm super behind. I also signed up today to take a LEED class in September. (Green Building, basically). Oh, and I sent in a requisition for some of those accessories I picked up on Friday. (Paperwork). I guess I should stop blogging and go answer some of my voicemails now.

What I did for WORK today...

So, I've been working as a professional interior designer for 12 years now. Which (I think) is a really long time. All of that time I have worked doing commercial design..meaning, I've designed commercial spaces. You know, offices, schools, etc. Well, last year I had a unique opportunity to work on a commercial space that was meant to "feel" a bit residential...like "coming home". And on Friday we finally got around to going shopping for "accessories". Stuff for the bookshelves, for the end tables, for the console tables, for the mantel. I was completely out of my element. This is the kind of thing that I am sure many people imagine and envision that being an interior designer is all about. All those people who say, "your job must be SO FUN!". . .yep, I think they are envisioning a job whereby I go shopping on someone else's dime. Buying nice vases and baskets. So, after 12 years as a professional interior designer, my job finally was what all those people imagine it to be. I'm not sure that I would classify it as "SO FUN". That's not to say I didn't have fun...because I did. Mostly, because of the company I was in, and because we had a good time together. But the shopping? It was definitely work. And these are pictures of what the Yukon we were driving in looked like when were done. I just can't wait for next week, when we unpack it all and place it all around. Here's hoping we didn't forget anything!

What I'm craving right now...

yummmm. I just love watermelon. I haven't eaten very much this summer. . . yet.

Here are some random facts about watermelon...reasons for you to love it like I do:

It only has half as much sugar as an apple yet tastes sweeter because it’s mostly (92%) water. Watermelon is a good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and silicon. It also contains the pigment lycopene, which is being investigated as a cancer preventative, and glutathione, which guards against cataract formation.

Watermelon has anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, diuretic and laxative properties. It lubricates the intestines, has an affinity for the bladder, kidney, stomach and heart and is considered a rejuvenating tonic for the blood. Watermelon can help lift the spirits from depression and has been used in treatments for halitosis, hangover, mouth sores, sore throat and urethral pain. It is a digestive aid and makes an ideal food for a cleanse.

And all of this is just really, really random. Basically...I just love watermelon. And I want some.

Happy Birthday President Monson!

Young Women/Young Men Activity

As you can see...last night we had a really fun Young Women/Young Men combined activity! We had gotten a really large tarp from BYU that was being surplused. It was HUGE. It weighed about 800 lbs. It was basically the size of a NCAA basketball court, plus some. It was difficult to maneuver around and get situated, but once we did...the fun began! We used the small hill on our Stake Center's grounds. (with permission, of course!)
We also used a large quantity of liquid Dawn (lemon fresh scent!). I don't think any of the youth will forget the fun we had anytime soon. We (the adults) were just watching and laughing and appreciating the joy on their faces. It was great!

What I am working on...

Just thought I would give you a peek at something I've been working on lately. It's my most ambitious quilting project yet. Hopefully it turns out a cute as I have been envisioning it will be!

Young Women Lesson

I taught the lesson on Sunday in Young Women's. I thought I would share my cute handouts that I made. I can't really claim the credit for these, as I got the idea off of mormonshare.com. But I thought they turned out so cute that I should show you all. The lesson was on "Service in the Community", which I really loved teaching because it was so different from a typical sunday lesson (it's always nice to have some change!) It covered all types of community service, including political involvement (which lead to an interesting discussion between the miamaids and I about democrats and republicans!) The handout was an individual pudding cup, with a spoon tied on. I was proud of my ingenuity in creating the ribbon, as it was late Saturday night and I didn't want to go upstairs to go through the ribbon stash, so I cut some fabric I had into ribbon-sized strips. It turned out PERFECT. At any rate, the lesson went well, and the handouts were a big hit!

Deep Fried Twinkies

I saw this picture on another blog, a photo of "treats" at the Wayne County Fair in Utah. It just made me laugh. Really? People deep fry twinkies? Have you ever had one? I'm so full of horrified curiousity. :)

and for those following the ankle saga...

Here is an image from the MRI I had done of my ankle a few weeks ago.
Note the large dark spot circled in red? That is what the radiologist referred to as a "clearly defined cyst" on my talus bone. The Talus is the only bone in my ankle I did not break in the initial injury. But apparently it was feeling left out, and is now choosing to cause problems. The "good news" (if there is any in this), is that the cartilage above the cyst has "not yet" collapsed. My orthopedic surgeon could not tell if the cyst is made up of dying bone tissue or what. (It's not his area of specialty) At any rate, I don't really know yet what any of this means, other than the fact that my ankle still hurts me. I am scheduled to go see a foot and ankle specialist in October (this was the soonest he could get me in) and I hope that I may have better news than! (Here's hoping!) Oh...interesting comment of note: the two small black circles (above the cyst), those are the holes in my bone where the screws were removed. They are slowly filling in...but will probably always show up on xrays and/or MRIs.

More Olympics...

Yeah for Nastia! She was awesome in the individual all-around!

And the same for Shawn Johnson! It was nice to see such great sportsmanship and kindness between her and Nastia Liukin. Especially nice after all the Gymnastically crazy attitude drama of the team all-around the other night. (Can you say, Drama Queen?)
And Michael Phelps??? Yeah! I'll be cheering for him tonight as he goes for his eighth gold! By the way....is that not a cool shot of him swimming? I like that you can see the cool ceiling of the building. That ceiling is fantastic!

Can you handle the Heat?

I just wanted to share a fun activity we did last night with our Young Women. We had read several people's versions of Iron Chef or other cooking competitions and wanted to do something similar, but also wanted to have a gospel tie-in to go along with it. This is what we came up with:

We did not tell the Young Women very much about what we would be doing. They knew it would involve some cooking, and that we were calling it "Can you handle the heat", but that is all. As we started, we divided them into two teams. Each team was given some basic supplies: 2 mixing bowls, a rubber spatula, an electric hand mixer, a wooden spoon, a set of measuring cups, a set of measuring spoons, a sifter, and two cupcake pans and some cupcake "paper cups". We had a central area in the kitchen that had all the ingredients they were allowed to use: Flour, Sugar, Baking soda, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, butter, eggs, vanilla, milk, vinegar, mayonnaise, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. (We had a recipe that we used to come up with the list of ingredients and we also threw some items in, just to cause confusion. All the ingredients came from different cupcake recipes though. So, they could all legitimately be used if one had the know-how)

As we started them off we gave them their challenge: They had 30 minutes to mix up some chocolate cupcakes. Their cupcakes had to be in the oven at the end of the 30 minutes. We gave them no recipes or instructions.

It was funny as we sat back and observed the chaos. The group I was with sat down and created a "recipe" before they did any mixing. They almost forgot sugar, until a very observant Laurel pointed out that sugar would be nice. Then they put in 3 cups of sugar! In the end their cupcakes had an interesting cookie-like texture to the top of them.

Once the cupcakes were in the ovens baking, we sat down and our YW president talked to the girls about their experience. She had asked them to write down their "recipe" as they went, and she compared them to each other, and to an actual recipe. She then drew the parallel to the scriptures being our "recipe and instructions" for our earth life. How, in order for things to turn out just as you like them, you need to follow some instructions and have guidance along the way. Just as baking without a recipe could easily lead to a disaster, living your life without turning to your Heavenly Father can also have disastrous consequences. It was a good conversation as we waiting for the baking to be complete.

Once the cupcakes were "done" the teams swapped cupcakes and everyone tried each other's creations. For the record they were both edible...but neither was super tasty! (They all used too much baking soda!)

Here's the Cupcake recipe we worked off of as the "real" recipe:

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.

Beijing 2008

Wow. Only 3 days in, and the Olympics have already been pretty amazing, don't you think? I did not watch the entire opening ceremonies, but the highlights that I watched online were amazing. Bits and pieces I have seen here and there have also been fun to watch. The men's swim team relay? Amazing! It reminds me of 2002 when the winter Olympics were here in Utah. I haven't really ever felt such an incredible amount of energy and excitement in the air. Watching the games going on in China just reminds me of the fun we had hosting them in Utah and how much I wish we could bring them back again. The Olympics are just so cool!
Michael Phelps....one phenomenal swimmer. I hope he pulls of all eight gold medals!

The fireworks! oh my goodness! No one can come close to touching China when it comes to fireworks!
Did you see this from the opening ceremonies? If you haven't, you really must go online and watch it. All those drummers and the light show they put on! I can't even begin to imagine how much practice and training that took!
I loved the people running around the sphere, upside down. So COOL!


I can't help myself...I just really love the architecture of both the "bird's nest" and the swim pavillion (or whatever they are calling it!) They look so amazing and really pull off the vibrant feeling that comes with the games.

eight.eight.oh eight!

Did you ever own one of these? A magic 8 ball? Since today's date is eight-eight-oh eight, I was thinking about the magic 8 ball and how much I LOVED playing with it when I was a kid. Did you ever wonder how the magic 8 ball worked? We're all familiar with its sage advice. But how is such wisdom generated? Are you ready for the truth? I thought this photo was fascinating....the ball isn't really full of fluid at all....so all that shaking, really not doing much good after all. Inside, all you have is a small cylinder full of blue water and a die...
Lot's of answers on that little die. The previously clandestine mechanics of the magic 8-ball. But, you may be asking yourself, "How can these simple plastic forms have so ingeniously guided my most important life decisions?" Well, my friends, the truth is, there is no magic in the "8". But, it still is fun to ask it questions...