A Dream Come True

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from my husband. This is nothing new. His cell phone is worthless since Tinker moved him to the old GM building and since everyone now has a cell phone, they no longer have direct lines to the work areas. So, we email throughout the day. But this email was not a 'Who has what after-school activity and what forgotten dinner ingredient do I need to pick up on the way home?' kind of message. This one was an invitation. And it got my attention immediately:

There was a press release from the American Banjo Museum sharing that they would soon open a temporary Muppet exhibit featuring the banjo used in The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Show and that Heather Henson would be in attendance at the ribbon-cutting. Accompanying the press release link was a note from Dave saying "I AM TAKING YOU."

And two weeks later, with much last-minute protesting from me because "there might be crowds" or "I might accidentally annoy Ms. Henson with my presence", we were on our way. We arrived about 30 minutes early and found only a handful of people were there. The staff looked a little stressed, so I introduced myself as a fellow museum director and we chatted a bit. I tried to look at the other cool exhibits, but when I discovered a screen and video loop of Rainbow Connection while watching Ms. Henson arrive and start to greet the museum staff and other visitors, I became focused on just the small area containing multiple panels highlighting Jim Henson's life and career and, of course, the red ribbon being drawn in front of one of the barriers sectioning it off from the rest of the exhibits.

I was especially impressed by an exchange between Ms. Henson and an extremely autistic young adult whose mother had driven him all the way from Tennessee to attend. He did a great imitation of Frank Oz and we all applauded softly. The crowd had grown at this point, but we all seemed to be fellow Muppet fans and somehow, it wasn't as bad as I had feared to be surrounded by a lot of people. During the ribbon cutting, I learned that the Muppet Show banjo had been an eBay find brought to Ms. Henson's attention by a friend. That the banjo museum had been told multiple times that they would not get a model Kermit puppet, but received one to add to their display thanks to Heather Henson and that the miniature banjo it was holding was one used by the 'Jim Henson' puppet that occasionally appeared in the Jim Henson Trio skits on The Muppet Show.

The ribbon was cut. The panels were scrutinized and photographed and I had taken great shots of the Kermit puppet and the infamous Muppet Show banjo. I was already happy and emotional. Dave asked if I wanted to get a photo with Heather Henson since she was circulating among the crowd, making polite conversation, signing autographs, etc...I said I didn't dare. So he asked her for me. I love the photo, but I loved more the five-minute conversation we had about how her father had inspired me, influenced the things I taught my children, turning towards Oklahoma history (Jim Henson's father was from Meeker, OK), the Harn Homestead, and how excited she was to tour Oklahoma City with the director of the Oklahoma History Center later that afternoon. I made sure to keep the conversation brief, as she was very much in-demand that day. But it felt very casual, relaxed, and friendly. And as if it could have gone on for hours if the right time and place had presented itself. I'm sure she is well-practiced at speaking with fans, but she is also Jim Henson's daughter and I like to think his ability to make people feel unique and special and part of something bigger than themselves continues to perpetuate itself in the world and that she is part of that effort. All in all, it was a bucket list item too big for me to have ever actually written down on one and a testament to how much Dave has come to understand me in the last 22 years because I never would have gone, much less dared to approach Ms. Henson while we were there had he not pushed me out the door and asked her for a photo. Looking at the photo critically, the humidity that morning was not my friend and I wish I was about 40 lbs. lighter. And also, I do not care. The morning and the photos are perfect. Thanks Dave. You get me.

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

39 Things I've Learned about Myself and the World

I hear Blogger has been eating posts and giving people who blog regularly fits, so I guess it's just as well I've been too busy to update recently. Between the museum's biggest educational event of the year (Land Run) and its biggest (and only) fundraiser party happening within 2 weeks of each other, my "little cold" also turned into bronchitis and required some intervention which came in the form of Dave dragging me to the minor emergency clinic last Sunday. Actually, I went willingly because when Dave says something is wrong, it usually is. Anyway, I've been pretty busy.

But I got through all of it and feel very proud of what was accomplished at work. And somewhere along the way, I also turned 39, celebrated Mother's Day, and got an upgraded iPhone and a new wireless printer from my family for those milestones. So it's safe to say that life is busy, but it's also very good. I'm pretty sure most people would save their "things I've learned" milestone post for their milestone birthday; but I'm going to do it a year early. It may be outside the norm, but I've always been told I'm not normal. And besides, I may not be able to think of 39 things to put on this list; much less 40 if I wait another year.

1. The only thing I've ever learned from someone who has taken it upon themselves to 'teach me a lesson' is: What a jerk! No matter how wrong I may be and no matter how right they may be, I get too caught up in the rudeness of the way the lesson was presented to actually learn anything except not to trust whoever took it upon themselves to "school" me. 
2. When you lose my trust, you've lost it. Period. (See above)
3. Life isn't fair, but karma (and/or its Christian equivalent) works if you just give it time.
4. I LOVE the Muppets and the world is a slightly better place for having had Jim Henson as a part of it. May he rest in peace.
5. You can ALWAYS go home again.
6. "Jesus loves me" and I love my Namaw for teaching me to sing that.
7. God loves me too-even if I will always struggle to believe that fully.
8. Apparently, I give off a bit of a stand-offish air when meeting new people. I used to try to curtail it, but as easily as my feelings get hurt; I've decided to go with it since it's my only defense from being heart-broken on a daily basis.
9. I may not be a 'born-leader,' but I can be an effective boss when given the opportunity.
10. The Nike commercial in college was right: "It's never too late to have a life and it's never too late to change one."
11. I was right to want a lot of kids. My only regrets are the endless piles of laundry and the endless dishwasher cycles. But in the grand scheme of things, I'll take it.
12. It turns out OU football isn't nearly as "dumb" as I thought it was when I was a teenager.
13. I'm still not much of a pro-sports fan, though.
14. It's better to know straight up that people don't like you than trying to bend over backwards in futile attempts to please them. (It's also a relief to know that it wasn't "just my imagination.")
15. In a similar vein, as sad as it may be, sometimes it's OK to cut people out of your life whose bad attitudes, continual disapproval, and uncooperativeness are having an adverse effect on your day-to-day life. For someone who has always been all about second chances and then some, this was a hard but ultimately gratifying lesson to learn.
16. Cancer sucks
17. So do heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, manic-depressive suicides and other things that cause you to drop dead out of the blue.
18. Death is not an enemy and is often a great relief to those who experience it, but it can be really lonely for the ones they leave behind no matter how strong their faith may be.
19. The bigger the hurry, the bigger the traffic jam
20. I can cook, but I will never be Martha Stewart
21. I can clean, but my house will never be worthy of a Candice Olsen design
22. I can drive, but I still come in last at the Andy Alligator go-karts
23. I am an awesome teacher and have gotten almost as good with the 12 and under crowd as I have always been with the 12 and over crowd.
24. Having 5 extremely bright and talented kids is a lot more exhausting than it is brag-worthy.
25. But I'm still proud of them.
26. The only thing better than still having most of the same friends for the last 25 years is having their wonderful spouses as friends now too.
27. Myrtle lodge dances are still a lot of fun, and as a bonus, a very inexpensive date night for mom and dad.
28. Civic Center season tickets may not be as inexpensive, but they also make for a good date night and are worth the money.
29. I love to travel, someday I will get to do a lot more of it.
30. I love to write, someday I really want to do something with it.
31. I love where my life is right now though, and I'm more OK with the "someday's" than I've ever been.
32. Some of the best TV shows I ever watched: Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Little House on the Prairie, You Can't Do That on Television, Degrassi both in its 80's incarnation and in the first few seasons of the current series before its shark jump a few years ago, Moonlighting (until it got stupid), Thirtysomething, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, That 70's Show, BSG, The West Wing, Friday Night Lights, and, most recently, Parenthood.
33. Some of my all-time favorite movies: The Muppet Movie, the Star Wars movies, anything directed by John Hughes (with special props to The Breakfast Club and She's Having a Baby), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Fisher King, The Big Chill, and any movie adaptation of any musical ever to grace a Broadway stage-how's that for cheating?
34. Favorite songs: "You Wear it Well" by Rod Stewart, "Woman" by John Lennon, "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel and "The Rainbow Connection." (I'd list all the Broadway songs too, but we'd be here all night.)
35. Favorite Broadway Shows: Les Mis, The Lion King, RENT, Mamma Mia, Kiss Me Kate, and Oliver! (also the first one I ever saw)
36. Favorite Books: The Anne of Green Gables series, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Gone with the Wind, Greek mythology, the Harry Potter series, Crime and Punishment, The Prince of Tides, The Return of the Soldier, anything by James Joyce, and I will admit to enjoying both the Twilight series and the Hunger Games trilogy though I haven't really developed a cult-like attachment to either set of books.
37. Best vacations: Any of my childhood visits to Oregon/Washington, teenaged visits to Tucson, the Camp Fire girls' trip to Colorado, the cross-country trip with my Dad that included a stop at Mammoth Caves, KY and Philadelphia to see Aunt Kathy, the first "family vacation" I took with Dave and Baby Natalie to Washington DC to see the Star Wars exhibit with a stop to meet his grandparents on the way home in Tennessee, any and all trips to St. Pete Beach, FL, the WDW vacation with Natalie, Juliet, and Victoria, the bachelorette party cruise to Mexico, FRED: Lake Tahoe, and, while not on vacation, I will never forget the first time I saw Venice, Italy.
38. Proudest Life Moments: My solo in the 4th grade play (I probably still remember the words), getting elected Faith and ultimately becoming Worthy Advisor of Norman Rainbow, being one of the youngest Senior Counselors at Camp Can Ya Ta (because my mom worked there, but still...), my Grand Officer year, successfully completing my mission to Italy (because let me tell you, that was NOT easy-first glimpses of Venice aside), giving birth to my oldest in the old-fashioned way after she got stuck during delivery and everyone told me I would HAVE to get a c-section (of course, all the OR's were full and I didn't have a lot of choice-but no one seemed really sure I could do it anyway and I DID!), getting a Master's degree while raising four kids, having the guts to go seek closure in a few unresolved life issues that needed it, watching my kids excel on stage, being installed as Norman Rainbow's Mother Advisor, being named Interim Director of the museum
39. Life isn't easy, life isn't fair, but overall it's been very, very good to me.

Why I'm Still Here

With a hat tip to the lovely AGK who posted this on Facebook at just the right time:


‎"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." -Harvey Fierstein


Or as one of my very favorite movies stars once said:


"Do you hear that, New York?! The frog is staying!!" -Kermit the Frog, The Muppets Take Manhattan


More to come...

Waxing Nostalgic

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been able to spend more time with some of my old friends than usual. Some of these visits have been in person, some of them by phone; all of them good times.There has been a lot of change lately, some good and some not-so-good; but the one thing that never changes is that we are there for each other. I've reflected a lot on our history in the last several days and I realize that part of my love and loyalty to these incredible woman has everything to do with the fact that I never knew what it felt like for someone to have my back until I met each of them and I hope they know that I have theirs too. I don't have the time I would like tonight to write everything that's in my heart, so I'm going to borrow from one of our other favorite people; Jim Henson.

Kermit: ...I've got a dream too. But it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And, well, I've found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And, well, it kind of makes us like a family.

Over the years, we've had a lot of dreams and a few nightmares here and there too. But we have all survived in part because we are each amazingly strong women, and in part because we have each other. Love to you all tonight! And to keep from ending on too sad a note, look what I found on YouTube!

Believe

For today's Christmas program at church, the women sang a wonderful song called "I Still Believe in Christmas." While this song was certainly about The Savior and not the man in the big red suit, I think at this time of year; the two are intertwined. At least, they are for me. I have long-maintained my right, as well as the rights of my children, to believe in Santa Claus. I think encouraging belief in those beloved and good symbols surrounding the season in which we celebrate the birth of Our Lord help us to give our children believer's hearts, and I can see that my efforts with my own children are succeeding.

Over time, Natalie apparently looked up St. Nicholas on Wikipedia, but loved the magic and surprise of presents on Christmas morning and continued to embrace the tradition just as I do. Last year, Tristan asked me about it in a way that made me feel like I should tell him the truth; so I did. Like Natalie, he now knows who puts the gifts under the tree; but he still believes in the magic. The little girls continue to believe in the man AND his magic, and no one encourages this more than their older siblings. I believe in letting children be children. I believe in letting them have a little wonder in their lives. I've never gone overboard with their gifts, but I'm big on spreading Christmas cheer in this house. I feel that teaching small children to believe in someone who will reward them each year just for trying to be good helps to prepare them as they get older to understand the sacrifice/gift that Christ gave to them and to all of us just for being born.

The Atonement is a huge concept for anyone to grasp regardless of their age, I believe that by starting with something small and lovely like the idea of Santa Claus, you prepare them for something as big and wonderous as Christ's ultimate gift for us. I acknowledge that it is just my opinion, but it worked for me as a new believer in my 20's and I thought it was a lovely way to keep Santa a part of our holiday traditions when I married and had a family.

Yesterday, I posted this sentiment on Facebook. I thought that I had written it out beautifully, and I am rarely pleased by my own writing. Of course, any time I feel good about something that I've done (which isn't often in any aspect of my life), there has to be a naysayer. This one said basically that when children find out Santa isn't real, they won't believe you about Jesus anymore either. My first thought was "That's the dumbest thing I've ever read." My second thought was "What if Natalie and Tristan don't believe in Jesus anymore?!" So, I pulled Natalie aside and said "Now that you know the truth about Santa, does that change what you believe about Jesus?" Her answer: "Mom, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Tristan's response was the same. I was relieved.

I let daughter read what I wrote and thrilled to hear that she thought it was beautiful and "one of the best things you've ever written, Mom." Since she's part of my most important audience, I decided that I didn't want it left up for anyone else to dispute and deleted it. It felt not unlike casting my pearls before swine to let anyone else criticize one of my best writing blurbs. (We watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers yesterday, and Natalie asked what that 'pearls before swine' scripture meant. After we discussed it, I went for the 'delete' button.) Instead, I'll save it for my children who DO think it's a good thought and who reassured me that it DID help them to grow into true believers now that they have both had their 8th birthdays and subsequent baptisms. And as Natalie pointed out "It's not like there never was a St. Nicholas, Mom. It's just that he was mortal and had a small mission and moms and dads still celebrate it in a small way once a year. Jesus is immortal and has a huge mission and we celebrate that one in a much bigger way every day. I've always known the difference between the two, and I think that most kids do."

I could say much in closing, but I think Natalie pretty much covered it (Yes, she edited a few times first, she's a writer too.) Besides, my beloved pal Kermit puts it much more eloquently than either of us:



"And if you find you stand alone in an unbelieving world,

Look to Him, you'll find that you can still believe."

"I Still Believe in Christmas" by Joan Sowards

A Post Completely Unrelated to Thanksgiving

I may be the last person with Internet access to have discovered this video, but I finally saw it today and it made me very happy:



And there is a turkey in it for a second or two, so that makes it appropriate, right?

Shameless Plugging on a Saturday

Does anyone else remember this gem from Sesame Street?



This was one of my favorites while growing up, though I'm not sure why because chewing gum (and therefore, blowing bubbles) was not allowed in our house at all and my parents were about as far from neat freaks as they come. I find this funny because after an entire childhood of saying "When I have kids, THEY will be allowed to have it." As it turns out, I only spent a few years of pulling it out of my carpets with Goo Gone or worrying about it getting swallowed before I outlawed it too. (But we do have cats Dad, as I'm sure your allergies tell you each time you come in my house.)

So why am I waxing nostalgic about Sesame Street and my childhood? Because JenX67 is giving away a copy of Sesame Street Old School Vol. 1 tomorrow (6 p.m. CST) and I really want to win! If you want to win, just click on that link, check out her blog, and leave a comment telling her who your favorite Muppet is and why. Or you could just skip it so I have a better chance of winning. I wouldn't mind at all. (But you really should check out her blog anyway.) Mentioning this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter will also place you (and me) in the running for a $10 Starbucks Gift Card. And if you should wonder what a good little LDS gal like me could possibly order from Starbucks, you haven't seen their drink menu. Yum!

A Muppet Christmas Carol Revisited

I broke one of my own cardinal rules recently and re-purchased The Muppet Christmas Carol. Even though I already owned a copy that was in good shape, I just had to have the new one simply because this one had a widescreen option. I watched it today amidst many good memories...

I have been a Muppets fan since a little girl on Sesame Street who had a shirt just like mine sang "A, B, C, Cookie Monster" with Kermit the Frog in the late 70's. I faithfully watched The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and all the other Muppet movies and TV specials throughout my childhood and adolesence. I remember being shocked and devastated at the death of Jim Henson and being pleased to discover a fellow fan in my good friend Christina.

Needless to say, after a couple of years of silence from Henson & Co., we were very excited about the upcoming release of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Chris bought the soundtrack before the movie even came out and we listened to it faithfully on all excursions in her bitchin' Yugo from the time she bought it until the Friday the movie was released-oh yeah, we were at the theatre. By the end of opening weekend, we had seen it three times; so at this point I'm a little unclear over which time we took the two little boys I used to babysit, which time our buddy Marty was drunk and we spent most of the movie trying to keep him quiet (though it was in his nature drunk OR sober to turn all movies into audience participation events), and which of those times was the first time I saw it. I remember that some pretty big license was taken with Mr. Dickens original narrative, but that it was immediately forgiveable. I mean, was there any more perfect role for Statler and Waldorf than Marley AND Marley? And, to paraphrase them, it was good to see them doing anything again.

I loved the Ghost of Christmas Present and am still bummed they never made him into any kind of stuffed animal. I loved the line "Even the vegetables don't like him." I enjoyed Miss Piggy's turn as Emily Cratchit (and I'm not her #1 fan) and the classic Muppet scat between Kermit and Robin as Mr. Crachit and Tiny Tim. Mostly, I was just glad to see my favorite characters again after a two year hiatus singing Paul Williams songs and making me laugh and wipe my eyes simultaneously. And some 16 years later, those are still some of my favorite things. And having it in widescreen format was absolutely worth the re-purchase.

Muppet Monday

If there are two things I love most in the world beyond my family, it's The Muppets and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Somehow, I completely missed that Kermit would be performing just before Santa's arrival in Herald Square this year until it happened. (And if you think I got through this without running for the box of Kleenex, you must not know me very well!) Enjoy!



(And yes, this post kind of phones it in tonight while my family and I decorate our tree.)

How Did I Miss These?!

Happy Belated 4th of July! (I just love YouTube, don't you?)





Don't mind me, I'm feeling a little bummed that I can't go to this film festival.

Music Monday

With the usual hat tip to Sooner Scotty who did this first, here is this week's edition of Music Monday.

1. I Move On-Chicago soundtrack (came from my CD collection)
2. The Phantom of the Opera-soundtrack (came from the iTunes soundtrack sale, but I had a pretty good copy on cassette tape once upon a time)
3. Broken-Kenneth Cope (came from iTunes after I heard him perform live at Time Out for Women)
4. Dancing Through Life-Wicked soundtrack (also an iTunes purchase-not one of my all-time favorites, but it came with the album)
5. I'm Going to Go Back There Someday-Gonzo (from my Muppets 25th Anniversary CD)
6. March of the Wicked-Wicked soundtrack (see my explanation for #4)
7. He Lives in You-Lebo M (from a Disney's Greatest Hits CD)
8. Vacation-The Go-Go's (purchased from iTunes in honor of being the only song I've ever karaoked in public-I sang it with my friend Christy on her 21st birthday)
9. Bye Bye Blackbird-Joe Cocker (from my Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack CD)
10. Not Counting You-Garth Brooks (from my Garth Brooks CD, I think this was the first CD he ever released)

Week In Review

Watching-

Not much of anything. I skipped Army Wives last week and Big Love is still sitting unwatched on my Tivo, soon to be joined by tonight's episode. I'm sure I will get around to them eventually.

At the Movies-

I got a spontaneous phone call from a friend at church yesterday. At the moment, her husband is currently deployed to Kuwait and she is home alone with 6 kids: a 10 year-old, two 7 year-olds (twins), and three 1 year-olds (triplets). She wanted to get out of the house and she had called a babysitter. Did I want to hang out with her? If she had wanted to rob a bank I would have driven her getaway car. As it was, she wanted to see The Bourne Ultimatum. (We'll try robbery next time!) It was SO GOOD! Notwithstanding all the sweaty Matt Damon shots (which I am all about), it was also a very good movie. It was a big Hollywood blockbuster without the look and feel of such a film. I rarely say this, but I hope they make a fourth one. We also had dinner out at La Baguette. Good times! I'm so glad she called and invited me along, I had a great time!

In My Netflix Queue-

Same Time Next Year-

I can't believe how touching, funny, and sweet this movie was. I watched it last Wednesday at the height of last week's freak-out and it was the perfect catharsis for me. I'm going to have to buy this one and add it to my list of all-time favorites. It was that good.

Pride and Prejudice Pt. 2-

I am now officially ruined for the newer version that came out a couple of years ago. This was the miniseries done by the BBC several years ago and I absolutely loved it. Netflix did right by me this week, even if they did send Dave that awful Aqua Teen Hunger Force thing. (Hey, he asked for it. It's not really their fault.)

Muppet Show Season 2: Discs 1 & 2-

OK, went ahead and bought this and it has been, of course, a big hit. So far my favorite has ben Rich Little doing all the scenes from old musicals, BUT Elton John's episode is on Disc 3 and that's one of my all-time favorites so Rich's time on my 'favorite' list will be brief. I only hope we don't have to wait as long for season 3 as we did season 2. But I'm not holding my breath.

Extracurricular Activities-

PTA t-shirt orders are rolling in and the school store had it's first run last Friday. We have our first and second meetings planned and scheduled and as long as I remember to type up tomorrow's hand-outs we'll still be in good shape. As much as I dreaded the school year all summer, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be now that it's here.

All in Good Fun

I finally figured out how to embed YouTube videos into my posts. You all are in trouble now! Since today is June 6, I felt this one would be the most appropriate for my YouTube debut. I hope its intended recipient knows that I wouldn't dedicate an Oscar/Johnny Cash duet to just anyone on their birthday.

And to everyone else, enjoy the show! This really is one of my all-time favorite Sesame Street clips:

Doing the Happy Dance

I checked my OU email yesterday to find two new ones. The first one detailed the new dorm safety procedures following yesterday's tragedy at VA Tech. In deference to yesterday's devastating news, I sat on the contents of the other email, but it's a new day today and I can't wait anymore...

I passed my comp exams. I PASSED MY COMP EXAMS!! I did it! I'm finished! I graduate!!

There is a scene at the end of The Muppet Movie where Mr. Lew Lord calls up his secretary asking him to prepare one "standard rich & famous contract" for Kermit the Frog and his friends. The rest of the Muppets go crazy celebrating while Kermit stands quietly for a moment nodding and swallowing as he takes in the idea that he has finally made it. And that's how I feel right now too.

Week In Review

Reading-

Are you kidding? My boss gave me an archivist catalog and some preservation brochures and that's about all I had time for last week.

Watching-

Why did NO ONE tell me Grey's Anatomy would be new this week? Dave downloaded for me, put it on a flash drive, and promptly lost it. Someday I'll get to watch it.

Gilmore Girls-I watched the road trip episode from last week. I've waited the whole series for Emily to sit down with Rory and Lorelai for one of their movie nights and it made me smile. Just because I can't ever get a happy ending with my mom doesn't mean that Lorelai and Emily shouldn't have theirs.

In My Netflix Queue-

Am I still subscribed? I guess so. I'm still paying them.

We had company on Saturday and watched The Muppet Movie. Always good entertaiment (if you're me, I guess.)

Out and About-

Me, Dave and the usual season-ticket holding crew went out Friday night and saw The Man of La Mancha. After really disliking a TV movie version starring John Lithgow a few years ago, I was worried about this. It turned out to be a good show. Chris and I decided that its message was "If someone thinks they are a knight, don't tell them they aren't. The shock might kill them. (More about that tomorrow if I get a chance to write it.)

Saturday was spent at work in the morning and hanging out with some of my favorite teenagers later that afternoon and evening.

Sunday I had the choice between going to church or going over to Lanie's house so one of her friends could cut my hair. All things considered, I went with the haircut. It looks good. ;>)~ Don't worry, no one has run me off for good. It was just nice to take a break.

Week In Review

Reading

gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson-I finished this just a few hours ago. It *may* have been better than Between, Georgia, but because I can hear Nonny Frett reminding me that her book was one of the few bits of recognition I've ever received for my writing, and because I don't want to mess with Arlene Fleet either (especially when she's got an empty tequila bottle); I'll call it a draw and say I loved them both. (Chris and Lanie-you want to borrow these. Really.)

Watching

Gilmore Girls-I bit the bullet yesterday and watched all three episodes. It was worth sitting through both the break-up episode and the drunken-Emily-reminding-me-so-much-of-my-mom episode to see that last episode. Mrs. Kim is finally herself and not a caricature anymore. Phew. Also, there was lots of Babette and Miss Patty in all those episodes which makes all things right in my world. Of course, I'm still hoping for Logan to drop off a cliff and Rory to walk off in the sunset with cuteDean. But, none of the pairings on this show ever work out like I want them to and I'm always OK with it in the end. (And cuteDean is just a tad busy with Supernatural these days.)

Veronica Mars-I forgot to express my sadness (and surprise at that sadness) at losing Sheriff Lamb a few epsiodes ago. He was an arrogant jerk, but he came through for Meg's little sister back in the day. I also thought there was more to his story-and there may have been. My money is on the actor getting a better offer elsewhere. Oh well...So, we've solved Dean O'Dell's murder and we're done with any mysteries requiring more than one or two weeks to solve. We'll see how that works. (But my guess is that it will be a lot like every other episode that solved a short mystery sans the "bigger picture" subplot.)

Robin Hood-The BBC America channel is airing a new series based on our favorite English outlaw. Last night was the Pilot (which will air again on Wednesday) and I was fairly impressed with it. It's on Saturdays which are notoriously busy for me (as are Wednesdays) so we'll see if I become a regular viewer. But at least the actor HAS the appropriate accent and we're spared the Costner flair for melodrama. And he didn't cut his own hand with a knife pledging to make things right when he saw what happened to Locksley-I hated that part in the movie! Alas, there is no Alan Rickman or Mel Brooks soundtrack, but nothing's perfect. So far, it looks promising.

Extracurricular Activities-

Friday night game night was really fun! Both my sisters were there, wine flowed pretty liberally into everyone's glass but mine, and nothing mom threw in my face managed to get to me. (Also, Gran D and Cousin J laughed when I did my mom imitation. Not that it improved mom's mood any when they did that.) After a long week, I almost wasn't going to go. I'm glad I did. Aside from a couple of good games of Apples to Apples, Selena also set me up a MySpace page (Yes, I know I'm probably too old but my page has Kermit on it and plays "Rainbow Connection!" Like I'm going to walk away from that!) Then, during one of our games, Matt J (a friend of our family since he was four and his mom was my Camp Fire leader) popped up online on my sister's laptop and we all chatted with him while we played cards. He's still in the National Guard unit that Dave left a few years ago. Since his first deployment to Bosnia with Dave, the unit has been to Iraq and is now in Afghanistan. I'm glad Dave got out when he did and will breathe much easier when Matt is home safely. So it was nice to know that for those few minutes he was safe and sound and definitely still the Matt that we all know and love.

Church wound up being very good today too. Lots of babies were blessed, a new family was baptized yesterday and confirmed today, AND a mother of 9 kids who I really admire pulled me aside just to tell me what a good mama I was to my children. After Tristan's parent/teacher conference Thursday evening, I really needed to hear that. And coming from her, it meant that much more. I really love our itty-bitty branch even if the building is about to burst at the seams.

I KNEW It!

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know. You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems. Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green. Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

Thursday Thirteen #15

This week's Thursday 13 is dedicated to influential books that I have right here in my bookshelves. I'm an avid reader and could name SO many more books than are listed here, but to limit the list to 13, I'm going to go with what I see in front of me right now. I'm going to assume that it's a given that my scriptures are influential as I read them daily and report on where I'm at for each Week In Review-that way I can put other books on the list. It was really hard to keep it to 13 as it was.

1. The Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Your Groove Back by Vicki Iovine-I used to have the guides to pregnancy and surviving the first year of motherhood, but I passed them along to others who needed them more. I can't say enough good about any of her books, they really get you through those mommy moments.

2. The Work and the Glory: The Complete Series by Gerald Lund-Had I not read these books, I would not have been motivated to take that road trip to Nauvoo, IL. And had I not forgotten to make use of my Dad's audiobook library for that trip, we never would have purchased...

3. Harry Potter Books 1-6 by J.K. Rowling-As a mother of a baby son at the time, I felt an immediate connection to poor, little orphaned Harry. As a Classics major, I fell in love with all of Ms. Rowling's clever Latin names. It was love from Chapter One. I am eagerly anticipating (and completely dreading) the end with Book 7.

4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein-Favorite Uncle Bob bought me the first copy for Christmas when I was 10. I have no idea what happened to that one, but I bought a copy for my children when Natalie was about 6 months-old. We haven't read it yet as a family because Dave and I are too busy re-reading it. I know we'll get around to it though. I love this book about a reluctant hero who finds there is more inside him than what he thought or his family and community encouraged. I think that's true of most of us.

5. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein-I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't read these until after I saw the Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring. When it became apparent that Caroline would be in the hospital several days with RSV and pneumonia, I left her with Dave so I could go home and pack a bag. Those three books went with me and helped me get through those 5 long days in the hospital. I finished it while sitting on my back porch holding her and watching Natalie and Tristan play-good times. (And boy would your average movie-goer have been mad if they ended The Two Towers movie like Mr. Tolkein ended the book. I was kinda secretly hoping that they would.) In short, good triumphs over evil even at an enormous cost. I think it's important for those of us living in the 21st century to have reminders like that.

6. The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers by Carroll Spinney-Long title, short book; but a very beloved one in this house. Mr. Spinney details his career as a big, yellow bird and he does it beautifully.

7. Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Great Lessons by Kermit the Frog-Oh how I adore this book! It's full of inspirational quotes by Kermit and Friends. What's not to love? Having a bad day? Read a few pages of this and sing along with Kermit to "This Frog" and it will all seem better. Jim Henson has always had an influential effect on my life, and some of his best words are right here in this book.

8. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell-Just before it was time to fly home from one of my Seattle summers, Gran D took cousin E and I to the book store to get some reading material for the flight home. I couldn't decide between GWTW which I had read before but didn't own, or Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard (told you I was a weird kid) Gran D talked me into GWTW and given the spiritual quest I was on as a teen, I'm SO grateful to her for steering me away from Scientology. (Yes, Dave and I just recently watched South Park's death of chef episode...but I still wanna see the one with Tom Cruise in the closet.) I'm sure there's nothing wrong with Scientology, but anything that would have discouraged my epidural during childbirth or the use of antidepressants when I suffered from PPD is clearly not the right path for me. So yes, Gone With the Wind was the right choice that summer afternoon. It's been the right choice on many afternoons since then.

9. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce-I first read this book my senior year in high school and I adored it. I've since discovered Dubliners and I have since proclaimed James Joyce one of my all time favorite authors.

10. A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen-OK, so this is actually a play, but it's one that has greatly influenced my life since I first read it in high school.

11. The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder-These were the first novels I ever read and if you saw The Agency where I work, you would totally "get" why these are still on my list. They definitely left their mark.

12. The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery-I didn't discover these until I was in middle school, but I still re-read them happily every time I get the chance. Natalie's not too excited about them yet, but she will get there.

13. Any of the Star Wars novels, especially the ones that Dave loaned me over the summer of '96 because our mutual interest in them was one of the first things I realized I actually had in common with him. I guess I owe my marriage and our four children to the fact that he walked into my apartment for our first date (in 6 years-we had dated before), he saw which books I was missing, and loaned me his copies. He guaranteed himself a second date and gave us lots to talk about on it-and the rest is history.

Friday Night Post

Rather than come up with anything good to blog about, I just replied to a lot of comments on various posts for last week. I'm lazy, it's Friday, so what? Tonight's movie was Return of the Jedi. Ah! Star Wars and Muppet-y goodness all in one film! Who could ask for more? Not me. And I'm so glad most of my kids are finally old enough to laugh at all the ewok antics-that makes it so much more fun. Goodnight everyone, we'll see you next time on the Muppet Show and May the Force be with You!