Really Bad Hair Day

Oh the lessons we learn.....

Claire has been using a flat iron every day for at least 2 years. She turns it up full blast thinking that this is the most effective way to get a straight, straight mane. Last week, her hair rebelled. It has had enough of being fried. I took a good look at her and saw a mass of frizzy burned ends that had no hope of recovering. It reminded me of my 1965 Barbie doll that survived at least 7 years of my creative hair-dos. There's only one option for fried ends like that -- and it is this:

Snip, snip, snip, mingled with boo, hoo, hoo.





Claire is not happy that she now sports a bob. We came home from the hair salon and Eden said "Hey, you look just like mom!!!" That made it 100 times worse. Claire is now hiding under hats. She vows she will do this every single day until her hair grows out (which will probably be sometime around 2014.) I guess it's time to buy a hat wardrobe.

Beware of the flat iron.... this could happen to you!

Yes, you!!!

Pass it On

In case you missed it -- I have to send you here today to read a powerful post by my friend Courtney. I hope her words will inspire you as they have inspired me.

I am grateful that I am a woman -- we are stronger than we know.

Life is Good

Life is good. Here's proof -- beautiful toes and new flip flops.




Now I'm off to pick up Claire from school so she can get a long over due hair cut. So glad to be back on track.

Post Script: Just got back from the hair salon. Apparently Claire's appointment was YESTERDAY! My day just took a turn for the worst. Have you ever had a teenage girl mad at you -- it's miserable. I'm just going to keep my head down and look at my amazing feet.

In My Shoes

This is how I know that I have WAY too much going on in my life:



Not a pretty situation. Not at all. I pride myself on having nice feet. And when they look like this..... you KNOW that I have been running around like a crazy person for much too long. I offer proof. Here's what I have going on this week in addition to my regular routine:

• Breakfast at my house for Claire's friends.
• Huge assignment in school, due next Monday - involves taking over 100 pictures in and around Temecula, not to mention the time it takes to edit and label each picture.
• Roadshow - three days this week. (I case you are wondering... roadshows are like a "skit night" where several different youth groups get up and perform a 13 minute production.)
• Making LOTS of jewelry - boutique on Saturday
• Etsy sales - way behind getting orders out
• Filing taxes -- remind me not to put my accounting off until the end of the year
• Board Meetings
  Writing a talk -- speaking in Church on Sunday
  Preparing a lesson - teaching a youth group on Sunday.
• Lunch date - visiting teaching
• Hair cut - which cannot be canceled (trumps all things going on in my life)

My entire month has been like this.... a merry-go-round at hyper speed. I need to slow down and get a pedicure. Now when I look at other women and think "man.... she needs to do something about those feet" I'll have a little more compassion. They must have merry-go-rounds of their own.

What do your feet look like these days??

What's Your Ikea Name?

I love Ikea, do you?? I love it because my ancestors hail from Sweden. I love it because they have great design and great prices. But mostly, I love Ikea because it has a restaurant in every store that sells Swedish Meatballs. It enhances my shopping experience when I know I have Swedish Meatballs waiting for me. Eden loves Ikea too. We go on Ikea dates a few times each year. In fact, we are going on one during Spring break because I need a cool cord organizer under my desk. My friend Dandee mentioned it on her blog a few weeks back and I was thrilled because I had just been thinking about how much I needed to organize all the cords snaking around my feet as I work on my computer. Now I have an excuse to eat Swedish Meatballs.

Today, I was reading the blog of another cyber friend -- Jenni. She had a link to this site:

What's Your Ikea Furniture Name?

Do you know yours?? If you haven't tried it out, you should. It's fun .... like playing What's Your Movie Star Name? (If you haven't played that, you are really out of it .... you use the name of your first pet and the street where you were born. My movie star name is Duchess Melbourne. Just thought you might like to know.)

Here is my official Ikea furniture name...... (drum roll please)......

I am Kristal the sturdy dresser.

How boring is that. My name didn't change a bit. I guess the generator already knows I'm Swedish.

To find out your Ikea name, click here. If you get something good, come back and leave me a comment. If it's boring... you can leave your Movie Star name instead.

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P.S. If you want a great recipe for Swedish Meatballs, click here. If you have Swedish in your blood, you must learn to make these. You must.

My Head is Not in the Game

Last night as I was getting dressed for bed, I discovered that I had been wearing two bras all day long. Two bras!! Matt saw me laughing to myself and he said "What's so funny?" I said "I've been wearing two bras all day, and I didn't even know it! How did that happen?? How???? I held up my two bras as proof.

Matt started laughing and said: "I know how it happened. When I was on the way home from the Ontario airport a few weeks ago, I drove 45 minutes past our freeway exit before I realized I had driven all the way to San Diego!! San Diego!!!"

That's what having too many things on your mind will do to you! We've got to get our heads back in the game.

Luck of the Irish

See this hill .....

Nine months out of the year, it is brown. Brown with a few weeds tossed in for good measure. Today it is green, and so are all the hills around Southern California. The wild flowers are in bloom, and the trees are pink with blossoms. When I walked out of my door this morning at 6:40 a.m., the air was warm. Warm! For a brief few weeks each year, I feel like I live in Ireland. (I've never personally been there -- but in movies Ireland looks pretty green -- and rocky. ) You should see the hills as I drive south to San Diego. Magnificant.

I will savor these days of Spring. Then it's back to brown. Brown -- and heat.

P.S. In case you are wondering, I'm not Irish, I'm Swedish. I'm just feelin' lucky -- because of all this green.

Huntington Library

Last Friday we celebrated a birthday. Matt turned 49. Forty-nine is a sad one -- your last in the category of semi-young. Next year he will be officially old. But that's ok, because I'm already there and I will welcome him with open arms. In our family, as in most families, when it's your birthday you "rule." The entire family has to do what you want to do and eat what you want to eat. My kids don't like this tradition -- until it's their own birthday, and then they are tyrants. They are. I have spent many a birthday getting trapped in ball pits at Chuck-E-Cheese, and watching movies like Rugrats go to Paris.

I asked Matt on Tuesday (the day he got home from Israel), "What do you want to do to celebrate?" I had braced myself for the worst -- like a day at a race track watching cars, eating at Popeye's Chicken, or bicycle swap meet, but he said: "Huntington Library and Thai food." Huntington Library is one of my favorite places in Southern California, and Thai food .... well I've had a love affair with that for years. So I responded most sincerely "Good pick!!! It sounds like the perfect day." And it was.

The next day -- after school, we packed up the car and drove to Pasadena. We stayed overnight in a hotel that Eden (our travel expert) has been recommending for at least two years. He was thrilled that he finally got his wish to stay at the Embassy Suites in San Marino -- because they have an atrium and every room is a suite. (I'm certain I'm the only parent in the world who has a child who wishes for things such as this.) I did not find the San Marino Embassy Suite all that sweet -- so if you decide to stay there, let's be clear that I did not recommend it. Our non smoking suite made my pajamas smell -- like smoke. But, if you are traveling with a large group of kids, like a soccer team, or a marching band -- go there, please do. It doesn't bother the management a bit if they run around the atrium on all ten floors, riding elevators until all hours of the night.

On Friday, we rose early, skipped our free Embassy Suites breakfast and drove down the road to our favorite sidewalk cafe -- Julienne. (I wish for cafes like this in Temecula -- a place in my neighborhood would be oh so nice.) We welcomed the homemade rosemary raisin bread with ravenous appetites. It was just as good as our recollections of breakfasts gone by. Then we headed off to the Huntington for a day in the gardens. When we arrived at the big iron gates, the security guard reminded us that the Huntington doesn't open on weekdays until noon. So we drove to Old Town Pasadena for an hour of shopping. We saw a lot of cute cloths we couldn't afford, and had a chair massage at Brookestone. Harry and David were out of samples so we left the mall a little disappointed. But that was ok, because it was a beautiful sunny day, and Claire found a orange wool pea-coat on sale for $15.00.

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At noon, we drove back to the Huntington. If you've never been there, here's why you need to go:

On the first Thursday of every month admission is free. That's right, free!! We paid full price, but that was ok, because it was a beautiful sunny day, and Claire found an orange wool pea-coat on sale for $15.00.

It has acres and acres of beautiful gardens.

It has libraries that hold antiquities, and paintings, the most famous being Pinky and Blue Boy

;

It has a conservatory with hands on learning (for kids of all ages);

It has a children's garden with little fountains and topiaries;

and.... on certain occasions, they hold classical concerts on the grass. Magical.

Strolling through gardens is a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon, or a birthday -- if you are turning 49.

May I offer this advise -- if you can, go at the end of April or in the Fall when the leaves start to turn; that's when the Huntington is at its best. And take LOTS of water. I repeat, take LOTS of water. You get thirsty wandering around the grounds. Take care not to go when it is really hot outside .... you will be miserable, unless you take an umbrella for every person in your party .... and a blanket, so you can sit and rest.

When we had finished meandering along the trails and smelling the flowers, we headed back to Old Town for some Thai food. It was an adventure for the pallet, as usual. Thai never disappoints. But we were not done there, oh no!! We discovered a Pink Berry two doors down, so we finished off our day with some fro-yo. (Pink Berry's is the best). I have to say here that I'm in love with their new Mango flavor. Have you tried it??? If not, maybe you shouldn't. I only had one bite, but I can't stop thinking about it -- and it's been two days! But I guess I'll have to, because I'm on a diet, and taking that one bite was cheating.

Happy Birthday Matt!!!

P.S. If you are interested in a view of the gardens from Eden's perspective, check out his movie. But be warned, it might make you a little motion sick.

Lost

I'm not much of a television viewer, although I used to be. It was a great babysitter in my growing up years -- and the first 3 months of both my pregnancies. I hate to admit it, but I can sing almost any theme song from a television show produced in the 1960's or 1970's. Just ask any of my friends. You should also know that the theme song to "Fresh Prince of Bel Aire" brings back feelings of morning sickness -- I avoid any channel that has it playing.

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Now, I'm busy with more important things. But I have to say, there are a few programs to which I am dedicated -- one of them being "Lost." I started watching the night of the premier and I have remained faithful up to the present. The appearance of the black smoke had me hooked. When it goes off the air, I think I will still be worrying about the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

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Since I refuse to look on any of the Lost message boards, here's what I want to know: Is anyone out there noticing this theme....

• Jacob the protector of the island -- a force for good
• Black smoke who does not have a body of his own -- he seeks followers, but he can't force people to follow him, He twists truth and lies to get people to do his bidding .
• The black smoke dwells in a building adorned with a huge fallen idol.
• Jacob dwells in a temple. Inside the temple is a font of water.
• When Jacob is killed by one of his "chosen" followers, he appears to some of his faithful believers and gives them instruction.
• Islanders who are tried and tempted and refined through their journey on the island. They are free to make choices -- they can go it alone, join the smoke, or join "the others"
• Some of the islanders are ignorant and don't know about Jacob or the black smoke... but they learn about both through their experiences on the island.
• The islanders who dwell at Jacob's temple are safe from the black smoke -- they are taught to avoid the black smoke at all costs.
• The black smoke can enter the temple once the temple guardian has been destroyed -- this is when followers of Jacob become lost and confused -- some of them choose to follow the black smoke.
• The black smoke intends to lead his followers off the island.
• Jack -- an islander who is "chosen" by Jacob to carry on his work. Jack is a man of science and does not believe in the concept of faith. He does not believe that he is on the island because he has a great work to perform. He visits the lighthouse and learns that Jacob has known him, and been watching him his entire life. Jack is converted.
• Jack exercises faith in Jacob when he sits near a keg of dynamite that is ready to explode. He knows that he will not be killed because he has a great work to perform.
• Several others are "chosen" as well to help Jack carry on with Jacob's work.
• Multiple stories, of faith, repentance, forgiveness, hope, and a life after the island

Sound a little familiar???? If not, check out this book, It is written about real people and real events. It has similar themes.

Diversion

Sometimes when you spend a lot of time creating in one genre, you get a little bored. It's nice to set down your tools occassionally to do something else. This week I had to help with a costume for a play which required me to dirvert my attention away from beads and earring findings. It's amazing what a little glitter and a few plastic rhinestones can do to spiff up a pair of $2.00 thrift store shoes, not to mention what it can do to lift your spirits. I think I need a pair of these for Halloween!

Here and There

Matt's in Israel this week. I miss him. I talked to him on the phone this morning and asked him the standard questions "How was your day.... what are you doing...... how is the weather.....?" Boring, I know. My kids make fun of me every day as I ask them standard questions when I pick them up from school -- "How was your day.... what did you have for lunch.... do you have any homework??" Now, when they hop in the car, they don't even wait for the standard questions. They automatically say "Fine. A burrito. No." It sort of sucks the fun out if it -- I really want to have a conversation with my family -- I do! I think I would get better results if I sent a text message.

Today I got an idea. I called Matt and said "Take a picture with your cell phone and send it to me right now." He was talking softly with noise in the background so I knew he was in a crowd and didn't want to be bothered. I wanted a visual of his day. Here's what Matt was doing...... eating dinner and celebrating a birthday with a family who lives on a Kibbutz. How cool is that, to be sitting in the kitchen of a family on a Kibbutz eating delicious Kibbutz food! Is there birthday cake??? I see lots of juice and something that looks like meatloaf.

Here's what's going on at home while Matt is at the birthday party on the Kibbutz ...

Dishes are in the sink .... the dishwasher is broken. The dogs are outside taunting Nalah, the dog next door. I'm simultaneously making a pair of "ruby slippers" for a play, washing towels, and getting packages ready for the post office. Eden is eating ice cream with his friends (Ice cream... are you jealous?) And, Claire is in her usual spot on the sofa eating fish sticks and watching murder mysteries on television.

Just thought Matt would want to know. We can't wait until he gets home.

Why We Write

I got a phone call last week from a sweet woman at church. She said "I heard that you love to write in your journal and that you keep it on the Internet. Will you come and speak to the women next week about journals and technology?" Well, that's an offer that's pretty hard to resist -- talking about two things I love, so of course I said "SURE!" When I hung up the phone my head started spinning -- what to say..... what to say. There are so many avenues on which to venture. But, the first thing that came to my mind was this:

Why We Write

I think people write for many different reasons. My writing began with loss. My dad died when I was 12. It was difficult -- simultaneously becoming a teenager and losing a parent. Those were hard years. I can tell you that the thing I needed most were my father's words. I longed to know that he loved me, how he felt about getting sick, what he was like at my age. But I didn't have the opportunity to know any of it -- he didn't leave anything behind. When you are 12 you don't think about asking a dying parent for letters, or poignant words of wisdom. My dad was 30 when he died -- young. I'm sure he had no idea that his children would have a yearning to know his thoughts.

I'm 50 now, and you know.... that longing has never left. If anything, it increased as I continued to lose the people I love. My grandparents, my mother, uncles and aunts. Not one of them left behind words -- which I still long to read. I hounded them -- I did. I interviewed a few of them, but it's not the same as reading their personal thoughts penned by their own hand. This is what inspired me to write -- the need to know. So, since the age of 12, I have sporadically kept a journal and I keep it so that my children will know important things.

When I write, I write with purpose. I want my children, and their children to know about my journey. Right now, they roll their eyes when they see me posting away at my computer. But some day, I know that they will be grateful that I did. I want them to know what I was like when I was young. I want them to remember that I'm not perfect, that I have an aching love for my family, I have friends, I laugh, create, watch television, make treats, and spend a lot of time shuttling kids around in the car (hence all the posts about driving). And most of all, I want them to know that I have faith in God, and in his Son, and that faith is the reason that I am able to press on .... even when life is hard. I keep a separate blog that deals with the spiritual things in my life. I call it "The Small Plates." The Small Plates are personal and sacred so I don't publish them on the Internet. They testify of the things that matter most to me.

Speaking of the Internet, it has made writing delightful. I feel like I'm writing to a person which makes it easier to tell a story. I can share my words with the world, or I can hide them away for the future. I can include pictures and invite people to comment .... or not. And the greatest thing of all .... I can publish my blog at the end of the year and give each of my children copy. What miracles.

The one thing I didn't expect when I started keeping a journal online is the wonderful byproduct -- the world that opened up outside of my Temecula realm. Through comments shared on my blog, and through reading the blogs of others, I have learned that I am not alone. These words from around the globe are not perfect -- but, they are real. There are incredible women out there who are doing so much good through writing -- sharing their troubles, their triumphs, their laughter and their hope. I am so grateful to all of them (including you.) Their words inspire me to be a little better -- and I need that .... every single day.

I know that there are many out there who think they have nothing to say, or that they can't keep a journal or a blog because they are not good at writing. To you I say ..... WRITE. I know from experience that your posterity will not care if you majored in English, or if you are witty, or if you have perfect grammar -- they will treasure your imperfect words. So get to it ... and do it now. Stay true to your own voice. What you have to say is important and will help those around you. Here's how I know:

I am an avid genealogist, and my greatest genealogical discovery was finding a copy of a journal that belonged to one of my ancestors -- Levi Thornton. I learned that was one of the first pioneers in the Utah valley and was part of the Martin Handcart Company Rescue Party. I had no idea that I had pioneer ancestors -- ancestors that converted to Mormonism at the time of Joseph Smith. I'm a convert myself -- so finding his journal meant the world to me. His words were brief, and serious, but nevertheless a treasure. I learned that he wasn't a scholar, his life was hard and he had to start over many times in many different places, but he over came the obstacles and was loved by those who knew him. He reminds me that I can press on .... no matter what comes my way. I am thankful that he took the time to write.

Post Script: If you are interested in downloading your blog into a bound book, check out Blurb.

I Love You, I Hate You: Final Chapter

One last thing about the Olympics -- I don't like it when they end. Over the past two weeks, it's been my evening entertainment until all hours of the night. When the games are over, I feel so displaced -- like an ant that wanders around aimlessly after someone disrupts the marching line.

 Now what do I do after dinner????
No more excitement.
No more National Anthems.
No more Bode Miller.
And, no more commercials about British Columbia.

{Sigh}..... It's going to take a while to get back into my regular routine.

Adieu Canada, you were a great host.

Adieu Bob Costas -- see you at the summer games.

Ralph Lauren -- get busy.
I expect great things in 2012.
No more $70.00 hats, and whatever you do, no brown!