It's Been a Great Summer!

I've said it before, but it bears repeating:  During the times of my life when I'm involved in things that are worthy to post about, I'm just too busy to post.  One of life's ironies, I suppose.  This summer has been a prime example of that.

My last post described our trip to NYC -- that was just the beginning of our fun!!  Since then we have been keeping busy.

• Celebrated Canada Day in Raymond with a whole lot of family.  Yes, it's a small town, but they know how to throw a party.  I love that practically the whole town is dressed in red and white. 

• Travelled to Utah to spend time with Daughter #3 and her family.  Got there in time to celebrate 4th of July.  The fireworks were EVERYWHERE.  We even set some of our own off.

• Attended my college roommates reunion.  We haven't been together in 36 years -- it was so fun to see everyone again!  (Okay, the picture below is not really us, but it's pretty close to what our clothing and hairstyles were like.  Plus I'm sure if we had of thought of taking our picture there, we would have.)

• Spent a short amount of time with my sister.  Love her to pieces!  Wish we lived closer.  (sniff)

• Brought home Daughter #1's 10-year-old son to stay with us for 11 days.  Of course while he was here we tried to do a few fun things:  

• Hosted a Mexican-themed out-door bridal shower for a girl from church who married her fiancé in Mexico a few weeks later.  

(This is NOT her fiancé.)

• Attended a family reunion at Daughter #2's home.  It was the first time all six of our grandchildren were together.

• Hosted an Olympic party consisting of an international potluck supper and ridiculous sporting events.  Everyone was such good sports -- I was so impressed!!

• Ran a children's week-long musical theatre camp in the Crowsnest Pass.  I actually really enjoyed it.  Daughter #2 was a terrific help.  It was so great to be able to have three of my own grandchildren in it, and a fourth one helping me with technical stuff.

So this almost brings us to the end of August.  But is our fun over yet?  No.  The Mr. and I are still looking forward to our trip to Prince Edward Island.  More to come!

Dixie

The Big Apple

Disclaimer:  The cell phone pictures on this blog are pathetic, but unfortunately that's all I've got.

Ten years ago the Mr. and I took our three youngest children to New York City -- we loved every minute of it.  Recently we were lucky enough to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the big apple once again.  This time around we went with his parents, because it was on their bucket list, especially his mom's.

Some of the highlights:

• Three Broadway plays ("Finding Neverland" was my favourite -- loved it!)

• A tribute to Cole Porter at Carnegie Hall (Although the concert was fantastic, it was the clothing choice of one particular man in the audience who held our attention.  He was wearing dress pants, and a suit jacket with nothing under it.  Except a bare, hairy chest.  Oh, and a gold chain.)

• A Yankees Baseball game (This was my first major league baseball game.  I've always wanted to buy peanuts and cracker jacks and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th Inning Stretch.  It didn't disappoint!)

• Hop On/Hop Off Bus seeing the highlights of Manhatten

• Harbour Cruise to see the Statue of Liberty

• Times Square (So many people and lights everywhere -- crazy, but I kind of like it.  At least for a week.  Even the McDonalds has marquee lights!)

• Riding the Subway (I absolutely love being among the locals.  It feels so real.)

• Eating at fun restaurants.  (The Stardust Diner with the singing wait staff is always a hit!)

• Central Park (Here's The Mr. chillin' in "Strawberry Fields" -- John Lennon and Yoko Ono's favourite part of the park, which was just steps away from their five-story apartment seen in the background.   Several different people with guitars stopped by to sing Beatles songs.  Some were pretty decent entertainers.  Others, not so much.)

The Mr and I had such a great time with his parents.  I'm so glad his mom suggested it.  I only hope we don't have to wait another 10 years before we return.

Dixie    

The Track -- Part Two

So it's been over a year and a half since The Mr. and I started going to the gym and using the track.  Near the beginning I posted about "the regulars" who we saw there.  I thought it would be fun to give an update.  Here goes:

"Fred" -- (The elderly man who was the fastest walker on the track)  Such a cheerful man.  He seemed to be friends with everyone at the gym.  And because he was so friendly, it was only a matter of time before he introduced himself to us.  It turns out his real name was "Norm".  As we talked with him over the course of the next several months, we learned that he had previously had a couple of heart attacks.  One day when The Mr. was out of town, I was at the track alone, and the most unusual thing happened -- I caught up to Norm!  We chatted for a while as we walked (far slower than usual), and I noticed that Norm was dripping with sweat.  Soon after that he decided he was done for the day.  I said goodbye and watched him exit the track.  I never saw him again.  I would like to think he's okay, but the realistic side of me wonders if he passed away.

"Danielle" -- (The thirty-something awesome runner)  She hasn't been a "regular" in a long time.  After a lengthy absence she happened to show up a couple of days in a row with a new male running partner.  The Mr. and I wondered how awkward it might have been when her old male running partner (the man we assumed was her husband) showed up the same day.  It turns out it must have been pretty awkward -- we haven't seen her since.

"Mark" -- (The forty-something man who talks on his cell phone at 6:30 in the morning!)  Just yesterday when we saw him on his phone, we decided that he must be some important business executive who does a lot of business with people in Toronto who are two hours ahead of us.  Imagine our surprise when we heard him talking to children!  My opinion of him increased tenfold.

"Freda and Nadine" -- (The two older women who walk together)  It turns out that Freda's real name is "Sylvia", and Nadine's real name is "Liz".  Oddly enough, they are both married to men named "Larry".  They still walk together and often show up in the same color shirts and matching black pants.

"Grant" -- (The slow walker with one arm)  It turns out that he's one of the "Larrys".  His wife walks faster than he does, so she doesn't walk with him.  The other Larry walks faster than the two women, so he doesn't want to walk with his wife either.  I'm glad that The Mr. and I are pretty evenly matched.

And here are a few new "regulars":

"Braden" -- A twenty-something guy who loves putting on a show.  Whenever he comes onto the track, he bursts in on a dead run from the weight room panting as loudly as he can for extra effect.  He'll complete one lap around the track before running back to the weight room.  Sometimes he adds to everyone's pleasure by singing off-key at the top of his lungs while listening to his iPod.

"Stacey" -- A twenty-something girl with long, thin legs that carry her effortlessly around the track.  She carries a pair of dice in her sports bra, and brings them out every few minutes to roll.  The result of the roll determines what type of running she'll do, and for how long.  She also loves to whistle while she runs -- she told us it relaxes her.

"Mean Mike" -- A guy about our age who has become the new fastest walker since Norm left us.  He never smiles, and to be honest, I'm a little afraid of him.  I worked up the courage to say "hi" to him one day, but he never acknowledged me, so I've just been trying to stay out of his way and not do anything to tick him off.  And then one day, not too long ago, he said "hi" to us.  I was shocked!  If he keeps that up, I may have to drop the "Mean" from his name.

Well, I've rambled on far too long.  But I've got one last update:

"Brunhilda and the Cardinal" -- (The name given to The Mr. and I  by "Dallin" in the comment section of the original post)  We've increased our efforts from speed walking to a combination of running and walking, with more running than walking.  For most people who use the gym, this wouldn't be much of an accomplishment.   But for a chubby, middle-aged woman who previously would only have run if a bear was chasing her, I'm pretty happy with myself.  Of course I'd be much happier if I could actually lose some weight.

Brunhilda

What Happened to May?

So, it's June already.  May whipped past in a flurry.  Here's what I spent most of my time doing:

Feverishly sewing, repairing and purchasing costumes

Painting cardboard scenery

Searching for hard-to-find, but much-needed music 

Holding costume checks with 22 students and their moms

Struggling to figure out technology that I haven't used before

Stressing over how to make an unusable stage usable again

Desperately trying to recover my lost computer music the night before the big show

Trying not to have a nervous breakdown

Yup.  You guessed it.  May was the month for the Showbiz Kids year-end show.  

Despite the MANY things that went wrong during the month of May, the actual show turned out fine.  The kids pulled it off -- and they were cute as can be!   

But here's to a more peaceful June!

Dixie

May Day

In many parts of the world, May 1st is known as May Day.   Many people mark the day with an outdoor festival celebrating nature, the arrival of summer, and a traditional May Pole dance.

In our home we celebrate May 1st a little differently.

May 1st is the date that The Mr. and I got engaged.  (35 years ago!!  How did that happen?)

May 1st is also the date that our first baby was born -- exactly one year later.  (No need to calculate.  We had a very short, 2 1/2 month engagement, and Daughter #1 was born 9 1/2 months after we were married.)

For these two reasons I always think of May 1st with fondness.  I really should be celebrating a little more.  One of these years, I may have to have a May Pole installed in the back yard.

Dixie

P.S.  Happy Birthday Daughter #1. 

Sunday Sermon -- Keep On Practicing

I serve as a Young Women leader in our church -- that means I get to hang out with teenage girls.  Today our Sunday lesson was on Grace.  The principle, not the girl.

The analogy that was discussed just made so much sense to me, that I wanted to try to re-capture it.  

Paraphrasing Brad Wilcox:

If a mom paid for her daughter to take piano lessons, she has the right to ask for something in return.  She doesn't demand that her daughter pay her back, but she does expect her to practice.  By practicing the best she can--however many mistakes she makes--the daughter shows her mom that she appreciates what she has done for her.  

Similarly, Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins.  He, too, can expect something in return.  He knows that we can never pay Him back.  All He asks is that we follow Him and keep His commandments, no matter how many mistakes we make along the way.

The mother's joy is not found in seeing her gift repaid, but in seeing it used--seeing her daughter improve.  She doesn't expect her daughter to play perfectly before she is allowed to touch the piano.  She just wants her to keep using the gift--keep practicing.   

Likewise, our Saviour desires to see us improve by using the gift He has given us.  He doesn't expect us to be perfect, but he does expect us to keep trying, to keep practicing.  I think that's the least we can do to show our appreciation for His incredible gift!

Dixie


And just for fun......

 

Married With (or without) Children

Today I went to church.  Not a particularly big deal since it's Sunday today, and I always go to church on Sunday.  But this church was a little different, for two reasons.

1.  It was a Stake Conference (multi-congregational).
2. The congregants were made up entirely of young married university students.

Daughter #3 and her true love (a full-time student) just presented their one-year-old daughter with a baby brother.  Their hands are a little full right now, so I booked a flight to try to help out.  I'm staying with them in their small apartment in the married student housing complex at BYU.

While attending the church meeting today,  I found it quite entertaining to watch all these young married couples.  Here are a few of my observations:

• I've never seen so many young married couples all together at the same time!
• For the most part, everyone looked happy.  As the meeting wore on, they started looking a little tired, but still happy.
• Some of the couples looked so young!  And of course they probably were.  Latter-day Saints, on average, tend to marry younger than their non-LDS counterparts.  
• The couples without children seemed to really be paying a lot of attention to the children of the couples who had been fruitful and multiplied.  Perhaps they were taking notes for the future.
• The men were very "hands on" with their children.  This is a welcome improvement from how it used to be.  
• The family in front of us had a young son -- about 3 or 4 -- who held my attention for quite a long time.  Not only was he a great little singer, displaying perfect pitch as he quietly hummed a vast repertoire of children's songs, he was also extremely polite to his baby sister when she found his colouring book and marker.  Instead of ripping it out of her hands, he said, "No, please don't".  
• There was more kissing going on than in a regular congregation.  Nothing passionate and out-of-control, of course, but I still witnessed several little quick pecks around me which made me smile.
• I decided there's a match for everyone.  In my opinion, there were some pretty unlikely marriage candidates, and yet, there they were sitting with a spouse.  And probably kissing them.

It appears life is good as a young married university couple.

Dixie

"If I Can" (Said in an Apathetic Whiny Voice)

On more than one occasion, when I was a young girl, I thought I wanted to be a Scottish dancer.  One of my family lines goes back to Scotland, and our family even has our own tartan.

So, becoming a Scottish dancer sounded like a good idea to me.  Perhaps I thought I would have actually been talented enough to keep up.  Hah!

I recently had the privilege of attending a Highland Dance competition -- one of my young friends was competing, and I went to watch her.  She was adorable in her bright blue kilt.

I loved watching the competition, and even learned a thing or two as she and her mom filled me in on how everything worked.  

And this sweet girl even came away with a couple of medals.

One thing's for sure, those dancers were working hard -- definitely a great aerobic workout!  All their huffing and puffing made me realize this whole Highland dancing thing probably wouldn't have been for me after all.  Too much work!  

And at that thought, I discovered that I've probably got more of my clan's bloodline in me than I previously thought.  Our family Coat of Arms sports the phrase "Si Je Puis".  Translated to English, it means "If I Can".  I laugh every time I think about it.  

While other family mottos pledge far more courage or valour ("To the Death" or "Fight With Honor"), mine simply indicates that I will if I can.  Kind of like the original forbears weren't really willing to put any effort into it.  Kind of like me and the Scottish dancing.  

So for now, watching my friend at her dance competition is probably the closest I'll get to becoming a Scottish dancer.  I suppose I'll have to find a different way to honor my Scottish family name.  Perhaps I'll make shortbread cookies on a weekly basis or enrol in a caber-tossing competition.

If I can.

Dixie

P.S.  And can I just say.....listening to the bagpipes for four hours straight is about as much as anyone should be expected to endure.

Christmas Holidays 2015

Yes, I realize I'm about a month late, but here goes....

The Location

Our house.  Our scantily-decorated house, due to some home renovations.  One by one the Christmas decorations were taken down to save them from crashing to the floor, or being covered with drywall dust during the demolition.  One of the few things to remain was our Christmas tree.  I figured the drywall dust would just make it look like it was snow-covered.

 

The Guests

Our house was a little quieter this year than most.  We only had five houseguests -- my brother, Son 1A, Daugher #3, her true love, and their baby -- but The Mr. and I enjoyed them all immensely.

Daughter #3 and her family

(The bearded man on the left is not a member of her family)

The Activities

I think the underlying theme for our intended activities this year should be entitled "One Day Late".  

• Tickets to "A Christmas Carol"

• Tickets to "Mary Poppins"

• Tickets to the hockey game

Seriously???  

Oh, well, we ended up playing a LOT of games, so that kept me happy.  

We also went Christmas carolling.  I remember thinking at the time that our Victorian costumes were quite authentic.  However, when my friend emailed this picture to me I laughed out loud.  

The Gifts

Call me materialistic, but I love this part of Christmas.  I love to have an excuse to give my loved ones gifts they might enjoy.  I suppose I should just do it more regularly throughout the year.  

Also, I usually always know what The Mr. is going to give me for Christmas.  (Think Shawn Spencer and his dad on "Psych")  And this year was no exception.  However, he did manage to add an extra little surprise to the mix.  He thought he was so clever. 

   We've been joking about this for years--since it

  was first advertised back in the 70's or 80's.

The Food

Three words -- Way.  Too.  Much.

Just the chocolate alone that poured into our home was ridiculous.  And delicious!

New Years Festivities

We did a little travelling between Christmas and New Years and were able to spend time with our  other three children and their families as well as The Mr.'s parents and a few siblings.

• We enjoyed a little snow shoeing at Daughter #2's house.

• Son 1B and his bride, along with Son 1A,  joined us at Daughter #1's house for a low-key New Year's Eve celebration. 

• New Year's Day was celebrated at the in-laws with.......wait for it.......more food!

The Resolutions

My only resolution I made this year was to stop eating chocolate.  

I did pretty good. 

For about two hours.  

Happy New Year!

Dixie