Tomorrow

Tomorrow's a big day for me.  My children's musical theatre group -- Showbiz Kids -- is putting on their year-end show.  And I'm excited!

Although we got off to a late start, the dress rehearsal today went surprisingly well.  Okay, that's a lie.  The microphones were causing us a little grief.  But the children were delightful!

Their sweet voices.

                 Their adorable faces.

                                   Their scary memory lapses.

                                                        Their hilarious wardrobe malfunctions.

I love it all!  And I can hardly wait to see what tomorrow night brings.

Dixie

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others

Today's post is a quickie.  All you have to do is look at the following four pictures, and guess what these men all have in common.

Mark Walberg

Ashton Kutcher

Channing Tatum

The Mr.

No, it's not that they're all wearing a suit coat.

Give up?

Answer:  They've all had modelling careers.  

Okay, so technically The Mr. doesn't have a modelling career.  But while at work on Friday, he walked past an area where they were set up for a photo shoot, and the cameraman approached him and asked him if he'd like to do some modelling for a business magazine.  Apparently the cameraman told him he "looked pretty good".

Oh, great!  There's gonna be no living with him now.

Dixie

Blogging Time Interrupted

It's official.  I'm a slacker.  I haven't posted on this blog for over a month.  That's ridiculous.  

I've been trying to figure out what I've been doing for the past few weeks that has kept me busy enough to take away any free blogging time.  Here's what I've come up with:

• Our trip to Washington D.C.  
• JRCLS Law Conference -- PLEASANT 
• Library of Congress -- AMAZING
• Capitol Building -- BEAUTIFUL
• Smithsonian Museums -- IMPRESSIVE
• Lincoln Memorial -- MAJESTIC
• Washinton Monument -- ADEQUATE
• Washington D.C. Temple -- SERENE
• The Metro -- DELIGHTFUL
• Weather -- DISAPPOINTING
• Feet -- SORE 

• Stake Women's Conference
• I was in charge of the entertainment during the brunch.  Rearranging the words to several Broadway show tunes (to fit the theme of "The Power of Kindness") and watching the various women perform was so much fun for me.

• Stake Road Show
• Do you suppose it's a coincidence that my two favorites were my ward's play and my sons' ward's play?
• I was involved in a little "intro act" which has caused me to decide that I definitely prefer to be involved in the organizing, and not in the actual performing.

• Daughter Number #2's Visit
• She was finally here long enough to fit everything in.
• Love, love, love seeing my grandchildren. 

• Seminary Mid-Year Conference
• Whenever I have to present at one of these conferences I almost become paralyzed.  I worry for days/weeks because I wonder what on earth I can teach the teachers who have far more experience and scriptural knowledge than I do.  
• When it's finally over, the emotional stress release leaves me wanting to do nothing but sleep and eat for the rest of the day.  (And yes, I realize that is totally pathetic!)

• Showbiz Kids
• Finding the music and preparing costumes/props always takes a fair amount of time.
• I absolutely LOVE planning the choreography for the shows and trying to teach it to the kids.  (Of course the final project is never as great as I had imagined in my mind's eye -- no crisp, precise movements to the exact beat of the music -- but they are, after all, children, so it shouldn't surprise me.)

• Snow Shovelling
• Just when we thought Spring was on its way, we got dumped on with a foot of snow.  It just kept coming.  And coming.  And coming.  

• A Little More Company Than Usual
• Some came to stay, others just for a meal.  Either way, I love having them.

So, that's probably what's been keeping me busy.  Not really busy enough to stop me from blogging, though.  There must be something else.  

Oh, wait.  I remember what that other thing was....

• Pinterest
• Daughter #2 introduced me to this little obsession while visiting.  Wow!  Who knew you can find EVERYTHING on Pinterest?  And who knew how addicting it can be?
• Should I let Daughter #3 know that I have her entire wedding planned?  Or should I let her and her fiance have a say in something?

Dixie

Lucky

Daughter #3 is lucky -- probably the luckiest person I know.

While still just a toddler, one of her older siblings entered her name in one of those Trade Fair draws.  A week later someone called and asked to speak with her.  When I informed them she was only two years old, they told me that her name had been drawn to win a $500 prize to be put toward university.  Unfortunately, since she wasn't able to use the money in the next 10 years, the prize would be given to someone else.

Okay, okay, I guess that last part wasn't so lucky, but keep reading.  I'm sure you'll agree with me.

At four years old we received a call from Totem.  Apparently Daughter #3 was the winner of a child-size wooden picnic table.  It was beautiful with a very nice varnish finish to it.  Fifteen years later the grandkids are still using it.

The neighborhood elementary school holds a carnival every year.  At the end of the day if the students have any leftover tickets, they can enter them into a draw for the leftover "Cake Walk" cakes.  Of course she was the winner.  TWICE!!

When the new hotel being built in our community held a draw for a free-night's stay, guess who won.  Yup!  Our family got to spend a night in a cool family suite, where we watched cable tv -- a luxury we didn't have at home at the time.

Over the course of the next few years, she was still winning freebies, and her reputation in our family for being lucky was a well-known fact.

Because of that "well-known fact", it was not unusual that The Mr. asked her to enter his Mohawk gas receipts on-line to see if she could win a prize.  I think he was thinking she might wing a bag of doritos, or a 2-litre bottle of pop.  Imagine our surprise when she won a 12-day Family Adventure Tour in Mexico, complete with return flights!!

A couple of years later, we were attending a musical theatre production in my hometown.  During intermission, as they were drawing for the door prizes, Daughter #3 turned to me and said, "I'm gonna win."  It was seriously only one or two seconds after that when her name was called out.

And it happened again the following year!

Upon graduation of high school, she was one of 7 lucky recipients across Canada who received a four-year scholarship to the University of her choice.

She really is a lucky girl.

And six days ago she lucked out again.  She got engaged to a really great guy!

I really do think she's one of the luckiest people I know.  

I'd wish them LUCK, but something tells me that's a given.

Dixie

Job Opening

Yesterday I became aware of a job opening that would be PERFECT for my son.  The qualifications include:

• Good spiritual knowledge
• Scholarly capabilities
• Humbleness
• Trained in Linguistics
• Knowledge of a few languages with the ability to learn more
• Relatively young (to keep up with demands of travel.)

It just kept getting better.  I was getting reading to message him to apply for the job when I saw the last qualification:

• Must be willing to remain unmarried

Okay, I have to admit, that last one put a damper on my enthusiasm.  (I would, after all, love to have a large extended family.)

And although it was never stated specifically, I kind of think you have to be Catholic for this position.

Dixie

Two Hundred Years Is A Long Time

I read in the paper that this week celebrates the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's best-known book, "Pride and Prejudice".  It is as popular today (if not more so) than when it was first written 200 years ago.  Two hundred years is a long time to remain so well-loved.

What makes this book so special?  So magical?

Why do so many authors try to imitate its style?

Why have so many films been produced in its honor?

(Even though I am not much of a reader compared to most people, I have to say that "Pride and Prejudice" is my all-time favorite book.  I have also watched every known movie version of it.)

So I've been thinking.........Wouldn't it be incredible to create something that was still considered wonderful 200 years later?

Anyway, I don't have any more time to think about that.  I'm off to celebrate this exciting anniversary.  I have about two hours until The Mr. returns home.

Just enough time to watch Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy fall hopelessly in love.

Dixie

There's A First Time For Everything

Yesterday I did something that I honestly thought I would never do:  I went ice fishing!

The Mr. has been going out ice fishing for years, and every time he invites me to come along.  

And every time I laugh at him.

Those of you who know me well, know that this particular activity includes several of my aversions and fears -- cold, fish, and falling through the ice being the top three.

Well, apparently The Mr. caught  me in a moment of weakness, because I heard myself agreeing to go with him.  What was that all about?  Had I just lost my mind?

Through the course of the evening, I kept wondering why I said I would go.   Was it because I felt bad for always turning him down?  Was it because I wanted to shock him?  Was I hoping he would "owe" me something in return?  Was it because of the book I've been reading that talks about trying new things?  Yes, I'm sure it was because of the book.  Darn that book.  ("The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin)    

Saturday morning came a little too soon, and before I knew it we were on our way to the lake.  I can't begin to tell you how nervous I was when The Mr. proceeded to DRIVE onto the lake with the truck.  We could break the ice and disappear into the lake, never to be seen again.  Do our kids know where we keep our Wills, and where our various bank accounts are located?  Nobody knows we're here -- will they know where to look for our bodies?  Who will tell the Showbiz Kids that they don't need to come to class?  What if the church ladies come into my house (to arrange our funeral) and see how messy my house is? 

As we began unloading our equipment and setting up our little "ice shack", my nerves were still pretty frayed.  With every step in the crusty snow, I was sure I was breaking through the ice.  In an effort to reassure me, The Mr. used the toe of his boot to clear away the top six inches of crust, revealing the hard ice underneath.  I felt a little better.  I just had to have faith that the entire lake looked like that, not just that one little spot.

As we got set up in our little shack -- and I emphasize "little" -- The Mr. positioned my chair right beside one of his fishing holes.  As I carefully settled myself into the chair, I promptly fell through the six inches of crust, confident that I was plummeting to my death.  This, of course, was accompanied by a scream, followed by tears that were apparently a little too close to the surface.

Well, the next few hours went by quite uneventfully.  Since I don't own a fishing license, I could only watch.  Occasionally I got to swivel the cord to the underwater camera.  It wasn't too long before I brought out my book.   Let's see what other "bright ideas" this author can come up with.

The cramped quarters, and my cold feet, soon got the best of me, and I decided to sit in the truck for a few minutes.  Of course it was during that time that The Mr. caught the only fish of the day.  I missed the whole thing.  But I did get a picture.

And I took a picture of myself just to prove that I was actually there.  (Please ignore my appearance.  I didn't feel like sprucing up for the fish.)

Shortly after that we were on our way back home.  When The Mr. asked me what my favorite part of the day was, I joked that it was eating the cookies I brought.  In all honesty, though, I'd have to say my favorite part was just being with The Mr. and watching him participate in a sport that he LOVES.  So, in a sense, I'm glad I went.  

Will I ever go again?  Nope.

In an effort to not feel guilty about that, I now quote from the book I was reading:  

"Just because something is fun for someone 

else doesn't make is fun for me."

Dixie

Les Miserables -- A Fitting Description of My Night at the Movies

So The Mr. and I finally got a chance to see Les Miserables.  I loved it!  And, yes, I cried through a majority of the movie.  But the content of the movie was only part of the reason why I was crying.  Let me explain:

We took our seats on the very top row, leaving open the customary one empty seat between us and the people seated on either side of us.  It wasn't long, though, before the theatre was filling to capacity and a guy asked if we could slide down one seat so he and his wife could sit together in the remaining two chairs.  The Mr. and I obliged him and each shuffled down one chair, so I was now sitting right next to a strange woman.  (Okay, what I mean by that is she was a stranger, AND a woman.)

We had just gotten settled when another woman in front of me turned around, and in a HARSH voice said to me, "Will you please stop kicking the back of my chair!"  Feeling very embarrassed to be scolded in public I quietly replied, "Oh, I'm sorry.  I didn't know I was."  The woman beside me rolled her eyes and said to me -- loud enough for the woman in front to hear -- "I'm pretty sure neither of us were kicking her.  She must be imagining things."

I chose not to respond, hoping that this last comment didn't add any fuel to the fire.

It wasn't long before the previews were over and the announcements came on to turn off our cellphones, and to "please refrain from kicking the seat of the person in front of you."  To this the woman next to me laughed and loudly said, "You can still throw popcorn, though.  They didn't say anything about that."

I wanted to die.  I am not a confrontational person, and the last thing I wanted was to tick off the lady in front of me anymore than she already was.  I decided I needed to come up with a plan to make sure this didn't happen.

My plan:  PLANT YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR AND DON'T MOVE THEM FOR THE DURATION OF THE ENTIRE MOVIE.  (and keep ignoring the woman next to me.)

For the first hour my plan was working quite well.  I hadn't moved a muscle.  Except for getting a kleenex out of my coat pocket.  But not to worry -- I did it so carefully that I didn't make a sound.  And my feet were still in the same place.  So far so good.

However, shortly into the next hour of the movie, my legs started getting cramps in them.  I was dying to move.  But I didn't.  Not even when the lady in front of me shifted in her chair and bumped my shin.  Repeatedly.  I held my ground and didn't move my feet.  I did NOT want to get yelled at again.

After 2  1/2 hours the movie ended and I was finally able to stand and stretch my legs.  It felt good.  What didn't feel so good was trying to walk down all the stairs (remember we were on the top row).  It felt as if with each step my legs were going to collapse.

Luckily it didn't last very long, and by the time we got home my legs felt fine.

And the red mark on my shin only took 24 hours to fade.

Dixie

Happy New Year!!

As I've reflected on the past year, I've decided that 2012 was pretty good to me.  And here's why:

A Wonderful Family

Some Great Friends

A Few Fun Vacations

An Enjoyable Job

Some Memorable Events

An Adorable Husband

What more could a girl ask for?

Dixie

"It's the Hap - Happiest Time of the Year!"

I couldn't resist.

Dixie

November

I can't believe it's December already!  What on earth happened to November?  After a quick look at the calendar, I discovered what happened to it:

1.  Christmas Shopping.  I love it when November 1st rolls around.  That's when I give myself permission to start Christmas shopping.  I have to admit though, I end up doing more browsing than shopping.  Each year I follow the same tradition:  Find the perfect gift, check every other store to see if I can find it cheaper elsewhere, decide the first place had the best price, return to the first store to purchase said gift only to find it sold out.

2.  Attending a Few Plays.  I have always loved live theatre -- especially musical theatre.  This month I saw two great plays.  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  and The Great Ice Cream Scheme.  Both were incredibly entertaining!

3.  Accomodating the Snow.  Taking vehicles in to have the snow tires put on, and shovelling the snow has also kept me busy.  (Though not quite as fun as going to live theatre or Christmas shopping.)

4.  Making Seminary Classroom Visits.  What a perfectly invigorating way to start your day -- leaving my warm house at 6:30 in the morning.  In the dark.  In the cold.  In a dress.  Oh, and the lessons are nice, too!

5.  Visiting With Daughter #3.  She came home for a mid-semester visit for a few days.  Always love having her around.

6.  Taking the Showbiz Kids on the Road.   Each year I have the Showbiz Kids put on a little program of old-time songs at a senior's residence.  I know the seniors love hearing those  songs, but it always surprises me to discover how "naughty" some of the words can be!  Not really appropriate for children.  So I spent a lot of time changing lyrics and writing new verses in an effort to "tame down" the songs.

7.  Helping With the Nativity Exhibit.   For the past 16 years, the last week of November has seen our church get transformed into a beautifully decorated showpiece filled with hundreds of ornamental nativities.  It's a lot of work to set up -- it takes three full days -- but the final product is so worth it!  For the next three days, we open it up to the public as our Christmas gift to them.  I love being able to help out.  It's such a nice start to the Christmas season.

8.  Vacationing in Arizona.  On a whim, The Mr. and I decided to take a short vacation.  We didn't really care where we went, but since we only had five days, it needed to be somewhere close.  I came across a vacation package to Phoenix/Mesa that was such a good deal, that even the booking agent said, "Wow!"  So we left and had a wonderful time.  The worst part was coming home to our cold weather - 40 degrees difference in temperature.

9.  Supporting Movember.  It was a little  harder than I thought it would be, but I really do like to support a good cause.

Dixie

The Second Row

Several years ago, my family and I attended the Broadway production of "The Lion King".  Even though our tickets were near the back of the theatre, we loved every minute of it.  A few years later, when this same production toured Canada, we purchased last-minute tickets.  By some fluke, we were able to get tickets on the second row.  It was amazing!  It was like a totally different show seeing things so close.  The facial expressions of the puppeteers for Pumba and Timon were hilarious!

I once had another second row experience, when my sister-in-law purchased Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert tickets.  I had no idea we'd be seated right down on the floor beside the stage!  When Faith Hill walked out on the catwalk, everyone stood up to gather around.  We were so close, that if we wanted to, we could've reached out and touched her.  Being so close was incredible!  I could see every intimate detail of her face -- every trickle of sweat.

Last night, by another fluke, The Mr. was offered two free tickets to the CFR.  And wouldn't you know it, they were on the second row!  He thought he'd died and gone to heaven.  (Another chance to wear his cowboy boots, no doubt!)  

Being so close to the action was fascinating!  Too bad I wasn't quick enough to get any pictures.  But somebody obviously did (thank-you Google).  This is what we saw from the second row:

Second-row tickets are definitely pretty amazing!  As long as you can dodge the flying dirt clumps when the animals race by so quickly!  

And remember to keep your mouth closed.

Dixie

Only a Month and a Half Until Winter!

Several people posted this picture on facebook this morning.  Yes, it's true.  We were definitely dumped on yesterday.

• There were were 3-hour commutes to work normally 20 minutes away.  
• There were record numbers of car accidents.
• There were cars stuck in their own driveways.
• There were children stuck in the middle of the sidewalk on their way home from school.

But as I was talking with a friend, we decided that most Edmontonians like that about living here.  I'm serious!  It gives us something to talk about, complain about, or (in my case) blog about. 

Dixie

P.S.  I'd like to give a shout-out to the mysterious neighbor who snow-blowed my driveway last night, as well as several others in the neighborhood.  He (or she) will never know the good that did to my heart!

Gotta Love 'Em

Okay, so the pictures aren't the greatest, but these "Showbiz Kids" definitely are!

I wasn't sure if they would still show up for class on Wednesday, seeing as how it was Halloween.  But they were troopers and came anyway.   And even worked really hard!   I'm so proud of them.





This picture of my assistant and me was taken by one of the previously photographed munchkins.  Unfortunately, you can't see how awesome Emily's make-up was.





Thing 1 and Thing 2 thought it was only fitting that they should have their picture taken with the Cat In The Hat.  (Was I flashing peace signs, or giving those poor kiddos "donkey ears"?  I'm not really sure.  Apparently when I get in front of a camera, I get a little too excited for my own good.)

As I've mentioned a zillion times, I don't really care for Halloween, but these kids helped make the day a whole lot better.  Actually, they make every week a whole lot better!

And so does the younger class that comes on Tuesdays!  I love doing this!!

Dixie

This Past Month . . .

SNOOZE ALERT:  If you're looking for an exciting read, this won't be it.  If, however, you've been battling with insomnia, and in need of a decent night's sleep, reading this could be just the thing for you.


Yesterday, while attending church where The Mr. grew up, I ran into a friend from high school.  She surprised me by saying that she had stumbled across my blog and reads it occasionally.  (Hi Barb!)  She also informed me that she didn't like it when people started blogs, and then didn't keep up with them on a regular basis.  I felt like the wicked being called to repentance.   So in an effort to be a more regular blogger, here's what I've been up to:

• Hosted a TV-themed party.  We asked everyone to dress up like some television character and bring their favorite TV snack to share.   Of course all the games we played had a TV theme to them.  It was tons of fun.  Unfortunately I didn't remember to take pictures until most of the people were gone.  Here are a few that we did get:

 Major Frank Burns and "Hot Lips" Houlihan

 Charles Ingles and Laura Ingles

Curious George and The Man With the Yellow Hat

• Drove to Utah with The Mr. and Son #1B, picking up Daughter #3 in Idaho on the way down.   Highlights of the trip included  (1) Attending General Conference,  (2) Visiting 1B's Mission president and wife,  (3) Having supper with my niece and her husband and meeting their adorable baby for the first time, and  (4) hanging out with these cool cats:

(I think the pose is supposed to read:  "She's fawning all over him because of the cool (rental) car, but he's acting casual like it's no big deal."  Apparently he's used to women fawning all over him?)

• Attended the Calgary Temple Open House.  Kudos to the people of Calgary who did such an awesome job of running the Open House!

• Kept myself occupied creating a program for my Showbiz Kids to take to the Senior's Lodge.  I've had to find music, get the music recorded, and either switch up the lyrics or write entirely new ones to some of the songs.  It's amazing how many of the "old-time" songs have naughty innuendos. 

• Spent this past weekend in the Lethbridge area tagging along with The Mr. who was there for business.  Highlights included  (1) Getting together with friends for supper,  (2) Meeting up with Daughter #2 and her family,  (3) Shopping,  (4) Taking The Mr.'s parents out for supper and having some of his brothers and sisters and their spouses joining us, and  (5) Attending the Welling Ward for church services.

• Rounded out the fun by teaching a few early-morning Seminary classes, delivering Food Bank flyers in the freezing cold, falling down my front porch stairs, and discovering bed bugs in the hotel.

Dixie

The Doppelganger

A few days ago The Mr. flew to Calgary on business.  On his return to the airport, he noticed that the cab driver kept suspiciously looking at him through the rear view mirror.  The cabbie kept it up for quite a while to the point where it was making The Mr. a little self-conscious.  

Finally the driver said, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just have to ask...... Are you Stephen Harper?"

The Mr. assured him he wasn't our Prime Minister, just a regular guy.  The cabbie wasn't sure he believed him. 

The funny thing is that it wasn't the first time someone accused him of looking like Stephen Harper.

When The Mr. told me this story I had to laugh.  But then I thought to myself, "Come to think of it, I never have seen The Mr. and Stephen Harper together in the same room.   Hmmm..... I wonder...."

 So I did a little sleuthing.  You decide.






Stephen Harper

The Mr.

Still not convinced?  Check these out.

Any thoughts?

Dixie