Not something you wanna hear on a Monday morning . . .

. . . or any morning for that fact. While conversing with a gentleman this morning about his car insurance he proceeded to say,
"Yeah, you know, I was coughing so hard I thought I was going to spit out some of my throat flesh."
Wow. TMI. Didn't need that image and neither did you - what is with people's inability to sensor the things that they say?

On days like today . . .

I need these boys, stickers and all, to bring a smile to my face - - - - they never fail:)

I got a case of . . .

Compare -itis

Compare:

Origin - 1375-1435; late ME comparen

- verb (used with object)

1 - to examine (two or more objects, ideas, persons, etc.) in order to note similarities and differences: to compare two pieces of cloth; to compare the governments of two nations.

Why must I insist on torturing myself through my grand art of comparing everything, everyone and their lives, to mine? It's my most annoying quality and that's saying something:)

Lets see if I can strive for a great case of Content - itits - - - - now that's something I can get on board with!

The rain and the log home. . .

I love the rain. It makes me happy, it puts me at ease. This past month has been full of rain and nothing could have made me happier. If you’ve never lived in a log home, you should, especially when it’s raining. I have been home for a month and it’s had both its good and bad but one incredible good is the realization I’ve had at how much I love my home and how I’ve missed it this past year. It isn’t just logs, walls, rooms and doors; it’s a silent witness to the happy and sad moments that have taken place within those walls and rooms. I laid awake the other night, underneath my open windows and listened to the rain. The rain falls different onto a log home than it does on any other. At my last home the walls and the brick and the roof became a protector, deflecting the rain off with swift rejection. The logs, on the other hand, protect in a different way – they embrace the water as it falls and lets the rain find the ground by making its way over their curved surface. The logs were cool as I placed my hands against them and the smell of the rain together with the wood was wonderful. The smell alone is why everyone should live in a log home. As the smell of the rain mixed with the wood it created a cool sweetness, almost a musk, one of those things you can’t quite put a name too but you recognize it just the same; it brings comfort, it is comfort. I fell asleep to the sound of a symphony of rain and the smell of comfort that the wind lightly blew into my room.

A Tag from Erica . . .

4 things on my wishlist

new camera
new car
hopscotch court
Emilio Estevez


4 shows I watch

Criminal Minds
Dancing with the Stars (Tony is all I have to say about thatJ)
Castle (Nathan Fillion is all I have to say about thatJ)
Bones (David Bor – wait, you know the restJ)


4 things I’m passionate about

Literature
Music
Family
Dinosaurs

4 phrases I say a lot

Yikes and or Yikers
Gross!
_______________ (I need you all to help me out with the last 2 – I can’t think)
_______________

4 things I’ve learned from the past

Life is hard for everyone
Patience is the best virtue to posses
Kindness matters
You can’t change the past

4 places I want to go

Ireland
Argentina (again)
Boston
Sandpoint, Idaho (wink , wink)

4 things I did yesterday

watched Mason
drove Gabby’s car
went to Barnes and Noble
bought flowers with my mother


4 things I’m looking forward to

Italy
Italy
Italy
And did I say . . . Italy

4 things I love about Winter

the cold
hot drinks
fireplace a blazin
basically everything (bring back winter!!)


Tag 5 (I like 7 better)

Abby
Emily
Rachel
Michelle
Ariel
Marcela
Wendy

on your mark, get set, GO!

10 points . . .

go to whoever can tell me where this comes from:

"Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."

Man - I love this show:)

Midnight Ramblings . . . good enough for the 100th post

It's midnight and I'm tired. I can't sleep. For weeks now it takes me hours to go to sleep, insomnia has become my companion. There is too much thinking that decides to take place at precisely the hour of sleep. Tonight it was - I'm moving and sad, I'm moving and anxious, Italy, graduation, confusion of what to do now that I've graduated, longing, wishing I was better, deciding to be better, feeling as if I've let God down, feeling as if I've let myself down, feeling tired, feeling grateful to a teacher that helped me through this last semester, deciding I need to do something for her, hoping my family is okay - everyone in the extended realm included, wishing for understanding, needing to do more for others, thinking of all the people who have done so much for me, wondering about Vonda and Norma and what they might be doing, wondering if people really talk and feel like Alice Munro describes in the short story collection I'm reading, thinking it's almost summer and I haven't started on my parents' histories like I promised in their Christmas present, loving my family especially the three little boys with the one on the way - - - it goes on and on.

Bringing up Christmas reminds me of something. Christmas was always special around our house, most people feel that way about their childhood Christmases. On Christmas Eve, one of the last things that we children did before going to bed was to draw straws. My parents didn't want us all going down to the tree at the same time, but wanted everyone to have a turn individually. That lead to the drawing of the straws - we all wanted to get the smallest because that meant that we had the coveted spot of going down first and getting 5 minutes alone with all the presents Santa left for us and for our siblings. The smallest went first, right on up to the longest and we went down in five minute increments. I loved the rush that I felt as dad turned away from us at the kitchen table and cut the straws - sometimes they were matches or whatever he could find. Then he would turn around and we would pick - sometimes oldest to youngest or youngest to oldest and sometimes I would yell that I should go first because I was the only girl (haha - I used that a lot). Whatever happened was set in stone. I think about this story because it reminds me of life right now. I feel like I got the last and longest straw and I keep yelling down the stairs wondering if its my time yet but getting no response. I don't mean this in regards to being the last married or even to being the one that will now be at home, the meaning comes for me, in a place beyond description. Words falter. Feeling are what remains.

If none of this made any sense, just disregard it. After all, it is past midnight:) Happy 100th post to me!!

A little . . . Pomp and Circumstance

So . . . today was the day, Graduation. I have to say that it was exciting, exhilarating, funny, wonderful, sad, scary and more than anything, I realized, how cool and fun a little pomp and circumstance could be:) Walking into the auditorium, all I could think was I want to do this again! I need to do this again! I realized that all the hard work payed off in more ways than I could ever count. Here are some photos so you can follow my day . . .

The night before graduation my parent's took me out to Taggart's - it was fun

Here I am around 6:30am - tired but excited for the day ahead

Gabby and I, waiting to walk into the Dee Center - my friend Brianna insisted that we do a silly face - I think we both need work on that

Here are two dignified and sophisticated students of the College of Arts and Humanities - me and Brianna

Here I am with my friend Eden - we suffered through this last semester together:)

Looking surprised and angry before we walk in . . .

Look close and you can see Elder's Uchdorf and Eyring standing in front of President Monson - it was an amazing and inspiring address:)

Here is is after receiving his doctorate and addressing the graduates

The first one we saw after coming out was dad - how fitting, don't you think

Isn't the concrete a beautiful backdrop! It had to do because it rained most of the day

I think at the last minute Danielle shouted out, "Everyone act like your riding a surfboard - Hang loose!" sadly, we were so excited that we did it.

The parents and the happy grads!

The brunch was fun, although it was the first time I had pasta at 10 in the morning:) Danielle and Marcos slept through 3 alarms but due to my wake up call, they scrambled and made it in time to help us celebrate - thanks for coming guys:)

My friend Jessie and I - congrats Jessie!

Now . . . there was the first batch of photos. There is more fun to come, especially the bit about "Keep Wearing Purple" - for a hint, I give you . . .



THIS -

I LOVE my Mom . . .

=

Yes . . . . my mother IS Pocahontas. I have known this all my life, as have my siblings, but this week it just became a little clearer. Our neighbor, Chuck, has(I guess I should say had) 4 big pine trees that line his front yard just as we do. I happened to be driving my mother home when we past the now open space that used to house the trees. She immedietly let out a gasp, "What is he doing!?! Oh, how awful!" I brought reality back when I told her they were only trees, that it was no big deal. Now, those that know my mother know that my statement was meet with disbelief. We went into the house and got busy doing things. After a little while she stopped and, with all emotion, said, "Oh. I can just feel the pain that our trees have for his trees, their friends."
To which I replied, "Mom, come on, are you kidding me, they are just trees - they don't feel!"

"They do feel Mia! How can you not see their pain - those trees watched you grow up!!"

"They did not watch me grow up - they have no eyes!"

"Mia! Have you not seen Lord of the Ring?!"

to which I lovingly replied, "No, I have not seen Lord of the Ring but I have seen Lord of the RingS." Haha - I crack myself up and I love that accently prone mother, even if for days after, everytime I see her, I break into singing, "Has Chuck ever seen a wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Has he asked the grinning bobcat why he grins? - - - - - How high would Chuck's pine trees grow? He cut them down, so he'll never know!!!

How do you say . . .

I'm going to ITALY in italian!!

My cousin Celeste and her husband Johnathon are currently stationed in Italy, near Venice. He is in Iraq right now and Celeste has graciously accepted to be my host for a few months (yes I said months!!:) starting in September. I am moving home at the end of this month so that I can save some money and I have to say I am very excited! I am getting a little nervous but I love to travel and am pretty good at taking care of myself so I think that things will go well:) There is so much to think about and plan so if anyone has any good suggestions about travel or things I must see - - - let me know:)

Is there an end . . .

17 days.

good start . . .

. . . to a GREAT day:)

I am at work and am calling clients to schedule appointments - fun right? There are times in your life where you feel put together and professional - today is that day for me, or shall I say it was. So, I'm making calls in my friendly, normal, and, I guess, my trying to hard to be professional voice because this is one of the first questions posed to me,
"Oh, wow - it sounds like you have a runny or really stuffy nose?"
humm, well, no. Lets think on how that can be answered . . . sorry, no, just my normal voice.
"Oh" followed by awkward silence . . .


Ahhhh - - - gotta love it:) Who knew that's what my voice sounds like - - - bigger question . . . Why in the world has not one of my friends and family ever told me?!? Do I walk around this world talking with a stuffy nose?

Who knew . . .

. . . that March 19th, the day that finally legalized gambling in Nevada in 1931 - would, years later, also give us . . .

Gabriel!!!!

Happy Birthday big brother!  I love you so much and am so grateful to you!  These past two years have been so great sharing school with you - I couldn't have made it without you - -  Only a few more months left!  Love you!

Proud, Prouder and Proudest!

So . . . . pride is often looked upon as a way to catch a first class ticket to the land down under (not Australia:), but I think that I can get away with being proud of . . .

 . . . my baby brother Mario and his amazingly creative and wonderful poetry that is featured in-

"Time You Let Me In: 25 poets under 25" selected by Naomi Shihab Nye!  I am so happy and excited that the world will get to read a part of Mario's poetry, which I have loved and admired for ages.  Naomi Shihab Nye is a well known and liked contemporary poet.  She has collected 25 aspiring poets who she thinks have promise for the rising generation!  How cool is it that Mario is one of those!  Congrats Mario!  I love you and I love your work!  

Go and get yourself a copy today on Amazon or Borders or Barnes and Noble - you will not be disappointed! 

Is it really that day AGAIN?

Every year I cannot wait until February to celebrate one of the greatest days ever . . . . . . PRESIDENT"S DAY!!  And you all thought I was going to say Valentine's Day - silly folks!  What can be greater than recognizing all the many president's that have made our country what it is - 

First . . . .

Old Kinderhook himself . . . . Martin Van Buren!  How can you not appreciate the man that gave us the saying - O.K.!!

Next, we have - Demacratic "doughface" - - -  Franklin Pierce!  I live on Pierce, what more needs to be said!

And last but definetly not least - - - - - -

Chester A. Arthur - the first President to have his citizenship challenged, the 'ol canadian!  He also didn't like pets - a man after my own heart!

Ahhh, President's Day.  How can you come so fast and not last longer!!!  

PS - - Samuel was my Valentine today!  There isn't a sweeter kid - when he left and was going out the door, already having said goodbye and given me a kiss, he called out, "See ya Valentine!!!"