Happy Valentine's Day!

It was 25 years ago today that Greg and I went on our first date - alone.

Our real first date had been 9 days before with friends who had told Greg to ask me out. I had met Greg before, so it wasn't quite a blind date.

The friends who brought us together were a friend of mine, Kristen, and her boy friend, Richard, who had been one of Greg's mission companions in Kentucky.

Greg and I had met about a year early - while with these friends. We were at BYU - was a Tuesday - how do I know that? Because Kristen and I were waiting for Richard to go to a devotional. Devotionals are always on Tuesdays. Richard showed up with his friend Greg. This was not intentional, they were not trying to set us up. I had a boyfriend I'd been dating for quite awhile - Kristen and Richard knew this. We all went over to the Marriott Center. We were late, the seating was limited - I think it was Paul H. Dunn. Richard and Kristen ended up sitting somewhere else. Greg and I sat together. I remember being very self conscious about this - worried my boy friend (who was working at the MTC) would some how find out that I'd been with this other guy. Anyway - no big deal especially since I wasn't really "with" Greg.

So - forward to a year later - I had broken up with the boy friend several months before. Richard and Kristen gave Greg the push. He thought I had the boy friend and wondered what took them so long to tell him I was in the dating scene. They told him they were waiting for me to get happy again. Funny.

So - the real first date - we went to a movie, "The River." We had milk shakes afterward. I remember the location but I don't remember the name of the place. It has changed names several times. Our friends were kind of having a tiff, so was an awkward night. In a most uncharacteristic move, when Greg took me home I told him to ask me out again - to give it a second try. He did.

Greg had no classes Friday to Monday. He often went home to Tremonton for the weekend. So, we dated Tues and Thursdays. I do not know how it was he/we picked Valentine's Day as our 2nd date (1st date alone remember) but I know the first date was on a Tuesday and the Valentine date was on a Thursday over a week later.

We went to dinner - Marie Callendar's. I had a Frisco burger. That is what I always have when I go to Marie Callendar's - it's been one of my favorites since I was in high school. I'm not sure that's what Greg had. But when we go to Marie Callendar's now, he almost always has a Frisco as well.

So - there you go. My first Valentine's with my Gregory.

OK - now Greg's version:

Richard and he were the ones waiting that devotional morning. They were waiting, near the tree of life. Kristen and I were on our way up from the Richard's building from one of our PE classes - maybe tennis. Greg remembers my long blond hair and that I was from San Jose - the best - a CA girl.

He remembers asking Kristen about me after the devotional. And Kristen saying that Kathy has a boyfriend. Greg asked "What kind of a boyfriend?" Kristen said "A serious boyfriend." So he wrote me off. Like a bad debt.

Almost a year later, Greg was at Kristen's apartment with Richard. A guy called to see how her roommates thought his date with me went. Kristen then said "Greg you should take Kathy out." And Greg said "Kathy from the devotional? I thought she had a serious boyfriend." Kristen said "They broke up." Greg asked "Why didn't you tell me?" She said "You really wouldn't have wanted to go out with her last Fall." She told Greg to call me and also said that she would call me to tell me to say yes when Greg called.

So that's when Kathy's life changed forever for the better.

And Greg's too.

What is a memorable Valentine's Day for you?

So that's what they do.

Ever wonder what teenage girls sometimes do for fun these days?

"What's for Dinner"

Yahoo has a page that answers the question - it's not What's for dinner? It's this is What's for Dinner.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/whatsfordinner

It's a 7 day menu. Just thought I'd share.

Happy day to everyone.

The Story Behind the Smile

Our recent trip to Disneyland landed us in a nice hotel in Beverly Hills for one night - Friday night of our get away to be exact. Greg has connections, so we stayed in a posh suite that included among other lovely nice things: window coverings that were controlled by electronic switches; TV screens in every room - including the bathrooms - one TV rose from a furniture cabinet; bowls of beautiful, tasty fruit; cup cakes that rested on plates with the word "Welcome" written in chocolate cursive; AND bolster pillows that had the letter "H" embroidered on them. Evan walked in and while looking around could not stop saying "This is ridiculous." Lucky us - it was complimentary.

Once settled in Greg said "Sometimes these places leave things under your pillow." and he checked under his and found nothing. He told me to check under mine. So I did. And sure enough - there was something under my pillow! I pulled it out. This is what I found.


Here's the rest of the story.

Some years ago, when Claire was 3 or 4, Greg took the kids off to the store. It was probably October (my birthday month), or May. They were gone for a little while. On their return, an unhappy Claire came to my room. She was very distraught. "What's the matter Claire?" I asked in my most concerned mother voice (I'd learned by then not to laugh when my kids were upset - usually). Through her tears she asked if she could see my watch. Totally bewildered I told her she could and I showed her my watch. She said "Not that one. Your Winnie the Pooh watch." Even more bewildered I said "I don't have a Winnie the Pooh watch." Claire said, "Yes you do. Daddy just got you one..." In the mean time Greg realized what she was doing and came hurrying into the room, but too late... I think we figured she was so upset because when first asked to pick something out she thought she was picking something out for herself.

So - I received a darling Winnie the Pooh Watch from my kids. I loved it. And I wore it until I don't know...it's a mystery. I don't remember what happened. It must have stopped working. I don't have it anymore which is stranger because I have a collection (not really a collection...) of watches that don't work anymore. I keep them because of who gave them to me. Maybe Winnie got lost? And no, I don't believe Claire has it stashed somewhere.

Fast forward to our Disney trip. We went into a lot of the shops. The story of the watch came up. And by the end of our visit, a new watch had been purchased. I believe Evan is the one who picked it out - he did ask me some questions about watches...

I love my new Winnie the Pooh Watch. The little bees on the face of the watch? they fly around Pooh Bear. It makes me smile.

A New Month

What is the rule for developing a habit - do something for a certain amount of weeks and it becomes a habit? I've been thinking all day what to blog about and all along I've known the month of Jan. is over and I completed my post for a month challenge but it is in my brain now to post! Interesting how that works. I don't have anything interesting to say though - just that.

Happy February everyone!

Sin vs Transgression

Some of what I learned about today in Sunday School was sin vs transgression. I have heard this explained in many ways and maybe it has clicked with me before but today it clicked (again) and seems clearer. Obviously, I feel I haven't understood the difference. I have a better grasp.

The teacher asked "What is the difference between sin and transgression?"
Our goto gal for doctrinal questions, veteran seminary teacher of nearly 15 years had an answer.

This is an example she used to explain.

Crossing the street is not a sin. But we instruct our little children not to cross the street because they don't have the experience or knowledge they need to cross the street safely.

For some reason - this totally helps me.

My follow up ideas - I guess I always get caught in the idea that God told Adam and Eve not to partake of the fruit. That sounds like a commandment to me. But it is not one of God's commandments to not partake of the fruit. He told Adam and Eve not to do it - like a father tells a child don't cross the street. Then you hope they don't until they're ready to do it safely. Of course, Heavenly Father has perfect knowledge - He doesn't need to hope. More of what we talked about today was that we don't know how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before Eve finally decided - I'm doin' it. They walked and talked with God - but the choice was always theirs.

teeth

I've been trying to think of what to offer today. It was growing later, and I wanted to go to bed. I edged Claire off of the computer and sat down with still no idea what to write. Claire began to offer some suggestions. I said no to a couple and then she said - "Write about losing teeth stories." She suggested that after I pooh poohed the idea to write about my own chipped tooth. But here I am about to write about my chipped tooth and some other more memorable experiences.

Greg and I spent the morning with all of our stake's bishops, their wives and the stake presidency and their wives. We actually started out with dinner with them last night then gathered this morning for some discussion on better serving those we have stewardship. OK - I totally digress, but at dinner, my first bites of my yummy steak and the fried onions that topped it left me with a chipped tooth. I have no idea how it happened. It was not the meat, it had to be the onions but how? Whatever - it is the bottom left second to the last molar. It isn't bothering me except that it is jagged and it is scraping up my tongue. We called our dentist this morning to make sure I wasn't doing any damage to myself or tooth by waiting to see him. He said it should be fine and offered to meet me to file my jagged edges but I declined. I didn't want him to have to go into the office and I didn't want to leave the good company I was with. This afternoon I thought to put a tiny piece of gum over the jagged edges - it has helped tremendously.

OK - another tooth story. Eric was very eager to lose teeth once he realized there was money in it for him. I think this story is about his second loose tooth. It had just *barely* started to wiggle. He stationed himself in front of a bathroom mirror and worked and worked and worked and worked on that tooth. I told him it was too soon. But he kept working and working. Quite awhile later a very tearful sad boy came to me saying that he'd gotten the tooth out but it immediately fell down the drain! I'm so awful. I laughed and laughed. Poor Eric - he was so mad at me! He pretty much screamed at me - not words but just this aggravated arrrrrrrgh kind of sound. Eric, will you forgive me for being so insensitive to your heartbreak? He still had a visit from the tooth fairy of course. We helped him write a note I think, explaining what had happened.

Claire and others from the family, one fabulous 4th of July, were swimming at the neighbors when Claire lost her tooth in the pool. Evan quickly went to work. With a mask on, he swam over every part of that pool bottom and he found the tooth! It was incredible. What a relief. Too bad Evan wasn't available to help Eric out in his hour of need.

Do you have any memorable tooth stories?

another memory

Thinking about the "Long Ago and Far Away" series led me to recall another fun series we watched - "Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre". I feel like we taped these, thus watched them over and over - but from what station? It had to have been PBS. We really didn't have much more.

One of the stories, I don't remember what it was called, I'm nearly positive had Steve Guttenburg. And part of the story had to do with him getting a burlap sack that he would say "Wikity wack! Into my sack!" and thus could catch things for whatever was forced to get into the sack. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I know we coached Eric at one time to use the phrase to get rid of "monsters" in his room. We didn't have that happen very often. But I remember a little Eric saying the magic words in the dark, at my prompting. I don't remember if it worked or not.

Anyone know the story? What is it?

a memory

I’ve been keeping up with a new year’s goal to use our treadmill. To be exact - to walk at least 30 minutes more than I have walked already, 5 days a week. I’m doing OK but this post is not about my exercise regimen, but about a book I see every time I get on the treadmill, The Man Who Planted Trees a story by Jean Giono.

Back in the early ‘90s, PBS broadcast the program “Long Ago and Far Away”. It is a series of animated stories – all different kinds of stories, animated by different artists. This is one of the best children series I have ever seen. James Earl Jones hosts the program. We taped the episodes and viewed them over and over again. As I said, the stories are varied - most I had never heard of before. But some of them became favorites. The Man Who Planted Trees is one such story. Well, it ended up one of my favorites, so I bought the book.

The story is of Elzeard Bouffier, a man who has lived through sorrow and world wars, but travels a barren treeless country side and plants trees. Over years of planting, the barren country side comes back to life.

I was pregnant when I first saw this story. I was so moved by the tale I contemplated naming our baby Linden. [pregnancy does strange things to us - lucky for Evan I came to my senses] . The story is so well told, I was convinced it true – but alas - it is fiction. I still want to believe it is true though…

It’s funny how things affect us.

Happy memories.

Another favorite I just found online -
Rarg - one of the scientists of Rarg discovers that he and his people are a dream thus they pursue a plan to keep the dreamer asleep watch it here
It is totally zany but so fun. We loved it.
“Flick the switch…flick the switch…”

The Man Who Planted Trees

I just did some searching for the video - it is online. It wasn't hard to find really, I just hadn't looked beyond Wikipedia. The links are youtube which shows it in 3 parts and the other is it in written form. It is a short story...

video

written story

Good News and Bad News

The good news is -

Claire has her driver's permit!

The bad news is -

Claire has her driver's permit!

There has nothing been scarier to me as driving with a brand new driver.

Resolutions

I was doing fairly well with my new commitments until last week - the kids had school off on Monday and Tuesday-Thursday they had half days for finals. When the family is around, I just don't do as well. I don't know why that is but that is how it is. I'm back on track though.

How are you doing? What slows you down? What keeps you on track? Any success stories to share?