Beautiful

I will be the first to admit that I'm a sentimental marshmallow. A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon something wonderful on YouTube. I clicked on a link to a song that I thought was called "Beautiful Gordon" (being related to a very cute person of the same name). Anyway, turns out the song was called "Beautiful," and it was originally performed by Gordon Lightfoot, someone who was way before my time.

I fell in love with the song, and the fact that the singer was a fellow who looked like a happy, bearded Dick Cheney, just made it even better.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZVdw-Rh8gM

When I went back on YouTube to watch the video, I noticed something amazing--a number of video clips from men probably on the downside of 55 who are covering this song. I clicked on them over and over again and heard them singing and playing guitar, resplendent with music and sensitivity that I would never guess from their appearance. Of course, I'm the one with the prejudices and preconceptions, but I love it when I am surprised about people. There is so much more to everyone than meets the eye.

Odds and Ends

So I was looking through Cheeseball's coat pockets this morning, trying to find a paper lunch bag to use (he is the only one of my kids who faithfully brings back his lunch bag) when I find two mini-water guns zipped in a side compartment. I'm pretty sure his school has a zero-tolerance weapon policy; on Halloween, Luke Skywalker can't even bring a light sabre. A little concerned about budding criminality, I asked Cheeeseball about it at the breakfast table. It turns out that his friend had just returned the squirt guns after having them since he and Cheeseball went swimming last summer. At least the weapons exchange was under the radar of the school administration.

On another note, I took the girls to take pictures around Temple Square this weekend. We parked three blocks away (I know; I'm clueless about where I am half the time) and as we walked toward the temple, we passed some of the ubiquitous homeless, one whom was relieving himself in a corner about ten feet away from my four year old girl. Nice! Thankfully no one noticed except me.

Halloween, or a Symphony of Napoleons

Sisters

When Husband went to wake Janey this morning, he saw that Goose was cuddled up next to her in Janey's bed. Not a huge surprise, considering that Goose had a hard time falling asleep last night and was calling out to Husband and me every five minutes or so. Janey went into her room a little after nine and got into bed while her little sister was still awake. Not a good plan if you want ot be left alone! We are lucky that instead of throwing a fit about obnoxious little sisters, Janey simply let Goose in her bed and both got to have a good night sleep. For both the girls' sakes, this better not become a pattern. But sometimes it's nice to know you're not alone out there in the dark.

Some Things I Am Not Good At

We played scrabble with the middle kids today. It was fun, but I'm fairly disappointed with my performance. I always think I should be good at games involving words because I'm certainly not good at games involving strategy, symbols, or numbers! Every once in a while Husband threatens me with a game of chess. I always try to find a way out of it.

Here is a random question: why would an actor of Michael Caine's caliber even consider being in Jaws 4? Seriously. We watched the movie as we finished scrabble and now we're watching it on the sofa as I sit tapping out my blog on the iPad.

Things I'm Grateful For

I have been too negative lately, so I need to write about some of the big and small things I'm thankful for.

my wonderful, loving, supportive and wise Husband

my basil plant, alive and well this year in the garden box

my children are all happy to go to school

properly functioning major and minor appliances

good health for me and my family

good books to read

compassion from kind friends

love and support from sisters and sisters-in-law

Cheeseball's choice to get baptized

Cheeseball and T-Bone's wonderful friendship

time with Goose in the morning

Beulah's dedication to excellence in her schoolwork

forgiveness for my mistakes

Janey's enthusiasm for life's experiences

the freedom to enjoy yummy food without guilt

the beautiful world I can see around me

happy memories of fun times

safe and healthy vacations

consulting work from former employers

raspberries growing

knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and an awareness of their love for me

good examples

afternoon naps

generous donations others make to DI

fabulous pregnancies and safe deliveries

listening to my kids play piano

people who teach my children

supportive and wonderful parents

cool mornings

the hope of an even better future

all those people who have prayed for me and my family

I could and should go on but I have piles on laundry that need my attention.

If a Stevedore Knew Petrarch. . . .

So I downloaded an app for my ipad; the NY Times crossword puzzle. I've solved two puzzles so far, needing help about four dozen times. It's amazing to me how many things I have no idea about--sports figures, rivers in Europe, battles that happened 500 years ago. And it's also amazing what you can learn about with Wikipedia in a matter of seconds. It is a little scary how much time I can spend on a puzzle, but then I rationalize that learning something new can't be all that bad.