AHHHH Swine Flu!

Can you get swine flu by doing this?
I am sure none of us want it so, wash you hands, wash you hands, wash you hands, cover those sneezes, and stay away from infected locations and large public gatherings.

The crazy thing is that more people die annually from regular flu than have even contracted swine flu....I know, I have been told they don't have a vaccine for it that is why all the worry....but the WHO - World Health Organization has sent something that sounds like a vaccination to the boarder states...I don't get it?

Enough about the swine flu....isn't that a cute little boy!
........Oh this just in Park City School District has closed school and canceled...PROM...becaue of the SF, and the Utah health departments just a day away from confirming an official case of it...in Park City, the Governor and the President have said don't panic.......but no PROM what a bummer.......

I hope the come to a quick conclusion to this rotten mess. I don't want any of my family and friends to be infected or affected by SF. I guess I don't really want anyone infected by this.

I am so thankful for my health and for not going to Mexico for spring break.
MCC

Wednesday Weigh In

So I am down another pound....still not at my pre Easter weight.

What is making us fat....well, after much reading I have decided ( yes, my opinion is as good as all the others out there.), that what is making us fat is our animal based, refined and over processed diet. We eat way too much meat and animal based foods, i.e. milk, cheese, etc... We consume large amounts of over processed foods which take all the fiber out. We eat food that has been so refined that it has no nutritional value. We need to get back to whole foods, foods that our ancestors ate. By cutting back on the animal based refined and over processed food, we would dramatically cut our fat and sugar intake.
Now I am not advocating total vegetarianism, but when you look at history and read the medical facts you discover pretty quickly that the Lord, as usual had it right. The best diet to follow is the Word of Wisdom.
As an LDS person I should belong the one of the healthiest groups of people in the world. We don't drink, or smoke or take drugs.....but for some reason those things alone don't make us that much more healthy than people who do those things. LDS people have the same amount of heart disease and diabetes as the rest of the USA.
What would make us one of the most healthy groups would be to continue following the don'ts outlined by the Word of Wisdom and to incorporate the do's.
If we would all eat meat sparingly, and increase our intake of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, we would all see a remarkable difference in our health, and our weight.
When you look at the dietary recommendations of the W of W, you discover that a plant food based diet is what was recommended by the Lord. He said to eat meat sparingly...meat includes all animal based foods.
I know I have come up against many who interpret the don'ts of the W of W in their own special way, but why don't we even begin to live and promote the do's associated with the Lord's plan?

I keep knocking my head against the wall with this diet thing and the best diet for me and my family has been under my nose all the time.

An interesting side note to all of this is that this week a friend of mine was talking to a Couple who had recently returned from their mission in New Zealand. My friend asked the sister if she 'knew Elder Nelson Call?' She replied, 'Yes, everyone knows Elder Call. Did you know that he has lost 80 pounds?' She then continued on to tell my friend that the couple missionaries had decided that he has lost so much weight because he no longer is eating fast food, less meat (it is expensive) more grains, fruits and vegetables, and walking or riding his bike.

Well, if the change of diet is what is making Elder Call thinner then why not me.

This week I will think about and try to eat less meat and animal based foods, more vegetables, fruit and defiantly more whole grains...fiber. Baby steps, but I can do it.

MCC

What are your Priorities?

Ahh ....Monday a new week...and almost a new month!

We saw two movies this weekend...State of Play and 17 Again. Both were enjoyable. I liked the idea of going back to a pivotal point in your life and given the opportunity to do it all over again...would you do it the same way even with the knowledge you now have?

We attended a fabulous fireside last night. Bronco and Holly Mendenhall were the speakers. Bronco is the head coach for the BYU football team. Hayden thinks he is pretty great , and after listening to him speak I would have to agree. He is a rule keeper, he holds not only himself but his team accountable and he has his priorities in order. His wife Holly isn't shabby either.
Here is my take on the high points of the meeting:
This was a Young Single Adult fireside so of course it was geared around the twenty somethings....The first thing brought up about the Mendenhalls was the fact hat they didn't get married until they were 30 and 31 years old....not for lack of chance but because they didn't want to settle. The marriage thing is always top of mind for the YSA leaders, that is their charge...to get them married.
Holly spoke about what gifts she would like her children to have. The one she talked best about to me was ... A testimony of their own. She talked about how many YSA don't have a testimony of their own or goals or have made decisions on their own. You need to do it for yourself. She asked in regard to a testimony, do you have a testimony of Jesus Christ? Do you understand the plan of salvation? Do you know why you are here?
Don't get caught up in life's distractions, get caught up gaining a testimony for yourself. There is no Testimony with out a few test.
Bronco talked about becoming the head coach at BYU. He said we/he knows he wasn't the first or even the second pick. He talked about his interview with Elder Eyring for the job. The first and only question he remembers being asked in the interview was "Is the Church of Jesus Christ true?" He said he then bore his testimony. That moment helped him understand that this was not just a coaching job, but an opportunity to represent the Church and share his testimony.
He talked about why BYU is "Returning to Glory?" ( Title of an ESPN article when he took over the coaching position). We strive to meet the universities mission '..quest for perfection and eternal life.' He talked about the priorities he has as a coach and for the players; Faith, Family, Knowledge, Friends , Football. He said because this is his way there have been a lot of guys who choose not to play with BYU. He explained; When asked what Faith has to do with football he responds with "everything" You have to have a faith in God and faith in your abilities.
Family- Eternal families. You have to be worthy to have an eternal family. Knowledge- it is the only thing we take with us into the eternities. Friends- The #1 influencer of young people. Good friends are you only chance. Who you surround yourself with is so important. You have the power to influence others. Then we play Football.
He concluded by telling us that we all are representatives of the Church. That we should always seek to have the Spirit with us. He referred to the cell phone commercial..."Are you there...what about now?" What if that is how we lived our lives, always checking in to see if our communication with our Heavenly Father was still strong? We should never put ourselves in situations where our signal to Heavenly Father is weak.
Trust the Lord, be of service to each other, keep the commandments, try the word of God...go to you meetings to learn and act, have Faith in our Savior.
It was a great fireside...it ended too soon, but I was glad I was there.
The most exciting thing to me was the fact that Hayden knew Bronco's priority line up before he even told us. Bronco is a great example and I am so glad that Hayden looks up to him as one.

Action is what life is all about....do something!
MCC

State of Paly ---WHY?

We went and saw State of Play last night, with Cameron Crow, Rachel McAdams, Ben Afflick, Helen Mirrun, etc....question:Why does the corruption always get swept under the rug? With out giving anything away I just thought it was interesting that corruption in government just gets a brief mention, maybe a hand slap........just like real life.
I did like the movie, we all did......yes, it is long, yes, there are some loose plot lines and yes, it reminded me of a good old fashioned news paper movie. I love watching reporters sleuth out their stories. The cast was great!
MCC

Writing my Eulogy

Yeah....it is Friday! Time for that great weekend...The weather is now more spring like so it will be interesting if we get outside things done, It might rain and spoil our plans...so I guess it is time for a back up plan.

This week I tried to be a better person, a person of action.... I know this was supposed to have been the decision to master in March, but it is a very involved and a "doing" decision....action is a verb. Mastering this decision may take even another month.

One of the exercises that you are asked to do to help you become a person of action is to write yourself a glowing eulogy....what would you like to have read aloud at your funeral?
Key questions that can help with this process are:
What was your life's work about?
Who was affected as a result of your actions?
Who was made a better person because of you?
What were the three biggest events that happened because of you?
For what will you be remembered?
How as the world different because of you?
After you write your eulogy you are to carry it with you wherever you go. Share your eulogy with the three most important people in your life, and ask them for their feedback and suggestions of what needs to happen for you to become that person in the eulogy...where do you need to begin? An idea to help you visualize and clarify what you want your life to be is to put your eulogy into a a Power Point presentation . Picture will help it keep it in your mind.

So this weekend I have decided that I will embark on this activity...it should be enlightening.

Some of the "Action" quotes/statements from Andy Andrews book Mastering the Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success that I really like are;

'I can do nothing about my past . My future is immediate. I will grasp it with both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with a choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act! I seize this moment. I choose now.'

'When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me! He has given me a healthy mind to gather and sort information and the courage to come to a conclusion.'

'I am a person of action. I am daring. I am courageous.'

I love how these statements make me feel....I want to be remembered as this kind of person...one who acts, who is bold, who does something.
MCC

Wednesday Weigh In

After last weeks disaster I have lost 1 lb.
I have a question: Why could I gain several pounds in one week and not take off the same several pounds a week later? I threw out the Easter candy etc.... I stocked my cupboards with only nutritious, low fat, sugar free snack food.... I watched what I ate and I ate appropriately....So why only one pound?
Beats me but I will keep going.
MCC

Mmmmm the Smell of ......

I was driving past the city park today and the smell of fresh cut grass smacked me in the face! Ah the smells of summer. I know that spring is still deciding to stick around but there is something about the smell of fresh cut grass....Now I want to BBQ, love that smell and then there is the smell of watered lawns and gardens, sunscreen and melon....I need to stop already, or I will drive myself crazy. Spring smells are aren't as pungent, they are soft...blossoms, rain, fresh tilled dirt, lilacs..... And then there are the fall and winter smells...they are the most homey smells...spicy, sweet, pine, mint, pumpkin, bread, ... I could go on and on but lets just say I am a smeller...no I don't stink...at least I don't think I stink, but I like smells. I am not a super nose like some folks, but smell is a real memory sensor to me.
Food and floral smells can really send me down memory lane, but back to the grass....the smell of fresh cut grass takes me back to my childhood, the fun and games we had on 12th south here in Bountiful. Summer lasted for ever and not just the season, but the days, they also were long.
......Melinda and I would play, and play and play outside. We would build forts, play house, picnic, have races and play night games with the neighbor kids, sail junk down the gutter, climb the trees, play in the sand, we would explore and adventure all summer long, usually in the confines of our backyard. Oh to be so young , to have not a care in the world, to be idealistic and free....... I loved those times. I am so glad for the smell of fresh cut grass to remind me of that life.
MCC

Monday Mumblings

I surfaced...but I am not done. Hayden and I worked for several hours trying to unearth the carpet in Gary's old office area...we succeeded in finding the carpet, but we still have tons left...the desk hutch is packed with things we can't even begin to deal with....actually most of the stuff was put into boxes and taken to the new office for Gary to go through....Gary will not be happy when he returns.....I hope he gets it done soon. I need those boxes to continue with this project.

Gary and I are stacker's...I have gotten better at tackling my stacks every week or two...Gray on the other hand rarely goes through his stacks and stacks....I will just have to do some fancy forcing to get him to do this chore....if not the new office will look like the old office with in a month.

Hayden planned new uses for the loft while helping me clean....his ideas are decent for a 15 yr. old boy...of course they center around his gaming and other activities. I think moving the gaming consoles to the loft would be a great idea.

I waited and waited and waited and waited for the letter from Elder Call....what is a mother to do. I fret over the one I am not with...isn't that just like a mother?....it finally came, very late.

It was great to hear from him and about NZ. He mentions how behind they are from the USA quite often.

I love the quote on my daily calender this weekend; "Life is largely a matter of expectations" That is so true. If we didn't have expectations what would we live for. I like most am always looking forward to the next thing....as a kid I had a cousin who would be calling her friends to plan her next event during the current event.....

Yeah!!! Miss California USA- I was so glad that someone with integrity almost won a beauty pageant. She was first runner up and this is probably why. When asked about legalization of gay marriage. She said she was glad we live in a country with choice, but personally she was raised and believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. It would have been so easy to go with the liberal crowd, the popular answer, but she stood true to her beliefs. The questioner was an openly gay man who was not pleased with her answer.

I too am glad that we live in a country where we have choice and freedom of speech. God has said that marriage is between a man and a woman. Who are we to tell God he is wrong.

I am glad that I have a new week ahead of me...In church we talked a bout recommitting....I know it is something I have to do every day. I know the secret of getting ahead is getting started....I am a person of action!

Hey, Spring, please stick around for awhile!

MCC

Saturday Special

Okay, so my Internet was out for a day. What a disaster....I did everything I could on my end and then called the Internet company who told me nothing was wrong on their end, but will send out a service person between the hours of you have got to be kidding and never. If I didn't have a problem with the service every afternoon and a big problem once a month I would call and cancel the service, but I want a 'professional' to take a look at "there is not a problem."

Enough of my rant...

Spring is back! Have you ever noticed that you begin to sound like a weather man in spring...discussing the highs and lows of the weather? I guess if I didn't want to sound like a weather man I would move to a place that didn't have weather changes...don't like that idea.

Today is loft clean out! Yes, I know I have said it before, but after two plus months waiting for Gary to claim his stuff I have had enough, it has to go today!

Obviously I am putting it of because I am currently blogging...but I will get to it, I have to, I can't take it any more.

So here is the before...what a mess!

Time to roll up my sleeves and dig in. I have Garbage sacks, dust rags and tunes going......... If I'm not out by Monday call 911.

MCC

Wednesday Weigh In

I am an over eater.....yes, I gained some weight back.....not good, but the first step is admitting to the truth.

ok, ok, ok, so spring break is no excuse to mess up your diet, but I did it anyway....I had a candy feast and now I am paying for it, in pounds and in other physical ways. You would think I would learn from my past mistakes!

Getting back on track.....this is the hard part.

I have been to the gym regularly but now I seriously have to find a diet plan with menus that I can follow and not feel cheated with. This diet has to be family friendly....we all can use it.

Everyone keeps telling me to follow Weight Watchers, it is easy, you can practically eat what you want, etc...it is a great plan, no question, but am I up to keeping track and following through...I still need someone else to create a great menu plan for me...I am not good on my own....I keep asking what's for dinner, and looking for things to snack on. (Thankfully I have a bunch of tasteless crap and stuff that has to be combined with other things to make it palatable in my pantry).

I have a splitting headache. This is the third day. I am still coming down from my candy high.....stupid Reese's Eggs.

Back on track, I can do it, I am strong, I can do anything, I am invincible...I am woman.

MCC

Chattter

April Showers!
Drip, Drip, Drop......the rain is coming down. At least it looks like April and not winter rain...but the snow is supposed to follow.......

I have decide that my weight loss program and my life need more positive affirmations....I am coming off a bad week of dieting....that is no dieting.
So, now is the time to kick it! I am the best, I am doing this for my health, I am strong, I am invincible, I can do anything....I am woman! (What ever happened to Helen Reddy?)

My book group is reading/just read- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, It is a great book! I am so glad that I read it. I discovered unfamiliar happenings from WWII. I figured out what a lost art letter writing has become...the book is written as a series of letters. I think letter writing makes us better thinkers and writers in general. I am sorry that we don't write "real" letters anymore. I guess I could change that and try to write more real letters for corespondance.
I hope we have a great discussion about this book tonight.

What is for dinner...ahhhhh, I must be getting back to normal. I don't think I have even thought about asking what's for dinner in a very long time. I must be springing awake myself after the dreary winter. Maybe I will blossom and no longer have to wonder what is for dinner.

MCC

Monday Mumblings

I am so glad that Easter is over....just because of the candy! I must look like a Reese's Egg, I've eaten so many of them...and we bought less candy than in years past.
This year we didn't do the hard boiled decorated egg thing ....maybe I need the real eggs to counter act the PB eggs?
So now I will have to wait until Halloween to participate in the candy gorge. Megan, Lauri and I have decided that we are going to go no/limited processed sugar.......please get me something salty.

For Easter I wanted to make a carrot cake...I know cute, bunnies and carrots....However, I don't make carrot cake. So I looked for a recipe that looked good and made it. The Frosting was to die for....very sweet and creamy...don't you just love the day glow carrots? The Cake was okay, not great. If it hadn't been for the frosting it would have been a waste. My sister-in-law loved the frosting on the strawberries I had sitting out. I am now in the market for a moist delicious carrot cake recipe.

Spring Break...we didn't do much. Hayden got to sleep in until 10:00 am everyday, LUCKY! My body won't let me sleep past 8:00 am, and that is only if I go to bed late.....long gone are the days of all nighters or even very late nighters....and I don't think I'm that old. Back to Hayden....he got his driving permit! Watch out. I had the opportunity of taking him out driving for his first time, for real. What an adventure. I had forgotten what a new driver is like....too much gas, slamming on the breaks and sharp turns....my life passed before my eyes. He got better with time. I keep telling myself that the benefit is that when he can drive legally I will no longer have to be around to shuttle him from location to location....my little boy is growing up.

Back to real life and my schedule. Ah, just a few more weeks until summer.....I know what happened to Spring?
I have decided to forget spring, after all it seems to have forgotten us.
MCC

SPRING BREAK!

Friday Things and Thinks

Friday has arrived ....and with it more rain and snow!?!?!Okay, so I want spring to return, but in the mean time I will have to amuse myself with things and thoughts that make me as joyful as spring.

All Shook Up-- definitely made me feel joyful and spring like.

We took the family the Hale Center Theatre In Orem to see All Shook Up last night. This

musical is scored by 25 songs made famous by Elvis Presley. The story is set in middle America in 1955, but the themes of the story are as old as time....You can definitely find the mix ups and mayhem associated with Shakespeare's comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, As You Like it and A Midsummer Nights Dream. The cross dressing aspects of As You Like It and Twelfth Night, Cause this musical to be a real fun comedy. It is fluffy and light, with a happily ever after ending.

I wasn't as familiar with the Elvis music as I was with the plot's inspiration, but I did love the songs and how they author intertwined the lyrics to make the story progress. I decided to see what the Broadway reviewers said about this show since it is one we missed in our New York journeying.....they didn't really love it, but I found one review that said "Were it staged in a pint-size theater with cardboard scenery and a campy young cast, All Shook Up might be a moderate hoot"....which it was at the HCTO. The only thing that bothered me about the whole production was that the had changed up some of the song order form the Original Broadway Cast recording and synopsis that I have....but I got over that. Apparently that is how it was changed for the national tour.

The Little Lady Agency--- Hilarious book series by Hester Browne.I found this series because it had a recommendation from Sophi Kinsella who wrote the Shopaholic books..... Set in Great Britain, but the second book is in the USA, is about Melissa Romney-Jones who runs an agency called "the Little Lady Agency." She is hired to help men sort out their problems, advise them on the real reasons they are social misfits, and tries to dress and shape them up a bit so that they can them take care of things on their own.

Good Food-- Strawberries, yummmmm!

I made Strawberry Cheese Cake Trifle for a get together we are attending to night. While cleaning the strawberries i think I ate a cup of them....my belly aches.

This is a great desert to show off with, it taste great, and looks pretty.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

8 oz sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

12 oz. Cool Whip. thawed

4 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 Angel Food cake, torn or cubed into bite size pieces

16 oz. frozen strawberries

Mix together cram cheese, and powdered sugar until fluffy; add sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.

Gently fold Cool Whip into cream cheese mixture: gently stir cake pieces into cream cheeses mixture; set aside.

Combine berries and granulates sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Layer in a large glass bowl 1/4 of berries, then top with 1/3 of cream cheese mixture; continue layering; finish with berries.

**Fresh Strawberry option

Clean and slice 4 cups of Strawberries.

Make Strawberry Danish Dessert prepare as for pie filling; set aside and slightly cool. Add Sliced strawberries to Danish Dessert. Use this berry mixture in place of the frozen berries and sugar.

Off to find more spring like things.

MCC

Thank You For The Cleaning Lady!

That is what I wish I was saying to my family, but alas I am not.....I AM THE CLEANING LADY...and I am not happy about it!
Why can't we clean up after ourselves? But we don't....we all need a maid to follow us around.

My Bathrooms are sparkling clean...one of the worst jobs.
My carpets and windows are clean, bedroom, family and living rooms tidy, kitchen slicked up and the laundry almost done....yes, I know very superficial...I do this so I am not embarrassed when you drop by unannounced.....and most people don't look in my drawers and closets....thank heaven for that!

As a kid I hated to clean up....I still do, but I enjoy the results of the clean up more than the chore itself.....My mom and Eugina would probably have a heart attack if they heard me say this.
I am really good at the surface cleaning thing, I want to do the deep cleaning. I start the deep cleaning, but that is where I become sidetracked....deep clean projects are long and require decisions, which I am not very good at making.

March was to be a month of action...that means a month to get things done....well it didn't happen. Since spring has decided to stay away a little longer I guess that I am getting a re-do on my month of action....

Off to find a short deep clean project to tackle....
I am so thankful for that cleaning lady.
MCC

I'm the April Fool...Wednesday Weigh In

Okay, so I didn't loose 10 lbs....I wish I had....I could have if I wanted to cut off an appendage or two...but no, I am not that desperate. Coming off my birthday week 10 lbs. wasn't going to happen. I ate out 5 times in the past week, had birthday cake and Reese's Eggs....we had an extra bag after sending a package to Elder Call.....really good, but not good for the weight.
So, how much did I really loose......nothing....which is better than the gain I could of had.

As for April fools Day...I am not a good joker practical or otherwise so nothing too clever from me to anyone....the biggest joke I have seen today is still the weather.....
MCC

YEAH!!!

I did it. I lost 10 lbs. this week.