Right now

The house is quiet- the hum of the dishwasher is the only sound. Gunder is in bed for the night. Hopefully he will stay there until morning. If he does, Mark will buy him a Slurpee- banana and pina colada mixed. Nina is with a friend, Anna is babysitting for Amy.


Gunder went with my parents today to the planetarium in Salt Lake to watch the 3-D Imax Hubble/space movie. He had such a good time, and to boot, came home with a dinosaur that TRANSFORMS. And when it transforms, it has Optimus Prime's face. This is a very big deal.



The girls cleaned their bedrooms- they look absolutely spotless, which is probably the worst possible thing they could have done. Now I know what they're capable of.

My next book is scheduled for January 2011 release, and I'm thrilled about that. Even better, the revisions I'll be doing on it are wonderful suggestions from reviewers and my editor- things I agree with wholeheartedly and I did not feel an ounce of defensiveness over the changes/additions that need to be made. It will be that much better of a book.

I finished knitting a hat that my daughter LIKES and is wearing. And my other daughter wants one like it, now.

I ran three miles tonight and am not dead. This is also a very big deal.


I have siblings who are my best friends and best friends who are my best friends. I am so happy in my realm right now. I wouldn't be anywhere else. The only thing I would change would be to move my brother and Salt Lake sister into the neighborhood. I would like to see them daily.

I have sweet parents who still check on me, even though I'm 40. My father-in-law was just called to be a Patriarch. Heaven willing, he will still be around when it's time for Gunder's blessing.


My husband works from sunup to sundown when he'd rather be chillin at the beach. He came to the desert to get me, and I'm so glad.

I am overwhelmed at my blessings. My little life is so complete. I have so much, and I am so grateful. Could be I'm feeling especially blessed because it's so quiet right now. It's moments of reflection like these, though, that give me energy for when life is hectic.

Right now I love...

Right now I love:

*The "Cinderella" poops Gunder made with his Aunt Syd, Uncle Scott and his sisters
*A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
*The hat I'm knitting. Hopefully it will fit Nina's head.
*The book I'm getting ready to revise with my editor.
*The book I'm researching.
*My shiny kitchen sink, thank you Fly Lady.
*My Runner's World magazine. Makes me feel like the real deal.
*My 5-year-old baby that gets bigger by the day.
*My 17 and 14-year-old babies that make me crazier by the day.
*My husband who asks me if I want to throw down when I'm mad at him.
*Spring! Oh, sweet, glorious spring. I think I love you the most!

Weight loss, Corey Haim, Marie Osmond and terrorism

So I gained about 10 pounds when last fall rolled around. I remember the exact moment when my control snapped and I flipped backward spectacularly into my old mindset. I made Halloween cookies for Gunder to give to his preschool friends. Sugar cookies and the most sinfully delectable frosting ever known. I SNARFED.

Then Thanksgiving hit. Ate more than I should. Then Christmas happened, and people like us so much they kept giving us treats. All of which I ate.

The good news is that I'm on the rebound, am running to try to train for a half marathon that my sweet husband signed me up for as a Christmas gift, and I'm down 3pounds. Only another 7 to get to the point where I was when I had wanted to lose another 10 by Christmas. ;-)

In other news, I see that Corey Haim has died. An incon of my teen years. In the words of my friend and facebok pal Erin, "RIP Corey Haim, you weirdo."

I read about Marie Osmond's tearful return to the stage yesterday, and I have to applaud her and all others who do their best to continue with life after the tragic loss of a loved one, especially a child.

Also came across this article on CNN, which I loved. Gives perspective to the fact that not only "those Muslims" are terrorists.

In other news, The Teen Writers Conference 2010 is fast approaching! If you know a teen who likes to write, send that wonderful person here. I will be presenting and am coordinating the writing contest. There will be tons of other cool authors there--it's really not to be missed!!

Happy Tuesday to one and all. :-)

Toyota, Black Mamba and The Pants!

I've been watching the news and reading the paper with interest lately. Here's some of what has stuck out to me:

*The suit that O.J. Simpson wore when he was acquitted is going to be offered to the Smithsonian. My sincere hope is that the Smithsonian will say, "No, thank you."

*Toyota is being raked over the coals, among other things, for failure to alert the public for possible problems with their cars. Now GM is doing a recall on cars that may not steer well when driving under 15 miles an hour. Presumably, this will make the most-accidents-happen-within-two-miles-from-home statistic skyrocket. I'm thinking I should invest in a tandem bicycle for my family of 5. Might make school carpooling a bit of a challenge...

*My kids' school district sent home a notice that "Black Mamba" is now being banned from the schools in spite of the fact that it's not a illegal substance. Yet. Supposedly it has the same properties as marijuana. Now, I may not be remembering correctly and I threw the paper out, but I believe it can be burned as incense. Methinks school attendance would triple if teachers were allowed to use this in the classroom. ;-)

*The Norwegian Curling team's pants. Oh, how I loved those pants! The daily Facebook updates were a joy. I am a solid one-half Norwegian; I claim a special affinity to the pants.

*Lindsey Vonn is too unbelievably cute. Shouldn't be allowed.

*Kim Yu Na is the most amazing thing on ice I've ever seen and was a joy to watch. I did so with my mouth hanging open.

*Joannie Rochette is a beautiful example of grace and perseverance under extreme pressure and grief. What a lady. And a strong one.

*Gerald Imber wrote a book on William Halsted, America's "first" surgeon, entitled Genius on the Edge. In the book, Imber talks about how in the early days of anesthetic during dentistry, cocaine was used as a local. Um, yeah. Something tells me people didn't mind going to the dentist in those days. ;-) On a more serious note, though, the book looks absolutely amazing and I'll be buying it soon. Here's a link, if you're interested.

*First Haiti, then Chile. I am mindful of the fact that I live, literally, on a fault line. My home was built in the 40s. I hope to be able to find a sturdy doorway that will shield me...otherwise, please remember me fondly. (And may it not happen until both of my daughters are paramedics. I like to think of them as rescuers.)

*The Ogden Temple is going to receive a facelift over the next couple of years. I am ok with this, because the original design of the building has been totally botched, anyway. The architect designed the Provo and Ogden temples to be symbolic of the Lord leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were led with a "cloud by day" and "pillar (of fire) by night." The body of the temple's building itself was to represent the cloud, and the spire, which was originally painted gold, to represent the pillar of fire. Well, a couple of years ago a statue of Moroni was added to the spire, which was fine, of course, but THEY PAINTED THE SPIRE WHITE. Totally ruined it for me. I now look at the redesign pictures with anticipation. It's going to be beautiful.

Well, now that I spewed all of that, I feel better. Please feel free to agree or disagree. And have a fabulous March! I'm so glad we're done with January and February. Spring is in the air! My five-year-old said this morning, "Mom! The birds are back!"

So true- hallelujah, the birds are back!

Dear Fly Lady

Dear Fly Lady;

This morning I did not get up and put on my shoes. In fact, I rolled out of bed, put on some sweats and didn't even manage a bra until noon. I didn't wash my face, therefore didn't manage to get moisturizer or even a little bit of makeup on. As for my hair, well, let's just say I look like Janis Joplin on a good hair day, and we all know she never had one of those.

I will say, though, that my kitchen looks fabulous. I shined my sink on Monday morning and it has stayed beautiful now for three days. The rest of the kitchen has followed suit, and tomorrow I'm shooting for cleaning up some hot spots.

Also, tomorrow, I will get dressed as soon as I get up, put on shoes, wash my face and put makeup on, and get things done at a reasonable hour.

Sincerely,

Nancy, the slob.

Horrible things are happening- am I allowed to be happy?

The day I learned of the earthquake in Haiti, my stomach just fell. I looked at the images on my computer screen and wondered how on earth people ever pick up and carry on after that kind of horror.

I watched with pride as my church quickly sent relief planes and help was sent from LDS people across the border in the Dominican Republic. Certainly I don't mean to toot the LDS horn to the exclusion of the many, many other organizations that have provided help, I just was so proud to be part of a group that quickly offers compassion and help. I also have noted with extreme satisfaction LDS.org's main page, encouraging members worldwide to contribute however we can.

I saw images of bodies piling up, of mass graves, of crude burning pyres right alongside the streets, people pulled alive but broken from the wreckage, mothers grieving for lost children and children for parents, and it made my heart hurt. To know that the country suffered so horribly before the earthquake made the calamity seem like salt in an open wound.

The first day, I saw an outpouring of shock and grief. The days passed, and I noticed a shift. Supporting Haiti was becoming a political thing. People were angry at Hollywood for taking up the cause. I heard snide comments that President Obama only cared about the issue because the victims are black. I became very angry. Who cares if movie stars are helping people who are living through hell? It's not Haiti's fault. And when someone lifts a hand or donates money to make a life a bit better, where is the crime? How could this thing have possibly become political?

And then, I found myself thinking less about Haiti and more about my own life, my own problems. It's only natural, I know this. I would catch myself praying for things and then wondering how I possibly had the right to worry over little things when my Heavenly Father has other children who need him now more than I do. I suppose the beauty of God is that he can care for us all, and I know that, but I was reminded of how I felt after 9-11. I would laugh at something silly or find joy around me and then feel a twinge of something. Guilt? Probably it's guilt. A sense of sorrow for a moment that I'm finding joy and other people are living through unspeakable pain.

I remember when Saturday Night Live came back on the air after 9-11. It was a beautiful, welcome relief. It was done with love, with gentleness, it resurrected the knowledge for me that, even when horrible things happen, good still exists. We should grieve. We should help. We must do all we can to lift the hands and heads that hang low in hopeless agony. We must also cling to hope and joy and faith in a Maker who allows things to happen in this life, possibly to show the rest of us how to be humane, how to love and serve.

As I continued to watch attempted relief efforts in Haiti, and still do watch, I am reminded that, as the Proverb says, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." That we must cling to hope like it's all we have, and work as hard as we possibly can for the betterment of our own lives and those within our realm of influence. I know that the problems and trials in my own life, while in comparison to others may seem small, are still real and I can pray for help without feelings of guilt or inadequacy. I will keep it in perspective- one of my favorite quotes from Robert Fulghum is the notion that there are three kinds of lumps in life: a lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast. I've learned to try to categorize the lumps and make sure I'm not acting as though I've a lump in the breast when really it's a lump in the throat that may not deserve as much attention as I'm giving it. And yet, the lump in the throat may still need a prayer or two, and it's ok.

My heart continues to ache for those who are suffering in Haiti, and everywhere in the world where unspeakable things happen that I know would test my faith and my sanity. History is replete with examples of hell on earth, and yet in those stories there are silver linings to the clouds, blessings from a benevolent God who sees all and loves all, and sometimes those blessings come through not only his angels in heaven but also those he has stashed here on earth. They are all around us.

I'm going to try to be an earthly angel. And to smile and feel joy and hope, even when things are bleak. The human spirit is resilient, and we are here to learn from the pain and find joy in the journey. So I answer my own question that, yes, even when horrible things happen, we are still allowed to be happy. I find comfort in that.

January- yuck

As much as I try to begin each year with a sense of optimism and purpose, January does its best to beat me down. I enjoy fresh starts, I like reevaluating and setting new goals, I enjoy everything that a new year is supposed to be about. So why is January so hard?

Is it as hard, I wonder, for people who live in sunny climes? I keep thinking maybe it's the weather where I live, and I suspect it may have a lot to do with that. I live on the mid-northern end of the Wasatch Front in Utah, and inversion is in full swing this time of year. (That means a blanket of cold air and crap is trapped in the valley and I'm ready to start wearing a SARS mask.)

I'm looking out my window and I see dirty snow. When it's winter, I want it to be either in the act of snowing or I want to see a beautifully deep blue sky with sparkling clean snow on the ground and in the trees. I don't demand much, do I?

Isn't that just like life, though? (Here comes the meaningful metaphor.) Things aren't always perfect, they don't always appear as we'd like them to. The trick is to find joy in the journey. So, against my better instincts, I'm going to list things I do like about January.

1. The house seems nice and simple after putting away all the red Christmas clutter.
2. As much as I enjoy having my kids at home, it's nice to get back into a routine when they go back to school.
3. I like the thought of planning for a new year that's full of fresh possibilities.
4. When it snows, it's beautiful.
5. Getting through it feels like an accomplishment.

Ok, that's a really lame list, but it's better than nothing. :-) And now, sitting here at the end of January, I have Valentines Day to look forward to, and then by the first part of March, I'm usually feeling pretty good.

Is it just me? I should ask my Florida relatives if they have January blahs. Well, wherever you are, I offer a big woohoo that we've survived January and I wish you good things to come from here on out. :-)