So I finally got a photo of my new niece. Her name is Sparrow Cortez Arntzen Wagner. It’s a mouthful but I like it! She is so cute. I hope I get to see her sometime soon.
Roommate Reunion and Ingrid Michaelson October 19, 2009
I have mentioned on this blog that my current roommate is my 30th. Over the years I have shared apartments with 30 different women. They have each taught me much and almost all have been positive experiences. That said- some have risen to the top and become life-long friends while a few more have made an indelible impact on my life. In my fantasy life I would live minutes away from all these special friends. We would swap recipes, watch each other’s kids and be there for hugs and comfort. Sadly most of them live away from Utah (and even the one’s that do have a life. Afterall, we aren’t living in a Norman Rockwell painting!). Still, my heart yearns for the friends I do not regularly see. I miss them and wish they were here.
Lately I have felt a little lonely so you can imagine my excitement over a recent trip to California for a ROOMMATE REUNION! One of my most prized friends/former roommates Emily Alvillar Whitman came to my sister Megan’s in Palo Alto, California and I joined her. The three of us then had a lovely weekend of reminiscing and catching up. It was very nice of Megan to host and allow us to sleep on her coach! The weekend was simple- nothing too flashy- but it was great to reconnect with an old friend. Plus, I got to spend time with Megan and her family. Seth was very nice to watch the girls so the three of us could go to San Francisco for the day. (Thanks Seth!). We went to all the sites Golden Gate Park and Bridge, Chinatown, Piers etc. Emily got some jewelry and we converted a magnet into a keepsake ornament to help us remember the trip.
On Sunday we enjoyed spending time with my family for my grandma Wagner’s birthday party. She is such a wonderful woman and loving example in my life. I will have to write an entire post about her someday. Emily was a good sport and seemed to enjoy herself at our family party (sometimes being at someone else’s family function can be awkward. Thanks Emily!).
On Monday it began to rain and then Tuesday it was torrential downpour. I don’t think I have ever seen it rain so much in Northern California. It was so bad that on Tuesday the rain made the battery short out while driving Emily to the airport (after visiting the temple). We ended up putting Emily in a yellow cab and then Seth came to my rescue. Hopefully the car won’t sustain any permanent damage. If it does I will feel awful.
We made some cute crafts on Monday. I am a volunteer for festival of trees and as such we are each responsible for creating 8 gifts that can be sold at the festival. For my gift I am making long sleeve t-shirts with Christmas symbols on them. I hope they turn out ok. It’s kind of complicated how you make them but basically you cut out a stencil out of freezer paper and then you iron on the paper to the front and back of the shirt. Then you pain the shirt with textile paint. Once the paint has dried you set the paint with the iron. If any of you have cute and inexpensive craft ideas for the festival let me know. It has to be something that does not require sewing or knitting.
Anyway, it was a wonderful trip and I hope we do it again. It is important to reconnect with friends. You never know when you will need them or they will need you. I believe that people are put in our lives for a reason and that we will be accountable if we throw people aside as if they are worth nothing. Relationships are worth sacrificing for and certainly worth preserving. Why is I seem to be in the minority in this view? It seems so logical to me!
One last comment is on Friday I went to hear Ingrid Michaelson sing at a concert in Salt Lake. She was a great performer with a beautiful voice. What made it more exciting is the tickets were only $15 plus fees! Anna and I went and it made me all the more grateful that she is here. I’m so glad that we are not only sisters but that we have so many common interests- even enjoy the same concerts. I am sure the time will come when she is busier with friends and school but for the moment we are spending a lot of time together and I love it! The only downside to the concert is it was standing room only. With my foot condition it is hard for me to stand for hours (I told Anna that I am not as young as I used to be! I’m too old for this stuff!). I am not sure how I am going to get through the Regina Spektor concert at the same venue but somehow I will figure it out. It is worth it to see such amazing talent and spend time with my sister. I can’t wait to hear Regina sing!
Visiting Bryce, Cedar City and the Classic Famiy Road Trip August 29, 2009
01 Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go
As I have mentioned many times on this blog that the last summer has been crazy for me. I have gone from having one job, to thinking I had no job, to having 4 jobs! In the next few weeks things should down as we have 3 of the vacation rentals converted into long term rentals. I am glowingly proud of my work with these rentals. I think it is amazing I found 3 long-term tenants in under 2 months without a real estate license. All I did was use Craigslist and KSL classifieds! It has also been shocking at the level of interest in a 6 bedroom furnished rental. We are easily getting 3-4 calls a day on the house. If I had my license I would go around Suncrest and call all the homes for rent or for sale and offer to manage their property. I certainly have experience to brag about! I finally had to mark the homes as sold on the old ads because I felt bad at disappointing people. In addition, the two families moving into our homes in Draper are very nice. They are great people- the best.
With all this work, (I have only begun to describe everything- it has been 7 days a week, long hours!) I was eagerly awaiting our family trip down to Southern Utah. I think I could have been happy going just about anywhere but it was a particular treat to go to Cedar City and attend 3 plays at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. It is a Tony Award winning festival with a traditional outdoor theater, renaissance food and a green show with entertainment before the plays. It is one of my favorite things in Utah. In fact, attending the festival is one of the first theater experiecnes I remember. When you are from a big family there isn’t a ton of alone time with parents. This made it particularly special when my dad took me at 8 years old to see Taming of the Shrew, Blithe Spirit, Merchant of Venice, and Volpone. I am not sure why it was just me but it was a great memory. I still have the old programs. Since that first trip I have been 5 or 6 times and just love it!
Before arriving at the festival things were a bit bumpy. The original plan was to take the Greyhound down to Cedar and meet up with my family who would be arriving from California (they had to make the trip anyways because Anna was coming out to BYU). Tuesday night (the night before their expected departure) Madeline got very sick. We were even afraid she might have the swine flu but it was a different infection (still not fun but better than the alternative). At first we thought the entire trip would be off, but after a restful day and antibiotics she was able to travel comfortably in the car.
This delay meant I arrived on the Greyhound (which despite all the horror stories was quite pleasant and affordable) and saw the first play by myself. It worked out great because the hotel had a shuttle, and I had food ordered to my room. It was nice to have one day of vacation all to myself. That night I saw Henry V, which was excellent. It was probably just as well that the kids couldn’t make it because it was a pretty serious and war-torn play. I don’t know if they would have liked it.
On Friday the rest of my family arrived and we saw 2 plays- Comedy of Errors and As You Like It. The former was our favorite. It was funny and in an air conditioned auditorium. (As much as I love the quaintness of the outdoor theater, it was brutally hot and muggy). I have heard the festival is loosing funding and the shows aren’t able to get the professional actors they used to get. I saw a little of this in As You Like It. You think with all this stimulus money programs like the festival could get a little stimulus. It is after all a tourist attraction to the city and generates income while being an artistic gem. Oh well, that’s a topic for another post (btw, I have been selected to write a guest post for the blog http://rightwingchicky.wordpress.com. Still working on it but if you have any ideas let me know).
After the festival we set off to see Bryce National Park and Capitol Reef National Park for 2 days. Even with the car sickness, it was beautiful-red rock formations bursting of more than just red. Purple, orange, yellow, black, white and more. We even saw some petroglyphs and laughed about an ancient pictionary game gone array. Can’t you just picture someone carving in the stone and their wife saying “that’s supposed to be a warrior?”.
It was a lot of driving and we did grow weary of it after a while, but it was still a nice trip overall. The one hick-up we had was on Sunday my dad decided to take a dirt road to show us some of his favorite camping sites. Naturally I asked “why are we taking this road, when we can take the regular road”. My dad responded “Because it is beautiful and it is a smooth road”. I still can’t believe that a grown man was debating with me about taking a dirt road vs a regular road. To me it makes as much sense as selecting a horse and carriage over a car!
So, we are going down this dirt road and all of the sudden I hear a hissing noise- almost like a rattle snake but it keeps going.
My dad stops the car and yes, you guessed it- we had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. To make matters worse we had borrowed the car from a friend and didn’t know where the jack was or any other items. We also had tons of stuff in the car, which we had to remove in order to the get the jack. It was one of the more complicated spares I have ever been a part of changing, but in fairly quick time my dad had it figured out and changed. Unfortunately as we were getting back in the car dad checked out the other tires and noticed a bubble in the another one. Clearly we only have one spare tire. I can’t over-state that we were in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road. It was the kind of place where you would expect to see a flying saucer!
We only had one car pass us on the dirt road as we changed the tire and they didn’t even stop to see if we are ok. Can you believe that? Rude! My dad kept saying we could camp out overnight but we had no tents or pillows. I am sure all of you can just see me camping out in the middle of nowhere waiting to be rescued. Naturally I prayed extra hard we would get out alive and without having to camp out. Thankfully we did just that, finally ending up in Price, UT.
There is a canyon going from Price to Spanish Fork and we were so nervous about the bubble in the tire that we decided to stay the night. It was just too risky going on a narrow highway without a shoulder on a bad tire. We ended up at the Price Holiday Inn in a double suite. The room was nice and we even got to swim before the night was over. Big O Tires was open at 8 am Monday morning, so we had the tires fixed early and got on our way early. As much as I enjoyed the trip, I was definitely grateful to be back home, safe and not stuck on a dirt road in Southern Utah. I certainly will not need to take the scenic route again for a while!
My family has been in town the rest of the week helping get Anna checked into college at my Alma matter Brigham Young University. It was so great getting her settled into her apartment. Today was the last day before my parents left and it was quite the goodbye. It brought back so many memories of my first year at BYU. It was a happy time in my life. I was so excited and ready to be out on my own. I am almost envious of Anna and all the great experiences she is going to have.
So, this has been a long, rambling travelogue. My apologies, but it was an eventful couple of weeks. Now I am back to work on sales tax, vacation rentals, real estate school, and Grabber events. Busy, busy, busy, but happy.
Madeline is 10- A Decade Come and Gone August 13, 2009
My baby sister Madeline turns 10 today. I can’t believe an entire decade has gone by since she has been a part of our family. I know it is such a cliche- but really where does the time go? I remember the day she was born. I had the unusual circumstance of leaving for college with my mother pregnant. It was a stressful time for our family as we had just moved to California from Maryland (I know all the way across the country!), my mom had 2 other young children and she had basically full bed rest for the entire pregnancy. To add to the pressure both myself and my sister Megan went out to BYU at the same time. This was a surprise for my parents as Meg was only 16 at the time. ( I was delighted with Megan going to school. It was like my best friend taking that big step with me). My parents tried their best to handle everything with grace and cheerfulness but it was hard. My mom used to call our dorm room and try her best to sound happy but it always came across as pathetic and sad. It was a very exciting but conflicting time for both of us.
At the end of our Summer term we traveled home for a two-week time period. I don’t remember when the original due date was but my mom was scheduled to be induced at the beginning of our trip. It was on a Friday and we debated because it was the superstitious day of Friday the 13th; however, in the end we wanted to spend as much time with the new baby as possible. Plus, my mom was ready. Into the hospital she went and later that afternoon she had the baby (my mom always had fast deliveries). She was a beautiful baby with light blond hair and a button nose. Madeline didn’t have the bleach blond Anna had but was definitely fair. For the next two weeks we helped my mother as much as we could and took care of the baby. From the beginning Madeline had spunk and curiosity for life. I thoroughly expect her to do great, dynamic, exciting things- she has the personality for it. She always has.
Some may find it odd to have a sibling that I have never lived with for more than a week or two. How can we be close? Well, I have been fortunate enough to always travel home for visits at every major holiday. My family has also made it a priority to travel to Utah as much as possible. I have often heard the younger kids grumble about “another visit to Utah…” What they didn’t realize is these trips were essential to the unity of our family. As all of my siblings grow, I know I will continue to see our relationships grow and our friendships deepen. I am a very communicative person and as cute as little kids are I almost enjoy the more talkative pre-teen and teenager ages more. I look forward to many more birthday’s with Madeline!
Aside from memories of her original birthday, I have also been contemplating the last decade. 10 years. It has been 10 years since that big day for our family. What have I done in that 10 years? I started to list the accomplishments and if I am allowed to say, it’s not to shabby of a list:
Since 1999 I have:
Started and graduated with my bachelor’s degree from BYU in Political Science emphasizing in political philosophy. In 2001-2002 I was able to be a teaching assistant for Matt Holland and David Bohn- one of the great honors of my life.
Completed an MBA
Had 5 different jobs (that’s just counting what I do now as one job!)
Lived in 14 different apartments.
Had 29 roommates/companions (that is only counting my sister once who I lived with 3 times)
Served a 20 month mission for the LDS (Mormon) church.
Took at least 4 years of voice lessons (8 recitals)
It’s hard to know exactly but I figure I have been to California at least 40 times in 10 years.
Plus, I have been to Japan, Mexico twice (that’s 2 cruises), Hawaii 3 times, New York City 3 times, Indiana once (aside from the mission), Las Vegas 3 times, Disneyland once, Jackson Hole and more.
Two of my siblings have gotten married and I now have 4 nieces and one step-nephew.
I tried to count but I have lived in 15 wards and had 21 callings at church. Most of my callings have involved activities or enrichment. I have served as a teacher once and this was my favorite calling besides my mission.
Assuming we talked for only an hour a week, taking out 2 years for my mission, I figure I have talked to my mom on the phone for over 400 hours. In fact, it’s probably double that. I have similar statistics for both Anna and Megan. I am so grateful for the time they take to make our relationships strong.
There have been some sad, tough times, but I am proud of the woman I have become. Some especially hard times were in 2001 when my grandfather and 2 cousins died, 9/11 happened, and other family crisis erupted in one year. 2007 was also a difficult year where I dealt with depression, anxiety and even a panic attack. My mission also had many struggles accompanying its triumphs.
I have started a blog, gotten on facebook, and watched far too many hours of movies, dvds and cable (reality tv has become a particular addiction)
I now have 20 cookbooks and have sampled hundreds of recipes while throwing tons of parties- some more successful than others. I like to think I am a pretty great entertainer at this point, and I hope I have made a few people happy through my efforts. My personal favorite is the original Barefoot Contessa cookbook and the follow up Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten. Delicious!
I have been in 5 book clubs and read countless books. Some of my favorites are Red China Blues by Jan Wong, Delicacy and Strength of Lace by Leslie Marmon Silko and James Wright, Urban Tribes by Ethan Watters, Harry Potter books, Jane Austen books, Elizabeth Gaskell books etc…
In the last 4 years I have become a lover of audiobooks, podcasts and radio programs including Car Talk, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, This American Life and Radio West. Little things like reading a great book or listening to an interesting program are what make my life great.
My favorite perks of the last 10 years- high speed wireless internet, my ipod, and my DVR (like TIVO). I am still fantasizing about getting a Kindle someday…
Finally, I have had the best friends a girl could ask for. Particularly when I think of the friends who have persisted over this decade, I feel so lucky. There are too many to begin naming them. Suffice it to say, I have had very few moments where I am lonely for a shoulder to cry on or a companion to share a laugh with.
Life is good, and I have much to be grateful for. I have a great life.
Clearly there are some life goals I have not met including losing a significant amount of weight, having a committed relationship, getting married, having kids (girl named Lili, boy named Christian but who’s planning!), getting a down payment and purchasing a home, going back to Europe,catering at least one wedding, earning a PHD, and writing a book. These are all things I hope to be able to list as accomplishments when I write my post at Madeline’s 20th birthday! They are somewhat lofty goals but as the poet says “every dream proceeds the goal and the dream lies hidden in your soul”. We will see how life happens. I have certainly learned a lot in the last decade and can only hope that the next 10 years are twice as fruitful as the previous. Thanks in advance for your support and help along the way. It will be a great adventure!
(I hope this post doesn’t sound like eulogy. I was simply feeling thoughtful about my life. )
Comfort August 6, 2009
Tonight my mood while writing this post can be summed up in one word- comfort. Why is that you might ask? Well, there are a number of reasons. First, I am watching one of my all-time favorite movies, You’ve Got Mail. My regular readers will not be surprised by this- as it is the one of only two movies I have written entire posts on (See Open to Change). It’s interesting because I wrote the post in May of last year when my life was going through many changes. Now my life is once again changing and wouldn’t you know I turn to the same movie to provide escapism and comfort. I know it is predictable and somewhat obvious, but I don’t care. It makes me laugh, has lots to say about modern-day work, captures my love of books and New York City, and realizes my fantasy of a romantic pen pal. Plus, its themes of modernity and change are ones I continue to come back to again and again. I will not bore you by re-posting my favorite quotes from the movie. You can look at my original post for that. Suffice it to say, it is a comfort movie in a time of change. Do any of you have movies you watch repeatedly? One of these days I am going to do a posting on my favorite movies. I have started one several times but it is difficult to pare it down to a manageable list.
The second comforting aspect of tonight is the food I made. I happened to have the ingredients to make one of my family’s favorite items- German potato salad. If any of you haven’t enjoyed this dish, it is made with potatoes, bacon, vinegar, sugar, flour, celery seed, salt and onion. It is one of those dishes that pulls off the delicious sweet/salty combination. I have been trying to eat healthier in the last few weeks (lost 10 lbs in 5 weeks!) , so perhaps this choice was a bit of an indulgence but as a main course for dinner it wasn’t too bad. We have a tradition in our family of eating a German meal on Christmas Eve. It sounds odd but it is delicious. The main course is bratwurst sandwiches cooked on the griddle with rye bread, gooey swish cheese and my mom’s special sauerkraut. Most people turn their noses up at sauerkraut but that is because they haven’t tried my mom’s. It is delicious. She takes the sauerkraut, rinses it, and then boils it in fresh apple cider for hours until it is sweet/salty yummy! It has won over even the most ardent sauerkraut haters. As a side for the meal we also have german potato salad. I have tried to recreate the other aspects of the Christmas Eve meal but to no avail. The two times I tried the sauerkraut it didn’t turn out and the sandwiches are nothing without it. The german potato salad I have succeeded in making, so I decided to tackle it tonight. It was delicious and comforting.
The third comforting aspect of tonight is the satisfaction of hard work. Is there anything better or more comforting than relaxing after working really hard? Ever since I got home from Hawaii I have felt a bit like a chicken with its head cut off- running around frantically, working hard and not knowing what was happening next. I can now see things coming into place but it’s been a bit overwhelming. As with any change there is the fear of the unknown, the fear of being unhappy, the fear of picking the wrong path. It has been hard and I think I’ve done a pretty good job keeping it all together. Maybe part of it is I’ve been so busy there hasn’t been much time for moping around the house or worrying. There were about 2 weeks when I allowed myself to stress out about the future, but now I am excited about the opportunities that are coming. As I mentioned in my last post I have gone from worrying whether I had one job to now having the potential for four- vacation rentals, sales tax, Grabber events, and managing other people’s vacation rentals. I have had to put the real estate school on the back burner for August but that will start up in September, which I am excited about (my renting 2 of the Suncrest houses as long-term rentals should be a good sign for my future as a property manager!). This week in particular I have been working all hours on the vacation rentals, the long-term rentals, getting trained on sales tax, working on Grabber events and more. Yesterday I was up at the houses from the morning until late in the afternoon working and forgot to drink enough water or eat lunch. Eventually I had to lie down because I started feeling faint. I also had phone calls all day- by 2 pm I had received 25 incoming calls! It was exhausting. Today I knew I needed to take a break from it all and that is what I have done. I had my voice lesson this morning, which is always wonderful. Then I came home worked on my computer for the afternoon, made dinner and am watching the movie. It feels great to just enjoy my life!
The only thing that would make today more comforting is if I wasn’t alone. However, maybe wishing for someone to watch You’ve Got Mail and eat german potato salad with is wishing for too much! Even if a man is unrealistic, it would be the icing on the cake to have a girlfriend or two with me. There are so many who are far away, and I miss greatly- Melissa, Raelene, Emily and Stefanie to name a few. I can also imagine this night with my sisters- all of us laughing and eating together. Still, they are all only a phone call away, and they all love me. As much as I would love their company, the knowledge of their love builds me and provides comfort. I know whatever career path or life choice I make my friends and family will support and encourage me. One of my most frequent prayers throughout my life has been one of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for all the love He has given me.
A couple of posts ago I wrote about needing increased faith for the months ahead. It may have sounded trite or simplistic to some, but I don’t care. Having faith means believing in something that is not seen. At that moment I could not see what was in store for me. I still have many unknowns but already I have seen new opportunities open- chances that will help me be a better, more interesting person. This is perhaps the most comforting part about tonight- that I know everything will be ok. My life is watched over. As long as I work hard, believe in myself and trust in God then everything will turn out for the best. This is a hard thing to believe when life is in chaos but it’s true.
Thank you for all your support during this crazy time. Thank you for the comfort.
Anna’s Present July 16, 2009
I know it is not good to brag about oneself, but let me just say I can be a great present giver. In fact, a few years ago my brother claimed I was a bad present giver and I made sure to give him the best present ever- nice strategy Ben! Maybe it is because I don’t have that many presents to give, being single, but I treat it as kind of a game to win or lose at. My dad was always a hard one to buy presents for (and still is) and so I learned to probe deep for ideas and to try to give from the heart. I have a long track record of giving the best bridal and baby shower gifts- including the longest ahhh! at all of the baby showers I attend (trust me, if you are having a baby then you want me at your shower!).
This last month I was faced with a gift giving dilemma. What to get my about to go to college sister Anna. She and I are very similar, and she is coming out here to BYU (my Alma mater!). Naturally, a number of possible gifts such as gift certificates to the theater or a cookbook came to mind. I also thought of things for her apartment, to help study, or a keyboard practice music on. All of these gifts would have been fine, but I wanted something more personal. As is natural, she has been somewhat stressed-out about the beginning of college (even though I know she will do amazingly well). It is a big change, and as I very well know big changes are scary. It means saying goodbye to some family, her high school friends and California. (although, she pretends like she is dying which is not true either. What drama!) I began to think- what could I give her that might be comforting and provide real guidance? Then it came to me- a survival book, full of the advice I would have wanted when I was in college!
I gathered materials and made the book out of 5 by 7 scrapbooking cardstock and then printed out all kinds of quotes, study tips, Provo restaurant recommendations, coupons for meals/rides/clean room, suggestions such as attending BYU athletics and more. It ended up being 24 laminated pages with a binding and stickers as illustrations. Of course, I ended the book with a letter of congratulations and encouragement. She’s such an awesome sister, and I feel privileged to know her. In many ways she makes me feel complete and understood in my family- something I often didn’t always feel while growing up (does any teenager?). I love chatting with her, getting excited about David Archuleta, singing our favorite Broadway songs and giggling over the Office, Glee or some other show. I am so grateful for all she does for me, and I hope my little present actually helps increase her happiness while at school and provide real concrete guidance when she struggles. It will be like having her big sister in her pocket whenever she need’s it. (Of course, I will be here in real life as well- just around the corner- despensing hugs, laughs and sister-filled fun). Good luck!
What’s Going On July 7, 2009
Hello blogging community. It has been a few days since I last posted. This is due partly to my sister Anna’s visit but mostly to the recent chaos that is my life. Let me explain.
Ever since I got back from Hawaii there has been one stressful crisis after another. I don’t want to get into it but do you ever feel that you are having a losing streak? It’s like everything I try fizzles. The yards haven’t been good enough, the houses not well enough maintained, the tenants have been difficult, I’ve made some stupid mistakes, tenants have lied to my face, I’ve had squabbles with people, gotten my feelings hurt, and the home owner’s association is now threatening to make us stop our vacation rental business. My dad has taken the brunt of all of this and for that I feel even worse because the last thing he needed was a time-eating legal process.
The other thing that makes me sad is my best friend is moving to California to start law school. I will miss Melissa Noyes a lot. She has been a solid support for me over the last 3 years and on my mission. I appreciate her optimism and the way she makes me forget my troubles. The thing I love the most about her is she is not a worrier like I am. In a very non-cheesy way when I am with Melissa I forget my problems and have fun. I will miss our near-weekly dinners at Wingers (although my waistline won’t!) and the barrage of stupid romantic comedies we saw together. With Melissa’s departure I will have more friends outside of Utah than in. While I am able to keep in touch with these friends and they are SO important in my life, I do miss having the nearby interaction. I am grateful for all my friends and all the support they continually give me.
For the moment, it looks like I may not be working in September and October on the rentals. I will have Grabber work, which should be a enough to live off of. Plus, I will be starting a real estate broker class that will keep my busy. In addition, there are other potential business opportunities that could also develop. Anyway, it has just been a lot to deal with in basically a months time- particularly when you think I got a nasty sinus infection, a family reunion, and had other commitments as well.
I am trying my best to be calm and take each day as they come. Almost all of the things that stress me out right now I can’t control, so I know I shouldn’t worry about them. I also know everything will be Ok. I’ve just never been a big one for change and that is particularly true when something that has made me so happy (my job over the last year) is changing. Stepping into the unknown is scary and uncertain, but I also have to remember that it is exciting and full of potential.
I am trying my best to remember the Lord’s hand in all things and that without change I will never grow. Already this situation has caused me to pray more fervently than I was before. Please include me in your prayers. I know my problems may seem small but the power of friends at prayer is strong. If anything it will help me be strong.
In the end, I just have to increase my faith. I like to control things- to set a plan and micromanage them until they are accomplished. Now I am in a situation where that control is impossible. I must have faith. My Heavenly Father brought me to this job, and He will lead me to my next assignment. I don’t think I have ever felt the spirit more strongly than when I quit my old accounting job. Then I spent 6 months in the unknown, interviewing for job after job, with nothing coming from my hard work. Then this opportunity to manage vacation rentals came and it has been awesome, difficult in some ways but mostly awesome. Hopefully things will remain the same, but I just need to believe in His plan for me, be creative, and work hard. Having faith in the unknown can be the hardest thing to do but isn’t that the definition of faith?
I don’t want to sound melodramatic. I know others face far more stressful and devastating situations. This is merely an unknown career change. Nevertheless, it is difficult in its own way for me. Again, thank you for your thoughts, support and prayers. I will keep the blog posted on what happens.
Here’s a poem about faith I like by Emily Dickinson.
My Faith is larger than the Hills
My Faith is larger than the Hills –
So when the Hills decay –
My Faith must take the Purple Wheel
To show the Sun the way –
So when the Hills decay –
My Faith must take the Purple Wheel
To show the Sun the way –
‘Tis first He steps upon the Vane –
And then — upon the Hill –
And then abroad the World He go
To do His Golden Will –
And if His Yellow feet should miss –
The Bird would not arise –
The Flowers would slumber on their Stems –
No Bells have Paradise –
How dare I, therefore, stint a faith
On which so vast depends –
Lest Firmament should fail for me –
The Rivet in the Bands
Cupcakes and Family June 27, 2009
This post is kind of all over the place, but it has been such a crazy time lately. Last week was jam packed with everything including work responsibilities including yard work (yuck!) on the properties, check in’s and check out’s, entering payments, working on accounting, and making new reservations. At the same time we had our family reunion at the end of the week, so my entire extended family on the Richard’s side was in town. This was fun but also a lot of work. Among other things, I took my nieces to the princess festival (so fun, even with the rain!), got Anna’s 18th birthday party ready, make her a sweet present, got the slide show for the reunion set up, helped with other family activities, baked cupcakes and a made frosting and toppings for an activity and more. Like I said- it was a busy, busy week.
We also had a wonderful visit from my college friend Emily Alvillar Whitman. She made a great effort to visit us and Megan, Emily and I had such a good time. Those that read my blog regularly might remember her from several posts. I love all of my friends, but Emily is special. I feel Emily was someone I was destined to meet. We just needed each other during a difficult time, and I believe Heavenly Father knew that. It was nice to see an old, wonderful, friend. It warmed my heart. Plus, we got to see her beautiful baby Jackson. So cute! Thanks Emily!
Finally on Saturday my body had all it could take, and I got a sinus infection. It was like my body said “It’s time for you to rest, and I’m going to make you sick if needs be”. Fortunately for my body I listened and rested for 2 whole days and by Tuesday I felt 95% better. I am grateful it wasn’t one of those infections that lingers for months- like the kind I had last Fall. Those stink!
For work it felt satisfying to see improvement on the yards (even if, to be honest, I don’t get what makes good grass different from bad grass!). Plus, everyone who stayed at the properties was not only happy but glowing in their praise. I know it isn’t good for the ego to get too much praise, but I needed it last week. Havin the praise coming from the tenants made it all the more important and valuable. After all, it is their feedback and happiness that keeps us in business!
It was a fun week even with the work-related struggles. I loved seeing my family- particularly the extended relations that I don’t normally get to see. Anna’s birthday turned out great and the Princess Festival was a lot of fun. I am fortunate to have such an awesome family that supports and loves me regardless of my marital status (or any other factor).
This is kind of random but I made a video of Anna singing and playing the ukulele. Isn’t she amazing?
Also, here is the slideshow I made up for the reunion. It had music when I showed it but youtube disabled it. Even so, Enjoy!
So, here are the photos from the week. I will include more as I get them from other family members. I couldn’t find a way to rotate photos in wordpress. If any of you know how then please fill me in!
The Snake Bite of Being Offended June 26, 2009
President Brigham Young, the Mormon Prophet, once compared being offended to a poisonous snakebite. He said that “there are two courses of action to follow when one is bitten by a rattlesnake. One may, in anger, fear, or vengefulness, pursue the creature and kill it. Or he may make full haste to get the venom out of his system.” He said, “If we pursue the latter course we will likely survive, but if we attempt to follow the former, we may not be around long enough to finish it.”
I was thinking about this advice today when I felt offended, even hurt, over a miscommunication which had occurred with a friend. I won’t get into the details but suffice it to say a mistake I had made was criticized, and I was upset over the manner of the critique. After the initial disagreement I sat fuming and crying. “How dare they treat me like this?” There was even a side of me that thought “Just wait until they mess up, and I will show them how it feels”.
Naturally these were initial childish reactions, and they quickly passed. After a few minutes I was able to calm down and analyze the situation. I realized I had several options available:
1. I could call back in a huff and let my anger out.
2. I could ignore the problem and let it simmer.
3. I could call and discuss my feelings and reconcile.
I chose the latter option. I called this friend and explained (with some tears!) that I accepted the content of their suggestions but the tone offended me. I told them of my hurt feelings. As one might expect, they felt bad and said they did not mean to come across with that tone.
In the end, we were able to communicate and our relationship is better as a result. This experience taught me a lesson. Usually there is a productive way to express feelings instead of being offended or allowing hurt to well up until it explodes. Believe me, I have learned the hard way that the other options lead to more pain and more ulcers!
Most people are trying to be good, non-offensive folks. Sometimes the words, and the manner of those words get in the way. Like Brigham said finding ways to not be offended saves our lives from the poison of anger and bitterness.
On a slightly different note- thank you for the positive feedback on my blog. I was just at an enrichment activity and someone mentioned how much they enjoy reading it. Comments like that build me up and make me feel my small efforts are valued. Thanks.
Thoroughly Uncool June 10, 2009
I like to think of myself as a fun person- as a social person that people enjoy being around and for the most part I am. However, as I get older it seems to get harder to make friends and form groups? Does anyone else find this to be the case? I don’t know if it is because I have such great friends and do not feel the need to make new ones or if other people are too busy, or perhaps I’m not as agreeable as I used to be? It’s funny because I think my skills as a host have only improved as I’ve gotten older- and yet there seems to be less to host!
What brought all of these thoughts up is I have been trying to organize small groups for our church ladies organization called Enrichment. These groups are supposed to focus on a variety of topics and help all the women in the congregation feel included. In past wards I have had success in gathering girls for book clubs, cooking groups, and movie nights, but not in this ward. It is like pulling teeth to get anyone to come to anything. Yesterday we had book club and I picked a Jane Austen- Persuasion (so good!)- and I am embarrassed to say nobody came except for my roommate. A bunch of people had said they could come on Sunday but then nobody showed. Only 2 called with excuses (one had a flooded basement and another had a bad flu). On a side note- whatever happened to the notion of RSVP’ing. I grew up in Maryland where a little of that Southern hospitality creeped into the culture. If you said you were going to be somewhere, you better be in a hospital if you don’t show up. At least a call explaining why you can’t come should be common courtesy.
Don’t worry- I wasn’t devastated or anything merely disappointed that I couldn’t talk about the book and that my pretty tea party went unappreciated. Boo hoo! Thankfully Megan had read the book for her book club last month and so I called and we had a good discussion. Plus, my cute nieces and sisters are coming into town so we will have a tea party together! (In fact, on Saturday we are going to the Princess Festival in Lindon- how fun will that be!). The whole family is arriving tomorrow, and I can’t wait. It has only been a couple months since I saw them but it feels longer. Baby Nelle is crawling and pulling herself up already! Wow!
I am not intending this posting to engender pity- I have great friends, and I have a full life. I am merely puzzled by my recent inability to attract new friends. It isn’t just with Enrichment but the few times I have had parties the turnout is low. I used to be able to always attract a crowd. Weird, hah? I’ve even offered to have a party up at the rental homes with a hot tub and pool table, but nobody has taken me up on it. What do you all think? Is there an age where movie nights and game parties are passe?
This is a funny entry on SWPL that applies to the need to host dinner parties. Enjoy!
Though many would have you believe that white people come of age at Summer Camp, it’s simply not the truth. Immediately following graduation but prior to renovating a house, white people take their first step from childhood to maturity by hosting a successful dinner party.
It is imperative that white people know how to host a good dinner party as they will be expected to do it well into retirement.
At the most basic level, these simple gatherings involve 3-6 couples getting together at a single house or apartment, having dinner and talking for 5-6 hours. Though it might seem basic these events are some of the most stressful situations in all of white culture.
Hosts are expected to deliver a magical evening. The food must be home made with fresh, organic ingredients, the music must be just right (ambient, new, but not too loud), and the decorations inside the house should be subtle but elegant. The ultimate goal is to do a better job than the couple at the last dinner party while attempting to make everyone jealous and sort of dislike you.
The dinner party is the opportunity for white people to be judged on their taste in food, wine, furniture, art, interior design, music, and books. Outside of dictatorships and a few murder trials, there might not be a more rigorous judgment process in the modern world. Everything must be perfect. One copy of US Weekly, a McDonalds wrapper, a book by John Grisham, a Third Eye Blind CD, or an Old School DVD can undo months and maybe even years of work.
Even before guests arrive the pressure on the host is immense and it does not let up once people begin to arrive. While eating, drinking, and conversation are expected to fill up 5-6 hours, sometimes it’s just not enough. In order to fill the silence, white people will often turn to board games (Cranium!) or Wii Bowling. This lets everyone have fun together without having to really talk to each other, which is usually more fun anyways.
It is strongly encouraged to bring a gift to these dinner parties, usually either wine or some kind of dessert. If you are able to bring a particularly rare dish from your culture, you will be the star of the party. To seal the deal, be sure to explain as much as you possibly can about the dish: history, availability, and the proper way to eat it. Every white person at the party will be taking mental notes and will be in your debt for introducing them to something new and authentic. If a white person says they have eaten the dish before, it is best to respond by saying “you ate a watered down version. They don’t even sell this to white people, it’s that intense. Even I had to show ID.”
The entire party will universally acknowledge you as the top guests, even the hosts will appreciate you for bringing diversity to the table in both food and person form.
