Today I am 36 years old. Yay! My husband has a lot of fun going around the house telling everyone that I am the oldest person in the family. This has my youngest son thinking that I will be the first person to pass away in our family. Hopefully that will be many years down the road.
Anyway, my last post was about King Lear and how lame it is to get older, but I decided that aging is just part of the course. This last week my oldest went to girls camp with our stake, and it was so fun to drive her up there with some of her friends, set up their tent, and get all their pads and sleeping bags set up. It was fun to see how excited she was to stay there all week and be with the other amazing young women her age or older from our church. I was jealous as I left that I wasn't staying. I decided that next year I will just have to volunteer to help out at camp and stay for the week.
Having a daughter old enough to go to camp does reflect on my age, but at the same time, it shows that our family is growing and progressing in life, and that progression is fun and exciting to see. So, as much as I don't like certain aspects of the aging process (gray hairs, wrinkles, giggly skin and folds), maturing is pretty cool. Life is good, and I'm grateful for all the many adventures the last 36 years have brought.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Getting old is lame!
King Lear, by William Shakespeare
I LOVED King Lear on so many levels. First I loved the character foils, one clearly bad, and the other clearly good and loyal. I loved the fool and the loyal servant, Kent, to King Lear, and the role they both played in supporting King Lear after his two oldest daughters start treating him like he is just an old man, that they should pity, showing no respect to his office and the gifts he has bestowed upon him.
I love how Shakespeare used the theme of madness throughout the entire play, with some characters showing true madness, and others hiding their true disguises through madness. I love how Shakespeare used the role of a fool the represent the real food, and those acting foolish.
This story was also especially touching to me having witnessed recently friends and family get older and lose some of their wits, or physical ability, and to see how family or friends treat them differently, both in a condescending way, and also out of the good for the individual.
Being a parent is hard, and being a child to aging parents is a challenge also. I hope that I will be like Cordelia, Kent, Edgar, or the fool in how I treat them. Such a good play!
I LOVED King Lear on so many levels. First I loved the character foils, one clearly bad, and the other clearly good and loyal. I loved the fool and the loyal servant, Kent, to King Lear, and the role they both played in supporting King Lear after his two oldest daughters start treating him like he is just an old man, that they should pity, showing no respect to his office and the gifts he has bestowed upon him.
I love how Shakespeare used the theme of madness throughout the entire play, with some characters showing true madness, and others hiding their true disguises through madness. I love how Shakespeare used the role of a fool the represent the real food, and those acting foolish.
This story was also especially touching to me having witnessed recently friends and family get older and lose some of their wits, or physical ability, and to see how family or friends treat them differently, both in a condescending way, and also out of the good for the individual.
Being a parent is hard, and being a child to aging parents is a challenge also. I hope that I will be like Cordelia, Kent, Edgar, or the fool in how I treat them. Such a good play!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
It's about time!
I know everyone has just been waiting for my latest book, movie, and life musing updates, so here they are.
Movies - loved Star Trek Into Darkness. It was such a fun movie to get into, even if you aren't a big trekky, which I'm not. It is such a character driven story, that it was so easy to get sucked in to the story line and love/hate what was happening. I was totally surprised at what awesome acting all the actors did.
Prince of Persia - way cheesy show, produced by Disney, but had a surprisingly awesome ending, that made me like it better than I thought I would because of all the cheesy lines and acting. It seemed like the show was trying to be a little like Pirates of the Carribean, with the funny banter throughout, but it wasn't. However, overall it was good.
Books- Okay, I'm in love with Shakespeare. He was a genius and I am baffled each time I read/listen to a play at what a master he was at understanding human nature in all it's variables. Twelth Night was one of my favorite laugh out loud plays. So fun. Just read it, or even better, listen to it with a full cast audio book production. It will rock your world.
Rachel Morgan- one of my new favorite authors. I recently just read the first two books in a series called The Faerie Gaurdian and The Faerie Prince. Very fun fantasy books with awesome writing and hilarious banter between characters, and just the right amount of romance for my liking. Way fun.
As for life musings, I may have something to add after I finish King Lear. My heart is breaking for Lear, and I love the loyal Kent!
Well, happy reading/watching/running/pondering, or whatever it is you do for leisure.
Movies - loved Star Trek Into Darkness. It was such a fun movie to get into, even if you aren't a big trekky, which I'm not. It is such a character driven story, that it was so easy to get sucked in to the story line and love/hate what was happening. I was totally surprised at what awesome acting all the actors did.
Prince of Persia - way cheesy show, produced by Disney, but had a surprisingly awesome ending, that made me like it better than I thought I would because of all the cheesy lines and acting. It seemed like the show was trying to be a little like Pirates of the Carribean, with the funny banter throughout, but it wasn't. However, overall it was good.
Books- Okay, I'm in love with Shakespeare. He was a genius and I am baffled each time I read/listen to a play at what a master he was at understanding human nature in all it's variables. Twelth Night was one of my favorite laugh out loud plays. So fun. Just read it, or even better, listen to it with a full cast audio book production. It will rock your world.
Rachel Morgan- one of my new favorite authors. I recently just read the first two books in a series called The Faerie Gaurdian and The Faerie Prince. Very fun fantasy books with awesome writing and hilarious banter between characters, and just the right amount of romance for my liking. Way fun.
As for life musings, I may have something to add after I finish King Lear. My heart is breaking for Lear, and I love the loyal Kent!
Well, happy reading/watching/running/pondering, or whatever it is you do for leisure.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
"The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis
"Fear is courage on your knees." This quote from the book could probably be the theme for most Christian fiction novels, as it was for "The Fiddler." Like so many Christian novels, this story is sweet, clean, and sometimes painfully predictable. However, I still enjoyed it, especially since the author uses the power and love of music as a viable character throughout the story.
Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is a church that is very regimental in it's standards and observance, I loved reading about the struggle some of the characters faced as they tried to decide whether or not they believed and wanted to follow the teachings of their parents, and also what they felt was okay to hold onto from the world and their teachings.
I found the balance Amelia was searching for in her life, which as a solo violinist who tours and plays all over the world was hard for her to find, interesting. In contrast, I loved how the Amish life presented, in it's plainness and shunning of wonderful things, like some music, was just as unbalanced as Amelia's never ending concert playing. I loved that Amelia and Michael both were looking for something in the middle. Michael says, "Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they were better together than apart."
This book reminded me that there is so much that is good in the world, but that certain people classify as bad, and also, that there is so much bad in the world that people classify as good.
Not the most engaging book, but definitely a wholesome contribution to literature.
Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is a church that is very regimental in it's standards and observance, I loved reading about the struggle some of the characters faced as they tried to decide whether or not they believed and wanted to follow the teachings of their parents, and also what they felt was okay to hold onto from the world and their teachings.
I found the balance Amelia was searching for in her life, which as a solo violinist who tours and plays all over the world was hard for her to find, interesting. In contrast, I loved how the Amish life presented, in it's plainness and shunning of wonderful things, like some music, was just as unbalanced as Amelia's never ending concert playing. I loved that Amelia and Michael both were looking for something in the middle. Michael says, "Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they were better together than apart."
This book reminded me that there is so much that is good in the world, but that certain people classify as bad, and also, that there is so much bad in the world that people classify as good.
Not the most engaging book, but definitely a wholesome contribution to literature.
Make a difference!
I recently posted a comment on a friends facebook update about how wonderful it must be for her to feel like she is making a difference in the world. My friends name is April Perry and the main writer of powerofmoms.com. She recently posted a "Your Children Want You!" post, in which she talks about her feelings as a mom and how she feels that she comes up short and fails in her parenting in so many ways. However, as she shares these thoughts, she also tells about what makes her mom wonderful and about wonderful mommy moments she has had, and all of her special experiences don't have anything to do with what size pants she wears, or the decorations around the house, or the sweet smells coming from her kitchen as a result of her amazing cooking skills.
I really appreciated her words, and the post was such a wonderful reminder of what is really important. Mother's Day is coming, and I hope you all can read her post and realize that YOU make the mom, not the stuff around you.
I really appreciated her words, and the post was such a wonderful reminder of what is really important. Mother's Day is coming, and I hope you all can read her post and realize that YOU make the mom, not the stuff around you.
Monday, May 6, 2013
13 days and counting . . .
We are on our 13th day with someone in my family having flu like symptoms. The first child to get it had the worst of the full tobacco flavor (vomiting, high fever, and other gastrointestinal joys), while the next two have just had the high fever for the most part. I'm hoping the last one doesn't get it.
While different aspects of parenting present challenges, I find that being the best, most loving, kind, and patient mom when my kids are sick and want or need something 24/7, is not my first and foremost talent.
I find myself disengaging when I need to be most engaged, and desires of boarding a cruise ship and sailing the ocean blue, keep entering my mind.
Since being more engaged as a mother is something I have been working on, I find it interesting that I am given the opportunity to hone some of the motherly qualities that I would like to be better at, and failing miserably.
I realize that I am getting exactly the kind of chances I need to help me develop better mothering skills, but now that I have them, I find that I don't want them.
When all is said and done, it's really not that bad. My life is so easy and wonderful and overflowing with blessings I can't ever number. And the perspective I feel that I have on what is important and what is not, helps me to not freak out (well not too much) about the spilled milk, vomiting, diarrhea filled underwear, and constant bickering that seems to come with sick kids.
Talking about perspective, check out the movie "Bernie" with Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine. It's a true story about a mortician in this little town of Carthage, Texas. It documents the town's people praising Bernie as the nicest, most kind man they have ever known, and who would do anything to help you and your family. The town's people go on and on about how much they love Bernie, played by Jack Black, while they demonize Ms. Nugent, a recent widow whom Bernie befriends out of an attempt to help her in her grieving over her husbands death, and with whom he becomes something of a lap dog. The town's people describe Ms. Nugent as the meanest, most cantankerous, disagreeable old woman, and when they learn that she is dead at the hands of Bernie, they don't believe it at first. Then when they find out he is guilty, they still think he is the most wonderful man and say that if they are put on the jury, they are going to acquit him.
Is that a crazy perspective or what?
So give me 13 days of flu, and bickering. I'd rather have moments of disengagement, then think it's okay to murder the little old lady down the street.
As always, have a good day!
While different aspects of parenting present challenges, I find that being the best, most loving, kind, and patient mom when my kids are sick and want or need something 24/7, is not my first and foremost talent.
I find myself disengaging when I need to be most engaged, and desires of boarding a cruise ship and sailing the ocean blue, keep entering my mind.
Since being more engaged as a mother is something I have been working on, I find it interesting that I am given the opportunity to hone some of the motherly qualities that I would like to be better at, and failing miserably.
I realize that I am getting exactly the kind of chances I need to help me develop better mothering skills, but now that I have them, I find that I don't want them.
When all is said and done, it's really not that bad. My life is so easy and wonderful and overflowing with blessings I can't ever number. And the perspective I feel that I have on what is important and what is not, helps me to not freak out (well not too much) about the spilled milk, vomiting, diarrhea filled underwear, and constant bickering that seems to come with sick kids.
Talking about perspective, check out the movie "Bernie" with Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine. It's a true story about a mortician in this little town of Carthage, Texas. It documents the town's people praising Bernie as the nicest, most kind man they have ever known, and who would do anything to help you and your family. The town's people go on and on about how much they love Bernie, played by Jack Black, while they demonize Ms. Nugent, a recent widow whom Bernie befriends out of an attempt to help her in her grieving over her husbands death, and with whom he becomes something of a lap dog. The town's people describe Ms. Nugent as the meanest, most cantankerous, disagreeable old woman, and when they learn that she is dead at the hands of Bernie, they don't believe it at first. Then when they find out he is guilty, they still think he is the most wonderful man and say that if they are put on the jury, they are going to acquit him.
Is that a crazy perspective or what?
So give me 13 days of flu, and bickering. I'd rather have moments of disengagement, then think it's okay to murder the little old lady down the street.
As always, have a good day!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Here's What I Think: Date night at the movies - in which I review Iron ...
Here's What I Think: Date night at the movies - in which I review Iron ...: Almost 13 years ago, while my husband and I were preparing to get married, we met with our ecclesiastical leader for some council and advice...
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