Pretty Woman . . .

like you've never heard it before. :o)

What if . . .

Mass-tagged by Melly, here goes. 

1....you could bring one character from your favorite book to life, who would it be?

Lotty Wilkins, from The Enchanted April 

2....you could solve one of history's unsolved mysteries, which would it be?

Who Killed Rodger Rabbit. 

3....you were stranded on a deserted island, what 2 people would you chose to be stranded with?

Vern, and an eldery native of a similar island, to teach us how to survive. 

4....you could spend a day with any celebrity, dead or living, who would it be?

 Thomas S. Monson.  I'd love to get a chance to see him as Tom, who his family and friends know. 

5....you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 

To know what to do so that I could take care of my family the way I really want to. 

6....you could live anywhere, where would you live?

Right where I am.  (Or at least within a five mile radius. ;o) 

So, not too exciting, not very unusual.  Hopefully it works, though.  I hope all of you and yours are having a wonderful December, and will have an even better Christmas and New Year.  And now, off to feed the hordes . . . again . . . 

Christmas Catalog Creativity

So, my bloggy friend Amy Boogie challenged her readers to find something to do with the glut of catalogs we all get in the mail.  

(What's up with the catalog avalanche, anyway?  It used to be the JC Penney Catalog and the Sears Big Book, and that was it.  I'm just glad they can be recycled.)  I counted the stack, and a couple other strays, and I had collected 15 in ONE week.  Yikes.

So, as I was trying to think of something fun to do with them before they went into the recycling bin, I came up with a kid-friendly idea.  Kiddie decoupage.  (Unfortunately, no children were decoupaged during the making of this project.)  Even better, kiddie decoupage on some of those boxes we keep getting in the mail.  (Since when did cardboard become so ubiquitous?  Cardboard boxes were such a rarity when I was a kid.  Hmmm . . . a glut of catalogs and cardboard boxes.  Could there be a connection?  Ummmm . . . nevermind . . . Vern, you didn't just read that.)

Materials:

Catalogs

Previously-used cardboard boxes

Glue sticks

Scissors

Munchkins

Give the children their tools (age-appropriate scissors, please), and let them snip and trim to their hearts' content.  

While they're doing that, take all of the tape and shiny labels off of the boxes.  The glue stick glue won't stick very well to the glossy surfaces, and this saves a lot of frustration for the little ones.

Try to get them to cover the cardboard completely with the pictures they cut out.  Glueing the edges down is helpful.  Only the sides, and the larger flaps on top and bottom need covering, as the short flaps will be covered by the other flaps once the boxes are closed.

Do your best to keep them focused until the boxes are covered . . . but if not, Daddy will likely love it anyway. :o)  And finally, voila!, you'll have works of art in which to nestle precious gifts from children to beloved relatives and friends.  (Almost as good as wrapping gifts in comic pages, no?)

I don't have a finished photo yet of the boxes . . . naptime was finished before they were, and then dinnertime and bedtime and all of those other mandatory -times took precedence.  They're coming along beautifully, though!

So, there's a way to use up fairly large portions of the catalogs, and reuse boxes, too.  Double recycling karma points, eh?  I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.  I woud love to win the contest, but I'm afraid my contribution isn't as beautiful as other's will be.  Here's to hoping. :o)

And lastly, a teaser . . . 

Guess what those are???

Have a wonderful weekend!

Overheard at my Island

MissE, playing make-believe with the Anderman:

"And, how about, when the volcano was interrupting . . ."

Anderman:

"Yeah! While the volcano was interrupting . . . "

Pass it on, please . . .

Don't let this one get you.

Man, I hate viruses . . .

Words I needed to hear.

". . . I realized that spending all your energy on things you have to do makes your life disappear . . ."

Thank you, Lene.  We've never met, but I deeply appreciate your Celebratory post.

Lately, the "have to's" in life have required more hours than I have in me.  I've been depressed, exhausted, weak and a lousy  mom.  Here's to spending my life on things that bring me to life, and sharing them with my children.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Refining the Plea for Tolerance

Thank you, everyone, for your responses to my last post.  I especially appreciate Dave's comment.

Dave said:

So when women were refused the vote - they should have just accepted the rule of law and just shut up? Black people should have been happy with slavery because the law demanded it? Repression leads to protest ... bigotry to outrage ... that TOO is part of the democratic process.

I agree with you that it's a good thing women have the vote, and human rights don't hang on the color of skin.  (Understatement reigns supreme. ;o)  I'm not one to champion the tyrranical nature of democracy in the least.  If memory serves, it was Benjamin Franklin who said "Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner."  Tyrrany of the majority it is, and that's why America began as a republic.

(Btw . . . did I miss something? I don't remember championing bigotry or prejudice . . . if someone would point out how I managed to do that, I'd be happy to edit and revise, as that wasn't my goal.)

I completely agree with Dave's closing comment: protest and outrage have been, and continue to be, a part of the democratic process. They are a normal and often healthy human response to events in the world. I completely accept that as true. I don't accept that vandalism or violence against peaceful people is a necessary part of democracy.

I endeavored to say that I wish the vandalism, intimidation, and hateful screaming by protesters would stop. Those in opposition to Prop 8 have destroyed property, shouted epithets and picked fights with those whom they believed to have supported Prop 8.  I'm sure there have been some of the Prop 8 supporters, as well, who have been less than peaceful . . . but I have yet to hear about more than one . . . and he was covered in spittle with a damaged truck before he finally gave one of the male spitters a bloody nose.  The current legal climate does a good job of keeping them in check (which is a good end to that means, imho).

My cry is simply for decency . . . for respect . . . and for rational behavior. Destruction and anger only leads to more of the same. Peaceful protest is excellent--it raises awareness, and opens the doors for education and dialogue. A number of the protests surrounding the outcome of the Prop 8 vote (those I've seen video and heard accounts of) are a far cry from that.

Add to that the unsettling thought that protests and rallies in history which have used anger and mob politics to fuel their cause have been linked to miserably failed political/economic systems, (USSR, anyone?), and this situation surely gives one pause.

All of the fighting and conflict over this makes one wonder whether or not government should have anything to do with marriage at all.

Common Sense Holidays

This is some of the best common sense about the holiday season that I've ever read.  It's from the Managing Your Life blog, written by Rebecca herself:

"One thing I've found with Christmas, birthdays or any holiday, is that while the build-up is tremendously exciting, it also puts super duper pressure on one day. In that sense, it's always going to be a bit of a let-down when the day is over. I used to save every little purchase, whether gifts or fun food for Christmas day; in an attempt to make it as magically wonderful as possible. There is really no amount of anything that can take away the fact that the day will end; you will not be able to play with all the games received or eat all the food prepared... Cutting back and spreading the cheer to more than just one day has helped me and my family be more fully excited about the entire season."

We've been discussing, Vern and I, this kind of thing, and trying to figure out how to spread the holidays out over as many days as possible.  Rebecca just said it so clearly, I had to share.  (Not much clear thinking is going on in my head right now . . . sick kids, little & late sleep, and a losing laundry battle are taking their toll. lol)

G'night . . . 

November 16: International Day for Tolerance

Can't we all just be nice to each other?  Please?

With all of the craziness that has been sparked over the result of Prop 8 in California, I've been wishing harder than ever that we could all just be respectful.

In this country, we still have the opportunity to vote.  Once those votes are tallied, law is made.  If there are people that don't like the result, it is then their opportunity to bring their own proposition to the people at the next election, or bring it to the court.

If I went and pasted signs in support of Prop 8 on the homes of gay and lesbian couples I know, (with whom I'm on good terms, btw), odds are I could be put in prison, fined, or both.  In our current political climate, that's considered a hate crime.  The Prop 8 opposers have done just that . . . only their posters were on the house of my God.  And since Christians (and other religious sects supporting the Prop 8 definition of marriage) are not protected classes, odds are no such charges will be brought against the demonstrators.

Deomonstrating in large, angry crowds on Sundays outside of the buildings where members of my church gather does nothing to change the result of the voting on Prop 8.  It's intimidating to church members who are gathering peacefully as Christians are instructed to do.  Demonstrations such as those are no more than retribution and intimidation . . . and that's not supposed to be a part of our political process.  

And if singling out one church from the multitude of churches who actively supported Prop 8 isn't discrimination, I don't know what is.

************************

Closing note:  I welcome respectful questions and statements in response to this post.  Dissenting views are welcome, provided they are not laced with profanity, vulgarity, or hate.  No disagreement was ever settled with any of those.  Thank you.

This will have to suffice.

In the place of a real blog post, I give you:

My Autumn Test Results

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find abundance to be the most comforting thing in the world. You love shopping and having nice things. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

For once, one of these things is pretty much spot-on.  Fun. :o)

I'm up this late due to a little boy who broke out in hives today, hopefully due to the mild virus he had earlier this week.  Vern and I even had a date planned (with a baby-sitter, good friends to eat with, and everything!).  However, I just couldn't leave the Anderman, looking so uncomfortable and with big, red hives all over him.  They've mostly gone, now; just a few are left on his extremeties, and on the back of his neck.  Hopefully by morning he'll be good as new.

I have a feeling I won't be, though.

I've been up until at least 11pm every night this week so far, and I'm feeling it.  This is the latest I've been up, but now that my little guy is asleep and breathing easily, with most of the concerning hyper-allergic reaction dissipated, I think I can go sleep, too.

I hope all is well in blogland.  I've been reading, but not commenting much as we've had company and the Anderman's aforementioned illness.  I'm desperately hoping for some nap time tomorrow . . . we'll see how it goes.  The baby's teething, so he's not sleeping for long stretches, either.

Ah, the joys of motherhood. ;o)

Have a wonderful Sabbath, everyone!