About ten years ago, all of the families that belong to our temple were asked to make an appointment for a portrait session in conjunction with the creation of a new directory. I thought it was a great idea: at the time, I think we had around 350 member families and a photo directory is a wonderful tool for learning the names of people with whom you aren’t already acquainted. We were also promised a free 8 X 10 portrait for coming in. The four of us went in one evening and posed for pictures, and that was that…until the pictures came back. I was horrified. Actually, horrified is a…
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HanukkahBlah
No really, I’m excited about Hanukkah. (Really!) The boys are home this week (er, one is en route) and my parents will be here tomorrow for Thanksgiving with a little Hanukkah on the side. It’s just that I haven’t decorated yet, and at this point–since the holiday begins at sundown TONIGHT (I thought it was tomorrow, arggghhh!)–I’m once again thinking that it would be easier to just quietly scoot those boxes of decorations back into the corner of the crawl space. It’s not the first time this kind of thing has happened; in fact, when I searched through my blog archives just now I found the post I wrote three…
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Something Wonderful
Something wonderful is happening around here. (Indulge me while I brag for a moment. Thank you.) Although it seems like yesterday that we were in the midst of his college search, D is finishing his coursework a semester early. He’ll be done with classes in less than a month! It’s a pretty spectacular accomplishment: he achieved it via a combination of some AP testing for college credit, testing into (and then passing) an advanced German course which earned him the credit for that class plus the year he skipped, and mostly due to his staying the course with his major and getting awesome grades (Dean’s List all the way!). Did…
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When A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words About Another Picture
It’s the time of year when I start to plan what I’m going to do for holiday cards. I’m one of the dinosaurs that still sends them, you see. I used to make them myself: papercrafting, when I had time to do it, was a blast. I loved expressing my creativity on my holiday card project every year, and if the card didn’t have a picture element attached to it, I included one in the envelope so our friends and relatives who don’t see us very often can check out how much the boys have grown during the year. For the last few years, I’ve ordered cards online, and that’s…
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In This Case, “PH” Has Nothing To Do With Chemistry. (Scientific Chemistry, Anyway.)
By far one of the best things that has resulted from blogging since the fall of 2007 is the fact that I can travel just about anywhere and have the ability–time allowing–to meet up with a friend or two (or three, or four, or five) who happens to live there. As soon as I found out I was going to be in Detroit this week I messaged my friend Melissa to let her know I’d be in town and although I didn’t know yet what my schedule was going to be like, I hoped that she would mark the date so we could attempt a meet-up. Melissa has been blogging…
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Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
Today I turn 45. Forty-five. I must admit, I am having some trouble with that number. It doesn’t have anything to do with “feeling old” because truth be told, I feel younger than I did fifteen years ago. It’s just…the number. I don’t like thinking about it, and I don’t like saying it. When I was a kid I did the math to figure out that in the year 2000, I would be thirty-two. I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s really old! I can’t even IMAGINE being that old!” And here I am, thirteen years older than that. I’m thrilled that I have the type of outgoing personality and active lifestyle…
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Be Careful What You Wish For
I have a reputation for being organized (or at least making it look like I am!). I have a reputation for going above and beyond, and I have a reputation for being overly busy. I have a reputation for getting things done. Bear in mind I’m not typing those words with any bit of ego: if you know me, you get it. Every now and then someone will say to me (either verbally or via internet) something along the lines of “I wish I could be like you.” It happened again today, thanks to my dear, sweet friend from north of the border (The Illinois/Wisconsin border, that is). She typed…
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I Knew This Quote Would Come In Handy!
As I write this, it’s still Friday. As you read this, it’s Saturday. (Thank goodness for the ability to schedule posts!) In anticipation of a busy weekend that includes parent activities at J’s college through Sunday morning, some catch-up work on Sunday afternoon and then a surprise activity Jim has planned for us on Sunday night, I was in a slight panic that I would have to throw the white flag up in the air on the second day of NaBloPoMo; things are crazy around here. My Friday consisted of Dailey Method class (of course!), a couple of errands, a shower, quick lunch, conference call, and various other pre-weekend tasks…
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Or I Could Just Keep Buying Bread Like I’ve Done My Entire Life.
We own what I consider to be an average amount of small kitchen appliances. Wait. Better make that a slightly-above-average amount of small kitchen appliances, partly due to the following: 1. We were given one of those Cocomotion hot chocolate makers/mixers a few years ago (we don’t use it anymore but it’s cool so I keep it, you know, just in case). 2. When I purchased a large slow cooker a couple of years ago, I refused to get rid of the small one we already had (Great for entertaining!). 3. We have an electric fondue pot, which (I think) is probably uncommon in the average household, but very common…
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What Goes Up Must Come Down. That’s What Scares Me.
I have a confession to make. I am terrified of skiing. I have been afraid of it for as long as I remember. In fact, I vaguely remember being invited by my uncle and cousins (avid skiers) to go along with them when I was a youngster, and the thought of it paralyzed me so I stayed home. It’s a weird fear to have, I admit it. It doesn’t seem anything like “I’m afraid of spiders” (I’m not) or “I’m afraid of zombies” (Uh, yep!): those are commonly expressed fears. NORMAL fears. I’ve always been afraid of heights, and even though I conquer that fear for about an hour each…