A Clock Without Hands....

time
There is never enough of it. We try to hold onto it like an overboard passenger being thrown a life preserver. We think if we can only hang on, it will keep us from sinking. The hands spin ever faster with each passing year. We see our children become adults in a hiccup.

Often, our dreams are of ripping the hands off and just letting time stand still. Drinking in the moments of splendor that this life affords us.

Sometimes, our only wish is to turn back the clock to a different time. Maybe a moment when you felt truly alive or when a little voice first said "Momma". We ache to change some wrong that we have committed or possibly prevent something horrific. If only's fill our lips. Our wishes whispered to return to that moment fall on the ticking dial that rules our planet.

And perhaps, for some of you, you desire a spinning forward; the inevitable trial that drags on too long. You pray that speed will be your saviour. On your knees, hurry becomes your breathless prayer.

Time is a gift that is reserved only for us. Our days our counted, our minutes logged, somewhere safe. What we do, who we become, with our time is up to us.

What I do know is that...

FOREVER

is not measured with hands.

It has no end and no beginning.

I rejoice in that.

Little Treasures

Sometimes all we have to hang onto are the little things. Today, I am grateful for my creativity. I found some really great scrapbook paper to make a Christmas gift with. When it's done, it will be a Day in the Life book for Grandma and Grandpa ?. It's from October Afternoon . I can cut, sew and glue this together to create a masterpiece. Things like this make getting out of bed worth it. Is that shallow?

If I have Yoga pants on, does it count as Exercise?

Some days you have the best of intentions. Then life happens. It just so happens that yesterday, I was all geared up to go to the YMCA for an intense hour long workout while my son was at his last football practice. But then life through a curve ball at me. You know you want to pretend that the speeding object in front of you is really just dust and it wont hurt at all. Until you look in the mirror at the shiner left in it's wake.

I have a shiner...a 2500 dollar shiner. The miracle van is turning into a money pit. So as I tried to get my "new" vehicle out of the driveway yesterday I was hit with that curve ball. I managed to make it down the mountain to the shop after dropping off my kid at his practice. Of course they don't do Volkswagens, and how dare I buy one because they suck.

Now I know that the transmission is caput the brakes need changing, and it will cost as much to fix as going and buying another 2500 dollar vehicle. See, we can't buy anything more expensive because the bankruptcy attorney can turn around and take it.

Luckily, with my husband's new promotion, they are giving him a company car. I'm praying that day comes sooner than later. (preferably before they come take the Tahoe away which likely is anyday)

Anyway, I know most of you write about all your nice and wonderful lives and happy happy joy joy experiences, but I like to write about my real tortures and how I make it through. I'm like the dude in the book of Mormon that bemoans how wretched it is. Never been one to be all happy happy joy joy, like my husband who always sees his glass half full. I'm the kind of girl who is just out there begging for a cup...

Diet Coke...the Mormon Housewife Addiction

When I lived in Utah, I did quite a bit of interior design work. Yes, I had a JOB! It was an awesome job. Let's just say that in the past few years since moving to Oregon, I have not been able to use my ability. The wind got sucked out of my sails so to speak. Not only did I not get many offers to stage homes or help with remodels, but I shunned it. Who wants to be reminded of something they can't have? Not me. One of the last homes that I was consulting on was going to be in Utah's Parade of Homes. And in the butlers pantry, we were going to add a built in Diet Coke machine...Yep! Diet Coke on tap 24/7. I don't know one woman that doesn't drink Diet Coke and live in Utah.

Diet Coke and I don't get along. Shhh, don't tell. I don't do diet. If it didn't exist before 1900, I wont consume it. Call me picky, call me a nature nut, I just don't like consuming chemicals. So this leaves me with a choice to consume very expensive soda like Jones or drink water. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke, but it does not like me. Corn syrup and me are not friends. So what to do. Well I went to a company party where everyone was drinking but Patrick and I and a bottle of water just didn't cut it. So I took a Perrier. I'm hooked! Tastes great, no calories or anything else and I look cool! It's all about the cool...can you just see me? "I'd like a Perrier, waiter...." HeHe!

When It Rains, It Pours.

I always worry, I wont have much to occupy my time. After my kids go back to school, I lament that my days will be filled with endless cleaning and that is about it. Then life happens and canning kicks in. Gone are those thoughts of nothing to do. There is always something to do. My list gets longer everyday. But lately, it exploded. On Sunday, during a lull in the rain storm, I picked the last bowl of Concord grapes to make jelly with. Unfortunately, I had no pectin, so I must get that done in the next few days or else they will go to waste. A post for my blog everyday, writing almost 2000 words a day for a novel, orchestrating a surprise move (it's official, we are moving Jan 1) and the redecorating that will precede it, a Super Saturday project to prepare for people, a million errands, a missionary discussion every Sunday for the next few weeks, Football playoffs, Christmas shopping and making... It begs the question, How am I going to get it all done? Beats me! But it is really fun and even though I'm exhausted, I wouldn't have it any other way. So if my kids come to church in dirty clothes for the next few weeks and I look like I have a stripe on top of my head due to grow out, just smile, because I am really happy right now and this bone that God has thrown me tastes really good!

Geezer Moments...

Do you ever catch yourself saying, "When I was your age?" Today, I was remembering where I was when the Berlin wall crumbled. My children have no clue what the cold war was or that we had dials on our TV. I was just reminiscing with my husband last night that as children, we would have to rent the VCR from the video store because they were so expensive to buy. Does anyone remember having a Beta? We did. And how about the first mobile phone that was so big you could kill someone if you threw it at them at the wrong angle. We didn't have personal computers and there was no such thing as the Internet. I remember playing Asteroids and Frogger on our Atari. Cracks me up! How about a map people? Gone our the days when you had to pull over to look at a map or heaven forbid, ask a gas station attendant. Now you just plug it into your GPS. I remember when AIDS was discovered and drove in a Pinto with my grandma. I remember thinking that it would be cool to have a phone, music player, a TV, and a planner all in one little electronic device...enter the IPhone. Those were the days....Can you even fathom what is in store for our children??? What are you just in awe of that wasn't even in existence 20 years ago?

Heaven in a Bungalow

I found a treasure in Newberg that just opened in the last two weeks. The Sweetest Thing If you ever have a hankering for a butter cream topped cupcake that melts softly in your mouth and a moist mouthful, then stop by this little gem. It's tucked away in a yellow 1920's bungalow with ample parking along 99W in Newberg. When you walk in, a small bell welcomes you to a glass front filled with yummy creations. Not only do they carry 4 or 5 staple cupcakes in 2 different sizes, but they also have 4 or 5 different flavors for different days of the week. So if on Friday you need a peanut butter and chocolate fix, just order their Perfect Marriage. I devoured a Pumpkin Chocolate. Not only is the food gourmet, but the atmosphere is classy and top notch. Dark stained moulding and builtin's that are period 1920 bungalow line the wall. Ample seating line large rooms to bring a family for a treat or a birthday party. They do special orders and I love that they are not open on Sunday. This is a family affair according to their website. I'm hoping they will adopt me soon!

( For those of you that had a mini cupcake on Friday with me, please comment and tell everyone the Heaven that you experienced. This is no Fred Meyer cupcake!)