"Take My Feelings Seriously"

This statement was made by Katie Holmes in the movie "Mad Money", and it always made me laugh.

I work with a sometimes high-stress individual. She is a wonderful person, but occasionally, when she gets going, she pushes me right over the edge. I feed easily off the mood and energy of others. When she goes into this mode, my anxiety level goes right through the roof.

I walked in today and had less than 5 minutes in the office before she was at my desk, panicky eyes, hyper movements, and agitated voice saying she had a bad feeling about today and that I needed to avoid all confined spaces and if I did have to go into a space I was supposed to take someone with me. She essentially invoked the buddy system upon our entire plant today. And she is going desk by desk to tell everyone this.

After I received my admonition, I sat here taking deep breaths trying to get my anxiety level down and get back to normal and this clip from "Mad Money" popped in my head, and now I just can't stop laughing. I'm hoping that I get to write tomorrow or the next day and say that NOTHING of any consequence happened, but I think I'll still take some extra precautions. Better safe than sorry.

The Student

That's me...I am the student. Last night I received my acceptance letter back to BYU-Idaho...this time online. And if you've applied for online, you know it's not a rigorous as the on campus procedure, but the result is the same. I'm SO EXCITED!! Classes start in just over a month and I can't wait to get going.

You know the saying "good things come to those who wait". Well, that may be true, but I've been waiting for the "right" time to go back to school and every time I get close to starting, something changes, I end up moving, all sorts of things. Not this time. And while good things have come to me while I have been waiting for this chance, I'm going to go ahead and change this statement to read:

"Good things come to those who work hard!"

Need a Laugh??

Before I start this story there is something that you MUST understand. I have CRAZY hiccups. If you know me, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, they've been described as everything from a pterodactyl, frog, a bird, the dog...you get the idea. And they are ridiculous!!

At the Pioneer Day activity we attended on Saturday night at the church, I sat next to a very clever and funny 10 year old girl. They announced that funnel cakes would be ready in about 20 minutes and we were all chatting about our favorite fried foods. Fried Oreos came up (I try not to think about them often...that's cruel and unusual punishment to myself) and this girl didn't seem very impressed by the idea. We talked further and by the time I finished, she seemed in favor of trying them.

I told her that I had a gift, that I could make ANYTHING sound good. Without ANY hesitation (and I'm still not sure how it all happened) she quipped back, "yeah, except a hiccup". Oh. My. GOODNESS!! Everyone sitting there was rolling with laughter!! To date, that is the best thing I've heard ANYONE say about my hiccups!! Amazing!

Fruity Pasta Salad

Another great recipe from Josi Kilpack's culinary mystery series. This one from the book "Key Lime Pie". Out of all of the recipes, this is one that made my mouth water from the very first day I read about it...YEARS ago...and I JUST got around to making it. I made a few "adjustments" to suit my current dietary needs which I'll notate below. Here you go!

Ingredients:
2 cups mayonnaise (I used 2 cups vanilla greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2-3 chicken breasts, diced *
1 (16-oz) package tri-colored pasta (Rotini, wacky mac, penne, etc.)
2 (15-oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained (Shawn likes fresh mangoes, for a more tropical taste) (I used fresh mango...HIGHLY recommended!!)
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Chow mein noodles (I skipped these entirely, but I imagine they would be fabulous)

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, celery seed, honey, salt, and pepper together. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken in a pan, then dice and place in a large bowl. While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta, then drain and add to chicken. Add the mandarin oranges, sugar snap peas, green onions, and mayonnaise sauce (greek yogurt sauce) to the bowl. Gently mix together until everything is covered with the sauce. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Top with chow mein noodles.
Serves 12.
*Can use canned chicken in a pinch.

If you go ahead and use the greek yogurt in place of the mayo, don't refrigerate first. I did and it soaked in to the pasta and was dry, but it was sooo good at the very beginning. That, or make extra sauce to serve on the side after refrigeration. Either way, I think you'll like this one. I know I did and without trying to sound entirely selfish, that's what it is all about. :)

Another Beginning

I attended a beautiful funeral service yesterday for a dear lady in our ward (our local church congregation). I didn't know her very well, but she was a great example and role model, someone I looked up to. I'm a people watcher by nature, and I never realize how much someone has influenced me until they are gone. She was incredibly gifted in music, and that's most of what I personally knew of her. I learned a lot more about her yesterday at her funeral.

As the service went on and we remembered her, it was nice to remember that this life isn't the end. When we leave this life it's not an end, rather another beginning. Our spirit continues living, we continue progressing. So, even though she has left us for the time, it's not "good bye", it's more of an "until we meet again". I'm so grateful for the knowledge that physical death is temporary and that through the Atonement and resurrection of Christ, we can live again. If you want to know more, click here.

Looking Back

I know I’ve written about this talk before, but it’s come to mind again this week in two different scenarios, so I MUST share. The talk I’m thinking of was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland entitled “Remember Lot’s Wife”. If you remember the story of Lot’s wife, Lot was commanded to leave Sodom and Gomorrah and take his family with him. They were told not to look back. But Lot’s wife did and she turned into a pillar of salt.

The last couple of weeks I’ve done a little “looking back”. I was given an opportunity to consider going back to a previous time in life. It would have meant leaving everything I have worked for here, the friends I’ve made, the plans I have in the works, and turning my back on what I’ve learned (so to speak). For so many months I prayed for a change, for a way out. I didn’t think I could be here anymore. I was ready to move on, to do something different. And then Heavenly Father sent me some INCREDIBLE friends!!They made my life worth living again. They helped me find joy again. They helped me move forward. I needed that so badly. And as it turned out, it was the lessons from these friends that helped me realize that even with this opportunity, going back isn’t the answer, moving forward is. So even though I thought I wanted to go back, it turns out that what I REALLY want is to stay right here.

The second thing that brought this talk to mind is one of these friends. Sister McCracken is one of the missionaries that has been serving in our ward for the last several months and has had a huge impact on my life. I had to say good bye last night as she is heading home. She shared a story called “The Flying Trapeze”, all about transitions and changes in life. The sentiments shared there, and directly from her, are feelings I had as I was preparing to move here. I had known for months that I had wanted to move here, I was blessed to bring a job with me when I came, but ultimately I had no idea what was in store for me when I arrived, or any time beyond that point. I had a dream before I moved about jumping off of one cliff to another one, and that was the best way I could describe what I was really feeling. It was scary to take that next step. It is scary to move into the unknown. But it must be done if we want to grow. I was lucky because I really wanted to be in Georgia (crazy!!), so looking back longingly to Utah wasn’t entirely the issue. Leaving Lori behind was TERRIBLY hard. I hated saying goodbye to friends that had become my family for two years. I didn’t know if I would ever have friends here in this place. People out West loved (and continue to love) to point out that my dating life would suffer in the long run, that professional opportunities wouldn’t exist, that overall  this was a bad idea for me. Everyone tried to make me believe that leaving would be the worst thing I could do for myself. And while they weren’t entirely wrong on that whole dating thing, this place is incredible.

One of the elders last night told Sister McCracken to just jump in when she gets home, not to sit still and take time to adjust, or wish to return. I wish someone would have told me that. It took me almost nine months to finally jump in to my real life and establish myself the way I wanted. When I moved here I was asked what I wanted next in my life. The answer was simple…to settle down. That typically implies a marriage and family, and ultimately that is the goal, but it isn’t what I wanted necessarily. What I wanted, and needed, was to plant myself firmly. No longing for a past that I couldn’t have, no looking back and wondering “what could have been”. I needed to settle in MY life.

I thought the answer to settling down lied in getting my own place, but that isn’t it either. The answer is to look forward, to believe, and to be content. If I spend my time looking back, I can’t see what is coming. And what is coming is HUGE, it is GRAND, it is INCREDIBLE. I have NO idea what that is for me, but He does, and that’s all I need.

So as we each make our transitions, some are found in going, some in coming, and some in staying right here, we need to ensure that our eyes are focused in the right direction.

Days of Summer

The best thing about living in the South in the summer is fresh from the vine watermelon! I mean, how can you go wrong with something so perfect?? And take a look at how big it is!!