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Fortune Collection

Today Carl brought home Panda Express and the top left fortune is the latest addition to my collection. It is a good one. The Orange Chicken he brought me was a dream come true. I have been reading another book set in Italy, so I am once again dreaming of traveling there. I want to see all the history, art and beauty. I am looking forward to that dream becoming a reality.

My favorite of this collection is "The best way to get a good idea is to have lots of ideas." This is definitely a true statement. The more ideas you have to choose from, the more likely one of them will be a good one.

Do You Like My Hat?

At EFY a couple weeks ago the kids did a service project making hats for homeless people. Ryker thought it was big fun. He and Jordyn bought some looms and yarn, and have been making crazy hats the last few days.

Don't ask me why ANYONE in Hawaii would need to wear a hat. . .


"Do you like my hat?" is the sub-plot in "Go Dog Go". When Ryker and Quincie were small it was one of our silly games. One of us would put some goofy thing on our head and then say:

"Hello!"
"Hello!"
"Do you like my hat?"
"I do not."
"Good-by!"
"Good-by!"

"Hello again."
"Hello again."
"Do you like my hat?"
"I do not like it."
"Good-by again."
"Good-by."

"Hello again.
And now do you like my hat?"

"I do.
What a hat!
I like it!
I like that party hat!"

"Good-by!"
"Good-by."

Joella's Fun Memory Game

Joella never does this stuff. If you send her a survey, she won't do it. She is the least likely to respond on all of those "get to know you" questionnaires that go around. So, in an effort to support her in this radical departure from the norm, I have complied with her wishes.

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment to this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog (if you have one) and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one for you.

Hidden City

On stressful days I dream of escaping to a hidden city in the mountains of Colorado, as in Atlas Shrugged. The entry requirements would be rigid. The results would be magical. I am not sure if it is possible in today's modern world. Certainly not in the lower 48. Maybe in Alaska. Modern technological wonders such as GPS and satellites make it rather impossible to hide one home, not to mention an entire city. Someone smarter than me, like the brainiacs at Google, might be able to find a way. If they do, I hope I eventually get the invite to join them.

While I wait, I have an idea. I have witnessed this phenomenon and marveled at those that have chosen it. It's radically simple.

I am talking about those brave souls that shrug, and let the world roll off their shoulders. They have tired of carrying the heavy load and have opted out. They have walked into the AT&T store, and said, "I would like to purchase an iPhone, the new one please. Yes, it will be a new account. Yes, a new number. No, I do NOT wish to port my existing number. No, I don't think I will be needed the 10,000 minutes/month plan. I would like the unlimited data package."

They get a new number. Fresh, clean, unsoiled. The old number gets passed on to an assistant, or left in a drawer to ring until the battery is dead. The voice mails left on this old number may or may not be listened to. The missed calls may or may not be returned. Text messages will not be read, at least not for a long time. Emails going to this phone will fill the inbox to capacity and then begin to bounce.

The new number is given only to those of the inner circle. Only to those you would invite to live with you in the hidden city in the mountains. Only to the producers, only those that you WANT to talk to. Only those that make your load lighter. You know the ones, the people that when you see their number on caller ID you smile, and quickly hang up to take their call. The Dagnys, Fransiscos, Hanks, and John Galts of your world. The rest go to cell phone oblivion. They no longer consume your day, fill your inbox, or drive you mad. The unproductive are cut from your life.

It is starting to happen to my friends. Some in my inner circle have already "disappeared". If you are next, I will be waiting for a call from an unknown number. If I am next, that unknown caller might just be me. I never thought I would seek their daring path. I imagined myself fighting until the bitter end, answering every call, replying to every email. Now, I am not so sure. One more ad for the iphone and I might just go.

If you read my blog, you are on my list of keepers. When I shrug I won't let you fall. I am counting on you to help me hold it all together.

Vampire Love Stories

Stephenie Meyer, and her extremely popular novels are everywhere. The first one has been made into a movie that is due out soon. She is a young, LDS author that has taken the popular culture by storm. Every magazine I read has had an article about her in the last few months. I don't read your typical ladies' magazines either. I am talking about publications like Time and the Costco magazine. I am surprised how good Costco's magazine is. It is mostly book and new tech gadget reviews - 2 of my favorite things! Anyway, I digress ...

Nearly all of my girl friends have read the entire series of books by Stephenie Meyer that starts with "Twilight". They all love them, well, they all love Edward ... The only person who has read them and had a less than stellar recommendation for me is my 16 year old son. He said they were "girlie". But he did read all of them.

About a year ago I downloaded the first one, "Twilight", to my mp3 player, but never listened. A week ago I caved to the mounting peer pressure and pressed play.



I feel a bit like the guy in "Green Eggs and Ham". I have been protesting and saying, "I do not like dumb romance books. I do not like the way it looks. I will not read them in the rain. I would not could not on a train." "I do not like them Sam I Am. "

But ....

I do.

I like them quite a lot.

For the last 4 or 5 days I have listened to nothing but these crazy, mushy, vampire love stories. It has been pure, self-indulgent pleasure.

Don't worry, none of my top 10 favorite books are in any danger of being replaced. I haven't totally lost my mind. I guess I am a sucker for a love story after all.

I'm just so tired ...

I'd like to write something interesting. There are lots of interesting thoughts in this sleepy brain. I am just too tired to keep my eyes open and my fingers moving. Maybe I will have interesting dreams ....

4th of July

My mom knows how to celebrate and we celebrated every holiday with enthusiasm. The 4th of July is her favorite, second only to Christmas. A typical 4th of July from my childhood would have started very early in the morning. I would have been dressed in my most patriotic outfit, including any flag or star jewelry, possibly worn in my pony tails. We would have driven in at least 1 parade, usually more, and thrown candy to the crowd. At some point there would be BBQ, deviled eggs, potato salad, and corn on the cob. We would have small fireworks at home, like snakes, sparklers and bottle rockets. When it was finally dark we would go to the park and watch the big fireworks display sitting on the hood of a car. Throughout it all there would be lots of family, friends, music and laughter.

This year the 4th of July was very different. Ryker was at scout camp all last week. Friday night was the last night and families were invited up for a Luau. Jordyn, Quincie and I drove up to camp Pupukea for the festivities. It was a long drive, but very beautiful.

Camp Pupukea is on top of a mountain that overlooks the ocean. It is an amazingly beautiful spot. Once at the camp you are pretty much in the jungle. You are transported to another world. It is green and lush. Everything is damp and glistening. It rains frequently, nearly every day. It smells magical.

It was great to see Ryker after a week. I missed my boy! He is such a great kid. We watched the scout's closing exercises, and then dug into the feast! Nothing makes me hungrier than camping. Just the smell of camp makes my stomach start to rumble. They piled they yumminess high and deep!

Later, we hiked to the amphitheater for the campfire. There in the dark it could have been a site for medieval druid ceremonies. The rows of seats were cut into the mountain. The tall trees and the jungle surround it on every side. In the center is the campfire. Looking straight up from the fire is the only other light - the stars. The stars are so bright and beautiful.

The different troops all did their skits. Our troop did the Hakka - a native warrior dance from New Zealand - very manly! They were great! Our boys are the best!

At the end of the night the scouts retired an American flag. I had never seen this ceremony before and it was very moving. Ryker, along with boys from the other troops performed the retiring. One of the boys explained what the symbols of the flag mean, and how they need to be retired after they are worn. Respectfully the flag was cut into parts and one by one they were placed on the roaring campfire. Watching the flag burn and the sparks float into the air, up toward those glittering stars brought many things to mind.

The sparks of the flag floated up into the night sky to join the powerful and eternal light of heaven. Just like those that have lived and died for freedom take their spark and add it to the eternal light. We must all do our part. The contribution of each person is vital. Without freedom we cannot reach our full potential as human beings, as children of God.

Freedom is sacred, and the fight for it is our first priority.

I Hate Movie Stores & Love Cotton Candy

Walking into a video store is like being abducted by aliens. Check your watch, cause you are gonna have a chunk of time unaccounted for.

It is just so pointless. All the aimless wandering is for what? Wasting time wandering, looking, for just the right movie to help you waste even more time. I just can't take all that time wasting. It makes my head want to explode. All the aimless wandering makes me dizzy.

I have tried to figure out a good system for "shopping" at a movie store. Do you start at one wall and look at everything thing on every shelf as you move around the vast expanse? If you go to quickly you might miss some hidden treasure. What is all the crap in the middle of the store? How do you do those rows? As you come to them, or after you do the perimeter? Do you choose a genre and only shop there? Do you look for the movies with the flashiest advertising? The ones with the most empty boxes on the shelf? None of these are efficient, none bring you any closer to the right selection. All are an inane waste.

The only good thing about movie stores is that they always have cotton candy. I love cotton candy. The only time I have ever, willingly, under my own power, driven to Blockbuster was to buy bags of cotton candy for Quincie, Ani and Aina. We were on the way to the beach and we always get some ridiculously yummy treat to take to the beach. We bought every single bag they had. Cotton candy is the Queen of all things ridiculous and yummy!