Just Rannin' Around

Friday, March 21, 2008

Cleaning out the closet

It is once again that time of year for me that I start looking around and reorganizing. Spring cleaning has always had a deeper meaning to me.

Just looking at this year, I have already done and been through quite a bit. To name a few of the highlights: enjoying New Year’s Eve more so than I think that I ever have, witnessing several sweet friends sealed in temple ceremonies, seeing Riverdance and The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, organizing and enjoying the 5th annual outing at Moab with spectacular friends, spending the weekend tending my nieces and nephew, speaking and/or teaching every Sunday this year with the exception of only two weeks, teaching classes on Personal Finance and being asked to teach additional ones, gaining a greater understanding of the gospel, not missing a week at the temple, loving my calling, and I could go on and on . . .

Things that I have planned on the horizon: speaking in Sacrament meeting Easter Sunday on the Atonement, spending the weekend in St. George with my family, having more meetings to attend than one should ever have to attend, General Conference, having a friend in town for General Conference weekend who I miss dearly, more teaching/speaking that is already scheduled, running the three 5Ks which I am already registered for and still finding additional ones in which to run, tickets to Annie Get Your Gun and (don’t be jealous) I have tickets to Jack Johnson, my 15-year high school class reunion, witnessing more sweet friends sealed in temple ceremonies, doing temple work in as many different temples as possible (at least a trip out of Utah once a month), continuing to expand my testimony and sharing it with others, more family and more friends and more fun. . . and this is just what I have planned!

There is also some other closet cleaning that is occurring at my home. After too many years of hanging onto old things, I am going to finally sell my magical princess wedding dress. It is the “happily-ever after, dreams come true” wedding dress. I will have to post pictures when I take them. I have finally come to terms with the fact that it was for a different time in my life and when I am truly in need of such a dress, I will again find the right one. As a side note to that. . . all brides maids dresses are being given away. No need to keep those around.

I pack my life full of good things. I keep myself happy because that is what I want to be. I stay positive because there are so many grand adventures to be had. Sure there are hard times that make me sad and tears spill freely down my cheeks, but those are needed moments also. The thing that I am being taught right now is to make sure that the best things are always taken care of first and then fill in with the better and the good as it fits.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Not so good at avoiding responsibility. . .

I think that I need someone to come and teach me how to not be so stinking responsible. Yesterday after I wrote that last post want to know what I did? Well I am going to tell you anyway. I came home from work, ran three and a half miles, scrubbed my house from top to bottom (including floors) and did three batches of laundary. Tonight I came home from work and immediatley went to work on preparing a talk on the Atonement for Sacrament meeting on Sunday that I am giving and have done an additional two loads of laundary. I wish that I could say that I was going to avoid it tomorrow, but not so much. . .I have Relief Society meetings tomorrow after work.

I have determined that I am going to do a bit more traveling however. I am going to make it a priority to once a month travel somewhere within the United States to do a session at a temple that I have yet to visit. My goal of doing work in every temple in the world has got to start somewhere and no better time than to start now. It makes me extremely excited and now it is all a matter of deciding where to begin. The possibilities are endless!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Responsible

Although this word has way more than four letters in it, I think that it is becoming a four-letter word to me. My soap box on this very topic has expanded within the last couple of months and now has an additional wing that I hadn’t even really considered.

I think that I am overdue to let it all go for a minute. It has been a while since I last just packed a bag, headed to the airport and picked a flight and left. No planning. No telling anyone that I have left. No knowing beforehand that it is even going to happen. I’ve done it before and it does wonders for brightening the sparkle in my eyes. New adventures have a way of doing that.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Small and Simple

I left work early last Thursday and headed, with a group of friends, to Moab. Every year for the past five years we have gone on this camping trip the weekend of Moab’s half marathon and this year was no exception. There were only six of us on Thursday night, but we sat around the campfire and laughed until our sides hurt. The next morning we left the princess palace (better known as my tent that can fit the United Nations within its walls) and headed for the red rocks of Arches National Park.

We hiked around and played all afternoon in the sun. I do believe that there are a few pictures of me that got taken lying on rocks letting the sun beat down on my face. After we all had played hard and laughed just as much we headed back to the campsite to get a fire going before the sun was completely down and to greet the additional ten friends that joined us that night. The tin foil dinners cooked in the fire were so yummy and the company was fabulous! I watched the interactions for a while. There have been a lot of changes since last year and it was fun to see that all the spouses just fit right in and the dynamics really didn’t change at all. It is a marvelous group of people that are so accepting.

The next morning we got up and broke camp and headed back over to Arches. We played and hiked and laughed and I only got one huge bruise on my knee where I hit a rock climbing up a steep ledge. When we started hearing stomachs growl, it was time. The annual visit to Pasta Jay’s was our next stop. For those who have never been to Moab, may I suggest that most of us would drive the four hours just to eat at this restaurant. It is delightful. A little ice cream from across the street after a late lunch and we all headed home. It is always something which I look forward to. Thanks again for the grand adventures and marvelous memories!

Sunday morning was Stake Conference. As I walked into the gym to find a seat, one of the families in my ward invited me to join them. As soon as I sat down, Aspyn, who is almost two-years old looked at her grandma and said, “I’m going to sit by Brenda.” She came over and crawled up in the seat next to me. We proceeded to play with her magnetic princess dress-up toy. While we were doing that the choir started singing the opening hymn which was I Am A Child of God. Aspyn looked up and then stood up on her chair, leaned into my side and put her arm around my shoulders. We softly sang the words together. It was so cute.

After the opening hymn we continued putting things together. I folded fans out of the programs for her and she had to have one for every member of the family so it took a while. When the rest hymn came and we all stood up, she lifted her arms to me and I picked her up. The song was Family Can Be Together Forever. Although she didn’t know the words to this song, she was sitting in my arms with her big blue eyes intense on mine, her hands playing with the back of my hair and she was attempting to follow my lead in singing the words. Talk about melting my heart, that did it. Tender mercies from our Heavenly Father were given to me once again.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Astrological Signs . . . interesting to see different descriptions.

Every once in a while I like to look up my astrological sign to see what different people have said and how they describe how I as an individual should be just because of where my birthday falls. Although I read them for pure fun, sometimes it is a little frightening just how true the description rings. This is one of the better descriptions that I have found about my sign. I found it on http://www.psychicguild.com/horoscopes_explained.php

What do you think? Do you think that this describes me?

Aries

Your element: Fire

Your ruling planets: Mars

Symbol: The Ram

Your stone: Ruby

Life Pursuit: The thrill of the moment

Vibration: Enthusiastic

Aries Secret Desire: To lead the way for others.


Description:
Aries are fire signs and those born under this element are regarded in astrology as adventurous, active and outgoing. It won't matter where you go or how remote or unusual it is - from the Outback to the Antarctic - you can be sure that an Aries has been there before you (or at the very least you will meet one along the way!) Aries is a uniquely naive sign. Although they are independent, outgoing and assertive they are also surprisingly trusting, often innocently walking into the lion's den at times. No matter what upheaval, challenge or triumph they confront - an Aries has a wonderful ability to bounce back. Their faith in life and the future remains untouched by hardship. Their gift is that they are always children at heart and the world is always a magical place for them. Many famous sports people are born under this sign. Aries is regarded as the most physical sign and because of its Mars rulership; it is also one of the most highly charged masculine energy signs in astrology. No wonder women born under Aries are forceful, dynamic and aggressive, and as a result these Aries women frequently find themselves with dilemmas surrounding their romantic relationships. For them, a man has to be a 'real man' to deal with an Aries woman, otherwise she intimidates him. And conversely for the Aries male, a woman has to be a real woman to deal with him, because he is looking for many balancing component traits (his true feminine side) in his partner. She has to run the gamut in his support system, from the Aries man's best friend, true companion, through to his muse, and yet she must never ever answer him back!

Therefore Aries can be a confusing sign because there is a complex combination of very strong masculine and feminine expressions all combined together. Because of the male energy surrounding it, when a woman is born under Aries, it creates some of the most interesting women in the world, women who are adventurous, independent and have competitive natures. It also tends to make them very forthright.

But whether male or female, Aries people are 'doers' rather than 'talkers'. They are the impulsive, act first, ask questions or have doubts later, sign of the zodiac. That's why their lives are often filled with many dramas and sometimes even accidents! Their ability to live life close to the edge provides them with a wealth of 'real experience' to call upon. When an Aries person talks about something or somewhere they've usually done it or been there, rather than simply read about it in a book. Being active people Aries can't adapt to any kind of restriction, particularly possessive relationships. They often travel to escape any feelings of being stuck or possessed. Aries people love challenges. In fact, if everything is running smoothly, they are quite capable of going out and doing something (sometimes quite foolish) to rock the boat. Aries love to race in where angels fear to tread.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Does the last stand finally begin tomorrow. . .

I don’t think that Huckabee will have any other option than to pull out of the race after tomorrow’s primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. After all he is trailing McCain by 682 delegates and for that matter he is trailing Romney who dropped out of the race by 45 delegates. Huckabee is like the athlete that just stays in the game way too long and ends up making all of us feeling sorry for the guy because he is just embarrassing himself.

I am still sure that Clinton will not pull out of the race even after she puts consecutive loses numbers 12, 13, 14 and 15 under her belt. That extra weight is sure helping to drag her under slowly, but she has already promised supporters that she will press on to the April 22nd contest in Pennsylvania. I will be interested to see what will happen at the end of this democratic race. Once upon a time I thought that the ticket would read Obama-Clinton, Clinton-Obama respectively, but now I don’t think that will be the case. I am almost wondering if we are going to see an Obama-Edwards ticket. These things should prove to be very interesting.


 

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