Soothing Rain

I love the sound of the Rain. It's been pouring for like five hours straight. I heard it when it began. The thunder was so loud it shook my little apartment and woke me up. (My grandma would have freaked) I just listened to the showers begin.

Maybe I'll go for a walk in it. (I really like to run in the rain, but since I haven't ran for a while I will just walk)

What do you do in the rain?

The Meeting That Should Ignite My Relief Society Fire

The General Relief Society Meeting 2009

I wanted (before today) to address what I heard in the General Relief Society Meeting this past Saturday, but I just haven't been able to gather my thoughts.

I'll be honest, I don't usually go. I don't really like to listen to many women speak. (they are way more fluffy than I like- too much beating around the bush) But the enticement of free dinner from the stake and my mom making sure I was going got my butt placed securely in a pew at the stake center.

This meeting was a miracle because it was the first one in a LONG time that I didn't drift off to sleep. I heard it all. I even took notes! (something I haven't done since my brief interlude at BYU-Idaho)

The talks were the same for me as they always are. Always about Relief Society. (People, I know what meeting I was attending. You don't have to remind me. Just not my favorite topic)

There was a hallelujah moment for me when the title of Family, Home and Personal Enrichment lallalala was discarded and we are now just attending "Relief Society Meetings." A SIMPLE NAME. YES!!

I really do like to hear that the "ideal" Relief Society is the focus. All the speakers talked about the way I picture Relief Society being done. Like it being done as described in the handbook and not the traditions of each ward or stake. There should always be a focus on the people not percentages. Our reports for Visiting Teaching should focus on the spiritual and temporal well-being of the sisters and not whether we gave a lesson or not. We are supposed to seek out and help those in need not just the ones we are particularly fond of.

These are all wonderful and I'm sure if I was anyone else I would have rejoiced at the topics addressed, but I am left wanting.

Sister Barbara Thompson, the second counselor in the general presidency, talked a lot about "GAPS." This really made sense to me. I feel as though in Relief Society we talk about the "ideal" all the time. We should do this, we should do that. We need to improve, we need to strengthen. But there is a "gap" between what we 'should' be doing and what is done.

I'm a realist. I know. I also know that realism can be seen as pessimism. I know that if you spend too much time on the pessimistic side of things there will never be anything positive that you see. So, I don't mean to dwell on the fact that where Relief Society should be is FAR from where it really is. What I do mean to focus on is the "gap."

I would like to go to a Relief Society meeting and hear A PLAN. A plan of action. Not what we should be doing, but what we are going to do. Thompson talked about three different situations that women of the church need to work on. Not once did she address how to get over the gap. Only that there was a gap and don't fall into it.

I understand goals. I'm an athlete, my life has revolved around them for years. But you can't have a final destination without a plan of how to get there. Even Lehi understood this in his vision of the tree of life.

The Goal= get to the tree

The Plan= hold onto the rod that leads to the tree.

He had a plan and it was laid out for him. If we don't have a plan we drift off into darkness, fall down into the dirty river, or let another building distract us from our original goal.

When it comes to Relief Society I feel the same way. If we don't have a plan to get to our ideals we will never arrive. Just once I would like to hear a woman tell it how it is without fluffing the actual situation and give us a plan. Things that will be changed and this is how. Just once.

Homemade Salsa

It's a beautiful time of season. Tomato time. Don't know what to do with your tomato's. Here is what I did.

I spent a couple of hours chopping up veggies with my mom to make homemade salsa. It's a great way to use the tomato's. Although, if your family is anything like mine, your salsa wont last very long.

Ingredients:

Onion
Tomato's
1 can of green chile's
jalapeno's
1/4 c. of apple cider vinegar
cilantro
dash of salt

You add the veggies to your liking. If you want it hotter add more jalapeno's. If you want it less hot you can add jalapeno's without their seeds. This was fun to make because it's all about tasting throughout the mixing. Your taste is the best one.



Make sure you have a large bowl to put everything in. Chop veggies. Mix. Make sure you add the vinegar. (while making the first batch we weren't really paying attention and added red wine vinegar. It works, just a little sweeter flavor.)

We wanted chunky salsa, so we chopped all of the veggies by hand. You can put everything in a blender to make it more smooth if you like.

The salsa is great immediately, but WONDERFUL if you let it sit for a while.



Sit Down with your favorite tortilla chips and ENJOY!

Business of My Days

Here is the finished product of one of the quilts I pieced and posted about before. (I've been so lazy getting pics out) I think it turned out well.



Here is another quilt that I recently finished. This one turned out way cuter than I thought it was going to turn out.



I hand quilted both of these quilts. The second one took longer, but it was well worth it.

Anniversary Celebration: Bugaloo Kids giveaway!

Anniversary Celebration: Bugaloo Kids giveaway!

These shoes are so cute. I really like the CHLOE pair for girls. Hope you like them.

Chocolate Pancakes

Ingredients:


Pancake Mix (I use Krusteaz Buttermilk mix)
Cocoa Powder
Water
Chocolate Chips (your favorite variety)
Whipped Topping
Fruit (optional)

This is a wonderful breakfast for Birthdays, Anniversaries, or to brighten up the end of a stressful week.

I take pancake mix. (I used to make them from scratch, but it took longer) Add a little scoop of cocoa powder to the dry mix and then add water as usual.

Mix.

Cook.

Put pancakes on plate.

Between pancakes put chocolate chips. (this is so they melt)

On top add whipped cream. (cool whip works just as well.) This is what I used on the pancakes in the first picture.



You can add any type of fruit to your pancake concoction. I prefer bananas.



I used cool whip on these pancakes.

I just thought you would enjoy one of my hubby's favorite breakfasts. Only on special occasions though. He gets sweetted out. Me too.

Excitement to Disappointment to Decent

Yesterday I was stoked to go to the temple with my hubby. It was stake temple night and we hadn't been for a while. I spent the day getting all my stuff done before we had to go.

We got dressed and left. We got there. I needed help.

I don't need to go into detail, but if you happen to work at the temple could you PLEASE be nice. Smile once in a while. Pretend you like to be there for the hours you are there. And fake that you like the job that you have been assigned. The lady I asked for help was rude, inconsiderate, and ornery.

Don't tell me you can't "leave your post" because I don't care. (been a temple worker) You are NOT in the military and the temple President won't flog you for asking one of the four ladies around the corner to help me if you don't want to. (I didn't see these women until it was too late or I would have asked them)

If you have been frequenting my blog you know already that I have a very hard time with people in the church. This situation did/does not help. I've NEVER been in the temple and wanted to scream and yell so bad. (mind you I've never been to the temple when I don't encounter at least one pissy worker-ALWAYS female, by the way)

I went up to the Sealing Office to meet my hubby and just sat in the hall and cried. I was so mad. All I wanted was a few moments of "Good Churchy Experience." Is it really too much to ask for?

When I finally calmed down, we did go do some work. It was good. The sealer was really nice and relaxed. (all the male workers in the temple I've ever encountered have been wonderful) So after a couple of hours, I felt better. Not wonderful, but better.


MY POINT: if you work in the temple, can you please smile and be nice. PLEASE. You just might run into a completely ornery pregnant woman who doesn't like church at the moment. It would be nice to be one of the few positive things in her life that are associated with church. Please try.

Thanks

I Am. Canadian Quilt

I made this blanket out of two old sweatshirts of ours. They were both really soft inside and I didn't want to waste the softness. There is no batting or other side. It's just a single layer with the edges shaggy. Cutting this takes FOREVER to do! Way longer than I thought it was going to take. I really like how it turned out.




If you know what the label REALLY is, don't judge me. I LIKE IT.

Confusion In the Ranks

I have been really trying for the last couple of weeks to enjoy going to church. I have been to Relief Society two weeks in a row. I have stayed for all three blocks two weeks in a row. Not to mention, I attended my own ward two weeks in a row. (I don't have so many problems/concerns when I go somewhere else.)

Now, our Relief Society prints out everyone's Visiting Teaching assignments and puts them out on a table for us to pick up every week. (they seem to change that often too) They make the announcement that they are there in the beginning of the class and so at the end, I went to get mine. (my partner moved out of the ward not too long ago) NOTHING. I have been assigned someone/people to visit teach since I was a senior in high school. I have had times of neglect and times that I went regularly. But I have never (when every companionship is assigned 4-5 people each) not been a visiting teacher. HUMPH!

Not to mention, I am sitting during announcements and hear that there is an enrichment coming up next week. And the counselor over the enrichment mentions that the committee is really tiny and they need some extra help with everything. Now last I checked I was ON the enrichment committee. But I haven't gotten a call, email, or text about any meetings to plan anything. (the counselor in charge was my visiting teaching companion who, as I previously mentioned, MOVED not too long ago) So, I sent my hubby on a mission to find out if I have a calling still. (he can get a list of everyone with callings because of his) Aren't they supposed to tell you when you are released from callings? I was sure that was part of the deal.

I know I could go ask if I still have a calling. I could go ask why I don't have an assignment with Visiting Teaching. BUT part of me just doesn't want to. It would be nice not to have to do anything, but at the same time I don't like to be told I CAN'T do anything either. Who decided I didn't need or want a calling or assignment? And then they did it without asking or informing me of their concerns. Am I really that scary to talk to? What's the deal?!

~Be Ye Therefore Perfect~

"Be Ye Therefore Perfect"

James 1:4, Matt 5:48, 3 Nephi 12:48

"If the. . . passage I have quoted is not worded to our understanding, we can alter the phraseology of the sentence, and say: "Be ye perfect as ye can," for that is all we can do. When we are doing as well as we know how in the sphere and station which we occupy here, we are justified in the justice, righteousness, mercy, and judgement that go before the Lord of heaven and earth. We are justified as the angels who go before the throne of God. The sin that will cleave to the posterity of Adam and Eve is that they have not done as well as they know how." Brigham Young, JD, 21:129

Just a thought for our wonderful Sabbath day.

September 11th

Today is another day. A day to remember.

Remember that:

I found out what I was having today.

There was a National Tragedy eight years ago today.


Richards Birthday

The Scots remember this day as the victorious William Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

It's Mrs. B Roth's Anniversary (sealing).

And I am sure, many other things that I can't think of right now.


There is a lot of memories for this day. I just seem to take a little bit of time every Sept. 11th to reminisce. Helps me to remember how blessed I am.

What do you remember about today?

Craftiness Keeping Me Busy

I have been spending all of my extra time quilting and sewing. Can I tell you how much I love it?

I LOVE IT!

My hubby thinks it's funny because, to look at me, you wouldn't know I was the crafty type. I'm more of the sporty type. I love quilting anyway. It relaxes me. takes my mind off of everything going on around me. I have finished a couple of blankets and am half way through the quilting of another one. I will post pics asap. I promise. I just sat down to the computer for a little break.

Just a little plug for Joann's Fabric Store. They really do have some great deals on their sale day. On Labor Day, I saved 100 dollars. It was great. I am set for craftiness for a while I think. (a few weeks anyway)

No Time; No Organized Thoughts. . . . YET.

Before I get my thoughts all worked through, I want to know what ya'll think about "preaching to people."

Do you like to be "preached" to?

Do you feel the need to "Preach" to others?

What is the difference between sharing and preaching?

When you are close to someone do you feel the urgency to help them improve their life through the gospel?

Are you the person on the receiving end? How do you respond to these kinds of tactics?


These questions stem from a discussion I had this weekend. I would like to know what you are thinking. Before I get into the real thick of my story. I will let you know. Later. When I have more time.