I Love You the Purplest

Last Sunday I attended our women's meeting. I honestly can't remember what the lesson was on or why this woman ended the lesson with this, but she told about a children's book she had read once called, "I Love You the Purplest". In the book she says there is a woman who has several children who ask her who she loves the best. Finally one day her child asks her and she asks the child what their favorite color is, and they reply, "Purple". She then says to them, "I love you the purplest." Then her next child comes to her and asks her if she loves them the best, and she asks them what their favorite color is and they say "blue". She says to them, "I love you the bluest". I really want to go buy this book because it is exactly what I feel as a mother and I'm sure what most mothers feel about their children. They don't love one child more than another child, they love each child differently - or in their own way - because each child is different.

This reminded me of a family reunion I went to two years ago. At this reunion, my cousin got up and was talking about our grandfather. In the story she was telling, as a side note she mentioned that she had always felt like she was our Grandfather's favorite grandchild. I had to chuckle when I heard her say that, because I remember that as a teenager I felt like I was my grandfather's favorite grandchild. My family was the only one who lived far away. All the rest of my mother's sisters and her brother lived in the same area as my grandparents. I used to think that maybe the reason my grandfather loved me the most is because he didn't get to see me that often and "absence makes the heart grow fonder." One summer when I was there, my grandfather came to me and made me promise him that I would marry in the temple. Well, when I got married I didn't marry in the temple, and I married a non-member. My mom told me that when Grandpa heard I was getting married he said told my grandmother that he was going to go to the wedding. She told him that their car was too old and he was too old to drive that far, but he kept insisting that he was going to go. Well, he didn't go, but I remember how I felt when I heard that and it added to my feeling of being the favorite. My grandfather never said to me, "You are my favorite grandchild." I guess what he said to me in his actions was, "I love you the purplest!"

More Funny Fridge Magnets

I call these Fridge Magnets, because that is how I first saw them. But they are those funny 50's women - Here's some more:

-We have nothing to fear but our mothers
- You go girl and take those tacky shoes with you
- Wow! I get to give birth and change diapers!
- I used to care but now I take a pill for that
- She had made yet another wise shopping decision
- A career...a family to cook for...gee! I've got it all!
- I'ts better to have loved and lost than to live with a psycho the rest of your life
- She could no longer pretend that he wasn't an idiot
- Never go to bed mad. Stay awake all night and plot horrible revenge
- Of course we're functional, honey...but more important - we're funky
- She was one frozen entree away from a nervous breakdown
- An attitude is a terible thing to waste
- She was comforted by the knowledge that he was helpless without her
- Steal my identity...please!
- He was so cute when he was wrong
- I love not camping
- Medicated and motivated
- It's always fun until someone puts an eye out
- Honey, you couldn't pay me to be twenty
- Was she in love...or was it just allergies?
- He couldn't become a distant memory soon enough to please her
- Gosh, he went well with her drapes
- She kind of enjoyed working for an idiot
- Had she punished him enough? How could she be sure?
- She wasn't always right, but she was always articulate
- I'm not really a bitch - I just play one in your life
- Frugal is such an ugly word
- My greatest fear is that PMS doesn't exist and this is my real personality
- I don't even butter my bread - I consider that cooking
- Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints

Happy Birthday to You!

Today is my #2 daughter's birthday! She was born 32 years ago. Yikes. I have a daughter who is 32. I had to do the math twice to make sure I was right. I was in labor for 2 1/2 hours with her. We were at the hospital only about 30 minutes when she was born. When I got to the hospital the nurse checked me and said I was completely dilated. That was the greatest part - when she bent down to check me again, my water broke and hit her in the face! :0) A few minutes later one of the nurses said, "I hope her doctor gets here in time, because I don't want to deliver this baby." The other nurse said, "Well, I sure don't want to deliver it either." I said, "Well then maybe somebody ought to go call the on-call doctor because I don't want to deliver it either." They did go and call him, but before he could do anything my doctor showed up. Turns out that when I called him he said for some reason he knew I was really in labor so just got in his car and he actually made every light. I'll never forget the look on my husband's face when they were rolling me up the hall to recovery. He thought they were taking me to delivery and when he looked down and saw me holding a baby he almost passed out! I guess he expected another 12 hour labor like I had with daughter #1.
By the way, I remedied that with my next child, I made him go into the delivery room with me from then on (3 more times). I'd sure like to high-five the person who decided that like it or not, the fathers needed to be in the delivery room. Back in my time it was an option. :0+

It doesn't seem like that long ago. Now my daughter #2 is married and has 2 girls of her own and is expecting her third. Each of her girls is like a little piece of her personality. So Happy, Happy Birthday Daughter #2!!! We love you very much!

Fridge Magnets...

I saw these sayings on some fridge magnets in a catalog and thought they were funny:

"So much to do, so few people to do it for me."

"I child-proofed my house, but they still get in."

"At first she missed him...then her aim improved."

More Than Words...

My husband and I were talking about body language today. He said he had attended a really great class at work on body language. He said the guy who taught it was really good and taught it in sort of a humorous way, but it really had some good points in it. He said we say so much with our voices, but our bodies go on to say more - either in agreement with what we're saying or in disagreement. My husband and I came to the conclusion that maybe the reason we're drawn to some people is because of their body language. If we like someone, maybe their body language has "told" us that they like us too. Maybe the reason we don't like someone is because we just don't "feel" good around them - maybe their body language is telling us they really don't like us. I think it is an interesting subject. I've heard that there is more to tell about a person's body language than just that they either like or dislike you. You can tell if they're lying or dishonest, if they're nervous or relaxed. If anyone knows anything about this subject, or knows a good book about it, please leave a comment.

Stand

This is the chorus of the song that keeps going through my head this week:

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend 'till you break
Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

To the Lady at the Rental Place...

To the lady at the rental place where I went to pick up swatches for tablecloths:

Has anyone actually told you that you are allowed to wear lip liner without any lipstick?
Did you really look in the mirror when you put it on and then stood back and admired yourself and said, "Yeah, that looks good!" ???

These Are My People...

I recently returned from a vacation where I visited with my parents and 5 brothers and sisters and their families and attended a family reunion. My parents live in a small town in the mountains and because there are so many of us, most pitch tents all over their lawn and camp out. I used to do this until it became hard for me to get up off of the floor because I have bad knees, and I started staying in the local motel. A couple of other family members brought camping trailers this year. I actually loved sleeping in a tent - it gets pretty chilly at night - and I loved sleeping in the fresh air. What I didn't love is trying to share 1 1/2 bathrooms - and one shower - with 30+ people, so I continue to pay for the motel.

We all take turns cooking, which is quite a feat to cook for that many people. I always bring my own lawn chair, because if you "move your feet, you lose your seat". I think the first 5 days that I was there, every time I tried to go to the bathroom, it was occupied. Finally I would give up and get in the car and go down to my hotel (2 blocks away) so I could go to the bathroom there.

The amazing thing is that we pretty much all get along. Oh, there might still be some times when things get a little too frazzled. But this year, as I think back on all these vacations I realize that I not only love my family, but I have learned to live with them. I think this is quite an accomlishment. There is a saying that goes, "You can choose your friends, but not your family" or something like that. We look around for people who we enjoy being around so we can call them our friends. We can't do that with family, and sometimes families split up over some thing or another and never have contact with each other again. I think with family, you actually have to work at it. You already know your family's bad characteristics and frailties and they know yours. With friends you are always trying to put your good side forward - at least most of the time. Our family is a forever family. We are sealed together to still be a family in the next life. I don't think this means we all have to live in the same house together, or even on the same block (cloud?). But if we had to, I think it would be a nicer experience because we have spent so many summers together trying to get to know each other better.

The other great thing about families is they are always there for you. My parents know my past - they were there grounding me every step of the way. I'm sure they know - or suspect - every bad thing I've ever done. And I've done a lot. Before I went on vacation, my sister - who lives somewhat near my parents told me of a funny comment my mom made. She was at the 4th of July celebration in town and a man who recently moved back to town who was a teenager at the same time we were, came up to her and put his arm around her. He said, "Are you the rebellious daughter.....(can't remember the rest of his comment)" (I told my sister that he had been referring to me) My mom turned to him and said, "None of my children have ever been rebellious..." I just laughed when I heard that. I knew what she was saying because I am a mother. It doesn't matter what your children have ever done in the past - you still love them - and you really don't care what they have done - you just continually hope they will do better. You want them to be a better person than you were. If I could sit down and tell my kids what I have done in my life, they would be shocked, but they wouldn't benefit from me telling them.
I hope my kids are able to do what my brothers and sisters and I have done - get to know each other better.

It's a Heartache.....

My heart is sad today. Why do we say that? Is my heart really sad, or is it my soul? If told you I had a "soul-ache" would you know what I was meaning? Maybe it's both my heart and my soul. I talked to two people today who asked me about something that makes me sad to think about. Everytime I have to think about it for very long, or talk to someone about it for very long, then I get depressed and it is hard for me to pull out of it for at least a day or so.
Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to go mental or anything, but my heart (and my soul) definitely ache.

This life is all about free agency. We are free to choose to act for ourselves. But do we even stop to think how those choices might affect someone else? Someone who loves and cares about us? But hey, we are adults! How dare anyone ever make a suggestion on how we should live our lives. I have a friend named M___ who jokes and says she wishes people would come to her and ask her how they should live their lives. She says she has a lot of opinions and usually can look at people and see what they are doing wrong in their lives. If they came to her and let her tell them what they should or shouldn't be doing, it would save them a lot of heartache (there's that word again). Another friend and I laugh about this and wonder what M___would say to us. We say we would like someone to look at our lives and tell us what we were doing wrong. But then I look at her and say facetiously that I don't see anything wrong in her life and she says the same thing to me and then we both look at each other and know that we really don't want to hear it.

So we go through this life and we make mistakes. I think that is the only way I can learn. By making mistakes. So I guess I will just keep making them. And hopefully learning from them. Or repeating them. Again and again. And I'll try to keep my mouth shut and not give my opinion so freely. And maybe I'll learn to deal with this heart/soul-ache.

If You Can't Beat Them....

Everybody is blogging these days, I don't get it. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters who blog. One sister, Delirious (blog name), has really been trying to get me to join in. So here I am - holding hands and goin' bowling with everyone else. I'm really not that much of a journal keeper. I did keep a journal several years ago, and for about a year did really well. After that it added up to about one entry a year, and now my "journal" consists of typing a family letter, printing one copy for my parents who don't have internet (too set in their ways for any new-fangled contraptions) and one copy for me to put in my "journal file". That's it.

I always said that I would never blog, so call me a liar. Maybe I'm just getting more in step with the times, yeah, that's it. What is your occupation? Oh, I'm a blogger. What do you do in your spare time? I blog. What are your hobbies? Blogging. R-i-g-h-t. So here we are, I don't promise anything spectacular, witty or even very interesting, so don't get your hopes up.