Life can be a pain in the...

When I was in high school I broke my tailbone.

I don't recall how, but I do know that I carried around a rubber donut to sit on for about a year.

It wasn't very pretty, but it got me a lot of attention :-).

Anyway, we were all in Flagstaff at a music festival and I bent over a suitcase to get something and one of the girls in our room kicked me in the buttocks.

Paaaaaaiiiiiiinnnnn....

However, when the pain subsided, I was fixed -- leaving my tailbone just slightly slanted out and easily bumped and bruised.

Flash forward (clears throat and mumbles number of years) years.

I work with this great bunch of guys. If you follow my blog, you have seen this picture before.

So, we were sitting around the Perudo table playing ... don't get all pissy because we are State employees playing a game at work ... we were on our lunch break.

I kept complaining that the chair I was sitting on was really uncomfortable, like a spring had broken and was sticking me in the same buttocks mentioned earlier.

SteveE switched chairs with me... he is such a good boy. He is sitting down in the picture with his head back.

The offending chair...Later, at home, on a chair I use all the time, same thing...

What is going on?

So, here's the deal...

Tarzan made an exercise bench and we haven't padded it yet.

I am up to 44 sit ups a day with no pad...

and my poor buttocks (the same one mentioned above) has a floor burn on it--right on the tailbone.

Ouch!

Segullah-Thursday Thought

I can't say this any better than the original author.

http://segullah.org/up-close/a-different-sort-of-happily-ever-after/

It would be my prayer for you, and for me, that we would each have the personal strength of this woman.

Some days--What I Saw Wednesday

Some days I see storm clouds in my life -- "look at all that trash," "get off the road stupid," "where was her Mama when she got dressed today," "man every corner has a death memorial."

Some days I see beauty--the world if full of wonder and people are full of goodness

And then some days I just see odd--no this is not my yard, no that is not the couch from my living room, yes that is a gun beside me, yes, that is my dog, Dottie and yes, we are just waiting for the quail to wander by for dinner

What do you see today?

Unusual Uses for Usual things--Tuesday Tip

I am not ashamed to tell you this.

I really am not ashamed to tell this to the whole world right here on the Internet.

Really, I am above and beyond being embarrassed.

So, here goes...

If you ever happen to own a utility van (no seats in the back) and you happen to be going on a 4 hour trip with your 2 daughters in the car, one in the seat up front and one on a bean bag in the big ole' back part...

And if you happen to stop at Circle K and buy 3 great big sodas...

And if you happen to slam on the breaks and all three sodas spill and start swishing around in that big ole empty space in back of you, with only a bean bag and a teenage girl in it...

Kotex works wonders at soakin' it up.

The Flour Sack--Monday Memory

This story is about Granner.

Granner had fragile health. She would get feeling low and have to rest to get her strength back. One particular time, she was feeling low, but had the weekly bread to make. She was trying to open a new bag of flour.

The bag was one of those cloth bags with a string to sew it shut. You opened it by catching the string just right and then it would unravel and open the flour bag at the top. She would then have Digger pour the flour into a 5 gallon tin can she kept her flour in.

The kitchen was set up like this…the kitchen was on the main floor, then there were 3 steps down and a landing which led to the outside door.

Digger was standing on the landing, the sack of flour was sitting on the top step and Granner was standing in the kitchen and had a knife trying to catch the string and open the flour sack.

Digger was taunting her. He was saying “Come on Inez, get the sack open.” “I don’t have all day, Inez.” “Hurry up Inez, hurry up.”

With each taunt, Granner grew more irritated and less able to open the flour sack until finally…

She raised the knife above her head and thrust it with all her might into the flour sack, then with a swift left to right motion, slit the sack open and flour went everywhere.

She then stormed out of the room and slammed her bedroom door.

My mother, who had been watching the whole thing asked Digger why he did that, when he knew how bad she felt. He replied, “Oh, don’t worry about it. That will raise her blood pressure and she will be good for several days.”

There was a love in that statement that should not need further explanation.Do you have a family story about love

Things I need to say. If you are not interested in my personal life, don't bother to read this.

There are different personality types in this world, we each have a type.

There are many tests that will tell you what "type" you are.

These "tests" may or may not peg you right, but if you are aware at all, you recognize your own strengths and weaknesses. If you don't recognize them, ask a close friend and when they tell you the truth, nod your head and say, "thank you"--don't argue with them because they are probably right and if you start to argue with them, they will not give you a true picture of yourself. You can think it over later and dismiss what you think is way off base.

As for me, I have a personality type that does not let people get too close. I dismiss people from my life when I move to another town and I do not keep close friends. In fact, I would say I have only had two close friends in my life, one recently passed away--we had only communicated 2 or 3 times by email the year before she died, and I only talk to the other one maybe twice a year.

Not a good thing.

I have a fear of telling anyone how much I appreciate them and love having them in my life for fear they would soon leave and then I will be stuck with words hanging out there that have no meaning.

When Tarzan and I were dating we met with the Stake President. President Pease asked Tarzan how he felt about me and then they just sat there and talked about me like I wasn't in the room. Tarzan told President Pease how lucky he was that I came into his life and how wonderful I was and how blessed he felt that I am with him. President Pease looked at me and said, "I think you need to stay with this man." You have no idea how that made me feel to simply have them say all these nice things about me, right there in front of me. It was surreal.

Tarzan and I got married 10 years ago and in that time, he has told me, hmmmm, I tried to count and I can't count the number of times he has told me how glad he is that I came into his life. How lucky he is to have me. How blessed he is that we are a couple. How fun I am to be with. How satisfied he is with his life. The first time he did this was on my birthday. We woke up early and he laid there in bed and told me just how precious I was to him. I couldn't ask for a better gift.

There is nothing better than getting a phone call in the middle of the day and have Tarzan tell me what a joy it is to have me as a wife.

This makes me try harder to be a wife worth the compliment.

Don't think by this that we have a perfect life. We agree that sometimes we drive each other crazy and irritate each other, but on the whole we really love each other.

I have learned to say, without fear, how much I love and appreciate him. He has helped me open my heart to others and, without prejudgment, just accept people for who they are and let them into my life as good friends. Perhaps not always life-long friends, but giving them a place in my heart, a place I didn't know existed.

Perhaps if you told your spouse how blessed you are to have them in your life, you would get a similar response, but you have to mean it when you say it.

Email Confirmation--Thursday Thought

Since I signed up for every scholorship search program in the WORLD. I have been put on the strangest email lists.

I have only found one scholarship that I even qualify for and my chances of winning that one are something like 1 in 100,000.

• So, here I am with an email message from DormBuys.com
• I ask them to remove me from their list because I am getting WAY TOO MANY EMAILS I DON'T WANT FROM COMPANIES I AM NOT INTERESTED IN
• And they send me ANOTHER email confirming the fact that I REALLY DIDN'T WANT THEIR EMAIL MESSAGES IN THE FIRST PLACE.

My thought is this, selling email lists to marketing companies should be a crime. Whatever!

By the way, feel free to donate $1 to my PhD fund. I have enough to pay for 1/3 of 1 class. Your participation would be appreciated.

All fund will be used for my PhD tuition and/or books. Any extra funds collected will be used to pay for someone else's education (person yet to be determined--who knows, it could be you or one of your children) .

Adorable--What I saw Wednesday

I sat in Church behind a cute family with a 1 year old, his mother calls him "P" on her blog. He was sitting on his mother's lap. When the opening song finished, she stood up to give the opening prayer and he was passed to someone else. He watched carefully as his mother walked up to the front and said the prayer.

When she finished he gave her a rousing round of applause.

Maybe we should do that more often.

Woman's Day Money Tip--Tuesday Tip

This comes right from Woman's Day Magazine. I have been doing it and I have saved, $100 this month.

"In 2007, Kathy Adams ..., read a tip in Woman's Day that she didn't quite believe. 'It said I could save a lot of money just be stashing $5 bills.' says Kathy. Though skeptical, in January 2008 she opened an interest-bearing savings account solely for her fives. Every times she got one, she'd put it in a jar. Then, on the first of each month, she'd deposit the money in her account.

One year later, she'd saved a whopping $2,703.47!"

Now, my $5's are going in my account for my PhD.

Mini Skirts--Monday Memory

When I was in high school, mini skirts were just coming into style. I was never allowed to wear anything as short as the picture above, but the school rule was -- when you kneel down your skirt has to touch the ground.

I had a brand new, really cute, green skirt that buttoned up the front and had patch pockets. It was full and made of double knit polyester and it always looked nice. I loved it.

I walked into Mrs. Thurber's Home Ec class and she announced, loudly, to the entire room..."Sandi Conant, go home, your skirt is too short." I was humiliated. I am easily embarrassed when caught off guard.

We lived just across the street from the high school, so I went home. My Mom came home for lunch and I told her what had happened. She was really upset. My skirt just barely showed my knees. She marched over to the school during the lunch hour with a pencil and paper and wrote down the names of every girl wearing a skirt as short as mine. It was a long list, including the Principal's daughter.

I got to go back to school. Mrs. Thurber apologized to me and the skirt length rule was never mentioned again.

No such rules when I get my PhD...I can't wait to get started.

A Few Dollars More

Got a pledge from 3 more people. Join the crowd.

Don't worry that I may collect too much money. Any extra funds raised will be used to help pay for someone else's education.

If you have questions, feel free to leave me a comment.

PhD Update

I just left the University of Phoenix graduation ceremony. Our good friend Carl Sizer just got her PhD in Management.

It was thrilling. I can't wait. Best commencment speech I have ever heard--including Harvard grauation. Keith Feerrazzi

All money donated to my PhD fund will be spend strictly on tuition and books.

Just $1.00 from everyone who knows me and $1.00 from everyone who knows them and I will make it.

Another $20 today.

Community of Love--What I Saw Wednesday

I saw a grieving family, surrounded by a loving community.

I saw Priesthood holders calling on the Holy Spirit to comfort family members, especially those not of our faith

I saw brothers and sisters supporting each other with love and concern

I saw Tarzan, help a special needs son, cook and eat his crawdads, as we all tried to help him get his mind off the saddness of the day

I saw tenderness

I saw the Gospel in action

Habits--Tuesday Tip

This comes courtesy of a tweet (yes I tweet) from Chris Guillebeau...

"Old habits rarely result in new results. To get new results, start new habits."

Dresses and Softball--Monday Memory

When I was in high school, we were not allowed to wear pants to school. Every once in awhile we had a day when we were allowed to wear pants, but we were not allowed to wear pants that opened in the front...you figure that one out. All of our pants had to zip in the back or on the side. Whatever.

Anyway, we had PE and we wore these extremely tight, extremely short red cotton jumpsuits (in which I looked really good--NOT). We had PE in the gym most of the time, however, in the spring, our PE teacher (who always wore a suit and tie and dress shoes, what's that about?) would take us outside to play softball.

When we went outside to play, we had to wear our DRESSES. I guess they were afraid the boys might see us in our shorts, like dresses are so much more modest when you are running around the bases and trying to beat the ball and sliding for home.

I was always having female sickness on those days. No way was I playing softball in a dress.

Of course there is always the fact I had to face that I would always be the last one picked--you have no idea how embarrassing that is.

Oh, how grateful I am that we have moved beyond such female suppression. I do have to say, though that it would be nice if modesty was back in style and that school pictures did not look like they were taken in the boudoir.

Next week, "Go home, your skirt is too short"

Prayer--Thursday Thought

This was from our RS Lesson Sunday. I have changed the caption under my picture to this. I love this thought. Thanks Kim.

“In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign, Nov 2008.

Grandparenting--What I Saw Wednesday

I saw grandparents sitting beside each other enjoying Sacrament Meeting.

I saw grandpa go out to the lobby and come back with 3 grandchildren hanging on him.

I saw grandma move over and put one on each side and grandpa with one on his side.

I saw the children climbing up and down, hugging and pinching. I saw the children crawl under the bench. I saw the children sing the songs.

I saw the grandparents hugging and kissing the grandchildren. I saw the grandparents give up on trying to listen to the talks, I saw the grandparents look at each other with knowing looks. I saw the grandparents try not to laugh.

I saw a family full of love and I understood.

Provident Living--Tuesday Tip

Finances are a big problem--right?

No matter how many books you read or seminars you attend, every one will tell you one thing that is the same...no matter what the program you are to follow...

PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

Every book I have read, every seminar I have attended, every TV program I have watched says give 10% of your income to yourself.

Try it, you will be amazed how fast it accumulates. If you can't stand to do 10% start small. Even $5 a paycheck. You will see an increase. Don't put it off, start with the next paycheck you get.

Where to put it is another question. Right now, a Savings account or a Money Market account will be your two best bets. Then when you have saved a considerable amount and the market has rebounded, you can get creative in where to put it.

When do you spend it?

This money is not spending money. It is not a savings account to help you by a big screen TV or for a vacation. This money is for emergency use only. If you want to save money for a TV or a vacation, you need to open a separate savings account. Trust me, you will be glad you took this advice.

Compound interest is a good thing:
If you start with $1,000 compounded monthly at 1% interest, and you don't add any more to it, you will have $1,115.67 at the end of a year.

If you start with $100 and put $100 in your savings account every month with just 1% interest you will have

$1,268.25 at the end of one year
$2,697.35 at the end of two years
$4,307.69 at the end of three years
$6,122.26 at the end of four years
$8,166.97 at the end of five years

That is with only $100 a month being saved in one of the lowest interest bearing account out there. Let me know how you do!!!

Another way to save money win neat stuff!!

Irrigation Boots and the Boys Stairs-Monday Memory

I was a Senior in High School. LeRoy Negle...I forgot how to spell his last name...anyway, he was irrigating the lawn at the school. At lunch time, I somehow got in the irrigation water. That meant my shoes got wet and muddy.

You were not allowed in the school with bare feet, so I asked LeRoy if I could borrow his irrigation boots to go to history class. I put on the size 12 boots and stomped into the school and on a whimmmm.......

went up the BOY'S stairs.

I was sent to the Principal's office and my Mom had to be called. I was such a rebel.

Why did we have BOY'S stairs and GIRL'S stairs, you ask?

Well, the Boy's stairs were by the Boy's bathroom and we were not allowed to walk past the Boy's bathroom and the Girl's stairs were by the Girl's bathroom and the boys were not allowed to walk past the Girl's bathroom.

I guess it was because we might "see" something. Or maybe it was a way to keep us from walking hand in hand in the halls or something. Whatever.

I am grateful the world has moved past that.

Next week, dresses and softball.

Piece of Cake--Thursday Thought

God's cake...

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.' 'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers. 'Yuck' says her daughter. 'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!' 'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?' 'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.