One-Sentence Journal Entry

I've quite enjoyed the rain we've been getting the past few days.

The Olive Garden Restaurant and Bath House

Tomorrow is my boss's birthday, so our department - a total of seven people - went to the Olive Garden today for lunch. Once we were seated, our server came over and introduced herself and also introduced a young man - whom I will call Bob - who she said was training today.

Shortly thereafter Bob set a Diet Coke with a wedge of lemon down in front of me - and then dumped a glass of ice water down my left arm and into my lap!

After retreating to the ladies' room - where I patted my skin and clothes as dry as possible with paper towels, wishing they had an air dryer - I returned to our table and received apologies from both servers as well as the manager.

When the manager told me that my lunch would be taken care of, my boss suggested that they give me a gift card instead, since the company would be paying for my lunch. She quickly came back with a gift card - which I just now discovered is for $20 - and the colleague next to me joked, "It's almost worth it, isn't it?"

Actually, the whole ordeal could have been much worse. The glass that spilled could have been full of soda. It could have landed on my head instead of my shoulder and lap. I could have been wearing a white blouse instead of a black sweater.

All in all - despite the humid feeling I experienced for the next several hours - I didn't suffer much. I hope the rest of Bob's training goes better than his first day did!

Green

A couple of days ago Simple Mom Tsh concluded a post with the following sentences:

Remember, the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
It’s greener where you water it.
That's definitely something to think about!

Celebrating Mother's Day

With my three children.


With my mom.

Happy Mother's Day to Me

From WhiteRabbit.

My Inner Child

I didn't sleep well last night.

I think I was having some fairly intense dreams, though I don't remember many details. At one point, though, I was certain that there was a little girl in the room, a child who was lost and needed help. This image seemed so real that I got out of bed to greet her, and I went so far as to turn on the light in the bathroom so that she'd be able to see.

After I realized that there was no child, I took some Tylenol and climbed back into bed. I wonder, though, if I should have done something else to help her.

One-Sentence Journal Entry

I'm feeling an emptiness that I don't know how to fill.

5/8/13 Happy Things

• Getting out of my comfort zone for a little while to play the piano for Wednesday morning church services at the assisted living and Alzheimer's facilities in our neighborhood - and remembering the power of music to uplift.


• Picking up a yummy lunch from Cafe Zupas, and quietly eating it alone while reading a book - and remembering the importance of quiet time.


• Slowly running-slash-walking three miles on the treadmill at the gym tonight - and remembering that breaking a sweat is a good prescription for depression.

One-Sentence Journal Entry

I enjoyed the first thunderstorm of the season today, with lots of rain and some loud thunder, although I never actually saw any lightning.

One-Sentence Journal Entry

Tonight I feel a great need for a cathartic experience, because I don't think I can be this unhappy for the rest of my life.

Three Generations of BYU Alumnae

Class of 1962, Class of 2013, and Class of 1986.

The Restorative Nature of Spring Break

January in Review

My Priorities for the Month

Using the gym membership WhiteRabbit bought for me on December 31. (I walked a total of 37 miles in 15 visits to the gym during January.)

Minimizing spending on groceries, and limiting dining out.

Having fun with my new toy - a Kindle Fire in a lime green case, which Santa brought me for Christmas.

What the Weather Was Like

After the holidays, winter definitely settled in to stay. During the first part of the month, we went thirteen days without ever seeing a temperature above freezing. On the morning of Thursday the 24th, we had freezing rain, resulting in a scary two-hour commute for me. Then, finally, the high temperature went above freezing, and on Friday night, WhiteRabbit and I drove home from Pioneer Theatre Company in thick fog. Sunday morning when I got out of bed, I saw blue sky - shortly followed by pouring rain. By evening, WhiteRabbit was out shoveling six or eight inches of snow - which made for another long commute Monday morning. Spring can't come soon enough for me!

What I Read

Son by Lois Lowry. (Finished on the morning of New Year's Day. Fabulous ending to The Giver Quartet!)

Sister by Rosamund Lupton. (Solid mystery "read" via audiobook.)

Everneath by Brodi Ashton. (Mythological YA novel for my literature class, with a recently released sequel.)

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine. (Wonderful historical novel for children, exploring racism in the late 1950s. Another audiobook "read" for me.)

The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. (Decent diversion via my iPod while on the treadmill at the gym.)

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. (In her farewell speech at the end of the month, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said promoting equal rights for women and girls around the world is "not only a moral issue; it's an economic issue and a security issue." This book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists outlines problems and suggests solutions for the women of Asia and African. This audiobook is a call-to-action for me!)

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. (Intelligent and beautifully written novel by one of my favorite authors.)

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. (Newbery Honor book via CD during my commute.)

Finishing eight books in January (of which five were audiobooks) puts me on track for my goal of 104 books in the year!


What I Watched

Three episodes of Blue Bloods via the DVR.

Two movies via NetFlix: The Amazing Spider-Man (which was excellent) and Love, Wedding, Marriage (which was so-so).

What I Saw

Hillcrest High School's production of Our Town (I was blown away by both the production and by the play, of which I had only a cursory knowledge before that night.)

The Philadelphia Story at Pioneer Theatre Company.

Four BYU Women's Basketball games at the Marriott Center. (They were all wins! Among my favorite players are Ashley Garfield and Kylie Maeda.)

Some Other Places I Went

The office of a retina specialist, with Sugar Plum. (Thankfully, he said that her retina looks fine.)

The office of an oral surgeon, with Sugar Bear (as a follow-up to his canine exposure surgery right before Christmas) - as well as twice to the office of his orthodontist.

My young adult literature class.

The Draper Temple (five times).

A committee meeting for this year's women's retreat.

The Drivers License Bureau with Sugar Plum (who is now a full-fledged licensed driver).

My hairdresser's place (for a much-needed cut and color).

What I Ate

Among the many fruits and vegetables we received from Bountiful Baskets this month, garlic roasted Brussels sprouts and a couple of cartons of strawberries were among my favorite things to eat. I also used red potatoes, celery, and onions from the co-op to make a pot of clam chowder, which was perfect for this cold winter!

I celebrated the New Year with my family at Brick Oven.

WhiteRabbit and I ate at the Market Street Broiler before seeing The Philadelphia Story (using a free meal coupon we had received in the mail).

WhiteRabbit and I also ate out at Texas Roadhouse one night (using a gift card I received from my boss for Christmas).

What I Celebrated

The birthdays of four of the cousins (with a Mexican fiesta that we hosted at our home).

The inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Sugar Plum's 17th birthday.

What I Taught in Sunday School

"Behold, I Am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World"

"Remember the New Covenant, Even the Book of Mormon" (Part 1)

Biggest Expenditure of the Month

A new windshield for my SUV (which cracked during that crazy commute when a drop of freezing rain hit a small rock chip I've had for months).

What I'm Looking Forward to in February

Longer days (especially more daylight in the early morning when I'm taking the carpool to the bus).

Chocolate and other yummy treats for Valentine's Day.

More reading, and more BYU Women's Basketball.

One Little Word for 2013

(Cross-posted from my happiness project blog.)

I chose Order as my one-word theme for 2010, and in 2011 my word was Fullness. My word for 2013 came to me almost as an epiphany, shortly after Winter Solstice, when my friend Louise posted this as her Facebook status: "May the literal return of light be a metaphor for our hearts."

My word for 2013 is actually three interrelated words:

(en)light(en)

light
n.
1: the natural agent that stimulates sight and and makes things visible; a source of illumination
2: understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment; spiritual illumination by divine truth
v.
1: provide with light or lighting; illuminate
2: make (something) start burning; ignite
adj.
1: of little weight; easy to lift
2: gentle or delicate
3: requiring little mental effort; not profound or serious

lighten
v.
1: make or become lighter in weight, pressure, or severity
2: make or become lighter or brighter

enlighten
v.
give (someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation; give (someone) spiritual knowledge or insight

I think these words cover a multitude of concepts I want to explore or accomplish in 2013. Covering the spectrum from literal to figurative, from mundane to extraordinary, among those ideas are faith ("For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."), sunshine, frivolous fun (Lighten up!), learning and experiencing new things, weight loss, and decluttering. I'm not yet finished contemplating the word Fullness, either, and I think that the verbs Light and Lighten also relate to my thoughts about mindfulness and living deliberating.

Have you chosen a one-word theme for the year?

My 2012 DVD Viewing

• Scrooged (1988)


• The Avengers (2012)


• Brave (2012)


• Abduction (2011)


• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)


• Get Smart (2008)


• Joyful Noise (2012)


• The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)


• Jump In! (2007)


• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)


• Water for Elephants (2011)


• Iron Man 2 (2010)


• Iron Man (2009)


• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011) (twice!)


• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)


• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)


• Twilight (2008)


• Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)


• Life Is Beautiful (1997)


• Big (1988)


• Sydney White (2007)


• Spiderman 3 (2007)


• To Save a Life (2009)

What DVDs did you watch in 2012? What would you recommend I see in 2013?