There is a Reason

Last night two members of the Relief Society Presidency came over to visit my mother in law and give her a handout from the visiting teaching luncheon she missed on Saturday. Well, I suppose they came to visit her and happened to have a handout to give me, too.

They come in and one of them said, "Oh look! Stacy's here, too!"

I said, "Who?"

Apparently, she thought my name was Stacy.

I've lived in this ward for 8 1/2 months, and members of the RS Presidency don't know my name. Is it any wonder I feel like I don't belong here? Is it any wonder that I'm incredibly anxious to move?

GOE

Grade of Execution. It matters. It really does. And it begs the question: when it comes to life, what is my grade of execution?

Do I do what I'm supposed to, my required elements, uprightly and fervently? Or do I throw them out there, sticking the landing, but rather leaning my way into it? Do I practice and plan so that I can give the best of myself, or do I rely on sheer talent and luck to pull me through?

I think I need to work more on my grade of execution. Because as I saw last night, it can make all the difference.

Happiness is...Road Construction?

As I was driving down Redwood Road this morning I was unsurprised to see the orange flags, barricades and signs to prevalent in Utah during the spring and summer. What did surprise me was how happy that made me feel. Why would indications of slow traffic and major delays make me happy?

David is a chemical analyst. (I love saying that, people generally don't know how to respond.) And as part of his new job (I love saying that, too!) he does a lot of work with the DMV. In other words, when road construction starts, he gets flooded with new samples to analyze.

Things in my life seem to be working themselves out pretty well right now. After months of waiting, we're going to be looking at houses starting tomorrow *YEA!!!!* and are hoping to find the right one for our family very soon. David has a job that he doesn't dread going to. I have voice students that I love. The kids are doing well at school, and have survived living in Grandma's basement. My children are donating money to our house. We are pulling together as a family to make our lives better. And road construction reminds me of that.

When you're on the roads this spring and frustrated with the signs of orange everywhere, remember that road construction means a better life. It means work. It means happiness. It means hope.

I am a child of the Cold War

I was unreasonably happy that Russia lost the pairs figure skating.

Go China!

Hmmm

Have you ever noticed that certain music only fits certain days?

Query

Who do you believe to be the most influential musician of the 20th Century?

Taking into consideration not only musical influence, but also cultural and social change, David and I decided that we would rank the Beatles number one, with an emphasis on Paul McCartney, but specifically John Lennon.

Anyone else?