Reality Bites

I was in an airport recently and I saw someone who looked familiar......but I couldn't immediately place the source of where I knew her from.

Was it College?  (one of the THREE I attended)

My Mission?

My job?

An old job?

My old neighborhood?

I couldn't quite come up with a name....but I kept seeing her.....and as a result I kept looking at her, too.

I first saw her when her group and my group (my daughter & I) were both converging onto the escalator.  And I took a double-take.

Then she was right behind me in the security line.  I looked at her again - and she saw me doing so, but she said nothing, so then I thought maybe I didn't know her.  Except I was pretty sure I did!

Then when I was standing in line at the airport Cafe Rio, I saw her enter the food court.  By this time, I was sneaking in more glances - pretty much staring - until our eyes would meet again while I was doing so.

Then when I had sat down to eat, it came to me!  It was a girl from High School.  Not just a girl, but a friend - like I had hung out at her house before!  We didn't do everything together, not like BEST FRIENDS, but we were "medium friends".....I think we might have group dated to a Girls' Dance?  (But, don't quote me on that - those years' activities are getting foggier and more distant!)  But, I don't think I have seen her since then.

So, THEN, having now recalled who she was, I decided to acknowledge and greet her.
So, when she & her husband started walking right towards my table, carrying their food tray, to get to their table, I kind of reached out my hand in a wave, to get her attention, and said, "You look familiar to me."

To which she reacted with an absolute. BLANK. look. on her face.
It was almost a skeptical look like why-the-heck-is-a-complete-[flipped-out]-stranger-making-advances-at-me? look.  (Her body Language: she stopped in her tracks and leaned back away from me.)

I then asked, "Are you (insert her name)?"

She seriously had NO sign of recognition on her face.

She said nothing.  She just stared back at me.

(I started to wonder if I had gotten it all wrong.  That she wasn't really who I had thought.)
When her facial expression did not change, I was about to say, "Nevermind." 

But, then her husband answered for her (since, apparently, my greeting had rendered her mute).  He said, "Yes.  Yes she is."

I could tell she still couldn't identify ME, so I said, "I'm Suzanne."

[Still no "A-ha" moment.]

So, I continued by saying my maiden name, too.

And then she [unconvincingly] said, "Oh.....yah...."
(and then we chit chatted for a few minutes.)


But, afterwards, as I reviewed the scenario in my mind, I knew what had happened.

What a slap in the face, but it was true.  She could not even tell a resemblance from my High School self that she had known to my Present day self  who'd "stalked" her at the airport.

It means I have changed too much!

And that is alarming!

It's stupefying what 25 years can do to a person.
{and depressing.}  

REALITY:  I can't pass as a 17 yr. old anymore!!! 

What d'ya think?  Would YOU have been able to even recognize me?

High School Senior

[feeling like a] Senior Citizen

It was probably just because I'm not using a tight curling iron and ratting my hair these days, right?!?

RIGHT?!?

Okay....good.

The Writing on the Wall......or Mirror

I have been listening to General Conference talks while I get ready in my bathroom for the day. When I hear a line or phrase that REALLY strikes a chord with me, I have been writing it down......with a dry erase marker, in large-ish letters, on my bathroom mirror.

This way, I can see and read it again and again - like EVERY TIME I walk into the bathroom. While I'm brushing my teeth. While I'm washing my hands. While I'm putting in my contacts.......No wait, let's be honest - I can't see, let alone read, ANYTHING real if my contacts aren't in. Soooo, every other time besides then, it's a good reminder!

Here's my latest:

"There is no substitute for love."

It's taken from President Thomas S. Monson's talk titled, "Come, All Ye Sons of God"

(http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/come-all-ye-sons-of-god?lang=eng)

This one hit me because I have my children and my Young Women (12-18 yr. old girls at church, who I feel like are numbered among my children) on my mind SO MUCH - particularly while listening to the words of our church leaders.  There HAS TO BE love.  They need to know I love them.  Even - and especially - for the ones who make me super, uber frustrated sometimes!!!

I checked this book out from the library to give my more inspiration on the subject:

The other ones that have "made the mirror" so far are:

"...A still voice of perfect mildness..."

This one is taken from Sister Rosemary M. Wixom's talk (General Primary President) titled, "The Words We Speak"

(http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-words-we-speak?lang=eng)

It is also a quote from scripture, Helaman 5: 30.

I don't need to holler around the house like a maniac when I'm trying to find someone.  I could, like, actually get up and go to another floor or walk down the hall and speak to that person NORMALLY and calmly!!  

I can learn from that voice from heaven - it gave firm direction while giving hope.  It was not loud, scolding, or demeaning.   This is SO hard!  Even 3+ years after I first wrote on this blog about it, I don't have it perfected!  I AM practicing at it though - and I've found that when I speak even quieter than my "normal" voice, my husband ALWAYS says, "What?"  Uh Oh, he can't even tell what I said - his hearing is going!  But, my vision is going - SO WE MAKE A GREAT [disabled] PAIR!  ;)

Here's another one:

"Recognize the good in others, not their stains....always build on his or her virtues."

This was taken from Richard G. Scott's talk titled, "For Peace at Home"

(http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/for-peace-at-home?lang=eng)

This may be very beneficial to the "Love" one above.  It could lower my disappointment in others and prevent me from becoming upset or discouraged about others and what they are doing with their Free Agency!  This one is hard, too - it's against my natural tendencies (and the part of me that is "Realistic"!)

Because I erase the previous one when I write down a new one, I wanted to record them here! :)

But, I am thankful for the EASE of which we have to listen to the words of God.  It's right there on my iPad in the comfort of my own bathroom - with just a few touches!  So great!

School's Out for Summer!

So, WHY do I feel like it's kicking my butt?
Like everyone in this house is on vacation, but ME?

WHO came up with the phrase, "Lazy Days of Summer"???

After just one week, my car drives itself to Cherry Hill, Ryan's place of employment for the summer - that I have to take him to and pick him up from practically every day!

It's true.  Yesterday, I was [supposedly] taking Kyle to pick up the newspapers he delivers once a week, when he finally asks me, "Where are we going?"  I came to, and realized I was about 5 blocks past the turn off for the newspapers.  To his question, I answered, "Cherry Hill.  This car KNOWS the way now."   And then I turned around and got him to the right place.  ;)

We started out the week with only two baseball games on our calendar -- which eventually turned into A GAME EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, with possibly TWO tonight!  And the boys have both been umpiring at the ball park a few nights this week.
{ALL of which need a ride from ME!}

Kyle made this observation about our "What's for Dinner?" chart:

"So, pretty much -- this planned menu sign is meaningless?!?"

(Since we haven't been around at dinnertime to ever have a real dinner!)

AND.....Here's a question:

WHY is it so freakin' hard for *some people* to pick up the otter pop wrappers and throw them in the garbage can?

It's not.  It's NOT!  It REALLY isn't people!  It's so easy!!  I don't get it!!!


AND...my excuse very good reason for not having a garden in the past was because we did not have enough yard for one.  Well, NOW we do.
As Ryan's "family project" for his Family Life merit badge, our family cleared away a plot of land in our [otherwise unfinished, weed fest] yard and made a garden.  The "project" only required 4 hrs. of work, and that was accomplished two months ago, so he's less than enthusiastic about doing anything with it anymore...

But, I'm out there every day.....always something to do!  I'm sweatin' up a storm in the morning, or getting eaten by bugs in the evening.
Our corn, pumpkins, watermelon, and cantaloupe are coming up!
The onions, green onions, and tomatoes ARE NOT!
Like NO SIGN of them (not that us lame-o's would even know what the plant was suppose to look like!)....and it's been enough time to sprout.....so I think we must've made some ROOKIE mistakes!   

Planted the seeds too deep?  Too many seeds too close together?  Too much water?  Not enough water?  Too many people stepping on them?  Too many weeds?  Bad seeds?  Too many rocks in the soil? (DEFINITELY in these parts!)  


I got me a nice, lobster-red chest - a combination of it being our1st time out this year, faulty sunscreen(?) and a new swimsuit whose designer did not have my size in mind when manufacturing it - from taking the kids to Seven Peaks water park one day.  And it DID turn into a whole day once we drive to & from.

I am even down one child since I drove Haylee out to my sister's for a few days of "cousin play" but I still feel like I am not having a relaxing summer, yet.

Maybe next week?

That's when I'm going to start my summer exercise/training schedule, too.  ;)

I

Only One Casuality for a Klutz Like Me!

Our Young Women group at church is going to have a "RED HOT SUMMER!" 

"Red" as in "READ."  

Meaning, starting now and by the end of the Summer, we'll all have READ the entire Book of Mormon!

We're using an all-things-red theme to carry out this project.

(I dressed in a red outfit with red shoes to present it to the girls, we'll have red treat rewards,
handouts on red paper, red scripture marking pencils, a "red hot retreat" in the middle of it, etc.)

So, to get ready for this project, I had a "few" books to cover in red fleece with a red ribbon book mark.....
using a Glue Gun.

Which "attacked" badly enough ONLY ONCE to leave a battle wound - pretty good, revolutionary really,  
considering it was......ME involved!  ;)

***********

If you want to have a "Read Hot Summer" also, THIS is the reading schedule we are following:

http://ldsscripturetools.com/