Lost Ring

I lost my favorite ring. I was taking it off when I dropped it into my laundry basket full of clothes. I dumped out the clothes. No ring. I searched each piece of clothing. No ring. I searched under my bed. No ring. I searched anywhere and everywhere in the vicinity of my laundry basket. No ring. Five weeks later, and I'm still upset that I lost the ring. I don't remember where I even got it, but I've had it since high school and it's been with me everywhere: (check out my right hand, the ring's there in every pic)


Unfortunately I don't have any pictures older than two years (when I got my digital camera) but this ring survived working at Wendy's (in highschool) and Walmart (in college), I took this ring to Europe and New York, and I lose it in my very own bedroom in my laundry basket!!! I don't know where it is, but, ring who was oh-so-perfect for me--not flashy but simple and understated--I mourn your loss.

A River Runs Through It

This

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FUN!

Last Friday was my first foray into rubber tubin' down a river. The water was cold, the river rocky and shallow, the tube left a burn on my inner thigh, and at one point I thought I was going to drown as a rope choked me. But it was so much fun that Cat and I went three times and screamed each and every ride down.

The Star-Spangled Banner

Every year I look forward to the Sunday near the Fourth of July because it means we'll sing The Star-Spangled Banner in sacrament. Today did not disappoint. After the congregation not being quite sure about standing, my friend Nicki got everyone else to stand when she took a stand and stood. The song was beautiful as always and there were more than a few wet eyes and sniffles going around. I admit that I got emotional, too. I sang as loud as I could, even though I'm rather tone deaf and flat, and didn't care one bit because it was in love for my country. Happy Birthday America!

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Floats, Food and Fireworks--Happy Fourth of July!!

I should also add the word Fun. The Fourth started bright and early with the Murray City parade down state street. Candy was thrown, which means of course the kids had a good time. I did too, as I ran out into the street to grab a piece of candy Ivy was too scared to get and was honked at, in good fun, by the approaching truck and jumped high enough for the entire crowd to get a good laugh. Ivy made sure everyone knew she was the only one who caught two necklaces, was handed a water bottle, and caught a bag of Doritos. I was just happy to see this float:

In case you can't tell, it's a float that encourages recycling. My brother laughed at me as I took the picture.

After a rousing game of Phase 10, while cranky Mo took a nap and Ivy and Elliett played, I came out victorious and we had food. My potato salad still isn't quite perfect (anybody want to share their recipe with me?), but we ate it with our hamburgers and hot dogs and it was all good. While our food settled the kids rode their scooters and I supervised, making sure no one went farther than the second bush. We even got in a little bit of swim time, where the one floaty donut was fought over and elicited more than a few tears from having to share.

All was forgotten, though, when we were on our way to Sugarhouse Park for some pretty darn spectacular fireworks. The people were many and the fireworks more so. I laid on my back there in the park, with Ivy right next to me (covering her ears) and the rest of my family near, and had these amazing fireworks going off right over my head and was happy. Pictures don't nearly do it justice, but I'll post some anyway. And the finale--Wow!


Happy Fourth of July! I love America and am grateful to live here. I have very happy and wonderful memories of spending the Fourth in Moroni with my grandma and grandpa and lots of aunts and uncles, and of my first and only Fourth in New York last year. Almost anything is better than the year I was stuck working til midnight and didn't get to see one single firework.

Also want to wish a Happy First Birthday to Dutch, my friend Pam's little guy. He was born last year on this great holiday and now every year on his birthday he gets the day off AND fireworks!

Walk to the Movie

I get a bit stir-crazy during the day. I don't have a job (yet) and I don't have a car. Today I decided to not let either bother me and head out to the dollar theater. I chose to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and even though the movie was less than stellar (thank goodness I waited to see it when I only had to shell out a dollar) the real joy came from my mode of transportation: walking. It's something I used to do on a daily basis in New York but now I rarely do (unless you count walking to the car, which I don't). And I realized that I really miss walking.

The dollar theater I went to is really close to where my sister lives. I'd guess it's as far away as my apartment was from the nearest subway stop, maybe a titch farther. Here's the map; it's .9 miles but is actually less because I short-cutted through the back going left when the map goes right to 1470 West.


View Larger Map

Not only do I miss walking, but I miss New York--the City. One of my favorite things to do in the City was going to the movie theater at 68th and Broadway--the Lincoln Center AMC Theater--and exiting to the wonders of the city. On more than one occasion I'd walk out and be hit with, "Wow! I live in New York City!" I still have moments of incredulity when I think, "Wow! I lived in New York City!" So as I walked out of the movie theater today, and instead of skyscrapers and taxis was bombarded with mountains and endless sky (and cars), I thought how nice it is to be able to have experienced both. I love New York and will forever be grateful and amazed that I lived there.

Cousin Craft Night

Craft night. The paper, glue gun, and red circles went from this:



To this:



Thanks to our cousin-in-law Erica in Denver for the idea. I love the Fourth of July, and one of the funnest parts of craft night was reminiscing with Phaedra and Emily about Fourths spent at Grandma and Grandpa's in Moroni. It used to be quite the tradition. Maybe now with these pinwheels we'll start our own craft tradition--our capabilities and ideas have become much loftier!

Updates

I took a small break from blogging. There for awhile it seemed like I was posting every day, and yet I didn't think I was writing about anything all that cool and really felt like my writing was less than spectacular. But this is the only writing I do now out of college, and since I don't want what limited skills I do have to go out the window, I figure I should keep on plugging away at it. Hopefully I'll feel the creative juices flowing again and the words and sentences will sound better.

So while I'm waiting for the mojo to return, here's a slight update on what's been goin' on the past couple days.
--made potato salad and hamburgers on Saturday before heading out to catch some fireworks for Taylorsville Dayzz. Despite seeing fireworks a gazillion times, I never tire of them or stop being awed by them, regardless if it's a big production in New York or a little production in Moroni, Utah. Fireworks are awesome, period.
--officially had my records transferred to my new singles ward here in Salt Lake. Not too much to say about this except I miss my small, lovely ward in New York and the wonderful people there.
--still haven't found a job, but broke down, swallowed my pride, and applied at Convergys just so I can have some sort of money coming in while I look for something else
--celebrated with my cousin and sister that Kyle Korver didn't opt out of his contract with the Jazz.
--went swimming for most of the day and got an awesome tan in the process!
--watched the Bachelorette and was quite shocked when a rose was given to the conniving, lying, country singer there to just sell some records and not to the funny, entirely charming and adorable Michael (who is a break-dance instructor in Queens). This girl is making some bad choices.
--my toe has finally healed. No more bruising; it's finally back to looking normal.