TELL ME THAT THEY JUST AREN'T THE CUTEST EVER!!!

my heart aches to play with them

AFTER A LONG WEEKEND...


i'm tired. my bed feels really good right now... i'm never leaving it again!


i'm happy with the opportunities to meet new friends. hi new friends in CT!


i'm proud of myself. i climbed a 5.7 on saturday and i hadn't been climbing in 2 years


i'm motivated. the new project i'm working on is really exciting to me


i'm so sore. salsa dancing is wicked rough on this here old lady body i got goin' on


i'm peachy. a good friend is getting married to an amazing man and her bridal shower was perfect!


i'm lucky. i got to eat lunch with the haight family. yummy food and so much fun!


i'm hoarse. michael MADE me sing... i didn't want to!


i'm thrilled. got my new calling yesterday!
1) NO MORE EMPLOYMENT (yay... don't tell the bishop!)
2) PRIMARY CHORISTER... primary chorister dudes! rock on!!!


i'm blessed. lots of moments of service and laughter


i'm mentally exhausted. needs no explanation

THE WHOLE TRUTH...


so last night a group of my good friends and i sat around disclosing some rather personal information... and we were all fessing up.

what foods do you like that you would be embarrassed to tell anyone about?


here's a bit of the list:

+ bologna sandwiches with miracle whip! (that one is mine)

+ eating sprinkles (or jimmies) straight out of the jar

+ twinkies

+ doritos and clam dip (mine again)

+ dog food ("whatever, you ate dog food")

+ cat food (meow mix... not fancy feast)

+ nuking marshmallows until they get all crispy... then bending the plate to eat them off

+ also- stale marshmallows

+ cheese/pickle/mustard sandwiches

+ hostess cherry pies

+ 1 slice wonder bread. 1 slice kraft singles. nuke for 30 seconds. CHEESE BREAD. (me... all me)

+ diet coke in pancake mix... instead of milk (i promise you that one's not mine)

+ also, NON-COOKED PANCAKES!!! just sear them on each side... eat while batter is drooling down your chin.

+ snails. SNAILS! (so that he can feel it squish and pop in his mouth... antenna and all)

+ gino's pizza (the ones that are $.99 at the grocery store)


yeah, and that wasn't all of them. i just can't remember. interesting that mine (with the exception of the animal food and pancakes) happen to be the most disgusting!

what about you? fess up. we all know you like to eat something disgusting! now's your chance to own up to it!

DON'T FORGET ME WHEN I'M GONE!


will you remember me in 60 years?

yes.

will you remember me in 20?

yes.

will you remember me in 1 year?

yes.

a month?

yeah.

how about a day?

uh-huh.

hour?

yep.

in two seconds?

sure.

knock-knock.

who's there?

see... you already forgot me!!!



who doesn't love that joke, huh? i know i do... except for when it's REAL!!!

okay, so you know how when you sign onto blogger there is a little box at the bottom of the username and password boxes that if you check it, it will know to remember your username and password forever! it's like your own private bouncer. the kind you would tell your deepest, darkest secrets to and you know they'll keep it in "the vault." and when you come a knockin' on the door they will open the little peek door, see you and know to open the door wide, as the special guest of honor.

yeah, well every time i come up to the door, i have to say the secret password AGAIN! no matter how many times i check that stupid little "remember me" box, it still forgets me... and i just can't take it anymore. i can't trust it to remember me!!!

hey... bouncer man... me again. i'm here again... peggy... you know... that girl that has entered the same bloody password over and over again... come on... you remember... no, really? i need to type it AGAIN??? but i just did it five seconds ago and then i had to leave the page and come back to it... i just went away for like 2.5 seconds and came right back and YOU DON'T REMEMBER ME???? ARRRGGGHHH!

please... please remember!

THE BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN IN THE HISTORY OF DRAMA QUEENS AND THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!

ahh superlatives... gotta love 'em... gotta use 'em!

something i've noticed about myself as of late... not that i haven't always been this way.. i have... but i am now just REALLY and TRULY seeing that i have this way with words... and it is the silliest thing ON THIS ENTIRE PLANET!

i use HUGE, BIG, GINORMOUS words in HUGE, BIG, GINORMOUS ways to explain myself about the smallest things.

what???? you do??? why peggy, i've never noticed this about you!!!

no really, like... i'm like the BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN I HAVE EVER MET! for real dude... like it shouldn't take you like 800,000 YEARS TO SEE IT!

it's so bad that even my bishop, almost every time he sees me, breaks out into "valley girl" voice and mocks me... and it's just not right i tell ya!

so why? why do i do it?when explaining something or telling a story, is it THAT necessary to say:

"it was THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!" or

"he said it like 800,000 TIMES!!!"

why is it not sufficient enough to say:

"yeah i thought it was really funny." or

"he repeated himself a lot."

i guess by nature i am two things... a story teller AND a passionate person. now i'm no math wizard but i think... a + b = DRAMA! don't get me wrong, i like that i have these qualities. i just see that sometimes they tend to get in the way when communicating on a daily basis.

not everything is a big deal-- speaking passionately about toast is rather silly, wouldn't you say? or telling a story about going to the grocery store and every other word is a superlative seems a little excessive, no?

sometimes i catch myself in the act, speaking REALLY REALLY PASSIONATELY about something i don't really care that much about... it usually only dawns on me when i take notice of the person i'm talking with, see their eyes widen with surprise that i care THAT MUCH that toothpaste comes flavored like strawberry and take a step back.

wa-ho there tiger... back that soul train up and take a deep breath.

i also believe that sometimes i use HUGE ways of speaking to purposely be annoying... and i know there are people out there that don't understand my brand of humor and think i am absolutely crazy. (people... you have no idea!)

i am also aware that sometimes i come across as mean or insensitive for saying some of the things i do.. but i can't help it if i think it's funny to say the things that are so morbidly wrong to say that no one would ever say them... so i do.. then i snicker... most people give me that look that says i'm a huge jerk... but how i do love those people in my life that roll with it and play along. it really is all in the name of fun!

i really can't see myself changing... so if you can jive... GET OUT! no no, i kid... i kid.

but seriously, if ever you are in conversation with me and i go off on a tangent about the strangest thing to get all riled up about or i start exaggerating something fierce... give me some slack, i just can't help myself. i wouldn't be able to talk if i couldn't JUST YELL IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!

BONDIE

saw it on john's blog... peed my pants.

I LOVE MY NIECEE!!!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

tid bits of wisdom and blatantly sarcastic reverie

hey look... it decided to be winter! today i was walking through harvard square, it was so cold that when i blinked... my lips opened and closed.


standing in line at the grocery store, saw a magazine cover with jessica simpson on it, it read: HOW JESSICA GOT THIN FOR HER NEW MAN! i'm sorry (and forgive the use of language) ... but, what the hell?


i am just going to say it... i like taco bell. in fact, sometimes i prefer it to other mexican food establishments. (sometimes) also, it's cheap. me like cheap.


did i tell you that i was back to piano lessons... (teacher is back... long story)... now i can play songs like MAGNENT MARCH and THE MACARONI CHA-CHA


the following items are STILL sitting on my nightstand as of who knows when: one half empty bag of valentine colored hershey's kissables, two half empty glasses (1) diet coke- go figure and (2) cranberry juice, a broken bracelet... the cute bracelet that my good friend who was in NUNSENSE with me made for me at the end of the show, THE TIBET GAMBLE (came in the mail two days ago and i can't put it down... way to go billy!, empty bowl that used to contain chocolate ice cream, my brand new bed side table lamp that STILL does not have a light bulb and i bought it over a week ago!


yes, it's true... i still have christmas presents that haven't been mailed yet.


it's quiet in my house, outside i hear a car pull up, someone gets out and walks up the stairs. there's banging on harley tatoo neighbor man's door... then again. then again. after a few moments i hear the high-pitched nasal sound of a native bostonian woman on her phone with said neighbor (which now that we're talking about it... they are all different, but sound the same!) "{giggle}, number 21 right? {giggle}, yes i'm here... get down here already... {giggle}... i'm freezing." my eyes widened like saucers... only ONE thing follows those kinds of conversations with my upstairs neighbor. now i have moved myself to the kitchen... silence AND ignorance is BLISS!





talking with a friend right after they've had their teeth removed (drugged up and lots of gauze) has to be one of the funniest things i've done all year




"to succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered." -voltaire




hey, thanks to everyone that read my story and talked with me about it. it really means a lot to me that you would even take the 800 years to read through it.


new art is hanging on my bedroom wall. any guesses as to who the artist is? come on, take a guess.

if you guessed russ... you would be correct. i LOVE this finger painting! he painted it specifically for me. the color is perfect for my room, so i had no choice but to frame it for all to see! and by the way-- you can't tell that a 4 year old did it! art is so subjective anyway!

last but not least: iron your clothes, straighten your life: RIVAL

ICE FOR EVERYONE!


happy MARTIN LUTHER KING day!

the other day the kids and i were driving along in the minivan, and having just picked them up from school, where they were discussing martin luther king, we began talking about him. one of the kids asked who he was and i began explaining (in the simplest way possible, so even russell [4 years old] would somewhat understand what a profound impact he had on this country) that mr. king was a very important man who wanted people of all colors and backgrounds to be equal.

"no he's not, peggy" russell interrupting from his car seat
"yes, russ... he is. anyway, as i was saying.."
"no, that's not who 'luther king' was" russell, getting adamant
"yes, russ he was (under my breath: okay mr 4 year old know it all). okay dude, then who was he?"
"miss alan knows all about him and she even taught us this song that goes... {singing} 'we shall overcome....' that song, peggy. and she says that 'luther king' was the man that wanted everyone to have ice."
"ICE???" i paused, totally perplexed... ice? he wanted everyone to have ice... "i don't get it russ."

then anna, after intently listening to this argument: "RIGHTS RUSSELL... he wanted everyone to have RIGHTS!" she rolls her eyes.

russell pauses to intake the difference in words... "oh, yeah... rights."

end scene.

as it turns out we were both right! what a great chance we have today to take a look back on our country's history, see the fallacies of old school thinking and remember amazing individuals who put their lives in danger to make changes. martin luther king, certainly is a man to be admired and more importantly listened to. so in that vein, i give you his address. you know the one... the one that's been quoted all over the world, the one that still brings people to their feet, the one that compelled U2 to write a song. yeah, it's always a good idea to visit our past and sit at the feet of those pioneers of freedom the way we see it today!

CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME V-DAY CARDS

made by none other than the talented miss tiffany!

available for sale right HERE

JUPITER AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

so i was gushing all over holst and his maginifcent creation of THE PLANETS. well, on a whim, i checked to see if youtube had someone or something playing JUPITER... lo and behold... MAN i love youtube!

FALLACY IN MY MIND


i'm 13.

i've been this way for a while now.

is there a cure?

some kind of juice i can drink?

a note reagarding this post: i meant this to be sent out in small doses because it's so long, but blogger wouldn't let me copy and paste smaller portions of this story into another post. AND dummy blogger also wouldn't spell check it for me... so now you'll all be able to see what a poor speller i am! happy reading.


AN EPIC TALE OF A GIRL, HER TREASURE AND THE JOURNEY



it had been a whole year, and she could hardly believe it went as quickly as it did. time speeding by was indeed a blessing, as she looked over the rough terrain she had forged over in that preceeding year. she looked down at her calloused hands and the dirt in her hair. she was definitely not the soft, perfectly primped girl she had started out as. her muscles ached and she longed to be back home; the warm fire and the familiar sounds. but this was her choice, and she had wanted this journey more than she could say.

she could still remember the day she lost her most valuable treasure. the treasure she was so excited to have found. it was dear to her and she had kept it close. but in trying to keep it sacred she had sqeezed as tight as she could to hold on to it and it had slipped from her grasp and had fallen into the deep ravine. she watched it disappear into the blackness that fateful morning and her tears were hot and angry.

she had mourned for a time. questioning herself and her weakness and inability to hold on to things she really treasured. but she was not the type to give up. she was a fighter.

one clear morning she had decided that tears would not solve this problem and so she set out on her journey, to find her treasure. to reclaim what was so dear to her. little did she know that every part of who she was would be challenged beyond what, even she, thought she was capable of. but with a set jaw and a determined spirit, she began to walk down the path.

would it surprise you to know that she wasn't scared, although she probably should have been, she was firm in her faith and believed in her ability to wage every storm.

at first the path was not so rough. right, left, right, left... this was easy. a few rocks, a few divots in the road, but she could do this. her step quickened as with each one her confidence lifted. she knew her plan and had looked at the map several times. she had charted her course long before she had begun. each night she consulted her plan before she went to sleep. she felt good to be on this journey. she felt alive.

if i told you that her first big set back came as quite a shock, i would be understating her emotions that day. it had come out of nowhere. quicksand. her left foot caught hold of it first and it wasn't long before she was nearly swallowed up by the monsterous pit. she was trying to hold still, so as not to further her awful situation. many travelers passed by and asked her if she needed help. what a silly girl to tell them that she was fine, fake a smile and even make jokes about her predicament. it wasn't until the only thing visible was the tip of her nose that she finally told someone that she needed help. it came quickly you see, because that is usually what happens when one finally humbles themselves to ask for it.

the stick was being held out by a good friend. as the friend pulled her to safety, she chuckled to herself that she had not allowed help sooner. okay, lessoned learned. the friend stopped to have lunch with her. they laughed, reminisced and had a deep converstation about trials. this made her feel more rejuvinated. the quicksand certainly had taken a lot out of her. but knowing that she was loved by this dear friend, was enough to help her feel strong again. as the friend departed with a hug and a smile, they handed her a pouch with some gold coins.

"you never know" they said with a wink and closed her fingers around the small, purple bag.

she was sincerely grateful. the help out of the sand was plenty, but this extra gift was more than she felt she deserved. she tucked the money safely in her coat pocket and headed down the path, one more time.

it wasn't long, however, before she felt the first of many large rain drops pound her head. she looked up. the clouds were thick and black. they made her shiver. this was definitely going to set her back. she hadn't taken many steps and already the road had become a river. this rain was the furious kind of rain, the kind that is unforgiving if you've forgotten to bring an umbrella with you; and she most certainly did not have an umbrella. the current in the road became so strong that it pulled her downward and carried her along the path in its rage. she shouted out for help, but the rain was so loud no one could hear. she tried to grab hold of a tree branch but with each attempt, fell short. the road now emerged with a river and now she was rushing fast toward the unknown. she was terrified.

thud! she slammed into something hard and hit her head. feeling her body being lifted out of the water she quickly looked around to investigate the source of her liberation. her confusion was not lessened when she finally focused on the man's face sitting across from her. she had never seen him in her life and something told her she didn't really want to know him. she looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened. she was in the middle of a small fishing boat that looked as though it would collapse and throw her back into the water at any time. the man sitting across from her offered her an umbrella and smiled a toothless smile. hesitantly, she took it from him and said a shy thank you. even though he was being helpful, something told her not to trust him.

i know what you are thinking, why didn't she just get out of the boat? i was thinking that too, but the thing is, sometimes we choose to ignore our gut instincts because we feel they are silly or dramatic. and that's exactly what she did.

the man talked to her for hours. she sat quietly listening. he told her about the world, how she could have it all; with her looks and talent, why the world would scoop her up and make her queen of them all. he told her he could take her there; introduce her to the world. after a time, his flattering words became like silver threads attaching themselves to her heart and leading her toward him. by now her fear of him had vanished and she began to find confindence in his smirk. all thoughts of her treasure were out of her mind and she could only think of one thing. how wonderful she was. after all, this man had said so many marvelous things about who she was and he seemed like the authority on the subject.

the night had come without her realizing it and the rain had finally stopped. as the old man rowed them to shore, she made up her mind. she would abandon her journey (at least for a little while) and follow this man to meet the world. "think of all the wonderful things that will happen to me." she thought to herself.

they found a tree and decided it would be better to camp there that night and get a fresh start in the morning. using her pack as a pillow and her now dry coat as a blanket she quickly fell asleep.

her treasure? there it was, sitting in front of her. she could hardly believe her eyes. how did it get here? she almost didn't dare to pick it up for fear it was all a dream. she reached out slowly and took hold of it. it felt so good to be reunited with her truest and most beloved treasure. she held it close. happiness filled her heart and she smiled bigger than she had in such a long time. now she could go home and get some rest and live happily ever after. but wait. slowly it started to feel very cold. confused she opened her hands and watched as it became slippery and began oozing through her fingers. she was confused. what's happening? "why are you doing this" she screamed out. "don't go, i've just found you." but it did not listen. it slowly slipped from her embrace once again and this time she did not have the control to tighten her grasp around it and even if she had tried, she would have failed, for it was not to be held at this time. tears began streaming from her eyes as she looked at her empty hands. she felt so cold. so empty and confused. the cold began to cut through her. her arms encircled her as she tried to warm herself. but now her heart and her body were freezing.

and in an instant she was awake. it took a minute for her to fully come to. the pink glow in the sky indicated that it was morning. so cold, why was she so cold? then, as reality struck her heart, she realized that she did not have her pack as a pillow and her coat as a blanket any longer. she sat up and looked around. just as she feared, she was alone. very alone and without her pack. slowly she made a list of all the things she no longer possessed. food. matches. the gold coins. the map. THE MAP?? oh no, not the map.

she shot up and looked around. where was she? between the flood, the river and being in that boat for who knows how long, she was really off coarse. why hadn't she paid attention to where the man was taking them? she panicked and started running. trees, bushes, rivers, she passed by each unfamiliar landmark and with each step her fear increased. after a time, she slowed down. the woods were so thick that she couldn't even see the sky. walking felt unproductive. how would she even know if she wasn't just walking in circles. everything looks the same in the forest.

she stopped in front of a large tree, tired and dejected. "what a fool i was to trust that stupid old man. i should have known better. i should have trusted my heart."

"you are a fool." something hissed in her ear and before she knew it, it had slithered around her ankle and tightened it's grip. "you are ugly." another hissed in her ear and tightened around her waist. she had no time to look around, in mere seconds, several vines had slithered up to her, mocked her and then grabbed hold of some part of her. she was trapped by very strong cords that pulled her into itself.

"you are worthless," "you are ridiculous," "you are annoying." each word was slicing through her, tearing her down. over and over they scorned her. they repeated themselves. even though they were whispering, the voices were so loud she could no longer hear herself. every once in a while she tried to free herself from the constraint, but her strength was not sufficient to loosen the hold.

for days she was there, being beaten by the taunting. "you are fat," "you are stupid," "you are unlovable." over and over and over the voices continued their horrid refrain. just as she was going to give up all hope of freedom she spied a small old woman, hunched over a berry bush. she was quick at work, collecting the fruit.

"help." she barely squeaked out. "help me... please." the old woman stopped her work, straightened herself and cocked her head toward the sound. "excuse me... over here. can you please help me?" the old woman finally focused on her, took one look at her situation and rolled her eyes with a look of disdain.

"you've been listenin' to em 'avent you?" she sqawked, hands on her hips.

"i'm sorry?" she tried to yell over the hissing. "i don't understand... can you please help me?" the old woman rolled her eyes again and took a few steps closer.

"hate to break it to you sweet'art, but there's nothin' i can do for you. as long as you're willin' to listen to 'em nasty buggers, you'll be there for a lifetime. ain't nothin' me or anyone else can do to free you. and as long as you are listenin' to em, you'll be stuck 'ere, not moving forward, not gettin' on with yourself." and with that she grabbed her basket and disappeared into the dark wood.

so that's it, huh? i'm not supposed to listen to you? at this point she was so tied down that she could only move her eyes to look around. it was harder than she thought. although the voices were whispered hisses, she had allowed them to become shouts inside her head. they had taken over everything. she was there for many more days as she tried to shut her eyes and focus on not hearing the sound of the nasty words. after she was there for what seemed like a lifetime, she yelled out... "STOP... just stop... i don't know how to make you stop. i don't know how to not listen to you." she relaxed her head back and started to cry. she felt powerless. the voices seemed so much stronger now. their words were more poisonous and seemed even more harsh.

"you are fake," "people hate you," "you are disgusting."

"NO I'M NOT!" she shouted back, finally angry enough to retort. as she did this, she felt one of the vines loosen it's grip and recoil. she perked up. so that's the answer is it? it's not enough to just try and block them out. i have to fight back.

"I AM BEAUTIFUL!" "I AM SMART" "I AM WORTH MORE THAN GOLD" she screamed out as loud as she could. with each positive word, she felt the strength of the vines diminish. she continued on and felt herself being freed from them. the voices dissapated. and more quickly than she expected, she was free. it made her so happy that she began running. she didn't know where she was going, but running felt so good.

she ran for a few miles and then began to look around. immediately she felt disheartend. the realization that she had no clue how to get out of this forest or where she was for that matter, smacked her in the face. once again her run slowed to a walk. she felt heavy and tired. she had been through so much and it wasn't over. not even close. her frustration turned to fear and then to tears. her sobbing made her even more tired and she finally let go of all her strength and collapsed into the dirt.

"i just can't go on," she thought. "i am so tired. i have no clue where i am or if i am any closer to my treausure. what if my treasure doesn't want to be found? what if my treasure has found a new home to be happy in? why am i doing this? i could be home and safe and despite my loss, i could have found a way to get by." finally, she cried herself to sleep.

i am here to tell you that while she was asleep, she had a dream that her father came to her. he showed her the way out of the forest. told her he loved her. told her that her journey was not in vain. he made her feel strong again. he reminded her that she was his daughter and just for that, she was noble. he made her promise to remember him often. then he hugged her and sent her off with a kiss.

when she woke up, she stood up, dusted herself off and did her best to remember the things her father had told her. she no longer felt alone. she had just forgotten that she had great parents who loved her so much. they knew how much her treasure meant to her. they knew that if she took this journey, she would be faced with much peril, but they also knew how strong she was (even if she didn't) and they also knew the kind of person that she would become if she fought through these trials.

and wouldn't you agree? she has learned so much already.

as she stepped out of the forest and saw the sunshine for the first time in what felt like years, she took a deep breath in. she closed her eyes and turned her face to its rays. "thank you daddy. thank you for helping me back up, like you always do."

she continued walking down the path that seemed so clear now. determined, once again. right, left, right left... moving right along.

but don't get too cozy with the end of this story just yet. it isn't quite over. as she walked down this path, and followed the bend she came to a fork in the road. without a map and without knowledge of what faced her in either direction, she stood still.

would she let fear stand in her way this time? would she allow doubt to creep in and steal away all her desires to learn from this journey? would she give up on her desire to have her treasure back?

we don't know. this journey is yet to be finished. the thing is, she's a smart girl and she has the ability to learn from past mistakes and to trust her heart. she has a pure desire for her treasure. she understands that the road before her is not going to be easy. but she knows that no matter what she comes in contact with, she can get through it.

so back to those calloused hands and dirty hair. yep, they are hers. they took a whole year to get them that way. but she doesn't regret them. in fact if you ask her, she'll proudly show them off. because they mean so much more than their apperance. like i said earlier, she is a fighter. she will never give up. and no matter where the path that she chooses takes her, she knows she is surrounded by people who love her, she is guided by a loving father and that she will be so much more of a whole person when this journey is through.

so if you happen upon this scraggly girl and find her struggling along, lend her a hand and give her a hug and send her on her way. and as she continues on, say a small prayer for this unlikely heroine... she'll need every one.

SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH GREATNESS

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i have amazing friends!

r a c h e l c o o n

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it's not just hair- it's art

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b i l l y j a c k s o n

author and activist

billy is a good friend from the BYU days. i knew billy and his wife, sarah, before they were married. even during his college days, billy believed in the cause to free tibet... and he wasn't one of those "freedom yellers" that only knew of the injustice and never did anything about it. he started a group called THE RELIEF ALLIANCE with his friend tyler and they hosted a fund raiser where the key note speaker was mrs. chazotsang (neice of the dalai lama) and her husband. i was fortunate to sit at the head table with the special guests of honor. a memory i will never forget.

shortly after billy and sarah were married, they moved themselves to india where they traveled all over the eastern hemisphere trying to understand the culture and issues on a more profound level. in doing so, billy has collected information and answers to questions regarding the tibetan struggle for freedom. he has written and recently published his book on said topic and now you can buy it!

www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=485542

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

t i f f a n y r e u c k e r t

artist and creative genuis

it's bad enough that tiffany is AMAZING at decorating, and floral arranging... now she has to go and be good at making the cutest accessories for kids on the planet!

she now has her wares available to order online. so hurry over and snag as many of these adorable treasures as you possibly can!

www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5023037

JUPITER MAKES ME GIDDY


the symphony rocks.

the boston symphony orchestra is even cooler.

the bso, playing HOLST's THE PLANETS makes my head spin.

seeing the bso play the planets with the best group of people on earth (minus a few really great people... i missed you) is a dream come true.



when i was a kid, my family took a trip in the station wagon across this great nation of ours from ut to upstate new york. this is where i was introduced to the symphony, the planets by gustov holst. because there's not much else to do when you are careening down the miles of terrain in a wood paneled contraption except for lay there and listen to the music, i had plenty of time to get acquainted with each movement. each of the planets represents a god and each song is written to introduce us mortals to the world of each god... it's incredible. from the deep resonating, intimidating MARS to the aquatic and ethereal feel of NEPTUNE... all the way to the romantic VENUS. each song is mesmerizing. however, nothing... and i mean nothing people... compares to the weak in the knees, jubilant melody of JUPITER... bringer of jollity. i literally had to restrain myself from dancing in the aisle. what a fantastic evening.

CRAPPITY, CRAP CRAP- CRAPPITY, CRAP CRAP


look at those girls go!

regarding the CRAPTACULAR, which i am finally getting around to blogging about!

it was a blast. people came. people laughed.
we did a few dances
and we did a few prances
i was a tree. mar danced. christmas fairy.
sis utah was a hit
so was mary's psycho mom bit
sleigh ride. nose bells. elbow pride.
tap dance with rockin bells
brad and peggy forever... what the hell's bells?

the end.

how's that for artsy, pretentious poetic broo-ha, ha?

the craptacular was crappy of course... but then again, it was meant to be. so for those of you who went and were disappointed that you were going to see mary's master's in musical theater put to good use... tough luck.

i guess i should announce that brad and i have officially broken up. i know, i know... we were so cute together. but really, he was just too needy. i had to do everything for him and he didn't have a lot of depth. so now i am going to burn him... what... why are you looking at me like that? that's what i do with all of my ex-boyfriends. i cover them in stetson cologne and light them on fire. what's wrong with that? people do it in salem all the time!

anyway, even though we didn't work out, we sure had some really good memories together... you should check out the cute video that my friends put together for me... we showed it at the show.

THE LONG LIST ON THE SHORT BUS


i'm not one for new year's resolutions. i think it's one thing to look back on the past year and see where one would change their life from previous mistakes. but just like fad diets, i don't believe in giving myself a heart attack trying to obtain unrealistic expectations that i will just give up on before february is over anyway.

therefore i give to you my list of ways i will try to avoid going psycho this coming year... no resolutions... think of them as exercises to becoming a mind free of psycho-ness

HERE'S TO YOU MY PROZAC FREE 2007!

eat more chocolate-- soothing, numbing chocolate


come to grips with my horrible morning breath


every time i hear "adult" noises coming from harley tattoo neighbor man's bedroom (which just so happens to be above my bedroom) start singing I AM A CHILD OF GOD at the top of my lungs


embrace the color orange


help EVERYONE, including my dear mis-guided friends to realize that "the boss" CANT SING... he garbles... like he is rinsing with mouth wash... not good people



go outside every once in a while and help the homeless guys pick out cans from other people's garbage... betcha it's a good work out and i could really use the fresh air


arm wrestle a little kid


read more books with titles like "your cat has psychic powers" or "bugworld"


time myself running to work-- under four hours? you bet your bottom dollar


succeed in bringing the phrase "rock steady" back into every day lingo


teach myself not to care when i see someone picking their nose in their car... WE CAN ALL SEE YOU, BY THE WAY!!!


learn another language-- what about cantonese?


tell jokes to strangers on the T


stop lying about liking plaid

HAPPY 2007 EVERYONE!

wanna know what i did for new year's eve?

1- woke up at 5 am with all of my joints and muscles hating me, decided this wasn't your typical cold.
2- went to church to sort of give a talk. it was like a 2 minute talk and i'm not sure any of it was actually coherent. then i sat through the remainder of the meeting feeling like i was going to pass out.
3- immediately following the meeting had my friends rach and julie drive me to the hospital to find an urgent care clinic... ended up in the ER when i described my symptoms (whenever you even LOOK like you have the flu... people freak).
4- was THE only person that had to wear the bright blue medical mask in the waiting room so that i wouldn't infect the entire nation with my illness.
5- ended up in my own little bed with an IV stuck to my arm, chest x-rays, a nazi nurse that told me i was a wimp and made the cold IV fluid coarse through my veins like jeff gordon and a woman doctor/resident named DAN, who didn't know what excedrin was when i told her what medications i had taken. did i mention she was a woman... named DAN???
6- was there for 5 hours... while dying people lay dying in the hallway because the ER was packed... it's always packed.
7- was attended by a "real" doctor for 2.5 seconds and will probably bill my insurance for batting an eyelash at me and having to wake me from my codeine-induced nap so he could listen to my lungs and disappear into ER hell again... never to be seen or heard from again. then got really nervous when dr. lieutenant dan had to go get a nurse to help her re-attach my IV after i had to go pee in a cup.
8- was sent home with a prescription for antibiotics and scowled at by the REAL sick people for taking the luxurious room number 4.
9- decided that rather than be sick on new years, i would at least do something memorable... so rach, julie and i attempted to see THE HOLIDAY but it was broken when we got to the theater... so they let us see PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS for free instead... technically NOT breaking the sabbath... right?
10- toasted with our cups of diet coke at midnight, finished the movie and went straight to bed!

a HUGE thank you to rach and julie for toughing this one out with me AND for making some pretty awesome memories with this one.

YAY- 2007 already... can you believe it?

for some really great new year's eve moments check out rachel's blog HERE!

THE NAUVOO CHRONICLES

the finale- the long awaited pictures

joseph and hyrum take one last ride past the temple

on their way to carthage... where they were

martyred for their religious beliefs.

tell me you like my hat shannon!

see... daddy made me a hat... mom made it pretty

now that's teamwork!

first picture taken with my new camera

like father like daughter.

christmas eve dinner... yummy!

caroling at the temple on christmas eve... in style

anyone for hot cocoa and white christmas?

amy jo and brad were the first in line.

mom got out her trusty map of nauvoo to show us where to go
we found the temple first... it's was the easiest thing to find!
at the quarry
elder bendall. a church service missionary in my parents' district.
he's 6'8"-- yep that dad standing on a chair!

the neilsen family.
you're a bunch of sweet spirats!

if i couldn't have my sleigh ride in the snow
i settled for the next best thing... horse-draw wagon tour.

say cheese?

even more cheese at the brick yard with dad!

dad giving his tour of the gun shoppe

brigham young's house

ye olde furniture

who knew i could be good at printing?
school is now in session. get your boards at the ready.
i got an A++ for my creativity and self acclamation!

in the hall of the seventies- the church's first MTC

dad was the narrator of the show. mom was a society sister.
have you seen anything like it in your life?
too much... no... it' just too much!

the BIG SHOW

dad and mom play PETER and ABIGAIL

abigail is not a happy woman

and she's way too quick to show her undies!

if you ever wondered where i get it! blame her.

farewell nauvoo... it's been fun.

THE NAUVOO CHRONICLES

days 6... 7 and the trip home

so i am finally getting around to this.

my thursday was so much fun. i have friends (danika and brent) who's family live in iowa city (a 2 hour drive from nauvoo)... so off i went to meet their family. they were a BLAST! they took me to lunch, to a pottery place downtown where i painted a mug and saucer for my mommy and then before we ate the homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade rolls we played dominoes. it couldn't have been more fun. good people. good times. good memories! THANKS NEILSEN FAMILY!

friday morning i was stirred to coherency by the worst body aches i can ever remember feeling in my life. my head was sweltering, my lungs were on fire and i could barely move... one would say i wasn't feeling very well! oh excuse me... did i just understate?? i looked at the clock... 4 am... ooohhh this is gonna be a good day, i can tell already!

i was immediately disappointed. it would be my last day to see all of the sites i hadn't yet had time for. but there was no way i could walk around let alone be a tourist. my mind immediately went to the joseph smith movie and straight to the part where he healed the sick. i felt the power of it and knew i too could be healed. i waited until everyone else was awake and then asked my dad and brother-in-law to administer a blessing of healing. (many of you out there may not believe me when i tell you this... but i am here to bear witness to my miracle)

the minute the blessing was over i felt complete peace throughout my body. i was healed and promised that i would be able to see what i came to see. with that, i got up, showered and ready to go and we were off like banshees... trying to fit in the many awesome shops and houses and their tours. mid-day i began to feel lousy again, but it didn't stop me... i was determined to charge forward... and charge i did. i feel like i got to see the majority of things i wanted to and those things i didn't see, i will get a chance to see when i go back in june to "pick up my parents" when their mission is over.

that night, my parents had their show again... but this time they got to do their old parts. they used to play a couple named peter and abigail and had a great scene. (they don't do it anymore because the show always changes roles around so everyone gets a chance... but my parents loved doing it so much they got special permission to do it one last time...for us) it was my mom's starring debut and both she and my father were a hit! they are so great and did an excellent job. i was so proud of them!

then back to the house to pack up and get ready to say goodbye to nauvoo and my family. it had been a fantastic trip. one i desperately needed and one i will never forget.

the next morning it was a three hour car ride with amy and brad, then i jumped on my plane and was fortunate not to run into any travel delays. i was still feeling pretty yucky and just before we took off, i started in with another fever.

misery

it's the only word to describe that awful two hour plane ride in a small express plane, with cold air blasting from who knows where onto my feet with a fever and chills and body aches and then after what seemed like 18 hours the pilot finally took the seat belt sign off and i raced to the bathroom, only to discover that the toilet was clogged. that's right about the time i started to cry... yes pitiful i know... but true.

HOME... i made it HOME. my ugly house was the best thing i'd seen all day! i couldn't wait to get into bed. i still had to get up the next day to give my talk in church... remember... that still had to happen.

but let me go back and sum up this trip. i feel so so so blessed to have two amazing parents, who have sacrificed, time, talents, money and the like to serve our church by relaying these powerful testimonies of the early members of our church. the spirit of nauvoo is a tangible thing. it's in everything there... from the houses themselves, to the artifacts, to the streets and all through the tours that are given. nestled in the shadows of the temple on the hill, it's a piercing reminder that i am grateful to be a member of this church.

it was a great trip.