LIFE's LITTLE BLESSINGS


+ i did a fast for something that i have wanted for a while now, some of my wonderful family and friends joined me. then came the blessings. not sure if i am totally ready for it, but came it did anyway!

+ i went out to the mailbox and noticed a big envelope with my name on it. i opened and then came the blessings. ALL of the missing loot from the "folder incident" had been returned to me. there ARE honest people in this world-- this honest individual had found the folder and its contents in the middle of the boston common and mailed it to me without delay. so so blessed.

+ things got stressful at work this past week and i almost lost my job. i got on the T and headed for brookline. then came the blessings. i've had the most amazing weekend playing with my best friends in boston. i miss these kids so much and it has been so fun making a haunted house, eating pizza and ice cream sundaes, putting make-up on anna, wrestling with russ, baseball with jamie, games as a group, snuggles at night and of course watching the RED SOX kick some ACE! i didn't even know i needed this blessing until it came... so much peace i can't stand it!

+ i couldn't sleep last night, the stresses of this coming week were looming, the neighbor (who just so happens to be one of the red sox owners) was having a hip hoppin' post game 3 party that lasted until who knows when and a few other details of my life have been on my mind. i finally turned the light back on around 1am and looked through my notes from when Pres Jeffrey Holland and his wife spoke in church a few weeks ago and i came across a passage that sister holland had recommend we read. then came the blessings: "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. but call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions." an answer to some prayers about my fear came to my mind and then my body relaxed and i fell asleep not too long after that.

+ i am blessed every day with amazing parents, great family members who listen to my stories so patiently, friends who pick me up when i am down. those are blessings that i take for granted far too often.

ANOTHER REMINDER.


most of you have heard talk about my long lost driver's license and the drama that has come of trying to get it back. i would like to announce that yesterday i did indeed get my license back!!!! YAYAY!

and then...

i met up with a friend for lunch. we were about three blocks from the downtown RMV (or DMV to those out in utah) at a chinese restaurant. i ate, i laughed, i told stories. then lunch was over and this friend and i walked up the few blocks to the park street station to head home. i opened my backpack, to show said friend my new driver's license when BOOM- wait a minute- where's the folder???? where's the bloody folder??? i stand up and leave the friend in the dust as i race back down the street, praying my heart out the whole way, to the restaurant only to have a very frustrating conversation with the lady behind the counter who does not speak english-- trying to ascertain whether or not she has seen the folder... nothing but a vacant expression. PANIC!!!!

not only did this little folder contain the item that has kept me from being a real person for the last month... it also contained the following items:

~ original birth certificate
~ social security card
~ a gas bill with my address
~ sheet music for one of the songs that i try out with
~ my resume
~ my picture
~ AND- 3 checks yet to be cashed totalling $1500 that i desperately needed

i immediately started crying and freaking out. i didn't know what to do. i got myself outside onto the street and with boogers oozing out called my dad who had to translate crying garble into english so that he could tell me what to do next. with all of his patience and love directed me to do the following things:

~ go back to the RMV and see what you need to do to get another driver's license
~ call everyone that gave you a check and tell them to stop payment and reissue
~ call police to file a report
~ check to see if you are breathing
~ call the social security people to report a stolen card
~ wait for me to see if i have a duplicate of your birth certificate
~ calm down

so with tear filled eyes i re-entered the RMV... got my number and resigned myself to waiting yet another two hours for the 71 people in front of me to be helped first. i found a place on the floor and began calling all the necessary people about the checks and in between sobs told my tale.

then all of a sudden a woman comes out from behind the counter and announces that the computer system has shut down and they will no longer be able to help those who have come for a list of reasons. she did not list my reason... relief filled my heart as i watched all but 6 people leave the building. at this point i found a bench to sit on and two minutes later i felt a hand on my shoulder... i looked up and it was none other than my HOME TEACHER! i started to cry as i realized that Heavenly Father was taking care of me. dane was so sweet to sit with me and hold me as i cried. then the woman from behind the counter came over to me and asked what was wrong, heard my story and allayed my fears that i wouldn't be able to get another copy without all of my other documents (birth certificate, ss card). she smiled and said "nope, all you need is $20 and we can get you a brand new one." "but i don't have $20" i said exasperated. i had used the last of my cash on lunch and was depending on the checks that were now gone to help me out for the next little while. "I DO" dane chimed and he quickly handed me what i needed. with that, the woman took me to the front of the line and after i explained what happened to the guy behind the counter he printed me out a copy free of charge.

i went home in awe. stunned by the reality, yet again... (you'd think i would get used to it by now) that i have a Heavenly Father who is there to help me... who has not forgotten about me or forsaken me. who has promised "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden; and i will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28) who in these small moments helps to shape my testimony so that i have the faith to say as it says in Psalms 55: 16-17, 22: "As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon i will pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

DO YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY LEARN STUFF TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL???

date: today, thursday october 18, 2007
time: approximately 11 am
place: box office at the theater
characters:
peggy- late 20's fun-loving and GREAT at what she does... and ALWAYS does it with a smile.

work-study student- freshman, late teens, high-pitched nasal voice. vacant expression when being given directions- but really really sweet and good intentioned.


peggy: hey there wss, i have a FUN project for you this morning.

wss: oh good, i like those.

peggy: here is a list of all the people that i will be printing tickets for today. their addresses are on this sheet here... would you mind addressing these envelopes so that i can mail these tickets out by this afternoon?

wss: sure, you're right, it does sound like fun!

(5 minutes later)

wss: ummm... so i have a question

peggy: (looking up from the mess on her desk that is known as the ticket orders) sure, go ahead!

wss: so when i put these addresses on, do i have to also put the city and the state and stuff?

peggy: (tuning in at the last part of the sentence) i'm sorry could you repeat that?

wss: yeah, so when i want to mail someone something i put their street name and stuff right?

peggy: umm, yes

wss: okay and then i also put the city?

(peggy's eyes widen with each word)

peggy: yes... and then you also include the state and zip code.

wss: oh, okay... (looks down at her paperwork)... and do i put the city and state on the next line down?

peggy: (smallish giggle) ummm... yup- right underneath the street address... have you never written a letter before?

wss: well, no not really... well a long time ago... i just couldn't remember how it's done. i think email is WAY BETTER!

peggy: i guess you just might be right.

END SCENE

so i am sitting here perplexed! am i the only one that thinks it weird that this sweet girl doesn't know how to address a letter? don't you learn that in the 3rd grade or something???

or did they throw that topic away in the pile of "has-been important things to know" just like "how to play a record" or "how to dial a rotary phone"???

yeah maybe your right WSS- email is much better- less killing of trees and all and less information to have graduated high school with!

THE PICTURE THAT WOULDN'T DIE!!!

once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named peggy.
and when i say beautiful, i mean it- like one of the top 10 prettiest people in all the land!
one day our fair heroine decided to start a blog.
off she went, fairly nervous and such, for the land of blog was very foregin to her.
she took her sweet time filling in all the gaps, choosing the colors of her blog with care,
answering the random question, making sure that her answer showed just how witty she could be.
and when i say witty, i mean it- like one of the top 10 wittiest people in all the land!
then it came time to choose her profile picture.
she thought and pondered and pondered and thought.
she sorted through picture after picture, unsure which one of the many amazing photos to choose.
and when i say amazing, i mean it- like one of the top 10 most amazing photos in the land!
she finally decided on one.
one that would show just how funny she could be,
how she didn't take herself or life too seriously,
what a picture! she was brilliant.
and when i say brilliant, i mean it- like one of the top 10 most brilliant ideas in the land!
time passed and as she became familiar with blog land she realized just how much fun she was having.
she shared stories, jumped up on her soap box and down again, silly poems and crazy daily anecdotes.
life was good.
then one day her mood shifted.
"it's time for a new profile picture" she thought to herself.
to her computer she went, sorted through her slew of amazing pictures again
and yes, happen to choose from amongst the top 10 most amazing photos in all the land, yet again!
she carefully followed all the steps in order to make the change, pushed the save button and quickly moved to the dashboard page to see her masterpiece.
she stopped smiling abruptly. her mouth turned downward as she quickly realized that the change had not been made.
she went back several times, each time attempting to make the change.
alas it would not be so, she became weary and tired and went to bed perplexed.
a year passed and the picture remained unchanged.
then one day she lay in bed sick
and when i say sick, i mean it- like one of the top 10 sicknesses in all the land!
luckily she was not so sick that she couldn't wander around computer land looking for sweet things to digest.
then the thought came to her- maybe i will try to change that silly profile picture again.
off she went, scampering this way and that through her dashboard and her computer
finding the BEST picture for her blog in all the land!
she followed each step with great care, pushed the save button and nervously waited for the computer to tell her that the profile picture had been successfully changed.
her heart was pounding as she moved the mouse to the link "view blog."
her fingers trembled as she very quietly left-clicked the link.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
she screamed in horror- for there, in the upper right-hand corner of her blog was none other than THE PICTURE THAT WOULDN'T DIE!!!!
as she turned in shame, she acknowledged her defeat. saddened that after all her hard work, the people of blog-land would only see one side of her-
her funny, hysterical, witty, comical, don't take life too seriously side. what a pity.

THE END!

Scott Douglas Morgan "Our Scrooge" Scott Douglas Morgan passed away Oct. 6, 2007. He loved music and acting and performed in theatres throughout the valley for over 30 years. His favorite role was of Ebenezer Scrooge-a role that changed his life. After graduating from Granger High School and serving an LDS mission in Paris, France, Scott drifted from his standards. During this period, he struggled with addiction and also contracted HIV and Aids, diseases which he survived for 21 years. In 1997, Scott was cast as the understudy for Scrooge in Hale Centre Theatre's "A Christmas Carol." During his first performance, Scott's life profoundly changed. "I will have Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year. I shall live in the past, the present and the future, the Spirits of all three shall strive within me and I will not shut out the lessons they teach." This was the beginning of an amazing transformation. Scott began a difficult repentance process during which he courted Tammy Eves, a long-time friend and fellow actor in HCT's "Fiddler on The Roof." On closing night of the show, Scott proposed to Tammy in front of a sold-out crowd. The two were married onstage Sept. 24, 1999, and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 30, 2002. Scott and Tammy shared the stage together for the last time in Dec. 2006. Scott served in several church callings, most recently on the high council of the Midvale North Stake. He had an incredible testimony of the Atonement and was never afraid to share it. One of Scott's mottos was "It's all about choice." He wanted everybody to have the hope that a child can change. Scott was born March 30, 1958 to Douglas W. Morgan and Barbara Coombs Morgan. He was preceded in death by two siblings: Lynn Morgan and Laura Harms. He is survived by his wife, parents and two siblings: Milton Morgan (Gerri), Lydia Moyes (Scott) as well as many in-laws, nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank Dr. Larry Reimer and the U Medical Center staff for their years of care and friendship. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Scott D. Morgan Memorial Fund (in Tammy's name) at Bank of American Fork. Funeral services are scheduled for Fri., Oct. 12, 11 a.m. at the Midvale North Stake, 97 West 7500 South. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the services, and on Thurs. Oct. 11, 6-8 p.m. at the Jenkins Soffe Mortuary, 4760 State St. Interment, Midvale City Cemetery.

IN MEMORY OF SCOTT MORGAN

dearest friend and amazing support in my life

it is with much sadness that i write about my good friend Scott Morgan's passing.

this man who lived his own personal hell, fought his demons to find God and triumphed. who shared his most amazing testimony with anyone who would take the time to listen. who was not afraid of his past or of who he was, because he knew that his heart had been forever changed because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

who greeted all with his warm embrace and his magical laugh. who was never afraid to be his child-like self. you should have seen him when he talked about going to disneyland (something that he and his wife tammy did as often as they could)... his eyes would light up and his wonderful red cheeks would glow as he talked about his favorite spot to eat and hidden treasures around the park.

who i spent many hours talking with in his tiny office next to the stage- we shared daily anecdotes, thoughts about the Gospel and he even let me cry on his shoulder when times were hard. who would share with me his love for the scriptures and teach me things he had learned that week... those moments were so peaceful in such a chaotic time.

who was a force of nature on the stage, his bellowing voice and cherry countenance was one you did not easily forget. i loved watching him play scrooge... man could he look mean when he wanted to. i will always be grateful for the moments we had doing "sleepy hollow" together a few years ago. it was this play he spoke of doing again when i talked to him in april. he was weak and in rehab, but i could still hear the sparkle in his voice as he and i recalled that show and how much he longed to do it again. i promised to come out to utah just to be in it with him again.

who was the most amazing husband i had ever had the chance to watch from a distance. his care for tammy was incredible- he loved and cherished her with all he had. i marveled, even as we were eating together, at his attentiveness to her, making sure she was taken care of in all things. they were a couple to emulate.

i am grateful for the time that i have spent knowing him. i know i will see him again and i will get to hear his jolly green giant laugh again. i have learned so much from just being a small part of his life.

thank you scott, i love you and will miss you.

MEMORY FROM THE CORNER OF MY MIND!


today i got home from work and for the first time in a very long time i didn't have plans on a friday night... ahhhhh west and wewaxation! so i watched a movie, dinked around on facebook for a while, read a little and then got in the mood to reminisce.

i thought back to new year's of this past year and i looked up my THOUGHTS on the sitch and then quickly rummaged through rachel's blog to find THIS little gem. tears dudes- stitches if you will- laughing so i hard i couldn't breath. honestly, it probably won't be as funny to you since you weren't there... but still worth a read.

cheers to you my friday night!

BESTEST (for the week of SEPT 30th)


BESTEST SMELL: cologne from a friend you haven't seen in a while- and the familiar fumes make you remember how much you love them.


BESTEST FEELING: shaved legs and clean sheets! i could have stayed in bed all day long today.


BESTEST COMPLIMENT: "you know peggy- you are single-handedly changing the way i view mormons." and to top off the compliment this co-worker asked for a Book of Mormon this morning!


BESTEST FALL MEMORY: apple picking two years ago. great people, yummy apples, perfect fall weather, homemade chili and ichabod crane.


BESTEST MANTRA: i will not define myself by my weaknesses.


BESTEST QUESTION: "so what do you want me to bring you from korea?"


BESTEST FOOD: santarpio's pizza. along with a great big kiss from tony!


BESTEST SURPRISE: getting to eat left-overs from one of the college functions here at work!


BESTEST WAY TO SPEND A SUNDAY NIGHT: sitting around a piano singing my heart out and ending it with great conversation with good friends.