This says it all

I think I've probably licked what amounts to 1 cup of cream cheese frosting. Don't worry, it was frosting that had dropped on the counter or spilled over the top of the decorating tube. I honestly didn't lick it off the cupcakes. I also didn't lick it off the floor (or I would have eaten 2 cups of frosting).

And, I have my computer back!

Still living on

borrowed computer.

At 3 am this morning we finished working

with a tech support guy (all the way in India)

who was very nice, pleasant,

knowledgeable, and helpful

(even when we kept him a

couple of hours after his shift ended).

I'm more appreciative of what tech support people

go through since Natalie has been working

in that field for the last few years.

Someday I'll have to write about

some of her horror stories.

Anyway, even after all the hours and help,

the prognosis for my laptop was not what I had hoped,

but what Gary had feared all along.

Time to backup the data (at least we could do that)

and start all over again by re imaging

and re-installing all the programs.

(Just for the record,

Gary hates the Vista operating system)

So, between going to breakfast,

shopping for a backup hard drive,

backing up data,

going to a BYU soccer game,

and now making cupcakes

(you know the ones I'm doing for the second time),

that is what today has been all about.


That, and missing my grandchildren.

(looking at all the pictures as we've

been backing them up

makes me miss them even more).

At what point do you

"cut your losses"

and call it good.

Last night I decided that since I needed to bake a cake for the funeral luncheon today, I may as well make the dozens of cupcakes that I need to make for a wedding next week.

So, why don't I just 6 times the recipe?

That way I can accomplish both tasks.

All was fine until I heard a horrible "clunk"

in my bosch machine.

There were only 12 cups of sugar,

10 cups of flour, 3 cups of cocoa,

and 6 cups of buttermilk in it.

Am I asking too much of this machine?

I opened the overflowing bowl to find the housing
of the beaters cracked in 3 places.

Could I still salvage the batter?

I searched through the messy batter
to find the broken parts.
I really, really didn't want to throw it away.
But after super-gluing the pieces

I had dug out the batter
(to see if I had them all),
I realized that there could still be
slivers of plastic left in it.

How would I feel if someone

eating a cupcake bit into a sliver of plastic?

Yes, it was time to
"cut my losses"
and call it good.

Will I ever ever ever learn?

(You'll notice that a picture of the

whole kitchen is conveniently missing)

Isn't it interesting

how there are some people you are just drawn to?

Sometimes it is the spirit that radiates from them.

Sometimes it comes from just observing their actions.

Sometimes it is how they look you in the eye.

A friend, Beth, who lived on our street until last year,

passed away yesterday

She was 91, and she lived a good long life.

When we moved here, she and her husband, Ross,

reached out in friendship to us, just as they did to everyone.

Beth had the most friendly, kindly face.

Ross was such a kind and gentle man.

They were just a few years shy of my parent's age.

I remember the day that Ross died,

because it was on my Dad's birthday.

Dad had died a little more than a year before that,

and my feelings of loss were still very raw.

When I got the phone call on the morning of

March 7, 1995, and was told that Ross had died,

I started to cry.

I went back to bed and cried for a long time.

I know I was crying for Ross,

but I was also crying for Dad,

and for just the feeling of loss that comes with death.

I'm so grateful for my knowledge that

life does not end with the death of the body.

That the soul is still very much alive

even when the body isn't.

I am so happy for Beth, that she is reunited with Ross now

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just get a little "glimpse"

of what all our loved ones who have moved on are doing right now?

First venture into

cleaning the "deep" since Natalie moved out.

I've been avoiding it.

In fact, I've been doing really well at avoiding it.

But, I wanted to get into the closet
down there to find a home video.

Costco has a $5 off coupon for transferring from

video to DVD, and I wanted to do that with

the video we had made of all our super 8 movies.

So, I had to do it.

I had to go down.


 What a mess.

In all the moving, there was a lot thrown 

out of the way just to make paths 
for what needed to be moved.

Bird seed all over the floor.

Junk all over the floor.

Clothes all over the floor

I wondered, is there a floor?

 There is.

There's still lots to do, but I feel better now.

I've always known that my emotions are very tied

into the state or condition of my house.

That, and also how productive I feel I have been.

So, tonight, after going out to dinner with Gary

for our Friday night date

(on Thursday because he'll be doing the stats

for the football game tomorrow night),

I'm feeling very content and happy.



 That is, if I close my eyes and don't
look at the table of projects I have 
set up in the family room.

Oh, well.

Trying to

wrap my mind around the thoughts expressed in the

"Emotions" and "Relationships" workshop.

I think I understand at least this so far:

AN EVENT

leads to an

EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

which stems from our

WANTS - BELIEFS - NEEDS

which stem from what we

VALUE

 which links to our

IDENTITY

 The next step is 

BOUNDARIES

which I'm not quite clear on yet.

The class/workshop is hosted by my yoga teacher, whose friend is a life coach.  I'm loving it.  It is so fun to explore what makes us "tick,"    The discussion leader is amazing, as are the ladies who share their feelings.  

More to follow when I know and understand more.

A Friend . . .

tells you when there is a

curler stuck to your back.

(Before you embarrass yourself

at even more places)

Thanks, Robin.