How fast are YOU?! Timeless Talents Part II

Thanks to Kim who sent me this link...

71 words

Speed test

You KNOW I will keep changing it, as I get a better score...But this was my first try!

Loving this...

Talents

When I was a freshman in High school, it was required that everyone took Keyboarding, also known as, Type. The class room had a constant sound of fingers hitting keys in a rhythmic montage...where...for and hour and twenty minutes, this constant sound was repeated, again, and again...

It wasn't until I was in college, that I realized not everyone could type--I mean, REALLY type. I can type without looking at the keys, and rarely do I make an overt number of mistakes, and can do it in a very limited amount of time. While we were in school, I would painstakingly watch as my husband would start to type up a paper...tap...tap...tap...when I would suddenly find myself typing his paper for him instead of listening to that depressing sound. Any colleagues of mine at work were amazed how I would type up agendas, reports and what-nots so swiftly...At our recent Stake Talent Show? Yes...It was I who typed up the entire script for the youth who had parts in the program...word...for...word...

I wonder if it will ever be passe to know how to type--Will typing, emailing and text messaging give way to voice only? Is it only a matter of time before this subtle talent of mine will be made into jokes and "I remember when's...?"

Timeless talents...Are there any?!

Feelin'...

I feel overwhelmed....The kind where you feel like you are in a dazed, immovable state, where you know you need to "get to it," but have so much to "get to," you don't know where to start.

As excited as I am for my Stake calling, it is truly like a full-time job... I feel that I am in meetings more each day than I am with my kids each day! I came home at 11pm from ONE of my weekly meetings...and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Along with this new "job," I still profess to be a Magazine Contibutor (which means my "part-time" job), financial planner, chemo entertainer and supporter (each week it takes 5-6 hours total time to complete), taxi-cab driver, my current ward calling as 2nd Counselor in YW (yup--no release yet!), spouse (I have forgotten what my husband looks like--has anyone seen him? because I sure haven't!!), and SAHM, which basically encompasses everything else!! Along with this--I GOTTA have some "me" time...is that selfish? Am I allowed? I still haven't used any of my b-day massages, and I feel as though I run approximately five 10k's each day--but that is without the benefit of the serenity of my nano playing in my ear, as I run and meditate!!

But what I'm really worried about?

How will all of this affect my ability to see "The Office" each week?!

(Got to have SOME humor about all of this!)

February 29th!!!!!!

I CANNOT WAIT!!! READ THE BOOK!!!

Deer in the headlights

So...1st counselor in the Stake Young Women Presidency...Called at 7:30am...Sustained at 9:00am...A morning of explaining to fellow ward members that I REALLY did not know until 7:30am that morning of my calling...Calling my YW president, who also did not know of my calling until that moment when I called her...Coming home to a phone message from my sister (who is in my Stake) saying, "Soooo....Is there something you want to tell me?!"...Going to my first Stake Youth Council and getting right into planning the upcoming Talent Show happening in two weeks...looking at a calendar that had all these meetings with all these acronyms that I did not understand...Youth Conference and 300 youth...Counting my blessings that Girls camp was at a ward level this year...Having the Stake Presidency look at me and say, "So, are you the one speaking in the Ward Conference, next week?"...Did I mention meetings?...

Yup...that is me...Deer in the headlights...!

So...

What do you do when you are called to meet with the Stake President in the morning?...at 7:30AM...Any suggestions or words of advice?...

Does the Shoe Fit?

After a long night, finishing two articles for the magazine, I heard a knock at my front door...

My friend had brought me a gift...


So appropriate! (Yes--it's a chair!!)

Passing of Gordon B. Hinckley

I will greatly miss this miraculous man...I have shook his hand...Felt his love for us...Seen his spirit reflected in so many ways...Caught his humor and love of life by not mincing his words...I will miss the comfort I felt, just from knowing he was there...But I am joyful that he can be reunited with his sweet wife, as well as friends and family, and that he will continue the work beyond our earthly sight...


...and I am happy that such a great man will be there to teach, and convert, Heath Ledger!!

It's the Name of the Game

So I took this name-quiz...

The results were dead-on...

Too bad that I used "Yolanda," and not my REAL name (which when I did, was a COMPLETE non-match!)

What Yolanda Means

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

All Pumped Up!

After SIX MONTHS of logging, and logging, and logging, each and every blood test, as well as each and every unit of insulin I injected into my body, my insurance company FINALLY approved me to get an insulin pump...(Do NOT read the following if you are the faint at heart...)

It "only" cost me $3849.00...Nope...It's not a typo...I actually paid more than my insurance company did...NOW do you see why I want to take on the insurance companies? (see below post) Instead of handing you a glucometer, a couple vials of insulin, some shots, and a "good luck with that," EVERYONE newly diagnosed should receive one of these babies...It is truly THAT life altering!

Aside from the irritating insurance fiasco, I am really excited, and "PUMPED" to finally be "hooked" up.

If anything...I just look like I am someone important...sporting a special pager/phone!

Tagged by Kim...For Kim!

I was tagged by my friend, Kim...

10 years ago: I was a Retail Fashion Manager, working far too many hours, had one 19 month old boy, and was expecting my daughter in 3 months...

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Be up and dressed, looking like a "fashion contributor," by 7am (that is BIG for me!)
2. Direct a photo-shoot for the magazine at a new salon I found, which is being featured in our
March /April magazine issue.
3. Go grocery shopping--we have no milk, which is not good when you have three kids who live on cereal...
4. Make a charm-bracelet for one of my young women, whose birthday is today.
5. Make sure my son has everything he will need for his "Klondike overnight" on friday...I'm glad he's excited, because I sure wouldn't be!

I enjoy:
SHOES, a new haircut, book club, a diet vanilla coke from Sonic, a quiet run when it is lightly snowing in the evening, a good nap, & talking with friends...

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Take on all the industries who make money off of people's suffering--insurance companies, medical supply companies, drug companies...etc. (All from the quietude of my own, private island...)

3 of my bad habits:
1. Swearing...
2. Being TOO honest, at times!
3. Target, Old Navy, DSW Shoes...

5 places I have lived:
1. Spokane, WA
2. Littleton, CO
3. Farmington, UT
4. San Jose, CA
5. Cairo, EGYPT (been there...in my dreams!)

5 jobs that I have had:
1. Zoo keeper
2. Lagoon Rides Division/Water park Coordinator
3. Museum Docent at BYU
4. Sears Fashions Manager
5. Fashion/Style contributor for "Wasatch Woman" magazine.

5 Things people don't know about me:
1. I have a tattoo
2. I am ALWAYS right!
3. I HATE being misunderstood.
4. I never take the first cup out of a dispenser for drinks...I think the next one is going to be "cleaner?" or touched less?
5. I never quite got over a certain "love" in my life...Do dreams translate into wishes?!

I now tag: Melissa, Amy, Lammy, Carrie, and Smee

Tragic Loss

Such talent...such potential...such a beautiful face...such a tragedy...

January 21st

I had seen this film years ago...and this past weekend we shared it with our older children...They were astonished that things like this actually happened... I pray we all keep our children aware and open...that they know the single power we all have within ourselves...so that the same thing does not happen again...

RIP

Have you heard?! I felt like I had been punched in the stomach when the lady at Smiths told me that Kraft had decided to no longer make the iconic drink of my childhood...my "mormon-capuchino-latte-esque" beverage...A tradition that my daughter SCREAMED (glass breaking) at when I came home and told her I was unable to procure the "secret ingredient" to our hot-chocolate fixes...

RIP Postume...RIP...


(You think I'm crazy?! Just go on eBay and see how much these bottles are going for...!!)

Birthday Envy

Today is my birthday. My husband got me a "membership" for my birthday...Oh no...Not a gym membership...A membership I will look forward to using monthly, weekly, perhaps daily?...



For the next YEAR, I get NO LESS than TWELVE, 60 MINUTE MASSAGES (using the technique of my choice), as well as highly discounted extra massages AT MY LEISURE!!
I have choices from Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial, reflexology, trigger point, sports, to cranial sacral (no more migraines?!) SO MANY OPTIONS!

AND...My family/friends can get an HOUR massage session for a mere $39...

"Envious" yet?


Oh yeah...


We also went and saw the movie "the Kite Runner." If you enjoyed the book, you will LOVE the movie!

Apparently...Carly Simon resides in Utah

"You're, SO VAIN!! I bet you think this song is about you?!..."


Utah's new anthem! WHY do you ask? Because, Salt Lake City, as declared by Forbes magazine, has been declared the "most VAIN" city in the United States! (Utah is also the most depressed state in the USA...but THAT is another post, altogether!!)

Michelle Lehnardt wrote today, in the Salt Lake Tribune:

"I admit to being quite vain myself. I run several miles daily, pluck my eyebrows, apply wrinkle/acne cream each night and spend far too much time and money on my wardrobe."

"And to some degree my vanity brings me happiness. I know from experience that I am much happier showered and dressed nicely even if my day consists of nothing more than grocery shopping and tending sick children. I love the vigor and agility that decades of fitness have given me. I know that I am kinder and gentler with other people when I feel good about myself."

"But I've seen the darker side of my vanity when I obsess over flaws and pounds and become self-consumed. In these times depression haunts me as I become jealous and anxious."

"When I was expecting my third son, I called my husband from the doctor's office. "I've gained 10 pounds this month! I'm so fat! What is wrong with my body?"

"In his sweet but firm way, my husband replied,"You are pregnant. You are supposed to gain weight. There's nothing wrong with you. If you want to see someone whose body has turned on her go up to LDS Hospital to see your friend Anne in the cancer ward. She would be happy to have those 10 pounds."

"My friend Anne died of cancer the next day. She was 28 years old and left a loving husband and darling 3 year old daughter behind. Anne never had the chance to grow old and flabby and gray."

"I'd like to say that after Anne's death I never whined about my weight or appearance again, but, sadly, I still complain."

"Yet, in my heart I know that wrinkles and gray hair are the rewards of a life and love and laughter. Bring it on. I will happily lose my looks for the pleasure of raising my children."

"Ah, Salt Lake. I am glad we are so beautiful. It's lovely to live in a city that strives for excellence. But let's be sure our desire for beauty and success don't cloud our happiness. We simply have so much to live for."


I LOVED THIS ARTICLE!!


In church today, the Bishopric spoke of finding gratitude and happiness in our lives...Seeing how the Lord has blessed us in all we have. It is too easy to say "whoa is me...I'm 20 pounds overweight...I don't have my dream job...Parenting is hard...I'm afflicted with health problems...I feel sadness...Things never go my way..." The Counselor then said, "Do you think the Lord wants to hang out with a person who is such a downer? a moper? a sad story?"

Before church, I had knelt in prayer, wallowing in my own "pity party." Then I went to church, and had this lesson given "just for me!?"


We all have things we'd like to change, and no more than at the beginning of a new year do we think of change more often. Goals are good...but don't let the "what if's" or "I can'ts" keep you from feeling the spirit of gratefulness for all we have.

In the name of all New Year's resolutions...

"It's not about YOU...but how you decide to LIVE!"

Let's ring in the New Year with happiness, joy, and love, for all that we DO have.

New Addiction, that fuels another Addiction...

Have you seen this "game?" Have you played this "game?" Have you hidden it from your daughter so you can continue to "play" this game? Have you not cooked, cleaned, or stirred from the chair as you go from level to level, task to task, design to design, outfit to outfit, shoe to shoe, bag to bag, ensemble to ensemble, photo-shoot to photo-shoot...am I speaking clearly?! Do you understand?! CRACK!! This is like CRACK for anyone who enjoys fashion...You can't stop...You must keep playing...Racks and racks of clothes...accessories...makeup...hairstyles...

(The biggest hook? No wallet required!)

Early Christmas Gifts...No more, please!

Early Christmas gift #1: My in laws coming "to see the new house," and not letting us in on the plan...I was SWEATING (we were in the middle of laundry, and bathroom cleaning...) by the time they came to the door.

Early Christmas gift #2: What every fashionista wants for her Christmas present...Shoes? Clothes? Perfume? Shoes?....Oh no...Try four new SNOW TIRES..But I guess if I plan on ever leaving my house, I will need them...Do you like or hate the "need" gifts? Isn't there something magical about receiving a "want" gift?

Early Christmas gift #3: Calling to see why my husband is running late, only to find that the fuel injection system of the car (with the new snow tires) is shot, leaving my husband and daughter stranded on the off ramp of I-15...Not to mention the AWESOME bonus of not only having to pay for a new fuel injecton system, but the fact I won't get my car back until NEXT Thursday...Special surprise? The pissed-off, touchy, grouchy, and any other "chy" out there, mood that my husband was in there after...

Early Christmas gift #4: Finding out that you bought tickets for the Friday show, instead of the Thursday showing, for a movie to "surprise" your kids with (so you could be "cool" mom), resulting in missing a holiday "adult only" (not an "adult" as in XXX...) party at your neighbors house with your ward/friends...

Early Christmas gift #5: Having your husband quit his job three weeks earlier than planned (it's a GOOD thing!) but then knowing that his new office won't be ready until mid January--do you know what it's like having your husband work from home? Big Brother, anyone?

I hope I don't begin getting early birthday gifts (see #2...)

Now for a loud rendition of "All I want for Christmas"?!

I've waited to post anything, because I wanted to really be able to "say" something...

I found this article, and it does just that...

"I Am Grateful"
by Anita Wahlstrom
Layton, UT - December 17 , 2007


When my husband, who is self-employed, lost an account that made up 90% of our income, my sister said, 'Be grateful.'



When my husband, who after he lost the account started working full time at his part-time job, was let go from that job, my sister said, 'Be grateful.'



When my daughter, who has been playing basketball with the same girls since third grade and has been on the Junior High and High School teams all through school, did not make the team her senior year, my sister said, 'Be grateful.'



When our car was towed at a BYU game, because we parked in a strip mall and didn't see the warning signs, my sister said, 'Be grateful.'



When my van blew a head gasket and I didn't have another car to drive, my sister said, 'Be grateful.'



So, taking her advice, I chose to be grateful. Here are some of the things I am grateful for:



I am grateful for a $200 car, even though it smells awful, and I have to start it with a screwdriver, and the motor mount is broken.



I am grateful for the owner of Burgers Supreme in Provo for sending my family $25 in gift certificates to make up for having our car towed. I have never met this man. I've only talked to him on the phone.



I am grateful that we had $123 in our checking account that night, as it cost my husband $121.00 to get our car back from the people who towed it. (Some people didn't have the money.)



I am grateful for my neighbor, Jill, who has befriended my daughter who didn't make the basketball team. She has spent hours and hours giving comfort and support to my daughter.



I am grateful for my best friend, Kris, who brought food to my house when my husband lost his jobs.



I am grateful for a church that has kept my cupboards stocked since.



I am grateful for people I work with, who when they found out my husband lost his jobs and I didn't have money for my daughter's sixteenth birthday, left a small envelope on my desk with $140 inside. (They remain anonymous.)



I am grateful for an anonymous letter, which came in the mail only two days after my husband lost his second job. It had a cashier's check for $100 inside.



I am grateful for my sister Carol, who invited my family for Thanksgiving dinner and pressed $100 into my hand as I was leaving her house.



I am grateful for a friend at school, Janice, who tapes our professor's lectures, then goes home and transcribes them and emails them to me. She spends hours of her time on this and offers the notes to those in the class who would like them.



I am grateful to three cute guys driving an ambulance-I never got their names-who came to my rescue when my junkie two-hundred-dollar car finally died at the side of the road. (It was a violent death. The throttle broke while I was driving and propelled the car through a red light. This caused the engine to fly up and dent the hood of my car. It was scary.) The guys drove me the rest of the way to my sister's house.



I am grateful to that sister, Julia, who after my car died lent me her car so I could get my master's application to the University before the deadline.



I am grateful for parents and in-laws who have helped with bills, while my husband has been out of work.



I am grateful to my dad for driving my husband to Wyoming to look for jobs.



I am grateful for my best friends, my friends from work and school (I'm in college), and family members who have listened to me cry, worry, be angry, complain, and feel hopeless during all of my troubles these past two months. Their empathy and positive words have kept me going. Thanks to Val, Kris, Melanie, Manja, Colleen, Amy, Janelle, Debbie, Ned, Jodie, Nate, Carma, Janice, Cynthia, Lori, Julia, Brian, Carol, Curtis, and my mom and dad and their spouses-and Omi (my German grandmother).



I am grateful for my daughter's friends' mom, Penny, who when she found out my husband was out of work offered him a part-time job at her company.



I am grateful for Penny for taking my three daughters to the mall and buying them stylish winter coats, just because she thought they might need them.



I am grateful to Camry, my fourteen-year-old daughter's friend at school, for listening to and empathizing with my daughter when my daughter confided in her about our situation. Her positive words really helped my daughter.



I am grateful to Camry, who after she heard about our situation, called me at work and asked me what my daughter wants for Christmas.



I am grateful to my grandmother, Emma Krisch, for calling me and listening to my problems, and then telling me that things could be worse, that I should keep going, and that she is proud of me. My grandmother lived in communist Poland after World War II. She lived for seventeen years without my grandfather, worked twelve hours a day in a communist farm, and raised two daughters. I know she understands hardships.



As you can see, among all the bad, I have a myriad of things to be grateful for this Christmas. All of these people have literally lifted me and kept me going these past two months. All I can offer them at this time is my love and heartfelt thanks for all the things they have done for me. Each instance of giving, whether it has been money, gifts, time, or time spent listening and empathizing, has meant the world to me. There are no words to describe how grateful I feel.



My message to you: Lend a hand when you can, even the small things count, and always be grateful for everything you have.