State of Obvious

DUDE! Does anyone have a copy of the Wednesday Aug. 23 Albuquerque Journal? Because I'm totally a GUEST COLUMNIST in it! RIGHT HERE . And if you click on my name, you can send me 'tips' for news articles! OH MY GOSH. Okay, so it was really a letter to the editor, OP piece. That blog about the State Fair tweaked a little bit to suit a newspaper. (Poor kitty didn't make the cut.) But DUDE! (Sorry, I just can't think of another word that matches my enthusiasm here!) I'd just like to thank Pam for the idea of sending it in, and the State Fair for sucking so bad, and Josh's teacher who read the article and told Josh she liked it (because I didn't even know it was published!), and my parents for giving me life, and like isn't the world wonderful? (Seriously, we need not only the sarcasm font but the funny-voice-giving-acceptance-speech-font.) p.s. I really don't have an actual copy so if you just happen to have one, please let me know! Especially sa

Whilst walking with Carly and my nephew Ethan, both 4 years old: Ethan: My hair isn't sparkly anymore. Me: Why not? Ethan: I don't know. Carly: My butt itches. Me: Thanks for sharing. Carly: You're welcome! Me: Wow it's windy! Ethan: That's Heavenly Father. Carly (nodding): That's Jesus making it windy. Me: Why does Heavenly Father make it windy? Ethan: I don't know....He makes it windy because people like fresh air!

I stumbled across this on Maniac World , which is my husband's very favorite website. Take a minute, it's simply amazing! And the one dude ... yeah, you'll know who I mean when you watch it ... he's funny.

It's a 'feeling sorry for myself' kind of day. Not that I do feel sorry for myself, I really don't. I know how lucky I am that my husband is employed, that we have food to eat, that we have a house and things in it, that we have clothes and shoes and all the necessary things of life. I know how lucky I am that my kids are healthy, growing, mine, happy, spoiled, rotten, housed, fed, blah, blah, blah. I've had this conversation with myself all day. What on earth do I have to be mopey about? I can see myself from the outside. I can see that my mouth is curving down at the edges when it should be curving up. I see that I'm impatient. I can see that my eyes are heavy, I can feel the grittiness beneath my lids. But it's not tired-heavy. It's sour-heavy. I have nothing to complain about today. I love my house. I love my kids. I love my husband. But the thought of getting up out of this chair and cooking for them - I don't love that. The idea of

It's harvest time. Time to gather in the fruits of hard work, perseverance , faith, and heaven's blessings. Just don't leave that harvest on your kitchen floor for a long time, thinking you might peel and can it. Because, eventually, it will rot. Just sayin '. You know, not from personal experience at all . I just like to help... ... . .

The fair lads and ladies of the T house took a journey to the Santa Fe Renaissance Festival this Saturday past. And let me just say, it was head and shoulders better than Ye Olde State Faire. A few highlights of the day: - The weather was perfect (although I forgot my sunscreen and got a little toasted.) - The entry fee was cheap AND it went to a non-profit organization called Open Hands . - The vendors were cheap (compared to the bigger Michigan version). - There were a bunch of games just for the kids. Always love that! - Josh conquered his stage fright and participated in the costume contest. - Carly won third prize in that same contest. - The food was great, the people were exceptionally nice, and we all came away totally exhausted and happy.

Carly: Today is vegetable day. Mom: Yeah? Carly: Yes, we're going to the renaissance vegetable. Mom: {Laughing} . . {still laughing} . . Mom: You mean the renaissance festival ? Carly: Yeah

There is this idea floating around out there that as long as a woman is willing and righteous the Lord will provide just enough children to fill out her family. Just let that sink in for a minute. No really think about that. We've all heard a variation of that. Heck, it's even sort of referenced in the Old Testament - just think Sarai . The undercurrent - unintended or not - of that idea is that women who are infertile are not righteous or willing or both. And I think I might take exception to that idea. I have come to realize that procreation is not fully under God's control. Because we have this thing called agency. How else could unwanted pregnancies exist? If it was purely on a ready, willing and righteous basis there would be no such thing as abortion or adoption. And at the same time, this idea that there are more children 'waiting' to join a family just doesn't sit right to me. Too many Saturday's Warrior fans out there, maybe. My feelings about that

Otherwise Entitled: A Tale of Woe At the Fair OR Whatever You Do Don't Go To The NM State Fair This Year It's September. In Albuquerque that means three major events are happening: Green chile is roasting in front of every grocery store, the Balloon Fiesta is just around the corner, and it's State Fair time. The State Fair here is a Big Deal. Ads on TV, streets blocked off, planning your attack kind of Big Deal. And, who-waa! was I excited to revisit the State Fair. Back in my heady days of youth, we went every year. And it was always fun, even though we mostly just walked around and looked at stuff. Lot's of stuff. Fun vendors, weird food, twirling rides, horses jumping into metal tanks full of water, dancing in the Indian Village, quilts, dolls, models, paintings, animals, giant fruits and veggies. Like a modern day Charlotte's Web, spun full of magic and frosted with smiles. I love the State Fair. Until today. We decided to come on a week day, during the day,

Have you ever googled an illness just because maybe, possibly, you think you might have said illness? It's a fascinating process, especially when Google totally reads your mind and fills in the blank for you. Is that a sign? Should I take it as one? Google totally gave me a sign today. So I googled this certain illness/disease/condition and read about the fun symptoms associated with it. Let's go down the list, shall we? - Night sweats - check (but don't forget the random fluctuation from cold to burning hot) - Hot flashes - redundant check - Insomnia - check but also a normal state of being for me - Headaches - yup - Joint or muscle pain - occasional - Body shape changes are also common, causing you to put on weight around the abdomen - and here I thought gravity had just changed direction - Water retention - I wouldn't know, what with this spare tire inflated around my middle - Emotional ups and downs - Should I laugh or cry about this one? Check - Anxiety - Have you

My daughter is sitting behind me tugging my hair out of my head combing my hair. It's kind of a nice feeling when she's not yanking it out by the roots. I can feel her warm legs pressed against my back and her small hands on my shoulders. I can hear her uneven, stuffy nosed breathing. Now and then she pauses to watch Dora on TV. My son is it school, firmly against his will, learning. At some point he will eat lunch that we packed, food we bought at the store without a second thought. And he will play outside beneath a big blue sky dotted with clouds. My husband is in the other room, working. Earning the money that drives our family forward. Earning our roof, our car, our food, our cable TV, our gas (producing some of his own while he's at it, I'm sure), our electricity. Soon, I will turn on the AC to keep the house from getting stuffy. Later our boy cousins are coming over to play while their parents go to a concert for my sister-in-laws birthday. We'll have dinner

I promised to post the birthday cake , for good or ill: The kids liked it, anyway.

But it really isn't. Not completely. There are times when I am suddenly inexplicably mad, with anger welling up and pushing out my ears. I don't know why. I'm sorry . I don't feel grateful for things you do when you rub it in my face. Similarly, when you roll your eyes right before you do me a favor, it's not a favor anymore. I know that my voice gets really annoying and high pitched when I'm irritated. It bothers me too. Every now and then, I just need some space. It's not you. It's me . Sometimes I just want to go to the bathroom by myself . Or take a shower. You know, alone . There are days when I just want to hold you close. And there are days when I wish you'd go away. I don't expect you to know the difference. At least not every time . Also, yes, I do think you are a mind reader. I've thought about it. So have you. That's the definition of normal - when everyone does/says/thinks the dumb thing. I know I'm not alway

So, Obama is going to beam a speech into our public schools . And some people are really mad about the whole thing. And I just don't get it. First, I am not an Obama supporter ( yay for freedom, I can say that and not fear death!). However What's the big deal? Instead of going all whacky crazy about the President of the United States (I dunno if you heard, but he actually did get elected fair and square) 'brainwashing' our kids, how about using this as an opportunity to - I don't know - maybe, teach our kids? Teach them about freedom to disagree for one thing. Maybe teach them why you disagree for another. Open up a dialogue so they can ask questions about why your have a different opinion. How about embracing the idea that your kid might disagree with you? That they might, just maybe, formulate a different stance. OR they might come to decide that they like what you have to say! How about instead of looking like Rabid Right-Wing Republicans, we compose ourselv

Sometimes I think we forget that we're all human. We all get mad, we all get sad, we all clench up, we all sweat and cry and fear. And hope. Sometimes we get so caught up in the go 'round, we lose sight of where we started and where we hope to go. Humans make bad choices. Bad, bad, BAD choices. Sometimes methodical, crazy, out of our brain choices. Wrong choices. We all do it, to varying degrees. The day I stop doing it is the day I'm dead. So, hopefully I'll be making those bad choices for a while. Humans make good choices too. Really good, amazing, sweet, powerful choices. I've made some good choices too. Sometimes it feels like very few, but they're there - beacons of hope in the long dark hall. I'm amazed by how easily we forget that we're all walking the same path, some of us just have more rocks. I forget it all the time, and then I'm reminded of how petty my worries are. How feeble my faith is. How puny my knowledge is. I'm reminded that I