The green beans are growing!

We are breathing a sigh of relief (or disappointment that school won't be canceled) that Hurricane Gustav is not headed for Houston. We are already experiencing floods of people from Lousiana. I hope that they all find safe haven and keep their crimes to themself.

The exciting news is that our garden is sprouting! We have 3 green bean plants up (out of 8) and it's only been 5 days. We won't plant anything else until the end of September if the temperatures get back to normal.

Nate is still baking bread and brought home more supplies from our canning date on Saturday. He and Ben worked really hard and ran into Becky Clarke from Tulsa/PA years. Nate says that work is picking up and so he won't have time to build projects for himself until next spring.

I am loving my first week at school. When the principal told the teachers that they were THE science teacher and I was just support and enrichment it took alot of the pressure off. The children are all very happy to be back and have had excellent behavior. The work last year with the 4th graders has paid off a little. Their knowledge level is still low, but the spark of interest has ignited, so we'll be able to work with them much better this year. I started wearing a shoe in earnest yesterday, and my foot seems pretty good, but my ankle and knee are weak and stiff.

Ben had "my best day ever" on Friday. He got his schedule change from Spanish to German and it caused him to repeat his math and English classes, so he got to read a book for 3 straight hours. Then he was able to see some fancy thing at the Warhammer shop. He is very excited about playing the French Horn in band and mostly about the band lockin at the local game center. He has achieved his First Class rank in scouts and will recieve the award in 2 weeks. He is excited to see our garden grow and is s l o w l y getting his room clean. He rides the bus with a girl from our ward, but the bus route is different so he doesn't get to ride with his good friend, Zac.

Life continues at its normal school-year crazy pace with multiple places to be at the same time. I'll try and post another update after my dr appt on Friday.

August Update

Nate ordered our wheat grinder and bread maker and has been baking whole wheat bread like crazy! He's an excellent baker and we are enjoying the wheat we ordered for our food storage. In fact, we may need to order another case before December. He was thrilled when his long-time customer, Glen Eller won the gold in double trap and was disappointed when another customer, Chilly (nickname) from India came in 15th.

Our garden is still not planted. The heavy rains and high temps have made poor planting conditions. We plan to try for FHE on the 25th.

I started back to work on August 11th. I gave my first full day professional development workshop and it went really well. I was exhausted by the time it was over, though. I returned for my follow-up appt with the orthopedic doc on the 15th. The new x-rays showed another break perpendicular to the single fracture that had been hidden by the swelling. The doc says that I can start to wear a stiff, lace-up shoe at home, but my boot if I'm going out. Unfortunately, everytime I wear the shoe, my foot swells up and hurts. I think I'm never going to get back to normal. Especially now that I'm on my feet all day at work - I'm trying to elevate it, but teaching science is not a sedentary job. Another follow-up is scheduled for Sept. 5th.

Ben spent a week at Camp Eagle in Sugar Land. He had a great time. We dropped him off in the midst of TS Eduard, and picked him up 5 days later mosquito-bitten, sunburned, and with a bad cold. They did 2 service projects, 5 merit badges, went water-skiing, and inner-tubing behind a fancy motorboat, visited the Channel 11 studios with the stake president (he's some BYU football alum). All the boys were in a group shot on the 6:00 news, but they did a close-up on my handsome boy. Since I've been back to work he has been extremely bored. Ben says he's not ready to go back to school, but I think he's secretly glad.

Announcing our Garden!

I have been planning our "square foot garden" for months now. I read the book,

researched the climate, found sources for soil and seed varieties, ordered the "grow bed", saved cardboard boxes, and waited and waited. I waited for August when our fall/winter growing season begins. I waited until my foot was strong enough to go to all the places to have soils loaded into my truck. I waited until Ben and Nate were available and willing to do the labor. Today we went to "the" source - Southwest Fertilizer, and picked up our components for Mel's Mix. I wasn't real sure about how important this soil would be, but this is Houston - CLAY is all we've got around here. We picked out our seeds and came home to start the garden. I laid out flattened cardboard boxes as a barrier between the bermuda grass and the garden, watered it real good, and built the bed. Meanwhile, Nate & Ben were dumping an even mix of sheep & peat compost, vermiculite, and peat moss on a tarp and mixing it. Then the boys shoveled it into the bed, and I watered it in. This soil is amazing! (Don't laugh if you come from places with real dirt - but this stuff doesn't glob onto your hand when its wet, and it stays loose and finger-workable even when it is sun-baked. It is a whole new experience for me!) Unfortunately, we weren't able to plant any seeds yet...I get to wait some more. Wait until the temperature gets out of the 100's and down to the mid-90's. Wait until the squirrel-proof cover is no longer on back-order. Wait for the seeds to sprout. I sure hope that good things come to Ottosens who wait!

Rock N Roll

Ben enjoyed his first rock concert. He thought it was "Awesome, man!" We saw Foreigner and Bryan Adams. Both groups were great but Foreigner gave a better show. It's been a long, long time since I was at a concert.....like since college. Things are a lot calmer than I remember them being. Not that I'm complaining, but I've been trying to figure out a good reason besides the fact that we've all gotten old. Here's the list: 1. It was hot - temps in the 90's, but the humidity wasn't too bad.

2. It was outside and began in the daylight. 3. Beer was available, but smoking was not allowed. 4. Most of the concertgoers were in their 40's and had brought their children. 5. Ticket prices are so high that no one wanted to waste the experience. Whatever the reason, we all had a great time singing the old songs.

Help less...

Heather is my VT companion, and as she left town for the rest of summer she informed me that she was leaving me in care of our friends. So, what happens? I get grounded by this boot, one sister decides to move at the end of the month and needs a ride to the airport, the other sister is having surgery and needs a ride to and from the hospital, and the last sister just needs to know that someone cares. AND I CANT DRIVE! I feel very helpless with a focus on the less part.

Anyway, I'm really not as depressed as I sound. Nate took me shopping for some school clothes on Saturday and out for dinner on Friday. Church was a great outing on Sunday.

Ben's friends have been keeping him busy and I'm learning to look past the mess of the house and feel good about the few things I can keep up on.

Things I can do: dishes, laundry, family history, read, send in my food storage order, shop online, and mentally organize what projects come first when I am mobile and then change my mind incessantly. I get to be beaten by Ben in board games, get the play-by-play of whatever he is doing and be available for both Ben & Nate's conversations. Take naps, lazy around, and smell the flowers. Watch cloud formations out the window, listen to the birds chirp and notice how the light changes the paint tone during the course of a day. Second-guess my decision to stay at my school another year, worry about the upcoming year, and learn how Windows Vista works. Plan actiivity days for next year, practice my presentation, help Ben prepare the lesson for YM on Sunday, make supper, sort out those pesky boxes.

Week 1 of being benched

Warning.....this is rather boring and whiny... so skip it if you want.

Friday. Got the brace. It goes up to my knee. It's heavy. I can take it off for showers and bed. Planned configuration for year supply storage. Have to move furniture, though so its still in the drawing phase. Researched kitchen stuff online that we need/want.

Saturday. Already stir-crazy. Nate kindly drove me to Pottery Barn and Bed Bath & Beyond and grocery shopping. Went to bed early so I could take off the brace. Spent some time plotting out our square foot garden. Nate made a great greek salad, hummus and pita for supper.

Sunday. Went to Humble to visit the Bolsters and for Kristina's baby blessing. I miss them so much! Had a nice chat with their families and the Davises and their friend Alan. It was good to be with friends.

Monday. Cleaned the kitchen, did laundry and made dinner. Cabin fever. Couldn't wait for Nate to get home and take me to the library. Finally got my rolling stride with the brace - but still tire out easily. Read The Julius House.

Tuesday. Ben cleaned the bathroom and I did dishes. Watched Away From Her while folding laundry. My new vacuum cleaner arrived, but I can't use it because vacuuming is on my list of banned activities. Ordered the garden stuff and located the soils. Still need to send for the seed varieties. Read Fearless Fourteen.

Wednesday. Ben's friends came and spent the day. They were a little wild and I was not very patient. Sick of reading, sick of computer, sick of TV. Got our food storage figured out to the month and planned purchases for rest of year. Read Peace Like a River. Whined to anyone who would talk to me on the phone. Ben and Nate went to scouts and I watched Baby Borrowers. Ben and I stayed up waaaaayyy too late. (I found out later that Nate had let him have a Coke before scouts. I just had insomnia from not being mentally exhausted.)

Thursday. I spent all day on the sofa because I figured that was the same as being in bed and I didn't wear the brace very much. Plus I was tired from being up so late. Read The Bookwoman's Last Fling.

Friday. My foot is actually feeling minutely better. The tedonitis in my ankle is almost gone and I don't feel so crabby. Ben went roller skating and to a sleep over with his friend. So now I'm all alone. I should enjoy it, but I'm not sure what to do. Probably I'll read another book and shop for seeds online. Maybe Nate won't be too tired this evening and we can go out for supper on all the money I've saved by not driving.

If you've made it this far, let me brag about Ben. He has been the sweetest boy ever! He helps me alot and understands that I can't drive him places. He is always there to help me up and down steps and tells me to sit down and rest my foot. He does most of the daily household chores and helps me with nearly everything. And he does this cheerfully and willingly. What a blessing he has been!

Gimpy...

Remember March when I hurt my foot hiking and then proceeded to ignore the swelling and pain hoping it would just go away? I finally went to the doctor today and boy, I do it good. My 5th metatarsal is broken in two places (they think - evidently it is hard to see on xray), and one of the breaks is horseshoe shaped. No healing is evident at this point, so I am relegated to that boot thing that straps onto your leg and immobilizes the foot. Which is great because I am already feeling relief from the tendonitis in my ankle caused by not walking properly to avoid the pain. The bad news is there is no way I can drive in this thing and I have been properly threatened that I must wear it if I will be moving it all (I can take it off to shower). It has been 2 hours and I'm already sick of it. I'm definitely not a patient patient. I go back in 5 weeks to be rex-rayed and see if any healing is evident. If not, then I guess stronger measures will be in order. Here's to my continuing invalid experience.

Freedom...

Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. I love fireworks and I love that Americans come together and show gratitude for the gift of freedom we enjoy.

Ben and Nate got up on the 4th to do the flag ceremony at our church pancake breakfast. I stayed home and slept in. Around 1:30, we drove to Washington-on-the-Brazos, a Texas historical site for a fun-filled day. We started at the Barrington Living Farm and toured it. Ben discovered guineas in one of the barns and helped load firewood into a cart for the Pineywoods team of bulls to pull. After a couple of hours, we hopped on the shuttle bus to the museum, where Nate, Heather & Ben spent a couple more hours (Kim napped on a bench). Then outside to eat supper, and chill out. We returned to the farm where we had parked because it was the best show for fireworks and enjoyed a beautiful display. The evening cooled off and it was just beautiful!

My other celebration this year was that summer school ended on July 3rd, so the 4th was an extra dose of freedom! I have spent the past 3 days sleeping and sleeping. Today I made myself get up because I hired one of our neighbor's boys to help Ben and I begin the summer cleaning. We got the dining room and kitchen done this morning. The whole house should be done by Friday. Which is its own kind of freedom.

Lazy summer days.....this is why I changed careers! The corporate world paid lots of money, but never offered the kind of freedom I needed - to do a job that means something AND be home when Ben is and be a Mom.

Have you ever....

I totally stole this from the Higbee's blog - thought it was cool and made me feel accomplished.

200 things I have and have not done:
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven (in) any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (with my fear of heights only made it a few steps)
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school (more than once!)

89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco (have you seen me dance??!)
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (I assume this is mini-golf?)
133. Gone deep-sea fishing (went - spent most of the time seasick.)
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane - oh I wish!
151. Ran away (my room was never clean enough)

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss - just in my classroom!
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget.

158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half-dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed ’til your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier
185. Seen a geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom-made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a hunter’s safety course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Known CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded yes to a calling you hated & ended up loving it.

I, Benjamin...

Ben opened his first talk in sacrament meeting with: "I, Benjamin, having been born of goodly parents am forced to speak today. Actually, I am thrilled to be here. " (The opening was a compromise since he wanted to say he was born of somewhat-goodly parents.

He shared 4 scriptures that testified of Christ, bore his testimony, and went over his 3-5 minute limit.

Excellent job for your first, or tenth time!

I have discovered the joy and addiction of family history and have spent hours the past few Sundays tracking down family records. It's kind of like being a detective.

Summer school ends on July 3rd and I can hardly wait! Ben has been going with me and doing peer tutoring with 5th graders. We are both ready for some lazy summer days.

Nate's anemia issues are improving, and he actually wants to go and do things some evenings.

We are getting our food storage organized onto some new shelves and planning a garden (in Houston, gardening season begins in early fall.)

Scout Camp

I have had a wonderful, testosterone-free few days. I took Friday off so I could have a whole day to myself. By Saturday, I was ready for my men to come home. Just as I called to see how much longer they would be, Nate said look out the window and there they were! Ben ran right in the door and gave me the biggest hug. It was great - although a little stinky. Evidently, he only took 1 shower all week.

Ben didn't pass off very many merit badges, but he's nearly completed several. Guess we'll hit the remaining reqs in July. He had a wonderful time being part of a group of boys and definitely grew in confidence and boyness. He thinks he wants to play football in the fall, and so we are working out everyday to be ready.

Nate had a good time too. He was blessed with other leaders who had their own health issues and so they all supported each other and had a good time. He came back with good color and a fair amount of energy and most importantly - a smile.

Spiritual Cockroaches

If you really know me, then you know that I have 2 severe fears in this world.
#1 - Heights. I have this uncontrollable fear of heights. I hyperventilate on overpasses.
#2 - Cockroaches. I love snakes & spiders, but show me a cockroach and watch me run screaming.

Today, while we were in sacrament meeting and enjoying a very spiritual testimony meeting, my sister took off her shoe and started smacking it on the pew in front of us. I raised my eyebrow at her until she mouthed "roach". I immediately cringed, lifted my feet off the floor and pulled up my skirt a little. Eventually, I began to relax until I saw another run across the pew in front of me and another scuttle past my bag. I clasped my mouth shut with my hand and began shaking in terror. Nate asked if I needed to sit in the foyer and Ben started singing "la cucharacha" under his breath. Since we were in the second row in the middle, I didn't want to disturb everyone by crawling over them unless I had to. So I kept telling myself that it was only an insect, they don't eat people, it was only two, etc. Then I noticed waves of disturbances in other pews and the lady behind me held up 5 fingers. UGH!!!! I am proud to say that I did not jump up and begin speaking in tongues, which is what might have happened. I did make it to the end, but I couldn't tell you about the last 7 testimonies. I thought it a fitting end to the meeting when Bro. Groesbeck said that as long as we are spiritually prepared we have no need to fear. Hmmm.....I wonder where that puts me?

Endings...

You know, some years you are literally pushing that last child out the door and other years you are holding on, hoping they won't leave.

I'm having a "can't cut the science lab apron strings" year. I really bonded with my 5th graders. Some of them I had taught since 2nd grade, all the others I have taught since 3rd. They knew me and I knew them and we learned alot this year. I was a bigger crybaby during the promotion exercises today than most of the parents. Of course, my little girls and even some of my boys were boo-hooing as well.

Remember the little girl that wrote me a note that said "RIP - you are a witch" - (but as threatening as it looked, she was just celebrating her favorite holiday - Halloween)? She's off to middle school along with the kid who would never sit still during 2nd grade - he kept playing the drums all day. He moved schools and we were so glad and then he returned this year to the chagrin of many of us. He announced to me..."Remember me, Ms. Ottosen? You're the teacher that made me love science". And then of course, the boy in bilingual classes who would never do anything in English - wouldn't even try. The last week of 4th grade I got him to write a short paragraph in English in his journal and this year he passed the state exam in English! The little girl who came in the middle of 3rd grade and didn't know a word of English and was so determined to learn. She would never give up and practiced and practiced and made all her teachers teach her as much as possible - passed all 3 state exams in English and received the Principal's Award for her undying enthusiasm and motivation for succeeding. A handful of our bilingual ed students passed the science TAKS exam in English, which is a much harder test than the reading TAKS, which they failed. What is the logic in that? If they were all going on to the same middle school, I might change jobs.

I'm going to miss my friends. I hope they all invite me to their high school and college graduations.

Of course, summer science camp begins next week and I have a whole new group to make friends with.

Private Eye Power

I am in my 40th year, and I just had an epiphany.

I have been asked by my school district to become a trainer for a program called The Private Eye. This program empowers students by giving them tools, both physical and mental, that allow them to think in analogies, which in turn, opens the creativity in all subjects.

The first two days of our training were spent being trained in these tools. Several exercises ask us to observe closely an object (I chose a sweet gum seedpod) and then create a list of 10 analogies of what it reminds us of. That part was quite easy for me. Then we were required us to use that list and create a written piece. Here is where it all comes to a screeching halt because I HATE TO WRITE! I freeze, I fidget, I hyperventilate...classic signs of a panic attack. It was made worse by the fact that I was surrounded by the best of the best science teachers in our school district, whom I respect and look to as my peers.


I finally wrote a short poem that I was fairly pleased with. We used our new tools to create a drawing of the item, and then it was time to begin sharing our work and I began to have that sinking feeling. Their poems discussed how broccoli looked like the rainforest, and undersea kelp forests. One poem sang the praises of green. My poem in comparison was rather dark and morbid. How unlike an elementary teacher!


Now it is my turn to share my poem and I tell them that I'm a little frightened of sharing because it is darker than what else has been shared and that I hate writing and please don't laugh. So I read my poem...and the stunned silence at the end is broken by a cacophony of spontaneous clapping, requests to reread it, and one complaint from another table: "Yeah, sure the genius who thinks she can't write." Thankfully, the spotlight moves onto others and I can relax.


At lunch, I reflect on what causes me to dismiss writing as something I "can't do". I am a creative person by nature, and love all different kind of creation - even music where I really don't have enough talent to share with the world. Why do I find writing so panicky? As I ponder, I realized that it was all because of my 1st grade teacher. We were given an assignment to write a poem using rhyme and on a Halloween topic. Thus was born my 5 Little Ghostesses poem...and my first bad grade. The teacher informed me that I did not use words that rhymed - I made them rhyme by adding esses to the end and so I had not fulfilled the assignment. I still have the original copy of that poem and her words are burned into my soul. Unfortunately, I am rather sensitive and took her words to mean that I couldn't write a lick. That judgement overcame all other input for the next 34 years.

I shared my thoughts and that original poem with the founder of the Private Eye, Kerry Ruef, as well as some of my peers that happened to be nearby and they were shocked. They saw the power that teachers have to shape children and told me that had I been in their classroom, I would have immediately been sent to the gifted program. Kind words, but now I sort of believe them.

In defense of that first poem, I will share part of it - to prove that the words DID rhyme and to heal that wound from so long ago.

Five Little Ghostesses

Five little ghostesses
Sitting on postesses
Eating buttered toastesses
Greasing their fistesses
Right up to their wristesses
Oh such beastesses
to have such feastesses.


Many thanks to Kerry Ruef and my cohort of Private Eyes in helping me to see that I can express myself in writing and that my unique way of looking at the world is of worth to others.


I am sharing the next piece with the world. You may love it or hate it or just not get it, but you cannot take away the power of its creation and the freedom that sharing it has given me in this, my 40th year.

Power of the Priesthood

Ben turned 12, and as tradition in our church, he was interviewed and found worthy to be ordained to the office of Deacon in the Aaronic priesthood. I do not remember ever being at an ordination. I may have been there when Bryce was ordained, but I'm going to cite middle age memory loss on that one. Not knowing how it is supposed to go, I thought it was really special. We met in the deacon/teacher quorum at the end of their lesson. The bishop spoke for a few minutes about the importance of the priesthood and then Nate was able to ordain Ben. Grandpa, the bishopric, and his leaders (including our good friend Bob Bolster) assisted. Ben received a very special blessing and was required by the bishop to give me a hug. (Good thing because I was going to embarrass him with one anyway.) He immediately went back to being a 12 year old boy, but an experienced mom's eye could see a change.

As the week progressed, Ben was happier, quick to do chores and homework before playing, and he just seems to have a quiet confidence that wasn't present before. He's still a boy, though...he loves video games and still smarts off on occasion and conveniently forgets about homework.

It was interesting to me that my principal shared that he recently became a deacon in his church (at the age of 52). His responsibilities include greeting people as they arrive. It seems to be a much different process than ours and I don't know the details, but the juxtaposition was interesting to note this week.

This Sunday morning, Ben exercised his priesthood duties for the first time and passed the sacrament. He remembered Grandpa Jones' council and passed the trays with his right hand. He did a great job and you could not tell it was his first time. He even looked like an expert at helping our blind sister with the sacrament. I cannot express the feeling of joy and humbleness that I felt as my son, entrusted to me by Heavenly Father, undertook this duty.

The power of the priesthood is real. I know. I saw it this week.

Changes...I don't like them...but I keep making them

Ugh! I thought the transition to middle school was enough of a change for this year. However, Ben turning 12 has ushered in some other changes that I wasn't prepared for. Like how on earth are Nate and I supposed to sit quietly during the sacrament when we don't have to set an example for Ben? And now we actually have to show up BEFORE the sacrament is passed since Ben will be passing it. Not to mention the late Wednesday YM nights...Kim's bedtime just got pushed back an hour. (My students don't know it yet, but I'm grumpy when I don't get to bed by 9).

Comcast bought out Time-Warner a while back and I haven't been pleased with that change. When AT&T's rep showed up on the doorstep to tout their new Uverse fiber optic phone, cable & internet service, they talked me into it by promising to lower my bill.

Add to that the fact that Texas deregulated their electricity service a few years back. I miss the old days when one just didn't have a choice. I have spent 15.5 hours comparing rates, checking service complaints and just plain fence-sitting since my contract with Reliant ended and I had to enter into a new one. I would have just extended with R, but they increased my price by 2 cents per kwh! That just wasn't in the budget since we have virtually no insulation and summer is coming. (i know...i should just roll out that insulation...but have you SEEN my attic?!)

I don't like change...but it sure likes me!

12 Great Things about Ben

Ben turned 12 on Thursday and celebrated with dinner at Bennigan's where he attempted to release his inner leprechan. In honor of him here are 12 great things about Ben.

1. Ben has always been very determined from the moment of his birth to today. We are fortunate that he has been determined in righteous paths.

2. Ben has a kind heart. He loves animals and babies.

3. Ben is bright. Despite a few learning disabilities, he competes quite well (when he chooses to) at school. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of topics that strike his fancy. Such as greek mythology, pokemon, and warhammer.

4. Ben is honest. He takes after the Joneses in the blatancy of his honesty.

5. Ben is sober in the things of the Lord. He takes his church responsibilites seriously and never makes light of them. He is usually the first to remind us of scriptures and prayers when we get off track.

6. Ben likes to laugh and make other people happy. He must get this from his father who was recently introduced as the "ward comedian".

7. Ben is generous.

8. Ben is a good friend.

9. Ben is forgiving.

10. Ben is quick to show appreciation and gratitude.

11. Ben is quick to bear another's burdens. He often jumps in to help without being asked and endures to the end when he is helping.

12. Ben is polite. He never goes to a friend's house that the parents don't make a point to express how well he behaves and how much they enjoy having him around.

Nate and I are constantly awed by Ben's quiet greatness. He is truly a gift to our family and we hope to be worthy parents of him.

Fossil Fever!

For spring break, we tripped over to Brownswood, TX with the HGMS paleo people to collect fossils. It was beautiful weather with fun people and buckets of fossils to boot!

On Thursday, we collected further afield in Goldthwaite and along road cuts. We were in the Cretaceous layers. We found tons of sea urchins and oysters because sea urchins feed on the slime that grows on oysters (cool, huh?). Sea urchin spines and gastropods were avialable as well.

On Friday, Nate was totally exhausted, so Ben and I joined the crew for a trip to Wilson's Clay pit which is in the Pennsylvanian era. We found crinoid stems and calyx pieces and gastropods by the bagful. This area also held nodules of flint, so the native americans would come and collect crinoid stems for necklaces and chip flint for tools. I found a broken skinning flint and another flint that was for crushing bones to get marrow. We then made a few other stops for urchin spines, cephlaopods, and huge horn coral.

That night we had supper at our trip leader's home and Tully (the local banker) came and showed us all the fossils he had found in the past few years. The cephlapod in the picture was one of his finds!

On Saturday, Nate joined us again as we returned to the clay pit and then drove over to the spillway to get fern and crinoid stars. Then we drove back to Houston so we could celebrate Easter at home.

Happy Easter

May the Lord bless you and your family!

Blessed in every way!

I have been constantly reminded of how blessed I am. From getting a flat tire in the church parking lot instead of on the freeway, and then having it patched for free, to being spared any damage when a tree fell down inches from my truck, to having the strength of the spirit during some very odd and stressful experiences at school. I know that the Lord loves me and watches over me and my family everyday.

While we were home with the flu, Ben and I were in the den and witnessed the tree in our neighbor's yard come down - on top of the truck it appeared! The whole neighborhood came running, and we were awestruck when this is what we saw - not even a scratch! No damage to either home, and the neighbor only lost 3 boards out of his fence.