Okay. I'm a little cranky. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep recently, and that makes me grouchy. But I just have a beef I'd like to discuss.
You know when you go to a restaurant, order something, LOVE it, devour it, and it becomes your go-to meal when you're at that restaurant? And you have other friends that also love that dish, and you have a great time eating it and talking about how much you love that food? And then you go out to eat with a friend, you recommend it because you love it so much, and they order it, and then tell you it's disgusting? And then you start to question your own taste, because what if it is gross, and you've been eating something nasty over and over again, and there's something wrong with you for loving it. And then the friend that thinks it's gross joins with different friends in telling you your very favorite meal is disgusting and they would never recommend it to anyone. Then, when you're at the restaurant the next time, you want to order that meal, because it's just what you're in the mood for, and all you can think about is those friends that thought it was awful, and maybe you should just stop eating that meal, even though it's one of the few things you can count on to cheer you up and make you happy.
And this is why you should never, EVER recommend a book you absolutely and positively adore for book group.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
What you need to know
For the past 3 years or so, I have headed up a neighborhood book group. We have read all kinds of books, from "Twilight" to "Jane Eyre" to "The Help." We've covered sad books, cheerful books, old books, new books, crappy books, and confusing books. It's fantastic. When it comes time to figure out what we're reading next, we all throw titles out, and we come up with a list for the next few months. I have suggested "Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging" every time, and I've gotten some looks. Yes, it sounds like a naughty, horrible book. And in the 3 years of books, we still haven't done it for book group. Until this month. I put my foot down. I became an evil dictator for a minute and told the ladies in book group that we are reading it. This is why:
1. It's winter (despite what the beautiful weather might tell you). Christmas is over. We are done looking forward to all the delicious and naughty and guilt-free eating. Now comes January and February, where we look down at our tummies and think of all that guilt-free eating and feel guilty and a little bummed at all the exercise that's ahead of us. Don't you think it's the right time for a pick-me-up? What's better than the musings of a 14-year-old British girl?
2. It's freakin' hilarious. There are some who will read it, roll their eyes, and say to themselves, "What was Rachel thinking?" It may not be for everyone. But I haven't met those people yet. I'm not saying everyone in book group will love it. But it's so stinking funny. So it's hard for me to imagine people not liking it.
3. There's a British/American glossary in the back. And it will add to your vocabulary. You can learn phrases like "double cool with knobs!"
4. It's important to try new books. So try it.
Book group is January 31st at 8:15 at my house. Come share why you were glad you read it.
1. It's winter (despite what the beautiful weather might tell you). Christmas is over. We are done looking forward to all the delicious and naughty and guilt-free eating. Now comes January and February, where we look down at our tummies and think of all that guilt-free eating and feel guilty and a little bummed at all the exercise that's ahead of us. Don't you think it's the right time for a pick-me-up? What's better than the musings of a 14-year-old British girl?
2. It's freakin' hilarious. There are some who will read it, roll their eyes, and say to themselves, "What was Rachel thinking?" It may not be for everyone. But I haven't met those people yet. I'm not saying everyone in book group will love it. But it's so stinking funny. So it's hard for me to imagine people not liking it.
3. There's a British/American glossary in the back. And it will add to your vocabulary. You can learn phrases like "double cool with knobs!"
4. It's important to try new books. So try it.
Book group is January 31st at 8:15 at my house. Come share why you were glad you read it.
Friday, December 2, 2011
TV to laugh at
I sit on the couch nursing a baby a lot right now, and that's how I justify the amount of TV I watch these days. I have a few notes on what's on TV these days:
1. I'm pretty sure Tyra Banks is getting crazier every day. I haven't read her book, "Modelland" , but I read all about it. And this week's episode of America's Next Top Model was all about her book. Instead of a photo shoot, the contestants had to do a "fashion movie" that was based on Tyra's fabulous new novel. It was completely insane. One girl was dressed as a cat, one was rubbing a toothbrush all over her face while crying, one was spraying whipped cream in her mouth (while Tyra told her not to be provocotive--hah!), one girl was sorting through the trash, and so on. It was hilarious in a werewolves in Breaking Dawn kind of way. I'm pretty sure Tyra was dead serious about her film. I wonder, when I watch this stuff, if those contestants are rolling their eyes away from the camera, and thinking, Whatever it takes to get that money and TV time. One word: cuckoo!
2. The Office has kind of tanked, although last night's episode got some laughs. It was Tim and my go-to for a good laugh, and it's just not the same anymore. After being told by everyone we know for ages that Modern Family was awesome and funny and not overly offensive, we finally started on Season One. Boy, were those friends right. It is HILARIOUS. You know a show is great when you can't pin down who the best character is, because they're all so dang good. (I admit, Cameron is my favorite, although the rest are great, too.) So now Modern Family is our go-to for a good laugh. Of course, it's not on streaming yet, so we have to wait around for the discs from Netflix, so we can only go to it on the days it's at our house.
3. Does anyone else remember the show "Malcolm in the Middle"? I watched it here and there when I was in college, and thought it was funny, but didn't get that into it. Now, as a mom of 3 boys, I find it much funnier and extremely entertaining. It's available on streaming, which means it's our other go-to for funny TV when we're doing the dishes or folding the laundry. One of my favorite lines from Lois: "Sometimes you have to yell. It's the only way they'll listen." Amen.
So, funny TV. I love it.
1. I'm pretty sure Tyra Banks is getting crazier every day. I haven't read her book, "Modelland" , but I read all about it. And this week's episode of America's Next Top Model was all about her book. Instead of a photo shoot, the contestants had to do a "fashion movie" that was based on Tyra's fabulous new novel. It was completely insane. One girl was dressed as a cat, one was rubbing a toothbrush all over her face while crying, one was spraying whipped cream in her mouth (while Tyra told her not to be provocotive--hah!), one girl was sorting through the trash, and so on. It was hilarious in a werewolves in Breaking Dawn kind of way. I'm pretty sure Tyra was dead serious about her film. I wonder, when I watch this stuff, if those contestants are rolling their eyes away from the camera, and thinking, Whatever it takes to get that money and TV time. One word: cuckoo!
2. The Office has kind of tanked, although last night's episode got some laughs. It was Tim and my go-to for a good laugh, and it's just not the same anymore. After being told by everyone we know for ages that Modern Family was awesome and funny and not overly offensive, we finally started on Season One. Boy, were those friends right. It is HILARIOUS. You know a show is great when you can't pin down who the best character is, because they're all so dang good. (I admit, Cameron is my favorite, although the rest are great, too.) So now Modern Family is our go-to for a good laugh. Of course, it's not on streaming yet, so we have to wait around for the discs from Netflix, so we can only go to it on the days it's at our house.
3. Does anyone else remember the show "Malcolm in the Middle"? I watched it here and there when I was in college, and thought it was funny, but didn't get that into it. Now, as a mom of 3 boys, I find it much funnier and extremely entertaining. It's available on streaming, which means it's our other go-to for funny TV when we're doing the dishes or folding the laundry. One of my favorite lines from Lois: "Sometimes you have to yell. It's the only way they'll listen." Amen.
So, funny TV. I love it.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Not sure what to say
I went to Breaking Dawn Part One last night. I went in having read the book so there were no surprises when it came to the storyline. So, as always, I will list my likes and dislikes of the movie.
Likes
1. The wedding and honeymoon. I remember, when reading the book, wondering how in the world they were going to get parts of it on film and keep the rating under an R. And apparently, it took the filmmakers quite a bit of effort to keep it at PG-13. If you look at my review of the book you will find that one of my least favorite parts of the book was the overdone wedding and honeymoon section, because it took FOREVER to get through all the descriptions. For some reason, however, the first 30 minutes of the movie were my favorite part. The setting for the wedding was beautiful. The filmmakers clearly had their target audience in mind when they selected the dresses, the decor, the music, and even the shoes. The speeches added humor and started the film with a nice, light mood. The honeymoon scenes, as naughty as they could have been, were pretty tastefully done, thanks to the editing department (see interviews done after the actors finished shooting it--apparently things were getting out of hand and they managed to clean it up a lot). Bella's attempts to seduce Edward after he nixed anymore...encounters, shall we say...were funny and sweet. Kind of weird that the part I liked the least in the book ended up being so much better in the movie.
2. Edward's appearance. I think Rob Pattinson finally hit puberty, or maybe all that hanging out with Taylor Lautner inspired him to hit the gym. He seems to have filled out a bit. I don't know if it's just that the wardrobe department figured out how to dress him better. Maybe it's a combination of both. And his hair, for the first time, didn't look like a gel-covered rat's nest. They seemed to have backed off on the white makeup, too, thankfully. It was the first time he looked remotely attractive to me. It was a nice change.
3. They made fun of the name Renesmee. Thank you.
4. I got to see a preview for The Hunger Games movie, which looks promising.
5. I was with my friends, and it's always great to have a friend sitting by you that laughs at the same things as you, and will tolerate the snarky comments that you throw at them throughout the movie.
Dislikes
1. Oh, those wolves. There are some things that just don't work on film. Like a showdown between werewolves that only communicate psychically. What it reminded me of was watching a Japanese anime movie with really bad dubbing, only instead of their mouths moving, the wolves were snarling and baring their teeth. The fact that it was meant to be one of the most dramatic parts of the movie and the entire audience was laughing instead made me wonder how something that horribly bad made it to the theater. I'm wondering if, like the publishers for the Twilight book series, the movie producers figured they'd make a gazillion bucks no matter what garbage they put on the screen. (They were right, of course, although I'm not going back for a second screening.)
2. What the heck was going on with Emmett's hair? He just looked weird the whole time. He used to be the hottest Cullen, but I was kind of disturbed by his appearance this time. I wonder if they realized that he was outshining Edward in the hotness department, so they deliberately made him look funny.
3. Speaking of hair, I missed Alice's spiky fun 'do. I don't like change.
4. The baby delivery scene was gross. And I've been there in person three times now. I just kept thinking, Please wipe off that baby (that looked like it was 9 months old). Please clean off the gore now. It was disgusting. I know they were going for realism, but realistically, the reason they have all those towels is to clean up that baby as soon as it's out, so no one has to get covered in goo. And they just wouldn't wipe off poor Renesmee. And Edward, while you're at it, just wipe off your mouth really quick. I had no problem with screaming (been there), grunting, cutting her open, and sound effects as the baby comes out. But just clean things up afterwards. Please.
5. Did I mention the wolves?
6. After Bella got pregnant, the whole movie got really angsty and gloomy. There was just no humor. There was some cheese, a lot of Edward trying to look upset, and a LOT of Bella looking like death slightly warmed over. (Kind of like the book, but on the screen it was just worse.) There needed to be moments of levity to break up all the bleakness. And lameness.
There you have it, folks. Just a note. My husband just informed me that Breaking Dawn made $72 million yesterday. So what I just said here doesn't really matter all that much, if we're being honest. A franchise is a franchise. I'm not going to be going back for a second theater viewing. I think I'll stay home and watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 again instead.
Likes
1. The wedding and honeymoon. I remember, when reading the book, wondering how in the world they were going to get parts of it on film and keep the rating under an R. And apparently, it took the filmmakers quite a bit of effort to keep it at PG-13. If you look at my review of the book you will find that one of my least favorite parts of the book was the overdone wedding and honeymoon section, because it took FOREVER to get through all the descriptions. For some reason, however, the first 30 minutes of the movie were my favorite part. The setting for the wedding was beautiful. The filmmakers clearly had their target audience in mind when they selected the dresses, the decor, the music, and even the shoes. The speeches added humor and started the film with a nice, light mood. The honeymoon scenes, as naughty as they could have been, were pretty tastefully done, thanks to the editing department (see interviews done after the actors finished shooting it--apparently things were getting out of hand and they managed to clean it up a lot). Bella's attempts to seduce Edward after he nixed anymore...encounters, shall we say...were funny and sweet. Kind of weird that the part I liked the least in the book ended up being so much better in the movie.
2. Edward's appearance. I think Rob Pattinson finally hit puberty, or maybe all that hanging out with Taylor Lautner inspired him to hit the gym. He seems to have filled out a bit. I don't know if it's just that the wardrobe department figured out how to dress him better. Maybe it's a combination of both. And his hair, for the first time, didn't look like a gel-covered rat's nest. They seemed to have backed off on the white makeup, too, thankfully. It was the first time he looked remotely attractive to me. It was a nice change.
3. They made fun of the name Renesmee. Thank you.
4. I got to see a preview for The Hunger Games movie, which looks promising.
5. I was with my friends, and it's always great to have a friend sitting by you that laughs at the same things as you, and will tolerate the snarky comments that you throw at them throughout the movie.
Dislikes
1. Oh, those wolves. There are some things that just don't work on film. Like a showdown between werewolves that only communicate psychically. What it reminded me of was watching a Japanese anime movie with really bad dubbing, only instead of their mouths moving, the wolves were snarling and baring their teeth. The fact that it was meant to be one of the most dramatic parts of the movie and the entire audience was laughing instead made me wonder how something that horribly bad made it to the theater. I'm wondering if, like the publishers for the Twilight book series, the movie producers figured they'd make a gazillion bucks no matter what garbage they put on the screen. (They were right, of course, although I'm not going back for a second screening.)
2. What the heck was going on with Emmett's hair? He just looked weird the whole time. He used to be the hottest Cullen, but I was kind of disturbed by his appearance this time. I wonder if they realized that he was outshining Edward in the hotness department, so they deliberately made him look funny.
3. Speaking of hair, I missed Alice's spiky fun 'do. I don't like change.
4. The baby delivery scene was gross. And I've been there in person three times now. I just kept thinking, Please wipe off that baby (that looked like it was 9 months old). Please clean off the gore now. It was disgusting. I know they were going for realism, but realistically, the reason they have all those towels is to clean up that baby as soon as it's out, so no one has to get covered in goo. And they just wouldn't wipe off poor Renesmee. And Edward, while you're at it, just wipe off your mouth really quick. I had no problem with screaming (been there), grunting, cutting her open, and sound effects as the baby comes out. But just clean things up afterwards. Please.
5. Did I mention the wolves?
6. After Bella got pregnant, the whole movie got really angsty and gloomy. There was just no humor. There was some cheese, a lot of Edward trying to look upset, and a LOT of Bella looking like death slightly warmed over. (Kind of like the book, but on the screen it was just worse.) There needed to be moments of levity to break up all the bleakness. And lameness.
There you have it, folks. Just a note. My husband just informed me that Breaking Dawn made $72 million yesterday. So what I just said here doesn't really matter all that much, if we're being honest. A franchise is a franchise. I'm not going to be going back for a second theater viewing. I think I'll stay home and watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 again instead.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Also...
There are two Snow White movies coming out next year. Seriously. Who sets these trends, and what on earth could be coming next?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The Return of Fairy Tales
3 TV seasons ago, vampires were all the rage. We had the Twilight movies, Vampire Diaries (which I LOVE and watch religiously), True Blood, The Gates, and a bunch of other vampire-related shows and movies emerging at the same time. Even regular TV shows had episodes that had vampires and werewolves as a theme. I'm guessing the huge success of the Twilight books was what sparked the trend, but I can't be sure. Something has sparked a new trend. Well, maybe it can't be called a trend if it's just 2 shows, but it seems weird that they both premiered the same week. Is there some sort of TV studio espionage going on here? What is this trend? Fairy tales in modern times, of course. And, naturally, I have starting watching both of these shows, because I need something to record so I can watch it while I sit on the couch all day with the baby! Here's my take on each show:
Once Upon a Time: A young boy shows up at a woman's apartment, claiming to be the son she gave up for adoption as a teenager. He insists that the town he lives in is under an evil curse, and that all the residents of the town of Storybrook are fairy tale characters who don't know who they are, and that his adoptive mother is the evil queen (who cast the curse on the people). His school teacher has provided him with a book of fairy tales that he feels is the history of the town and its curse. And the only person that can break the curse is his biological mother, who also happens to be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who sent her into our world to save her from the curse. It goes back and forth between our day and our world and fairy tale land, so you get to see the characters in both places and find out what really happened.
I haven't talked Tim into watching it with me yet, so I don't know for sure, but it seems to be aimed at girls. There's a lot of romance and feelings. There are also trolls and sword fights, so maybe guys would like it. I am enjoying it. I don't think about it all week, or count down to the next episode, but I am glad when it's sitting on my DVR, waiting for me to watch it. It's fluffy and fun.
Grimm: A detective in a big city (I can't remember which one right now, but I think it's Portland or Seattle, maybe) suddenly begins to see horrific creatures peeking through the faces of what seem like normal people. At the same time, his aunt comes into town, towing a trailer packed with mysterious weapons and books. She informs him that he is a "Grimm" whose job it is to hunt down the evil creatures from the fairy tales and kill them. It turns out that the Grimm's fairy tales are really accounts of real stories and creatures. For example, the Big Bad Wolf is really a race of men that turn into wolves, stalk girls wearing red coats and jackets, fatten them up, and eat them. (Kind of like werewolves, but not just at the full moon.) The detective finds himself working a kidnapping case that involves one of these Big Bad Wolves. As he works cases he finds that these evil fairy tale creatures are often involved, and he is the only one that can see their true form.
This one is a lot more...gritty? Is that the word I want to use? Aimed at guys? Gory? Violent? In some ways, though, it's more silly. It's tricky to make a show that includes horrific creatures that are convincingly scary. The three bears, for example, made me giggle a little, instead of instilling fear into me. I think it would be scarier to have the evil creatures stay in human form but act like the creatures they are. (This is why serial killers and sociopaths scare me more than anything else.) The idea is fantastic, but I'm not sure about those creatures. There is potential for some great episodes, and I'm hoping that, like most shows that are getting their start, this one improves with time. I think it will. And Tim watches it with me, which I think is a plus.
So there you have it. Two shows based on fairy tales that are completely different from each other. Let me know what you think about them.
Once Upon a Time: A young boy shows up at a woman's apartment, claiming to be the son she gave up for adoption as a teenager. He insists that the town he lives in is under an evil curse, and that all the residents of the town of Storybrook are fairy tale characters who don't know who they are, and that his adoptive mother is the evil queen (who cast the curse on the people). His school teacher has provided him with a book of fairy tales that he feels is the history of the town and its curse. And the only person that can break the curse is his biological mother, who also happens to be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who sent her into our world to save her from the curse. It goes back and forth between our day and our world and fairy tale land, so you get to see the characters in both places and find out what really happened.
I haven't talked Tim into watching it with me yet, so I don't know for sure, but it seems to be aimed at girls. There's a lot of romance and feelings. There are also trolls and sword fights, so maybe guys would like it. I am enjoying it. I don't think about it all week, or count down to the next episode, but I am glad when it's sitting on my DVR, waiting for me to watch it. It's fluffy and fun.
Grimm: A detective in a big city (I can't remember which one right now, but I think it's Portland or Seattle, maybe) suddenly begins to see horrific creatures peeking through the faces of what seem like normal people. At the same time, his aunt comes into town, towing a trailer packed with mysterious weapons and books. She informs him that he is a "Grimm" whose job it is to hunt down the evil creatures from the fairy tales and kill them. It turns out that the Grimm's fairy tales are really accounts of real stories and creatures. For example, the Big Bad Wolf is really a race of men that turn into wolves, stalk girls wearing red coats and jackets, fatten them up, and eat them. (Kind of like werewolves, but not just at the full moon.) The detective finds himself working a kidnapping case that involves one of these Big Bad Wolves. As he works cases he finds that these evil fairy tale creatures are often involved, and he is the only one that can see their true form.
This one is a lot more...gritty? Is that the word I want to use? Aimed at guys? Gory? Violent? In some ways, though, it's more silly. It's tricky to make a show that includes horrific creatures that are convincingly scary. The three bears, for example, made me giggle a little, instead of instilling fear into me. I think it would be scarier to have the evil creatures stay in human form but act like the creatures they are. (This is why serial killers and sociopaths scare me more than anything else.) The idea is fantastic, but I'm not sure about those creatures. There is potential for some great episodes, and I'm hoping that, like most shows that are getting their start, this one improves with time. I think it will. And Tim watches it with me, which I think is a plus.
So there you have it. Two shows based on fairy tales that are completely different from each other. Let me know what you think about them.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tender mercies
I know that the majority of my posts are a little on the grumpy, ranty side. I wanted to change things up a little. There are times in our lives that seem overwhelming, exhausting, and discouraging. In the last 4 weeks, in dealing with the challenges of a newborn and two other little boys that are dying for attention, I've felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and discouraged a time or two. And on those days when I have felt like I just can't take another minute, someone has come along and dropped a blessing in my lap.
Here are a few examples of what I mean (and, as I think of it, a lot of it centers around food...):
The first day I was on my own, with Tim at work, my mom back in Orem, and the Relief Society meals done, I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. The adrenalin from childbirth had worn off, I was dealing with toddler meltdowns, and the walls were starting to close in on me. Out of the blue, my friend called and offered to bring me lunch. That bacon cheeseburger was great, but even better was a visit from a friend, who cheered me up and reminded me that I wasn't alone.
It can feel very isolating when you first have a newborn. You spend a lot of your day sitting in a chair, feeding the baby, and it is difficult to leave the house or even walk outside. It can really warp your sense of community. I was feeling super lonely one day, and the baby had spent a good deal of his awake time crying. Tim got me outside into the sunshine, which was a blessing on its own, and then, while I was sitting on the lawn, my friends saw me from down the street and came over and chatted with me for a nice long time. They didn't know it, but I had spent that entire day feeling friendless and abandoned (for no good reason). Just chatting with me did a world of good.
2 weeks after the Relief Society had finished bringing in meals to help me, I was, once again, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of coming up with a meal for my family to eat. The baby was fussing a lot, and I was discouraged at the thought of having to deal with an extra fussy baby. I was spending an awful lot of time sitting on the couch, holding the baby and looking at my filthy floors, thinking there was just no way they would ever be clean again (I know, I'm such a downer!). I spent a good part of that morning crying, until my mom called and said to gather up the kids, because we were going out to eat, and she was paying. So we met for lunch and had a lovely time outside my den. Then she followed me home, swept my floors, tidied up, and held the baby so I could take a walk on my own around the block. That same day a woman from church called and said she was bringing me dinner, because she remembered what it was like in those days with little kids and a baby. So, on a day where I thought I just couldn't make it to bedtime, two wonderful women stepped in and dropped unexpected blessings into my lap, turning a very bad day into a great one.
My first two babies spit up a lot. A LOT. Like, so much that I never had a clean shirt on, my couch was saturated in sour milk, I went through 5 burp cloths a day, and I was always worried about whether they'd kept down enough food to sustain them. So last week, when the baby violently barfed up two meals in a row, my first reaction was, "Not again. Now I've got to go to the doctor AGAIN to convince him AGAIN that my child has reflux problems and deal with gallons of spit up every day. AGAIN." I was mega bummed. The mess that spitting up created made me decide to stay home from the church Halloween party, which was a huge disappointment to me. After the trunk or treat was girls' night, which Tim insisted I attend. The minute my friends asked how I was I burst into tears, and suddenly 4 wonderful friends were hugging me, offering me condolences, listening to my whining, and putting pumpkin cake into my hand. I just needed a meltdown, and those ladies let me have my meltdown with them, and then they cheered me up and gave me treats to make it all better.
So, what's the point of all this? Well, it's the first of November. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. I thought I'd kick it off by recognizing the blessings in my life. I feel like, through various wonderful individuals, I have been blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord. Every day hasn't been difficult, or lonely, or overwhelming. But on the days I have struggled and prayed to just make it to the end, these wonderful women have showed up when I needed them most and made a difficult time bearable, and for that I am grateful.
Here are a few examples of what I mean (and, as I think of it, a lot of it centers around food...):
The first day I was on my own, with Tim at work, my mom back in Orem, and the Relief Society meals done, I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. The adrenalin from childbirth had worn off, I was dealing with toddler meltdowns, and the walls were starting to close in on me. Out of the blue, my friend called and offered to bring me lunch. That bacon cheeseburger was great, but even better was a visit from a friend, who cheered me up and reminded me that I wasn't alone.
It can feel very isolating when you first have a newborn. You spend a lot of your day sitting in a chair, feeding the baby, and it is difficult to leave the house or even walk outside. It can really warp your sense of community. I was feeling super lonely one day, and the baby had spent a good deal of his awake time crying. Tim got me outside into the sunshine, which was a blessing on its own, and then, while I was sitting on the lawn, my friends saw me from down the street and came over and chatted with me for a nice long time. They didn't know it, but I had spent that entire day feeling friendless and abandoned (for no good reason). Just chatting with me did a world of good.
2 weeks after the Relief Society had finished bringing in meals to help me, I was, once again, feeling overwhelmed at the thought of coming up with a meal for my family to eat. The baby was fussing a lot, and I was discouraged at the thought of having to deal with an extra fussy baby. I was spending an awful lot of time sitting on the couch, holding the baby and looking at my filthy floors, thinking there was just no way they would ever be clean again (I know, I'm such a downer!). I spent a good part of that morning crying, until my mom called and said to gather up the kids, because we were going out to eat, and she was paying. So we met for lunch and had a lovely time outside my den. Then she followed me home, swept my floors, tidied up, and held the baby so I could take a walk on my own around the block. That same day a woman from church called and said she was bringing me dinner, because she remembered what it was like in those days with little kids and a baby. So, on a day where I thought I just couldn't make it to bedtime, two wonderful women stepped in and dropped unexpected blessings into my lap, turning a very bad day into a great one.
My first two babies spit up a lot. A LOT. Like, so much that I never had a clean shirt on, my couch was saturated in sour milk, I went through 5 burp cloths a day, and I was always worried about whether they'd kept down enough food to sustain them. So last week, when the baby violently barfed up two meals in a row, my first reaction was, "Not again. Now I've got to go to the doctor AGAIN to convince him AGAIN that my child has reflux problems and deal with gallons of spit up every day. AGAIN." I was mega bummed. The mess that spitting up created made me decide to stay home from the church Halloween party, which was a huge disappointment to me. After the trunk or treat was girls' night, which Tim insisted I attend. The minute my friends asked how I was I burst into tears, and suddenly 4 wonderful friends were hugging me, offering me condolences, listening to my whining, and putting pumpkin cake into my hand. I just needed a meltdown, and those ladies let me have my meltdown with them, and then they cheered me up and gave me treats to make it all better.
So, what's the point of all this? Well, it's the first of November. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. I thought I'd kick it off by recognizing the blessings in my life. I feel like, through various wonderful individuals, I have been blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord. Every day hasn't been difficult, or lonely, or overwhelming. But on the days I have struggled and prayed to just make it to the end, these wonderful women have showed up when I needed them most and made a difficult time bearable, and for that I am grateful.
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