NO PERMIT REQUIRED

1. I am DONE shopping. If you know me, you know this is MIRACULOUS!! Last year (there were some unusual circumstances) my biggest shopping day was actually the 24th of December. Not kidding. 2. I want these things for Christmas: a) a cannister vacuum - found at Home Depot for about $42.00 b) a dirt devil carpet cleaner - found at The Cleaning Supplier for $199.00 c) new slippers - found wherever d) a new winter bathrobe - again, found anywhere

I realize the internet is not a bastion of always correct information and I am not going to actually look this up to see if it is fact. I am just going to post it here. Think what you will.

Corporate begging in style

There is always talk about leaving our planet/world/country a better place for our children. Better environment, better ecomony, more peaceful -- seriously, I don't think that's going to happen. It is a nice idea, but mostly what we leave them is more crap. I know "CRAP" isn't a very specific term, but that's really what it is. Crap in the way of global/local environmental issues. Crap in the way of socialist political issues. Crap in the way of stifled freedoms in the "free-est" country in the world. Crap in the way of valueless, amoral leaders, entertainers, teachers, etc. I am not able to leave them something better in terms of the planet/world/country - I don't have the means, the time, the man-power, the political power, the resources, etc. I can do just a little part when it comes to those greater and grander things (and rest assured I will do my little part ). What I can leave them with is resiliency , independence, creativity an...

I am going to post some links to some articles I have read recently. I find them interesting and thought-provoking. I would like the 1 or 2 people who read this blog to read them also. I am not a doom and gloomer, nor am I any kind of political activist for any political party. I think our country is changing. We can all agree on that. How it is changing, remains to be seen. I am prepared (at least as much as I can be) for whatever the changes are. I see two possibilities for the direction our country will be taking over the next several years. I will choose the articles carefully because I know how valuable your time is and I don't want to waste it. On these issues, these people speak better than I. Enjoy. Maybe that's not the right word. History is Repeating Itself While We Look Powerless to Stop it.

Liberals clinically mad, concludes top psychiatrist Eminent doctor makes case leftist ideology is a mental disorder

When Books Could Change Your Life Why What We Pore Over At 12 May Be The Most Important Reading We Ever Do Emily Flake By Tim Kreider A girl I once caught reading Fahrenheit 451 over my shoulder on the subway confessed: "You know, I'm an English lit major, but I've never loved any books like the ones I loved when I was 12 years old." I fell slightly in love with her when she said that. It was so frank and uncool, and undeniably true. Let's all admit it: We never got over those first loves. Listen to the difference in the voices of any groups of well-read, overeducated people discussing contemporary fiction, or the greatest books they've ever read, and the voices of those same people, only two drinks later, talking about the books they loved as kids. The Betsy Tacy Books! I loved those book...

Plato said this. I couldn't agree more. In a world with the ability to communicate in some fashion or another 24/7, people talk too much. Everybody thinks they have something to say. Comment boards on websites and blog pages are filled with people, some of whom are wise men (a very few) and some of whom are fools (most of them), commenting on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Why would anyone waste time commenting or criticizing the parenting styles of Katie Holmes and Angelina Jolie? Why do people leave hate-filled comments calling her the most vicious ugly names imaginable after reading a web article about Sarah Palin. Why do fools HAVE to say something? I consider myself a fool. I have made myself a promise, NEVER to leave a comment (save friendly comments on the blogs of people I know) on a comment board. I don't know enough about which I speak not to make a fool out of myself. Why do more people not see their ignorance and keep it to themselves instead of broadcasting it...

I will not take issue with any person no matter their race who can speak English. I will however, take issue with any person, no matter their race, who cannot speak English. I have informed my children, as they will most likely be the ones embarrassed by my behavior, that I will no longer struggle to understand someone who cannot speak English. I will politely and calmly ask to speak to someone who can speak the native tongue. By this I mean someone who speaks English well enough to understand me without several repeats of an order of say a -- Big Mac, not the meal, just the sandwich, and a diet coke -- so that I do not have to say something like, "I'm sorry. I don't know what the hell you are saying!!!"

I will be back, I promise! No, really.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the j...

C doing his thing

Does this count? the dog -- a view in my backyard -- Yarrow

Does anybody know if this is Columbine? Does it spread? Is it morning glory"esque"? If so, I won't have to beat C with a hundred stripes.

This is Columbine -- or what's left of it after Son 1 (hereinafter referred to as C) pulled most of it out. He was weeding. He's 16. He could have asked. Duh!

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we spent an hour or more using it every day? What if we used it to receive messages from the "text"? What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it as we traveled? What if we used it in case of an emergency? Oh, and a few more things - Unlike our cell phones, on Plan fits all. Unlimited usage. No roaming charges. You always have reception. No weak signals AND we don't ever have to worry about our Book of Mormon being disconnected, because our Savior already paid the bill. - Author Unknown

1. Shoveling the driveway. Not snowblowing -- I like to shovel. My neighbors don't really believe me. 2. Mowing the lawn. 3. Being with my husband. Doing anything. 4. My family's warped sense of humor. 5. My dad for doing my grocery shopping for me. 6. Rain. 7. Listening to my scriptures on my ipod. 8. Having all my kids' friends at our house. 9. Nestle's Quick. I give the kids Ovaltine. Yuck 10. My mom for doing my scrapbooking for me.

1. Dental floss that is too thick to thread between my teeth to floss under my retainer. 2. Blowing grass after mowing the lawn. I hate the grass that builds up along the edges. I sweep it. 3. Driving over newly fallen snow in my driveway. The tire tracks then become ice. 4. Washing towels. Every towel in the house. Every week. 5. Folding socks. I would rather buy new socks than fold the washed ones. 6. Grocery shopping. 7. Incorrect spelling. 8. Poor grammar. 9. Carpet. 10. Finding multiple dishrags all used in the same day in various locations in the kitchen.

I am going to practice creativity.

I am trying to get my kids to understand the value of time. Specifically how much time slips by without us realizing it. Things like watching television, playing Girl2Girl or Addicting Games, WOW, texting, "Stumbling" about on the internet or "Next Blog"ging take away hours from our days and next to nothing is accomplished. I should know, I do some of these things. I don't mean to take away from the enjoyment of these things or even to suggest that I/my kids shouldn't do them. However, I am always saying, "Watch where your time goes." What I would like them to see is that minutes slip into hours -- hours slide into days -- days steal into months -- and months fly all too quickly into years. Time is the only thing that is truly ours. How do we use it?

June 18 D1: yo im in a hotel in spain somewhere. haha yea theres a massive line for the internet so im hurrying. but everythings awesome ill try to commmunicate more but its hard. love you ....peace Mom: I am hoping you get this. Thanks for the email. I had spent the last couple of hours arguing with myself about whether or not to try and track you down. I had decided to give you until tonight. Thanks for not making me find you. I love that you don’t need us. I love that you are having fun. I love that I know you love us. Be good. Love me Dad: further signs of life are welcome. We'd essentially decided that you are just too damn independent. A reflection of a good upbringing, I suppose. But we're glad to hear from you. And even more glad that there wasn't a ransom demand accompanying the signs of life. Go to a bullfight. It'll be Rambo-esque. But with real blood. Sometimes, with any luck, it'll be the bullfighter's blood. [Bullfighting is like NAS...

I am not sure how it happened. I am not sure dad and I even gave her a firm "yes" answer. But I do know that I have a daughter in Spain for 21 days. She's gone with a group from school. Eight kids. Six girls and 2 boys. Mr. and Mrs. B. as chaperones. No cell phone service. She'll have access to a phone card and they will use them about once a week. I am really grateful she gets this opportunity.

Hey, did you all hear America's Next Top Model crowned its new winner. Her name is Whitney and she is a "plus size" model. I can hear you all cheering for this FIRST TIME EVER event in the history of ANTM. So, we are downstairs watching DVR of the season finale. Fourteen year-old daughter 1 (hereinafter "d1") and 12-year old daughter 2 (hereinafter "d2") and a couple of 12-13 year old d2 friends all sitting on the couch and this is the conversation. Mom: "Hey, I want to see this. Which one is the plus size. D1: "The one in the middle." Random conversation about who likes or hates who and why .. some fast forward of the DVR. I still can't really see this voluptuous beauty Whitney, the plus size model because she is in a big, white coat. However, I am not sure she looks a whole lot plussier than Anya and whoever the other chick is. Mom: "So, what do they consider a plus size model -- something like a 6 0r 8?" (yeah ...

In response to Lindsay's tag here is the list of a few of the books I have read recently. (At least I think) 1. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 2. Dante's Daughter by Kelly Heuston. Written by a teacher at my kids' school. Her mother and I trade books. 3. The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian 4. Teacher The One Who Made a Difference by Mark Edmundson 5. The Second Comforter by Denver C. Snuffer 6. Nephi's Isaiah by Denver C. Snuffer 7. Eighteen Verses by Denver C. Snuffer 8. A Fine Young Man by David Gurian 9. Moneyball by Michael Lewis 10. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell 11. Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old like a Skank and Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom by Celia Rivenbark ($5 at Barnes & Noble) thought I'd add that one just for good measure

Okay, this one is for you LTR. Now let's see if I ever get back here :)