Wisdom from a centagenarian

Real Simple this month has an article about women over 100 years old. Vital alive productive women. It's great. There are days I am not sure I'll be as vital on that day waaaaaaaay off in the future.

In the article they ask them to share a few tidbits of wisdom. Some of them are common sense to me but they are still worth repeating:

You can't control other people. You can only control your reactions. There are a few people I've worked with in the past that could really make life easier if they just understood this concept.

Don't hang on to anger. You'll just make yourself miserable. How true is that? Very. I remember hearing stories of people who were angry about a wrong dealt them. Years later confronting the offending party and finding out all along there wasn't any satisfaction in the confrontation. Let it go.

Avoid a fast talker when looking for a husband. Go for someone who's steady. I don't know about this one. Maybe that's good advice for some women. Maybe men could use the same advice.

More is not necessarily better. Going for first or biggest leads to unhappiness. Yes, every SUV owner in America is coming to a clear understanding of this one at the pump this week.

You're better off alone than in bad company. Unfortunately, many people will not heed this advice. But they'll be willing to share it in the future.

Keep your secrets to yourself. This is probably one of the best things to learn early in life.

Children love praise. They'll do something again and again just to get you to praise them. Always try to teach children through praise. The world would be a better place if we could just keep this in mind whenever we're with them.

If you worry about being old, you'll be old. The old adage, "your as young as you feel" is a good one. Be willing to burn out, not rust out!

If you have a few to share. Go for it!

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The Weird Meme

Susan has a post up about a meme traveling through the blogosphere about being weird. She's definitely got herself in the weird column and asks if we are too? You need to list 6 things that make you weird.

Well, I think, that everyone is weird in their own way. Also, that weird to some isn't weird to others. It really makes a difference depending on what groups you associate with the majority of the time. I'm not scary weird but I do find that in the largest group I associate with, I'm definitely weird. So off I go...

1. Being a Mormon makes you weird in the world. Being me makes me weird in the Mormon group. I get the "you???!!" comment all the time. Mostly because of the things I do.

a. I love rock music. Most people my age moved on to elevator music ages ago. Ugh. I still love to listen to KROQ going to work in the mornings.
b. I am a member of a couple of car clubs. One is all about detailing the car. I got a dual action sander/buffer for my birthday. Yes! I can have a towel slide off the finish of your car without leaving swirls in the finish any day. And I love talking about it.
c. I have always worked outside the home, raised three wonderfully perfect daughters, who're best friends were their sisters. We were weird because we all got along. No troubling teens at our home.
That's just a bit of what make me weird in the church arena.

2. I love to cook, talk about cooking, take photos when I'm in public eating. I have zero tolerance for food that wasn't prepared with any thought in mind. In fact if I'm at a large function, and see what is prepared, and it isn't real food, I won't eat. I'd rather go hungry than eat canned soup mixed with cooked chicken and fake rice. Call me a snob or weird, I won't eat it. unless of course you're in junior high and this is your first time cooking. I'll try to support you then. But if you're my age, and too cheap to really make a meal worthwhile for your guests, forget it.

3. We moved 16 time before I was fifteen. That means I went to 15 different schools before I had a driver's license. Do I have any childhood friends? No. I can't give you a name of anyone I went to school with before my 9th grade year. Except for possibly the names of a few guys I had a crush on back then.

4. One house we used to live in shared a driveway with an emergency room. On rainy days, the entertainment was to count body bags. Yes, body bags. Since then I've had a real interest in watching shows like The Surgery or Trauma Life in the ER. But I never want to work in a medical facility.

5. I have a friend who lives in a million dollar home in Hawaii, Lanakai Beach to be exact. I have a free place to stay when I go on vacation. Yeah, what's so weird about that? I can't go there. No money? Not the problem. Have you looked at a map of the world? Hawaii is surrounded by a LOT, a LOT, of water. So much that I can't get myself on a plane to go there to visit. I don't think I'll ever be able to convince myself to do it. Even with having a free place to stay.

6. I enjoy being alone. I can eat in a restaurant alone. Travel alone, and shop alone. Not there is anything wrong with going with my husband, or my sis or a friend. It's just I don't need anyone to be with me to have a good time. I can enjoy an afternoon alone persuing my interests and really have a good time.

Weirdness is what you make of it. It's not to be shunned. I love everyone's weirdness. It's what makes the world go around. Also, just because you're weird doesn't mean you need to be angry. Enjoy it and let others enjoy it. Life's more fun that way!

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Easter morn

Easter morn
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

From the words of the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball:

We believe, and it is our testimony, and we proclaim it to the world “that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:17).

We know, and it is our testimony, and we also proclaim it to the world that to be saved men must “believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:18).

Thus, with Nephi, “we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Ne. 25:23, 26; italics added.)

I add my testimony to his this Easter morn. I bid you, all those who labor and are heavy laden, take up his yoke. For it is easy, and his burden is light.

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Buffalo

Buffalo
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

We were cruising around the west end of town Sunday afternoon when I spied with my little eye this amazing creature.

He seemed to be saying "okay who put this fence here?" Upon closer investigation he was not alone.



There was a smaller version behind him. They are gorgeous creatures. We turned the car around and were able to get a closer picture.



You don't see very many around any longer. We used to have quite a few farms that had buffalos grazing. Now they have all taken their retirement by selling the ranches and farms and moving away. We are now mostly growing homes in tghe valley. 70,000 new homes this year. Ugh. People ask why we are also selling soon and moving to northern Arizona. 70,000 new homes means at least 140,000 more cars. In a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by a lake of massive proportions, it is time to go.

I have good friend who wants a farm and her own buffalo someday. Until then, PR, this one's for you.

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Rain in SoCal

Rainbow
Originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

We got a bit of rain this week. Every morning was a drizzly day until Thursday. Wednesday, on the drive home, I spied a rainbow and decided to see if I could capture it on the camera. It doesn't show up too well. But here it is! If you go to flickr, I have a box around the rainbow so it's easier to see.

I also have wanted to start a series of photos, while driving my car, called from the roof. I have a sunroof and am surprised at times of the view available above me. I try to keep my camera handy so I can quickly shoot a picture when I see something interesting. This is one of those shots. It was taken Thursday afternoon on the drive home:

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Dancing

Susan asked a few questions about a week ago. One that caught my eye was "when was the last time you danced?"

Heh. I think I was born dancing. Not formally trained dancing but just shaking and grooving to the beat. I do remember learning to "Twist". My mom came home with the new Chubby Checker album that taught the world to twist. We practiced and practiced. It was quite fun to know that there was a methodology employed when dancing. You didn't just stand and tap your foot, there was actually a striking number of ways to move about to the beat. When I was twelve, in MIA (youth group), they told us we could go to youth dances when we turned 14. An edict was passed that we should all learn the proper technique of dancing. We gathered each week for a two months to go through the steps of various styles. First of course, a waltz. Okay there is nothing more amusing than watching a bunch of 12 and 13 year olds, trying to get a basic box step going while holding the hand of a member of the opposite sex. Hilarious, it must of been to the instructors. We moved on to the Bosanova, the Fox Trot and the Cha Cha. By the end we could all move about with ease. Not to say we ever used our formal training for any dances we attended. It did however, help us understand the importance of regular practice.

It was 7th grade. The Beach Boys enticed us to dance, as did the Moody Blues, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple and a myriad of others. We did the froog, the watusi, the swim, and best of all the skate. Dance, dance, dance. With boys! Yay. Every dance was a new dress, new shoes and a new guy. Oh I could rattle off a list of names. Boys cames and went like dresses. It really didn't matter who the guy was, as long as he would dance! Remember, it was only 7th grade. I wanted to dance more than spend time with boys. They were cute, and weren't interested in anything more than dancing either. It was fun.

Then came high school. The occasional school dance, church dances and Saturday night dances in Carlsbad. We would spend the day at the beach frying ourselves to a crisp, so we could be as sunburnt as possible, it was a must. We were beach girls! Each dance featured a great band, dancing until midnight, every Saturday night of the summer. One dance featured a new band. It was rumored that they were seeking a recording contract and that there were scouts watching the performance. The dance started out slow, until they played a slow song. It got everyone to the floor. The song was a hit and so was the night. Evidently the scouts liked what they witnessed that evening. Later int he summer, Three Dog Night released their first album. The hit song being, One. It was the same song as the one at the dance.

I have been dancing ever since. Except of course when i started dating a guy in the band. I would softly sway to the beat and turn down offers to dance for a short time. Then once our relationship was a steady one, I could take to the floor with other guys without a problem. The only real problem came after he quit the band. He didn't dance. He made music, not danced to it, I was informed. I couldn't believe it. I had fallen in love with a guy who wouldn't dance! Arrrrrgh! So my dancing has now become solo. In the car, in the house, and even sometimes standing in line at a store! Ask my daughters how I have pleaded with them to make sure the guy they choose to marry danced! Out of three marriages we have one non dancer, one well okay if I have to dancer, and one mosh pitter. Don't worry girls, we'll dance together!

Last time I danced? On the way to work listening to The Outfield just last Friday!

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