Thirsty Thursday-As A Ma'am Thinketh

I feel and think I look as if I’m in my twenties. Oh yeah, right. I really do. The changes are so subtle that my loyal mirrors never let on that gravity is getting the best of me. Going gray at a young age, just like mom, has resulted in being on the bottle (hair color) for years. When should I quit? My hair dresser says, not for ten years at least. So when I go too long between visits, I refer to my hair as snow on the mountain.

Contac’s worn since age twelve have been replaced with glasses (bifocals). Oh, that I could afford laser vision surgery, but alas, it's not to be at least not for awhile.

Five times per week exercise has kept the body in decent shape, but not good enough to ride Slick Rock in Moab, anymore. Okay, so I broke my wrist the one time I did try it and also when I attempted rollerblading. No longer a candidate for ‘American Idol’ or ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ (okay, I never was), I still love to snowshoe, jog, hike and take the stairs.

This is why I was irritated (shocked is more like it) at my husband when he stated a high school friend we recently saw looked old. ‘You are looking good’ was my opinion of her. I reasoned if she appeared aged, I must get the same reaction to alma mater pals. Dang! I pointed out to hubby, that he should talk, with his day old growth, mostly down the drain hair and ‘five month expectant’ looking tummy. Best not to discuss youthful looks when you’re not there anymore.
Mirror, mirror on the wall.. keep me young looking after all

Here's Valentines for You

Black Dots/Floral w/Key & Red Accents Size is 5x7
Rust & Beige w/Heart Tag & Lace 5x7
Brown & Pink Floral w/Love Tag 5x7

I love to make cards. Here is an assortment of Valentine Cards I've made for you to give to loved ones. Email me @skip50schmidt@gmail.com if you are interested in taking a class, buying product or cards. I have assorted cards for $2.50 each or 2/$4.50. Add $.50 for postage.

I'm a consultant for Close to My Heart, a wonderful scrapbooking company. You can find them @Closetomyheart.com. I sell their products, also do gatherings & teach classes.

Anyone commenting on this post, I will put your name in a drawing for a free card. One card will be drawn for every ten comments.

Memories on a Monday Morning-Much About Money

I’ve been reading the Jan 5, 2009, issue of Newsweek, detailing the downturn in the economy last year, what happened and the new global elite 'top 50 players in the world'. Some names I’ve never heard of. Others such as Obama, Oprah, Buffett, Pelosi, Putin, Petraeus and the Clintons are household names to many of us. World leaders, bankers and CEO’s are also profiled in this publication. I am amazed at how little I know about them and the route the world has taken this past decade. Money is about amassing it, losing it or saving it.

What’s my part in all of this, a peon American citizen trying to understand it while surviving? How do I stay afloat, save for retirement, pay my bills and keep my job? I have to be conservative, no buying on credit & trust in the Lord. With faith & creativity I’ve been able to make my money go further by avoiding impulse buying, paying tithing first and selling some unwanted items on KSL.com. Passing up good deals that I don’t really need, helps to save the little I do have.

Although I am disappointed in the stock market, the banking industry & government, I can still see the beauty in life. Try to only buy what you need & pay for it when you do. There is so much more to it than possessions. Yeah!

Thoughts for a Thirsty Thursday –First Things First

My biological clock wakes me up between 4 & 5am everyday, whether I want to get up or not. Almost instantly my mind will begin to fill with the tasks to be done, like a sink with the water tap on. Getting up, I’ve made it a habit of reading scriptures & praying first before diving into the jobs to be done, taking advantage of those needed blessings. When I procrastinate these choice chores, the day will pass without this spiritual lift, so I make them a priority.

Yesterday, as I read, this thought kept coming to me over & over again, “Go get the bill you need to pay & set it out, now!” I couldn’t concentrate on my reading because of this nagging pressure.

As I considered following the demand, these quiet and peaceful words came into my mind, “Don’t worry about the bill, finish your reading & I will remind you about the bills later.” I chose the second voice and even fell back to sleep. Sure enough within five minutes of waking, He reminded me about the bill to be paid. In fact, I found another one I’d forgotten about.

I know now, if I obey the voice of the Holy Ghost attending to first things first, He will lead me with surety. I’ll ignore the nagging voice of the adversary dissuading away the best part of my day.

Memories on a Monday Morning- Mush

I have gone back to basics by eating hot cereal twice a week.
Not only is it healthy but inexpensive. Life is easier because, I don’t have to think about what to fix on Mondays & Thursdays anymore. Did I mention it’s mush? I’ve been on a 35 year hiatus from it.

We had mush everyday of my life until I got married, except on Sundays, we had cold cereal. Oh, how I loved cold cereal. In the beginning it was oatmeal, which was gagged down with every spoonful. At age five, I was often grounded to the table until my bowl was empty. Simple solution, just dump the mush under a loaf of bread or something else. Wah la! Problem solved. I was spanked or had to clean the mess up when it was discovered. ‘Please, no more oatmeal’, I plead, 'anything but that.'

Scanning hot cereal options at the store, Mom found a replacement. Cracked wheat Roman Meal was the solution. I liked it for several years, then grew tired of the same old thing. The TV ads were convincingly touting a new cereal called, Malto Meal. Promising our mom that we would love it, she purchased a box. We hated it. From then on it was Roman Meal. After leaving the nest I avoided hot cereal all together, opting for pancakes, eggs, muffins, hash browns & so on.

With a slowing economy and my own budget cuts, I'm ready for an old fashioned breakfast again. I tried it and liked it. Here is the recipe for you to enjoy also.

Hot Cereal with a Flair Serves 2
2/3 Cup cracked 9 grain or wheat cereal. (in the health foods or bulk)
1/4 apple chopped
6 whole almonds chopped or 1T slivered almonds
Bring 2 1/4 cups water to boil w/1/2 tsp salt, stir as you pour in cereal.
Add apple & almonds.
Turn heat to medium & cook uncovered for 12 minutes.
Dish into bowls, sprinkle w/brown sugar and add milk if desired. YUMMY.

Savor Sundays

Sundays I want to savor with the Savior the sweet feelings of love and peace as I seek the Spirit. All week long we fill our minds with worldy stuff. Why not take a Sunday break. By focusing on the right things, my life has been blessed for good.

This is why. Ten years ago I had a chance to go to a Garth Brooks concert in town. After waiting in line for hours, my daughter got the only tickets that were left. They were for a Sunday performance. I thought long and hard about going, because I knew it was breaking the Sabbath, but I went anyway thinking this was my only chance. I'd repent later. I hated the show because it was too loud, crowded, a commandment breaker and I saw many young people that I knew. They saw me, too. Feeling awful about making the wrong choice and disappointing the Lord, I worked hard at making Sundays special. That year proved to be full of mishaps that I attributed to my behavior as a true daughter of God. Who knows what those youth thought of me.

Here are a few ideas I find helpful in making the most of Sundays:
1. Dedicate the day to the Lord. Do things that will keep your thoughts on Him.
2. Read scriptures, lessons & Church magazines/books only. Set the stage for Him.
3. Limit TV, computer & activities to a minimum unless they 'Come unto Him'.
4. Write your life history, letters, daily journal, etc. Use this time to make your record or keep the lines open with long lost family & friends.
5. Visit or call family as you enjoy getting closer & catching up on their news.
6. Go to church and feel of the Spirit and partake of the sacrament. Fill your buckets as you find yourself.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

One especially discouraging morning when the laundry was piled higher than a fourth grader, our oldest child was picking on her siblings, breakfast was burned black and the kids missed the school bus, I felt hopeless. Was there any end to my ‘buried in little people life’? I didn’t think so. Often my sister, Paula, came by & saved me from my woes.

My favorite high school song kept going through my mind, ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’. "I’m leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again. Oh, babe (baby) I hate to go." But where would I go. Who would care for my angels and love them as much as I did? No one! Therefore, I stayed and stayed and stayed.

I stayed because at that moment, Mr. Roger's show was on the TV. I heard him singing his signature song, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’. Finishing up, he said, “Won’t you be my neighbor?" At least someone cared.

A sweet feeling came over me, that it really was a beautiful day and what was I crying about? I was a loved wife, healthy mom, lucky American, blessed Mormon, child of God and much, much more. I tried to forget the small stuff & focus on the beauty. To this day I thank Mr. Fred Rogers for helping me overcome the gloomies.

NINE NEEDS FOR NAPS

Naps are necessary, no matter what. I need more than one per month. My husbands calls my ninth hour nod offs naps. I disagree calling them pre-nocturnal slumber. What about his morning meditation going many moments without movement? Needful napping should occur between 11am and 5pm. It's a good thing. Here’s why:

9. Notice how those nasty not nice thought & actions are prevented.

8. Oneriness is avoided & Optimism is openly observed.

7. Positivity is produced pushing pessimism away.

6. Quagmires are quickly quit.

5. Reduces resistance requiring redress.

4. Sharpens spirits sorely sapped.

3. Trumps tacky alternatives.

2. Undoes misunderstandings.

1. Vim & vitality are very valuable.
There's more, but you'll get the dream as you take it to head, by having a nap now or asap. Just, do it!!

Birds Sing in January & Roosters Crow

Don't let winter weather discourage you from enjoying the outdoors. Quit complaining! You won't get cold because you will be moving. If anything this activity will heat you up. Stop using your old coat as an excuse. A Columbia or wicking wear is not needed, just creativity. Layer dressing is the secret. Wear long sleeves, dressing from thin to heavier, 2 to 3 of them. Slip jogging pants over your flannel pj's. Use two pair of those stretchy gloves instead of a thick pair, a hat and you are ready to go see the quiet that exists while the world sleeps.

As you walk enjoy the light show the Lord provides FREE of CHARGE. It is especially lovely this bleak time of year, when the mountains change from dark to washed denim. The eastern sky is a swimming pool blue getting deeper, with the coming of day. Pink tinges the tops of the eastern mountains sliding down their slopes minute by minute. Soon you're in the middle of a strawberry sundae, with a dollap of whipped cream on top.

Throw you arms in the air about now and thank the Lord for the new day. Passing a large Cottonwood tree bereft of its leaves, you'll hear a few early birds singing the same words of appreciation. Listen as the roosters join in with their wake up call, and it will be time to head home for a new day full of gladness that 'you DID It'!

Full Moon Thru My Window

I take notice when the moon waxes to its full potential and wait for it to rise each night. Friday January 9, was a snowy cloud covered day, and I worried a glimpse of the white ball would not happen. Miraculously, about 4 pm the eastern sky began to clear. What a treat to see the near full moon rise above the mountains as I looked out my east facing office window at work, then to drove home in it's glow.

I often step out my front door, to checked on it a few times each evening, but got busy and forgot. The rooster in my head woke me up at 4 a.m. so I bedded down on the sofa to finish off the night. At 6:15 I was awakened and instantly thought about the moon wondering if it had set. Sitting up and turning toward my northside west facing window there was the moon calling to me. "Come out and play!" I said, "Okay!" I have never seen it from this spot in my house before and was touched by it's beauty.

Pulling on my winter wear and grabbing the camara, I met my friend just in time for a stroll down the wintry road before he went to bed. I thanked him for shining through my window twice this night.

Welcome to the Cranky Crane

Why Cranky? Because I get that way when I am deprived of sleep, exercise, enjoyment, peace, food you name it. Like most, I try to avoid it by looking for a positive thing to dwell on. Then overload occurs, some thing goes sour or a person irritates me at the wrong time and boom, I’m cranky. Few people are immune to this feeling.

Of course, I don’t like myself when it happens. Finding a way to decrank or switch moods isn’t that hard, since I just need a slight adjustment to make the change. Steeping in orneriness isn’t so bad either (for a while). Here are simple ways, ideas & thoughts to help us climb out of the rut we all find ourselves in.