A snag in preparedness planning

I think about this a lot...

The WordDork is not a sesquipedalian!

This is a word that a lot of people like to throw around (well, this and the word "antidisestablishmentarianism", which I really doubt they actually know what it means).

And while I love to use words, I'm not a sesquipedalian. I like to use the right words for the right occasion, whether they be big or small.

I always snicker when people say, "You use such big words!"

Here's a few "big" words for you that people might accuse me of using:

• ken
• vie
  
• ail
• apt
• bane
• cay
• din
• don
• eke
• ere
• vet
• fug
• hie
• hue
• irk
• quay
• lax
• lee
• mar
• maw
• nil
• ode
• opt
• rue
• vex
• wan
• wry
• yon
  

So don't go confusing "big" with "complex" or "advanced". And I really can't stand people who like to call themselves sesquipedalians because it makes them feel smart. (This post really isn't directed at my readers - all 5 of you - just people who I've come across in my lifetime...)

The Wii told me!

Apparently the Wii told Briggs he was underweight. I'm not entirely sure what game they were playing, but whatever it was, the Wii was right.

However, I find it a little freaky that a video game is dispensing lifestyle advice to a five year old.

It kind of reminds me of that weird movie "The Last Mimsy". I don't know if you've seen it, but I found it completely creepy. This little stuffed animal keeps telling this little girl to do things, things that often turn out dangerously. I kept waiting for this ostensibly innocent kids movie to turn into some evil horror film. It never did, but it still left me with the heeby jeebies.

But hey, if the Wii has convinced Briggs he needs to eat more at dinner (something his parents, siblings, grandparents, and aunts haven't yet succeeded at) then great. All hail the Wii...

The magic of writing

(Yep, it's another long one, folks.)

Do you have secret (or not so secret) aspiration of becoming a published author? Please answer my poll.

On every author's blog or website I've ever been to, there is always a Frequently Asked Question wanting advice on how to become an author. And I've observe that almost everyone seems to be harboring a secret desire to someday write. Write what? That depends on who you talk to...a movie script, a novel, a memoir, a how-to book, anything.

I assume this preponderance of aspiring writers is due to the happy fact that many people enjoy reading and thus would like to experience the magic of words from the other side of the door. But many people also enjoy art. But seldom do you see people aspiring, quite ardently I might add, to be the next Monet or Picasso.



And I think it really comes down to one word that I've already mentioned: Magic.

Think of Hamlet riding back on a boat with his seeming friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Until he read a secret missive from his uncle ordering his two companions to kill Hamlet, he believed they were to be trusted. But because he knew how to read and write, he was able to modify the death sentence to read that R & G were to be killed, not Hamlet himself. (He ended up dying anyway, but that's beside the point...) When Hamlet appeared alive in the court of his uncle, it may have seemed to be a kind of magical power that had delivered him from danger.


Historically, Runes have been a branch of magic and mysticism. Many sources believe the runic alphabet simply started out as a means of communication, just like our alphabet and writing system today. But so few people had the knowledge of how to write that those who did posses this skill were revered as powerful. And probably quite feared, also.

So just as we all are closet pyromaniacs, secretly in awe of fire and the power one holds who controls said fire, we all inherently understand the magic and power that comes from being able to write.

How lucky we are to be raised in a society where it is the norm to be literate. Certainly many people are terrible spellers, many people can't clearly and concisely get their point across in a professional letter, and fewer numbers each year are feasting on the words from good books. But the majority of our population can read words such as "Danger" and "Poison" or can scrawl a note and have it sent miles away, even millions of miles away, and have that idea clearly understood by the recipient.

So to all secretly harboring aspirations of becoming an author, I say

WRITE!

And never stop writing! It is only by practice that we improve. And no matter how poorly written down your ideas are, imagine how poorly understood your unspoken thoughts will be to your family after you have passed from this life.



(Incidentally, I found this quote hilarious as I never can remember an exact quote, only the feelings the idea has left me with..."Misquotation is, in fact, the pride and privilege of the learned. A widely- read man never quotes accurately, for the rather obvious reason that he has read too widely." —Hesketh Pearson)

So you won't forget me!

I was doing some mucking out the other day and noticed something on my shelf that in no way was going to get thrown out.

A year or so ago I went to visit my sister's family in San Jose for a weekend. My favorite dimpled boy, Gehrig, excitedly gave me a flag holder he had made at a Father/Son activity. When he handed it to me, he said, "Here, Auntie! This is for you - so you won't forget me!"

It was so sweet but it kind of broke my heart that he thought I could ever forget about him. Every Christmas when I see him, I hold him in my arms (even though he's 7 and almost too cool for that) and tell him the story about the day he was born. I tell him how I held him and kissed his little nose because it was just such a cute little beak - and he still has the most kissable little beak!



So G-man, I will NEVER forget about you, even though I don't get to see you that often!

Oh, and summer's coming so I'm looking forward to having you come visit for a special date!

If I were a rich and not famous author...

I've always wanted to be a best-selling author under a pen name, so in my real life, no one knows who I am. This way, I get the joy of having millions of people enjoy my books, and possibly the money that comes from that, but also the peace and quiet that comes from anonymity.

But anyway, if I were that rich and not famous author, I would be a complete night owl. Why? I do my best writing between 1am and 3am in the morning. I have no idea why this is so, but anytime I try to write and it's not the wee sma's of the morning, it all just comes out wooden.

I don't really mind because I love the middle of the night. It's the only time when no one in the world will bother you. Too bad I'm afraid of the dark, though.
Even as a kid I loved the middle of the night when no one would knock on my door and require something of me. Guess this night-owlishness is a phase that will never pass.

Book idea for autism education

I was sitting in Sacrament meeting this afternoon when it occurred to me that authors could use young adult novels as a way to teach social skills to autistic children.

Normal books, with normal story lines, but added into the narrative would be some more explicit explanation as to what motivated each character, what the socially acceptable reaction would be, etc. A much cheaper alternative than one on one time with a specially trained therapist!

I used to say to my therapist, "Why do people do that? That's stupid!" Then my therapist always had to remind me, "It's just how adults play." And as Leonard and Penny always have to tell Sheldon, "It's a non-negotiable social custom!"




As I have aspirations of authorship, I would consider even writing one myself...except that I have no clue what is socially acceptable. And I have the psychology evaluation to prove it!

The Mustache Collection

This afternoon at Kate's house, Ty was pulling out the Value Tales books. He would pull one out at a time, look at the cover and say, "Oh, dis is da (whatever) collection." I don't know where he associated the word "collection" with book titles, but in a family that loves series of books, it's not that far of a stretch.

When he pulled out The Value of Dedication: The Story of Albert Schweitzer he said, "Oh, dis is da mustache collection."

If Ashlynn had been in the room, she probably would have said, "What?! Where! I gotta see that! I just looooove men with facial hair!

Brevity remix

As a writing exercise, I have attempted to make my previous post more concise. You tell me which one you prefer...

For a few hours after blow-drying my hair, I have very frizzy, poufy "Hermione head". Then it calms down and does what it's supposed to for a few days after that. This is normally fine since I shower at night but on those occasions that I need to wash my hair before an event, I'm stuck with poufy, stick-your-finger-in-a-light-socket hair.

So I've discovered my own hat trick - I wear a hat for about 30 minutes and it calms right down! The body is preserved but the frizz is gone. Viola!

Hmmm, still kinda long and detailed...must work on that...

My own hat trick

I have no idea what a real hat trick is, but I've discovered my own version. For a few hours after blow drying my hair, it's pretty poufy and frizzy. But then it calms down and gives me a good few days afterward, so I never put extra gunk in it. (Yes, I only wash my hair every four or so days...but I shower more often...)

Normally I wash my hair at night so it's fine by the next morning when it's expected to put on a good show (thanks Mom and Dad for the good hair genes you passed on to all three of us!). But when I wash it just before an evening event, I have a problem. Frizzy, poufy Hermione hair.

But I figured something out that calms it down quickly but doesn't over-gunk it. I wear a hat for about 30 minutes! And then my hair is the perfect combination of body but no frizz! I pulled this one tonight on my way to a conference and it worked like a charm! You should try it!

And #2 must-have for depression

2) A rock-solid, no-questions-asked best friend.

I got lucky and ran into my best friend on a ramp in 7th grade and we've been there for each other ever since. To prove what a great friend she is, I want to quote a few things I hear from her often:

• "What?! Who said that?! I want names! I'm going to beat them up for you!"
• "Of course you're right! That other person is just an idiot."
• "I'm so impressed with you!"

Lokien always has my back, no matter how wrong I am. And to be really corny, I feel like I'm a better person because I'm friends with her.

I really admire her spontaneity and the way she isn't afraid to pursue things in life that make her happy. She recently drove 5 hours one way to go to a book signing of one of her favorite authors. And then drove the 5 hours back home in the same day because she had to be at work the next day.

But then she can also be solidly responsible, too. Even if she's up till 4am having fun and playing Phase 10, she still gets up at 6am to make a gourmet breakfast for an inn full of guests if that's what she said she would do.

And best of all, she loves me. (And it's nice that she married a guy who puts up with me, too.)

So, if you have depression, get a best friend who has stuck by your side for 16 years and still likes you enough to continue being friends with you. It's awesome.

Thanks Molybdenum! And here's to many good years, good books, and a bookstore full of cats and cooky hats ahead!

Two must-haves for people with depression

Yep, another kitty post!

1) A live pet

If you suffer from any form of depression, you must have a pet. It must be alive, and preferably have fur. (Ok, the fur part is just my opinion, but the pet part is scientific fact.)

Every time I look down at my cats, whether one is sitting in my lap or just walking through the room, I suddenly feel happy. This feeling may not last all day, but it's about the now that's important.

And the odd thing is there is nothing annoying about my cats (to me at least). Sure, cleaning their cat box ain't fun, but it's not really that big of a hassle, no more than a minute's work each day. (Anosmia is probably a great asset in this department.)

And I think that since I picked both of them out with a lot of prayer involved, I ended up with two pets that perfectly fit my needs.

#2...to be continued (I know you don't want to read a super long post...)

Isn't it ironic?

Does anyone else find it ticklishly funny that an acronym is six whole syllables longer than the phrase it abbreviates? You do the math. (Ok, I'll do it for you.)

WWW = World Wide Web

Duh-ble-you x 3 = 9 syllables

World Wide Web = 3 syllables

I love English. And words that rhyme with Orange.

I highly recommend kitty yoga

One evening, my aunt guilted me, the Doubting Thomas of all things "new age", into doing a session of yoga with her. I reluctantly complied but instantly became a firm convert after I became so relaxed during the session that I fell asleep...right in the middle of a family argument.



I love this CD because it is very low-key yoga but it still provides me opportunity to relax, breath, and stretch. I rarely make time to do the entire 45 minute routine but I have started doing the opening meditation and 10 minute warm-up before bedtime. It really helps me lessen bed-time tenseness and headaches. And it gets me calmed down enough that I can actually fall asleep.




It gets tricky, however, when you have a "little" grey cat that wants to introduce a new yoga position: pet the kitty. It actually works for the meditation because I find his fur so relaxing that I have used it as a grounding exercise in therapy before. So it works. But I still haven't found a way to perform the other positions with him included. He just lays there, snoring with his kitty sleep apnea. (Do skinny cats snore?)

I love Aveeno products!

14 years ago I got poison oak and spent three weeks soaking in a tub of Aveeno Oatmeal bath. It was the only thing that seemed to sooth the out-of-control rash. Since then I've kind of been fiercely loyal to Aveeno. And every new product they come out with I jump at the chance to try.

Ejers called me recently and excitedly announced Aveeno now has shampoos and conditioners! Wahoo! My scalp has been waiting for that news for too many years! (I'm allergic to most shampoos and conditioners. Yay me.)Their products aren't the cheapest on the market, but they're also not the most expensive (ie: ~$8 for a 10oz. bottle of shampoo compared to the $16 10 oz. bottle of Matrix shampoo I've been using). And when it comes to my skin and comfort, I'm willing to splurge on something I know works so well. You try living with constantly itchy skin.

So what Aveeno products do I use? Me, with such sensitive skin I break out in a rash just by touching grass or intercepting a stray squirt of Windex?

• Aveeno Ultra-Calming foaming facial cleanser
• Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer, SPF-15 (I burn easily and yet am allergic to most sunblocks)
• Aveeno Fragrance Free Skin Relieving Body Wash
• Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (Only stuff I can stand the texture of that has adequate moisture. I get it pretty cheap at Costco)
• Aveeno 1% Hydrocortizone Anti-Itch cream
• Aveeno Anti-Itch Concentrated Lotion (Great for when I've been rolling around in the grass with the kids and start to itch)
  
• Aveeno Ultra Calming Shave Gel
• Aveeno Skin Relief Bath Treatment
• Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion for Face - SPF 70 (Wonderful! Doesn't clog pores!)
• Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion - SPF 55

You may think I'm being hyperbolous but I really use each and every one of these products on a regular basis. The only product of theirs I haven't really converted to is their chapstick. I can buy Chapstick brand for so much cheaper and I really like it. So I'm sticking with Chapstick Mint for now. If only Aveeno would come up with a deodorant I would be so happy! (I'm tired of getting a rash in my armpits...then sweating...painful!)

So check out their website and get a free sample or coupon!

They have products for all ages, from baby stuff to age-minimizing lotions. They also have acne treatments and fake tanners. Oh, rainbows and butterflies!

Lose yourself in service

"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." ~Matthew 20:27,28

I came across this scripture tonight and it spoke to me. I feel the Lord was telling me that to get over my stress, anxiety, and depression I need to focus on serving others.

I don't think this will "cure" me of my mental health issues, but it will be a way to survive them. Now how to serve in a balanced manner. I tend to only focus on others and let my own life go, or only focus on myself...and still let my own life go. Funny how that works. So I'm hoping to learn how to focus on others and just take care of my own concerns in the background without pinning too much anxiety to them.

I'll have to remind myself to not expect perfection and to keep an eye out for the tiny progress I make.

Welcome home!

For once a photo I didn't pirate off the internet.

This weekend I rented the first season of the TV series "Northern Exposure." I think as a kid I must have seen a few episodes because I can still hear Maggie shouting, "Fleishman!". (I caught a lot of after-bed time shows because of insomnia. I enjoyed being curled up on the couch with Mom, not really understanding what was going on on TV. Actually, my cat Vincent was named after one of these late night shows.)

Then in my late teen years I lived in Cle Elum, Washington for a few years. I caught a "Northern Exposure" rerun on cable, the one where Ed makes a movie of Cicely. Holy cow! It was like coming home! I knew the show had been filmed in the hovel town of Roslyn, which starts where Cle Elum's 2nd street ends. But it was weird seeing home on national television.

Enlarge this one...I sometimes almost miss that beautiful, dry snow that fell in puff balls the size of your fist

So here I am, watching a show I'd known well before I even knew there was a state named Washington, and mashing that together with, "Oh my gosh! That's The Brick! And that's Lake Keechelus! And that's my movie theater! And that's the street my high school was on!" It really is an odd juxtaposition.

Mount Stuart - a poor photo of my favorite mountain

And those mountains Fleishman sees on his first morning after arriving in "Cicely"? Yes, they're every bit as breathtaking as they appear in the show. One of my biggest regrets after moving from Washington was not catching a good photo of Mt. Stuart with a full cap of snow, shining gloriously in the sun just as you round the bend near Indian John Hill.

And no, I never saw a moose, but I did walk out onto our porch one evening to find myself surrounded by about 20 head of elk grazing on our lawn, an arms length from the door.

A conversation with Vincent

Grandpa Dick with Whiskers, 1987

The following is an actual conversation I had with one of my cats tonight.

Let me set the scene: I'm in bed reading with Pip curled up next to me, craning to see the book he's half lying on. Vincent hops up to the foot of the bed and the following conversation ensues...

Vincent: Um, meowr.
Me: No, I'm not moving my feet.
Vincent: Meowr.
Me: No. You're the cat, I'm the human.
Vincent: Meowr.
Me: Ok, fine. (Moving my legs so he can lay down)
Vincent: meow.
Me: Yes, I am aware that a queen sized bed would be preferable in this situation but unless you've got some money saved up somewhere in that fur of yours, à la Marge Simpson, then keep your thoughts to yourself.
Vincent: Meowr.
Me: Yes, I love you too. Pip, can I turn the page now?

Attempt to be frugal

I've decided I'm going to try to make my own bread for a couple weeks to save money. I have at least two servings of bread daily so I go through a lot of bread, muffins, and bagels. I also have no money (being a college student and all) and this quarter I've done surprisingly well eating from my cupboards instead of shopping.

Eating solely from my cupboards, freezer, and fridge has been easy because I have a habit of buying too much food so I've got a good stockpile. (I've finally accepted the fact that I do engage in retail therapy...I just don't buy clothes, I buy grocery items, office supplies, and garden supplies...) I've had beans, soups, pastas, fruit, vegetables, all sorts of good food.

And while the jury is still out* whether me making bread saves me money or not in the long run, I've got all the flour, yeast, oatmeal, butter, and other ingredients I'll need for at least several loaves of bread. So I might as well use it up during my lean times than buy store-made bread. Plus it might have fewer preservatives since I'm making it myself.

Oh, and I'm making it all with my bread machine, so it's as easy as dumping in the ingredients and walking away from it. I don't have time to repeatedly knead bread...time is money.

*I say I'm not sure if making my own bread saves me money because of the way I make it. I'm sure other people could be efficient with their money and ingredients, I just don't know if I am. You have to buy almost as many groceries to feed one person as you do to feed two. It's expensive shopping for one!

Two cats are WAAAY better than one

Several months after adopting my first cat, Vincent, I came across an opportunity to add a second cat to our family. It might have appeared to be a sudden, "Oh! Cute Kitty! I want!" but I actually had been thinking about it for quite a while. So when I met Periwinkle, everything fell into place and I knew it was the right decision.

I brought him home and after three days of Vincent being terrified of the new kitten (even thought Vincent was 5 times larger than it) he decided this new kitty was a great idea and they have been very close ever since.

A couple months after adopting Periwinkle, he accidentally shut himself in my bedroom while I was at work. This effectively separated him and Vincent all day long. When I came home, I found that Vincent had completely shredded all the plastic off of a new pack of toilet paper and destroyed two of the rolls that had been in the pack.




I had forgotten how Vincent used lie in wait for me to walk around the corner and how he always was dive-bombing my legs and ankles. All that stopped when I got Periwinkle (thankfully) but his affection for me never lessened, so I lost most of the bad and none of the good!

Reading this cartoon made me laugh because in a way it's true. I suspect my cats are totally domesticated wussies but I'm not about to give them the chance to "prove" themselves on the mean and dirty outside world of Feline Leukemia and expensive vet repair bills.

Pip chasing Vincent's tail from Amanda on Vimeo.

(1 week after bringing Pip home)

But I do feel happy that their predatory needs are met by each other. It always make me happy when I see either of them crouched behind a corner, wiggling their little rumps getting ready to pounce.

So my advice is, if you're having behavior problems, might I suggest getting a second cat? It sure worked for me!

Skips and jumps of a 5 year old's education

This afternoon Briggs asked me what classes I was taking at school. I told him one of them was a math class (Statistics). He asked me if I'd ever taken Trig and I told him yes, a long time ago. I asked him where he heard of Trig. I figured he'd learned it from Disney Channel's "Life With Derek" (a show with a classic over-achieving straight-A student who has prompted Ashlynn to ask me repeatedly if I always get A's too...).

Briggs said it was one of his words of the day. When I asked him what it meant he defined it correctly as learning about triangles and lines and the angles they make. Man, he just absorbs everything his teacher tells him.

The funny part of his intelligence comes in where he hasn't been taught, he's just working out his own theories.

At the park, while I was pushing him and Ty in the baby swings (because Briggs is too afraid of learning how to pump himself on a swing for fear of falling out the back...) we started talking about Disney's California Adventure...of course.

And of course we talked about the ride "Soarin' Over California". He mentioned he liked the part where you could see the "Golf Coast." I tried correcting him by telling him it was the Gulf Coast but when that piece of information crossed his trivia receptor it apparently got rejected with little thought. He continued on his tack of extolling the virtues of the ride and enjoying the "Golf Coast" scene.

Then he screwed up his one eye and cocked his head like he does when he's suddenly realized a flaw in the plan. "Do they golf a lot in the Golf Coast?"

Apparently something I said about the Gulf coast did get absorbed...

And also apparently, there really is a Golf Coast in Lisbon, Portugal. I don't think Briggs is ready for that information yet...


(I can see where a 5 year old might get confused because I spent the past 12 years combining the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and Schrodinger's Cat phenomenon. This is hilarious to me. A couple months ago Schrodinger's Cat made an appearance on one of our TV shows and I tried to explain it to Kate, with very befuddled results. She stated, "That doesn't make any sense." I paused and said, "Um...hmmm....yeah, you're right. Let me think about this one..." Then tonight I suddenly realized I had combined the two theories. I guess that might only be funny if you've ever spent waaaaayyy too many hours in a library studying physics but still never being good enough at it to actually graduate with a degree in it.)

Wow! Excellent source of Iron!

I will hopefully be donating blood tomorrow (Saturday). But chances are I'll come up anemic and they won't let me give blood. So tonight I'm digging through my cupboards looking for foods that are high in iron.

The only one I could think of right off the bat was spinach. But I don't have any in my house right now (which is odd because I love raw and cooked spinach and almost always have a bag of fresh spinach). So I looked at my cans of beans and they were all around 4-15% iron.

Then I looked at my Whole Grain Cream of Wheat. Bingo! 50%! Who knew?! (Ok, don't tell me, I already know the packaging says clearly, "Excellent source of Iron!")

So I'm going to eat a serving or two of Cream of Wheat...which I adore anyway.

Oh, and oddly enough, my generic Lucky Charms and Honey Smacks also have 50% iron. I always thought it was a red meat thing but it must be wheat or some other whole grain...but I'm going to stick with the Cream of Wheat. It feels slightly more healthy.