Nevadanista: 2009

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Whino

What a horribly whiny post I wrote about maybe loosing my tooth... I apologize :D Although, I stand by my gratitude in retrospect remarks! I believe in that kind of gratitude, since I'm not always grateful in the moment, or even aware that I should be grateful. Today I am finally having my root canal sealed. It's taken so long because I have some kind of strange aversion to picking up the phone and making appointments... it was nothing to do with my dentist. So... if it doesn't work out, and I do indeed assume the Amy Winehouse look, I promise to do so with the utmost grace and dignity. I will not whine about it, and I will be grateful that I will be able to get a falsie at some point. Ciao for now (or maybe another month or two ;-)) and wish me luck.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Happy Birthday Eva

Dear Eva,

It's been almost two months since I last blogged, back when I thought I might loose that one tooth and look like Amy Winehouse. Seeing that post reminded me of when I was all looped out on painkillers one Sunday - I was going to say Sunday morning, but really it was the entire day, and you kept coming into my room to check on me. You were so sweet and genuinely concerned as you stroked my hair, looked at me sadly and said you wished I wasn't sick and hoped I would feel better soon. A bad toothache is one of the worst things EVER, but you make me feel better. And that's what you always do... make me feel better with a hug if I'm sad about something, or if someone else is sick or sad, you always have a hug and an 'I love you' ready to give.

We never have to ask you to do your homework. You're so good at getting it done and bringing your binder for us to sign. You were pretty upset a couple weeks ago when you had to have me sign your behavior chart because you had been talking in class when you weren't supposed to. I had to act kind of serious because I'm your mother and you had just brought me something required by your teacher for me to sign because you had misbehaved, but really I sympathized with you. I know from experience that it's hard sometimes not to talk when your not supposed to. But I'm so proud that you haven't had your chart marked again! It's because you really want to be good, and you always try hard to do what's right.

Sometimes when I look at you, I can't help but be jealous. You're just so dang cute and you can practically do the splits and you never even practice them. You can do most anything you try - like climbing mountians, or like snowboarding last year. Neither Dad nor Ella learned how to do a 360 like you did. You're good and loyal friend, and a great sister too. I always know you're watching out for Sophie at school, and she knows she can depend on you. Oh, and of course, you always know where you're going :)

Thanks for being you, because you're the best and we love you!!! Happy birthday :)

p.s. I even think you look cute in skinny pants!

I'm so happy we share brown eyes...

... but I do wish I had your lovely skin :)

...and now I just have to get her to start reading my blog

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Gratitude in Retrospect

Over the last few days, I've been mentally and emotionally preparing for the possibility that I might look like Amy Winehouse soon.

I've been very slow to respond to the topical treatments and the antibiotics I've been taking for a tooth infection... I could eventually lose the tooth if nothing starts working for me. It happens to be the same tooth Amy is missing. It will really really really really really really really really suck to look like her of course, but what will make it even worse, is that I'll be stone cold sober while doing so - I won't have a crack pipe and millions of dollars in the bank to comfort me. Does it make me a bad person to consider taking up a crack habit if I lose the tooth... just temporarily, until I can get an implant?

Gratitude in retrospect ('retro' is so in these days) is something I've been pondering as of late. It's a concept and practice I believe in as a means of not descending into useless thoughts of self-pity when unexpected hardships or physical pain arise. And nothing brings on the retrospective gratitude in me like a bad a** tooth ache!

Retrospective gratitude is not filled with the guilt and regret you feel when you realize you've taken someone or something for granted, and then your gratitude is too little too late. No, it's simply looking back fondly and with genuine gratitude on times that were better, times that were blessed, and without asking for anything in return. For instance, if I'm sad, if I feel like there's a hole in my heart that won't ever heal, I might say a prayer like, "Heavenly Father, I'm so thankful for all the moments in my life that I felt happy and care free. I'm grateful for all the times I smiled and laughed freely without sadness waiting to occupy my next thought". Or, if I have a toothache, I might say a little prayer in my mind like, "Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful for all the moments my tooth didn't hurt. For all the times I was completely unaware that I even had any teeth at all, for all the times I could carry on a conversation without being present yet absent - only thinking about the pain and not caring what I'm talking about," etc., etc..

Those are the kinds of things I think about, pray about, when I'm engaging in retrospective gratitude. And so I'm applying this method of being grateful, in advance even, to my Amy Winehouse situation. I say (to myself) and pray things like, "Heavenly Father, I'm so very very grateful for all the moments of my life when I didn't look like Amy Winehouse. I'm so grateful for all the times I smiled without wanting to be stoned out of my mind, or for wanting everyone seeing me smile to be stoned out of their minds too so they won't notice my missing tooth. I'm so grateful for all the times I smiled without having to concentrate on keeping my lips sealed, and for not even being conscious of having teeth, the way I don't notice I'm breathing."

I think these thoughts and prayers will help since I won't be stoned during the experience, if and when it happens. And it's not to say that it definitely will. I'm an optimistic realist after all. I'm optimistic that my tooth will win the war even though it's lost a few battles - but I also realize that it might not - so I'm trying to be prepared...

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Owning the Mt. Rose Summit and Sophie mourns MJ

Matt and Marv (Matt's dad) took Eva and her friend Sadie to hike the Mt. Rose Summit (10,776 ft) on Saturday - and they OWNED IT!!! Woo hoo :)

Sadie and Eva on the summit overlooking Reno - they ROCKED!

Grandpa Marv has still got it goin' ON! Don't ever let him trick you into taking a 'little walk' - he'll school ya!

Thank you Flickr person for this pic

Mt. Rose is in the upper right corner

Thank you Flickr person for this pic

The trail is over ten miles round trip (this is the back side - from Reno). It took them 3 1/2 hours to make it to the top, and 3 hours back down. I really really really wanted to go, but someone needed to be home with Sophie, who isn't quite ready for that kind of hike yet. Those are the kind of sacrifices mother's have to make ;-)

This is the view from south east Reno - Mt. Rose being the highest point

Unfortunately, we only have pictures from Matt's camera phone because my camera wouldn't turn on. And unfortunately too, when I switched out the brand new batteries I had put in the camera for their hike the night before, with yet another set of brand new batteries - it turned on, which meant that not only did we only get low quality camera phone pics, but my hoped for upgrade upon hearing the camera wasn't working, was not to be :(

But thank goodness for lousy phone cameras, nonetheless.

Good job everybody!

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Sophie's devastation over the disappearance of the storm drain frog (see previous post) was nothing compared to her devastation upon hearing that Michael Jackson had died. One episode of Spongebob was about all it took to get over the frog - MJ's death was an entirely different story however.

On our way home from Idaho, and as we were pulling out the a Sonic in Twin Falls, my cell phone rang. It was Matt. He spoke in a 'you're not going to believe this' voice, and told me it had just been reported that Michael Jackson was dead. I replied with a 'you're right, I can't believe it' voice, and so of course the kids were dying to know what we were talking about. After I was off the phone and while I was unwrapping my hamburger and getting my french fires out and sipping my Diet Coke, I told them what I was so astonished about. Ella and Eva were surprised too. We were all talking about how weird it was and wondering what all went on etc., when suddenly, I heard someone sobbing in the back seat. I looked over my shoulder, and there was Sophie, with her mouth gaping open, trying to breathe, and with tears beginning to pour down her cheeks.

Then the scene unfolded something like this...

Sophie: *sob sob sob* "But I loved Michael Jackson." *sob sob sob* "I loved him." *sob sob sob*

Me: "Oh honey, I know you did... it's okay honey. We can still listen to his music."

Sophie: *sob sob sob* "Ooooh, why did he have to die?" *sob sob sob* "Oooooh nooo... he was my favorite singer" *sob sob sob*

Me: "I know honey, I'm so sorry. I know you loved him so much. It's okay honey, we still have his music."

Sophie: *sob sob sob* "What did he die of?"

Me: "He had a heart attack."

Sophie: *sob* "What's a heart attack?"

Me: "It's when your heart is sick and it stops beating."

Sophie: "Ooooh......." *sob sob sob sob sob* "Why we all have to die????" *sob sob sob*

Ella and Eva comforting her: "It's okay Sophie, we can still listen to him... everyone has to die... he's in heaven now... even Mom's going to die someday... oh, wait... I mean... we're all going to die someday... then we'll all be in heaven together... don't cry Sophie... it'll be okay..."

Sophie: *sob sob sob sob sob sob*

Me: "Let's turn on some Michael Jackson right now and we'll celebrate his great music."

Sophie: "Can we listen to 'Thriller'?"

Me: "Yes, we will listen to "Thriller'!"

Then she commenced to quietly weep while she ate her lunch.

A little bit later while listing to MJ, I hear sobbing again.

Sophie: *sob sob sob* "I want Michael Jackson alive... I want him alive again..." *sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob* "I wanted to see him in concert! *sob sob sob* (that was news to me)

Me: "That would have been so fun, I'm sorry honey."

Sophie continues to sob.

Sophie: Suddenly alarmed, "he won't be on youtube anymore!. 'Thriller' won't be on the computer!!!" *sob sob sob sob sob sob*

Ella and Eva: "Oh Sophie, 'Thriller' and 'Beat It' will always be on youtube, forever! We'll watch them when we get home... it's okay Sophie, we'll always have his music and videos."

Sophie: "Okay." quietly weeps.

Me: "When we get home, I'll play a song called 'Ben' he sang when he was really young that is about a rat - it's so sweet (:D)."

Sophie: *sniff sniff* "Okay."

She recovered her composure for most of the ride home, but the sobbing and wishes for Michael Jackson to be alive again were repeated several times throughout the day...

It all made me kind of forget what a freakazoid he had become - for a few hours at least! She's a keeper.

Friday, July 24, 2009

I Feel Like Blogging Tonight

I haven't felt this way in a long time......... which is to say, I feel like blogging. It's been a month since I came home from Idaho to a beautifully deep cleaned house. I've been doing a pretty good job most of the time keeping up on things and not falling too far behind with my domestic duties. But as I was cleaning up tonight, and turned around to see more messes and piles of laundry to be folded, and knowing there were messes upstairs as well, I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to blog - go figure. And dammit, I'm not leaving this computer or doing anything productive until I finish this post!!! Apparently, and unfortunately too, the frequency of my blog posting is directly proportionate to the number of messes in my house......... I bet somebody could do some scientific research about that. And I bet there's at least one scientist who would say that blogging decreases cholesterol and or blood pressure. Probably a scientific findings like that would be picked up for the evening news cycle :D

And now I will try actually blog about something, as opposed to droning on and on about nothing, whilst lowering my cholesterol and or blood pressure :)

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It rained this afternoon, which is always wonderful. Eva and Sophie went out to play with the neighbors after everything had been soaked, and they found a frog sitting in the gutter. It escaped capture by jumping into a storm drain however (thankfully). But the kids decided to rescue it, which is simply just another way of saying they tried to score a new pet.

Sophie turned the kitchen upside down trying to find just the right container for her new frog

Here she is lowering the frog a life line - the water level was about 30 inches below the grate

Eva and company had long since given up their rescue efforts by the time I came out to see what was happening to my kitchen stuff

Sophie, looking strangely frog-like here - she didn't get it from me!

Desperation set in as she realized the frog was gone and she probably wouldn't be getting new pet. She wouldn't have gotten a new pet though, even if she had captured it, but that's beside the point

And finally, DESPAIR, bless her little heart. It's much better though that the frog broke her heart and not me...

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Speaking of rain, it made for some actual greenery here in Reno during the month of June, which made for some beautiful backdrops against which to shoot wild horses.

It made for lots of water too

Rain rain, please don't go away

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thunder Mountain Visit and The Crying Indian

This is how it's been with me and blogging lately... I can't brain. Maybe summer has something to do with it, or maybe it's the Facebook thumbs up, quickie status updates and various Facebook apps. Possibly it's a combination of it all. Giving a simple thumbs up to some one's Facebook status, photo/photo album or quiz result is so much easier than reading and commenting on a blog post. And making a 'top five' list or posting a quiz result is soooooo much easier than actually writing a blog post. But they're all just cheap substitutes, and I miss blogging, so I'm back - I think...
Here's the blog post I started July 3. It's obviously old news and even I don't care about anymore, but it contains two AWESOME/ICONIC 'Crying Indian' videos... so how can I not post it? I just have to fix a few things and write a little more. Maybe I can actually brain for a few minutes and finish...
While thinking on our way to Idaho, I had planned on writing an in-depth description of our amazingly exciting twelve hour journey, but now too much time has passed and it doesn't seem like it was actually all that exciting after all. So, I will not be giving a detailed account of some note worthy stuff that happened, like when we stopped at a gas station in Carlen to buy something sharp with which to pop the boil on Eva's bum that was bothering her (I settled on a miniature exacto blade - it was the only thing available) and the drama that ensued in said gas station's bathroom. Or about the spiritual moment I had listening to a Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin duet near Jackpot, Nevada, and how I contemplated what it would be like if they conducted the music for Sacrament meetings. Instead, I'll have to shorten the twelve hour drive post to only the stop we made in Imlay, Nevada, at the Thunder Mountain Indian Monument.

Most of the time, people leave behind little mementos of their lives for future generations, like photo albums, family heirlooms, quilts, small works of art, journals, etc.. And then other times people leave behind Indian Monuments in the desert made out of scrap metal, old appliances, cement sculptures, old cars, and beer and wine bottles. Such is the case with Frank Van Zant, a.k.a. Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder. He spent twenty years of his life building a monument to honor the plight of Native Americans, just off the highway on I-80, in a teensy weensy tiny little place called Imlay.

Usually I wouldn't stop to sight see on such a long drive, but I had allowed the girls to hook up Ella's i-pod, so it was time to take a break from the Jonas Brothers when Imlay came into view. Eva isn't in any of these pictures though because she was too creeped out and didn't want anything to with it.

What's so creepy about this?

Or this?

Or... oh, that is getting a little creepy...

Okay, that's creepy :D

This is detail of the south side of the main house which, as you can see, was mainly constructed with bottles. LOVE the toilet!!!

Chief Rolling Mountain Thunder was the ultimate recycler. I mean, he wouldn't be a phony like the rest of us if he were to be seen toting around, and or wearing, 'Go Green' products. But then, do you think he would actually buy something mass produced and made in China that said 'go green' on it to help save the environment and raise awareness? I don't think so. I think CRMT would raise awareness by just actually using a tote bag he already owned and wearing an old t-shirt.

I love rusty old junk in the desert

What does it mean and what does it have to do with Indians?

This brought back memories of my own banana seat bike from back in the day

My banana seat was pink with a large orange heart - this is me on my banana seat bike circa 1977

Sophie investigates beneath an Indian spirit

Ella

Is this Pompeii meets Imlay?

I love this picture

To say the Thunder Mountain Indian Monument was strange is an understatement. But on the other hand, it was kind of inspiring too. I had the distinct impression that Chief Mountain Rolling Thunder lived what he preached - whatever that was. You get the feeling that if he were a celebrity today giving advice like, "turn your heater down and put a sweater on", that he would actually be writing such advice from his cold modest Indian Monument home and wearing a sweater. Not from a mansion in Malibu or Beverly Hills with a ten car garage - and not wearing a sweater.

And all of this reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in YEARS - The Crying Indian. I wonder how much Iron Eyes Cody (rumored to actually be an Italian) inspired CRMT? Who didn't love these commercials? I mean really, who wasn't incensed when that fast food garbage so carelessly was tossed at the Crying Indian's feet? I would never do something like that - toss my fast food garbage at an Indian. How rude ;-)

But seriously, these two commercials, and especially those tears at the endings, are etched in my mind forever!!!

Monday, June 29, 2009

He Really Does Love Me, Part 2

Remember back in January when my mom was sick and I went to stay with her for nine days and while I was gone Matt completely cleaned and revamped Eva and Sophie's room and I was completely shocked out of my head excited when I got home and saw it? Weeeeellllll, this time I took the girls to Idaho with me to visit my dad, and he completely cleaned and revamped the ENTIRE HOUSE!!!!!!! I have been born again people. I have been cleansed. I have seen the light and been healed. Coming home to that kind of surprise was like an out of body religious experience!

After my spirit had been reunited with my body, the first thought that ran through my mind was to hurry and invite someone over to stay for a visit. Then I decided it'll have to be someone who doesn't read this blog as to successfully give the false impression that I'm an awesome housekeeper. So sorry, none of you are invited ;-)

After all that ran through my head and I had made a mental note about whom to invite, Matt revealed to us that he hadn't done the cleaning himself, but that he had hired some ladies to do it all (he also had carpet cleaners do the carpets). My subsequent mortification at having not cleaned the bathrooms before the cleaners came over only lasted a moment though, as I looked closer at everything and realized it had all been deep cleaned. EVERYTHING!!! IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE!!! That realization soothed all the mortification away really fast! This is the first time in my life we've ever had housekeepers come - and I really really really really really really really really really really really really really liked it a lot. Did I mention i really liked it a lot?

This is just what I needed to get me going on my extreme brain makeover, which I never did get around to after that little semi-annual pity party was over, cuz I forgot all about it after a day or two and reverted back to my normal lame-o self...

So thank you Honey for such a wonderful and thoughtful surprise! Happy Father's Day - here's the post I was working on while we were in Idaho, but which I never posted because I was experiencing writer's block and couldn't come up with the right words to finish what I wanted to say. But here it is in rough draft form:

Beins (I couldn't think of a better word/non-word) how Sunday was Father's Day, I did the logical thing and left for Idaho with the girls, leaving Matt at home alone - that's the kind of awesome wife I am :) Truth be told though, Matt seems to enjoy spending Father's Day without us (we were here in Idaho last year too) because I can't make him go to any family functions that way and he can spend the day watching golf and napping in complete peace. And I made sure to stock up on Honey Smacks cereal for him, so what more could he ask for really? ;-)
Here are messages from the girls written on the way to Idaho on Sunday...
Dear Father,
You are the bomb diggitiest dad ever! Thanks for everything you do for us! I ♥ you and hope you have an amazing Father's Day! :)
♥ Ella
Dear Dad,
My favorite memory with you was when we went on the Double Shot together at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Happy Father's Day, Love Eva
You are the best dad in the whole world! I ♥ you, Sophie

Can you believe he did all that after being abandoned on Father's Day? I hesitate to tell what happened on Friday, the day after we got home, because it will certainly make anyone reading this a little more jealous than he/she already is... don't hate people, but Matt suggested that I take the girls to the lake so he could finish some paper work he needed to do without all of us around distracting him... so we headed up to the lake Friday afternoon. It was tough after having been out of town for five days, but somehow I managed to mustere the energy to sit on the beach and chat with friends for a couple hours - I'm a pillar of strength like that. Then at 8pm, we went to a Gladys Knight concert which was my Mother's Day gift. Gladys was great of course, just as I expected she would be. But the entire week actually felt more like a Mother's Day celebration than a Father day celebration, so to make up for it a tiny bit, I want to dedicate this song to Matt - THANK YOU - you're the best thing that ever happened to me!!!

p.s. Gladys had a Pip along with her (her brother, he's always on the right), and that was a very special treat! He was Pippin' like he was still 25 years old :D They don't do dance moves like that anyomore :( Here's one of my favorite Gladys Knight and the Pips song with some flippin' sweet Pip moves. Enjoy.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Sophie's Special Day

I never imagined a baptismal service for seven unrelated children could go so smoothly and be so personal, but it was. It turns out that having people you've never met before plan everything about your child's special day is the way to go, and I highly recommend it. There was no stress - all we had to do was show up with towels and dry underwear. Oh, and I had to e-mail a picture of Sophie to said people we'd never met before (the Stake Baptismal Coordinators), but was all. The Jackons organized a wonderful service with excellent talks, and one of the sweetest musical performances I've ever seen by one of the girls who was going to be baptised. I forgot to bring tissue and ended up using Eva's thick cable knit sweater which didn't work very well, but was better than my bare hand. It was a wonderful day with family and friends, and I'm so grateful for Matt being able to perform Sophie's baptism and ordination. She was our last to be baptised *sniff sniff*

Me and Sophie color coordinated, cuz we're awesome like that

Matt and Sophie

In their whites

Grandma Lynda (my mom) and Sophie

Grandpa Marv (Matt's Dad) and Joanie

Sophie and Sophie

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Yosemite Visit - Three Cheers For Global Climate Change... Holla

Global climate change is so underrated! Taking the long way home through Yosemite on Memorial Day brought that point home to me like no other place has. Every time we visit Yosemite, I'm keenly aware that I'm feeling every cliche known to man having to do with man's place in the universe.

Stuff like; I'm so small, so insignificant... so puny and powerless in the face of nature. I am a mere speck - probably more like a micro speck on a micro speck in this universe - like a Who in Who-ville. And yet... I'm important. Infinitely important. I'm more than just an organized mass of cells. I have a spirit and a purpose. In this vast vast universe, God actually cares about little ole me.

Then I feel all corny and grateful and all that.

But back to global climate change. It was one of the major forces that created the Yosemite Valley, with multiple alternating ice ages and warming trends. Glaciers repeatedly formed and receded, formed and receded.

This view from Glacier Point is quite stunning, and it's easy to imagine an ice-blue glacial flow covering all of the green area down in the valley. What's harder to imagine though, is that at times, ice covered the entire area, including Half Dome and El Capitan. Melting glaciers are what exposed the massive granite formations that were formed deep below the earth's surface hundreds of millions of years ago (yes, I have been watching lots of History Channel and reading too much wikipedia). It's unfathomable really. And you can call me crazy, but I kinda sorta think that no amount of tax payer money, world climate change summits, legislation, Michael Moore films, 'go green' products, celebrity admonishments, concerts to raise awareness, carbon credits earned or trees planted, could have hindered or altered the formation of Yosemite, or anything else on earth for that matter, in any way!

Cue the music now please...

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly express my gratitude to Global Climate Change - I know it's true ;-) I'm so grateful for the beauty it has created in this world over the last 4.5 billion years (amazingly all before the internal combustion engine). Without it, I would not be here. But I would be remiss if I didn't specifically mention Global Warming. I'm so grateful it ended the last ice-age 10,000 years ago so I could be here writing this blog post, not to mention living. I'm grateful for the food and plant life it makes possible, and for just the right amount of oxygen - not too much, not too little - just right. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt and with every fiber of my being, that I would rather live during a warming trend than during an ice age. So can I get a 'what what' for Global Warming? Holla. Amen.