Terroism and Terror

According to 'Quia' the top five US cities for public transportation are: Portland, Washington D.C, San Fransisco, New York, and Chicago. Having used two of those systems, I'm quite excited for Phoenix to have a light rail! May it be as helpful as we taxpayers hope for! For it's Grand Opening, they had a few days of free rides so some friends and I decided to take our kids while they are on 'Holiday' from school.
Chris commented in his loving way; "I know this is silly, but mass transit is a big target for terrorism so please keep your eyes open!" "You're right" I agreed. "You are being silly!" I actually do agree with him but traveling with kids gives me more to worry about than terrorism. ( I not asking to be blown up, but if your gonna-let me be with my kids when it happens)
Today the thing I most fear in public transportation actually did happen. Hailey got on the train with out me! We'd had a fun adventure into Tempe and were on the platform with 15 kids amongst three moms. Because it was so crowded, we had tried to squeeze on the train and when we couldn't all fit on, we got back off. All except Hailey. It took me 2.5 seconds to realize what happened and then I started pounding on the manual release button on the outside of the door. At the same moment, people inside pushed their manual release and with a little mommy muscle, we got the door open and out came a crying Hailey. The train hadn't even moved, but we hugged and cried at the sheer idea of the experience. Funny to happen after all those years of traveling public transit in the past.
In all, I give our new light rail a thumbs up. The boys loved it, but I have promised Hailey that we won't ride again untill the hype has settled and it is less crowded.
P.S. Thank you to whoever kept their eyes open for true terror and let my Hailey out!

Earl K Lulloff

Brother Lulloff was my sister's best friend's father. He passed away December 13th because of caner. My sister Joy lives in Albuquerque and could not attend the funeral, so I went to represent her and our family and give the Lulloff's our love and condolences. Earl Lulloff was a veteran of Vietnam. His young wife, Susan Lulloff received a telegram informing her that her husband had been wounded, and because of his wounds he became a paraplegic. After the war, they adopted five children and now have 12 grandchildren.
As I watched a video montage of parts of his life, I saw a young Brother Lulloff that I had not known growing up. I can not imagine losing some of my freedom fighting for some one else.
I've read that each time the last survivor of a war dies, it is the end of an Era. Albert Woolson, the last known Union soilder of the Civil War died in 1956. Frank Woodruff Budles is the last male soilder of WWI, but the last update did not have a death date(The first female soilder was WWI and she died last year). Our WWII veterans are considered the 'Greatest Generation" and their numbers are dwindling. Each war has its veterans and its era. For some reason, having them amongst us makes me feel safe. I'm not sure I can describe it, it's not that they could stand up and fight, but that we are reminded to be humbled by our blessings of freedom and have tangible evidence why we still have that freedom. Society cannot forget while they are around.
I'm sorry for the Lulloffs, and thankful to Brother Lulloff.

Twilight

My husband finally got sick of listening to the hype around him for the Twilight series, and he picked up the book. Two weeks and four books later he has developed his own opinion of the books. I don't think I'll watch the movie with him unless one of us just had our Wisdom Teeth taken out and have no where else to go. I would love to hear your comments on this man's point of view. I hope this link works. Check here to see what he says about Twilight. Any men care to add their two cents?

Meet Michelle!

Michelle Ross, a good friend of mine lives in Nepal. She is as interesting as her surroundings. She lives in Nepal because her husband works for the government and shipped the family there for his work. Michelle has 7 children, which she makes 'tow the line' but cares for wonderfully. Because of her, they are great kids. She said when they would walk through the streets, people would stop, look, smile and sometimes touch her children. Maybe because they hadn't seen Americans or because they hadn't seen so many. I love the visual of this good Mormon Mom walking down the streets of a foreign land, making a good impression on the people she meets. Talk about good missionary work. She's very creative and sensible, which makes a great mix of Martha Stewart style without to much wasteful "frufru"(or jail time). (Frufru= my husbands word for those little touches women like to add that sometimes are too much). The last I heard, they are coming home for a year and then being sent to China. Imagine a Mother of seven in China! Just being a great Mom should be enough to bring celebrity/hero status. Moms deserve that! Go Michelle!

Harmony

Opposites attract, viola' : My husband & I! So many things we differ on, so much fun in trying to figuring things out! When my husband is playful, I am serious. He loves to spend, I wish he'd save. I love leftovers, he cooks something new. He like to make his omelets with just the egg whites, which in truth are healthier, but I try to use everything and not waste.
So when I pulled out my gingerbread recipe for the Robinson Gingerbread house decorating party, (Lasts years party as shown above!) and found that it calls for egg yolks, I was thrilled! Harmony Ten houses; ten egg yolks; ten egg whites left over. We're a perfect fit.
P.S. If your in Mesa during December and stop by the Mesa Public Library-check out our houses on display-they've agreed to let us show them.

Pink is not my color

I found a lump the other day and not in my oatmeal. It was a surprise to say the least. I wasn't quite sure what steps to take, do I call my OBGYN or family doctor? I settled on my OBGYN because he had seen me last and as soon as I explained the reason for my call they scheduled me an appointment with in the week. Still a few days to stew over the idea. I wasn't really worried, but my husband encouraged me to check it out. I am young, nursed my babies and breast cancer doesn't run in the family. But I let my imagination play with the idea for a time. What would that mean for my family if I really did succumb to cancer. What could I do to ease things for my children? And my husband, forget about it! He couldn't handle our break-ups during our year of dating. The poor guy, I'd probably mail order a bride for him to help him through. I thought about all the people I'd miss, and then I thought about someone I miss and would love to see, my niece Lucy. I think my Brother and Sister-in-law would be a bit jealous.
So the appointment was nearing and I thought, for good measure I would live each day as if it were my last. I woke my husband up like I did when we were newly weds. I raved about the over-cooked eggs my son made for breakfast and talked playfully with my kids. I went out of my way to see my in-laws and went shopping with my sisters. I made cookies for all the veterans I knew, cleaned offices with my brother and sister-in-law, filled the day and went to bed late.
At my appt. the next day, the doctor confirmed that it wasn't cancer although he wasn't sure what it was and just to keep an eye on it, (I'll put that on my husbands honey do list!).
No worries, now I'll go home, yell at my kids, eat some Halloween candy and be a little lazy. What did I learn? Living each day as your last is really exhausting! To those who are in the fight of their lives, I am so sorry.

Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you! Thank you to my neighbor Tom, and to Kristen's husband, to my grandfathers and all those who fought for us.
This picture "Raising the flag on Iwo Jima" was taken by Joe Rosenthal on top of Mt. Suribachi during WWII. Its the most reproduced picture in the world, with countless statues made of it as well. When interviewed, one of the flag raisers commented that it was just a moment in the war. They were actually replacing an existing flag and a bunch of them joined in. As far as they were concerned it was just another assignment, nothing of noteworthy. But to the rest of America, it was a heroic moment and one not to be forgotten. (Some of those flag raisers went on a Bond Tour and raised millions for the war effort; Flags of our Fathers, good read!) No matter how our veterans view their service, I am forever grateful for them! Now I need to run, got to make some cookies to take to my veteran neighbor Tom!

Meet ?

I saw a woman at my church the other day (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) who seems really interesting. I've noticed her before with fabulously dramatic taste in clothes and style. Yesterday she wore a leopard print form fitting skirt, the kind I would love to own but might never get the courage to wear. She has beautiful blond hair that is twisted and styled different each Sunday. She wears long earrings that would be so fun to wear until my 10 month old ripped then out of my ears.
Most of my friends are Moms like me. We have kids the same age, or husbands who are in law enforcement together. We may have worked on a committee or done service together, and we are comfortable with each other. I started to think of this 'unique' woman and how to introduce myself. What if we have nothing in common? What if I have nothing interesting to say? Do I pull the "I lived in NY" card, to seem more exciting? I can see it now; "Hi, My name is Jenny, I lived in Brooklyn once, do you want to go shopping"? Um, maybe not. My kids think grown ups don't need friends but I value my friends and view strangers as friends I haven't meet yet. So maybe some day I'll get up the courage to introduce my self. Maybe I'll just hand her a note in church that says 'Do you want to be my friend?' Check the box Yes or No. I'll tell you what she says.

Yes!

So, elections are over and Obama's President. Congrats to Wendy, Molly and Obama Girl. But the real winner here is Marriage! California, Florida and my dear state Arizona have voted that a Marriage is only between and Man and Woman. We called, handed out fliers, posted signs in our yard, donated money and got the message across. It paid off! Thanks to Marily for her example, as seen here: markandmarily.blogspot.com. I am interested to see how the next four years will be.

Meet Brucethe Bus driver!

No, he's not a Sara Palin character!
Every Morning my oldest three children get on a school bus and off to school they go. I'm glad for the chance they have to learn, grow and make friends at school. And I am thankful that every morning they have a good bus driver that gets them there safely. Bruce, our bus driver until recently has been driving buses for several years and even took a friends teenager children to elementary school when they were little. He takes his job seriously and always honks if a car going the opposite way doesn't stop at his little temporary stop sign. When my kids got on his bus, I knew I didn't need to worry. When the news highlighted a bus accident or 'incident' (like drunk bus drivers), I quietly counted my blessing of Bruce the Bus driver. Its such a small part of the day, and bus drivers may not be thought of highly or thought of at all. No one really prepares a batch of their best home baked goodies for the holidays like we do for teachers, caregivers or neighbors. But their job is very important to me and the fact that my children get to school and come home safe everyday means the world. Thank you Bruce! We're sad to see you get a knew route and I'd consider moving just to be in your area! We hope our new driver Sonny is as awsome as you!

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! I love the spirit of community.
I've shared this story before but want to share it on a public level. When my father was young he lived in the country so when they went trick-or-treating, my grandmother would make he and his siblings take apples to each house they went to, to 'exchange' because no one came out to their farm house and she didn't think that was fair. Of course my dad and Uncles didn't like this and one year convinced my grandmother to let them trick-or-treat with out the apples. Well one house they went to asked them, "where's my apple?"
I feel this way too! As much as I love to go with my husband and kids trick-or-treating, I feel it my privilege to stay home and hand out candy-even if we only get 10 kids. I wish we got more kids to our street but I don't think many pass out candy here on the block so why should they come (or could it be the sex offender down the street?) Any way, it Halloween and I have the chance to share what I have to any one who braves the block. I'll be waiting, if you want some yummy candy (Nerds and M&M's are our favorites!) and spider rings!

Meet Bob Sturgiss

Bob Sturgiss is one of my neighbors. He and his wife, Rita are the original owners of their home which must have been built around 1976 when my home was built. I imagine they payed around the cost of an Accord for their home then. Every morning Bob takes a walk through the neighborhood wearing his turquoise polo, a sensible hat to keep off the ever present sun, and a set of head phones. Sometimes in the winter he wears more layers but the turquoise color shows through. I wonder what he is listening to. Is it NPR, golden oldies or does he jam out in his head to rock n' roll? Sometimes we chat when he walkes by and sees me fighting a losing battle with my weeds. His yard is imaculate and he works hard to keep it so. If I ever get past fighting weeds, I'll hope to have a BHG (Better Homes & Gardens) yard like his.
I can almost tell time by his morning walk. If he passes my house and I'm not finished with my workout, (or weed pulling) I'm going to get behind in my day. Bob retired from the Military some years ago and is still active and sharp. Its a nice feeling to have him in our neighborhood, kind of 'Leave it to Beaver' like. My family and I have been here three years now and hope to be great neighbors like Bob & Rita.

At the Church I belong to, there are a group of women who work out twice a week in the gym. Our fearless 'jazzercise' instructor Holly Ashby is very talented and is a great dancer! I joked with her a while ago that we should learn "Thriller" for our October workouts and she delivered! Yesterday she started teaching us the beginning of the dance. I've always wanted to do this with my own family but my husbands not to keen on the idea, go figure! Did you know the world record for dancing the "Thriller"is held in England for 3,738 dancers? I wonder if there is a record for the most Mesa Mormon Moms at one time? Anyone care to join us? Its great clean fun and good exercise.

Meet Alice Roston

New Week. New Spotlight.
I'd love for you to meet Alice, I'd love to meet her myself but we can't 'cause she's dead. I came across her name while doing some family history work (a.k.a the Temple) and all the info there is about her is that her name is Alice Roston and she was born abt. 1816. It made my heart ache for her. The idea that she lived and died with no more than an 'about 1816' date is haunting. If she knew how to read and write, could she afford a journal to record her life. Wasn't there even a family Bible with christening dates, marrages, children, etc. No diary, letters, blog, or e-mail to give us a glimpse into her life and feelings. Did she enjoy the accomplished feeling of doing dishes like I do, or did she hate the chore because the wooden utensils gave her splinters and the well for water was far from her wash bucket? Did she fall in love, marry and have 12 babies? Did any of her babies survive?
When I sprawl out on my bed at night and write in my journal, I sometimes wonder what my granddaughter may think of mothering in the 21st century. In the back of my mind I think I'm always writing with the idea that it will be read by someone someday. What could it have been like for Alice? We may never know. Poor Alice. It inspires me to keep better records of my life. I'm just vain enough to want my existence to mean something and to be remembered, amd just hopefull enough to think it might help someone in the future.

It's a matter of Interest!

There are two kinds of people in this world, they say. Those who pay interest and those who earn interest. As the daughter of a 'banker' (See:FLB) I was taught to earn interest, but here I am a half life later and life isn't as accommodating. When My husband and I discuss my earning potential, we agree that in 5 years when our youngest is in school, there is a great possibility, but I am a committed stay at home Mom and will wait till then.
So in my mind, as I compute 5 years at such and such interest for what ever emergencies we haven't saved for or can't cover, it can be a depressing thought. But then again... I have four wonderful children whom I would pay anything to spend time with. They are the real interests in my life and the dividend from the foundation I build will really exceed the cost. If you ask my Dad if he is disappointed in me, he would say No! If I learned anything from my dad, I learned I was the real interest! I'm going to teach my children the same lesson.

Meet Doddie!

Every morning while walking back from my children's bus stop I meet Doddie strolling from the other direction. She is a 'lunch lady' at another school in my neighborhood. She has a 'special mind', as I explained to my kids, and loves to stop and wave and coo at my 9 month old. As she bends over to tickle my baby, I can see the grey roots showing through her dark brown dye, and when we talk, I notice that she has several teeth missing, either because she never learned proper teeth hygiene or can't afford proper dental care. But she is beautiful in spite of all this.
Every morning she gives me my own personal weather forcast, "It's going to be 89' at 4:00 today but its 73' now". Once, she quoted the bible to point out the glory of God in the sunrise through the clouds. She also gives me other random facts like "its world smile day" or today is "skeptic" day (you don't believe me?). She asks what I did for the weekend and then tells me about the latest movie she saw. She recommends 'City of Ember'.
One afternoon I saw her waiting for the city bus and offered to give her a ride instead. I found out that she lives in a home built by Habitat for Humanity and its a darling little home just perfect for her.
As we part our ways she always tells me "God Bless You" and you know what, I feel blessed. I am blessed to have what I have and know what I know and especially lucky to have such a special friend like Doddy. So if your out and about, and you see a short, older woman in a red jacket (red is her favorite) with dark hair and a pleasant smile, stop and introduce yourself. You will have the chance to meet a truly beautiful person, and you will feel blessed because of it.

A Walk in Brooklyn for $1.50

Happy October! I love the fall, but living in the southwest doesn't always full fill my need for crisp air, changing colors and the smell of a fire in someones fireplace.
So October makes me long for my years in Brooklyn and my visits back which coincidentally have all happened in October.
I fell in love with Brooklyn despite the struggles of living there. And there were struggles! My husband and I moved there for his Graduate school. We had one child, and one on the way. Money was tight, but we made it work, sort of. At one particular tight point I was getting ready to attend a Woman's get together(Relief Society) sponsored by my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday-Saints . My husband was at school and I needed the friendship and lift only Relief Society could bring. I had bundled my young son and my self against the cold and prepared to leave our 600sqft apartment when I realized I did not have the $1.50 I needed to take the subway to my Church building. I looked in pockets, couch cushions,and my wallet (which I knew had nothing). Zip-Zilch! I think the reality of being poor college students hit me at that point and I sat down on the couch and sobbed! Not just a tear for my own pitiful situation but flat out wailing! (Pregnancy Hormones?-YES!) I probably scared my young son who asked, 'why mommy cry?' How could I tell him I'd willing put myself in a situation that I knew would be tight so my husband could get the degree he needed and live in a city we wanted to be in, but was now feeling sorry for my self? I think I allowed myself to wail for a few minutes and then, cleaning my face off as best I could, I walked the distance to the Church with my son in his stroller and my pregnant belly pushing at the buttons of my coat.
Now I laugh at that memory. I know people who walk farther than that, willing. And some suffer more but still seem to maintain a cheerful disposition. The difference here was my own pitiful attitude. Looking back now, I remember the smells, the crisp air and the bright moon that night, and I would pay much more than a $1.50 to be able to take that walk in Brooklyn.

Spinning around in circles

When I was in college, I remember my roommates remarking to each other that it seemed sometimes that I just spun around in circles and didn't get anywhere. That comment stung and it took me some time to embrace the truth of it. Now I'd like to think of it as getting a 360' view of the world while staying centered in my beliefs. So this blog will openly share my views of the world around me and my beliefs. To my college roommates, where ever you might be: I hope to prove that I'm moving forward instead of just in circles and P.S. Mom says she can't wait to see us at Thanksgiving!

P.P.S. For everyone who comments on this blog today, September 29th I will donate $1 to the Stephanie Nielson fund (up to a limit, after all I'm a cop's wife!). Happy Birthday to my blog and to me!