Random News!

Dogs meet Cat

Parker met the cat on Saturday. His response was just to get face to face and smell and then turn his head as if no big deal. The cat was not afraid at all.

Coco met the cat today through a screen door. Coco started to growl, cat tried to get away but I was holding him. Coco stood statue still and was waiting for an opportunity to jump on him. Jason had him by the leash and dragged him away and the cat ran into the house further.

Domesticated Me

Back in my single days I would never cook. If I did I was trying to impress someone. When my family got together and the girls would be helping in the kitchen I would be some where else. Not that I was trying to avoid helping, some times I would and some times they would ask. There are 5 daughters in the family. I was normally playing with the kids or on the computer gathering knowledge. I always told myself that when the time was right and I had to, I'd do it. When I had a husband, when I had kids I'd cook and you know what? I was right! I cook a lot! I do simple things, but I still do it! I come home and the first thing is "what to cook, change the laundry, clean the house." While I'd like to just go on line and read, read, read or write, write, write, I do not. I take care of the house first. To everything there is a season.

TV at our House

We don't pay for cable, but a few months ago, we paid for high tech bunny ears. We get a few channels, but they come and go. It seems it stays during commercials and leave during the shows and the most important part of the shows. We also get the crappy channels. Channels that have adult cartoons like "The Family Guy", or Two and a half Men", or "How I met your mother". It's all really just bad, B rated, sex focused TV. I hate that it's in our house. My visiting teachers say cable is the same. But as Jason reminded me we could get Animal Planet, PBS, History Channel, and the like. I'd be all about educational stuff, but for now we suffer along and are thankful for the news and "House". Every night we try and read at least one chapter in The Book of Mormon and then watch a short Church History video. That is a good thing!

Parker Update

Parker's tail healed fine thank goodness. We are glad we didn't spend 300 dollars. Nothing that they said might happen (like the tail dying or him trying to chew it off, or an infection) has happened. He's still our happy little doggy that I call my baby, although he's anything put a puppy. (this picture taken before the healing)

Barber School

Jason started Barber School after Labor Day weekend. He drives Tuesday through Saturday up to Everett. His instructors tell him he's very good and he is really enjoying it. He thinks about hair, notices hair and has even cut the missionaries and others hair on his own outside of school. He's excited about his new profession.

Early Morning's Here I Come!

Yesterday I was extended the calling of early morning seminary teacher. Luckily I only teach 2 days a week, as I'm a team teacher with Becky Thompson. 2 Becky's, 2 days' each. The kids have Wed morning's off. Were studying The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I'll be teaching juniors and seniors, which I'm thankful for as they have more to say.

I've already created a shelf of my BOM books to help me, but I can only use church approved curriculum: the teachers seminary guide, the institute manuel and the Ensign. I'll start reading and rereading some of those books. It's been near a year since I have finished the BOM for the umpteenth time. I was so looking forward to studing the Old Testament in Sunday School, but I'll need all week to prepare lessons. I can't image the time it takes to prepare for 5 days!

My oldest sister Beth has taught years of seminary and my brother Mark has also taught. I'm learning that friends Kathy and Marci have taught for 3 years and I already knew that Rebecca and Rohan taught as well.

It will be interesting to see how my schedule creates itself. These are the things I have to do:

• Seminary
• Work 2:30 to 9:00 pm
• Run my dog walking business
• Volunteer at the zoo or the humane society. I'm not so sure I can do both.

I'm glad I'll be getting released from my other callings of Stake SA secretary and ward SA rep.
I'm not sure how they will get along with out me. I'm really the back bone of these programs, but am also a little burned out. I know I'm also going to have to let go of my internet time. Facebook and blog reading has been taking up a lot of my life.

I really want to do a good job and get these kids in the scriptures the way that Brother Thompson (not Becky Thompson's husband) did. I also have ideas for bullitin boards that are not being used.

But most important I've got to in a better sleep schedule. I've been going to bed past 1 am lately, that won't work with everything else. Here's to teenagers, early mornings and the scriptures!

"In the history of the Church there is no better illustration of the prophetic preparation of this people than the beginnings of the seminary and institute program. These programs were started when they were nice but were not critically needed. They were granted a season to flourish and to grow into a bulwark for the Church. They now become a godsend for the salvation of modern Israel in a most challenging hour. We are now encircled. Our youth are in desperate jeopardy. These are the last days, foreseen by prophets in ancient times”

-Boyd K. Packer, "Teach the Scriptures", address to CES religious educators, Oct. 14, 1977

I want to be a ZOO KEEPER!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this.

On July 4th mom, Ruth and I went to the Seattle Zoo called Woodland Park. It cost us $16 dollars to get it! Ruth reminded mom that no, it wasn't 3 tickets for adults, but 2 and 1 senior citizen. The counter guy said: "well actually you have to be 65!" We laughed and mom told him that she was 75! Mom's a young looking chick.

The reason we went was to see the new penguin exhibit. It has been closed for a few years. The exhibit was great. They did an amazing job on it and I got to talk to the keeper and watch him scratch one 'single' penguin. Penguins mate for life and there is always a few single ones- just like in society. If a single penguin gets to close to a couple penguin one of them gets mad and shews them off. Human's could take a lesson from them possibly save those marriages that are torn apart by cheating.



But the really great news is that I got to hand feed giraffe's. It cost 5 bucks and mom flipped for it. It was so worth it. This giraffe got right in my face and breathed on me. It was smelly! Although the zoo keeper kept warning us to not touch them as he didn't know what could happen, I did touch him. Matt (zoo keeper) said that one time a giraffe in turning his long neck and head knocked into a zoo visitor. That doesn't have anything to do with petting them, but we got the idea. I'm sure it's just a liability thing. I got lots of close up pictures of Mr. Giraffe. But anyway, here's the exciting part...



I talked for Matt about how he became a keeper and if he majored in zoology. No he did not, but something close enough, although I don't remember what. Turns out all you have to do is volunteer for 1 to 2 years, if they like you they will hire you to be an associate, then after 2 years they would hire you as a zoo keeper! Of course you'd have to prove that you really want it, that your good and have them like you. You also have to be willing to move around with in the USA. Matt has worked at 4 different zoo's around the country and has worked with different animals.

I walked away so ecstatic. The 5 dollars was so worth it and I felt like my life plan was taking shape. I for sure have decided to leave care giving and was considering becoming a vet assistant, which paid some what more than I am making. I knew I'd work with animals, I just didn't know when or how it would happen. I already scheduled myself to go to a training to volunteer at the Humane Society just a mile from my home, to help me get more experience. Then this zoo possibility pops up and feels so right. Another woman suggested I get on line and told me who the volunteer head person was. I did just that and found out that the last volunteer mtg till Feb on next year is July 25th! Is that perfect timing or what. I had been feeling this drive to go to the zoo and soon and now I know why. Although the 25th is the Mid-Single adult conference, I will be at this meeting that could change my life. I feel like a way is opening up! A zoo keeper makes 44 thou a year. That is enough for a single person and I love to travel, so I'm OK with moving. I know I wouldn't be bored and I sure would feel good about myself and that I had a career and really was somebody, did something besides glorified babysitting.

Inside I still knew I was a lady

Remember this post? The beauty every day didn't happen, as I knew it wouldn't. But I read this in the June Ensign. The talk is called Our Refined Heavenly Home. Douglas L. Callister said this:

What I have shared about bringing great language, literature, and music into the home may be said with equal truth of great art—perhaps tastefully displayed in our heavenly home. It may also be said of our physical appearance and manners, the order of our homes, how we offer our prayers, and how we read God’s word.

I once visited briefly with the great actress Audrey Hepburn while she was making the movie My Fair Lady. She spoke of the opening scene in the movie in which she depicted a modest, unpolished flower girl. Her face had been besmirched with charcoal to make her seem part of her surroundings. “But,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “I was wearing my perfume. Inside I still knew I was a lady.” It doesn’t take expensive perfume to make a lady, but it does require cleanliness, modesty, self-respect, and pride in one’s appearance.

Many years ago an associate of mine decided he would please his wife by sharing with her a specific compliment each night as he arrived home. One night he praised her cooking. A second night he thanked her for excellence in housekeeping. A third night he acknowledged her fine influence on the children. The fourth night, before he could speak, she said, “I know what you are doing. I thank you for it. But don’t say any of those things. Just tell me you think I am beautiful.”

She expressed an important need she had. Women ought to be praised for all the gifts they possess—including their attentiveness to their personal appearance—that so unselfishly add to the richness of the lives of others. We must not let ourselves go and become so casual—even sloppy—in our appearance that we distance ourselves from the beauty heaven has given us.

But this is what really got to me: "It is vulgar to wear dirty linen when one is not engaged in dirty work". So, I'm going to put forth effort to do my makeup every day. I've been curling it more. Now it's time for the next step.

From ME

I was giving someone I don't know advice on their blog and I said this to them.

"Never feel bad about doing something
that makes you a better person!"

I realized as I was typing that I need to take my own advice.

Bumpies, Clumpies and Zits. Oh my!

Bumpies are what my pet rats get. It's really cancer bumps and Merlin my favorite rat had 2 of them. I loved him so much I had them removed surgically. My last rat who was white, named Casper got a big one under his arm that kept growing and growing until he could hardly walk. I couldn't afford surgery and I waited to long where it was to late, so he had to be put out of his misery.

Clumpies are what dogs with long hair get. It's usually behind their ears, under their collars, or around their tales. It's just matted hair, but I like to cut them off. I love to take care of my little furies!

Zits. Now that's a whole other matter. I had perfect skin in high school. I've had a few episodes of small amounts of acne, but nothing that Proactive didn't take care of. But lately I've had really weird large zits. The kind that take weeks to go away and usually leave a scar. I try and un-scar myself with fade cream which works well. But why am I getting these things? It's not hormonal. It's not stress this time- at least I think. Stress could of taken the blame the last few months being in and out of work, but I have a job now. I've tried a lot of things this last week; face masks, vitamin treatments, triple anti-biotic medicine, prescription strength hydro-cortisone cream left over from my dad, anti-allergy cream, anti- ring worm cream. It's not ring worm. I know what that looks like. My dog Parker had that I cured it single handily by myself with out taking him to the vet. So, there are these stupid things on my face. It's not cute and some of them have scabs, but I keep trying. I wonder if I can get a face transplant. There's got to be cuter dead people out there than me. Maybe I can go as a pizza to the halloween parties coming up.