The sweet fruits of summer

Straight from the vine in my back yard. And what fruit doesn't taste better with ice cream?

Payback

So my family has yet again conspired against me. Specifically, two of my sisters and my mother. I recognized my brother-in-law’s handwriting too but I won’t hold anything against him as I suspect was just a pawn stuck in their evil little game. What game you ask? A game to blackmail and embarrass me. There is no need for details. Just know that while the older sister was stressed out from starting a new job, my other sister was also getting a job and sending her youngest off to kindergarten, oops, I mean 1st grade (all too traumatizing) and my mother was preparing to leave the country for two years they seemed to be able to weasel in enough time to conspire against me. To be honest I’m not mad, just shocked and appalled… well actually not appalled. I would have done the same thing they did, if given the chance. While I work with one of the sisters, I figure she is already receiving her punishment by being associated with me. Plus I’ve told a number of stories about her to my, now our, coworkers, never expecting that her world would ever collide with my work world. But this leaves my other sister and my mom. What to do with them? For now I’ll leave my mother be, but just for now. But my other sister deserves a little-somethin-somethin. I’m considering the following: Someday when I get pregnant, I’m not going to tell her for as long as I can. Hopefully six months. The best part about this penalty is that it will keep her guessing. She’ll never know when she is being punished or not! Because you know what they say about payback… ha ha ha (evil plan laugh)

lds + green

So I've added some new blogs to my side list. Blogs which chat green things from an lds perspective. Now while this is the ultimate in cheese and I was reluctant to do so, I decided to add them after reading this fabulous post from Green Mormon Architect. Number 7 is my personal favorite.

The Top Ten Reasons to be a Green Mormon:

#10 Mormons are cheap and being sustainable saves money

# 9 The prophet said to plant a garden

# 8 Being translated is the smallest carbon footprint of all – just ask the Three Nephites

# 7 You can now be even more peculiar than all the other peculiar people in your ward

# 6 The stuff in Revelations doesn’t sound so bad if you believe in global warming

# 5 Feeding 5000 people with a few loaves and fish is really the way to go

# 4 We don’t have enough commandments yet

# 3 The earth already represents the lowest kingdom – making it worse leaves only outer darkness

# 2 We’re already used to saying, ‘It’s against my religion…’

# 1 Free your guilty conscience

The Dutchies are Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well they’re officially off this morning, on their way to their mission in Antwerp, Belgium. These past few months, and especially last few weeks, have been an incredible experience helping send off my parents with a going away party, their speaking in church and being set apart. It’s been so impressive to watch their lives and years of experiences come together with such a perfect culmination in this mission. No, it’s not that they’re dying or anything but it’s good grand-finale, if you will, for their send off. Not only were all of their kids and grandkids gathered together, but many many of their friends from years back showing their support and love for my parents. While it sounds bad, I’m so excited to send them off. This is the perfect place for them to be and it wouldn’t be right for them to be anywhere else. I watched my dad give a fabulous talk in front of a chapel full of people- and he doesn’t talk to people. My mom is taking a leap into a country and language she doesn’t know- and she’s doesn’t do the unknown. Plus she’s actually excited to do it. My dad has spent years of studying to perfectly prepare him and my mom has mothered and cared for people for years preparing her. And I must say that now I feel like the proud parent, so amazed by their accomplishments thus far, sending them off to a crazy big rude European world, scared for them but so happy too. Too bad I couldn’t pack them a lunch, with a note written on their napkin, walk them to the bus stop, and send them off with a big lipstick kiss on the cheek… but I suppose I’d have to wear lipstick first and that isn’t going to happen now is it?

Click here to check out their blog.

I’m sure Martha Stewart would not approve

I’ve been married 5 years. Over 5 years really- 5 years and 4 or so months. So why does this matter? Because as Jeff was rummaging through a filing cabinet for blank envelopes he found 32 written, sealed, labeled and unmailed thank you notes from our wedding. Thank you notes for these people, and these people, and these people, the high school boyfriend’s parents, my aunts who came to the wedding from California and Washington, and two people which are now dead! Yes, I do feel like a schmuck! Schmuck- from the Yiddish shmok meaning “fool,” “contemptible person,” “a clumsy or stupid person,” or an “oaf.” Did I mention that it’s my filing cabinet, so I can pretty much guarantee it’s my fault? Yep.

Etiquette says send out thank you notes within 3-6 months after a wedding. So I’ve clearly passed the “recommended” time frame and there’s no, “but if you are a moron who loses the thank you notes” footnote to etiquette. So I figure blogging my idiocracy in this matter was a good first step. But what would Miss Manners say now?

Promoted? Part two

An elderly woman in my neighborhood often has a difficult time coming to church as she is an amputee. On these Sundays, Jeff and a couple young men usually go over to her house to give her the sacrament.

Yesterday as Jeff approached her house, the woman’s granddaughter saw him coming, yelled to her grandma in the house, and went inside. When Jeff got inside the woman said, “My granddaughter just yelled to me, ‘Grandma! God’s here!'”

And Jeff’s response? “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Promoted?

It seems I’ve reached that place. That place where birthday cards are now laced in black, and contain words such as “aging,” “old-lady,” and “gravity.” My nephews gave me a black balloon yesterday. I’m now closer to 30 than I am to 20, but I thought I still had some good years left before these cards would come around. I wouldn’t have thought much of it until it added up to 4 cards, 1 text and 1 balloon all with a similar message. What in the world?