The Elephant Song - Cool Tunes for Kids by Eric Herman

Hey--I was watching a grandkid the other evening, looking at animal videos on the net, and searched for something elephant. Up came this one of the Elephant Song. It was nice to sit here with a toddler listening to some nonsense music. Remember "Born to Add" and "Hey Food"? Ah, those were the good old days of real music.

Cookie Purity

I have learned this before, but, obviously, not well enough...
When I set out to make some delicious oatmeal, raisin, cranberry, orange cookies, that is all that should be in them--well those things along with flour, spices, etc.
I forgot today this one valuable lesson. Chocolate chips do not go in oatmeal cookies!
You spend your time blending just the right spices and chewy items for the beloved oatmeal cookies. When you reach into the cupboard for the raisins, the chocolate chips scream "grandma loves us in everything! Dump this bag in your cookies! They will taste even better with us!"
Stinkin' lying chocolate chips. I tell you, never trust any chocolate under 70%.
The cookies look great, but you can't taste the spices, the cranberries, the raisins--the overwhelming taste is the chocolate chips. Not a bad thing if you are in need of a chocolate fix (imagine that in our family), but not if you want some chewy oatmeal/fruit wonderfulness.
I guess grandma has a few cookies to eat. Maybe I can dump, er, I mean "share" some with the neighbors and/or co-workers. After all, it is the season to be charitable.
I'll make some real ones, sans chocolate chips, and enjoy them myself later. Call me Scrooge.

Wet snow, bad brakes, broken trees and it just won't start!

Arose, after a short night's sleep, to a winter wonderland. It seems that I don't sleep soundly when there is new snow at night, as it makes our bedroom too light. Mom was working, so I wasn't sleeping as soundly as I do when she is home to protect us, and we don't have new blinds yet, so the snow light shines through our window at night. Anyway, I got up, saw the snow, went outside to shovel the driveway and walks-no one else was out it-and I enjoy snow shoveling. Put my trusty old shovel to the white stuff and pushed--this was no famous Utah powder. This stuff reminded me of the concrete I spent hours shoveling as a youth-only wetter! I pushed snow, lifted wet snow, sweated a lot-adding to the moisture content of the snow-and noticed, as I got to the front walk, that a neighbor had several broken trees from the weight of the snow. Short tale-another neighbor and I spent some time with the chain saw taking down and stacking a couple of fair-sized trees (as opposed to un-fair-sized trees?). I was then going to go up to g-ma's to shovel her water, but mom told me Nat was on her way on Trax. Rats. I needed Nat's car home to fix the brakes so we could finish the inspection. I picked Nat up at Trax station, drove to g-ma's, shoveled snow, drove up to school, hit Nat's car's starter with a tire iron, started the car, and came home. The plan was to do a quick change of her brake pads, pull the rotors and take them to be turned, pull the starter and replace it. Figured I would save about 3 Benjamins doing the work--and I have done these things before, so NBD. Went to pull the front wheel and found that the knucklehead who put the wheel on last week (not me-a different knucklehead) cross threaded one of the bolts. Called the knucklehead's shop-with the newly fallen snow, they were snowed under and couldn't fix it today. OK, so I went to pull the starter--got the skid plate pulled, the bottom bolt off and looked at the top bolt-which was securely protected by the exhaust manifold, AC hose and other things I could not identify, bruised my knuckles (not my head) trying to access said 8mm bold with several tools. I then called the good ol' boys. Chris chuckled and told me that it takes his shop guys with the right tools 2 hours to pull and replace the starter on this car--two bolts, right? Well, I caved-took the Prizm in for a starter, and, heck, while you're in there, fix the brakes as well, all right? And pretend to give me a few bucks off on the job, just to make me feel better about not doing the wrenching myself. Done and done. And, it's not about the money (life lesson # 12-when someone says "it's not about the money", you can bet it is all about the money--but not this time), we can easily afford to have someone else bust their knuckles working on our internal combustion predicaments. It's about the manly pride of fixing things my own self.
Came home on wet, snowy roads, pulled into the garage, looked longingly at the wonderful two-wheeled vehicles resting upside-down from their hooks-I think George and LS were both napping--and longed for a warm sunny day riding one, having it break, and doing the wrenching my own sweet self. Ah, for the more simple things in life.
But, the stinkin' car is done, and Nat should be safe in it. And that is important. And I still have most of the skin on my knuckles. Life is good, but it would be better with a nice little ride.

Isn't that curious, George?

We have had stinkin' good weather so far this fall. Thant(OK-side-note here--I just did spell check X 3, and it did not catch this word, "thant"--I do mean, of course, "that"...)means that we get to go out on the bikes in the afternoons when I get home early enough (a benefit of being old enough to afford to live on 32-hour weeks). But it also means that I need a trusty steed to pedal. Seems like mom's Eddy lasts for long stretches, then only needs cleaning and adjusting. Maybe it's because I'm a Clydesdale, but my bike is more often in need of repair and/or parts. Most recently I have had the dreaded bottom bracket noise. After two attempts to locate a decent used BB, I finally bought a new one for less than what I have spent on trying to save money on the used ones. That is one of life's lessons for another time. Anyway, while my bike has been up on the stand, and I needed a ride, I pulled down the Abby Norman bike, put on a new front tire, adjusted the seat, and took it out for a few miles. Maybe it was the larger front tire (700X25), or the fit-it is a bit smaller than the Litespeed, or the fact that it is steel, and I am use to Ti, but the ride was wonderful. I have since taken a couple of rides on it, and it is just fun to ride. I think it may also have to do, in large part, to a bit of a change in my routine. Yes, I sometimes get stuck doing things the same way at the same time of day, blah blah blah. So, I have tried mixing up some of the routines in other areas of my life. Looking at the scriptures differently. Praying with a bit more conscious effort, being aware of if I am being kind to others in the casual daily encounters of life, taking a bit more time to really listen to my patients' concerns and stories--and it seems like it helps make life just a bit more rich and satisfying.
Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt that Abby's bike is bright yellow with red lettering that looks just like the cover on the Curious George books. Maybe it just reminded me to be a bit more of a curious little monkey as I go through day to day.
Thanks George.

Did I hear what I heard?

OK-it is always nice to listen/watch conference. Once again, I feel rejuvinated and challenged to be better. Sometimes I remember specific talks from conference, and, more often, I "hear"-actually I "feel" these topics more than hear-a topic or two through the conference weekend. What did you hear this weekend? Were there any topics that touched your heart, that spoke to your spirit? Stop reading this for a moment and reflect on what you heard/felt. I believe this gives us a sense on what we need to pay more attention to as we go through our daily struggles. So, what is it you felt/heard?
I'll share mine. The topics that touched me had to do with prayer and personal revelation. These are a couple of areas that I know I need to be more aware of in my life, and it seems that there were several addresses touching on these. I can tell you, I think, who gave some of the talks, but I am eager to download the talks in the next couple of days to revist them. In the meantime, I will try to be more aware of my prayers and try to have a heart open to what Father wants me to do and to have the courage to get out of my comfort zone and do it.
And Abby--if you read this --"Sit down, John!"

Screaming Hens

OK-2 posts in a day. New record. Big deal.
Writing fast, as I am sure someone called the police. We herded 7 of the 8 hens into the enclosed area around the coop tonight--no more free range chickens pooping all over the patio for us!
The one who stayed out? The Black Hen--the aloof chick.
So-I waited until dark, knowing she would roost up in the big old spruce. Snuck out and grabbed her by the hind legs. I suppose chickens don't actually have fore legs... She let out a scream that almost curdled my blood. And she kept on with it until I got her across the yard and into the chicken area. I am sure someone thought a felony assault was being committed in our yard, so I am waiting for the officers to arrive anytime. If they send the SWAT team, I hope they bring chicken frying oil with them.

Where is that magical tool?

OK--I'm a dad. I admit it. Dads fix things. Especially things dealing with those closest to you. And we get really frustrated when we can't fix something. Especially when family is involved.
Mom and I went up to the Palouse this weekend to be with the Oscar and Poppy while their parents came down here to run. And they paid money to run a long ways, but that is another story. So, I was content that we were helping some of the kids by setting up Grandma/pa boot camp for a few days. Then we get a call Sat that Muma had taken a fall and bumped her head-guess she did not listen as the doctor said "no more grandmas jumping on the bed...". Anyway, I talk with mom, get on the computer/phone, change flights to cut our time short by a couple of days, talked with the running kids to be sure they can be back for a timely hand off of the younguns before we have to drive up to Spokane to the airport, so we can get Mom back here to take care of her mom. Then, when we get here and get a bit settled in, one of the other kids has a heart to heart with me about how hard it is to grow up, and the typical struggles of transitioning to adulthood.
OK, break a bike--I can fix it. Knock down a section of fence, bend a screen on the window breaking into the house, have the hose spring a leak, have the clothes dryer die--I can fix most of those things. But the getting older and needing more care, and the hearts that are bruised by this life--those just frustrate me because I can't do much more than listen and try to do fluffy, inconsequential stuff. The real fix comes from that magical tool talked about in Alma 7:11-12-- "And he shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind...." (yes, I can quote it, but we need to see those words in front of our teary eyes sometimes). That is the only magical fix I know.
Bring me the broken bikes, appliances, sprinkling systems--I will try to fix those. I can only offer band-aids to the broken hearts and spirits. We have to go to our Elder Brother for the fix.