Sunday, June 28, 2009

My Other Life

I have this other life that I would like to be leading. Not instead of the one I have, just a different one. I am here in the midwest, but in my fantasy life I would be near New York or Los Angeles. I would be one of those people that looks familiar, but you can't quite place them, you know? That's because I would be a bit part player on television. I'd show up in all kinds of shows, just for a few minutes, but everyone would say "Oh, I really like her, she should have her own show!" But I never would. Then when I looked familiar, you would recognize me and the paparazzi would follow me. Don't want that, just the familiarity. Cool, right?
But there's not that much doing in Dayton.

My other other life involves singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. But since I don't live within 100 miles of Salt Lake City, that ain't gonna happen. Ronald darling refuses to move there. Too many Mormons, not enough Latter-Day Saints, he says. Besides, it has a mandatory retirement age of 60... I'm there already.

So I'm down to my other other other life. I auditioned Friday for the Bach Society of Dayton .
The audition wasn't as tough as I thought and....... I made it! I'm in! Maybe I'm as good at something as I think I am! The concert series for next season hasn't been announced yet, but I know that the first performance will be in German!

They still need voices in all parts. The only down side for most of my friends.... rehearsals are on Monday evenings. You'd have to rearrange FHE! LOL I've got the contact information if you're interested; let me know!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Who Is Your Role Model?

1) Pick your Favorite number between 1- 9
2) Multiply by 3 then
3) Add 3, then again multiply by 3 (I'll wait while you get the calculator....)
4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number....
5) Add the digits together
Now, go to the comments, find that number on the list and you will see who your role model is. Really, it works!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Meeting Meant For Him

I watched an Education Week address this evening by John BytheWay. The title was "The Best Three Hours of the Week" and was given August 16, 1999. It was a wonderful talk about getting the most from our church meetings. It included this poem, which he did not write and can't attribute. He found it stuck in a hymn book in church.

"There was envy in the glances that a lovely woman cast
At the hairdo of her neighbor while the sacrament was passed.
And a teenage girl I noticed, though a timid lass and shy
Watched a youthful priest intently through the corner of her eye,
As he sat behind the table where the water trays were spread.
She was not remembering Jesus nor the prayer the priesthood said.

There was nothing reverential on the things the Cub Scout drew
On the pages of the hymn book till the sacrament was through.
Not a thought of Jesus’ passion entered careless elder’s mind
As they whispered to each other and the girls they sat behind.
And the high priest’s brow was furrowed as he stole a secret glance
At his check book’s dismal story of his failure in finance.

There were hundreds in the chapel but the worshipers were few
And I couldn’t help but wonder what the Lord himself would do.
I couldn’t help but wonder what the Lord himself would say
Had he walked into a meeting where his Saints behaved that way?
Would his loving eyes be saddened, would his countenance be grim?
While he there observed and listened to a meeting meant for him?"

Monday, June 8, 2009

Gratitude?

You know how you read and read and SUDDENLY, something jumps off the page? I love that feeling, but frequently wonder where my head was before. Sometimes the stupid pills kick in and sometimes the enlightenment pills kick in! LOL

I was reading one of the Priesthood Session talks from this past General Conference the other day when it happened again. It was President Eyering's talk which I always love, but one sentence, one phrase just leaped at me.

Now, before I go on; I know that we are involved in the Lord's work, that we are his hands in many ways. That he plans on us doing the work, that he aids us in doing the work, the we have a responsibility to do the work.

Here's the statement that struck me:

"Whatever part you play in that priesthood visit (he was talking about home teaching to Aaronic priesthood holders), your desire to go to the people for the Lord to help them will bring at least two blessings. First, you will feel the love of God for the people you visit. And, second, you will feel the Savior’s gratitude for your desire to give the help the Savior knew they needed." April 2009 Priesthood Session

I don't think it ever occurred to me that the Savior was grateful to us for what we do. After all, he doesn't need us to do the work, he doesn't need us to finance the work, he doesn't need our testimonies. He could do it himself. Or so I thought.

Ronald darling tells me that I'm wrong - that the Lord does need us. It isn't that he couldn't do all the work, but that would defeat his plans. But gratitude? Really?

And then I thought of a conversation I had the other day about mud pies. Your kids made/make them. They want to share them, so they offer you one. Do you not say Thank You? And aren't you really pleased that they are developing social skills and sharing skills? And aren't they cute when they are trying to be grown up like you?

What about when you are cleaning or raking leaves or pulling weeds and they want to help? You say Thank You, you are pleased that they want to help, that they are learning a good work ethic. Maybe that's similar to the Savior's feelings when we help him with his work.

I hope he doesn't roll his eyes when I leave the room!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Creative Puns for Smart Minds

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur’s Round Table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here, I’ll go on a head.”

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, “Keep off the Grass.”

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

19. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21 A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don’t join dangerous cults, practice safe sects!

Wish these were original, but I found them here.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Laughing Out Loud!

Have I mentioned that my daughter is wonderful? Well, she is. Don't tell her I said so. ; )

I check her blog regularly and today I just laughed out loud! You'll love this, I promise.

***Update. I just tried to read my daughter's blog to Ronald Darling... tears rolling down both our faces, we were laughting so hard!!!!!!!!!!!!