Make Ohio Stop It!!!!

Ohio is doing it. It's doing it well.

I'm driving along the streets of Worthington. The trees are bare and stark. There are Christmas songs 24/7 on the radio. The wind is blustery and there are flurries hitting the windshield. I'm driving from one loved one's home to another and I am totally immersed in love, laughter, holiday cheer and gratitude. But Ohio...it's seductive...it's calling me back. I pass gasoline for $1.55 a gallon...the groceries are cheap...my mom is here...four of my grandchildren are here...3 of my chillin' are here...rents are low...but I know I know I know it's just the call of the holidays in the Midwest and if it was a permanent condition it may not be this charming...but it sure is charming right now and it's working...big time....

Be still my heart...my chilly, blustery, snowy, holiday heart....

Before I leave.....

I'm boarding in five minutes. I have to say this fast.

When I was speaking to what I was grateful for in my last blog, I was speaking in the metaphorical "we"...like I'm Queen Victoria or something. I was speaking for my children and I. I don't know if my children realize that I do this or not. That's why they weren't specifically mentioned. I realized this, rather starkly, when I awoke this morning. It shattered me! How could they possibly know this? I'm so sorry my sweet, dear ones. So very very sorry.

Of course I am thankful for you. Of course. You are my light and my life. You carry me forward every single day...you have for 32 years. I'm crying as I sit here in this busy terminal. Shamelessly, I might add. I carry you with me always.

Your faces, your laughter, your tears, your experiences, your everything...it carries me. It lifts me. It burdens me. It puts lines on my face and laughter in my heart and light in my eyes.

My children...Jette, Emmy, Bubby, Eli.....my everything.....

I love you.

Over the fly zone and thru the skies, to Grandmother's house I go...tra la la

Okay, it's mom's house technically, but she's a grandmother so it's all good. I'm heading to Ohio. I'm going to be there when Charlie and Olivia make their appearance. I plan on rocking them and doing all I can to enable their development as much as possible while they're in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). All prayers and good wishes are welcomed and appreciated. What a priceless Thanksgiving this will be, huh? Talk about priorities revealing themselves!!! Let's see what's on our plates...

1. Living and breathing...we'll start with that. That's about as basic as it gets. I've been going to the Temple a lot lately and on Wednesday that was really brought home to me...that we (or me, perhaps) survive/thrive on "every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God"...yea, a steady diet of truth and light-good for soul, pile that on my plate please.

2. Love and laughter...plenty o'that happening. I have seen a LOT of families in my lifetime and I have to tell you, I have one funny family...and the beautiful thing is, like attracts like and we have pulled to us some truly funny people(in-laws, out-laws, friends, etc)...and we are blessed to have this beautiful, supportive, whimsical, system that holds us together and bounces us along life's path...we're not necessarily a flippant lot-we appreciate the depth and breadth of heartache and loss, but we can also smile and crack a one-liner that will definitely smear your mascara...let's just say we are NOT afraid of laughter or mirth in any way, shape, matter or form-except for that at others' expense...even we have our limits...

3. We appreciate that we live in a country where we are allowed to kvetch and whine about our government and the governing process, but where we also have running water, police, fire-fighters, good roads, schools, plenty of food in the stores-and the stores are everywhere, restaurants, etc. We have a "promised land" that goes from sea to shining sea and encompasses some of the most beautiful and productive scenery on the globe. We are free to worship according to the dictates of our own conscious. Our Constitution has been copied in one form or another for dozens and dozens of other countries and has from its inception, beginning with France-sorry Marie Antoinette and the whole "storming the Bastille" thing...our bad...well, actually YOUR bad, or your husband's whole ruling monarchy's bad...you married into it...OPTIONS girlfriend, OPTIONS!

4. Personally, I've been allowed to have most of my family members grow old with me. I buried my birth father when I was 17 and that was painful. I buried my sweet maternal Grandmother Emma Jane (Calamity Jane) when I was 20 and that was painful as well. But other than that, I had Pops until he was in his 90s. My mom, age 88, is alive and kicking. I'm so very very very grateful for her. I am grateful that I'm at a place in my life where, when I look at my mother's face, all I see and feel is love and gratitude. My mother has become a kind of Church for me. It's all right there in her face... And my sweet, wonderful uncles are still here, albeit aging quickly. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have experienced enough life to view them as an adult and to see them for who they are and to be able to share with them my love and respect for them, as well as my gratitude. That's been a true blessing...to be able to tell them personally that I can look back in my life and see how hard they worked and how kind they were and what truly great people they are and what their legacy will be. What a great blessing...

5. And the best for last: ----> MUSHY ALERT------> I'm stating publicly my love and gratitude to my Heavenly Father for my life and for the people He has placed in it and for the love that fills it-every. single. day. I'm grateful for the plan of happiness and that it delivers every. single. day. I'm grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for all He does for me every. single. day.

I told my daughter Emily yesterday. If something would happen to me (which it won't) and I was taken tomorrow, everyone should be pretty happy. Our family shouldn't have any "closure" issues. We live a very emotionally open life with each other. We laugh a lot. A LOT. I refer you to point #2. We also get pretty cheesy and cry when we want to. We're an emotional lot as well. We speak our minds and our minds are therefore satisfied. So, we don't need a long goodbye to share things or say things that haven't been said. Ya know? That said, I think this goodbye is long enough....bye!

A FAIRY OCCURRENCE!!!

On Saturday evening, there was an occurrence of fairies in Southern California. There was a call to all prospective fairies to report at the Fairy Training Center. They were greeted at the door by mommie-fairies. They were whisked in and given their fairy faces (you can spot a fairy in these parts by their eye markings!!!), their hair was curled and ribboned, they were given their fairy skirts and matching anklets and after they were all gathered, they were given their new fairy names and fairy jobs (fairies work for their keep, you know). We had Gabriella, the fairy finder (she finds lost fairies), Giggella (keeper of laughter and giggles), Aquana (a fairy-faller, in charge of all water falls), Rosella (in charge of all roses and flowers), Twigessa (in charge of all tree buds and leaves), Starlita (in charge of lighting the stars each night), etc. Fairies are very very busy. When they were given their jobs, they received their "wings" (adorable gold tulle bows that were pinned to the back of their clothing), and their wands. Emily then took them to the park where she got adorable pictures with her SLR. They returned to watch the new Tinkerbell movie, had pizza and cupcakes, and then their moms picked them up. It was a busy fairy night....Here are some pics....

LOOK! IT'S A CUTIE SANDWICH-THAT BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!

These little people won't leave me alone. They are all I think about...that and the fairy party that Emily enlisted me in. Thank goodness I have something to distract me! But Charlie and Olivia, my heart is breaking thinking of you. I wish you well. I wish your mother well. I wish your father well. I want you safe and sound where you are, but I also want your mother safe and healthy and I don't think the two can go hand-in-hand much longer my sweet babies...What are you going to do? When are you going to do it? Our lives are on hold our sweet angels....but we're willing to wait as long as it takes...

*SIGH*

CHARLIE: Liv? I just wanted to tell you that I've really enjoyed this time together. I feel that we've connected on a very deep, really cellular level. And though we'll soon be separated physically, and I may tease you when we're older and on the outside, or even make you cry, you know we'll always be close spiritually. And we'll always understand each other. And we'll always be there for each other, because we had "this". And I love you Liv. I love you.

OLIVIA: I love you too Charlie. I always have. I always will. Are you ready?

CHARLIE: I'm okay in here.

OLIVIA: Me too, but we can't stay. You know, we made promises...

CHARLIE: I know. Well, I'm right behind you Sister, always and forever.

OLIVIA: I know Charlie. I'll always know where to find you, always. Come on. Let's go find Mom and Dad.

Message to Charlie and Olivia....before they arrive

HOW TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN USING TECHNOLOGY

I will not go easily into that good night....

Well, my hair is at that do-I-cut-it-and-keep-it-short-and-in-line-stage or suffer-through-the-next-few-weeks-and-let-it-grow-out-stage. This is interesting in and of itself. But to be extra cruel, my hair is also at this interesting crossroads; my-natural-silver/white-is-grown-out-and-I-could-go-natural-pretty-easily, or weave-the-heck-out-of-it. Nice. Cut/color. Grow out/don't color. Any combination thereof. Did I mention I'll be receiving one or two new lines on my face for my birthday next month? Yes, they've been arriving steadily for the last five or so years now...steady like clockwork...so thoughtful, those lines....never late....right on time....I wake up and POW!...there they are...right on my mug...I could get run over by a tank and I would find fewer lines than the regular aging lines that seem to find their way to my lower face...their location of choice...I don't think Restylane will help...that's the stuff, sorta like insulation, they blow into your skin to puff it up...I would just look like a big puffer fish before it was caught and put up on some restaurant shelf for some kid to look at while he eats his hamburger, happy that he didn't order the sushi...not as happy as his parents who couldn't afford it anyway...Yea...me, the puffer fish...

What are we going to look like when we're all sitting in our rocking chairs in the nursing home? I'll tell you what! I will be one strange character in that place...I'll be the one with the silver/blond hair, chopped into layers, puffed out cheeks, steady rockin'...and when the families come to visit I'll be looking at that kid that just came from the restaurant and I'll ask him, "What are YOU lookin' at?"

PROP 8-YES WE CAN AND YES WE DID!!!!!

Prop 8 passed. It's over. Done. Kaput. Let's start healing. Yes, the other side is mad but lets hope we can somehow reach through to each other (no, not each other's necks!) and be civil to each other. It's a new day. Why is it a new day? Because...

President-Elect Barack Obama brought out 80% of the electorate (which is a huge turnout) and the citizenry spoke out. The clear winner was chosen without controversy or shenanigans. People were dancing in the streets and the headlines from around the world were warm and congratulatory towards the USA-how long has it been since THAT happened?

Hopefully, whether you voted for Obama or not, we can all get behind this great, unified feeling of pride and patriotism and hope for the best. And isn't hope a beautiful thing? Hope leads to optimism and we tend to get what we think about so hey! BRING IT ON!!!!!

Go Mr. President-Elect, Go!!!! Yes We Can, and Yes We Did

AND SO, THE FINAL HOUR APPROACHES FOR PROP 8-LET THE HEALING BEGIN

It is November 3rd...tomorrow is the big day...We have one final push tonight to put out the signs for Prop 8 that the opposition continues to take down...'scool...we just keep putting them out there...and then there's that magnificent blessing that was called down...so we'll see....

But here's the bottom line...

I didn't stand up for Prop 8 because of hate.

I didn't stand up for Prop 8 because of homosexuality.

I didn't stand up for Prop 8 because of lack of tolerance or bigotry.

I didn't stand up for Prop 8 because I want to see same sex couples in love lose their domestic rights-which they won't! That is not a threat or a possibility.

Are we clear?

I stood up for Prop 8 because I believe it was, and is, the right thing to do.

I stood up for Prop 8 because I believe that if it fails, down the road there will be less and less tolerance for MY beliefs-and those who are claiming bigotry now will have the ability (and the legal ammunition-despite the naysayers) to come after me, my bishop, rabbis, preachers, ministers and other people of faith who choose to worship according to the dictates of their own conscious. Not right away, but soon enough.

But the battle has been a good one. It has been an honor to stand alongside some of the best men and women I know. Every opportunity I have had to state my case, to publicly demonstrate and to utilize my freedom of speech, I have done so without rancor, without violence, without demeaning myself or my cause. I have endured name-calling, obscene gestures, intolerance and bigotry.

Whatever happens now, we just have to move forward and heal hearts. I will say, for me and my family, it was a sincere pleasure to stand with the Saints.

AND THEN THE BISHOP SAID THIS ABOUT PROP 8...

This morning, at the end of our sacrament meeting, our Bishop gave the closing prayer. That was unusual in and of itself. This is a man who doesn't speak much. He smiles a lot, but he's not a particularly warm and fuzzy individual. He hasn't been blessed with the gift of flowery speech-not by a long shot. That, added to the fact that he buried his sweetheart less than two weeks ago has made him a little bit scarce at the pulpit as a speaker....he shows up for activities, he's just not speaking what one might consider "overly much". But it was the content of his prayer that brought the house down, so to speak. When he finished, there was complete silence. No one moved. It didn't last long, but long enough for everyone to realize what had just happened. It was powerful...

He stood at the pulpit and thanked the Lord for our blessings. He thanked the Lord for the Spirit we had felt during the meeting and for the opportunity to uplift and edify one another. And then he spoke about the upcoming election. He spoke about how hard the Saints had worked in defending our faith and upholding His Son's commandments. He asked that our minds, as well as the minds of everyone in our ward boundary's jurisdiction, be clear as they enter into the voting booth and that we all vote with clear conscious and clear minds. And then he did this.

He called upon the powers of Heaven and the keys of the Priesthood which he holds, for the Spirit of God to rest upon the voting booths, that individuals entering therein may cast their votes with clarity, with good conscious, and that the people would be INSPIRED to make correct decisions.

Amen...