Grateful for Orange Glo

I know this post sounds trivial, but I really am grateful for Orange Glo.

In my bathroom, I had a candle melting on a candle warmer. After I turned it off, my hand hit the glass container and I managed to spill  candle wax all over the bathroom counter, and it ran down the cupboard, and ended up all over the tile floor, the rug, the wall, and me.

I did not have time today for this. I  made two trips to Kwal for paint and supplies, painted a second coat of primer on the basement walls (after discovering the first coat was not enough to hide the blue and gold I am trying to cover), made a trip to Lowes for other supplies, raked 4 bags of leaves, attended the temple, and helped my brother finish up the remodel, used a jigsaw for the first time to cut a circle that will hopefully become a wheel for my Primary lesson tomorrow, and went grocery shopping for the essentials of bread, cereal, and milk. Whew, I am exhausted. I did not have time to clean up a candle mess.

Of course Google is the first place you go when you need to find an answer (well, it ties with my brother for most credible source for most things) and someone suggested lemon oil. I didn't have lemon oil, but I did have the bottle of Orange Glo.

If you ever spill candle wax, know that Orange Glo will clean it up in no time flat. Grateful that I had this under the sink and that it worked.

I haven't figured out how to get the wax out of my clothes. I may just throw the rug away and start over.

Life is good. Busy, but good.

Grateful for Ms. C

The last 2 1/2 years at BYU have been the best-- because my niece has been there. We attend devotional each Tuesday and go to dinner once a week.When I was the Relief Society president, she would come with me to some of our meetings and dinners. I invite her to events on campus when I need a partner. She comes over to my house on Sundays when we have BYU Cousin's dinner.

I look forward to this time with her; it's the highlight of my week. In some ways I wish we went to dinner every night-- not for the food, but for the company. She listens to me vent about work frustrations, indulges me as I talk about the bizarre dreams I have, and I ask her advice about things from a student's point of view.
 
I wish time would slow down. She will graduate and be off to bigger and better things much too soon.

I love her. So grateful she is at BYU.

Life is Good.

Grateful for BYU Devotionals

Every Tuesday at 11:05 I make the trek to the Marriott Center where I have the opportunity to attend a devotional or forum. The devotionals are religious based and the forums are more academic, usually by nationally-recognized speakers.

I didn't fully appreciate the value of Tuesday devotionals until I spent a year in ATL. Since then, I haven't missed attending, unless I was out of town. It is a great spiritual uplift in the middle of the week. And with the forum speakers I've been exposed to ideas and people I wouldn't have otherwise.

Almost 4 years ago I had the opportunity to speak at devotional. It was a stressful, yet rewarding experience. Just this last Sunday the bishop told me that during the young men's lesson that day someone brought up a story from my devotional talk-- it was about the time I was in Nauvoo and couldn't find my temple recommend. It made me happy to know that perhaps my talk was influential to a tiny degree.

Devotionals are fabulous.
Life is Good.

Grateful for Good Colleagues

Today I am grateful for good colleagues. I am blessed to work in a department where there is high collegiality (nearly all of the time). I can walk up and down the hall and talk to any one of them about research or teaching issues, or even Church related questions. They are genuinely good men and women who are striving to do their best to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be good professors.
I count them among my greatest blessings.

Grateful for Primary Music Leaders

It's been almost a year since I started teaching the children in Primary. My favorite part of Primary is singing time. We have an amazing music leader--Daphne. She puts forth so much effort to help the

children learn the songs. And since I don't know most of these songs either, she is teaching me. Every week I feel the Spirit when we sing about Jesus, Heavenly Father and other gospel topics.

Today we were singing a song entitled "Children All Over the World." The words read, in part:

"All over the world at the end of day
Heavenly Father's children kneel down to pray,
Each saying thank you in his own special way...
Our Heavenly Father hears them, He understands each tongue.
Our Heavenly Father knows them, He loves them, everyone."

Though I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers-- I've known this for a very long time-- today the Spirit testified to me again that Heavenly Father HEARS EVERY PRAYER. Every word I utter, God hears. There are times when I don't think I pray as though God is listening; sometimes it is just habit to say the same things. And sometimes my requests lack sincerity-- maybe because I am not sure that I really believe that I deserve what I am asking for.

I am grateful for Primary songs that testify of truth.
I am grateful for prayer. 
I am grateful for the opportunity to repent and be better.

Life is Good.

Grateful for Siblings

Several weeks ago when the cousins were over for dinner, as part of our discussion I made the comment that even after you are married, you still need your girl-friends. As Marjorie Hinckley said, "it is a sociological fact that women need other women." 

Someone responded-- "I really don't want girlfriends- I just want my sisters."

I've thought a lot about that statement.

I only have one sister, not 3, 4 or 5. I know several women and consider them my friends. But I'd have to say that my sister is my best friend.

She's happy for me when I have good fortune come my way. She understands when I am having a grumpy day. She sends me care packages "just because." She listens to me vent. She is the Martha Stewart help-line when I am doing anything domestic. She reads talks or other correspondence that I have written and lets me know if it makes sense or if I am off-base. She lets me try to be a favorite aunt. She is a great travel partner. Her example as a wife and a mother inspires me. I love her.

I am also grateful for my older brother. I call him anytime that I need something fixed at my house. Sometimes it is a DIY call and I just need step-by-step directions. Other times he comes to my rescue. A couple of weeks ago my power went out. After about 17 phone calls in two days, we got the problem solved. It wasn't one he could fix, but he knew who to call and could tell me what to ask and how to proceed.

Right now he is helping me remodel a room in my basement. The room has been non-functional since I moved in 12 years ago. I have used it for my treadmill/exercise room and it has sufficed. But I've finally decided to partition it off and make storage and then a spare room. He's been great to come and do the work of framing, installing sheetrock, mudding, and moving the lightbox to a new location. He is immensely talented and I love him for being so generous with his time. And I also love that he too lets me try to be a favorite aunt.

Grateful for the Brown Brothers

I was elated to see this sight as I approached my house tonight.

I have too many trees with too many leaves; I've even removed at least seven fruit trees. I dread when the leaves start to fall. It takes me hours to rake them all. Raking leaves is a two-person job and there is one of me.

The other day I asked the boys who mow my lawn if they would be willing to rake my leaves. Mr. J said he would talk to his brothers. Today they came and bagged up all the leaves. SO GRATEFUL. I don't know how much money I owe them, but it will be worth every penny.

Too bad there are still leaves on the walnut tree.

Life is good.