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I have the best sister in the world! Since I've been off sugar for about 5 days, this was the best treat ever! I'm not even sharing them with my grandsons who are coveting them!!!

This especially came at a critical time for me. I have some peanut butter fudge pie in my fridge from Nita, and I made a pumpkin walnut dessert for the people I visit teach. I haven't touched either, but they do talk to me a lot: "eat me, you know you want me!"

Now I have my own dessert - - - - -

THANKS MOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

THROW OUT FOR THE DAY: Mattress covers. I've had these in my garage through all my married years - using them now and then, but not using them most of the time. I'm not actually throwing them away, but will put them in the dog house for the winter, then throw them away in the spring. That's putting them to good use and getting them out of my garage.
Neatness comes one step at a time, I guess.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.

THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: The game closet and coat closet has been cleaned. I've gotten rid of a lot of coats (mostly military type - they will be in the garage for 3 days before I take them to DI, if you boys think some might be yours.....)

Games I'm keeping: Scrabble, Cranium, Candyland, Yatzee, Backgammon, Pit, Uno, SkipBo, Water Works, Mill Borne, Perquackey, and Hokey 6.

Left over games: Which ones should I keep here for you to play when you visit? Which ones to you want? Let me know:
Compatability, Split Second, Touche, Stop Theif, Clue, Parcheese, Risk, Castle Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Simpsons, Balderdash, Scattergories, a second Rummicub, a second Backgammon, a second Mill Borne, a second Pit.
GAMES TO KEEP? GAMES FOR YOU? GAMES TO GO?

CLOSET: BEFORE

STAY TUNED FOR THE CLEANING OF THE COAT AND GAME CLOSET. I'M GOING TO GET RUTHLESS (WHAT - NO MORE RUTH?!?!?!?) I WILL POST THE GAMES I'M GETTING RID OF BEFORE I RID THEM....SO IF THERE ARE ANY DIBS; FIRST CLAIMED, FIRST SERVED.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, for these are the things Jesus taught.

THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: There's nothing like losing something very small that makes you clean even harder. Brad's ID chip is missing and this is serious business. It will effect his status at work and could have some ramifications. So we've been cleaning fast and furious trying to find it. I worked all day yesterday at the book store, then came home and helped pull furniture out from the walls and clean out the toy boxes, and shelves, etc. I was so tired when I went to bed last night, I slept for almost 12 hours!!!
Still nothing, but boy, did we find "little things". Behind furniture, in furniture, in the toy boxes, etc. And we've only cleaned the kitchen and family room. We still have a lot to do, but will keep on going. We've thrown out alot because of it. So that's my report for this week.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Almost all of our unhappiness is the result of comparing ourselves to others.

THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: This first one is by default. I left my bag of odds and ends tupperware lids and containers, and butter containers, etc. out on my front stoop, hoping to sort and match them up - Jennilyn came to visit and brought munch-mouth doggie, who had an absolute ball shredding what was out there. So that was an easy throwaway!


Due to popular demand, I've opened the sacred Engsign cupboard out in my garage, exposing the holy magazines - they are (sob) to be thrown out (gasp) today. This one is definitely a hard one to do - I've been saving these puppies for 36 years. But I've gotten a lot of moral support from you kids, and I'm feeling brave today...sooo YOU'RE OUT!!!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Your religion is what you do when the sermon is over.

THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: Uh, do you know those bags that sheets and quilts come in from the store. You know, the nice ones with zippers and snaps? Yeah, I've held onto these for gillions of years, and never used one of them....YOU'RE OUT!!!!!!! OH, AND THE MAGAZINES IN THE BACKGROUND GOT THROWN OUT TODAY - EVEN THE EXTRA ONES PILING UP IN MY BASKET OF MAGAZINES. But I can't throw out the Ensigns - talk to me, people, talk to me. I've got a shelf full of them in the garage (back to 1972!!!!)

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.






THROWAWAY FOR THE DAY: These are VERY, VERY old cans of leather protectors that we got when Tony bought new shoes - I'm talking over 20 years old. These are not hard to throw away - I forgot I was even hanging on to them.
I've never felt a need to use them on my yard sale shoes!!!

THE FATES ARE WORKING AGAINST ME! Just when I decide to start throwing things out - there's a reason to hang on to everything..JUST IN CASE!! I've been "contemplating" throwing out an old bucket of dry red beans - circa 1979 - that have sat out in my garage all these years. Also, I collect old canning rings (and I should), but also, old used canning lids that cannot be reused. Hmm - I really should throw out the lids. Then there is the craft drawer of handmade pig heads and pig butts that I made when we lived in New York (about 15 years ago!). They were a novelty I made back then to sell around Christmas time, to make some Christmas money. But I haven't made them since then. I actually thought about throwing it all out 3 DAYS AGO, when I started cleaning my sewing machine drawers. But I didn't get around to it. THANK HEAVENS! Jude and Calvin came home from school today saying that they "HAD TO" have an item for the "Old Fashioned Bazaar" at their annual Fall Carnival - in 3 days!! Of course, the pressure in on because "your child will receive a special treat" if you contribute to the bazaar. So I whipped out my drawer of pigs, my tin of canning rings and lids, and my bucket of old beans from the garage, and Jude and Calvin and I put these together in no time. SEE! I'VE GOT TO HANG ONTO ALL MY STUFF - I MAY NEED IT SOMEDAY!!!!

By: Robert Armstrong, M.D.

I work part-time as a teacher of family doctors. The program provides training on psychiatric disorders and emphasizes the importance of emotional support. The new doctors are given plenty of time in clinic to visit with their patients and learn about their challenges.

One of our interns, who has never lived in Utah and knows nothing about Mormons, is still struggling to understand the cultural climate here.

Last week he was interviewing a new patient and stumbled on what he thought was a raging psychosis.

Doctor: "Well, Mrs. Olsen, we've talked about your high bloodpressure and your medications. Are you experiencing any particularstress in your life?"

Patient: "Oh, yes! It's the Sunbeams. They're driving me crazy."

Doctor: (very surprised) "The sun beams?"

Patient: "Yes. I've never had trouble with them before, but this group won't sit still. They bounce all over the room, and run out the door and down the hall."

Doctor: (reaching for a pen) "Have you told anyone about this?"

Patient: "Of course, I told the president."

Doctor: "Really! What did the president tell you?"

Patient: "She said Sunbeams are like that. I'm just going to have to learn to deal with them."

Doctor: (concerned that he may be missing something) "I know people who are sensitive to sun beams. Do they cause you a rash or anything?"

Patient: (confused) " A rash? No."

Doctor: "What's the biggest problem they're creating?"

Patient: "It's the noise. They just won't quit talking."

Doctor: (astonished) "The sun beams are talking to you?"

Patient: "Well, yes. But mostly they talk to each other."

Doctor: (scribbling furiously in the chart) "I see. Can anyone else hear them talking?"

Patient: (after a moment of stunned silence) "You're not LDS, are you?"

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The straight and narrow path would not be so narrow if more people would walk on it.

THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: These are blank cassettes and empty cassette cases....."I might need them someday"....sad, huh! Who uses cassette tapes anymore?!?!?! These did make it into the trash.

What's really sad, is that I have three drawers full of cassette tapes of music and talks. AND I have three more drawers full of books on tapes. what to do, what to do.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it - as soon as I decide to throw something away, it's needed. I had a stack of magazines that I had held onto for two years, ready to throw away. In fact, they were to the side of the front door, ready to be taken outside to the trash can. Granddaughter came over after school and was working on a collage for her diary book and asked if I had any magazines she could cut up.

Luckily, they hadn't been thrown out and she had fun cutting them up.

Oh, woa is me, what is a packrat to do....is it a sign? Am I being too hasty? I'm definitely loosing my nerve....

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Why isn't "phonetic" spelled the way it sounds?

THROW AWAY FOR THE DAY: This is a disgusting skunk that I received as a gift about 6 years ago - the kids and the dogs have drug it outside more than it's been inside - it has even spent winters out in the snow banks. But because it was a gift, I kept hanging onto it - NO MORE BABY! YOU'RE OUT, BECAUSE I'M BRAVE TODAY!

Take Three....

AHHHH - I Can't Do It!! Come on kids, a little help here!!!

Sooo, where's the storm video - I'm obviously not doing it right - Here's the 2nd try.....

I love that we can share pictures and videos on these new-fangled blogs. (Yeah, yeah, I know blogging has been out there for a long time, but I'm pretty darn slow - it took me 10 years to get a "new-fangled" microwave; when bottled spagetti sauce was introduced into the stores, I scoffed and said it'd never be as good as my mother's recipe, which I made from scratch for 6 years before I caved and bought some Ragu; I used cloth diapers (like an idiot) through 4 kids, before they finally all rotted and I skeptically bought disposable diapers-----yeah, I'm SLOW)
I want to try linking to my daughter's blog so you can view a summer storm video she put together. Here goes.......

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example, I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.


THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: Play-Do Fuzzy Pumper and fuzzy people.

Awwwwwww Mom, why are you throwing that away - that's our memories, that's our childhood......


I'M THROWING IT AWAY BECAUSE IT BROKE FIVE YEARS AGO! AND I COULDN'T MAKE MYSELF THROW IT AWAY UNTIL NOW ("maybe someday I'll fix it....") Well, someday never came and I got brave.

I'm seeing a vision - a purpose to my life and this blog....
1. I LOVE TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH OR FEEL WARM FUZZIES.
2. I WANT TO CLEAN THE INSANELY STUPID CLUTTER FROM MY LIFE.


So my plans are to share what makes me laugh and feel good. And to show you what I am finally ridding my life of - this will be VERY revealing!



THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you grow old.


THROWOUT FOR THE DAY: Modeling Clay. So why is that so insanely stupid - BECAUSE I'VE HAD IT IN THIS BENT UP TIN FOR OVER 20 YEARS!!! It was my children's modeling clay, and I'm just now getting it thrown out. Notice the broken toothpick stuck in the top? D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G!

I'm not sure why I am starting this blogspot - - - just one more technological thing to learn and to neglect! But I'm doing it to keep up with my children. Most of them have their own blogspots and I love going to their blogspots and seeing their pictures and reading of their lives. I think the immigrants and emigrants of yesteryear would be in awe of the way we keep in touch. Back then, when a young family left home for new lands, they rarely ever got to see their loved ones again. Their new children were never appreciated by the grandparents, because the distances were so vast. Now, at the touch of a computer mouse, I can see my new grandbaby in Seattle, and hear his delightful gurgles and coos.
I don't know what I'll be posting here - but hopefully (and with the help of my kids) I'll get creative and make it worth your while to check in now and then.

So, why "Dotmother" - explanation to follow.....