LOST!! (parking lot edition)

So, when I came out of Walmart the other day I saw this woman wandering around the parking lot.

She strode confidently down the same row that I was parked in, then suddenly stopped, looked around, and realized that she had no idea where she had parked. She stood there for a minute, then nodded to herself and strode confidently over to the next row. She was back about 20 seconds later looking more confused than ever.

I rolled my window down and asked her if she would like a ride around the parking lot, assuring her that the same thing has happened to me, and that my 'Spiderman' Antenna ball is the only thing that lets me know when I've gotten the right car! She basically said thanks, but no thanks, then said that she now remembered where she had parked and strode off confidently in the other direction.

As I pulled out, she was slowly and sheepishly walking back to the original row and looking ever more lost and confused.

I wonder if she's still there.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own.....

Considering my failure rate as of late.....I must be destined for success soon!!

Go West, Young Man, Go West!!

Jacob has decided to move to Utah. He left two weeks ago and made the L-O-N-G drive from South Carolina to Cedar City. It only took him 4 days. Of course, he had to stop in Memphis to visit friends, and then again in Las Vegas (where he served his mission) for more visiting.

He is currently living with his Grandfather in Cedar City, looking for work and trying to decide if Cedar is the place for him. If not, he has other options in the Provo/Orem area. So far, in his Utah adventure, he has gone snowboarding at Brianhead and driven his Grandfather to Salt Lake City for a doctor's appointment.

His decision to move west was prompted by the facts that A) He had no job here and jobs seem to be pretty scarce right now, B) He was tired of living at home, and C) The 'dating pool' here consists of about 3 people. You can tell by the picture that he has literally been climbing the walls since he returned from his mission a year and a half ago.

So he's off to the land of 'Zion' to seek his fortune and make his way in the world. We miss him, but wish him luck on his quest. Jacob.....we love you, and hope you find what you're looking for!!

(P.S. If anyone knows of any jobs available in Cedar City or Provo/Orem let me know, I've got just the guy for the job!!)

Street Creds......

What does it take for an artist/musician to have 'street creds'? Is it the tattoos? The gold tooth? The number of arrests? Or women? Or cars? Or fights? Is it the 'Bling'? The way they walk? Or talk? Do you have to be 'ghetto' to have street creds? I've never quite understood it.

I've never paid much attention to L.L. Cool J. Had you asked me, I probably wouldn't even have been able to tell you what kind of musician he is. Not that I didn't like him, I just wasn't familiar with him or his music. (To tell you the truth, I'm still not!) The same is true for a lot of other musicians as well..... James Blunt, Hootie and the Blowfish, REM, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Brown. I had heard of these artists, and listened to some of their music, but really didn't give them much thought.

So why would I list them together like this? There is a variety of music represented here. Well, here's the connection that gives them all 'street creds' in my book. 'Sesame Street' creds, anyways. They have all appeared/performed on Sesame Street. Now, they may have their faults, and maybe I don't like some of their music or lyrics or whatever else.....but you can't be ALL bad if you've been on Sesame Street!! How tough can you be if you hang out with muppets? To me, any grown man who can get down on a kid's level and sing with Elmo and the gang, must have some good in them.

So, there you have it.....my list of musicians/artists with some real 'street creds'.

The Mirror of Erised.....

In the first Harry Potter book Harry discovers the 'Mirror of Erised'. It's an enchanted mirror where the person who looks into the mirror sees his or her greatest desire. Harry sees himself surrounded by his parents and other family. Ron Weasley sees himself as a Quidditch champion holding the House Cup.

As I was reading the book the other day, and came across the chapter about the mirror, I had this thought.....what if we had a mirror like this? But one that would show us what lies on the other side of the veil. A mirror where the veil could be lifted. Where we could see our loved ones.....those who have already been here and gone, and those yet to come. We could see our Heavenly home. Our Heavenly Father. And we could feel their strength added to our own. How much easier would it be for us to fulfill our earthly mission if we could see the Heavenly help that is there for us.

It reminded me of this quote by Jeffrey R. Holland:

"In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will--you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed."
--"For Times of Trouble," BYU Speeches, 1980

I think that I may print this quote, and put it on my mirror. Maybe I'll never see the 'chariots of fire', but I know that they are there, just the same. Because an Apostle of the Lord told me so.

Blimey!!

It's official.....my brother and his wife will be serving their mission in London, England! I can't wait to start planning my vacation! London is the perfect hub for family genealogy, and I know they will have a wonderful adventure there. They are scheduled to leave sometime in July.

Breaking up is hard to do......

So I met this guy yesterday....(yes, I know I'm married, just keep reading!) He seemed nice enough, but it turned out he was very 'hands on'. He was moving W-A-Y too fast for my taste, and demanded to not only see me twice yesterday, but today as well and then wants to meet 2 - 3 times a week after this. His exact words were......'Monday is much too long to wait, I need to see you tomorrow.' So now I have to break up with him. I don't have time to meet with this guy today, much less 2 -3 times a week!! So, my question for you is.....how do you break up with a Chiropractor??

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own....

"Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way."

--Sheri Dew

With friends like that............

Do you ever wonder who your true friends are? Me, too. And isn't it sad sometimes when you find out that those people that you have considered friends really aren't?

I had an experience not too long ago that brought home to me a suspicion that I've had for a while now.......this person is not really my friend.

It's sad, because I really thought they might be. And as hard as it is for me to open my heart to someone and let them inside my heart and my head and my life, it's disappointing to know that I've once again opened myself up to someone who didn't deserve it, someone who just doesn't care.

Oh, well. Another life lesson learned.

My Answer: The Lake House.......

50 People, 1 Question.......an interesting idea and an even more interesting video. My answer to the question is 'The Lake House', and thinking about it almost brought me to tears. For those of you who have known me more than 25 years or so, the answer will make perfect sense. What's your answer?



(*Disclaimer: I found this video on the blog of my niece's daughter. Since very few of you read that blog and this one, I thought it was safe to post it here as well. I hope you don't mind, Becky. If you do, I'm sorry, and promise never to do it again.)

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Not My Own......

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be."

--Clementine Paddleford

Good advice, I think......(and not directed at anyone in particular, just so you know!)

For Mary.....

Mary has been job searching again. She found what has been called "The Best Job in the World". She immediately began researching the job and has put in an application. Now, she needs your help. If her video gets rated high enough, it will bump her up higher on the list of applicants and give her a better shot at the job. I'm posting this e-mail that she sent out, and I'm hoping that my blogging friends can help by forwarding it on or posting about it to help spread the word. Please help my girl get this job. Then I can go to Australia and visit her! (You can come, too!) Here you go:

Hey all! This is Mary Armbruster! Your friendly neighborhood . . . friend?

I usually don't send out a mass e-mail. And this doesn't reaaally count seeing as I picked out the people I know and could trust to help me out. I mean, that's what e-mail is for, right? Keeping in touch with friends so that you can have their backs wheneva? True story!

So- On to the reason I'm e-mailing you all.

I applied for a job awhile ago. It's a job that I applied for in Queensland, Australia. I've told some of you about it. For those who I haven't told:

Queensland Tourism is trying to increase. . . well, Tourism to Queensland! So in order to do that, one of their marketing agencies (most likely) has come up with a way to do just that!
They're offering a job. This job is being called the best job in the world. The successful applicant will go to Hamilton Island (which is in the Great Barrier Reef- think finding nemo) for a total of 6 months.

The island caretaker (job title) will be responsible for feeding fish, getting mail, being a spokesperson for the island, and recording their experiences. The Caretaker will take pictures of their adventures scuba diving, snorkeling, and pretty much just being a tourist on the island and blog about it!

I sent in a video to the site on Monday, January 19th, and just got an e-mail back from them today with a link to my video!

So what I'd love for you all to do is help me to get this job by voting my video 5/5 stars! I do honestly believe that I am the perfect person for this job, and would love the experience. I know I can count on all of you to help me out! I know there are plenty of times we've each helped each-other out. And I apologize if this e-mail isn't exactly close and personal like I know you all deserve. But I'd really appreciate all of your co-operation for this thing! Because I beleive that I actually might have a chance with this!

Here's the link to the site. Just click on the link and watch my video! If you think I deserve it, cick on the fifth star to give it a good rating!

http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/MW0k5w29kzE

Thanks guys! I appreciate your time and your friendship!

Sincerely,

Mary Armbruster.

(p.s.- Hahaha, wow. This is the most excited e-mail I've ever written. Look at all those exclamation marks. Hee hee, overdone? Maybe. But exclamation marks look cool. They're my favorite of all the punctuation marks. Don't be jealous question marks.)

(p.p.s.- haha pp. Also- sent it twice because the first time, there was no subject or link to the video, so I apologize for any inconvenience!)

So, there you have it......Mary's e-mail. Please check it out and give her a '5 Star' rating!! The girl needs a job, and how cool would it be to have this job on a resume!! W-A-Y cool, I think!!

Happy Birthday!!

While today is Groundhog Day, and the world is focused on whether or not the groundhog will see his shadow (here in SC, he already has - 6 more weeks of winter for us!) at our house we are focused on this adorable boy......my grandson, Sabian.

Today is Sabian's birthday. He is now 4 years old. Just so you know, Sabian is awesome. He has such a sweet spirit. He is kind, loving and generous. If there were only one cookie left in all the world, he would give it to YOU. He is also snuggly, has a great sense of humor, and gives great back rubs.

Happy Birthday, Sabian!! I love you bunches and bunches!! I hope you have an awesome day!