Confessions of a Halloween Non-Lover

Hello, my name is Julianne, and I really don't like Halloween all that much. There. Thank you. I feel much better.

I hate the creepy side of Halloween. Since when did eating gummy severed fingers become cute? No skeletons and ghosts, blood and gore for me. And I hate the teenage trick-or-treaters pounding on my door, demanding free sugar.

So, to couneract my own bad attitutude (is that BA is blog-speak? I don't know), I'm going to force myself to "fake it 'til you make it" with this day. The kids have darling costumes (well, Bug's is kind of a cop-out, but she'll still look darling anyway) and I'll make it a great day for my kids sake. Halloween in DH's family was a totally cute family event, and those are memories I want my kids to have. But I'm not dressing up, do you hear me?

So, since I've laid it all on the table for you, it's your turn now. Do you really like Halloween, or are you just going along with the crowd on this one? Come on, we're all friends here.

Everything With a Plug Hates Me Today

Electronics are not my friend today. Let me 'splain.

Exhibit A:

Camera's still sand-fritzed. Mom took her's back (fair enough, but where's the princess special treatment here?) It's not under warranty anymore but a fab little camera. So until we bite the bullet and take it somewhere to get fixed, I'm outta luck.

Exhibit B:

Turned on brand new laptop yesterday afternoon to see a black screen telling me my hard drive can't be found (IT'S RIGHT THERE, YOU MEAN LITTLE MACHINE!!) So, until DH calls India (can't do it, just can't), I'm again outta luck. Thank heavens for our workhorse desktop, which was supposed to be the kids computer. Problem here is, I took everything off the desktop and put it on the laptop. Now the desktop runs like a champ, but is completely empty! (AAAAHHH!) DH even told me he's got a Costco card for my bday to print out some scrapbook pages. Great idea, thank's hon, love ya tons, but until I can access some of those scrapbook pages I've been slaving over, well, you see the problem. (DOUBLE AAAAAHHHH!)

So, if my next blog post is scratched on a rock and hurled through your front window, you'll know why. Wish me luck.

Creation . . . Compassion . . . God's Happiness

Thank you, President Uchtdorf. I was completely blown away by President Uchtdorf's talk at the Relief Society Meeting last week. So simple. So "easy." So true. I think women have an innate knowledge of this truth, which is why we, by our very natures, love the creative process and are so compassionate, or at least that's how we should be.

Read his words again and look around you at all you've created today, even if it's just a mess! Take advantage of all the opportunities around you to show compassion. Be happy!

Would It Really Be That Bad?

With all of this talk of our crumbling economy and what our government should do to fix it, this thought keeps coming to my mind: Would it be that bad for us to learn some of the lessons our grandparents learned from the Depression?

-- Would it kill us to only have one car in our garage?

-- Would we all expire if Christmas was just a time to be together with family?

-- Certainly our children be scarred for life if the family all had to work together to raise a garden and preserve fruits and vegetables for the winter, right?

-- Isn't it illegal in some states not to have your children enrolled in 4 after-school activities each? (says the music teacher sheepishly)

You get the idea. Now, I'm certainly not promoting we return to a time when umemployment was at about 60% and many people went hungry, but I think it's interesting that the children of the Great Depression grew up to be labeled by many as the Greatest Generation in our nation's history. Could it be that having few material possessions causes you to be creative, hard working, unselfish and empathetic? And could it be that having more material possessions than you can possibly handle makes you expect everything (including answers to financial disasters) to be handed to you on a silver platter?

Certainly one of the biggest contributing factors to this mess we're tangled in right now is the fact that we as a generation have grown up believing that the only symbol of a successful life is the accumulation of material wealth.

Maybe its time to redefine what "successful" really means.

A Gold Star Moment

There are certain moments in my life that I consider "Gold Star." I will never forget them and I will always treasure them in my heart. Saturday was definitely one of those days.

It was funny, but I went to write in my journal that night, and all I could write was "Bug was baptized today." There were no other words that could describe how proud I was of her and how much I love my babygirl. She's growing up to be a greater person than I could ever hope for.

I love you, Sweetheart!

Pause To Think

My niece told me yesterday that I needed to update because she was running out of things to do at work. Let's hope her boss doesn't read my blog!

I had two "thinking" moments this weekend. One while reading the "Oprah" magazine at the hairdressers, the other in church today. Actually, that just gave me a third "thinking moment"!

Oprah's "A-ha" moment this month was written by Angela Bassett. It was the last paragraph that caught my attention. Her basic idea is that if you are doing what you love, what you are passionate about, you won't be able to do it in an average way. It really made me think about the effort and passion I put into every part of my life.

A sister in our Relief Society made a comment today that I never want to forget. She said that it is the "Seekers" in life who will be the happiest in the next life. The ones who seek the Spirit the most, the ones who are constantly seeking opportunities for learning and service. She said you can almost predict how they will act in any situation because they are a Seeker. Later someone else made a comment about being doers of the word and not hearers only. The phrase "Seekers and Doers" has been ringing in my ears all day.

Think of how we would act if we were all Passionate Seekers and Doers! I think we might even get this political system of ours straightened out!

Happy week!

Will the Best Candidate Please Stand?!

Beej and I have been following the presidential election very closely and I have to say, the whole thing is really starting to give me a monstrous headache! Here's why:


-- We live in the absolutely, hands down, no doubt about it, most wonderful country on earth. I truly believe our Heavenly Father guided the establishment of our nation. Read David McCullough's "1776" if you don't believe me. BUT, most of our politicians (notice I didn't say leaders) are doing their best to mess that up by making us a nation of sides: culture v. culture, man v. woman, party v. party, religion v. religion, rich v. poor, etc. When has that ever really solved any problem? I guess it keeps all of us wondering, the debaters screaming, and their paychecks coming.


-- I would love to make a completely educated vote in two months (I absolutely refuse to vote straight party-line, sorry Mom), but I don't know that I will ever be able to do it. The truth is buried under about five thousand layers of spin, hidden somewere between sound bytes, rallies of party die-hards, celebrity endorsements, and media bias.


-- We seem to have come to believe as a nation that all you need to run this most fabulous nation on earth is the ability to give a fabulous speech. I'm pointing an accusing finger at both sides here, people.


-- There are still many true patriots left in our great nation. They must be even more frustrated than I am, having the desire and ambition to work for all of us but being hog-tied by a system that only rewards and promotes those who follow the party-line. I'm sure some of them have simply thrown their hands in the air and left the life of public service.

-- On a very self-critical note, it also seems everyone in this blessed nation of ours is an expert, knowing exactly what should be done to solve all of our ills, how each of us should live our lives, and what each of us should think, but being totally unwilling to do anything about it. We have too many people clucking their tongues about "how broken the system is" but who are more than willing to let someone else do the dirty work, whether they do it right or not. I'm one of those apathetic voters, I admit. But being a more educated voter is a start, right? Right?!

So I'll climb down off of soapbox now and continue my quiet life of raising three kids in the 'burbs. I'll keep trying to do my best to sort through the information being chucked at me at the speed of light and try to find a patriot to lead our nation.

Will someone hand me an Excedrin, please?