As I contemplated a title for this post, I almost called it "Spring Break Goals," but then it occurred to me that I'm not really much of a goal setter. I like to make plans. I like to have a vision. And I dearly love to make lists. Hardly anything brings me more joy than crossing off items from my lists. In fact, sometimes I add things I've already done, just so I can cross them off. How utterly stupid, right? It's true, though.
So instead of focusing on goals, I titled this post "Spring Break List," and I'm getting pretty excited just thinking about it. Oh, how I love to cross things off!
Okay, here goes. Two hours ago, at exactly 12:30 p.m., I finished teaching my final class of the week, and my spring break officially began. Now typically, I would go to Salt Lake City over spring break, but considering I've been there three times in the past six weeks, and the newlyweds deserve some time to themselves, I will remain here in Billings and visit Salt Lake again the last weekend in March. How will I spend the upcoming week? Let's make a list! Yay!
1. First and foremost, I will sleep late every morning. Why? Because I LOVE mornings. I am truly a "morning person." I love the wee hours of the early mornings. It's just that what I like to do in those wee hours is SLEEP. And sleep I will. All nine mornings of my spring break. Can't wait!
2. Next, I will bask in some much-needed R & R, in hopes of regaining some sort of emotional stability. The alternative is medication or hospitalization (yes, I'm kidding), and since neither of those sounds appealing, I'm going to see if some R & R might do the trick. As most of you know, I've been a bit of a wreck this past week. I really do need to stop crying...over nothing...with no warning...so frequently. Because it's ridiculous. Totally.
3. In addition, I plan to do P90X DOUBLES. Yep, I'm going all out this week. I've been doing the "lean" program for just over a year now, but I've never tried to do doubles. I've always thought that one hour of self-imposed torture daily was sufficient. However, Lindsey has been doing doubles for just a few weeks, and already she is wearing clothes she hasn't worn since before Hanna was born over a year ago. Yay, Lindsey! My turn.
4. Along that same line, I will get outside and resume my walking regimen. I have missed it so during this never-ending winter. As much as I love to walk, when it's below zero outside with ice and snow covering the streets, walking becomes impossible, even for a die-hard like me. This week, though, the temperature has reached a sweltering 40 degrees every single day. YES! And while that hasn't been enough to wipe out all the stupid snow, most of the streets are clear.
5. I will go see the two movies I have missed because of wedding preparation and festivities: Dear John and Valentine's Day. Shulamith and Matt somehow managed to see both already, and as expected, Matt hated them and Shulamith loved them. She says I'll love them too, and I expect she is right.
6. I will take one day out of the following nine to do once-a-month cooking. We haven't done it in a few months, and as a result, Seth and I eat fast food nearly every night. I eat healthy low-fat fast food, yes, but still... I can't seem to find the motivation to cook, especially for just Seth and me, after teaching classes during the day. Back when we had meals in the freezer, we used to eat at home at least 4 - 5 nights a week. It makes such a big difference. AND... LISTEN TO THIS: It means I get to make another list, a list of frozen meals we will prepare. And I get to cross things off!
7. Last, I hope to read ahead and study for our upcoming Gospel Doctrine lessons, rather than asking Gerald what the topic is on Saturday night and then preparing my part of the lesson Sunday morning before church at 11:00. The class is totally fun no matter what, but I, myself, would get more out of it if I read the lessons a little further in advance.
So there you have it: my spring break list. It looks so exciting that I don't even have to feel nostalgic about last year at this time when we were getting on a plane to Disney World. Well, maybe a little.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Glitches
All weddings have glitches. I don't think it's possible to get through an event so large and multifaceted without a surprise or two coming up that catches you off guard. During the past six weeks, we have contemplated what those glitches might be. "What major thing have we forgotten to do?" we wondered. Still, we didn't stress much over the possible glitches. Instead, we kept our eyes on the temple. Whenever we began to feel stress, we said to each other, "Hey, the temple appointment is made. And really, that's the only thing that matters. Everything else is fluff. It's good fluff, but it's still fluff."
And in the end, we had very few glitches. I am amazed by how smoothly and perfectly everything fell into place. That said, allow me to share some of the tiny glitches of the past week.
As most of you know, I flew down to Salt Lake City Tuesday evening, three days before the wedding. My job was to buy all the last-minute things, and the list was long. Wednesday, I was busy with shower dessert preparation (which, by the way, turned out great; shocking, I know, when you consider my total lack of culinary skill.) So Thursday was the day to attack the list. I spent the morning in Shulamith's kindergarten class class, but after lunch she sent me off with the list. And directions. Keep in mind that I have little experience driving in Salt Lake City. This was my 16th visit in the 5-1/2 years Shulamith has been in Salt Lake, but typically, she does all the driving, and I pay no attention whatsoever. So she sent me out with directions to Costco which was about five minutes from her school and to Walmart right next door. Ack! What was I to do? I DO NOT shop at Walmart. I find Walmart's politics abhorrent and its treatment of employees even worse. I choose not to spend my money there. However, in this situation, what choice did I have? I needed things, I had little time, and I had no idea how to find another store.
I held my nose and entered Walmart where I proceeded to purchase 25 two-liter bottles of pop, fifteen Diet Coke and ten regular. This filled up my cart, making it quite heavy. Then I picked up an ironing board with which to iron the 100 chair covers that were folded up in tiny shrink-wrap packages. (At the time I had no idea that Matt and his family would ultimately take care of 90% of that ironing.) I loaded the ironing board across the cart on top of all the pop and headed for the check-out line. After paying, I left the store, only to find that I had no clue where I had parked the car. Balancing the ironing board with one hand and pushing the heavy cart with the other, I began circling the parking lot searching for Shulamith's car. Struggling to remain positive, but failing miserably, I continued for about 15 minutes. Oh, did I mention it was pouring rain? Now I love rain. You all know that. Still, in this particular situation, not so much. I was pretty sure this was karma, the result of selling out and shopping at Walmart. Nearly in tears (that happens a lot lately), I eventually found the car. Glitch #1 was over.
After Walmart, I went to Costco to buy cream puffs and quick bread. I got the cream puffs with no problem, but those cute little loaves of quick bread were nowhere to be found. When I inquired at the bakery, I was told they are a specialty holiday item only, but they offered to bake some for me for the following day. "Great!" I thought. They would be nice and fresh. I ordered 16 loaves of various types of quick break and left. The next day (wedding day!) a friend of Matt's mom went to pick up the bread and was told there was no order under my name. Panic? Maybe a little, but I was sure the bread had to be there because the bakery staff was so helpful the day before and so careful about the order. To this day I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I think the problem involved a non-English-speaking Costco employee, so some language barriers. In any case, the bread was found, and glitch #2 solved.
Glitch #3 came outside the temple after the sealing ceremony. After taking family pictures, the photographer took Shulamith and Matt to do their couples' pictures by themselves. Most people left, but I wanted to stay and help Shulamith change out of her wedding gown. This meant standing outside the temple for at least another hour, and my family and Lindsey waited with me. As you know, Seth is not known for his patience. What nine-year-old is, right? As he grew progressively more impatient, his behavior deteriorated accordingly. Frustrated, I whispered in his ear, "I do not want to hear any more of this, Seth." Perhaps I was too firm. Gentleness always trumps firmness. I know that. But well, I'm human. In any case, Seth was angry and decided to run away. No, I'm not kidding. He decided to run away at the temple. On his sister's wedding day. I didn't give it much thought at first, but after maybe 20 minutes, we all began to wonder where he might be. "Do you think he would leave the temple grounds?" someone asked. That was enough to raise my anxiety level and send everyone out on a search and rescue mission. It took maybe five minutes for Gerald to find Seth hiding under a tree near where Shulamith and Matt were finishing their photos. Glitch #3.
Later that evening was the Utah reception, and it was truly lovely. Everything was moving along as planned right up until it was time to cut the wedding cake. Shulamith and Matt cut the first piece and fed each other the traditional first bites. Then they looked around and said, "Hmmm. I wonder who will cut the rest." I had mentioned to Shulamith that she should ask someone to cut and serve cake, maybe even two people, but that had slipped her mind in all the other wedding rush. Think quick, Terrianne! I went over to the table where our few Billings friends were seated and saw Trudy. "Trudy, do you know how to cut a wedding cake?" I said almost pleadingly. She said she had done it before and would be happy to try. Glitch #4 solved? Ahh, not quite. As Trudy began to cut the cake and put individual pieces on plates, my mother came to me and said, "We have no forks for the cake." Really? How did we mange to forget those? Well, you see, we were serving only "finger food." Eclairs. Cream puffs. Quick bread. All finger food. It simply didn't occur to either of us that we were also serving wedding cake, so we would need forks. I ran to the kitchen and scooped up a bunch of metal forks. Glitch #4 was over.
A week later at the reception here in Billings, there were no real glitches that come to mind. We remembered to buy forks, and Trudy graciously offered to cut the cake once again. No glitches, unless you count a weepy mother-of-the-bride struggling to maintain her composure after a frenzied week, well really a frenzied six weeks! I can't begin to tell you what an emotional experience it is to marry off your only daughter and best friend. I still feel it. It's almost like being postpartum only I have no hormonal excuse.
Anyway, no real glitches until the following day when Isaiah tried to return to Salt Lake City. His flight was scheduled to leave Billings at 1:40 but was delayed nearly three hours due to "facilities" (whatever that means). As a result, he missed his connecting flight in Denver. The two later flights to SLC were completely full, so they gave Isaiah a hotel voucher and scheduled him on a flight this morning (Monday) at 11:00. We only knew this because he was somehow able to find a computer and get on Facebook to tell us. He had left his phone charger in his dorm all weekend, so he didn't have a charged phone to use while traveling. As hour after hour went by and we didn't hear from him, this already-emotional mother was losing it. Seriously. I was sure we'd never find him, and I pictured us on TV, pleading for someone to "bring back our son!" As Gerald scoured the internet for phone numbers, I called every hotel near the airport, one by one, asking if Isaiah was there. No luck. Crying uncontrollably, I began to dial my mom. I had been unable to get anyone at the Denver Airport or United Airlines to help me, but if anyone could do that, my mother could. Before she had a chance, though, the other phone rang and it was Isaiah, safely in his hotel room. Instant relief.
Glitches. What would a wedding be without a few?
And in the end, we had very few glitches. I am amazed by how smoothly and perfectly everything fell into place. That said, allow me to share some of the tiny glitches of the past week.
As most of you know, I flew down to Salt Lake City Tuesday evening, three days before the wedding. My job was to buy all the last-minute things, and the list was long. Wednesday, I was busy with shower dessert preparation (which, by the way, turned out great; shocking, I know, when you consider my total lack of culinary skill.) So Thursday was the day to attack the list. I spent the morning in Shulamith's kindergarten class class, but after lunch she sent me off with the list. And directions. Keep in mind that I have little experience driving in Salt Lake City. This was my 16th visit in the 5-1/2 years Shulamith has been in Salt Lake, but typically, she does all the driving, and I pay no attention whatsoever. So she sent me out with directions to Costco which was about five minutes from her school and to Walmart right next door. Ack! What was I to do? I DO NOT shop at Walmart. I find Walmart's politics abhorrent and its treatment of employees even worse. I choose not to spend my money there. However, in this situation, what choice did I have? I needed things, I had little time, and I had no idea how to find another store.
I held my nose and entered Walmart where I proceeded to purchase 25 two-liter bottles of pop, fifteen Diet Coke and ten regular. This filled up my cart, making it quite heavy. Then I picked up an ironing board with which to iron the 100 chair covers that were folded up in tiny shrink-wrap packages. (At the time I had no idea that Matt and his family would ultimately take care of 90% of that ironing.) I loaded the ironing board across the cart on top of all the pop and headed for the check-out line. After paying, I left the store, only to find that I had no clue where I had parked the car. Balancing the ironing board with one hand and pushing the heavy cart with the other, I began circling the parking lot searching for Shulamith's car. Struggling to remain positive, but failing miserably, I continued for about 15 minutes. Oh, did I mention it was pouring rain? Now I love rain. You all know that. Still, in this particular situation, not so much. I was pretty sure this was karma, the result of selling out and shopping at Walmart. Nearly in tears (that happens a lot lately), I eventually found the car. Glitch #1 was over.
After Walmart, I went to Costco to buy cream puffs and quick bread. I got the cream puffs with no problem, but those cute little loaves of quick bread were nowhere to be found. When I inquired at the bakery, I was told they are a specialty holiday item only, but they offered to bake some for me for the following day. "Great!" I thought. They would be nice and fresh. I ordered 16 loaves of various types of quick break and left. The next day (wedding day!) a friend of Matt's mom went to pick up the bread and was told there was no order under my name. Panic? Maybe a little, but I was sure the bread had to be there because the bakery staff was so helpful the day before and so careful about the order. To this day I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I think the problem involved a non-English-speaking Costco employee, so some language barriers. In any case, the bread was found, and glitch #2 solved.
Glitch #3 came outside the temple after the sealing ceremony. After taking family pictures, the photographer took Shulamith and Matt to do their couples' pictures by themselves. Most people left, but I wanted to stay and help Shulamith change out of her wedding gown. This meant standing outside the temple for at least another hour, and my family and Lindsey waited with me. As you know, Seth is not known for his patience. What nine-year-old is, right? As he grew progressively more impatient, his behavior deteriorated accordingly. Frustrated, I whispered in his ear, "I do not want to hear any more of this, Seth." Perhaps I was too firm. Gentleness always trumps firmness. I know that. But well, I'm human. In any case, Seth was angry and decided to run away. No, I'm not kidding. He decided to run away at the temple. On his sister's wedding day. I didn't give it much thought at first, but after maybe 20 minutes, we all began to wonder where he might be. "Do you think he would leave the temple grounds?" someone asked. That was enough to raise my anxiety level and send everyone out on a search and rescue mission. It took maybe five minutes for Gerald to find Seth hiding under a tree near where Shulamith and Matt were finishing their photos. Glitch #3.
Later that evening was the Utah reception, and it was truly lovely. Everything was moving along as planned right up until it was time to cut the wedding cake. Shulamith and Matt cut the first piece and fed each other the traditional first bites. Then they looked around and said, "Hmmm. I wonder who will cut the rest." I had mentioned to Shulamith that she should ask someone to cut and serve cake, maybe even two people, but that had slipped her mind in all the other wedding rush. Think quick, Terrianne! I went over to the table where our few Billings friends were seated and saw Trudy. "Trudy, do you know how to cut a wedding cake?" I said almost pleadingly. She said she had done it before and would be happy to try. Glitch #4 solved? Ahh, not quite. As Trudy began to cut the cake and put individual pieces on plates, my mother came to me and said, "We have no forks for the cake." Really? How did we mange to forget those? Well, you see, we were serving only "finger food." Eclairs. Cream puffs. Quick bread. All finger food. It simply didn't occur to either of us that we were also serving wedding cake, so we would need forks. I ran to the kitchen and scooped up a bunch of metal forks. Glitch #4 was over.
A week later at the reception here in Billings, there were no real glitches that come to mind. We remembered to buy forks, and Trudy graciously offered to cut the cake once again. No glitches, unless you count a weepy mother-of-the-bride struggling to maintain her composure after a frenzied week, well really a frenzied six weeks! I can't begin to tell you what an emotional experience it is to marry off your only daughter and best friend. I still feel it. It's almost like being postpartum only I have no hormonal excuse.
Anyway, no real glitches until the following day when Isaiah tried to return to Salt Lake City. His flight was scheduled to leave Billings at 1:40 but was delayed nearly three hours due to "facilities" (whatever that means). As a result, he missed his connecting flight in Denver. The two later flights to SLC were completely full, so they gave Isaiah a hotel voucher and scheduled him on a flight this morning (Monday) at 11:00. We only knew this because he was somehow able to find a computer and get on Facebook to tell us. He had left his phone charger in his dorm all weekend, so he didn't have a charged phone to use while traveling. As hour after hour went by and we didn't hear from him, this already-emotional mother was losing it. Seriously. I was sure we'd never find him, and I pictured us on TV, pleading for someone to "bring back our son!" As Gerald scoured the internet for phone numbers, I called every hotel near the airport, one by one, asking if Isaiah was there. No luck. Crying uncontrollably, I began to dial my mom. I had been unable to get anyone at the Denver Airport or United Airlines to help me, but if anyone could do that, my mother could. Before she had a chance, though, the other phone rang and it was Isaiah, safely in his hotel room. Instant relief.
Glitches. What would a wedding be without a few?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Add an "M"?
It has been suggested to me by a reader that we figure out a way to add an "M" to this blog. Those of you who have read from the start may remember that "ITS LEGS" is an acronym that uses the initials of all the people in our family: Isaiah, Terrianne, Shulamith, Luke, Eli, Gerald, and Seth. Way back when we were contemplating a vanity license plate, I asked Eli to come up with something, and this was it. But now we have Mathew. Hooray!!! So if anyone can come up with a different acronym that includes the letter "M," I'd love to hear it.
Suggestions??
Oh, and there really will be more wedding stuff to come. Pictures should be available soon as well. This week I've been a bit emotional, which is not the best state in which to write. And now I'm busy trying to get tomorrow's reception ready.
But there will definitely be more to come. I promise!
Suggestions??
Oh, and there really will be more wedding stuff to come. Pictures should be available soon as well. This week I've been a bit emotional, which is not the best state in which to write. And now I'm busy trying to get tomorrow's reception ready.
But there will definitely be more to come. I promise!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wasn't It Just Yesterday?
Driving home from Salt Lake City yesterday after marrying off my only baby girl, I found myself consumed by a plethora of memories. I began to put together this blog post in my mind, filled with so many humorous and heartwarming scenarios of the past 23 years. When we were around Idaho Falls, Shulamith called me to say they were back at their apartment getting ready for work. No, I'm not kidding. They actually worked last night. It was Shulamith's fifth Valentine's Day at Macaroni Grill, and I guess she felt that she couldn't let her boss down on the busiest day of the year. At least they were together, right?
Anyway, talking to her brought my already tender emotions right to the surface. Gerald said, "Don't cry too much, or I'll get pulled over." He was referring to another trip to Billings from Salt Lake City 5-1/2 years ago. After leaving Shulamith at Westminster College for her freshman year, I cried so hard we were stopped by the police. For details, see the May 21, 2009 post entitled "Angst." Fortunately, I didn't cry quite as much this time.
As this blog post continued to brew in my mind, with memory after sweet memory, I suddenly stopped cold and thought, "WAIT. NO. This sounds like a freakin' eulogy!"
Okay, Terrianne, get a grip. No one died. Shulamith is alive and well and happier than ever. I am alive and well and happier than ever for her. So no eulogy.
Instead, dear readers, if you would indulge me in just a couple fun memories, I will leave it at that. I promise. Because wasn't it just yesterday.....
Wasn't it just yesterday when she was two years old. People had such difficulty with her name that they tended to think it must he she who was mispronouncing it. They would say, "Is it Sheila, dear?" or "Shelly?" When she was perfectly fed up with all this, she would plant both her two-year-old feet securely on the ground, look people right in the eye and declare, "IT'S SHULAMITH. S-H-U-L-A-M-I-T-H!" So maybe you can see why my pacifist leanings are utterly forgotten and I want to claw people's eyes out when they massacre her beautiful name and call her "Shula" which is not even remotely pretty. Only in Utah do they do this, by the way.
Wasn't it just yesterday....
And wasn't it just yesterday when she was nine, and we were in Las Vegas together at a dance competition. Her first time there, she was positively awestruck by all the glitz. "Mom, put some money in those machines. We can be rich!!" I listened to this for three days. I tried a couple different angles to explain why I would not put money in the machines. First, I tried the religious approach: "Honey, our church leaders have counseled us not to gamble. It's just not a good thing to do." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, look at all those machines. We could win millions of dollars." Next, I tried a more practical approach. "Honey, look around at all these beautiful things: the bright lights, the velvet carpet, the crystal chandeliers. The reason they can afford these things is because most of the time people do not win when they gamble; most of the time they lose their money." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, we could be the ones who win. We could be lucky."
After three days of this, I decided to try the most practical approach I could think of. Frustrated, I led her over to a machine, took a quarter out of my purse and said, "Okay. I want you to watch and see what happens when you put money in these machines." I put the quarter in the slot machine and pulled the handle. And, of course, you can guess the rest, right? Chang, chang! Chang, chang! Eight quarters came pouring out. "Do it again, Mom. Do it again!"
Wasn't it just yesterday?
And wasn't it just yesterday that she walked out of the temple wearing my wedding gown, hand in hand with her eternal sweetheart, whom we already love like a fifth son? Well, maybe it was three days ago.
More on that later. Future wedding installments to come...
Anyway, talking to her brought my already tender emotions right to the surface. Gerald said, "Don't cry too much, or I'll get pulled over." He was referring to another trip to Billings from Salt Lake City 5-1/2 years ago. After leaving Shulamith at Westminster College for her freshman year, I cried so hard we were stopped by the police. For details, see the May 21, 2009 post entitled "Angst." Fortunately, I didn't cry quite as much this time.
As this blog post continued to brew in my mind, with memory after sweet memory, I suddenly stopped cold and thought, "WAIT. NO. This sounds like a freakin' eulogy!"
Okay, Terrianne, get a grip. No one died. Shulamith is alive and well and happier than ever. I am alive and well and happier than ever for her. So no eulogy.
Instead, dear readers, if you would indulge me in just a couple fun memories, I will leave it at that. I promise. Because wasn't it just yesterday.....
Wasn't it just yesterday when she was two years old. People had such difficulty with her name that they tended to think it must he she who was mispronouncing it. They would say, "Is it Sheila, dear?" or "Shelly?" When she was perfectly fed up with all this, she would plant both her two-year-old feet securely on the ground, look people right in the eye and declare, "IT'S SHULAMITH. S-H-U-L-A-M-I-T-H!" So maybe you can see why my pacifist leanings are utterly forgotten and I want to claw people's eyes out when they massacre her beautiful name and call her "Shula" which is not even remotely pretty. Only in Utah do they do this, by the way.
Wasn't it just yesterday....
And wasn't it just yesterday when she was nine, and we were in Las Vegas together at a dance competition. Her first time there, she was positively awestruck by all the glitz. "Mom, put some money in those machines. We can be rich!!" I listened to this for three days. I tried a couple different angles to explain why I would not put money in the machines. First, I tried the religious approach: "Honey, our church leaders have counseled us not to gamble. It's just not a good thing to do." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, look at all those machines. We could win millions of dollars." Next, I tried a more practical approach. "Honey, look around at all these beautiful things: the bright lights, the velvet carpet, the crystal chandeliers. The reason they can afford these things is because most of the time people do not win when they gamble; most of the time they lose their money." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, we could be the ones who win. We could be lucky."
After three days of this, I decided to try the most practical approach I could think of. Frustrated, I led her over to a machine, took a quarter out of my purse and said, "Okay. I want you to watch and see what happens when you put money in these machines." I put the quarter in the slot machine and pulled the handle. And, of course, you can guess the rest, right? Chang, chang! Chang, chang! Eight quarters came pouring out. "Do it again, Mom. Do it again!"
Wasn't it just yesterday?
And wasn't it just yesterday that she walked out of the temple wearing my wedding gown, hand in hand with her eternal sweetheart, whom we already love like a fifth son? Well, maybe it was three days ago.
More on that later. Future wedding installments to come...
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"It Was the Least I Could Do"
Repeatedly in the scriptures, we are admonished to serve others, to bear one another's burdens that they may be light, to do it "unto the least of these." While I'm not especially good at this, I generally think of myself as the one who needs to perform the service, not as the recipient. I am young, strong, able-bodied; I rarely need others' help to go through the regular routine of my life.
But two days ago I was reminded that sometimes, we all need to stop and allow others to help us. We will be humbled as we receive help, and they will be blessed for their service. It's a win/win!
This past Friday was one of my favorite events: Employee Appreciation Discount Day at Albertson's. Because Eli works there, we always get 15% off all Albertson's brand products, but on this day, employees and their immediate families get an additional 15% off all purchases. That means 30% off Albertson's brand products and 15% off everything else. Wow! I love to stock up during these sales; I feel like I'm actually making progress on food storage, because with teenage boys, it's next to impossible to keep very much food in the house.
So off to the store Seth and I went. There were so many good sales, and with our 30% discount, we were making out like bandits. My cart grew fuller and fuller, until it was overflowing. We began to pile things on the rack underneath. Seth made a game of trying to fit just one more item into the cart. At last we finished and headed to the check-out line. I got $268 worth of groceries for just $155. What a rush. When the sweet courtesy clerk (I know and love all of them because they work with Eli) finally got all these groceries in bags and loaded into my cart, bags sat upon bags which sat upon other bags. She asked if I wanted a second cart, but Seth can't really handle one his own, so I said to just keep piling them in. Then, when the clerk asked the standard question, "Can I help you out with this?" I gave the standard answer, "No, I'm good."
That was my mistake. It was an honest one because I never need the courtesy clerks to help me, so it didn't even occur to me to say "yes," but still, it was a definite mistake. Seth and I headed out the front door, barely able to see over the piled-high grocery sacks. As we faced the bitter cold with snow blowing in our faces, I attempted to push the cart over the bumpy, frozen mounds of snow and ice that dotted the parking lot. I made it only a couple of feet when the front wheel of my cart hit a particularly big bump of ice, and the top layer of grocery bags came tumbling down. Cans rolled out all over. Eggs dropped. I tried not to cry.
As Seth and I began to gather our items, out of seemingly nowhere came this gentleman. He bent down and began to help us, refilling my bags and placing them back in the cart. I kept telling him he didn't need to do this, but he would not be dissuaded. When the bags were again in tact, he said, "Which way to your car?" I thanked him and again said that I would be fine from this point, but again, he insisted. Finally, I gave in, accepted this help which had been sent to me, and allowed this man to perform service on my behalf. He pulled the cart rather than trying to push it over the ice bumps. What an incredibly good idea, one that I obviously hadn't thought of. Once at my car, he helped me get the bags loaded in and was gone as quickly as he came. I shouted my profound gratitude as he left and barely heard his humble, quiet reply: "It was the least I could do."
I guess the commandment to serve our fellow beings is two fold. We must perform service when the opportunity arises as it did for this lovely man on Friday. And we must be just as willing to humbly receive the service of others. If we are not, imagine the many missed opportunities.
But two days ago I was reminded that sometimes, we all need to stop and allow others to help us. We will be humbled as we receive help, and they will be blessed for their service. It's a win/win!
This past Friday was one of my favorite events: Employee Appreciation Discount Day at Albertson's. Because Eli works there, we always get 15% off all Albertson's brand products, but on this day, employees and their immediate families get an additional 15% off all purchases. That means 30% off Albertson's brand products and 15% off everything else. Wow! I love to stock up during these sales; I feel like I'm actually making progress on food storage, because with teenage boys, it's next to impossible to keep very much food in the house.
So off to the store Seth and I went. There were so many good sales, and with our 30% discount, we were making out like bandits. My cart grew fuller and fuller, until it was overflowing. We began to pile things on the rack underneath. Seth made a game of trying to fit just one more item into the cart. At last we finished and headed to the check-out line. I got $268 worth of groceries for just $155. What a rush. When the sweet courtesy clerk (I know and love all of them because they work with Eli) finally got all these groceries in bags and loaded into my cart, bags sat upon bags which sat upon other bags. She asked if I wanted a second cart, but Seth can't really handle one his own, so I said to just keep piling them in. Then, when the clerk asked the standard question, "Can I help you out with this?" I gave the standard answer, "No, I'm good."
That was my mistake. It was an honest one because I never need the courtesy clerks to help me, so it didn't even occur to me to say "yes," but still, it was a definite mistake. Seth and I headed out the front door, barely able to see over the piled-high grocery sacks. As we faced the bitter cold with snow blowing in our faces, I attempted to push the cart over the bumpy, frozen mounds of snow and ice that dotted the parking lot. I made it only a couple of feet when the front wheel of my cart hit a particularly big bump of ice, and the top layer of grocery bags came tumbling down. Cans rolled out all over. Eggs dropped. I tried not to cry.
As Seth and I began to gather our items, out of seemingly nowhere came this gentleman. He bent down and began to help us, refilling my bags and placing them back in the cart. I kept telling him he didn't need to do this, but he would not be dissuaded. When the bags were again in tact, he said, "Which way to your car?" I thanked him and again said that I would be fine from this point, but again, he insisted. Finally, I gave in, accepted this help which had been sent to me, and allowed this man to perform service on my behalf. He pulled the cart rather than trying to push it over the ice bumps. What an incredibly good idea, one that I obviously hadn't thought of. Once at my car, he helped me get the bags loaded in and was gone as quickly as he came. I shouted my profound gratitude as he left and barely heard his humble, quiet reply: "It was the least I could do."
I guess the commandment to serve our fellow beings is two fold. We must perform service when the opportunity arises as it did for this lovely man on Friday. And we must be just as willing to humbly receive the service of others. If we are not, imagine the many missed opportunities.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Sometimes
Sometimes things don't go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,
sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes step back from war;
elect an honest man; decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.
Sometimes our best efforts do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen to you.
~ Sheenagh Pugh ~
One of my favorite poems ever comes to mind as I reflect back on our short, but oh so lovely, trip to Rexburg, Idaho this past weekend.
Keep in mind that I often lament the fact that I have bad luck. For example, my van is seriously a deer magnet. Among those of us who drive it (Gerald, Luke, Shulamith, Isaiah, Eli, and I), only Eli has not hit a deer at least once, and I'm pretty sure his turn is coming right up. Bad luck. In addition, things at our house seem to break randomly, just sort of fall apart, for no apparent reason, long before they should. Presently, not one, but BOTH of our garage door openers are broken. So in the dead of Montana winter, we have to get out of our cars and manually open both garage doors. Bad luck.
However, as the poem so eloquently points out, "Sometimes things don't go, after all, from bad to worse...sometimes a man aim high and all goes well." Sometimes even I escape the tendency toward bad luck.
And so it was, this past weekend.
We traveled to Rexburg to meet Shulamith and Matt in order to take Shulamith through the temple for her endowment. Why Rexburg? Because it's sort of a half way point between Billings and Salt Lake City. It was the easiest way to get Shulamith, Matt, Gerald, and me all in the same temple at the same time prior to the wedding. Still, there were risks involved. Weather, primarily. The weekend before brought a snowstorm which made long-distance travel nearly impossible. All I could think of was "What if this happens again next weekend?" Gerald kept tabs on the forecast all week, reassuring me that it was going to be okay. I didn't believe him. But it was. In fact, it was just about perfect.
We left at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, with no snow falling and none in the forecast. It was a smooth ride all the way, and we arrived in Rexburg a full hour ahead of Shulamith and Matt. We wandered the campus of BYU-Idaho until we met up with them just before noon. The temple experience was glorious. I won't elaborate. You'll have to trust me.
After a quick Mexican meal with the four of us along with Matt's parents and brother, the married couple to-be headed back to Utah, and Gerald and I went the opposite direction. By the time we reached Bozeman, we were too tired to go any farther. I was speaking in church the following morning at 11:00, so we were glad to have made it as far as Bozeman, just two hours from Billings. We rented a motel and crashed almost immediately but awoke at 6:00 a.m. to falling snow. Gerald checked the radar which indicated snow in Billings too and sporadically along I-90 as well. That was enough to convince us not to dawdle; we jumped in the car and headed for home. It was slow and snowy in places, but we arrived back in Billings by 9:30, in plenty of time to shower and be at church by 11:00.
Travel mercies. A window of opportunity between snowstorms to get to the temple and back for this very important occasion. I am thankful. Sometimes, when it's important enough, even a person with typically bad luck is richly blessed.
"The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen to you."
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don't fail,
sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.
A people sometimes step back from war;
elect an honest man; decide they care
enough, that they can't leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.
Sometimes our best efforts do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen to you.
~ Sheenagh Pugh ~
One of my favorite poems ever comes to mind as I reflect back on our short, but oh so lovely, trip to Rexburg, Idaho this past weekend.
Keep in mind that I often lament the fact that I have bad luck. For example, my van is seriously a deer magnet. Among those of us who drive it (Gerald, Luke, Shulamith, Isaiah, Eli, and I), only Eli has not hit a deer at least once, and I'm pretty sure his turn is coming right up. Bad luck. In addition, things at our house seem to break randomly, just sort of fall apart, for no apparent reason, long before they should. Presently, not one, but BOTH of our garage door openers are broken. So in the dead of Montana winter, we have to get out of our cars and manually open both garage doors. Bad luck.
However, as the poem so eloquently points out, "Sometimes things don't go, after all, from bad to worse...sometimes a man aim high and all goes well." Sometimes even I escape the tendency toward bad luck.
And so it was, this past weekend.
We traveled to Rexburg to meet Shulamith and Matt in order to take Shulamith through the temple for her endowment. Why Rexburg? Because it's sort of a half way point between Billings and Salt Lake City. It was the easiest way to get Shulamith, Matt, Gerald, and me all in the same temple at the same time prior to the wedding. Still, there were risks involved. Weather, primarily. The weekend before brought a snowstorm which made long-distance travel nearly impossible. All I could think of was "What if this happens again next weekend?" Gerald kept tabs on the forecast all week, reassuring me that it was going to be okay. I didn't believe him. But it was. In fact, it was just about perfect.
We left at 5:00 a.m. Saturday, with no snow falling and none in the forecast. It was a smooth ride all the way, and we arrived in Rexburg a full hour ahead of Shulamith and Matt. We wandered the campus of BYU-Idaho until we met up with them just before noon. The temple experience was glorious. I won't elaborate. You'll have to trust me.
After a quick Mexican meal with the four of us along with Matt's parents and brother, the married couple to-be headed back to Utah, and Gerald and I went the opposite direction. By the time we reached Bozeman, we were too tired to go any farther. I was speaking in church the following morning at 11:00, so we were glad to have made it as far as Bozeman, just two hours from Billings. We rented a motel and crashed almost immediately but awoke at 6:00 a.m. to falling snow. Gerald checked the radar which indicated snow in Billings too and sporadically along I-90 as well. That was enough to convince us not to dawdle; we jumped in the car and headed for home. It was slow and snowy in places, but we arrived back in Billings by 9:30, in plenty of time to shower and be at church by 11:00.
Travel mercies. A window of opportunity between snowstorms to get to the temple and back for this very important occasion. I am thankful. Sometimes, when it's important enough, even a person with typically bad luck is richly blessed.
"The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen: may it happen to you."
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