4th of July

We hope everyone is enjoying their holiday.  We started with a church picnic.  Jonathan had a friend over for much of the day.  Fred and Jessica have been watching a Twilight movie marathon.  Yes, I think it is slightly weird, but have opted not to say anything... for the most part.  I think he secretly likes Jacob. Fred and I are working on talks for church. 

For dinner tonight, we are going to grill and enjoy this pink lemonade cake that Jessie made. 

I had a small setback yesterday at work that seems really big and I am trying to remember that life is good.  One of my Young Women was having her own bad day and reminded me... 'come what may and love it.'  What a great attitude!

Summer Firsts

The first swim of the summer...

The first sunburn of the summer...

Just Call Me Minny Jackson

I finally finished reading The Help.  I was determined that I was going to get it finished over the weekend.  Aibeleen looked at her last white baby and asked her if she remembered what she had taught her and little Mae Mobley replied:

You is a smart girl.

You is a kind girl.

You is an important girl.

 

Then Aibeleen hung her head down low and walked to her bus stop, and I was sad that my book was over.  I haven't been so excited about a book in forever.Two things happened while I was reading - I think I took on Minny Jackson's sassy attitude and I seemed to fall back into my "Community" twang. 

For the last week or so, they have been giving me grief at work about my twang.  Usually, my twang is evident after a visit with my family or when I am telling a really good story.  However, I have been called out non-stop for twangin' it up.  The only thing that I can figure out is that the little voice in my head has been reading the book with a little Southern belle accent.  In real life, I don't have a Southern belle accent, so I must have fallen back into my old Community High School twangy accent.

 

I have found myself in a couple of situations where I have wanted to right some injustices.  One occasion was at church Sunday before last.  I found myself fired up and wanted make something right for someone that had been wronged.  Then again today at work, I was ready to tell the world that I thought a particular person had been assigned a project that was unfair.  I couldn't figure out why I was so fired up and just itching to let these people know how I felt (even though I would never really let them know my feelings).  I decided that I had enjoyed the book too much and was taking on the role of Minny Jackson.  I wanted to be the Southern white woman's worst nightmare. 

Jessica and I stopped off at Target, because she needed a pair of shorts for field day.  Really, it was an excuse for me to buy the BluRay.  Now, I can relive the Terrible Awful all over again. 

Thankfully, my next book is just another Janet Evanovich book.  I will enjoy it, but I won't love it.  That is best for me. 

You a Smart Girl

My life has been more than a little crazy lately, so I am pretty sure that I am the last person in the world to start reading The Help.  I actually bought it back in December or January.  Everyone was so excited that the movie was coming out on DVD/Blu-Ray.  I didn't want to see the movie until I read the book.  I ended up seeing parts of it at my sister-in-law's house.  I never quite got the book started. It feels weird to read a book in paperback now that I own a Kindle.  What has the world come to that we are so digitized that we can't read old fashion books?  I just started the book, so I am only one hundred pages into it, but it feels like it is going fast since I've seen much of the movie.

I have decided that I am going to take a little inspiration from Aibileen.  I'm going to tell myself like Aibileen told Mae Mobley:

You a smart girl.

You a kind girl.

If I tell myself that every morning before I leave for work, then it has to be true, right? 

If that doesn't work, then I can always gain inspiration from Minny....

Mad Skillz?

I am a thinker.  I am always thinking.  It drives Fred crazy. 

A couple of weeks ago, we had the missionaries in our home.   They looked at Fred and asked him about his interests.  Of course, fishing was top on his list.  Then, he followed it up with several other interests.  I sat there hoping they wouldn't ask me.  Sure enough, they turned and asked me next.  Darn!  I stuttered and stammered.  Outside my family, my career and my church calling, I really wasn't sure that I had any interests.

After they left, I started thinking about it.  See!  What did I tell you?  I'm a thinker.

Photography?  Could that be an interest?  I did buy a nicer point and shoot camera last year.  I'm finally venturing off of the automatic setting and heading on over to the manual setting.  But, is it really an interest?  It is getting harder and harder to get my subjects to cooperate.  I find myself taking fewer and fewer pictures.

Cycling?  I bought a book on cycling.  I even researched street bikes.  I found the one that I would like to buy should the funds become available for Christmas.  However, let's face it. I only have two days available to ride.  I am not a serious rider.  I am like the 8 year old that gets to go out and ride her bike on the weekend.  Nothing more.

I don't bake or sew.  I'm not artistic.  I'm not sporty.  I seriously don't have any interests. 

Well, there is one secret interest. 

Do I even dare mention it?  It is kind of embarassing to admit.  I would like to learn how to write.  I have always admired writers.  One of my favorites is Kristin Carlson - she used to work for Nouveau.  I used to marvel at her work.  Long before I started this little blog, I wished I could write like her.  Never did I dream that I would start a blog and actually enjoy writing.  I looked into a class at Collin County Community College, but it involved sharing your stories with the class. Ummm.... I don't think so! 

For now, I won't be learning any new mad writing skills. 

But, at least I realized that I really do have an interest.

**I think this should be my official "before" picture. This is before I lost 12 pounds.  Check out my hips in this shot!