I WANT THIS SONG AT MY FUNERAL

SERIOUSLY, I WANT THIS! I want everyone to dance and clap their hands and tell silly stories at my graveside service while this is played!  Not that I am planning to go anywhere soon, but no one ever plans on it really. Once I helped with a funeral and the only thing they wanted played  was "Black Velvet"  (very loudly) and they were all wasted from drinking Black Velvet alchohol, a story for another time, just a little side note).  This song makes me happy. I have listened to it over and over again. I don't know who chooses the music for my favorite show "Parenthood", but the have really great taste in music! ENJOY!

LYRICS:

When I die
I don’t want to rest in peace
I want to dance in joy
I want to dance in the graveyards, the graveyards
And while I’m alive
I don’t want to be alone
Mourning the ones who came before
I want to dance with them some more
Let’s dance in the graveyards

Gloria, like some other name we kept on calling ya and waiting for change
But I belong to all of your mysteries

And all of us, we’re meant for the fire, but we keep rising up and walking the wires
So when we go below don’t lose us in mourning

’Cause when I die
I don’t want to rest in peace
I want to dance in joy
I want to dance in the graveyards, the graveyards
And while I’m alive
I don’t want to be alone
Mourning the ones who came before
I want to dance with them some more
Let’s dance in the graveyards

Oh my love, don’t cry when I’m gone
I will lift you up, the air in your lungs
And when you reach for me, we’ll dance in the darkness

And we will walk beyond
Our daughters and sons, they will carry on
Like when we were young, and we will stand beside and breathe in their new life

’Cause when I die
I don’t want to rest in peace
I want to dance in joy
I want to dance in the graveyards, the graveyards
And while I’m alive
I don’t want to be alone
Mourning the ones who came before
I want to dance with them some more
Let’s dance in the graveyards

DON'T FORGET YOUR BAG

Sometimes I feel like this poor guy!  Especially when I am shopping in San Francisco, where if you don't bring your own bag, they charge you. Yes. Yes they do! (this city that I love is screwed up, I know!) You get charged for shopping bag, but if you bring your own towel to sit on, you can ride the bus naked. I have no intention of trying this naked bus riding thing!  In Davis the majority of people bring their own shoppping bag. I have about 10 Trader Joe's bags because I continually forget mine, they just sort of collect in my car or room. Then I am guilted into buying another one when I forget mine (pathetic, I know.) I don't get these bags because I am environmentally friendly, I will confess if you don't tell anyone...I buy them for two reasons: because they are really cute and you can haul so much more stuff in them, which means less trips upstairs with bags and I would hate to add more cardio to my life, so I just load up each arm with bulging sturdy bags. Shhh, dirty little secret about me!

Awesome skit on how I feel. This cracks me up!

Can I recommend my favorite bags EVER? Trust me, these are amazing bags. They hold up to 50#'s, really they do, I have personally tested them over and over again. They fold flat so they are always in my suitcase for travel. Awesome for the beach. The best thing to take shopping in the city because they fit in my small purse, then as I shop I can fill this up instead of carrying a bunch of small bags. (Or if I wanted I could put my towel in it if I ever want to ride the San Francisco city bus in the buff!) Get one! The middle bag is my lunch bag. These adorable bags are made by "Blue Q" and make great gifts as well. There is a cute shop (Newsbeat) by my house that sells an irresistable variety of these great bags.

NEW FAMILY PICTURES

After 3 months, We finally received the photos that we had done in October for Christmas.  (Don't get me going on a rant about flaky photographer!) It takes a lot to get me mad (I got mad).  Needless to say, our traditional "New Years" card will seem more like a "Be My Valentine" card or maybe even a "Happy Groundhog's Day" greeting, which may be more appropriate coming from us anyway.

NORDSTROM'S, I HEART YOU

Dear Nordstrom's,

I love you!!! In fact I absolutely, without any doubt adore you! We have known each other for a very long time.  Even though I am not totally faithful to you and I usually love The Rack most (unless it is your great Semi-Annual Women's sale). But that last note you sent me totally made me feel like you were the one and only for me. It sealed the deal on who my favorite is.

You totally get me! Finally, someone other than another woman understands me.  For 23 plus years I have tried every way that I know how to explain to my sweet husband Shawn how much I am actually saving when I spend money. Sadly after all of these years, he still does not get it. Thank you so much for recognizing my shopping genius. It means so much to me and I will never forget this! Hugs and Kisses my wise friend! 

Yours Truly,

Sue

In case you can't read this love letter, it says:  You're a shopping genius!  You saved more than you spent.
Total spent $47 + Total saved $133 = SHOPPING GENIUS!

2013: MORE KINDNESS

I returned home from a really nice extended visit to my "home" in St. George. It was filled with lots of laughs, fun visits from friends, too much good food and a night of recalling childhood memories of Christmas with all of my siblings. It was loud and busy and joyful! I am always brokenhearted to leave my family, but grateful for the many tender mercies life tosses me through all of this journey. I had been pondering things that I would like to improve during 2013 (trust me, there is a very long list, likely many that others would like to recommend for me). But my overall goal is to add more kindness to life. Something that seems to be missing for many people lately. We are too busy, we forget simple courtesies and manners and are rather self absorbed much of the time. So for this year, forget the ever failing goal of losing weight. I vow to be more kind. 

As I returned home from the airport very late, my sweet friend Jill (my "tough" Harley riding friend, remember her from Easter post dressed as rabbit bearing chocolate filled basket very early at my door)set an amazing example of kindness to me. She knew I would get home late, sad and without any food in my fridge for lunch the next day. This kind gal sent me a text directing me to look on the chair by my door the next morning. On the chair I found this really yummy lunch packed with  pure love! It had homemade stew, luscious bread, caramel chocolate almonds, apples and a diet coke. The sweetest thing: a really funny card(it referred to shoe shopping) with the nicest note from her in it! You that know me can imagine that this sent me to work crying like a baby because my extreme gratitude from kindness such as this was overwhelming. Jill did more than feed me lunch this day. She warmed my soul, touched my heart and gave me something to emulate as an example of kindness.

My lunch packed with love! How cool is it to carry your lunch in a Harley Davidson bag?

So as I enter 2013, I will try to infuse more kindness into life. A few thoughts that help me are here: An inspired talk by an incredibly kind and noble man, click here to read entire message: "Happiness, your heritage"

As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.” ⁹

President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.”

These are profound words. As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.

President Lorenzo Snow expressed a similar thought: “When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.” ¹⁰

In today’s world of pop psychology, junk TV, and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness.

Dieter Uchtdorf:

"We each have a covenant responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of others and serve as the Savior did-to reach out, bless, and uplift those around us. Often, the answer to our prayers does not come while we're on our knees but while we are on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us. Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the sindows of heaaven. By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answer to our own."

A few simple things that I will start with:

• send a card
• open a door
• pick up a dropped object
• give a sincere compliment
• return some else's shopping cart
• smile
• be interested
• say something nice to lift someone
• thank a teacher, friend or co worker 
• pay for the person behind you in the drive through once in a while
• let someone else in front of you in line
• act when prompted to do something kind

SKETCHY OFFICE PARTY BEHAVIOR

Celebrating the festive season, my work decided to do a Christmas party and everyone was to wear their "Ugly Christmas sweater". I could not find one, so I did what every resourceful girl would do, I made my own. 

My creation! The really awesome part about it: That face x 2, that is my boss!! He must have liked it because thankfully, I am still employed!

Me and Amanda. Amanda is one of those great people that make work fun. I really like her, even though she does really gross things as an Ultrasound Tech. This is a rare picture that she is not holding a probe in her hand. Thanks for leaving it at home for the party Amanda!

Some of SDI with their "Ugly Sweaters"

I gave my lovely sweater to my Boss' wife after the party, she totally appreciated it. I think she said she was going to mail it to her mom for Christmas!