Blogging…. it’s not just about YOU!

April 4, 2008 at 8:29 am (Mindless ramblings)

Hello. My name is Erin and I have no life. (“Hi…… Erin!”)  Thank you. Today, because I have no life and can take time to think about a lot of things…. especially because I’m sick…..I am going to talk about what is wrong with the rest of you!  Oh, no one in particular, so don’t get all in a tizzy.  Mainly, what is wrong with others who don’t rely on their imaginary friends in internet land to supply them with the missing life they don’t have.

 In this world today, it is clear that people are moving more and more away from personal interraction and toward total isolation. You can shop the internet for groceries, gifts, clothing, even psychological help! You can type your questions to a person in another country who will attempt to help you diagnose your computer problems, or figure out why your phone has a fuzzy sound on it. You can even try out different hair styles on a picture of your face rather than talk to a stylist. (I take this one step further and actually do the hair cutting myself, as well!)  And thanks to the world of blogging and web pages, people can now have “friends” all over the world…. friends they never actually have to “talk” to….. never have to babysit their kids… never have to listen to them ramble on and on and on about relationship problems….. (well, some do on their blogs, and that’s totally cool, but you don’t HAVE to read the whole thing, and they never know that you didn’t!).

I have to admit, I am a mixture of old and new thinking. I still love to go grocery shopping and talking to the checkers. I like baking cookies once in a while and taking them to a neighbor. I like getting  a phone call from a long lost friend. I also like the convenience of ordering gifts off the internet. I love the fact that I don’t have to drag my son to the store with me to shop for clothing, or try to sneak Christmas presents under my coat in the cart while he isn’t looking. I buy them online, instead! I also love that I can read about fascinating people and their lives through their blogs. I may never meet them, but that’s totally cool with me.  Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I only spend a few minutes each day actually blogging….. but there are those out there who’s life blood is supplied via blogs…. I am only thinking of them!

So, with allllll that said….. what is wrong with you people who don’t post a blog every day???!!!! What could possibly be more important than spending time writing about day to day stuff that goes on in your life? What? You think spending time with your children is more important? You think that helping them with their homework takes precedence over blogging? Well, I’m sorry, but you have your priorities screwed up! What about the many many people who are hanging on your every word each day? What about those who sit anxiously at their computer monitor… clicking each blog with anticipation…. then going away feeling empty and alone when you haven’t posted that day?  Think about your responsibility to those who have embraced the new internet age and no longer know how to have actual human interraction without moving their fingers at lightening speed to type their responses!  Just think about it!

I must admit, I have failed in this. I have allowed myself to become caught up in sewing aprons and taking care of my family that I have neglected the rest of you.  I will try to do better. I won’t call to apologize, so don’t wait for the phone to ring… if you still have one. I will simply type “I’m sorry” and put a little :)    you know what that means, don’t you. I don’t know how to emoticon a hug, though… sorry. 

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There’s Not enough room in this head for the both of us….

March 31, 2008 at 3:13 pm (Mindless ramblings)

I am finding this multiple personality- blog thing really difficult. It’s not that I don’t have plenty to say…. I have more to say than my fingers can type… and I type 70 words per minute! (pretty impressive, eh? Ok, maybe not THAT impressive…. let me bask in my glory, ok?) But, I am finding that in order to have a life, something’s gotta give. Do I keep up both blogs regularly? Do I do the dishes? Do I do the bathroom? Do I finally take out the mildewy laundry that’s been sitting in the washer for over a week? Do I get out the monstrously heavy vacuum and get up all the string and bits of fabric strung all over my floor? These are important questions one needs to ask one’s self.

 I would love to spend my days living through other’s lives on the internet….. anonymously sharing in others joys and sorrows….. completely blocking out reality. I could spend my entire day just reveling in my genious as a blog writer… perfecting my technique…. but, alas, I do not live in the computer.  My blog can’t really love me back. Although I feel like I have many friends out there in internet land, the reality is that most of them don’t even know I exist.  I guess I am classified as a “lurker”. It sounds dark and sinister. But, I don’t have time to lurk and do laundry at the same time.

 So, I guess somethings gotta give. What you may ask? Well, I’ve decided to give up parenting and cleaning. It isn’t really that fun anyway. I’d be much happier not facing reality. Doing dishes is overrated, and my vacuum really needs to be emptied…. something that is too much work… and I can just spend all my time on the internet which doesn’t need to ever be emptied, so where’s the dilema? I say there is none. My son will grow up without my being around. He knows how to fix himself sandwiches, so I’m not needed in that area. He has done his own laundry since he was about 4, so that’s taken care of… he can even do mine!  My husband really only needs me as a listening ear, and I can nod and say “uh…huh…..” at frequent enough intervals that he feels sufficiently listened to.

So, problem solved! I should now be able to post multiple blogs each day, and keep myself pretty satisfied! I’m glad I worked that all out! If, by chance, it should arouse some anger and jealousy in my family, though, you may need to resort to going to my other blog for more current information, as that is the one I tend to post on more frequently. But I really don’t see that becoming a reality…..

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What is Normal????

March 27, 2008 at 8:55 am (Mindless ramblings)

I am not like everyone else.  People are just weird!!! There is no other explanation for it! I have  learned I am quite different from the “real world”. I have heard it said that Mormons are a peculiar people, but there are peculiar people all over the place. There are even many varied degrees of peculiarity withing the church! 

My eyes were first opened when I attend my first year of college. Now, the first college I attended was Ricks College, in Idaho. It was owned by the Church, and I wanted to go somewhere were I could feel the Spirit strongly, and not be surrounded by evil influences.  Ha! My neighbors would keep me up every Saturday night with loud music, guys in the apartment WAAAAY past curfew, and clinking of beer bottles outside their door in the wee hours of the morning when *almost* all the guys left to get some sleep before attending church….(the church of the NFL, that is) in a few hours.  Yes, one would frequently stay behind. How do I know this? Well…. eh…… to put it delicately, I’d “hear” things on the other side of my bedroom wall that let me know at least one guy was still very much present.  Needless, to say, these neighbors weren’t long for the church school. They paid their dues and were eventually kicked out.  My eyes were opened….. not all people have the same morals and standards as I do.

I had to endure a few more years of this eye-opening at Ricks, even with my own room mates. However, a whole other level became apparent as I moved on to Utah State University, and the strange and peculiar reality of the “Singles Ward”.  ( I was reminded of the truthfullness of how strange singles wards really are last night as I watched “The Singles 2nd Ward” movie.  Not a great movie, perhaps because it is too close to a reality I wish to forget entirely!)

Singles wards are, I am convinced, there for one purpose only: TO MARRY PEOPLE OFF BEFORE THEY GET TOO OLD!  You show up on Sunday, bear your testimony about how you love your roommates, make excellent brownies after church every week,  spend every weekend in your apartment because you are SINGLE, and your phone # is ———. Yes, this is true. I have experienced it with my own eyes!  The girls eye the guys as they pass the sacrament…. they guys eye the girls as they all walk to sunday school class. Monday nights are”family” night, where everyone acts like no family I have ever known outside Arkansas….. flirting, back-rubbing, WAAAAYYY  too much wrestling!!!  Usually by the next Sunday, some couple that met the previous Monday night will announce their engagement. It’s true!!! Oh, and their wedding will be on Monday night, so everyone bring treats for the reception!

Lesson number 3: the family ward. I became truly convinced at the peculiarity of Mormons when I finally became enmeshed in my own family ward. I had obviously grown up in a family ward, myself, and yes, there were VERY peculiar people there. But is wasn’t until I had my own family that I realized… there are peculiar people EVERYWHERE!!!!!  In the movie I watched last night, it showed a woman in the middle of the chapel, during sacrament meeting, making her kids PB&J sandwitches right there on the bench, pouring milk into bowls of cereal for her kids! You laugh, but I have witnessed this occurance myself many times!!! A family I went to church with would often pull out inappropriate food items (meaning anything other than fishy crackers, cheerios, etc.) in the middle of church…. PB&J sandwiches being one of them!!!!

Well, I could go on and on and on about oddities I have seen in people. Perhaps I should have a week of posting such stories. At any rate, I am convinced there aren’t many normal people out there in the world.

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A troubling matter

March 26, 2008 at 9:17 am (1)

I am just sick! I have been working in the Young Women’s organization in my church for about a year now, have worked in the girl’s camp for a few years, and have had my eyes opened to the troubling state of the youth in our world today. I see how the girls just don’t care about church activities if they are “spiritually” related, or sevice oriented.  We cleaned the church a few weeks ago, and who showed up? The leaders. No youth came until the last 10 minutes or so, when it was already finished.

Last Sunday, Easter, was supposed to be a very spiritual day, right? I mean, it’s  about the most important event that has ever happened to the people of the Earth, right? I felt invigorated to do good and make changes in my life, and I thought others felt that way too. Well, our YW president stood up and announced there would be a general Young Women meeting on Saturday.  That is a meeting for the entire LDS church young women! It’s a big deal! The prophet usually speaks, and talks to the youth about what is important for them to hear and to know. Well, when the YW president asked who was going, you could have heard a pin drop. Not a single girl raised her hand!!! There were about 14 or so girls in the room, and not ONE raised her hand. The president asked again, and still no one raised their hand. Some muttered they were busy, or had never watched conference in their life!  I was literaly sickened by their lack of caring about something so important! When I was a young woman, I wouldn’t have dreamed of missing something so important!

It is very disheartening to see such lack of caring about spiritual matters. It really makes me understand how people’s minds become clouded with things of the world, and they forget the importance of moral and spiritual matters. I challenged the young women to pray about attending the meeting, and seeing if the Lord wants them to attend. I doubt any of them will do it, but I had to challenge them, as one of the adult advisors!  I hope something good will come of it.

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I Cross My Heart…….. (*wink*)

March 22, 2008 at 9:49 am (Mindless ramblings)

“I sure hope you aren’t putting stuff on “there” about how horrible I am, or embarrasing things about me!”

I am tempted to post all the dirty laundry! Just get it out there for the world to see! Like running naked down the street in front of our house so all our neighbors can see everything and have nothing else to gossip about!

We used to have an old lady who lived across the street from us. She would sit at her window with binoculars- seriously- and watch all the neighbors. We were smart enough to get on her good side from the start. She would tell us all the dirt about everyone, and it was pretty funny.  If I didn’t wind up the hose after using it, I’d come home later and find it nicely coiled up- hmmm….. I wonder who did that? Once she called to tell my husband that a cat had gotten into the opened window of his car. It was a little freaky, knowing we were always being watched.

I promised I wouldn’t air all our dirty laundry on “there”-  my blog, that is.  (he still thinks it is evil!)  I’m not as self- conscious about that sort of thing, though. I make enough public blunders to feed the gossip fires for a very long time as it is. But, for me to continue blogging, I must promise not to post anything embarrasing about dear hubby.  Ohhhhh………. but it’s sooooooo hard NOT to!!!!!!!!

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Not Superwoman- by ANY means!!!!

March 17, 2008 at 9:48 am (Mindless ramblings)

Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest, right? I mean, it’s even in the Bible!

Ex. 23: 12 12- “Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest“. So how come on Sundays, I always end up collapsing into my swedish technologically inspired memory foam mattress created by Nasa (whatever that means!) in a quivering mass, mumbling something about “tired…….. hungry…….. can’t……. move…….”?
Yesterday was no exception. I mentioned in my Saucy Frocks blog about perhaps taking on a bit too much this weekend.  Well, I underestimated exactly HOW much too much really is. Grossly!  I guess it comes from my tendency to be a bit more positive about things, (my husband calls it living in a fantasy world), but I think that I can actually accomplish a lot more than perhaps I can in reality.  I don’t want to let people down, I don’t want to be considered a flake! But it’s amazing how often I come across looking like a flake and a let-down because I have too much on my plate.
Yesterday, I was asked to sing in church, as well as a meeting that night. No problem, I’ve done that loads of times before. The problem: I was sewing so much last week I never had time to find music, or learn anything new. I also had to conjure up some refreshments for the meeting last night. Again, no problem. I am always cooking, no biggie.  I ALSO had to watch my little 11 month old nephew who happens to be an absolute DOLL, and is very well behaved. So, I figured… (can we say it all together?) NO PROBLEM!  Oh, and I had committed to going to church choir practice, too.
Well, baby Jackson shows up a little before choir practice, so that threw me off. I had just put the cakes into the oven for that night, so I couldn’t leave until they were done. I fixed a roast for dinner and was waiting to put it into the oven after the cakes came out. I never made it to choir practice because of the baby and the cakes. I packed up the baby as soon as the cakes came out, and went to practice with my accompanist for church in a few minutes. Hurried home, turned temp down on oven so roast didn’t burn, rushed off to church. Sang in church. Came home- handed baby off to his dad, made fruit topping for cakes, practiced song for that night. Made lemon topping for cakes, whipped cream, copied song onto mp3 player and packed up speakers, saw it was a little after 6 pm… no problem, it doesn’t start until 6:30…… get to church and kitchen door isn’t opened. Rush around to other door….. in heels…… get to kitchen and find out meeting started at 6, not 6:30!!!! Gahhhhh!!!!! Rush to prop kitchen door open to bring stuff in. Grab armfulls of stuff and find kitchen door has closed! Clomp to other door, pry open with foot….. find people are calling me to see where I am! Deposit stuff in kitchen and hastily go to meeting. Sing my song. Rush into kitchen to get topping put onto cakes with help from great ladies in ward!!!! Serve food and eat…. yummy. Song turned out ok, food turned out ok, baby lived, family didn’t starve….
Ok, well, I managed to do it all…. not without looking like a flake, though. I guess something had to give! However, the highlight of my night was coming home to a fabulously clean kitchen!!!! You can imagine how it must have looked frantically getting everything ready… but my sweet hubby and sweet little boy had it all cleaned when I got home!!!!!!!
Collapse into bed…… big sigh……. hopefully I won’t have to do that again for a while!

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My “Dining” Diva apron…. I love it.

March 15, 2008 at 9:21 pm (1)

I don’t really want to post a lot of my Saucy Frocks apron stuff on my regular blog,  I figure you can read my Saucy Frocks blog for that, but I just had to post this picture of my latest creation….. I love it sooo much! Actually, I am keeping the one I made for the picture. I think I’ll sleep with it on tonight, I don’t want to part with it.

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Everything my mother taught me, she learned from the Reader’s Digest.

March 10, 2008 at 9:48 am (1)

I subscribe to the Reader’s Digest. Why? Because my mom always did. It was a staple in our home, like singing on Sunday nights around the piano, eating soggy Rice Crispies in the mornings while folding socks on the kitchen table, family prayer morning and night, and hamburger in every dinner we ate. The Reader’s Digest was always laying around, and I think when I was younger that I thought it was part of our religion or something!  I never read any of the articles when I was young, just the funny little “Humor in Uniform” or “Life in these United States” bits.  However, now that I am older, and subscribe myself, I read it cover to cover… unless the story looks like it’ll make me cry, then I just skim the beginning, and skip to the end. I don’t like crying in the middle of the day.  (read My Titanic Didn’t Sink  for more of my dillusional state.) When I read an article that looks very interesting or like information I should have, I read it all the way through, and I take it to heart!

This month’s RD had an article in it titled ” How To Click and Clean” by Andy Simmons (April 2008, p. 157). It is about how people are actually shooting themselves in the foot when they post ridiculous images of themselves online doing stupid things, because their potential future employers can Google them and see how truly incompetent they really are, and not hire them.   It also mentions how, if you bad mouth your former employer in a blog or public forum online, this can reflect badly on your character, and thwart your prospects, or lose you the job you have now!

It got me to thinking about my online profile. Do I have any horrible pictures of me doing ridiculous things in a place I shouldn’t be?? I think I can honestly say, NO. I’ve never gotten drunk or worn underpants on my head while people I don’t know take pictures of me to post on their blogs. No, I have always been in control of my senses, and I’m proud of it. Yes, I’ve been sillier at some times than at others, but never done something so out of character that I would be ashamed if my mother saw, or a future employer.

It did, however, make me think about things I say. No, not like swear words or anything like that, but maybe people I might complain about, or things I rattle on about. I often speak without thinking. At least when typing my thoughts it takes a while for them to come out, and I often catch myself saying something I don’t really want to say.  But, I was reminded that when I put my name on something, it goes out for the whole world to see. What image am I presenting to the world, besides that of a frazzled and somewhat mentally askew housewife? Hmmmmmm….. it makes one think.

I’m glad I read the RD this month. I feel much better prepared to traverse the jungles of the internet knowing I am spot-free, blemmish free, free from guilt, or regret, or ……. ok, well, that there are no embarassing photos of me out there at any rate.  Mom, thanks for all you taught me, and for keeping the RD around the house.  Someday my own son will write a book titled “Everything My Mother Taught Me, She Learned From The Reader’s Digest”. Well……..it’s better than therapy!

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Perfect for St. Patty’s day!

March 7, 2008 at 10:40 pm (1)

I love this green!!!! It’s my newest design….. I saw this fabric weeks ago and finally just bought it!

 Get it NOW!!!! 

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Retraction….. (grumble, grumble)

March 5, 2008 at 12:14 pm (1)

My sweet, honest husband basically called me to the carpet for “spreading rumors” about the “alleged” murder on our street. Apparently, it was never put in the papers, so we don’t know the “truth” about what really happened. I’ve heard about as many versions as there are people in our neighborhood, so I must admit I don’t know FOR A FACT that someone was actually murdered.  He is determined NOT to call it a murder so we don’t have to move, and I am determined to call it a murder so we can!  I suggested we go take pictures of the body, but we both figured it would probably not still be there. Since no one else knows the truth about what happened, I guess I will have to resort to calling it “suspect activity” on our street, since that is a proven fact! The fact that the man who was living in that house is no longer there, without explanation, and there just happened to be a Crime Scene Unit and the Coroner’s cars there with the police and sherrif on Sunday will just have to remain a mystery, I guess.

 So, I reluctantly retract my former posting… but will not delete it entirely for dramatic emphasis. Sometimes postings get a little dull. However, I stand firm on the ground that we should move to a better neighborhood. No, Merritt, I will NOT change my mind! And No, we will not add bullet-proof siding and emergency lock-down metal doors, or laser beam motion sensors!

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