If they only knew...

And here we have Idaho, winning her way to fame.

(You may have to click on the pic to view it in its entirety.)


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I found this picture this morning on failblog. OK, I agree the name is a bit much nowadays, but if only they knew! Good old Beaver Dick--the 19th century fur trapper--is legend around Rexburg! He has a park named after him! (Yup--Beaver Dick Park. No, it is not a statue garden.) The most beautiful lake in the world is named after his Native American wife Jenny. Heck, he even scored the naming rights to a cemetery! Now with a legacy like that, can Beaver Dick really be considered a "fail?" I think not.

Auld Lang Syne

Yesterday was my last day of classes at the University of Utah. It was definitely a bittersweet day, and I'm glad I was really busy yesterday so I wouldn't have to dwell on the following facts:
1) I LOVED going back to school!
2) I am such a geek.
3) I would immerse myself in academia for the rest of my life if I could.
4) I am done with the one thing in which I am most confident and at which I excel. (Those grammar classes came in handy, eh?!) SCARY.
5) I don't know where I'm supposed to go from here.

I am toying with the idea of going back to get a master's degree in ten years or so. (Randy plugs his ears and babbles every time I say that.) But until then, I am looking forward to spending quality time with my kiddo, focusing on home projects that I've put off for far too long, and maybe even meeting my newspaper deadlines once in a while (my editor, Tom, is looking forward to that, too).

The only thing standing between me and graduation is a comprehensive grammar final and two papers. And being the absolute geek that I am, I will savor every moment.

Achilles' Heel

My Achilles' Heel? Dinner rolls. Specifically Rhodes dinner rolls. I know, I know--they make the dough for you and even shape it into little balls! How can that possibly go wrong?? I promise you, it can.

A couple of years ago, in a fond attempt to replicate my mom's "Monkey Bread," I loaded too many rolls into a bundt pan, and by the time they had risen, they were overflowing the pan and rolling down the sides. I decided to cook them anyway. Afterwards, Randy gently suggested that maybe I shouldn't try Monkey Bread anymore unless my mom was standing right next to me.

Today's attempt at dinner rolls turned out like this:

I know what you're thinking, but NO. This is NOT a panful of buttocks. After I bake them, my family will be eating these rolls with their chicken soup tonight. But, dear reader, I would recommend NOT putting your dinner rolls into a black non-stick pan and setting them on the porch in the sun so they will "rise a little faster"--unless, like my family, you want to eat buttocks for dinner.

It's Official.

I'm a soccer mom. And I LOVE it. Carter had his first soccer practice last night, and after we got home he begged me to let him wear his uniform. I had to dash his hopes when he asked to wear it again this morning, though, because it needs to stay clean for his first game tomorrow and I refuse to do an emergency load of laundry just for the sake of his soccer uniform. (This may change in the future, but for right now it's a solid rule. Let's hope I can keep up with the laundry enough to live up to my own standards.)

And by the way, it makes me giggle every time I see "Great Tasting Lunchmeat!" on the back of his shirt. I have no idea why.

Pick-Me-Up

I had an anxiety-ridden breakdown as I was talking to one of my friends at school today. See, I'm graduating from the U in three weeks. Should I tuck the degree away and smile in its general direction once in a while? Should I look for a more challenging job (that must still allow me to work from home part time on my own schedule? Yeah right!) I am, as my sis Kiirstin said fittingly, "in limbo." Most of all, I'm overwhelmingly sad that this stage of my education is over because I have loved (almost) every minute of it and I'm afraid of never having the chance to use what I've learned.

So, in this frame of mind I came home to check email and do homework, and I clicked on this story. After seeing it, I bawled unabashedly. If this woman can make her dreams come true at age 47 after a lifetime of nothing-too-special, I have nothing to fear. (And neither do you!)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Just In Time For Easter

I found an article at Slate Magazine today that I totally loved. It brought back all the good times I had as an LDS missionary in Texas, where there's a different church on every corner and they have all perfected the craft of turning a phrase--and then posting those phrases on the signs outside their churches.

I loved reading all the church signs. Some of them were absolutely hilarious. Some were really really clever. And some of them were really profound. This one made me think of the youth in our church stake and their preparations for the upcoming cultural celebration in honor of the dedication of the Draper and Oquirrh Mountain temples here in Utah.

Then there are those crazy pentecostals. I LOVE those guys! This sign says, "Are you sick? Come in faith and the Lord Jesus will cure you." Not that I don't believe that's true, I just think the way pentecostal preachers go about doing the curing can be a little sketchy.

And finally, Easter is coming this Sunday. It's a time for us to reflect on the life of Christ and His atonement. We have hope only through Him, and I think He is what we should focus on most--even when we may not feel like we're worth it.


(You can see the entire article and slide show here)

Food, Glorious Food

I love good food, and much to my family's dismay this includes lots of vegetables. Anything that isn't corn, peas, or potatoes is considered "exotic" (Randy's term) and is rejected outright--although with time I've convinced the kids that artichokes (artichokes?! yes, artichokes) are not only fun to eat but yummy as well.

Every once in a while, usually around the end of winter, I get really strong cravings for lots and lots of vegetables. So a few days ago, I went to the store and bought a bunch of vegetables for dinner. I decided to sautee them in olive oil with salt and pepper to accompany the grilled teriyaki chicken and rice. A sort of deconstructed stir-fry, if you will.



Isn't that pretty?

Randy worked late that night and my stepkids were at their other house, so it was just Carter and me for dinner. Carter ate like a trooper! I was so surprised! He ate most of the veggies, except for the squash. We have a rule in our house that you have to take at least one bite of everything, and so he agreed to eat one piece of squash.

He took the bite, chewed carefully and thoughtfully, then looked at me and said calmly, "Mom, I hate squash."

OK, I'll give that one to him. Squash is definitely an acquired taste. I was just grateful that he ate! Maybe there's hope that when it comes to vegetables, he will take after me rather than his father...