in my hands

in my hands:

memories of a holocaust rescuer

"I did not ask myself, Should I do this? But How will I do this? Every step of my childhood had brought me to this crossroad; I must take the right path, or I would no longer be myself."

(pg. 142)

when i finished this book i felt like i had just met the most amazing woman to have ever lived.
i realize this is an overarching statement, and i mean no disrespect to all of the other amazing women who have lived and taught us so much.
it's just what i thought when i finished this book.
i marveled at the life experiences irene had to go through.
the sacrifices she made to save others.
sacrifices i don't think i would have made myself.
let's just say, i think i would have been the first one in the life boat when the titanic was sinking.
i think she would have gone down with the ship.
in all of the horror she saw, i imagine that no words can truly portray what really happened during the holocaust.
as i sobbed throughout one massacre to the next i thought, "and this isn't even the half of it."
i found the following quote chilling:
"On the edge of a field I saw a peasant's cottage, it's door open. Once, as a child, I had a farm outside Radam. It has a house like this one, with timber walls painted bone white, and a thatched roof. We had gone on a Sunday in the spring, when the farmer was taking down the bales of hay he had mounded around his house for winter insulation. As he pulled down the hay, scores of mice that had been nesting inside all winter scattered in every direction, squeaking frantically, while the farmer's sons chased them and killed them with sticks. I had stood shuddering with horror as the mice fled their home--that was like what I was watching now, but this was on such a large scale that I could not take it in. I could not believe what I was seeing." (pg.24)
i was most impressed with the perseverance irene displayed, purely out of understanding what it meant to just be a human.
she put aside her own desires, her own needs, her own life.
all to save other humans.
how many of us could say we would do the same in her situation?
the most thought provoking quote in the book for me follows:
"I did not ask myself, Should I do this? But, How will I do this? Every step of my childhood had brought me to this crossroad; I must take the right path, or I would no longer be myself." (pg. 142)
it made me think about the paths i am chosing for my own life right now.
have i taken any paths or am i on any paths that are leading me away from myself?
the person i desire to be?
i've heard that true character is who you are when no one is watching.
when there is no prize or show to be won.
when we are stripped of everything and left with a choice.
what would i do?
sometimes i choose myself.
sometimes i choose others.
sometimes i choose right.
others wrong.
part of life and learning, of course, is learned through both right and wrong choices.
being selfish in one moment, and learning to be selfless the next.
irene left me feeling like she felt like she thought wasn't doing enough.
hard for me to imagine.
as i look at her story i marvel at all that she was able to accomplish.
what makes irene outstanding is her ability to do all she can, and still search for the energy to do more.
and to think i almost didn't read this book.
i'm a better person for making irene's story a part of my life.
...
in college we compared our society in america to the society in japan.
our society is considered individualistic.
it's the "climb the ladder to get to the top, even if you have to claw over someone else" mentality.
the japanese society is based upon collectivism.
work as a team.
don't leave anyone behind.
wouldn't it be great if we could meet in the middle somewhere?
irene knew the right thing to do.
most of us know the right thing to do.
how often do we do it?
i don't mean just in the big choices.
i mean when you're merging on the freeway, standing in line at the grocery store, putting your cart back in the cart return, and so forth.
it seems that the simple choices are reflective of the complicated choices in life.
irene didn't know how she was going to rescue the holocaust victims she saved,
but she knew she had to do it.
she knew it was the right thing to do.
"How could I presume to be their savior? And yet I had promised. I had to do it." (pg. 164)
was it wrong for the people who didn't help as irene did?
isn't saving yourself and your family a right choice as well?
who is to say that one person's choice is right for the person next to them.
i don't have the answer.
imagine.
john lennon, smart man.
imagine what could be accomplished if every person in the world began a task that they knew they had to do b/c it was the right thing to do, even if they had no idea how they were going to accomplish their end result.
amazing things.
amazing things could be accomplished.
...
your comments and thoughts please.

in my hands

alright, first of all, i never want to live in michigan. click here to see why. what the heck?!

second of all, it's been a long time, but

emilisq's bloggin' bookies is making it's triumphant return today!!!

that's right folks, it's back, and BOY do i have a book for you!

in my hands, by irene opdyke.

we're discussing this one at the end of the month, but i DARE YOU not to read it in a week. it's really that great.

in my hands is a true story of a polish woman who is studying to become a nurse when world war 2 begins. she tells her story of saving her jewish friends, and many others, from the nazi's. when i finished this book i was in awe of what an amazing woman irene is. i hope you pick up your copy asap. it will inspire you to amazing heights. i look forward to discussing it with you oct. 30th!

altAred plans

image

i had just finished reading angels & demons.

definitely nothing "light" about angels & demons.

great book.

i was feeling not so super.

not so super in an, "i have to eat every 2 hours or i'll vomit" kind of way.

in an, "i'm so tired i go to bed at 8pm" kind of way.

the way where if you normally read a few chapters before bed that you skip your reading for a few weeks no matter what you're reading kind of way.

do you remember my post about

mother goose? click here.

rebecca knew mother goose in high school.

she is a popular LDS novelist and children's author now.

she sent me her latest book.

i'm FINALLY reviewing it.

be on the look out for the return of

emilisq's bloggin' bookies!

...

altAred plans.

it took me back to college.

it made me remember how fun it was to live with roommates.

and how exhausting it was to live with roommates.

it made me remember the feelings i had dating the scout master, in his pre-scout master days.

and the other boys i tried to date, but couldn't stop thinking about the scout master when i was with them.

i loved that Caitlyn did not fit the "norm" of mormon culture.

how she opened her feelings and heart to you, but protected it from everyone else.

how she went from hating men (when her fiance left her the day they were to be married for another girl) to loving men...well, ONE man.

and how that man sometimes made her feel like

"her bonnet was on backwards."

how some parts of her reminded me of myself.

the parts that i don't consider my finer qualities in some cases;-)

and the parts that i rather like about myself.

like being strong willed and knowing what you want for your life.

not being afraid to live what you believe.

knowing that staying home with children is NOT a waste of my college degree.

don't get me started on that one.

this book is definitely for a specific audience, and i really enjoyed the stroll down memory lane.

so here you have it folks,

click here to have your copy in "5-10 business days."

now, there's just one more thing i've GOT to know...

was it a true story?????

the orginal goddess

goddesses,
meet
the original goddess.
this is sandie, my step mom.
she's known me since i was in utero.
brennan knows her as "gram."
back to the goddess part.

somewhere in the last 10-15 years the

goddess weekends

began.

i'm convinced sandie created the term goddess and pampering.
these were weekend trips away from the men with her besties.
i'm not sure how many were in the orginal group,
so hopefully i'll get an email with the details?
i know tina, julie, and diane were involved.
trouble, with a capital "T"!!!!
so the women escaped.
i believe they even wore crowns of sorts.
games, drinks, food, "goddessing" and whatever that entails.

mani's?

pedis's?
best friends, free to get away and enjoy each other as women.
there's nothing like good women in your life.
i can't imagine life without my good friends.
so goddesses,
all hail

the orignal goddess today!
and do something

"goddess-ish"

for yourselves in honor of goddess glory!
and know that you are my goddesses;-)
and i think you are snazy!
...
illuminati
earth
air
fire
water
don't know what i'm talking about?

better get reading!!!
you won't be able to put it down!

june/july book club pick!

summer in rome?

yes, please.

i give you
emilisq's bloggin' bookies
book choice for
JUNE/JULY!!!!

MURDER

MYSTERY

LOVE?

how could you not be excited to get started?!

Costco has it for $9.99, so grab it before it's gone;-)

"these is my words": part 2

"I wish the Lord would just knock me over with kindness and goodness and simple purity, because I don't seem to be getting the knack of it on my own."

(pg. 107)

My favorite quotes, thoughts, and lessons from the book:
...
1. "...Papa says that there Pheonix was hotter than the devil's frying pan." (pg. 2)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAmen.
2. "...they was sure surprised when I took my rifle and Rose and went past the trees and brought back a deer for venison stew." (pg. 8)
does costco count?
3. "Before the first light is clear, we hear whooping that comes from the open gates of hell. It is much more terrible than my brothers a playing in the yard. We have our rifles ready and begin firing back as arrows rain in on us...I think I was screaming too but it is too awful a noise to know and I am lading along side Mama..." (pg. 11)
sheesh.
4. "My heart aches bad. I asked Papa couldn't we just turn back and go home. He set his hand on my arm and said, Girl, there's never any turning back in life." (pg. 12)
5. "We are low on food and he needs to go hunting..." (pg. 14)
i think i take the grocery store a bit for granted on most days. you?
6. "My face feels all pulled down and I declare I don't think I know how to smile no more. Mama is crying saying it is her fault for letting us go but it is not...Ernest raised himself up and told me I done a good thing and God surely knows it." (pg. 16)
when doing a good thing feels awful:-(
7. "Our axels don't match, but our wheels are turning." (pg. 24)
such is life, don't you think?
8. "Mama would say that the heart is what is important, but I think if I was shorter and filled out more and prettier I would like that just fine." (pg. 26)
the grass is always greener on the other side. AND how the popularity of certain features changes over time!
9. "The Meyers are camped too near us again and they are eating cold mush and sniffling the air as if their noses could eat it. Mrs. Meyers says out loud how she don't 'low no cooking or working on the Lord's Day and we just turn out backs. I guess we been through some hard times and all are pretty thin especially Ernest who looks like a stiff wind would send him to the Territories ahead of us all, and if the Lord is going to grudge us a quail for dinner well then that's that." (pg. 30)
hahahahaha, let this be a lesson to all of us on not being judgmental;-)
10. "Accustomed is what the scarlet velvet woman was. She was accustomed to her sorrows it said, as she had been accustomed to great riches and fine foods. We are accustomed to Indian wars and sorrows and traveling fast and folks dying." (pg. 35)
what am i accustomed to?
11. "I talked to those Mormon sisters...Now I know why people don't want the around as they are pure addled and claim they are all married to the same husband." (pg. 41)
oh, this is not good for our defense in not being polygamists is it....sigh.
12. "I am almost full grown now, and need to have more room in my blouses up top..." (pg. 41)
hahahaha, i laughed so hard reading this!
13. "I wish I had a gift for my family but I don't, so I went to everyone this morning and said Merry Christmas and hugged them and told them they are my Christmas present just being alive." (pg. 43)
i want this simplicity.
14. "This wagon is a treasure chest and I am suddenly struck greddier than ever in my life. I want it so bad I am just beside myself. All these words to read and know is more than my insides can stand and I am trembling all over with excitement." (pg. 44)
every reader's dream!
15. "Well, I don't know those things but I tried to tell him to just wash his face and hands and comb his hair, be an honest man and a good sport and kind hearted to her feelings, and if she doesn't like him he has got to go slow, and bring her flowers and such and tip his hat." (pg. 55)
so cute.
16. "The Army is back from Tombstone and today the soldiers are pulling away with the rest of the few wagons who will go on to Tucson and most of them except the Mormons want to stay there. Maybe those sisters will get tired of traveling and stay too, and find them each a husband but I will likely never know." (pg. 70)
haha, oh dear...
17. "Imagine having twenty-nine dollars to spend on a dress." (pg. 79)
how much do YOU spend on groceries per month???? i know i spend MORE than $29.
18. "He challenged some gambler, and although it was against the law to wear a gun in town (Tombstone), the man had a Colt in his belt..." (pg. 84)
have i mentioned that "Tombstone" is
MOVIE OF ALL TIME???? "i'm your huckleberry" "you ain't no daisy" "oh johnny, i forgot you were there, you may go now."
19. "Lord, tell me this is the last one I will ever have, and I will be forever grateful. If I had any idea, I would have never married as long as I lived...I never understood why a girl would choose to be an old maid, but now I do." (pg. 120 & 121)
E-P-I-D-E-R-A-L.
20. "Every minute of my day and every last thing I do is tied to this little someone else. I am scared to death I will do something wrong, and she will die or grow up meager or sickly...how will I know how to teach her not to be selfish? And how will I teach her to be honest? And how will I know if she has a sickness when she is too little to say what hurts?" (pg. 121)
anyone else ever had these thoughts before? me too.
21. "Tell her I love her, will you? I began to let tears run down my face...But Jimmy said, No, you have to write her and tell her I love her, please...Write her? Tell Miss Ruthanne I loved her always, and he let out a long breath and died." (pg. 127)
good riddance jimmy. i hope you burns down there. curse you jimmy, curse you!
22. "April has become an artist. She got into the blueing bottle and finger painted the white pine floor...made little smears and lines and hand prints." (pg. 137)
it's too quiet in here, what is the toddler into???? i love how later on she talks about not washing it off b/c this may be the only child she has and she wants to remember the blue hand prints. so cute. so loving. when brennan does that to my floors i'll remember this:-)
23. "So I priced a few other things, and decided I would put my soap money in a jar and save up for myself some ladies' niceties that were never before considered as useful as white paint and new saddles had been." (pg. 142)
i LOVED how she said this, what a scream! hahahaha
24. "That man makes me feel like I have my bonnet on backwards." (pg. 148)
my favorite line of the entire book.
25. "But Savannah hugged me and said, Don't you change one little bit...I know Mama and her were crying for love, and for all their dear feelings for our families. They don't know I was crying b/c they are wrong, b/c I am not good like them, nor sweet tempered and loving. I was crying because I felt like they didn't see the real me inside, and if they had they wouldn't shed a single tear at all over me." (pg. 152)
sometimes i feel this way...i'm glad my thoughts are left to me and me only. sometimes i feel like a fraud, but other times i feel like i'm trying to improve and i'm just a work in progress and that can't be so bad.
26. "Also, there is now an ice factory in town and it was so wonderful to have a cold, cold drink in the warm afternoon." (pg. 178)
another thing i take for granted.
27. "Never, never, he said, pay for a man's dinner. Your contribution is simply being company." (pg. 179)
i love these gentlemanly things.
teach your daughters goddesses, teach your daughters;-)
28. "Every time I think I have been just as scared and horrified as a body can be, I ind there is new terror I am to become acquainted with. What is the use of that God?" (pg. 192)
now that my moles are not cancerous, what will i be afraid of next? how about just trying to not worry myself over things like that?! ok, good idea emily, good IDEA emily;-)
29. "It is funny how much more proud people can be of themselves if they never step back and take a good look in a glass." (pg. 226)
30. "Pretty soon Savannah's other baby started to cry, and she covered her chest with two babies and we fixed a shawl over her." (pg. 272)
it's the arizona territories 'HOOTER HIDER'! oh dearie me, twins, nursing twins!
31. Toobuddy being Charlie's walker as a baby (pg. 299)
32. "He said wisdom is not a path, it is a tree." (pg. 317)
33. "It is like some other part of me made up some rules about happiness and I just went along with them without thinking." (pg. 318)
that's how i feel about joining a sorority. yes, alpha gamma delta was the one.
i felt like i had to have those experiences to be happy, but then i realized it wasn't what i really wanted.
34. THEMES: courage, education, perseverance, love, romance, strength, hard work, honesty, Independence, trust, integrity, freedom, renewal.
35. "They will have to ask the star itself where it goes and why it is not content to stay." (pg. 384)
...

goddesses,

what were your favorite quotes, thoughts, and lessons?
tune in monday to see what the June/July selection will be!

let's just say, it's gonna be a GREAT summer:-)

"these is my words": part 1

goddesses!

it's that time of the month,

and i'm NOT talking about THAT;-)

i'm talking about,

emilisq's bloggin' bookies!!!

...

"The first thing I must do is become more religious. I will have to learn to be a 'righteous example of piety and purity, virtuous to a fault, kind and sharing,' if I am to be the Happy Bride in the book. 'Bible study is the first importance of being a wife.'...the book doesn't say what to do if you have slept in your underwear on top of a soldier in a wagon during a rainstorm."

(pg. 87) today will be questions for all of you,
tomorrow will be a more in depth discussion of what our favorite parts and thoughts were.
i've been ITCHING to hear what YOU'VE been thinking;-)
without further ADIEU, here's some questions for YOU!

...
1. How old was Sarah at the beginning of the book? at the end?
(i'm hoping someone has already done the math for us???)
2. What happened to Lockwood?
3. Would you have wanted Blue Horse delivering one of your babies?
4. What were your feelings towards Sarah's way of life?
5. Who was your favorite character? Why?
6. Which character did you most relate to?
7. Why did Sarah marry Jimmy?
8. What was the significance of Jack and Sarah exchanging time pieces for their wedding gifts to each other?
9. Sarah was in awe of Savannah. What person are you in awe of in your life? How has that shaped you as a person?
10. Sarah was a true heroine in this story in many ways. What is one heroic thing you have done in your life?
11.What themes did you see in the book?
12. What did you think about how the book ended?
"They will have to ask the star itself where it goes and why it is not content to stay." (pg. 384)

What meaning/symbolism did this line hold?
...
tune in tomorrow to hear some thoughts from the other goddesses and yours truly;-)

don't forget to go back and see what the other goddesses have written from the day before!
including some of my favorite lessons and quotes:-)
part 2 is on it's way AND i can't wait to hear more from you!!!

a wooden tractor from shop class

i made this tractor in my 6th grade shop class.
mr silva? was that his name???
"what's a matter for you?!"
that was his famous line.
he was rumored to LOVE the girls.
regardless, he had no grading system.
he looked at your work, turned it over in his hands a few times, picked out all of the flaws, and wrote a letter on the bottom in pencil.
i turned mine over this morning and found the letter "B."
my workmanship looks pretty good to me;-)
and to brennan for that matter...

making this tractor at 12 yrs old, i never imagined my little boy playing with it.

i do remember complaining about getting a B and not an A.

i'm sure i was very dramatic about the whole thing.

i'm so glad i have it now.

and wonder how being less dramatic about pitfalls could really enhance my life?

i'm sure i was all stressed out that day.

and now, look, so wonderful to see brennan push it around my floor.

nonetheless, here's to juicy drama.

and less stress.

and pushing tractor's around the floor.

...

goddesses,

book club FRIDAY/SATURDAY PEEPS,

didn't want to interfere with sunday activities on the last day of the month.

...

and if you have some juicy drama you want to share i'd be willing to listen;-) just sayin...

loves to you and yours,

e

the MOLE DOC

i am short two moles this afternoon.
the crazy thing is that the two they took off were the two i wasn't worried about.
one on the arm and one on the lower back.
so they're off to be biopsied.
one week they tell me.
the one on the forehead and the toe: healthy.
they measured them and put them on the books for the future.
how do they remove a mole you ask?
a little shot of local anesthetic into the mole area.
(can't tell you for sure where b/c i didn't look--i'm a "look the other way" shot/mole scraper kind of gal).
and scrape, scrape, scrape.
zero pain.
one little pinch to shoot the numbing juice in and TA-DA.
mole free.
now i wait to see if they were naugthy little moles or not.
...
i finished these is my words last night.
sob.
i can't wait to talk about it with you goddesses!
and to tell you next month's pick!
let's just say i'm VERY-VERY excited.

moles...and an apostle

moles.
i have them.
i prefer to call them "beauty marks."
it's much more dainty.
i'm irish.
fair-skinned and irish.
and "mole-ish" or "beauty mark-ish."
and "freckle-ish," for that matter.
whichever you prefer.
i worry about skin cancer.
both of my parents have had skin cancer removed.
i wore sunscreen as a child, but had some pretty bad burns.
i lube up every outing now a-days,
as well as greasing down the pork loin (who happens to tan through spf 50, who knew?!)
but in my college years i loved to be tan.
i layed out in the summer and cough, cough, cough....
went to the tanning beds.
but only for 4 months!
that should count for something right???
so i worry.
about skin cancer.
do you watch grey's anatomy??!!
how could i not be worrying about skin cancer after this season?
so there's this "beauty mark" on my forehead.
it's been there since i don't know how long.
i've scoured childhood pictures and wouldn't you know, BANGS in every one.
i know for sure i had my forehead beauty mark in elementary school (this makes you EXTRA pretty in the face when it's on your face).
then there was this cute little freckle on my big toe.
well, in the past year it's gotten a bit bigger.
and i'm beginning to think the forehead beauty mark looks differently too.
oddly shaped and multi-colored.
scared?
me too.
so, i'm all set to visit the MOLE DOC manana.
i'm hacking off any beauty mark that i can.
i've got lots to live for and can't have MOLES interfering!
or cute little freckles.

and would you look what i sewed!!!!
all by myself.

sleeves are tricky,

but i conquered.

go me:-)

i've never seen sean so excited to have his shirt all "patched out."

it makes me REALLY happy.

rocky balboa is into EVERYTHING.

and i mean everything.

i've started hiding his toys in with my tupperware and cabinets in the hopes that he'll grab them instead of the maple syrup.

the computer this morning was exhibit 5 million, 2 hundred, & 89 thousand attempts to "get the little blue light."

i'd want to press it 5 times in a row too.

it's a really pretty light.

thank goodness for john with HP.

now, when can i have a MAC???

remember this pic from last week?

well, there's story that goes with it.

as told by mom:

I think you were about a year and a half old. (The picture was taken in the month of June). Your dad and I had won 2 free tickets to Helsinki, Finland at a company picnic party ( we had great company picnic parties in the 80's! They always gave away great free trips everywhere!) Anyway, we were on our way to Finland. We were dropping you off at your Aunt Sue's in Iowa. She took care of you while we went on our trip. So, that's the story of the picture.
...

and the most exciting part of our day???????

we got to meet him!

elder holland.

he is a prominent leader in our church.

an apostle.

conversation as follows (next to women's shoes in nordstrom's)...

...

em: hi, elder holland! (pushing brennan in the stroller through nordstrom's)

elder holland: hello! (you know the wonderful voice ,big smile and hand shake)

em: i'm emily gibson. (BIG smile)

e.h.: well, good to meet you emily, you're beautiful, little thing! (i knew i liked him!)

em: thank you! my mom is carol mehr.

e.h.: no! you're kidding! it's so wonderful to meet you! i met your brother awhile ago.

em: nope, no brother, i'm an only child

(this may be confusing b/c i talk about my step siblings as brother and sister, but for realz, there's only one of me from pat and carol)

e.h.: no, i did!

em: only child as far as i know:-) (mom? dad? something you want to tell me?)

e.h.: oh yes, that's right, your mom's roommate was patty. i met her son! i'm sorry. how is your mother?

em: she's well. she just moved to hawaii!

e.h.: that carol, she is so spirited! (elder holland was mom's bishop in her early years out of high school)

em: yes she is.

e.h.: look at that baby of yours. he has "holland cheeks."

em: yes, very gushy (holla holla snarky!)

e.h.: well it was just so great to meet you, i love you! please tell your mother i say hello.

em: i will, so wonderful to meet you too.

...

and off we walked...to think i almost didn't go run my errands in the mall today!

yup, you heard it here first, elder holland LOVES me!

i knew it was going to be a good day;-) i should read my scriptures in the morning more often.

...

12 days to book club goddesses!

i'm on the last chapter.

i can't get myself to finish.

not because i don't like it,

but b/c i don't want it to end.

if you start tomorrow you'll only have to read 32 pages a day to finish by our discussion (30th & 31st).

so get to the book store and get crack-a-lackin!

...

loves to you and yours,

e

a dress up party

AZ is hot.
real hot.
again, i apologize for not using my adverbs correctLY above.
added for emphasis only.
no more solo trips minus s.d.gib for awhile.
i come back far too exhausted.
far too much fun is had, but far too exhausted occurs.
story goes as follows...

other trip mentionables...

now i will sleep for 1 week straight.

and read.

are you reading yet? click here.

note: car dvd player, you saved us from catastrophic events, thank you. 4 movies in one day, far too much for one toddler, but he was glued. it was lovely.

these is my words

at first i thought,
"eh, what's the big deal?"
by pg. 165, i'm hooked.
i love sarah.
i want to be her friend.
i wish she lived down the street.
are you reading with us yet?
you still have until the end of May to get the book and get going!
and for heaven's sake sarah, will ya please just get with jack?!

emilisq's bloggin' bookies!: april/may's choice!

okay, so i'm not in hawaii, but i was in 2006!
doesn't that count;-)
the "pre-pork loin" years.
but this really was our view.
that was no lie!
it was aMAZing!
without further a-doo,
ladies & gents,
guys & dolls,
young & old,
i give you

emilisq's bloggin' bookies

book choice for

APRIL/MAY!!!!

i've heard so many women say this book was life changing for them.
there's a good chance some of you may have read this previously.
i always seem to pick out more things when i read a book the second time around.
i love to revisit characters.
live i've missed a good friend.
i'm already missing lily and august from last month's "the secret life of bees,"
aren't you!?
i hope you'll read with us!

it's honey time: Part 2

"See, Lily, honey is a preservative. It seals over the comb in the hives to keep it safe and pure so the bees can survive the winter. When we bathe Our Lady in it, I guess you'd say we're preserving her for another year, at least inside our hearts we're doing that." (pg. 269)

My favorite quotes, thoughts, and lessons from the book:

1. "You know how adults love to ask, 'So what are you going to be when you grow up?' I can't tell you how much I'd hated that question..." (pg. 16)
me too!!! one of my professors in college (elementary education degree) told me once, "Don't ask your students 'What do you want to be when you grow up.' Ask them 'What kind of a person do you want to be when you grow up.'" Meaning, a good person, a person with integrity, character, love, humility, desire to help others, etc. I LOVE that.
2. "Day one of my new life, I said to myself. That's what this is." (pg. 57)
It's ours for the taking. So get out there and TAKE it for yourself!
3. "We were to offer them the five-part plan of salvation, which they could accept or not. The church gave us a plastic glove with each step written on a different finger. You started with the pinkie and worked over to the thumb. Some ladies carried their salvation gloves in their purse in case they ran into a Catholic unexpectedly." (pg. 58)
hahahahaha, salvation gloves! I loved this, it made me laugh...only because I pictured our missionaries teaching the discussions with gloves on though;-)
4. "The body knows things a long time before the mind catches up to them. I was wondering what my body knew that I didn't." (pg. 69)
5. "It separates the honey," she said. "Takes our the bad stuff, leaves in the good. I've always thought how nice it would be to have spinners like this for human beings, Just toss them in and let the spinner do its work." (pg. 77)
thinking of anyone in your life you'd like to put in the spinner right now? how about yourself sometimes? me too:-)
6. "She reminded me that the world was really one big bee yard, and the same rules worked fine in both places: Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and long pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing want to be loved." (pg. 92)
this was my favorite lesson of this book. it pretty much summed up life for me. how to live it.
7. themes: and the truth shall set you free (example on pg. 101), having purpose, not dwelling on the past, honesty, sisterhood, life lessons, equality, learning to love those you nurture (June learning to love Lily, pg. 226), rebirth, readiness (pg. 237), saving grace
anyone else with me on this?
8. "I laid my head on his shoulder and wondered how he could stand me. In one short morning I had exhibited insane laughter, hidden lust, pissy behavior, self-pity, and hysterical crying. If I'd been trying to show him my worst sides, I could not have done a better job than this." (pg. 128-129)
ain't love grand?
9. salty peanuts and coca cola (pg. 139)
10. women loving people that sting (pg. 143)
11. "You've been halfway living your life for too long. May was saying that when it's time to die, go ahead and die, and when it's time to live, live. Don't sort-of-maybe live, but live like you're going all out, like you're not afraid." (pg. 211)
12. "We can't think of changing our skin," he said. "Change the word--that's how we gotta think." (pg. 216)
13. "She was like a sponge, absorbing what I couldn't hold anymore." (pg. 238)
14. "It was scary, my secrets spilled out across the room, like a garbage truck had backed up and dumped its sorry contents across the floor for her to sort through." (pg. 240)
sometimes laying it all out seems to be part of the healing process to me.
15. "...no matter how much you thought you could leave your mother behind, she would never disappear from the tender places in you." (pg. 237)
sooooooo true.
16. "In a weird way I must have loved my little collection of hurts and wounds. They provided me with some real nice sympathy, with the feeling I was exceptional. I was the girl abandoned by her mother. I was the girl who kneeled on grits. What a special case I was." (pg. 288)
17. "When you're unsure of yourself...when you start pulling back into doubt and small living, she's the one inside saying, 'Get up from there and live like the glorious girl you are.' She's the power inside you, you understand?...that's the only purpose grand enough for a human life. Not just to love--but to persist in love." (pg. 289)
goddesses! are we allowing our hearts to live to their fullest potential?
18. "People can start out one way, and by the time life gets through with them they end up completely different." (pg. 293)
19. "If you need something from somebody, always give that person a way to hand it to you." (pg. 298)
what a lesson to learn.

what were your favorite quotes, thoughts, and lessons?

tune in tomorrow to see what the April/May selection will be!

book club today, it's honey time: Part 1

"We lived for honey. We swallowed a spoonful in the morning to wake us up and one at night to put us to sleep. We took it with every meal to calm the mind, give us stamina, and prevent fatal disease. We swabbed ourselves in it to disinfect cuts or heal chapped lips. It went in our baths, our skin cream, our raspberry tea and biscuits. Nothing was safe from honey. In one week my skinny arms and legs began to plump out and the frizz in my hair turned to silken waves. August said honey was the ambrosia of the gods and the shampoo of the goddesses." (pg. 84)

it's honey time goddesses!!!
today will be questions for all of you,

tomorrow will be a more in depth discussion of what my favorite parts and thoughts were.

i can't WAIT to hear what you're thinking,
so without further ADU, here's some questions for YOU!
...
1. Who was the queen bee in this story?
2. Who was your favorite character or who did you find yourself connecting to the most? Why?
3. Who did the Black Madonna symbolize for you?
4. What "wailing walls" do you have in your life?
5. What do you see in Lily's future?
6. Which month would you have wanted to be named after? Why? (see pg. 137)
7. What themes did you pick out? (see #7 tomorrow AFTER you've written your answer!)
8. "If you could have one miracle from the Bible happen to you, what would it be?" (pg. 271)
...
tune in tomorrow to hear some thoughts from me,
including some of my favorite lessons and quotes!

part 2 is on it's way AND i can't wait to share with you!!!

"this is not good for my bracket"

VCU just lost in a last second shot, by one point. does this mean anything to anyone? s.d.gib says "this is not good for my bracket." bracket? i picked them to win too, but my bracket got completely screwed up when byu lost! dang, i had them going almost to the end. what can i say, i love the cougs!
now for these pork chops.
aren't they pretty?
goddesses,
please go pick some pork chops up from the store on friday, along with spinach, and feta cheese. you will need the following:
1 pkg. of feta cheese crumbled
4 pork chops (double recipe if you need more for your family)
3 cups spinach
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
accent salt
balsamic vinegar (pour over the chops the last 5 min. of baking)
step 1:
put the feta, spinach, and oil in your food processor, pulse/blend until it's chopped up (see pic above)
step 2:
sprinkle accent salt on both sides of all chops
step 3:
cut chops on one side so there's an opening in the middle
step 4:
stuff chops with spinach, feta, and oil mixture
step 5:
put the rest of the spices together in a bowl and rub both sides of chops with it
step 6:
put in baking dish, bake 375* 35-40 min. and WOW.
prepare to be amazed!!!!

here it is folks.

it's creamy, it's juicy, it's stuffed pork chops, and you can make 'em!
i served it with broccoli and sourdough bread.
so pretty.
i loved the green color before i baked it too.
breathtaking, don't you think?!
oh, and yes, that was green oatmeal yesterday.
sooooo cool on st. patrick's day, but NOT so cool the "day after."
..
i'm almost done with the "secret life of bees"
are you loving it? hating it? not started it yet?
what is she talking about??? click here.
not to fret!
you have over a week to get it read.
if you start friday, i've already done the math.
you will need to read 30 pgs. per day to finish by the 30th, discussion day.
30 pages!
that's it!!!
go ahead, get reading!
really, you should;-)
but you might not finish?
well...if you never start you will not finish,
so go ahead, give it a go,
30 pages!
arreba! (is that how you spell it)

loves to you and yours,
e

flip it, flip it good!

flip it, flip it good!!!

1 year

height 31 1/2 in. (90%)
weight 24.9 lbs. (75%)

poor pork loin lost 2 pounds!

rsv is on the down.

lungs sound "perfect."

real quote, i swear!

head diam. 19 (90%)

i think this means pork loin is out and shaq is in.

dad was running late,

but he still fixed my straps

and flipped my car seat for mom.

did i mention leah dropped dinner off last night?
taco soup.
amazing taco soup.
leah, recipe please:-)
i must mention jess and keri brought dinner too.
i don't have pictures, boo!
i love my friends.
thank goodness for friends.

should i be worried this is his favorite song?

naw, too cute for worry!

are you reading with us?

i'm on pg. 188.

so glad i still have the rest of the month to finish. how about you?

note: i've heard some of the colors i use are tough to read with my blog's background. i love my background and can't part with it, so please, which colors can you read the best? which ones are impossible? jess informed me that she's had many a nights scrolling the page slightly up and slightly down to see what a word is. oh my blogging goddesses, i am sorry for your vision! love to your eyes in green and blue today:-) and please, highlighting will help with those older posts in hard to read colors.

love to you and yours.

e

what is on my iPod??? i have no idea.

is it possible to have too much music?

i'm sitting here loading all of my old cds onto my iPod.

(at least the ones that haven't been completely ruined in the depths of my car)

i'm thinking, "i have so much music i don't even know what i have."

anyone else with me on this?

i usually end up listening to the most recent things i've purchased on iTunes.

matisyahu, lady GaGa, Beyonce, T.I., Rhianna

i make play lists by seasons:

spring 2003

fall 2004

sean & em's summer '07 mix

you get the idea.

then every so often i will remember an old song i used to love.

i'll search for it.

find it.

move it to my current play list.

listen.

and the pattern continues.

yet my iPod is almost to capacity

(at 60gigs how is this possible???)

and i have no idea what in the world is on it.

then i realize i could be a millionaire had i saved all the money on the cds i don't know i have...

naw, it was worth it! i love music. i dance around my kitchen making dinner with brennan in his high chair dancing too.

remind me to post a video of him dancing, so cute.

i mean really, i couldn't memorize biology in 7th grade, but i could memorize TLC's "waterfalls"

(that includes left-eye's rap ya'all!).

oh yeah, and salt and pepper's "shoop."

i used to fantasize that salt and pepper would show up at my door step, and i would know their names and be their friend from then on. you know like be the best fan so mtv would fly me out to TRL. so cool.

when you're 11.

...

BTW

so awesome to see how many people are reading with us in our book club.

are you reading yet?

click HERE

bloggin' bookies

are you reading with us yet?
it's short, it's sweet.
kinda like the pork loin;-)

a giveaway, a giveaway!!??

do you know i'm having a giveaway right now?

i am.

how do you win these lovelies?

the famous cookies
choc/mint/white choc choc cookies
butterscotch-e-roos
chinese haystack chocolates
oreo balls
homemade ice cream, pick a flavor, any flavor!
(you must live near me for that one folks)
white choc choc fudgey brownies
yellow cake with choc frosting
pick a treat, any treat!

make me laugh.

out
loud.

we're talking, possibly snorting kind of laughing.

go on, share an embarrassing moment or story,

or someone else's embarrassing moment or story!

a good joke you've heard.

it's good for the soul to laugh.

it's good for the heart!

so for the love of heart health, enter my giveaway!

oh yeah,

make sure

my

button's

on your page;-)

don't know how to add my button?

1. copy the stuff under "grab my button"

2. add the "html" gadget in the layout section of your blog

3. paste the stuff you just copied in the html gadget, save, and vwallah!

4. let me know if you have any problems:-)

...

also, have you joined my bloggin' bookies club yet?

we're reading this for FEB/MAR. read with us!