tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20833963527300562312024-03-18T22:04:45.561-07:00Mama's Junk DrawerMary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-8228549883560980512015-09-01T08:22:00.002-07:002015-09-01T08:35:02.074-07:00Best laid schemesOne thing I've really tried to do for myself this year is to set reasonable goals, give myself a time <br />
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frame to complete them, and hold fast to my plans. I'm not a great goal setter, and I really never have been. I have, however, always been the type that my value is wrapped up in the amount of tasks I get done each day. If I accomplish what I deem is nothing, then I get extremely down on myself. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAdGCjOwu9ft4P5GB3b9j_8TQOsVgS52U57YD-FkqUfgdBb1mshnq_Gm4pLICHNFxbGcnCF-__D7XnmG3qZxoqYGCz2c_XH-uc3X5zfJ-miJghdcs9gVQUDd2PGnetlbnaRGGMHlZZN8v/s1600/2AB090AF00000578-3169180-image-m-2_1437464560266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAdGCjOwu9ft4P5GB3b9j_8TQOsVgS52U57YD-FkqUfgdBb1mshnq_Gm4pLICHNFxbGcnCF-__D7XnmG3qZxoqYGCz2c_XH-uc3X5zfJ-miJghdcs9gVQUDd2PGnetlbnaRGGMHlZZN8v/s320/2AB090AF00000578-3169180-image-m-2_1437464560266.jpg" width="230" /></a>So, this year has pretty much been a health disaster for me, and my family. Not that we've had major diseases that put us in the hospital, but it's been a lot of small, minor problems with our health, like strep throat, asthmatic bronchitis, falling, car accident, back aches, ingrown toenails, etc. These little crises have done nothing for my goal setting! In fact, they have completely blown out of the water all of the things that I have wanted to accomplish.<br />
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My kitchen didn't get painted, we didn't go on a family vacation, I didn't clean out my sewing room and move Emily into it. Because of all these goals getting shuffled aside as I took care of the incidents as they came, Summer vacation flew past me like a flash (totally unfair, seeing as how slow winter went by!) and the start of the school year hit me upside the head, and I never saw it coming!<br />
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It was the second week of school, and Heather was supposed to get packed and ready to move into Peter's parents' house so she could be closer to BYU; and we were already behind on shopping for her and making sure she had everything she needed. My big plan was to use the time the other two kids were in school to get all this done before she had to go to First Year Orientation on Thursday and Friday, then Saturday we would take her down to the grandparents' house and we would make sure she was settled in. The plan was all set in my mind of the tender tears of happiness we'd shed as we gave our final hugs, and Heather would have a couple of nights to settle into her new home before the first day of school.<br />
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Just as it had all year long, fate had a completely different idea of how the week would go. I got a migraine (probably from all the stress). No problem - I still have Tuesday and Wednesday to get Heather's shopping done and all her stuff packed. WRONG! Danny contracted Hand Foot and Mouth (it took us two trips to the doctor and 4 days to figure that out) and because he was contagious he had to stay home from school ALL of last week. I was up all night with him a couple of nights because of fevers and a sore throat. Then, Emily's vice principal called - she was having issues at school (she has mild Asperger's) and we needed to rearrange her schedule. Oh, and I forgot that Daniel was scheduled to have surgery in two weeks, so better make sure the surgery has prior authorization (that took several phone calls instead of just the standard one, of course.) <br />
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Next thing I know, Friday night rolls around and I am chilling and coughing, and I don't feel well. Seriously?!<br />
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Needless to say, the whole moving Heather to the grandparents' didn't happen. And instead of tears of happiness, I ended up sobbing and depressed, having a meltdown because this was not the plan!<br />
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We did a "hard reset" of our plans, and afterward, as I sat in my room thinking, the phrase, "the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry," went through my head. Best laid schemes, indeed! Nothing happened the way I wanted it to go.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Burns</td></tr>
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But where did that phrase even come from? I decided to look it up. I knew that the book "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck was not the source of this phrase, but certainly used it in the title. <br />
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I was surprised to find that the phrase came from a poem written in 1785 by the very famous Scottish poet and beloved bard, and farmer, Robert Burns (1759-1796). I tried to read the poem, but it being half Old English, part gaelic and another part highland slang it was really difficult to understand. Fortunately, Wikipedia had a "translated" version of the poem. Unfortunately, it didn't rhyme, and the original meaning of the poem got lost in translation. I decided to try my hand at translating the poem while trying to keep true to the ideas and beauty of the original. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_a_Mouse">Here </a>is a link to the original). What follows is my version of the poem:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>To a Mouse</b><br />by Robert Burns </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tiny, sleek,
cowering, timorous beastie,<br />O, what a
panic's in thy breastie!<br />You need not
start away so hasty<br />With your
bickering brattle!<br />I’d be loath
to run and chase thee,<br />With my murdering
plow paddle.<br /><o:p> </o:p>I'm truly
sorry man's dominion<br />Has broken
Nature's social union,<br />And
justifies that ill opinion<br />Which makes you
startle<br />At me, my poor,
earth born companion<br />And wee fellow
mortal!<br /><o:p> </o:p>I do not
doubt, sometimes you may thieve;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br />What then?
poor beastie, you must live!<br />An
occasional ear in 24 sheaves<br />Is but a
small request;<br />I'll get a
blessing with the leaves,<br />The one ear
never missed.<br /><o:p> </o:p>Your tiny
housie, too, in ruin!<br />Its flimsy
walls the winds are strewing!<br />And nothing,
now, to build a new one,<br />The fog
grows thicker!<br />And bleak
December's winds ensuing,<br />Both sharp
and bitter!<br /><o:p> </o:p>Thou saw the
fields laid bare and waste,<br />And weary
winter coming fast,<br />And cozy
here, beneath the blast,<br />You thought
to dwell,<br />Till crash!
the cruel coulter passed<br />Out through
thy cell.<br /><o:p> </o:p>That wee bit
heap of leaves and rubble,<br />Has cost
thee many a weary nibble!<br />Now your
turned out, for all thy trouble,<br />But house or
hold,<br />To bear the
winter's sleety dribble,<br />And hoarfrost
cold.<br /><o:p> </o:p>But Mousie,
thou art not alone,<br />In proving
foresight may be vain:<br />The
best-laid schemes of mice and men<br />Going oft
awry,<br />And leave us
naught but grief and pain,<br />For the promised
joy!<br /><o:p> </o:p>Still thou
are blessed, compared with me!<br />The present
only touches thee:<br />But alas! I
backward cast my eye,<br />On prospects
drear!<br />And tho the
future I cannot see,<br />I can only guess
and fear!</span></blockquote>
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This poem beautifully sums up this whole past year for me! I feel like the mouse who had planned and worked so hard to set his plan in motion, but then an unseen force, much bigger than me, with plans of its own, came and plowed all of my goals, overturning them and causing the mouse to panic. But, unlike the plowman in the poem who is simply trying to prepare the fall field for winter, the unseen force in my situation - aka Heavenly Father - has my own best interest at heart. At least, I have to believe that to be the case, because to not believe that would mean that all my struggles and plans are in vain, and I should just give up now.<br />
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The fact is that with all of the things that have happened this year, I count my blessings that they have not all happened at once, that they are small manageable things, and that for every problem there are scores of blessings that I have been given. One of those blessings is that if this year's succession of small crises had happened even two years ago, I am not sure I'd have been able to emotionally handle them in the way that I have managed to handle them this year. Tally it all up and the summation is this: my plight in comparison to others' is minuscule. <br />
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So, here's to the best laid schemes of mice and men that often go awry, but in the end, it's not the trial itself that defines our outcome, rather it is our ATTITUDE that defines our outcome.<br />
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Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-82261664348698008762015-08-31T15:08:00.001-07:002015-08-31T15:08:41.690-07:00Not Alone.I am going to try to start blogging again on a regular basis. I love to write, and I think one of the few gifts we can give to each other as fellow human beings is to share experiences. As C.S. Lewis said, "We read to know we're not alone." Well, hopefully as you read what I write, you'll know you are most certainly not alone! <br />
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Speaking of being alone, when I was about 3 or 4 years old, I had this shirt that said, "Leave me alone, I'm having a crisis!" <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is exactly what my T-shirt looked like!</td></tr>
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A family member got that shirt especially for me because I used to say, "Leab me 'lone!" all the time. I like alone time. I have always cherished being alone with my thoughts and my music. <br />
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Having 3 children, especially with them being spaced 5 to 6 years apart, does not give me much alone time! And usually when I do get those precious moments away from my children, I spend it cleaning or sleeping.<br />
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Today, for the first time, EVER, all my kids were at school, Peter was at work and I was all alone for HOURS. It was both amazing and. . .well, frankly, boring! I have so much that I CAN do, so much that I WANT to do, that I really didn't know where to start! <br />
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So, what did I do in those blissful alone hours? I got on Facebook, of course! I spent two hours stalking other people's lives so that I didn't have to focus on the fact that the house was way too quiet, and so I didn't have to hear that little voice in my head that said,<i> "you probably ought to get something done!" </i> (This voice sounds a lot like my mother, by the way.)<br />
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Not to worry, though. I know I'll adjust, and in no time, I'll be getting to the extremely long list of things that I've set for myself to get done when all the kids are finally in school full-time. Or, I might just sleep; Heaven knows that I have <i>years </i>of that to catch up on!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-9683094801422351132012-02-08T12:49:00.000-08:002012-02-08T12:49:55.043-08:00Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_qbR-CB3-dQ-QBZwCAmNJ35sxrDIbs6S15MivQMBMtwU2-Xy6yf2eQvCLDuXiLgO45zDG4gTj9FX9yP4_QHfrt6frr2S7jq4t1btt9iWbj9ytVGRrPI-VdSQAVPRVw21sOdQGL-4GDht/s1600/p00076.TIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_qbR-CB3-dQ-QBZwCAmNJ35sxrDIbs6S15MivQMBMtwU2-Xy6yf2eQvCLDuXiLgO45zDG4gTj9FX9yP4_QHfrt6frr2S7jq4t1btt9iWbj9ytVGRrPI-VdSQAVPRVw21sOdQGL-4GDht/s320/p00076.TIF" width="320" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]-->All of us, as human beings, search for happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to be our nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The search for happiness has caused us to conquer far away lands, to leave our homes and family to look for something better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The search has built empires, destroyed civilizations, spawned myths and stories, fought and won many battles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think about it, it is the seeking of something better that has driven history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes the search has been selfish, but sometimes finding happiness has been for the betterment of all mankind. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Happiness doesn’t seem to be a permanent thing, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who say they are always happy – well, either they are lying, or maybe something is wrong upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps there IS some permanent state of happiness, but whenever life gets too settled into happiness, one of two things usually happens: either we humans get bored with the constant peace, or some big catastrophe hits and our happiness is jarred loose from its moorings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just can’t seem to be happy for too long.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, I have to say that as people age, their want for happiness and stability changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is only the young, it seems, who can’t deal with the idea of long-standing joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up, I had much older parents than my peers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom was 42 when she had me, and because of this I was around her friends, who were also older.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am very comfortable around older people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friends would sometimes say, “It creeps me out to think about getting older!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t understand what my friends were talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw something in older people, something that was relatively consistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With few exceptions, my parents and their friends (I am talking people over the age of 55) were content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, “old” people complain about aches and pains, they move more slowly, and don’t seem to want to party anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But despite their wrinkles, age spots, thinning hair, and lack of modern style, they are happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason experience has brought happiness to the more senior members of society.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know that at age 36 I find myself happier than I was when I was 21, or even 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember very often saying to myself, “When this happens I will be happy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, “When I am such-and--such age/make more money, then I will be happy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I became whatever magical age it was that I so hoped to be at the time, and I didn’t really find myself much happier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continually make more money each year (thank heavens) but we seem to always find ways to spend it, and it hasn’t made us any happier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask anyone who has won the lottery and they’ll tell you that a year later, they haven’t found happiness – in fact, many will say that money has only brought them grief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBHo1JGaU4xDkmAh6B1d6jKTelVUCaJAMDg7lMhjfPTyjIrUkor43e_DiT-Pmd683wPll0_jsWfvq4LHDR1GJ8wci-_XobFDrNO2OA8GKDJ-zSS0e50Mct9Vmx0tJB7crqbKyGVVIQzlL/s1600/p01467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBHo1JGaU4xDkmAh6B1d6jKTelVUCaJAMDg7lMhjfPTyjIrUkor43e_DiT-Pmd683wPll0_jsWfvq4LHDR1GJ8wci-_XobFDrNO2OA8GKDJ-zSS0e50Mct9Vmx0tJB7crqbKyGVVIQzlL/s320/p01467.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="MsoNormal">When I was younger I found bits and pieces of joy, but it left as quickly as it came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said to myself “if” and “when” so much, that one day I realized my youth was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I “iffed” and “whenned” it away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, while I kept waiting for the next joyful moment to come, life happened to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes life was great, sometimes the trials were so hard that I wondered if I would ever be happy again. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through the years I’ve experienced so much:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thrill of anticipation as the day I would marry my best friend approached, and then the happiness that filled my whole being when that day finally came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My stomach falling through the floor when my husband and I found out that his job was no more, and we had just signed a mortgage six months earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt more love than I ever thought was possible for one person to feel for another person when I held each one of my three babies for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart has broken in a million pieces as I watched loved-ones struggle with addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pride I had for my children when they learned to smile, talk, and walk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the stages of grief I went through when my mother died, oddly mingled with relief that she was no longer suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each experience has re-shaped my definition of happiness.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think this is why so many older people are content as the years pass, and experience builds upon experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not that they settle for less, or that they have given up on obtaining joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have found that happiness was always in their lives, but they were so busy looking for it, that they didn’t see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, how can you be happy if you haven’t known sadness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you know joy, if you had never felt suffering?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJeGYB65uyG7-HlSx5DTmgtFBsoKncBC9bD4jOFOkvj_Sboh_TSTm1dcncvxIjYIZRA7dMqdYo_STtuZBdnehGDCCLQ3IXVpiLr7pel5w1sGw8FyZSfiomfHGs3J-wVzb85CL82KPy_mJ/s1600/p01094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJeGYB65uyG7-HlSx5DTmgtFBsoKncBC9bD4jOFOkvj_Sboh_TSTm1dcncvxIjYIZRA7dMqdYo_STtuZBdnehGDCCLQ3IXVpiLr7pel5w1sGw8FyZSfiomfHGs3J-wVzb85CL82KPy_mJ/s320/p01094.jpg" width="314" /></a>To help illustrate what I am saying, here’s an example: there was a study I heard of in which they took babies just learning to crawl and they set the baby down on a floor made of glass that was suspended above the floor about three feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The half of the floor that they put them down on was painted solid white, so that it appeared to be solid ground, but the other half was left clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They put the mother opposite the baby and had her call for it to come to her, causing the baby to have to cross the clear glass to get to its mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of the babies in turn would get to the part where the white painted surface would end, and even though it would appear that they were up off the ground and might fall, they didn’t hesitate to cross the clear glass to get to their mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two months later, after having experienced the trials and triumphs of crawling, they repeated the test again, using the same babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second time through, every child stopped at the portion of glass where white became clear, and they would not cross the glass to get to their mothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The illusion of a fall was enough to stop them from proceeding further, even though they would not have fallen through the solid glass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before their experiences with crawling, they didn’t know anything about falling, and so they didn’t worry about it. They didn’t know it, so in their minds falling didn’t exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after a few falls off the couch, a few tumbles down the stairs, they understood well what going off a solid ledge would do, so they wouldn’t take the chance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That’s how happiness is for us humans!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We think we know what happiness is because people tell us about it from the time we are very young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our parents tell us stories about what happiness is, what it should feel like, and from time to time we glimpse happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few happy experiences, and a few unhappy ones, we start to realize what happiness is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we are on the other side of the hill, as it were, we finally comprehend what it is to truly have joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OeOvH5ck2aTo5ZlYsP1cyxd1TasydIAVb6tw7i2Pd0O6CGpmDwQDphiFYD4ibwxMA6DzYHOF33t1BWiCz2FYEc-plxOCtIqSbx6Ma66c3aBv0VWjOBvrYpBQznHyU9F1eq3DLyhWYXOK/s1600/DSC00342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OeOvH5ck2aTo5ZlYsP1cyxd1TasydIAVb6tw7i2Pd0O6CGpmDwQDphiFYD4ibwxMA6DzYHOF33t1BWiCz2FYEc-plxOCtIqSbx6Ma66c3aBv0VWjOBvrYpBQznHyU9F1eq3DLyhWYXOK/s320/DSC00342.JPG" width="320" /></a>I watch my elders and I see that joy is sitting by your lifelong love and watching the sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happiness is the family, all together again, eating good food, laughing with one another, little ones running around the house and playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happiness is seeing those same sweet little ones go home with their parents, knowing that you will see them again soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happiness is following the same routine, and even though it is what you did yesterday, and what you will do again tomorrow, it’s alright, because it is constant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True joy can be found in nearly every moment – sometimes there are sorrowful moments, but you know that, just like joy is fleeting, so is sorrow, and it can’t stay bad forever. . .</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">. . .and that’s something you can definitely be happy about!</div>Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-47796305728771078432011-09-07T16:27:00.000-07:002011-09-07T16:27:16.387-07:00Fall is in the air. . .Have you noticed that when the kids go back to school a couple of weeks later - almost like magic, there is this crisp clean feeling in the air? The feeling is something you can't quite put your finger on, but it definitely feels a little like Autumn. I wonder if it is some chemical the trees release as they ready themselves to change the color in their leaves. Maybe it's just the drop in temperature. I don't know - but what I do know is that I start craving apple crisp, and fresh, warm homemade bread with honey, and I get excited to pull out my sweaters and boots.<br />
<br />
The garden is starting to wind down. A couple of weeks ago it was bursting with ripeness, but now it looks a little faded and wilted. It's kind of sad, in a way, but also exciting because it means that in a few months I get to plant a whole new crop.<br />
<br />
We have had OODLES of tomatoes and cucumbers. In fact, I hate to say it, but I got sick of the cucumbers. They started tasting bitter when the weather got hot and I became wary of the taste! We also have cantaloupe ( I NEVER spell that right so thank heavens-to-Betsy for spell check!). The melons are huge and bursting with juice! They're better than last year's crop. The watermelon died, though. We have a few, but the vines up and withered when we got that really hot spell. We've tried one of them but it wasn't very good. I've decided that watermelon from the fruit stand is better and cheaper.<br />
<br />
We've also had carrots - still have another crop that's getting ready to harvest - and we have the scrawniest, most sad onions ever, and I'm not sure they're worth the time or space either. Maybe I just need to plant a different variety, because last year's onions were scrawny, too. We planted too late and got very few peas (plus the quail got into the seeds after we planted). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhea_1D0D4MAA9lTZS9LtN9krd_GfsJeYp4YH28_Srl80Y67-gbPeMVycwmsQhqvGcCFdHvT99GVUVL3UcTTYUHKW-FPtRcYPnQt4h9DTZHe78xc5DVc46Hug8ertpBLCkLbKAtf7eE9G5v/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhea_1D0D4MAA9lTZS9LtN9krd_GfsJeYp4YH28_Srl80Y67-gbPeMVycwmsQhqvGcCFdHvT99GVUVL3UcTTYUHKW-FPtRcYPnQt4h9DTZHe78xc5DVc46Hug8ertpBLCkLbKAtf7eE9G5v/s320/IMG_1167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The corn has been amazing, though! So sweet and abundant! I'm not sure it's cheaper to plant corn, but it is certainly worth it.<br />
<br />
All in all, I think the best bounty that we've received from our garden can't be eaten, but it can be savored - and that is FAMILY TIME. We've spent hours working together, watching, weeding, and harvesting. Peter and I have done most of the work, yes, but even strengthening our relationship has had its own benefits for our kids. Don't get me wrong - it hasn't all been sunshine and daisies - we've had some of our biggest family fights in the garden, too. But, in the final tally, I think it's been an amazing harvest that we didn't expect!<br />
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I am so looking forward to the Autumn - raking leaves, long walks, Halloween, putting the garden to rest for the winter. And definitely sweaters and boots!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-84653934911224708622011-07-06T08:49:00.000-07:002011-07-06T08:49:30.150-07:00Nervous BreakdownI finally flipped last weekend. That is all I have to say!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-84165494401686862972011-06-23T10:34:00.000-07:002011-06-23T11:05:05.229-07:00It's our anniversary!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0gpqvYiHSvcSuWbt5SstJ7ldLeVPAJoGe_YBZUhgHm1HtGm8Qc21XyPdbra-P97OWPj9ITON_q5-b10ArhyRvtnVxpC_7KKMnD-25couT-5gxdSnHWeTJCa9cpmbZe7_KK8apeXYHY2p/s1600/Temple+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0gpqvYiHSvcSuWbt5SstJ7ldLeVPAJoGe_YBZUhgHm1HtGm8Qc21XyPdbra-P97OWPj9ITON_q5-b10ArhyRvtnVxpC_7KKMnD-25couT-5gxdSnHWeTJCa9cpmbZe7_KK8apeXYHY2p/s320/Temple+1.jpg" width="201" /></a>Sweet 16! How is it that I have been married for <span style="font-size: large;">16 years</span>?!!! I seriously just turned 16! Actually, I've turned 16 twice, and then some.<br />
<br />
So, what has happened in 16 years? Maybe it would be easier to say what <i>hasn't</i> happened. Here are just a few things that have happened. We have. . .<br />
<ul><li>had three kids.</li>
<li>moved 7 times, all in the first 7 years.</li>
<li>traveled 1,909 miles, 4 days, in a U haul, with a 6 month-old, and a sedated cat, from Orem, UT to Pittsburgh, PA, stayed 6 months, then turned around and traveled 1,909 miles, 4 days, in a U haul, with a 1 year-old, and a sedated cat from Pittsburgh, PA to Orem, UT.</li>
<li>been to California at least 6 times.</li>
<li>(Peter has) worked for 6 different accounting firms.</li>
<li>bought a house.</li>
<li>had to declare bankruptcy once.</li>
<li>amazingly enough, neither one of us has been kicked out of the house after an argument.</li>
<li>just since Danny's been born, we've had to call poison control 5 times (fortunately, it's never been serious!)</li>
<li>owned three cars, only one has been new.</li>
<li>I have had major hip surgery, knee surgery, and been on crutches for, cumulatively, over a year of our married lives together.</li>
<li>had the following pets: rats, fish, turtles, frogs, lizards, mice, parakeets, and so many cats that I can't even count. Right now we have two cats. (I have to admit that the pets are all my fault - well, some of them have been Heather's fault.)</li>
<li>had countless computers and, but I don't think we've ever bought a brand new one.</li>
<li>for the first 2 1/2 years of our marriage we didn't have a T.V.</li>
<li>managed to stay out of debt for the past 7 years (excluding our mortgage.)</li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMmx8Ef_fMCu25ErKa1ZlqcnK0TXrwCgdApTvm_So9v9vFWetUxW44gecC5kg_W4DRu7yI8UCRIVYc_SfobnXZSNy1pp06gIwxthHceA8L7T0GLkS549m078knHQptW2QeaIyT7XZYjuc/s1600/Temple+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMmx8Ef_fMCu25ErKa1ZlqcnK0TXrwCgdApTvm_So9v9vFWetUxW44gecC5kg_W4DRu7yI8UCRIVYc_SfobnXZSNy1pp06gIwxthHceA8L7T0GLkS549m078knHQptW2QeaIyT7XZYjuc/s320/Temple+2.jpg" width="162" /></a>Obviously, we're not glamorous or exciting people, but, looking back on this list - and thinking of all of the things I didn't include on this list - we've certainly experienced quite a few things. Marriage is not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be my "happily ever after," but instead it was my "your life is just starting"! It's a daily challenge for us to live with each other; even after 16 years, we're still dealing with a lot of the same things that we dealt with in our first year of marriage that caused a lot of arguments. There are a lot of days that are boring, frustrating, and we feel a lot like two people who are living separate lives in the same house. But I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade Peter for any other man on the face of this planet, and that I am glad that I am married. We've seen a lot of marriages fail, and we've seen a lot succeed, and we both agree that staying married seems much easier than being divorced.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIT3WuUsNqfiKG907UkXbMhcE0OUE5M4C4_gJGMReH998JZxUIL31nK5V9fcdo4TMSDL1sNz2el2iwObmYMJF4IrLxFISF96nKbeaBTV2AOGUUDFit90syoz0SRY91EOfHp0LeRpC2cIg/s1600/Recep+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIT3WuUsNqfiKG907UkXbMhcE0OUE5M4C4_gJGMReH998JZxUIL31nK5V9fcdo4TMSDL1sNz2el2iwObmYMJF4IrLxFISF96nKbeaBTV2AOGUUDFit90syoz0SRY91EOfHp0LeRpC2cIg/s320/Recep+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>I think kids have added more of everything to our marriage: more happiness, more yelling, more smiles, more grief, less time together alone, less sleep, less boredom, less selfishness, less money, more laundry, and etc. We've joked that we'd be better parents if we didn't have kids. I cannot imagine life without them. It's hard to explain, but even when we didn't have them it seems like they were always there, they just hadn't been born yet.<br />
<br />
With all that said, this post is dedicated to Peter - Happy Anniversary, Honey! Even though it seems like we're going through the "poorer, sickness, worse" part of our marriage lately, Happy Anniversary!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-70510825531976091032011-06-22T09:02:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:02:31.674-07:00I was born this wayWe got a letter from our insurance company - one that many of you have probably received - wherein they ask about a claim that they processed (six months ago, I might add). They already paid the claim, but they want to know if there is any liability for someone else to pay it. Basically the questions are as follows:<br />
<blockquote style="color: blue;">Is the reason for the above condition the result of accident or injury?<br />
Did this condition happen at a location such as at work, at a business, or other residence?<br />
Was this condition caused by someone's lack of care or caution?<br />
Did this condition happen as a result of a car accident?</blockquote>I guess I could have put that my parents are responsible, because I was born with this condition. Technically my conception was "an accident", as it were; it did happen at their residence (as far as I know); and it was because of someone's "lack of caution"; but I don't think a car had anything to do with it (and I really don't want to know if it did. <br />
<br />
The questions go on, and on - about 12 in all. Basically, they could have saved time and paper by simply asking this:<br />
<blockquote><span style="color: #cc0000;">Is there any way we can stick this bill to someone else? Because we </span><i style="color: #cc0000;">REALLY</i><span style="color: #cc0000;"> don't want to pay it!</span></blockquote>Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-46035902040985757462011-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:002011-06-20T09:46:46.371-07:00Down the Rabbit Hole!Yesterday, I had one of the most bizarre experiences. I fell down the rabbit hole! You know - the one from Alice in Wonderland, the one Alice falls through, where everything is upside-down, topsy-turvy, and nothing makes sense anymore.<br />
<br />
I can't go into specifics about why I had this experience, and what precipitated all of this (one word: family), but I can say this: suddenly I was running out the door, asking people if I was still asleep, and I found myself sitting on the floor of our new shed with the door closed and locked. It was the only place I could think of where I could be alone.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I seriously wonder if all this is some huge joke - like, some evil child has me in a big jar, and every once in a while, this evil kid shakes the bottle, just to see what I'll do! I know it's not, that there is a bigger plan to all of this, but that is the way I feel from time to time. That evil kid is going to kill me, slowly, one shake at a time!<br />
<br />
I eventually got up off the shed floor and returned to my house, where the Mad Hatter, the Hare, the Mouse, and the White Rabbit, were all waiting for me, offering me a good cup-o' tea. I, Alice, have decided to accept that I am definitely in Wonderland!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-79776332938518782012011-06-18T10:52:00.000-07:002011-06-18T10:52:22.422-07:00Oh, the funny things kids say!<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUvwsgwyAh-7Gfo5NJW-FnIxVNmmZV3-anrvwVii1lfP2w5YtiQjOlxBPJDTLN-1WfH5T7xIXdh8BqYo55X2oTeDLYyLZWqzptJvpYBm3W-jf9a_UKHd3sHkFBfYeQ3Ihwfd_bKzCMKcK/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUvwsgwyAh-7Gfo5NJW-FnIxVNmmZV3-anrvwVii1lfP2w5YtiQjOlxBPJDTLN-1WfH5T7xIXdh8BqYo55X2oTeDLYyLZWqzptJvpYBm3W-jf9a_UKHd3sHkFBfYeQ3Ihwfd_bKzCMKcK/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I quite often make up lyrics to songs. Last night, with Danny and Heather, I was singing to "Let's Go Fly a Kite":<br />
<br />
"Let's all go to bed, to rest our sleepy heads,<br />
Let's all go to bed and start a-snoring!"<br />
<br />
Anyway, it continued until the last words, when I sang, "oh let's go, go to bed!" On cue and on pitch Daniel sang a long, clear "Noooooo!" It totally cracked Heather and I up.<br />
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The kids and I packed up the wagon with towels and sunscreen and walked to the neighborhood pool a couple of days ago. Our "adopted grandma" (Barbara) came out to talk to us and asked us, "Where are you going?"<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUT45_H5qf1ZLPlPwRvlGQFgNvs-1CvJuHtO3GUVoLU0ogIGBGBygXe1CBXoTTWtoldA6n4CO5wYU5UddT5Q-9ECNwYgFZ7Xv2Y0cMTL0z06gqIXeLWCZgE-hk8RZkl6xi5A6hjxui-hC/s1600/IMG_0611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUT45_H5qf1ZLPlPwRvlGQFgNvs-1CvJuHtO3GUVoLU0ogIGBGBygXe1CBXoTTWtoldA6n4CO5wYU5UddT5Q-9ECNwYgFZ7Xv2Y0cMTL0z06gqIXeLWCZgE-hk8RZkl6xi5A6hjxui-hC/s320/IMG_0611.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Daniel said, "To the church!"<br />
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I said, "No, we're going to the pool."<br />
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"To the school!" he shouted.<br />
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"No, Danny - the pool."<br />
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"To the cool!"<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVt1fwYWzlmBIOx7ciXSjmgVB4HnQJkMzTVY_EQFjuzosUJCxZBjk2hBeelWsFJffYM44LEgYHyF_LydcgrjkE7x961EiIhUy-NYDJ5GkvpCW-o9tZUph695qMMiJdKf_20y12KfJU-5a/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVt1fwYWzlmBIOx7ciXSjmgVB4HnQJkMzTVY_EQFjuzosUJCxZBjk2hBeelWsFJffYM44LEgYHyF_LydcgrjkE7x961EiIhUy-NYDJ5GkvpCW-o9tZUph695qMMiJdKf_20y12KfJU-5a/s400/IMG_0072.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the cats in the background - I'd hate to be Freddy - Zuma has a stinky bum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally I enunciated, "Danny - the p-p-p-pool!"<br />
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"Oh, to the p-p-p-pool!" he said. Another laugh! <br />
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Emily has been watching Yu-Gi-Oh (or however it is spelled), and is therefore learning a completely different way of speaking. The cartoon likes to use big words, so she's also been trying that out. She asked me the other day if the garden was "exasperating" me. I laughed. Then, the other day, Heather and I listened to her go into her room, trip over her toy horse, throw it out of the way, and say, "Curse you, Horse!" in a gruff voice.<br />
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They say to be healthy and happy you should laugh every day - I do!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-44045549635438448502011-06-16T17:34:00.000-07:002011-06-16T17:34:55.473-07:00Ahh, Ahhh, Ahhhhh, CHOOOOOOO!So, supposedly, we're supposed to be stewards of this great and marvelous world God gave us. I have no problem with that. The problem I have is allergies! Why, if I am supposed to (and I would truly like to) plant a garden, trees, pull weeds, feed birds, mow my lawn, why would God make that nigh to impossible by causing my body to treat every pollen, spore, and dust it encounters as a grave offense? This doesn't make sense! <br />
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I understand the reason for weeds (though I really don't like them!) I understand the need for insects (except for earwigs). It's all a test, and something about Adam and Eve and some fruit - I get that. But why make it impossible for some of us to be able to enjoys God's great outdoors?<br />
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Sorry, I know I'm whining. I'll just go take an allergy pill and lie down now!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2083396352730056231.post-76542931776503799592011-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:002011-06-15T11:25:40.253-07:00Welcome to my Junk Drawer!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My mom had a special drawer in the kitchen devoted to just "junk".</span></span> It was a lost and found, of sorts, and also a go to place if you needed some odd thing for this and that. As Mama went through the house, cleaning and tidying, she'd pick up small things and put them in the junk drawer. If we lost a small item, the junk drawer was the first place to look, second only to my room (I was the youngest child, and I found my brothers' and sisters' stuff so amazing that I just had to take it to my room. Okay, okay - I stole stuff!)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQFjJvk8bPjeeqcQ23_ra7esoZvYJsIYRZWngu2lniw0fTuPhIpPLPGR14Htgt30ndp0glR7sN-kxQQ_MzNB2vkqYaNtn65KQc8go0QqKwJhM8O_TNhi-Rk3pGMgEhthXJFMEw8dkmmcq/s1600/p00369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQFjJvk8bPjeeqcQ23_ra7esoZvYJsIYRZWngu2lniw0fTuPhIpPLPGR14Htgt30ndp0glR7sN-kxQQ_MzNB2vkqYaNtn65KQc8go0QqKwJhM8O_TNhi-Rk3pGMgEhthXJFMEw8dkmmcq/s200/p00369.jpg" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mama</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">What was in Mama's junk drawer? </span> Paper clips, safety pins, rubber bands, ponytail bands, assorted screws, nuts and bolts, nails, bobby pins, barrettes, push pins, a hat pin (who uses those anymore?!), a beat up hammer, assorted board game pieces, pens (some worked, some didn't), pencils that needed sharpening, batteries (that might be dead), old broken jewelry, interesting rocks we kids found and "had" to keep, stuff we didn't even know what it was or how to use it, earrings that had no match, rubber bouncy balls, a few jacks. etc. She kepts the small items sorted in an old, plastic silverware drawer organizer, and under the organizer she kept obituaries that she clipped from the paper, coupons she would likely never use, our vaccination cards, and, off to the side, soup can labels rolled up in a rubber band (to give to the school for their fundraising). <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMUDxGaRJsSwn-j4pTOX3MP6oruUTLNkF1ZqdwLsIdab-ooJINI1Erdxh9WHcsBH0JxfqTKOb0fOkdki8mhEQru8VqFCQqEYbRPds3RYAX0KkV6y9npAEwjqCSKGAbAUQ9BjGFW8nJQ3R/s1600/Cricket+bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMUDxGaRJsSwn-j4pTOX3MP6oruUTLNkF1ZqdwLsIdab-ooJINI1Erdxh9WHcsBH0JxfqTKOb0fOkdki8mhEQru8VqFCQqEYbRPds3RYAX0KkV6y9npAEwjqCSKGAbAUQ9BjGFW8nJQ3R/s200/Cricket+bat.jpg" width="115" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Paddle"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The most dreaded thing in the junk drawer, at least to us kids, was "the paddle" - a toy cricket bat made out of cherry wood - when Mom was really mad, you knew it, because you'd hear the squeak of the junk drawer opening, and you better run for the hills with both hands over your bottom! The funny thing is, I only remember my mom using it once - the threat of it was enough to keep me in line! The paddle was discontinued in it's use as a "board of education," though, when one day my dad thought it would be a funny joke to smack my mom's backside with it while they had a playful argument. He didn't hit her hard at all, but tears came to her eyes when she felt it's sting. She had no idea how much the paddle could hurt until then! After apologizing sincerely to us, my mom only ever used it for drawing a straight line, helping to mark how tall we were getting on the wall, and other miscellaneous things it came in handy for.<br />
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I have vivid memories of helping my mom clean out the junk drawer every couple of years. We never knew what treasures we'd find, and it was fun to relegate items to certain compartments and sorting through everything.<br />
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Now that I am grown, married and have kids, I have a junk drawer, filled with all the same type of things. I don't know how a house could NOT have a junk drawer! Especially with kids. It's strange, though, because when my kids have their friends over, and they hear me say, "check the junk drawer!" none of them have ever heard of such a thing! But, they all love the idea, and I would like to think that they might start one of their own at their house. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIdrl0B0tpDTo8AxRc0IbBo7AwPjr_MvUhSSdPei961IAKyxxkGjGBbmMjMyPXnk-mhmA8ogRsDB0PULdjxub3xB9G4k9Pgyp0ecB5AqFC2CEjnWo_TFJg9Jd29tbpEybjlfxpat_f_ef/s1600/DSC00532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIdrl0B0tpDTo8AxRc0IbBo7AwPjr_MvUhSSdPei961IAKyxxkGjGBbmMjMyPXnk-mhmA8ogRsDB0PULdjxub3xB9G4k9Pgyp0ecB5AqFC2CEjnWo_TFJg9Jd29tbpEybjlfxpat_f_ef/s200/DSC00532.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">So, what does a junk drawer have to do with me and this blog?</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span> In my life, filled with stress, commotion, kids, hubby, carpool, church, and everything else on top, I find myself needing the proverbial "junk drawer": a place I can go to put all the special little things I find here and there, so that if I need it in the future, I can hopefully find it in the junk drawer! So here it is, my blog - my Junk Drawer! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope you can find a few things you might need here, too.</span> And definitely leave whatever special thoughts or memories you, yourself have! I just might need what you put in my Junk Drawer!Mary Ann Whitehead Oversonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12296321935438040393noreply@blogger.com0