GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS AND WORSE NEWS

GOOD NEWS:

I was so excited to come home this evening and tell everyone about the funny film we just watched with our friends the Caswells. Then, we came home to a mess... (More about that in the bad news...) We just watched a really hilarious movie called "What's Up Doc" starring Barbra Streisand. Scott and I laughed out loud! They don't make movies like that any more!

BAD NEWS:

When we came home, our front room was flooded and the water heater under the stairs was pouring out water. Somehow it broke. Our food storage is also under the stairs so the four of us move the jars of food to the kitchen.

WORSE NEWS:

As the food was being moved, a box of canned pork and salsa was dropped on the carpet. Two jars of pork and one jar of salsa broke. We now had two HUGE messes to clean. I quickly googled salsa stains... we did our best trying to clean up the mess, but I'm afraid it's a lost cause. Kotten Kandy cut her foot pretty badly on the broken glass. (Luckily the blood did not get all over the carpet.)

I just feel like crying....

FUNNY HOMESCHOOL SONG

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A JANUARY SUNDAY MORNING

I'm under the weather today. :-( In fact, I'm sick enough to miss church (which is rare for me.) I've slept most of yesterday and this a.m., but I wanted to blog a few of the things that are rambling around in my head:

I have wonderful friends here in Kentucky! Terri Barber created beautiful wall art on her vinyl machine for my music room. The quote above the door really makes me smile... (Doctrine and Covenants 25:12) Isn't is beautiful! It's the small finishing touches that make a music room special!

My daughters have nicknamed me Yenta. (The reference is to "Fiddler on the Roof") Yenta is the matchmaker. And apparently, I have played matchmaker for my daughters in every ward we've ever been in. (I remind my daughters often that I get to pick out their husbands someday...) The two young men whom I have chosen for my daughters in this ward happen to be brothers. (I've already okayed the match with the boys' parents - so it's a done deal! - Besides I LOVE the parents and so I won't mind sharing with the in-laws!)

Spud (name has been changed to protect the innocent) is the oldest boy and the one I have picked for Key Lime Pie. He is SUPER smart. He wants to be a neurosurgeon. He also has a GREAT sense of humor. He plays the guitar and sings quite well! And he loves the gospel. He really has a testimony! He will make a perfect match for my eldest!

Spud:

Asparagus (again, a name change) is the brother I picked out for Kotten Kandy. He also has a fun sense of humor. He is sensitive and fun to hang around. He loves hunting and out door activities. He has taught my daughter how to fish. And soon he promised to help us purchase a bow for my daughter. He knows A LOT about bow and arrows. And Kotten Kandy really loves shooting.... They can hunt together! Asparagus also loves the gospel!

Asparagus:

I really am not trying to marry my daughters off young. I just love those two boys and since I don't have boys of my own, I figure I should do my part in helping my daughters look for righteous young men eventually.... I do love and miss my baby girls. Weren't they so cute?

Those pictures make me nostalgic for my babies!

One more thought for today: I never thought I would be an animal lover. But I do love my two dogs. Karmel has wormed her way into my heart. I think she senses that I am not well and has been cuddling with me all morning.

BORN TO BE HAPPY!

Being happy isn't a given in this life. It's a journey. And it is something that needs to be learned. So today, we discussed happiness in 'school'. We used Michael McLean's M2B:-) (Mission to be Happy) CD and handbook. Using music to help teach this subject to my daughters really is a good "fit" for our family!

The music really rocks, and brought smiles to all our faces. (Which is what it is designed to do.) It also taught us some great truths!

Michael McLean has struggled with clinical depression and diabetes for a long time. I could definitely relate. Depression has plagued me for many years also. I especially appreciated how he addressed getting help from doctors, therapists and counselors. It "opened up a discussion" with my daughters about how chemical imbalances run in our family, and that depression can be helped with therapy and pills. McLean's song, Pills, explains how he is dependent on pills, insulin and doctors, but he is mostly dependent on Heavenly Father. That is exactly how I feel and have felt.

Michael also reminds us that we don't know how long depression or sadness will last. He admonishes us to look for unexpected joys all around us. He sings about how he found an "unexpected joy" when he was listening to the Beatles and began singing "oooooh" With Paul and John.

Other suggestions at finding happiness include having faith in our Savior and finding YOUR own happiness (not someone else's). He also recommends finding good friends (including family) and letting go of negative friends and influences.

Michael McLean's book is a great handbook. And we loved the music. My daughters both want their own copies of the CD so they can listen to it in their own bedrooms.... I think this was school time well spent!

FIELD TRIP - THORTONS

My husband argues that we take a field trip to Thortons Gas Station every day. I really love coke icees - and they have the best! Only $0.89 and every fifth one is free! Well, today we went to Thortons, and their promotion was FREE hot chocolates! So both girls decided to get hot chocolate. I still wanted my coke icee so I went to the cash register to purchase my drink. Imagine my surprise when my icee was free too! We left with 3 drinks and didn't pay a cent! When my husband asked what we learned on our "field trip," I replied that we learned about good deals and saving money! Okay, I know it's a stretch, but I sure love Thortons Gas Station!