I find myself being negative this time of the year. The snow is still hanging around—black and dirty. The grass is dead and there’s a definite chill in the air. What I need is a good shot of positive energy. I look around me again. This time I see crocuses and tulips beginning to push… Continue Reading
Category Archives: The Sweet Side of Life
The Best Phone Call I Ever Got
“Thank you for being so mean.” That’s how it started out. The best phone call I ever got. When my oldest daughter was in her last year of college, she called home one day. It went like this: Daughter: Thanks, Mom, for being so mean and making us do all those chores. Now I understand… Continue Reading
Finding Joy in the Journey
Today is President Thomas S. Monson’s 85th birthday. In honor of his birthday, I am sharing an excerpt from one of my very favorite addresses by President Monson. If you want to read the complete text of his address, it’s “Finding Joy in the Journey.” In this address he talks about how many years it… Continue Reading
Heading for the Hills–Girls Camp!
It’s time to go to camp! Today is Girls Camp. Five leaders and 20 young women will load up their gear and head for the mountains. I love camp. I think it’s the best part of the best calling in the church. It’s true I may be certifiable, but I am definitely camp certified. This… Continue Reading
Transition to Joy
May is a month of transition. We’ve gone from winter to spring–and sometimes from spring to summer. The school year ends and thousands graduate. They move from high school to college and from college to the world. Sometimes it is the world that is changing and sometimes it is we who are changing. And when… Continue Reading
Think to Thank
This morning I’m writing thank-you notes. It’s something I don’t do nearly enough, but I’ve been inspired by a new friend who writes lots of thank-you notes. I know this, not because my friend tells me, but because I’ve been the recipient of a few–and for things I would not have thought to write a… Continue Reading
In Praise of School Music
I am a band geek. I’ve been a band geek since the ninth grade. I played the flute in the Granite Hills High School band. Most of my fondest high school memories involve band (most of the rest involve the school newspaper–probably no surprise there, but this is about music). Most of the friends from… Continue Reading
Happiness and Blessings
April has been a joyful month at our house. It’s also been a busy month. It’s spring, which makes everyone happier. We’ve been out working in the yard, planting fruit trees and grapevines and preparing a garden plot. We love to be outdoors and we love to work together. We’re also feeling abundantly blessed. We’ve… Continue Reading
An Ordinary Angel
Today we have another guest post from J. I always enjoy her insightful writing. You can learn more about her at the bottom of this post. _______________________________________________ Each Sunday I walk into church loaded with bags: my purse, my scripture bag, the diaper bag and the activity bag. I look like a pack mule. Add… Continue Reading
Spring
Spring is here. It still looks the same outside my window, but the calendar tells me the seasons have changed. Spring is perhaps the most hopeful of all seasons. By now, most of us in the colder climates are tired of cold and snow and being cooped up indoors too much. Admittedly, we’ve been a… Continue Reading