"New York Doll"

If you haven't seen this film - really a documentary - yet, do everything in your power to watch it, soon. It will be particularly meaningful if you are a Latter-day Saint, but definitely isn't limited to an only-LDS audience. I hope I haven't posted about this before and am thus boring everybody, but this movie tells the story of Arthur "Killer" Kane, bassist for the New York Dolls, a rock band popular in the late 1970s, who joined the Church in 1989. I watched it tonight while I was walking on the treadmill. Somehow, his story fills me with gratitude and gives me hope and assurance that God gives us what we need most when it's most needed.

Recently I posted about a good day. Today was...less good. Sometimes I am absolutely awed (and concurrently angry!) that two children under the age of 4 years could so universally destroy each and every room of our house. That's each of the bedrooms, both of the bathrooms, the living areas, and even the basement. I have two options: I could become a Cleaning Nazi, which was my mom's tactic, or I can let them (more or less) loose in the house and tidy up later. I've been taking Option Two but I admit that I'd be much less successful without Dan's "Hurry Up and Clean" style after he gets home from work. (Then I remember this Ensign article I read once...this was from the 1970s, and it was encouraging women to better manage their lives, so that they could comb their hair, tidy up the house, put on a little lipstick and greet their husbands with a calm and loving smile when they returned from work. The feminist in me groans! It's a lovely ideal, but it would take a lot of grace to get me to that point.)

There is a Winter Storm Warning for the weekend here in MI. These things always disappoint, don't they? I mean, give me 2 feet of snow and cancelled church and completely impassable roads. THAT is a proper Winter Storm. Don't even classify it if we're just going to get a few inches of snow and some wind. Honestly.

I wish I had some pictures, or interesting stories, or whatever. The only thing I can thing of is Helena's comment tonight. She was about to get on the potty and take care of business, when she looked over at me and said, in complete seriousness, "Mom, I'm going to get on the potty and go pee, and then I'll flush the toilet and Bennie (our cat) can come in and have a drink. Bennie!!! Benihana!!!!"

And of course Hunter doesn't say much yet. But he is so precious! This is where only photos can approach justice for his adorability. He grins, he babbles, he crawls at lighting speeds around the house and up the stairs, with his trademark sashay (his little butt swings dramatically from side to side as he crawls.). His favorite thing to do - painful for the recipient but hilarious all the same - is to grab you by the hair and pull your head down to his tummy, where he fully expects you to give him Big Tickles. It's always worth the pain from the hair-pulling because he gives you Big Soul Laughs in exchange for the Big Tickles.

I'll try to get some more photos on here for next time...give you something worth looking at!

"Shouting is the sign of a weak mind straining to be heard."

A Good Day

Today WAS a good day. Nothing specific; it was just nice to spend time as a family (we had a "campout" in our living room, complete with mess kits, tents, and s'mores.). I also worked for a long time on my current BYU class (English History from 1689) in preparation for my midterm, and following soon after, my final exam. I will be done with this blasted course by the time I pack the van for Disney World.

In that Disney World vein: Tonight I watched a large portion of the Republican/Democratic debates from New Hampshire, and you know what I've decided? Mike Huckabee just isn't a very nice man. No more detail unless it's asked for, because this isn't a political blog. It's just what I came away with. Anyway - the whole thing got me a little riled up, so I went downstairs to do some laundry (what numbs your mind faster than laundry???) and I had my "sounds of Walt Disney World" channel playing on the computer from when I'd been studying. Hearing that nice peaceful monorail loop soundtrack spirited me away to a much, much, happier place, where politics don't exist - because it's a benevolent monarchy. In fact (skip ahead, this is boring), the community of Lake Buena Vista has about 6 permanent residences for legal purposes, but is completely controlled by the Disney company. That way they can make changes to the property (which is twice the size of Manhattan) without opposition.

Another good thing that happened today was that I made it all the way through one of my early 90s Susan Powter workouts - and I didn't feel like retiring to my bed for the remainder of the day! Susan's gone absolutely bonkers now, but her energy is infectious without being obnoxious.

The only thing keeping today from being fantastic is that Hunter is teething. The poor thing has this enormous tooth cutting right through his tender little gums...Helena tried to encourage him by telling him it would make chewing food so much easier. He just cried at her.

Helena anecdote of the day: This morning our Primary hosted a "Meet Your New Teacher" breakfast for the kids. Helena is now a Sunbeam (!) and was thrilled to go to a real activity. The event was very nice, fairly well-attended, etc., but my favorite part was the end. Sis. Wilson asked for prayer volunteers, and Helena looked at me like she wanted to, but wasn't sure if she could. I told her to go up to Sis. Wilson (since no one else was volunteering) and tell her you'll do it. Well, Helena refused help, naturally, and proceeded to offer one of the best prayers I've ever heard her give. It was even appropriate to the occasion: "Thank you for this nice breakfast and all the meat [they served ham]"..."Thank you for Jesus"..."Thank you that all our friends could come." Andrea and I were cracking up as reverently as possible, knowing half the kids had their eyes open. It was a fun time for the grown-ups, too.

Resolve

Since it is the beginning of 2008, I've been considering what I want my New Year's resolution to be. In a way I almost believe it doesn't matter, because I so often fail. But without going into too much detail, here it is: I will be a better person at the end of 2008 than I was at the beginning.

How's that for nebulous?

But I am utterly serious. I'm not talking about looking better, or having something more. I'm talking about my spirit and my soul becoming...more. Will I be translated this coming December? Probably not. I need many decades to get within walking distance of perfection, but isn't the beautiful thing about being human that at least we can try? The poor spirits who decided to follow Satan don't even get the opportunity. As a child of God, I know we all have the gift of progression and the capability to have our souls refined until they are beautiful. It's a lovely truth.

I've already confessed to being a fan of corny movies and dopey TV shows. But did you know that "Tiny Dancer" as performed by Ben Folds is one of my favorite songs? Come see me in 10 years, it will be something different. Of course, there are bands and performing artists who I've always loved, among them Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, Judy Collins, and most of the Aerosmith catalogue.

If you're all planning your own New Year's resolutions, remember that the only thing that counts is what you're doing today towards your goal. Progression, or regression, are only defined by which way you're facing.

Fact Over Fiction, Every Time

I have to start out by apologizing for the long drought in blogging. I could blog about Christmas (if I had the pictures on the computer) or New Year's but I don't have the time or "brain energy" tonight. Instead I want to insert a mostly forgotten, but absolutely true, moment from American History, taken from the book "John Adams" by David McCullough.

In July of 1826, the two great patriots, former Presidents of the United States, and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both lay seriously ill at their homes in Quincy, Massachusetts and Monticello, Virginia.

"Early on the morning of Tuesday, July 4, as the first cannon of the day commenced firing in the distance, the Reverend George Whitney arrived at the house to find 'the old gentleman was drawing to his end. Dr. Holbrook was there and declared to us that he could not live more than through the day.' Adams lay in bed with his eyes closed, breathing with great difficulty. Thomas sent off an urgent letter to John Quincy to say their father was 'sinking rapidly.'

As efforts were made to give Adams more comfort, by changing his position, he awakened. Told that it was the Fourth, he answered clearly, 'It is a great day. It is a good day.'

At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson had been unconscious since the night of July 2, his daughter Martha, his physician Robley Dunglison, and others keeping watch. At about seven o'clock the evening of July 3, Jefferson awakened and uttered a declaration, 'This is the Fourth,' or 'This is the Fourth of July.' Told that it would be soon, he slept again. Two hours later, at about nine, he was roused to be given a dose of laudanum, which he refused, saying, 'No, doctor, nothing more.'

Sometime near four in the morning Jefferson spoke his last words, calling in the servants 'with a strong clear voice,' according to the account of his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, but which servants he called or what he said to them are unknown.

Jefferson died approximately one o'clock in the afternoon on July 4, as bells in Charlottesville could be faintly heard ringing in celebration in the valley below.

At Quincy the roar of cannon grew louder as the hours passed, and in midafternoon a thunderstorm struck - 'The artillery of Heaven,' as would be said - to be followed by a gentle rain.

Adams lay peacefully, his mind clear, by all signs. Then late in the afternoon, according to several who were present in the room, he stirred and whispered clearly enough to be understood, ' Thomas Jefferson survives.'

Somewhat later, struggling for breath, he whispered to his granddaughter Susanna, 'Help me, child! Help me!' then lapsed into a final silence.

At about six-twenty his heart stopped. John Adams was dead.

...That John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had died on the same day, and that it was, of all days, the Fourth of July (50 years past 4 July 1776), could not be seen as a mere coincidence: it was a 'visible and palpable' manifestation of 'Divine favor,' wrote John Quincy in his diary that night, expressing what was felt and would be said again and again everywhere the news spread."

I've studied John Adams in some detail and believe he represents the best in American statesmanship. If I were participating in the "Hawkeye Cauci," I would be looking for a candidate with his qualities.