Mormons confuzzle me...

Not much can make me speechless. I can carry on a conversation with a tree stump and am not nearly as hesitant as I should be when it comes to sharing my opinion. But there are some things that I just can't fathom, and the things that I saw when I visited a Mormon church service yesterday is a prime example.

Since when is it okay to do paperwork or play with your cell phone in the middle of a church service? What happened to people taking their disruptive children out of the sanctuary during worship? Why do people, particularly adults, think it's okay to talk during the service? Why is it okay to knit a hat during Sunday school? And where was I when it became acceptable for adults - or anyone for that matter - to carry on a texting conversation in church?

Now I know that the older I get the more I become like my father, which isn't necessarily a good thing. I know that I'm judgemental but I really don't think I'm out of line in wondering what these people were thinking.

I grew up going to church. I've been to the Church of Christ, Catholic churches, Baptist churches, Lutheran churches and non-denominational churches and in all my experiences I've never seen this kind of disrespect toward God. While there are aspects that I like about the Mormon church (not so much the whole prophet business) this has really turned me off from learning more about them.

because it made me LOL

just 'cause...

"Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it." - Richard Feynman, physicist

free associate with me 19

1. Road trip :: Myrtle Beach


2. Pool hall :: Rack and Grill


3. Extraordinary :: talent


4. Jackson :: Michael


5. Heartfelt :: sincerity


6. Wet :: dog


7. Strangle :: someone


8. .com :: betsyhuffphotography


9. Touched :: by an angel


10. Insipid :: stupid

advice of the day

Be authentic with people today instead of being accomodating.

advice of the day

Resistance is pointless.  Give in to your anger and put up a fight.

free associate with me 18

1. Log :: cabin


2. Plaything :: seesaw


3. Broom :: Hilda


4. Heels :: red


5. Smoke in :: van


6. Guests :: friends


7. Attraction :: Fatal


8. Shiny:: new


9. Risked :: everything


10. Velvet :: Red

free associate with me 17

1. Animal :: sanctuary
2. Temporary :: insanity
3. Moan :: and groan
4. Rapid :: City
5. That’s for me to say :: I told you so
6. City :: Slicker
7. Bumper :: sticker
8. Eclipse :: Twilight
9. Problematic :: problems
10. If? :: Why not?

get your own

Hunter, proudly displaying his new Michigan State t-shirt he received from his grandfather:  Isn't it awesome?  I love it!  Thank you, Pawpaw!

Kenin:  Hey, Hunter, that IS an awesome shirt.  Are you going to let me wear it?

Hunter:  No.  Get your OWN grandpa!

free associate with me 16

1. Lease :: rent


2. Dead :: wood


3. Removed :: trees


4. Broke :: up


5. Lips :: kiss


6. Flight :: airplane


7. Three hours :: long


8. Give :: up


9. Technical :: writing


10. Hurry :: up

free associate with me 15

1. Soul :: food


2. Fold :: up


3. Breakup :: make up


4. Will :: or won't


5. Fond :: like


6. Powers :: that be


7. Ho-hum :: blah


8. Hustle :: and flow


9. Avenue :: Fifth


10. Tower :: Records

free associate with me 14

1. Avoid :: food poisoning


2. Castle :: TV show


3. Episode :: Star Wars movies


4. Limited :: time only


5. Nail polish :: purple


6. Dip :: stick


7. Share :: friends


8. Damage :: control


9. Improper :: handling


10. Handle :: with care

free associate with me 13

1. Again :: the shoe dropped


2. Shower :: baby


3. Flirting :: dancing


4. Moving on :: moving truck


5. Rachel :: Friends


6. Chips :: and dip


7. Texting :: at work


8. Feel better :: well


9. Cashmere :: rabbit


10. Sucked :: bad

a funny

free associate with me 12

1. Vex :: Thou vexeth me (Robin Hood)


2. Relapse :: rehab


3. Twinkle :: Twinkle Little Star


4. Crawls :: baby


5. Optimistic moment :: none


6. Cage :: Nicholas


7. Superwoman :: mom


8. Personal :: little black book


9. Vapor :: Batman


10. Grocery store :: Culbertson, MT

just one reason why I love Obama

President Obama proposed Tuesday that the government adopt "pay-as-you-go" rules for federal spending.

"Paying for what you spend is basic common sense," Obama said. "Perhaps that's why, here in Washington, it's been so elusive."

You gotta like a guy who has the guts to be honest.

free associate with me 11

1. Lisa :: Lisa and Cult Jam


2. Hope :: Floats


3. Irene :: Laverne and Shirley


4. Tony :: Sisson


5. Anna :: Bobannafofanna


6. Dolly :: Madison


7. Laura :: From General Hospital


8. Debbie :: Little Debbie


9. Wilson :: Phillips


10. Paula :: Abdul

isn't that the truth?

This was the horoscope for Leos one day last week:

Nothing is out of the ordinary today.  Everything is a wild ride.

scary

I'm on the phone on hold about a doctor bill and do you know what I'm hearing? TLC's Waterfalls on MUZAK!!

free associate with me 10

1. Nursery :: rhyme
2. Side effect :: medication
3. Heart to heart :: talk
4. Try :: it, you'll like it
5. Hog :: Wild
6. Symptom :: sick
7. Collide :: atom
8. Fury :: Jean-Claude Van Damme  (don't ask why - I don't know)
9. Incorporated :: business
10. Summer :: nights

because I really needed some useless trivia today

Compliments of Eric Alt at Mental Floss:

(Mental Floss) -- Although you probably use it every day, here's some interesting trivia you may not know about deodorant.

1. Be thankful for your foul body odor. According to anthropologist Louis Leakey, it might be responsible for early man's survival. Leakey's theory claims that most predators avoided feasting on humans because our body odor was "too repugnant."

2. Not only did the ancient Egyptians give us pyramids and flush toilets, they also pioneered the field of deodorants. Egyptians were the first to popularize the idea of applying scents to armpits, usually using cinnamon and other spices that wouldn't turn rancid in the heat.

3. The Roman poet Ovid preferred a more proactive solution. In Book III of the Art of Love, he cautions women against carrying goats under their arms. (This was a problem?)

4. Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the FDA. Technically, they affect and/or alter your body's natural functions.

5. The first modern brand of antiperspirant, EverDry, hit drugstores in 1903. The original formula was so acidic that it regularly ate through clothing. (No thanks, I'll just stink.)

6. Of course, modern antiperspirants can also ruin your clothing. Aluminum chloride, the ingredient that blocks glandular openings and prevents sweating, is notorious for turning T-shirts yellow. So, blame your antiperspirant for your pit stains, not your body.

7. Offensive body odor is actually illegal in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, California.

8. One thing modern antiperspirants don't do is cause degenerative diseases. Medical science has found no conclusive evidence that absorbing aluminum chloride through the skin can lead to memory loss or slurred speech.

9. Aoki, a Japanese company known for its menswear, has developed a deodorant suit that supposedly absorbs sweat and neutralizes odors all over the body.

10. But that's nothing! The greatest Japanese innovation in the fight against B.O. is Fuwarinka scented gum. The so-called "functional candy" contains aromatic compounds that cause your skin to release "Fresh Citrus" or "Fruity Rose" aromas for up to 6 hours after chewing.

11. When Kurt Cobain wrote the lyrics for Nirvana's breakout song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he didn't know Teen Spirit was a popular deodorant brand. The Mennen Company, which produced the deodorant, wouldn't say whether the song caused sales to spike, but six months after the single debuted, Colgate bought the company for $670 million.

12. (my personal favorite) In May 2008, actor Matthew McConaughey revealed that he never uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The next day, he received a year's supply of deodorant body spray from the Axe Company, along with a note on why he might want to start.

how to spread swine flu

free associate with me

1. Assets :: liquid
2. Concern :: too much
3. Over the top :: Stallone
4. Supplies :: office
5. Mustache :: mustang
6. Doug :: who?
7. Coach :: TV show
8. Bleachers :: basketball
9. Stripes :: Bill Murray
10. Assortment :: candy

refugee birds

Taking refuge from the Denver blizzard

free associate with me 9

1. Studio :: Apartment
2. Meetup :: Hook Up
3. Ostrich :: Head in the sand
4. Jokes :: Funny
5. Estranged :: Husband
6. Random :: Actions
7. Slap :: Ouch
8. Hotel room :: Sleep
9. Inscribe :: Write
10. Polar :: Bear

do I suck or what?

Yes, yes, yes, I know it's been forever since I've updated, and I know you 3 homeless guys who hang at the library are pretty mad, but, hey, I'm lazy. You ought to know that by now; it's not like it's a big secret or anything.

Ah, but look what I've been up to...

Me and Patrick

Kenin and Waverly

Hunter (aka Uncle Peanut) and Paul

Kenin, Hunter and Paul

Waverly and Paul

Patrick, Paul and Kenin

Paul and Jena

Jena and Paul

Paul (Isn't he cute? He gets it from me. LOL)

Jena, Paul and Hunter

Sean

Baby Paul @ 2.5 weeks

free associate with me 8

1. Unwanted :: hair
2. You’d better :: get busy livin'
3. Woman :: mother
4. Weighed :: scale
5. Upright :: bookcase
6. I feel :: tired
7. I'll :: finish the laundry tomorrow
8. It’s like :: that
9. Poor man :: rich man
10. Great :: googly moogly

from the peanut gallery...

Kenin: Yeah, I stopped by the grocery store today and got some chicken gizzards for lunch.

Hunter: Uh, Dad? Um, isn't that chicken groin?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's the scariest thing I've heard lately?

After seeing the trailer for the upcoming Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus movie, the following words were uttered by my dear husband (who I'm positive was at the time possessed by no less than Lucifer himself):

"That movie looks pretty cute."

the horse whisperer

The Great Western Stock Show

here he is!

Paul Anthony, meet the internet.

brand new Nana

At 7:54 pm CST on January 9, my grandson was born.  Paul Anthony weighs in at a healthy 8 lbs. 4 oz. and is 19" long.  According to his very tired mother, he's got a head full of dirty blond hair and big feet.  And having already seen a picture, this brand new Nana says he's perfect!

what not to do when applying for a teaching job

The other day one of my students needed to take a break from work so we headed up to the office to do some shredding. My kiddo shreds a variety of things such as old tests or memos or whatever needs to be done away with and it just so happened that on this occasion, it was resume shredding time. The following is a list of things I noticed that you should not do:

1. I don't care if you are an elementary teacher or not, don't send your letter of interest and resume in on kiddie-themed paper. You may love kids, but you're still an adult, so present yourself that way.

2. Don't misspell the name of the school or the name of the person you're sending your resume to. Attention to detail? I think not.

3. Don't use incorrect grammar and punctuation. After all, you're supposed to be teaching kids, not needing to be taught.

4. Don't include a photo (no matter how cute it is) of you, your family and your dog on your letter of interest. No offense, but no one cares. And if your family is so important that you need to share them with a potential employer, then you may want to consider being a stay at home parent.

5. Don't continue to apply for positions at a place where they obviously don't want you. If you've been thank-you-but-no-thank-you'd the past 5 times you've applied, save yourself the embarrassment (I can promise you the folks in the office - and those of us shredding your resume again - are wondering if you'll ever get a clue) of being turned down. Again.

Good luck in your search for employment.

free associate with me 7

1. Confirmation :: Catholicism
2. Verse :: Bible
3. Authorize :: Allow
4. Blog :: Her
5. Thirty :: Something
6. Heir :: To The Throne
7. What are you doing? :: Thinking
8. Complaint :: Department
9. Leave :: Go
10. Tune :: Out