Happy Birthday Anneke!

Today is Anneke Bahlmann's eighth birthday!  Happy birthday!  We cannot wait to see you.  It will be a fun family reunion with all of the cousins and aunts and most of your uncles - there to celebrate your birthday and baptism into the Church.  We love you and are so proud of you.  I hope this is a wonderful year for you.  


(Hopefully with this trip I will get plenty of pictures for future birthday posts.)

Happy Birthday, Clyde - Late!

Yesterday was Clyde's birthday.  My day got away from me, but I wanted to say how grateful I am that he is my husband and the father of my daughters. It has been an incredible almost 40 years together.  I hope this next years is wonderful for both of us.

On a sad note:  Last night when Pam called to wish Clyde happy birthday, she told us that 'Bo the Wonder Dog' had passed away yesterday morning.  He had lived a good life with Pam and Chris.  Even though he had been blind - he was caring 'watch dog'.  When we stayed with Pam and Chris, he always made sure we were where we were supposed to be - especially at night.  He loved to play fetch and he always stood beside me while I cooked, hoping from handouts 'from heaven'.  This last year has not been that much fun for Bo.  He was losing his hearing, had become very arthritic and kind of crotchety - but even on Bo terms - he was a great and easy going dog.  He was very much our grandson, Dutch's best friend.  For all of us that knew him - there will be a hole.  However I keep thinking how much fun he must be having being able to run and to see again.  We will miss you, Bo.

Music

Because there is absolutely nothing on TV anymore, I listen to Pandora Internet Radio - A LOT!  The other day I was having kind of a so so day and Herman's Hermit's "A Kind of Hush" came on.  All of the sudden I was so happy.  The Beatle's "And I Love Her" does the same thing to me.  These are not the best pop songs ever written and but there is something that happened when these songs were playing that just triggers happy emotions in me.  I find that kind of interesting. 


I play classical music when I need a calming influence and I do listen to classical music most of the time.  But when I am exercising, cleaning the apartment or just need a boost, I go to the music of my teenage years.  I find listening to groups like the Monkees not as much fun as other groups.  I loved the Monkees growing up but they caused a lot of drama between my mom and me.  Almost every song I hear by them resurrects an argument.  Maybe that is why these other songs make me so happy.  None of my music made my mother happy.  But these songs must not have bothered her.  


I tried really hard to let my daughters listen to whatever they wanted to listen too.  I knew they knew what was a good choice and what wasn't but I refused to have it come between us.  I still think it was the best choice in our relationship.  I definitely would never go back or wish to go back to my teenage years.  But it is sure fun to listen to MY music when I want to.

"Brave" The Movie

Several people have asked me to express my opinion of "Brave" once I saw it.  On July 4, Clyde and I went.  We thought we were going to go and see it in 3D but our theater discontinued it that day . I have a heard a lot of mixed reviews from friends and family about the movie, so I wasn't expecting much.  I loved it.  I thought it was beautifully done and was mesmerized the whole.  Quite often in movies, I will look at my watch 2 or three times.  I didn't glance at my watch once.  But here are the reasons I think people are put off a bit by the movie


1.  For Pixar this is a darker theme than they usually do. Their movies are usually light and fluffy - feel good themes.  The closest to this would be "UP" and there are people that have a hard time with that one too.  Disney has done many.
2.  The animation was so realistic for the background, animals, etc. and then the humans were full blown cartoons.  Even something as simple as Marida's hair - was so lifelike on a caricature.  
3.  For some the nudity was a big turn off.  Disney did some nudity up until the late 1940's but haven't since.
4.  I have a friend that said she didn't like it because the story line was too real.   Mother/daughter relationships are not good stories.  I thought that was what made it such a beautiful movie.

Everyone has their own reasons why they did like it - if they liked it.  I have not met a young woman or girl that hasn't LOVED the movie.  Maybe we should take a hint from them.  They don't take things as seriously.  I liked it because it reminded me to let people become who they need to become.  Like the Queen, I so want to manipulate and make people be what I want to them to be - but that is not fair to anyone.  Just like the Queen, when I became friends with my own daughters, our relationship was so much better.  There were still a few rocky times but overall it was fun to watch them grow into beautiful women, wives and mothers.  I was actually scolded at times by well meaning older women because I was a friend to each of my teenage daughters.  They told me that I was treading on dangerous ground.  I had to keep the boundaries of mother and daughter up and should never befriend them - it would only bring heartache.  Fortunately I didn't listen to them and not only am I friends with my daughters, I am friends with their friends too.


Back to the movie.  Do I recommend it - Yes.  You can go and make up your own mind.  As for Clyde and I - we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon in the air conditioned theater on the 4th of July watching a very good movie.

Yankee Doodle Dutch Davis!

Happy Birthday Dutch Davis!  Today is your Golden Birthday!  Grandpa Bailey and I cannot wait to see you in just 20 days.  You have changed and grown so much in the last few months.  We are excited to see our big boy.  We love you so much and hope you have a wonderful birthday!  After all - all of the US is celebrating with you!  (I have to admit that I stole this picture from my daughters blog - who 'stole' it from her sister.  I had to have a picture!  Thanks Heather.)

Being Grumpy and Feeling Like a Failure

I  haven't blogged for a while but I find that I have to be careful what I blog about.  THIS BLOG IS ABOUT ME!  It is not about anyone else.  I am pointing the finger at no one but me.  I have been grumpy and snippy lately.  I am not sure why.  The person that pays for that is obviously Clyde.  I have got to be better about that.  I have no right to act like that.  I am not even sure why I am.  I think in part it is because I am disappointed in me for some of my failures.  I have several goals that I try and accomplish every day and if I don't I guess I tend to take them out on myself and him.  I need to just let it go or budget my time better.  I also am not doing very well as a Visiting Teacher.  Let me suffice it say that I see all of my sisters but  one because of her animals.  Her house makes me physically ill.  Because of that I have had to be creative to visit her.  For a while I let my partner take over - which was not nice.  Now she is no longer my partner.  We will leave that there.


I need to somehow get back into a schedule.  During the school year, I know that I will get up and teach seminary, fix Clyde breakfast, etc.  Somehow my summer schedule has never been fixed.  Maybe that is what is missing.  I am not scheduled - knowing that at 7:30 am everyday I will be walking or 9:00 a.m. I will be doing my floor exercises.  Would I be happier if I regimented out my day - knowing what each block of time would bring?  Would I feel less like a failure and be less grouchy then?  It is certainly worth a try because what I am doing now is just not working!