Thankful for the Right to Vote.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
~Margaret Mead

I'm thankful that so many women (and men) fought and struggled to attain the right for me to vote. The journey was arduous, and that I fully acknowledge. They paved the way, and I get to casually sail down that walkway to the voting booth. I'm thankful to those who put forth such valiant effort to secure that right for me.

Photo found here.

Thankful for My Calling. And a New Blog.

"Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you."
~Eileen Caddy

In June 2009, I transitioned from a Young Single Adult ward to a traditional ("family") ward. Certain that I'd be called to teach Gospel Doctrine (my favorite calling, despite the fact that I never thought I'd be a teacher) or work with the Single Adults, I was quite surprised when my Bishop asked me if I was ready for a challenge...

He called me to be the Ward Primary Music Leader. Wow. That's not at all what I had in mind. I knew I should be excited, but I admit I was rather hesitant. How would I ever get to know anyone in the ward? I'd be tucked away in Primary and never get to go to Relief Society or Gospel Doctrine, let alone ever teach!

Little did I know...

"The music leader is the gospel doctrine teacher for the Primary."
~President Hinckley

I was called to be Gospel Doctrine teacher!

Not only that, but how many teachers can say, "My students still know the lessons I gave them... word for word!" Nothing beats hearing "my lessons" as I walk down the hallway, or out to my car at the end of the day, or even in the middle of Sacrament Meeting.



And remember how I thought I wouldn't meet anyone in the ward? Well, you might be surprised how well I know adults in the ward, through their children. And on top of that, I have 40 new little friends! Nothing warms the heart quite like the look on a child's face when they see me in Sacrament Meeting, and they turn and poke their mom, pointing and saying, "Mom, look! That's my friend over there."

So in the spirit of preparation, organization, appreciation, and of course sharing of ideas, I have started a new blog to house all my lesson plans and ideas.

ldsprimarysingingandsharing

Can you believe it wasn't taken?! Feel free to check it out and link to it, especially if you, yourself, are working in the Primary at church.

And please, if you have any ideas... share them!

Photo found here.

Thankful for Thankful Day.

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments
when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
~Thornton Wilder

I have an ancestor named Thankful Day.

It's true.

She came from a strong Puritan background, so the name is fitting.

Her name has made me chuckle at times, but has also made me think about the gratitude her parents must have felt upon her arrival. What a great reminder to be grateful for all you have.

So in honor of Thankful, as well as the month of November, which brings us Thanksgiving, I've decided to try to make a concerted effort to focus on that, for which I am thankful. No matter how big or small. Gratitude changes my outlook on life. Why not make a concerted effort to focus on that which makes us happy?

Today, I'm thankful for good gas mileage.

My car might be getting up there in age, but I will say that I have absolutely no complaints with how it runs. I get a minimum of 30 mpg, and usually it's closer to 33mpg. That's pretty fantastic, if you ask me.

Thankful Day would know nothing about gas mileage, but I'm thankful to her for inspiring me to think about what I'm thankful for.

New Moon. I did it.

"Option three: Edward loved me. The bond forged between us was not one that could be broken by absence, distance, or time. And no matter how much more special or beautiful or brilliant or perfect than me he might be, he was as irreversibly altered as I was. As I would always belong to him, so would he always be mine."
~Bella Swan, New Moon, Chapter 24, p.527

So, I did it.

I read New Moon.

I know, I know.
I'm getting more and more sucked into this whole Twilight business.

AND I read it before the movie.
Now I'll be annoyed with the movie.
Oh well.
It's done.

But I must say Stephenie Meyer's writing got a little better... or maybe I just got used to her style. I'm not sure which. The first half of the book was a little slow, and I found myself peeking every so often at a random page toward the end of the book, just to see if I could quickly see any words (or names) that would give me an idea of what was going to be happening. I know, I'm awful! I don't normally do that, but I guess I was just anxious for the story.

Normally, I'm a really slow reader, but this time there were several times that I found myself having read an entire page in, like, four seconds. Then, realizing that I missed a few lines here and there between dialogue and being the detailed person that I am, I had to go back and re-read. I think her writing was insignificant enough to me that I was just fueled by knowing the story. When I re-read that which I'd skimmed over, I found that I hadn't missed much. Just a gesture or a thought here and there.

New Moon's obvious parallel to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a little hokey to me. We're just waiting for them to play out history's greatest romantic tragedy. Okay, so a lot of the book is hokey. I mean please. This is all about vampires and werewolfs and their "deep" relationships with humans. But that aside, keeping the Romeo and Juliet theme throughout the book helps Stephenie Meyer build some much needed serious tension for the climax because the reader can see the tragedy just waiting to happen.

Despite any and all hokey-ness, I'm still a girl and I still love Edward! I'm definitely TEAM EDWARD. I just am. He's great. He's 110 years old or something, which means he's had a lot of time to develop into the "perfect" boyfriend for Bella. He does say a lot of things "perfectly" and does a lot of "perfect" things. (sigh) A girl can dream, right? Even if he IS a vampire.

Yes, I did stay up until 1am last night reading.

Yes, I AM going to see the movie.

Yes, I will read the next book in the saga,
but I've GOT to read something else first!

Oh, and Happy Halloween!

A Productive Autumn Day.

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is welded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
~George Eliot

I have to say that I am loving the autumn weather. I know it's getting a little chilly, rather quickly. But feeling the crisp air on my cheeks when I walk outside and seeing the leaves blow in the wind is just enough to brighten my day. I'm beginning to feel like I need my gloves, and we've already had our first light dusting of snow, but I must admit, that I still love it much more than the dead heat of summer.

Our first snow was on Tuesday, and rather fortuitously, I had the day off from work. I had an extremely productive day: Skyped with Agne in Lithuania, Skyped with Lindsay in Qatar, cleaned the kitchen, made a large batch of chicken and wild rice soup, then divided it into individual containers for meals for the next week and a half, cleaned my room and bathroom, all the while staying cozy inside with the blustery winds swooshing around outside. That afternoon, I left the house to work out, then later to give blood, grab dinner, and then off to SLCA rehearsal. A very productive, happy Autumn Tuesday.

I love days like that.

Answers to the Bay Area Native Quiz

"San Francisco itself is art, above all literary art. Every block is a short story, every hill a novel. Every home a poem, every dweller within immortal. That is the whole truth."
~William Saroyan

1. San Jose
2. From north to south: Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, San Mateo Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge Extra extra credit question answer: walk
3. Daly City
4. c - "Hey, Beach Blanket Babylon!"
5. It means she's a dog (if you still don't get it, ask a native to explain it to you.) -- TV20 used to have a little advertisement between shows, where a dog was sitting on an armchair next to a TV on a TV stand. At the end, the dog would look at the TV screen as the TV20 logo was being flashed across it, and bark.
6. c - "Earthquake? We had an earthquake today? I guess I didn't feel it."
7. Bob Wilkins - Creature Feature
Pat McCormick - Dialing for Dollars
Herb Caen - Baghdad-by-the-Bay
Dr. Donald D. Rose - Sacratomato
8. c - Los Angeles? Why do you want to go to Los Angeles?
9. d - 3Com Park
10. b, c, or d - anything BUT a cute little nickname for the city we also know as "San Francisco."
11. The movie rating system in the pink section of the San Francisco Chronicle
12. b - West Bay -- it's called the Peninsula.
13. d - San Jose doesn't have BART.
14. e - all of the above

Scoring
12-14 Correct -- You're a true Bay Area Native. Feel free to look down on Los Angeles with pride. (You probably already do.)

8-11 Correct -- You've probably lived in or near the Bay Area for awhile, but you're not a true native. You may occasionally leave the water running, or throw out your aluminum cans. Keep trying; you'll get better eventually.

4-7 Correct -- You know a couple of things about the Bay Area, but you're far from being a native. Probably some of what you did get right were just lucky guesses. Go back to Los Angeles (even if you're not from there).

0-3 Correct -- Forget it. Don't kid yourself. You're not even a Californian, let alone a Bay Area Native.

You Know You're From the Bay Area If...

"No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does. Arrival in San Francisco is an experience in living."
~William Saroyan

"San Francisco is a mad city - inhabited for the most part by perfectly insane people whose women are of remarkable beauty."
~Rudyard Kipling

Twelve or thirteen years ago, a friend sent me this "Bay Area Native Quiz." At the time, I was experiencing major culture shock, having moved from San Francisco, where I'd lived my whole life up until that point, to Provo, Utah, conservative capital of the world. I got a kick out of the quiz, and was extremely proud to have gotten them all right.

Have a stab at it. When you're answering, take into consideration that this was written 12 or 13 years ago. Have fun. I'll give you the answers in a couple of days. :)

1. Complete the following phrase: Dublin, Berkeley, San Lorenzo, Cupertino, __________

2. Name the five bridges that cross San Francisco Bay. *Extra credit: put them in order from north to south. **Extra, extra credit: explain how to get across the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour in less than an hour.

3. Complete the following phrase: 2400 Mission, top of the hill, __________

4. You're at a San Francisco Spiders hockey game at the Cow Palace. (True: a team call "the Spiders" played at a place called "the Cow Palace." Go figure.) A woman comes out to sing the Star Spangled Banner wearing a huge hat with a model of the entire financial district, including the TransAmerica Building, on top of it. Your response is:
a) "Hey, look at that idiot wearing the dorky hat!"
b) "Hey, look at that woman wearing the cool hat!"
c) "Hey, Beach Blanket Babylon!"

5. Explain the following joke: "I don't want to call her ugly, but whenever I say 'TV 20', she turns her head."

6. Which of the following is your typical response to an earthquake?
a) "Earthquake! We're all gonna die!"
b) "Earthquake! Great! Now I don't have to go into work today."
c) "Earthquake? We had an earthquake today? I guess I didn't feel it."

7. Match up the following people with the phrases/shows they're associated with:
a) Bob Wilkins
b) Pat McCormick
c) Herb Caen
d) Dr. Donald D. Rose

1)Baghdad-by-the-Bay
2) Creature Feature
3) Sacratomato
4) Dialing for Dollars

8. If someone asked you how to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, what would be your response?
a) Get onto 101 south, and take it all the way.
b) Take 80 east to 580 east to 5 south, then take it all the way.
c) Los Angeles? Why do you want to go to Los Angeles?

9. Which of the following is NOT, repeat NOT, a valid name for a Bay Area sports stadium?
a) Oakland Coliseum
b) San Jose arena
c) Candlestick Park
d) 3Com Park

10. The word "Frisco" is:
a) A cute little nickname for the city we also know as "San Francisco."
b) A really annoying shortening of "San Francisco," no doubt started by Southern Californians who can't say words longer than two syllables.
c) The result of a satanic plot.
d) Beats me. Never heard the word before in my life.

11. The little man is on the edge of the chair, clapping wildly; the little man is sitting in the chair and clapping; the little man is sitting in the chair and leaning forward; the little man is asleep in the chair; and the chair is empty. What did I just describe?

12. In referring to a general region of the Bay Area, which of the following terms is never used? What is that area called instead?
a) Marin
b) West Bay
c) East Bay
d) South Bay

13. BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is not in fact rapid transit for the entire Bay Area. For instance, it doesn't run to Milpitas (but can you blame them?). Which of the following is another city that BART doesn't currently serve? (Keep in mind this was 1996 or so.)
a) Richmond
b) Fremont
c) Daly City
d) San Jose

14. Which of the following would you be likely to see people wearing at Bay to Breakers?
a) running shorts
b) an Elvis costume
c) a fancy ball gown
d) a fancy ball gown worn by a male
e) all of the above

Photo taken by Mom. August 2007.
Land's End (affectionately dubbed in my family, "Favorite Place").

Happy Birthday Bella!

"What fun is it being cool, if you can't wear a sombrero?"
~Calvin & Hobbes

I couldn't resist. Isn't she cute?! Hopefully, she won't hate me forever. :)

Happy birthday Marina Bella!

Photo courtesy of Nancy. 1989?

Random Photo: Mamie Pearl.

That's her name. And she came with a birth certificate to prove it.

Photo a la Nancy. Christmas 1985?

Twilight. I got sucked in.

"When you have Twilight in your hands, every long period of time feels like a gift."
~Katie

So, I know that my sidebar says that A Thousand Splendid Suns is currently on my nightstand, and that IS true, but I actually just finished reading Twilight. I know, I know... the hype just "sucked" me in. I couldn't resist. (Catch the double meaning?) I just wanted to be part of the conversation.

I saw the movie a long time ago, but let me tell you a little something about myself... I have a keen ability to forget the details of a movie, so much so, that sometimes I even forget how it ends or that I've seen the movie at all. I know. It's weird. Sometimes, it's really annoying, but other times it comes in handy. I can see a movie for the second time, like it's the first. But best of all, when I want to read the book after I've already seen the movie, the story doesn't completely leave me, but I tend to forget just enough that it makes reading the book a brand new adventure!

I have to admit that in spite of Stephenie Meyer's sub-par writing, the book Twilight definitely kept me intrigued. At first (in the first 150 pages), although I was into it, I couldn't help being distracted by the terribly sub-standard prose. It just felt like I was reading a rough draft by a high school student who was trying so hard to "show not tell," but totally overdoing it at points. Then there were the times that I had to go back and read something over again because she didn't make any sense, and reading it the second time didn't really help. And the over-use of flowery adjectives to describe the Cullens (the vampire family) and their vampirical features was really starting to bug me.

But soon after I began to seriously wonder if she wrote with a thesaurus by her side, choosing words at random, I began to be entrenched in the drama of her story! I'm a girl, what can you expect? Her impractical, yet dreamy story, akin to Romeo & Juliet in the I-want-you-but-I-can't-have-you-but-I-really-want-you-so-we-will-find-a-way feeling, threaded throughout the book, could easily draw in even the mildly romantic reader. And I admit, I was hooked.

And, Edward is (to adopt a word she used to describe him way too many times -- not enough thesaurus use on this one) glorious. Yes, he's wonderful. But I must remind myself that he had about 90 years to perfect his courting style, though he said he hadn't had a romantic interest since he became a vampire... Still, he had a lot of time to observe and learn. And he learned well. His manner made Bella's heart race, and at times (I must admit), mine as well.

So there you have it. I've been converted. To the story, at least, and that's saying a lot, seeing as I don't really like fantasy stuff at all. Her writing better improve with New Moon, though. I'm not trying to be totally down on her. After all, she has become a millionaire because of that writing. She seems like a very nice person, and even modest, stating on her website that she knows that the beginning of the book isn't the strongest part. I'm happy that her dream became a success. Kudos to her!

And now to see New Moon in a month! Most people like to see the movie version AFTER they've read the book, so that the movie characters don't take away from the pictures they can dream up in their heads. I, however, feel the opposite. I often enjoy reading the book after I see the movie because I almost always like the book better, and I want to end with the most satisfying version.

So what do you think I should do? Read first or wait until the Thanksgiving holiday, AFTER I've seen the movie? :)

Another reason to love Volkswagen.

"We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory."
~Volkswagen

Learn about Volkswagen and "The Fun Theory" here.

Here I Come!

"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking."
~Earl Wilson

God bless frequent flyer miles.

Photo found on a Google search.

Baby Zuri at Hogle Zoo.

"Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant - the only harmless great thing."
~John Donne

On August 10, 2009 a female African elephant was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the first born at Hogle Zoo in over 90 years. What a treat! I haven't yet been to see her, and now I'm afraid it's gotten too cold for her to be out. Last Monday the high was 88 degrees. Last Tuesday? Oh, about 58. Wow.

Tonight, I was reminded of Zuri by a friend, and found the blog her keepers are writing about her adventures. This video was too funny to not post. So here you go. Happy Monday! (or Tuesday, by the time most of you see this.)

Check out baby Zuri's blog here.

Oh, and if you really love elephants, live in Salt Lake City, and happen to have a degree in zoology, they're hiring a full-time Elephant Relief Keeper here.

Falling into October.

"October is crisp days and cool nights, a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book."
~ John Sinor

Today is an overcast, wet, breezy day with an occasional powerful gust of wind. I love it. Fall is a favorite time of year, along with its partner in fine: Spring. :)

LDS General Conference, this weekend, was everything I expected and hoped for.
Edification.
Feeling loved by God is a feeling hard to explain, but one that is so very real. I hope you too, have felt it. I'm grateful to Jesus Christ for the inspiration to be "good" and for the power to be better.

Here's wishing you a warm and cozy Autumn season,
filled with great books, toasty cups of hot chocolate,
long walks in the crisp Autumn air with the crunching of leaves beneath your feet,
and snuggles under warm blankets on a comfy couch!
May your days open up to allow you some much deserved relaxation and inspiration.

Photo a la moi. Utah. October 2006.

Don't forget! SLCA Season Tickets on Sale NOW!

"I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that."
~Paul McCartney

We're ready to start our new concert season, and we're very excited! Season brochures are available. If you haven't yet received one, use this blog post to mark your calendars now! You won't want to miss any part of this season. Let me know if you'd like tickets to a concert, or even better... season tickets! Season tickets can be purchased for $50 before October 10th. Act now! It will be worth it!

October 17: Made in America
Moving past pop and rock and roll, the Salt Lake Choral Artists explore the roots of American music. The choir will sing selections from Carol Barnett's "Bluegrass Mass," along with traditional folk music, African-American spirituals, gospel music, jazz, and music from the American musical theater. Also including sacred and secular music by living American composers, this concert truly represents a melting pot of styles.

December 19: Laud to the Nativity
Featuring soprano Carol Ann Allred, tenor Todd Miller, and mezzo-soprano Laura Garff Lewis, Respighi's "Laud to the Nativity" charmingly and intimately tells the nativity story through the eyes of the shepherds. Dr. Allred will also direct the Salt Lake Choral Artists in Ariel Ramirez' "Navidad Nuestra," which sets the Christmas story against a tapestry of traditional Latin American dance styles and instrumentation. The concert will include the music of Arvo Part, selections from Sergei Rachmaninoff's "All Night Vigil," and familiar favorites by John Rutter.

February 20: Beatlemania
John, Paul, George, and Ringo: those four iconic names that changed the face of pop music forever. Experience the British Invasion all over again as the Salt Lake Choral Artists sing the classic music of Lennon and McCartney as well as music by artists that both influenced and were influenced by the Beatles. With Get Back, a live Beatles cover band, and the award-winning vocal ensemble T minus 5, this is sure to be a night to remember!

May 15: Lux Aeterna - Eternal Light
Light: hope, faith, life, joy. Morten Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna," a beautiful work for choir and chamber orchestra, fully expresses the idea of light in both its soaring, majestic phrases and its moments of quiet serenity. With texts drawn from a variety of sacred Latin sources, the piece emphasizes heavenly light. The Salt Lake Choral Artists will also premiere "One Light," a newly commissioned work by Ray Shattenkirk that draws its inspiration from religious poems from many faiths.

Boredom: The Springboard of Imagination and Creativity.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."

~ Charles Darwin

Lately, on Facebook, I've seen several status updates from friends saying something to the effect of, "I'm so bored." I'll be frank here: Initially, I get slightly annoyed and frustrated because I begin to think of all the things I could do if I just had more time.

To me, "being bored" means that you can't think of anything worthwhile to occupy your time. So I start to think of all the projects that I have waiting to be completed, like compiling all my mission letters into a book, scanning all my mission photos (since I didn't have a digital camera then), cleaning out and organizing my storage in the basement, denim quilts, a t-shirt quilt made up of all the old t-shirts from camp and other activities I've been involved in over the years, keeping in touch with old friends, simply going grocery shopping, or finishing basic household chores.

I could go on and on. And this person is bored???

Despite my initial irritation with that phrase, I don't believe that boredom should be thought of as a 4-letter word. Out of boredom springs creativity, curiosity, and great amounts of imagination. But if you didn't learn how to entertain yourself as a child, then being bored as an adult will carry with it many burdens.

Creativity, self-reliance, self-direction, problem-solving — all of these skills are the hallmarks of a successful adult. They are also all strengths that children can learn through play and finding their way out of boredom.

So are you reading this, as an adult, and thinking... "Wait a minute, but I DO get bored." Does that mean something's wrong with you? No, but it may mean that you didn't successfully learn how to cope with boredom as a child. And let’s face it — coping with and finding your way out boredom is a life skill that everyone should have. So why not begin to foster it now?

Now, we could certainly have a discussion about OVER-booking our time, or over-stimulating ourselves, or filling our time with "useless" things, but we'll save all that for another day. I'm not encouraging you to over-stimulate yourself or book yourself busy every minute of the day or be plugged into something at all times.

Being alone with your mind can be enough. This is not wasting time. Relaxation and "me time" is vital. We begin to realize that our minds are powerful and can be quite entertaining! God gave them to us to use. So let's really stretch them to their full potential! It's a liberating feeling to discover that you have everything you really need right at your disposal.

Now, if your mind can't entertain or enlighten you, then I would suggest teaching it a few new things. Read. Meditate. Invest in an education. Talk about ideas with others. Get outside and see the world. Stimulate that mind, so that when you and it are alone, you will never feel "bored".

As Dorothy Parker once said, "The cure for boredom is curiosity." Your mind is capable of a lot. Just see what it comes up with and then go for it. Try something new!

Be curious! Cultivate the skill of coping with boredom. It CAN be done. And help your kids to learn it too. They'll thank you as adults.

Random Photo: I'm REALLY tired.

"O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head."
~Thomas Hood, poet
from Miss Kilmansegg And Her Precious Leg: Her Dream

I just wish I had more time to do this:

Photo courtesy of some family member.
Taken in Denver, CO. September 2004.

On-the-run. Gotta eat. Must plan ahead.

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food."

~Sally Edwards

School is back in session, (has been for over a month now) which means planning for meals takes even more forethought on my part. Some days I leave the house at 5:20am and don't return until 9:30pm. That means all three meals (and two snacks) are eaten away from my pantry and refrigerator. Packing my own meals has saved me cash and calories!

First things first: Snack size ziploc bags are a must! They allow you just the right amount so you don't eat too much. Also, investing in a good insulated lunch bag is crucial. But of course, neither the snack bags nor the insulated lunch bag will do any good unless you prepare beforehand. As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I separate everything into individual servings. If it's not convenient, I won't take it because I always seem to be in a rush in the morning.

Here are some of my favorite things:

• Hors d'oeuvres. Whole-grain crackers with 3 tablespoons goat cheese; top with halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Or spread on spicy hummus and top with sliced black olives.

• Kirkland (Costco brand) Chocolate Weight-loss Shake. It's basically a generic Slim-fast. These shakes (when cold) are a delicious on-the-run breakfast!

• Snack bag of baby carrots and a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese.

• Mini Babybel cheese rounds. They're only .75 ounces and 70 calories. A great little dairy treat. Buy them in bulk at Costco. And who knew? They're made by Laughing Cow also.

• Mediterranean Meal. Open a whole-wheat pita and fill with 1 to 2 tablespoons hummus, fresh spinach leaves, sun dried tomatoes and 1 ounce string cheese or a .75 ounce Babybel mini.

• Small handful of almonds. Dry roasted with NO salt is my favorite. They're hard to find without salt. I buy mine from The Nutty Guys at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market. Maybe Whole Foods would have them, too.

• Tuna Cups. They are marvelous. Now, they're a little more expensive than buying regular tuna in a can in larger sizes, but they are so convenient and the perfect single size. The best part? They don't require draining of water and they're wet enough that you don't need to add mayo. Pop one open into a salad. Have one with some crackers.

• Celery sticks with peanut butter. I never thought I'd say this, but it's really yummy. I tried them once with raisins. You know, the whole ants on a log idea. I didn't love it. Leave the raisins out and I'm good.

• Fruit! Grapes or melon chunks. Dip into 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (I like vanilla flavored). OR grapes with a Babybel mini or a Laughing Cow wedge. Seriously delish!

• And since I have a sweet tooth... Trail mix snack. I mix my own because store-bought kinds have so much salt in them. I mix roasted unsalted almonds, with raisins, and dark chocolate chips or M&Ms. Just a small amount in a snack bag can really hit the spot!

So there you have it. Do you have any favorite snacks or food ideas for an on-the-run lifestyle?

All photos from a Google search. Trail mix photo a la moi.

Random Photo: Candle Dance.

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle.”
~ Robert Alden quotes

Photo a la moi. A church in Prague. June 2006.

Random Photo: Once, I was a baby.

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
~Mark Twain

For some reason the title of this post now has me singing "Once I Was a Snowman." Maybe it's the Primary Chorister in me. Have I mentioned that I'm the Primary Chorister in my ward? Well, there. I've mentioned it. Maybe that's a topic for another post. :)

As many of you may have seen, I scanned and uploaded several old school pictures to Facebook a few weeks ago. Very fun to reminisce. Don't worry, I have hundreds now. So, you may be seeing an old school Random Photo from time to time. Enjoy.

Here's baby Emmy.