Coming up: 100th Post Anniversary Giveaway!

Good old Granny Sue of Sue's News, Views 'n Muse is hereby announcing her 100th-post-anniversary giveaway! You happen to be reading the 97th post, so...needless to say...the big day is almost here.

What will the old gal be giving away, you might ask?...

And she will gladly answer: A POEM!

(She might even tell you about it in first person singular.)

::::::officially dropping the royal "we"::::::

Yep, it's true. I will be giving away a custom poem to whoever hooks me up with the best song that I've never heard before. The one caveat is that I have to be able to purchase the song on iTunes, because I'm lookin' to beef up/refresh my playlists.

In return for calling the winning song to my attention, your custom poem prize will be created, for whatever occasion you request, by little old me. All you will need to do is send me the details about the person or couple you are honoring, and I will turn their information into a poem the likes of which you have never seen! (I will make it funny, sentimental, or a combination of both, according to your wishes.) In short, I will deliver the goods and make that special occasion even a little more special than it already is.

And all this for just one *heads up* on a good song!

You can put your musical suggestion(s) in the comments of this or any post up to and including my 100th. Don't worry; I'll be numbering 'em till then.

Sooooo, the contest starts today and ends at 11:59 PM on the day of my 100th post. (I will announce the winner in the 101st.)

Happy song-searching!

=)

PS. Huh? What's that you say? You want to give a blogiversary gift to me?? And you're wondering what I'd like most??? Well, since you're kind enough to ask, I like three things:

(1) visitors

(2) comments

(3) visitors and comments

heehee

PPS. Wanna sample the goods? You can check out my rhymin' skillz here.

C-Jane-Rule the Blogosphere!

Well, it looks as if cjane may actually be proclaimed the big winner of the 2008 Weblog Awards, assuming that she doesn't get a bunch of votes removed as final counts are checked.

This probable victory does my heart good, because it demonstrates that a number of readers have actually been attracted by wholesome, intelligent humor and plain old goodness. Not that she doesn't encounter naysayers from time to time, but these are definitely in the minority. To tell the truth, the whole thing almost restores my faith in humanity!

Having said that, I am truly puzzled by people who visit a blog with the express purpose of attacking or denigrating the writer. Is hurling insults a form of entertainment for these commenters, or are they just trying to bolster their own justifiably sagging self esteem by lashing out at others? Either way, I am unimpressed by their tactics, and every negative word they write tells a little bit more about who they are...which is ironic, considering that many of them choose to comment anonymously.

The following overused but highly applicable poem, by Roe Parham Fulkerson, is dedicated to them:

I watched them tearing a building down,

a gang of men in a busy town;

with a heave-ho and a lusty yell,

they swung a beam, and the building fell.

I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled,

and the men you'd hire if you had to build?"

He gave a laugh and said, "No, indeed.

Just common labor is all I need;

I can easily wreck in a day or two

what builders have taken a year to do."

And I thought to myself as I went my way,

Which of these roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,

measuring life by the rule and square?

Am I shaping my deeds to a well-made plan,

patiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,

content with the labor of tearing down?

(Read it and weep, mean people.)

On a happier note, I was terrifically excited to learn that Stephanie, cjane's sister, will be back on January 16th with nieniedialogues. What a trooper that woman clearly is, and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to hearing her "voice" again. 

TURNING BLAHS TO HURRAHS, aka What To Do on a Stick Figure Kind of Day

1. Read here to find out what a "stick figure kind of day" is, so you can know if you're having one.

2. Take a shower using either Exotic Coconut or Lemon Verbena.

3. Put on your favorite jeans with your most flattering (purple?) shirt, some silly socks, and crocs.

4. Wear your necklace that says "This Grandma Is Loved a Lot" on it...or a reasonable facsimile thereof. 

5. Put on the "Mom, You Are a Wonder" one, too, for good measure (again, ad lib as necessary).

6. Light a sage and citrus candle, list 5 things you absolutely have to do, (write them on scandalously expensive paper you were saving for a special occasion), and DO them. Check off the ones that get you out of the house first.

7. While in your car or out of it, breathe deeply, lift your chin, and notice every single thing that seems even remotely beautiful. Once home, take a stiff and super-sensuous whiff of jasmine. (Roses will do in a pinch.)

8. Accompany yourself with music, musica, musique (whichever applies). Suggested: Jack Johnson or Brett Dennen...but feel free to improvise.

9. Give yourself a pep talk, out loud. Be sure to throw in a few inappropriate jokes, laugh like the guy floating on the ceiling in Mary Poppins, and use an unidentifiable accent.

10. Dance around your house like a crazy person or walk, in full view of the public, like this. 

11. Catch your breath and gaze with immense satisfaction at your family photo wall.

or, barring that

12. Create a family photo wall upon which you can gaze with immense satisfaction in just such times as these.

Feeling better? Excellent! Now write a blog about it.

=)

A Stick Figure Kind of Day

Well, the last Christmas visitor has gone home (back to the U of A) and the post-holiday blahs have arrived, enhanced by the fact that my husband is working night, day, and in between lately. In other words, I have a lot of time for reflection.

Almost always, I like reflecting...but this morning I find myself reflecting on: 

(1) the six pounds I gained between Christmas and last Saturday 

(NOT the four I had estimated), 

(2) blood sugars that will surely launch a lively lecture from my doctor, and 

(3) the fact that I'm retaining enough water to float a small ship...or perhaps a fleet of them.

harrumph

Ah well, back to the drawing board. 

(Did I mention all I can produce today is stick figures?) 

"/

Hark! The Day of Reckoning Cometh

Tomorrow is the day of reckoning.

Tomorrow I have to face the music.

Tomorrow I have to lie in the bed I made for myself, take my medicine, get what's coming to me, and reap what I have sown.

Tomorrow I must go to Weight Watchers and...

(insert ominous organ chord here, please)

weigh in.

Woe is me. Double woe. Triple woe, even.

(Or maybe quadruple woe...one for each pound I've gained.)

*sigh*

Ah well, it's a new day, right? (A new week and a new year, too.)

And with any luck at all...and a lot of hard work...I will feel like a new me for 2010. 

And look like the old me.

With a few more wrinkles, of course.

U racks up a win; USA racks up a deficit

As a University of Utah graduate, whose husband and half of her kids went the same route, I was thrilled to see the Utes beat Alabama convincingly in the Sugar Bowl last Saturday. I'm sure you can imagine the glee, elation, and raucous celebration that took place in my family room that night. Sunday afternoon the good times kept on rolling with the in-your-face, U-of-U-bragging-rights tie proudly worn to church and flaunted on the stand by my husband. (Please note: We are numero uno in every way that matters, whether Florida wins or Oklahoma. Just sayin'.)  

So Utah is doing great, and that's the good news. The United States of America, on the other hand, is having a very bad run...and it seems like the situation is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Hearing President-elect Obama mention yesterday that the deficit is on track to hit a trillion dollars in no time at all was a bit of a downer, to say the least. His follow-up comment that "potentially we've got trillion-dollar deficits for years to come" struck me as very bad news indeed. (But maybe I'm just an old sourpuss.) 

I confess that on September 30, 2008, the end of our last fiscal year, I was shocked to learn that the federal deficit was approximately $455 billion. But hey, that was nothin', kids, because now Obama is urging Congress to approve a $775 billion stimulus plan! How's that for deficit enhancement? Apparently it's the President-elect's feeling that this heavy spending is necessary to spur the economy. (It's my feeling that I'm gonna lose my lunch, dinner, and tomorrow's breakfast.) I mean, this takes heavy spending to a whole new level!! 

All I can say is I hope he knows what he's doing...or that his advisors know what they're doing...or that somebody in Washington DC somewhere has some kind of plan for getting this country back on its feet again (a viable plan by someone with the authority to back it up would be good).

It's like we just got a new pitcher for the last game of the World Series, and we're all crossing our fingers that he's another Nolan Ryan but we've never even seen him play. I'm on the edge of my seat about this thing.

So, here's the deal. No one will be happier than I if Obama turns out to be a major asset to the "team"...a real hurler that clocks over 90 mph...with a knuckleball AND a slider. I even hope he has a screwjie, as long as he doesn't throw it at his fellow Americans.

Today, I begin!

Today, I begin!

Some people are adverse to New Year's resolutions. I, on the other hand, LOVE them. These yearly reminders to myself that change is possible make me feel hopeful and energized, like cleaning out a closet. 

In fact, the process of selecting projects and objectives for a new year is remarkably like cleaning out a closet for me. For instance, what is taking up space in my life without bringing me ample enjoyment? How would I rather use that space? What would look better on me (and to me)? Thinking about these things lifts my spirits. I am empowered and energized by all the possibilities...and I know that turning them into realities is within my grasp because I've done it before.

Do I always keep my various resolutions? No. Far from it. And yet the final days of any given December always manage to find some improvements in me that had their genesis in goals envisioned the prior January. In other words, changes are made. Small? Perhaps. Incremental? Undoubtedly. Satisfying? Absolutely!

So here goes, 2009!

1. I will improve my health.

2. I will increase my spirituality.

3. I will de-clutter my home.

4. I will strengthen my existing relationships.

5. I will open my heart and form new relationships.

Furthermore, I will not let fear, frenzy, folly, frustration, fatigue, fixation, or foot-dragging stop me from accomplishing these. Not even my fondness for alliteration will stop me! Failure, frankly, will not be a factor. (Okay, okay...I'm finally finished.)  heehee

Wish me luck, because I am gonna clear a few closets (literally AND figuratively) this year!

=)

PS. Essential to enjoying this process is the ability to applaud yourself at the end of the year about those things you have achieved rather than beat yourself up over those things you will need to continue working on...

What I'm saying is:  BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF!

How to Stop the Stomach Flu Dead in Its Tracks

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately where people are talking about coming down with the stomach flu and passing it around their whole families. This is not fun, and I have the answer!

Two words:  GRAPE JUICE.  

Yep, when the first person in your family comes down with the stomach flu, have everyone else in the family start drinking grape juice three times a day. Apparently, this changes the level of acidity in your digestive tract into one that is not conducive to the stomach flu viruses. Since a mother of ten taught me this many years ago, I have never had a stomach bug spread through my family. Not once! (Remember, you have to keep drinking the grape juice three times a day for a couple of days.)

Even better is when you know you or your child have been exposed. You can start the grape juice regimen and avoid the flu altogether.

Just think of it. No more ruined summer vacations, Thanksgivings or Christmases. (At least, not ruined by the stomach flu...I'm not a miracle worker here...)

So there it is: My New Year's present to all of you out there in blogville. (Feel free to regift this one to those who need it!)

=)

PS. Be sure to use 100% grape juice...the deep purple-hued kind. (I use Welches, but don't get the light or the white variety.)

PPS. Remember...This does not stop the stomach flu once you already have it. It is preventative; once you have been exposed to a stomach bug, the grape juice will keep you from catching it.

The Magic Tree: An Oakish Friend

The Magic Tree is a very big deal at our house. Every morning, it leaves a gift for our grandchildren on the ground above its massive roots. We're not sure how the tree always knows when they are in town, but he has never missed once! 

What a majestic and magical friend he is...and definitely one of the highlights of every trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

The Magic Tree

for Jeremiah, Carli and Bryce

c2009, Susan Noyes Anderson

My best friend is a live oak tree.

His branches shade and shelter me.

Beneath these arms of green, each day,

I come to sit and read and play.

If you look up and squint your eyes,

think hard of golden butterflies,

and drink one drop of morning dew,

you'll see him smiling down on you.

Not every grown-up sees his face

but Grandpa sees it (just in case

you don't believe me) and what's more;

around the back, we've found a door. 

A tiny door, for elf or gnome,

or other folk who make a home

inside my wondrous, magic tree.

Each night, they leave a gift...for me!

Opening the Book on 2009

Isn't it appropriate that Christmas, a season of renewed hope, is followed directly by the New Year, a season where hope can be put into action through reflection and planning? Remembering the birth of the Savior each December reminds me what is important in life and has the power to affect not only my assessment of the year gone by, but my preparation for the year to come. I can explore new vistas, revisit (and perhaps, revamp) old ones, take stock of past and future dreams, and find ways to turn the best of those dreams into reality.

Equally important, moving to 2009 allows me...in a purely literal sense...to leave the sorrows and disappointments of 2008 behind. This inevitable passage of time makes room for growth and healing, easing the process of learning what I can from my travails before eventually gaining the eternal perspective needed to leave them behind in a figurative sense as well.

Let's face it. The New Year brings wonderful opportunities. While all of us are able to turn a page in our lives any day of the year, on New Year's Day we get to open a whole new book! What's more, we get to close the old one, and sometimes that can be a pretty good feeling. Most of us would probably say that 2008 held enough joy to overcome the sorrow and enough growth to offset the grief. Where this is true, we can be grateful that 2008 is a book which can always be reopened, reread, and remembered.

A few of us, though, would say that the scales for 2008 tipped in the wrong direction, that sorrow and grief held too much sway with not enough respite. For these, opening a new book...and closing the old one...becomes a breath of fresh air, an affirmation that our "afflictions shall be but a small moment," a promise of greater blessings in store. "And then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high" (D&C 121:7-8).

This is a particularly encouraging reminder for people who face unusual challenges. Just following people in the news (let alone my personal friends) tells me that it's been a difficult year for many individuals and families. It's also been a year of struggle for our country. Some who remember 2008 will recall personal tragedies; others will be reminded of war and terrorism, economic and political scandals, fiscal problems and financial ruin. No matter what the problem, I am convinced comfort and hope will be found in the days and months ahead, for "after much tribulation comes the blessings" (D&C 58:4). Perhaps 2009 will not see the end of current trials; even if it does, more will follow, for adversity is part and parcel of life on earth. But those who are able to close the book on pain and open the book on possibility each New Year will be blessed with peace, and I intend to be among them.

My plan is to put the lessons of Christmas to good use by laying my burdens at His feet and receiving the peace He offers. "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4), and He will continue to do so. The invitation of One who descended below all things to redeem and sustain His people is ever present: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

As I open the book on New Year 2009 with a sense of excitement and possibility, I am going write these very words (the Savior's words) in bold print on the first page. Even more important, I am going to believe them and act accordingly.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!