To the Victor(s) Goes the Prize!

First of all, I'd like to congratulate those who won and commiserate with those who didn't. Win or lose, each of you is greatly appreciated. (My 300th-post anniversary is coming up next month, so never fear...another giveaway will be in the works soon!)

BECAUSE I LIKE GIVEAWAYS.

Yep, I do! There's nothing quite so fun as writing all of your names the appropriate number of times on little slips of paper, folding them up, putting them in a bowl, and picking out prize winners. (Okay, maybe there are a few things that are more fun...) But this is definitely right up there. When else in my lifetime will short and stubby me ever feel akin to Vanna White? Besides, being the great giver of prizes is pretty heady stuff. ;)

Okay, enough talk and more action. It's time for the big reveal!

The five winners of Sue's One Year Blogiversary Giveaway are:

1. Karen from K2Cole - Custom poem for the occasion of your choice

2. Jen - My first book, At the End of Your Rope, There's Hope

3. Lisa - CD of my favorite selection of very cool tunes

4. Tiffany - Magnets from Junky Heirloom

5. KC Mom - Note cards from Cheeky Cards

Congratulations, my friends!! Now all you need to do is email me your addresses so I can get everything sent out as soon as possible. (My email can be found by clicking on my profile...)

Thanks to everyone for playin'. (And for readin', too.) I only wish I could give something to every single one of you. Without you guys, this blogging business wouldn't be any fun at all.

But with you, it's pretty terrific.

=)

The Source: A Mother's Musings

The Source

©1999 by Susan Noyes Anderson

If I had words to wrap around

those mommy days and mother years,

I’d hold them in my hands and say

that nothing ever disappears.

But I can’t seem to feel the page,

and all this stuff just moves so fast––

in bits and pictures, fading memories

of an ever-fading past.

My life is turning over now;

it’s tumbling down a hill of time

and every stone unearthed rolls on…

No looking back, no saving climb

can make tomorrow yesterday,

can soften chin and jaw and cheek;

my smile is no more universe;

my eyes, though warm, they do not seek.

A river runs and so it should;

I would not have it change its course,

but as it rushes to the sea,

it also leaves behind the Source.

I wrote this poem ten years ago, but I feel the sentiments that inspired it every bit as strongly today, one week after our always-too-brief period of family togetherness at the beach house. Apparently, the empty nest is a syndrome from which I will never entirely recover. My life has many good things in it, fulfilling things––to say nothing of my wonderful husband-–but none of these quite fills the space or satisfies the longing for those golden days when every one of our children lived under one roof...when our family was always complete, not just in emotional bonding but in physical presence.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that my children have grown and thrived and developed their own lives apart from mine. And yet, that particular victory of parenting is bittersweet. One of the ironies of raising and nurturing our young successfully is that we, in the doing of it, lay the groundwork for our own obsolescence. Or maybe I should say relative obsolescence. I'm very much aware that I am anything but obsolete in my children's lives. Having said that, my former role has seen its day.

On almost every level, this pleases me.

But it pains me, too. And that's the truth of it.

Today is the last day to leave a comment on my one-year blogiversary post (do it before 11:59 PM) to win one of five fun prizes. Good luck, everyone! Remember, your name will be entered one time for each of the following: leaving a comment, being a follower, grabbing my blog button, and linking to my blogiversary post, thereby increasing your chances of winning. The victorious five will be announced tomorrow morning!

=)

On the Other Hand...

Sometimes

being tethered

to something

is a good thing.

(See yesterday's post to put this one in context.)

***Don't forget to leave a comment on my one-year blogiversary giveaway post and qualify for some cool prizes! Tomorrow night is the deadline!!

On Kites, Poppins, Eagles and...Soaring

When I was twelve years old, I went on an excursion with my Young Women group to see "Mary Poppins" at the Grauman's Chinese theater. I can't even begin to tell you how that movie caught my imagination, not just the story, but the delightful music that accompanied it. I was singing those uniquely magical songs for years afterward. In fact, I'm still singing them today, mostly to my grandchildren. Their particular favorites are "I Love to Laugh," "A Spoonful of Sugar," and "Feed the Birds." As you can see, they also love "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and that's just what they did at the beach last week. (Was it only last week? Already, it feels like forever ago!)

Watching a kite fly has always managed to raise my spirits. Seeing that brightly colored butterfly, dragon or other colorful creature bob and weave among the clouds makes me feel like I am soaring, too. Even the frustration of having a string break is tempered by the understanding that tethered things must and will always strive to break free....and the hope that my own, earth-bound soul will aim high enough to do the same.

Why not? We were born for climbing and soaring. It's our birthright, a divine one. Too often, I still have feet of clay, but that high-flying kite is a great reminder that all things are possible!

Luke 1:37 - "For with God, nothing shall be impossible."

Fly with the Eagle

©1999 Susan Noyes Anderson and Nikki Noyes Blake,

Awaken Your Spiritual Power, Karisma Press

High on the mountain’s rocky crest,

an eagle soars to make its nest––

surrounded by nature’s majesty,

riding the wind so strong and free.

And I am at peace, and my soul takes wing

as I join the eagle, circling

above the clouds in a quest for height

so urgent that we speed our flight.

Faster and faster our wings beat strong,

and the strokes that we take are sure and long…

and I am at peace, and my soul feels free

to fly with the eagle inside of me.

Don't forget to soar on over to my giveaway post to make a comment and win a prize!

So You Think You Can Decide?!

Q: Who should win So You Think You Can Dance this year?

A: I have absolutely no idea!

I do, however, think that Evan should NOT win. Much as I love his personality and his Broadway style, he is just not as versatile as the other dancers.

Perhaps Brandon is the best overall dancer, with Jeanine a close second and Kayla an even closer third. But I wasn't even sure enough of this order to vote. That's right. You heard me. I didn't vote. Because I like them all so much that I couldn't really decide who deserves to win. Except that Evan probably shouldn't.

I was going to say that I hope viewers with a clear preference will have voted on talent rather than personality, but even that may not be a good rule of thumb. Personality is very much part of the package in dancing, because it informs not only the way a person moves but how that person chooses to express that movement. In other words, it's a spiritual thing, and one's spirit is inextricably linked to one's personality. Which means that superlative dancing is a fine blend of technique and personality, both.

No wonder I couldn't vote! It's understandable, given the talent multiplied by personality quotient of the final four, yet quite unprecedented. And a little disappointing. I always like to have a say in things, especially outcomes. But that's because I usually know what outcome I want.

Last night, I simply had no idea.

=)

PS. My favorite performance was the Mia Michaels number with Kayla and Jeanine peeling their layers. That whole concept really appealed to me. (By the way, did you notice that Nigel made a couple of borderline sexually inappropriate comments last night? At least, they made me wince a bit.) Both remarks followed dances featuring Jeanine, and you could tell she was uncomfortable too. This isn't the first time he's crossed the line, and old Nigel should exercise a little more restraint in the future.

PPS. Other favorites were Brandon's and Jeanine's solos, Brandon and Kayla's hopping pirouettes, and Brandon and Jeanine's paso doble. (Looks like Brandon and Jeanine have a bit of an edge here, right?) But I do LOVE Kayla.

So You Think You Can Decide?

Not me. Indecision is my SYTYCD nemesis.

This year, anyway.

"/

Prediction? Jeanine or Brandon

Slight (and maybe my own) hope? Kayla

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's giveaway post and qualify for one of five prizes celebrating my one-year blogiversary!

Sue's One-Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

Sue's News, Views 'n Muse debuted on August 5, 2008, exactly one year ago today. Little did I know back then that blogging would become one of my favorite occupations, from posting and commenting to......drum roll, please......hosting giveaways.

That's right, my friends. It's time for Granny Sue's One-Year Blogiversary Giveaway, and I intend to make participating worth your while. (Consider it payback!) After all, last August I had no idea how many of you I would come to know and love through your beautiful, poignant, funny, sensitive, spiritual, zany, thought-provoking, revealing and greatly esteemed posts. Now that I fully appreciate the blogging community (especially my little corner of it), I want to express that appreciation––and this giveaway seems like the best way to do that.

Consequently, here are the five prizes available:

1. a custom poem for the special occasion of your choice

2. a signed copy of my book entitled, "At the End of Your Rope, There's Hope" (Deseret Book)

3. a freshly-burned CD of my favorite personal iTunes mix

4. a set of magnets from Junky Heirloom

5. a set of note cards from Cheeky Cards

What could be better?? (If numerous possibilities leap to your mind, let me amend my question to read, "What could be free-er?".)

Here's the deal: Your name will go into the drawing one time for each of the following four actions:

1. leaving a comment on this post telling me which category of last year's posts you prefer (ex. spiritual, family-related, birthday tributes, poetry, holiday, general musings, reviews, etc.)

2. following my blog (or becoming a follower if you haven't already)

3. putting my loverly Sue's News, Views 'n Muse button on your blog (or already having it there)

4. linking to this giveaway on your blog

In other words, your name can be entered as many as four times, considerably improving your chances of winning a prize. (Oh, and be sure to mention in your comment how many of the four things you have done, so that I will know how many times to enter your name.)

Good luck to all of you, with a special thanks to each valued visitor for reading my random ramblings. Your interest provides a big part of my motivation, and your comments make this whole blogging business feel more like a conversation. A highly enjoyable one!

=)

PS. The contest will officially close at 11:59 pm this Sunday (the 9th), with all five winners announced on Monday morning, August 10th.

Beautiful Blues

the grandsons

the granddaughter

the daughter (aunt) with youngest grandson

the spouse/founder of our beautiful blues legacy, with blue-eyed son

(other two sons got mom's beautiful heavenly hazel eyes)

the close-up

the closer-up

AND...the picture of our youngest son that gave me the idea for this beautiful blues post in the first place

=)

Adam Lambert Sings Brigadoon

Even if you can't stand him, listen. The guy's voice is incredible. Apparently, when he first sang this for the theater production of Brigadoon, the other actors just went out of character and gaped at him in amazement. And if you listen, you will see why. So please do. This one is not to be missed.

You know the drill...just look over at the right sidebar and click off my playlist before you play the video. I've even moved it up higher so it's easy to find. (Also, I've made it bright red!)

Enjoy, because you will. And please do comment. I'm curious to hear if others think it's a virtuoso performance, as I do.

Coming Home to the Temple

This beach trip was one of the best ever, partly because of what we did on our last day there. Our family (and much of my husband's extended family) gathered at the Newport Beach temple to perform the sealing ordinance for my husband's deceased parents. Following that beautiful moment, we were then privileged to witness the sealing of my husband to his parents for eternity. As he said in that elegant, sacred room afterward, "I felt like we were just sort of floating until now." If that's true, then yesterday we definitely came home.

How fortunate we are for temple blessings. As I watched my husband kneel at the altar to receive the ultimate of these, first as proxy for his father and then as himself, I was reminded of our own sealing so many years ago. The look on his face was much the same, and I couldn't help reflecting upon my love for him and all he stands for in my life and the lives of my children. I am grateful, every day, that I had enough sense to marry this loyal and loving man. And I'm even more grateful that I get to keep him!

=)

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

And so, once again...

the sun sets...

on our Newport Beach experience...

It simply couldn't have been better. And it all happens again next year.

=)