Love of Learning

I love to learn new things. So bad, in fact, that I take too many new things on and cannot stay focused on any of them long enough to actually learn something. It's a problem I've always had, but never really been able to change.

I love to learn new things!

(To be perfectly clear, I consider this different from loving change. That, I'm not so good at. Like when your computer system gets upgraded and you have no idea how to do the same thing you were good at yesterday.)

But, back to learning...

Things I want to learn:

• Great storytelling
• Public speaking
• Will power (when it comes to food)
• Spanish
• Sign language
• Cake decorating (thanks to you - Laura!)
• First aide
• How to fast forward through potty training
• Patience (though I am NOT praying for this, as I do not want to learn it that way!)
• Better time management (all my friends think I'm an expert at this. I have them all fooled!)

That's to name a few. I'd bore you if I continued.

It's a pretty good list. I want to do those things. But how?

The best way would probably be to pick one at a time and focus. Focus. FOCUS!!!

Or  you could go with this method:

"The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it."

-Benjamin Disaeli

What do you want to learn?

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Today's writing quote was taken from The Write Planner, my day planner designed for writers. To learn more about The Write Planner, click here

I'm Finally Beginning to Understand.

Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, it's time to get down to business. For the first time in my life, I took advantage of Black Friday. When I heard that Walmart was opening at midnight I decided it would be easier to stay up late than wake up early. I waited on my couch reading a book while watching a movie (not sure why I was doing both) until 11:30. I figured it was close enough, so I headed out.

What a Joke!

Seriously!

I didn't know that many people lived in Utah. The parking lot (which is quite large) was full.

Completely full.

A miracle happened and a car backed out (someone who had decided it wasn't worth it) and I got their spot.

I noticed that the doors to the store must have been opened early, because no lines were gathered outside in the freezing air.

Lucky me. (I thought.)

While walking into the store I passed another woman who was leaving, while muttering under her breath that it was definitely not worth it.

I should have listened. But I was on a mission.

I rounded the corner and immediately I saw what I was searching for. A young woman was holding the very cowboy doll (Woody from Toy Story) I wanted.

I looked around for more.

She had the last one.

I looked down, searching for the companion doll that was even more of a necessity than the first. But there were NO JESSIE DOLLS!

While I searched the young woman standing next to me set the Woody doll down and walked away. Before she'd taken two steps I snatched it up, holding it close to me.

But what about Jessie?

I wandered the store for a half-hour looking for her. It still wasn't even midnight, but lines had formed at the registers, continuing all the way to the back of the store. I looked everywhere. I sqoze between carts, people, racks and shelves. Several times I looked down and saw her in other people's carts.

That's when it hit me. I finally began to understand all the stories about people fighting like crazy animals over silly little toys.

They had what I wanted. No, what I needed. How could I not get it for my sweet little daughter? It's all she's asking for. She can't wait to see Santa, so she can tell him she wants a "Big Jessie". (The one she has now is about two inches tall.)

And I didn't get there soon enough. I failed.

Inside my head I joked to myself about elbowing the woman next to me, grabbing Jessie and making a run for it. Surely I could run faster than her, right? I could blend in with the crowd!

But of course I didn't give into such foolishness. I waited in line for an hour and a half to buy the one I did get. Then I went back again at 7:00 in the morning. Still, no Jessie.

I sent my husband back in the afternoon. And I went again on Saturday.

I still don't have. But I will get her! I'll pay full price for her too, when I do find her. And on Christmas morning I'll see the light come into my daughter's eyes when she sees the Big Jessie popping out of the top of her stocking.

I'm not sure if I'll do Black Friday next year or not. I guess that depends on how bad I want to make my kids happy. If I do, I will certainly be going earlier!

Optimistic Mondays – Goodbye to Yesterday

Next week, I’m going to turn 30. I am not anxious, nervous, or embarrassed about it. I’m looking forward to many things in my 30’s. I’ll do a post about that next week. I even have a mission statement. ;) You’ll have to wait until next week to find out what it is. Today I want to focus on all the things I did and learned during my 20’s.

I’ve Learned:

1. To never say never.

2. To avoid spending time with negative people.

3. It’s an amazing feeling to create something from nothing.

4. My best ideas often come to me when I’m in the shower.

5. I have, and can use, willpower.

6. Potty training is GREAT birth control.

7. How to make bread, and can jam.

8. To never try to finish the laundry, or take out all the garbage. No matter how hard you try, once you turn around, there’s always more.

9. Chocolate makes my clothes shrink.

10. Life can sometimes be hard, but it’s oh-so worth it!

I learned that I want to be a writer. I’ve learned to limit myself, and enjoy my blessings. I’ve learned to cherish good friends. I learned that I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Most importantly, I learned the joy of becoming a mother to two of the most wonderful children sent from Heaven.

As I look back on the last 10 years of my life, I’m okay with saying goodbye. I accomplished a lot of good things, but look forward to the new phase ahead.

Bring on 30! I’m ready.

Happy Monday!

Am I the last to know?

I couple of months ago I posted about the 5K race I ran. I failed to mention the education I received while at that event. There I stood with all the other racers. We were standing by the start line. Some of us were still stretching, trying to warm up our muscles. Others were just standing around talking to friends and racing companions. There were people of all ages. Men, Women, boys and girls. Some were serious about the race, others were pulling a wagon with a small child in it. But all of them had one thing in common. I'd been standing around for about

20 minutes, watching everyone, listening to conversations, and observing. It was then that

noticed it. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE had on ankle socks. Some were barely visible above the tennis shoe line. Others were not visible at all. When I first noticed it, I was surprised. I looked around some more. Everyone! I walked to the other side of the crowd.

Every one!

Everyone but me, that is. My next emotion was that of embarrassment. I was the only one there with socks showing above my ankles. I thought, "seriously? How can that be?" I looked some more, looking for the one other person in the crowd that was apparently as un-informed as me. There was none. I thought that maybe I should fold my socks down, as far as they would go, to try to blend in more. But then again, I didn't want to bring attention to my un-stylish ways. I tried to forget about it, and act like I hadn't noticed. But I couldn't help it. I was the ONLY

ONE! But you know what? My socks didn't effect the outcome of the race. I still ran, and didn't come in last due to the excess weight around my ankles!

Here's me.

Here's Everyone Else!

A few days later, I mentioned this observation to a friend. She will remain nameless (you know who you are), but here was her reply: "Ya, it's been that way for a while now." The next day I went out and bought some ankle socks!

So I pose the question: Am I the last to know? And just in case there are a few other people out there still wearing tube style socks with their tennis shoes, let me offer you some advice. Apparently, it's not the thing to do. I never realized that I could be out of style when it came to my socks, but I learned differently. I guess the saying "Better late than never" applies here.