Day 317: Happy Dance

Aha:
Went down to the mailroom to find out how much postage I'd need for a letter I was sending.  When the mail lady weighed it and found out it'd only need one stamp she told me not to worry about the postage and stuck a stamp on the envelope for me!
Woohoo!  Thanks friendly mailroom lady!!

Ha ha:
I was working on my computer this evening when Clinton came down and told me we should shut the blinds.
Me:  Why?
He:  (Walking over to the window and closing the blinds) Cause, we don't want to be embarrassed.
Me:  Embarrassed? Of what?
He:  Of this.
Right then, he commenced in performing one of his silly dance moves.
I started laughing.
He:  Pretty good, huh?
Me:  (still laughing)  Yup.
I love that boy of mine!  Thanks for making me laugh every day H.B.!

Day 316: A Little Too Relaxed

Aha:
Sometimes it takes an entire day of doing NOTHING to make you realize the value of being busy and productive.  I stayed home from church yesterday cause I wasn't feeling well.  However, instead of reading my scriptures or working on family history (you know, something uplifting and productive) I watched a lot of tv.  I was feeling pretty guilty about this, and still am to be honest, and it reminded me of a talk I'd heard in General Conference about being busy vs. being productive.  Although I couldn't find the particular talk, I found an article "I Have Work Enough to Do (Don't I?)" by Karen Flynn in the August 1981 Ensign that will do just as well.  Here are a few of her points...
"One of two things can happen to free time. It can be leisure, a time to expand the soul and renew the energies. Or it can instead become something very different: idleness....
"Our crucial task, then, is to distinguish leisure from idleness. Let me suggest what I think some of the differences are. Idleness puts us in a passive role, whereas leisure usually calls on us to participate mentally or physically or creatively; idleness merely passes time, whereas leisure fills personal needs; idleness occupies us, but leisure renews us; we put the responsibility for filling our idle time on something outside ourselves, whereas we look within ourselves for our leisure....
"But always, leisure activity will have, to borrow a phrase from Hamlet, the “relish of salvation” about it. (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act 3, sc. 3, line 91.)"
This is another one of those moderation-in-all-things type of subjects, but I just thought I needed a little reminder.  It's ok to relax in front of a tv and unwind, but too often that "relaxation period" turns into an entire evening or afternoon of idleness.  Therefore, I have made a commitment to myself to limit my time in front of electronics of any sort and to try other sources of relaxation instead.
Anyway, I better get going...Vampire Diaries is on. :)

Ha ha:
I watched Clinton as he was walking out of the room and noticed that his shoulders were slouching.
"You should pull your shoulders back, Honey.  You're really slouching." I said.
Right then, he shot his arms way behind his back and looked at me with a really strained face.  "Like this?" he said.  "This better looking?"
I just started laughing.  What a silly kid.

Day 315: Direct Quote

Aha:
After supper with Clinton, Peter and I drove out to my g-friend Jess' house for a little VD marathon.  While our dogs wrestled and chewed on raw hide, Jess and I got lost in our show.  It's pathetic really, but it was so much fun watching it with someone else who loves it as much as I do!
Thanks for having me over to bond Jess!  This new aspect of our friendship has reminded me of a famous poem.  I can't remember it exactly, but I think it goes a little something like this...
"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and then let's watch Vampire Diaries." 

...Something like that anyway! :)

Ha ha:
At a recent Dr.'s appointment, Clinton's doctor asked the following question:
"Ever had any problems with drinking?"
To which Clinton wittily replied, "Nope...always goes straight into my mouth."
The doctor looked up from his notes and just started laughing.
Oh dear.

Day 314: More Than I Bargained For

Aha:
There is a floater from our corporate office who is covering for my coworker on maternity leave.  She's super nice and has been a great sub in our office.  The other day I was working on a few different things when she turned to me and said, "You're missing a few tick marks by your name there."
I wasn't sure what she was talking about, but followed her gaze to the name tag on my desk, "Danielle Logan, Administrative Assistant I".
Realizing she was referencing my level as an assistant, I looked back at her and smiled.  "Thank you.  That's very kind of you."
She put down her work and went on to tell me how smart I am, how valuable I am to my office and how she thinks my title deserves the same recognition.
I was totally floored.  It felt so good!  I feel completely honored and it totally made my day!

Ha ha:
What is it with Walmart?  I swear, I went in there to buy one $5 item and left spending over $40!
How does this happen?

Day 313: Temple Trip and Marji's Quip

Aha:
I had a GREAT day today.  My previous visiting teaching companion (for the last 2.5 years!), along with our friend's home teacher and I, took our friend to the temple for her first time!  She was able to have baptisms and confirmations performed for her mother and pappy (two very important people in her life).  She is 81 years old and did the baptism for her mother and five other people herself...she was a real trooper!
It was so wonderful being a part of this special day for her!  Each time one of the baptisms or confirmations was done for her family she would bounce up and down a little in her seat, smile a great big grin and say, "Amen, amen, amen!"
I'm smiling just thinking about it.  Thank you Marji, for helping me feel the excitement and pure joy that comes from being in the House of the Lord!  What a sweet day!

(L-R: Brad Roberts, Marji West, Me, Melanie Jackman)

Ha ha:
On our drive down to the temple, I asked Marji a question, but I prefaced it with, "This may be a dumb question but...".  She quickly replied, "Danielle, the only dumb questions are the ones you already know the answer to.  Your's is not a dumb question."
Anyway, a few minutes later, Mel asked her a question to which Marji thought she should/could have already known the answer.  Before responding, Marji turned to me and asked, "Now, Danielle what kind of question is that?"
"A dumb question!"
Marji did this high pitched, squealy sort of laugh, and we all started laughing.  She is such a tease!

Day 312: I Didn't Cashew, but Thank You Anyway

Aha:
I, unlike my other neighbor on yesterday's post, have a WONDERFUL neighbor.  I came home from work the other day and noticed this sweet treat at my back door.

Made my May Day!

Ha ha:
I went visiting teaching yesterday and met up with one of our sisters and her kids. (I'm sure she's gonna read this and I feel bad, but she shouldn't, it was all very funny.)  Anyway, her daughter kept calling us "Visiting Teachers!", "Um...Visiting Teachers...", "Visiting Teachers do you....?"  It was adorable.  Well, as most young children do, she really just wanted our attention and wanted to make us happy.  She was eating cashews from a big giant tupperware and after putting them away, heard me mention that I too love cashews.  She ran back to the kitchen and reached for the container, trying to get them down for us herself but ended up spilling the whole thing on the floor instead.  Her mom gently reminded her that next time she needed to ask for help.  "But, I just wanted to share with Visiting Teachers."
Cute, right?
Well, we continue our visit while her daughter runs down the hallway to get the broom and sweep up the spill.  Next thing I know, I see this little girl coming to me with her two hands full of cashews.  "Here Visiting Teacher." she said.
"Oh, thank you!"  I held them in my hands while we kept visiting, because, you know, they'd been on the floor.  After a few moments, the sister we were visiting comes up and apologizes for the floor-cashews, takes them from my hands, and helps her daughter pick up the rest.
I'm sure she thought she was doing me a favor, and although I held them in my hands to avoid looking like a sicko that'd eat cashews off someone else's floor...to be honest, I was really looking forward to closet-eating those.  Sigh.

Day 311: Love Thy Neighbor

Aha:
On my way to work this morning I saw the weirdest thing on my neighbor's yard.

Notice how they stopped mowing at their property line instead of just finishing that last foot on their neighbor's yard?

I don't know.  This just really put me off a bit, making me think to myself, what kind of neighbor am I?  I certainly hope that I'd be the kind that's willing to mow that extra foot, or even better, go that extra mile to help a neighbor in need.
For heaven's sake readers...let's remove the physical dividers between ourselves and our neighbors and do a better job at coming closer together.  Heaven knows the world can use more love and compassion.

Ha ha:
Clinton was playing with Peter on the floor.  He was holding Peter's baby and flinging it back and forth across his body so Peter would chase it.  I snuck down onto the floor and grabbed the toy.  Peter kept chasing it...even when I drug it across Clinton's face.  I was laughing so hard seeing Peter lick/bite at Clinton's face, hearing Clinton shout out, "Ah, ugh!  It's wet and slimy!"  He kept trying to hid his face, but it just made the game more fun for Peter and me!  I laughed and laughed!
Then Clinton turned on me and was doing the same to me.  I laughed and laughed until the slimy baby went into my mouth.  I especially stopped laughing when Clinton pulled back sharply and the fabric on the baby caught on my earring--ripping it out of my ear.
Still.  It was pretty darn funny!