On Blogging

I don't really wonder if,
I know for a fact that...
I am spending too much time blogging.

I was afraid that by now, 2 months into my year long commitment, I would hate it and want to quit, and then quite possibly I would quit. Instead I find that I like it. I know my posts are lame sometimes but I'm okay with that.

My friend, misssrobin, whom I have mentioned before, has recently commited to blog more often as well. She has chosen to blog every weekday. I really enjoy her posts and look forward to them. Yesterday she had a very short post. It was, simply, "Sorry -- I'm out of ink." Clever! How clever is she? Super clever. She conveyed a lot in that little sentence.

For some reason this phrase made me think of the scripture in 1 Nephi 2:15, And my father dwelt in a tent.  I cannot say why exactly my mind leapt from Robin's blog to ancient scripture but it did. Nephi was, and I mean no disrespect, the ultimate blogger. Talk about a commitment. He had to get out his chisel and nail and carve about what he and his family were doing day after day after day. "My brothers tried to beat me up again"....Can you imagine how much he would have loved a copy and paste feature? There was probably more he could have told us about the tent and the wilderness but I think he ran "out of ink", or was tired of chiseling for the day. Sort of like Robin was yesterday.

It is not that writing my actual post really takes me that long but sometimes I spend a lot of time looking for a particular picture or trying to get it just right on the page  or checking my spelling and grammar (see misssrobin's post for today too) and before I know it an hour has gone by. OR, I start reading the blogs that I read every day, which also doesn't really take me that long except that sometimes I start blog hopping and before I know it an hour has gone by. So I am going to limit the amount of time I spend on blogging. It's just that blogs are right at my fingertips when I am supposed to be designing a database and writing a technical manual uggg. Which would you rather do? (Don't answer that Grant. He's a computer genius).  Anyway, I'll end with another scripture.

"It came to pass that Dona was in much need of atleast a B- in her class. So she went forth seeking help and tutoring from those who were more learned than she. After much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (seriously) it was determined that she should no longer procrastinate the day of her assignments. And Dona dwelt at her desk."

  

Gaylatians 44:9

Online Education

I think there are great benefits to online education but right now I just really need to be able to sit down with my professor and have her explain some things to me, which is impossible since she works in Oklahoma and teaches for University of North Texas. So there's a drawback to an online education.

I pointed out to Corban that he was getting freckles on his face. He said, "Those aren't freckles. Those are my polka dots."

Information Organization Project

It's called an IOP for short. That is the only thing short about it as far as I can tell, besides my attention span and or understanding of it. Draft 3 is due tomorrow
tonight. I haven't quite wrapped my brain around some of the concepts but it's getting better, closer, something.

On a happier note. Easter was nice. Saturday I worked and Scott worked so Sydnee and Caleb were in charge. Scott left eggs and egg dye and asked Sydnee to supervise the dying of some eggs. He was thinking 3 or 4 dozen. We came home to 12 dozen beautifully colored Easter eggs. Very festive. Hard boiled eggs all around. We had egg gravy on toast for dinner last night. Yummy.

General conference was fantastic. My cup is full. I heard the golden rule mentioned as well as not judging others and repentance and forgiveness. I am sure that there is more going on with Mr. B ( I was thinking of changing his alias to Ebenezer, as in Scrooge) than I realize and I need to just let it go. So, I'll work on that. If the subject of my spouse's employment should come up again I will refer to Mr. B as Ebenezer, for the sake of consistency and continuity and perhaps a little bit of bitterness/revenge. Maybe the subject won't ever come up again.

Family photo

This is the closest thing we've had to a family photo in many years and it isn't really one because John's not in it. When it was time for Johnathon to leave on his mission, Samantha was just starting a job up at the girl scout camp and Amanda had just graduated from high school so I never did get all of us in one place at one time. I am excited about getting a complete family photo in June. This one was taken last August. Samantha and Sydnee made the spectacular cake for Amanda's 19th birthday.

The Golden Rule

The new modem is up and running. Hallelujah. Now I can connect to the internet again and everything is faster.

I read a book about a year ago that was about applying the golden rule in life. I am trying to remember the title. The author began by stating variations of the golden rule that exist as a principle in almost all major religions and/or cultures. He asserted that there shouldn't be a separate code for business. If we are striving to live the golden rule it should be across the board, not selective. This makes sense to me. Is it easy to do? No. Is it important? I think it is essential. Is it possible to succeed in this world while practicing the golden rule? I hope so. But it doesn't seem like it.

Yes, I have issues.

I get frustrated when situations arise where I think the golden rule, as it applies to me and those I love, is not being utilized, or worse yet, trampled on. I have even been known to pronounce judgement on individuals, in my head and sometimes outloud, although rarely to anyone's face because I am a bit of a coward/wimp. Then I start thinking of all of the ways I am not living the golden rule and I have to back down. But tonight, let me just say, "Mr. B you are going to....heck in a handbasket for not practicing the golden rule!" Which then of course, I'm not living it either because I wouldn't want someone telling me that I'm going to heck in a handbasket unless of course I really am in which case someone SHOULD tell me because I would want to know. Wouldn't I? There goes my brain doing the loop de loop thing again.

An employer should pay a worker what he is worth or atleast try to. Right? Especially when said worker does the work of two people and has helped Mr. B build a successful business even in these uncertain economic times. That's all I'm sayin'. I better stop, but I could go on and on and on........Because,

Really, no one works harder than this guy.

Questions

In my other life, and by that I mean the life that I had before I became employed, I used to read to my children a lot. I don't do that as much now and I miss it. The Spooky Old Tree has been a family favorite ever since Samantha's friend, Amanda Bullock, gave it to her at their 4th birthday party. When I read it outloud I  always personalize it so that the three little bears are whichever three children I happen to be reading to at the time. "Oh there's Sam, John and Amanda." Or "Sydnee, Caleb and Autumn." They have all loved this book. Tonight Samantha was reading it to the little boys. Or should I say, trying to read it to the little boys. Jeremiah kept asking her questions.

Jeremiah: Why isn't there any sap in that tree?

Samantha: I don't know.

Jeremiah: How can that tree be so big?

Samantha: It is a magic tree.

Jeremiah: Oh

Jeremiah: Why are they afraid to go over great sleeping bear if they are bears?

Samantha: Good question. Maybe because he's grumpy.

My favorite part of the book is the end.

Mama Bear is watching out the window and the three little bears are running towards her.

Three little bears

 running fast

 Home again.

 Safe at last.

The last picture shows her on the front porch hugging them. At this point I would usually hug whoever I was reading to and call them my little bears.

Shouldn't I do a better job of watching out the window and being on the front porch when my children come home from venturing in "spooky old trees"?

Modem Mayhem

No mayhem.
Our modem just isn't working.
So in keeping with the letter of the law which is that I will blog everyday, I am blogging from work (after hours).
This is, however, a very lame post and probably not in keeping with the spirit of the law which is to share thoughts and experiences.
Please accept my apologies. I will try to do better tomorrow although I will probably have to post from work again.
I'll try to be clever tomorrow.