The Friend Thief

And they're off!

Spring is in the air so beware, as friend thieve cases are at their height during this season. I have been a perennial victim since approximately 2003. It is making me poor. Whilst there are no measures by which to protect oneself here are some warning signs to look out for.

Your friend is increasingly drawn to this line of fashion:

She spends exorbitant amounts of time with one of these:

One of those (above) gives her one of these:

They start planning one of these:

Well that's about it. You're on your own now. Yes, another partner in crime has ditched you.

No worries though, ease the pain by delighting in these:

Plan a fun, exciting vacation, and for HALF the price they did! Boo-yah.

Start your own protest like the guy here

Read some good books such as Pride & Prejudice and stuff like that.

I recommend this one:

A Single Voice by Kristen M. Oaks

Mawiage. Really, I'm a fan. Not so much a fan that it is a friend thief though. I suppose that is all part of being a grown up. Last week I attended a wedding party. Next week have been invited to 3, and so far ... planning on 4 others this summer. It's ridiculous! Bridal showers...and then all the ones from previous years are having babies which means baby showers....My wallet can't hardly take it with so many gifts.

Surprisingly enough, as many friends as I've had marry, not once have I been a bridesmaid! Can you believe that? At least I don't have to worry about "three times a bridesmaid, never a bride!, heehee.

Ah well, I'm happy for them all and life goes on and it's great. :)

Auntie

Sorry the last couple posts have been serious/heavy.

Today was really nice (minus the stalker that showed up at Church, eek!). Not only was it gorgeous sunny-warm spring (as it should be) day but a very peaceful Sunday.

I got to visit my sister and her family, which quickly cured whatever's gotten me down the last few days. I love being an auntie! It's SO the best! From the moment I walked in the door I felt welcomed and loved by my darling nieces and nephews as they swarmed me with excitement. I love getting tapped and hearing them say, "Guess what?!" and sharing what is important to them, wanting to show me all their toys, telling some hilarious jokes, my niece even read ME a bedtime story, I mean am I lucky or what?!It was great. Lots of hugs and tickling and piggy back rides. We played some games and enjoyed watching our favorite bits of the PBS special The 1900 House . SO funny! We have some favorite quotes from it:
"Chickens!! Chickens!!" and "It's been three rotten days!!!"

Last weekend I was at my other sister's for Easter and we made some yummy ñoquis and milanesas with ice cream sundaes for dessert. While their dad took them for a drive I played Easter Bunny and hid some eggs in the front and back yards. It was fun chasing them around with the camera, trying to capture the moment when they snatched the eggs, but they were TOO FAST!!! Oh well. When I left my nephew said, "Have a good drive home! And when you get home, have a good sleep!" That made me feel really good that he hoped I would get home safely. :)

I'm one lucky lady to have such an amazing family!

Stunning-Draper LDS temple

Isn't it purdy?

Facing the Book

I just read an article discussing a study showing a correlation between the GPA of students who are Facebook users as opposed to not. The article reported Facebook users having lower GPAs than non-users. So does that mean Facebooking students are pretty much doomed???

Not necessarily. It's not Facebook itself that makes people dumber academically, just dumber with time management. Obviously if spending hours surfing the Internet instead of pouring over a biology text, say goodbye to that 4.0.

Read article here if interested.

I will admit, I've gotten sucked into the Facebook world myself at times. Sometimes I don't even understand why, and at some points have wanted to delete my profile (but I probably never will). Let's face it, it's fun to see what everyone's up to. It's a one-stop shop for staying in touch with people past and present, near and especially far. I have a ton of mission friends and relatives who otherwise would be nearly impossible to keep tabs on otherwise because calling each one individually would be exhaustingly time consuming.


Not only that, but Facebook can be a handy tool if used properly. Having a party? Simply set up an event page and forward an invitation to all your guests. Want to stay connected with your study group (assuming of course, that you actually study!), set up a group. Want all your friends to see photos of your latest excursion around the world? Photo album. Done!

Another point made is not only do Facebookers get 'dumber' but 'more socially inept' Texting, email, IM, can all become a deadly combination for one's social skills. "...being able to read a face is lacking. You just don’t learn social skills when you’re sitting in front of a computer on Facebook for five hours.” Kinda ironic how a social networking site can influence so many to lack being social...

{{What will Facebook look like in 40 years? Here's one person's take. Click here to find out!}}

Technology can be really great. I'm a fan. However, it can quickly and easily become a distraction from more important things. We have each been given a divine gift known as agency, and of course, there are consequences to each decision. Modern day prophets and apostles have warned (and are still warning) us against not succombing to the many distractions around us. Giving in can gradually erode at our spiritual well-being.

I've found myself guilty of unwise time use plenty of times. I ask myself things like: Is watching a video on youtube right now more appealing than reading my scriptures? Is following my friend's lives on Facebook keeping me from living my OWN life and making a valuable contribution to society and those around me? Am I texting my best friend with a personal crisis, or am I counseling with the Lord, who knows me better than anyone else? Would I rather go shopping than attend the temple? None of these things are "wrong" (if done in moderation, obviously). I'm not against enjoying a bit of leisure time, just saying, each decision can ultimately influence our eternal happiness, and if wrapped up in distractions, pretty soon we'll find ourselves losing sense of who we are and what our purpose is.

Shedding a little more light on this, I love this talk by Elder Oaks, "Good, Better, Best" , where we are counseled, "We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families." In essence, is whatever I'm doing, the BEST thing I could be doing right now?

President Deiter F. Uchdorf reminds us in his talk, "We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down" to "Set [our] heart on things that matter most". Great talk.

So when Facing your Book, which one is of highest priority? :)

Sorry, that kinda turned into a ramble...Please share your thoughts.

It's not personal...

Joe Fox: It wasn't... personal.

Kathleen Kelly: What is that supposed to mean? I am so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn't personal to you. But it was personal to me. It's *personal* to a lot of people. And what's so wrong with being personal, anyway?

Joe Fox: Uh, nothing.

Kathleen Kelly: Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.

Last night I watched the movie "You've Got Mail" starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. They are online friends and one day agree to meet. When Joe Fox peeks through the cafe window and sees it''s Kathleen Kelly, owner of the the little bookstore his MEGA bookstore just put out of business, he chickens out. Actually, he goes in to talk to her anyway, not as her online friend, but as the Big Bad Fox, leading Kathleen to think she has been stood up. Joe gets home and begins typing up an excuse for not meeting her

"I'm in Vancouver..." (he deletes this and starts over)

"I was stuck in a meeting---which i couldn't get out of and the electricity went out in the building and---we were trapped---on the 38th floor. And--the telephone system blew out too---amazingly enough." (he changes his mind and eventually writes a sweet apology)

The point of all this? Even though he was a jerk standing her up, at least he took the time to give her an excuse. Certainly that deserves some credit, being much less cowardly than completely copping out and giving the cold shoulder. You see, just when I think I'm starting to understand this insanity known as "the dating game", I get a curve ball! I'll explain more in a bit.

Everyone has different rules to "the game , and in most cases we get thrown into a game not knowing which rules to play by. What a mess. Talk about complicated! There ought to be at least some common ground rules at the very least! But that would be way too easy right? What's the fun in that? I've talked to lots of people about this and have heard things here and there. You've heard of that book made into a movie I'd imagine....the one that is supposed to help women figure out if men are interested. One of those concepts goes along the lines of, "if he's interested, he'll make a move. If he is not interested, he won't reciprocate any sort of contact. " That makes plenty of sense. Supposedly guys are really not all that mysterious. Unlike their--generally-speaking--female counterparts, they are rather literal and simple. Well, there are exceptions to everything.

Here are some ideas some magazine outlined, which were recently featured on a local tv talk show.

8 Ways to Get Him to Notice You in 10 Days
Stop playing hard to get
Be attentive
Try something new
Let your guard down
Stop texting and no one gets hurt
Know the power of your outfit
TMI (too much information) is never a good thing
Keep him wanting more

And remember that movie, "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days"? Well apparently it can be done much sooner than that!

Let's take a real life example, just for fun.

Guy shows interest, and asks out Girl. She goes with the flow and nonchalantly hints that attention from Guy is nice, but makes sure not to over-flirt or over-contact as her experience has taught her this sends them running. Guy and Girl go on 2-3 dates, both seem to enjoy themselves and hint at this through text messages. Girl has a difficult time reading Guy because he seems to think text messaging is the only function on his cell phone., stripping away all other possible channels to decode Guy (tone of voice, etc. There's only so much you can pick up from words on a screen and opens up a million possibilities for misinterpretation). The few moments of actual human interaction contain just enough hints to indicate Guy is interested. The night ends with smiles.

The next day, Girl sends a friendly message, nothing of great importance. No reply. Ok. Maybe he was at work and couldn't reply right away and then forgot about it. Maybe {{insert excuse here}}. No biggie. It happens. A couple days later, another friendly message. The day goes on and later in the evening she decides to call. No answer. Girl leaves Guy a message. So it was late, Maybe he was sleeping! Maybe Guy will call back the next day, huh? Nope. Maybe he dropped his phone in the toilet? Possible, yes, but more than likely the dude just lost interest. That quick though? Everything seemed fine one day and Poof! Gone the next?

Girl is obviously disappointed but actually doesn't care too much. Mostly she is bugged that Guy just started ignoring her. Really, she would MUCH have preferred he give her excuses not to go out. Not calling right away and giving excuses is WAY better than pretending Girl doesn't exist. Girl is smart, she'll get the hint....but give her the chance instead of leaving her stranded in What-just-happened Alley. Honestly, what is wrong with people?! Hiding behind an electronic wall? Dishing out the silent treatment? What are you, 5? Seriously lame!

Come O Thou King of Kings

Singing in General Conference to a worldwide audience was pretty amazing! It was a wonderful experience both in preparation and performance. Our directors were fabulous. It was neat to see the view from the choir seats too! I feel so grateful to have had this privilege. Those lovely hymns are ones I will not soon forget. :)

We arrived at 11 am at the Conference Center and were allowed in with our special badges. Then went through security and off to the little theater to watch a little bit of the morning session. Then we got a pep talk, ran through the songs, got some feedback from the directors and others involved and practiced being still and not "looking scary"! Haha. We had a break, snacks were provided and then it was time to line up and head into the choir loft for a last sound check type of thing. People were already filing in. Good times.

Watch broadcast here.

I'm baaaack!!!

Shoo. Did ya miss me? I am back in the blogging world, but only because I pretend it makes me cool to have a blog. I mean, everyone else seems to have one. For those of you just joining us here, I went on a little blog sabbatical, after one of my usual deleting frenzies. (You may or may not know what I'm referring to here, particularly when it comes to Facebook....wink*) The point of this blog...um there really isn't one but thanks for looking! Nah, basically I will just write about random stuff that is on my mind....at that very moment. Stay tuned. And feel free to comment, keep it real, but be nice. :)