Monday, February 28, 2011

28 Days of Nice

28 days of nice was harder than I thought.
I am basically a nice person.
If you were to list the attributes of Melinda, I am sure nice is on the list some where.
 Maybe not at the top-- probably funny, crafty, happy, organized...would all come ahead of nice, but I am pretty sure nice would make the list at some point.
  So this "Nice Month" is about thinking about nice above and beyond my normal call of duty.

Sheesh......

I tried to keep  a list of what that entailed for me to see if I was getting any nicer.  Some times I only did the Nice thing because I knew I was making the list...it held me accountable, or hostage, as the case may be. 

 Some days took a lot of searching to find that little extra bit of NICE

1:  Picked up other teacher's garbage
2:  Sat by those I don't usually sit by....and talked.
3:  Dropped everything and sat and rocked my girl!
4:  Extra lovin for my Wayne
5:  Helped a friend with pick ups and car issues
6:  Cleaned the kitchen without yelling at my kids, who should have cleaned the kitchen
7:  Sent a loving missionary package
8:  Delivered carmel popcorn to those in need......of carmel popcorn!
9:  Left a tip at Maverick
10:  Made sure Wayne Video taped Monson's concert and I watched it with him later
11: Took get well goody bag to Jan
12:  Made Valentine's for the cast
13:  Helped with Stephen's farewell...goodies and flowers
14:  Thought of Holly in planning the Love Fest
15:  Let Monson go to game at WX instead of YM
16:  Took Laila her Library book in the middle of the school day
17:  Cleaned up greenroom at CPT
18:  Helped the refs out at Monson's b ball game, by personally giving technicals to the Viewmont team.
19:  Arranged rides for my play...got out of costume and microphone  QUICKLY so peeps wouldn't       have to wait for me so long
20:   Shoveled many walks, visited
21:  Did the Laila driving thing...let her have a sleep over....even though a pain for me to pick up, deliver, take, wait, drive....you get the idea.
22:  Organized where Laila is at so Wayne didn't have to worry
23: Cleaned other people's tables at a bakery
24: Made scarves and gave them away
25: Chauffeured
26:  Came home after the show to be with Wayne, instead of going out with the Cast
27:  Didn't get mad at the dog or peeing on the bathroom floor...even dogs need a break some times
28:  Knitted beanies.....gave them all away

Wow.....glad this month is over...........On to March Madness!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I am in love.....

I was treated today to a chocolate Bouchon from Tulies Bakery.  ( 700 South 900 East SLC)
Mmmmmmmmmm.....................
This little piece of heaven tastes like something between dense cake and even denser brownie with little pockets of melted chocolate through out.
Perfect texture and taste for me.

This is what I want popped in my mouth  on my death bed......... the cork like shape will shut me up, and the chocolate flavor will help me to die happy.

The Berry Galete and Turkey, avocado and brie pressed sandwich were excellent as well.
This bakery was voted Best in State 2011..... I absolutely agree.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Lessons on a Snow Day

We are enjoying a snow day today........No Church.  This is what happens when you have 9:00am meetings and the chapel is in the mouth of  Mueller Park Canyon....too hard to get there.  Oh well.
I love church so I am kind of sad.

I have been cleaning out the fridge and freezer and cooking up left over after left over for my family to feast on.  So far...mushroom pork, costa vida rice, chicken gravy and rice, chocolate chip cookies, carmel popcorn and hot rolls.    The snow better stop soon or we will be bursting out of our snow clothes.

Wayne actually had 6:30am meetings at this same, snowed in, Stake Center.  He got up and with faith drove onward and upward in his Jag.  Wayne was puting up the slippery hill.  He was a bit a head of the snow plows, so the roads were packed.  He had made it halfway and had turned onto 1800 south, when his car really just gave up.   He was slipping and sliding and decided to just put it in reverse and slowly back down to our house.
He was needing help.
Some other early church goers went past him in their snow-superior cars.
No one stopped to help.
Finally one good Samaritan stopped and helped Wayne back down the hill and then offered Wayne a ride to the Stake Center.
When Wayne got to Church a few that had passed him by said, "I would have stopped to help, but then I would have been stuck too."  "I couldn't stop to help, because you were in my way."
  
Hmmmm?!?!?
I have been pondering these comments all morning.

I hope I don't get so caught up in the destination to miss the real gospel/service opportunities that are around me every day....

Friday, February 18, 2011

Achooooo.....cough, cough......blow

I have a head cold.....
After months of my superior genes looking down on all of the sick people around me, I have finally succumbed.
I don't know how this happened.  Why me?  Why now?  Why when I have been mega dosing on vitamins and drinking a ton of water and washing my hands, and spraying lysol, and , and.........

I was sick free through all of the HAIRSPRAY rehearsal process.  The Show opens and POW-- I have congestion, my vocal chords are trapped in mucus, and I sound like a smoker.
 IT make-a me smad.

I did have a good show last night.  Gravelly...but good.   I belted my notes out with a flourish.  I had 10 relief society sisters in the audience, that I really wanted to impress.   I thought  my pride would get the better of me and the Lord would silence me for sure...but my humble prayers were answered.  Hallelujah!    Side note:  I got a good review in the Clipper for my Velma.  It said..."Melinda Cole Welch shows how funny it could have been if Lady Macbeth had ever become a stage mom."  

Today I am suffering.  I coughed all day....all night.
At night, I try to get in a head position that makes it so I don't cough, but then I  hover some where between sleep and wakefulness in an effort to keep my head still.  It's a pain.
 Last night I got to add sick Laila to the mix.  She was up 3 times throwing up.
 Poor, baby girl.
 She is my sick buddy today.
We are eating toast, sipping on warm Sprite and watching Master of Disguise and other equally inane dvd's.

I am determined to be  all better by Saturday night....my next performance.
PLEASE?

Monday, February 14, 2011

LOVE FEST 2011

We Love Valentine's around our house.
 This is the card Laila handed out.  She loved picking out what to wear and putting on lipstick for the Photo shoot.  What a dah-ling Valentine.
Monson's truck got Heart Attacked.  He was shaking his head as he walked toward it in the school parking lot.  Then when he discovered that Momma Melinda was the culprit.....he sent a cute "thank you and I love you too" text.  It was all worth the crazy wind, and running around the parking lot picking up the many blown away hearts.

Family Night....Love Fest.  We had the Grandparents and Holly join with us for a Red and White dinner.  Spaghetti and Meat balls, Garlic Bread, Red Jello, White corn,  ( Salad-- not red or white, just healthy ).

We all wrote Cinquain Love poems and did Love Notes for each other.  
"Ten Things I Love about you!!"
Addison's poem was about Bre...and Bre's poem was about Addison......Ahhhhhhhh!
Valentine
Lovely, Black
Looking, Staring, Wanting
Watching....always watching.
Stalker
(This was Monson's "love" poem--he makes me laugh)

Wayne surprised me this weekend with Dark Chocolate Mindy Mints...my fave, Flowers and he cleaned and organized his side of the bedroom.  Lo- hove- It!
We played crazy games:  Cup - Tower stacking, Shake your booty box, Cotton ball drop,  Red Hot Chop Stix and Broadway dance on the Wii.  
Holly was Maria from the "Sound of Music" and she had three AWESOME back up dancers help her with 
"My Favorite Things."
Strawberry Jello Cake with Whip Cream rounded out the night...and..... Chocolate "Best Sport" Medals.  It was fun to be together and share the LOVE!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

1.  I am thankful for 28 days of Nice....It's making me be a little more thoughtful and thankful through my day.

2.  I am thankful Monson is singing a solo in the Valentine's concert at BHS tonight.  I am sad I won't be there to hear it first hand, but I have enjoyed his practicing around the house.  He taught himself to play the guitar and this song.  He pretty much can do what ever he puts his mind to....now if he can just put his mind toward quality things.....his life will be GREAT!
 I love watching him perform.  Good thing for family and video cameras!

            Monson singing a Passion song..."Lemonade"


3.  I am thankful that Addison and Bre are at the College competition in Los Angeles with each other.  They make great scene partners!  ( and life partners too)   Bre got nominated this year for her work in "Five Carole's for Christmas"  She played the darling Carole Ling.  Now she gets to perform and compete on the College level.  Bre is so vulnerable and receptive as an actress.
 I can't wait to hear the outcome.  "So far so good," Addison tells me.

4.  I am thankful for Wayne.  He has been involved in a Congestive Heart Failure study at the U of U this week.  He and his brothers are involved because his dad died of this.  The brothers all had to eat certain food for 3 days, then go and get hooked up to machines that monitor blood pressure, sodium etc....  This does not sound fun to me, but Wayne is always willing to help out in the name of Science.

5.  I am thankful for my job.  I get to go in and serve breakfast to the Legislature in the morning.  We are part of the online school contingent that is trying to make our presence known.  I am not much for politics, but our director is.  She is good at staying involved and dragging me along in her wake.

6.  I am thankful for sunshine, even if it's just a bit now and then.  I need my "D."  I have developed a testimony of vitamin D3.  I have taken 2000mg a day since September, when I read about the positive results.  It's good for bone, breast and immune system care.    I can't believe how it kicks the illnesses out of my system and our home so quickly.

7.  I am thankful for my dad.  He has had a hard 6 weeks since his knee replacement surgery.    We pray for him constantly.  Things are starting to turn the corner for the better.  He is going to therapy and not using his walker.  Now if the infected stitches would go away he would be doing great!  He put this surgery off because he kept wanting the Lord to tell him if it was a good idea or not.  When is the millenium?  How many years on this earth did he have left, and will it be worth it?...that sort of thing.   He's funny.

8.  I am thankful Truman is loving Liverpool, England.  He has such a great attitude in his letters.  I looked up the Scouse accent and Liverpool on You Tube.  It was shocking and difficult to understand.  I don't recommend it because of the swear words, but it was an eye opener.  I can't believe my baby boy is living there.  Wow-- good thing the Lord is on his side.

9.  I am thankful for my new calling as 1st counselor in Young Womens.  I love serving in the Young Women's organization.  Kathleen Newman, the president, is a-ma-zing!   I  will be laying low for about a month, til my Hairspray show is over, then I can really be of help.

10.  I am thankful  Hairspray is finally opening.  We could use another week, but what show technically couldn't?  It will be fun to have a preview audience tonight, the GALA audience on Saturday and finally our first public performance next Tuesday.  I love my hobby.  I love playing snooty Velma and singing and dancing up a storm.  It totally energizes me.

11.  I am thankful

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Truthful Conversation

Found this on the ol' World Wide Web.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Valentine Weiner

Nothing says "Valentine, I love you!"  better than cheese and hotdogs.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Discoveries

1.  Dry Cap'n Crunch Cereal tastes great with almonds.  


2.  Running up and down 18 stairs, over and over again, in an effort to get some exercise in freezing cold St. George, makes for cramp filled  calves the next day.


3.  Missing rehearsals gets me off my "A" game.


4.  Monson is going to play football for Dixie State next year.


5.  The movie rating system is a flawed system that makes me nuts!


6.  Diet Coke is my friend.


7.  My dad is finally up and walking around his house after his knee replacement surgery a month ago.


8.  Landon is an excellent creative writer.


9.  It's February and I don't have any Valentine's decor up yet.


10.  ...........oooo baby it's cold outside!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Share the Love and pass the Diet Coke!

                                  JANURAY IS OVER!!!!

FEBRUARY IS HERE!!!
I did a New Month's resolution for January as opposed to a New Year's Resolution.    I decided to do Month at a time resolutions this year.   I gave up carbonation and caffeine for one month.  I knew this was doable.  (A year without...not doable.)
So I did it--- no soda at the movies, no pop in my house, no stopping at the gas station for a mug refill.
Did I feel soooo good?  Less headaches?  Less bloating?  No. 
Do I feel good that I actually had enough self control to commit and do it  for 31 days?  Yes.
I had two types of resolutions for January:   No ones and Yes ones.  I did No to Caffeine and Yes to an Apple a day.  An Apple a day worked well for me too.
I am feeling pretty good about myself.  I will feel even better when I get an ice cold-on tap- diet coke in my system again.  My cousin calls diet coke " a cleanse."  It's important to cleanse, this is why when you travel abroad the one drink that is safe to drink is Coke.  Right?!?!?

I have been working on my February resolution.  I am going to call it Share the Love Month...and do one thoughtful thing a day.  Love notes, thank you notes, hugs, kisses, prayers, gatherings, visiting, food, treats...all with Love in mind.  Today I sent out 6 thank you notes.
Tomorrow.....???
This is a short month, but I hope I come up with enough ideas to fill it.

I am looking forward to Valentine's Day.  It falls on a Monday night and I am already thinking of fun family night activities and food for LOVE FEST 2011.  This will be all red and pink themed, of course, kind of opposite my dismal dinner extravaganza from October.

SHARE THE LOVE!!