THANK YOU MYTHBUSTERS

There is a "marathon" of episodes from the television show "Mythbusters."

In case one of the three people in the United States who have never watched Mythbusters are reading my blog, allow me to explain that this show is a "documentary" (of sorts) in which urban legends are "confirmed" or "busted" by testing them in a scientific manner.


It's a lot of putting things together and then blowing them up - proving or disproving things mathematically - staging events per the "myth" and seeing what happens.


It's a fun show - and I have wasted most of today away watching reruns of it.

Thanks, Adam and Jamie.

MY ANTI-BUCKET LIST

The older I get, and perhaps the more experienced I am, the less I want to experience.

When you are young, fresh, and perhaps naive, you want to get all the experience you can.

You slow down as you get more of life under your belt.

And I'm now at the end of my run, and there are quite a few things I am certain I do NOT want to experience.

Such as:

• Bungee jumping. I think this has to be one of the stupidest ways to get an adrenaline rush; some kind of death wish, I guess.

• Trying new foods. Most of us are trying to lose weight - do we really want to discover new tastes that we then have to resist?

• Any More Traveling - at least travel just to be someplace I've never been before. I've done enough - people are great everywhere, different and yet very much the same - I've seen 46 of the 50 United States - the idea of ticking off more scenic sites on a list simply bores me. No retirement living in an RV.

Yes, I am fine with remaining boring and un-experienced.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN?

Most of us believe in certain things.

Everyone seems to believe in luck, or karma, of some kind, even when they deny it.

The saying goes there are no atheists in foxholes.

And it seems like most of us believe in some pretty foolish stuff - like President Obama is a Muslim, the Internet is always true, and what Fox News says is true.

(Sorry, am I making my political stance a bit too obvious?)

Okay, how about belief in Bigfoot, UFOs, and that the landing on the moon was faked?


Well, actually, I think there is something like Bigfoot out there, I DO believe in UFOs (I've seen one), and I'm not entirely certain about the moon landing being real.

But tonight I found out someone I thought I knew fairly well does not believe in something that I accept as very basic.

Surprise.

ANOTHER WAY TO FIGHT TERRORISM

My husband's job for years has been working for the government dealing with anti-terrorism.

I thought I had heard about terrorism in every way possible.

Until I read this article at http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/26/opinion/soussan-weingarten-gender-equality/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 this evening.

Summary - Even terrorists have fears. And the prospect of gender equality appears to rank high on their list of worst nightmares. The logic, for them, is simple. Empowered women would never accept the brutal ideology espoused by terrorist leaders as the rule of their land. Educated women and girls would fundamentally challenge the power structure of organizations like ISIS. Therefore, if you carry out the argument, they must be suppressed and enslaved.

I had never thought of it that way.
 

THIRD TIME LUCKY

I hate cold weather.


I do live in Arizona, but at a high enough altitude that we get freezing temperatures, and even snow once or twice a year (at least until global warming began turning every one's weather upside down and backwards).


And last night was one of those cold nights - it got down to 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our church is almost completely volunteer-based; we don't have a  paid clergy, church members teach the classes and run the organizations.

And we volunteer to keep our church building clean.

So this Saturday morning, our names were on the list to meet early to clean.

I called the brother who is in charge of the cleaning schedule Friday evening to confirm the time.

And he told me we would be responsible for cleaning the OUTSIDE of the building.

The pavements - and porches - and leafs - and raking - OUTSIDE.

And guess what?

It was COLD.

TWO DAYS RUNNING.... DO WE SEE A PATTERN HERE?

I have a few habits.... and I am going to try to make this post once again one of them.

And I am trying to determine if I should attempt to acquire some others.





I used to have a pretty strict schedule in a daily planner - which was necessary with a full-time job, kids still living at home, church responsibilities, etc.

Now I'm home alone - not doing much of anything.

Should I go back into the full-blown daily schedule, categorizing of topics, personal and spiritual objectives, color-coding of events?
 
 I would get more done with that, I am certain - but is that what I want?


I guess I am going to have to meditate on this for a couple of days.

SO WHERE HAVE I BEEN ALL THIS TIME?

I've been dealing with some issues.

Some have been purely in my mind.

Some are in circumstances still  surrounding me.


But some things I have come through, am now on the other side, and feel pretty well pleased with myself.





And I'm not entirely certain yet if I can commit again to this blog.... but I'd like to.

Let me issue this as a challenge to myself. 

SEEING THE HORIZON

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day.






Okay, I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for.



Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies.
Look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies.




 I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day.

DEPRESSED OR LAZY?

I've been going through a rough period.

I got off one antidepressant in order to gain some energy - and then lost almost everything in the process.

I'm getting my feet back under me - am seeing another psychiatrist - but the lost energy is simply not coming back yet.

But is that depression, or am I simply being lazy?

It's hot, and easy to feel this way (the heat takes everything away from you).

Or is it lack of any ambition on my part?

SMELL OF RAIN IN THE EVENING CLOUDS

Technically, I do not live in the desert.

We receive enough rain to classify as "high chaparral", which means twice a year we get enough rain to keep our yuccas, mesquite and broom cactus alive.

But we receive little enough that we do refer to it locally as "moisture", not rain.

And it's more than a little bit of an event when it falls.

We're on the cusp of our summer monsoon season, and every afternoon, we look with eagerness to the gathering dark clouds over the mountains.

And we rejoice even when a few sprinkles come fluttering down.

We need the rain badly.

SWEETS

Horses are by nature herd animals; they don't fare all that well on their own.

And my poor horse, Najale, has been all on his lonesome for almost a year and a half now.

Enter Sweets, or Sweet Lady Grey (her full name).

Najale dances and squeals and gallops and races around, incredibly excited by the presence of another equine.





I put them in adjoining pens for a few hours until the fireworks peter out, and then let them formally meet.

A few more squeals - a couple well-placed kicks from each one - soon they are grazing together in harmony.









Looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

HOME SWEET HOME

I enjoyed my time in San Diego.

I just don't think San Diego enjoyed me.


Record high temperatures, numerous wildfires, insane winds....

I think I should stay out of California for a while.

SAN DIEGO WILDFIRES

I was in Los Angeles for two hours in March before they had the first significant earthquake in several years.

Now I'm in San Diego, and there are something like nine major wildfires surrounding my daughter's home.

I feel like the bearer of ill tidings.

We aren't all the close to the major fires, but there is smoke on every horizon and in every direction. It's enough to make one feel uncomfortable, but not enough to begin packing our stuff.

TAKING THE KIDS TO CHURCH

Being with a 7 and 10 year old during LDS church services offers a different set of challenges.

Instead of sitting quietly, there is a lot more movement.

And discussion. Of just about anything, during the time you are trying to be quiet.


And usage of paper.

And pencils.




But some great pictures to take home at the end of services.

And a greater appreciation of what their parents go through every week.

And some good memories.

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE (PART 493)

I both dread and delight in going to visit my grandkids and my daughter in California.


I always have a lot of fun playing with Kate and Colin and just being silly with Harmony.



But I leave so much... OPEN stuff here at home.

Things that will probably never get CLOSED before the end of my  mortal existence, but still nag away at me when I am someplace else.

Although I can quite conveniently ignore when I am actually home.


Things like my photo albums (which were once completely organized and then taken apart by my mom in her Alzheimer's years) -- cleaning (which is never ever going to be enough of a priority with me to take very seriously) -- writing (things besides this silly blog - this I can keep up long distance) -- taking time to work more with my horse.

Things that take the time that I never seem to have while at home, and yet have in huge globs while on vacation.  

Okay, Hope, take a deep breath.

Get packed.

And enjoy the time in California.