Sunday Scribblings: Music

I had a million things run through my mind when I was pondering this week's topic: music. I started thinking about the music I grew up with...ya know, total "rocker" music (thanks, Dad). Then I thought of my little country kick and alternative and even my switch to hip hop right now. However, when I REALLY started to think about music, I thought about my violin.

When I was eight, a man visited our fourth grade class and told us we were now old enough to learn an instrument and be in the school orchestra. I immediately wanted to do it. I didn't know anyone who played the violin; I had never heard the violin and I wasn't even exactly sure what one was, but it sounded fun, and I wanted to try.

One thing about my mom and dad is that they always encouraged whatever we wanted to do, so my mom rented me a violin and I joined the school orchestra. Well, I actually had talent. I picked it up very quickly and it was then that my true love of music blossomed. My mom soon got me a private teacher and by tenth grade a very expensive violin, and it was something that I loved.

The thing is, the violin is something that I can now look back on and see all the benefits. At the time, I was "naturally gifted" as my teacher said. In all truth, I probably had more natural talent with music than dance, but I never took it very seriously and danced more than practiced the violin. The violin gave me something different. None of my very best friends played in the orchestra, and it was something that I did because I wanted to do, and I was good at it. I learned the works of Tchaikovsky and Copland, Handel and Suzuki...even the fiddle! I should have focused more energy on it. I could play anything by ear and I never really had to practice...but if I would have, I think I could have been great.

I took it pretty far...I played all through high school and our high school orchestra went to a national competition in Oregon and WON! I also played in college in the Southwest Symphony and in Dixie College Chamber Orchestra. It was always second to whatever else I had going on, but I still loved it. I'm lucky now if I pull my violin out more than once a year at Christmas. I'm rusty and last time I played at church, it was horrible, but I will always be grateful that I played.

Learning music and finger/bow coordination made me smarter...really. Connections were made in my brain and it seems like it helped many aspects of my life. But, I also remember lying back on the grass and listening to Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings" after a long bike ride and just crying. The music was beautiful and I knew how important it was to me. It was so much more than my Van Halen or Madonna...it was MUSIC...and I loved it.

Sunday Scribblings: Bed

The first bed I really remember is my twin bed when I was eight years old. It had a beautiful, pink Holly Hobbie bedspread. I remember fluffing the pillows and making it every day. That was also the year I changed my name to Olivia.

The next bed I had was a queen-size water bed hand-me-down that I inherited in high school. I picked out an awesome periwinkle and navy blue bedspread and then found wallpaper and paint to match. I decorated the entire room by myself.

By the time my senior year rolled around, I was ready to have a little more room, or maybe the waterbed sprung a leak...I don't remember. But, I got rid of it and bought a little white iron daybed.

Next came the horrible, stinky bed I slept on in college in the dorm. I remember my roommate and I trying to rearrange our beds, but there was really no room. Our feet would touch in the night. It was especially difficult when Dave would come to "visit" and we had to pretend that she wasn't there...or maybe she pretended we weren't there. HOWEVER, we would "knock boots" literally...with my roommate.

Oh, the next bed I love. It was our first purchase we made together. It was a four-poster queen size bed and I cried when we paid for the mattress. It was so expensive during our married college days! I decorated it in burgundy and forest green. We put that bed to good use during the next seven years of marriage!

Now, my bed is my haven. I splurged on ridiculously expensive sheets three years ago. I have a delightfully plush crimson bedspread with matching pillows. We "upgraded" to a king when we moved to Georgia and realized that moving across the country with a confused two-year-old and two month old meant our bed would have an extra twenty tiny toes snuggled between us. Actually, the toes never ended up between us. They ended up in my ribs, in my hair or my backbone.

After some bribery and rough nights, we finally convinced the girls (a year later) to sleep together in their own room. Amelia crawled into Mikayla's crib every night and they nestled together. Today, they still sleep in the same bed, although our crib is long gone.

I love my bed...it is the place where I can finally relax after a crazy day. It is the place that Dave and I can be TOGETHER...no, not that...just ALONE, TOGETHER. Good Night.

Grateful...Sunday!

I'm grateful for:
The neighborhood pool
Slobbery little kisses
Time with Dave
Double Shots wings
Diet Coke
Our golf cart
Back rubs
When the girls say, "You're the BEST mom!"
Dots
Sunrise
My favorite pillow
Music
Flip flops
Laughter
Family
Friends
A clean house (not right now, though)
D's wedding

Lots more, but we are on our way to the pool!

Sunday Scribblings: Mystery

"In life more often than not, mysteries stay mysteries. You have to make peace with not knowing. So my question is, if you could have ANY mystery unveiled for you, what would it be? It can be cosmic, personal, political, whatever. What deep unanswered or even unanswerable question would you want to have revealed for your eyes only? What do you dearly want to KNOW? Also, if you want, what would your prefer never to know? What would best remain a mystery?"


This week's writing prompt hits a little to close to home right now, so I'm going to keep it light and not go deep...not ready for that one yet...


The mysteries of my life:
Why do fingerprints seem to only show up on the window right after you have JUST cleaned them?
Why do little girls wake up earlier than usual when they go to bed later than usual?
Why does Dave insist on keeping a pile of clothes, shoes and belts on the floor next to the bed?
Why is the guest bathroom toilet so hard to flush?
Why do I have a crack in the drywall next to my fireplace that keeps reappearing?
Why do my kids fight when they are together but miss each other fiercely when they are apart?
Why do we always have the right amount of money...just enough --without a lot of extra, no matter how much money we make?
Why does Utah produce so many beautiful girls and incredible dancers? (If you watch "So You Think You Can Dance" and others, you know what I'm talking about.
Why do my girls insist on snacking the entire time they are at the pool...and yes, I stopped bringing snacks but they just find them elsewhere. I then just brought broccoli and peanut butter and they downed the entire bag.
Why are some people so judgmental?
Why do my kids act like angels for others, but not for me?
Why do I now have to shave my legs every single day?
Why do some people insist on living in the dark when the truth is so easy to see?
Why is Depression so rampant in America today?
Why are there rock bands in so many churches today and why do they use certain brands of coffee to draw new members?
Why do lighting bugs insist on flying so high when my girls take a two hour nap so they can stay up late to catch them?
Why do my kids have such big feet?
How do my girls look so different from each other?
Why am I spending my Friday night writing this post?????????????

I think most of these mysteries will indeed stay a mystery, but they are mysteries, nonetheless. As for the deeper mystery I've been contemplating over the last two years, that I'm afraid will also stay a mystery.

Givers vs. Takers

I've realized something, there are Givers and there are Takers in this world and very few in between. On days when I am tired and grouchy, the Takers seriously about put me over the edge. They are the friends who can only talk about themselves, never ask you about how YOU are doing, never compliment anyone but seek compliments from everyone else, and never look for ways they can help someone make their life a little easier.

I am a Giver...I wouldn't say I'm a Giver to the extreme, but I go out of my way for others. I see when they need help and I compliment people and try to make them feel better. This should be a good thing, right? The problem is, I tend to get taken advantage of and end up feeling pretty bad about myself. I shouldn't depend on others to make me feel good, but to hear that your earrings are cute or your hair cut looks great, or "Hey, can I take your kids for an hour tomorrow" sure sounds nice. The problem is Takers find Givers and I seem to have surrounded myself with quite a few Takers.

On a positive note, I do have a few Giver friends and on the good days when I can focus on the good, the Takers aren't so annoying, and I'm overwhelmed by the sweetness of Giver friends...like Cheryl who picked my kids up at 9:15 this morning to take them to art camp...giving me an extra HOUR to myself (actually doing things for others, but at least I didn't have the kids). I hope today I can focus on that instead of getting down and pushed around by the Takers.

Peace...love...needed to vent!

Sunday Scribblings: My Earliest Memory

I've never had a good memory. I had a fabulous childhood...ups and downs, but I seem to just remember all the good times. My first VIVID memory is when I was five and in kindergarten. I had this terrible allergy to bees and mosquitos. Every time I was bit by a mosquito my eyes would swell shut. Because there was no way to prevent mosquito bites, my parents just made me get over being self conscious of my eyes being swelled shut and go to school!

I remember walking a mile to the bus stop (I lived in Bloomington, Utah at a time when there were just a handful of houses right outside of St.George). I got on the school bus and sat by myself in the middle of the bus next to the window. I remember facing the window so no one could see my eyes. Then, my favorite babysitter Sammy and her friend Teya got on the bus. They were in fifth grade and sat by me and were so nice.

By the time I got to school (about 15 miles away), I was happy and not worried about my swollen eyes. I grew out of the allergy little by little, but I've always remembered how nice the "big girls" were to me on the bus.

Alli's List

Have you ever:
(X) smoked a cigarette/weed
( ) crashed a friend's car
(X ) stolen a car--SORRY UNCLE JAMES
(X) been in love
(X) been dumped
(X) shoplifted--I NEED TO BLOG ABOUT THIS ONE, AN ACCIDENT.
( ) been fired
(X) been in a fist fight WITH MY SISTER
(X) snuck out of your parent's house ALL THE TIME
(X) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
(X ) been arrested
( ) gone on a blind date
(X) lied to a friend
(X) skipped school
( ) seen someone die
( ) had a crush on one of your internet friends
( ) been to Canada
(X) been to Mexico
(X) been on a plane
( ) purposely set a part of yourself on fire
(X) eaten Sushi
(X) been skiing
( ) met someone in person from the internet
(X) been moshing at a concert
(X) taken painkillers WISDOM TEETH AND CHILDBIRTH
(X) love someone or miss someone right now
(X) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(X) made a snow angel
(X) had a tea party EVERY DAY
(X) flown a kite
(X) built a sand castle EVERY DAY
(X) gone puddle jumping
(X) played dress up EVERY DAY
(X) jumped into a pile of leaves
(X) gone sledding
(X) cheated while playing a game
(X) been lonely
(X) fallen asleep at work/school
(X ) used a fake id A REALLY GOOD ONE, TOO
(X) watched the sun set
(X ) felt an earthquake
(X) touched a snake
(X) slept beneath the stars
(X) been tickled
(X) been robbed IF YOU COUNT MY GIRBEAU SHORTS WITH ALL MY JEWELRY IN THE POCKET FROM THE LOCKER ROOM WHILE I DANCED IN A PEP RALLY
(X) been misunderstood
(X) petted a reindeer/goat
(X) won a contest
(X) ran a red light
( ) been suspended from school
(X) had braces
(X) felt like an outcast
(X) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(X) had deja vu
(X) danced in the moonlight
(X) liked the way you look
(X) witnessed a crime
(X) questioned your heart
( ) been obsessed with post-it notes THAT'S WEIRD
(X) squished barefoot through the mud
(X) been lost
(X )been to the opposite side of the country LIVIN' HERE
(X) swam in the ocean
( ) felt like dying
(X) cried yourself to sleep
(X) played cops and robbers
(X) recently colored with crayons YESTERDAY
(X) sung karaoke
(X) paid for a meal with only coins
(X) done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) made prank phone calls
(X) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) danced in the rain
(X) written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) been kissed under a mistletoe
(X) watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) blown bubbles
(X) made a bonfire on the beach
(X) crashed a party
(X) gone rollerskating
(X) had a wish come true
(X) worn pearls
(X) jumped off a bridge
( ) ate dog/cat food
( ) told a complete stranger you loved them
(X) kissed a mirror
(X) sang in the shower with the radio
(X) had a dream that you married someone
(X) glued your hand to something WITH HOT GLUE...OUCH
(X)got your tongue stuck to something
( ) kissed a fish
(X) sat on a roof top
(X) screamed at the top of your lungs
( ) done a one-handed cartwheel NOPE, BUT I CAN STILL DO ONE HECK OF A CARTWHEEL
(X) talked on the phone for more than 6 hours
(X) stayed up all night
( ) didnt take a shower for a week.
(X) pick and ate an apple right off the tree
(X) climbed a tree
( ) had a tree house
(X) are scared to watch scary movies alone
(X) believe in ghosts
( ) have more than 30 pairs of shoes
( ) worn a really ugly outfit to school just to see what others say
(X) gone streaking
(X) gone doorbell ditching
( ) played chicken on bikes
( ) been pushed into a pool/hot tub with all your clothes on
(X) been told you're hot by a complete stranger
(X) broken a bone
(X) been easily amused
(X)caught a fish then ate it
( ) caught a butterfly JUST SET ONE FREE THOUGH
(X) laughed so hard you cried
(X) cried so hard you laughed
(X) cheated on a test
( ) have a Britney Spears CD
(X) forgotten someones name
(X) French braided someones hair
(X) gone skinny dippin in a pool/lake
( ) been threatened to be kicked out of your house
( ) been kicked out of your house