Girl Songs

Last week while I was driving in my minivan ALONE (so rare) to Enrichment meeting, I decided to play an old tape (aside: the van was given to us by my inlaws when they bought our beloved black Subaru Outback wagon from us in December; they've had the van paid off for years and, although it is still in great condition, it has 220K miles on it and has no CD player--hence the digging up of old audio cassettes).

The tape I put in had "Eat Your Eighties" from Tucson's KFMA station (an all-request lunch hour show hosted by Chuck Roast) circa 1996 on one side, and Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing on the other side. Now, I own about 5 Sarah CDs but I haven't listened to them in YEARS. So the KFMA side flips over to Sarah and I am so struck by the SADNESS of the music. I can remember every word--I even performed some of these songs--but I can't believe how melancholy they sound! And this is the music I listened to, everyday , for YEARS. Girl Songs. Anthems of Young Single Women. Although I still find them lovely, they don't stir my soul like they used to. I mean, I was FEELING Sarah on this album when it came out--oh, the drama, the soul-searching, the lovesickness, the passion. Married life has said good bye to all that, surprisingly.

But I was reminded of one cool thing while listening to that album that I thought I should share. We were listening to it in my apartment on Ft. Lowell in Tucson back in 1999--we, meaning me and my roommate, Laura, who had recently gone from crazy sorority girl to less-crazy Mormon girl by being baptized. When "Sweet Surrender" came on, she said, "This song perfectly describes my conversion." I was like, "HUH?" cuz that's not quite what I got out of it. But then she said, "No, really--listen to it that way..." So I did and now that song is a beautiful religious thing for me. Here are the lyrics:

it doesn't mean much--it doesn't mean anything at all
the life I've left behind me is a cold room
I've crossed the last line from where I can't return
back where every step I took in faith betrayed me
and led me from my home
and sweet surrender is all that I have to give

you [meaning jesus/the spirit/whatever] take me in--no questions asked
you strip away the uglinessthat surrounds me
are you an angel? am I already that gone?
I only hope that I won't disappoint you
when I'm down here on my knees
and sweet surrender is all that I have to give

I don't understand
by the touch of your hand
I would be the one to fall
I miss the little things
oh I miss everything about you

it doesn't mean much--it doesn't mean anything at all
the life I left behind me is a cold room
and sweet surrender is all that I have to give.

Such a MAN

I've been reading lots of other people's blogs, about everything from mommy life, to traveling, to politics and just plain good humor. My cousin's blog has made me want to write about some things--first of all, I wanted to write about each and every New Year's Eve that I can remember, but I'll do that later. Some of them were quite magical and of course, always rung in with a few smooches.

But the one I really want to write is to him and all single men lookin' for a permanent hook up. Now, I don't pretend to speak for all women, or even a lot of women. But I think if you're looking for a smart, independent (but not intimidatingly so), fairly attractive, hilarious, ambitious LDS girl--possibly a returned missionary, starting her career but ready to stop on a dime and have a kid, etc.--well, I got some tips for ya.

Well, just one tip, really. And that tip is BE A MAN. Yep, it's even in the Book of Mormon. In the past 10 years as I have watched myself and my friends (all who fit into the above category) be wooed and eventually wed, I noticed a common theme. When we would describe what would later become our future companions to each other, we always mentioned that certain something that made him different--"He's such a MAN!" It was the quality that set these men that we married apart from the ones we just couldn't.

It's hard to describe this quality, except to tell you this: every girl wants to be adored, pursued, chased, convinced, and absolutely certain that she is what you want. I know it's cute to play the field and hard-to-get for a while, but NONE OF US MARRIED GUYS THAT DID THAT. Each of our husbands met us and went into hot pursuit mode. Not once were we left wondering how they felt. The ball(s) were clearly in our court and that's the way (uh-huh-uh-huh) we like it (uh-huh uh-huh). Wait--get your mind out of the gutter--you know what I meant by that--I'm not talking about "balls" although that's what it takes to get the girl.

It's really hard in our generation because we've all been sent conflicting messages about our gender roles-- what's good and not good behavior, what's attractive and what's not. I mean, I was almost afraid to be a girl/girly (mostly because of the vulnerability that entailed) for most of my young adulthood. But I have found, as have most people born during the 'revolution' (1965-1980-ish), that traditional, even 'stereotypical' roles and behaviors bring the most happiness. I mean, I am grateful that we are treated equally on a legal, civil, and social level, but most of the time I want to be treated like a lady and I want to act like one. And I want my husband to be a man.

So cowboy up or crank it up a notch or what ever you have to growl to yourself to get that testosterone pumping. If she's worth it, lay it all out. If she's not, find the woman who is. Check off your list and keep moving until you find the woman who makes you want to pull out all the stops. And then pull out all the stops. It works, I promise.


Addendum: If you want to hear a really good story of relentless pursuit and winning the girl, talk to my brother Matt and his wife Amie. Matt went through unbelievable humiliations to win Amie over (example: he sent her flowers and went to spy on her getting them and she walked down the sidewalk, flowers in hand, kissing her then-boyfriend! And did Matt give up? NO!) Years later, they are happily married with one of the cutest, happiest babies ever to grace the earth. And they did it all for the glory of love.

Yikes

Addie woke up all groggy and smiley today and started telling me about her dream as she often does.

"Mommy, I got my two boy babies!"

""Was that in your dream?"

"Yeah! I had one and Heidi growed up a little bit adn she had one, too!"

"Awww...were you both mommies?"

"No! You are the mommy and we went to school and I came home to hold my two boy babies!"

"Oh, I had the boy babies. Were they your baby brothers?"

"Yeah. Baby brothers. One for me and one for Heidi."


Um, yeah. I hate to rain on your parade, Ad, but mommy is only being pregnant one more time. So you and Heidi are either gonna have to share the ONE boy baby (or girl--oy vey!) or ask God to send them both at once.

[this story reminded me of when I was three and I told everyone that I went up the stairs to Hevenly Father and he told me that we were having two girl babies and nobody believed me until Laura and Lisa were born four months later! Yikes!]

Heidi Dresses Up

Today we are cleaning out closets, organizing laundry, sending junk AWAY in preparation for packing and eventually moving. Heidi was on my bed helping me sort through clothes and she found a hat and put it on!

Picnic, Anyone?

I Kid You Not:

0°F
Cloudy and Windy
Feels Like-25°F
UV Index:
0 Low
Dew Point:
-6°F
Humidity:
70%
Visibility:
10.0 miles
Pressure:
29.81 inches and rising
Wind:
From the East at 28 gusting to 38 mph

And for a little more local flair, here are the lyrics to our official tourism song (it's on a commercial for skiing and stuff):

"My home's in Montana

I wear a bandana

My spurs are made of silver and my pony is gray

While I'm riding the ranges

My luck never changes

With one foot in the stirrups I gallop a-way."

Dang right I gallop away...to Arizona where the cowboys are WARM!

After-Christmas-Sale-Shopaholics Anonymous

We love after-Christms Sales! Addie and Heidi got all kinds of winterwear for 75% off at Old Navy. Doesn't Addie look snuggly in her $3 set?

'Feed Me'

Here is Heidi showing off her little choppers at the dinner table. I think she is starting to wean herself because she very much prefers to eat what we're eating and hates when I offer her formula or baby cereal instead.

Grimace

Heidi has started wrinkling up her nose and showing off her teeth in a funny grimace that makes us all laugh. She is quite impressed with herself, being able to crack up the whole family. We couldn't quite capture it, but here's the end of one of her face-making episodes at the dinner table.

HAPPY #4, LIAM!

Today is the 4th birthday of one of the cutest boys EVER...my nephew Liam Post. Happy Birthday, Liam! We miss you!

Silly Boy

This might be Liam last year on his birthday...this is disco Liam and his buddy, Uncle Sam (my 2nd younger brother--Liam's Dad Will is my 1st younger brother).

Getting It Done (2 weeks ago)

This is how faith-based charities are supposed to work--efficiently, together, swiftly, and WITHOUT money or direction from the (or any) federal government.

More than 70 tons of medical supplies, hygiene kits, clothing and shoes
will be flown to Indonesia to aid tsunami disaster victims in a partnership
effort by Islamic Relief Worldwide and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. A chartered MD-11 cargo plane is being loaded today(12/31) in Salt Lake City for a New Year’s Day flight to Medan on the island of Sumatra in northern
Indonesia. Islamic Relief Worldwide is paying the shipping costs.