Sabbath Night

I slept pretty much all day today (I still made meals for my family and got the girls ready for church). It was much needed, and I am feeling better than yesterday with much less coughing (the coughing was getting way out of hand because I pulled muscles just under my sterum and around my back last night and it was horrifically painful to cough!). I am sad I missed church today because (a) we got a new bishopric (b) our new dentist and his family moved in--I missed FOUR new Primary kids today (c) it's my turn for Sharing Time and I was so excited (I still am) to do this month's theme. Debbie covered for me and did a wonderful job, I am sure, but I wish I'd been there.


I am catching up with blogs tonight taking a leisurely stroll down my blog roll, cyber-visiting far-away friends. THIS post might be the cutest thing I have ever seen. Seriously. Click on it. You'll be so glad you did.

Need to rotate some powdered milk? Make some cheese with Beloved Heidi (or "Big Heidi" as she's called by "Little Heidi").

Even though I feel a bit steam rolled, mostly I feel blessed. All it takes is an evening with my family and a few cyber-visits to realize there are a lot of really great people in my life. Some of the coolest are right here in my house with me. I am so glad I have the kind of kids and husband who can crack me up, who are fun to be with, who like crab rangoon and Peach Crystal Light for Sunday night dinner.

Economic Enlightenment

Numbers give me a headache, so being a grown up has its challenges for me. Being an informed grown up is even worse. But my financial-whiz-kid/ mission-pal, Steve Mackay (aka Daddy Mac) is always posting educational bits on facebook from his Manhattan Office of Financial Wizardry that help me to understand what-in-the-BELL is going on with the economy. This weekend's offering was espceially helpful for a novice like me (it didn't even give me a headache!). It's from THIS blog by Harvard Econ Professor, Greg Mankiw.

***

My favorite textbok covers business cycle theory toward the end of the book (the last four chapters) precisely because that theory is controversial. I believe it is better to introduce students to economics with topics about which there is more of a professional consensus. In chapter two of the book, I include a table of propositions to which most economists subscribe, based on various polls of the profession. Here is the list, together with the percentage of economists who agree:

A ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available. (93%)
Tariffs and import quotas usually reduce general economic welfare. (93%)
Flexible and floating exchange rates offer an effective international monetary arrangement. (90%)
Fiscal policy (e.g., tax cut and/or government expenditure increase) has a significant stimulative impact on a less than fully employed economy. (90%)
The United States should not restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries. (90%)
The United States should eliminate agricultural subsidies. (85%)
Local and state governments should eliminate subsidies to professional sports franchises. (85%)
If the federal budget is to be balanced, it should be done over the business cycle rather than yearly. (85%)
The gap between Social Security funds and expenditures will become unsustainably large within the next fifty years if current policies remain unchanged. (85%)
Cash payments increase the welfare of recipients to a greater degree than do transfers-in-kind of equal cash value. (84%)
A large federal budget deficit has an adverse effect on the economy. (83%)
A minimum wage increases unemployment among young and unskilled workers. (79%)
The government should restructure the welfare system along the lines of a “negative income tax.” (79%)
Effluent taxes and marketable pollution permits represent a better approach to pollution control than imposition of pollution ceilings. (78%)

If we could get the American public to endorse all these propositions, I am sure their leaders would quickly follow, and public policy would be much improved. That is why economics education is so important.

***

Well put. Of course, that's why he works at Harvard. I don't understand how people can be tricked into ignoring FACTS in favor of politics. I like economics (and yes, even NUMBERS, in this context) because there are hard facts and a couple of centuries of evidence upon which to build theories. Of course theories take off in all directions and can become mind-boggling (did you see "A Beautiful Mind?" YIKES), but basic principles like these can help us so much in day-to-day decision making (and voting). Thanks for all the insight, Mac. Keep it coming!

PS: Here is another guy who helps me make sense of the world. Love him.

Check Us Out

We just posted our 40th family video on vimeo!

Untitled from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

Around the House

Here's what Heidi's room looks like now:

Heidi's Room, June 4th from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

New covers on the throw pillows...
Shiny but fun, no?

Poor overburdened craft table

Crazy, burry pictures that Heidi took of Me & Addie cooking dinner Monday night.

Wednesday Musings

Not much to say; busy week. Makin' homemade pizza for dinner, just got back from a 3 mile walk in the spring mugginess. Good times. I need to take pix of Heidi's room done. Not much else on my mind besides housework. And THIS <--thoughts? More later...

About the Yard...

The Snow-on-the-Mountain os taking over, just as the nursery warned us it would. This is along the front of the house--notice that the 15-inch solarlights are being engulfed.

This is our side yard, as you come in the gate from the front yard. Note the fun swings, the playplace under the deck, and the little box of marigolds that Addie grew from seeds in her first grade classroom.

This is our OTHER sideyard as seen from the backyard. It's a vegetable garden and it better grow! Look at our sweet little transplanted seedlings! Those are little yellow onions, a hungarian pepper bush, and space for two tomato plants there at the front (which gets the most sun). The tall middle ones are green beans, yellow squash, carrots, and in the back are buttercrunch lettuce and collard greens (which we will eat as baby greens in salads rather than Carolina style--boiled with bacon grease:)). We have cilantro and dill sprouting in boxes, but I think we will grow a little in here, too, just for fun.

These are my containers--the contain flowers and herbs (greek oregano, sweet basil, mint, lemon basil, lavender, cilantro, and dill).

The twigs we planted four years ago are finally looking like trees, getting their white aspen bark and fuller, rounder leaves that are so pretty fluttering in the famous Livingston Wind! (note the tidy rock bed from which they rise...I placed those rocks over mended weed blocker by hand last weekend!! The next thing I need to do is divide thos tulip bulbs).

***

That's all. I am working at the hotel tonight, again (so I am going to miss your call, Sam--but yes, we're all well and happy, thanks for asking). We hope the cruisers are home safe from Alaska! Have a great week, everybody!

"On one morning in the month of May...

...when all the birds were singing/ I saw a lovely maiden stray/ Across the fields at break of day/ She softly sung her roundele/The tide flows in and the tide flows out/ twice ev'ryday returning"

I been singin' that song in my head...May has been lovely. I have three posts (at least) floating around in my head and things have slowed down a bit at the hotel (my first night working since September). First, I have been editing some 2007 fotos and I really need to do a post about the beauty of Paradise Valley & my town...we've got some great pix!

Secondly, my little sis called me in tears on Tuesday, crying because--even after emergency gall bladder surgery--she is still have intense abdominal pain. She said she felt stupid for crying because she was crying more out of frustration than pain. I TOTALLY understood what she was saying! I just wanted to write this paragraph to (belatedly) empathize with Jill. Even though I have felt pretty good for almost a whole month (aside from the horrid second-degree sunburn I got in Cali, but that's another story for another day, after I get the after-effects examined), I remember clearly breaking down a few weeks after my surgery. My scar was healing, but I felt total exhaustion and deep muscle pains much like two years earlier before I even had a diagnosis or treatment. I felt furious at the possiblity that the past 2 years had been in vain and I was back where I started. I know I was sitting in the bathroom and the girls had called from the family room asking if we could do some activity together and I had to say, "No, mommy's way too tired. I have to go to bed, but you can come snuggle me" for the millionth time. It hurt to pick up my pajamas, and as I put them on, I just started BAWLING. I think that was the first time I ever let myself COMPREHEND what it means to have a chronic, incureable disease. For a little minute I let myself think, "What if I feel like this forever?" It was a terrible thought. But almost as quickly I remembered how many people live happy lives with so much more affliction than I have known, so my sadness was short-lived. But I get it, Jill, I really do. Of course I am grateful for the health I do have, but I think not feeling well enough to play with my kids is the number one thing that gets to me. I HATE it. I am so grateful for the month of health I have enjoyed...and it's MAY...what beautiful timing! I hope you are better soon, dear sis, and able to enjoy your new crib! You gotta weed that giant garden! Grow me some pumpkins and zucchini!

Another thing is this: I know Heavenly Father loves the children of the Livingston Ward Primary. Wanna know how I know this? Because I see His hand working to make our Primary better for their sakes almost everyday. And when I am thoroughly exhausted (as I have been for 9 consecutive days), I am quickened just enough to accomplish what needs to be done for Primary. And when I am out of good ideas, He enlightens me, sends flashes of insight, and helps our whole presidency be TOTALLY awesome when we may have been only partially awesome. When a Primary child has been absent for a while, they will be on my mind and in my prayers, and WITHOUT FAIL, I will cross paths with that child (or his parents) within days. This has nothing to do with me; it has everything to do with those children being precious to Him. And I love them, too.

So. Tomorrow is our big quarterly Primary activity and officially putting in the garden. Somewhere in there, I am going to take a nap, I swear. If I don't, I am going to keel over. So tomorrow or Sunday I will check in, post some old Paradise Valley pix and some new ones of our doin's. What are YOU gonna do to ring out May?

Painting

I hate painting with a passion, but I love redecorating (see last May?). In an ideal world, I go to the home improvement store to buy the paint, then pick up a painter on my way out of the parking lot! Or I make my little sister do it.

Anyway, when Heidi was sad a few weeks ago because her room was "not pretty" and painted with "boy colors", I sat down with her and a Benjamin Moore book and chose some new colors. Today I forced myself to gitter done...

Welcome to Heidi's Room...

She's our elephant/all things-animal-girl, so any decorating scheme has to include the pachyderms (this one was lovingly stitched by Gramma Becky).

BEFORE:
This is Heidi reading on her bed last week. Note the festive elephants, hung to distract her from the drab beige walls.

You can barely see the circus-ish duvet cover, which was our inspiration for the new room.

AFTER:



***

One of the things I have been meaning to do is make some art for her walls. I bought these canvasses at a Michael's sidewalk sale about 14 months ago, intending to make a jungle triptych.


I finally did it (with Addie's help) last night...

#1


#2

#3

Here they are all together...

We will probably hang them this way.

And we'll put the dear elephants back up, too.

***

Also,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATTY!

We really miss you. Hope its been a great day!

A Glimpse of Memorial Day

First Thing in the Morning... As I made breakfast this morning, the kids were playing "Elephants." In the course of my cooking, Heidi's largest elephant, Big Rose, gave birth to four babies! Then Addie asked if she could take this elephant family photo--this is around 9am.

About an hour later we were all working on the yard and I took this video of my little daredevil, Heidi, and Addie and James, too, frolicking in our front yard. Good Times!

Memorial Day 2009 from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

***

Happy Memorial Day

Singin' In The Rain...

It's been a pretty busy week. I walked at least 3 miles 4/6 days, worked on the yard every day, created a 15-page pre-school year book from a cd of 500 pictures, gave a lesson in poetry (including a workbook) to 9 Activity Day girls, cooked dinner 5/6 nights, AND kept the kids alive and the house clean...or presentable, anyway. I said lots of prayers for my poor nephew, Gabriel, who broke--yes, BROKE--his ankle last week and had surgery Wednesday. I squeezed in watching (on DVR) GLEE (loved it!) and the Idol finale (best one yet), and today I spoke in sacrament meeting with our high councilor. The topic was broad--Testimony-- and I mostly used this talk by Henry Eyring and this talk by Richard G. Scott. I got unexpectedly emotional when I spoke about preparing our children for the trials they will surely face. I love this quote from Elder Eyring:

"We have the greatest opportunity with the young. The best time to teach is early, while children are still immune to the temptations of their mortal enemy and long before the words of truth may be harder for them to hear in the noise of their personal struggles. ...The question should not be whether we are too tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it would be better to draw a child closer by just having fun or whether the child is beginning to think that we preach too much. The question must be, 'With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine from me will fortify them against the attacks on their faith which are sure to come?' The words you speak today may be the ones they remember. And today will soon be gone."

For some reason, it just sends chills down my spine. I try to be inspired rather than discouraged by all the teaching time I have squandered already. And I try to be grateful that I have a husband who is committed to Family Night and teaching our children-- I know a lot of women don't really have that support.

Anyway, I am ready for a little holiday tomorrow. We plan to spend it working on our yard and on the tree house at the ranch...maybe we will fit in a tiny bit of relaxation. Speaking of relaxation, I am excited to hear about my grandparents' Alaskan cruise. They are so brave! They left Thursday for a 10-day adventure with Aunt Marti & Uncle Ralph. I hope they have a marvellous time.

It's raining right now, so I hope it help what we have planted so far, and won't hinder our progress tomorrow. I'll try to take some photos. They won't be spectacular because most everything is a seed or seedling (and I froze three tomato plants and some marigolds on Wednesday night, dang it!).

I am off to visit teach mi amigas Jen & Debbie tonight with my comp, Krista J. It'll be fun. More tomorrow, I hope...