Stoned

Sunday night I'm sitting in the emergency room with Dale. Diagnosed with a kidney stone, I have to sit and listen to the two men(Dale and the Doc)explaining how this is soooo much worse than labor pain! (Wah, Wah).

OK, I admit. I've heard that from a few sources, but honestly, there is something wrong about a man whining. I just want to slap them and tell them to...well...be a man!

I seriously think I'm missing the men can hurt too gene. I'm so use to fighting through the flu, migraines, labor pain, blocked intestines, you name it, while cleaning the house, cooking dinner, watching kids, doing the laundry. working....that it's hard to be sympathetic.

We have kids coming in two days to stay with us for a week. Dale's been home from work since Monday waiting for the stone to deliver. In the mean time, the list of things to do keeps getting longer and longer. Everyday I expect to come home from work and find at least one item scratched off the list. I've never in 34 years had Dale home for so many days in a row. Yet nothings getting done. Who thought it would be so hard to birth a stone.

Thursday it still hasn't arrived. Dale goes to the Doctor. They send him to the hospital for a CT-Scan. He's having multiple stones. Five to be exact. OK, I'm starting to soften just a little. This is beginning to sound painful even to me. On top of that he now has a sinus infection, and a virus that he's fighting. (What?).

Tomorrow he goes to the urologist. I get up the nerve to ask him if he thinks we could possibly get a few things done tomorrow. I fight the guilt that I'm feeling, but I'm desperate. We have company coming.

Tomorrow's temple night. Hmmm, I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. He probably will need a ride home from the hospital....that means I probably will need to miss my shift at the Temple too.

Now... if I could only get stoned

Grace Notes

Gratitude originates from the Latin word gratus—meaning “thankful, pleasing”—” In the 13th century, the short prayer before a meal came to be called grace.

I came across an article by Deborah Norville on the "new science" of being grateful. There is no question that those who practice a regular routine of thankfulness are happier and healthier.

Following are a few suggestions that she makes in her book "Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You.”



Record your thanks
Take a moment during the day—right before bedtime is usually best—to jot down three things that happened that day for which you are grateful. Anything that made you feel uplifted, that brought a smile to your face or your heart, or will contribute toward your future happiness, works. After each situation or event for which you feel thankful, write down why this was good for you. Perhaps you received an e-mail from an old school friend who hadn’t been in touch for years, and this reminded you of the good times you had together. It forced you to realize that people think of you even though you’ve had no contact with them, which must mean you’re a pretty special person. Also, make a note of who, if anyone, played a role in what you’ve recalled for the day and how that person had an impact on your life. None of this sounds hard, right? Given the choice between this exercise and 50 sit-ups plus 25 push-ups, you’re much more inclined to pick up a pen, aren’t you? The gratitude journal makes you look at life in a positive, concrete way, reminding you of its interconnectedness in a fast-paced, impersonal world and how much others add to the quality of your life. It forces you to focus on what went right instead of the inevitable things that went wrong. And it enhances your self-esteem.

See the patterns
Over time, you’ll notice a consistency within the list of items you’re grateful for. Many entries will underscore the importance of people in your life. Others will highlight meaningful experiences. Still other items will be things that began with you, things you created that you can point to with pride and say, I made that happen. It’s called eudaemonia, the happiness or fulfillment that comes from the action itself, not the result of it. Any other benefits that come along—someone is grateful, your project is a success—are icing on the cake.

Catch the boomerang
Gratitude, when expressed to others, almost always comes back around. People who feel appreciated are more willing to make an effort for those who make them feel valued. In one study, waitresses who simply wrote “thank you” on the check before handing it to their customers received, on average, 11 percent more in tips that those who didn’t. Waitresses who wrote a message about an upcoming dinner special on the checks also received higher tips—on average, 17 to 20 percent higher. In a world where personal connections seem increasingly limited, and sometimes stressful when they do occur, gratitude resonates.

Seize the moment
Look around you: What’s right with your world? If you have a hobby, practice it. If you don’t, find one. Reach out to others; share something. A small gesture toward another individual costs you little but can bring many benefits. All these actions increase your opportunities to feel grateful. Says Barbara Fredrickson, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina, “Gratitude has the potential to change everything from its ordinary state to being a gift.” Now, that’s saying a lot.

I've decided to add a heading to my blog. I'm calling it Grace Notes. From time to time I plan to record specific events that have brought a smile to my face or in someway impacted my life for the better. My own little gratitude journal.

10 Books To (RE)Discover

1. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans Ahh, adventures in Paris--what could be better? Madeline and 11 other little girls live "in an old house in Paris," under the care and tutelage of Miss Clavel. This edition captures their exploits in three-dimensional pop-up spreads of selected scenes from the book based on Ludwig Bemelmans's original illustrations.

2. Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James HiltonA gentle schoolmaster is ridiculed at first by his rowdy charges, but gradually his dignity and generosity gain the students' respect. Did you have a teacher you tortured, whom you later grew to admire? You're bound to identify your former teacher with Mr. Chips, who over the years has come to represent all beloved teachers, whose lessons extend beyond the classroom.

3. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett An heiress has a difficult time at boarding school after her father suddenly dies, leaving her penniless. No longer a "princess," she endures cruel treatment from the other students. Despite her change in fortunes, she remains determined to maintain her dignity and to give voice to her princess within.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger What happens after Holden Caulfield flunks out of boarding school yet again? The school of hard knocks has some bitter--and often hilarious--lessons in store. Sixteen-year old Holden narrates this classic coming-of-age story, offering wry commentary on the "phoniness" of the adult world around him and hinting at the emptiness inside.

5. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Harriet is a young girl determined to be a famous writer. To gather material, she faithfully writes in her secret notebook everything she sees and hears while walking her daily "spy route." She makes brilliant observations of life's absurdities, and her writing career seems assured--until the notebook is discovered by her classmates who read it aloud. Suddenly, she finds herself a social outcast and the target of her vengeful classmates.

6. The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling The unbelievably popular series about life at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry starts with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. As you must know by now, Harry's unbearable childhood is transformed when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. The young wizard-in-training encounters one adventure after another, and confronts the great destiny that awaits him. While you're waiting for the next novel in the series, have you reread the first one yet?

7. A Separate Peace by John Knowles A tale of friendship and betrayal at a private New England school for boys during World War II. One is brainy and lonely. The other is handsome and athletic. The two form an intense bond that draws out both the best and worst in each. A Separate Peace is an unflinching look at the dark side of adolescence and a classic portrayal of the complexity of friendship.

8. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark An eccentric teacher in Edinburgh in the 1930s has a soft spot for all things Italian, including Il Duce. Is she liberating young minds or preaching fascism? A defense of individual thought in the face of unchecked conventionality, the novel explores Miss Brodie's intense, and ultimately dangerous, relationship with six of her students.

9. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier A teenager refuses to be bullied--into selling chocolate--and winds up in a larger battle. Did your school have fundraisers? Did you ever sell raffle tickets or wash cars? Well, things could be worse. When Jerry Renault refuses to sell chocolate for his school's fundraiser, he provokes such divisiveness that the entire social fabric of the school seems to come apart at the seams.

10. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy BlumeSurviving fourth grade and a rambunctious little brother isn't easy--can Peter do it? His little brother Fudgie is so disgustingly cute and so meddlesome that Peter's often not sure if he'll be able to make it another day. If you have a younger brother or sister, Peter's story may sound all too familiar--but this time it's fun.