More like hurry up and HURRY UP!

I receive my mission call 9 DAYS after my papers were turned in!! I was prepared to wait the average 3 or more weeks it ususally takes to receive a mission call and so I went on a camping trip with some friends. No cell phone reception. My Janni best friend was the first to receive the frantic message from my mother about a mysteriously large letter that had arrived for me (she being the only one with roaming, and could therefore check her voicemail in the canyon on our way down to town). There was much in the way of suprise and excitement the car ride home (and about 500 more frantic voicemail messages on just about everyone's phone when we found cell phone reception).

I opened my letter when we got to my house (still with a fine misting of red Moab dirt and Eau du Campfire) (don't worry, I waited for my mother to get home too)...

"You have been hearby called to serve... in the Florida Jacksonville Mission!"

WOW!!! I am so excited! I know that this is where the Lord wants me to be and that this is what I am supposed to be doing at this time in my life. I leave for the Provo MTC December 16th--so fast!! There is much to do and I am so excited! I am so blessed and so grateful for all of the help that I have been receiving. I am comforted and buoyed up more and more everyday and my excitement and testimony grows stronger as I strive to prepare to lose myself completely in serving my brothers and sisters wherever I am and being a tool in the hands of the Lord.

I love this Gospel! I love the hope and joy I have from my knowledge of Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness for ALL of His children. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I am forever grateful for His Atonement that makes it possible for me to repent of all sin and progress. I love my family! I love my friends! Thank you so much for you love and friendship! I love you all!

Hurry up and wait...

I have been planning on serving an LDS mission for so long that I can't remember when I made the decision to go. I have finally gotten all my mission papers turned in as of 2 days ago!!! I can't believe it and think it is about time all at once. I have had a few people submit their guesses as to where I may go (among them Finland, France, Idaho, East Coast, Chile, West Coast, New Zealand, German-speaking,...), but as for me I am happy with wherever the Lord sees fit to send me--I know that it will be where I am supposed to be. I love the Lord, I love the Gospel, I love my spirit brothers and sisters and hope to try my best to serve them and help all those around me to feel of the joys that I know are meant for all children of God. Heavenly Father loves all of His children unconditionally! I am excited to begin a year and a half of hardships, exhaustion, learning, teaching, serving, loving, rejoicing, and all of the other joys that come with teaching of and helping others come closer to Christ and growing closer to him personally.

"Yes, I do randomly burst into song..."

Ever since I was crib-bound I would make up and sing songs about the world around me. My dreams even come with their own unique soundtracks; sometimes I compose expressive symphonic concertos within that subconscious wonderland. Unfortunately, by the time I return to reality I rarely have more than the left over adrenaline and floating joy from the music drifting away, locking itself in a faraway cabinet of my mind. I do not yet have the musical knowledge or understanding to let my music free, perhaps someday I will. Perhaps in that day I will find that only simple, abstract melodies leak from my pen and not the soul-moving subtleties and bombastic fanfares that occasion my imagination.

Until then I have my goofy songs. Here is a short one from a couple days ago, getting my laundry:

Laundry Basket,
One of the wonders of the world!
Carries my clothes up,
And drops not a sock-let on the floor!

Scary Noises in the Dark

There was one night a few years ago when my Mother heard a sound from the gully out behind our house. She couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't a pleasant sound. It wasn't quite a human sound. It was a frightened or pained animal sound. In my mother's concern (it was very very late in the night) she called the police and described the frightful sound the best she could: "A crow the size of a bear!" The police said something like "Ahhh...Yeah, yes of course Ma'am. We will get right on that." Of course by the time an officer went to investigate the mutated crow was nowhere to be heard, but returned not long after the officers left. A friend of my mother's, a hunter, had her call so he could listen to the bizarre noises of the night. She called, the mutated crow cawed, he listened, he laughed hysterically. His experienced ears picked out the sound right away and put it with its originator--a fox.

I still hear my foxes sometimes. (I call them my foxes only because I feel a one-sided friendship with them, I have watched the little ones play in the riverbed, glared at the dogs who chased down their scent during their morning walks, listened to their calls at night) Although the sound makes me gather my kitties inside so they don't get eaten, I feel for the cute little fox family too.

On the same note, I think there might have been bats flying around outside my house this evening. I only guess because I could hear bird-like screech/squeaking. Ah, perhaps it was only a few birds, but bats are so much more mysterious and interesting to be flying around outside one's window. Perhaps it was a newly evolved species of flying rat. Probably was carrying rabies AND the avian flu. I am sure it can also throw lightning bolts from its whiskers when it sneezes.

Or...maybe I happened to eat a little more than half a pizza and the excesses of yummy goodness are adversely affecting my reasoning capabilities. But at least my toes are green and the front lawn is happily mowed! The backyard is being saved for wonderful, sunny tomorrow! Ummm...and a happy Klezmer to you!

VERY rough draft

When life give you storm clouds

When life gives you rain

When life gives you puddles

Sing, dance, splash, and play!



When wind steals your umbrella

When the thorns tear your sleeve

When dark clouds surround you

Above the storm the sun shines still!



When all friends desert you

When strangers laugh and scorn

When loved ones deceive you

Serve, heal another's heart torn!

When wayward, lost, or fallen

When tears have hope o'ershadowed

When darkness swallows direction

Reach for the scarred Hands once torn and bruised.



When all sun is shining

When storm clouds have passed

When all souls befriend you

Remember the Feet which stood beside you!

When life gives you puddles

When life gives you thorns

When life throws you banana peels

Lift your head and dance with the Sun!

Car, car, SUV, motorcycle, airplane, truck, motorcycle, car...

This morning when I was driving to school I saw an airplane wing driving the other way. Yes. Airplane wing. Quite an oversized load! It looked like the semi was only going about 20mph with its extra long trailer that still made the wing look like it was wearing flip-flops 2 sizes too small. Toes and heels hanging over the edges. Alas, I didn't have my trusty little camera ready or I would have a lovely picture to post here for you all to enjoy.

That is all :)

Oh. I have made a couple discoveries. All growing up I quite disliked some foods. Pickles, tuna fish, rice pudding, mustard, water chestnuts, oreos and probably a few others. I was however quite fond of other stange things, among them was V8 tomato juice, catfood, and olives (straight from the can) (No, not together! Gross.). I find it incredibly interesting how tastes change over the years. I think that now my tastes have reversed, except in the case of pickles...still not very fond of most pickles. I discovered the other day that I now think rice pudding is delicious, and mustard really does make sandwiches better.

I found myself eating a pre-made deli sandwich and found the taste needing something. A kick, or at least a gentle push. Pepper? no, I didn't feel like I wanted the cough from inhaling pepper flakes that afternoon. Mayo? No, no. Wrong flavor. What do you put on sandwiches.....hmmm. ketchup? uh, no. Not with my turkey, thanks. Mustard? Why not? I got out the costco sized mustard and thankfully remembered to shake it up before I squeezed a little onto my bread...well, "a little" after the initial explosion and rather large glob squirted onto my poor sandwich. I worried that I had ruined it. I spread it around. Tasted it. Hey! Not bad! Hahaha! I thought I never would like mustard, it was disgusting after all.

Okay, that is all now :)

It is a gloriously beautiful day and I am going to go do some weeding while the sun is out (I am deficient in Vitamin D). I will soon write about New York adventures, an excellent Italian restaurant, and some other unbearably exciting things!

Smile and be happy! There is no better way to spend life's rainy days than by singing, dancing, and splashing through the puddles!