I was just reading a post on facebook that asked people about the rudest or most socially awkward thing anyone had ever said to them. A couple came to my mind, but the one that really struck me was the time that I was the one making the socially inept comments. It was an accident, I swear!
It was back in college. I was taking an education course where we were finishing up the term with a big group project. I was in a group with a couple of girls around my age (19-20ish) and one older lady who told us that she had returned to college because now that her kids were in college she was trying to keep up with them. (We'll call her Jane because I certainly can't remember her name after all this time.)
On our last day of group work, we all brought in pieces of the project and were finalizing our display in preparation for turning it all over to the professor. And Jane suddenly realized that she had left a critical piece at home. Luckily she lived close to campus, so was able to call home and ask someone bring it up to her.
Shortly before class ended, the door opened and a very attractive young man came in. He looked around for a moment, then spotted our group and headed our way. The younger girls and I all kind of sat up a little straighter, fluffed our hair, put on a smiley face... you know, all those things young women do when they spot a good-looking guy.
He came over to the group and handed Jane the piece of the project she needed. She thanked him and quickly introduced him around the group... girls, this is John. John these are the girls... Then she thanked him again and he left.
When he was gone, I turned to her and gushed something along the lines of: "Wow, your son is SO cute! Does he have a girlfriend? Would he like one? I haven't had a date in a few weeks - how about you set me up?"
To which she frostily replied: "That was my husband, not my son. He's a couple of years younger than me, but he hardly looks young enough to be my son." Then she didn't speak to me for the rest of the term.
Oops. But for the record, he totally looked young enough to be her son. Maybe he was close to her age and just aging really well. Maybe he was close to her age and she was not aging very well. Or maybe there really was 15 years difference in their ages. But I was not the only one in that group to assume that he was young enough to be her son. I was just the only one to blurt it out that way...
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
I'm Glad I Blog
I've complained before that I have a memory like a sieve. I just can't seem to hold onto things I want to remember. Thank goodness for Outlook and an iPhone to help me keep track of my days! And it also makes me glad that I have a blog to help me remember things - both big and little - that happen in our family.
Case in point... on Sunday we had a wonderful Relief Society lesson about temples and temple work. Throughout the lesson I kept thinking: I know I have a great story about some temple work I did for an ancestor. What was her name? Sarah? Sarah something. I used to know that name so clearly; I can't believe I've forgotten it.
It's been bugging me for days. In quiet moments my mind would keep working at the problem. Sarah who? Was Sarah the first name or the middle name? I know it was my family line on my dad's side... but I can't come up with it.
And then tonight I remembered. I think awhile back I wrote a blog post about that particular experience. So I went searching through the blog, and there it was. http://5shields.blogspot.com/2009/06/temple-memory.html And while I remembered the basics of the story, there were some great details in that post that I'd forgotten. Including Sarah's full name: Sarah Matilda France.
I'm sure glad I blog!
Case in point... on Sunday we had a wonderful Relief Society lesson about temples and temple work. Throughout the lesson I kept thinking: I know I have a great story about some temple work I did for an ancestor. What was her name? Sarah? Sarah something. I used to know that name so clearly; I can't believe I've forgotten it.
It's been bugging me for days. In quiet moments my mind would keep working at the problem. Sarah who? Was Sarah the first name or the middle name? I know it was my family line on my dad's side... but I can't come up with it.
And then tonight I remembered. I think awhile back I wrote a blog post about that particular experience. So I went searching through the blog, and there it was. http://5shields.blogspot.com/2009/06/temple-memory.html And while I remembered the basics of the story, there were some great details in that post that I'd forgotten. Including Sarah's full name: Sarah Matilda France.
I'm sure glad I blog!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
No Fletcher Ears For Me
Fletcher ears. They're large. Sometimes very large. And they stick out. Way out.
You see my Great Grandpa Fletcher's ears? Yeah, like that. That's where the term "Fletcher ears" comes from. Whenever a kid in the family has large ears that stick out from their head, we comment that they got the Fletcher ears.
I've always been glad that I didn't get the Fletcher ears. I just didn't realize how far mine go in the opposite direction. Because really, unless they're sticking out and drawing attention, who really pays attention to ears? I certainly never have.
But today I went to see the audiologist. The reason for this appointment is that Aaron keeps commenting on how I never seem to understand anything people say to me. And I have to turn the TV up very loud and turn the captions on. And he says things like: "Go get your hearing checked! Please!"
To which I responded: "What?"
So anyway, once he repeated himself enough times I made an appointment to have my hearing checked. And while I was there, the audiologist kept commenting that I had very small ears. And switching her instruments for smaller and smaller versions. At one point, she kept trying different sizes of earpieces for a particular piece of equipment and finally got the smallest size to fit. And she told me: "I'm glad that one worked! Otherwise I was going to have to go get the child-size kit."
Then they started trying on hearing aids... and we almost had to go child-size on those, too. But at least that means they're small and discreet. :)
Turns out I have almost no function in the outer part of my inner ear. Which means that I actually have near normal hearing (it's on the low end of normal, but not considered impaired yet). But while I can hear the sounds, the sounds don't get transmitted correctly all the way through my ear. So I can hear people talking, but I can't understand what they are saying. Especially if there's any kind of background noise.And at my house, when ISN"T there background noise?
So I currently have a pair of practically child-size hearing aids on a loaner basis. I'm supposed to try them out for a week and see if they help enough to make it worth buying a pair. (Since of course our crappy insurance doesn't cover them.)
Right this minute I'm listening to Preston whine his way down the hallway. I actually could hear what he was complaining about all the way into the bedroom. Maybe this is not an improvement...
You see my Great Grandpa Fletcher's ears? Yeah, like that. That's where the term "Fletcher ears" comes from. Whenever a kid in the family has large ears that stick out from their head, we comment that they got the Fletcher ears.
I've always been glad that I didn't get the Fletcher ears. I just didn't realize how far mine go in the opposite direction. Because really, unless they're sticking out and drawing attention, who really pays attention to ears? I certainly never have.
But today I went to see the audiologist. The reason for this appointment is that Aaron keeps commenting on how I never seem to understand anything people say to me. And I have to turn the TV up very loud and turn the captions on. And he says things like: "Go get your hearing checked! Please!"
To which I responded: "What?"
So anyway, once he repeated himself enough times I made an appointment to have my hearing checked. And while I was there, the audiologist kept commenting that I had very small ears. And switching her instruments for smaller and smaller versions. At one point, she kept trying different sizes of earpieces for a particular piece of equipment and finally got the smallest size to fit. And she told me: "I'm glad that one worked! Otherwise I was going to have to go get the child-size kit."
Then they started trying on hearing aids... and we almost had to go child-size on those, too. But at least that means they're small and discreet. :)
Turns out I have almost no function in the outer part of my inner ear. Which means that I actually have near normal hearing (it's on the low end of normal, but not considered impaired yet). But while I can hear the sounds, the sounds don't get transmitted correctly all the way through my ear. So I can hear people talking, but I can't understand what they are saying. Especially if there's any kind of background noise.And at my house, when ISN"T there background noise?
So I currently have a pair of practically child-size hearing aids on a loaner basis. I'm supposed to try them out for a week and see if they help enough to make it worth buying a pair. (Since of course our crappy insurance doesn't cover them.)
Right this minute I'm listening to Preston whine his way down the hallway. I actually could hear what he was complaining about all the way into the bedroom. Maybe this is not an improvement...
Monday, April 16, 2012
Changing Lives: Book by Book
We're still working on our goal of collecting 1,000 books (grade levels 4-8) and $600 to donate a library to a community in need. If you can help, please let us know! (We've even made it easy by putting that DONATE button right over there in the sidebar.--->>)
I thought I'd share a story we recently recieved from the African Library Project.
NOT A SINGLE BOOK resides in the Damanko School library in Damanko, Ghana. For ten years, the community has hoped for the library to swap its dust for books, but due to disuse, the vacant library has fallen into disrepair. Now, however, Peace Corps volunteer Kristi Moses has created the Damanko School Library Project. It will improve the library's infrastructure and provide learning materials for students and teachers.
Renovation to the library will begin this month, and carpenters have already begun building new windows. Once the renovation is complete, the students themselves will paint the room, and organize the books when they arrive. Then, Precious and her fellow students will finally have a library.
I thought I'd share a story we recently recieved from the African Library Project.
After a Decade, the Damanko Library Lives
When Kristi, an anthropologist, first arrived at her worksite in September 2010, she discovered that Damanko School, a local junior high, was in desperate need of a functioning library. The teachers do not have enough motivational resources to supplement their teaching, and the students have very few books to read. "Many students have a low reading level because they have little to practice with. Teachers tire of the constant lack of resources for teaching and have poor motivation," she said.
Last fall, Kristi visited New Bern High School in her hometown in North Carolina to share her Peace Corps experience with students. Several classes became very interested in her project. Deirdre Kiernan, an English teacher and faculty advisor for the school's Interact Club, decided to create a partnership with Kristi. Kristi's parents, Diane and Dan Moses, joined Deirdre to head the book drive for her project, and the Rotary Club is helping the Interact Club raise the $500 needed for the library.
Kristi realized that additional assistance was needed to supply the library with books, so she contacted the African Library Project. Once Interact Club made arrangements with ALP, the students quickly took charge of the book drive and have been collecting books for grades kindergarten through junior high. They expect to reach their April 21st deadline.
Taking special care to ensure that her project will be a sustainable success, Kristi said, "It is really a delicate balance. Everything has to be set up just right, or the library system will crumble as soon as a volunteer leaves." A community needs to be actively involved for a project to thrive, so she approached the locals.
Inspired by Kristi's passion and her project, several individuals who attended her meeting organized a second meeting with the village's chief and elders on their own initiative, and each leader even pledged a certain amount of cash from their respective communities. "The community has responded quite positively," she said. "To my surprise, they spent a great deal of time brainstorming solutions."
Kristi finds working with young people very rewarding. "There are so many special people in these schools who deserve every opportunity in life," she said. When she arrived to Damanko, she loaned a variety of books from the Peace Corps collection to Precious, a local student who became a big fan of the Harry Potter series and is a voracious reader, yet has few books to read. But soon this will change.
Renovation to the library will begin this month, and carpenters have already begun building new windows. Once the renovation is complete, the students themselves will paint the room, and organize the books when they arrive. Then, Precious and her fellow students will finally have a library.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Quick Funny from Brekken
On our way home from Haley's baptism in Roy, UT we stopped by my parents' house in Vernal, UT. While we were there, we had lunch (bagel sandwiches) and the kids played on Grandma & Grandpa's new deck, which features an exciting ramp to run up and down.
Last night, Brekken asked me: "Sometime can we go to that grandma house again? The one with the cool ramp?"
"Yes," I told him. "We'll go there in July for the family reunion."
"Good," he replied, because I like... I like..." He trailed off, but I figured I could finish his sentence. He had just been talking about running up and down the ramp, so big surprise, he was going to say he liked the ramp.
"I like... bagels. We should have bagels at that grandma house."
Should I break it to him that bagels are actually available here in Colorado? Or let him continue to think they're a special treat only available at "that grandma house"?
Last night, Brekken asked me: "Sometime can we go to that grandma house again? The one with the cool ramp?"
"Yes," I told him. "We'll go there in July for the family reunion."
"Good," he replied, because I like... I like..." He trailed off, but I figured I could finish his sentence. He had just been talking about running up and down the ramp, so big surprise, he was going to say he liked the ramp.
"I like... bagels. We should have bagels at that grandma house."
Should I break it to him that bagels are actually available here in Colorado? Or let him continue to think they're a special treat only available at "that grandma house"?
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Haley's Baptism
After several months of car troubles, scheduling dilemmas, and other delays, we finally made our trip to Utah to have Haley baptized!
We headed out Wednesday morning. The kids were excited the whole way. (How much longer until we're in Utah? - wait 5 minutes - How much longer until we're in Utah, now?) They were especially looking forward to seeing their cousins... or as they always refer to them, The Cousins. (Always as a collective. We're going to see The Cousins! We can't wait to play with The Cousins. We love The Cousins. This applies to cousins on both sides of the family.)
I actually stayed awake for the entire trip! This is unheard of for me. Typically, I get in the car and start falling asleep within 30 minutes... sometimes less. Unfortunately, the reason I stayed awake was because I was working for the entire trip. But on the plus side, since I worked the entire day, I didn't have to use up a vacation day.
The kids had a great time playing with The Cousins for a few days and we really enjoyed visiting with the family. I spent a few more days working (I will be really glad when the May Symposium is done and work is not quite so stressful for a little while!).
Saturday was the big day. Haley got all dressed up in her favorite fluffy pettiskirt.
Aaron and I gave her a special baptism necklace (which we actually bought a year ago and have been hanging onto ever since). The boys dressed up, too, though they weren't as enthusiastic about it. We headed out to the church where the kids were overjoyed to discover another Grandma & Grandpa! My parents and my sister and her family came out from Vernal for the baptism and we finally got an in-person peek at Baby Olivia. (Much like The Cousins, my sister's new child is always referred to by my children as Baby Olivia. She should really appreciate that in a few more years.) Grandma & Grandpa Schurz gave Haley a gift - it was a special baptism necklace.
We got Haley changed into her baptism jumpsuit and then managed to neglect to take a picture. We must have had a dozen cameras there, but no one snapped a picture. :( As we were getting everything finished up and ready to start, something we said apparently gave Brekken the impression that today was baptism day for all the kids in the family; which is why he told us: "I don't want to get baptized! I just had a bath last night!"
The baptism program was lovely. Grandma Shields gave a talk on baptism. Then Haley, my sister Melissa, my sister-in-law Jen, my sister-in-law Laura, my mom and I did a song about baptism. It went surprisingly well considering we had practiced it together for the first time about 10 minutes previously. Then came the baptism itself, which went perfectly. Aaron remembered all the words, Haley didn't get scared of going underwater (she had been freaked out about getting water in her ears for some reason), and it was just wonderful. Right up until I realized that I had left the towels in the car... so Haley and Aaron had to drip-dry for a couple of minutes until someone could bring in the towels. And then, of course, we realized that neither of them had any dry underwear to change into! Haley elected to go commando (permissible since she was wearing leggings under her skirt), while Aaron went with the dry-off-as-much-as-possible-and-hope-the-damp-doesn't-show-through-your-clothes route. Then we finished up with a talk on the Holy Ghost from Grandpa Schurz and Haley's confirmation. It was really just a very nice and special occasion... underwear snafus notwithstanding.
After the baptism service, Aunt Jen gave Haley a present - it was a special baptism necklace.
Then it was time for a party! We headed over to the other church where we had a couple of crockpots of Italian beef for sandwiches, and salads and dessert. Nothing fancy, but just right! We hung out with family and friends for a few hours. We finally got the chance to actually hold Baby Olivia. There was plenty of time playing with The Cousins. Grandma & Grandpa Shields gave Haley a present - it was NOT a special baptism necklace. (It was a lovely remembrance book for Haley to write about the special day.)
Then we headed back to Grandma & Grandpa Shields' house for an Easter egg hunt. The kids thoroughly enjoyed that as well.
Haley & I snuck out for the evening to go see The Hunger Games with my mom and sister. (Finally! Hooray! I've been wanting to see it so badly!) The movie was great, as was the girls' night out. But when we came out of the theater, everything was shut down. No other moviegoers, no employees... we obviously went out the wrong way. We ended up wandering the empty mall... every exit we saw was gated off and we couldn't get out. We found our way back into the theater where we finally saw an employee! She showed us a different door and we headed that way... only to find ourselves back out in the empty mall. We tried to follow her, but she disappeared too quickly. So there we are again, wandering through the empty mall trying to find an unlocked door so we can leave. My mom commented, "This is kind of spooky." Which is when we heard the weird laughter echoing down the (we thought) empty hallways. Then it really DID feel kind of spooky! Luckily, we finally found an unlocked exit and were able to leave the mall and find the car.
We spent Easter with Aaron's family. The kids were so well-behaved at church! I'm obviously very unused to that... and don't know what to do with myself during Sacrament Meeting if I'm not constantly keeping the kids under control. I fell asleep. I'm sure it was a lovely Easter service, though.
We headed home Monday and planned our route through Vernal so we would have a chance to see my grandparents (who weren't feeling well enough to come out for the baptism). We stopped for lunch at mom's house and got to see my mom and sister Melissa. We also got a chance to see my sister-in-law Sarah and nephew Kyron. Sarah gave Haley a present - it was a special baptism necklace. (If you're counting, that makes 4. And Haley likes to wear all of them at once.) It was great to have a short visit with Grandma, though we weren't able to see Grandpa because he was sick and not feeling up to visiting. :(
The rest of the trip was uneventful, though very long. Why does the trip home always take so much longer than the trip out? (Once again, I stayed awake for the whole drive... because once again I was working the whole time.) It was a great trip - can't wait to do it again for my family reunion in July!
We headed out Wednesday morning. The kids were excited the whole way. (How much longer until we're in Utah? - wait 5 minutes - How much longer until we're in Utah, now?) They were especially looking forward to seeing their cousins... or as they always refer to them, The Cousins. (Always as a collective. We're going to see The Cousins! We can't wait to play with The Cousins. We love The Cousins. This applies to cousins on both sides of the family.)
I actually stayed awake for the entire trip! This is unheard of for me. Typically, I get in the car and start falling asleep within 30 minutes... sometimes less. Unfortunately, the reason I stayed awake was because I was working for the entire trip. But on the plus side, since I worked the entire day, I didn't have to use up a vacation day.
The kids had a great time playing with The Cousins for a few days and we really enjoyed visiting with the family. I spent a few more days working (I will be really glad when the May Symposium is done and work is not quite so stressful for a little while!).
Saturday was the big day. Haley got all dressed up in her favorite fluffy pettiskirt.
Aaron and I gave her a special baptism necklace (which we actually bought a year ago and have been hanging onto ever since). The boys dressed up, too, though they weren't as enthusiastic about it. We headed out to the church where the kids were overjoyed to discover another Grandma & Grandpa! My parents and my sister and her family came out from Vernal for the baptism and we finally got an in-person peek at Baby Olivia. (Much like The Cousins, my sister's new child is always referred to by my children as Baby Olivia. She should really appreciate that in a few more years.) Grandma & Grandpa Schurz gave Haley a gift - it was a special baptism necklace.
We got Haley changed into her baptism jumpsuit and then managed to neglect to take a picture. We must have had a dozen cameras there, but no one snapped a picture. :( As we were getting everything finished up and ready to start, something we said apparently gave Brekken the impression that today was baptism day for all the kids in the family; which is why he told us: "I don't want to get baptized! I just had a bath last night!"
The baptism program was lovely. Grandma Shields gave a talk on baptism. Then Haley, my sister Melissa, my sister-in-law Jen, my sister-in-law Laura, my mom and I did a song about baptism. It went surprisingly well considering we had practiced it together for the first time about 10 minutes previously. Then came the baptism itself, which went perfectly. Aaron remembered all the words, Haley didn't get scared of going underwater (she had been freaked out about getting water in her ears for some reason), and it was just wonderful. Right up until I realized that I had left the towels in the car... so Haley and Aaron had to drip-dry for a couple of minutes until someone could bring in the towels. And then, of course, we realized that neither of them had any dry underwear to change into! Haley elected to go commando (permissible since she was wearing leggings under her skirt), while Aaron went with the dry-off-as-much-as-possible-and-hope-the-damp-doesn't-show-through-your-clothes route. Then we finished up with a talk on the Holy Ghost from Grandpa Schurz and Haley's confirmation. It was really just a very nice and special occasion... underwear snafus notwithstanding.
After the baptism service, Aunt Jen gave Haley a present - it was a special baptism necklace.
Then it was time for a party! We headed over to the other church where we had a couple of crockpots of Italian beef for sandwiches, and salads and dessert. Nothing fancy, but just right! We hung out with family and friends for a few hours. We finally got the chance to actually hold Baby Olivia. There was plenty of time playing with The Cousins. Grandma & Grandpa Shields gave Haley a present - it was NOT a special baptism necklace. (It was a lovely remembrance book for Haley to write about the special day.)
Then we headed back to Grandma & Grandpa Shields' house for an Easter egg hunt. The kids thoroughly enjoyed that as well.
Haley & I snuck out for the evening to go see The Hunger Games with my mom and sister. (Finally! Hooray! I've been wanting to see it so badly!) The movie was great, as was the girls' night out. But when we came out of the theater, everything was shut down. No other moviegoers, no employees... we obviously went out the wrong way. We ended up wandering the empty mall... every exit we saw was gated off and we couldn't get out. We found our way back into the theater where we finally saw an employee! She showed us a different door and we headed that way... only to find ourselves back out in the empty mall. We tried to follow her, but she disappeared too quickly. So there we are again, wandering through the empty mall trying to find an unlocked door so we can leave. My mom commented, "This is kind of spooky." Which is when we heard the weird laughter echoing down the (we thought) empty hallways. Then it really DID feel kind of spooky! Luckily, we finally found an unlocked exit and were able to leave the mall and find the car.
We spent Easter with Aaron's family. The kids were so well-behaved at church! I'm obviously very unused to that... and don't know what to do with myself during Sacrament Meeting if I'm not constantly keeping the kids under control. I fell asleep. I'm sure it was a lovely Easter service, though.
We headed home Monday and planned our route through Vernal so we would have a chance to see my grandparents (who weren't feeling well enough to come out for the baptism). We stopped for lunch at mom's house and got to see my mom and sister Melissa. We also got a chance to see my sister-in-law Sarah and nephew Kyron. Sarah gave Haley a present - it was a special baptism necklace. (If you're counting, that makes 4. And Haley likes to wear all of them at once.) It was great to have a short visit with Grandma, though we weren't able to see Grandpa because he was sick and not feeling up to visiting. :(
The rest of the trip was uneventful, though very long. Why does the trip home always take so much longer than the trip out? (Once again, I stayed awake for the whole drive... because once again I was working the whole time.) It was a great trip - can't wait to do it again for my family reunion in July!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Miracle Shower Cleaner
If you have hard water like we do, you know about the nasty, very hard to clean soap scum that forms when you shower in that hard water. I would post a before picture, but I don't want to disgust you with the nastiness.
Instead, I'll share a picture of the miraculous new shower cleaner I found:
Yes, that is oven cleaner. Easy-Off Fume Free Max oven cleaner to be specific. I was doing some research trying to find a better cleaning product for the nasty shower and I came upon a thread on a message board talking about cleaning hard-water soap scum... where someone suggested using this oven cleaner. It seemed crazy, but in the thread were several testimonials from people who had tried it with great success. After reading it all, I bought a can, figuring it was worth a shot. I was sure to find the specific type mentioned - other kinds are apparently too harsh. And today I was in full spring-cleaning mode and gave it a shot.
First thing this morning I sprayed down the shower liberally with oven cleaner. I coated every inch of soap scum. And then I walked away. I stayed away for about 6 hours while I cleaned the rest of the house. When I finally got back to the shower, I turned on the water to wet it down and start scrubbing. To my amazement, just the water hitting the coated soap scum started washing it off the walls! I took my scrub brush to it as well and all it took was a single swipe to wipe away the soap scum and oven cleaner. It just wiped right off! Usually a lot of elbow grease is required. I was seriously done in about 5 minutes. A few minutes with the brush, a minute to thoroughly rinse it all down, and done! This stuff is awesome!
Instead, I'll share a picture of the miraculous new shower cleaner I found:
First thing this morning I sprayed down the shower liberally with oven cleaner. I coated every inch of soap scum. And then I walked away. I stayed away for about 6 hours while I cleaned the rest of the house. When I finally got back to the shower, I turned on the water to wet it down and start scrubbing. To my amazement, just the water hitting the coated soap scum started washing it off the walls! I took my scrub brush to it as well and all it took was a single swipe to wipe away the soap scum and oven cleaner. It just wiped right off! Usually a lot of elbow grease is required. I was seriously done in about 5 minutes. A few minutes with the brush, a minute to thoroughly rinse it all down, and done! This stuff is awesome!
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