My Own Personal Hades

I was going to call this post "go to Hell" but thought I might offend my following of 2-3 people who actually read this blog.

I thought about this because Sarah called me one day and said when we go to Hell we are going to be required to move. She had been moving her office all day (it was about 10 pm!!) and felt that was surely what Eternal damnation was going to be. Perhaps that would be an appropriate punishment, for we are all so wrapped up in our wordly possessions that we might have to pack them, move them, unpack them and then start all over again throughout the eternities.

Those of you who have read Dante's Divine Comedy (most specifically the Inferno) are familiar with the levels of Hell and the punishments that are so specific to the type of sin or sinner. For those of us who are not so well-read, perhaps we have read The Dante Club, a very nice mystery with the Inferno as a framework for the story. This is kind of like admitting that I only read the comics in the newspaper. Bob said I shouldn't say that publically; people might think I am shallow. It's OK. I am shallow. Anyway, I haven't read Dante, but I have read The Dante Club. I think that is close enough.

So, my Eternal punishment will be entertaining. Not entertaining as in people watch and laugh, but as in I have to throw parties. Kathleen said, "Mom, for a person who doesn't like to do this, you do a good job." It is just tiring for me. I have to have a clean house, and I always cook something that I have never made before. I just keep my fingers crossed and hope it turns out ok. Bob always has a few extra jobs to throw in also. This time, he brought more plants home to fill up some empty spots in the yard. Now he did help, but it's very funny. He said how his dad would be so proud of him for getting into gardening, and my response was "what, for standing over me watching me plant?" Anyway, the yard looks better than it has ever looked and I really do just want to show it off, so, we Entertain!!

I'm not sure how this actually fits any particular sin I may have committed (maybe pride in my yard, house, cooking skills, ), but it certainly is punishment. This past summer, I have had to host Youth Conference at the Huntsville house for our ward, get the Huntsville house ready for the Capitol Hill 2nd ward Youth Conference, have a housefull of family members over (that was actually not punishment -- it was a treat -- but still a lot of people); we hosted 12 Chinese clients, with translators, office staff, etc., had the Stake Mutual swimming party, and Bob's tennis group. I'm not sure I used all my commas and semicolons correctly, but I am sure you were able to follow the line of progression in my march toward the river Styx.

Give me room, lots of room.

When my sister Fran moved out of our parent's home, her room quickly became a sewing room. When it appeared that I was no longer going to move back to Seattle (i.e. a job, then husband, then baby), my room became an office, complete with drafting table, typewriter, etc. After sister Kathleen went off on a mission, and then moved to Phoenix (Mesa, Chandler), her room became storage/guest room. This is the natural order of things.

Times change. When Rachel moved away to college, she told me in no uncertain terms: "don't take over my room." She said this, while in the same breath she would say: "don't ask me, I don't live here." So as the big kids moved out, I strived (strove?) to keep their rooms in the same general condition that they left it in. Generally unmade beds and dirty clothes on the floor. Now they have their own places so I am pretty sure they really don't live here anymore except for an occasional holiday, or house sitting, or illness.

But now I only have one child at home, size-wise she doesn't take up much space. But to see all of her stuff spill over into the rest of the house, you would think that a half dozen very messy young children still live here. Kathleen has stuff in literally every room in the house. She does her homework in the dining room, at the kitchen, at the bar in the family room. She uses the upstairs bathroom for getting ready at the sink, but bathes and uses the other facilities down stairs. She sleeps in her room, or Rob's room if hers has to much stuff on the floor or the bed. If it is really hot, she sleeps in Sarah's or Rachel's room. Everybody's stuff is dropped on the kitchen counter, so I really can't say what is hers and what is Bob's. Often she is working at the computer in Bob's office. My sewing room is no longer my own, and when I come home from work, I find her sitting on my bed, watching the TV shows I recorded on my DVR.

I don't know what planets are out of alignment, but the whole natural order of things is upside down.

I'll Have the Early Bird Special

I know that it has been forever since I posted, but I am basking in the wonderfulness of not having to go to high school anymore. Besides, I have been busy with a job, 2 houses, 2 dogs, a husband, a college student, 2 gardens, YW presidency, visiting teaching and MS. So after a particularly busy and tiring day, I got something in the mail that was just the cherry on top.

Now I know why the waitress at Village Inn gave us a 10% discount the other day. We are (expletive deleted) senior citizens!! Of course, that it what I get for going to Village Inn for dinner.

The Happiest Day of My Life

I can't believe it has finally come. It is a day I have been waiting for since August of 1994. Our last child, the beautiful Kathleen Marie Sykes, graduated from West High.



We started at West with Rachel as a 7th grader in the ELP program in 1994; Sarah in 1996, Rob in 2000, and Kathleen in 2005. Our roots at West go back even further. My parents, Frances Dibble and Scott McKay, were West high graduates.

A friend of mine told me that even though I am ecstatic right now about never having to get up at 6:30 am and beat a child to school (metaphorically speaking), one day I will drive by the school and get a little wistful, perhaps even teary-eyed, as I think back on all the memories of good times at West.

No more parent-teacher conferences, cross-country meets, tennis matches, dance concerts, back-to-school nights, A Capella trips and dinner/auction fund raisers. No more PTA meetings and folding parties for the school newsletter. No more swim meets, fines, automated calls telling me my student was absent or tardy one or more periods today. No more children telling me it was their sibling that was tardy or absent one or more periods today. No more trying to figure out if it was a red or black day and when each child was supposed to be home and why they were home early. No more homework, IB/AP tests, USBSCT tests, CRT's. No more online classes, no more worrying if the grades would get to the registrar on time to qualify for graduation. No more bad school pictures.

In other words, one less source of stress in my life.

Congratulations, Kathleen (and me!). We graduated.

Once a Panther (and Panther Parent), always a Panther.

I Can't Help Myself.

I just couldn’t help myself. I walked into Costco with the sole intent of buying dishwasher detergent tablets, pool chlorine, 3 oz. cups, and Soft Soap. There is something about the air in Costco . It must be thinner because I start thinking fuzzily. My eyes glaze over and my willpower disappears. I was shocked when the bill at check out came to $320!!! Looking over my purchases I came home with the soap, the cups, the chlorine (that was $100), the detergent, pool shock, dog food, 2 blouses, and James Patterson New Book!!!!
At least I know I am not the only one with the problem. Bob went last week and bought dog food, cleaning supplies, cheese, chicken salad, 2 flats of raspberries, bratwurst, Advil, fish oil tablets, and a whole bunch of Kleenex. The past Wednesday he went to buy stuff for the office. He came back with chocolate caramel macadamia nuts, chocolate covered almonds, gummy bears, a box of lunch size chips packages, multigrain chips, vegetable chips, tortilla chips, peanuts, mixed nuts, Pepsi, Fuze drinks, cheese/cheese cracker sandwiches, and a 2-gallon container of animal crackers!!
This is why I don’t send Bob to the store. I ask for eggs; I get eggs, Oreos, lentil soup, sugar cookies, 3 kinds of bread and Vanilla Coke Zero. And cheese balls.
So much for the grocery budget this month.

You Can Go Home Again

I am a little behind the times, but I just got these pictures so it is ok. In March, we (aka Debbie McPhie Brown) arranged a little reunion for my old high school from Beavercreek Ohiol. At least those people we could find. It was so much fun and just as though we hadn't ever been away. Debbie just sent the pictures and WE HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT!!!


Becky McPhie Reeder was not able to attend (He son was getting married and for some reason, she chose that over our reunion. However, she and her husband took a road trip and ended up in Beavercreek and took some picture for us. Here she is in front of the high school.

This is our high school. It looks smaller and a little newer. I think it has a new facade.

This is where we went to church. These are days that changed my life. It never dawned on me until really just a few months ago, that I must have gone to church smelling like an ashtry. My dad was a heavy smoker and when you live with it, you don't notice it, but others can. No one ever said anything, and everyone was so loving and inclusive. I don't think I would have been the person I am without these friends.

Speaking of these friends, here we are. From the left front: Me, Mendy Simpson Conner, Teresa Daley Love, Wendy Van Waggoner Dyck, Debbie McPhie Brown. Left Back: Charles David Graham (who reminded me of my first day driving to seminary - backed out of the garage with the car door open and tore the door off the car -- I have spent the last 35 years trying to forget), Cynthia Newbold (can't remember her married name), the famous Bruce Newbold - whose voice is so distinctive that I can't watch the temple film without thinking of high school days), and Kathleen McKay Lewis.

Happy Days!

I'm so dizzy!

Friday morning, I woke up and sat on the edge of my bed and literally fell over!! I have not been able to function at all. I know that spending days in bed seems like a lot of fun, but it gets really boring really fast.

I have caught up on all the Millennium episodes, watched The Chorus (a delightful French film -- even if you have to read the subtitles, it was delightful), tivo's a whole bunch of NCIS and Cold Case and have just laid in bed watching TV.

I've been so dizzy, I can't even read a book for more than a few minutes. And you all know how I like to read!!

Our bishop came over to help give me a blessing and mentioned something about crystals that grow in your cochliar canal in the ear and if one gets dislodged it can throw you off balance. The only cure for that is to have the doctor hit you on the head a few times. Dr. Taylor said he didn't want to do that because he was afraid I might hit him back. I did smack Bob on the back of the head just in case he gets any bright ideas. Anyway, Dr. T thinks it is a virus, not an enhancement of my MS. (I know that enhancement seems like a good thing, but it isn't) Dr. T gave me a sea-sick patch and said that might help. When I read the insert that came with the patch, one of the side-effects really jumped out at me. This patch could make you DIZZY!!

Hopefully, I will be better by Wednesday when I am in charge of Mutual. I'll keep you posted just in case you want to know.

PS. Emily Jones - It may have to be Paris/Rome in 2010, though I am never tired of London.

PPS. Aunty Kate - yes, I took a self defense class at BYU. About all I can do with what I learned it smack Bob on the back of the head. I did learn to flip someone over if they were sitting on the couch right next to me and I was sitting higher than the assailant and he weighed hardly anything.

PPPS. Aunty Kate - Hello! Wedding announcement in the Auburn Times. Also, didn't you go on the handcart trek from the boonies to the Kent Ward? Our picture was in the paper then, too.