The Bloggeriffic Kazoo

Monday September 29th 2008, 6:20 pm
Filed under: humming along by Téa

Nothing major (like emergency dental work cancelling VT appointments or interupting a son’s birthday), just another delay in assessment testing. After securing childcare for my youngest two, and that dear friend finding another caregiver when a schedule conflict arose, getting that phone call asking us to please come back a different day was deflating. *sigh* I need to find some more wind for my sails.

making excuses

Saturday September 27th 2008, 7:11 pm
Filed under: humming along by Téa

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for taking 8 days to blog about the boy and his birthday–root canals, extraction, temp bridge, antibiotics, pain pills, loving husband holding down the fort.

A very sweet bright spot earlier this week though, we had a visit from the KEY LIME PIE FAIRY!!!! Something soft enough for tender mouths and large enough for sharing with all of the other mouths. MMmmmmm!!!! Right after I hit publish I’m going to hit the fridge for another slice. Right after I wipe up any drool on the keyboard, that is…

We also invaded the Fallstrom Five’s fortress last night. They made us some yummy burritos à la chipotle and taught us a new board game, Ra. Though it was a night of debate elsewhere, ’twas unanimous we need to play some more games together soon.

On twelve, going he is

Saturday September 27th 2008, 6:55 pm
Filed under: Notable News, 1000+ Words by Téa

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Has it really been eleven years (and eight days) since I drove to the hospital, two of us going in and three of us going out the next day? After a ninth month that lasted six weeks, I couldn’t have been more ready to not be ready to be a first time mother. Still fundamentally the same too: cute, sweet and on his own sometimes frustratingly independent schedule.

Happy Birthday to my Duncan dear.

Duncan had gifts along two themes, LOTR & Star Wars. He recently finished the Tolkien trilogy and his costume gifts reflect that (cloaks, brooches, a ring and Sting). His gifts from the Rydalches included a large map of Middle Earth and LOTR companion books.

Doesn’t he look ready for a grand adventure?

Enjoy your journey through the twelfth year, Duncan. May the stars shine upon your face!

New Waters of Mormon Post–Religious Devotion & Political Choices

Monday September 15th 2008, 4:22 pm
Filed under: Notable News, all that jazz by Téa

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Motivated by flabbergasting comments over at Bandanamom’s blog, I wrote an entry posted at The Waters of Mormon today: Called to Repent for Political Views: Mormon Obama Supporters = Apostates?. I invite you to share your thoughts here or at The Waters of Mormon.

From The Kazoo Archives: Remember

Thursday September 11th 2008, 10:46 pm
Filed under: reflections by Téa

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Originally posted 14 September 2006

Despite much effort, I am unsuccessful in weaving a wonderful transitional thread through the thoughts I’ve composed and so rather than delay them further I present them in their disjointed state.

Family Home Evening for Monday 11 September 2006 — Remember

Of the 275 times the word remember (or a variation thereof) is used in the Scriptures, the first three are found in God’s dealings with Noah.

15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

(Old Testament Genesis 9:15-16)

Discussion questions:

Why is it important to remember?

What do we do to remember good things?

What do we do to remember sad things, or not so good things?

Why should we remember them even if they’re not so good?

Let’s talk about why people remember today…

-basic outline of events

-where we were

-what we did

-who we knew

Why would it be important to remember what happened five years ago, even if it happened when you very little or even before you were born?

One way to remember is through photographs. There’s a website (Time.com) that has photos of the events of 9/11 and one essay of how people remember it, Memories in the Landscape by Jonathan Hyman. The photographer talks about the pictures and the different ways people remember, or how that changes with time.

(Pictures of the aftermath for those who want to see them)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a day of laundry and prayer. Dishes and prayer. Reading Rainbow, Mr. Rogers, Arthur and prayer. Birth of a friend’s baby and prayer. Death of a friend’s premature grandson, two days after his twin died, and prayer. NPR and prayer. Waiting for details on my husband’s job upcoming interview in Los Angeles and prayer. Uncertainty, e-mail updates, family phone calls and prayer. Eerie quiet and prayer. Grocery shopping and prayer.

Chaotic happenings the world over, peace and safety in my home. It is one place I can control, nurturing and loving my family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday 14 September 2001 we went to our stake center for the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance memorial service. Richard came home from work still in his suit and I dressed the children up for a funeral service. Duncan (5 days shy of his fourth birthday), Cheanna (2), and Emma Catharine (7 months) were among the few children in the audience.

They rang the Nauvoo bell before the service began.

*clang * pause pause pause pause *clang* pause pause pause pause *clang*

It rang for over four minutes. Everything else, everyone else was quiet. The meeting tone was set through its reverberations.¹

President Thomas Monson stepped to the podium and began the meeting, “Let us pray.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

¹In 1961, President David O. McKay presided at ceremonies at KSL-TV where the bell furnished a new time signal for both the television and radio stations. On that program, President McKay observed, “In its own way, the Nauvoo bell is a symbol of religious freedom in our land. … Hourly, the sound of the bell should serve to remind us that religious freedom and liberty is as much at stake in the present difficult world situation as political and economic freedom. … When we hear, henceforth, the sound of the Nauvoo bell, let it remind us anew that our nation and our community owes its existence to our trust in God.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9/11 in America, a touchpoint, one that could unite us as a people working towards healing. Unity came and gave way not too long afterwards. Disagreement over means and methods, though, not about ends and goals. The Congress standing on the steps together singing “God Bless America” lost its harmony through the struggle over the ways to keep America free and safe. Everyone wants to have life go on, but how exactly we do that is up for debate.

One thing is certain as we teach our children history (and history in the making), we will not forget.

Remember.

Holy Hailstorm, Batman!

Tuesday September 09th 2008, 6:35 pm
Filed under: Notable News, 1000+ Words by Téa

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It was the largest one I’ve seen, if my memory serves me right. Duncan was the first one on the trampoline to feel the transition from rain to hail when a stone hit him on the leg.

His welt is roughly the size of a penny but the hailstone that caused it looked to be twice as big.

With everyone safely tucked away under the patio roof, I took short videos of the hail bouncing off the trampoline and flying over the 6′ wall into the neighbor’s yard. I saw some golf ball sized hail too (so very patriotic according to Dan). It started to calm down so I put a laundry basket on my head and snapped this pic of the much smaller hail accumulating on the trampoline.

These pellets resemble rock salt. smaller hail

I love thunderstorm season!

Fun at 9000 feet

Wednesday September 03rd 2008, 9:07 am
Filed under: Notable News, 1000+ Words by Téa

5 Comments

We tripped the mountains fantastic this weekend.

We’d love to dance our way out there again next year.