The Candyland Perspective

A sweet friend from the Cape Henry ward was called to serve in the Canada Montréal Mission.  In an effort to love on her a bit, as well as to show support, I've created this Shutterfly book for her.  It captures some of her time from receiving her call to serve, all the way to the day she flies out to SLC. Sister Angelina Grandela is sure to be an AWESOME missionary! Anyway, this book is on its way to her, and she should receive it sometime next week. I sure hope she likes it! Click here to view this photo book larger Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

Sometimes I don't do too well with change.  I'm a creature of habit, like most, so rearranging life's components can be a wee traumatic.  However, there are times that I completely welcome change and all the promise it can hold.  Today, I'm embracing change. For three years, I've lived in Virginia Beach, having moved here from Chandler, Arizona.  From the desert to the sea, it was most certainly a big change.  It was a very worthy endeavor though.  I came to be near my sweetheart, the man I would marry.  I also have enjoyed the added benefit of being much nearer to my three brothers and my parents.  It was a very good thing for me to move to Virginia Beach.  For the past three years, I have enjoyed the ocean, even though I've not visited it as often as I'd like.  I've heard, felt, and been amazed by the near deafening thunder of hundreds of fighter jets flying into and out of nearby Oceana.  I've marveled every si...

And then I made bread with it.  For a lot of years I was intimidated by the thought of making homemade yeast-risen bread.  I wanted to beat this one though.  And I have!  Hooray!  I've had plenty of failures along the way... like fallen bread, dense funky bread, dry bread, etc.  But I finally made some good loaves, and these loaves are perfect for sandwiches, with dinner, for toast, sacrament bread, french toast... you name it.  And I've done it more with repeated success, so I think I've got it... for now. I got a Kitchen-Aid mixer this past year, and I vowed to use that sucker for bread-making.  I know it's not the real earthy and snobbishly proper way to knead one's dough, but so what?!  I like the one-bowl contained mess of kneading the dough, and I'm more likely to flip a switch than make sure I have an entire counter cleared off for the kneading of dough.  Just sayin'.  Inevitably, I will somehow miss a stuck little chunk ...

I made this cute wreath for about $2.  I LOVE CHEAP!  Well, I love inexpensive, that is. So cute!  So easy, too.  A lady in my neighborhood was selling off all her craft items.  Her ENTIRE house was like a store!  I bought the wreath form from her for something ridiculous/cheap.  The Stampin' Up! fabric was a whopping 33 cents.  The felt used was under a dollar too.  Toss in some hot glue and pins, and well, there you have it! I made these cute little reimagined little cheesecakes--wait for it--my strawBEARy cheesecakes--a week or two ago for the mingling after Stake Conference.  As expected, they went over rather well.  I took home an empty platter.  I hulled my strawberries, washed & dried them, and added a bit of Kraft's premade cheesecake filling.  I topped them off with cinnamon Teddy Grahams.  YUM!  An army of cuteness.     

I recently read a story written by Jeff Olsen called "I Knew Their Hearts."   It's an autobiographical account of his experiences surrounding a horrifying car crash that killed his wife & youngest son, while leaving him barely alive.  He writes about slipping out and back into this life, and his story is rather touching and important.  Without telling his story for him, I will just concentrate on two words of advice and comfort from his story that touched me the most:  choose joy. Sometimes things aren't easy.  Whether it's dealing with a boss who's literally losing her mind, figuring out how to make ends meet when pieces are short, or how to heal a broken heart and/or body, these things aren't easy, but they are doable.  I've done pretty well in life with not comparing myself to others too much.  I understand that my weaknesses up against someone else's strengths is just silly.  I know that each person's challenge is unique to that perso...

Again.  I'm at it again.  I do truly enjoy Draw Something.  No masterpieces here, just simple fun. No accounting for taste.  I've still never seen the movie. This could have been infinitely better. He's strong to the finish. I left his topper off on accident. Notice that he only barely has a tear, and that's just because she had a better car than him. {chirp chirp} footie pj's ewww Thanks Mr. Narwhal. dangerous moneybags l'artist clearly for my beloved :) Winner Winner Chicken Dinner no chicken dinner here cock-a-doodle-doo eyeing a kitten lame attempt at a man his hair floats she glows contemplating her romeo

And that means Thanksgiving is upon us.  I love Thanksgiving.  I don't necessarily love Thanksgiving dinner though.  I don't necessarily love football watching, cleaning up an obscenely messy kitchen, or all the busyness in the grocery store.  What I do love, however, is the crispness in the air, the gorgeous colorful leaves, the devotion to gratitude... even if for just one day for some folks, and that I get the day off of work to spend time with people I love.  My love for those things certainly outweighs my unlove for the other aspects of the Thanksgiving tradition. Kevin (Beloved's youngest son) will be coming home from Central Michigan University for Thanksgiving.  He'll be home late tomorrow afternoon!  I'm excited to see how he's changed in just a few short months since he left for school.  Will he have gotten the freshman (though he's really a junior) fifteen?  Slimmed out a bit?  Gosh I hope he hasn't taken on the attitu...