A few months ago I posted the above video on facebook. 

There were many comments about how much these words apply today. 

Ann Murray recorded this song twenty-eight years ago. If we just replace Lebanon with Afghanistan or almost any Middle-Eastern country. And Bryant Gumbol with Diane Sawyer this song could be recorded today.

In the words of the writers, Tommy Rocco, Charlie Black, and Rory Michael Bourke,

 'It's gonna get worse you see'...

and it has.

Worse all over. 

Children abused, kidnapped, starving, sick, or worse.

Economy and jobs worse than ever.

World leaders and even our own country leaders and local leaders- just disappointing 

Wars that seem to see no end. No progress.

Starvation, Genocide, Raids and Protests.

Weather- Heat waves, tsunami's, flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes.

On our own local news, drownings, killings, suicides, flooding.

We sure could use some good news today. I tear up when I hear this song.

I don't want to say that I don't want to turn on the local news or CNN but it makes an already deflated, heavy burden my my own life feel even heavier.

How often have I uttered the statement- 

'No matter how hard life gets, someone out there is carrying a heavier load.'

And although I mean to lift spirits that all is not lost... I wonder some days if I have become one of those 'someones' ? Am I the one carrying the heavy load?

I am healthy, my children are well. I am one of the lucky ones to have most of my extended family including both of my parents still here with me. And a healthy relationship with them all. 

I have a roof over my head and food (although hard to come by) in my stomach. I have good clothes covering my body. 

I can take an evening walk around my town and feel safe. 

I have good friends I can call and they will be at my side in an instant. 

I can easily take a ride into the mountains near my home and feel a little closer to God.

I sure could use a little good news today.

But I continue to have some good news everyday as well, if I choose to look for it. 

Hope you are all having a great Wednesday!

Leave me a comment and let me know how you feel? Overwhelmed? Happy? Blessed? 

And anyone else think Ann Murray is fabulous?

Easy like a Sunday Morning

Taking it easy this Sunday reading the paper, blogs, sipping coffee and resting.

This past week I have had a hard time concentrating. I have had a sharp pain in my lower back. It is not a constant pain. More of a sharp stabbing pain when I move in a certain position. But not the same position. This makes it difficult to diagnose and find a remedy for.

I rarely have pain such as this and find it difficult to relieve. How do you know whether to 'work it out' or 'sit it out'? Do I use Ice? or Heat? or both?

This recent pain was not caused by an event. I didn't strain it or overwork it in any way- that I could recall.

I have tried it all. Ice, Heat, Exercise, Stretching, Resting and anti-inflammatory's and mild pain killers. So far, nothing has helped.

It is not a constant pain. I have been able to take long walks, play tennis, stretch and exercise with no pain at all. However, sitting and then standing again can take my breath away with pain.

It could be that I have a nerve pinching between vertebra...

The worse part is I have no insurance and a real tight budget due to my continued unemployment.
I will wait it out and continue to exercise, ice, heat and rest.

I have enjoyed the time with my girls on long quiet walks in she sunshine and some time on the tennis court.

Here is a bit of my childhood I relived through one of our walks to the tennis courts. Hollyhock Dolls:

This is a hollyhock plant. Here in Utah it is often pulled out with the weeds. Not many here see it for its beauty.




It grows well in arid soil and needs little to no tending.
When I was a young girl they grew all along our fence line in our back yard. They don't have much of a scent but the deep rich colors range from white to the deepest reds and purples.

Here is a little easy craft if you have little girls:





Using one blossom and one un-bloomed bud,

Simply insert a toothpick between the two through the stem center.

The bloom makes the full skirt and the bud becomes the head.

Underneath the skirt is enough pick for a 'puppet handle'.

Simple fun

An oil change and a summer walk

Wow! This summer is flying by. I wish I could find more time to write here. I miss this blog. But so much going on, and when there is nothing going on, I just feel like doing nothing.

I think the winter months are when I write my better stuff, wrapped up in a blanket, hot cup of coffee in hand. Summer months you want to get out when it is cool, get the yard work done, spend every last drop of sunlit hours of the day you can doing anything you can. For me, it is hard to spend the summer, my favorite months indoors at a computer. I would imagine that some of that comes from the fact that as an engineer, I sit indoors at a computer a lot of those daylight summer hours.

Summer months can also mean a lot of extra house and yard work. It seems there is always something around here in need of repair. The past couple weeks it has been cars and the air conditioning (which in my area is a roof mounted swamp cooler). My swamp cooler needed the regular tune-up but also began to leak into my house... two days repair and it still needs something. I am not at my best at increased heights but I managed.

Next I had car problems, a friend came by to help me as she has family members who know mechanics, and she herself has repaired her own car many a time. Being a single parent on a limited income it can really save you money if you can do any of your own repairs. Car, house, furniture.. any repairs you would otherwise pay someone to do.


Yesterday, I tackled for the first time ever, changing the oil in my car. Other than buying the wrong oil filter, struggling with the bolt plug that was on pretty tight, and the tight space under the car putting my claustrophobia into overdrive, it went really well. And boy did it need it!


Afterward, while getting some house cleaning and laundry caught up, my youngest and I popped in the latest NetFlix delivery.
One Flew over the cuckoos nest starring one of my favorites, Jack Nicholsen in a winning performance. I am not sure why I have never seen this movie before but I surely have missed out on a great movie.

Later, after a great dinner of stuffed pork loin and cabbage we took one of the dogs for a summer evening walk. I love summer evenings.







all in all it was a great Saturday. Productive, nostalgic, and relaxing and I found time to write here too.