Chewing Gum Day

Do you remember the scene in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where the little girl who found a Golden Ticket was obsessed with her chewing gum? 

Violet Beauregarde- gum chewing girl- after the chewing got the best of her

While I distance myself from her personality, the first step is to admit that you have problem.  My name is Sonja, and I have a chewing gum addiction.

 

As I approach the checkout counter at the grocery store, my eyes are quickly scouring the wide variety of choices offered in gum...not candy bars.  I find myself excited at the possibility of  a new flavor.  The colors leap from the boxes drawing my attention, tempting me to pick them up.  Sometimes I even desirously breathe in the aroma emanating from the tiny package. The flavors offered have changed over the years, becoming far more complex than just bubblegum, grape, and the mints from the past.

 

I remember the Juicy Fruit commercials where the delicious fruity flavor grew in packs on trees.  If you want to enjoy one of those 1970's commercials, here's a link.  commercial link  My sisters and I naively believed that you could be Juicy Fruit farmers.  We sacrificed a stick of gum one time, carefully planting it in our backyard, watering it, and waiting.  What a long wait!  Eventually we decided that we had to have done something wrong in our planting.  Did we not water it enough?  Were we not supposed to water it?  The commercials had the yellow packages growing on them; maybe we were supposed to plant an entire pack of the gum and not just a single stick.  The thought of giving up an entire pack was more than we could bear.  You see, we RARELY were allowed gum.  My mother frequently found a chewed up piece on the carpet or in the bedding (tip: an ice cube placed on it for a while hardens it and lets you pull it up), or in our hair (tip: peanut butter gets it out).  Hence the ban; a control we found quite Communist-like at our young age.

 

How much did I love gum?  Because of the gum ban in our home, if we were found chewing it...to the garbage can it went.  Did that bother me?  At first...yes.  But I soon found an intelligent solution to my conundrum.  I waited until my mom or dad left the room, then went back and dug it out of the trash to resume my chewing.  I know, I know...you are shocked.  Me and my germ phobia did that.

 

The only time I ever stole anything was around the age of 6 or 7...and it was gum (on two occasions).  I hang my head in shame at the thought of stealing, but again, remember that I was on a gum ban...I still found a way to get some.  Addictions can drive you to a life of crime.  I am living proof that it can happen.  I have since found better and more appropriate ways to deal with gum withdrawals.

 

When my children were very young, in order to help them to be reverent in Sacrament Meeting (church), I bribed them.  Yes... I believe in bribery.  If they were reverent at the beginning of church and all through the Sacrament, they could choose a piece of gum.  I kept about 3-4 packs in my purse.  Today I bring close to 4-6 packs, sometimes more.  I now have two kids out of the house and two not far behind them, and they still ask for gum after the Sacrament.  They have their favorites.  I have passed my addiction on to them.  I have not broken the addiction chain.

How bad is my addiction today?

This is the stash in my night stand. It is a couple of layers deep.

I had several coupons.  This was restraining myself.  

The current favorite for J and P.  It even tastes a little carbonated.  P loves to smell the wrappers as well.

My current favorite is Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip.  It is delectable.  I was surprised at how much it tasted like the real dessert.  As you can see from my drawer and the multi-packs, I am well stocked on that particular variety.  My all-time favorite is Stride Sweet Cinnamon, a flavor very difficult to find, much to my dismay.

I will continue to enjoy my gum.  I hope to pass on this fetish to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  I hope to win the coveted spot of Favorite Grandma by always having their favorite gum when they visit.  Enjoy your gum...I will be enjoying mine.

 

National Love Note Day

Love notes.  I certainly don't mind receiving them.  I know that my husband enjoys them as well, so it's not just something reserved only for the female population.  I don't need Myth Busters to test that theory.  Sometimes we write love notes because it's an anniversary or we saw a sappy commercial that made us remember how wonderful our spouse is.  If we are single, we might have seen our future Mr. or Miss Wonderful across a crowded room and we want to woo them into our life.  Words dripping with romantic overtones across "special" paper, some with little hearts scribbled here and there or lightly scented (hopefully not reeking) with the fragrance of roses, are what we typically envision.  Then there are the old brown-edged envelopes filled with permanently creased handwritten letters neatly stacked and tied together with a beautiful ribbon; letters written to bridge a distance between two people in love.  Whatever the style, it's all sentiments of love.

 

As a woman, it isn't hard to express my feelings in a love letter.  We eat, sleep, and drink romance. For men, it isn't so easy.  It is hard to feel manly while writing a romantic letter.  In their minds, they must pen nothing short of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet styled love poetry.  Women don't need Shakespeare, but the men mistakenly think we do.  Men also find romance a source of vulnerability.  To them it's no different than being caught sobbing in public.  The fear of being seen as anyone other than a cross between John Wayne, Rambo, and the Terminator is quite strong amongst the male gender.  After all, saying, "You are as beautiful as a rose," doesn't gush "tough guy." 

 

To help the men in our lives I found a great website for them to know how to write the kind of love letter that will make their wives or girlfriends shower them with kisses and cry happy tears.  Manly Love Letters link

 

I hope to see some manly men wooing their special someone.  Oh, I gave the men in my life (three here at home) their favorite candy bar and a big hug saying, "I love you."  I think that's how guys also enjoy receiving a love note...maybe not so much on the hugging for the teenage ones.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

I was really excited for today. J was most excited long before today came, and then spent the day speaking as if he was from Scotland.  Go figure!  I cannot do accents...a talent my kids have.  I have a neighbor that looks like a pirate.  He has long, stringy, salt and pepper hair that he pulls back into a pony tail.  To top it off he also has a pet parrot that he walks around with on his shoulder.  He just needs the costume.

Having never been a pirate, I do not speak their language.  Despite my neighbor's appearance, he too, does not speak pirate.  I found this website with a little of their lingo. Pirate Lingo link

Here we go:

Ahoy, me hearties!  Yo Ho Ho and avast ye.  This here landlubber lass reports everything is shipshape, so let's ye and I weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!  Get out there and heave ho and find your booty!  Savvy?

That's my stint and being a pirate.  No, no, please sit down.  I don't need the standing ovation.  Have fun talking like a pirate.

National Respect Day

I have a considerable amount of respect for "RESPECT".  I demand it for myself, and I will give it to others.  That said, it must be earned.  You have it until you lose it, then it's a long road back sometimes to find it again.  Abraham Lincoln said, "If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem."  I do believe that with a lot of hard work and a change of heart to something better it can be regained.  Make no mistake, "Respect should not be confused with tolerance, since tolerance doesn't necessarily imply subordination to one's qualities but means treating as equal." (Wikipedia: Respect).  The opposite of respect is contempt.  I tolerate a lot; I don't respect everything I tolerate.

Respect comes in a few forms: language, gestures, personal actions toward a person or object.  

Language:
This is an everyday offering of respect, yourself included.  What comes out of your mouth shapes your character.  "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." (Proverbs 21:23)   Some cultures have what are called honorifics. Yeah, I'd never heard that term before either.  We get to be a little smarter together.  This is a word or expression that conveys respect when used in addressing or referring to a person.  An example that my husband would use when addressing me would be "Your Most Amazing Queen."  Then there is a respectful style.  This would be a legal or official way of stating something.

Gestures:
When you travel to another country, it is very wise to spend some time reading up on offensive or respectful gestures recognized in that country.  Now we have a few disrespectful gestures, mostly given on our nations highways, that we view as rude.  I respect myself enough to never use those.  When I have traveled, there have been gestures which are commonly used by most people in the U.S. and, while considered respectful here, are extremely offensive elsewhere.  There are quite a few, unfortunately, which get a lot of Americans in trouble or very embarrassed (only happened once to me- in Mexico- not going there).  Here is a great article I found to help us maintain good foreign relations.  Gesture article link
 
Personal Actions:
This is another area of respect offered day to day.  We can respect our bodies and our minds.  Each can be fed quality "meat" or "junk food."  We can respect our homes...I need to work on that one.  We can respect our community.  I love to volunteer.  I love my neighbors (most...see the first paragraph).  I respect my country and the Constitution.  I stand for the flag with my hand on my heart.  I vote.  I try to respect the environment (this has varying degrees as to what each of us consider enough).  I respect my husband (do not confuse this with blind submission....get your slippers yourself).  I respect my kids (do not confuse this with being equals...I am the boss and "Most Wise One"- their honorific for me).  Also important...I RESPECT MYSELF!  When this doesn't happen, people start to think that respect in other areas of their lives aren't deserved or even that they are worthy of it.  Sometimes others help them feed that thinking error.  Clint Eastwood said, "Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power."  For further perspective, Henri Frederic Amiel said, "There is no respect for others without humility in one's self."  We don't want any big heads here.

Take some time to think about where you are on the respect scale in various areas of your life.  Be the best you.  Respect others.  Expect others to treat you with respect.  Confucius said, Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"  Also remember the words of Laurence Sterne, "Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners."

Contstitution Day

I have always been a strong defender of the Constitution and our freedoms. I believe they were inspired by Heavenly Father, and therefore, are sacred and to be defended and protected.  But I also believe in a responsible use of them.  Freedom shouldn't be "you can do whatever you want if the Constitution grants that freedom." That, too often, is the ideology. There are consequences, there is right and wrong, there is respect and disrespect. When you cause harm you abuse those rights, and harm our country in a way.  The Constitution is weakened when we let things go to either extreme...too much restriction removing freedom (socialism) or too little accountability in the name of not infringing (anarchy).  Freedom is a privilege that we enjoy, a privilege that we can lose if we do not protect them responsibly.  Just using parenting as an example, we've all seen the negative result of a child who is totally controlled and a child who never had a rule.  It rarely has any positive outcome.

 

Steve Klein uses these freedoms to create and run hate films, hate websites, hate promotions against religions that aren't his own, and people that aren't like him. These items have had direct harmful actions against people and property by those who are then spurred on by them. I believe he should be charged with a hate crime. That is/should be a natural consequence of purposely providing misleading hate information about a specific group based on a purposeful agenda that then causes harm. His organization creates and distributes items as well as provides services with the intent to move people to action, not just to simply inform.  People who read/watch have the agency to choose to act on what he puts out...yes, but when will we hold accountable those who know such a dangerous response will be a likely result and do it anyway.

 

Focusing on the First Amendment, we can be arrested for yelling "fire" in a crowded building when there is none because it is likely to cause harm. We have to start demanding our freedoms not be violated in this fashion either, not just when we are prevented from speaking out!  I do not believe in taking away rights, just holding people accountable, criminally if necessary.  We may need a law created, such as the law for yelling "fire," if current laws when enforced do not apply.   Now we can go down the route of we have to tolerate this stuff to protect our freedoms. While I usually say that, I also believe that we should not tolerate the promotion of hate in any form. Why would anyone allow this type of thing and NOT respond? Our verbal freedom to respond would be in vain here.  Mr. Klein does not care about our words; our words will not prevent him from spreading more hate, nor anyone else like him.

 

Here's an analogy: If you own a gun, get the permits, etc...more power to you. If you use that gun for hunting or target practice or just for a sense of security...more power to you. If you have to harm an individual that is hurting you/or will be...more power to you. If you start shooting your neighbor's mailbox, over their roof, late at night near their home because you want to annoy your neighbor because he made you mad...not okay. You should be arrested for abusing your right to bear arms, and frankly the right to own another gun---natural consequence. It is one thing to say you don't agree with a religion or group of people, it is another to promote the hate and ignore the result of that hate under the umbrella of "First Amendment" and "I didn't do that.  Those people made their own choices."   Mr. Klein, you participated, you promoted, you taught....lie in your bed!

 

When will we wake up and view our freedoms in a responsible manner?  When will we not take them for granted, and stop allowing their abuse in any fashion?  What has to happen before we say, "Enough!"  When will we have the courage to say, "No, that is not okay."  I hope it is today!

Wife Appreciation Day- Guest Blogger

Guest Blogger- Glen Anderson (hottie extraordinaire)

How can I adequately describe my appreciation for Sonja?? Since this is a blog it probably shouldn’t be too personal, or too mushy, or include private or detailed information. But it should be really good, because I truly do appreciate her in many, many ways. The most basic way I appreciate her is for just being herself – the girl I married. She has so many wonderful qualities, beyond her devastating beauty (I exaggerate not). She is the most wonderful, giving, forgiving, loving person I know. And the best and most loyal friend anyone could have. Once again I exaggerate not. Those of you who know her will agree with me. So basically I’ve got a drop-dead gorgeous wife with a wonderful personality – what else could a guy ask for? Absolutely nothing! But on top of that she has committed to stay by my side for eternity, and love only me. Not sure what I did to deserve this, but sometimes I feel like the little kid who found a diamond and is scared to tell anyone because they might take it away! And on top of all of this she has given me 4 wonderful kids. I truly do appreciate my wife. But don’t tell too many people, or someone might figure out that I DON’T DESERVE HER!!

Positive Thinking Day

My Bachelor's Degree is in Psychology.  Yeah, Psych!  One of the things I have come to believe is that there is a very large gigantic difference between being a person who is a "glass half-empty" person and a "glass half full" person.  To make a long story short... one creates a person who finds happiness and gratitude and joy and hope far more often than the other...three guesses as to which one.  Goodness, it is even scientifically proven to create healthier people and help in curing people.  In my family, I have a mixture of both personalities.  I won't name names.  Over the years, I have made very interesting observations between the two and have whole-heartedly decided that you need to be realistic (the politically correct term glass half-empty people prefer to call themselves) to a degree, but hope means everything.  I am a glass half-full.  I'm a dreamer.  I'm a planner.  I have to say that my "realist" has opened the door to more fully looking at something...especially where the ol' mighty dollar is concerned.  Guess that is a good thing, too.  But I also know the uplifting POWER of positive thought, of the "Yes, you CAN," or the "I AM beautiful," or the "Wow...look how much weight I HAVE lost already."
 
A while back, while listening to the brilliant and hilarious CD lectures of Dr. John L. Lund in For All Eternity, he used an analogy and a phrase that I have since adopted.  He said, "Let reality kill the dream."  Now he was applying this to relationships; let people dream, don't be their dream killer, be their supporter...reality will take care of the ones that won't work out and they will achieve some of them.  You could use this in first person, too. all you realists out there.  This is getting easier and easier to do and remember as I've tried to make this my first response.  As my kids have gotten older and come to me with grand ideas of their future this concept has required me to sometimes need to repeat "Let reality kill the dream" over and over in my head while simultaneously saying "that sounds like an interesting idea."  To be honest...I have killed a few of those dreams...no you are not going to be a circus performer (my youngest at one point).  Using this great phrase on myself has been more challenging in a few aspects of my life...but it is a work in progress, and I HAVE done a really good job so far in comparison to what it could be."  order Lund's CD/book link

I am getting ready to leave for Time Out for Women tomorrow...absolutely one of the best womens event you could attend.  I have been looking at clips of some of the past presenters and came across a hilarious one about positive thoughts.  I found it enlightening.  It fit perfectly with today's theme.  Hilary Weeks, a gifted singer, is speaking about an experiment she did on her thoughts with a clicker counter.   Clicker video  Didn't you just love that clip.  In the Book of Mormon, one of the scriptures teach that part of God's plan for us on this earth is that we may experience joy (2 Nephi 2:25).  We read all through Bible, as well, that there have been times we have shouted for joy.  In Psalms alone there are seven references to joy or gladness or another synonym.  Heavenly Father wants us to experience joy.  He wants happiness to be a part of our life everyday.  We can choose to focus on the half-full or half-empty parts.  We choose.  We choose.  There is always something to be grateful for, or to be happy about...ALWAYS!  I had a very difficult trial that taught me that.

Hilary Weeks has created a website to let everyone join in on her little experiment.  She's trying to get a billion clicks of positive thought.  You can even order your own clicker from the site.  BillionClicks project link  Try it out on your own or with thousands of others on Hilary's site.  How many positive thoughts will you have today....how many in a week after this starts to become your norm?  How will you change as you focus on the positive and NOT the negative?  How quickly will you find increased joy and dreaming daily?  And don't just count...journal it!

By the way...I told my "realist" about this project and he joked, "It won't work."

National Day of Service and Rememberance

Today was a day filled with gratitude while driving around and seeing our nation's flag out in abundance, especially the neighborhoods that line their streets with the waving Stars and Stripes.  When September 11th rolls around, I think we all reflect on that dreadful day in 2001.  We each recall where we were and what we were doing, and what we did after realizing the enormity of it all.  I, personally, was getting the kids ready for school and would be leaving soon.  We never made it to the school.  I wanted our little family to stay together that day.  I hung my flag, as did most of our citizens.  I prayed.  I cried.

My parents, especially my dad, instilled in me a deep love and reverent respect for The United States of America, our flag, our soldiers, and our Constitution and the freedom it grants us.  They taught me to stand up when the flag entered/retired or the National Anthem was played, to put my hand on my heart, and to always honor everything that allows me to live in freedom.  As I've gotten older, my understanding of it all has broadened, and I no longer have to be reminded, but am now reminding the next generation.  I have taught my own children and many, many scouts these same ideals, and hope that they will always protect these sacred symbols, their own freedom and others', and seek to understand what that means.

This day is about remembering those who died because others do not agree with our way of life and see freedom as a threat.  It is about remembering what hate and power can do.  It is about remembering the strength we are as a nation as we reflect on how we came together to comfort our neighbor and stand tall in the world.  It is about remembering the brave citizen heroes of a flight that said, "You will not," and prevented the loss of additional large numbers of people, sacrificing their own lives to protect someone they could not see and did not know other than as a fellow American.  It is about the men and women who said their last goodbye to their loved one because they would not leave a co-worker alone.  It is about the first-responders who ran toward instead of away.

It isn't enough to just remember, we must take our wisdom (whatever it may be for each individual) and act.  The other part of today is service.  Everyone can serve, even the very young.  Serving each other isn't very hard or complicated.  Giving our time to a family member, a neighbor, our community, our country elevates us.  We are lifted personally and as a nation.  I think everyone would agree that this nation could use an elevation change...a really big Mt. Everest change.  It also allows that feeling of being in this together to take root and grow, something else this country needs...a great big giant dose of it.

My hope is that we each do something for someone today.  Remember that we, as Americans, are extremely blessed...blessed beyond so many other nations.  In the New Testament it reads, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48).  We have tremendously been given (blessed) and are required to give back.  The second part...this country's military and their families (past and present), and those whose lives we remember this day, committed a great deal for us.  All they ask is that we keep this country free and strong with our own actions.  We owe this to them.  We should honor this.  We should expect this from each generation, each person in our country.

Remember, and then go and do!

National Swap Ideas Day

One of my favorite things is Pinterest.  Yes it takes up time in my day...time I probably don't have and shouldn't give up, but it is a wonderfully relaxing "time out" for me that allows me explore and organize my creative side as well as ideas for anything I'd like to do or have access to down the road.  For a person with ADD... this tool is soooooo much better than piles of papers full of ideas cluttering my house (something my dear husband appreciates as well).  Another plus...I know right where they are.

Right now we are remodeling, so I love being able to go and look for ideas already there, and post the ones I like from the web so I don't have to go and find them again.  It's like shopping in one spot.  My husband can then view my brilliant ideas.  He's a visual and doesn't do well with verbal explanation complete with hand motions of any concept concerning decor or the like.  Pinterest may have saved my marriage from a lot of frustration and misunderstanding.  See, it's awesome in many ways.

Then there's the pride factor....refer to my post here (Pride post)  on my pride weakness.  I do get a rush when I see that people like my pins, or love all of them so much they choose to follow me.  I know, I know...I should not care.  I'm working on it.  It's like a stamp of "good taste" approval, and when you are a mom...sometimes you feel like you are living in a drought of approval.  Even with a few sprinkles of approval you slurp it all up.

Today, I chose to find ideas for subway art and words of wisdom and inspiration.  In fact, those are the titles of my boards.  They are such cleverly or beautifully displayed words that lift and inspire or make you giggle.  We can all use that throughout every day.  (Subway Art and Words of Wisdom)

On a lighter note, I found a really funny make fun of yourself YouTube clip a while back from one of my favorite annual events, Time Out For Women.  It features the fabulous bloggers from "Our Best Bites," Sara Wells and Kate Jones.  It pokes fun at Pinterest; makes you laugh at yourself, in fact.  I hope you enjoy it.  TOFW link

How will you share your ideas?  How do you find your ideas?  Do you try to get ideas?  Stop staring at that wall.  Get inspired, complete a project, dream.... then share those with someone else so they can do the same.