Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Gift to the World

Annually at Christmas the Mormon Tabernacle Choir does a spectacular performance. In fact they do four of them. The tickets are FREE, but there is a drawing. I never get chosen. I know some people that get in every year. Lucky them. The photo shows last years performers, which included the Sesame Street gang. It will be televised this year at Christmas on PBS. Be sure to watch it. Next year try for tickets. It is such a generous thing the Choir does every year and about 100,000 people are able to see it live. Thank you, Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Glad for Choices

My husband loves 2% milk, but I prefer 1% or skim. Isn't it nice we have so many choices. Whole milk, almond, soy, chocolate and more. Growing up, we had one kind, raw! Not pasteurized, homogenized or any 'ized'. With the three cows we milked twice daily, milk was a part of our diet and life. We churned our own butter, had cream for baking, whipping and delicious goodies. We could drink to our 'milk lover' heart's content. Now with milk at about $4 a gallon, we are more practical and choosy about what we drink.

It's That Time for Graduation

It’s that time for congratulations. High fives for achieving graduation! You must feel such exhilaration. Go have a super & safe celebration.

I love graduation time because I always remember my own or my children's. The pomp and circumstance music, the gowned youth trying to find their friends, the joy of finally being done with one part of life and ready to move to another.

Keep up the goals and great work.

Graduation & Grandmothers

Here's to all those graduating in the next few weeks or recently. Great job! You did it! An additional pat on the back to your grandmothers. Those who made quilts, scrapbooks, or gave you something special for your graduation. My dear grandmother, bless her heart, made a quilt with the colors she let me choose. It was presented to me it on my graduation day, forty plus years ago. Her goal was to complete a quilt for each of her grandchild. Unfortunately, she passed away a year later. Five of us were blessed enough to get quilts, out of twenty-four grand children. Many tops were completed that were quickly gobbled up by her daughters for their children. Thank you, Grandma Crane for your generous gift. I love it and have it still.

Debt Collecting

I am a debt collector. Years ago I worked for Discover Card calling people all day long, trying to convince them they needed to make a payment on their delinquent credit card debt. I did it for ten years. I really appreciated the people that made a payment and worked with us to get their accounts current.

Lately, I have been tasked with contacting companies that owe us money. Some owe or are behind thousands of dollars and other only owe $25. Instead of calling them, I first email to make a payment. Many times the people that ordered the work are no longer with the company. I have to find alternate emails or the accounts payable department. Many are not aware there are unpaid invoices. It is much easier to collect from companies. I am able to sound kind, tough, important or pushy to convince our debtors to pay up.

What to I ask for, a credit card payment is the best. "Thank you for responding so quickly," I like to email them. Then we get down to business.

ICU-Intensive Care Unit Is a Life Saver

One doesn't think about the ICU until they come face to face with it, as a loved one spends time there. The IV drips, bags, monitors and continuous checking to ensure the patient's status, vital signs and comfort are key.

All day and all night the board by the main desk keeps a list of the status of the rooms. A camera on each bed/patient diplays on a desk monitor 24/7, observing what is taking place every second. How grateful our family is for the hard work and dedicated service the ICU nurses render every minute while on the job. Walking them, changing sheets, draining bags, wiping up messes and much more is common. Thank you.

Eagle Scout 5K 'Share the Love' Service Project

Cameron Smith, a young man in our neighborhood/Church chose to hold a 5K run called, 'Share the Love', for his Eagle Scout project. All proceeds were given to the Christmas Box House, a home for abused and troubled children. I pulled out my charity kitty and gave the $20 I had collected in pop cans this winter.

Waiting on the front line with mostly teens, I was anxious to begin. They left me in the dust, but I met a wonderful woman called Auntie Emm. She is a melanoma cancer survivor. She had an 'AP' on her phone that paces you with a 'run-a-minute' and 'walk-a-minute' program.

We had fun together getting to know each other, pacing ourselves and being some of the oldest folks there. Didn't matter, we were helping the less fortunate. I have got to get an 'AP' like that.

Next time you have a chance to participate and support your friends and family, DO IT!! You will be farther ahead and so will the less fortunate.

DIY Entrepreneurs Provide Everything and Anything

I do it myself during holidays or seasonal, try to come up with ideas for things I can make and peddle at work, home, on-line and to friends. What a boone Etsy, Craig's List, Groupon, KSL Want Ads etc. are to the DIY artists and sellers. Why not hop on the band wagon to make an extra buck here or there.

I'm one that loves home made custom things. They are much more unique and personal than the manufactured assembly line fare. Be creative and you will have friends asking you to make one for them or show how you did it.

Of course, I am all about simplicity too. If this great thing is going to take me all week and long, late nights, where I become ornery and anxious, forget it. We have to ask ourselves, 'Do I have the time, patience and is it worth it in the end?' Sure everyone likes cute, amazing stuff, but will the kids suffer? I know and have to admit, Yes. Mine did, too often.

So get with 'Do it Yourselfers.' Make some money! Don't get burned in the end. Stay sane and stay smiling!

Gas Going, Going, Gone Down

How exciting it is that the price of gas is going down. It hasn't been under $3 per gallon for at least five years. Less than $2 per gallon is unheard of in 2000. Hip, hip hurray!!

When the price of gas is the topic, everyone wants to mention when they remember it was $?? this much. $.24 cents is how much I paid when in college. That's before all the state, local and federal taxes were added. I sure don't mind driving around more now and even taken a few trips. May it last a very long time and we take a bunch of road trips to enjoy the benefits.

A Shining Example Through the Years

Homes decorated with Christmas lights bring joy to the eye of the beholder and serve the community. The Christmas spirit literally glows through a stormy night from these homes, bringing the viewer inner peace and comfort. It is expensive to have Christmas lights on during the holiday season. Not to mention that it takes planning ahead of time to set them up, take them down and to store them.

This homeowner has consistently over the past fifteen plus years, had this breathtaking white light display on a busy street in Salt Lake Valley. I admire them for not giving up, but continually being the best lit home in the area. Thank you for being a shining example to all, through the years.