Getting to "YES"...and chickens...

Everywhere I turn there is always someone telling me "NO", in one way or another. No, Robin, you can't do it that way, you can't change that class, you can't have that, you don't get to know that, etc. I don't like "NO". I like "YES". I have learned that life is all about getting to "YES".

I am getting good at getting beyond the "NOs" of life and changing them to "YES". I think that is an important life skill and it is one that I teach my children.

Getting to "YES" takes skill, psychology and a little manipulation...sometimes. Is that a bad thing? I mean... In many instances when I get a "NO"...I know there is a "YES" in there somewhere. Some people are just too lazy to say "YES"...or they just don't care. But if it is important to me and not to them, I find it is good to make it happen. When I succeed...I really feel like I have accomplished something.

Today I got to "YES"...and I am so excited.

Today I saw an ad on Craigslist for two free adult Leghorn Chickens, with two 1/2 full bags of feed and a waterer. I have wanted a leghorn or two for a while...so I can get white eggs along with my green and brown. So I was excited when I saw this ad and called right away. When the giver answered, he told me I was 4th in line for the chickens and that he would call me if he got no takers. He was just about to text back the first person.

I hung up knowing that I was not ever going to get to the top of that list and was a bit disappointed...I don't like "NO". Then I got an idea. I called him back and said "If I offer you $10 for the chickens...would that put me higher on your list?". He said...I'll text the #1 person back and tell him they are gone. "YES"!!! I love getting to "YES"!! The two bags of feed were more than worth $10.

Now I just have to get my other "girls" to be nice to the new arrivals.

Has it ever happened to you?

A funny thing happened today...actually it was mildly annoying. went to pick Sarah and Jacob up from school but was a bit early. So I decided to park my car in front of the school and walk to a nearby cookie shop "Sweet Cakes" and get some treats. They have really yummy treats! So I ordered 3 of their lovely sugar cookies ( I love sugar cookies!) ...and a rice krispy treat.

Still having enough time, I sat down to eat the rice krispy treat and watched a family come in. They reminded me a bit of the family in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". I'm pretty sure they were Greek or something. Anyway...they proceeded to order. The husband only wanted coffee. The wife kept trying to convince him to get something sweet. He continually assured her he only wanted coffee and did not want anything sweet. Finally convinced, the wife ordered 2 sugar cookies...just like mine and the family sat down at a table in front of me.

Well the wife/mother proceeded to take out her cookie and take a bite. Suddenly her facial expression changed from a smile to a frown and she shook her head. Then she stood up and took her daughter's cookie as well and walked up to the counter and talked to the clerk. I didn't hear what she said, but I heard the clerk say "I thought they were fresh."

After a few moments she walked back to her table with two new cookies. She sat down and took a bite, a smile came across her face as she nodded her approval. Her daughter watching took a bite of her cookie and smiled as well.

Suddenly, I didn't want my 3 cookies anymore. I mean...I wanted fresh cookies as well. I contemplated going up to the clerk and telling him so, but decided not to. Later when I ate my cookie...it just didn't seem very good. If I had never witnessed the above scenario...I probably would never have noticed, but I just couldn't get out of my mind that I didn't get the fresh cookies. I think that's so annoying! ...So... Would YOU have kept the cookies you had or would you have taken them back?

My BYU Roommates....Inspired by Jenny (Tucker) Denton

I just read a blog post by my old (former) roommate, Jenny (Tucker) Denton... (That's her hugging me with a stocking on my face) Here is her blog if you want to read it... It might be because that TIME of month is rapidly approaching, but her blog today made me cry. I think partly because of hurt feelings of the past, partly because of nostalgia, but a large part was from gratitude.

In Jenny's post she talks about her Jr. High and High School years. How mean the adolescent kids were back then and how unaccepted she felt all while growing up. Her story could just as well have been mine...and I venture a lot of other people's. I was bullied mercilessly as a teenager. I look back now and can see why to some degree. I wasn't one to be...let's say...politically correct...even before that was a common phrase. I usually spoke my mind whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. I was smart, logical...and I felt they were not...and often challenged them on it.

As painful as those years were, I have found one point of light that could be considered a blessing. Although I was never asked to one dance and had extremely few dates. I can now feel gratitude for the fact that nobody every liked me enough to want to get drunk with me, share their drugs with me, or "sleep" with me. Funny thought...but with my low self-esteem back then... I don't know that I would have resisted.

Then I went away to BYU. There I was a young girl with low self esteem and very little confidence....but always the feeling that if people would only get to know me, they would like me. I decided then that the people I would be meeting on my new adventure would not know the shy, insecure Robin. I was only shy because that was the box I had been put in through all the years growing up with the same people. If nobody expected me to be shy...then I didn't have to be.

I started out with one roommate, Darcy, that I didn't get along with very well. We were very different people. So I transferred to Maeser Hall in Heritage Halls and that made all the difference. I was thrust into a dorm with 5 other girls that I had never met. We had 3 bedrooms, each with 2 girls, one kitchen area and a bathroom. We had to get along...at least for the rest of the year.

As I recall we did have some trying moments, but what I remember more is suddenly having friends who actually liked me. (I know that because they are still my friends today.) We had so much fun together. We went on road trips, climbed every mountain, went fishing... sang into cooking utensils for microphones... went on more road trips, ate lots and lots of food, overcame trials together and learned to love each other in spite of our differences.


Those were good years. When I was in high school they kept telling me that "these are the best years of your life". It's surprising I didn't kill myself then... It's a good thing I didn't believe that. My college years...those were some of the best years of my life. My first roommates...those are some of the best friends of my life...along with the friends we met and mingled along the way. I am grateful to those FIRST roommates (Jenny, Paige, Lisa, Ann, Melinda...and Michelle and Sharmyn who were kind of roommate add ons) for being such good people...and such good friends. You made all the difference!
Ok...now I have to get back to studying. Unfortunately...I had so much fun back then at BYU...I forgot to study. So I will finally graduate from BYU this year...25 years later...but better late than never.

Here's to My (Somewhat) Sugar-Free New Year!!!

Sugar is of the devil...at least for me it is. Every year I try to give up sugar for Lent which is for about 40 or so days starting with Ash Wednesday and ending sometime around Easter depending on my willpower and my ability to rationalize when Lent actually ends that year. It is getting harder every year and I have done some serious rationalizing in the past few years.

Well this year is different. Sarah and I decided to give up sugar forever. Not really, but pretty much. She sees me as a serious sugar junkie...and herself going in the same direction. I have told her it is easier to foster good habits at 16 than at well...older.

So our goal this year is to just give it up. We discussed a few rules though...I mean it can be fun to have some sweets on occasion. We decided that FHE is one of those times. It just isn't the same if we don't get a treat for FHE. So we can have a treat on that day. It isn't supposed to be a full blown sugar fest on Monday...just a treat. However the last two Mondays have been a bit excessive. I did find that the amazing brownies Sarah made last Monday were a bit sweet (to a person whose life motto is "You can never be too sweet or too rich." Unfortunately, even though my body said stop eating these wonderfully sweet, rich brownies...you are getting sick... I managed to finish my two anyway. (See it's a sickness.) We also get to have some sweets if we are on a date and the guy buys it for us... (a leftover from my college days) Sarah is more likely to get that benefit than I am. **sigh**

Hopefully in time I will find that one small sweet will be sufficient.

When it becomes hard is when Jacob makes things that look wonderful and we want some but can't have any. Yesterday, Jacob made some Belgian waffles. They smelled wonderful...but face it...they are not nearly as wonderful without some hot buttermilk syrup over them...or some kind of syrup at least. But I came up with a yummy substitute... I mashed a small amount of natural peanut butter with a banana until it was all mooshy and then spread it on the waffle. It was soooo yummy and very filling. I only ate 1/2 a waffle and made it through church. I think that extra protein makes it stick a little better. I thought it was so good, I think it will be my new favorite topping for pancakes and waffles...and who knows what else. No sugar and much better for me.

So that's my new discovery for today. YOU should try it. Only YOU are probably not reading my post...so YOU will never know. :o)

I find some of the coolest things at garage sales...

...This is one of them. This is called the Vital Wear Vitalwrap system. I bought one a few weeks ago at a garage sale...because I have no insurance and I love things medical. (I know kind of weird...but whatever.) Well a couple of weeks later my mother had knee surgery on her meniscus and the doctors told her to get one. I already had one... She test drove it for me and loved it. A week later my knee, for some unknown reason, decided to swell and cause me problems. So when my kids left on New Years Day to spend 3 days with their dad, I decided to try it while laying in bed for 3 days reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (I read it at Christmastime last year and really enjoyed it...I'm not much of a story book reader). Anyway...I love it. You fill the bucket with Ice and water and then place the wrap around the body part in pain. (They have different sizes for different body parts: neck, arm, back, ankle, wrist, etc.) Then you turn it on and cold water circulates through the wrap. The temperature can be adjusted so it is not too cold. It also becomes hot for heat therapy...You just have to put warm water in and it will heat it. It also provides compression. I love it. It keeps the cold right where it needs to be and you don't have to worry about leaks or it slipping if you doze off. They usually cost around $300-$600 to buy. (Most people's insurance pays for it) But I got it for $20 and I love it.

Oh...and by the way... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Not that anyone reads my blog (because of my chronic neglect and inconsistency)...but you never know.