At My Funeral

I attended the funeral of a church member yesterday. I love attending funerals for one simple reason - you get to know the person more than you ever could have in real life.

When speaking of ourselves we tend to gravitate automatically towards the negative. We can't help looking back on our lives and seeing all the things we managed not to accomplish, the things where we went so wrong. As our own worst critics we cannot help seeing where we should have stepped up, could have done more, and might have made a difference.

The funny thing is we impact others more than we know. While we may want to criticize ourselves, there are so many others who are ready and willing to praise the person we were to them. Did that make sense? Perhaps a better way of putting it is, our perceptions of ourselves is far different than the perceptions of others.

After yesterday's funeral I couldn't help thinking about what people might say about me if I were to die tomorrow. At only 34 I haven't exactly lived a long life. Is there truly anything about me and the way I've lived my life that might be worthy of notice? If you were to ask me, not really. I'm nothing too special when compared to so many others I know. It's difficult for me to believe anyone outside of immediate family who might even attend.

Oh I know I'm loved. This really isn't a pity-party, nor a cry for others to tell me how awesome I am. It's just me pondering my life, and wondering if I've really lived in such a way to be satisfied with where I might leave it. Sister L left an extraordinary legacy here on earth. The things said of her touched more than just one heart. The amount of family alone who came to celebrate Sister L was a testament to the amazing woman she was. The words spoken of how she loved, served, and lived could not have born better witness to her love for the gospel of Christ.

And so I got to thinking about what others might say about me. Have I lived in such a way that those who know me know of my intense love for them, for the gospel, for my family? Has my testimony been obvious to those I have ever spoken with? Does my Heavenly Father look down upon me feeling pleased with what I've accomplished thus far?

The natural course of my thoughts took me one step further, and I began to think about the things I'd like people to say. This is when I came to the conclusion, if I want people to say certain things about me, it's time to start living my life in a way to make those things true. Perhaps this was a "wake-up" call of sorts to begin a few changes.

In any case, I'd invite you to take a few minutes to think about what you'd like to have said about you, and then make it possible!

Go Eagles!!!

It's true during my own high school years Skyline wasn't exactly my favorite. Okay so they were one of our bigger rivals. Over the years I've overcome my prejudice, and can now say I hope the Skyline Eagles girls basketball team takes state!!!

I'm a bit biased, of course, as our niece is on the team. In fact, I'm so biased now I found an awesome article in the Deseret News featuring an awful lot of our beloved Katie. So go take a read!

Redoing the Bathroom Feels Like Giving Birth

My hubbs and I have talked about redoing the bathroom for a few years now. There's a section along the ceiling that peels no matter what we try to do with it. I know. Not nice, right? Still, I was ready for a complete change. Large sections of wallpaper had been stripped away by fascinated little hands. The old baseboard had been flaking for so long I couldn't sweep around it without causeing more of a mess, and even the tap on the bathtub had a little hole in the front - thanks to our incredibly hard water - that shot out a tiny stream of water...much to my children's delight.

So we decided to take off all the wallpaper, take out the baseboard, pasting various holes and the the irritating portion of ceiling, and do things right this time.

I'm loving the results. Granted you can tell amateurs were at work here, but not bad at all! Here are a few pictures:

We never have enough hooks in the bathroom - not for a family of six. So I found some handy-dandy hooks and stuck 'em right next to the tub. Just right for bathtowels.

Here is a long view of the door/sink. We repainted the cabinet, and I can't begin to tell you how much that one thing changed the atmosphere of the bathroom. And if you look WAY down at the bottom, you'll see the very first baseboard I cut. That's right. I cut it. I borrowed my dad's mitre box and saw, and did the baseboards myself. Too bad I didn't think to take better pictures of the baseboards, but that might not be as exciting for you as it was for me :)

Here's a closer look at the cabinet. The early morning light doesn't do the color justice. The light peach makes the bathroom feel so much warmer than before. Up above the sink we turned the mirror so it's more vertical than horizontal. It seemed to open it up as well (who would of thought?).

I tried a few pictures in just regular tones, but you really couldn't see the color, so I put the camera on vivid. You can see the colors better, but it really is brighter in the picture than in person. Still, I love the effect. I went with a sort of "celery green" as the base. That was almost enough of a change itself, but to me it felt cool, rather than warm. So over the top I sponged on the light peach.

Here's one more look. at the paint.

There was a lot of hassle fixing the toilet, which rocked so much I often felt as though I might take a header off the bowl when sitting down. That was an adventure all in it's own, including hubby hammering at the phlange from the crawlspace, me trying to drill holes through the phlange screw-holes into pieces of wood too hard to drill through, and a piece of the tile breaking. Ugh! Yet we were able to get the new phlange on, stuck the pieces of tile back in place, and managed to get the toilet back on. I'm happy to report it rocks a lot less :)

So why, you might be asking, is redoing the bathroom a lot like giving birth? It's gonna take a few years of forgetting the pain and agony to convince me it might be a good idea to try again.

The January Thaw

Here in the Salt Lake Valley we get teased by the weather in January. After weeks of below freezing temperatures, air so hazy and thick with impurities even the healthiest of people find themselves wheezing, and watching drivers (who after living here for years should know better) skid across snow-slick roads, the last thing we want to think about is the months of nasty weather ahead.

So imagine my surprise when every year the snow starts melting, we're occasionally given reminders of what the sun looks like, and can see anything from sudden snow flurries to rain! The temperatures go from single digits to as high as the forties. OH BLISS! I recall one year when the neighbors all chuckled at the sight of my husband mowing the last of the leaves off the lawn because everything dried out just enough.

Of course, this is only a teaser. Give it another week or two and we'll be back to knee-deep snow drifts and icy temps. So much for soaking in the Spring-like weather.

For Sale! For Sale!

I'm selling a few kids. They're pretty cool, fairly clean, and will happily spend all their time on the computer so you can finally accomplish that goal of staying away from it during the daytime hours.

Okay, so maybe they're not for sale. I have become rather attached to them over the years. So if you're in the market for kids, I'm afraid you're out of luck! However, if you're looking for little Christmas ideas, I might have something pretty for you.

The truth is I made a lot of stuff for the boutiques this year, and may have (MAY have) spent a bit of money on them. So I'm putting everything on sale, and basically giving it away at the price it cost to make them. If you see something you like (or think you might like as I was NOT in good picture taking mode today), let me know and I'll work with you.

Please note - these prices are certainly subject to bargaining, though I'm selling them for much lower than the original prices.

Let's start with necklaces. The first is the "Inspire" necklace. 20 inches long on a gold chain. I'm saying $7 for this one.

Next is the longest necklace in my extremely small collection. 36 inches, fairly simple, on a gold chain. I'd like to get $10 for this, but am willing to go A BIT lower.

Next we have a necklace and earring set. The necklace is 23 1/2 inches on a gold chain. The earrings are pictured below. Because it's a set, I'd like $10. $7 for the necklace and $3 for the earrings.

This is a necklace M made. It has a magnetic clasp on the back, with black and blue/silvery beads. We're selling this one for $3 - and the money goes to M.

This next necklace is done with braided hemp cord - a peachy color better displayed in the second picture. I need to do some work on the pendant portion, but that's an easy fix. I forgot to measure this one, sorry. I'm only asking for $5 on this necklace.

Let's move on to hair accesories. I blatantly stole this idea for ribbon scrunchies, and I love it. LOVE IT!!! I glue to ribbons to make sure they don't come undone, and placed a bit of fray check on the ends so they don't...well...fray. I'm selling these at 2 for $3.

They can be done in all sorts of fun colors, which I have tons of ribbon, but don't want to use it unless I can sell it.

I also have these super cute crocheted scrunchies. They come in small and large sizes. I even made them in BYU and UTAH colors just for fun. I'm selling them both - big and small - for $2 a piece.

And now it's time for bracelets :)

All of these bracelets are done with memory wire, which is fantastic because it means easy on/off (because there are no clasps), and will always stay in their original shape. The larger bracelets, shown in the next several pictures, are 2 1/2 inches across, and are really more for preteens/teens, rather than adults. These bracelets I'm putting up for $4.

Some of these I've tried to get a picture of down below, so if you see repeats, that's why.

Here I have two (toward the left) that are doubled, while the one on the right is a single band.









Here's an example of one of the little bracelets I have. Got a pretty good close up pic with this one. These are 2 inches across, and made for little girls. Like toddler age and maybe a bit older. The great thing about these bracelets is the girls honestly can't break them. It's fantastic! I'm selling these for just fifty cents a piece (I only have one pictured).My surprise hit this year has been the bookmarks, or "Book Belts", as a friend so aptly named them. I've pictured them many times on my creativity blog (you can find the link on the right, and then you can click on the bookmarks tab to see more). These are so fantastic because they wrap around the book. So no matter where you take the book, or who gets their grubby paws on it (yes, I'm thinking of those wonderfully helpful children), you'll find it really hard to lose your place with these. I've been selling them for anywhere from $3.50 for the smaller ribbons to $4.50 for the biggest. I'm going to sell them all for $3.50. Trust me when I tell you I'm losing money by doing so, but I don't care. I'm willing to do it if it means I can get them out of the house, lol.

And last, but certainly not least because I LOVE them, are my scarves. Here are some of my crocheted scarves. They measure to appr 90 inches, perfect for wrapping around the neck at least once, still leaving it nice and long. Trust me when I tell you these are far more gorgeous in person than what you see in these pictures. These I'll let go for $10 a piece.

These are my knitted boa scarves. They also measure about 90 inches, but are far more appropriate for girls rather than adults. These are the last three I have on hand: dark blue, a yellow/orange/red/purple combination, and a very light brown. These I'll sell for $5 a piece.

These three are also knitted, but not so boa-like. The first two have an incredible striped effect, which looks as though I did it on purpose, but was simply the way the yarn worked. The third - which can hardly be seen - is a very light blue. Not as long as the others, and might be considered for a girl. These are going for $5.

Those are all my "completed" items. In anticipation of things that never worked out, I have a bunch of extras I'd be willing to put together or sell to you for the price I paid. I'm happy to work these pendants and things into a necklace with cord or braided hemp, or plain hemp, of which I have a few colors. Or I have some silver/gold chains I could use instead.

There are some super cute Christmas/Winter pendants I'd had big hopes for, but will have to either sell off through this or save for next year. Just take a look and if something catches your eye let me know!

Whew - long enough post for you??? As you can see there's loads of things to choose from. If you see something you really want but I won't see you for a while (or you live out of state), feel free to let me know and I'll happily save it for you!

Another Boutique

Hello one and all. I'm participating in another boutique Saturday the 24th from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. I want to encourage anyone who lives within (decent) driving distance to come and take a look. There will be handmade soaps/foam soaps, homemade breads and jams, scented candles, and the huge variety of things I like to dip my fingers in. I'm hoping to take a bunch of pictures tomorrow so you can all finally see what I've been doing with my so-called spare time, lol.

If anyone's interested in stopping by give me a hollar and I'll give you the address :) Believe it or not, people, it's time to start thinking Christmas!!!

Ramblings

My kids are off-track at school, which translates into, "Mom gets to sleep in." This has been a really good thing lately as none of my kids seem to believe getting a full night of sleep is important, however they've plotted and planned to make certain none of them are up at the same time so they can get individual attention from me. At night. All hours.

Last night was another one of those nights. When I looked at my clock and it read 8:45, I didn't hesitate to simply stay in bed, relishing the alone-ness for as long as it might last!

I did notice how very warm it felt in the house, but it took a good hour before I actually looked at the thermostat. For some odd reason it was set to 80 degrees. 80 degrees!!! I don't even like 80 degrees outside of the house, let alone inside. So now we have the front and back doors open, letting in some cool autumn air. Naturally I've started sneezing with the fresh air, but I'll take it.

We'll be doing another boutique this Saturday. I'll post more info about it in a day or so. I hope lots of you will consider coming. I plan to have lots more bookmarks ready, some fun Halloween bracelets, necklaces, and ribbon scrunchies. I have some gorgeous pendants to put towards Christmas necklaces, but don't have enough materials to get them made before Saturday.

I went to the doctor last Friday. He's decided to increase the dose on my depression meds - still waiting for those to be mailed, and hopefully that'll happen before my latest prescription runs out. I asked him if hair loss was a side effect of the meds, but he shook his head no. As I talked to him about my increased fatigue, lack of motivation lately, and other things he began to wonder if I might not be having troubles with my thyroid. So they took some blood, but the results came back as "normal." Lately though I'm wondering if their idea of "normal" is not the same as my body's. My mom's encouraging me to go see an endocrynologist (sp?) who specializes in this sort of thing.

I need to empty my camera of pictures. The memory card is full. This unfortunately means a LOT of pictures, and no way can I afford to get copies of them all. I need to go see if it's possible to just put everything on disk without getting any actual pictures developed.

So there you go. A bunch of ramblings from Laurie. Kuddos to all of you who actually stuck with me and read through to the end!

I'm Getting Nervous!!!

Tomorrow I'm participating in a boutique. I've done only one boutique before and I sold a whole two items...and they were to family members :P But I was glad I did it as I learned an awful lot about how to display my things and what might be more of a seller.

So this time I'm going crazy! I've got everything from beaded bracelets for little girls to crocheted scarves to fuzzy knitted scarves to fuzzy hair scrunchies to ribbon scrunchies to ribbon bookmarks. Whew! And every time I think to myself, "I'm sure I've got enough," I start to panic and begin making more!

That's not what's got me nervous. I can't help wondering if all the money, time, money, effort, and money I've put into this next boutique will be worth it. Will anyone actually buy what I'm offering to sell? Am I charging enough? Am I charging too little? Will people like what they see? Or will they just give it all a cursory glance before heading off the next table?

AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Had to get that out. I suppose, when it all comes down to it, even if I don't sell a thing...I have Christmas presents GALORE.

One person I'm really excited to share this with is a friend by the name of Ashlee. She's the one who is putting this all together and asked me to be one of the vendors. She makes the MOST amazing soaps. Seriously. For the first time in my life there's a soap out there that doesn't dry my skin. In fact, when I'm having really bad skin days I know one little shower later my skin will feel TONS better. She's also doing lotions, which I hope to purchase.

In any case, if you're reading this before tomorrow and have any chance of coming, feel free to visit and see all there is! We've got Pampered Chef, Scentsy, Stampin' Up, greeting and holiday cards, holiday decorations, soaps and lotions, everything I made, pop-can belts and bracelets, pillowcase dresses (can't wait to see what that's all about), and loads more!

It's Saturday the 10th from 10-3 at 2577 W. Robin Road (3145 S). Come and check it all out!

I LOVE the Visitor Map Feature!

It probably sounds lame, and in many ways I am just that, but it's so much fun to see where exactly my blog is being read out there! Some places are expected, like here in the Salt Lake valley, and others are REALLY unexpected.

Just yesterday I looked to see someone clear over in Pennsylvania had logged on here, and I couldn't help wondering, "Uh, who?" Turns out it was a new friend from a Yahoo group I've recently joined. How fun!!

There's someone up in Washington who logs in frequently - no idea who but it's exciting!

And then there are two down in Arizona. One I know (YES Miss Ingrid, I'm thinking of you), but the other makes me curious.

Of course, my favorite little red heart is the one WAY over in England. I love that I'm read in different lands...thank you Herbie. Okay so my sis-in-law Melanie has me beat as she has LOADS of family over in Belguim. But still, I'll take anything I can get.

All in all it's been one of my favorite features included here on my blog, giving me warm fuzzies all over :)

Backward Summersault

For those few of you who are not my Facebook friends (or aren't as obsessively on it as me), I thought I'd put on my very first YouTube video. It's one of B doing one of his backward summersaults.

This kid has amazing muscle control, balance, and a good sense of space. This video is SO SHORT, but it's awesome to watch.

Try A Little Something New?

A sweet friend of mine recently did something new with her hair - and it looks AMAZING! She had it cut and put highlights in it and everything! It's a amazing how a new "do" can help one feel like a new person.

I've never dared to be drastic with my hair. It's pretty safe to say I have the same basic hairstyle I was sporting back in high school. You know - all of two or three (or fifteen) years ago. The most drastic thing I've ever done was to get a perm (*GASP* I KNOW) just before my sophomore year. The funny thing is that perm never really left. For years now I've lovingly referred to my hair as having a "chemically induced natural curl". I love it, though. Rarely do I have to fix my hair in the morning, as it tends to already look wildly messy even on a good day.

The one thing I've always wanted to do, yet have never dared, was try a new color. As a child I used to imagine what it would be like to have raven-black locks (much like Anne Shirley wished in Anne of Green Gables), and would even take yards of yarn and drape it over my head just to see what I might look like with blonde, brown, black or even rainbow hair!

I hated my red hair when I was younger - kids can find absolutely EVERYTHING to make fun of others about, and my hair was a hot target (I know my older brother feels my pain). As I grew older compliments began to replace taunts, so I felt my hair color might not be the worst thing in the world for a person to have to endure!

Yet there has always been this little voice in the very back of my head that wonders what it would be like. I've never dared to dye it - thanks to the aforementioned Anne Shirley as a matter of fact. There's this child-like fear my hair really will turn green! It doesn't MATTER how far hair dyes have come in the last 100 years. I'm still SCARED.

For the most part I really enjoy my hair color. Oh sure there are days I bemoan trying to find colors to wear that match my hair and skin tone, but it's worth it in the end...mostly. Still, I find myself veeeeery envious of my friend's new do. If only I knew I could pull something like that off, and that everyone around me would forgive me, I might actually give it a try.

What's Your Season?

A few years ago I wrote an "article" as an assignment for the Institute for Children's Literature. It's never been published, but I got to thinking about it this last week as I went looking for a new shirt to buy. The fact I willingly went to spend money on myself was a miracle in and of itself. Finding a style I liked was even better. Too bad for me the everpresent problem of finding colors that match both my hair color and skin tone is for the most part impossible.

During the time I wrote the article I had a dear friend come to visit a group of young women to help them learn what colors would work best on them and why. One particular girl, we'll call her Ashley, loved the color green and would wear everything from Spring Green to Forest Green. Sometimes she looked great, other times she looked pale and hollow-eyed. We discovered she could still wear green, just not all shades.

It was for this very reason I wrote the article all those years ago. So I thought I'd do a little chopping of the piece and share some basics with you today. I especially encourage you mothers out there to help your girls (and even boys) understand these ideas as it can go a long way to helping them look their best long before they start begging to wear makeup (for the girls...NOT the boys). And men - don't poo-poo this idea 'cause it seems girly. Anything that can help YOU look your best should never be ignored.

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Did you know every person has a season, and that each of those seasons contains colors to help you look your best, or worst? Believe it or not, the colors you most enjoy wearing could be making you look less than lovely.

To find “your season” it’s important to consider the tone of your skin, eyes and hair.

Is your skin creamy white or peach? Is your hair golden brown, blonde, or strawberry red? Add a dash of light blue eyes and odds are you’re a Spring. Look for warm and neutral colors with yellow tinges such as ivory, camel, peach, and coral. Eastery pastels are also extremely flattering. Accessorize with a touch of gold jewelry to top it all off.

Autumns have gold undertones in their skin. If you’re a redhead or brunette, with brown or green eyes, this is most likely your group. Think warm, medium colors: camel, beige, gold and dark brown to bring out the richness of your eyes and skin. Gold jewelry will bring out the gold in your skin. Autumns also look great in orange undertones as well. Pumpkin, rust, or mustard yellow paired with mossy or forest green can be stunning.

If your skin is pale pink you’re definitely a Summer. Typically you’ll also have fair blue eyes, and dark blonde or light brown hair. Summers should think cool pink and blue when picking colors. Lavender, plum, rose-brown and soft blue are just a few of your many options. A softer white, powder blue, or aqua can be perfectly complimented with silver jewelry.

What if you look best in dark, bold colors like black, navy or red? Is silver your best choice in jewelry? Sounds like you might be a winter.

Wintry skin can vary from pale white, to olive or dark shades. Your hair is classically black or very dark brown, and odds are your eyes are dark as well. If you’d like to wear lighter colors try some pale, icy tones.

Just as specific colors can compliment your looks, wearing those opposite your season will make you look tired or sick. They can emphasize dark circles around your eyes, or red in your face. Others can make you look too pale, or slightly green. Those who look good in cool colors – winter and summer – should stay away from the warm pastels and oranges of autumn and spring.

The good news is you don’t have to clean out your closet (not to mention your bank account) and start over. You can wear all colors as long as you place them carefully. Wear complimentary colors close to your face: shirts, jewelry, and scarves. Keep less favorable colors further away: skirts, pants, and accessories.

Of course the best way to figure out which season is your is to simply hold different colors up to your face. You might be surprised at what works to make you look your best, and what doesn't.

Paying it Forward

Massive amounts of construction are going on around our house/neighborhood these days. It's not a stretch to say tempers are short and random acts of kindness rare. Few things in this world can get up my dander faster than an incourteous driver.

The other day I'd had to stop in at a local grocery store to pick something up quick. The easiest way out was still surrounded by orange and white striped cones and a long line of drivers. I figured it would take at least fifteen minutes or so before a big enough gap would appear to let me speed into the everlasting line.

Barely a minute had passed when a space opened up. I was prepared to be utterly ignored when the driver in the car to my left graciously let me in. My heart did a little happy flip. I waved and smiled my thanks, and couldn't stop smiling. The next driveway down there was another car patiently awaiting a turn to get in, so I waved him in. To my surprise and delight it didn't stop there. He let yet another driver in several yards down the line, and even that car allowed the passage of another person in need.

Who knows if the little things we do in this life on behalf of others really goes noticed. Most of the time it doesn't matter. But in moments like these, when we can see the good bits of humanity not only go noticed, but are passed along as well, I find myself renewed...and a lot more willing to be the one to start paying it forward.

Online Schools

I think the idea of gaining one's education online is a fantastic idea (no, people, there is no sarcasm involved). Too many adults simply don't have the freedom to get themselves to a local college, sit in classes for hours, or even move to the state their college of choice resides. Perhaps they don't have a car, their health doesn't permit, or like me they have little children at home and don't want to give up time with them while they're still little.

So yes, I think the ability to take online courses is utterly fantastic...unless you want to go into something besides business, education, or graphic design! I've combed through the Internet looking for any schools offering degrees in English or creative writing, my subjects of choice, and come up blank every time.

I also tried looking up possibilities of doing online courses through our local colleges and universities. The schools offer degrees in English, but you have to have been on campus for at least 30 hours before they'll even consider you.

Hmph. Frustrating for me, especially when I consider how many years before my youngest will be in school long enough for me to even consider attending classes.

That being said, I think online school are such a great idea. And when I've accomplished my goal of graduating from college I will definitely fight for the right of all people who don't want to go into medical billing but feel they must because it's all that is offered...unless someone else does it first.

Is it Too Little, Too Late?

This thought crossed my mind today as I passed by our local Holiday Oil where people lined up to get gas for only $1.69. I remember thinking gas hasn't been that low since before war was declared on Iraq, and I wonder when they'll start rising again.

Unfortunately it looks as though the massive drop in gas prices is too little, too late. The government has put a frieze on hiring. Too many businesses are going bankrupt and closing down. People are being fired left and right.

I've been wondering over the last several days if these gas prices had dropped earlier in the year, say before summer, if things might have been different. Would just a few months have made a big difference? I suppose it's hard to say.

In any case, I know our family is still feeling the effects, both personally and on a church basis. Too many out there are in dire need of help. Our own children have been told that they will receive only one present (besides the one from "Santa") this Christmas from Mom and Dad. I'm trying to be as honest with them about money matters so they'll appreciate all they have received. I also count my husband's recent promotion an added blessing knowing his place of business has also placed a hiring frieze.

The president elect certainly has a large load placed on his shoulders. There's a lot to try and fix, and the way will not be easy. Let's continue to pray that he will be guided in the best course.

The Votes are In!

Okay so after an astounding number of votes on my poll (and by astounding I mean...4), the results are in.

Three out of four people would rather keep the same quality product even if it means paying a higher price!

Of course, it might depend on just how high the price goes ;)

What Are You Bringing to Thanksgiving Dinner?

This question was posed on a radio poll this morning. I laughed when one young woman commented, "I bring the relish tray. I always bring the relish tray. I don't think my mom believes I can cook!"

For the last several years my hubby and I have brought the mashed potatoes and gravy. Dear hubby violently objected to doing so this year. Okay maybe not violently objected. He did get a bit wild-eyed at the thought of peeling more potatoes (I think it goes back to his military days).

So we settled on rolls, butter, and a pumkin dessert instead. Think that'll make up for it?

In any case I began wondering two things. First, what are you bringing to Thanksgiving dinner this year? And second, what's your least favorite thing to bring?

My First Poll

I've really been thinking about how the quality of some products has really gone down since the economy began to struggle (and I've been forced to do an almost daily load of laundry so the baby will have a pair of pj's that hasn't been leaked in during the night by faulty diapers). The truth is I appreciate good quality, even if it means paying just a little bit more.

Using the above example, I switched to using Luv's a few kids ago. Pamper's is simply too expensive, and Huggies always leaks (no matter how fantastic their 'leak guards' are purported to be!). Luv's was a reasonable price without have a bad quality, which tends to happen when you go with store brand diapers.

With the last batch of diapers I bought, the quality of product went drastically downhill. It's still the same price, but not worth the money! I still use them during the day, but have taken to buying Pampers for baby to wear at nighttime (it'll be a good day when all the kids are potty-trained!), as I know they won't leak everwhere.

Thus came the idea for my very first poll. Would you rather a company raise their prices and keep the same quality, or reduce their quality/quantity to keep the same prices? Or do you not care what the company does, as you'll just go find something to replace it?

I'll keep the poll going until the 21st. Invite friends/family to vote as well. I'm really interested to see what everyone thinks.

Ghost Investigators

One of the things I love about October is my favorite morning radio station gets involved with some local ghost investigators. I've always been fascinated by things considered "other worldly," going so far as to write a research paper on it for an english class in high school.

The Chunga Show brings these investigators on, where they answer callers' questions and bring sound clips. I have to tell you, the sound clips (even the nice ones) give me chills. For example, they were visiting a place where one guy had to walk down some steep, cement stairs. His camera and audio recorder were going when he fell down the stairs. As we hear the sounds of him falling, a woman's voice comes in saying, "Are you okay?" There was no one there with him.

Obviously, that's one of the nice ones.

They invite the radio hosts to come investigating with them close to Halloween, and then come on the show a week or so later to once again share audio clips. I love listening to the stories, though some have had me fairly scared.

My kids frequently hear, "there are no such things as ghosts," and I firmly believe that. What we haven't gone into (and no way will I while they're so young) is what I do believe. I believe the veil between this world and the Spirit World is very thin. Sometimes it's so thin we're able to glimpse what some spirits are enduring as they wait for the Resurrection. These spirits are benign. They can't move things around or put our lives in danger.

Barbara, the female "religious" half of the ghost investigators, has said she feels nothing but compassion for these lost souls, even those who, when going back through the tapes they've compiled, were mean or harsh. She's never felt frightened by a spirit (which makes her a great person to do this research). In fact, she says the more compassion one shows to these spirits, the more likely they are to try to communicate. Rarely, though, do they hear or witness anything in person. It's always as they go back through everything they've recorded that they discover all the "activity" going on around them.

Barbara shared with us today that she has felt more than once that there are evil 'entities,' as she put them. She describes them as those who never had a body, who only want to do harm. They will frequently pose as children (freaks me out!). Barbara highly warns against doing anything that will invite these entities in, like Ouiji Boards (never tried it myself). As she says, "Just because you're done with them and put the board away, it doesn't mean they're done with you." She has witnessed firsthand the harm these entities can do.

Are you all thinking I'm a complete nutter? I just think there's so much more going on than we can possibly know, and lately it seems the veil between this world and the next seems to be growing thinner. More and more friends and family have confided in me lately about experiences they have had, or are having.

A sign of the times?

These morning show hosts have invited their listeners to write an essay hoping to win a chance to come investigating with them. Am I tempted? Maybe a little. Mostly I think I'd run screaming from wherever they went.

Now I pose my question. Without going into details (unless you really want to), do any of you believe in ghosts? ;)