Am I a Christian?

Every now and then I'll fall down the rabbit hole. Heh, okay, maybe it's more than "every now and then," but sometimes it's to see what those anti to my faith are saying.

For those who don't know I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I've grown up hearing how I'm not a Christian. It's not everyone, but it's something I've heard on occasion.

In the last decade there seems to be a growing amount of attacks on my faith. Documentaries and shows on Hulu.

There's been division even on The Chosen's Facebook page. Since it's come out that a producer is LDS, there's been some skirmishes about the fact. Last April The Chosen FB page posted a screenshot saying, "This is not an-anti Christian show produced by Mormons. Be very careful about this show." Obviously there was a typo, but did The Chosen's FB page have to post something so divisive? The comment section is interesting, some very kind things written, LDS defending their faith, and some mean stuff as well. But why the fighting??

There's videos on YouTube of Christians going on about Latter-Day Saints, saying mean things and how we're not Christian. What's sad is how angry these people are.

I started noticing a common trend: many times when the "you're not a Christian" banter would be scurried about, the phrase "they believe in the wrong God" or "the wrong Christ" would follow. It wasn't until recently that I realized what they meant. I knew they were referring to the God Head vs. Trinity, but I suddenly realized that the Trinity is the god of the Creeds, mainly the Nicene Creed, which was created by a group of bishops in AD 325. 

Only those who believe in the Nicene Creed God, aka the Trinity, are allowed to call themselves Christians. This has been bouncing around my head since last April, and funny enough Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire confirmed this in the video, "Former Astrologist Explains Danger of New Age Practices," with Angela Ucci. At minute 1:06:35 he says, "There are denominations truly, I don't think they're Christian, but they identify as Christian, and we live in a trans age so... but there are denominations that deny the divinity of Christ, there are Christians who deny the Nicene Creed, and so they might call themselves Christian, but we as Christians would say no you're manifestatily not Christian."

And that is that. If I don't accept the Creeds, the Trinity, I'm not a Christian. According to them...

But regardless of what the naysayers say, I am a Christian. Many before the Creeds believed in the God Head, and there are verses in the Bible that point to Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Holy Ghost as separate individuals, and I believe this is the true divinity of God. Are there verses that point to a trinity? Sure. I see that as being "one in purpose" or Christ speaking for Heavenly Father. Though in the end what we believe is what we believe. A war on verse meaning and interpretation isn't going to convince anyone, and will only lead to division and hurt. Don't we have enough of that already?

For me the definition of a Christian is simple. Do you believe in Christ? Is he you're savior, redeemer, messiah? Matthew 22 KJV, "37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

It takes just as much faith to accept the interpretations of a council of Bishops in 325 AD and beyond, as it does to accept Joseph Smith being visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove.

Moses parted the Red Sea. Christ healed the sick and afflicted. Sarah had a baby at ninety years old. Peter walked on water to follow Christ. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, was spat out after three days, and then went on to perform God's will in Nineveh. Daniel survived a den of lions when he refused to stop praying.  If I'm willing to believe all these things, and more, Heavenly Father and Christ appearing to a farm boy in New York, delivering divine instruction, isn't so far-fetched. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Miracles never cease. He is still with us and watching over us.

Regardless of what others may say, I'm a follower of Christ. The Christ. The Christ of the Bible. I know he lives. I know he came to Earth to die for our sins. I know these things to be true.

Though I will never accept the Creeds, I will never stop believing and loving what is in the Bible.

I know these things to be true. And God knows what I believe and what is in my heart. He is my judge. And he will be my savior and advocate at the judgement bar. I love him, I love our savoir, redeemer, Christ, and he loves me. What man believes, their pointing fingers and judgemental words, mean nothing. My faith is sure.

I'm a pre-creed Christian, a covenant follower of Christ in these last days. 

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sarah

 

Blessings in Disguise: My Family's Yellowstone 1959 Earthquake Miracle

On the morning of August 17, 1959 my grandparents and great-grandparents, along with my uncle who was a toddler, were staying in a campground in Yellowstone National Park. They already spent the night there with plans to stay another night or so.

But that morning my uncle suddenly got really sick so my grandparents decided to head back to Riverside California, a long drive, leaving my Granny and Gramps to stay another night at the campground.

The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake struck at 11:37 pm on August 17th, with a magnitude 7.2-7.5, depending on sources, striking Hebgen Lake in Southwest Montana. A huge landslide caused the fatalities of 28, a campground was covered, and a river was dammed forming Earthquake Lake. New hydrothermal structures sprung up throughout the park. Old Faithful's geyser eruptions became erratic, shifting the 61.8 minute eruption to the now 93 minutes.

Unfortunately I don't know the full details with this part of the story as my grandparents have passed, but according to my Grandma she and my Grandpa heard about the Earthquake the next morning, unsure of what had happened to my great-grandparents. With no way of contacting them, my grandparents continued driving towards Riverside, fretting all the way. My uncle wasn't sick for long and was completely well. 

A little time or so after reaching Riverside my Great-grandparents arrived, having left Yellowstone a couple or so hours after my Grandparents, not wanting to stay that night in the campground without them.

When I first heard this story my Grandma said they were staying at the campground that was covered in a mudslide. (A few years ago I found sources on this campground, but can't find it now, so this information might be wrong). A few years later, and after doing research, I asked her if she knew the name of the campground they stayed in, but she couldn't remember, so it's hard to know if that was the specific campground they stayed in, though my Mom remembers her saying that they did stay on the end of Yellowstone where the mudslide happened. (Yellowstone spans Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.) It's hard to know, but one thing is certain, regardless of where in the National park they camped, that would have been a horrible night. (I never asked my Grandpa!! How could I have forgotten to ask him??)

If they had died that night my Mom would have never been born, and I wouldn't be here now typing this blog post.

It reminds me of a camping trip I did many years ago with my brother, sister-in-law, and kids up north. My niece was supposed to join us on a canoeing adventure, but she suddenly became sick out of no where. The rest of us went, and just a few minutes canoeing with my sister-in-laws sister, myself in the back and she in the front, we hit the base post of a bridge and capsized. I lost my glasses. It would have been devastating if my niece was with us. After reaching where we were sleeping, my niece was completely well. She wasn't sick long.

Sometimes unfortunate things happen to us, out of no where, sudden, messing up plans and creating disappointments, but sometimes these unfortunate moments are protecting us from greater tragedies. They're blessings in disguise.

Sarah :0)

Personal Soft Taco Station!! :D (And other whatnot's)

 

Okay, so this is technically chicken fajita's from Chili's. The 3 for Me deal is fantastic, and getting this entree is one of my favorites. Just the smell of the onions and peppers! The sizzle. They're so addicting. But every time I get this meal it feels like a personal soft taco station. Or burrito station if that's how you roll, literally. :P Just so good.

 

 

Was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond this afternoon, and noticed the bathrooms are tornado shelters. Never noticed a sign like this in any other place, so it's pretty thoughtful. But here in a Valley, surrounded by mountains, we don't get tornado's. Though you never know!! Better safe than sorry! There was a tornado in Salt Lake City in 1999. I was living in California at the time, but family and friends still mention it now and then, as the event is quite rare and caused some damage. 

I got this 90 day pad from Amazon. It's sold by InnerGuide Planners through the shopping site. Something I struggle with is focus. Planning is easy; executing is difficult. A while back I got a Pomodoro journal, which is a method for achieving priority goals through the day with small breaks, but the problem I had was its strict day to day adherence. If I messed up a day, that day would be blank, and having blank pages proved a problem for continued motivation. With this pad I have flexibility, can still plan, and draw circles to fill in for the Pomodoro methed. The built in check lists are nice, too, with good reminders and developing a positive attitude. I'm really excited to have found this planner and to give it a try. It'll last through the end of the year.

Hope you're having a great day!!

Sarah.

In Which My Mom Stops Traffic...

It's after 2 am, so what's the best cure for insomnia? Starring at a phone. :P Heh, yeah...

Today was interesting. A good chunk of the city was without electricity. Got some fast food with my Mom, and as we approached a major intersection none of the lights were working. Several lanes in all directions doing a sort of free for all instead of treating the intersection like a four way stop. Made me super nervous, but we got through it.

After parking under a tree to eat, we observed another intersection, also not working. Not as big as the first, but still large with three lanes in each direction plus cross traffic. Soon an elderly gentleman in a nice suit approached the crosswalk pushing the button, while a young 20 something girl on the other side did the same. For several minutes we watched the chaos of cars crossing, beeping, several going each spontaneous turn, but not stopping.

The two individuals kept pushing the walk button, not realizing all the lights were blank. My Mom got out of the car, talked to the gentleman, and then put her hands up, waving while yelling "Stop!" several times, going into the crosswalk. Everyone thankfully stopped, and the two individuals were finally able to cross. That was crazy, and my Mom was so brave.

Soon after we rescued a couple family members without electricity, and it was interesting going across town, some intersections with working lights while others remained down. 

This afternoon I got to play several rounds of Long Shot the Dice Game. Really enjoying it!! Played it now with 5, 2, and 3, and the game works great regardless of the play count. Though I haven't played a full 8 player game yet, nor have I tried the solo mode. Maybe I should post about some of the games I'm enjoying. It's a winner so far! A good balance between strategy and luck with many options. 

Also, yesterday I rode the ski lift at Sundance with my parents. A little bitter sweet as the last time I did it my grandparents were alive, and they were with us. But the turning autumn colors were so gorgeous. They're still gorgeous!! The leaf change hasn't finished yet, and the daily ski lift is only running a few more days.

Anywho, it really is late.

Last weekend was General Conference for the Church of Jesus Chist of Latter-Day Saints. Oh my goodness, all the talks were wonderful. I've listened to President Nelson's talk, "Overcome the World and Find Rest" three times now. There's so many treasures in it. Did you know President Nelson is 98 years old!!!!!!? So many people are worried this was his last conference, but I'm staying hopeful. I hope he makes it to 100!! But that talk really is wonderful. Other favorite talkes were Elder Bednar's, "Put on Thy Strength, O Zion," and Elder Gong's, "Happy and Forever." All the talks are up on YouTube under the General Conference channel. So many good talks. I'm hopeful for the future. :0) Every thing is crazy, a lot of scary stuff happening, but there's still goodness in the world and miracles, too.

 

While taking my family home tonight, power restored, the person ahead of us in the drive through paid for our meal. How amazing is that? :0) So nice.

Have a good day. Hope you can see some Autumn colors this weekend!! :D Or around town, autumn is happening everywhere. Heh, it is late. :P

Sarah

Last Moments at Disneyland for a Long Time

Exactly a week ago I was at Disneyland, waiting to watch the Tiki Room show.  Such a cute little show, all animatronic with classic Sherman songs. It was the last attraction I visited before heading down Main Street USA for a little shopping and heading out of the park, catching that last view of the castle.

The Dream Key annual pass I've been enjoying for about a year expires in a few days, and my Mom and I decided not to renew.  We've been spoiled this year, and I've been to Disneyland so many times that it's a little embarrassing to admit.  Six trips in all, visiting during all the seasons and weather. All the decorations and special shows. Sometimes a break is needed so the magic remains for something so loved.

Too much of a good thing can be too much, and I want the enchantment to remain strong.  That and the fact that Disneyland is so stinkin' expensive! The extra discounts on food and merchandise, plus free parking, helped with the inflation, but overall those trips add up.

All during last week I just took everything in, as if it could be my last. Saying goodbye to each little thing I love. Okay, I plan on visiting Disneyland again in the future!!  Just don't know when, and life is unpredictable, especially these days.

It's been announced that Magic Happens, the parade that started just before the shutdowns in 2020, is coming back Spring 2023. The Disney Parks YouTube page put up a video of the parade, and I watched that thing on loop during the pandemic. The music is so good!!!! Like, I'm listening to it right now and it's just so happy.

"I don't want the public to see the world they live in while they're in the Park. I want them to feel they're in another world." ~ Walt Disney

This quote is everything, and going to the parks this last year exemplified an escape from this world, healing from the shutdowns, revisiting loves from my childhood, and discovering new favorites.

 

I discovered that watching the fireworks from Galaxy's Edge is awesome! Loud, but really cool.

But there's so much I love about Disneyland. So much. It's everything. And I'm already missing it. Gah! Watching Disneyland YT videos isn't helping. :P

Hopefully it won't be terribly long until my next visit, but then it could easily be a year or two, or more. I'm thankful for all these trips. I'm thankful for all the magic. :0)

Sarah

 

P.S. Remember, "You don't need wings to take flight. Magic don't stop at midnight... " ~ Magic Happens

Why I Believe the Earth is Round

Heh, hmmm, so this could be a little controversial...

To put it simply, last night I went down a tiny rabbit hole on YouTube. Mainly the research revolved around earthquakes. Fun fact, both the Sept. 11 Papua New Guinea earthquake and the Sept. 19 Mexico earthquake were magnitude 7.6.  That can totally be coincidence (not being sarcastic). Also fun fact, Mexico has had earthquakes on Sept. 19 between a 7-8 magnitude not just this year but also 1985 and 2017. That can also be coincidence, but it's kinda wild.

So down the rabbit hole I went, and found a video from a couple days ago from this guy who charts earthquakes and stuff. Suddenly he was talking about recently discovered ancient Star Forts in America, lost civilizations, some kind of energy thing, and islands spaced exactly 14,000 miles from eachother with pentagon like shapes. It was passed midnight, so that's what I understood. But every now and then he would hint at questioning our earth not being round, and wondering if it might be some kind of dish shape, because, "They're not telling us everything. They're not releasing the pictures." Or something like that. Then many in the comments were wanting his calculations on a flat earth map. His name is Dutchsinse if you want to look his videos up.

It was late, I may have incorrectly heard him.

But quite a few in the comments were mentioning the flat earth, and my mind was spinning.

Here are a couple reasons I believe the earth is round: 

The first is the cruising industry. Pre-covid it was popular for some cruise lines to put out a "cruise around the world" itinerary. They'd do the Panama canal. Visit Hawaii and the Polynesian Islands. Go hang out in Asia and Russia for a bit. Head down to New Zealand and Australia, and all around the world visiting so many countries, cities, and islands. It's the sort of thing I dream about, and I went through a phase studying the different schedules, time frames, days at sea, and the crazy prices. (You can buy a house with how much these trips cost, and that's before excursions... for all those places... 0_0) Looking at the timeframes, distance, days at sea between places, and so forth... the around the world cruises couldn't keep those schedules or time frames if the world was flat or dish shaped.

And then I was thinking about the International Space Station. Pretty sure they can verify the proper shape of the Earth. Goodness, the ISS couldn't stay in orbit if the earth was flat. Not to mention videos of going over the earth. About a month or so when I was leaving one of my brothers home, we went outside right when the ISS was passing overhead. The sun had recently set, and though it was dark the curvature of the earth allowed the sun to reflect brilliant light off the Space Station. It was so cool to watch as it sped overhead. That would only work if the earth was round.

Anywho, that's what I've been thinking about all morning and what I was thinking about in-between dreams last night. All the planets in our solar system is round. The moon is round. And what about the tides?

Heh, yeah, putting this to rest and going to go think about other things. Though the idea of ancient star fort civilizations is pretty cool. And wouldn't a cruise around the world be so much fun? Well, before the pandemic when each country didn't have their own set of requirements for entering in regards to health.

So, fun times. 

Sarah

The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile Keeps On Moving

This photo was taken last weekend while on the San Bernardino CA mountain pass during a downpour. And what a joy it was to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile braving the storm! 

Honestly I can't remember exactly how many times I've seen the Oscar Mayer mobile, but only the first instance stands out clear. It was elementary school during recess, in Porterville CA, overlooking the field that led to the highway.  I use to just look out to the highway some mornings, wishing to travel the road, or just wanting to escape. The field that led to the All-American highway, sitting in front of the Sierra Nevada foothills. And one day, while daydreaming, the Oscar Meyer mobile coasted down the highway out of sight. Seeing the giant hot dog was magical. A wonderful departure from the mundane. 

That was many, many years ago. There was an article sometime back calling for hopeful drivers to apply, and it was cool knowing the Wienermobile was still a trucking. They must not drive in Utah, or maybe I'm never in the right place to see them.

Kinda Silly, but it was nice seeing the Oscar Meyer mobile. With all the change in the world. The craziness of the last two years. Everything we've been though. That hot dog truck of the past is still going. It's nice seeing that something so nostalgic is alive and well.

Sarah

 

The Problem with Witchcraft...

Midnight Mormons did a series of episodes where they visited Moon's Rare Books in Provo. It's a cool little store that I've been to a couple times. Before the pandemic Reid Moon was in his store, in the back room, and my Mom and I got to go back there, along with other costumers, and see some of the things in the vaults. Marie Antoinette's bible was a highlight. And Reid let my Mom and I hold in our palms the prototype for the ring, the one ring to rule them all, from the Lord of the Rings movies. So, so cool.

Back to the videos. In one episode Reid Moon brought out books on Witchcraft and demons, books from around the 1500's or so that started the witch trials and caused so many problems. Sad, crazy stuff. But it got me thinking and remembering...

There's a chance I'm somehow related to Nathaniel Ingersoll (1632 - 1718) who's tavern/home the first Salem witch trial was going to be held, the famous one with Sarah Good and all that. His children on many websites say they're unknown, but distant family keep stating that Sarah Ingersoll, who married James Emerson, is Nathaniel's daughter. I don't know. I don't want the connection, so the lack of proof is good with me. Then I found he might be a great uncle, but I lost that reference, so that might not be true. Okay with that as well. The joys of family history!!!! Oh the ambiguities!!!

During that research time I did delve into the Salem Witch trials a little, and it's crazy stuff. There were a lot of politics, accusing people of witchcraft for personal gain. But could there be real playing around with dark forces? With the stuff I've witnessed, which I've never sought, I'll never rule out the possibility. And honestly, I personally think it's foolish to do so. 

Many years ago my aunt who practices Wicca and calls herself a white witch, brought my Grandma, another aunt, my Mom, and I to a witchcraft store in Salt Lake Valley. My aunt said she was taking us to a geology rock store, but didn't tell us what the store really was.

In one room there was a cafe and people doing tarot cards at tables. I didn't notice this fact, my Mom told me later along with my other aunt who verified. As observant as I am, I saw the people, but didn't see what they were doing. Honestly, I was being protected. There was a full wall of apothecary items in jars. Books on the subject, spells and other whatnots. I walked past the ouija board and didn't see it, that is until I was on the other side of the room near the check out as my aunt who took us there was buying something.

Many years before in High School at church girls camp, I met this girl who told me a story, relating an experience where her friends were playing ouija, but everytime she entered the room the board wouldn't work, so she wasn't allowed to be there.

When I noticed this board at the store, next to the entrance, there was a mother and daughter using it. The daughter was finished and it was the mothers turn, which is when I started watching. Everytime I watched it wouldn't move, and this mother was getting frustrated. When I looked at my family, away from the board, the pointer thing moved, then when I looked back it stopped. This happened several times until the mother exclaimed, "Why did it work for you? It's not working!" And they left.

Was there anything to all that? Was I the reason that board wasn't working? Is it just fun and games? Or is there something else at work? Something sinister?

About a decade ago my Dad got me this book on energy psychology, all about being happy, as a way to help me with my depression. He heard the author interviewed on Coast to Coast.  The book actually did help. There was this grounding breathing technique that did wonders. So I ordered another one of his books off Amazon. It was all about helping with moods and stuff while doing these tapping movements on the body. I got the book, had it in my car, and then it disappeared from my car when I got home. Looked everywhere, the book was nowhere to be found. Never made it inside the house, and never saw it again. I took the book out of the packaging, looked at it, and never saw it again. I don't lose books. I'm very careful with them. 

But then, a while later, I was watching magicians on You Tube. This one guy did freaky things, but this time he was simply having a few people stand next to eachother, eyes closed. He would touch one person and asked another person where they felt it, and the second person felt where the first person was touched. Meanwhile I noticed the magician was doing a tapping pattern on these people, and in the middle of the act he casually said it was black magic. I froze then, thinking of the book that disappeared, wondering if those body tapping techniques in that book was tied to black magic. Suddenly I was glad the book disappeared and I never got the chance to open it.

I got other little stories, but I personally think there are forces in this universe beyond sight. And I do believe there is a light and a dark.

Watching my Grandpa R do pendulum readings while visiting him made me realize how it was a replacement for prayer. Wanting to know what to do and what might happen is a replacement for faith. I realized while in my young 20's that I would always put the priesthood and the gift of the Holy Ghost first. I would rely on promptings and prayer. Satan has his imitation priesthood, and I want nothing to do with it. Is there a gray area in between? That I don't know. I'm relying on faith.

Sarah

My DNA Changes Again!! 0_0 ... :P, just another Ancestry Update

Another Ancestry Update = Another Existential Crises. :P

Heh, no, it's all good and funny. I got more Scottish! Up from like 19% or so, can't remember. My English was around 30% last time, and now it's split with Germany. And I've still got 2% Welsh.

 

I'm pretty much dominant Celtic. I really need to watch documentaries on the Celtics. Watched one once, and all I gathered from it was how obsessed Celts were with black magic. Is that the reason I'm so spiritually sensitive and attacked?

 

(Actually, I have a really weird story. In my mid 20's I went to the temple to do baptisms. In my room there was a small table, and when I came home the glass top from this table was on the floor. On top of this table I displayed four fairy figures, but now these figures were spread around my room, one against a wall with another under a bookshelf, the others spread in between.  So many things on these fragile figures could have broke, but the only thing that broke, on all the figures, were the wings. No one in my family did it, and I trust them. My Dad is a miracle worker with super glue and fixed them. This experience always freaked me out, but I put it in the back of my mind... until doing research on Celtic Fairy tales for the podcast last year, and after listening to a book on the subject, and realizing how connected those old Celt beliefs were tied to black magic, I thought of my broken fairies, and how only the wings broke, scattered beyond physics from one end of my room to another. Something out there was mad at me for going to the temple and wanted to scare me. I'm stronger than that. I got rid of that table many years later when, late at night, a crystal was knocked off. I heard shuffling around my room, which stopped when I turned on the light and picked up the crystal. I wasn't paralyzed, so it wasn't sleep paralysis.  Yup... fun stuff. Is it any wonder I sleep with a night light!!?)

Back to DNA! 

This update seems more trustworthy than the last. My Mom got her Scottish back! A whole 9%. She's 7% Welsh, and now has German at 10%, which is completely new. Her English went down.

It seems that some of the previous English percentages contained German, that are now easier to detect.

 

A newer feature is the parental breakdown of inherited DNA. In the pie chart it says Parent 1 and Parent 2, but since my parents DNA has been done I can figure who each parent is, and assigned them as such.

 

My Dad is 56% English, which was a huge surprise.

 

Anywho, I'm still going through all the results.

Fun stuff. :D

 

 

 Sarah

I Didn't Mean To Binge That Korean Drama... :\

So my Mom is officially addicted to K-Drama's. It started near the start of the year. (Time is moving so fast I can't quite remember!) And since then she's watched several drama's. My sister-in-law Lindsay has been into K-Drama's for quite a while now, and both her and Robbie watch a bunch together. For my Mom's birthday they got her "Goblin: The Lonely and Great God." Elsewhere I've seen the drama called "Guardian."

Anywho! She loved it! I didn't watch it with her. Some drama's we've watched together, but mostly I'll watch the first part, go do stuff, and come back to watch the last few episodes. Only a few drama's I've seen in their entirety. 

Well, she's been begging me to watch Goblin with her. She loves the drama so much she even got the CD album off Amazon. Heh, well, after weeks and weeks I finally started watching it with her last week. And I was determined only to watch two episodes a day. No bingeing allowed! This lasted a few days. 0_0 Started with six episodes spread between three days. Then the plot just got so juicy... and I watched six episodes in one day... and the last four episodes the last day.

Dang it! :P Honestly, the drama is really good. It gets into spiritual beliefs with reincarnation, the tea ceremony before passing to the next life, spirits that dwindle before moving on, the gods among them all, and the Goblin cursed with immortality. The topic is interesting. But what was truly captivating were the characters, plots, development, and great casting. 

It's been fun watching different Korean drama's. There's definitely tropes and patterns in the stories whether they're stories of rich heirs or idols. Senior year high school girls dating older and suddenly becoming homeless happens a lot. It's all fun, and I like the concise stories.

Also, I've been digging a little into K-Pop. For about 20 years I've listened to BoA who's Korean and has both Japanese and Korean music. But this whole idol group dynamic in Korean music is just a whole thing altogether.  It's a little crazy. Stumbled upon Girl Generation and Twice within the last few weeks, two major girl groups in Korea. I like Twice's latest mini album and picked it up at Target. Korean music CD packages are another beast on their own. They come with different version with photo booklets and randomly given photo cards, and other do-dads. People will collect sets of the same album, with different packaging, just to collect and trade the cards! Plus getting the different photo books.  It's crazy, but a really creative way to sell so many albums... to the same people.

Anywho... Hope you're having a great day!

Sarah

 

So... A Meteor Crashed Landed in Northern Utah this Morning

I just saw some friends post about a meteor hitting North Utah this morning around 8:30, and that many people in Salt Lake heard it.

For a moment I was rather disappointed not to have heard the "boom", but then my mind started playing tricks. Through the weak recesses of my mind I started remembering a "boom" from this morning, only to quickly discard it.

See, every now and then a certain base likes to test bombs out in the desert. They've been doing it for years, and hearing these "booms" mixed with subtle shaking, and air pressure changes in the attack, was hard getting used to.  One time I was home alone and the garage door shook like someone was trying to get in the house. 0_0 Freaked me out.

So when I hear a "boom" I shrug it off and think nothing of it, assuming the same old same old.

Problem is, I don't know if I heard the meteor "boom" this morning. Is this a false memory? False memories are not hard to create.

Hearing the boom of a meteor would be cool... 

I wonder if anyone is looking for meteorites. There was a show on the Science Channel called Meteorite Men that I use to watch. They traveled the world searching for... meteorites, sometimes successful, sometimes not, but the show was really quite interesting. It was this show where I learned about meteorite gemstones, Moldavite and space peridot.

I really want a Pallasite Meteorite Slice. Some girls dream of diamonds, but gems from space are so much cooler. That and I actually don't want a diamond. (If I ever do get married, I'm actually going to tell whomever he may be that I want a moissanite ring... I don't like diamonds due to their history). Pallasite Meteorite Slices really are super pretty. 

Anywho, it seems like no one was hurt from the crash, which is the most important thing. Glad for that. It really is annoying how easy it is to manipulate memories. :/

Sarah

I Can't Sing This Song Without Crying!!

So I'm pouring over old memories.  Been working on a family project for the last six hours, and I just realized that I haven't sung in public since my Grandma Stuff's funeral... back in 2017.  And the last time before that I was in my 20's. :\ Yeah, it's been while.

But the song I sang at my Grandma's funeral was "How Does a Moment Last Forever," from the live action Beauty and the Beast. Found a piano cover and sang along with it during the service... and I barely got through it!

Even now, I haven't sang it in years and gave it a try, pulled the song up with lyrics on another webpage... and I can't sing through it without stopping.  The song it just so beautiful.  

I mean... these words!!:

"Maybe some moments weren't so perfect
Maybe some memories not so sweet
But we have to know some bad times
Or our lives are incomplete
Then when the shadows overtake us
Just when we feel all hope is gone
We'll hear our song and know once more
Our love lives on"

This song really is beautiful, and if you're able to sing along with it without breaking down a little, you are a super hero!! For reals, though. Not lying.  

Sarah

P.S. Dang! Spotify is in automatic mode right now, playing it's own thing song after song... and Lionel Richie's "Ballerina Girl" just came on! Ah! This was one of my most favorite songs as a kid. <3

P.P.S The English language is so frustrating. I really don't understand it most days. Right now I'm confusing Sing, Song, Sang, and Sung... and I'm like... whatever... (the English language. -_-;;)

My First Wasp Sting and George Jetson is Born :/

So... I got my first wasp sting today!!!!!! 0_0 Went on a drive up the canyon. First to Wallsburg (enjoying green pastures and all the horses), past deer creek, up to Midway....

And then I got stung, while driving on main street next to the park. I was in the passenger side, window down, and suddenly my left forearm started to burn! I curled my arm to look, and a wasp was stuck on my sleeve! A red dot where the sting took place. I freaked out telling my Mom to pull over, as I wanted to get out and get the thing off me. After my Mom got the wasp with a napkin we pulled into a tiny parking lot. 

Thanks to my Mom's quick thinking she grabbed a water bottle and washed my skin, and I thankfully had ice in a cup, and used the ice to help with the sting.

Then we continued on our drive, windows still down. Through Midway, up to Heber, loop back to Midway, past the lake/reservoir/deer creek, up to Sundance, and then home. 

The drive was so nice... besides the wasp bit. But I'm so scared of wasps!!!!  Like, I freeze and freak. I've got no problem, at all, with spiders and snakes. But with wasps and bees I'm all kinds of scared. At least I now know I'm not allergic. It swelled a little, turned speckled pink, but now it's died down and I'm putting lavender oil on it to help the itching.

I'm so scared of wasps that when I was 15, close to Bakersfield and heading towards Santa Barbara, a wasp flew into the car, and I freaked and accidentally flicked my glasses out the window. Was blind for about two weeks. -_-

Anywho... George Jetson was apparently born today!! From The Jetsons cartoon show, which aired in 1962... and set in 2062. George was born July 31, 2022 and is 40 on the show.

For starters, George looks fantastic for his age. Great skin and a full head of hair. Also... 40?! I just can't even with that right now! But also, I had no idea, while watching The Jetsons as a kid, that I will be 80 when the show takes place. 

On Star Trek when the Vulcans are supposed to make first contact with Earth is April 5, 2063. So there's that... :/

Those are going to be crazy back to back years!!!! :P

Side note: We had great television when I was a kid. Kids today are missing out. Saturday morning cartoons. Watched all the greats! The Jetsons, Flintstones, Smurfs, Loony Tunes with classic television like Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and I Love Lucy thrown in. Loved the old stuff. And towards the end of elementary school Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Tail Spin, Duck Tales, etc, was first airing. Can't forget Strawberry Shotcake, Care Bears, Gummi Bears, classic My Little Pony, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. :D I had the Darkwing Duck theme song memorized. Loved that thing. Oh, and all the classic Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck/Goofy shorts. I rented the VHS's from the video store, repeatedly.

Cartoons Saturday morning was such a treat and something worth waiting for and waking up early to watch. Good times.

Anywho, it's getting late.

Night,

Sarah

Just Learned a New Word and a New Fruit...

So the Mac n Cheese at Costco: Warning! This container is not Microwaveable or Ovenable. Ovenable.  Never seen that word before, but it makes sense.  The old packaging use to be able to go into the oven, but the new packaging is plastic on all sides, so it's currently cooking in a pot, overseen by my sister-in-law.  Google recognizes the word whereas the spell check on this blog does not.

Also, at Costco, I discovered a new fruit!  Pineberry.  No pictures yet, as I want to try the fruit before I say more on the subject, only that the smell is divine and I'm oh so excited to try one.

The family is over.  We're having a Happy Unbirthday party, celebrating all the birthdays in the last few months that got missed for one reason or another, so we're celebrating them all at once. The Pokemon cards I ordered for the kids all came in, just in time, and I finished organizing and then sleeving them.  Also, I bought several packs, and then my Mom bought more packs today, opened them all, and later tonight I'm going to set them out and the kids will pick their favorite Pokemon, one by one.  No idea if this is a good idea or a bad idea, but it sounds like fun!  Ah!  Hopefully it will go well. But I'm pokemoned out.  Got some cards for myself, which I'm going to use as bookmarks. :P  

Now to rejoin the fam and see what needs help.  Sitting down these few minutes was nice. 

Tóg go bog é!

(Take it easy in Irish)

Sarah

 

The Dog I Can't Stop Thinking About

Yesterday evening I got back from Disneyland with my Mom. It was a good trip, but as we were leaving for California last week something strange happened: A dog was sitting at the end of our street.  At first I thought it was a cat! (And I just got new glasses! :P ) But the little cream colored chihuahua was sitting dead center at the end of the road, watching us as we slowly approached, the dog's collar indicating it had a home.

When we reached the dog and stopped, it ran and hid in some bushes, peaking shyly to look at us.  I craned my neck to see it and the dog did the same before running off!  This dog running to the right, looking over it's shoulder, knowing we weren't following, and speeding out of sight.  We then turned left.

That sort of thing has never happened to me, which is why this event keeps running through my brain.  Did the dog want us to follow?  Was it in trouble? Lost? Did my Mom and I fail in not pursuing?

Or were we protected from an accident?  Driving through Utah on the I-15 tends to be pretty calm for the most part, but around Las Vegas and Primm the highway gets congested and drivers reckless.  There were a couple cars in particular that swerved within tight margins around people, ourselves included.  Then many, many miles down the road there was a crash involving these two cars and a family van. Could being slowed down by the dog, and therefore creating a chain of different events, allowed us to miss this crash?  

Oh, it's hard to say.  And in the end it could have simply been a coincidence.  Nothing special.  An ordinary moment at six in the morning... so ordinary it's the first time it's happened to me. :P

I don't know! I just hope the dog is okay and with their family. And I need to calm my overactive imagination. :\ But I am glad my Mom and I are safe, and I hope the cars involved in the accident are okay.

 

Sarah

 

My Mom's Jewelry Booth, Take 2

A couple months or so ago my Mom put her jewelry into a store.  Well, they haven't sold well. Apart of that is the fact that a lot of the sellers are retailers, buying from China and selling with a slight markup. How many of the booths are like this? Not quite sure, only this is what the store's owner told my Mom a few weeks after getting set up.  How can one compete?  

Well, she's spent the last few weeks creating more jewelry pieces at a cheaper price.  Before all the jewelry in the booth were in clear boxes with a cleaning cloth and nice pouch, and though this was a nice setup, we felt it might deter buyers. Though our concern with jewelry being in the open would inspire theft.  Funny enough when one of the workers came by to see how my Mom and I were rearranging everything yesterday, she expressed the same worry of theft.  The store has this problem.

Also, with the economy and everything crazy in the world, it's hard to know what to expect or hope.  The contract is for six months, and Mom want's to give it her all.  If after six months there isn't any improvement, then it is what it is, and we'll leave with head held high.  For my Mom's sake I hope the sells improve, as she loves making the jewelry and it brings her so much joy.  But we both agree that this isn't the best time to try starting a business like this, especially with gas prices and so forth.  But dreams are worth dreaming.  Always.

 

 
The set up is more welcoming.  I'm proud of my Mom.

Sometimes You've Just Got to Laugh

Life can be a little stressful in college. Through my upper education I attended four colleges: two junior colleges in California, UVSC (now UVU), and BYU. The first three schools were wonderful. The junior colleges challenging while budget friendly and giving a great education. UVSC was exceptional all around. And then there was BYU...

BYU Provo. One of three BYU's in the world, the other two residing in Idaho and Hawaii. Oh, BYU... a challenge to get into requiring much faith and work.  When I was accepted and on campus nothing prepared me for the giant stress bomb is was. A bunch of type A study-holics all over the place. (At least that's what I saw as I didn't go to any of the parties, hanging out in the library instead. :P )

But oh, the stress. One of my favorite memories was while in the fine arts building getting ready to start a music class, and this girl ran up eating all this chocolate. She just failed a test and was in need of endorphins, and we all had a good laugh.

A while later I experienced my week of misery. Several tests in about four days while still attending class. This week was harder than finals week, and I was all kinds of anxiety.

In one afternoon I took back to back tests at the testing center. The testing center was two levels: classes with a long hallway below and a giant room full of desks above. When descending the stairs to the ground level there's computer screens showing test scores. I failed the first test! After a quick study refresher in the hallway I headed up to take the second test and failed that as well!! I laughed and laughed. Sometimes all you can do is laugh. Laughing felt good. Sure I failed, but I survived, and there were chances to try again.

Life is funny. There are good days where we achieve and do well. Then there are blocks of time where we seem to mess everything up and fail. There are more chances. There's more time. If possible laugh, it does help, and then try again.

Sarah

What a Difference a Year Makes

On May 12th, 2021, my Mom and I were going to meet up with my Dad for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake Valley.  But that morning, along with the 6th, 8th, and 10th of May, I woke up in pain and sick.  On and off for the previous year this strange illness hit, and I was terrified. 

The plans were changed to May 13th, and on that day I was well enough for the drive and the eating.  Found out a month and a half later my gallbladder was very sick and there were gallstones, so a surgery was performed.  This last year has been about recovery and overcoming food fears that developed between a failing gallbladder and Interstitial Cystitis (I.C. has been a decade long battle, and is now under control).

 

I was recently in Honolulu. When the airport transfer dropped my Mom and I off I noticed that the Cheesecake Factory was within walking distance!  That next day, the 13th of May (which landed on a Friday!! :P ), we waked to the restaurant. It was then I realized the last time I ate at the Cheesecake Factory was in Utah, exactly a year before.  Never would I have imagined in 2021 that I would be at the same restaurant, a year later to the day, only in Hawaii, free of pain and free to eat whatever I wished.   

 

It was a moment of overwhelming gratitude.  Thankful that my illness was discovered.  Thankful I was able to get the surgery. Thankful that I can eat and not fear food. (Some things I do have to be careful with, but I can eat eggs again!  It wasn't an intolerance after all, but one of the first signs my gallbladder was having issues).  

This experience was a testament that times do change, things do change.  Sometimes for the worse, but also for the better.  It's hard to predict where life will take us.  How things will end up. How the world will affect us.  There's so much to be scared by, so much to worry about, but we still have moments of blessings. Moments of joy. Periods of peace in our own lives. Bad times do come to an end. Pain can heal. We can heal. Questions are answered.

 

There is still light.

Sarah

Being Smarter than the Child's Lock

Oh, goodness, when I went to Japan with my sibs Michael and Krista back in 2015 my Mom babysat the kiddos.  They were young and got into everything, so nearly everything got child locks.  This child lock has remained in place since then, not released.  What is it guarding?  Piano/Vocal sheet music.  I haven't practiced in... I can't remember honestly.  Total mental block.  There's sheet music next to the piano I haven't touched as well.  I've been buying sheet music, just haven't been able to bring myself to the piano to practice.

 

That's changing.  I need to play again, face the silly thing in my brain that's stopping me.  I need to play and feel music again.  Step one is organizing what I have, and I can't do that until I unlock this baby.

 

Problem is, I'm not smarter than the lock.  I've tried opening it in the past, but wasn't successful.  So I found another way... (Yeah, I could have consulted YouTube, but what fun is that?)

 

I realized that doorknobs twist off.

And the lock was removed.  Still don't know how it works.

And now to organize and play again.  I'm afraid to find old music that I use to play so well, but may now find difficult.  Is playing the piano like riding a bike?  Well, one way or another, I can't keep holding myself back.

Sarah

 

I'll Never Get Fashion

Today I went into Nordstrom to do nothing more than use the restroom. Heh, old habit from the days when I visited Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara, an outdoor mall. They have the best bathrooms!! And it was a quick stop before heading towards the parking garage.

I'm not in Santa Barbara (someday I'll return), but thought it would be nice to do the whole "run in and out of Nordstrom" bit once more.

And goodness, once again it was hard not to gawk at crazy priced shoes and clothes I'll never understand. Granted, they do have nice things, but on this visit it was the shoes I couldn't get over. A lot of shoes had metal spiky things with rounded tips. So ugly. Bright clashing colors. And all for $400-$1000. 0_0 I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and my tastes are pretty simple.

Once upon a time I made an effort to understand fashion. Subscribed to several magazines: Marie Claire, Vogue, Elle, In Style, etc. I looked at the pictures, which were interesting, but so much of fashion is baffling!!!

Honestly, I'll always enjoy wearing jeans and tennis shoes. They're just so comfy. And I really don't care what color is on trend! I like what I like. But I really don't have a fashion sense!! :P

Sarah