Admitted Lover of Humbug

How long it's been since I enjoyed a show this much I can't even remember. Maybe the first time I saw "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" with Donny Osmond in Chicago back in the 90s? (That's a good story. You can read about it here. And for the record, Eve was five days old when the show opened, and I still went at least twice. It's what I do.)

I don't understand the controversy surrounding "The Greatest Showman." I mean, we all live in the Google age. I'm sure I'm not the only one who googled P.T. Barnum as I left the theatre to see how much of the story was accurate. Was I disappointed this wasn't a biography? No. Aren't we all wise enough to judge between truth and fiction? Newsflash--"Game of Thrones" isn't an accurate portrayal of the Middle Ages. (Although I've never seen it, the dragons gave me my first clue.)

Hollywood feels obligated to create their versions of famous people and pass them off as history. Rarely are they completely corroborated by even a quick Wikipedia check.

Can't we all drop the pretense of serious historians and just enjoy something for its face value? (Finally live a little, finally laugh a little--see what I did there?) When did we all become so uptight about facts and accuracy? They don't matter here.

This is a show of fun--catchy tunes and lyrics, incredible dancing, beautiful people, and suitable for families to enjoy--the kind of show P.T. Barnum may have written about himself.

I went with some family over the holidays and returned later that same night to see it again. I've seen it a few more times, and it brings me joy every time--from the first notes to the final curtain.

Let's all relax and revel in a shared moment of pure joy and entertainment. That's rare in this world of government shutdowns, nuclear threats, and economic strife.

If you haven't seen "The Greatest Showman," get there before it leaves the theatre. Stomp and clap and sing . . . and enjoy the greatest show.

Biggest Event of 2017

I don't have any other pictures from this big day.

Can you believe these are all ours?

Makayla joined our family on December 28th, and it was a perfect few days, aside from the migraine that felled me just before the wedding dinner on the 27th (happened at Heidi's dinner, too. I don't get migraines very often--why on weddings?).

We had 80+ people over for Mexican food the night before and housed 15 additional people for a few days before and after the wedding. It was one of the best times ever--late-night games, movies, long talks, and food food food!

Makayla's grandfather performed their ceremony, and it was one of the most beautiful I've ever attended. How tender to have your grandpa who's known you every day of your entire life marry you? I felt very privileged to be there that day.

Nothing makes me happier than having all of my family together. I love each of their personalities and quirks, and the more we add to the Sanatorium, the better it gets!

Brad's sister Amy took this picture at the Gilbert temple right after their sealing. I really need to get better at taking pictures with my phone instead of hauling out my big camera. Now that I rarely use the big camera, I have this weird idea that little things aren't worth a crappy phone picture. Another mental block I need to get past--literary and deep blog posts. This is my family record, not a candidate for the Pulitzer. Twoof my goals for 2018--more photos and blog posts.

Especially since this photo is already outdated--Karli and Tucker announced they're expecting a new baby in July!

I'm Off on an Adventure!

Toto, we're not in Arizona any more!

Guess where I am?

I am one of the very lucky few that beat the bomb cyclone along the East Coast and made it to Boston without a flight cancellation! I arrived Wednesday, just as the first flakes were hitting Florida. I got snug in my AirBnB apartment Wednesday night and woke up to snow! It's been years since I was in a big snowstorm, and I would guess this is the biggest I've ever seen in my entire life. I chronicled the increasing depth on the garbage cans outside my window.

Up to fifteen inches in certain places in Boston, the reports say. My unscientific measurements would have to agree.

Yesterday was glorious. I took three stomps through the snow to get food and and to get my bearings, and I felt like a little kid living an adventure story. Ok. It wasn't that exciting, but for an AZ girl, it was pretty close. There were few cars (and even fewer people) out, and those that were brave enough were generally stuck (one car was being dug out by a skinny young guy in a Santa onesie and hat). Snow plows cleared the roads in groups of three, efficiently and regularly keeping the roads accessible. Sidewalks were a different story, and I had to blaze my own trails with my trusty waterproof duck boots and Siri. I may have grinned like a ten-year-old boy out with his first BB gun as I plodded knee deep through the snow.

I had to buy a new coat for such an adventure, since I've lived in AZ way too long to have leftovers from our law school years in Chicago. Who knew that a $54 coat from Amazon would be just as toasty as a high-end coat from The North Face? Temperatures yesterday were beautiful--hovering around 30 degrees with only a few (albeit strong) gusts of wind. The weather made the adventure even better. I was cold, but not miserable. I loved it all.

Today the weather is brutal but clear, and I have yet to venture outside, even though it's almost 2 pm. I can hear the wind howl and I watch the flakes swirl across the plowed streets and now-shoveled walks, knowing that a different experience awaits me today. I've been cocooned with a cup of herbal tea, a blanket across my lap, preparing lesson plans for school next week. It's been a good morning, but this afternoon begins the real adventure and the real reason I'm in Boston--I'm taking a class on the Constitution, preparing for a new seminar I'm teaching. On Monday. Yeah, I cut this one a little close, but I'm excited, and a little bit nervous, to be honest. I haven't been a student inside a regular classroom in almost three decades. Here's hoping I survive the Arctic blast as I walk outside!

Rewrite the Stars 2018

My blog and my yearly goal last year sadly lagged. I missed it. I missed the accountability and I miss the record of my family and activities. I'm hoping to get back to it, not for anyone else this time but just for me and the record I need to leave for my family.

Here's my necklace for 2018, my peridot birthstone with an 8-pointed star. Unlike years past where all focused on a one-word large goal, I do have eight smaller goals I'm working on this year. They all, however, focus on the center and a guiding Star in my life.

As I reflected on 2017 and my first full year of teaching, I recognized one adjustment I need to make for 2018, and it's this:

No matter what else fills my plate or fills my mind or fills my time,my primary job in this world is my family.

Here's to a year of manageable improvement in small steps, a year of accepting limitations and learning from failures, a year of saying no when necessary, and a year of joy surrounded by those people and things that I love most.

*And if you missed the reference in the title, you really NEED to see "The Greatest Showman." A pure delight--just like the joy that comes when seeing a show on Broadway.