Last Sunday, my husband and I were asked by the young adults in his ward to say a few words at the close of a meeting they had organized on the subject of dating with the idea of finding your spiritual mate. Based upon answers to a survey filled out the week before, the leaders pulled off a great discussion, and I think a lot of feelings and issues got aired. Some may even have been resolved. :)

For my portion of the program, I decided to go with a poem (surprise, surprise). I'm posting it here so the people who asked for a copy can access it easily. Of course, any others who'd like to use it with young adults are welcome to do so, as long as you keep the copyright information intact. I won't be posting it on my poetry website, so if you're interested, this is the venue.

I hope you’ll listen to my take

on how to find a mate.

My vision is unique and wise.

My counsel is first-rate.

I know what works and what does not.

I know what’s tried and true.

(And if you don’t believe me, look

at who I’m married to!)

And so, with that strong evidence

of my own expertise,

I’ll tell you how to find a mate

that’s guaranteed to please.

But first, I think that I’ll begin

with this: What NOT to do.

Or maybe I should say what not

to pay attention to.

Some people look with worldly eyes

to find their perfect match.

Not good! This method just might make

you miss out on a catch!

The worldly eye’s a stink-eye;

it’s obsessed with imperfections.

From head to toe and back, it scouts out

reasons for rejections.

That dude’s not hot enough for you…

That chick’s too short, too tall.

That guy’s too round, too dark, too pale,

too big, too bald, too small.

That girl’s too freckle-faced, too white,

too tan, too thin, too plump.

And what’s that on her face…a mole?!

Does her nose have…a bump?!

His jaw’s too strong; his jaw’s too weak;

his chin could use a cleft.

And look at her…I think her right eye’s

bigger than her left!

His mouth’s too wide; his lips get chapped;

his cheeks are way too red.

I couldn’t date him. Look, a vein

sticks out in his forehead!

Is that a beauty mark or zit?

Hey, this could be genetic!

Why couldn’t she have dimples?

Is her hair kinda…frenetic?

I kid you not! That worldly eye

is way too harsh. It’s true!

If you could turn it on yourself,

that eye would rule out YOU!

So think about consulting with

your spirit eyes instead.

Look for your spirit mate when you’re

deciding who to wed.

You’ll recognize this spirit mate,

but not by how he looks.

You likely won’t hear magic bells

or swoon like story books.

You may not turn first hot, then cold,

then lose your power to speak.

You may not even float on clouds,

faint dead away, or shriek.

What you will do is find a friend,

who finds a friend in you.

You’ll talk a lot and share a lot.

You’ll like his point of view.

Your goals will be as similar

as the beliefs you hold.

With her, you’ll neither be too shy

nor need to be too bold.

You’ll feel at home in your own skin,

not one-down or one-up.

You’ll want to make him happy, and

he’ll want to fill your cup.

You’ll find yourself more generous,

less governed by your pride.

You’ll listen more, feel more respect,

and lose your selfish side.

You’ll notice that, together, you

are better than apart.

You’ll trust each other with your dreams

and later, with your heart.

Don’t give that heart away too soon;

trust ought to take some time.

You need to see how this gal works.

Do mountains make her climb?...

Or sit down and give up, or

run away, or lean on you?

You’ll make sure she’s committed

to her faith and to you, too.

(Not the band, the person, meaning

You, too, not U2.)

The thing is, just be sure she’ll hang.

Make sure he’s tried and true.

You’ll find in him a listener

who cares just how you feel.

You’ll watch him serving others, and

you’ll know his love is real.

You’ll make sure that your backgrounds gel

on things that really count.

Like how to raise a family…

How to use your bank account.

You’ll understand each other, and

accept the things you see.

You won’t expect her to be more

than you’re willing to be.

And yet you’ll want to be your best…

Hey, why not start that now?

What better way could you prepare

to take a solemn vow?

The person you attract is bound

to be a lot like you.

So strive to be more faithful, kind,

wise, fun, and healthy, too!

Sure, make yourself desirable

in every way you can;

it's only going to help you find

that woman or that man.

But seek your spirit mate; don’t

trophy date, because the prize

is someone you can only see

through your spiritual eyes.

Good looks are fun, but fleeting…

like tinsel on a tree.

But goodness lasts forever.

Choose well, for eternity.

As someone who finds Keith Olbermann distasteful in every way (including politics, polemics, and presentation), I saw something last week that pleased me. Jon Stewart used The Daily Show to take careful aim before letting the left-leaning commentator have it with both barrels for a series of rabid (as in foaming at the mouth and tetanus shots) ravings about the new Republican Senator from Massachusetts. Admittedly, my only knowledge about Scott Brown is that I found his victory speech unimpressive, disappointingly so, but Olbermann was at least unprofessional and arguably despicable in his criticism denunciation of the newly-elected Senator. It was over the top and then some.

Here's my take on Brown. The guy didn't wow me either, but underwhelmed as I may be, I still have a sense of relief that the democratic golden 60 seats will now be reduced to 59. To be honest, any manifestation of increased checks and balances in our government, however small, feels good to me these days.

Enjoy! And don't forget to click off my lovely red playlist in the right sidebar. =)

(Sorry about the Cosmo centerfold pic. I can't edit it, but it's not representative of the video.)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Special Comment - Keith Olbermann's Name-Calling
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

I want a Nexus One! But you knew that. More info.

Google and China via NY Times. And via NPR.

Cool web trend map made by a cool-looking Japanese company:

The Web Trend Map Interview from GaijinPot on Vimeo.

If I had a phone that could take apps, I would totally have foursquare, especially for when I travel.

Via Forbes: "Friendships in the Digital Age."

Have you ever seen funny wifi names? I have. Here are two that are passive agressive.

About Facebook from an employee.

If people send you a question that they just as easily could have answered themselves, and you're the very sarcastic type, send them this link:

http://letmegooglethatforyou.com/


Mormon:

Mormon Scholars Testify website.

Random:

Tanya on sex slavery and New York. Yikes.

The guy who made up Gumby died.

Isn't this disease, Huntington's, tragic?

I'm thinking of juicing to get myself to eat more vegetables and digest some more enzymes. Thoughts?

Modern dating map (though we all know I'm not a modern dater because of the abstinence thing).

Bamboo bikes.

100 skills everyone should master.

I want to swim to the edge of Victoria Falls, too!

Martin Luther King (at Home) Photo Essay.

Amusing accent imitation video (not sure I think the German one is that great for a modern-day 25-year-old):



Chocolate and churros!

I'm not a big fan of hearts (as a shape for design), but these hearts seem like a good style for Valentine's Day.

And I liked these valentines.

Okay, here's the thing. My husband and I are experiencing a rather odd difference of opinion...not quite an open argument, certainly not an active dispute, but verging on the kind of simmering disagreement that will eventually have to be addressed even though it seems wiser to avoid it completely.

One of the strangest things about this little matter is that neither of us is yet 60, so the issue really isn't all that pressing. For some reason, however, the subject of where we will eventually be buried seems to have reared its surprisingly controversial head...and it looks like both of us are going to have to use all of our diplomatic skills to arrive at a mutually satisfactory resolution. This will be made somewhat more difficult by the fact that my husband doesn't seem to know exactly where he wants to be buried; he only knows that he sort of has a feeling that it almost but not quite for sure isn't where I am thinking we should be buried.

The good news is that we do have one point of common ground: our desire to be planted in common ground. (Of course, that is also the bad news, since it requires deciding where that common ground should be.) Let's face it; the whole thing has a distinctly humorous side. In fact, the son who happened to be with us when this discussion first came up was clearly amused. I've gotten a chuckle or two out of it myself, but the plots are nearly sold out at my PRP (preferred resting place), so I'm in a bit of a hurry to close the deal. It's even occurred to me to request a plot (for both of us to be buried in) as my Valentine's Day present. What gift of love could be more fitting than a lovely spot in the nearest cemetery, just waiting to be shared? Ah, sweet romance.

Of course, my husband's fallback idea is to set up a National Park travel fund in his will, be cremated, then have our children split the ashes four ways and spread them throughout the entire National Park system.*

Seriously, though...What could be nicer than this?!

(It all but screams "final resting place.")

Am I wrong?

The Invitation
Printed on fancy paper and tied with a fancy pink ribbon

Text:
Anwyn is 5 and FANCY !

You are invited to a soiree (that’s fancy for party)

Saturday, January 23rd at Anwyn’s house (address)

10:30 am to 12:00 noon

Please wear your fanciest ensemble.

Répondez s'il vous plaît {RSVP}
(that’s fancy for tell Anwyn’s mom if you’re coming)

phone and email

Ooh-la-la! We can't wait to see you, darling!

The decorations
Pink balloons and pink streamers.

The fancy creative art project
The girls decorated pink foam sheets with flower and heart foam stickers, markers and glitter gel pens.

The story time.
The girls all piled on the couch for a reading of the book that inspired the party.
The Shopping Spree
The girls were each given a gift card that enabled them to shop at Anwyn's Boutique, conveniently located upstairs in Anwyn's bedroom.
They were able to select one (or two) of the following accessories to wear and then take home: sunglasses, rings, bead necklaces, stick-on earrings, and a hair clip. This doubled as the favor bag.
After shopping we had a little lesson in proper posture for walking. We used plastic plates from our toy food collection to practice.
The game
Back downstairs for a rousing game of "pin the jewel on the tiara". Kudos to my husband for drawing an awesome tiara!
The menu
We served peanut butter sandwiches cut in squares, crescent rolls, ham and turkey roll-ups, carrots and dip, crackers, and fresh fruit. The girls used fancy toothpicks with flags as their utensil and were encouraged to eat with their pinkies in the air. After present opening, it was time for dessert--parfaits, of course! We laid out vanilla ice cream and all the best fixings: chocolate and caramel sauce, strawberry syrup, sprinkles and M&Ms.

The whole party ended up being about two hours, with a little free time here and there for the girls to play a little. The Ant Bug loved it, and I think everyone else had a good time. I was pleased with how everything turned out. Hopefully this will help any of you who need to plan your own posh party for your fancy little girl!