Rest in Peace Mopsy

Mopsy, my doggie, that we've have for about 15 years, died last week Thursday! She was truely a best friend and she will be missed dearly.

My Favorite Show: Prison Break

I have come to love FOX. This is the greatest show! I have watched it many times over again. A friend bought me the first Season on DVD and now Season 2 is now playing. You can stream season 2 online. I am definitly a MISA (Michael and Sarah) shipper!

Mattie J. T. Stepanek

A friend copied this poem in a letter she wrote to me when I was 14. I have remembered it through the years and found the words today. Believe it or not this poem was written when Mattie was only 5 years old. To read more of this extraordinary boy and more of his inspirational words visit his site.

For Mr. Thompson

"The people who like poetry are special.
They are the same people who hear
Lullabies and wind chimes
When the birds are noisy together.
They are the ones who see
Star-gifts in every season-
Tree-stars in the fall,
Snow-stars in the winter,
Dandelion-fairy-stars in the spring, and
Lightning-bug-stars in the summer.
They are the ones who have
Favorite colors that are wonderful gifts
Like sunset or rainbow or treasure.
They are the ones who have
Songs in their hearts and
Words in their minds that
Come together and slip out
Into the air or onto paper as a gift
To someone else, or even themselves.
The people who like poetry are probably
The ones who really like life,
And who know how to celebrate
Even when things are sad or happy.
We remember that sometimes,
Even if we don’t understand why,
That the rain falls for a reason.
We remember how important it is
To play after a storm, just because
We need to keep playing and living.
And, we are the people who remember
To say thank you to God for our gifts."

-Mattie J.T. Stepanek May 1996

Baz Luhrmann - Everyone's Free

This is one of my favorite songs, if you can call it that. It's more of a great message! Here are the lyrics: Kuddu's to Baz Luhrmann, this is inspirational stuff. Thanks...

Everyone's Free:

"If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience...

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; Oh never mind; you will not understand the power of beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at the photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked...

You're not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts, don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind...the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life... the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't, maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary...

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either- your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time it's 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen..."

Real Beauty?

Wanna look "beautiful"? All you need is a few hunderd dollars, professional hair and make-up artists, photographers and a wizz on photoshop! Sound real? Check out the DOVE Campaign from real Beauty. The quick film is AWESOME! You can also see it on YouTube or clcik on the link above! Enjoy!

Sundance Fashion Shoot

Some friends and I were up at Sundance this weekend. We had a little fashion show up there! It was such fun. I loved telling the guys what to do and being the photographer. I really would like to pursue it more. I will put some more shots up here sometime. Its funny, these guys look like a music band don't they? :)

Changin the World

I love this site so far. It has a great message. Check it out for quotes and inspiring content.

Genealogy Books

Here are of 3 self-help Family History & Genealogy books that I have read or used recently that are fantastic and I highly recommend.

1. Val Greenwood, A Researchers Guide to American Genealogy.
2. Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence! Citation and Analysis for the Family Historian.
3. Ancestry's Red Book

Mormon Wiki

I have come to not only use but LOVE Wikipedia. It is soo useful and has wonderful information on it. I came across the Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Wiki today while reading LDSWebGuy. It looks great and I am excited to read it. The internet is wonderful!

Aerial View of Cape Town!!!

This is my city! I love it. Click on the link above to see a great view of Cape Town, South Africa!

Potato or Patatoe?

This is a great website. It has people all over the world reading the same sentence and you can hear their "accent". Accent though is such a biased word. I don't think I have an accent, but when I go overseas people there think I have one, while I think THEY have one! :) Check this site out its great!

Virtual ipod

So, I don't have an ipod, so what I can hear anything I was for free through this virtual ipod. It's sweet. It was made by our friends in france! Merci beaucoup mon amis! It's one for my favorite sites right now!

Missing for 7 Years

Macfarlane Family:
Missing since 6 March 1999 Ian Macfarlane, Frances May Macfarlane and Boyd Wallace Macfarlane never arrived in Cape Town after flying down from Pretoria in their own helicopter. After months and even years of searching by hundreds of volunteers, family and friends, a Knysna forestry worker(on a ten year vegetation clearage) discovered the wreckage in April this year, with all three remains nearby.

Finally closure could be had for friends and family. I have many memories of these wonderful people and I still miss then dearly.

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