Author: Jo Bird

highlights

/ Jo Bird / 4 Comments

I just can’t proceed on my blog without pausing and recognizing General Conference. I’ll just mention three especially poignant moments for me.

I. Elder Holland’s talk moved me. If you didn’t get to see it I recommend either watching or listening to it because just reading it wouldn’t do it justice. Even disregarding the words he spoke (which ought not to be disregarded) the power he spoke with pierced me. I envy his personal conviction and admire his courage to speak openly and directly.

II. I was recently pondering on how some people have a gift for analogies. When I am most confused while reading C.S. Lewis he provides an analogy to clarify the point and really drive it home. Elder Bednar has a similar gift. I am all too familiar with frustrating attempts at teaching my children and having meaningful spiritual experiences with them. He compared our efforts to a painting, where each individual stroke is not impressive but altogether those strokes (in my case frustrating moments) come together to create something worthwhile.

III. And of course the words of my beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. His plea for love and kindness left me feeling that above all else I need to improve, I need to provide more service and show more compassion. I’ve resolved to keep this poem he recited always in the back of my mind as I go about my busy life.

I have wept in the night
for the shortness of sight
that to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret for
being a little to kind.

I’m obviously a little obsessed with the book Mere Christianity lately, but indulge me while I share one quote I read last night that was right to the tune of President Monson’s message.

“I do not believe one can settle how much [charity] we ought to give.
I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.
If our charities do no at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.”

I’m so grateful for President Monson’s gentle prodding and for his own life as an example of great service and love. And, of course, I am grateful for this bi-annual opportunity to listen to wise counsel and muster up the motivation to endure in good works and morality.

traditions

/ Jo Bird / 7 Comments
I’m taking a very insightful parenting class with a couple friends. It is a parenting class but I hesitate to refer to it that way because I’ve learned more about being a better person than I have about being a better parent. But I suppose it follows that if I am a better person I will be a better parent.

Anyway, we had a class about the importance of traditions in helping our children feel identity and belonging in the family. I was completely overwhelmed by the number of ideas that were shared but I latched onto a few. From what I took away from the lesson there were three types of traditions I wanted to incorporate in our lives.
1. A family tradition of values. For example “I am a Bird, and that means I am honest, I work hard, and I am kind to everyone.” That is what I came up with, and obviously they are characteristics we strive for, not ones we’ve perfected. (There aren’t any of those.)
2. Daily family traditions. The example in this category that I felt most impressed to live by was “meeting at the crossroads.” Which means to be at the door, whenever possible, for the coming and going of my spouse and children. That’s pretty easy these days since the boys are so young we typically come and go together, but a habit I want to get into nonetheless.
3. Traditions for birthdays, holidays and special occasions. And for this one I chose to start a new tradition that someone shared that I loved. On October 1st each year this mother gives all her children a Halloween pillowcase to put on their pillows for the month. Then of course on Halloween night they use the pillowcase for trick-or-treating. When they return she allows them each to fill a Ziploc bag with their favorite treats and put the rest of the candy back in the pillowcase. MY FAVORITE PART: They place the pillowcases on the front porch on Halloween night and the “Halloween Witch” comes and collects the candy and replaces it with, get this: A NEW BOOK! You can do what you please with the candy, throw it away, give it away in Holiday packaging. As for me it will probably just be my own personal stash of sweets hidden in the dark parts of my closet.
Anyway, my friend Kim helped me sew a couple pillowcases yesterday and the boys seem to be on board so far.
Cheers to traditions!

Beware: Diatribe (I just learned that word and found perfectly suitable for this context)

/ Jo Bird / 6 Comments

Just a minute while I step upon my soapbox.

After making minimum payments on her credit card for years Ann Minch still owes $5,943.34. She is furious because the company keeps raising her rates. A few questions for you Ann.

Do you understand that using a credit card is spending money you don’t have? Do you consider that wise? You you expect that by making minimum payments you will ever pay off your debt? Have you calculated how much you will actually pay for that $25 meal at Applebees after interest? Was it worth it?

Apparently out of anger she closed her accounts with Bank of America and withdrew $5,000 from savings. Here is an idea Ann, take that money and pay off your credit card and enjoy a good nights sleep. Yes I understand that 30% interest is a burden indeed, but a burden you brought upon yourself. A ridiculous interest rate does not release your obligation to pay the money you owe. And you aren’t the least bit noble in my book for “taking a stand” against credit card companies. I agree that they are making a hefty profit at the card owners expense, but the card owner became a card owner and accumulated debt of their own accord.

From an article about Ann, who is getting a great deal of attention over her stubborn belligerence:

Minch calls the credit card companies “evil, thieving *blank*,” which, she says, “have reaped ungodly profits in your behemoth casino scams, then lost — only to turn around and usurp the wealth of this great nation by the outright rape and pillage of middle-class Americans whose sweat and toil built it.” She adds, “Every last one of you should be rotting in prison.”

Huh. What irritates me most is that she represents a group of people without an ounce of common sense who have never, by their own fault or maybe not, bothered to be educated about credit and financial management. The same type of people Richard would cringe about because they spent hundreds of dollars a year on overdraft fees. Typically I just shrug and let it be, but when someone is making a fuss like this it is difficult not to be frustrated.

You can watch her YouTube video here, but be prepared to be annoyed.

craigslist & the dear old couch

/ Jo Bird / 3 Comments

In making preparations around the nest for the new baby bird I have come across various items that I decided had fulfilled their purpose for us. Being the sentimental individual that I am I was finding it difficult to part with the items.

Thank goodness money talks.

I concluded that if I could sell these things on craigslist then the dollars earned would ease the pain of losing my valued posessions. Shallow, I know.

Last night we sold a dear old couch. Before coming to look at it, the guy I spoke with on the phone asked if we were capable of delivering it. Knowing that if it didn’t sell at all we would have to take it somewhere I said we could do that. When the young couple showed up they brought with them a little boy. “What a cute little family” I thought to myself.

They were cute, and very kind. Albeit a little dysfunctional. During the proceedings it came out that the girl was still in the process of a divorce. I swear she wasn’t a day over 20. Anyway…

Richard delivered the couch and said that their small duplex was indeed in need of furniture. He said that they were grateful to get a good deal on a decent couch and even more appreciative of our effort to help them move it. It made me feel good. Knowing that our dear old couch with have more happy bottoms seated on it for a few more years was much better than the monetary compensation for my loss.

See, not so shallow afterall.

When all was said and done the young guy said to Richard, “Wow, I guess craigslist really works.”

He must be a first-timer.

viewing pleasure & displeasure

/ Jo Bird / 5 Comments

On Tuesday night after the boys were in bed and all was quiet I sat down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn a couple popsicles. In the ways of my father I put the popsicles in the microwave for just a few seconds so they are soft and each bite melts in my mouth. I put in a dvd recommended by my family, a BBC miniseries called Cranford, based on a few short novels by Elizabeth Gaskell. (Think Jane Austen, 1840s, English countryside, etc.) I watched two episodes and they ended much too soon. Let me just summarize what I adored so much about this show. The script and dialogue were clever, humorous and used words either new or rarely used in my vocabulary. The characters, while they had their flaws, were admirable, moral and endearing. The scenery was breathtaking at times and simply charming at others. The plot was creative and engaging. All of these things combined left me in a contented state as I lay down to go to bed. I felt like a better person.

In contrast, last night I crashed on the couch, and having watched all available episodes of Cranford I turned on primetime t.v. There is that dream that people frequently mention, where you are running and running but can not get away from the villain that is chasing you. That is how I felt last night. I flipped channels frantically and could not get away from the sleeze. No single show interested me or failed to disgust me for more than five minutes. Sadly I sat there for about 40 minutes desperate to find something entertaining. Instead I found terrible acting, poor writing, lame plots, a lot of women in lingerie, a pregnant high school cheerleader who was unsure of the baby’s father, women getting drunk and describing their sexual fantasies, and well I won’t bother you further with the other demoralizing behaviors and references.

When I went to bed I felt awful. My mind was busy with images and frustrated by what I had seen. I felt much worse as a person.

I don’t mean to say that there aren’t good shows on t.v. (I occasionally watch The Biggest Loser.) But apparently there just aren’t any on Wednesday nights. I rarely watch tv, I have found other ways to waste my time. So perhaps after not being exposed to primetime sitcoms and dramas for months it was a bit of a shock to my system. Shocked I was indeed. Can anyone relate?

I can’t wait for the next Cranford dvd to arrive.

extraordinary day

/ Jo Bird / 3 Comments

I’ve always wondered about the word extraordinary. I always thought if something was extra ordinary it was just more ordinary. But the dictionary tells me that it means exceptional. Either way, our day yesterday was extraordinary. It was in many ways just another ordinary day, but it was exceptional in that we were all three (Richard is out of town) content and happy the entire day. It was so pleasant.

In the evening I took the boys to a movie. Tuesdays are bargain days at the already bargain theater. For $7 I paid for each of our tickets, popcorn, a drink and two candy items. The highlight of the evening for me? The boys were both so engrossed in the movie I got to eat most of the popcorn and all of the candy by myself. Wonderful.
My friend Jaymie gave me a great tip regarding toddlers and movie theater seats. She suggested that you bring in the youngsters car seat and not only does it keep their chair from flipping up and folding them in half, but it gives them a good six inches of height that allows them a clear shot of the giant screen. While I got things settled with his seat, Eli fought a battle with another chair and with his knees touching his nose and his feet in the air he whimpered in frustration. When I put him in his carseat he giggled with delight. I think Cameron was even a little jealous.

Before the movie started I placed a napkin on Eli’s lap and put popcorn on top, expecting it to last 10 seconds. Much to my surprise he never finished the popcorn. He was so captivated by the movie he never took his eyes from the screen. Except for the time he asked for a drink and poured the Sprite all over himself. That was our only mishap but luckily he was enjoying himself so much he didn’t mind being covered in carbonated beverage.

Cameron was equally enthralled but that didn’t stop him from asking questions the entire movie. Richard says he gets that from me, but I’m hopeful it is just a phase. At first the people behind us laughed at his sweet curiosity. But by the end I think they were as anxious as I for him to sit quietly and just watch.

I rarely watch a movie more than once in the theater. I get restless in theaters easily and it takes a good movie to keep my interest even during the first viewing. (I had seen this one before in different company.) But luckily I had a very wiggly unborn girl and two immobilized boys sitting next to me to sustain me with gratitude throughout the movie.

And Up! is a clever and humorous film worth watching.

released

/ Jo Bird / 12 Comments

Church lasts three hours and for several years now I have spent the last two hours of the meeting tending to the needs of the children, working in primary for those familiar with the lingo. Along with three other women we were responsible for 60-100 children. It made for a pretty intense, but very rewarding couple of hours each Sunday.

Today I was released from that obligation. I went to the adult meetings for the first time in years. As I sat during the last hour I could hear the boys and girls singing and I felt that I had left my heart in the room across the hall.

Although it was stressful in primary, it was always satisfying to feel needed. People relied on me and the kids looked up to me. (At least in my own mind they did.)

Today I felt like a nobody. Just another body in the building. I longed to sit by a restless child and hear them jibber-jabber about Pokemon. Kids love a captive audience. Then again, so do adults…

In any case, I will miss the children. I will miss their irrelevent comments and their brutal honesty. I will miss their inappropriate moments of putting their hands down their pants that left us adults breathless in laughter.

Eating boogers, climbing under chairs, throwing tantrums.

Giving me hugs, genuine smiles, singing like angels.

Giveaway Winner

/ Jo Bird / 2 Comments

Thanks everyone for participating, even if it was because I guilted you into it. Thanks for sharing your insights into role models and especially thanks for the new names introduced to me. I plan to do a little research on Muhammad Yunus, Eleanor Roosevelt (not a new name but I don’t remember much about her) and Greg Mortensen. (Or just read his book!)

The random number generated #2, which is Joleen. I’ll be in touch with you.

Thanks! Have a great weekend and if you didn’t win, check out Mere Christianity from the library.