Receipts

My husband, Whit, is a huge finance analyst. Every penny has a "name" and I always must have receipts for everything.

I've been pretty good about staying within budget and diving out receipts so you can imagine my surprise when we got two different transactions from Walmart come through on our credit card!

I don't even like shopping at Walmart! I had the receipt for one of the purchases, but not the other! Surely I didn't have it - I am so glld with receipts (not budgeting, but I can sure pack the receipts into my purse!). I just KNEW that ghetto Walmart had stolen my card number and used it for something!

I called our bank and went through the waiting...and the waiting...and the explaining...only to have them tell me I have to first take it up with Walmart.

so I called Walmart ad went through the waiting...and the waiting...and the getting-hung-up-on...and then more waiting...only to hear a curt clerk tell me the offices were closed and they'd get back to me.

...then more waiting...

When they call me back with the explanation of the unexplained purchase, I went from angry to totally and completely embarrassed.

"Yes, ma'am, we have you on video in the electronics department purchasing a cell phone."

The next five full minutes were spent profusely apologizing to the Walmart clerk, who really couldn't have cared less and was mildly amused that I'd forgotten I'd made the purchase.

As a side note, buying the phone was the sole reason for even being at Walmart in the first place.

I wonder if I could steal those videos...

Tender Mercy

Thursday when I went to go speak, I couldn’t get into my car because my slideboard wasn’t on the driver’s seat but way across the car on the passenger’s seat. This happens when Whit will pick me up out of the car instead of me doing my own transfer. But I was freaking out because I was going to be late to the talk! There were neighbors outside but they were too far away to hear me if I yelled and so I went to my next door neighbor and pounded on their door but no one answered! I was frazzled! I said a prayer (out loud because I needed Heavenly Father to hear me asap!) and asked Him to help me. As soon as I closed my prayer, a little girl from my ward turned the corner and road her bike onto my street!

I’m sure you can imagine the rest of the story. She was so willing to help me.

Some of you reading this might think that she would have ridden her bike onto my street anyway – after all, she was on a bike ride. But as I drove by, I could see that she wasn’t on a bike ride at all, just a few of her littler brothers and sisters playing in their front lawn and driveway. She had just come up onto my street to turn around and go right back down. She definitely wasn’t “supposed” to have ventured so far from the group.

17 1/2-hour day

I wanted to post part of my journal entry from last night:

I’ve already had a 17 1/2-hour day but I can’t call it complete until I’ve typed something in my journal. There were just too many awesome blessings that made today even happen.

I’ve been “dreading” today since last week. Last week I spoke twice on the same day after I taught seminary in the morning and it was difficult. Today I had two speeches scheduled in Salt Lake and I taught seminary this morning. The big difference was I couldn’t go home in between and had a long drive back home afterward.

We woke up at 6 and I was out by 7. I only got partway down the street before having to come back and kiss Whit once more for getting me gas! I didn’t notice until I was down the road. I was planning to do it before driving to SLC but didn’t have to because he got it last night when he went out for some stuff at the store!

I taught seminary and it went good. After I taught, a student who's not in any of my classes came and told me my car had a flat tire! Ack! He fixed it for me in the time it took me to clean up my classroom and leave. I was so happy. I kept singing, “shall the youth of Zion falter?” in my head.

On the spare donut, I drove to SLC and gave my talk to the “Classics Club” – where ladies go and hang out and hear speakers. It was in a church and I treated it like a church talk. The lady who introduced me started by telling the sisters about a member of the club whose husband had died and she encouraged everyone to reach out to her. She said, “Things can’t ever be the same, but they can still be good.” That was really meaningful to me and I used it in that talk and also in my talk later that night.

Then I went to the SLC temple. I love the temple workers there. They are so nice. On the way out, an older man and his wife pushed me up the big hill, across the street, and all the way to my car. I was already tired and let them. It was really nice.

I forgot to mention that when I woke up this morning, my shoulders didn’t hurt! They’ve been really hurting, especially in the mornings, and I haven’t slept well because of the pain. But last night, for the first time in I don’t know how long, I slept straight through and woke up with no pain! Such a major blessing in preparation for this huge day.

Then I drove 50 mph on the donut to riverton. Cars passed me on both sides and it was kind of scary. I probably shouldn’t have been driving on the freeway at all. Hmm. Anyway, I wanted to get there as quickly as possible just in case my tire blew. As long as I made it, I could get a ride home or something. Actually, Mickie, Whit’s mom, bought me a Triple AAA thing today – crazy, it couldn’t have been a better day! I know Whit was VERY relieved when she told him. He really, really worries. I love when he does :)

I got a gyro from Apollo burger on my way – it was so good. I love those. Then I parked in the church's parking lot (where I was to give my talk at 7) and my friend came! It was her church and she took her son to scouts and saw me. She is so nice. She came back with her husband and he put more air into my donut tire so I could get home – another miracle!

I had about 1.5 hours in the parking lot. I drank a LOT while there –a whole sippy thermos thing – maybe ½ a liter of water. I knew that it was too much for me to drink at once (maybe the gyro makes you really thirsty...) Anyway, I was VERY concerned about it and wanted to use the bathroom asap but I couldn't! It was about 6:45 and I should have been inside so everyone kept coming to my car to help me come in! I took my stuff inside, hoping to be able to use the bathroom before it began but there were so many people everywhere and I'd waited too long and they needed to start (of course they would have waited for me but I just felt like they needed and wanted to start on time). They had a Young Woman who was paralyzed last spring and so they have a big connection. I was treated like a “celebrity” and probably acted like one, too, because I wanted to pee so bad! It was nuts.

So I prayed like mad that I'd be able to hold it to the end!

The talk was well-received and I could feel the Spirit. I said quite a few things I didn't plan to say. I came prepared with a talk but re-wrote it in the parking lot while I waited and so I used a hand-written talk. They're harder to read. But my prayer was answered - another blessing - and I was able to use the bathroom afterward.

Whew.

On the drive home – slow because I could only go 50 mph and everyone was passing me (except a couple dopes who FOLLOWED me going 50 mph, augh!), I couldn’t turn on the radio because I felt I needed to remember all the blessings that made today possible – Whit getting me gas so I didn’t have to take any time to get it and I could just drive slow to SLC; the student noticing and fixing the flat; the man at the temple who pushed me to my car and gave me a break; my friends who made sure my donut spare tire was full of air; my shoulders not hurting; the good night sleep; the energy to drive everywhere and speak as energetically as I did. I was very blessed today.

Now I can tell that my day is done because, for the first time today, I am feeling exhaustion and am starting to not be able to sit up straight and my hands are moving about a third the speed they were a paragraph ago. My eyes are fading and I can’t see the keyboard or screen, I guess my day is done. I have fought a good fight :)

I went to bed at 11:30 and woke up this morning at 7 - ready for another fight!

Birthday

I turned 30 on March 1 and got some pretty awesome gifts. As many of you know, I like art. A few of my nieces and nephews made these originals for me as I turned the big 3-0:

Piece: The Red Dress
Artist: Naomi Bird, age 8

This is marker on paper. It is an original of me in a beautiful red dress knitting myself a forest green scarf, indicating that there is opposition in all things. Despite the fact that I am alone, there is no loneliness as I am watching my husband, Whit, perform his halftime act on television. This piece of art is a one-of-a-kind and lives now on my fridge.




Piece: The Baker Meg (oh yes, it came with this title)
Artist: Cael Child, age 10

Mixed medium marker and crayon on paper. There is no hidden agenda and the artist wants all to know why he created this piece and for whom. His colors are exquisite and I especially like the filled in bubble letters with the dark green and polka dots. Obviously the focal point of the piece is the main character (me) and the happiness exuding from me as I bake with my magically elongating arms. The backside shows the title "To The Baker Meg."

Only those closest to me know about these arms.

Interestingly, if you look closely, you can see another artist has added his special touch to this piece.


Piece: Cowgirl Meg
Artist: Vivian Bird, age 6

Sketch pencil and crayon on construction paper. Portrait of me - bodacious me. Obviously the artist, not only known for her artistry, is psychic and knew that I would be going to Wyoming the day after my birthday where I would be tempted to don this outfit and dance these moves in a real-life- dance club we passed called the "Saddle-Lite Bar and Dance Club.'



Piece: Meg-o-Mind
Artist: Flint Child, age 2

Mixed medium crayon and marker on paper. This new-age contemporary artist graciously gave me his newest abstract expressionist piece. The creative master got inside my head to reveal the thoughts I had as I turned 30.

...or maybe these are what my thoughts would look like every day...