Reparations

I have always been an advocate of women's rights. My favorite class in college (as it pertained to my Minor) was Women in European History. I believe that you don't make many friends by discussing politics so I won't get into my personal views on our presidential candidates, but I will express my feelings on an incident recently brought out in the media. Many of you may have seen the video clip of Obama's minister talking about racist white America (which I do believe exists in places) however, I don't think he communicated his message in an appropriate manner. I understand that discrimination has existed since the beginning of time, it is horrible, and should not exist. I can't think of a race of people or religious group that has not experienced some form of discrimination. Christians during the rule of Roman Emperors, Jews since almost the beginning of time heightened by the Holocost, Irish and Chinese emigrants given the most fatal jobs in the American mining and railroad industry, African slavery in Africa as well as in the United States and Europe, Native Americans driven off their land, I mean the list could go on and on. I however, would like to discuss the oldest and in some places still the most discriminated group of people since the earth began. Women! Yes, it is true, we as women are the oldest fall guys in history. From the time that Eve handed Adam the fruit we have been blamed, mocked, defiled, burned at the stake, tortured, and used. Aristotle describes women as "a deformed male" he then proceeds to state the reason women are a deformed male is, "The menstrual discharge is semen, though in an impure condition; i.e. it lacks one constituent, and one only, the principle of Soul." Now we are also Souless. Galen states that, "just as mankind is the most perfect of all the animals, man is more perfect than women, and the reason for his perfection is his excess of heat, for heat is Nature's primary instrument." That's right, we are less perfect because we are colder. He then proceeds to claim that men have heat so their reproductive parts protrude, we are cold so ours are inside. He compares the ovaries to inverted testes. Albert the Great claims that, "any woman might be venemous during menstruation (John would agree), but in a woman menstruating irregularly or in an older woman whose menstrual system was deteriorating, baneful fluids seeking an outlet could be transmitted through the eyes and could poison small infants." Wow, now we can poison small infants with our eyes, who could have thunk it. It only gets worse when we get to the Church Fathers, St. Jerome says, "For that man is lost as soon as he desires your beauty, and he has committed already in his mind what he desired and you have become his sword, so that, although the sin may not be yours, you may not be free from hatred." Now we lack Soul, we are cold, we can poison small children, and we are to be blamed for mens creepy thoughts based on our attractive features. Hmmmm. I especially love this part that St. Jerome says, "It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a contentious woman in a shared house." "She floods his house with her constant nagging and daily chatter, and ousts him from his own home, that is the church." O.K. so maybe I can't completely argue that one. The opinions of women at this time of Aristotle in 383-322 B.C. don't change for thousands of years. During the witch hunt in early modern Europe a majority of the people killed and tortured were women. In the 16th and 17th centuries 75 to 90% of all people accused of witchcraft and killed were women. In the book "The Malleus Maleficarum" (aka the hammer of witches), they explain the reason why so many women were witches, "women were intellectually inferior and superstitious, but also to their sexual passion", and concludes that "all withchcraft comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable." Yeah, that sounds just like all the women I know. Women of course made pacts with the devil, since Eve had sinned we are all predisposed to being disobedient and therefore we are evil and were burned. I don't want to get into the forms of torture, (although they are way cool) but really, to be blamed for the popular belief of "Eve's choice" for thousands of years is crazy. I could go on and on for pages about this topic, but I won't. What I would like to say is, if anybody has a right to be complaining it is women. It wasn't but a hundred years ago that we were finally given a voice, and in addition to this, I want my check in the mail. That's right I want reparations, maybe scholarships for my children, or even just my daughters since it was their distant female relatives burning on the stake. I think it's the least they could do. So, next time someone wants to talk about discrimination I'll empathize, but let's go back to the beginning and recognize that discrimination comes in all forms, shapes, colors, sizes, genders, and has no address. Whew, that was heavy Doc. On a lighter note isn't it amazing how the programs of the church promote and sustain women. I love that we are built up, recognized, and honored. Hooray for the gospel and the Churches understanding of the sacred nature of women. We rock ladies!

Cousins Day!

We are so excited to have had Aunty Crazy and Uncle Alan come visit us from NM! We had to celebrate the occasion with lots of eating, soda sipping, pinochle playing, and the grande finale' a McDonalds play date.

Adessa

Baby Maidie

Luke

Talmage and Eric the Red

Claire

Claire, Talmage, Eric, Adessa, andLuke

Claire (18 months) and Luke (4 1/2) belong to my sister, and Talmage (6 1/2), Eric (3), and Maidie (4 weeks) belong to my brother. It is funny to me how similar and different they all look. Claire looks like my sisters mother-in-law and Luke looks like her father-in-law. Talmage looks like my sister-in-law and Eric looks like my brother. Baby Maidie is 4 weeks old and looks like a newborn. Adessa (2 1/2) is 100% John and his mother Nana Sue. I am wondering if God chooses to bless me with another, if it will look like me, we'll see. I will confess that John's mother and father are exceptionally good looking, and my folks aren't too shabby either. My mom is very dark and my dad is the fair haired poster child for Sweden. I figured when I married John that my folks weren't too bad and his were pretty good so our children couldn't turn out to be monsterous looking. Honestly, I think all kids are cute, so I guess it really doesn't matter until puberty hits and they all start to look like aliens anyway.

You Vote

Giantess, Amazon, Virago?

OR

Dwarf, Gnome, Munchkin?

Last summer my mom and I went to a "Tremaine" dance convention in Orlando. We of course had a blast and for those of you who are into "So You Think You Can Dance" I met Dan Caraty. I wasn't real jazzed about meeting him since he has never been a favorite of mine, but I figured I might as well have my picture taken with him since we are here together. Like a normal human being I stood next to him and smiled for the picture thinking nothing of it. It wasn't until we had returned home and had the pictures of our trip developed that I saw our picture together. My mom and I laughed, belly laughter, tears streaming, hardly breathing, rolling on the floor laughter. Why you may ask, (for those of you who even glanced at the picture may have noticed) I look like I could cradle him, feed him, burp him, and lay him in a crib. Either he is tiny or I am huge. I have always known male dancers to be of a smaller gene, but I never realized just how small. My face is double his and my bosoms go to his nose. So here is my question, Giantess, Amazon, Virago? OR Dwarf, Gnome, Munchkin? You vote!

Well Pin A Rose On Your Nose

One of my greatest strengths/weaknesses is my so called honest and rather sarcastic nature. I believe this to be a strength because I am pretty much what you see, and yet it is a weakness because I am the queen of TMI. John has recently asked me to keep him out of my blogging discussions. So what does that mean? Blog about him. This post is dedicated to John! Here comes the TMI, and hopefully I don't embarrass him too badly. John and I have a long history together first as friends, and then as a couple. We met when we were juniors in high school, he was 6 foot 1, shaggy brown hair, and weighed 145 pounds. I could have picked him up and twirled him in my arms if I had wanted to. He was the nicest guy, a little shy, very artistic, earthy, outdoorsy, not such a student, and a long shot from a religious scholar. We used to go to temple square and look at the pictures in the visitor center our senior year in high school for fun and the boy couldn't tell me what a single one of the scripture murals was about. He wasn't certain about a mission and technically speaking graduated high shool by the skin of his teeth, much to my nagging ( I wasn't about to date a drop out)! By the end of John's senior year he had determined to serve a mission; this is where the change began. I went away to college and about 4 months later, John left for the Indianapolis Indiana mission. I have never seen or heard of anyone thriving more on a mission than John. He was mentored by an amazing mission president who taught him the sacred nature of the Priesthood, he fell in love with the words of the gospel, he learned to study, to pray, to lead. He served in various leadership positions on his mission which taught him to become confident and assertive. He learned to love his Father in Heaven and developed an undeniable testimony of the gospel. He was a changed man when he returned. I didn't really know the John that I saw 2yrs. later, but I was thrilled that he had become the man that he was lacking before. I share this brief historical account of John for the purpose of showing you how the gospel can change many aspects of a persons life. My darling John the very man I just told you had barely graduated high school just graduated from California State University with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. Not only did he graduate, but he graduated with a 3.92 GPA in the top 20% of his class in the Delta Mu Delta national Business Administration honor society. He is graduating with honors in May and we are all going to California to celebrate his success. He is a gospel scholar and knows almost everything you could ever think of about the gospel. He has read every book and every article ever written about the gospel, he is a member of FARMS and spends his time explaining to a half listening half interested wife what he has just learned about whatever recent gospel topic he is studying. The gangly youth that I fell in love with skiing, rollerblading, mountain biking, and listening to Dave Mathews Band for countless hours while helping me study my AP American History is now a man. He is not just a man he is a strong, worthy, loving, doting, hardworking, ambitious, honest, and good; son, brother, father, husband, and friend. John never once complained about serving in the church while travelling for work, getting his MBA, helping around the home, and being the rock of his family. We hardly ever have time to rollerblade together anymore, our mountain biking days have passed, we still listen to Dave for hours, but the things we spend our time doing together are of far greater importance. I tease him incessantly about any and everything, it is a genetic flaw, but I love him even more. He is my rock, he keeps me grounded, without him I would float off into a hot pink, shiny, furry, rhinestone studded universe. The gospel changes us, refines us, and helps us to become what our Heavenly Father has intended for us to become. I have seen it happen right before my eyes and in my own life. John is truth and righteousness and I love him. So I know, I know, you are thinking to yourself, "well pin a rose on your nose", and you know what, I think I will.

Tagged

My cousin Angela tagged me a while ago and I just realized that I could cut and paste the questions (I know you are thinking duh idiot) so, since I don't have to re-type the questions I decided to go through with my tagging (yo yo homie homey homme?).

#1. How long have you been together? We have been married for 8yrs. of pure bliss.
#2. How long did you date? We dated for 1yr. he went on his mission and we corresponded for most of the time and then we dated for a year after, so 2yrs. dating and 2yrs. corresponding.

#3.How old is he? 29 going on 30, woo hoo!
#4. Who eats more? Well, that is a good question, he can out eat me on steaks but I have him whooped on desserts.
#5. Who said I Love You First? John of course, I am super weird about PDA and the vulnerability of expressing genuine feelings.
#6. Who is taller? John.
#7. Who sings better? Thats easy since dying dogs sing better than myself, Umm, that would be John.
#8. Who is smarter? John, is smarter, but I am more clever.
#9. Who does the laundry? I do the laundry, but he irons whatever he wants wrinkle free, and he puts his own clothes away, I'm his wife not his mother/indentured servant.
#10. Who does the dishes? John most of the time.
#11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? John does, I sleep closest to the door so that I can protect him in case of a home invasion.
#12. Who pays the bills? We have always divided the bills as we each have our own bank accounts, crazy I know. Now that I no longer work, John is paying all the bills (ha sucker).
#13. Who mows the lawn? I do much to John's embarrassment. I love being outdoors and I am so anal that I like the lawn mowed a certain way. I even know how to edge, and use the blower. Let's hear a whoop whoop for power tools.
#14. Who cooks dinner? John does most of the time (I know, talk about role reversal, I'm mowing the lawn while he makes dinner. Whatever works right).
#15. Who is more stubborn? Me, and stubborn is an understatement.
#16. Who kissed who first? John of course, I won't get into the dirty details, but when it came to guys I was way old fashioned.
#17. Who asked who out? John didn't just ask me out the guy tracked me down like a hunter.

#18. Who proposed? John did, we planted a tree in rattlesnake canyon after burning out the engine in my car on our way home from Cedar City where we were going to college.
#19. Who is more sensitive? I cried in the "Little Mermaid", enough said.
#20. Who has more friends? Me, I am a people person and John pretty much only cares about me and Adessa, he likes people, but we are where he wants to spend his free time.
#21. Who has more siblings? John does, he has 3 older sisters and 1 younger brother.

Tagging complete! My turn to tag now. I tag Motherboard, Carrie, Sarah, and Maren. I won't flip if you don't follow through (you can however, cut and paste).

Spandex

My Junior year in college SUU commissioned a piece called "Tensile Involvement" from the Nikolais Company in NYC. There was a lot of hoopla about this piece and what a privilege it was to be able to have it performed at SUU. All of the majors and minors were excited and anxious to audition for the dance as it only required 10 dancers. I was among the excited and anxious and actually made the piece as a soloist. I was ecstatic to be performing in one of the most famous modern dance pieces in all of dance history. I had the first solo which required a lot of strength, as I had to hold these giant elastic bands while others were dancing with them. My solo was actually originally performed by a man (a very beautiful man for that matter). In my joy and elation I neglected to think of what the costuming would be, a world famous dance had to have a cool costume, right? The costume was in fact cool for those who weigh ummmm let's see 110pds. Silly me, I forgot somewhere along the way that unlike myself, dancers are thin, duh. So when I was presented with my skin tight, spandex, see through, canary yellow, lycra unitard, I cried. Yes, I cried, wept, heaved, sobbed, and sobbed some more. I remember declaring that spandex was evil and had no purpose on this earth. Diet pills, diet coke, and a protein diet could not save me from the inevitable curdling fat that would bounce on my butt and thighs as I did this fancy second position foot vibratory move. I was doomed and yet, I was so thrilled that I was selected to have this opportunity. In addition to the tightness of the unitard, I mentioned that it was also see through. Two pairs of body tights could not save my body from peering through the yellow. Regardless of how I felt the dance was amazing! Nine years and a different hobby later I must eat my words. I declared without a question in my mind that there was no purpose in this world for Spandex. I swore that it was evil and should be burned along with the people who discovered it. Well, I am wrong. In all of my acquired infinite wisdom I am now grateful for spandex, it has a purpose which it serves with dignity and grace. Chaffing! It is true, spandex keeps you from chaffing. As I was doing a 14 mile run I was thinking about how great my inner thighs felt and why they felt so good, when the answer came to me like a bolt of lightening "It's the Spandex." Yepper, 9 years ago I would have rather died than be seen doing anything in spandex, now I jog for hours on end wearing nothing but a shirt and a pair of black shiny lycra biker shorts (much to family's embarrassment). I don't even care about how many drivers I gross out with my bouncing, wiggling, jiggling, curds of flubber. In fact I hope they say as they drive on by "You go girl, at least your doing something about it." Isn't it too bad that we don't appreciate our bodies while they are young. Now I display my "brain" (the blubbery wad of stretched out skin that hangs after having a baby) under a pair of biker shorts for all the driving world to see, and care not one bit about it. Tensile taught me a lot about myself, however, running has taught me that I could do something that I didn't think was possible and not care what I looked like or what those watching thought about how I looked. If you happen to drive past while I'm out getting my jiggle on, honk and I'll wave with a big spandex smile on my face. I am not in the video posted, this video is from the movie "The Company."

The Company

Bob Ross Would Be Proud

Yes, I am one of those cruel mothers who says, "if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for you." Such was the case with sponge curlers. I figured that since I am now grown and suffer zero mental repercussions from wearing hair curlers, I will inflict this same ancient method of torture on Adessa. The older you get the more painful it is to look beautiful so she better get used to having a little pain now (I don't even want to have to tell her what plucking or waxing feels like). Starting from the bottom to the top we have photographed the total Bob Ross transformation. I think we did him proud. Truthfully, she looked beautiful, like a little nymph. She has this little face (which a lady at the McDonald's playground told me looked like a Whoo's you know, from Whooville) that just pokes out through this fabulous puff of hair. So so cute. She was thrilled that it was Easter, that the bunny visited her, that she got to find and gather eggs, but most importantly that she got to wear her princess Snow White dress. Such a hoot. We hope everyone else had a glorious Easter. My religious diatribe is yet to come I will leave you waiting in suspense for that one.

March for Babies

Adessa Dawn Talbot was born 2 pds. 12 oz. 15 inches long on September 20th 2005. She quickly lost 6 oz. because her stomach had no capacity to hold food and she obviously had not yet developed her suck. From her head to her rump she was the size of John's hand. Aside from a night on the ventilator and a day on oxygen she was pretty darn healthy. The next six weeks was pretty much a feeder and grower period. The stinker bug has never been an eater which was our biggest battle in going home, she couldn't leave until she could suck, swallow, breathe, and gain weight all at the same time for 24hrs. Babies who came in after her were leaving before her because they had the whole eating thing down. Finally after 6 long weeks she was able to perform this task and almost doubling her birth weight we brought her home at 5 pds. We felt so blessed and learned sooooo many things about babies and preemies, success and loss all in a relatively short period of time. John and I have a success story that we are able to share, however, there are many who have babies that struggle longer and harder and don't have the same success we have had with Adessa. For this reason we have participated with Adessa in the March of Dimes March for Babies. The first year we participated I was able to raise over $1,000.00 for babies. Not just preemies, but all babies. The March for Babies is early in April. You may have seen the bill boards advertising this cause which I always find to be so very touching. If you are interested in donating you can go to the March of Dimes website and make any kind of contribution. We aren't doing the walk this year because of the marathon, but I was able to purchase a cool "Proud Parent of a NICU Graduate" T-shirt. My parents continue to donate, and I encourage anyone of child bearing years to donate because I never thought it would be me, and you just never know when it will be you.

Spring

" Counting Crows" is one of my all time favorite music groups. Their album "August and Everything After" is virtual perfection, I also really love their album "Recovering the Satellites" . One of the songs on this particular album is titled "A Long December" and describes in title how I have felt about this past winter, LONG... It's kind of weird the way you look at the world as you get older. Sunny days when I was little meant running outside and playing at a friends house, now a sunny day means standing in the sunshine letting the sweet rays of Vitamin D pour into my pallid wintry complexion feeling completely rejuvenated when finished. Strange how I find myself yearning for nature, searching for beauty around me, and appreciating all of God's small and great creations. I get butterflies in my stomach when I think of the trees blossoming and I leap for joy when I see my tulips and bleeding hearts poking up through the dirt. I love to step out onto my porch just to breathe in the rich smell of wet concrete and dirt on a rainy day. I grab my camera when I see a great storm cloud or a hot pink sunset. I know that I haven't necessarily changed, but I do think my appreciation for the simple beauties of nature has. I never understood how I could watch "Pride and Prejudice" "Jane Eyre" and "Sense and Sensibility" over and over and over again. Until one day it dawned on me, I love the Scenery in these movies. Anything that has beautiful scenery in it I find myself drawn to watch again and again. Of course the stories are great, but the scenery is rejuvenating. I am grateful everyday to live in the beautiful land of Bountiful. I love running each day and looking to the east seeing the gorgeous mountains or looking to the west to see the lovely lake and wet lands. Life is so fast paced that I am grateful for time each day to observe these simple beauties that seem to heal and rejuvenate my soul.

Indulgence

For those of you who know me know that I love a good deal. In fact, I can't buy anything unless it is on sale and I think I am getting a steal on it. Unfortunately, since I get a good deal on everything I feel entitled to buy more (sick sick girl). Recently our 8yr. old vacuum bit the dust or technically speaking began creating more dust, which meant that it was time to buy a new vacuum. I hate sappy sales people who catch you in a moment of weakness and take advantage of your shopping vulnerability. You can imagine my relief when a decent fellow who knew less about vacuums than myself helped me by saying, "try them all out on this rug and get the one you want." Whew, what relief! I saw the Dyson, tried it, fell in love, and bought it. I will add that it was on sale, however, I would have bought this cadillac of vacuums even if it hadn't been. My first indulgence purchase ever. When I walk into my home my heart leaps for joy when I see those perfectly aligned vacuum stripes. My father is 1st generation American on his mothers side of the family, grandma immigrated from Sweden. Therefore, I am going to stick with the tradition of my Viking ancestors and request to be buried with my most valuable possesions (aka the Dyson) in my arms. This blonde bombshell will be with me for eternity. If you get a chance to ever feed your vacuum indulgence, go Dyson, it will be an affair of a lifetime.

Scooter Girl

Time is a funny thing. Like when I turned 29, I could see every sun spot, wrinkle, and dimple of fat scintillating on my body. I felt old, I looked old, and relatively speaking, I am getting old. The other day I was getting a soda and some pretzels at the Seven-11 in West Valley near where I taught Junior High School for 6yrs. There was a guy behind me who seemed like a nice looking gentleman from out of the corner of my eye. He beat me to the door when we had each finished our transactions from neighboring registers, and very ceremoniously threw the door open for me to exit. I smiled and thanked him for the honorable gesture. I was about to my car when this fellow turned around and said to me "Miss Talbot right." I am certain my jaw dropped I replied with a "yep" he nodded, got into his car and drove off. This "guy/gentleman" was a former Jr. High student. Driving, working a job, possibly married, or even the father of something. What has happened? I am not old enough to have 21yr. old former students, aren't I only 21 myself? No, I am not. I am glad that I am not the only person in the world who has look old feel old days. On this particular beautiful day Adessa had aged 10yrs. I swear everytime I looked at her I was looking at a 13yr. old not a nearing 3yr. old. Sooo confident was she on her scooter with her big girl pony tail. I laughed. Here is her super grown up clip and pictures. I hope some of you watching think, "wow, is Adessa that old. I must really be getting up there" ha enjoy your feel old moment.