Struck By Lightning

For as long as I can remember lightning storms have been a source of excitement and wonder for me. Some of my favorite childhood memories come  from the summer storms that would blow over the top of our little 'gingerbread' house. My dad, brother Ryan, and I used to sit on our back porch and watch them in the summer afternoons. My dad would tell us stories about his childhood, and we'd laugh about the things Leesa would do, or how angry mom would get over the most ridiculous things! That backyard, defined by the line of trees, roses, and fence the Reids constantly protected from our "monkey fanatics" provided the greatest area for 3 siblings, and a handful of daycare kids to play around in. We had trees to climb, sprinklers with a mind of their own, ghosts, the best trampoline you could imagine, grass that seemed to go on for days when it came time to drag out the lawn mower, but best of all a covered porch big enough for a platic kitchen set, a picnic table, a 4 chair outdoor table, a park bench, and carpeted in the fake backyard turf/carpet/thingy that I swear was stolen from the backyard of the Brady Bunch. The thing was huge and covered by green fiber-glass that we weren't allowed to walk on because it would break. (Though we learned we could still jump off the roof and onto the trampoline if we climbed the garage roof, or walked on the boards that formed the support of the fiber-glass stuff.) That roof was the BEST place to watch lightning storms! Nature really is a wonder. I hadn't thought about that old faded red porch until last night as I was laying on the cement in the middle of temple square watching the lightning dance across the heavens. I was thinking about how much had changed in the last 10-15 years of my life. The people I had met, and wondering what would have happened had my family never moved from Bountiful to South Jordan. Would I have grown up the way I did, and chosen the classes I had in high school. Would I have re-connected with some of my old elementary school friends as I have recently, or would I have drifted from them the way I have from the people I did go to high school with. There really isn't a way to know what could have happened, or would have happened. I came to the conclusion that everything had happened for a reason that I wasn't yet aware of, and I had met the people I had met because I was supposed to. Makes a girl wonder why, but I guess those answers will have to come later on in life, or when I see it all rewound and re-played on a big screen in Heaven.

It's strange that all this introspection was brought on my a simple lightning storm, but I'd guess it's all part of the magic and wonder that comes with a strip of energy striking the earth, and lighting up the sky.

Title: Struck By Lightning

Photography thank you to: Anna

Somewhere Only We'd Go

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

So if you have a minute why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

So why don't we go

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

Somewhere only we know?

Oh The Places You'll Go...

I was thumbing my way through a few memories today while contemplating a rather bizarre dream I'd had last night when I came across 'Oh the Places You'll Go...' By Dr. Seuss. This book has always been a favorite of mine. It seems to me, the more you read it, the more you realize just how much depth this simple book has.

Congratulations!

Today is your day,

You're off to great places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains, and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen, and frequently do, to people as brainy, and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

Oh!

The places you'll go!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sites!

You'll join the high fliers; who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to says so but, sadly, it's true, that bang-ups, and hang-ups, can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a lurch.

You'll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a slump.

And when you're in a slump, you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place that could sprain both elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you should go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quaters?

Or maybe not quite?

Or go around and back and sneak from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long and wiggled roads at a break-necking pace, and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most usless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go, or a bus to come, or a plane to go, or the mail to come, or the rain to go, or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow, or waiting around for a yes or a no, or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite, or waiting for wind to fly a kite, or waiting around for Friday night, or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle Jake, or a pot to boil, or a better break, or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants, or a wig with curls, or another chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places where boom bands are playing.

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All alone!

Whether you like it or not.

Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, theres a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul.

On you will go though your enemies prowl.

On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many a frightening creek, though you arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.

And I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up of course, as you already know.

You'll get mixed up with many stray birds as you go.

So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact and remember that life's a great balancing act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with you left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent garanteed!)

Kid, you'll move mountains!

So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Alenn O'Shea you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So... get on your way!

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Title: Street Signs

Taken: 2010

Models: Leesa, Miranda, and Emma Gustafson

Taken: 2007

Random Word Vomit

As I was writing in my journal and pondering the different things I going on around me, words began flowing across the page, and before I knew it I had answered my own questions. I had found the hope I had so desperately been searching for.

Life is going to come with all sorts of ups and downs. People will come and go, the faces will change, but the lessons learned will remain in our hearts forever. At times your feelings will be hurt, but there will be moments when your heart knows what it is to fly. It's all part of living and experiencing what it is to be alive! It's learning to live freely, love willingly, and trust openly. It's having the faith to move mountains even if that means taking it one shovelful at a time and knowing that with God, and through God, absolutely Nothing is impossible! (Luke 1:37) We don't need to know the ending before beginning a journey, or to begin a journey. We just need to trust that God knows the end and no matter what, his will, will be done with or without our, or anyone elses, approval! All he asks is that we believe and follow his words. He will take care of the rest.

It's like two of my wall quotes say:

'Accept the things to which fate binds you. Love the people to whom fate brings you, but do so with all of your heart.'

'Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.'

Isn't it strange how we almost always have the answers to our questions already within us? We just have to quiet our minds long enough to hear them.

Stuck On Repeat

I had this blasted song stuck in my head for the entire Independence weekend!

You think you're better, you're better than me/You blow me off as history/To avoid conversation you're ignoring me.

When you've had enough and you need somebody to know/Well, you're looking tough but you need a way to let it go/Come on now, what's a boy s'posed to do/ When I can't seem to leave you alone touching me touching you.

I wanna be your brother, wanna be your father too/Never make you run for cover even if they want us to/I wanna be your sister, wanna be your mother to/I wanna be, wanna be whatever else that touches you.

Whatever else that touches you/Whatever else that touches you.

For fear of losing, losing your way/Just stop and listen to the things that they say/To avoid confrontation you walk away.

(Hey!) Growing up, found the need to compromise/ (Hey!) Well, I've had enough 20 year and I realized/(Hey!) Come on now, what's a boy s'posed to do/(Hey!)When I can't seem to leave you alone, touching me touching you.

I wanna be your brother, wanna be your father too/Never make you run for cover even if they want us to/I wanna be your sister, wanna be your mother to/ I wanna be, wanna be whatever else that touches you.

I wanna be your brother, wanna be your father too/Never make you run for cover even if they want us to/I wanna be your sister, wanna be your mother to/ I wanna be, wanna be whatever else that touches you.

Whatever else that touches you [x4]

When you've had enough and you need somebody to know/Well, you're looking tough but you need a way to let it go/Come on now, what's a boy s'posed to do/But I can't seem to leave you alone, touching me touching you.

This isn't a perfect love/One that we're guilty of/What am I supposed to do/Can't seem to leave you alone/Touching me touching you

This isn't a perfect love (I wanna be your brother, wanna be your father too) / One that we're guilty of (Never make you run for cover even if they want us to) / What am I supposed to do (I wanna be your sister, wanna be your mother too) / Can't seem to leave you alone touching me touching you (I wanna be wanna be whatever else that touches you) [x2]