Tangles...

I'm sleepy, so I hope this blog makes sense! I went to Boone this past week and did a lot of relaxing...it was nice :) I went on a quest the other night. I ventured to Walmart...which is probably my least favorite place to be on earth. Anyway, I needed some de-tangler spray for my wild hair. It took me forever to find some...and I was already ill because I had fought my way from the back of the store where glade plug-in refills are, to the front where hair products are. For those of you who think Mooresville Walmart is bad, you haven't seen anything until you've walked into the Boone store. First off...it's not a super Walmart, it's small and the grocery section consists of popsicles, cereal and pringles. Let's be real. But since it's a college town, it's ALWAYS crowded and you always run into someone you know. I finally found my detangler....in the kids section. It's Suave for kids, lime green bottle with an octopus on the front of it...I'm classy :)

Well I need to stop and go to bed. I have the second of many dentist appointments tomorrow :(

Prayer of the Children

Make sure you listen to this song on my playlist!!

Prayer of the Children - by Kurt Bestor

Kurt Bestor was a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the 1970s in Serbia. Later, war broke out in Yugoslavia, and Bestor, who loved the Serbs, Croatians, and Bosnians alike, was deeply troubled by the turmoil.

What came to him--haunted him--were the faces of the children he had known. "Those children didn't hate anybody," he said. "They didn't care about who owned the land, or who had the power or the money. These are adult neuroses. They just wanted to have a mom and dad and a place to play."



Can you hear the prayer of the children on bended knee,
in the shadow of an unknown room?
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry, turning heavenward toward the light.
Cryin' Jesus help meto see the mornin' light of one more day,
but if I should die before I wake,I pray my soul to take.
Can you feel the hearts of the children aching for home,
for something of their very own.
Reaching hands with nothing to hold onto but hope for a better day, a better day.
Cryin' Jesus help meto feel the love again in my own land,
but if unknown roads lead away from home, give me loving arms, 'way from harm.
Can you hear the voice of the children softly pleading for silence in their shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate, blood of the innocent on their hands.
Cryin' Jesus help me to feel the sun again upon my face?
For when darkness clears, I know you're near, bringing peace again.
Dali čǔje te sve dječje molitve?
Can you hear the prayer of the children?

A Little Slack...

So I've fallen a little slack on my blogs... It's been a busy week! After my birthday, I left Friday and went to Boone until this afternoon.

I'm highly annoyed. I went to the dentist today....which is bad enough (and if you add the fact that the air conditioning was broken and Maria got her teeth picked in the heat....AND was stuck to the chair by the time it was over)....but I didn't get a good report. Since I was a freshman in college I started having TERRIBLE acid reflux. I'm not sure why...but the more I had to sing, the more I've noticed it. Over my college career I have lost my voice 2 different semesters, which basically puts the life of a vocal music major on hold. Anyway, I go to the dentist today for a basic cleaning and find out that my mouth is cluttered with cavities because the acid from my reflux is eating away at my enamel. Also, I have these little lines and such on my teeth (looks like I had braces, but I didn't)..which the dentist says could be from an illness as a child causing my enamel to not form like it's supposed to. He's telling me this after I've been going to him for years....I have this toothpaste that's like $10 a tube, it's supposed to be miracle fluoride...well last year they told me I had some weak spots, and to use this toothpaste to help me with the chronic sensitivity (hot, cold, sweets....they all put me in pain). Well, I used it for like a month last year and I couldn't tell difference in the way my teeth felt, so I kinda let it go. Well I go in there today and get this bad report and was told that the toothpaste was supposed to prevent this from happening. It just looks like if my teeth were in such danger of having this many cavities due to my unfortunate stomach, I would've been told how important this toothpaste would've been and exactly what was at stake. I go back Wednesday for I don't even know how many fillings.....3, 4, 5. This is coming from someone who flosses everyday and brushes like I'm getting paid for it. Ahhh, frustration is setting in as I'm being told that I have a ton of cavities...I've only had maybe 2 or 3 filled the other 21 years of my life. Bah! My mood is no good. My reflux is wearing on me again...stomach is one big ball of fire, voice is suffering. I'm changing the subject....

On my birthday, a terrible lightening storm came.... and lightening actually struck right next to my house and put its mark on a tree in my uncle's yard. Crazy part is...we were finding chunks of the tree ALL OVER the place....it's crazy how far it blew the bark off!! Well I'm super tired from driving home from Boone and fighting cavities today....so I'm going to bed!

#21

I turned 21 today...and I had a great day :) I went shopping with a friend from this morning into the afternoon, then went to a great Steak dinner @ Lonestar with my Parents and sister....and when I got home some of my family came by to see me! I have to talk about my family for a little bit... A lot of people that I know hardly know their extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins)...and if they do they dread having reunions and gatherings! I have never understood those people. It hit me at a really young age how fortunate I am to have all of these people in my life. I know that if I were to ever need anything, I could pick up the phone and call any one of them and they would be there for me....there's absolutely no doubt in my mind. So I'm trying out this whole slideshow thing...and in making it, I realized how many pictures of people that I DON'T HAVE! I'm going to have to work on that...next family function--everyone had better get their game faces on for some camera action!

I'm sleepy!! More to come later when I have a little more in me!

Good Music and Blueberry Pancakes!

I practiced for my recital today. My accompanist is Carol Graham...and she's absolutely amazing! I couldn't ask for anyone better! Her friendly spirit always puts me at ease and her talent on the piano is incredible. Sometimes I dread rehearsals, just because I have to sing and work on music SO MUCH....but I've always looked forward to working with her. Anyway, I'm excited about the recital, but already getting butterflies. Most people don't realize how much preparation goes into planning and performing these things! It's not like we can hide behind anyone either, singing is what we do, and we are just THERE...in front of everyone....showing everything that we work for and that's important to us, while fighting nerves and knowing, we get that one chance, note by note...phrase by phrase, song by song to show everything. Sounds crazy and dramatic, but it's true....I sing with everything in me and only hope that it strikes some one's "fancy."

I went to dinner tonight with an old friend. I met her when I was 17 and in High School working at Pier One Imports. She was new to the area and in between jobs, so she was just working at

Pier One until she found something new and "real." We used to joke because at the time she was 34 and I could say "haha, I'm half of your age!"....anyway, we became wonderful friends...and she's almost like a "big sister"......I just know that I can't go too long without talking to her and when I'm at home on breaks, we make it our plans to go to Cracker Barrel, save the world, and have blueberry pancakes. That's always what we did when I was in High School and not much has changed! It's amazing that you can go your entire life not knowing someone....meet them....and they become so important to you that you never knew how you got along without them!

Ok, guess I'm going to close. We rented the old Disney movie Anastasia.....I love Disney movies!...or really any cartoon :) Guess I'll never REALLY grow up!!

A Watched Pot Never Boils...

I'm sitting here waiting on some WONDERFUL wheat pasta to boil so I can add my minced garlic, cheese and peppers....I serve this with chicken I have marinated in roasted red pepper and Parmesan dressing...whoo!!

I went to Boone today to let the cable guy in. It didn't take long, but believe me...anything and everything that could go wrong...DID. The icing on top of the cake was while I was standing in a line a mile long at the grocery store, the cashier had an issue ringing up TWO BANANAS that the lady in front of us had. I almost cracked up because at this point I was about in shock that everything that my mom and I had attempted today had in some way become more than difficult. Well, while we were waiting, and about to crack up, I hear the man standing behind me mutter under his breath "God hates me".....I figured he was joking, but I didn't turn around to see. Later while Mom was trying to pay out, I got a good look at him. It's a good thing that I didn't turn around to smile at his tragic comment, because the look on his face was priceless. It was OBVIOUS he was terribly irritated at the wait, and to top it all off, all he had to pay for was a little bag of Ore Ida frozen french fries. Well when I saw his "Oh so pleasant demeanor" matched with the precious look on his face, I started laughing. I ended up just walking out to wait for Mom....the whole time she knew I had walked off because I had gotten a little too tickled to be in the midst of all of those people.

Ah, well timers are going off, so I have to finish dinner! More later :)

Getting Started...

First of all I want to start by saying that my blog is dedicated to my cousin Melissa :) She's been on me for a long time to start one!! It's the 4th of July and I'm currently fighting sleep while I'm typing this. It turned off a bit rainy after a long day of fun on the lake, so I'm inside now creating this blog! I have always looked forward to the 4th of July because I just love spending time with our family!! The cookout, the lake time, the wonderful people and the fireworks are just wonderful! So something funny- I'm terrified of Sparklers! Those dumb little fiery sticks make me want to run and hide. They always made me nervous as a child, but I still wanted them and wanted to play with them until I got a hold of one that the sparks started popping the skin on my hands! I don't know, children, or adults for that matter, waving fiery sticks around like crazy has never struck me as a good time or a smart idea!

I see the sun trying to peek through, so I'm going to end this and get to dinner and more festivities :)