No Brown M&M's.....

This post could also be titled: "Clever is as clever does!" or "Things are not always what they seem!"

As the legend goes, back in the 1980's when the rock group Van Halen was all the rage, they were notorious for a clause in their touring contract that demanded a bowl of M&M's backstage, but with all the brown M&M's removed.

The diva-like request seems like a perfect example of outrageous demands you might expect from pampered rock stars!

But, it turns out, David Lee Roth, Van Halen's lead singer, wasn't so much a diva as a bright thinker! And, so, for the rest of the story...

Van Halen performed dozens of shows every year and the band would arrive at a venue with nine 18-wheelers full of gear. Setting up for the show was complex and technical!

The show contract was a thick manual, filled with details explaining exactly how many voltage sockets should be placed at specific distances, etc., etc. Within the contract pages, buried in between all the mechanical requirements, was the little clause about the M&M's with the brown ones removed.

The M&M bowl was the quick way for David Lee Roth to check out the venue. Upon arriving, if Roth saw a brown M&M, he knew the stagehands hadn't read the contract carefully and he'd demand a line check, very likely finding issues. If the M&M bowl appeared sans the brown ones, it gave Roth the peace of mind that the specifics of the contract had been met!

So, instead of spending hours before a concert checking the ampersand of every socket and exacting every technical detail, Roth used the M&M's as a quick way to see if the concert hall was paying attention! In addition to being a hard rock musician, apparently, Van Halen's lead singer was an operations expert too!

Trading Up!

The youth from Mutual came by last night playing a variation of a Scavenger Hunt. The game is called Trading Up!

A cute group of girls arrived with a large container of maple syrup. If I could give them something bigger or better, they would leave the syrup and head off with the improved item I donate to their cause. Several groups of youth were out and about, starting with tiny things and hoping to return to the church with the biggest and best "find" of the night!

I wasn't sure if the object they wanted should be greater in size or value. Hmm. And, it was also a race so we had to work fast. Think! Think!

Happy Day! I remembered the humongous box we'd gift wrapped for Brittany Walton's Bachelorette Party. I think the bachelorettes were hoping Brian or Webb would be willing to pop out and dance! But after Paige and Amy Harmer worked all afternoon the decorated box was never used. And relative to the maple syrup container it was a big step up! A good trade!

Off they went, barely fitting the box in Sister Bohn's SUV, and also collecting cans of food for a Second Harvest Food Drive! Guess I'll find out in Seminary if their team won! But what could possibly be bigger? And, even better, I finally got rid of the huge box! Now we're going to have to eat a lot of pancakes to use up all the maple syrup they left behind!

Olympic Withdrawal!

O Canada! Three cheers! Any country willing to take on the Winter or Summer Games deserves a Gold Medal! It's an job of Olympic proportion!

I heard a commentator dissing Vancouver for all the bloopers but "all's well that ends well" & I think our Vancouver Hosts did a great job! Many glitches were weather related problems; things beyond their control!

In full disclosure I was even happy to see the Canadian Hockey Team win on Sunday! Hockey is Canada's "thing!" Losing would be like someone from Japan winning Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest on Coney Island!

I read an interesting article in a psychology magazine a few years ago claiming Olympic athletes are happier winning bronze than silver! Their research consistently showed the 2nd place winner less happy with their prize than the 3rd place winner!

These findings seem to be the result of the comparisons made by the athletes. The silver medalist compares him or herself to the gold medal winner. But the bronze medal winner compares him or herself to those people who did not win a medal.

Often a silver medalist was so close they fixate on their near miss while bronze feels grateful to be on the podium at all! A second place finisher tends to look upward acutely aware that their medal is not the gold. But with the bronze, a finisher is more inclined to look downward, more aware of everyone who did not make the medal stand!

Psychologists refer to it as counterfactual thinking. And it makes sense to me. Personally, I'd be thrilled to ever be AT the Olympics as a competitor!

But for spectators, competitors, and medalists: we all have 2 long years to wait until our next Olympics (or 4 years for Winter Games)!

London 2012! God Save the Queen!

Will Work For Cake!

On Mondays I watch Caeden Kwapinski for Jen & Anthony from 7:30 am to 1 pm. It's a temporary assignment; Jen is moonlighting from her Jen's Cakes business during the tax season (so the gig will be over after April 15th).

They offered to pay me but that felt weird so we struck a deal - I'll watch Caeden in exchange for free cakes! Paige & Rachael have already requested some specialty bar Jen bakes! (check out options at jenscakes.com)

Andie shot this photo of Emily, Elmo and Caeden (Rub a Dub Dub, Three Kids in a Tub). Jen's response: "Why is my child so darn serious? Can't she break a smile?" Funny Jen!

Caeden is honestly one of the best natured babies I've ever watched and isn't usually quite as somber looking as the picture suggests. She's a total chatterbox; talks up a storm but I can only interpret a handful of the jibberish. Caeden is also obsessed with Elmo; he accompanies us on every adventure!

I've always heard about old ladies confusing the gender on babies even when you adorn your female infant in pink, lace, & bows! I don't remember it happening that much with my own kids but when I take Caeden around Los Gatos (with her cute but practically bald head) she is constantly mistaken for a "sweet little BOY" despite the flowers all over her outfit! Even though Caeden isn't even my child, it's a little annoying!

"Babies haven't any hair,

Old men's heads are just as bare;

Between the cradle and the grave

Lies a haircut and a shave." -Samuel Hofferstein

Honesty is the best policy....

The Honest Disciple (a Jewish folktale)

Once a rabbi decided to test the honesty of his disciples, so he called them together and posed a question.

"What would you do if you were walking along and found a purse full of money lying in the road?" he asked.

"I'd return it to its owner," said one disciple.

"His answer comes so quickly, I must wonder if he really means it," the rabbi thought.

"I'd keep the money if nobody saw me find it," said another.

"He has a frank tongue, but a wicked heart," the rabbi told himself.

"Well, Rabbi," said a third disciple, "to be honest, I believe I'd be tempted to keep it. So I would pray to God that He give me the strength to resist such temptation and do the right thing."

"Aha!" thought the rabbi. "Here is the man I would trust."

"No legacy is so rich as honesty." - William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well

Each Life That Touches Our For Good....

For good reason, Friendship is a popular theme! People sing about it, write poems about it, and even dedicate TV shows that play up the "Friends" theme!

And friends really can be a saving grace in our lives! A tender mercy! Spending time with amazing friends that I only get to see occasionally is great therapy! There isn't a pill or drink in the world that could give me the same motivation and sense of well being than I get from good friends!

"What greater gift dost thou bestow,

What greater goodness can we know

Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways

Strengthen our faith, enrich our days."

-2nd verse of the hymn "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good"

What's too painful to remember.... or, The end of innocence...

"Memories, may be beautiful and yet

What's too painful to remember

We simply choose to forget."

-sung by Barbara Streisand in The Way We Were

As teenagers, Steve Halgren was the Favorite Big Brother! We all adored Steve and felt like Julie was the lucky one to have such a handsome older brother! Plus, Steve was darling to Julie (ever a tease but doting) and remarkably pretty cute to all of us (his kid sister's entourage of goofy friends)!

One of the sadder moments that brought our childhood era to a screeching halt came right after college when Steve and his wife, Vicki, were hit head-on in their car by a drunk driver. The accident killed Steve and just days after his funeral, Vicki went into early labor and their first child, a son was born. Vicki named him Stephen.

I was married & living in Boston at the time. Julie was married & living in Santa Monica. At the time I heard the news it felt unimaginable. Steve Halgren was dead, yet the Steve we knew was more full of life than most people you will ever know. It was awful!

My fondest memories of Steve are at the Halgren's cabin. We'd beg Steve to take us 4 wheeling in his Toyota Land Cruiser. He'd finally relent and we would bounce up and down in the Jeep with Steve's humongous dog, Zeus, along for the wild, all terrain ride!

Julie says that she still thinks about Steve every day. Of course she would - he was the Big Brother we all wanted! I know I think of Steve whenever I read of innocent lives destroyed by people who drink and drive. Steve's death had a profound and lasting effect on all of us. It was unfair, it was preventable, it was horribly tragic! It might have been the first time I truly became aware that sometimes things in life were going to be terribly, terribly sad!

"Offer up your best defense

But this is the end

This is the end of the innocence." -Don Henley, lyrics from This is the End of the Innocence

My Cabin or Yours?

Affluence can definitely be both a blessing and a curse!

Our gals ski group feels so fortunate to be here enjoying Julie's cabin for the weekend. It's our European Chalet in Brighton, Utah! Seriously, it's called "Das Alpen Haus!" (see photos)

It occurs to me that growing up, the majority of my friends had cabins! Back then, Julie's cabin was outside Heber, Linda's in Park City, Kim and I had cabins in Brighton, etc. We had plenty of options! Those who didn't have cabins probably had boats (some had both). And none of us really thought of our families as wealthy. I'm embarrassed to admit that it hardly occurred to us that this wasn't "the norm!"

During summer months and on weekends during the school year we'd venture out to cabin overnights or on boating adventures to Lake Powell! We felt lucky and we were a pretty wholesome crowd; nice kids but definitely a little oblivious to how good we had it!

Now I realize that these blessings of abundance left us somewhat impervious to the stark reality that most families don't have cabins and/or boats! We just waltzed from cabin to waterski trip, completely ignorant of the fact that we had "luxuries" well beyond the majority of teenagers in the world!

"Things" (cabins, boats, etc.) don't make people happy and after primary needs are met research shows that greater affluence has never led to greater happiness. But, as an adult I do now realize that our more-than-comfortable-childhood was more unique than I knew. This awareness has given me more appreciation for our endless opportunities. In the innocence of youth I didn't understand our good fortune. At times our worries in life were as carefree as "Whose cabin should we go to this weekend?"

Galapalooza! (The Sequel)

I'm off to Utah for Galapalooza (the Sequel)! This photo was taken at our Gals Weekend last February, the calendar year (2009) when the Highland High School Class of 1977 Graduates celebrated our 50th Birthdays!

2009 felt like an important year for us to get together and remind ourselves that we may be 50 but (as the saying goes): "you're only as old as you feel." And, last February we all felt like we were back in our glory days of high school! What a rush!

Last February we gathered 13 erstwhile bff's at Julie Halgren Glenn's cabin in Brighton, Utah. And we had a blast! It was wonderful to connect with everyone and while I keep in touch with many of the group there were some darling friends I hadn't seen in years!

In light of the great memories from our 2009 adventure we have a smaller group compiled and meeting up tonight ...not intentionally excluding anyone... just less formally planned this year. It mostly came about for the group who wants to ski.

So, I'm shirking some duties (handed Seminary responsiblities off to Jacque and Saturday building cleaning to Andie and Dad - thanks guys!) and it's Play Time for some once-upon-a-time-ski-bums!

I count these friendships as one of the richest blessings in my life! The influence of these friends goes way back and far beyond just enjoyment of skiing! Having such exemplary friends from my youth makes me acutely aware of the importance of friendship! Good friends really are people who inspire & motivate us to be our very best! For me, this group definitely does that! I adore these women!

The Diet Coke Detox!

The 1st week of Lent is behind us! And, in full disclosure I can happily report that I have not had any caffeinated soda! Score 1 for K2! So, the Diet Coke Detox has clearly begun!

It has not been easy! Drinking Diet Coke has definitely been my longest running vice! And, while I'm sure quitting must pale in comparison to other things, it is hard enough for me. Which should be a cautionary tale for me to stay far far away from products with any remote potential for addiction!

But, hey, I figure if I can make it through Lent then I might as well continue on! Because the more I read about diet soda the more lame I feel about actually paying for and ingesting a product that impedes good health!

1. Dentists say Coke stains your teeth and erodes tooth enamel! 2. Michelle Obama's campaign to curb childhood obesity places a big emphasis on the harm of drinking soda! 3. There are many who believe that aspartame is a carcinogen!

So, there are three good reasons to quit! Combine those with the simple fact that Diet Coke contains no nutrients whatsoever!

Of course, it is always easier to replace a Bad Habit with a Good Habit and switching from diet coke to drinking water is my Ultimate Goal!

For the time being, if I need a carbonation fix I'm allowing Diet 7-up! It's a crutch to initially wean off caffeine and the next step will be from soda generally. So far, so good! And kudos to Andie who has been willing to help me by not drinking any diet coke in the house! Out of sight, out of mind!

By the end of Lent I am hoping to chant: "Diet Coke, It's a joke! --- But H2O, that's how I roll!" -a K2 original

"We Do Not Doubt Our Mothers Knew It." -Alma 56:48

This picture is titled "Our Mothers Knew It" by artist, Megan Rieker, from her "Women of Inspiration" series. (It's a lousy image download but should give you the general idea.)

Anyway, it's probably my favorite art from the 2,000 Stripling Warriors story in the Book of Mormon since the focus is less on the warrior theme and more focused on these young men learning in their youth (and by their mothers no less).

One mother is drawing the tree of life story. One mother is outfitting her son in the full armor of God.

The artist depicts women whose main goal is preparing their children to prosper and not go through "life's battles" in fear! As an imperfect mother I'm not sure I always do the best job at teaching my kids important truths. But I look to those mothers of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors with great admiration!

We are studying these last chapters in Alma this week in Seminary. As I teach youth, and more so, as a mother, I hope that I can always live in a way that my children, students or others might sense and not doubt that I know!

"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." -Alma 56:47-48

The "Best Part" of the Olympics...

Dipping artichokes in melted butter is tasty. But, by far, the best part of the artichoke is the heart!

For me, if the Olympics were an artichoke (random analogy here) then the stories behind the athletes would be the heart!

The races are great to watch but when NBC shows the little clips about the athletes; those are the highlights for me!

Most of the athletes personal stories are inspiring! Many athletes have overcome great obstacles to be at the Olympics! Some have a touching story of a hero in their life. And, all the Olympians have supporters (family and/or friends) who have always been there for them!

Whatever their nationality, the athletes have great pride in the country they represent! Some of the athletes are characters, a few a little pompous, but mostly, they are loving their moment of glory. And, good for them, they've worked hard to earn it!

One friend told me it drives her crazy when her husband fast forwards their taped Olympic viewing right through the personal story clips! I can't imagine! That's like skipping the heart of the artichoke! The races are exciting; thrilling moments and sometimes heartbreaking, but I'm interested in the race because I've connected emotionally from the stories & interviews.

Thanks to the personal stories, I stay tuned and stay up too late during Olympic season! And, yes, what can I say....the analogy came to mind because we had artichokes for dinner last night! So I guess that is how my thought process works ...you just never know!

"If you truly love Nature, you will find Beauty everywhere." Vincent Van Gogh

Pied Beauty

Glory be to God for dappled things-

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim,

Fresh-firecoal chestnut falls; finches wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced - fold, fallow, and plough;

And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He father's-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise Him.

-by Gerald Manley Hopkins

There is hope shining "BRIGHT"ly before us.....

"Tora! Tora! Tora" (oh, wait, that's the movie title)

"Torah! Torah! Torah!" (and that would be my new favorite Olympian!)

Torah Bright! Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Gold Medalist! Roxy Clothing Line Designer! LDS Church Member! Awesome!

What a thrill to watch Torah Bright win the 1st Australian Gold Medal in the 2010 Olympics! And she doesn't fit the stereotype of your typical snowboarder at all! She's coached by her older brother, Bob, comes from a great family, and she's engaged to be married in the Salt Lake Temple.

When Bright was asked if her religion helped her with her snowboarding, she replied: I think it perhaps gives me a little bit of purpose to what I do, which is always a nice thing to get you through those tough days and rough times. I think it's kept me fairly grounded."

Bright's manager, Mark Jones, admires her example, stating, "Torah's values are not shallow, they're not for convenience, they're a part of her absolute spirit and her fundamental belief."

Jones admits that they have passed up lucrative endorsements in order for Bright to remain true to her beliefs. They've turned down deals from energy drinks that are highly caffeinated and some magazine publications. Jones said: "If it's not very classy and classic and reflective of her standards, then we don't go down that path. She just wants to surround herself with really positive people and positive brands."

At the end of the day, Torah Bright's feels like the real winner! She says, "I'm happy looking at the world and eliminating dramas that are caused by certain things that you do or don't do." Man, I ditto that sentiment! Go Torah!

The "Better Half" of the Team!

Andie and I were the benefactors of Anita's Celebrity Forum tickets with Laura Bush as last night's guest speaker. She was a gracious & classy speaker!

Laura Bush updated the full auditorium on her family members, reflected on their 8 years in The White House and now their "afterlife" (her choice of words). Then, she spoke fairly passionately about her champion causes: literacy, education and women's issues.

She was really charming! For 63 (hey, she's even older than Elton John and Billy Joel) she looks beautiful. She was really impressive with her prepared delivery but rambled a little during the questions. Much more articulate with notes than on the stump (but then, so are most people).

Laura Bush has almost a folksy but dignified style. And a cute sense of humor. I remember during the transition from the Bush entourage to Team Obama the Bush's were constantly asked about their future plans. Laura Bush cleverly responded: "Though my plans at the moment are vague, I can assure you that I'll never run for the Senate in New York." Clever, a little jab at Hillary Clinton (who had never lived in the state of New York before the Clinton White House departure - but knew their was a potential Democratic Senate seat available)!

A touching moment for me in Laura Bush's remarks was when she addressed the constant barrage of criticism toward her husband. She said it did bother her but didn't disturb her because she "knows who she is and she knows who George is" ...(spoken with great conviction!)

Bush also felt a calm from living among the ghosts of past presidencies in The White House who also struggled over tough decisions. She came to feel that all of these men were decent men trying to do their best for our country.

Laura is one of the most popular 1st ladies which is amazing since George W. left office with a pretty decimated approval rating. She's currently working on her memoirs, coming out May 3rd, which she joked will be titled "Formerly Shy Librarian Tells All." I think her comments gave us a good sneak preview of the book. And, Andie, of course, was a fun date and probably the youngest person in the audience!

Billy Joel! Elton John! Face to Face!

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music." -Billy Joel

The Elton John/Billy Joel Face to Face Concert was Tuesday night! It definitely trumped the notation for "Bookgroup" on my calendar!

I was pretty excited; humming and singing their greatest hits for days before the show! These guys are definitely two of my all time favorite musicians!

And their performance was pretty amazing for 2 old codgers! Billy Joel is 60 and Elton John is 62! Sir Elton was like the regal knight, a total class act and Joel was like the kid brother, bouncing around stage, making faces, he was quite a character!

The concert started with a duet of Elton John's "Your Song" (a personal favorite):

"And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind

I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world."

Three and a half hours later they wrapped up the show with a a classic from each of their prolific repertoires: "Candle in the Wind" and "Piano Man." Incredible Concert!

Ash Wednesday! 1st Day of LENT!

A Lenten Reflection:

Give up complaining --- focus on gratitude.

Give up pessimism --- become an optimist.

Give up harsh judgements --- think kindly thoughts.

Give up worry --- trust Divine Providence.

Give up discouragment --- be full of hope.

Give up bitterness --- turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred --- return good for evil.

Give up negativism --- be positive.

Give up anger --- be more patient.

Give up pettiness --- become mature.

Give up gloom --- enjoy the beauty that is all around you.

Give up jealousy --- pray for trust.

Give up gossiping --- control your tongue.

Give up sin --- turn to virtue.

Give up giving up --- hang in there! - (author unknown)

I know Mormons don't traditionally celebrate Lent but Knudsens do! We've never adopted Ramadan (the Islamic tradition of fasting 40 days from sun up to sun down) but I'll never say never...

I adhere to President Hinckley's admonition to find the good in all religions and I think Lent is a good and cool practice. I like the concept of Lent on several levels!

Thus, we've adopted our own loose version of Lent...basically encouraging family members to "give up" something from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday!

The Lent season is going to be tough for me this year. I have decided to give up Diet Coke! For someone like Webb, who never got hooked on drinking soda, this would be a cake walk! For me, who reluctantly admits to having a diet coke addiction, this will be really hard! I'm going to continually have to remind myself that I Can Do Hard Things! I'm hoping that 40 days without Diet Coke will wean me from the insidious habit all together!

Another "DUH!" study.....

I'm always amazed that it takes copious research to convince some people of obvious things! For example, I just read about a new study in a Pediatric Journal showing that parents who are actively involved in setting rules and reinforce what their teens learn in driver's ed have children who are safer drivers! See what I mean?!

But, this IS good information, and, as the author of one of the studies said: "The real message of this paper is that parents matter." Whew: good to know!

Not long ago I read the results of a study that showed that teenagers who watched TV shows with sexual overtones were much more likely to engage in sex. Again, did they really need laborious research to figure that out? Common sense tells me that people who view risky behavior are more likely to behave at risk!

I suppose that just because we think an outcome is common sensical, we need still need the data to back it up! I just find several parenting studies amusing when the answer seems obvious!

Or, maybe I just think I'm an expert on the subject!? Well, after 28 years of lab work, I certainly should have picked up a few ideas along the way!

A President's Day Tribute to Honest Abe!

"We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." -from Lincoln's 1st Inaugural Address

The Better Angels of our Nature! To me, that is exactly what Abraham Lincoln represents!

Lincoln had great empathy and made a conscious effort to understand the perspective of people who he disagreed with. He sought to understand the Southerners.

Unlike many antislavery orators, Lincoln argued: "They are just what we would be in their situation. If slavery did not now exist amongst them, they would not introduce it. If it did now exist amongst us, we should not instantly give it up." Very insightful!

Despite his outward gregariousness, Lincoln was profoundly solitary and he loved to read. He found worthy companionship in books. For Lincoln, reading was part of his relentless drive for self improvement.

William Miller said people who knew Lincoln from early years in New Salem and Indiana remembered Lincoln "reading while the horse rests at the end of a row, reading while walking down the street, reading under a tree, reading while others went to dances, reading between customers in the post office, and reading snatched at length on the counter of the store." You've gotta love anyone who always has their nose in a book!

In a 2005 Time Magazine article, Barack Obama provided a wonderful summary of the message Lincoln's life can convey. Obama wrote: "What I marvel at, what gives me such hope, is that this man could overcome depression, self doubt and the constraints of biography and not only act decisively but retain his humanity. Like a figure from the Old Testament, he wandered the earth, making mistakes, loving his family but causing them pain, despairing over the course of events, trying to divine God's will. He did not know how things would turn out, but he did his best."

I ditto President Obama! President Abraham Lincoln was an amazing man who had plenty of struggles but rose above his demons to bring us the better angels of his nature! A true hero!

The Cutest Cupid!

Rose are Red, Violets are Blue.

Noah and I send Valentines Greetings to You!

I think Noah Touchet makes an adorable Cupid!

Even though some people complain that Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday imposing us to dutifully give out cards, chocolates and flowers, I happen to like all holidays. Any cause for celebration!

John Bryan told me that in Japan the Valentines tradition is for women to give chocolates to men. What's up with that?

Erich Fromm believed that "Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence."

I remember Valentines Day was pretty fun in elementary school. Decorating (or transforming) a cardboard box into a worthy receptacle for cards was homework no one complained about! Then, the mystery of what it meant if a boy signed the card with "Love" instead of "From." That could lead to all kinds of interpretation. Finally, the best cards came with candy! Ah, good memories!

When it comes to a holiday extolling the virtue of love, I have to include one of my favorite quotes from Ursula K. Le Guin: "Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new." There is wisdom and truth in that thought!