It's Out

I know I'm a little obsess-much, but I dig these guys more than anything. The Glass Passenger is out and every song is, can I say, AMAZING. No lie, every song. The new video is out as well for The Resolution. It is directed by none other than this vampiress herself. I don't think she's as great of a director as she is story teller, but not horrible for her first shot. The song makes it worth it to me!

• Jack's Mannequin
• New Music

Thankful

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, but I am feeling the need to express my thanks for the things in my life.
I wish I was a gifted writer so I could truly convey my feelings and have others understand. Well, that just wasn't my gift and I am ok with that. I am THANKFUL for that.
Let me explain:

I have been doing some thinking lately about the events that have taken place in my life. Some wonderful, some not so much. Some so good I could scream with happiness, some so bad I wanted to scream in absolute agony (and I did). I must confess that most of the bad has come from my very own creation. Yep, mine. Me, myself and I. This has transposed into many problems for me in the here and now. I've been dwelling on them a lot lately. It seems that I've developed a case of the shoulda-woulda's. Now, I know very well that shoulda-woulda's do absolutely nothing for the here and now. So I must change this way of thinking. Things are the way they are (period). That is the end of the story. So, what must I do? I must go on with life. Go on with life with a thankful heart. The reason I must go on with a thankful heart is because it makes life easier. It makes it easier and it makes it better.

I had a discussion with a co-worker of mine this past week. We were talking about how powerful our minds are and how they help us heal. She is the one who brought up the fact that we need to be thankful. Thankful for everything. The good and the bad. The good things and the bad things have brought us to where we are today. Those actions and decisions have made us who we are and will continue to mold us into what we will become.

As I've jumped around from blog to blog, discovering joys and tragedies of other people, I've discovered again how thankful I am. Thankful that I have my own joys and my own tragedies and these are my own. My very own. No one elses. And I am thankful for that. How would I deal with anyone else's tragedies!? I couldn't, but I can deal with my own. But, the tragedies of others do help me remember what I am grateful for. Maybe someone else's joy would not be my own if it were mine. So I find joy in what I have. Oh how the grass seems greener sometimes!

Now, it comes down to this.
I am thankful for everything in my life, EVERYTHING!
From the bad days to the good. The sickness to the health. The lessons learned to the ones I have yet to learn. From the lovely summer days to the bitter cold months of depression.
I am thankful for my family and the fact that they stick with me through thick and thin (man I put them through a lot). I am thankful for my constant battle with my body, and my mind.
I am thankful for the questions that run through my mind about religion, education, and politics. I am thankful for the opportunity to go to school, however long it may take me. I am thankful for a home to live in and a car to drive. I am thankful to live in America. I am thankful to wake up each and every morning. I am thankful to be able to walk on my two legs, and use both arms. I am thankful to see, hear, breathe, speak, touch, and smell. I am thankful for my money mistakes and spontaneous purchases that shouldn't have been made. I am thankful for the fact that I can eat, even though my food options are limited. I am thankful for books, good stories, and learning. I am thankful for faith, and the sheer determination to do what's right. I am thankful for good friends. I am thankful for my green thumb. I am thankful for my job. I am thankful for our stinky dog. I am thankful for a husband that forgives me and gives me a quadrillion chances. I am thankful for a daughter who loves her mommy. I am thankful for a shower so I can be clean every day. I am thankful for a kind, compassionate, forgiving God. I am thankful for my ability to dance, to do yoga, and ride my bike. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful state. I am thankful for the hair on my head. I am thankful for Math, though I hate it. I am thankful for Jesus Christ. I am thankful for Disneyland. I am thankful for Doctors. I am thankful for alternative healers. I am thankful for my birthday and the fact that I get older and wiser every year. I am thankful for dark chocolate. I am thankful for Adelaide wanting to help me in the kitchen. I am thankful for the President. I am thankful for Oprah and how she makes me glad I'm not her. I am thankful for the sun. I am thankful for blogging. I am thankful for the ocean and the mountains. I am thankful for the one moon in the entire sky and the stars that surround it. I am thankful for music. I am thankful for inspiring quotes that remind me. I am thankful for this life that has been given to me.
I am thankful for this life that has been given to me.

That is it. What it all comes down to. And I'm thankful for everything that comes with it. Because without sorrow there is no joy. Without this life, how would I learn? What could I know? How could I grow? One day I will find out what this is all about. In the meantime, I will be thankful and I will drink in all that comes way. I will love, learn, grow, and simply be..........
thankful.

My Best

My best wishes, prayers, thoughts, etc. go out to yet another family in dire need of support.

Looking Forward

I am looking forward to the day that People in this world no longer care about what celebrities think.

I am looking forward to the day that celebrities no longer think that people care about what they think.

I am looking forward to the day that celebrities realize that they are not credible critics in the world of politics. (ahem...... Lindsay Lohan, Oprah Winfrey, and many, many more)

I am looking forward to the day that celebrities realize they don't have to bash conservatives, and they don't have to bash liberals. Does any of this bashing really matter? Especially coming from a celebrity? No.

I am looking forward to the day that people can think and be who they want to be, regardless of anything else, or anyone else. Especially Hollywood.

I am looking forward to the day that the President (whomever it may be) takes all of the celebrities who think they know so much, ties them all up, puts them in a securely locked bomb shelter, never to be heard from again.

I think that the media could join them for the most part. You know, the ones who broadcast all of the crap the celebrities say.

Yeah, they can be locked up too.

A Beautiful Day for a Funeral

I'm not being biased just because he's my grandpa,
I'm only saying it because it's true.
If there is such a thing as a wonderful, inspiring funeral,
it was the one held in behalf of my dear grandfather today.

I don't think there was one person there today that left
without a desire to become a better person.
As my grandmother was speaking today,
she said something that will stand out in my mind forever.....

Don't be sad because he's gone, be happy because he was here.

There is so much truth to that.
So often I dwell on the fact that he isn't here anymore.
When really, I am the luckiest person in the world to be his
grand-daughter,
and lucky to have known him for 28 years.

There are so many things I will miss,
but I have gained wonderful memories
that will stay with me forever.
Picking raspberries in the garden, working on his cars,
fishing, doing taxes in the family room,

eating fresh sliced tomatoes,
hearing him say "how's my Meggie-Meg",
mowing the lawn, pruning the trees,

seeing him at my softball games and dance performances,

riding with him to school at Weber State as
he taught Economics and I began my college years,
watching tv in his lay-z-boy, working in the green house,
celebrating birthdays on the deck, the biggest-brightest smile,
rolling his eyes when grandma told him to
comb his hair and change his clothes,
handing me the keys to my first car he fixed just for me,
ice cream runs to Country Boy Dairy,
three hand squeezes meaning 'I love you',
seeing how much he loves little Adelaide,
and last but not least, pure and absolute unconditional love.

All of the grandchildren released a balloon in his honor.
My grandmother received the flag that was laid on his casket
in his honor of serving his country in Korea.
We reminisced about wonderful times with
family we haven't seen in years. We celebrated the life of a most
wonderful, patient, loving, giving, and thoughtful man.
As a note, I have never seen so many people at a viewing before.
There were approximately 400 people that came by
Sunday night alone. He was loved by all and he will
be dearly missed, but dearly remembered.

I love you more than you can know gramps.
You are my sunshine.........

Elden Elmer Liechty 1928-2008

My grandpa passed away very early this morning. He has struggled with cancer for over ten years.
He has finally been released from this physical struggle.
He is such a wonderful person and has been
such a help and example to me in my life.
He has always been there for my family and such a loving grandfather.
He has always stressed to me the importance of getting an education.
I was able to see him for the last time on Sunday evening and I was able to tell him that I am still moving along in school and about my class I have this semester.
He was so proud, I could see it on his face.
He loves little Adelaide, she was his little girl.

I love you grandpa and will miss you terribly.
Thank you for all that you have done for me in my life, again.
I can't thank you enough.

Until we meet again..............