Prepare for Failure

Picture of the Day for 12/31/2013. My great-niece Hayley hijacked her mother Chantal's Facebook account and "suggested" that I take her shopping. I was on to her immediately as I can tell the difference between their speech habits.


I agreed to take her shopping since I have to atone for ruining her Christmas. I adore teasing Hayley- it's kind of a hobby for me. On December 23. I was over at my sister Paula's (Hayley's grandmother) house for her annual Christmas dinner/celebration with her grandchildren. It's fun for me to get to see kids opening up presents so that's why I was invited. Paula had brought out all of the kids' Christmas stockings except for Hayley's. Hayley was started to worry she wasn't getting one so I told her that indeed, she wouldn't be getting one this year as she is 14-years-old and when you are 14 you're at a high risk for developing warts by coming in contact with a Christmas stocking. I told her that Paula was just employing preventive measures by withholding a stocking this year. At this point Hayley's mother joined in the teasing and we started singing Merry Wartmas to her and wishing her a Happy New Wart Year. Hayley HATED us with all her heart. Can't blame her- being 14 is hard enough without being teased about warts. As you can see from the picture below, Hayley did indeed receive a Christmas stocking and I'm happy to report she is wart-free despite my dire predictions.


I agreed to meet Hayley at the mall at 3:00 p.m. today. Chantal and her husband Rob dropped her off and then left to run a few errands to give Hayley some time alone shopping with me. I asked Hayley if there were any stores in particular that she wanted to visit and she said no- that she hadn't expected her "take me shopping" gambit to work and she was unprepared. I told her that she needs to plan for success! She replied that she plans for failure. Poor thing! Despite preparing for failure, I think she had a very nice time. Hayley helped me look for a new wallet and when her mom and dad arrived, we went to the food court and drank sodas/ate fries and chatted for about an hour. She didn't want to go home when the time came for us to go our respective ways. I did ask if this counted as a "valid" outing according to Hayley's by-laws and she agreed that it did. 

Wheelchair Hi-jinks

Picture of the Day for 12/30/2013. I spent a couple of hours visiting my brother-in-law David in his new room in the rehab wing of the hospital where he'll be residing for the next couple of weeks. My sister Paula and my nieces, Renee and Corinne, were there too. 

The nieces and I all spent time playing around on David's wheelchair. You'd think we were three-years-old rather than adults. I got pretty good at turning the wheelchair in a tight circle. Renee spun Corinne around and around and around in the wheelchair. Most of the photos below are blurry, but they do give you a sense of motion.

Corinne then tried to sneak up on her mother in the wheelchair, but Paula was on to her and put out a foot to stop Corinne from running into her.  

I Hate Dusting

Picture of the Day for 12/29/2013. My sister Paula and two of her daughters are coming over for dinner to my house tonight so I figured I better do a little cleaning. I just have to say I hate dusting. With all my heart. I know this could not be more of a banal blog topic, but I just had to vent. I'd rather clean bathrooms over dusting any day of the week. That's saying something because who in their right mind actually likes to scrub bathroom fixtures? I'm thinking there's a dust factory in the neighborhood- run by evil dust fairies. That's the only way to account for all the dust that accumulates so quickly. 

OK- I'm done venting now. I promise tomorrow's blog entry will be much more interesting. 

Christmas Present Display

Picture of the Day for 12/28/2013. My sisters and I were reminiscing about how our mother had us display our Christmas presents in the living room for up to a week after Christmas day. In honor of my mother and this tradition, I created a Christmas present display. Here's everything I got for Christmas this year. As you can see, my family and friends were very generous. I'm calling this the Year of the Scarf as I received six scarves. I think it's great! I love scarves. 

Recommended Yoga Pose

Picture of the Day for 12/27/2013. Sigh. I'm starting to think I should call this site The Blog of Missed Photo Opportunities. I attend all these social events and forget to take pictures which leaves me scrambling to come up with a photo of the day. Tonight was my friend Jenny's annual fondue party which she holds for a group of us who have been friends for decades. Yet again I forgot to take a photograph during the actual event. 

I was telling the group about my sciatica problems so my friend Jenny got down on the floor and demonstrated this yoga pose which she says helped relieve her sciatica pain. I got down on the floor too to try it out. Now that would have made a good picture of the day- two 51-year-old women doing the Pigeon pose!

Worst Day After Christmas Ever

Picture of the Day for 12/26/2013. Oh no! My brother-in-law David was out walking the dog this morning when he was struck by a car as he was crossing an intersection. David had the right-of-way so the driver, who was turning left, is very much at fault. At least the driver stopped (which seems to be the exception rather than the norm with vehicle-pedestrian accidents) and has insurance. A pedestrian who witnessed the event ran out into the intersection to help David and call an ambulance. David could see there was no avoiding getting hit so he pushed the dog out of the way. A policeman brought the dog home and informed my sister Paula about the accident. 

Poor banged-up David. He has a smashed kneecap and three broken vertebrae. He had surgery for the knee and now has a metal plate and screws that will be a permanent part of his knee. Fortunately, the compression fractures in his back won't require surgery. His prognosis is good, but he's in for a very looooooong recovery. 

The picture below is from a screen hanging in the waiting room that lists the status of the surgical patients and procedures. David is the DEL at the bottom of the list. In an interesting twist of fate, David and his surgeon share the same first and middle names- David Earl!

Elder Collin's Christmas Morning

Picture of the Day for 12/25/2013. I spent Christmas morning at my sister Robynne's house. Every member of her family was in attendance, even her son Rob who is serving an LDS mission in Gallup, New Mexico. 

If you're wondering why a 19-year-old young man has a wrinkled neck and age spots on his hands, that's because his face has been superimposed upon a Ronald Reagan standee. 

Even though the real Rob Collins was not actually here, we were able to speak with him for about 45 minutes. Mormon missionaries are able to call home twice a year- on Christmas and on Mother's Day. At the best of times, Rob is a man of very few words and this wasn't the best of times because he wasn't feeling well. It was nice hearing his voice, but man oh man that was an "interesting" call trying to get Rob to provide details about his mission and how he's doing. There were a lot of "yes" and "no" and "fine" and "good" responses to our questions. 

Cookie-Making Assembly Line

Picture of the Day for 12/24/2013. My holiday baking this year consisted of making about 493* batches of chocolate chip cookies. I finally got it down to an assembly line process which simplified things considerably.

*OK- that was a slight exaggeration.**

**Saying I made 493 batches of cookies was a grand exaggeration so the fact I used the word "slight" was an exaggeration too. Ha, ha, ha! I'm so clever!

Fellow Norwegians

Picture of the Day for 12/23/2013. Yesterday at church my neighbor asked me to come for a Christmas visit. I actually followed up and dropped by John and Betty Gundersen's house today and spent a pleasant half-hour chatting with them. This is worthy of documentation because I drop the social ball so often it's a surprise I still have friends. It can take me months to respond to an email or a Facebook message. 


I have known the Gundersens my entire life and I sure do love them. Maybe it's that Norwegian heritage we share. Not only are our families neighbors here, but we found out recently though some genealogical records that our families had neighboring farms in Norway "back in the day." Mormons have a saying, "Families are Forever," but in this case we should probably add, "Neighbors are Forever!"

Speaking of Norwegian heritage, I loved this painting of a Viking ship that was hanging in their living room. I think I would have gotten along just fine with my Viking ancestors. I have a secret wild streak (not so secret now that I've mentioned it) that's a mile long and I love exploring so I probably would have joined in on some pillaging raids "back in the day."

Christmas Jacket

Picture of the Day for 12/22/2013. One of my neighbors wore this "in your face" red plaid jacket to church today in honor of Christmas. I had to have a picture of it. My request for a photo snowballed into a group shot that included myself and Max McBeth, an elderly neighbor who is in his mid-90s and is relentlessly upbeat. I'm sure that's why he's lived so long. Whenever my sister Paula asks how he's doing, he replies, "Happy." He means it too. He's changed his response to "Jolly" this past month during the Christmas season.

Holiday Entertainment

Picture of the Day for 12/21/2013. These two little girls were playing Christmas carols in a little gift shop where I was shopping today. They kept on asking for requests and I kept on throwing out the names of carols I wanted them to play. They knew every one by heart. So, so, so, so very cute. They definitely pulled me out of my "bah humbug" mood.

Ethan's 11th Birthday

Picture of the Day for 12/20/2013. I think this photo says everything you need to know about my great-nephew Ethan. Behind that crossbow and underneath that mask is a cute boy with a Norman Rockwell face and a mischievous grin. A boy who could not have enjoyed celebrating his 11th birthday more tonight.

Snowed In

Picture of the Day for 12/19/2013. Major, major, major snowstorm today which didn't let up all day. By the evening, I was pretty much snowed in. Although driving was out, I did walk around the corner to my church to attend choir practice. We're preparing for our Christmas program next Sunday. No pansy Christmas songs for us- we're doing Handel, Mendelssohn, and Hadyn and being accompanied by an orchestra made up by members of the congregation. I think there's something in the water in our neighborhood since there's a disproportionate number of talented musicians in such a small geographic area. 

Anyhoo, rhapsodizing about the choir and the Christmas program is not the point of this blog entry. Just wanted to say how fun it was to walk at night along the snowy streets. The snow glows so white and dampens sound which makes the world seem so peaceful and still- like something out of a Christmas carol. Love it.

Failed Experiment

Picture of the Day for 12/18/2013. I got a bee in my Christmas bonnet that I was going to make a homemade brown sugar-vanilla-coconut body scrub for some of my friends. I tried it on myself and let's just say the recipe called for way too much oil. If I had some machinery that needed to be lubricated, this concoction would do the trick. As a body scrub, not so much. 

I'm now researching new recipes. I've learned that adding honey apparently balances out the oil. I'll have to give that a try for my next attempt.

Moon Drops Lipstick

Picture of the Day for 12/17/2013. I've been reading the Astronaut Wives Club book (authored by Lily Koppel) I received for my birthday. There's a chapter that describes a photo shoot the wives of the first Mercury 7 astronauts participated in for Life Magazine in 1959. When the magazine came out, the women were shocked to see that the demure pink lipstick they had all worn (in honor of Mamie Eisenhower's favorite color) in a group shot had been replaced with red in the magazine. Shocking!

The book explains that:

In the towering Time-Life Building in New York City, the editors had decided against Mamie Pink because it was fast going out of style. This was the space age after all, and the flare of a bright Patriotic Red on the Astrowives' lips better promised America the moon and the stars. Soon, bouffant hairdos whipped up to the heavens appeared on runways, on sidewalks, and in typing pools, along with frosted "Moon Drops" lipstick, launched by Revlon as "the lipstick to wear to the moon."

I was intrigued by the idea of "Moon Drops" lipstick so I did a google search and discovered the lipstick line is still available 50 years later! Of course I had to buy not one, but three tubes of lipstick in the following fabulous shades: Crystal Cut Coral, Bamboo Bronze, and Copperglaze Sienna. As a space fanatic, it is important to be wearing the proper moon-inspired lipstick!

Rockford Files Marathon

Picture of the Day for 12/16/2013. Cross stitching that sampler for my sister for Christmas has turned into the equivalent of a full-time job as every letter takes several hours to complete. To keep myself occupied, I've been watching The Rockford Files as I stitch. I never watched the show when it aired in the 1970s so I'm having a fabulous time. I'm getting a huge kick out of the cars, hairstyles, clothing, mannerisms, and catch phrases from the 1970s.

Another Future Floridian

Picture of the Day for 12/15/2013. Every year I attend the annual Christmas concert performed by the German Chorus Harmonie with my sister Paula's family.

This event just oozes Christmas:

-It's cold and snowy outside.

-The concert is held in this picturesque church that just looks like it was meant to host Christmas concerts.


-The lights are dim and the Christmas tree lights are glowing.

And how did my great-niece Sadie keep herself occupied during tonight's concert? By drawing a palm tree, sea creatures, and sea shells. I laughed that the whole Christmas ambiance was lost on her, but as a Floridian wannabe, I was impressed!

Advanced Math Required

Picture of the Day for 12/14/2013. My sister Robynne has requested that I cross stitch a sampler for her for Christmas. I'd tell you what the sampler will say, but I'm little hesitant to reveal it. I was at a craft store a few weeks ago looking for alphabet patterns and I made the mistake of telling the clerk about the phrase I intended to cross stitch and she was not amused. Let's just say that it's not a traditional motto (i.e., Families are Forever, Choose the Right, etc.) you'd find in most Mormon homes.

I'm finding that in order to get the spacing right between the letters and across the rows, I had to spreadsheet the pattern. Who knew you needed advanced math in order to cross stitch a simple phrase!

Space Shuttle Ornament

Picture of the Day for 12/13/2013. Everyone should have a space shuttle Christmas tree ornament. At least that's one space fanatic's opinion.

Ye Olde Trendy Clothing

Picture of the Day for 12/12/2013. I attended the annual Dickens Christmas Festival with my sister Paula's family. The festival features shopping booths, music, theater, and food. I focused on the shopping options, of course. I'm always amused by the vendors who are dressed in Victorian garb, speaking in dreadful British accents, and selling ye olde trendy clothing.

Birthday Present Themes

Picture of the Day for 12/11/2013. My birthday presents come in waves. And apparently, they arrive by theme. Yesterday, my friends Suzanne and Susan gave me these candles.


Today, my sister Robynne and her husband Phil (actually Will, but I'm not done calling him Phil) gave me space-related gifts which are always appreciated.

Birthday Portrait Rut

Picture of the Day for 12/10/2013. Today is my birthday and in honor of the event, I took a self-portrait photo just like I did last year. I had to laugh since this year's photo is nearly identical to last year's. Black blouse, curly reddish hair, polka dot iPhone cover, photo taken in my bedroom, and some cleavage showing (which has been totally unintended). Next year I'll work on mixing things up a bit. 

2013


2012

100 Facebook Likes!

Picture of the Day for 12/9/2013. My company's Facebook page has 100 likes! Yay! I'm glad to finally reach that milestone. Now the goal is 1,000 likes!

Where Is My Coat????

Picture of the Day for 12/8/2013. So, it's about 200 degrees below zero here in Salt Lake. OK- I'm exaggerating, but only slightly. This means I'm actually forced to wear a coat outside. I was looking for my coat this morning so I could walk around the corner to church, but couldn't find it for the longest time.

Did I leave it on top of the hamper in the bathroom? Nope.

Did I leave it draped over one of the dining room chairs? Nope.

Did I leave it crumpled in a heap on my bed? Nope.

Did I leave it on my living room couch? Nope.

So, guess where I eventually located my coat? In its proper place in the hallway closet! I laughed so hard when I found it. It never even occurred to me to check there first. I guess that says something about my lackadaisical "returning things to their proper place" habits.

Star Wars Fan in Training

Picture of the Day for 12/7/2013. Emily Southworth's son Sean* has a Star Wars baby blanket! Cute! I guess there's no such thing as being too young to be a fan of the movies.

*See my Answered Prayer blog entry so you know who I'm talking about. 

Bad Christmas Sweater Party

Picture of the Day for 12/6/2013. We were summoned to my niece Renee's place to watch what is possibly one of the cheesiest Christmas movies ever produced- Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage. 


In honor of the cheesy nature of the film, we were instructed to wear bad Christmas sweaters. Since I'm not in possession of a Christmas sweater, I tried to find one at a thrift store, but had no luck. I ended up buying a Christmas t-shirt at Walmart that has actually generated a few compliments rather than the hoped-for derision. Aside from my sister Paula, I was the only other attendee wearing a Christmas-themed clothing item so you'd think my chances were high for winning the prize Renee was offering, but no, Paula was declared the winner. 


Our friend Kelli brought her puppy Jack and he was a welcome attendee at the party since he's so dang cute. 




After the movie, we decorated gingerbread men and my niece Lisa made a Peter O'Toole tribute cookie (wild-looking white hair) and looked wild-eyed as I took this photo. O'Toole played an artist in the film and pretty much looked crazed and wild-eyed throughout the entire movie. I think O'Toole was unaware he wasn't acting in a Shakespearean tragedy. It was awesome.  

Invalid Outing

Picture of the Day for 12/5/2013. About a week ago, I was in my niece Chantal's neighborhood so I dropped by for a visit. We ended up running to the nearby mall for a few minutes. Upon our return, Chantal's daughter Hayely declared that technically this could not be called an outing since we weren't gone that long. I have never had an outing judged as invalid before. Personally, I think Hayley declared the outing invalid because she wasn't included. Of course we informed Hayley that her "invalid outing" criterion was invalid. 

Today was family lunch and afterward Chantal and I did some shopping and made some purchases. We even took photographic proof of our outing. Surely, we thought, Hayley could not declare this outing invalid, but indeed she did. Apparently, she has decreed that an activity that is conducted weekly cannot be labeled an outing. Sheesh. Miss Bossy Pants. 

Chillaxin Accessories

Picture of the Day for 12/4/2013. I have a friend who likes to say he's chillaxing- a hybrid of "chilling out" and "relaxing." I was at Costco today and saw that there are actual chillaxing accessories! I wouldn't mind chillaxing in this chair.

Pioneer Woman Book Signing

Picture of the Day for 12/3/2013. The Pioneer Woman (famous blogger, cookbook author, and Food Network personality) was in town today at The King's English bookstore signing copies of her latest cookbook. She was lovely, both in appearance and temperament. She was so engaging with every person there. I was a fan before, but now I'm a super-fan. She commented on our matching red hair when we had our picture taken. I had to laugh when I saw the photograph. She looks more like my sister than either one of my sisters. There could not be three people on the planet who look less alike than we three Merrill girls. 

Hair Barometer

Picture of the Day for 12/2/2013. I think sometimes my hair is a barometer for the kind of day I've had. As you can see from my wild, out-of-control hair, today was a baaaaaaaaaaad day. This is highly unusual since I'm normally unrelentingly perky and upbeat. Let's just say 2013 has been an interesting year. 

The Beagles are Circling

Picture of the Day for 12/1/2013. My sister Paula has a tradition where she gives 1st of December gifts to her family to start off the Christmas season. I got a kick out of my niece Corinne being surrounded by beagles as she's opening up her present. It's almost like those nature documentaries where the wild beasts are circling their prey for the kill. In this instance, the beagles (the most non-lethal animals on the planet) were circling Corinne in hopes of attacking the discarded wrapping paper. 

"Once Upon a Time" Obsession

Picture of the Day for 11/30/2013. My sister Robynne loves the TV show Once Upon a Time so I decided to check it out on Netflix and now I'm totally obsessed. Some of the story lines resonate with me in particular. I guess that's why fairy tales have been so popular for centuries; they certainly address universal themes, even when you're nearly 51 years old.

And on a slightly creepy note, I find myself strangely attracted to Rumpelstiltskin. Well, make that the actor (Robert Carlyle) who plays Rumpelstiltskin and his modern day counterpart, Mr. Gold. It's his voice. I'm a sucker for a melodious voice.