Holy Headbands!!

(This is a letter I wrote to my bookclub buddies who came over to my house (some of them several times) to help in my vision of making and taking headbands to the Peruvian women.  I don't think I would have ended-up doing even one without their help, but their enthusiasm and desire to serve pumped out 75!)

Kami Tilby, me, Cindy Sorenson, Jennie Blaser, Kami Eck and Barb Oyler on our second run.

Michelle Sanders hard at work..look at the chaos on that table!

A wave to the Peruvian women.  What glamorous models!

Dear Sisters in the gospel,

Two recipients from the Urcos Branch.

  As conference ends, I feel a great gratitude for each of you and the time I get to spend in your association.  I have failed miserably my whole life to put in writing my thanks to those who give me something or help me out, so I wanted to take the time now to do what I've thought about for three months now....thank you for your help in preparing the headbands for the Peruvian ladies.  It is an experience that will always stay with me, all of you so eager to serve and show these strangers your love.  The experience of handing them out was priceless.  I have to say that I felt a little bit of trepidation about whether they would like them or not (especially those over about 25 years of age).  You'll notice in the pictures, that as the trip progressed, that I made an effort to wear one everyday so that as I handed them one they could really relate to how "in" and cute it would be (because I make such a convincing model ).  But the enthusiasm they had for them really did seem to go up when they saw the American with one on.  I gave them to girls ranging from age 5 to 90, ranging from trendy to poor as could be.  I will tell you a couple of specific experiences.
   My biggest fear as I left was that I would not be able to distribute 75 headbands/flower barrettes.  I pictured myself having to give them to the mission office, having them distribute them somehow.  In the end, I wished I had been more conservative in my generosity, for I ran out before our return trip to Lima and several more would have been appreciated there (they ended-up with my tackier souvenirs....cowboy boot and cactus erasers, etc.)
  I think my first headband/barrette giveaway was to our tour driver's wife.  She came along with him to pick us up at about 10pm from our day at Machu Picchu.  He had been a meek and valiant driver, so I wanted to show my appreciation somehow(besides the fabulous M&M sampler pack I had given him the previous day).  I pulled the bagged headbands and barrettes out and waited anxiously for her reaction and selection (remember all our theories on what Peruvian women might like?...bright primary colors...festive, etc.-----We were wrong!).  She picked one of my favorite fabric strip headbands--earth tones-- and then proceeded to ask if she could have another for her daughter....cha ching!!!  Mission accomplished, the Peruvians were going to happily----and eagerly---accept our made-with-love, trendy American headbands.  In the bed and breakfast that they dropped us off at, the owners were the first, and only, members in the town of Chinchero:

Antonio and his wife in their lovely bed and breakfast...a highlight of our trip, even though I got sick and spent one day in bed there (what better place to be?...they babied me like a mother would).  The food and hospitality were unbelievable!

lovely, lovely people.  I arranged a selection in the drawer of the room and invited their 10ish year old daughter to come make her choices.  She was giddy with excitement and helped herself to more than I had planned on, but thanked me profusely.   I think she literally skipped out of the room. 
   So far I had yet to see someone actually wearing one of our productions, so our next day in Chinchero brought great joy when I handed a fabric headband to a young school girl in the poor village (I gave a flower barrette to her sidekick).  I clumsily tried to explain with my English and some mime how to wear it.  I didn't know if she understood.  We left them and went to see some village ladies dye wool (and give us a sales job).  After the show...and feeling extreme guilt that we did not buy anything from this less frequented village (we were fearful of running out of money because of some unforetold situations), we drove back around through the school plaza where we had seen the girls.  The one girl was there playing....with her headband on!!!!  I hastily asked the driver (or, that is, had James ask) if we could pull over and take a picture.  Truthfully, I think she looks kind of funny in it...if I make them again, I will make them thinner; but she was happy as could be!

  My biggest giveaway was in a town called Urcos, the next day, 4th of July, on a Sunday.  James served there as branch president and it was really where his heart was in his mission experience. When we created the headbands in the first place, this is where I pictured myself handing them out.  We walked into the small building serving as their church.  There were four women and about eight children (half of them girls), and the missionaries.  I didn't know when the appropriate time would be to unload my stash, but Sunday School/ Primary began and no teachers were there that day.  While the missionaries tried to put a video on for the kids in the other room, with Art's encouragement, I heartily unloaded my stash onto the floor.  I was pleasantly surprised to see them politely, yet excitedly, dive right in, in search of their favorite.  I let them know that they could take a few; they seemed happy about that.  The R.S. president said that she wished I could stay there and teach them how to make them.  I couldn't refrain from heading to the primary after that, matching  flowers and headbands to the girls' attire.

The Urcos primary children and a mom.

The R.S. president and her two children.  We had lunch after church here in her house with other guests.  Her house was about the size of my master bathroom.  The toilet was a bucket in a hole in the ground.  The food was delicious!...but I ate around the chicken leg in my soup.  These were my favorite kids on the trip.  They played jacks with Art and I on their VERY uneven wooden floor (which was a luxury compared to the dirt floors in many of the homes we visited).

Julio, Pillar, and us.  Pillar was my main source of the photos I received of James on his mission, so I took her a special gift of the Reflections of Christ book (along with a headbands, of course).  James tells me they were just sealed!.. Dec. 8, 2010

A family on the outskirts of Urcos.  The dad is a professor and the girl on the left was always joked to be James' "wife".

That was the only group giveaway I had.  Most of the rest were just one headband at a time.  At one house our great creations hit a snag.  I found it interesting because at this point I was down to about ten headbands and they were the ones that I personally liked the least, but really thought that they looked what in my mind was most "Peruvian"....a little burlap, some bright fabric, a button, and some twine.  We entered the house of a group of four sisters, all members living in Cusco.  They were a jolly bunch, really friendly.

The "Minnie Mouse" sisters.  The one on the left was the one I was looking at in horror.

  I passed the headbands around, a little reticently because I knew they were the least desired of 75 headbands.  They graciously took them and the sisters with the burlap ones put them on right away.  In the midst of our conversation, I looked over at one of the sisters and felt  horrified....she looked RIDICULOUS!  The "flower" had been placed too far in the center of the headband and sat directly on top of her head.  I tried to tell myself that it was just an initial shock and that it couldn't really be that bad; I looked again.  Yep, that bad.  Just then her sister across the room started laughing her head off and pointing to the ridiculous looking sister.  She said (in Spanish...but by that point I was getting pretty good at deciphering) something like, "You look like Minnie Mouse!!!!".  Actually I was relieved that something was said.  I was beginning to picture her proudly wearing it to church in the months to come and people laughing behind her back.  I hurriedly explained the problem and suggested she rip it off and adjust its position.  They were nice about it, and we continued to laugh (she left it on). With the remainder of the burlap type I explained their "issue" as soon as I gifted them.

   I gave away two used headbands on the trip.  Embarrassingly I have to admit that before I had given any away, I fell in love with two that Liz Hall had made.  I contemplated putting them aside in case I had a lot left over and then maybe I could justify keeping one.  Well....before we left for Peru, Art had insisted that I could not use a blow dryer or curling iron with their voltage, so I would just have to get by.  The curlers I took turned-out to be useless, and I was just making do and trying not to think too much about it.

James, Art, and I at the Machu Picchu entrance.

 So, we wake up in our motel the morning we are to visit Machu Picchu and I look down at the headbands and I can't take it any longer....one of them matches my outfit perfectly!!!...and it would make my curl-less hair look so much better!  I gave into temptation and wore it proudly all day (only worrying that Liz may see my pictures on Facebook and cry foul).  I even got a comment from a young female Mormon tourist, "You look too good to be at Machu Picchu."!!
(That comment will keep my head big for the next 20 years.)

P.S. I wasn't the only one to wear this headband...Kami Tilby wore it first in our above picture posing.

A couple of days later, as almost all headbands had run out, I gave it to a young mother.  I felt bad because I hadn't had the time to iron it.  I saw her open it and press it between her fingers, as though trying to make it look new and fresh.

The victim of the used headband.  We visited in this family's bedroom, sitting on the bed and being served rice pudding with at least 8 other family members there as well.  She was the oldest daughter in the family (that's her boy).

     Look at the grip this sister has on her headband...either she fears it will be stolen or she is about to destroy it on our departure. Her mother worked at the pharmacy too so I ran back and gave her a metal headband with a gray flower.

   So sorry, Liz!! (BTW I already apologized to her verbally)  The other used one was the very last one I gave away.  It was actually one I had made for myself but this sweet mother looked on longingly as I gave a "Minnie Mouse" headband to her cousin (I patted myself on the back for giving away one of my own and then I reunite with a fellow missionary mom who had been visiting in different areas with her son and husband and she had given away her nice rings, bracelets, and necklaces to admiring ladies.  So much for my "generosity"!). 

The lady I have my arm around was obsessed with me and the American way.  Her and her mom stared at me our first visit and finally asked me how I had such beautiful skin (which I thought was pretty funny).  I gave the daughter my face lotion the next day.  It only had a very small amount left in it, but she was very appreciative and said she would tell all her friends she got it from her American friend.  I refer to her as my "best friend" in Peru because she was so chummy. Her looks reminded me a bit of Kelly Despain, but this is a horrible picture of her.  They were kind enough to invite us back a second day for a guinea pig feast.  This was in Cusco...in one of the nicest houses we encountered.

So, that was my grand headband/barrette adventure.  I know nobody else would have made such a production out of it, but it was important to me.  Art and James were extremely patient with the whole production.  Every night in the hotel/hostel, I would arrange, sort, and rearrange all my goods.  I wanted to be certain I had what I needed for the day, and didn't want to carry around unnecessary stuff.  As it was, the last day I had such an aching pain down my side and to my waist...turns out it was just muscle pain from carrying a heavy bag all day.  Hats off to Shauna for insisting I take her giant purse with me for all my gift endeavors.  It did it's job well, although I cursed it from the moment we left the Phoenix airport...brad feet falling off, the lining ripping, and zipper pulls falling off.  I swore Shauna was sabotaging me!  : )  It did hold the goods, though, that's for sure.  Thanks again to all of you who were so willing to pitch-in and help.  I always love our interactions!!  Anyone up for headbands to Argentina??  We have almost two years...imagine how many we could inundate Argentina with!!   ; )

How ironic...you can thank me later.

  One final event of 2009 that I wanted to document (in words, not just in physical appearance) was the scar-resulting injury I received on the fourth of July.  I was preparing our home's interior--last second, as usual--for the arrival of Gallman guests.  I ALWAYS use guests coming as a catalyst to get things done.  Usually I barely have time for cleaning, but sometimes my brain gets confused and thinks that I have time for all kinds of projects that have gone unaccomplished for years.

   I had recently (meaning a few months in "Susan time") gotten this sign at a garage sale and wanted to place it...as inspiration for our coming visitors, I'm sure (by the way, read it and soak it in).
I have this particular wall in the family room that was a family joke for years....that would be because it took YEARS to build it, and many people have questioned it's beauty.  BUT, trend-setter that I am, I have refused to give into their mockings (not to mention that I have received compliments from several people I admire for their decorating prowess).  Anyway, it STILL  remains incomplete; several of the small shelves that run horizontal have yet to be screwed in.  Part of me likes it this way, because then it is easy to adjust the shelf to the height of the decoration I want to put on it.  So the routine is just to place the beam in a position that it catches hold in a spot that is a little more narrow than other parts.
  

The infamous wall

The fourth of July arrives and I intend to make a larger space for this sign to go in.  I begin by placing my hand over a large picture above my head so that it doesn't topple over as I do my deed, pounding the beam upward an inch or two.  After a few pounds, the beam was nearly level when I was pummeled by something above.  My head felt like it had been hit by a 300 lb. boulder and I felt like I was about to pass out.  I screamed out in pain, covering my face with my hands to try and ward-off some of the extreme pain.  One of my children announced to me that I was bleeding.  I figured it was my upper head, but then noticed blood all over my hands. 

The culprit

Turns out this little beauty...a stone frame, had been even higher up on the wall and I hadn't noticed it.  It, along with its' shelf had fallen on my head.  The frame had landed on my face and put a 1 inch slice right above my lip.  Luckily Dr. Gallman (the one I was putting the sign up for ;)  ) ran over and attended to me, inquiring if we had any super glue in the house. Ahh, super glue, one of our new best friends; we have used it two times on facial wounds since that time (once on Nathan's dog bite, and once on Aaron's).
All in all my would has healed well.  I swear it will get progressively worse as I age; but then again, maybe the wrinkles will cover it.
   The moral of the story?  Art thinks it should be "never place heavy objects above your head"...he had already warned me many times before this event, you know.   remind me that he has warned me about several times.  Have I taken it to heart yet?  Lesson learned?  No.  I am sad that I will forever be scarred on my face and because of it my smile is a bit crooked and I think it will just look worse over time (as I get old lady wrinkly lips).  Hence, I write for your benefit...could it be any more ironic that I bash my lip open while trying to hang a sign that says, "

The results

   The moral of the story?  Art thinks it should be "never place heavy objects above your head"...like he had to remind me that he has warned me about several times.  Have I taken it to heart yet?  Lesson learned?  Sorry Art.  No.  I am sad that I will forever be scarred on my face and because of it my smile is a bit crooked.  Maybe I need the sign to say, "Learn to see in your calamities, the ills which you should avoid."  Could it be any more ironic that I bash my lip open while trying to hang a sign that says such a thing?  

Even the inside was super beat-up

Here it is one year later.

2009 in Review: Pregnancy

2009 came and went...many blog entries started and never brought to fruition...many hurdles overcome (many not)...and a new little one to add to our joy. I started off the year by getting pregnant with child #8 and a constant prayer in my heart wondering if this was to be the last. Morningsickness reared it's ugly--make that VERY ugly--head in February. I REALLY wanted to document the pain and anguish that I go through for that 2-3 month period because Heavenly Father blesses us mothers with the ability to forget how awful the misery really was. This picture just might say it all without me trying to find the words to....

Besides feeling like I've been run over by a truck, when I get morningsick (with girls for sure, anyway) I hate anything I was strongly associated with at the time period I got sick in. I call myself "psychotic" during pregnancy because my mind is troubled more than my body. I pretty much hate everything and everybody. This pregnancy I wanted to throw up everytime I entered our theater and saw the new pillows I had bought just as the sickness was coming on...tormented by simply walking into a room. Or looking at the carpets I bought for the family room.
As much as a trial it is for me...hating things that I normally would love, I've come to look at morningsickness as a blessing because it helps me put life into perspective. How important, REALLY, are those things in life that I normally am absorbed in? My Kami pregnancy left me HATING the computer, and more specifically the internet. I would yell out to the kids, on the verge of throwing up, if the computer was loud enough for me to hear. I usually can't step foot into a craft store during my pregancies either; even the thought of it now makes me want to throw up. I didn't have any of these psychotic issues during my pregnancy with Aaron, so that's what makes me think it was mainly with my female pregnancies.

There was a fascinating new occurance with this pregnancy: everytime I threw up, I would pee my pants. I was in the middle of teaching preschool in my 9th month and the dog threw up on the carpet. As I cleaned it, it made me gag and that led to throwing up...which led to peeing my pants. I admitted it to the kids, but carried on anyway because our agenda was too busy to go change at the moment. The kids didn't even flinch at my blatent admission....nor did they judge me by my smell :). You gotta love young children!

By the way, at about month three, I was standing in the shower without a thought in my mind about the pregancy and the future when the thought came to me, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. You are done [because of your health]." I don't know exactly what the health aspect is because the pregnancy was my healthiest, smoothest, most painless ever. But Art and I both feel confident about having done our share in populating the world. We're DONE!!!

P.S. A note for posterity: Yes, pregnancies for me have also brought with them psyatic nerve pain (having to crawl to bed because my hip felt like it was out of joint or pains shot down my thighs), which, by the way I didn't have with the last two pregnancies (I credit a technique I learned from a personal trainer at the gym- rolling my hip on a foamcore regularly.); excrutiating sleep-waking leg cramps (hardly any this pregnancy...I credit exercise and calcium supplements); and food and scent phobias (anything I smelled or ate a lot of while sick). My psychotic issues eased a bit as the pregnancy neared it's end, but many hated smells and objects have stuck with me for YEARS. It's been almost 14 years since I was pregnant with Christie and I still get nauseas when I hear good old kid songs sung by Tom T. Hall. On a positive note: I have been called a "cute" pregnant lady (although I never was blessed with the "basketball belly"-but came close), I'm only sick for the second and third months or so, and I have high energy and ability in my last trimester. This last pregnancy I even LOST 20 pounds simply by exercising rigorously and not eating any chocolate candies for the entire pregnancy. Carrying babies has been a true blessing in my life....I may miss it....I may not.

The savored gift

Today was Aaron's 2nd birthday. It's hard to believe; he's such a little guy (However, he has now moved from the 1% to the 4%! in size). For how little he is, his brain is always going a million miles a minute...and his little hands. I think we presented him with a day that stood out among his usual days (which isn't saying much): He began by joining us for family scripture study at 6am; he isn't always awake for this momentous event. He started out on Art's lap for the first 10-15 minutes, which truly is miraculous (He's a mama's boy, but I'm beginning to realize the painful truth: it is only because I have the huge blessing of being home with him all day. Art had last week off from work and they grew just as close.). Next on the docket, he grabbed Nathan's premade pb&j sandwich off the table and enjoyed a unique breakfast #1. At 8:30 he made his way to the doctor's office for his 2 yr. check-up and one shot (I know, what kind of mom lines their child up for this kind of treatment on their birthday?!). The free stickers at the end made it all worthwhile (oops! STICKER (singular)...just between you and me, I can't resist letting them take more than one). Next, breakfast #2...the tastiest Sausage Egg McMuffin I've had in a very long time (I took half of his and it was much better than the whole one I kept for myself. They must have known it was his birthday.) and a fruit parfait----all while sitting passenger in a Target cart. Pile on that a giant box of SweetTarts to enjoy during his shopping trip, and you've got one happy birthday boy! Home for the arrival of Adison and Jackson Norton visiting, his daily dose of Scooby Doo, lunch with dad, and then a nap with mom. Another out-of-the-ordinary, birthday-celebrating event....a trip to the Sonoma Ranch park with Luke and Ellie Samuelson and Kami (only because mom was forced out of the house to take Sophie to violin lessons). Then home to dinner, and sickness coming on. Could it be the healthy diet fed to him throughout his day? Carvel ice cream cake came from Grandma and then, THE GRAND EVENT.... the opening of the presents!
And here is where my real story starts:
Amid my myriad of Clearance shopping trips to Target, I found a great little Winnie the Pooh treehouse set that I could not leave behind even though I knew we needed toys and more clutter like a hole in the head....not to mention that I already have a stockpile of future presents for him (bought on Clearance at Target, of course----current observation, I capitalize "clearance". I guess that's how grand it's considered in my mind, because I am a real stickler for proper capitalization). So, I brought it home. It was contained in a box with dimensions of about 24''H x 14" W and 8" deep. It ended up in the pile of debris living around our pool table, waiting for the illustrous day to be wrapped. It wasn't long before Aaron caught sight of the waiting item and began to show a great desire for it. One day I sat relaxed on our living room sofa when in darts Aaron, obviously with a mission, but also with a deadly 10" Ginsu knife in tow. That little bugger was off to cut the tape off the box and retrieve his prize! A few weeks later I found him running the same scenario, this time cutting back to a mere Ginsu steak knife. Finally some genius around here put the box up high...out of sight, out of mind. Well, this past Saturday, on a morning milk run, I couldn't resist the pull of garage sale signs. We ended-up at one and Sophie, Aaron, and I got out. As I pondered what was to be my loot for the day, Aaron walked up to me and matter-of-factly handed me his chosen goods (a Disney CD and gift wrap with tacky fish and sharks pictured all over it from the movie Shark Tale). My first thought was that he had lost his knack for picking out the perfect items for himself (we've shopped thrift stores together many a times and he always makes a pick that he ends-up thoroughly enjoying)...no way were we buying that awful gift wrap. The disappointed, and at the same time, determined look on his face made me think twice and realize that it was the perfect answer to his present at home getting wrapped; subconsiously I had already determined that he knew what the present was and I didn't really want to waste any of my nice wrap on it. We came home and commenced wrapping. He studiously went to work placing tape pieces all over it. The rest of the day involved watching Shark Tale with the present nearby, and then watching Shark Tale again, and then watching Shark Tale again, and then watching Shark Tale again. I know, you would think a group of seven of us would have better control over a little toddler, but he is adamant about DVDs and which he wants and also runs the machine like a pro; so before we knew it, Shark Tale was playing again and we all fell Zombie to its magic. At the end of the day, Aaron proceeded to carry his gift toward the stairs, wanting to take it to his room to look over. Next day comes and he's trotting it back downstairs for breakfast and then back upstairs for bathtime, etc. So, today the big day has finally arrived that he can break open the long-awaited gift. Before scripture study we excitedly offer him the opportunity...he wants nothing to do with it! He can't bear to ruin the wrap job. All morning he refuses to budge, and then insists we take it to the doctor's office as well. I drew the line at bringing it out of the car; it stayed behind and behaved itself (I think). It wasn't until the cake's arrival that he resigned himself to the excitement and opened the beloved gift. Then there was no looking back! As feverish as he was becoming he really dug in and enjoyed the fruits. Aren't birthdays the greatest?! (Especially in today's day and age where birthday spankings aren't all the rage....and the pinch to grow on!)

Emotional Affirmation

When I was a kid, my siblings and I always got the biggest kick out of watching my mom watch T.V. The emotions revealed on her face were hilarious (big frowns in sad places was our favorite). I think we enjoyed watching her more than the T.V. show.

I still get a big kick out of human nature and how people will look at each other as they are watching a show to see if the other person is getting the same amusement out of it that they are. We were watching our Brian Regan DVD (a hilarious comedian) the other day that we've seen a million times and the girls were still eyeballing Art at the punchlines to see if he was experiencing joy from that particular joke. I couldn't resist getting my camera out to try to catch "the look" on film. I guess Art is no different from the way my mom was, because whatever face he was making, it sure did crack Sophie up! From one generation to the next.

Living on the Wild Side!

Growing up, I have strong memories of visiting my Grandma and Grandpa Higginson's house and having the time of our lives as we twirled around in Grandma's overstuffed rocking chair....that is until we were abruptly caught in the evil act and told to NEVER do that because it would ruin the ballbearings. A wives tale? I do not know, but that feeling of repression has always stuck with me. So, last week as I made a stop at the Goodwill, my childhood dreams were fulfilled....a chair I can spin in to my heart's content!!! And roll in and rock in, and go up and down in! It's almost too much to take in. At first I told myself that I was buying it for my children, that I would let them roll all around the tile floors of our home and spin to the ends of the earth. But after taking it on a trial run that first night, I find myself feeling rather possessive of it. Have I given it a name? No, that will definetely be the clincher of ownership. The beauty only cost me $4 and I have yet to discover anything terminally wrong...just missing arms which I can look past (I am one of those accepting type of people, you know).

Blog World, Here I Come!

THESE ARE the CHARACTERS I HANG OUT WITH ALL DAY...Aaron Wellington & Kami Carraway. (Notice the state of Aaron's face and Kami's hair...& get used to it.)

Huh? Am I really here? Am I really doing this? Talk about having a personality of major procrastination. I've been talking about doing this for months now...probably over a year...or years, and now I finally build up some rare Susan gumption, and behold it's done in minutes. How ridicules I've been! I think the kicker was people offering to help me (which was very kind and very appreciated)...that led me to believe that it was well beyond me doing myself. WOW! I'm really doing this! Wait a minute, I need to pause to pat myself on the back. Good girl.

Well, now is the miracle moment when I HAVE to turn over a new leaf and keep my house clean, my children immaculate, and my camera intact. You know that will never happen, so you're about to see the "real me"...those of you who havn't believed me when I've told you how bad I am about housekeeping and basic hygiene. I would take a live, in-the-moment picture of us right now and post it if I could (Diaper only, and very dirty, bed-head Aaron sitting next to me at our cluttered dining room table; and me in yesterday's clothes and ponytail. Kami is dressed...but in her own concoction...definitely not a match, and hair uncombly) but #1) I don't know where my camera is (I'm beginning to fear that someone came in and stole it off our dining room table during Christmas break. No, I don't usually blame my losing something on a being coming in and stealing it...but it was a BEAUTIFUL camera and it is missing.) #2) I don't know how to download pictures to my computer. So for now, to see the full ramifications of this blogging business, I will just go to my picture file and pick the most appropriate, cute, funny... or in other words, whichever picture catches my eye for this auspicious occasion. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!