Female in Motion

Today is Cyber Monday. For all of you who do not shop online, it is the day that shopping websites make more sales than any other day of the year. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when shoppers get up at the crack of dawn to buy out the big retailers. Cyber Monday is the online equivalent. I took full advantage of all my email coupons, and left a blazing trail across the World Wide Web! Truly, I had done some of my Christmas shopping before today. I had found several things in September and October that caught my eye, so I purchased those early. Because we live in Siberia(!), and the fact that I run an office out of my home, online shopping is a good fit. I have purchased this way for about eight years. Amazon, J.C. Penney's and Old Navy have great websites and I do most of my shopping there. They have great return policies, fast delivery and are safe and secure. Thanksgiving weekend came off great! We had lots of fun with the girls and Drew on Thursday. The Hubster has ...

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I hope you all have a really great weekend. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Great food, and no hubbub over gifts! The best part of the day has got to be the family getting together...stuffing our faces, watching movies and maybe the Macy's parade. I'm a sucker for those huge balloons. Our daughters, Sarah and Rachel, and Rachel's boyfriend, Drew, will be coming down on Thursday to partake of the traditional bird dinner with all the goodies. Rachel will be making her famous cranberry salad. She makes it every year, and it's delicious! Let me know if you want the recipe. The menu includes three appetizers, turkey with six side dishes and a choice of chocolate torte or pumpkin cake. The Hubster and I always divvy up the cooking duties. He's the executive chef in the house and I'm the sous chef. I do appetizers, a couple of sides and the chocolate torte. The Hubster was trained as a cook in the Navy, and he comes from ...

I took a trip last week. It was kind of like falling through the rabbit hole, like Alice in Wonderland. I landed in a place I had never been before, and saw things that were wondrous. The University of Missouri at Columbia is truly a wondrous and beautiful place. My experience there may change the rest of my life. When my dear father died two and a half years ago, we searched for a way to honor his memory. My sister, Laurie, remembered how much Dad loved his years at MU and the education that helped him become a successful engineer. She and Mom researched the possibility of a memorial there. The endowment team at the University were top-notch, and in no time at all, the Kirk R. Monson Memorial Engineering Scholarship was a reality! On Thursday night, my mom, sister Donna, and I attended the Engineering Department Scholarship Banquet, and got to meet our first recipient, Spencer. He's a terrific guy! Really smart, funny and engaging young man with a love of physics and old motorcycl...

I have a lot of fun teaching the Middle School Sunday School class at my church. I've been doing it for several years, and it's a big challenge, but very rewarding. Studying for class has helped me to learn even more about the Bible than before. The kids are insightful, active, and at times, aggravating! Bringing snacks and treats to share with the class was a natural, after all, they're teenagers. Eating is what they do! I usually try to take something healthy, but once in a while I take candy. Slippery slope! Once the other kids in the church found out I had candy in my bag, there was no stopping it. They were driving me crazy, so I told them if they behaved themselves during the worship service, they could all have a piece of candy. I had no idea what a Candy Monster I had created! Now every kid in church lines up after services and pours over the bag for just the right piece. I even get requests for certain types of candy: lollipops, gum, white chocolate, etc. I have a ...