Stuck in Traffic

Stuck in traffic lately? I am daily. Every time I find myself stuck in a lane behind a truck I can't see around (such as the one above) I think back to an experience I had in Provo, Utah, years ago.

It was a typical day for me, driving home after a day of work from the Provo river bottoms to our South Provo apartment. I usually took University Avenue because it was a straight shot home. I haven't lived in Provo in 12 years, so I hope this street has changed, but I doubt it.

At the time it was a tree-lined street with two lanes on either side, a turning lane (shared by both sides of the road) in the middle, and one lane on each side for parking. It felt narrow, especially during Provo's "rush hour."

Day after day I would get trapped behind some large truck or another. Traffic was tight. Cars would jockey for prime positions. I couldn't see what was in front of the truck; I often couldn't see much in the other lane, and so I would plod on, inch by inch, light by light, angry and frustrated feeling that the drive home was lasting forever.

One evening my perspective changed. As I plodded along behind yet another large truck for yet another mile, my frustration mounting, I spied an opening in the lane to my right. I signaled, looked, and zipped over into that lane. I nearly fainted. Both lanes in front of the slow truck (and now me) were open. They were clear! They had probably been clear for some time, as cars had sped past me and Mr. Slow Truck on the right and turned onto various streets, freeing up that right lane.

What I thought had been a slow evening traffic jam was just one slow truck and me following that truck like an idiot, not believing there could be anything better or different about this commute. (Sadly enough, there was also a long line of cars behind me.)

I remember thinking to myself, this is a lot like life. In front of me looms a huge problem or obstacle that I follow for a while, not seeing the end of it. I can't see around it or in front of it. All I can see is IT. I follow it blindly, meanwhile getting more and more distraught when in reality, there is a free and open road right in front of it. 

I took that moment to heart. It became a personal "aha" moment that I'd smile about when stuck in traffic I couldn't see around. Would I let the truck hold me back? Would I take a chance to zip into the next lane and see what was ahead or would I doggedly eat the fumes of Mr. Slow Truck?

Applying it to my life . . . would I let a big, ugly divorce restrain me? Would I let problems at work keep me behind? Would I allow my own self-esteem issues hinder my emotional, mental or spiritual growth? Would my past failures hold me down? No way! No way.

So next time you're stuck in traffic behind a truck you can't see around, think of my lesson. Are you going to let it hold you back or are you going to take a chance and see what's around it?


Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credits:
http://www.chickenmonkeydog.com/
http://www.yearinmexico.blogspot.com/

Today's the Day

When I started this blog, my first post was about roller coasters. I compared riding a roller coaster to marriage. I actually wrote that post for my baby brother. (He didn't know it.) At the time he was in his late 20's and while he had dated many great ladies, he just hadn't met the right one. I was so afraid he would give up or grow discouraged about marriage. Luckily he didn't.

Today's the day he and his sweet fiancee marry. I am so proud of them. She has endured a lot of heartache in the marriage department prior to my brother. He has been the lone bachelor in our family for a while. They are our children's favorite uncle and soon-to-be-aunt. They are good, kind people who live righteously and who will make amazing parents. I hope they will have a wonderful marriage and remember the feelings of love they have for each other today when marriage life gets difficult down the road.

I am so glad they took this step to be married in the temple and wish them all of the joy they deserve. Love you both!!!

Spring Break 2011

Spring Break this year was full of fun and surprises. I'm grateful to my parents, hubby, in-laws, and son J for making it so memorable! I really needed some fun.

 Tron was a BIG deal at our house this spring. We were excited to find all kinds of Tron stuff going on.

Yes, J and I rode California Screamin (in the background.) Loved it!!!

Got to see the preview for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie with real pirates!

After a couple of days at Disneyland, we dropped off Mima, picked up Steve, and headed to Southern Utah to visit Steve's folks. We stopped at Baker Reservoir to check out the massive amount of water there. 

 Handsome devil! You can see why I love this guy!!!!

 J and Grandpa target shooting with J's BB gun out back.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry

Photo credit: Corrina Terry

No Crystal Stair

This blog was inspired by a posting I left on an author's blog recently. She'd posted Maya Angelou's poem, "Phenomenal Woman."  I hadn't read that poem since college. It was cool then and made me proud to be a woman, but I was in my early 20's. What the heck did I know about being a woman? I'd only been one for about 4 years.

It seems that I love myself differently for different things, in each stage of my life. (Does that make sense?) What I loved about myself at 20, I still love, but I've found so much more to love along the way. Now at age 40 I love things about myself I never noticed or appreciated before (like the fact that my body is flexible, my knees still work, and I have a confidence in myself I didn't have at 23.) It's pretty dang cool.

There's another poem about life and aging that I read with my students at school. It's by Langston Hughes and is a mother telling her son life is hard, but not to give up.


Mother to Son


Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.

'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
    ----Langston Hughes

Life for me ain't been no crystal stair either. Childhood was pretty blissful, but adult life has been the stairway Hughes described. I suppose I love this poem because it's exactly what I'd tell my son Josh. Life hasn't been easy and sometimes it hasn't even been kind, but I'm not giving up. He shouldn't give up either.

Reading this at 40 I feel like I know exactly how that mother in the poem feels, but 40 years from now I know I'll be chuckling at the younger, limber me and saying to myself, "Girl, you had NO idea!!" 

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: http://www.rb-29.net/

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring has sprung! I love this time of year. Everything is green (in Vegas this is a very short period of time--- February through early June), the air is cool, and it even rains once in a while.

Our Spring Break is exceptionally late this year. It begins Monday and, for me, marks the true beginning of spring. I'm sooooooooooooooooo ready for it! The kids at school have been so squirrelly they'll barely do a lick of work and I'm sick of waking up in the dark at 5:30 am every morning. A week off travelling to Cali and Utah are just what the Doctor ordered.

So here's a toast to spring: Hope our allergies are mild, our grass is green, and our heating bills are low! Bottoms up! ;o)

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Unknown (I found it years ago.)

Where I'm From

I don't know why this picture imported into Blogspot sideways and I'm not sure how to rotate it, but I wanted to share the idea with you, the reader.

This is a poem prompt that I use with my 7th graders. It's fun and fairly easy for them to use the template to brainstorm. After all, it's all about them!  I give them an example of my own work  to show them. If you're stuck with nothing to write about, use the template yourself. You'll be amazed at what you come up with.

The poem below is mine from last year. Hope you enjoy!

"Where I'm From"

                                                          "I'm from Las Vegas,

The golden city of gambling and lights,

A city that like a siren calls to gamblers everywhere.

I'm from old-school Vegas,

With its mafia kids, open deserts, and 10 high schools.

I'm from my parents' house,

Big and noisy,

A crystal clear pool and green paved tennis court,

Roller skates, bikes, and big wheels,

Full of life and laughter.

I'm from Cedar Mounatin,

Fresh air, miles of green trees, and blue lakes and streams.

I'm from summers in the mountains with my grandparents,

                                     Building forts, drinking pop, and walking to the
                                                             store for ice cream.

                                                       I'm from Christmas mornings,

Up before dawn, waiting for Grandpa and Grandma,

Opening presents and eating candy.

I'm from my Mom---

Her face, her hair, her baking skills, her optimism.

I'm from my Dad---

His grit, his temper, his desire for knowledge.

I'm from my Grandpa---

His nose, his love of animals, his thoughtful ways.

I'm from my Grandma---

Her stubbornness, her zest for life, her feistiness."

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry

Ideas

My muse has been absent this week. During the week I give everything I've got to teaching and then at home (cooking, cleaning, laundry, boys' homework, lessons, Scouts, etc.), plus I've been working out like a mad women to get ready for swimsuit season. (It starts early here in warm, sunny Vegas.) ;o)

So I've been reading and recharging over the weekends, but there aren't any cool or funny ideas swirling around in my brain this weekend. (Well, maybe for a book, but not for my blog.)  :o)

That's not say I haven't seen amazing things or been inspired this week. Here's a list of a few things that made my week:

1. Steve and D did the dishes for me Tuesday night. It was nice to come home from an evening of chauffeuring J around to a clean kitchen! This hubby of mine is a KEEPER!

2. Students achieving and caring. There is one girl in particular who has come a LONG way in my English class. She's an English Language Learner and struggled remembering nouns and verbs at the beginning of the year. Now she's got simple, compound, and complex sentences mastered!!!! I praised and praised her in front of the class. Her proud smile was worth putting up with the rest of them.  ;o)

3. My courtyard. I bought a new front door mat and replanted some annuals that were bunched together. Flowers are blooming and plants are growing. J and I also painted the front gate last Saturday and now it's looking sharp out there!

4. Primary. I think the Sunbeams are my favorite kids in Primary. They are so fun---I love that age. Today a friend of mine with no children of her own subbed for them. This sweet lady has never taught in Primary. I could just feel her nervousness. Guess what? She ROCKED!!! One of the little Sunbeams looked at me afterward and said, "I like my teacher!" I smiled and told him that I liked her too. I also shared his comment with my friend. I think it made her day. I know it made mine.

5. Sons getting along. I remember growing up with siblings. It can be like "Lord of the Flies" one minute and "Little Women" the next. ;o) Today the boys have gotten along pretty well. When they get along it makes our whole home more peaceful. It also makes their momma's heart proud when they choose the right.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: ideachampions.com

Is It Vacation Time Yet???

I still have a MONTH until Spring Break and 2 1/2 months until summer. (I'm not counting or anything.) Here's where I'd like to be right now:

A lovely Caribbean beach.



Or here:
On the North Shore, Laie, Hawaii beach.




Or maybe here:


I'm sensing a theme here. Hmmmmmm . . .

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry

Red Sauce

Magpie #56

She learned to make red sauce
at the elbow of her Italian grandmother;
a recipe passed down for generations.

Garlic, olive oil, salt, basil, stewed tomatoes,
ingredients part of her being, part of her history;
she smelled memories as it simmered in the pot.

Copyright 2011 Corrina Terry
Photo credit: Tess Kincaid @ http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2011/03/mag-56.html

Change

"I may be changed by what has happened to me, but I will not be diminished by it."
   ----Maya Angelou

How many of us are comfortable with change? I'm not. I just got a new Iphone. I was a Blackberry girl. I loved that Blackberry. My poor phone was 2 years old, had survived multiple drops and even sat in an inch of water at the bottom of my purse once. It was time for a change.

My new phone is fast. It's sleek. It has amazing capabilities. When I think back to my younger years, I would've LOVED a phone like this. It holds a copy of my Itunes, takes clear pictures, allows me to search the internet, email friends, keep up on social networks, holds the LDS Hymn Book, scriptures, and has very cool apps. But it has been painful to learn all of these new things. I've been uncomfortable at times and know that my brain is rerouting information in a new way. Now I know how my students feel when they have to learn about subject-verb agreement or complex sentences. Ouch!


There was major change when I got divorced. There was more change when I got remarried. There is change in every new calling, change every year at work, and change in my body as it ages. There are changes (both positive and negative) in my children as they grow. I used to embrace change as a new, exciting path in life, until some of the changes really hurt. Now I am more careful. I look forward to some changes, but am hesitant to really embrace them.

Change is inevitable though, right?


I like the quote from Maya Angelou above. Changes will affect me, but I can choose to be diminished by them or not. It's up to me.



Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credits: http://www.hellobeautiful.com/
http://www.arttherapyblog.com/

silently if, out of not knowable

silently if, out of not knowable
night's utmost nothing, wanders a little guess
(only which is this world more my life does
not leap than with the mystery your smile
sings or if (spiralling as luminous
they climb oblivion) voices who are dreams,
less into heaven certainly earth swims
than each my deeper death becomes your kiss
losing through you what seemed myself, i find
selves unimaginably mine; beyond
sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears
yours is the light by which my spirit's born:
yours is the darkness of my soul's return
-you are my sun, my moon,and all my stars
                                              e.e. cummings

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: http://www.richard-neuman-artist.com/

Bloody Lemons

Magpie 55
Sandra hadn't woken up deciding to kill her husband. It happened quite by accident. It had been a typical Saturday spring morning. She was up with the sun, spent time out in her back garden clearing her beds for planting, and had finally gone in for some breakfast. She was happy and at peace with the world.

When she walked in the back door, there he sat, reading the morning paper. Sam always just sat. He was an unmotivated blob. Whatever it was that had prompted Sandra to marry him right out of college, she couldn't remember, it had been so many years ago. Luckily they'd never had any children. She couldn't imagine him as a father.

When he lost his job in the I.T. Department at a large real estate company, for not following company policy, or some other such nonsense, she wasn't surprised. He probably hadn't been doing his job there for years.

He never did anything at home; never lifted a finger to take out the trash, made their bed, cook, or clean. Sandra worked as a librarian at a local elementary school and came home exhausted every day. The least he could do was help out at home once in a while, especially since he was unemployed. There he sat, reading the paper and collecting his unemployment checks. Thanks to the Obama administration he'd been doing that for a year and would milk it for as long as he could.

Sandra sighed inwardly. "Find any jobs today dear?" she asked cheerfully.

"Only the usual garbage,"  Sam muttered from behind his newspaper wall.

She washed her hands at the sink, then went to the refrigerator. "Well, I'm sure something will come up."

Opening the refrigerator door she pulled open the fruit/vegetable drawer and searched among the salad ingredients for a lemon for her tea. Sandra always enjoyed a cup of herbal, decaffeinated tea in the mornings.

Filling the kettle and fixing her tea, she eyeballed Sam behind the paper, wondering how much it would take to kick him out and divorce him. She made a note to herself to call a good lawyer on Monday. It was time. He hadn't contributed anything to this marriage, either financially or emotionally for years. Better to get rid of him.

Sam turned down the corner of his paper. His ice blue eyes stared at her. "What are you standing there staring at me for woman?"

Sandra jumped and turned back to the counter, pulling a knife from the block and a cutting board from the dish drainer. "Oh nothing."

It crossed her mind several times as she cut the lemon into small wedges that she could just stab Sam and be done with it. She looked at the slender, sharp knife in her hand. She could bury him in her garden. No one would ever know. He had no family left and certainly had no friends. He never went anywhere or did anything but sit and read the paper or watch TV. He wouldn't be missed. The feeling to kill him was so overwhelming that her limbs were flooded with adrenaline. Her heart beat rapidly in her small chest. Sandra decided she'd do it.

With the knife in hand Sandra turned towards Sam. Too late. Sam had walked up silently behind her. The long, sharp ice pick slid neatly into her chest. His cold eyes observed her last moments as she bled and strained to breath. She struggled to release herself, but he held the ice pick firmly in a gloved hand.

"Why  . . .?" she gasped.

"I'm tired of being judged by you Sandra. I'm tired of you and this house and this life. I sent a resignation letter with your signature on it, forged by me of course, to the principal of your school yesterday. The house goes on the market Monday. That job I was fired from? Well, I hired a good lawyer and sued them and won. I hit the lottery on that one. Those idiots didn't give me evaluations on my job performance over the years. I did my research. When they hired me I signed a contract they forgot about. It said they couldn't fire me without regular negative evaluations. I sued them for wrongful termination, emotional distress, and punitive damages. Turns out I get millions.

So now I'm free of a crappy job, free of a shrewish wife, free of all of this!" He motioned around the kitchen.

Sandra slid to the floor. Sam watched her then lumbered towards the garden shed where her shovels and rakes were kept. It was time to start digging.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Tess Kincaid @ http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2011/02/mag-55.html

Author's note: This short story is dedicated to O. Henry, the master of twisted endings. I love a good story and love a twisted ending even better! ;o) Thanks also to Tess for her fabulous photos that inspire my best stories!  Corrina

Joy in Life

"This is the true joy in life - being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

              -George Bernard Shaw

I saw this on a friend's blog and loved it. How many of us (myself included---see a previous blog posting, "My Happy Place," where all I did was gripe) complain that life isn't great or life isn't happy, yet we do nothing to further our joy in life?

I firmly believe we are sent to this earth to fulfill a purpose. Some are blessed with abundance, some are not. Some are blessed with great family and friends, others struggle with their familial lot and friends are scarce.

Still some are blessed with a knowledge of who they are and what their purpose is in life. Many realize this purpose along the road in life (the lucky ones discover it early), and some never realize it. Why don't they? Are they too busy looking inward?

At this time I realize I have had two true purposes in life that have brought me the joy Shaw (see quote above) and I are talking about---being a mother and teaching. (This in no way is a reflection on my hubby or our marriage. I love him. He is my life and brings me much joy. I'm talking about that inner feeling of purpose we get in a church calling, a career, motherhood, aunthood, grandmotherhood, etc.)

I had no idea either teaching or motherhood would fulfill me this way. I am blessed. I am grateful. Are there days I forget my purposes in life and gripe? Yes. Many days. But overall I know I am in the right place at the right time doing what I am supposed to be doing. That feeling amazes and comforts me. I have a mighty purpose in this life. I am a force of nature for good. I have joy.



Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Thanks to Stacey Erickson who posted this quote on her blog first!
Photo credits: http://www.soulsisters40plus.blogspot.com/
http://www.jmillerfam.blogspot.com/

The Puzzler

FBI Agent Matt King knew when he saw the manila envelope mailed to the local news station, it was a clue. His heart beat faster. This was yet another message directly from the killer. Local news stations had dubbed the murderer "The Puzzler," as he'd sent out a picture puzzle with every life he'd taken, giving the authorities clues as to where they could find the body.

A serial killer like this had never before been seen in the Southern Utah community. To say people were freaked out was understatement. The Puzzler preyed on young women, usually out late at night alone on their way home from a party, a date, or a friend's house. Even though news media and the authorities had been on TV and radio day after day exhorting women to walk in pairs or groups and never venture out alone at night, there were some who didn't listen.

Matt pulled on latex gloves and carefully removed the envelope from the plastic evidence bag that had been brought to him. The envelope wasn't special---you could buy them in bulk at any Wal-Mart. The writing on the outside was done in a black marker and Matt knew from prior analyzing done on other envelopes it was also untraceable.

He pulled the pieces out one by one and carefully arranged them on a clean surface. His partner, Sheila Long, took pictures of each piece as he laid it out. They quickly put the puzzle together and looked at each other.

"The park just outside of Parowan near the highway to Brian Head? What's it called? Pioneer Park?" he asked.

Sheila took a deep breath and pulled out her cell phone. "Yeah. It is. I think we've got another one. I'll call the authorities there and have them take a look."

"Tell them we're on our way, not to touch anything they find."

"Will do."

Matt and Sheila had researched and scoured every park in every town, big or small, in Southern Utah, trying to familiarize themselves with the Puzzler's playgrounds. There were only so many parks in the area, but the area they were covering was large.

With heavy hearts they climbed into their unmarked car with government plates and headed towards Parowan.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Tess Kincaid @ http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2011/02/mag-54.html

dive for dreams

dive for dreams
or a slogan may topple you
(trees are their roots
and wind is wind)
trust your heart
if the seas catch fire
(and live by love
though the stars walk backward)
honour the past
but welcome the future
(and dance your death
away at the wedding)
never mind a world
with its villains or heroes
(for good likes girls
and tomorrow and the earth)
in spite of everything
which breathes and moves, since Doom
(with white longest hands
neating each crease)
will smooth entirely our minds
-before leaving my room
i turn, and (stooping
through the morning) kiss
this pillow, dear
where our heads lived and were.
                          e.e. cummings


I've always loved reading e.e. cummings. As a kid (and future English teacher I guess) the idea that he could break the rules and write everything in lowercase fascinated me. Nowadays he's a poet whose words I enjoy reading. I like the simplicity of the words he uses and the images they create when I read them. He's a safe place for me.

I recently read the poem above in the novel, "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud," by Ben Sherwood. Before you ask, YES---that teeny bopper starred in a movie about this book. I haven't seen the movie. I probably won't. I'm not a teeny bopper fan and movies are usually never as good as the books.

I was curious about the story in this book though. (I love a good story.) It pushed the boundaries of my faith and beliefs, but if I look at it as just a story, I enjoyed it. The hero of the story, Charlie, faces changing his life and it's set rhythms. He learns to dive for dreams. THAT part of it, I really enjoyed.

Much like Lee Ann Womack's song, "I Hope You Dance," e.e. cummings' poem reminds me to take chances with my life. (I have, trust me. It's always nice to hear the reminder though.) This is a message I hope my son, J, listens to. I want him to dive for dreams, trust his heart, and honour the past, but welcome the future. It's great advice. I hope he doesn't sit on the sidelines of life, but jumps in.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Jill Battaglia Photography Enthusiast @ www.betterphoto.com   (She has some AMAZING photos on her site there!)

An Inheritance

"You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God."
    ----Joseph Smith

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: www.unbrokenheart.com

My Happy Place

This picture is one of my "happy" places. I took this picture at Aspen Mirror Lake, Duck Creek, Utah, last summer. Whenever I feel stressed I mentally picture this spot. My family has been going to the Duck Creek area on Cedar Mountain for generations. I love it and think of it as my home away from home.

The water flows eastward out of Aspen Mirror Lake (the top right of the picture-out of the shot) and filters down through large rocks and fallen logs into this stream. In early summer the stream is full, as shown here. The water gurgles and flows by, birds chirp, and breezes flow through the forest trees. It is a peaceful haven from the stresses of life.

If you know me very well, you know this school year has been hell. There's no other way to say it. (I hate to swear, but in this case, no other words will do.)  I teach in an inner-city, Title 1, middle school where education is not valued by 80% of the students I teach.

If that's not frustrating enough (trying, begging kids to learn because it will make them better people), we are going through our eighth year of (probably) being non-proficient in the CRTs. (If you don't know what that means, just know it's bad. Very bad. We'll probably have to be rehired or find jobs elsewhere in June. It means more meetings, more statistics from tests we give, more tests to give, more state intrusion, more stress.)

We have 2 interim principles while the school district hires a new one. (Our principle took a job in another state in December.) They're good people who are trying to keep our ship afloat. Luckily my 7th grade English co-teachers are a dream. I can't think of two better people I'd like to work with. Between the interim principles and my co-teachers they all keep me going this year when all I want to do is give up and quit.  

I'm whining. I know it. I'm sorry. It's one of my many faults. You may ask, why not leave that school and go elsewhere? I have a 5 year goal of staying at one school. It will help pay off my student loans if I stay where I'm at for 5+ years and I think it looks better to stay in one place for a while. And I'm not a quitter! (I may be a whiner, but I'm not a quitter.) Plus I really like the kids. They are humble. They are funny. They are amazing in many ways. They have lived through things that would break your heart or destroy me or you, but they live on. They survive. They don't give up. I just wish they valued education more.

So bear with me while I gripe and day dream about my happy place this year. I need it.

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry

Photo credit: Corrina L. Terry

All is Well

William Clayton (1814-1879) wrote the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. Every time I hear "Come Come Ye Saints," I think of the town, Enterprise, Utah, where my dad's from. This song was a staple at the 24th of July Program held there every year when I was a kid. I also think of my pioneer ancestors who sacrificed and struggled for a better life.

This hymn was put to English folk music and became a staple in our Mormon hymn book. I love it and felt it was appropriate to some of the struggles we are all going through lately. I love the hope it gives for better things to come.

Come, Come Ye Saints
"Come, come, ye Saints, no toil or labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.

'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this and joy your hearts will swell —
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell —
All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West.
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.

We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell —
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!

But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain;
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell —
All is well! All is well!"

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: http://preparingyourfamily.com/shifting-gears-for-the-new-year/covered_wagon/
Lyric credit: William Clayton, LDS Hymns, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Thank you!

After an emotional, crazy week I needed to do some positive reflection. Then it hit me---what better way to feel good than to think about all of the people who've helped me through life. So here ya go. My "Thank You" list. They are NOT in order of importance or anything, just the order in which they came to mind. (I'm sure it's going to be a work in progress.)

Thank you to:

1. My parents for making me brush my teeth, comb my hair, take showers, and wear deodorant when I was growing up. You can't believe how many kids have parents who don't. Thank you also for feeding me, clothing me, and educating me. I can't believe how many parents expect someone else to do those things; it breaks my heart.

2. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Martin, who encouraged me to read more challenging books. I wanted to win the class reading contest and thought reading easy books would work. She coaxed me (rather forcefully) to choose books that would challenge me and pushed me through a door that eventually led to an English degree. I continue to love reading and am forever grateful to her.

3. The Primary,Young Women, and Seminary workers in the various wards we were in who gave countless hours out of their lives to spend time with a brat like me. You helped build my gospel foundation and reminded me of my Godly potential, even when I felt like I had none.

4. My Grandpa Dan Thacke who taught me how to tie my shoes and how to hold still long enough that hummingbirds would sit on my finger and chipmunks would eat out of my hand. He had so much patience. I wish I'd inherited some more of it.

5. Ms. Riccobini (now Mrs. Branchini), the best 5th grade teacher ever! She had a class newspaper and piqued my interest in writing, a life-long obsession. 

6. My mom for taking the time out of her busy life as a mom of 4 (at that time) to read to me every day. That time spent led to me learning to read. I still remember sitting next to her on her bed when the letters and words went from gobbly-gook to legible.

7. The I.T. Department at Covey hiring me for their Help Desk. That humble position led to another and another. It turned into 5 years of working with the most amazing people in the world. I saw lives change, travelled across the U.S. many times, and made life-long friends. I STILL use concepts I learned at that time in my daily life.

8. The inventor of the internet, Blogger, Facebook, and email. (That was Al Gore, right???) ;o) He/she/they have made life both simpler and more complicated, but I love keeping in touch with people for free and sharing my thoughts for all the world to see.

9. My husband for being funny, amazing, smart, kind, and hard-working. We're a great combo---like a burger and fries, (I'm the fries) or peanut butter and jelly (I'm the jelly.)  ;o)  He is the man of my dreams.


10. Heavenly Father for trusting me with the spirit that is my little J-man. Doctors said it was impossible for me to ever get pregnant. God knew better. I'm grateful every single day for this miracle that made me his mother, even when said J-man is cranky and turning into a stinky, know-it-all, teenage boy.

11. Two sets of the best in-laws in the world. I thought I got lucky with great in-laws with my first marriage, then I remarried and found out I was blessed AGAIN! How many people do you know who love their in-laws??? They are so kind, never finding fault with me. They love me and encourage me and treat me like one of their own. I am so grateful for all four of them in my life.

12. My dad for working so hard and sacrificing so much for us. His example of fighting his way from poverty to success is amazing to me. I use it all of the time at school with my kids. He IS the American Dream! Thanks Dad!!!

13. My roommates and friends at BYU. I spent 6 years there (I know, I know, two too many!!) but am grateful for every day and every, single thing I learned from each of you. My roommates put up with so MUCH of my crap (sorry girls) as I was growing up (so slowly) and figuring out who I wanted to be. I'm so sorry for being such a snot and for making cookies and cakes all of the time. "The Cori 10" was real. Every roommate I had gained at least 10 pounds living with me (except for my sister, Terresa. She was impervious to my baking skills.)

14. My professors and Bishops at BYU. Thank you all for your patience and work on my behalf. I wish I could repay you. One way I try to give back is to be the best person and example I can. Thank you!

15. Sarah D. in England. That Rotary Club exchange was tough. We didn't get along at ALL. The months we spent in England, then the U.S. were some of the most difficult months of my life. You questioned my government, my religion, and my life. At the time I hated you for it, but you challenged me to know more about my government, and my religion. I became politically active on the conservative side (much to the horror of my liberal friends), scoured the scriptures and researched the doctrine of my church, and really questioned who I was as an American and a Mormon. I never realized what a great influence you would have on my learning and my future. You opened my eyes to how people in the world view America and Mormons. Thank you. I hope you don't hate me.

16. My ancestors. Who were you? What hopes and dreams did you have? What kind of people were you? What traits of yours did I inherit? My straight hair? My strong religious beliefs? My short stature? My chunky thighs? My intellect? I took a maternal DNA test several years ago (through National Geographic's "The Genographic" project) and my maternal line goes back thousands of years into an area around the Black Sea. It is a line many European women come from and a majority of the women in this DNA line were/are Jewish. I wonder how a Jewish girl from the freezing cold north ended up with a Mormon descendant living in the Mojave Desert of the southwest United States. Crazy, right? What I want to know are all of the stories that took place between her generation and mine. I can't wait to find out.



To be continued . . .

Copyright 2011 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credits:
http://www.theonenesslovefoundation.org/thankyou.htm
http://georgiatechdopp.wordpress.com/2010/01/
http://www.kentonseptsa.com/sponsorshipthanks.htm
http://dailybail.com/home/the-daily-bail-web-traffic-thank-you-to-all-our-amazing-read.html
http://www.pbase.com/triciawildflower/image/95253091

A Beacon

Magpie 50

I headed down a snowy road,
sure of the path I was taking.
Never doubted my course;
my will was strong,
I was certain of the choice I was making.

God had other plans for me.
He tried to state the way.
But so focused I was on the route,
I tromped on.
And didn't hear what He did say.

Startlingly, up in the sky,
A beacon I did see.
It pointed me towards the right,
Towards eternity.

I stopped and stared;
Much humbled,
And followed the sign He gave.
No regrets I've had,
Nor remorse I've felt,
For it was my soul He did save.

Corrina Terry
Copyright 2011
Photo credit: http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

Three Sisters

Magpie 49

The three sisters looked forward to ice skating. It was their favorite element about winter in Michigan. In the spring, summer, and fall they enjoyed long walks throughout town and hikes in the nearby woods. Covered from head to toe for protection from the winter cold, their feminine clothing masked strong, muscular limbs.

The three were spinsters; they made a living tutoring young people in their town and writing poetry and articles for women's magazines in the United States. They lived with their aged parents in a vast old Victorian.

Today as they headed to the frozen pond they had no idea their lives would change forever. Today they would meet the Miller brothers---three bachelors who enjoyed ice skating and were visiting family in the area.

Copyright 2010 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Willow @ http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2011/01/mag-49.html

Tissue Time

The picture above is an example of what I'm carrying around this week. My tissue box cover does not have such an interesting pattern as the one above does. Mine was created with crazy hippy yarn so it's a gillion different colors. My gran made it and I love it. I've had it since college so it's got lots of memories (and probably lots of cooties if I think about it.)

About once a year I get a major flu/cold. It always seems to hit around the new year. This January was no exception. (It didn't help that I have sick kids coming to school sneezing and coughing on me all day.) To top it all off, it's midterms week. I've got tests and papers to grade and grades to enter by Friday. Not the time to take sick leave. Sigh.

Instead I plod on into work, carrying my tissue box bravely. (I also discreetly cough and sneeze in the direction of those tweens who cursed me with this pox.) My head hurts, my throat burns, and my nose is redder than Rudolph's. NyQuil is my elixir. I want to die. I have to remind myself---this too shall pass. This too shall pass.

Copyright 2011 Corrina Terry

photo credit: http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP062/k0623444/

Blank Pages

Every year I contemplate the new year and resolutions. Honestly though, I don't usually make them at the beginning of the year; I make them all year long. I do like thinking about the new year as a clean slate though. It's a chance to do things better and to learn from my mistakes. My mom gave me this quote today that explains how I feel.

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."   
                  ----Edith Lovejoy Pierce

May each of us open our books this year and fill our pages with experiences which make us better, happier people.

Copyright 2011 Corrina Terry
Photo credit: artdesigns.com.cn

Not much to say . . .

Not much to say today. 

Chocolate's been on my mind though. (What else is new?) Chocolate makes the world a better place!

Chocolate covered strawberries make it an even BETTER place!

Can you tell I have a thing for Ghiradelli chocolate?

Copyright 2011   Corrina Terry

Photo credits:

http://www.chocablog.com/?p=6716, http://www.foodgal.com/2008/04/first-taste-of-a-new-ghirardelli-chocolate-bar/, www.englishtearoom.com