Newsweek

Okay, through some randomly connected links across websites, I came across Newsweek's articles about Mormons and the LDS church. Newsweek reported on the death of the President and Prophet of the Mormon church, Gordon B. Hinckley. And I see it nowhere else on the news websites. You'd think it would make the news, since the LDS church is one of the largest and fastest growing in the nation. It makes you realize which magazines and online news sites turn the proverbial cold shoulder to Mormons.

But, on the other hand, great big kudos to Newsweek. They write articles sensitive and open to the Mormon church. They try to view the topics under discussion objectively, but with respect that is sorely lacking in other online magazines' articles. So I think I might be visiting Newsweek's website a little more often than the other online mags I used to read regularly. *cough*Time*cough*

I haven't been an active church member during a large part of Gordon B. Hinckley's presidency. But I can respect what he did for the church, the changes he made in order to halt the erosion of the moral values of church members and the cohesiveness of the family. He was a good man who spoke with honesty and openness of the church, who encouraged doubts and discussion as a way to build faith. He was an excellent example of what a latter-day prophet should be. He will be missed.

Here are a few of the Newsweek articles I came across about Mormons, Gordon B. Hinckley, and the choosing of a new prophet.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/105857
http://www.newsweek.com/id/50844
http://www.newsweek.com/id/50728

Wow!

Wow! Finally, Time magazine has put up an article that isn't wholly aimed at tearing down Mitt Romney.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1707342,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner

Happy 2008

I'm having one of those days when I'm so infuriated by a few people that I feel like I should have steam coming from my ears and tongues of flame from my nostrils, but I'm trying to set it aside.

Happy 2008! 2007 was an eventful year, bad in some ways, but good in others. It's always good to look back as the new year begins and try to remember the good things that have occurred and the obstacles you have overcome in the past year.

We had a very good Christmas. Natalee got a lot of toys and clothes and books that she's littered across our apartment several times now. Matt and I got gift cards along with a lot of other nice things, like kitchen gadgets, new sneakers, computer gadgets, and things for our home. With Christmas money and gift cards I was able to go buy a beautiful new rug, wall sconces, and couch pillows for our living room. And Matt's holding on to his gift card, watching and waiting for a good HDTV to come on sale. It'll be a relief to get a new TV. The one we have in the living room now is nice, but nothing special. The one in our bedroom, on the other hand, is so old and has been moved so often that the shell of it is falling apart. It's been superglued a few times, but the superglue will no longer hold it together. So we can't ever move it again, besides out to the trash. So whenever Matt finally finds a TV to his particular standards and price range, we'll be moving the old TV out of the living room to the bedroom and tossing out the TV in the bedroom. Hurray!

We welcomed another cousin to the family a little over a week ago. My uncle JM and his fiancee April had a healthy little girl named Samantha on December 28th. Matt, Natalee, and I got to visit them and their 6 year old daughter Taylor at the hospital, and I got to be a baby hog and held Samantha for a while. It was a shock to hold a baby small enough to keep in the crook of my arm again. It really is true - you don't realize how big your own kid has gotten until you hold a little one again. Right now it's looking like I'll be babysitting Samantha when April goes back to work in a few months. It'll give me a baby to play with, Natalee some big sister practice, and us some extra money. All nice things. I'm looking forward to taking care of a child that spends most of the day sleeping. Ah, what bliss! I took it too much for granted when Natalee was that young.

Christmas is great and all, and I am sad to see all the anticipation go, but I'm glad the holidays are over. It's good to be home, to sweep and mop and catch up on laundry. To have friends over for dinner. To enjoy cooking and baking for the sake of it again. All the things you really can't do with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. It's good to be home, away from all the relatives and rude opinions and obligations that visiting during the holidays seem to entail. JM and April recently bought a house and stayed home with Taylor for Christmas. When they told us their plans, I was a little shocked, thinking 'Staying home on Christmas?!' But wow, it sounds divine now. I haven't had a Christmas at home since I was 17 or 18. Maybe someday soon we'll have a Christmas at home ourselves.

So, for 2008, I'm appreciating feathering my nest. My resolution this year, after some instances that caught me in the teeth and made me think, is to take care of myself. Spend more time on myself, doing things like fixing my hair, ironing my clothes, talking to and spending time with my friends, worrying about myself. I will still take care of my family, first and foremost, but I'm going to stop feeling guilty for spending time on myself. It's a luxury I can have now that Natalee's two.

So, what's your new year's resolution? Anything that made you feel really stupid or that you regret from the past year that you resolve not to let happen in the new year? I think my resolution, and my private, half-thought ones, have more to do with that than making a fresh start. Learning from your mistakes and blind spots is always a good resolution.