3 Cups of Tea

Alright, this is a must read. I read 3 Cups of Tea and it has made me want to do something!! It's about a guy (Greg) who attempts to climb K2 and fails. He's at deaths door and stumbles upon a little village. The village nurses him back to health, even though they can barely feed and care for themselves. He witnesses their poverty and need for education and commits the rest of his livelihood to building schools. He talks about how this is the only real way to fight the war on terror. It made sooo much sense! There are plenty of schools in the middle east who brainwash the students, then recruit them into the Taliban. Without real education there is no hope for peace. These people Greg helps are desperate for him to build schools for their villages. And here I am thinking "woop-de-doo I got a college degree see if I ever use it." Duh. So I don't have a high paying career, but I use my education every day!! I have taken education for granted because it has always been there. I don't understand what a GIFT the education I have received is. Do I really think I am who I am and know what I know because I'm just a pretty smart lady? Sounds cool, but REALLY it's because since I can remember I have been learning about life and my relationship to it by people who are educated. Imagine if we took all this money the country has spent on fighting terrorism in the middle east and instead built schools for them. IMAGINE!! The majority of peaceful Muslims would then have the know-how to take control of their people. So this has been on my mind. It costs 1 penny to buy a pencil, 1 dollar for a child's monthly tuition. We throw pennies away these days...anyways I'm gonna think of a way to raise money to help. Anyone have any ideas let me know.

Cheers to My Favorite Band

I must, I must, I must make a tribute to my favorite band. It just so happens that my brother is the bassist in the band. For all of you who have yet to have me harping in your ear about them...they are called Chris Merritt. Their music is exciting and delighting, insightful etc... They are so very very talented. Chris is the singer/songwriter, piano man. Every song is like a masterpiece and boy can he PLAY, it's like modern day Beethoven, rockin' and rollin' with a Ben Folds-ish air. I can't get enough. So if you see me driving by one day and my eyes are closed and I'm swaying back and forth and belting some sweet melody only Scarlet and I can hear...it's Chris Merritt. Don't believe me? See for yourself!

http://www.chrismerrittmusic.com
http://www.purevolume.com/chrismerritt

and for some added fun I got to be in their music video called "Mimic" http://www.purevolume.com/chrismerritt/videos/18429. And I got to sing back up vocals in the song "Quinn" on their new album Pixie and the Bear.

Young at Heart

This is me and my home girls at camp last month. We decided to have a beauty pageant of sorts. We did talents, swimsuit competition and a question section. Proud to say it was my idea.

So maybe I am 27 which is practically thirty which may as well be forty...over the hill at 27!!?? So what, I feel like I am in my early twenties. So much so that when I was answering a hospital survey thing they asked which category I fit into; 25-30, 31-45 etc...and I was about to say none, because I thought I was 22. This was about a month ago...I have always had this strange relationship to aging. I was always waiting to feel the age that I am. I have decided that the real, Heidi spirit, is staying at the young immature age of about 18-23. In more ways that one. I realized this when I went to girl's camp last month. I was expecting to feel real leader like. I never really did, I felt like one of the girl's. Almost to a fault because I got bored at the 2 hour long firesides quicker than they did. I was poking and joking these poor girls to try to distract myself! Some things definitely change and some things no matter what age...don't.



When I'd take the girls down to do certification or water front, whatever we did, at least one or more of the leaders would say "ok girls you need to have your leader with you"...uh... thats me. I'm gonna go ahead and take it as a compliment...why not!?

Something to smile about

I decided it's good to remember things that make one happy. I don't know exactly why that is...but it just feels good to dwell on happy thoughts sometimes. Here goes...

1. When Scarlet points at me and says Ma-Ma
2. Books that make me laugh and cry (best if both occur in one book)
3. Buying clothes and shoes(especially for great deals)
4. Scarlet's laugh
5. Dave's laugh
6. Hearing Dave play the trumpet
7. Taking a nap
8. playing soccer
9. Playing my guitar and singing
10. Painting
11. doing crossword puzzles with Dave
12. Playing racquetball(especially with Dave)
13. Water activites(swimming, wakeboarding, slalom skiing)
14. Eating out at... Cafe Rio, Bamboo Hut, Carraba's, Ottavios-mostly for their tomatoe basil soup, Smokehouse, Indian Palace, Zub's and Sensuous to name a few.
15. Finding new favorite flicks...Dan in Real Life, most recent fave.
16. Watching Scarlet feed the ducks
17. Watching Scarlet walk
18. Watching Scarlet eat
19. I guess watching her do almost anything
20. Visiting with friends and Family
21. Teaching
22. Watching Dave perform
23. When Dave cleans the kitchen
24. Shopping with Dave
25. Being outside on Summer evenings
26. Singing
27. Good hair days. You know the ones when your hair is just in a good mood.
28. Dancing...I mean the real kind that gets your heart pumping
29. Beaches (especially those Hawaii ones)
30. Trips down memory lane especially with high school friends and mission friends
31. Skinny dippin'
32. Watching family home videos(especially with my family)
33. Coconut Sno-cones w/ cream, from the place around the corner
34. Playing games with friends and family
35. Our home and neighborhood
36. Dave

Ok thats good for now. Now I have 36 things to do when I get bored...