I'm out of Kindness quotes, but they all apply

I came home tonight to find my front lawn mowed! These blogs really aren't a girl-like hint. But I do love you people--all of you! (If I knew who did it, I could focus my appreciation. But as it is, you all get the glory =o) ) THANK YOU! Whoever you are, I'm sending out nice thoughts and hopes of glorious blessings into the universe for you!

How Beautiful a Day Can Be When Kindness Touches It

I came home tonight to find someone had put my garbage and recycling out for me. You guys, I cried. I cannot express to you the love I feel when I see random acts of kindness. When I am the recipient, it has a way of making me love everyone around me more (someone did it, and I have no idea who. So I can love everyone more, just to make sure that one person is covered =o) ).

A few years ago I kept a journal of acts of kindness I saw each day--ones I witnessed, ones that someone did for me, or the ones I secretly did for others but wanted to share somewhere. Something about these little things gives me greater hope for humanity. I want to believe in people, and sometimes in this world it can be hard. But things like this...this is what love IS, isn't it? Isn't this what God is talking about when he says love your neighbors as yourselves (the second great commandment)? To think of others when you're doing your daily, little trivial things, like taking out your garbage?

* "No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." ~Aesop
* "Act on all impressions to do good." ~Camilla Kimball, my heroine
* "Life is not so short but that there is always time enough for courtesy." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
* "Kindness gives birth to kindness." ~Sophocles
* "Help your brother's boat across and your own will reach the shore." ~Hindu proverb
* "Do good, and care not to whom." ~Italian poverb
* "Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle." ~Plato
* "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." ~Archbishop Desmond Tutu
* "At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how kind you are to other people. Everything else is secondary." ~Anna McBee
* "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven in the lives of others." ~Perciles
* "The ideas that have lighted my way have been kindness, beauty, and truth." ~Albert Einstein
* "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
* "Forget injuries. Never forget kindnesses." ~Confucius
* "To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue...gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness." ~Confucius
* "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." ~Dalai Lama of Tibet
* "The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention." ~Duguet
* "Goodness is the only investment which never fails." ~Henry David Thoreau
* "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." ~Henry James
* "The best portion of a good man's life: his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." ~William Wordsworth Longfellow
* "Today, make an investment in someone else's happiness." ~Unknown
* "What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?" ~Jean Jacques Rousseau
* "Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love." ~Mahatma Gandhi
* "How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world." ~William Shakespeare
* "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile." ~Mother Teresa, my heroine
* "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

You Are An INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. In love, you truly see relationships as an opportunity to connect and grow. You enjoy relationships as long as they are improving and changing. You can't stand stagnation. At work, you stay motivated and happy... as long as you are working toward a dream you support. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher. How you see yourself: Hardworking, ethical, and helpful When other people don't get you, they see you as: Manipulative, weak, and unstable

What's Your Personality Type?

My New Hero

I had the most wonderful experience tonight! If you ever in your life have the opportunity to meet Janice Kapp Perry and don't take it, I will personally come knock you on the head (JaNel and Vo, you didn't know this time, but in the future there are no excuses!). She is an inspiration to me, and I truly believe her words tonight have come at a pivotal point in my life as I rebuild the new structure atop my recently exposed, though sure, foundation.

What do I admire about Janice Kapp Perry? She is comfortable in her own skin (another thing that's on my Bucket List). She loves sports and pitched for city leagues, played volleyball, racquetball & basketball. She began writing music when she broke her foot playing bball, and her tv broke at the same time. =o) She was asked to write music for the roadshow, which won, "so I was hooked. I was competitive." I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but her real, humble, playful mannerisms made listening to her a pure joy.

"I want to add to the simple music of the church," she had decided. Her secret goal: that the children of the church will sing a song she wrote. (I have a similar secret goal.) When it happened, she admitted that she had no idea that she could do that.

She talked about how she read a book (which I just bought) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and how she ended up singing with MoTab. "You don't let people in just because they can sight read and blend, do you?" she had asked before she tried out. "We often do," was the reply. "If everyone had a trained voice, it wouldn't be the right blend." When hearing an auditioner in front of her with an incredible voice, she almost left. But her husband was there to stop her. "My fears almost kept me from the best 5 1/2 musical years of my life," she told us. "Don't let your fears hold you back!"

I can't tell you how much I loved seeing her incredible, sweet and fun relationship with her husband. "I tell you in all sincerity, there would be no music without him," she said, as she thanked him for being at her side. He ran the sound for her tonight. He watched her with such kind eyes. He's probably seen this talk 1,000 times. He's probably heard those songs more than Christine's listened to NKOTB. And yet there was such admiration, playfulness, love and life in his eyes for her. And her for him. They are in their 70's. (I'm wondering what a man like that--and President Dimond--looks like at 30? Any insight into this, please leave a comment).

She wrote a family song and played/sang it for us in her over-70-year-old voice. It was funny (the song, not her voice). Her husband has a 3-note range, so his part was to tell her "I love you" in his 3 notes. Which, despite suffering recently from severe health problems, he got up and sang and danced his way back to his seat at the sound system. She challenged us all to write our own family song. What a fun tool for family unity.

Janice-isms:
*WORK HARD, AND BE AT PEACE.
*Don't let your fears hold you back!
*RISK A LITTLE! You never hear people at the end of their lives saying, 'I wish I'd done less.' They regret playing it safe.
*Have fun with your talents
*You're never to old to learn something new.
* Develop your talents. You'll be surprised how far it will go.
* Music is one of the best tools to get the gospel inside of us. (We have a retention of 20% with prose, 35% with poetry, and when set to music...an astounding 70-90%!)

"It doesn't matter that we have the most beautiful voice. It matters that we have something to sing about," she said, quoting Lloyd Newell from a recent Music and the Spoken Word program with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. (She must have read my blog...) And going on, she added, "And in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have much to sing about!"

I agree with her, with all the song of my heart.

In the Quiet Heart

The intersection I was waiting to turn left at this morning was filling up with police cars blocking traffic. I had no choice but to sit and wait and watch. Minutes later, a steady stream of leather-clad B.A.C.A. members rumbled past, escorted by the West Jordan city police bikers, and some dirt bikes. Having a motorcycle (and riding it along the old Columbia River Gorge highway) is on my Bucket List, and I have a soft spot in my heart for B.A.C.A., so naturally I turned into the park behind city hall to attend their event. I was glad I did.

Did you know there were 38 children murdered by child abuse in Utah last year? Each child was represented by a new flag with their name affixed, and carried by a somber loved one to be added to the Healing Field--where over 1,000 American flags solemnly wave today, each representing a child in our country killed by abuse. The impact is stunning when one takes the time to stand by a flag and think of what it means.

I remembered the day I was drawn to the courtyard at UVSC, in which was hung many lines of what was seemingly laundry. I came to find out that each of the t-shirts represented a fellow student at UVSC who had experienced abuse in their life, and the shirt's color represented the type of abuse. On each shirt, the person could write whatever they chose. Some wrote about healing. Most wrote about hurt. Each one brought me to tears when I just stopped trying to hold it back and let myself cry for them. The shirt that I will never forget had been cut--just the frame of the shirt hung from the line--a whole as large as possible cut from the center. 'How many of the people I walk by today are feeling empty?' I wondered. I had surprisingly learned of two young men's experiences with abuse as I edited their papers for an English class--who else was walking around with a hole in their heart? A gong sounded, as it had every 5 seconds since I stepped in the courtyard. Another person had been abused.

I stood at each shirt, as much as I could until I couldn't possibly read another word. I went inside the nearest door and just cried. "Are you okay? What can I do for you?" a kind man asked. "I'm fine. They're not." I pointed out to the courtyard. "It's sad, isn't it?" he replied.

What can an average person like me do to stop or prevent such heinous and uncivilized atrocity in someone's life?

I can try to radiate God's love to each person I meet today. I can treat every person with kindness and give them the benefit of the doubt rather than criticize, because I can believe they're doing the best they can with the circumstances they've got (which I couldn't know the depths of). I can stand up for the weak when I know or suspect anything disrespectful going on. I can report any forms of abuse I am aware of or suspect. I can equip the children I teach with skills for refusal, escape, and safety. I can turn them to their parents in communication. I can give them a safe place to learn, grow, and be listened to. I can model love for and acceptance of others, rather than anger, intolerance and judgments of criticism. I can keep my baptismal covenant, to 'mourn with those that mourn' and 'lift up the hands that hang down'. I can pray. (I can get a motorcycle and go join B.A.C.A....)

"In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can't see," I thought. "Who am I to judge another?" "Because I have been given much, I too must give." "Behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all rely upon the same being, even Christ, for our sustenance?"

Our Savior is the Master Healer. He can fill any hole in our heart and soul. He will fill our lives with His goodness. He Atoned for the abused and felt their pain. He Atoned for the abuser, and paid for their sins. I don't know why we need to experience some of the things we do while here on the earth. But whatever the reason, I do believe that we can lighten each other's burdens and strengthen the feeble knees by following the 2 greatest (and beautiful) commandments: Love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as we do ourselves.

God Bless the U.S.A.

I've never been one to claim that America is perfect. But I am very proud to be an American, and love this country very much! I am so grateful to you who have served or are serving our country. Thank you for all you do and all you have sacrificed!

You should hear my second graders singing God Bless the USA (Proud to be an American). It gives me shivers every time and even makes me teary. (Sometimes after school I play songs on the piano, and some of the kids stay and gather around me and we sing--"just one more". I love to be surrounded by their sweet voices!)

I love falling asleep watching the gigantic Macey's flag blowing in the wind from my window. I love the Fourth of July. I love being born on the day of Paul Revere's (and William Dawes') ride.

God Bless the USA! (And the rest of the world, too. =o) )

Everything Is Better in Twos

I knew I should've been working instead of reading Lindsay's blog. She tagged me, and what choice do I have? I mean, really.

Two Names You Go By: veneesh, neesh... (Nicia, neeshy, v, big v --in cross-country, because I had valerie beat by an inch, turkish apricot, jolly green giant--2nd grade, and unfortunately and inexplicably--Stinky.)

Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Westland Elementary t-shirt, a bracelet I bought to support NEDA (National Eating Disorder Awareness). Among other things. Like, pants. And underwear.

Two things you Want (or have) in a Relationship: love and honesty. And openness. Can I have laughter, too? And depth? And spiritual strength? I hope so.

Two of Your Favorite Things to do: travel/read and play the piano/game nights with my family (that counts as 2 if I write it like that.)

Two things you did last night: Learned all the mysteries of the gospel at the last institute class of the term, ate a pbj that my cute sister brought to institute because she knew I hadn't eaten dinner.

Two people you talked to last night: VoNique, Dad

Two Things You're doing tomorrow: symphony, washing cars for monks =o) It's true.

Two Longest Car Rides: Washington to Utah (Harry Potter/CS Lewis trips), Utah to San Diego (scriptures trip)

Two Favorite Holidays: Fourth of July, Christmas

Two Favorite Drinks: Fruity slushiness, water

Two Things About Me you may not have known: I've gone zip-lining over a ravine in a Mexican jungle and hot-air ballooning over the Olympic stuff in Park City. And loved every second of it!

Two jobs I have had in my life: Preschool teacher, Nourish the Children fundraising

Two Movies I would watch over and over: Count of Monte Cristo, Quigley Down Under (lady, you're about a half a bubble off a plum.)

Two of my favorite foods: Mama's lasagne, Carinos bread & dippiness

Two places I'd rather be right now: Greece and the Great Pacific Northwest!

Two People I am tagging: Vaughn, Erica. Do it!

April Fools!

There are two kinds of people: those who prank, and those who are pranked upon.

Realizing that there would be school on April 1st (and I couldn't rightly get out of it), and catching two of my second graders scheming after school on March 31st, I realized I was about to become the latter unless I took drastic measures--and fast.

The day summed-up:
~ The kids walked in to find their tote-trays (bins inside their desks) all mixed around the room, so they had to find where they were sitting for the day. (Yes, this began the day a little chaoticly. Small price to pay to let the second graders know which of the two kinds of people I am, and to thwart the incoming pint-sized pranksters by throwing them off their guard first thing!)

~ I wrote the schedule backward on the board. They thought it was hilarious that the first thing to do that day was to Go Home. (I love how little it takes to earn cool points as a teacher of seven- & eight-year-olds.)

~ At Morning Meeting and after we did our shared reading in a Big Book for our science unit on rocks, I handed them each a few pieces of rock candy which they immediately assumed were pebbles I brought them from the Oregon Coast. (On any other day this would be a good assumption.) I asked them to brainstorm adjectives to describe their rocks, then tell a neighbor. The next direction was to see if they could break it with their teeth, and I modeled this as they looked on with owl-eyes. "It's chooocolate!" they finally exclaimed. An old classic. Very cute.

~ I had Mike, the custodian, bring in a big roll of toilet paper. I told the kids someone had clogged the plumbing and it's effecting both bathrooms, so they need to go outside to use the far tree. I had the teacher next door come in to ask if I had the toilet paper, and she took some and danced out of the room just to verify the information. (Because of that, this joke took some serious work to convince them they really shouldn't go outside! Can you imagine the phone calls I'd get?!)

~ And, drumroll please...the best one, donated to me by a respectably mischievous friend. After wrapping up the last chapter of the book Falcons Feathers (A to Z Mysteries--highly recommend the series!), I closed the book and commented on how lots of birds will be migrating back now that the weather is warming up. Like...the Loof Lirpa bird.
"The Loof Lirpa? What's THAT?"
"You've never seen a Loof Lirpa?! And you're from UTAH?!"
"I've seen one!" David called out.
"Interesting..." I responded.
"They're attracted to blue flowers."
"Do they have mohawks?" Sebron asked.
"Some do! They're pretty goofy looking. You have to see one! They'll come if you do their call that they're named after. I'll give you a blue piece of paper to take home. I'll print "Loof Lirpa" on it so you remember how to say it. If you take it outside, hold it up, and call, 'Loof Lirpa! Loof Lirpa!' I bet you'll see one!"

They all immediately began practicing the call. (Imagine a class full of the Three Amigos, "Look up here! Look up here!" call. It was beyond my capacity to keep a straight face at this point, with all the effort I could muster! I thought for sure I'd given myself away. I've always been a ridiculously awful liar.)

"If you don't see one, go inside and stand in front of the mirror with your sign and practice the call. You've got to do the call right." I told them to draw one if they saw it so the rest of us could see what they look like.

I was so excited to come to school today, April 2nd, to see what happened. The children came in stomping their feet, pointing their fingers at me, and I couldn't contain my laughter!

"Mrs. GLANZER! There's no such thing as a loof lirpa...it's APRIL FOOL spelled backward!"

After school I had a parent come tell me just how hilarious it was, and how she told every living relative all about it.

I had to promise the children today that I've been honest to them on every other day but April Fools. But what I lost in credibility I gained in respectability. That's a trade I am willing to make one day a year. =o)