Krista Maurer

Count Your Blessings (Even in the Shower)

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Krista

This was me in the shower yesterday: Krista In the Shower … Take 1 Nice huh? Hmm… What can I say? It’s my favorite place to sing? It’s just too bad there’s no auto-tuner for shower singing.

Well, that hymn (“Count Your Blessings”) has been on repeat in my head (and thus, out my mouth) nonstop as of late, which is interesting because it’s not even one of my favorites. I mean I like it well enough, but I don’t necessarily jump for joy when it’s on the communique at Church. Not that I jump around in the chapel anyhow, but there are definitely other hymns I enjoy more than this one. Nevertheless, I’ve found myself singing it often these last couple weeks.

I’m certain I’m not as thankful as I ought to be. I note frequently, even to God, the things that are missing in my life, the things that have been taken away before I was ready to give them up, the things I didn’t want but got, the things I do want but don’t have, and on and on. And while I know we are to ask if we are to receive, I also know we are to thank the Lord in all our doings.

All our blessings do come from above and they come in abundance, I know this is true, if only we would open our eyes to see them and our arms to receive them. When I do this, I feel a greater sense of peace, less worry, less need, less want. My faith is stronger. My happiness heightened.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said (in one of my all-time favorite speeches that you should totally read and re-read), “gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character.” That’s the kind of soul I want to be, the kind of character I want to have. And it comes by the virtue of gratitude.

With these things on my mind, I sat down to write out my own blessings. To count them one by one and see them in black and white …

A Heavenly Father who knows and loves me . A Savior who stands ready and waiting to save me . the gifts and feelings of the Holy Spirit that calm and lift me . prayer . the knowledge that Someone is actually listening to those prayers . music . answers to prayers . a mind that can understand and learn something new . a mother who would give anything for her children . a father who worked hard for his family and always put us first . sister Karly and her tender heart . sister Kaycie who makes me smile . Frit, the best of friends, who is always there . Kate, my BFF all through college and who continues to be a sounding board and friend of the best kind . hundreds of other friends who, as Anne would call them, are kindred spirits . touch in all its forms and with all its healing power: hugs, holding hands, sitting close, kisses, foreheads rested together, blessings, stroking, draping, arms touching, legs touching, massage, etc. . deep heartfelt conversations where no time is wasted on the surface . sunshine and all its varying degrees of light throughout the day . new days . new chances to try again . ideas . opportunities . my hands and the way they create . art . the Earth and all her beauty . the ocean . the sound of the waves . my dad’s business . the people who ride his boats . the “blues” of the world: the sea, the sky, the lakes and rivers . the teeny tiny birds who were perched in my lavender patch this morning . the quiet of morning . the Scriptures and the way they bring me back to center . revelation and the knowledge that God speaks to us, guides us, teaches us, answers us . inspiration and the ability to hear and receive the voice of God . good books–all types . words to express . the white chocolate lime cake I made 2 times in the 4 days this week . a really comfortable bed with super soft sheets . clothes to wear . shoes to wear . the ability to read . clean water to drink . a really nice home that keeps me cool in summer and warm in winter . grandparents who always adored us girls . vacations . the river in Florida where my grandparents live and the canopy of trees above their house and the docks to sit and escape from life on . the chance to grow up on the most beautiful island . spanish moss and the way it drips from the tree limbs . people who ask me to take their pictures . people who hire me to sew for them . people who shop in my shop . people who ask me to be their marketing/PR consultant . a really great web-designer who does what I need quickly, and doesn’t get bent out of shape when I change my mind 14 times . money–there’s not a lot of it right now so I’ve learned lately to appreciate every cent that falls into my hands . the girls I teach at Church . laughter . my eyesight . my tastebuds . my ears that hear . my nose that smells . flowers that stop me dead in my tracks because they’re so fragrant . friendly love . familial love . romantic love . hope . the truth that we can, and should, hope for all things . creativity . life . the Olsen’s who let me come every week for Sunday dinner . a ward family who supports and is always there . Home Teachers who come every month . really great Sunday School teachers who take the time to prepare and relate the lessons to our lives . a Bishopric who prays for all of us . neighbors who are always looking out for Frit and I . the kids at Church (and everywhere really) who make me laugh . love between older couples . the hope of having my own children one day . the hope of having a husband one day . people who set me up on blind dates . the boy who is taking me out tonight . the past . mistakes . knowledge . my education . Utah and the home it’s become . my old job and all I learned there . my new flexible life . indoor plumbing . hot showers . the braces my dad paid for when I was a kid . opportunities to lead . all the camps and conferences I went to as a teenager . the Restored Gospel of Christ . the Holy Priesthood . men who honorably hold that Priesthood and use it to bless those around them . temples . the peaceful quiet joy I feel when I’m inside temples . the chance to serve a mission . all my companions while on my mission–for their friendship and the things I learned from each of them . the ability to teach . the people who let us into their homes on my mission . summertime . gardening . bright red strawberries . men who mow lawns and pull weeds so I don’t have to . my imagination . my heart . the ability to love and love well . exercise, even though I hate it . goals to reach for . fantastic teachers throughout my life . my tiny ward family back home–it was a branch when I was there, but I know I’m who I am today because of that place and those people . light . starry nights and that feeling I get when I lay on my back and take them all in but can’t comprehend the bigness of it all–it’s confusing but comforting all at the same time . the ability to think.

OK. My hour is up. I could keep going, but I’ll save it for another time. But let me also say that I’m grateful for you, who read and care and encourage me to write. I love knowing you’re out there and strangely a part of my life.

And speaking of YOU, I created a little print out for you, so that if you’d like to count your blessings too … you can. To post on your mirror and remember every day. I’ve been thinking that sitting down to fill one of these lists out might be a good weekly activity for Sunday afternoons. I also thought it would be a fun game for Family Night–whomever lists their 20 blessings first, wins a prize. Of course, little ones would need help so you could pair off in teams if that were the case, or you could even print or cut out pictures of blessings your family enjoys for young children to glue onto their paper. Either way … happy counting!

DOWNLOAD HERE, Save to Computer, Print and Cut

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Dive Deep

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Krista

It was time to leave, but I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want any of it to end. It’s not that I had forgotten what it felt like to be here, with these people. Or maybe I had. All I knew was that it felt so good to be with them again.

The hot summer wind blew down from the eastern mountains and swirled around us, coaxing us into an eddy of music and memories. I looked at Lise and our eyes met. We stayed there, held in gaze for no more than a few seconds, but a world passed between us. I rested my head on the back of my chair, wishing everyone could have been here, and let my eyes fall with one deep breath. I missed this. I missed them. And here, tonight, with the laughter and the music and the conversation–oh the conversation–I couldn’t help but dive into an ocean of sweet contentment.

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Rock Notes: A Simple Way to Say “I love you!”

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Krista

Here’s a fun, quick, sweet way to show someone you’re thinking of them …

A few Christmases ago, I was out of town a lot. And me being out of town = Frit alone in the big house. And she hates being alone in the big house. Especially at night. Plus, we’re buddies. And who likes being away from their buddy? It’s lonely and quiet. So to help her feel not-so-lonely I tried to think of something fun to leave behind in my absence. “Rock Notes” were what I came up with. It was nowhere near as cool as the “Christmas in a Basket” that she sent me on the road with so that in every hotel room I stayed, from Idaho to Phoenix, I could set up my own mini tree complete with lights and ornaments, but it was my best effort during that crazy time.

I picked up some paint pens and river rocks (found at any craft store or the Wal-Marts) and quickly scribbled little notes on some and drew hearts on the others. Then I hid them all over the house, in places she would find while I was away.

The fun thing is that the Rock Notes are still in use even all these months later. They go back and forth between the two of us and you just never know when you’re going to go brush your teeth …

or pull back the covers …

or open a drawer …

or sit down at the piano …

only to find a little reminder that someone loves you. I’ve even found them in my luggage a time or two. It’s such a fun, simple way to let someone know you care.

*We also hide these hideous creatures for the other to find too, but that’s a whole different story.

Except to say that when I went to bed really late one night last week and found Mr. Bones tucked into my bed, I might have come close to peeing my pants. I might’ve. (From fright. NOT from laughter.)

Have a wonderful Wednesday! xo

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Tomato-Corn Salad: A Cool Summer Recipe

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Krista

On Friday night Frit and I went to a dinner party set up by the Activity Committee at Church. Every couple months we sign up to be part of “Dinner Groups” and then we’re randomly paired with two other families in our congregation. Sometimes we hostess (yippee!), other times we’re guests, and we’ve so enjoyed getting to know some of the other families better.

This month we were paired with two semi-retired couples with lots of grandkids. It was such a fun night with story after story and plenty of laughter. Brother Rigby even gave us the inside scoop on some of his favorite fishing holes. “It’s a dandy,” he said, referring to a particular spot near Deer Creek.

Dandy. Now that is a word I’m going to be using more frequently. I’d say we all ought to try and get its use back in regular rotation.

So for the dinner, we were assigned a side dish and dessert. I’d seen a picture of a this salad on my old writing group leader’s site and knew I’d love it. I added a couple ingredients to her recipe, and it was so fast, easy, light and fresh. I thought you might like to try it too. It’s a dandy.

Tomato-Corn Salad

(serves 8)

10 minutes prep, 60 minutes chill (optional)

5 ears of corn
5 Roma tomatoes
4 bunches green onions
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
feta cheese to taste
avocado to taste

1. Boil corn for about 5 minutes and cut from ears.

2. While corn is boiling dice tomatoes (not too small) and slice onions (I just cut mine with kitchen shears).

3. Combine corn, tomatoes, and onions in serving bowl.

4. Drizzle ingredients in bowl with olive oil.

5. Add feta cheese and toss.

6. Chill for at least one hour. (This is ideal but it’s no biggie if you don’t have time.)

7. Slice avocado just before serving and arrange on top.

Notes:

You can easily change the proportion of ingredients. It’s all really just to taste. I was also thinking next time, I’d like to try adding a bit of fresh basil. And of course you could add some black beans and either still serve it as a side salad or with chips as a salsa option.

Enjoy!

Tell me: Do you have a go-to easy summer recipe? If so, please email it to me or put the link to it in the comments below. I’m always looking for good recipes!

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Saturday Morning

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Krista

This is what our Saturday mornings looks like.

At 6:45 a.m. we pull ourselves out of bed and drive down the street to our small town City Hall to pick up our produce from Bountiful Baskets (a food co-op in AZ, ID, UT, TX, NV, WA, & WY where, for $15, we get more than enough fresh fruits and veggies grown by local farmers. Yay for local!). There’s so much food, we can’t ever eat it all, so we actually split a basket with Frit’s sister.

The contents of the basket change weekly and you don’t get to choose–you just get what you get. But they’re always delicious. Last week we got a cantaloupe that was so juicy and sweet I couldn’t stop talking about it. No really. I think I brought it up every day. We put it in a fruit salad with blackberries, blueberries, peaches, and kiwi that I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This week we purchased two baskets–one to split as usual and another to leave on the doorstep of an unsuspecting neighbor (Frit’s idea. She’s always coming up with nice things like that to do for other people.).

Contents this time around? In each basket we got: 1 bag of Idaho potatoes, 1 bunch of bananas, 1 bag of grapes, 1 watermelon, 2 mangos, 9 plums, 9 peaches, 9 limes, 1 bunch white asparagus, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 head cauliflower, 1 container cherry tomatoes, & 3 butternut squash. (For $15! Can you believe that? But like I said, we share, so it’s actually only $7.50. Divided between 2 roommates, I only spend $3.75 on my produce for the week.)

It was all so beautiful, I think I spent an hour photographing each and every piece this morning. And just for kicks I might even pull out my sketch pad and pencils this afternoon to do some still life drawings. The colors are killing me!

And tomorrow? I think butternut squash pasta and a lime cheesecake are on the menu. What do you think?

So tell me: How do you spend your Saturday morning?

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7 Links

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Krista

I’ve said this before: I like lists.

So when one of my favorite blogging blogs challenged its readers to make a list of links, the point being to help your own readers dig deeper into your blog’s archives, I got all giddy. True story.

The links were to lead to:

Your first post
A post you enjoyed writing the most
A post which had a great discussion
A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
Your most helpful post
A post with a title that you are proud of
A post that you wish more people had read

So here’s my list! Hope you enjoy. And feel free to leave comments along the way. I love hearing what you think.

My First Post: I’m Back … It’s short and sweet–a little timid and unsure. But it’s me. Happily coming out of hiding and resurrecting my life.

A Post I Enjoyed Writing: Oh my … this one, this one, or this one. I can’t decide. All three are entries where I got lost in the world of words–my favorite place to be.

A Post With a Great Discussion: Well. To date, the post that made the most people step out of the shadows and speak up was the one where I shared the three different hairstyles I was deciding between for a recent first date. (May I again say thank you for your input.)

A Favorite Post from A Favorite Writer: This one. Definitely this one. It spoke to me, moved me, and made me think.

My Most Helpful Post: I’m not totally sure about this one, (you readers would know better than I) but the two posts I’ve received the most “thank you for writing that” emails were in regards to The Way and How To Accomplish Great Things. From my own standpoint, they were the most helpful posts for my own learning and growth, so perhaps they resonated with others in the same way.

A Title I Love: Big Shoes, Bigger Feet

A Post I Wish More People Had Read: For Catie (but read this one first)

Tell me: What would your seven links be? Go ahead! Write a post like this and leave the link in my comments below. I’d love to read! xo

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Early Morning Fishing: A Summer Must

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Krista

Last week Frit had a day off work and we used her free morning to drive up into the Uintas for an early morning fishing trip. We woke before the sun, packed a cooler, loaded our gear, and were on our way as light made its way up over the horizon.

After an hour winding through the mountains, we hiked down a hill, past fields of blue bells, and over a tiny stream to a trail that wound around a sleeping lake. It was calm and quiet. In other words, it was perfection.

A few other fishermen were already perched at their stoops and kindly told us that the fishing was good. Not that that mattered to us. We never catch anything anyway, even if everyone else does. But that’s not why we go. We go for the calm. And the quiet.

The colors were deep and saturated, I remember. Plump with hue, the lake and sky volleyed their finest features back and forth, spilling over onto everything in their blue-green reach. And once the sun was high, her bright white yellow mingled gold and sparkling, chasing the shadows of night back into hiding.

I captured a sunburst in the sky.

And starbusts on the lake.

(Doesn’t it look as though little lake urchins strung twinkle lights along the lapping ripples?)

That was about all I caught that day. My big bite of the day was, well … not so big.

But the fish enjoyed a mighty fine breakfast, courtesy of us. And we were happy to oblige.

After all, they did provide us reason for escape, a perfect morning of casting and reeling, the kind of graceful monotony that eases a weary soul.

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How To: Get Back to God

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Krista

Frit is in charge of the music in Primary* on Sundays and boy howdy does she come home with the best stories. This last week, at the beginning of class time, a member of the bishopric** was presenting the new theme that the children would be learning about this month and he asked them, “How do we get back to God?”

One of the 4-year-olds shouted out: With a ladder!

And when that answer was sadly labeled as incorrect, a fellow comrade shouted: In a boat!

…Oh, if only it were that easy.

*Primary is the children’s class at an LDS church. Ages 3 to 11 attend.

**A bishopric is the leadership that directs an LDS congregation. It consists of a Bishop and his 2 counselors. Their job is to watch over and guide the temporal and spiritual welfare of those in their geographic region.

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Ask Frit: An Advice Column [1]

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Krista

A while back I received a comment that said something to the affect that I should give Frit her own advice column here. The commenter was right (thanks Meghan!). Frit does give great advice. So today I present the first in a new series … “Ask Frit”–kinda like Dear Abby, but WAY better. So if you have a question–about ANYTHING–leave it in the comment box below or send me an email and then I’ll have her answer your questions periodically and offer her stellar advice. Think of it as my gift to you. I’m nice like that. So since this is new … I’ll start off with my own questions. This is stuff I’ve needed advice on for a while.

Me: What should I do about the neighbor’s cats who keep pooping in our backyard?

Frit: Make ‘em eat it. Or better yet…make the neighbors eat it. Maybe that’ll teach ‘em to keep those darn cats inside.

Me: What should I do about the plantars warts I got the last time I went for a pedicure?

Frit: Take them back to that place you got them from and plant those warts on their faces. Then when they look at each other maybe they’ll remember … to clean out those dirty, warty, nasty tubs (let this be a warning for all who enjoy … or used to enjoy a good pedicure – USE PROTECTION!).

[See I've got a lot of great advice.]

Me: What sorts of things should I teach the girls, or do with the girls, this week up at Youth Conferecne?

Frit: Maybe what you should do is let them teach you a thing or two.

Me: What should I do to get more dates?

Frit: Shower. Put a bra on. I think that should do it.

Me: Thank you. Thank you very much. This has been mighty insightful. All my problems are solved.

If YOU have a question or a dilemma that needs solving, let us know! Frit’s ready and waiting.

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5 Things You May Not Know About Me

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Krista

(Me, 1990, 5th grade. I designed and drew our classroom door decoration for “Story Week”. The outfit is my chorus uniform [see #3 below])

1. Sometimes I don’t answer my phone because I like my ringtones so much. [translation: I'm dancing and don't pick up in time.]

2. I have the smelliest feet on the planet. No really. I do. Sometimes they even make me gag. Once upon a time I was a missionary serving on the rainy side of Washington state where it’s custom to take off your shoes when entering someone’s home. My prayer, every day for eighteen months, was: “Please Father. Please bless my feet not to smell too horribly today.” You think I’m kidding? I’m not. I’m as serious as my smelly feet.

3. I was Student Council President in 5th grade. My slogan was “Maurer Power is Student Power” which I puff-painted onto t-shirts for all my campaign workers. I still have mine. My competitor was Jody Reinsch. Her slogan was “Don’t Be Grody, Vote for Jody.” That was also the year I sang in a special school chorus called the “Travelers”. I also designed that t-shirt (sans the puff paint), and I also still have one of those in my possession too. And while we’re doling out 5th grade memories–I sang Gloria Estefan’s “1, 2, 3, 4 (Come on baby say you love me)” in the school talent show that year. I wore a a silky black one-piece jump-suit with a sparkly silver jacket that went to my knees. Oh and a side-ponytail. If you’re lucky, maybe someday I’ll post the video here. Highly unlikely. But you can dream.

4. I fiddle with my earrings/earlobe when I’m nervous.

5. I scare easily. It’s a trait Frit loves very much. At least once a day she hides and jumps out from random places around our house. Sometimes I slug her. One time I cried (it scared me SO bad I couldn’t even breathe). Usually I scream. And always she laughs. I’m really jumpy in movies too. I’ve even yelped in a theater because I was so startled by what happened on the screen.

Tell me: What’s one thing I don’t know about you?

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