Tuesday, September 29, 2009

For the meaning of life...read here

Let me just start by saying my parents are kinda awesome. I don't just say that because I am so awesome. People are stunned when I tell them that my Dad is more liberal than me...because they can't quite fathom it. But it's true. He taught me that narrow views are dangerous and that sheltering us would only hinder us in the future. I know most people don't agree with this, but I do. I don't hide things from my kids. The world is a big, bad, ugly place and I need to prepare them to be good people and still exist in it. As most of you know I'm also a teensy bit intense. This also comes from my parents. When I disagree with you, it is just out of love of arguing/debating. I love disagreeing with people. It is just that I am always right and you are always wrong.

That being said, my dad is old and has a lot to say. We were talking about how we were tired of being the minority because we are liberals (and right...well we are left but you know what I mean) and he wrote this "essay" of sorts and I liked it. It has some basic wisdom of someone who has realized that life stinks sometimes. I think I have skipped ahead to his last step because I'm pretty darn bitter already. Again, when you read Lars' words you will understand why I am so intense and why I feel like I can say what I want whenever I want to whomever I choose. It is amazing that I have any friends at all. Thanks Lars. Oh, and make his day by commenting to this. He loves a good debate as much as me.

On Getting Older by Larry Schaugaard (a.k.a. Lars)

A short essay by the renowned Author of such great works as “How to bother my Republican Ward members and not get excommunicated.”

At the age of eight I wanted to know everything. I spent most of my time asking about the world around me and I accepted all information that was given to me regardless of how absurd the information might have been.

By the age of twelve I thought I was pretty much grown up. I began to feel like I knew a few things about the world. I was still asking plenty of questions but I wasn’t so willing to listen and believe what I was being told.

Eighteen was a special age for me. I had just finished High School (which in many ways was quite traumatic), but I was now going to live life on my own terms. At this time I thought I knew everything that was worth knowing and I was the most secure in my attitude about the world around me and the direction I was going in it. I had wonderful dreams of the great things I would accomplish.

…Then I turned 25 and a strange thing started to happen. Cracks began developing in my invincibility. I had the sad realization that there were things I might not know. Even worse than that, I might not be controlling as much of the world around me as I once thought. Sleepless started happening.

At the age of 35, as a parent, I realized to my great surprise, that it wasn’t just a few things I didn’t know… it was most things. It was at this age that my central worldview was crushed. My long-held belief that I controlled the world around me was in fact a complete illusion. I was still clinging to the idea that while many things were uncontrollable, I still had power over certain aspects of my life. Sleepless nights started occurring more frequently.

At the age of 40 it became a certainty that I didn’t know a damn thing and that life was simply a random set of events that I had little if any control over. In fact the only true control came from how I reacted to the random, unfair, and at times laughable situations life was throwing at me.

At 45 my metamorphosis was complete. I came to the conclusion that I really don’t know anything about the world I live in. I became bitter and mean because I had completely lost my illusion that I controlled anything in my world.

At 50, I felt hope starting to swell once again in my aging soul. I still didn’t know anything or control most things but because of my bitterness at learning the truth of my life I have now learned as a “stranger in a strange land” (that of being a very liberal active Mormon which seems to be an oxymoron in the state of Utah) that telling people who truly bother me to go f#$% themselves. I can now relax more at night. Sleepless nights are becoming less frequent.

At 55+, bliss is starting to set in. My old soul still doesn’t know much, controls even less, and has lost all its hopes and dreams, but I have now adopted an attitude that precludes me from giving two #$%&s about most of the insane world around me. I have now come to the part of my life that allows me to, depending on my mood at the time, either take someone’s head off or ignore them completely when some minor infractions against me might occur. I have begun taking pleasure in the small things in life such as voting a straight Democratic ticket, just so I can tell people at my VERY Republican church what I did and get under their skin. Or by going to see Michael Moore at UVU and then tell people how much I enjoyed it so I can see their reaction. I find that in the end life can still be an adventure even if that adventure is nothing more than voicing my opinion to those who don’t share my views (and bothering them). And as I contribute to the insanity of this world, sleeping is beginning to occur regularly without regret.





Monday, September 28, 2009

Maura Bruno: Cheese Connoisseur

We held the first annual Maura Bruno cheese-tasting party last night. It started out as Sunday dinner with my family and rapidly morphed into a cheese-themed party that got a little out of control. I think we had over 12 types of cheese (cheeses??) I also made a cake shaped like a cheese wheel that turned out looking more like Pac Man with polka dots, but the kids liked it anyway.

All I can say is that I'm not eating cheese again for awhile. There were some strong ones in the mix. But Maura had a blast and she deserved it after being so sick.


Here we are toasting to each other.


Here are the massive amounts of cheese. Sadly we ate most of it. And now we are paying for it.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Bugs vs. Maura/ Monster vs.Tiny

Things are calming down in the Bruno household. Maura's bacterial infection wreaked havoc and left. They thought she had kidney damage but really I just think they were out to see how much they could push me before I cracked. I could have told them it didn't take much at all. I had a mini meltdown the day they told me she would either be fine or be admitted to the hospital with permanent kidney damage. Thank goodness she is fine and almost back to normal. I sorta like that kid and want her around. Oh, and my man got a job and I am so proud. I'm pretty sure it is just based on his hotness, but that is okay with me...Though I will miss my hot maid and nanny. I will have to find a replacement...

Anyway, here are some pictures from the past few weeks. My sister-in-law Heidi and her daughter Abby were in town this week so we got to visit with them. Heidi hiked Timpanogos at 7 months pregnant. I had my baby 4 months ago and getting out of the car still gets me winded. She is amazing and it was so good to see her. Abby couldn't get enough of Max and Max in turn loved her.


Then we went to visit my friend Cathy who has a 6-7 week old baby. Granted she was only 5 pounds at birth, but she is only 2 months younger than Max and about 1/3 the weight. He tried to steam roll her and he looked like he was seriously considering eating her for a snack. We stopped him...of course. Eva is a doll and Maura asked why Max was never that small. Because he is a monster, a giant, an anamole. I don't know, I just know he is pretty damn cute and we all love that guy. Even if his head is 3X the size of sweet litte Eva's.



The End.



Monday, September 21, 2009

List.

I have promised a few people a list of books to read. I have been reading a lot lately (I recently discovered something amazing called the PUBLIC LIBRARY). Here are some of the really good ones that are worth reading. Return the favor by sending me your list of what is worth my incredibly valueable time. Please and Thank You.
The End.

1. Mystic River & Shutter Island by Denis Lehane: Mystic River is better but Shutter Island is much more fun. I love both. If you love great mysteries read them. There is a reason that so many of his books are made/being made into movies. Can't wait for Shutter Island (Leonardo DiCaprio is in it!)

2. The Fifth Child & Ben in the World by Doris Lessing: Disturbing and awesome. Ben in the World is the sequel and isn't as good as the original but still worth reading. It is about a family that has 4 perfect children and has #5 and he is...well definitely not perfect to say the least.

3. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan: I own this one if anyone is interested. It sounded dull on the cover but I bought it anyway (sometimes I don't trust my own opinion and go against it) and it was great.

4. Skeletons at the Feast-Chris Bohjalian: It is entirely possible that I butchered his last name but this is a good one too. A little harder to get through but still good. I own this one as well.

5. The Book of Dead Philosophers: This is a good coffee table book. It goes through all the great thinkers of the distant and recent past and all the crazy/unique ways they passed on, kicked the bucket, bought the farm (you get the idea).

6. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman: Not a GREAT book but a good one.

7. What Was Lost by Catherin O'Flynn: This might be my favorite out of the bunch. Very unique and I love the way it is written. Get this one first.

8. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen : I might have mixed these last two up. One I liked and one I loved. Get them both and let me know if I was right.

And now for one I hated: John Updike's "My Father's Tears." Has anyone else read this? It was so disappointing. I love him and I wanted to love it because he's dead now and nothing new will be coming out ever again. But I despised it.

That is all for now. More to come later.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Better.

Sorry for the brief hiatus. We had a battle raging in our home. Maura vs. the evil invaders in her intestines. She is finally getting better and will be victorious soon. Maybe once she is better we will ger her tests back and find out what she had. Heaven forbid we find out while she is screaming in pain for 5 days straight (so we can actually do something about it). I hate doctors/insurance/health care industry! But that rant is for another day. Today, enjoy my 3 month old attempting to escape his bouncer. Do they make plus-size bouncers? I need one. Apparently this one cannot contain him. He did make it all the way out, but I had stop recording as to catch his head before it hit the ground.




I feel a little like my buddy Collin gets lost in the middle of our crazy family. Maura has been so sick and Max sorta demands our attention and Collin is usually just happy playing with his trains. So I have included this picture mostly to make me feel better about not paying attention to him. He loves to wear Rand's old clothes, so that is why he is always looks like he travelled back to the 70's. Well, that and the hair doesn't help either. Here he is in Rand's baseball jersey. What a good lookin' little guy I have. He looks just like his dad.



Wednesday, September 2, 2009

mom=not embarassing (yet)


I have the best little girl, everyone should get themselves a Maura. She made me a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and put this note in. I put a note in her lunch on the first day of school and then I thought maybe it embarrassed her so I didn't do it the next day and she said "mommy, why didn't you put a note on my napkin, I wanted to show my friends." I know someday soon she will be completely embarrassed of me (and rightfully so) so I will enjoy it now.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Must. Squeeze. Cheeks.


I just love this picture. Sometimes I forget how chubby he really is because I am around him so much. He really his a fatty. We decided since he already looked like a fat old man we would go with it and add the old man hat.

PS....Stef, can he really marry Scarlet? They can have the world's fattest, cutest babies.