Douglas...

So, tonight as I was readying myself for bed, I searched for a book to read before laying myself down to sleep. This is a nightly ritual, and one that can get me in trouble, for I stay up far too late reading books. I looked through a stack of books I had beside my bed and realized I had read them all. I got up to look for something else - surely I hadn't read them all! Lo and behold, I reached into my closet and found a book my Dad had given me for x-mas. It is entitled Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples. Does this sound like a book that would keep me reading until the wee hours of the morning? Most likely not. However, I thought about this book more and more as I handled it, and read my dad's note on the first page which reads, 'Merry Christmas Erin. One of the great histories written by one of the 20th centuries greatest figures! Love, Dad'
If you know my dad, Douglas, you know that he is a lover of literature. He is a passionate man, my dad. For as long as I can remember he tried to get us to read books and instill within us the same love of literature as he had. During summer vacations we'd get a dollar for each book we read, but I think only a few of us actually took the bribe. Dear Dad, he has always been kindly persistent. I remember a time when he gave me a Tony Hillerman book to read. It didn't 'look' like what I'd like reading at that age (there was no love story). However, once the stubbornness subsided, I would finally give in and read the book suggested. I liked it. I liked it a lot. I think he could see that I was perhaps more easily persuaded to enjoy books than the other kids in our family. He still gives me books to read that he has had on his stuffed-full-of-books shelf for years. When I finally changed my major to its last, it was to English Literature. Naturally, a place that felt like home.
So, tonight as I sat there looking at this book, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for what my dad has helped instill within me; the love of literature and a thirst for knowledge.
He gave me this book because he knew I enjoyed history, but he also gave me this book because he thinks I'm an intelligent person. He not only looks upon me as his feminine daughter that enjoys pretty things, but he looks on me as an intelligent woman that has the ability to further my knowledge of the world. He knows I have potential. This knowledge gives me confidence. It gives me confidence in my own intelligence and abilities. I really appreciate my dear dad's thoughtfulness, his kindness and his love. I don't often come to realizations like this, so I thought it would be best to record it somewhere. What better place then on this here blog o' mine.
Daddy Doug can usually be found sitting on his grand leather chair, next to the fire, surrounded by his books. At Christmas time, there will be music playing 24/7. Sometimes he'll fall asleep in his comfy chair, with reading glasses still clinging for life upon his nose. I enjoy that sight. I'll remember it for years to come. But mostly, I'll remember what he has taught me to love by example and gentle nudging. Thanks, Dad. Love you.

Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy.

Check this out. It's very true, folks. Very true. Go here.

cool under fire

I just watched my roomie Melanee put out a rather small, but potentially large fire. I gazed from the couch as she (in complete control) put out this fire that would have caused me much distress had I been in her position. Not Melanee. She is the gal you want to have in an emergency. Cool, calm, and collected. Bless her for saving my wee life!

Dear Daddy-o...

Thanks for remembering your single daughter on Valentine's Day. What a kind, sensitive Father you are! Muito obrigada. Love you.

Love week?

So I really thought I had such a great idea of posting my favorite love songs this week leading up to V-day. Alas, I am bored. Or just dis-enchanted all together. Maybe you can tell me your cheesy, favorite love songs. Yeah, that sounds better. Let 'em flow, people.

Joaquin Phoenix... really?

Ok, for real, what's up with Joaquin? Check out his recent interview with Dave Letterman.

Love week continued...

You can tell that Roberta feels it.

Isn't it glorious?

Love week

In celebration of Valentine's day, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite love songs; yes, love songs. On the flip side, I'll also share some of my least favorite love songs. Everyone can use a little love right now, don't you think? So, this is my gift to you, my friends. A few favorite love songs every day. They may be favorites of yours too, and they may not. We shall see.

1. Moonlight Serenade (Glenn Miller Orchestra) - An oldie but goodie. What a melody! I love it.



2. So In Love (Cole Porter) - If you saw the movie 'De-Lovely', then you probably love this song as much as I do. Truly, a winner.

A big fat welcome!

Dear 33,

I love you already! What a great b-day weekend I had. Below are some of the highlights. It began Friday night with a party involving the Curran's and Macdonald's. Vicki Mac and I are a day apart and have been celebrating our special days together since we were young, so her dear sister Caroline decided to put together a little family party. What a great time we had! It involved Hawaiian dress, Hawaiian haystacks, and Hawaiian-style 'how to host a murder' festivities. Truly, a good time was had by all. Thank you Caroline for making our days wonderful.


Caroline and I striking a Mary Kate and Ashley pose. She's much better at it than I am.


Me, Mama, Megan and Shannon (thanks a lot mom for thinking it would be funny to lick my face for the picture! Eww!)
My brothers Sean & Conn with the b-day girls.
The b-day girls shakin' their hula thang.
Hula with li'l bro, Conn.


Vicki holding hands with the cut-out Hawaiian man. I was so not jealous!

My dear sister Shannon treated Vicki and I to 'photo shoots' for our new year. A big thanks to her for taking over 300 pictures! More pics to come.


Saturday evening I had my favorite food from the Bombay House in Provo, and shared it with some of my favorite people: Vicki, Karen, Betsy, and Rob. It has been a tradition for Vicki, Karen and I to eat there for our b-day's. After Bombay, we attended a program of really amazing music, acting, and dancing. It was a benefit concert for a scholarship that would be given to a student of the arts at OHS, and was dedicated to our old drama teacher in high school (Syd Riggs) that passed away a few years ago. I was reminded what an amazing person she was last night, and how many lives she touched throughout the years.

To end the night, Melanee made some yummy cookies that Marcole, Rob and I gobbled up.
All in all, it was a really wonderful birthday. Thanks to all of you for making it really spectacular!
Hooray for 33!!

Goodbye 32...

So, 32...

You've been good to me. We've had a good run of it. We've had our tough times, yes. But we've had oh-so-many good times too. I hate to say goodbye, but the inevitable must come. The door that welcomes in 33 is fast approaching. I welcome it, yes I do. I welcome it with wide open arms. I embrace another great year in my wee life. Weep not, dear 32, I will not forget you. Your year is imprinted in my mind, and wears upon my mouth a smile.

Dear 33,

Be good to me. Show me more of the world, introduce me to great people, allow me opportunities to grow and make me wiser, and fan the flames of love in my life. Yes, 33, soon I leap into your door.

I've said my goodbyes.

By and by, I come.

When we were young

Dear friends, when the Curran kids were young we lived in a paradise called Hawaii. On Moana St. in Laie, we roamed the streets barefoot, messy haired (until mom caught us and we had to have braids), we played in the dirt, caught tadpoles from the storm drain, played in the rain when it down-poured in the middle of the day, chased after the myna birds, and oh, so many other things. Needless to say, at the end of the day, we were a bit dirty. One sibling comes to mind when I think of all of these things. She was a defiant one as a child. Defiant, but happy-go-lucky. You'd hardly recognize her now. She was often being chased after by one of her older siblings while saying she was going to the beach (only a block away, oh, and she was 3). Bless her heart. We came across a picture that may well have been this child's look and demeanor at that time.

Please have a moment of silence. Please give thanks that she no longer looks like this.



(picture found on the internet. not a real photo of my li'l sis)


And now...

My Turn

Instructions: Take the following list and bold the items you have completed or experienced.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (a non-luxury cruise in Russia. I even had to bring my own food!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (I got so close!)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (not all of it)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (does the outside count?)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Hi, I'm here.

So, what is it with January?!

Does anyone else feel the total 'blah's'?

I need to find something to do with my time to feed my soul, to expand my mind, and to heighten my senses...

I feel like taking off in one of these...

And heading off to here...

And here...

And meeting people like these...


And these...


So many dreams, so little time.

Family Memories of Hawaii

Oh dear, I love this picture. Shannon posted it on Facebook yesterday and I had to steal it to share with all of you. I think I was three in this picture, and what I remember most is my parents bribing me, yes much bribing. They bribed me with every candy in creation to wear an outfit similar to what Shannon (the baby) is wearing. I simply wouldn't. I don't remember why I was so determined not to wear it, but alas, you see my very unhappy face to even be in the picture. I seemed to do this a lot through that age. I was quite the stubborn child. It's fun to look back and laugh at it.
This picture was taken in the back yard of our home in Laie, Hawaii. Sometimes I still can't believe I lived 10 years of my childhood there. It was a dream.
Of course we are missing three members of our family that weren't born yet; Caitilin, Sean, and Conn.

Car woes... and how!

Any member of my family will tell you that Curran's + Cars = plain bad luck. Some of my most poignant memories of family outings to "town" (meaning Honolulu) were of our 15 passenger van over-heating on the way, with all 8 kids inside. You realize this is only one of the many incidences I remember. Siblings, please add your comments to this and all of the dear, sweet reflections that come to your mind. One of the reasons we've struggled with lemons is the fact that my parents continually bought very old and very used cars. Bless their hearts, we were never a wealthy family. But tell me, who is that chooses to have 8 children?!
Anyhow, my recent auto situation caused me to reflect on all of those years of old, run-down cars. Right around x-mas and all of the crazy snow, my car began having problems starting - especially on those oh-so-cold mornings. I had it jumped on more than one occasion, but always worried about the worse-case scenario (hundred of dollars plunked down on my car). Having a 2005 automobile, I thought those days were over. Well, for the last month I have been worried that I would have to shell out mucho dinero for this very beloved car. Today I was sweetly surprised. I went to consult with the folks at Auto Zone, where they tested my battery, alternator and starter and deduced that it was indeed the battery. My first question, "How much will that cost?" I hadn't replaced one since the last car and thought maybe it would change with a newer car. Not so. The dear thing only cost me $69.99. Oh friends, I am loved. This I Know. I would not have been able to afford anything else, and I was indeed so thankful.
Thanks to the folks at Auto Zone for installing it for me too (not a usual thing, I'm told). They made a stressed young lady awfully happy. Hooray!