I am still not ready for more snow. In fact, since the calendar tells me that it should be spring in this hemisphere, I am quite unhappy with the snow. If I was in charge, I would probably fire it. However, the snow is not the only thing on my mind. I can't help but have one of my "Mormon moments".

I can't help but feel gratitude for all of the good things in my life. Despite the bad moments and people letting me down, I have a lot to be happy about and a lot to look forward to. I have two cats who are always willing to make me know how needed I am, particularly when I return to find that the people who were going to feed them for me while I was away completely forgot. The cats didn't devour my house or my legs, so all is well in the long run. Granted, Rodney did have a few of his nasty accidents, but I was expecting that to be another of the nasty side-effects to him not being fed this weekend.

I also have opportunities to listen to spiritual men and women share their inspirations with me. This weekend, I got to watch General Conference, which was uplifting (as always). I also got to watch it with my sweetie. He didn't seem scared by my beliefs, so that is always a plus.

It is also poetry month. I know. Again. It does come around once a year. Sadly, my poet is in repose right now. The novelist wants to be heard in my head and on paper, so I am letting her write away.

Good Friday is always a happy and sad day, isn't it? Good: We get the day off from work. Good: We are reminded that Jesus Christ atoned for our sins. Bad: We have to accept the fact that we are so sinful, He needed to die on the cross to wash us clean. Just a little tidbit to think about before I gossip about myself.

My sweetie and I spent the weekend at his parents' house. It took his mom about two minutes to make me feel like a welcome member of the family. Always good to know that your sweetie's family likes you. Since many of his college friends live in that area, we met up with about nine of them for dinner. Dinner was fantastic for multiple reasons. First, his friends are very amusing people. Second, they declared that I am the perfect woman for him and gave me permission to take care of him. Third, one of them brought a baby which means she had a toy and she let me play with it. She was also deeply amused by me making it dance, wave, and nod its head for her. I really did miss my calling as a clown. Fourth, the food was delicious. Fifth, the dessert was chocolate mousse and I wasn't the one who applauded for my dessert this time (I was trying not to embarass my sweetie, but one of his friends is a sugar enthusiast, too). Sixth, and most important, I got to spend time with my sweetie. Duh!!!

From there it was back to his parents' house to visit with them, watch some news, and participate in my favorite activity: good old-fashioned sleep. Trust me, we needed that sleep because...

Around Wednesday, I had been informed that one of my friends had bumped her wedding up and I was invited and quite hoped for by the bride. As some of her familyhad already made plans to be out of state, I was willing to go if I could make it. Of course, I was told the wedding was at 3, but it turned out to be at four. I was also told it would be in PC, but it ended up being out in MD. The reason this was a problem was that I had a reception in PA the same day at 6, so we had to cut out right after the ceremony and hugging as many members of the bride's family as I could get ahold of before rushing back to watch my sweetie drive us back from whence we came (well, kind of).

The reception was also pretty awesome and more relaxed as I wasn't thinking I would have to leave in the middle of it. During her toast, Adrienne kept pausing to kiss her husband which was cute beyond all reason. Her new brother-in-laws both expressed a desire to be as awesome and worthy to win the heart of a girl as wonderful as their brother's wife. This was amusing, especially since the second brother started blushing and couldn't finish his toast.

I also got to see a cute little girl named Kathy dancing up a storm. I love this girl. I am not sure she knows that, but she is such a sweet, innocent, loving person that she just brightens up a room. Rich and I were both willing to let him dance with her but she found someone else to dance with, so he had to dance with me again--poor guy, right? After the dancing tapered off, I stole another hug from the bride and snuck out, but not before a friend of mine informed Rich that "we all adore [Bella]". Sometimes I think my friends want me to blush.

We rounded off the evening listening to (in the car) and then watching hockey. Go Penguins!!! We also watched some news and then we snuck off to my favorite activity again because...

We got up around 6 in the morning to get ready for sunrise service at his parents' church. You can tell the faithful because they are outside in the cold smiling through chattering teeth while being reminded of something very important for us all to remember: Christ live and so can we. The pastor is a hobbit, so you can imagine I was predisposed to smiling at her despite the fact that I was the only one brave enough to wear a dress. Luckily, I found some good Samaritan who held my hand to keep it warm. Of course, we were halfway through the service before he thought to put a glove on the hand that wasn't sharing heat.

The sunrise service was followed by a tasty breakfast of potatoes, homemade sausage, and eggs. I also helped some orange juice find its way to a good home. Then we drove home for a bit until the actual service started around 10:30. This was also a nice service, but part of me felt something was missing. Another part of me informs me that I was missing the Sacrament, but that is a story for a longer, more spiritual entry somewhere.

The evening was rounded off by Easter dinner. In preparation for this, various family members piled into the house, including a cute puppy who didn't like being informed I wasn't sharing my chocolate and peanut butter coated pretzel because I am immune to begging. It's good to be a crazy cat lady sometimes. I took a brief nap and woke up just in time to foil her attempts to sneak in and curl up with me. I begin to wonder if I wear a sign that only animals can see that says, "Snuggle me or I'll stop breathing."

I think my philosophy of eating as much as I want so people can see more of me may have disturbed some of the other ladies at the table. Of course, I wasn't the one who left the house with more than half of a huge ham, but I actually didn't notice that until it was brought to my attention. Then we sat around holding our bellies until the call of the bed was too great.

The morning started off with me being married off in casual conversation, but that was okay because I was sent home with a huge muffin, some hot cross buns, some ham, and a burning desire to be someone different when I reached my destination. Despite having to say good-bye to my sweetie, I managed to drag myself onto that road south. Despite someone in a huge black truck continuously trying to caus eme to slam into his rear bumper, I made it back safely. I then participated in a mock trial where I had to control all of my urges to tell the prosecutor that he was an idiot. Apparently, the jury, whom I made laugh twice, agreed with me because my dear (and imaginary) friend Joe was cleared of all charges.

Yesterday evening, it was the nose-patting that kept me from getting my rest. Rodney felt this was the best way to punish me for not being fed on Sunday. Little did he realize I had already been punished (just as I was punished the week before when my formerly trusted friends were asked to give my cats about 5 minutes of their time for two days in order to feed them). This morning, my restlessness began with the pressing need to pee and continued with the pressing need to scribble into a notebook until ideas stopped coming. It's been a good day for such random inspiration. I finished two chapters and still haven't added what I scribbled in the wee hours of the morning. The cats are excited as they want to use the pages of my novel to line their litter boxes. They are such harsh critics.

Work was also productive today. I authorized over one hundred names, bringing joy and delight to library users everywhere (probably not, but I like to dream big. Then I went back to the tedious project that got me the honor of sitting next to the head of our IT department pondering memories I my childhood living with a smoker. Sadly, this project doesn't use many of my skills. It tests my patience and gives me lots of practice with cut and paste, but aside from that, it isn't very taxing. I also can't obsessively watch television shows while using some of the software, so my brain isn't stimulated enough, which could prove annoying to the people around me as I talk to myself. Luckily, the closest co-worker assures me that she never hears me, so I don't feel too terribly bad.

I also resisted the urge to sit next to big posters that declare we should all read. Why would I do that (particularly since one was Hugh Laurie and we all know I admire the harshness of our unique Dr. House)? I have found that when I man booths for the edification and enjoyment of others that odd things tend to happen. I either am surrounded by people who have no interest in what I am trying to share with them but still won't leave, or have to forcibly ask one of my friends to leave because they don't understand that I can't fix their drama while doing work since I am not a psychiatrist.

In other news, I got to jump start my friends car today. This was odd to me since it is usually my vehicle that has coughed up a hairball and refuses to work. It's nice to be able to help out a friend without requiring a ticker tape parade to celebrate the event, isn't it?

Apparently, the rumors about me are spreading again. I came home today and felt very distinctly that I had stepped into an episode of Gilmore Girls. I heard a cat proclaiming its presence from across the street. As this same cat was doing the same thing a week ago, I didn't pay much attention. I proceeded to check my mail, realizing that the loud wailing had gotten closer to me. The kitty seemed intent on being adopted by me. The poor creature even chased me to my door. Sadly, I can not adopt another cat. First, Rodney and Ziggy would probably massacre it. Second, if they didn't massacre it, I would need a bigger bed. I am tightly squished between two warm fuzzies as it is. I peeked out the door a couple of time to make sure I didn't have a desperate cat camped out on my doorstep. if my neighbors didn't know I was nuts before, they definitely know now.

I spent another weekend in my happy place. Shockingly, this is not a chocolate factory. It is actually so much better than that. A real happy place is one where you feel appreciated, respected, and loved. Needless to say, not a lot of places exist in this world where we can feel like this. Not a lot of people feel it is important to be truly valued.

Anyway, one of my weekend happy places was with my sweetie. I know it is very schoolgirl crush of me, but I enjoy spending time with him. Whether we are snuggled up on the couch, watching the Penguins win their the game that means they are moving on while the Flyers are done for the season (for those uninformed, my penguin obsession has taken on new dimensions in 2009--thanks, Pittsburgh and Hatchlings) or scooping up spiky monkey balls to put in the compost heap, we both end up smiling happily (and I even confess to him that I feel very much like a schoolgirl. He doesn't seem to mind.)

My other standard happy place is, of course, the church. I had a couple of notable moments associated with church, so I will share briefly. First, I noted as I entered the room for the Gospel Essentials class that I am now eleven years old. I was baptized eleven years and two days ago. I haven't regretted that decision though I have regretted other decisions in that span of time.

The second was that my darling cat has a fan club. My friends' niece has apparently been admiring Rodney as he awaits my arrival in the window. She informed me many times that she likes cats. She also let me take her hand to walk her up the street. Yes, I slowed my pace down. I try not to be a roadrunner when walking with people I like (if I felt like it, I would share an eighth grade flashback here, but you'll just have to wonder).

Not much else that is news today, but I have realized I haven't posted any of my ramblings to the net in a long time. I wonder how many of my three faithful readers are starved for information....

For those who can not extrapolate from my title for today's entry, I will explain in my own way. I finished reading Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted today. I had already seen the movie, but we are reading it for book club, so I decided to breeze my way through it. We are discussing it on the 23rd of next month, so I may have to flip through it again to refresh my thoughts on it, or I could just read this entry.

I always find it interesting how the same basic story can be told again and again and still keep people happy. I am not talking about a new director deciding to completely redo a movie that has been made three or four times already because they think they can do better. I am also not referring to ad-libbing your way through a Cinderella story. I am referring to changing it enough and adding enough new facets to make it seem like a completely different story.

Of course, I can associate with Cinderella. She worked and worked and worked to try to keep other people happy, but in the end, she had to go find her own life. She also found a handsome prince to help her. My little prince, however, has taken to being a naughty boy from clawing my feet while I sleep to expressing himself. He might have to spend a day in the dungeon. If only I had one of those, right?