Larry's Life

The Man Chair

A few weeks back we went into a store that sells used furniture on consignment.  We were looking for a nightstand for the guest bedroom downstairs.  We were fortunate to find something that Sandy was really happy with, and we bought it.

As we continued to look around the store, we spotted a couple of leather barcalounger chairs.  Sandy asked what I thought about getting something like one of those for the office.  I thought that might be OK, so I sat in one and tried it out.  It was very comfortable.  True it was a used chair, but it was in pretty good shape, just nicely broken in.  Well, it was still more than we wanted to spend, but since we were already buying something else, the salesperson tempted us with a very good price.  Finally, we succumbed and bought the chair as well.  Sandy convinced me when she said it could be for my birthday (3 months away in April). 

It fits nicely into the office and works equally well for reading, watching TV, or napping.  I can attest to that from experience as I've done all 3 effectively.  Since it's my birthday chair, and it's in the office that I use more than Sandy, I've dubbed it the Man Chair.  It works, don't you think?
 

Declaring War on Clutter

I confess.  I'm a creator of clutter.  I especially like creating piles of paper and assorted stuff.  My other favorite is just stuffing stuff into drawers.  It's the old "out of sight out of mind" trick.  It's all done with the very best of intentions of course.  I set things aside with the intent of carefully going through them to organize them and decide what to do with every last speck of stuff.  I yearn to see the surface of the desk in our office, unencumbered by piles of stuff.  I long for organized drawers.  I seek the peace of mind that comes from living an organized life.  I hope to someday know what I've got and exactly where to find it.

I'm afraid I've got clutter on my computer as well.  Duplicate files, miscellaneous bits of information hidden away in forgotten directories.  Oh, I've got LOTS of really cool stuff, but don't ask me exactly what I've got or where it is.  If really needed, and if I've got some time, I can usually find stuff on my computer, but to say the information there is disorganized is an understatement.

Well today, I'm beginning.  I'm clearing off the desk in the office (the desktop is a nice shade of tan!) and cleaning out 1 drawer.  A modest beginning, but a start nonetheless.  

Check this out!  A desk that is clean, neat, and orderly!

Whew!  I feel better already.  One small step for most normal people.  One giant leap for clutter lover!  Now about that disorganized mess of cords and plugs under the desk.  I'm afraid that's a task for another day.

Movie Recommendation

There aren't too many movies out there worth seeing these days, but Sandy and I say one last night worth recommending--Bedtime Stories.  Check it out at the link here:

Bedtime Stories

Rated PG.  Nothing offensive other than a couple of instances of bodily noises.  You'll laugh and leave the theater without feeling like you've just been on a stroll through the sewer.

Up In the Attic Again

Well, we finally got all the Christmas boxes stowed away in the attic.  The decorations have all been down for weeks, and the boxes have been packed and ready for stowing, but they've just sat there in the garage waiting.  So this morning I finally called up Mike, waking him up at 8:20 am, and and bribed my son.  I told him that if he'd come over and help me get the Christmas stuff back in the attic we'd buy lunch for him and Brenda.  He agreed, the deed is done, the food has been eaten, and I don't have to worry about the stuff in the attic again until Thanksgiving. 

It probably took only ten minutes--and then we were off to Wendy's.

                                                    

The bill came to around $18 for Mike, Brenda, Sandy, me, and two of our granddaughters who were visiting.  Not bad.

By the way, I had two Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers and a small order of fries from Wendys!  Yum!

Yes, I'm a Bandwagoner

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the
Super Bowl! 
Can you believe it?

   

Arizona 32   -   Philadelphia 25

2008 Family Christmas Letter

Christmas 2008

It’s been said that one of the primary purposes of this life is to learn by experience.  If that’s true, then there’s been a lot of learning going on in the Barney Family this year.

Becky’s entire life revolves around learning.  She’s in her 2nd year at Brigham Young University and loves living in Provo, Utah.  In addition to the learning related to her college classes, Becky has learned a lot about teaching kids in her job as an instructor at a music academy in Utah Valley.  Her plan is to continue her formal learning at Utah Valley University next year as she studies to become a dental hygienist.  After a quick trip home for Thanksgiving, Becky also learned that winters in Arizona are tough to beat!

Matt continues to polish up his Spanish as well as his knowledge of scriptures and gospel principles as he serves as a missionary in North Carolina.  He’s also focused on the learning of his new companion since receiving the assignment to be a trainer of new missionaries.  One more thing Matt’s learned is how to quickly figure out how to work new cameras, since he’s now on his 3rd one in 18 months!

Mike is learning how to be a good husband since his wedding to Brenda Recinos in August.  Both Mike and Brenda continue their formal education as students at a local community college.  In the past two years, Brenda, who is from Guatemala, has learned to speak English very well, and Mike continues to perfect the Spanish he first learned as a missionary in Peru a few years ago.  We all learned that Brenda’s parents are wonderful people when they visited Arizona last month for a couple of weeks.

In her new role as a manager at a local Fantastic Sam’s hair salon, Kathy is learning how run a business and deal with employees.  She’s discovered that some of those lessons are more fun than others.  She’s definitely learned how to spoil her 3 nieces and 1 nephew.  She’s really looking forward to learning first-hand about Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, when she and one of her roommates embark on a cruise in January.

Heather and Dean have learned that life is never boring when you have 4 small children.  Taylor (6), and Emily (5) both love learning new things in 1st grade and pre-kindergarten.  Anna (3) learns, and uses, new words every day.  Brigham (1) has learned everything from crawling to walking to making his grandparents smile.  Dean’s learning that there are fewer motorcycles and ATVs to repair in these tough economic times.  It’s a good thing Heather’s already learned how to be a frugal home manager.

Sandy is learning that there are plusses and minuses to being empty nesters.  She’s learning to value family more than ever, even while she’s learning to really enjoy time to herself to get things done.  Her new assignment as choir director at church is creating many opportunities to stretch and learn new things.  She continues to learn many new things as a result of her love of and commitment to reading-- everything from novels to scriptures.

After four trips to Utah this year (2 weddings, a family reunion, and taking Becky to school) Larry’s definitely learned how to get there—without a map or GPS device!  He’s also learned that the commute to work is much easier when you work weird hours—like 11 pm to 7:30 am, or 4 am to 12:30 pm.  He’s learned that there’s no longer anyone at home to delegate certain chores to—like taking out the garbage.  And he’s learned that putting up Christmas lights by himself is tougher and less fun than doing it with his sons.

So there you have it.  A smorgasbord of learning opportunities in one short year.  Evidence that we’ve been actively engaged in living.  Chances are good the learning will continue next year, it’s an unavoidable part of life.   But we’ve also learned that we often have a choice about the things we study and learn, and that some things are of more value than others.  As we look to a new year, may we follow the advice of He who was born in a stable:
 
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”

Merry Christmas from the Barneys!

  

A Package for Elder Barney

Matt's not getting much for Christmas this year since we already sent him a new camera to replace the one that was recently stolen from him.  But we do have a package ready to go.  This afternoon when I got home from work, Sandy and I took an "appropriate" picture to put on top of the stuff in the package so it will be the first thing he sees when he opens it up.  Personally, I think it's a classic.

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho!

When I was a little kid, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I always said, "Santa Claus."  Looking back, I'm not sure what prompted my desire, but I can remember wanting to be Santa.  I remember trying to eat a lot so I could someday have the kind of physique expected of Santa.

Well, like most childhood dreams, that one faded quickly as the  years went by.  Yes, in a sense, I've been Santa to 5 children and 4 grandchildren over the years, at least in terms of buying, wrapping and giving gifts.  But I've never really "been" Santa--at least not until today.

On Thursday night I got a call from the chairman of our ward activities committee.  He said the person they had lined up to be Santa for today's neighborhood activity had to back out.  And he asked if I could be Santa.  My first reaction was indignation.  Although I didn't say anything I thought, "The only reason you're asking me is because I'm fat."  But after hemming and hawing a bit, I finally said OK.  I went to the costume store on Friday afternoon to pick out a suit and waited with dread for this morning's activity.

In the end, other than the fact that when I was making my entrance as Santa a low-hanging tree branch snatched off my hat and wig, it wasn't a bad experience.  In fact, I kind of enjoyed it.  Most kids really like Santa--no matter who he really is.  And some are afraid of him--no matter who he really is.  It took about 30 minutes or so, and then I was done.  And after I returned the costume to the shop this afternoon, I caught myself thinking, "I guess I could do this again sometime."

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm starting a diet and exercise program on Monday!

Wanna See Something REALLY Scary?

The parents of my darling new daughter-in-law, Brenda, are here in Mesa for a visit.  They live in the highlands of Guatemala in a town called Huehuetenango, which is about 5 or 6 hours by bus from Guatemala City.  Anyway, they're here for a couple of weeks, staying with Mike and Brenda in their apartment.  We invited Mike and Brenda, Brenda's parents, Brenda's aunt and uncle (who live here in Mesa) and several of their kids over for dinner on Thursday night. 

You need to know that Brenda's parents speak NO English.  Got that?  They speak nada de Ingles!  But it still was a lot of fun.  We smiled and nodded a lot (that probably brings back memories for any of you who served foreign missions!), and Mike and Brenda and Brenda's uncle and cousins were very helpful in translating.  Given that I spoke Portuguese on my mission, I could understand quite a bit, but speaking, well that was an adventure to say the least.  I was never quite sure if what I was trying to say was Spanish or Portuguese or some convoluted mixture of the two.  But, whatever it was, I usually got the same reaction--looks of confusion.  But at least I think they appreciated the effort.

Well, after dinner, they broke out the Guatemalan music.  It was a type of music called Marimba.  There were a number of songs (instrumental) on the CD, but they all sounded pretty much alike to us.  Brenda's cousins started dancing a bit, and then Mike and Brenda, and then, with some coaxing, Brenda's parents.  And then, horror of horrors, Brenda's mother extended her hand to me, inviting me to dance.  And her father did the same with Sandy.  What could we do?  We both smiled, swallowed our dignity, and commenced to dance the Marimba.  Everyone loved it.  Actually, it wasn't too bad, except that the songs seem to go on forever!  It's a pretty easy two-step kind of a thing.  I think Brenda's parents were happy that we were willing participants.

Well, just in case you don't believe me, here's the visual proof!  First, here are Brenda's parents.

And here are the cute newlyweds, Mike and Brenda.

Here are Sandy and Brenda's father (Brenda's uncle, Enrique, is sitting in the background).

Here I am with Brenda's mother.
And, finally, here are Sandy & me dancing the night away--Marimba style!
It was a memorable evening to say the least!

I Am Sooo Proud!

So here I am, sitting in the office at home listening to the BYU football game on the internet on KSL radio.  BYU is up big over San Diego State.  All of a sudden I get a text message from my daughter, Becky, who is in her 2nd year at BYU. 

  

It says, "I'm at the BYU game right now!"  It almost brings a tear to my eye. 

And then, the cherry to top off this father-daughter football sundae--she texts me a real-time, intra-game photo of Lavell Edwards Stadium!

This is a moment I never thought I'd experience.  I just might break into song!

The Cougar Song