I love writing I really do.
Being able to get my thoughts out onto paper.
Crafting a story or just a post.
It's definitely a highlight to my day.
But it comes with it's drawbacks.
Namely the ache that develops behind my eyes whenever I spend time doing said writing.
I suppose it's the ache of 'thinking' really.
Staring at a screen or a pad of paper with narrowed eyes, trying to think of how best to get the scene in my head into words to place onto the white screen on my computer or the white paper on the table.
Doing it for hours on end....
It's no surprise that my shoulders tense up, that an ache develops from my eyes.
That much focus for so long...
I'm not used to it.
Perhaps if I keep at this writing thing, I'll be able to write more with less of a risk of developing a headache.
In any case.
At least I'm writing right? That's what's important. ^-^
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
An Answer
You may have previously encountered, or even ignored, our missionaries.
My hope is that you will not fear them but learn from them.
They can be a heaven-sent resources to you.
That happened to Jerry, a Protestant gentleman in his mid-60s who lives in Mesa, Arizona.
Jerry's father was a Baptist minister; his mother, a Methodist minister.
One day Jerry's close friend Pricilla shared with him the pain she felt from the death of her child during childbirth and a bitter divorce that occurred shortly thereafter.
Struggling as a single mother, Pricilla has four children--three daughters and a son.
As she opened her heart to Jerry, she confessed that she was thinking of taking her own life.
With all the strength and love Jerry could muster, he tried to help her understand that her life had value.
He invited her to attend his church, but Pricilla explained that she had given up on God.
Jerry did not know what to do.
Later, while watering trees in his yard, this man of faith prayed to God for guidance.
As he prayed, he heard a voice in his mind saying, "Stop the boys on the bikes."
Jerry, a little bewildered, wondered what this meant.
As he reflected on this impression, he gazed up the street and saw two young men in white shirts and ties riding bicycles toward his home.
Stunned by this "coincidence," he watched them ride by.
Then, he shouted out, "Hey, you, please stop!
I need to talk to you!"
With a puzzled but excited look, the young men stopped.
As they approached, Jerry noticed that they wore name tags identifying them as missionaries in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jerry looked at them and said, "This may sound a little weird, but I was praying and was told to 'stop the boys on the bikes.'
I looked up the street, and here you are.
Can you help me?"
The missionaries smiled, and one said, "Yes, I am sure we can."
Jerry explained the worrisome plight of Pricilla.
Soon the missionaries were meeting with Pricilla, her children, and Jerry.
They discussed the purpose of life and God's eternal plan for them.
Jerry, Pricilla, and her children grew in faith through sincere prayer, their study of the Book of Mormon, and the loving fellowship with members of the Church.
Jerry's already strong faith in Jesus Christ grew even stronger.
Pricilla's doubts and thoughts of suicide turned to hope and happiness.
They were baptized and became members of Christ's restored Church.
-Russell M. Nelson -Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You! -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
My hope is that you will not fear them but learn from them.
They can be a heaven-sent resources to you.
That happened to Jerry, a Protestant gentleman in his mid-60s who lives in Mesa, Arizona.
Jerry's father was a Baptist minister; his mother, a Methodist minister.
One day Jerry's close friend Pricilla shared with him the pain she felt from the death of her child during childbirth and a bitter divorce that occurred shortly thereafter.
Struggling as a single mother, Pricilla has four children--three daughters and a son.
As she opened her heart to Jerry, she confessed that she was thinking of taking her own life.
With all the strength and love Jerry could muster, he tried to help her understand that her life had value.
He invited her to attend his church, but Pricilla explained that she had given up on God.
Jerry did not know what to do.
Later, while watering trees in his yard, this man of faith prayed to God for guidance.
As he prayed, he heard a voice in his mind saying, "Stop the boys on the bikes."
Jerry, a little bewildered, wondered what this meant.
As he reflected on this impression, he gazed up the street and saw two young men in white shirts and ties riding bicycles toward his home.
Stunned by this "coincidence," he watched them ride by.
Then, he shouted out, "Hey, you, please stop!
I need to talk to you!"
With a puzzled but excited look, the young men stopped.
As they approached, Jerry noticed that they wore name tags identifying them as missionaries in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jerry looked at them and said, "This may sound a little weird, but I was praying and was told to 'stop the boys on the bikes.'
I looked up the street, and here you are.
Can you help me?"
The missionaries smiled, and one said, "Yes, I am sure we can."
Jerry explained the worrisome plight of Pricilla.
Soon the missionaries were meeting with Pricilla, her children, and Jerry.
They discussed the purpose of life and God's eternal plan for them.
Jerry, Pricilla, and her children grew in faith through sincere prayer, their study of the Book of Mormon, and the loving fellowship with members of the Church.
Jerry's already strong faith in Jesus Christ grew even stronger.
Pricilla's doubts and thoughts of suicide turned to hope and happiness.
They were baptized and became members of Christ's restored Church.
-Russell M. Nelson -Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You! -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
The Window Exchange
You gotta love those moments when you feel like you're breaking the law...when in fact you're not.
So this morning, at work, I got a call from our vet.
As we'd taken a hamster to them a couple of days ago. (and for whatever reason it hadn't yet been picked up, though it should have been picked up yesterday)
In any case. The vet was calling to say that the hamster had died.
Y_Y
Which was totally weird...we'd only taken the hamster to the vet because he was experiencing hairloss all over his body. Poor thing.
I didn't think it was something that would make him die....
but apparently, somewhere along the lines of treatment....the poor thing didn't make it.
The girl on the phone sounded more upset than I was. Saying that the hamster was so super sweet and mellow and such.
*sighs* I hate it when they die. Y_Y
Anywho.
That meant that a manager would have to drop by the vet to grab the container and paperwork we'd dropped off along with the hamster.
And so, I checked the schedule.
Saw that one of my managers was due to come into the store soon. And sent him a text telling him what had happened and that we'd need to go grab our stuff.
However, after he'd sent a confirmation text that he would do so.
My coworker came up to me, telling me that we had another hamster that needed to go to the vet as well. -Not for hairloss this time.
So I sent my manager another text, asking if he would be able to drop by the store first to grab that hamster before going to the vet to grab our things. -To save ourselves a trip.
He didn't respond right away, which meant he was driving.
Soooo I called him, because I didn't want him to have to make two trips.
Which resulted in him agreeing to call the store when he got to work, so that I could bring the hamster out to him and he could take it to the vet.
So I placed the hamster in a portable tote along with his paperwork and had it all waiting nearby for when I got the call.
Which I did.
So taking said container I rushed out the doors.
As this black pickup truck with tinted windows pulls up to the curb.
The window rolls down.
I hand the hamster over to my manager, gave him brief details on why we're taking him to the vet.
And just as quickly, the window rolls back up and the manager drives off.
lol. I wonder what people thought of that.
Because really, it felt like I'd just accomplished some sort of drug/weapons exchange in broad daylight. haha.
*shakes head*
Though I doubt anyone thought that.
If anything they might think. "Oh, look. Starsmet does 'pick ups' now." -where customers can order items and wait in their car and we'll bring them out to them.
Else, they thought I was just talking to a friend in their car.
If they noticed at all. lol.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
So this morning, at work, I got a call from our vet.
As we'd taken a hamster to them a couple of days ago. (and for whatever reason it hadn't yet been picked up, though it should have been picked up yesterday)
In any case. The vet was calling to say that the hamster had died.
Y_Y
Which was totally weird...we'd only taken the hamster to the vet because he was experiencing hairloss all over his body. Poor thing.
I didn't think it was something that would make him die....
but apparently, somewhere along the lines of treatment....the poor thing didn't make it.
The girl on the phone sounded more upset than I was. Saying that the hamster was so super sweet and mellow and such.
*sighs* I hate it when they die. Y_Y
Anywho.
That meant that a manager would have to drop by the vet to grab the container and paperwork we'd dropped off along with the hamster.
And so, I checked the schedule.
Saw that one of my managers was due to come into the store soon. And sent him a text telling him what had happened and that we'd need to go grab our stuff.
However, after he'd sent a confirmation text that he would do so.
My coworker came up to me, telling me that we had another hamster that needed to go to the vet as well. -Not for hairloss this time.
So I sent my manager another text, asking if he would be able to drop by the store first to grab that hamster before going to the vet to grab our things. -To save ourselves a trip.
He didn't respond right away, which meant he was driving.
Soooo I called him, because I didn't want him to have to make two trips.
Which resulted in him agreeing to call the store when he got to work, so that I could bring the hamster out to him and he could take it to the vet.
So I placed the hamster in a portable tote along with his paperwork and had it all waiting nearby for when I got the call.
Which I did.
So taking said container I rushed out the doors.
As this black pickup truck with tinted windows pulls up to the curb.
The window rolls down.
I hand the hamster over to my manager, gave him brief details on why we're taking him to the vet.
And just as quickly, the window rolls back up and the manager drives off.
lol. I wonder what people thought of that.
Because really, it felt like I'd just accomplished some sort of drug/weapons exchange in broad daylight. haha.
*shakes head*
Though I doubt anyone thought that.
If anything they might think. "Oh, look. Starsmet does 'pick ups' now." -where customers can order items and wait in their car and we'll bring them out to them.
Else, they thought I was just talking to a friend in their car.
If they noticed at all. lol.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Man Made Filtration
If I've learned anything working at a Pet Store...it's that people can ask the oddest questions and say the strangest things
And some of those questions and statements people say....often have me wondering....well....wondering if they missed a day in school or were distracted and not paying attention in the first place....or if it was just information deemed not necessary for them to remember after a certain point.
*shakes head*
In any case.
Today I had a customer come into the store who wanted to buy a fish.
And was pretty set on finding a fish that would live in a bowl.
She had a difficult time comprehending that not all fish could live in stagnant water. Even though I told her multiple times that they couldn't. That they needed a filter.
And the reason for her confusion soon became clear.
When she exclaimed to me. "BUT THE OCEAN DOESN'T HAVE A FILTER!!"
*blinks*
....
I... I literally had no words for a moment.
Because it was the most...well...I had never heard that statement before. People do bring up the ocean on occasion. Usually if they're asking where the fish in our store come from, or if we carry salt water, or stuff like that.
But in relation to filtration?
Yah. I've never had that question.
And it threw me for a loop.
Because yes. The ocean doesn't have a filter...
Not in the traditional man made sense.
It's not like we have these giant machines out in the middle churning the water, and using bags of carbon and such to filter out all the toxins and such.
It wasn't like man invented filtration....we just invented devices to help us mimic filtration.
Lucky me her friend came to my rescue.
"Of course it does! The tides! You know with the moon!" She stated.
Which I'd been about to state as well as my brain kicked back into gear, as I worked my way to an answer.
Because yes.
The tides would help move the water which keeps it from getting stagnant.
Plus the rain and streams/rivers flowing into the ocean would also create movement.
Evaporation would possibly help filter out certain chemicals and such.
While bacteria, and water sifting through gravel and such would also help filter said water.
Of course.
In the surprise of the moment, I wasn't nearly so eloquent. I never am. lol.
But I think I got the point across.
That yes, the ocean has filtration, just not how you'd think of it.
-I mean...didn't everyone learn about the evaporation cycle in school? Even if they didn't.... I'm sure Magic School Bus had an episode on it on TV if that day was missed.... *shakes head*
I dunno.
Lol but it was such the random statement.
It had me and my coworkers chuckling for the rest of the day.
The ocean doesn't have a filter..... *shakes head*
Now all I can picture is a giant filter machine in the middle of the ocean....
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Monday, March 27, 2017
April 2014 General Conference -Priesthood Session
Dallin H. Oaks -The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood
- We do not "step down" when we are released, and we do not "step up" when we are called. There is no "up or down" in the service of the Lord. There is only "forward or backward," and that difference depends on how we accept and act upon our releases and our callings.
- It is time ... to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.
- Latter-day Saints surely recognize that qualifying for exaltation is not a matter of asserting rights but a matter of fulfilling responsibilities.
Donald L. Hallstrom -What Manner of Men?
- Once any of us conclude-- "That's just the way I am," we give up our ability o change.
- We meet with the hope that our future, no matter our history, can be better.
- Selfishness is the antitheses of priesthood responsibility, and if it is a trait of our character, we need to change.
Randall L. Ridd -The Choice Generation
- What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.
- Only by educating and training our desires can they become ur allies instead of our enemies!
- Agency is your power to become.
- As important as it is to leave home every day with a full charge on your cell phone, it is far more important to be fully charged spiritually.
- Many of us immediately stop whatever we are ding to read a text message--should we not place even ore importance on messages from the Lord?
- Be where you are when you are there.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Are You Sleeping through the Restoration?
- When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord's work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?
- When we seek self-service over selfless-service, our priorities become centered on our own recognition and pleasure.
- Addictions are thin threads of repeated action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit.
- We are designed to soar freely through the heavens.
- We are not meant to be shackled to the earth, imprisoned in strait-jackets of our own making.
- The best defense against addiction is never to start.
- The most important thing is to keep trying--sometimes it takes several attempts before people find success.
- Keep your heart close to the Lord, and He will give you the power of deliverance. He will make you free.
Henry B. Eyring -The Priesthood Man
- When we choose heroes, we begin to copy, consciously or unconsciously, what we admire most in them.
Thomas S. Monson -Be Strong and of a Good Courage
- In order for us to make the correct decisions, courage is needed--the courage to say no when we should, the courage to say yes when that is appropriate, the courage to do the right thing because it is right.
- We can help ourselves in our desire to do what is right if we put ourselves in places and participate in activities where our thoughts are influenced for good and where the Spirit of the Lord will be comfortable.
- If you ever find yourself where you shouldn't be, get out!
- Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.
- The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are inner tests, like remaining faithful when no one's looking, like standing alone when you're misunderstood.
- Inner courage also includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened.
- He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular.
- It is impossible to stand upright when one plants his roots in the shifting sands of popular opinion and approval.
- Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Sunday, March 26, 2017
187th Annual General Conference -Women's Session Highlights
Bonnie H. Cordon -
- I know this gospel is true. I trust in the Lord.
- When we spiritually lean unto our own understanding we lean away from the Savior. We are unbalanced and unfocused.
- Don't be a weak link.
- When you can't sleep, do you think of ways to brighten other's days? Through big acts or small?
- You can find the strength to keep moving forward yourself when you look to others and serve them first.
- Service can enable you to withstand your own pain and afflictions.
- Ultimately. All will be well.
- Though storms may gather, and rain pour down upon us. Our knowledge of the Gospel and Love of Heavenly Father will comfort and sustain us.
Carol F. McConkie -
- Holiness is in the striving and the struggle to keep the commandments and honor the Covenants that we've made to God.
- Our Heavenly Father is a God of High Expectations, but that doesn't mean he expects the impossible. He knows us and loves us.
- Our souls are sanctified when we receive the Holy Ghost with open hearts.
- If we are to be a holy people. We must ARISE. In strength and honor we must forsake the ways of the world.
- Give time to Holiness.
- The Son of God rose from the Grave so that we all Can Overcome Death.
Linda K. Burton
- Hold on. For the Lord will Provide.
- How do you think to attain glory except through sacrifice?
- Do you keep up a 'Can-Can' list? A list of things you CAN do?
- Not only are we here to save others, but to save ourselves. That salvation comes from partnering with Christ.
- But I KNOW and I BELIEVE that thou ART Christ the Son of God.
Henry B. Eyring
- Christ gives peace in HIS way, not in the World's Way.
- Let not your heart be troubled, or afraid. Trust in the Lord and the Peace he can provide.
- You will have at times your faith challenged by Satan. Your defense against these attacks? Keep the Holy Ghost as your companion.
- Why is it not hard to remember the Savior when you're in the midst of trial, but when things are going well, you forget?
- The Lord will visit you with the Comforter in a variety of ways when you are seeking peace.
- Your power to Do Good will depend to a great degree on the Unity and Love that exists among you.
- The Lord can rescue you from your unkind feelings by sending the Holy Ghost to let you see people as He sees them.
- If you have not Charity, you are nothing. Because Charity never faileth. So cling onto Charity and it will be well with you.
To watch this session as a whole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNocoqM4ZqA
To read/listen/watch this session visit: https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP_SA_25-3-2017_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Branching Out Creatively
There are days when my brain gets a little bit too creative when it comes to things.
Where it wants to do ALL the things. And has a high confidence level that I CAN do ALL the things.
*shakes head*
Yah, my brain gets a bit out of touch with reality on occasion.
Like when I wanted to start a comic blog, and realized after a few attempts....
That drawing takes forever and that I don't have the patience and only average skills when it comes to that.
lol. It doesn't stop me from considering fantastical ideas though.
Like the thought of creating a youtube channel where I post videos of my fish.
Possibly narrating their actions and such. Or just putting music in to make the video feel awesome or whatever.
Do I have any idea how to do this?
Nope. Not at all.
Doesn't stop me from considering it though. lol. And I may still do it once I have my tank all settled with fish. ;)
But yesterday.
I had another idea strike me.
Of something 'more' I could do in media land.
(which considering I already do a TON is crazy in of itself to think of adding one more.)
But that's what I get for watching murder shows.
As I had been up at my parents, where I had access to a TV with Cable. (as my current place doesn't get tv channels at all.) And as I tend to do, I switched the TV on to the Investigation Discovery Channel (aka the channel that has shows about murders)
I only watched an episode or two.
But it got my brain sparking again in the direction of an idea I had a bit ago.
What if.
What if, I wrote a murder mystery?
And then, I would post it a bit at a time somewhere online.
In order to give the readers a chance to see if they could figure out who killed the victim before the protagonist did in the story.
Of course.
My brain, being in a state of over active creativity yesterday thought that this was a brilliant plan! lol.
And so I spent basically the entire day I was running around doing this and that.
Mentally plotting it out.
I would start off each 'murder' with a "normal day"
Where you'd get to meet the character on a day that would be considered 'normal' for them. So you can see how their life was before things went wrong. In this 'normal day' I would introduce quirks, habits, people, and life in general to the reader.
That way the reader could see "this is normal"
It would also allow me to introduce characters who could possibly have a hand in solving the crime later on or be the criminal themselves.
With the 'norm' established.
The next post would be the 'disappearance.'
Where you would read the final actions of the victim before they 'never came back.'
Which would again, provide the reader more clues on possible motives.
Then there would be the 'realization' that "Hey! So and So hasn't been seen in [time period] we should check in on them."
Which would lead to a variety of things. Interviews with people, possible motives for disappearing, and...the discovery of the body with the consequential evidence found at the crime scene.
There would then be posts dealing with the evidence, eye witness testimonies, possible suspects, and the results of tests, and a timeline of events that lead to the death, that would be brought up.
Of course I'd probably throw in a few curve balls here and there. 'We thought the motive was money, but turns out the person was flat broke, therefore so and so had no real motive to ask for money from the victim." etc etc.
And then would come the arrest. Where the suspect is confronted, arrested, and the reader finds out the motive of the crime.
and tada!!
Your murder is solved!!
lol. Seems like fun right?
Okay...maybe I'm the only one who would think it's fun to solve murders. ;) I've been on a mystery kick for six months now, so that's only to be expected.
But still! To write my own would be awesome!!
Only my brain wanted to take it further than that.
Where I would provide actual pictures of suspects (probably google images), pictures of the crime scene, of the evidence. Video interviews with the suspects and with family/friends.
Basically...I want to make it a whole TV series really. haha.
Which yah... :S I don't have that much time.
Considering it can take me forever to write when I'm being creative....
This would take a long while to set up and complete.
Mostly because I would want to ensure that I had this murder mystery all thought through, written out, and SOLVED before I actually showed it to anyone online. :S
I would hate to be in the middle of the crime and just.....stop.
So all in all....if I were to do this idea.
It would probably take me at least a month (judging by my writing style) to get all the pieces of the puzzle locked into place. Think of crime, motive, suspects, evidence, twists. etc.
Still though.....
I may just do this...because who knows.
It could be a ton of fun!! :D
Guess we'll see. ;)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Where it wants to do ALL the things. And has a high confidence level that I CAN do ALL the things.
*shakes head*
Yah, my brain gets a bit out of touch with reality on occasion.
Like when I wanted to start a comic blog, and realized after a few attempts....
That drawing takes forever and that I don't have the patience and only average skills when it comes to that.
lol. It doesn't stop me from considering fantastical ideas though.
Like the thought of creating a youtube channel where I post videos of my fish.
Possibly narrating their actions and such. Or just putting music in to make the video feel awesome or whatever.
Do I have any idea how to do this?
Nope. Not at all.
Doesn't stop me from considering it though. lol. And I may still do it once I have my tank all settled with fish. ;)
But yesterday.
I had another idea strike me.
Of something 'more' I could do in media land.
(which considering I already do a TON is crazy in of itself to think of adding one more.)
But that's what I get for watching murder shows.
As I had been up at my parents, where I had access to a TV with Cable. (as my current place doesn't get tv channels at all.) And as I tend to do, I switched the TV on to the Investigation Discovery Channel (aka the channel that has shows about murders)
I only watched an episode or two.
But it got my brain sparking again in the direction of an idea I had a bit ago.
What if.
What if, I wrote a murder mystery?
And then, I would post it a bit at a time somewhere online.
In order to give the readers a chance to see if they could figure out who killed the victim before the protagonist did in the story.
Of course.
My brain, being in a state of over active creativity yesterday thought that this was a brilliant plan! lol.
And so I spent basically the entire day I was running around doing this and that.
Mentally plotting it out.
I would start off each 'murder' with a "normal day"
Where you'd get to meet the character on a day that would be considered 'normal' for them. So you can see how their life was before things went wrong. In this 'normal day' I would introduce quirks, habits, people, and life in general to the reader.
That way the reader could see "this is normal"
It would also allow me to introduce characters who could possibly have a hand in solving the crime later on or be the criminal themselves.
With the 'norm' established.
The next post would be the 'disappearance.'
Where you would read the final actions of the victim before they 'never came back.'
Which would again, provide the reader more clues on possible motives.
Then there would be the 'realization' that "Hey! So and So hasn't been seen in [time period] we should check in on them."
Which would lead to a variety of things. Interviews with people, possible motives for disappearing, and...the discovery of the body with the consequential evidence found at the crime scene.
There would then be posts dealing with the evidence, eye witness testimonies, possible suspects, and the results of tests, and a timeline of events that lead to the death, that would be brought up.
Of course I'd probably throw in a few curve balls here and there. 'We thought the motive was money, but turns out the person was flat broke, therefore so and so had no real motive to ask for money from the victim." etc etc.
And then would come the arrest. Where the suspect is confronted, arrested, and the reader finds out the motive of the crime.
and tada!!
Your murder is solved!!
lol. Seems like fun right?
Okay...maybe I'm the only one who would think it's fun to solve murders. ;) I've been on a mystery kick for six months now, so that's only to be expected.
But still! To write my own would be awesome!!
Only my brain wanted to take it further than that.
Where I would provide actual pictures of suspects (probably google images), pictures of the crime scene, of the evidence. Video interviews with the suspects and with family/friends.
Basically...I want to make it a whole TV series really. haha.
Which yah... :S I don't have that much time.
Considering it can take me forever to write when I'm being creative....
This would take a long while to set up and complete.
Mostly because I would want to ensure that I had this murder mystery all thought through, written out, and SOLVED before I actually showed it to anyone online. :S
I would hate to be in the middle of the crime and just.....stop.
So all in all....if I were to do this idea.
It would probably take me at least a month (judging by my writing style) to get all the pieces of the puzzle locked into place. Think of crime, motive, suspects, evidence, twists. etc.
Still though.....
I may just do this...because who knows.
It could be a ton of fun!! :D
Guess we'll see. ;)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Friday, March 24, 2017
A Lil Feedback
It's an interesting thing.
Blogging.
Because unlike Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter where people comment/share/like what you post...
There's not much feedback in Blogging.
I mean, yes, People can comment on your blog posts.
But like them? Repost them?
*shrugs* Not so much.
I can get a sense of how popular posts are from the schematic that Blogger has that shows me which posts have been viewed, by how many people, and what countries I'm getting views from.
If it weren't for that.
I'd be more prone to think of this as an online journal or something. lol.
Because, again, it's not like I have people commenting on my posts or anything. It's a rare blue moon when it does happen.
Which is probably why blogs aren't the easiest thing to keep up.
*shrugs*
That's the main reason why I have the view point of "Do it for me."
Why am I blogging?
For me. For my entertainment. To get my thoughts, my stories, my dreams, my outlook written down.
And if I have other people see it and like it then WOOT!!! lol.
But I've always done blogs for myself because if I like what I'm doing...then maybe someone else will too. lol.
In any case.
Occasionally when I tell people that I blog,
They ask to see them.
Which is always a bit of a : Huh? O.o Moment lol.
You want to read what I'm writing? O.o Such a weird feeling.
And then afterwards, after I've given them the links.
I get slightly anxious.
Because...what would they think?
It's any writer/artist's worry.
What will they think? Will they like it? Will it be good?
More often than not, nothing comes of it.
I hardly ever know if those people actually read the blogs. haha. :)
But a little bit ago.
A coworker of mine discovered that I blog.
Something that they were surprised that I did, as I don't usually bring it up at work. ^^;; heh.
So like the usual thing I do, I gave my coworker the links to my blogs, and then brief descriptions of what they are about.
And left it at that.
Though inside I was dying to ask. "Have you read it yet? Have you looked at my blogs? What did you think?!"
Time passed, a couple weeks or so it feels like. (Though time at work moves weird, so it could have been longer or shorter and I wouldn't know. lol.)
But yesterday, when we had a slow moment between customers.
My coworker brought up my blogs.
That they'd read them.
()_()
Wait.
What?
Let me clear out my ears and tell me that again.
YOU READ MY BLOGS?!
:S
Haha.
Like I said, I don't get feedback on my posts.
So to have someone bring up my blogs.
Wow.
It was such a weird feeling. lol.
But oh.
It made me so happy.
Because my coworker really enjoyed reading my posts.
Saying that I have a 'readability' to my writing.
Where you kinda just keep scrolling, keep reading, keep going to the next post. Because how I'm writing is intriguing enough to keep the reader reading.
Hehe.
Oooo ^^ It made me so giddy to hear that. lol.
It's always good to hear that your style of writing is easy to read. And that people like reading that particular style of writing. Because I recognize that not everyone will like it.
But to hear that some people do. ^^;;
Ah. It does my heart good. lol.
Totally a day booster for sure. :)
Yay for random feedback!! :D lol.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Blogging.
Because unlike Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter where people comment/share/like what you post...
There's not much feedback in Blogging.
I mean, yes, People can comment on your blog posts.
But like them? Repost them?
*shrugs* Not so much.
I can get a sense of how popular posts are from the schematic that Blogger has that shows me which posts have been viewed, by how many people, and what countries I'm getting views from.
If it weren't for that.
I'd be more prone to think of this as an online journal or something. lol.
Because, again, it's not like I have people commenting on my posts or anything. It's a rare blue moon when it does happen.
Which is probably why blogs aren't the easiest thing to keep up.
*shrugs*
That's the main reason why I have the view point of "Do it for me."
Why am I blogging?
For me. For my entertainment. To get my thoughts, my stories, my dreams, my outlook written down.
And if I have other people see it and like it then WOOT!!! lol.
But I've always done blogs for myself because if I like what I'm doing...then maybe someone else will too. lol.
In any case.
Occasionally when I tell people that I blog,
They ask to see them.
Which is always a bit of a : Huh? O.o Moment lol.
You want to read what I'm writing? O.o Such a weird feeling.
And then afterwards, after I've given them the links.
I get slightly anxious.
Because...what would they think?
It's any writer/artist's worry.
What will they think? Will they like it? Will it be good?
More often than not, nothing comes of it.
I hardly ever know if those people actually read the blogs. haha. :)
But a little bit ago.
A coworker of mine discovered that I blog.
Something that they were surprised that I did, as I don't usually bring it up at work. ^^;; heh.
So like the usual thing I do, I gave my coworker the links to my blogs, and then brief descriptions of what they are about.
And left it at that.
Though inside I was dying to ask. "Have you read it yet? Have you looked at my blogs? What did you think?!"
Time passed, a couple weeks or so it feels like. (Though time at work moves weird, so it could have been longer or shorter and I wouldn't know. lol.)
But yesterday, when we had a slow moment between customers.
My coworker brought up my blogs.
That they'd read them.
()_()
Wait.
What?
Let me clear out my ears and tell me that again.
YOU READ MY BLOGS?!
:S
Haha.
Like I said, I don't get feedback on my posts.
So to have someone bring up my blogs.
Wow.
It was such a weird feeling. lol.
But oh.
It made me so happy.
Because my coworker really enjoyed reading my posts.
Saying that I have a 'readability' to my writing.
Where you kinda just keep scrolling, keep reading, keep going to the next post. Because how I'm writing is intriguing enough to keep the reader reading.
Hehe.
Oooo ^^ It made me so giddy to hear that. lol.
It's always good to hear that your style of writing is easy to read. And that people like reading that particular style of writing. Because I recognize that not everyone will like it.
But to hear that some people do. ^^;;
Ah. It does my heart good. lol.
Totally a day booster for sure. :)
Yay for random feedback!! :D lol.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Thursday, March 23, 2017
The Temple Standard
While recently touring the beautiful Brigham City Utah Temple, I was reminded of an experience that I had while serving as the coordinator of the open house, rededication, and cultural celebration of the historic Laie Hawaii Temple.
A few months prior to the completion of the extensive renovation work, I was invited to tour the temple with the Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder William R. Walker, and his Temple Department associates.
In addition, various members of the general contracting firm were in attendance.
The purpose of the tour, in part, was to review the progress and quality of the work performed.
At the time of this tour, the work was about 85 percent completed.
As we moved through the temple, I watched and listened to Elder Walker and his associates as they inspected the work and conversed with the general contractor.
On occasion I observed one man running his hand along the walls as we moved from room to room.
A few times after doing this, he would rub his fingers together and then approach the general contractor and say, "I feel grit on this wall.
Grit is not temple standard.
You will need to re-sand and buff this wall."
The contractor dutifully took notes of each observation.
As we approached an area in the temple that few eyes would ever see, the same man stopped us and directed our attention to a newly installed, beautiful leaded-glass window.
This window measured about two feet wide by six feet tall and contained an embedded, small stained-glass geometric pattern.
He pointed to a small two-inch colored-glass square that was part of the simple pattern and said, "That square is crooked."
I looked at the square, and to my eyes it looked evenly placed.
However, upon closer inspection with a measuring device in hand, I could see there was a flaw and this little square was indeed one-eight of an inch crooked.
Direction was then given to the contractor that this window would need to be replaced because it was not temple standard.
I admit that I was surprised that an entire window would need to be replaced because of such a small, barely noticeable defect.
surely, it was unlikely that anyone would ever know or even notice this window given its remote location in the temple.
As I drove home from the temple that day, I reflected on what I learned from this experience--or, rather, what I thought I learned.
It wasn't until several weeks later when I was invited to tour the now completed temple that my understanding of the prior tour experience became clearer.
As I entered the completely renovated Laie Hawaii Temple, I was overwhelmed by its beauty and quality of finish.
You can appreciate my anticipation as I approached the "gritty" walls and the "flawed" window.
Did the contractor re-sand and buff the walls?
Was the window really replaced?
As I approached the gritty walls, I was surprised to see that beautiful wallpaper now hung on all the walls.
My first thought was, "So this is how the contractor addressed the grit--he covered it."
But, no, I learned that it had always been the plan to hang wallpaper on these walls.
I wondered why a little hardly detectable grit mattered if wallpaper was to cover it.
I then eagerly approached the area where the flawed window was located and was surprised to see a beautiful floor-to-ceiling potted plant sitting directly in front of the window.
Again I thought, "So this is how the contractor addressed the crooked little square--he hid it."
As I move closer, I pushed the plant's leaves aside and smiled as I saw that the window had indeed been replaced.
The formerly crooked little square now stood neatly and evenly in the pattern.
I learned that it had always been part of the interior design to have a plant in front of this window.
Why would walls with a little grit and a window with a little asymmetry require additional work and even replacement when few human hands or eyes would ever know?
Why was a contractor held to such high standards?
As I exited the temple deep in thought, I found my answer as I looked up at the refinished exterior and saw these words: "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord."
The temples of this Church are precisely as proclaimed.
These sacred buildings are built for our use, and within their walls sacred and saving ordinances are performed.
But there should be no doubt as to whose house it really is.
By requiring exacting standards of construction down to the smallest of details, we not only show our love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also hold out to all observers that we honor and worship Him whose house it is.
-Scott D. Whiting -Temple Standard -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
A few months prior to the completion of the extensive renovation work, I was invited to tour the temple with the Executive Director of the Temple Department, Elder William R. Walker, and his Temple Department associates.
In addition, various members of the general contracting firm were in attendance.
The purpose of the tour, in part, was to review the progress and quality of the work performed.
At the time of this tour, the work was about 85 percent completed.
As we moved through the temple, I watched and listened to Elder Walker and his associates as they inspected the work and conversed with the general contractor.
On occasion I observed one man running his hand along the walls as we moved from room to room.
A few times after doing this, he would rub his fingers together and then approach the general contractor and say, "I feel grit on this wall.
Grit is not temple standard.
You will need to re-sand and buff this wall."
The contractor dutifully took notes of each observation.
As we approached an area in the temple that few eyes would ever see, the same man stopped us and directed our attention to a newly installed, beautiful leaded-glass window.
This window measured about two feet wide by six feet tall and contained an embedded, small stained-glass geometric pattern.
He pointed to a small two-inch colored-glass square that was part of the simple pattern and said, "That square is crooked."
I looked at the square, and to my eyes it looked evenly placed.
However, upon closer inspection with a measuring device in hand, I could see there was a flaw and this little square was indeed one-eight of an inch crooked.
Direction was then given to the contractor that this window would need to be replaced because it was not temple standard.
I admit that I was surprised that an entire window would need to be replaced because of such a small, barely noticeable defect.
surely, it was unlikely that anyone would ever know or even notice this window given its remote location in the temple.
As I drove home from the temple that day, I reflected on what I learned from this experience--or, rather, what I thought I learned.
It wasn't until several weeks later when I was invited to tour the now completed temple that my understanding of the prior tour experience became clearer.
As I entered the completely renovated Laie Hawaii Temple, I was overwhelmed by its beauty and quality of finish.
You can appreciate my anticipation as I approached the "gritty" walls and the "flawed" window.
Did the contractor re-sand and buff the walls?
Was the window really replaced?
As I approached the gritty walls, I was surprised to see that beautiful wallpaper now hung on all the walls.
My first thought was, "So this is how the contractor addressed the grit--he covered it."
But, no, I learned that it had always been the plan to hang wallpaper on these walls.
I wondered why a little hardly detectable grit mattered if wallpaper was to cover it.
I then eagerly approached the area where the flawed window was located and was surprised to see a beautiful floor-to-ceiling potted plant sitting directly in front of the window.
Again I thought, "So this is how the contractor addressed the crooked little square--he hid it."
As I move closer, I pushed the plant's leaves aside and smiled as I saw that the window had indeed been replaced.
The formerly crooked little square now stood neatly and evenly in the pattern.
I learned that it had always been part of the interior design to have a plant in front of this window.
Why would walls with a little grit and a window with a little asymmetry require additional work and even replacement when few human hands or eyes would ever know?
Why was a contractor held to such high standards?
As I exited the temple deep in thought, I found my answer as I looked up at the refinished exterior and saw these words: "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord."
The temples of this Church are precisely as proclaimed.
These sacred buildings are built for our use, and within their walls sacred and saving ordinances are performed.
But there should be no doubt as to whose house it really is.
By requiring exacting standards of construction down to the smallest of details, we not only show our love and respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also hold out to all observers that we honor and worship Him whose house it is.
-Scott D. Whiting -Temple Standard -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Two...Boys?
I saw the guy walk into the store.
Which was irritating because we weren't open for another hour.
But it's rather common for customers to see our doors automatically slide open and assume that we are open...
*exhales* The doors slide open because we have to have them open for the grooming salon and vet which opens a couple of hours earlier than the main store.
In any case.
I didn't think anything more of the customer.
Because I was busy cleaning cages.
Though I assumed I'd have to help him check out because I was the only one near the front of the store at that point in time.
However,
As I was taking a bag of trash from the cage cleaning to the back.
...My manager found me.
With the customer in tow.
The only reason for the manager to come to me....would be if the guy had a question about something in my department. *groans*
Which turned out to be true.
>.< And it wasn't an easy "here's the answer, go away" sort of thing.
No. I ended up spending half an hour of my 'before we're open' time helping this customer out. >.<
Which automatically delayed me in basically everything for the rest of the day. >.< Grrrrrrrrr.
Always the more frustrating when I feel like my time has been wasted. *exhales*
In any case.
Apparently almost a year ago.
-Back in July.
This customer had come into the store to buy a couple of parakeets.
Where he'd been promised that he'd purchased a boy and girl parakeet.
And because this customer is color blind....it's difficult for him to tell the boys and girls apart.
(Boy parakeets have blue noses, Girls have pink.)
But after a while...and after showing his birds to some of his friends.
...Who have owned parakeets....and maybe bred them? And hearing their answers.
He'd come to the conclusion that the two birds he had....were both boys.
And he really wanted a breeding pair.
So a 'couple of weeks ago' as he told me.
He called the store,
Explained the situation to a guy named "Colby" (....which we don't have any Colbys in our store....)
and my coworker said that he could bring in the bird and exchange it for in the store for a girl parakeet.
Which is what he did.
He came in.
The manager who talked to him grabbed one of my coworkers, and she caught the bird, and established that yes it was a female.
And the guy went away happy.
....Though for whatever reason....no paperwork was given to the customer for this second bird....
(Which is super odd because we always give new paperwork...)
In any case. -A later chat with my opening coworker revealed that she'd been the one to help him, though she felt that it was over two weeks ago that she'd helped him.
*sighs*
Back to the story.
So he takes this bird home.
And is happy to have two once more...
Until he realizes...
That the noses on the birds are the same shade.
(even if he can't see the color he can tell the shades are different.)
Which must have meant... >.< He'd been given another boy!!
So this morning.
He brought both birds back to the store.
To return the one bird.
And actually get the female that he wanted so the birds would eventually breed.
Though when I first saw him, he didn't have the birds with him.
So I ended up following him outside to his car.
-Wondering if I was about to get kidnapped the entire time-
To where he had the birds in the back seat.
He uncovered the cage.
And I got a good look at them.
And yes the noses were the same color.
....but in the light they looked more pink to me....not the blue of the male I'd been expecting.
Still.
The guy was insistent that he had two males.
So I thought...maybe the light was bad...and maybe the noses were more purple than pink....
-As the males look purple/blue, while the females look pink/tan.
In any case I had him bring the birds into the store.
And showed him the birds in our cages that I could tell for sure were girls.
So that he and the girl he was with, could pick out a bird that they wanted.
-Our birds come in around 3-4 months old, and sometimes their noses haven't darkened to the pink or blue color instead being a white shade. Hence why I can't always tell their gender.
So the customer pointed to a bird.
And I caught it so I could get a closer look at it to see if it was a boy or girl.
Established it was a girl.
But it wasn't the one the girl wanted.
So I think I put back the bird I'd just caught, and caught one that she wanted.
That was also a girl.
But the guy didn't believe that it was a girl as it looked the same shade as his males to him.
So I brought the bird I had in hand closer to his birds to compare them.
And sure enough they were the same color.
And since I was in the light of the store now.
Where I know how the parakeet genders should look in the light.
I told him.
"You have two girls."
*rolls eyes*
Of course, he didn't quite believe me.
So I put the parakeet I'd caught back, and grabbed out another bird that was for sure a male with his dark blue nose.
And showed him.
That that was a male.
And the ones he had were girls.
Because he'd had one of the parakeets for nearly a year, which meant it's nose wasn't going to change color and it was still pink.
Therefore.
Both birds were girls.
...honestly...I question how much his friends actually knew about parakeets if they got the gender wrong.
Since I've worked at the store longer than everyone else in my dept...I'm pretty confident that I was right.
He had two girls.
*shakes head*
It should have been a simple. "Look, this is the only boy I have for sure. therefore you take this bird." situation from then on.
But no.
The bird that was getting returned wasn't the customer's. No it was the girl that had come with him who was picking out the bird.
And she didn't want the green parakeet I'd caught.
>.< Ugh.
But that was the ONLY one that I could tell for SURE was a boy.
Instead, I now had to play a guessing game with all the younger birds that hadn't shown their true colors yet.
So I ended up grabbing like two more birds for her to see closer and to choose form.
Ones that look like their noses may darken to blue as I could see blue shades underneath the white.
She finally picked one that she liked.
And I again warned her that I wasn't for sure that this bird was a boy.
But I was glad that after catching like six parakeets that they'd finally settled on one.
And this time, I made sure to give them the paperwork.
Because since the paperwork wasn't done for whatever reason yestertime...I had no receipt to look up.
And so had to do a no receipt return (which is a hassle all on it's own)
But in the end.
They left with new paperwork and bird.
And I was finally free to return to my morning tasks.
I really hope they don't come back.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Which was irritating because we weren't open for another hour.
But it's rather common for customers to see our doors automatically slide open and assume that we are open...
*exhales* The doors slide open because we have to have them open for the grooming salon and vet which opens a couple of hours earlier than the main store.
In any case.
I didn't think anything more of the customer.
Because I was busy cleaning cages.
Though I assumed I'd have to help him check out because I was the only one near the front of the store at that point in time.
However,
As I was taking a bag of trash from the cage cleaning to the back.
...My manager found me.
With the customer in tow.
The only reason for the manager to come to me....would be if the guy had a question about something in my department. *groans*
Which turned out to be true.
>.< And it wasn't an easy "here's the answer, go away" sort of thing.
No. I ended up spending half an hour of my 'before we're open' time helping this customer out. >.<
Which automatically delayed me in basically everything for the rest of the day. >.< Grrrrrrrrr.
Always the more frustrating when I feel like my time has been wasted. *exhales*
In any case.
Apparently almost a year ago.
-Back in July.
This customer had come into the store to buy a couple of parakeets.
Where he'd been promised that he'd purchased a boy and girl parakeet.
And because this customer is color blind....it's difficult for him to tell the boys and girls apart.
(Boy parakeets have blue noses, Girls have pink.)
But after a while...and after showing his birds to some of his friends.
...Who have owned parakeets....and maybe bred them? And hearing their answers.
He'd come to the conclusion that the two birds he had....were both boys.
And he really wanted a breeding pair.
So a 'couple of weeks ago' as he told me.
He called the store,
Explained the situation to a guy named "Colby" (....which we don't have any Colbys in our store....)
and my coworker said that he could bring in the bird and exchange it for in the store for a girl parakeet.
Which is what he did.
He came in.
The manager who talked to him grabbed one of my coworkers, and she caught the bird, and established that yes it was a female.
And the guy went away happy.
....Though for whatever reason....no paperwork was given to the customer for this second bird....
(Which is super odd because we always give new paperwork...)
In any case. -A later chat with my opening coworker revealed that she'd been the one to help him, though she felt that it was over two weeks ago that she'd helped him.
*sighs*
Back to the story.
So he takes this bird home.
And is happy to have two once more...
Until he realizes...
That the noses on the birds are the same shade.
(even if he can't see the color he can tell the shades are different.)
Which must have meant... >.< He'd been given another boy!!
So this morning.
He brought both birds back to the store.
To return the one bird.
And actually get the female that he wanted so the birds would eventually breed.
Though when I first saw him, he didn't have the birds with him.
So I ended up following him outside to his car.
-Wondering if I was about to get kidnapped the entire time-
To where he had the birds in the back seat.
He uncovered the cage.
And I got a good look at them.
And yes the noses were the same color.
....but in the light they looked more pink to me....not the blue of the male I'd been expecting.
Still.
The guy was insistent that he had two males.
So I thought...maybe the light was bad...and maybe the noses were more purple than pink....
-As the males look purple/blue, while the females look pink/tan.
In any case I had him bring the birds into the store.
And showed him the birds in our cages that I could tell for sure were girls.
So that he and the girl he was with, could pick out a bird that they wanted.
-Our birds come in around 3-4 months old, and sometimes their noses haven't darkened to the pink or blue color instead being a white shade. Hence why I can't always tell their gender.
So the customer pointed to a bird.
And I caught it so I could get a closer look at it to see if it was a boy or girl.
Established it was a girl.
But it wasn't the one the girl wanted.
So I think I put back the bird I'd just caught, and caught one that she wanted.
That was also a girl.
But the guy didn't believe that it was a girl as it looked the same shade as his males to him.
So I brought the bird I had in hand closer to his birds to compare them.
And sure enough they were the same color.
And since I was in the light of the store now.
Where I know how the parakeet genders should look in the light.
I told him.
"You have two girls."
*rolls eyes*
Of course, he didn't quite believe me.
So I put the parakeet I'd caught back, and grabbed out another bird that was for sure a male with his dark blue nose.
And showed him.
That that was a male.
And the ones he had were girls.
Because he'd had one of the parakeets for nearly a year, which meant it's nose wasn't going to change color and it was still pink.
Therefore.
Both birds were girls.
...honestly...I question how much his friends actually knew about parakeets if they got the gender wrong.
Since I've worked at the store longer than everyone else in my dept...I'm pretty confident that I was right.
He had two girls.
*shakes head*
It should have been a simple. "Look, this is the only boy I have for sure. therefore you take this bird." situation from then on.
But no.
The bird that was getting returned wasn't the customer's. No it was the girl that had come with him who was picking out the bird.
And she didn't want the green parakeet I'd caught.
>.< Ugh.
But that was the ONLY one that I could tell for SURE was a boy.
Instead, I now had to play a guessing game with all the younger birds that hadn't shown their true colors yet.
So I ended up grabbing like two more birds for her to see closer and to choose form.
Ones that look like their noses may darken to blue as I could see blue shades underneath the white.
She finally picked one that she liked.
And I again warned her that I wasn't for sure that this bird was a boy.
But I was glad that after catching like six parakeets that they'd finally settled on one.
And this time, I made sure to give them the paperwork.
Because since the paperwork wasn't done for whatever reason yestertime...I had no receipt to look up.
And so had to do a no receipt return (which is a hassle all on it's own)
But in the end.
They left with new paperwork and bird.
And I was finally free to return to my morning tasks.
I really hope they don't come back.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Quiet Admiration
For the past little while I've taken to hanging out at a Wendy's near me a couple of times a week. I've started doing so because I've found that the environment there is really conducive to me writing and so I go there to work out plot lines and thoughts for ideas and concepts I have.
It's a great environment to work in because it's not usually crazy there, and the place has these nice big windows I can look out of. Which is a nice visual distraction for me when I need a moment to gather my thoughts.
Nearby is an apartment complex.
And I've noticed -if I look up at the right time- that there is a resident there that always leaves the building around the same time.
Why?
Because there's a school bus that stops right outside of the complex and she goes out there to meet her son. (I'm guessing it's her son.) So that they can go back inside together.
I suppose it wouldn't be too remarkable this daily event.
A lot of parents probably do this same sort of routine.
But I have really come to admire this woman.
Because no matter what the weather is, rain, snow, sunshine, wind....she doesn't let it stop her from making that trip outside to meet her son.
But on top of that.
It's pretty obvious that she has trouble walking. Her journeying those 500 feet from door to curb isn't the fastest and as time has passed I've seen her wheel out in a wheelchair as well as hobble out on crutches. So she has had something going on health wise for sure.
Yet.
It doesn't stop her.
No matter what, no matter how easy it would be to just stay outside and not get up and go out, she chooses to go outside to meet her son.
And I really admire that.
That silent strength in the face of trials.
Seeing mother and son meet up together always serves to brighten my day. Because it's another day of success. Another day where she chose to get up and do. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
It's a great environment to work in because it's not usually crazy there, and the place has these nice big windows I can look out of. Which is a nice visual distraction for me when I need a moment to gather my thoughts.
Nearby is an apartment complex.
And I've noticed -if I look up at the right time- that there is a resident there that always leaves the building around the same time.
Why?
Because there's a school bus that stops right outside of the complex and she goes out there to meet her son. (I'm guessing it's her son.) So that they can go back inside together.
I suppose it wouldn't be too remarkable this daily event.
A lot of parents probably do this same sort of routine.
But I have really come to admire this woman.
Because no matter what the weather is, rain, snow, sunshine, wind....she doesn't let it stop her from making that trip outside to meet her son.
But on top of that.
It's pretty obvious that she has trouble walking. Her journeying those 500 feet from door to curb isn't the fastest and as time has passed I've seen her wheel out in a wheelchair as well as hobble out on crutches. So she has had something going on health wise for sure.
Yet.
It doesn't stop her.
No matter what, no matter how easy it would be to just stay outside and not get up and go out, she chooses to go outside to meet her son.
And I really admire that.
That silent strength in the face of trials.
Seeing mother and son meet up together always serves to brighten my day. Because it's another day of success. Another day where she chose to get up and do. :)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Monday, March 20, 2017
April 2014 General Conference -Saturday Afternoon
Dieter F. Uchtdorf -The Sustaining of Church Officers
Kevin R. Jergensen -Church Auditing Department Report 2013
Brook P. Hales -Statistical Report 2013
Kevin R. Jergensen -Church Auditing Department Report 2013
Brook P. Hales -Statistical Report 2013
- Total Membership -15, 082,028
- Full-Time Missionaries -83,035
- Church-Service Missionaries -24,032
Russell M. Nelson -Let Your Faith Show
- Faith is the antidote for fear.
- One of the realities of mortal life is that our faith will be tested and challenged.
- There will be moments when we come face-to-face with the strength of our faith.
- Where is our faith? Is it in a team? Is it in a brand? Is it in a celebrity? Even the best teams can fail. Celebrities can fade. There is only One in whom your faith is always safe, and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- So many people look only to their bank balance for peace or to fellow human beings for models to follow.
- Truth is truth! It is not divisible, and any part of it cannot be set aside.
- Whether truth emerges from a scientific laboratory or through revelation, all truth emanates from God.
- If one tries to segment his or her life into separate compartments, one will never rise to the full stature of one's personal integrity--never to become all that his or her true self could be.
- Evil, error, and darkness will never be truth, even if popular.
- Of course we will face fear, experience ridicule, and meet oppositions. Let us have the courage to defy the consensus, the courage to stand for principle. Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.
- Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with [faith] have courage as well.
Richard G. Scott -"I Have Given You an Example"
- Love others enough to share your convictions and then give them the opportunity to work out the direction of their own life.
- As you consistently focus your life on the most basic principles, you will gain an understanding of what you are to do, and you will produce more fruit for the Lord and more happiness for yourself.
- The children of Father in Heaven can do amazing things when they feel trusted.
- Keep your sharing of the gospel simple.
- Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss learning the doctrine and teachings of the Lord.
Robert D. Hales -"If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments
- Be careful who you follow!
- Using our agency to obey means choosing to "do what is right [and letting] the consequences follow." It requires self-mastery and brings confidence, eternal happiness, and a sense of fulfillment to us and, by example, to those around us.
- Obedience makes us progressively stronger, capable of faithfully enduring tests and trials in the future.
Claudio D. Zivic -Let's Not Take the Wrong Way
- I pray that we will not lose sight of the way so that we may always be connected with the heavens, so that the currents of the world do not sweep us away.
W. Craig Zwick -What Are You Thinking?
- A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
- Words that may be firm in information can be soft in spirit.
- It does not matter who was more right. What matters is listening to each other and understanding the other's perspective.
- The willingness to see through each other's eyes will transform "corrupt communication" into "minister[ing]" grace."
Quentin L. Cook -Roots and Branches
- We need to be connected to both our roots and branches.
- Don't underestimate the influence of the deceased in assisting your efforts and the joy of ultimately meeting those you serve.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Death in Threes
Ever have those days where you're just feeling....off?
Like something is wrong.
But you don't know why or how or what is wrong?
Yah I had that today.
I didn't figure it out until I got home from church and turned on the lights to my fish tank....
And discovered that sometime between 1 am the night before and 4pm today.....
Three of the four Bettas in my tank....
Had died.
O.O
It's just so....random.
They all, for the most part appeared to be fine last night when I went to bed.
Neptune was terrorizing the others.
Mars was acting a little odd hanging near the top of the tank when he's usually at the bottom.
Pluto swimming about in his area at the top of the tank.
And Mercury being terrorized by the others....
Yet somehow.
Mercury -the one betta that was the most beat up....survived.
While the other three died.
And I haven't the foggiest as to why. :(
Many would assume that all four of the bettas decided to get into a fight to the death in the middle of the night, leaving Mercury the victor.
Yet for all appearances...it didn't look like a fight.
Was it introducing too many new fish at once this week?
Was it another type of fish in my tank antagonizing my bettas without my knowledge?
Did I not feed them enough?
Did I feed them too much?
Did introducing some guppies into the tank cause issues?
Honestly.
There's no real way to tell.
but oh.
It was so depressing to lose three of my bettas all at once. Y_Y
My tank has been doing so well for the past month.
To have a set back like this....
Well.
It's depressing.
*exhales*
But it happens in the fish tank world.
So I guess I'm going to have to let my tank 'rest' for a bit and hold back on buying more fish for my tank for a bit.
And I was sooo close to getting all the fish I wanted in my tank actually in my tank!!
Gah!!
Let's hope this is a random thing and I don't end up losing all my fish in the process. :S
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Saturday, March 18, 2017
A New Beat
I may have found my new obsession song.
As I come across those on occasion.
A song that you can easily just play over and over and over and over and over and over again to just listen to it.
It's one of those songs where you can't always put your finger on what about the song makes you love it so.
You just do.
This song in particular is from a movie.
Beauty and the Beast to be exact.
And I think I really liked the song in the first place because of what was happening during the movie while the song was playing. It was visually amazing. Fitting the song so well. And ah! I just loved it. ^-^
So if you haven't seen the movie yet, go make time to see it!! :)
Until that point though, if you don't mind listening to the song before seeing it.
The song I'm referring to is called Evermore.
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Friday, March 17, 2017
A True Passion
My coworker told me the other day that she doesn't like to do Small Talk.
Which...is understandable. Not everyone can do the small talk and 'get to know you' things.
Her solution to avoiding the small talk is to ask the other person what their passion is.
That way she can get to know them and they can talk about what they love to talk about. Their passions. :)
lol. She was rather shocked to find out that she had never asked me what my passion was.
;) Maybe I'm just good at making small talk interesting. ;) haha.
In any case.
Since that conversation it's been on my mind.
Passions.
What am I passionate about?
Because there is a difference between being passionate about something and obsessed with something.... ;) not that I get obsessive over things...oh no. ;) haha.
So what am I passionate about?
The first thought that came to mind was work actually.
I love my job and I'm quite vocal about it. I work hard to do my best to make the store shine and to make customers happy. Chances are if you talk to me, I'll bring up something that happened at work.
Though I suppose Passion would mean something that 'you do for fun'
And while work is fun...it's kinda something you have to do. (unless you're already super rich)
What then am I passionate about?
My fish tank is the next thing that comes to mind.
You know my 125 Gallon Fish tank that I got on black Friday?
Oh yah I'm still totally in love with it. ^^ I love getting the chance to talk about my fish tank whenever I can. Especially when I know that a person hasn't heard about it before.
Six feet of tank. Tons of color. Lots of fish. Oh I could go on and on and show pictures and everything.
Because I love my fish tank. ^^
It's like the 'major accomplishment' of my life right now haha. XD
After waiting like 2 years for it.
To finally have my fish tank is literally a dream come true and I love it!!!
Passion...
Passion...
Passion...
A passion is something you do because you like to do it. Because you want to do it.
Which brings me to the next thing that takes up a good chunk of my day.
Blogging.
lol. I probably have to be be passionate about blogging in order to keep up this blog for what? 7 years now?
Not everyone can do it.
Not everyone can keep up multiple blogs at the same time.
But I love blogging. I love seeing which posts become popular with you readers and seeing what countries my viewers are from. :) It's a heady feeling. I can pretend that I'm just 'that' more famous. ;) haha.
The main thing about blogging though....
Is that it's writing.
And I love writing.
Even if I struggle to get thoughts and concepts down into actual plot and full on story form.
Being able to take a few minutes or four hours to write down my thoughts and just get my words out there for other people to see and read....
There's no better feeling, honestly.
I love writing.
The feeling of getting a good concept on paper.
The joy when others like what you think.
The fact that I'm doing something.
^-^
Yah. I have a passion for writing.
Not obsessively passionate about it I suppose. lol. Otherwise I would be more proactive in trying to write an actual book like my sister and other friends are.
But writing. It's a way to express myself and I enjoy it.
:)
Which brings me back to obsessions.
Because obsessions can spark passions.
For example.
Last year in Augustish? I rediscovered a show on Netflix.
Detective Conan.
;) I may or may not have brought that show up before.
But it's one that's super long running. Like 25 years. ()_() There's over 850 episodes, and 21 movies, and wow. Sooooo much.
I'd started watching this show with a roommate years ago. Like six years ago now?
But stopped because a) only the first 150ish episodes were in English. And b) I lost interest in it.
But this past august. I found it on Netflix and decided for kicks and giggles to start watching it.
Ah.
Who knew that would trigger an obsession that is now...going like 7 months strong?
I love watching the series. :)
Originally I liked it for the murder mysteries.
But now. It's such a wide ocean sized pool of inspiration.
I love seeing the connections and the building of relationships and the character growth that's found within the series.
It's one of those things that just 'triggers inspiration'
Where watching the shows inspired me to more story ideas and more concepts.
I wanted to know more!!
And so in my 'obsessiveness' I discovered these little things called Fanfics.
Stories that other people have written involving the characters from the shows. Whether it's a different viewpoint on an episode, or a totally alternate reality. These stories too...sparked my creativity.
Because wow. There are so many cool concepts that people have come up with.
that it sparked my own desire to create cool concepts.
To the point where I started writing down my own fanfic ideas into a notebook to see if I could.
Three notebooks later....I have a ton of fanfic ideas. ^^ lol. And more come everyday.
And while it's still a struggle to get the 'concepts' into 'story' format for me.
I've written more in the past few months than I've written in the past few years.
And that's the amazing thing.
That I'm writing so often and so consistently.
While it may be a struggle to focus on one idea on occasion.
The fact that I can get those ideas down on paper.
For the possibility of creating an actual story about them later.
Wow.
Just wow.
This obsession has sparked my passion for writing to go into overdrive basically.
And every passing moment. Every passing day.
I get closer and closer to getting my first fanfic completed.
To actually finishing a story.
Getting it one step closer to my goal of becoming a famous author some day.
Maybe the way to get to that famous thing.
is to start with the fanfics.
So I can practice writing out actual stories....
Before venturing off into my own stories with my own characters to create a book to be published.
So yah.
Obsessions can inspire passions.
And Detective Conan has definitely done that for me. :)
Yay for Both Passions and Obsessions. :D
Especially when one can help the other progress. X)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Which...is understandable. Not everyone can do the small talk and 'get to know you' things.
Her solution to avoiding the small talk is to ask the other person what their passion is.
That way she can get to know them and they can talk about what they love to talk about. Their passions. :)
lol. She was rather shocked to find out that she had never asked me what my passion was.
;) Maybe I'm just good at making small talk interesting. ;) haha.
In any case.
Since that conversation it's been on my mind.
Passions.
What am I passionate about?
Because there is a difference between being passionate about something and obsessed with something.... ;) not that I get obsessive over things...oh no. ;) haha.
So what am I passionate about?
The first thought that came to mind was work actually.
I love my job and I'm quite vocal about it. I work hard to do my best to make the store shine and to make customers happy. Chances are if you talk to me, I'll bring up something that happened at work.
Though I suppose Passion would mean something that 'you do for fun'
And while work is fun...it's kinda something you have to do. (unless you're already super rich)
What then am I passionate about?
My fish tank is the next thing that comes to mind.
You know my 125 Gallon Fish tank that I got on black Friday?
Oh yah I'm still totally in love with it. ^^ I love getting the chance to talk about my fish tank whenever I can. Especially when I know that a person hasn't heard about it before.
Six feet of tank. Tons of color. Lots of fish. Oh I could go on and on and show pictures and everything.
Because I love my fish tank. ^^
It's like the 'major accomplishment' of my life right now haha. XD
After waiting like 2 years for it.
To finally have my fish tank is literally a dream come true and I love it!!!
Passion...
Passion...
Passion...
A passion is something you do because you like to do it. Because you want to do it.
Which brings me to the next thing that takes up a good chunk of my day.
Blogging.
lol. I probably have to be be passionate about blogging in order to keep up this blog for what? 7 years now?
Not everyone can do it.
Not everyone can keep up multiple blogs at the same time.
But I love blogging. I love seeing which posts become popular with you readers and seeing what countries my viewers are from. :) It's a heady feeling. I can pretend that I'm just 'that' more famous. ;) haha.
The main thing about blogging though....
Is that it's writing.
And I love writing.
Even if I struggle to get thoughts and concepts down into actual plot and full on story form.
Being able to take a few minutes or four hours to write down my thoughts and just get my words out there for other people to see and read....
There's no better feeling, honestly.
I love writing.
The feeling of getting a good concept on paper.
The joy when others like what you think.
The fact that I'm doing something.
^-^
Yah. I have a passion for writing.
Not obsessively passionate about it I suppose. lol. Otherwise I would be more proactive in trying to write an actual book like my sister and other friends are.
But writing. It's a way to express myself and I enjoy it.
:)
Which brings me back to obsessions.
Because obsessions can spark passions.
For example.
Last year in Augustish? I rediscovered a show on Netflix.
Detective Conan.
;) I may or may not have brought that show up before.
But it's one that's super long running. Like 25 years. ()_() There's over 850 episodes, and 21 movies, and wow. Sooooo much.
I'd started watching this show with a roommate years ago. Like six years ago now?
But stopped because a) only the first 150ish episodes were in English. And b) I lost interest in it.
But this past august. I found it on Netflix and decided for kicks and giggles to start watching it.
Ah.
Who knew that would trigger an obsession that is now...going like 7 months strong?
I love watching the series. :)
Originally I liked it for the murder mysteries.
But now. It's such a wide ocean sized pool of inspiration.
I love seeing the connections and the building of relationships and the character growth that's found within the series.
It's one of those things that just 'triggers inspiration'
Where watching the shows inspired me to more story ideas and more concepts.
I wanted to know more!!
And so in my 'obsessiveness' I discovered these little things called Fanfics.
Stories that other people have written involving the characters from the shows. Whether it's a different viewpoint on an episode, or a totally alternate reality. These stories too...sparked my creativity.
Because wow. There are so many cool concepts that people have come up with.
that it sparked my own desire to create cool concepts.
To the point where I started writing down my own fanfic ideas into a notebook to see if I could.
Three notebooks later....I have a ton of fanfic ideas. ^^ lol. And more come everyday.
And while it's still a struggle to get the 'concepts' into 'story' format for me.
I've written more in the past few months than I've written in the past few years.
And that's the amazing thing.
That I'm writing so often and so consistently.
While it may be a struggle to focus on one idea on occasion.
The fact that I can get those ideas down on paper.
For the possibility of creating an actual story about them later.
Wow.
Just wow.
This obsession has sparked my passion for writing to go into overdrive basically.
And every passing moment. Every passing day.
I get closer and closer to getting my first fanfic completed.
To actually finishing a story.
Getting it one step closer to my goal of becoming a famous author some day.
Maybe the way to get to that famous thing.
is to start with the fanfics.
So I can practice writing out actual stories....
Before venturing off into my own stories with my own characters to create a book to be published.
So yah.
Obsessions can inspire passions.
And Detective Conan has definitely done that for me. :)
Yay for Both Passions and Obsessions. :D
Especially when one can help the other progress. X)
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Serving and Enduring
It had been a beautiful spring for the fruit-growing communities in northern Mexico.
The fruit trees were in full bloom, and expectations were high for a bounteous harvest.
Plans were already being made to pay off loans, replace needed equipment and aging orchards, and meet personal commitments such as school tuition for family members.
Plans were even being made for family vacations.
There was a general air of optimism.
Then, on a Monday afternoon in later March, a winter storm moved in, and it began to snow.
It snowed until about three o'clock in the morning.
Then, as the clouds moved out, the temperature plummeted.
Throughout the night and early morning, every effort was made to save at least a part of the fruit crop.
It was all to no avail.
It simply got too cold, and the crop was totally frozen.
There would be no fruit to be harvested and sold this year.
Tuesday dawned with the sickening and disheartening loss of all those wonderful plans, expectations, and dreams of just the day before.
I received an email regarding that terrible Tuesday morning from Sandra Hatch, the wife of John Hatch, then-first counselor in the presidency of the Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Temple.
I quote portions of that email: "John got up early--about 6:30--to run up to the temple to see if we should cancel the session this morning.
He came back saying that the parking lot and road were clear, so we decided to go ahead.
We figured that maybe some of the workers who didn't have orchards would come, and we could pull all the workers into the session.
... It was so inspiring to see the men come in, one after another.
There they were, after no sleep at all, and figuring their crops were lost.
... I was watching them during our preparation meeting, and they were having a hard time staying awake.
But instead of figuring they had a good excuse to not come, they were there.
And there were 38 people in the session (a full session)!
It was an uplifting morning for us, and we thanked Heavenly Father for good people who do their duty, no matter what happens.
I felt a special spirit there this morning.
I am sure He was pleased to know that we love His house and felt that it was a good place to be on such a difficult morning."
The story does not end there and in fact is still ongoing.
Most of those who lost their fruit crop had some land available on which to plan alternative crops for the season, such as chili peppers or beans.
These crops could provide at least some cash flow sufficient to survive on until next year's fruit crop.
However, there was one good brother with a young family who did not have additional land and was facing a year with no revenue at all.
Others in the community, seeing the dire situation of this brother and acting on their own initiative and expense, arranged for a piece of property, used their own equipment to prepare the land, and provided the chili plants for him to plant.
I know the men about whom I have just spoken.
Knowing them, I was not surprised at what they did.
But those who do not know them will probably be asking two questions, both beginning with the word why.
Why would they come to the temple to perform their duties and to serve after having been up all night long, only to realize that they had lost the greater part of their revenue for the whole year?
Why would they use what were now scarce and very precious resources to help another in desperate need when they themselves were no win such dire financial straits?
If you understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you will know the answer to these two questions.
-Daniel L. Johnson -Becoming a True Disciple -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
The fruit trees were in full bloom, and expectations were high for a bounteous harvest.
Plans were already being made to pay off loans, replace needed equipment and aging orchards, and meet personal commitments such as school tuition for family members.
Plans were even being made for family vacations.
There was a general air of optimism.
Then, on a Monday afternoon in later March, a winter storm moved in, and it began to snow.
It snowed until about three o'clock in the morning.
Then, as the clouds moved out, the temperature plummeted.
Throughout the night and early morning, every effort was made to save at least a part of the fruit crop.
It was all to no avail.
It simply got too cold, and the crop was totally frozen.
There would be no fruit to be harvested and sold this year.
Tuesday dawned with the sickening and disheartening loss of all those wonderful plans, expectations, and dreams of just the day before.
I received an email regarding that terrible Tuesday morning from Sandra Hatch, the wife of John Hatch, then-first counselor in the presidency of the Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Temple.
I quote portions of that email: "John got up early--about 6:30--to run up to the temple to see if we should cancel the session this morning.
He came back saying that the parking lot and road were clear, so we decided to go ahead.
We figured that maybe some of the workers who didn't have orchards would come, and we could pull all the workers into the session.
... It was so inspiring to see the men come in, one after another.
There they were, after no sleep at all, and figuring their crops were lost.
... I was watching them during our preparation meeting, and they were having a hard time staying awake.
But instead of figuring they had a good excuse to not come, they were there.
And there were 38 people in the session (a full session)!
It was an uplifting morning for us, and we thanked Heavenly Father for good people who do their duty, no matter what happens.
I felt a special spirit there this morning.
I am sure He was pleased to know that we love His house and felt that it was a good place to be on such a difficult morning."
The story does not end there and in fact is still ongoing.
Most of those who lost their fruit crop had some land available on which to plan alternative crops for the season, such as chili peppers or beans.
These crops could provide at least some cash flow sufficient to survive on until next year's fruit crop.
However, there was one good brother with a young family who did not have additional land and was facing a year with no revenue at all.
Others in the community, seeing the dire situation of this brother and acting on their own initiative and expense, arranged for a piece of property, used their own equipment to prepare the land, and provided the chili plants for him to plant.
I know the men about whom I have just spoken.
Knowing them, I was not surprised at what they did.
But those who do not know them will probably be asking two questions, both beginning with the word why.
Why would they come to the temple to perform their duties and to serve after having been up all night long, only to realize that they had lost the greater part of their revenue for the whole year?
Why would they use what were now scarce and very precious resources to help another in desperate need when they themselves were no win such dire financial straits?
If you understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you will know the answer to these two questions.
-Daniel L. Johnson -Becoming a True Disciple -October 2012 General Conference
Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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