Guess who figured out the refrigerator lock, just one week after we installed it? He's tricky, that one.

Tribute to a father-in-law and a few dead potatoes.

After a brief, polite knock at the door, my father-in-law walked into my kitchen last night. "Have you recovered?" he asked me with real concern.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I suppose it could have been worse...I could have been inside Brother Henrie's house."

We chatted a moment longer before he left me...with the memory of good intentions gone awry.

Just minutes before Dad's thoughtful visit, he and I had both arrived at a neighbor's house, bearing food offerings to help with the recent passing of Brother Henrie's wife. My potato casserole (morbidly called "funeral potatoes" around here) was piping hot in the dish as I quickly carried it to the house. At the same time that I heard my father-in-law call out a greeting to me, the wind picked up, and the foil covering suddenly blew off the dish. I instinctively grabbed for the foil with one hand, balancing the casserole with the other hand. Tried to balance, that is. Seemingly in slow motion, and right before my eyes, Dad's eyes, and the eyes of many Henrie family members--the potatoes plummeted to the ground. Splat.

For five seconds, the whole embarrassing episode seemed like a metaphor for my day-to-day life: work for a while at a task only to have it destroyed completely. Wash the dishes while the playroom is torn apart. Take a shower while the couch cushions are thrown about the living room. Vacuum while flower pots are dashed to pieces on the patio. (These are not hypothetical examples, by the way.) All that went through my mind, and I wasn't laughing yet because it wasn't three hours past the event .

I did not cry. But I felt like it. Instead, I quickly scooped up the still hot pile with my hot pads, drove home stunned, and dumped the mess into the trashcan. By the time Dad arrived at the door, possibly five minutes later, I actually was feeling fine and recovered. Because on the short drive home, I had somehow channeled the experiences of women of yesteryear (I keep reading WWII books) who had real problems, real discouragement, and real tenacity. Sappy thoughts, I know, but better than crying over spilled potatoes.

An hour later, Matt arrived home and announced we were going for treats. He insisted I choose the place of yumminess, and since he has sworn off treats lately, I suspected he had received word of the potato flop. "Dad felt so bad for you, that he put money in my hand and told me take you for ice cream," Matt confessed. They both know my sweet-loving heart.

So, just in case my mental state was not already on the mend, Dad's compassion and generosity guaranteed a good ending.

Continuing education.

I have been spoiled the past couple weeks:

On my birthday, Matt and I attended William Doherty's lecture at BYU, entitled "Parenting Wisely in a Too-Much-of-Everything World." (Yes, it was my idea and Matt's attendance may be considered a birthday gift to me. He did end up enjoying it, though probably not as much as I did.) This highly educated, highly motivated, very enthusiastic and personable man inspired me with his dedication to families. A snippet of the hour-long lecture gives an interesting overview, but I hope to see the whole lecture available soon on BYU-TV. It felt good to be using my family science brain again, this time with a lot more opportunity for personal application of the material.

Last week, as a date completely unconnected to my birthday, we attended a presentation by local artist, James Christensen. I find his work fun and thoughtful, and his personality absolutely genuine and likeable. Matt commented that he is an excellent storyteller, and I think that description applies to his actual paintings as well as his speaking abilities. Though fantasy art is not usually my favorite, there is something charming about Christensen's style. Here are two pieces that really spoke to me. Hmmm, I wonder why.

"The Responsible Woman"

"A Place of Her Own"

Finally, my mother-in-law recently invited me and my sisters-in-law to a private cooking class with another local star, Kelsey Nixon. I learned that this cute Utah girl was a favorite (though not the final winner) on FoodTV's "Next Food Network Star." What an evening: two hours of watching Kelsey prepare, cook, teach, and chat, and of course a fantastic meal at the end of it all. That woman really knows her stuff , and is so friendly I felt like she was one of the family. The bonus for me was twofold: I got delicious recipes I already know I like, and I am inspired to cook again. (Not that I don't prepare meals three times a day, but it has been a couple years since I have truly loved the process.)

So now I've dabbled in Family Theory, Art Appreciation, and Gourmet Cooking, I'm eager to search out more free classes...this is even better than college.