tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62243046518795047812012-02-10T08:49:33.757-08:00Ask MomThat's right. I am a mom, grandmother and a former student of Salt Lake Community College and The University of Utah (BS May 2009,) and no, I won't give you any money either. But I'm full of advice-some of which you may even like or well, find you like better than the advice your mom gives you. You don't tell her everything anyway, do you? I want to hear it all.Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.comBlogger281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-60272618679254900682009-11-19T05:52:00.000-08:002009-11-19T05:53:12.930-08:00No money for ChristmasDear Mom:Now that the semester is almost over, I have been thinking more about Christmas. The problem? I have little money to spend on my friends and family. I want the gifts to look cool, not cheap. What should I do?Sincerely,Penny PinchedDear Pinched:Here's my take on cheap Christmas gifts that don't necessarily look it.1. Think before you buy. Make a list. You will spend your small wad very Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-13002873564135382552009-11-19T05:51:00.000-08:002009-11-19T05:51:21.382-08:00This is my last semester at SLCC and I'm getting "trunky."Dear Mom:
This is my last semester at SLCC and I'm getting "trunky." I don't have as much interest in my homework and I'm dreading finals. I just want it to be over.
Sincerely,
Dragging my Heels
Dear Dragging:
Keep your chin up and keep walking. The last few weeks of any semester are never "joyous" especially the last one when you can finally see that old light at the end of the tunnel andKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-26221376747618916832009-11-09T15:36:00.001-08:002009-11-09T15:36:17.610-08:00Ask Mom... Holiday Pickle?Dear Mom,
My parents and in-laws have invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner. We want to spend time with both families. What should we do?
Sincerely,
Hungry for Fairness
Dear Hungry,
This is a dilemma I've had to deal with personally, probably the same dilemma most of us married folk have had to deal with. How do you balance out the holidays with two sets of parents? In this case, we're Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-16536862159350697162009-10-15T09:37:00.001-07:002009-10-15T09:37:46.010-07:00Would it be a good idea to take a "blind date" to a steak house?Dear Mom:
Would it be a good idea to take a "blind date" to a steak house?
Sincerely,
Stuck
Dear Stuck:
When I first read your question, I thought, "Well, sure. I like steak, and most girls I know like a good meal. Why not?" A short but sweet answer.
While discussing this question with my husband, however, he quickly reminded me that questions aren't always asked at face value, and neitherKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-34273065375623964602009-09-21T16:32:00.000-07:002009-09-21T16:33:32.361-07:00How do I get my kids to go to bed and stay there?Dear Mom:How do I get my kids to go to bed and stay there? Sincerely,Lost in the QuagmireDear Lost:You didn't tell me if your children are up to the same old tricks; the glass of water, numerous trips to the bathroom, never being satisfied with one story, but I have a feeling these tricks are being played to their fullest, otherwise your children would be in bed-asleep.You may even be dealing Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-48265115189247992652009-09-15T15:20:00.000-07:002009-09-15T15:23:31.170-07:00Why is lint blue?Dear Mom:Do you take less than serious questions? Well, I have one. Why is lint blue? No matter what color I am wearing I get blue lint, even when I'm wearing red.Sincerely,Blue Lint Hanging On MeDear Blue,Your question made me laugh and then I had a thought. Thoughts come to me every now and again. It was almost like I was hearing the question, "Why is the sky blue?" all over again. I decided toKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-63036559415529205322009-09-11T15:23:00.000-07:002009-09-11T15:26:45.454-07:00My parents hate my boyfriend.Dear Mom,My parents hate my boyfriend. Whenever he comes over my mom gives him the third degree; you know, how's the job, the grades, your life? My dad does the same thing, only he's a lot quieter and likes to glare at him. I feel as if they don't think he's good enough for me or something. What should I do?Sincerely,BotheredDear Bothered,You might be right about your boyfriend not being good Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-83008693818101427932009-09-06T08:10:00.000-07:002009-09-06T08:11:29.146-07:00How do I teach my children that I need time to study?Dear Mom,I am a full-time college student. I am also a single parent. How do I teach my children that I need time to study; that along with being their mom, I also need time to do my homework?Sincerely,Stuck between the lines Dear Stuck:Try not to pull your hair out. Balancing school and anything else-especially children-is no easy task. On the one hand, you want to make life better for your Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-84725255675775690432009-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:002009-08-31T13:58:39.723-07:00How do I stay awake during class?Dear Mom:How do I stay awake during class?Sincerely,Sleepy Dear Sleepy:I remember hearing a story not so long ago of a guy who fell asleep in class. He didn't wake up until the class was dismissed. Only after he'd gone to the restroom, did he notice the terrible secret-he had a lovely saying written on his face. If this is you, I apologize for letting your secret out to those who didn't see you Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-26404827767258703822009-08-29T15:38:00.000-07:002009-08-29T15:41:37.679-07:00Mom RemembersI still remember the morning. I was sleeping easily in my bed, not wanting to get up and face the day.A call came."Did you hear the news?" a voice asked. It was my sister-in-law and she was babbling about some buildings in New York, screaming into the phone. "You need to turn on the television!" she wailed.I told her, half asleep, that I would, and then hanging up the receiver, closed my eyes andKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-36271486638188280602009-08-28T14:24:00.000-07:002009-08-28T14:26:47.897-07:00I have a difficult teacher!Dear Mom:How do I handle a difficult teacher? I can't drop the class because it's the only time I have available.Sincerely,Stressed outDear Stressed:I know just how you feel. I have had my share of difficult teachers; and I'm not just talking about college.When I was in the fifth grade, I had this pretty terrific teacher. We all liked him. His name was Mr. Wilde, and we thought his name fit Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-13072678518922247162009-08-21T15:56:00.000-07:002009-08-21T15:59:54.767-07:00How Do I Keep An Old Relationship Fresh?Dear Mom:How do you keep an old relationship fresh?Sincerely,Bored to TearsDear Bored:I can tell you first hand it isn't easy to keep an old relationship "fresh." The longer I've been married-and I'm going on 30 years mind you-the more I realize that things just ain't what they used to be.This isn't always so bad. Because of the length of my relationship I feel much freer to express my feelings. Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-53844532441753258442009-07-30T13:54:00.000-07:002009-07-30T13:56:40.465-07:00My relationship with my mom can't withstand our different political viewsDear Mom:I'm a voting democrat; my Mom's a republican who works at party events, etc. Because we feel strongly about our views, we end up not being able to talk. What should we do?Sincerely,Off the BallotDear Off:One of the things I've learned about being a mom is that my children will rarely, if ever, agree with me. And if they do, they will rarely admit it.If you look at your friends you will Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-84570100621785986042009-07-22T08:52:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:59:53.187-07:00Should I date a friend? Should I date a young teacher of mine?Dear Mom,There's a girl that's expressed romantic interest in me. We've been really good friends for awhile now and she says she doesn't want to mess up our friendship. I want us to be together and think we can only strengthen our friendship. How can I get her to drop her reservations?Sincerely,AnxiousDear Anxious,Seems like you're getting two kinds of messages here: She has a romantic interest Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-82906295250366367172009-07-20T10:11:00.000-07:002009-07-20T10:15:55.199-07:00My Girlfriend Won't Cook!Dear Mom:How do I get my girlfriend to start cooking? She has an aversion to the kitchen. She won't help me. If it entails too much prep she won't do it. What should I do?Sincerely,HungryDear Hungry,The sickness your girlfriend has is one I can relate to. You may believe your girlfriend is merely being lazy, uncooperative and uncaring of you, but this is probably not true.Though eating is an Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-23493566983454718872009-07-13T16:29:00.000-07:002009-07-13T16:31:53.077-07:00Dating A Guy At Work - Is dating a co-worker a bad idea?Dear Mom:Should I date a guy at work?Sincerely,InterestedDear Interested:That depends. Can you date this guy and still remain co-workers at work? Can you stick to a purely working relationship, never allowing your personal relationship to interfere with your business one? Perhaps the best way for you to answer this one is to look back on your previous relationships.How would you describe your Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-19347440242550051572009-07-06T11:10:00.000-07:002009-07-06T11:15:17.986-07:00Not Passionate AnymoreDear Mom:How do I get passionate about my life? How do I find purpose?BoredDear Bored:I think you've already begun to answer your initial question. When someone like you isn't passionate about their life, it's usually not because they aren't busy-and being a student definitely leaves little time to just be sitting around. The listless feeling is usually due to the fact that there is no variety toKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-83210558259984584942009-06-30T14:35:00.000-07:002009-06-30T14:40:28.568-07:00Should I Lie To Spare My Sister's Feelings?Dear Mom:Should I say something to my sister who is thin but wears jeans so tight that they make her belly hang out?Sincerely,Tummy TuckedDear Tucked:This is one of those questions I believe most people would have the answer to, but far fewer would have the courage to act on. I hope this response will help you to act.I remember once a few years ago a friend of mine came over to my house wearing Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-16245236224108318022009-06-25T11:10:00.001-07:002009-06-25T11:14:17.508-07:00Dating Someone With Different BeliefsDear Mom:I am a (non-practicing) LDS student dating an atheist. If I end up staying with him, will I end up hating him and myself?Sincerely,StuckDear Stuck:That you have this question in the first place gives me reason to believe you have some pretty heavy concerns about this relationship. If you had little or no concern, it would not have occurred to you that you might later hate him as well as Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-2039746311108351832009-06-20T09:43:00.000-07:002009-06-20T09:51:39.952-07:00Balancing school with work and funDear Mom:How do I balance full-time work and school and still have a social life?Sincerely,So stressed I can hardly stand itDear Stressed:I know just how you feel. No, I wasn't working, but one summer I was taking a three week anatomy and physiology class.Okay, people warned me that it was going to be hard, and yes, I was told that the regular semester class was difficult, but I thought, "Three Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-17066175805454470362009-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:002009-06-19T21:02:21.041-07:00Mom's CredibilityDear Mom:Are you really a mom? You don't look old enough. Well, at least not old enough to have teenagers.Sincerely,CuriousDear Curious:You know what they say about what happened to the curious cat. Seriously though, yes, I am a mom, and I do have children-three girls to be precise. All three are married, the two oldest with children of their own. So yes, that also makes me a grandmother. I have Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-64757544655916553732009-06-18T05:58:00.000-07:002009-06-18T06:02:32.103-07:00Moving Back HomeDear Mom:I'm 25 years old and I've just had to move back with my parents. How do I balance my own life and own sense of individuality and still live with my parents and respect them and their rules?Sincerely,FrazzledDear Frazzled:Take a deep breath. Let the air out. Take another deep breath. Let it out. Okay. What you are doing is probably one of the most difficult things there is to do on this Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-64164811940691337972009-06-10T13:32:00.000-07:002009-06-10T13:33:38.627-07:00How do you remove the romance, but keep the friendship?Dear Mom: How do you get rid of a guy you've been dating and still remain friends?Sincerely,Want to move onDear Want:What you want is to separate yourself from someone who has been a part of your life in a romantic way and go back to the friendship stage as if the romance never happened. You want to go back to the way things were before the romance. You want to wipe out all the time you have Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-79180906695600805962009-06-10T13:31:00.000-07:002009-06-10T13:32:11.887-07:00My mom is making me go to graduationDear Mom:My Mom is forcing me to go to graduation. I'm sorry, but graduation at a college is lame. It's long, boring and I don't even know the people like I knew in high school. What should I do?Sincerely,Bummed.Dear Bummed:Quit being bummed. Granted, the event is usually long, and sometimes boring, buthave you ever been to the college variety graduation? Okay, I haven't either, but how can you Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-25020038871266322192009-05-27T07:56:00.000-07:002009-05-27T08:00:47.943-07:00How do I unscramble my time management?Dear Mom:I'm always at least five minutes late to my first class of the day. How do I schedule my time so that I'm not late?Sincerely,Scrambled UpDear Scrambled:Forgive me for using such a "churchy" example, but I believe it will work in your case.When I was a young mother, trying to get ready for church was a nightmare. Not only did I have myself to get ready I had my three children as well. AndKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-3360141489305151282009-05-24T06:53:00.000-07:002009-05-24T06:57:14.182-07:00How to gain a mothers acceptance of a gay lifestyleDear Mom:I live a gay lifestyle. How do I get my mother to accept me?Sincerely, Too hurt to cryDear Hurt:This is a serious question demanding a serious answer. The bottom line as I see it-all you really want from your mom is love, right? To be loved is to be accepted because you and I both know that not everyone on the face of this planet is going to see things in exactly the same way. We are allKathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-23601447715858896332009-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:002009-05-20T09:28:17.724-07:00Dear Mom:My boyfriend is allergic to my cats. Every time he comes over he gets sick. What should I do?Sincerely, FurfulDear furful: I have a nephew that is allergic to cats. Last week he and his family came over for a visit. My sister had forewarned me-"Remember, my son is allergic. Can we keep the cat away from him?" I promised her that I would vacuum the floor and the furniture; especially the Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6224304651879504781.post-17254131406528660572009-05-16T20:38:00.000-07:002009-05-16T20:45:27.366-07:00"Ask Mom" - What's it all aboutNot sure where to turn for your next staple? Spending too much money on school supplies and not enough on your girlfriend? Afraid to ask your mom for a loan?Ask me.That's right. I am a mom and a former student of Salt Lake Community College and The University of Utah (BS May 2009,) and no, I won't give you any money either. But I'm full of advice-some of which you may even like or well, find you Kathryn Elizabeth Joneshttps://profiles.google.com/101174691594828204382noreply@blogger.com0