Tall, Dark & Handsome

I was walking down the hall at church Sunday, when I was stopped by a young woman. She excitedly asked me if my son reffed basketball. I said yes. She turned to the other girls around her & told them she had told the girls at the basketball game that the "hot" one (ref) was in her ward. She was so excited to have a close connection to the "hot" one. It made me snicker.  So word of warning Rob the Ref...the ninth grade girls think you are "hot"! As your mother I prefer to call  you tall, dark, & handsome. I tried to get pictures of Rob in action, but the lighting in the gym wasn't working with my camera. These shots are between games as he sat & chatted with gramps & I.

Laugh Out Loud

I have lost sight of the fact that I started this blog as a journal for myself. I don't always blog events I want to remember, as much as I blog for my audience. Then when I don't get the reaction I anticipate I go through a rejection/unpopular cycle. New rule for myself...blog for myself so I can remember the happy events of my life.  Too bad this won't actually erase the bad hair days of my lifespan so I only have good hair days to remember! So with that preface, last night I had a crazy dream with a large cast which included a few relatives & a bunch of their friends. We were in a large vehicle and there was a lot of stopping with people getting in & out. Those that got out at stops didn't always get back in, but the vehicle was always full as new riders joined us. Fast forward, I ended up in Jennifer's kitchen, which was not her current kitchen,  but I knew I was at her house. I was loading the dishwasher when I noticed a new shelf that had never been there before where I could put glasses. As I was putting dirty glasses on this newly discovered shelf, Jennifer came along & pushed the front of the shelf towards the back & immediately I could clearly see I was not loading a dishwasher, but had somehow confused a shopping cart for a dishwasher & I was trying to load the toddler seat with dirty glasses.  I realize in retelling dreams the personal emotion that accompanies the dream can never be fully shared, but in this case it is the point of my post. As soon as I realized my mistake I started laughing & laughed so hard I couldn't even speak. In fact I think I was holding my breath, because I also experienced the feeling I couldn't breathe...all because I was laughing so hard. It felt so good to laugh. I love to laugh & I love to find humor in the many embarrassing situations I have found myself in. So my question is...have you ever laughed in a dream? I have been very frightened in a dream. I have had lots of crazy dreams where I don't remember having any emotional reaction. I have woken up mad at Bill because of what he did in my dream. I don't remember ever laughing in a dream. I think this is my first laughing dream. Analyzing this dream could take another page or two as I believe dreams are linked to concerns in the brain while we sleep, then the brain tweeks them. But I would love to know if anyone has ever laughed in a dream & if you have how often...maybe we can figure out what triggers a laughing dream, bottle it, & sell it as a cure-all. I woke up laughing & plan to continue to laugh all day! p.s. The shopping cart was blue with white writing on one side, sometimes I dream in color.

Obama for President

Today in my primary class the kids made a few comments about our new President-elect. I don't remember what any of them said except Maria, a cute dark-haired 11 year old that just got baptized this year. She said in a disgruntled voice, "Obama is going to keep kids in school all summer". I personally had no idea that was part of his platform, but I am sure that is why he won & I am sure that is currently at the top of his priority list. He is changing the law, nation wide, all children will attend school all summer. The adults thought they were in trouble with higher taxes, abortion, gay rights, the war in Iraq, the economy, health care, by no worries. The secret is out, he will be working long & hard to implement year round school for all U.S kids before the end of this school year. I will new rest easy on all those frivolous issues.

Quirk's

This is tough...so many quirks, so little space. As I have gone about my business this week I have been watching myself, trying to decide if I have any quirks! These are just a few of the many:

1. Paper can only be thrown away after it has been used on both sides. Otherwise it is being wasted. 

2. I love to use things up. It doesn't matter what it is, it feels good to use up the last & throw away the package.

3. I love to win prizes! Big or small prizes make my day.

4. If I have a pair of holy socks, I don't like to throw them away if they are clean. I wear them one more time & throw them away dirty.

5. I ate peanut butter & mayo sandwiches growing up...another treat a slice of buttered bread with a nice layer of sugar on top. These quirks have been put to rest.

6. I get the most housework done when I am home alone. 

I think everyone has been tagged from my list...so I'll go way out on a limb & tag Bill, Dave F, James, Austin, Dave M, & Julianne. I can't wait to see your quirks.

It's Beginning to Look...

For those of you not living in beautiful Wasatch territory, Autumn is waning while Winter is winning! We had enough snow yesterday to put a hat on my jack-o-lantern! As you can see he still has a happy grin on his face in anticipation of coming holidays, festivities, & winter fun! He is hoping to stick around at least for the Thanksgiving feast! Unfortunatelly, a warm day will send him to pumpkin heaven. Happy Fall mixed with Winter!

qjxltmvpz

I just have to put this out there. I do not want anyone to take this personally, but does anyone else hate the securtiy passwords that have to be typed after a comment? I have 2 issues regarding this practice. 1. I don't like that I type in the letters, then hit enter & another set of letters comes up with the notice that my comment has been saved. To get out of that I have to back arrow twice! I don't know why this very small inconsequential matter irritates, but this drives me nuts. 2. The thing that drives me even more nuts is the letter sequence's never spell a word. I have to work so hard typing qjbvlomp, whereas a word like house would be much easier to type. I vote we mandate all security codes must spell a real word. (p.s. I did get 'price' one time as the security word, which proved to me it was easier to enter than bglvod.) I am guessing I will either be totally ignored on this post, as it probably proves just how nuts I am or I will have others agree with this slighty annoying pet peeve. 

S is for.....

While I was in Arizona I walked with Jen, Tess, Brynn, Claire, Jayne, & Ana to the school to drop Tess & Brynn off for the school day. After we saw them safely to school, Ana & I were left pushing Jayne & Claire the rest of the way around the loop. Jen had taken off to the studio for her hour of work. So Ana & I had some time to chat. We established the fact that she is seven and in the second grade. I said, " that is 2 S's about you, we need to think of another s about you". Without skipping a beat she replied, "smart"!  I totally agree with her. She is a smart, seven year old in second grade. (Plus she is one of my favorite sweetness pies!)

Fall Break Flash Back

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Last week Amy & I celebrated Fall break in AZ. We had so 

much fun. As usual we needed 

a vacation from our vacation 

when we got back home. Some of our 

events included, but this list is

not all inclusive, a fun, fun Halloween party, an hour of 

musical wigs, a dance off, a walk

to school, a check back at the 

doctor for Claire, In & Out on

Austin's birthday in celebration 

of his birthday without him there, work-up in the street, playing jump rope, project time at home & at the church, a pumpkin patch, basically we had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Wait we had a barrel of monkeys & their names 

were Teancum, Tess, Ana, Brynn, Jarom, Rebekah, Claire, Sariah, & 

Jayne. The only monkey missing was Addy. I picked from the pictures 

I had on my camera a sample of some of our fun times. I hope Jen  & Amy share the pictures they have. We had double the fun with the Hoopes' cousins in Arizona an extra day. Thanks for making the arrangements. Looking at the pictures gets me excited for more fun at Thanksgiving time!

Just a Glimpse

I had Dad, then Rob, then Austin mention my lack of blogging of late. I would love to be blogging, but instead I am trying to figure out microbioloby & chemistry. Both are tougher than I expeccted & I do expect to retake both. I will be happy to get passing grades, which right now is doubtful. I have learned why people retake classes. It is because they are really hard classes & reading for hours isn't always enough. Even old dogs sometimes are forced to learn new tricks. I am sharing just a glimpse of what I see in my micro lab. This week we looked at helminths (worms that infest humans & yeasts-which humans eat!) It is so interesting. I enjoy the lab, it's the class that's killing me. I am fascinated by the subject, how our cells work, it really is a miracle to me. If I learn nothing more from my college experience I have a greater understanding & stronger testimony that we are divinely created. There can be no other way. I do not understand why it has been said scientist's have a harder time believing in God. The more I learn, the more I see God's hand in our creation. 

Happy Halloween

I am happy to say the school rivalry here in Utah has cooled a bit. I think we are all happily cheering for the red & blue. To prove my point I have posted this picture of Rob wearing the red in support of his baby sister's football team. In reality I am worried about the BYU-Ute game. So far neither team has lost a game this season. It should be a great game to watch, but someone will lose. Maybe we should all pitch in $5 & loser takes all. The winner will be too busy gloating, it is the loser that needs cheering up. The build up is almost as tense as our upcoming election...who is going to win? p.s. Rob is also in the holiday spirit with his Halloween vest!

Jack & the Beanstalk...or was that a tomato plant?

Earlier this summer I was ambitious enough to plant 6 cherry tomato plants. I chose 2 different planting spots. For the last 5 or 6 years my cherry tomato plants have grown in the parking strip at the end of the driveway. They have been very prolific & even reseeded every year. Unfortunately a ground cover dominated the space & won out. No tomato seedlings this year so I bought new plants. I planted 3 plants in that spot hoping they would take hold & flourish. The other 3 I planted to the side of my house. This was a new experiment. In fact my thougthts were these plants would not get enough sun & would not do well. Now at the end of the growing season plants 1, 2, & 3 in the parking strips were all but a failure. Two died out completely & the third struggled enough to produce 20 cherry tomatoes, which were yummy, but not the usual yield I have been accustomed to from that spot. In contrast plants 3, 4, & 5 are unbelievable. I have never seen tomato plants as tall or as long as these grew. If I didn't know better I would think someone traded out regular tomato seeds with magic tomato seeds in an attempt to climb to that magical palace where the goose that lays golden eggs lives. It is hard to see in the picture, but the green shoots above the lilac bush are my cherry tomato plants. They grew up through & are supported by the lilac bush. Other people win prizes for the biggest pumpkin, not me...I have the tallest tomato plants.

Thank You!

Gramps was asking tonight if he had thanked me for some of the menial tasks I have done over the years. He mentioned he noticed the clean bathroom, the clean laundry. It made me think of a comment my microbiology teacher recently told the class. He said if a Maple tree lost all its leaves & they were gathered up, then laid out flat, they would cover a football field. That is a lot of leaves from one tree. Then a thought came to mind;  if I hung all the laundry I have washed, dried, folded, ironed, put way on a line, one laundry line post would be in my backyard & the other post would be on the moon! 

Date Night in the Big City

A couple of weeks ago I received an e-mail about tickets to the Leann Rimes benefit concert. The tickets were only $20 each. I called Gramps to see if we could swing the $40. He didn't seem very interested, so I dropped the subject and deleted the e-mail. Fast forward to this week. On Wednesday Gramps said he had a secret, but it wasn't set in cement. Of course in my excitement I thought about it through the day. On Thursday he said he had the secret secured. I begged to know what the secret was & he said he had Leann Rimes concert tickets. I was so surprised. Leann Rimes is a grammy winning country/rock singer. I have her early music on my i-pod. I started liking her when she was a teenager winning awards. So, Friday night we went to her concert. She sang 3 songs I recognized, the girl next to me knew all the words to every song. Her closing song was Amazing Grace, which was her best performance of the night. She sang it accapella, her voice is incredible. Thanks Gramps for a fun night in the big city.

Thanks Rob

This was a touph week for Rob & I. We disagreed on a point of view & it took several chats for us to put it to rest. On Friday, after a long day of work & school, then a concert in Salt Lake, I came home & there on the kitchen table was a vase with roses 2 beautiful roses. It was a very kind gesture & I am grateful for his thoughtfulness. I wanted to let everyone know he has moved to the top of my list!

Let's Glean Pumpkins

In case you haven't gone yet, I am reminding all it is time to go to your local farmer's field & glean as many pumpkins as you would like! They are free for the taking. As you can see I helped myself to 2 this week in preparation for Halloween. I just yearn for that orange splash on my front porch. My relief society president hasn't announced the free-for-all yet this year, so I just waited until dark & made a dash through the field. I grabbed 2 nice big ones as that was all I could hold. Good luck to all my fellow pumpkin gleaners!

Incredible Talent

Has everyone already heard the 16 year old singer, that looks like she is about 11? She is from the Phillipines, has had a hard life, but all her dreams are coming true. She has this voice that blows the roof off whatever building she is singing in. She gets standing ovations where ever she goes. She has sung with the likes of Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Andre B. etc. I only mention her because I was feeling discouraged & frustrated with my life this week. School is very hard this semester, I question why I am even trying such a difficult task, then I see this darling girl realizing her dreams. I caught this on a taped Oprah in the middle of the night when I was trying to go back to sleep. The next morning I was at work & I noticed a picture on the wall which I had not noticed before. In the piccture rays of the sun are coming through clouds with the words, "miracles happen every day" as the caption. So, that is my mantra this semester. Every day I remind myself that miracles happen. I also recall Randy Pausch's wise words that road blocks are not in front of us to stop us, but to test us to see how hard we want what is on the other side. All we can do carry on & do our best.  p.s. if you have not caught Charice yet, she is on YouTube.

Dial "M" for Murder

Last night William had an awful nightmare. He was thrashing about & yelling  during this nightmare. Luckily for me I had woken up earlier & retreated to the downstairs couch to finish out the night & I wasn't in striking distance, but I heard it all from a distance. This morning over breakfast, he asked me if I knew he had a nightmare. I asked him about it. This is the tale. He was laying in bed & got shot. He turned & saw a 'lady' standing at the window with a gun. That is when he started yelling. He was hoping someone would come & help. He wasn't sure if he was going to live or die. Now back to our breakfast conversation. I asked him if he got a good look at the lady. He said no. Then he asked me, by the way where were you when all this happened?  Suddenly I had gone from innocent bystander asleep on the couch downstairs to suspect. Since he didn't get a good look at her I am a likely suspect, especially since I am tall enough to stand outside our 2 story bedroom window & have nothing better to do in the middle of the night.  Oh no, it is my word against his! I've always said our dreams come from real life, then in our sleep that information is twisted. Yesterday William finished a gun safety training through National Rifle Assoc. & is now able to teach gun safety & be a merit badge counselor. p. s. We both got a good laugh at the situation!

Soooo sorry.

This blog world is interesting to say the least. My last post was lengthy, some may not have the endurance to read it. As I read the comments I am curious to know if anyone found the humor in my story? I don't think I am getting too old to find my car, I just don't like to lose it & spend time looking for it. I think everyone has those experiences. Just to let you know, I shared this story because it made me laugh to think I took the time to take note of where my car was, then to my shock & surprise my car could have been on any aisle as they were all labeled with a V. I don't want to step on any toes. I just feel compeled to explain the punch line. Lesson learned, too many words dilutes the humor.

V is for Vonnie

I started losing my car in parking lots a few years ago, so I have come up  with a few tricks to prevent my parking lot panic. The 1st trick is to park in the aisle straight out the front door of the store. I don't care how far I have to walk, I have learned to walk straight out the door & I know my car is there in that aisle. My car is silver & there have been times I have parked & then come back to find my car in a line-up with 3 other silver cars. I have now memorized my plate # for the times I have to pick it out of a line-up. My 2nd trick is to look around & take note of the aisle # or letter, if rule #1 doesn't work. Now for the reason I am sharing. On Tuesday morning I drove to UVU to attend my microbiology lab. I went to my regular aisle & to my horror there were no available parking spaces. My lab is at 10:00 a.m., it is my only morning class, I can always find a spot in the afternoon & on Saturdays. So I began to serpentine through the lot, 1 aisle, 2 aisles, 3 aisles, 4 aisles, 5 aisles, I was beginning to panic. I had enough time to park & walk to the lab from my regular spot. I was driving into the next county at this point. I kept weaving up & down every aisle, other cars were doing the same thing. There was not one space for at least 10 aisles. Finally I spotted one at the far end, pulled in, gathered books, locked the car, & as I was walking towards the shuttle stop looked up & noticed I was on aisle V. Yeah! I can remember aisle V, it is the same letter as my first initial. Scurrying on I decided I would ride the shuttle, which I never do, unless it pulled out before I got there. It takes as long to walk as wait for the next shuttle. Well, I walked to my lab, the shuttle pulled out when I was about 3/4 of the way there. The lab was our 1st hands on with microscopes. I looked at E coli, staph, yeast, & one other bacteria. We get to draw what we saw in living color & turn them in next week. After lab I needed to walk as fast as I could back to my car & drive myself to the Payson pantry for work. Time is of the essence. As I walked into the parking lot & I immediatly began to scan the aisle markers. Suddenly I realize my mistake....I am not parked on aisle V, I am parked in lot V. Every aisle has a purple sign that says Lot V on it. I am surrounded by aisles of cars, most of them silver & they are all on aisle V! Oh my stars, where am I parked? I know it is in the far Northwest end, but which aisle? I can testify that it takes more time to serpentine the aisles on foot than by car, looking for that one special 'silver' car hidden amongst all the other silver cars in 'lot' V.

Thank goodness, I was eventually able to find my car. I made it to work in plenty of time. Lesson learned, leave for school 10 minutes earlier, park at the end of an aisle & never trust a purple sign with a V on it!

So much to do, so little time...

I am in my 2nd week of school. Week one was a busy one. I spent time taking care of details for school, going to school, & 4 hours work a day. It is a new adjustment having work & school all the time. Our stake president also asked us to go to the temple 4 times last month & we procrastinated due to our vacation in Arizona. So, we went 4 times in 2 weeks instead of 4 times in 4 weeks which would have been better. Then there was visiting teaching, procrastinated on that too, but got it finished the first week of school. Although I have homework, class & work still, this week has been a little easier. The reason I wanted to blog is to share a puzzle I received in my chemistry class. I am up to 14 which means I am somewhat intelligent! It is kind of long, I don't have all the answers, but a fun challenge! Good luck, let me know your score. I will post answers, if I get them, in a week or so.

This is to gauge your mental flexibility & creativity. In the years since it has een developed, it has been found that few people cn olve more than half on the 1st day. Many reported getting answers long after the test had been sed aside, at unexpected moments when their minds were relaxed, and some reported solving it over a period of several days. p.s. I am now up to 18, only 2 more to go & I will officially be intelligent.

Example:  16 = O in a P

Answer: 16 ounces in a pound

1) 26 = L of the A

2) 7 = D of the W

3) 1001 = A N

4) 12 = S of the Z  

5) 54 = C in a D (with J)

6) 88 = P K

7) 13 = S on the A F

8) 18 = H on a G C

9) 8 = S on a S S

10) 3 = B M (S H T R)

11) 24 = H in a D

12) 1 = W on a U

13) 3600 = S in an H

14) 5 = D in a Z C

15) 11 = P on a F B T

16) 29 D in F in a L Y

17) 64 = S on a C B

18) 76 = T in the B P

19) 1000 = W T A P is W

20) 50 = W to L Y L

21) 99) = B of B on the W

22) 13 = L in a B D

23) 5 = T on a F

24) 13 = U F S

25) 8 = T on a O  

26) 23 = P of C in the H B

27) 21 = D on a D                                                     Scoring:

28) 7 = W of the A W                                              Average: 1 to 10

29) 200 = D for P G in M                                       Somewhat Intelligent: 11 to 19

30) 15 = M on a D M C                                            Intelligent: 20 to 27

31) 40 = D and N of the G F                                   Genius: 28 and above

32) 52 = W in a Y                                                     No cheating or sharing!

33) 80 = D A the W

34) 20000 = L U the S

35) 5280 = F in a M

36) 2001 = S O

Good luck! 

p.s. It is 7:15 p.m. on Thursday September 4, 2008...I am intelligent. I now have 20 answers. I will keep you updated. 

Summer Vacation is already over :-(

My summer days are already over. Seems unfair to have such a short break. It is probably better in the long run since I have been losing sleep over the 2 classes I am signed up for. It is always better to face them head on, then to stew about the unknown. Today I have work 4 hours; school-2 classes; then visiting teaching to 3 sisters. Very doable as it is the 1st day of school. It is in about 3 weeks with homework, textbook reading, & tests when the pressure is multiplied. I am feeling a little bit out of my element as I am not signed up for a math class. Math has been my hard class for the last 3 semesters. Chemistry is a departure from that emphasis. Funny story, but true. When students go to the math lab they check in & out with their 8 digit student number. The department tracks how much the lab is used. On the last day of my summer class as I left to take the final, the student checking me out punched my number in from memory. Needless to say I used the math lab a lot. I will miss those tutor's, they were a lifesaver. I am up for my new challenge. I have been talking myself through the doubts. In fact I sound a lot like the little train that could, ' I think I can, I think I can." Thanks to those in my life that continue to encourage me through the doubts also. Amy has my camera or I would post my 1st day of school photo.  Darn that girl!

THANK YOU!

I always like being on the back side of big events. I am so thankful for all the work & support that went into the Luau in celebration of Amanda & Stephen's marriage. The biggest thanks goes to my event planner, Jen Mix. Fantastic planning! We had delicious food & great fun. I was able to turn the entire event over to Jen & know the T's would be crossed & the I's would be dotted. Thanks for taking on the stress & producing a fun luau. Second, thanks to her support team. Dave & the girls are always at the top of that list. Dave is her right hand man & the girls know how to go with the flow. Without Dave's help & the girls co-operation events would not happen. We also had the "many hands make light work" team. Helpers like Julie, Carissa, Becky Hoopes, Genelle, & last but not least Amy. Many tasks were completed by these handy helpers such as cutting up fruit, ironing table cloths, carrying in, carrying out, decorating, taking down decorations, etc. etc. etc. Last, but not least, thank you to all those who attended our celebration & contributed to the fun we had that evening. It was fun to see relatives, meet new friends, & enjoy time together. Congratulations Stephen & Mand...may you enjoy much wedded bliss for many years to come.

The "Glad" Game

This morning while we ate breakfast, Amy wanted us to play the "glad" game. You all know, the one from Pollyanna. So, I've been thinking about it all day. There are always good things to be glad about. Today I am glad Robby & Amy were here to go to church with. Their visits give me brief moments when I am not an "empty-nester." I'm glad it's Sunday & I don't feel guilty not doing all the housework that needs doing after my 10 day absence. Tomorrow I won't be so glad. I am glad for all the Tabernacle Choir music that fills the air in my home on Sunday. I am glad Amy suggested we play the "glad" game today. Please feel free to play the "glad" game with me! Post a list of what  you are glad about right now.

School's Out For the Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's over, I finished Math 1050! This was a challenge, but I can cross it off my list. Hopefully, I am ready for chemistry & microbiology in 3 short weeks. Let's party every day! Where is the party tonight? Friday it is in Arizona & I am not ready to leave. So I will linger no longer. I will pack & get ready for the long trip, then tonight I will sleep with a smile on my face!

Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep

In the midst of trial it is easy to get caught up in discouragement. While I was preparing my Primary lesson I rediscovered Helaman 5:12;  And now, my sons, remember, remember that is is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation: that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail & his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over  you to drag you down to the gulf of misery & endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.  I remembered & rededicated myself to building my faith in Jesus Christ so that regardless of my situation, no matter what storms blow my way, I will stand faithful. Then today I had an experience that humbled me to tears, again compelling me to recognize my blessings & express more gratitude. I had a client at the Provo food bank this morning. A man, a woman, & a darling 6 year old boy. They are surviving on $ she earns donating plasma. Their electricity is on the verge of shut-off. She broke down in tears several times. Neither of the adults are able to find jobs right now, they both have some legal issues holding them back. As we were going over business the 6 year said, "I have a baby brother." I turned to him and said, "That is so cool." Well, this brought the mother to tears again. As it turned out, this baby brother was put up for adoption back East. I don't think it was what they really wanted to do, but I think they felt like it was the best option for the baby. The food we dispense in only a band-aid for these people. I will not forget them & their example has helped put my setbacks into perspective. I am richly blessed with a family I love & enjoy. I have a roof over my head with food in by cupboard. I have never had to consider adopting out a child for lack of ability to care for them. I am thankful I am healthy & able to work & go to school. Most importantly I am thankful for my testimony of Jesus Christ & the security that brings. 

Math 1050 a.k.a. College Algebra

I can't believe I am almost finished with this class. I started back to school, I tested into 990, worked through 1010, finally earning the right to take this class, math 1050. It's the only one of the 3 classes required to graduate. It's a year & 1/2  long trek coming to an end. I've had 3 great teachers, much homework, & challenging tests. This has been the toughest so far. I am not sure if it is the class or the summer distractions keeping me away from diligent homework habits. This professor only tested us 4 times on the 10 chapters he covered. The tests were harder this time around. I felt like there was always too much to try to remember. Of the 4 test he is dropping one score & we had the option of retaking 1 test. Needless to say I have taken advantage of both options, plus handed in extra credit work on chapter 7 which he didn't cover in class. So, going into the final I have 100% on homework, 1 dropped test score (all time low from me in math--81), a 93 & 95 on tests 1 & 3, a better score on the retake which was today so I don't know the exact score, but the prof looked over it for me after I finished the test & he said it looked like a definate A! Wednesday is the final...wish me luck, send a prayer or two heavenward, keep your fingers crossed, & anything else that might help me. I will be busy reviewing all 10 chapters over the next day & a half. Please don't feel slighted if I don't answer my phone. The party begins Wednesday @ 6:01 p.m.  I am taking a math break this fall. I am taking chemistry & waiting the take statistics a little later. The math lab will miss me. p.s. Thank you family members for your patience during my math studying absence! 

Springville Quilt Show

Everyone is invited to the annual Springville Quilt show. It is my favorite quilt show within my vicinity. A lot of beautiful quilts every year. It runs from July 28th through the 2nd of September. Hurry on over or you will miss it. This year the "Best of Show" is incredible. It is a Christmas quilt with exceptional handwork.(photo on right) My favorite was called "In The Leafy Treetops", (photo on top) with rows & rows of cut  bluebirds. Maybe in my next life I will come back as a quilter with lots of time & money! Education week is this month also, so if you are still trying to fit one more vacation in this summer, this month is a good time to visit Utah.

Just the Three of Us!

Friday night date night is so much fun when its a threesome. Gramps, Amy, & I spent a fun evening out tonight. We started at Sizzler for dinner, a short stop at Barnes & Noble to kill a little time, then off to the movies. We watched Iron Man. It was unanimous...we liked it. A great blend of humor & excitement, with a sprinkle of romance & who can resist a robot with personality. Does anyone have any movie reccomendations? A good movie always makes me want to watch another good movie.

Tattle Tale

I had an experience at work today that has left me pondering. My job is to be an advocate to & for the elderly. My time is spent helping them get a tax abatement on their property tax. It is based on age & income. In order to work at Community Action I have had another background check. Less than a year ago I had one in order to volunteer for the Center for Women & Children in Crisis. I passed that one, not much has changed since then. One of my new duties is to go to a senior citizen center once a week where I am available to those that have questions or need help on their tax abatement forms. There are a bunch of people over 65 that qualify, but they don't know about the program. So today instead of sitting in my room at the center waiting for people to come to me, I spent time in the halls asking people if they knew about the program so I could help them get signed up if they were interested. I had a lady tell me she wouldn't qualify because her rent is subsidized, so I went on my merry way. A little while later one of the office workers came & asked if I had a badge I could wear so people would immediatley recognize I was with community action. As it turns out a tattle tale had gone to the office & said there was someone (me) walking around in the halls gathering information they shouldn't be gathering. Since I am not a scam artist (backgroung check) & community action has permission to set up shop at the center to help the elderly, the office worker informed the tattle tale who I was. As it turns out, this tattle tale could get a rebate! Too bad for her she already knows it all. Which brings me to the lesson learned today. I don't want to be in such a hurry to be right that I  hurt not only myself, but others. What if miss tattle tale had gone to the office & asked for verification that I was legitimate rather than accusing me of wrong doing. She would have found out I was helping her friends. Please dear friends & family. remind me to get the facts, keep an open mind, & learn from others before jumping the gun & possibly ruining a good thing for myself & others. So many of my clients are grateful for the help I give them. They are kind & enjoy talking about their colorful lives. The aging proccess can be difficult, but there are many who are successfully manuveuring through their days. They are the ones I look to for an example. I just ran into one bad apple today & I'm not going to let her spoil the barrel.

The Last Lecture

Many of you have probably heard or watched Oprah when she featured Randy Pausch, the man dying of pancreatic cancer. I listened to the rerun & have also checked the book out from the library. I am so completely amazed at this man's courage & example in the face of adversity. I want to grow up to be just like him. I encourage everyone to read the book. It has hills & valleys, emotional ups & downs, but very inspirational at the same time. I recently learned he passed away last week after a valiant fight against a type of cancer that is still deadly in spite of years of research. Once again a good man gone too early. 

Twenty Four

In honor of our Pioneer Day celebration & a belated Independence Day tribute I am listing 24 things I love about July. (Not listed in order of importance):
1. President Monson as the Grand Marshal of the Days of 47 parade.
2. Bull riding at the Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork.
3. Fireworks in the front yard.
4. Fireworks in the park.
5. Swimming at Veterans Pool & not getting Crypto Sporidium.
6. Hot days.
7. Cool nights.
8. Sandals, flip flops, shorts, capri pants, & sunglasses.
9. Playing in the park; slides, swings, chasing, & laughing.
10. Glenn Beck in person at the Marriott.
11. Stadium of Fire with Austin on the field participating in the opening ceremonies.
12. Hannah Montana in concert.
13. BBQ's...hot dogs, hamburgers, & especially chicken bruschetta.
14. S'mores-toasted over a gas burner in the front yard!
15. Springville Summer Reading Program complete with green bug shirts.
16. Independence...freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of choice...what a great nation.
17. Garage Sale-broken fence optional.
18. Patriotic Music.
19. Visitors from Arizona-Jen, Dave, Tess, Brynn, Claire, & Jayne.
20. Amy home from Arizona, working in Bountiful, but home on the weekends.
21. The end of Math 1050...actually the first week of August.
22. A great job that feels like I am getting paid to go visiting teaching.
23. An old blue door painted black.
24. A lot of great memories to store up & revisit next winter when the snow flies.
July is on my list of favorite months of the year. The days are hot & I can't imagine being cold. By the end of August I start wishing it were cold. The the chill in the air lets me know another summer is at its end. Thanks goodness for football, pumpkins, & beautiful fall leaves to ease us into colder weather. In the mean time thank goodness for all good things July brings.

The top 3 reasons to hold a garage sale are:

1. get rid of junk that hasn't been used for too long

2. earn a little cash

3. people watching...if you are into that hobby it is a great venue!

We held a garage sale this past weekend in our front yard. The downsizing of household goods continues & it seems like a lot of junk that no one would want to buy, but customers came & shopped & bought giving us less junk, pocket cash, & people to watch. On the Friday I was sitting on the porch when a car rolled into the driveway, at a slant. The older gentleman shopped from the window for a minute, then got out. He was about 5 steps away from his car, holding up a pair of camo pants when his car started rolling forward. Moving forward is probably more accurate. His car proceeded to stream roll a large plastic bin & a couple of boxes on its way toward the fence. Within 30 seconds 2 sections of fence were lying flat under his tires. It took time to register this car was on its own, left in drive, so this customer could shop at our garage sale. It took time for it to register in his mind that it was his car on the loose. He was not an Olympic runner, but once he recognized his car he moved as fast as an old man can in an attempt to stop the runaway car. He got in the car, backed it up & stood dazed at the damage. In the mean time I am still on the porch laughing my head off. The whole event happened in less than a minute, yet provided hours of laughter as we have recounted the event. He drove away without purchasing any goods & kept driving back to reassess the damage. He planned to repair it with a friend, but in the end paid cash & Bill made the repairs. This was by far the best garage sale ever...we got rid of junk, made some pocket cash, & have the best story to pass down to future generations.

Memories

I am following Angela's lead with this one. 

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you & I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog & see how many people leave a memory about you. 

It should be funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing the game & I'll come to your blog & leave one about you (or if you don't have a blog I will e-mail you my memory!)  I am following Angela, it looked like fun, I hope you'll play along!

"Say Cheese"

Sunday after church we had a photo shoot with 4 cute girls. My only wish is that the other 6 best grandkids in the world were also here so we could get some new pictures of them too. 

Community Action

I hope my blogging days are not over. I have enjoyed reading blogs & writing on my own, but I feel like I've dropped a ball. I am glad everyone is having a great summer, playing with kids, swimming, etc. I picked up a part time job 2 weeks ago working for Community Action. This job is great as it is flexible & I feel like I am getting paid to do my visiting teaching. I sign senior citizens, disabled on SS, & widow/widowers up for tax abatements, renter refunds & HEAT. I make home visits & also meet them at various senior citizen centers. Once a week I work at the Payson food pantry. It has been very interesting, but it has cut into my free time. At the same time I am plugging away at my college algebra class. I only have one chapter test & the final left & then will have another college class under my belt.  I am planning to take statistics & chemistry this fall. All I can say is wish me luck.

Twenty Two Words

Happy Birthday shout out to Robert David Hoopes in Detroit, MI! We sure miss having you here to keep us laughing.  We missed celebrating your birthday with you on the 1st & plan to make it up to you when you arrive back home. Here is a list of 22 words that say Robby:

1. Industrious   2. Faithful  3. Monkey  4. Smart  5. Funny  6. Tall  7.  Dark 8.  Handsome  9. Sentimental  9. Thrifty  10.  Athletic  11.  Personality +   12.  Uncle  13.  Motivated  14. Brother  15. Soldier  16.  Available  17. Honors   18. Rambunctious   19.  Cougars   20.  UVU   21.  Happy  22. The very best 22 year old son a mother could ask for.  Thanks Rob. I love you & enjoy watching you grow & develop as you figure your life out. You have made good choices & continue to do so. You will be successful as you continue to hustle both at employment opportunities & as you continue your education.  Keep up the good work!  Love, mom

Red, White, & True Blue!

Grab your hat & flag, it is Freedom Festival Time! Gramps & I officially began the Freedom celebration last night by attending the non-denominational fireside at the Marriot Center with key-note speaker Glenn Beck. All I can say is, will it be overkill when I paint my house red, white, & blue? I left with greater patriotic feelings then when I arrived. We are so blessed to live in our free country & if I understood Glenn's talk we all need to wake up & remember what is "good" about America. Let's not let ourselves get mired in the problems our nation is facing. "We the people" are creative & hard-working with the ability to solve the crisis we face, whether it be financial, defense, or those outrageous high pump prices. In his talk he listed many of the inventions that have come from USA. The crowd was exploding with applause as we remembered how great we have been & continue to be.  A small, yet very impressive band played all the favorites; Battle Hymn, This Land is Your Land, God Bless America, etc. Michael Ballum played the piano, sang, & told patriotic stories. One of my favorite parts was as the band played each military song, those in the audience that served in each respective branch stood for recognition. Gramps stood for himself & James during the Air Force song. We mentioned Rob & Austin during the Army tune & I thought of Grandpa Farrimond during Anchors Away as he was a Navy man. We have a rich heritage within our small family circle of brave men willing to defend our nation. I truly am proud to be an American. We look forward to the parade & stadium of fire on Friday. Unless plans have changed Austin will be participating in the flag ceremony. It is always an honor to salute the flag, but I get emotional when I see one of my boys in uniform at such events. Thank you James, Austin, & Rob for your sacrifice in behalf of our family & nation. (Picture 1: Glenn Beck @ podium 2: the fantastic band 3: gr & gr)