Vonronica's Views

2010-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Today has been a great day. I did part of my weekend housework. I ran for at least four miles, maybe even five. A hamburger at In & Out, then shopping. I found & purchased a coat I can wear with dresses or pants. Had the best meal at Cheesecake Factory. Had many people wish me a Happy Birthday, talked to my kids & heard them sing. Wished my birthday bud a happy birthday. Laughed at Target when the clerk asked the customer in fromt of me if they were "having a party tonight?" Which was met with a blank stare by the customer. She was buying four 2-liter containers of soda pop. To some that is a party, to others just a way to quench thirst. Had some great conversation with both my sisters. Received fun gifts from my wonderful husband. It has been a fantastic day...

The Last Day

2010-10-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today is October 31, 2010, my last day before working extra hours at Community Action. Although I am grateful for the extra money for Christmas, I dread the long hours and no down time. With 7 weeks of school left, Thanksgiving, Alabama, election day, Christmas, & everything included in each of those it will be 2 exhausting months. I am grateful I have not had to work full time all my life. I am thankful my small contribution helps. I am thankful Gramps is employed & we have enough. When the next nine weeks are over another semester will begin & I will still be working, I will enjoy & more fully appreciate being a part time employee again.

2010-10-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Gramps & I have been shopping for bike helmets. We looked at Sports Authority & found them to be on sale for $30 - $60 each. Gramps wanted me to buy one, but I persuaded him to wait. Then we asked around & Jennifer told us we could get them for much less at WalMart. Gramps is a bit of a store snob & WalMart is one of the stores he loves to avoid. It's too big & all they sell is junk. So I was surprised when he told me he bought a bike helmet. A nice, shiny, blue one and he didn't pay very much for it. In fact he only paid $3.00. Wow! Why didn't you buy two I asked? Well, this one fit him & he couldn't fine one he thought I would like. I am proud to say Gramps found his new bike helmet at the D.I. I didn't know he knew where it was or that he would ever take it off his stores to avoid list. Three cheers fro Gramps...hip, hip, hoory...hip, hip, hooray...hip, hip, hooray!

Almost a Year

2010-09-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

What is the protocol in blogging after ignoring the sight for almost a year? In my defense I have writtin several in my head over the months. I took a picture of my book bag that I retired after earning my associate's degree with the intention of blogging that success. Didn't blog it. So here I am, after kind persuasion from some of my kids, hopefully, back on track...Too many events looking back to catch up. I guess I will take the advice from the Goodman Family video to Start Where You Are...

Just Breathe

2009-11-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamed I was drowning in a pool. I was deep in the water. I couldn't tell which way was up. I also felt paralyzed. I couldn't move. I breathed in as I was thinking I can't breathe in the water, I'll drown. I got myself moving a little bit, then looked to see if I could tell which way was up & I took another breath. Don't do that you will die, I reminded myself. I told myself to kick my legs, that will move you toward the surface. I breathe again, but I am beginning to move. One more breath & I reach the surface & the edge of the pool. I am assisted out of the water.

In writing about this dream I do not convey the fear I felt as I thought through this dream while pushing myself upward to save myself. After I woke up I could remember the fear, it felt like a real experience. I also felt relief at not drowning & began to wonder if there is any parrallel between my life & this dream. I personally believe I dream about what I am worried about, then twist it! So I decided this dream is synonimous with the 4 weeks I have left in school this semester. I struggled in my dream to breathe 4 times. The water & drowning represent the pressure I put on myself & the feeling I have of being overwhelmed, questioning myself & my ability to finish another semester with good grades. The best part of this analogy is I don't drown! I get through it. I take one step at a time & make it.

As you all know I push everything aside during school. The house goes to pot, I don't cook, I spend a lot of time reading text books. The good news is I am at the end of another semester. Only 3 weeks of class & finals. So, this dream was a good reminder to tell myself to relax & just breathe!

Thank You

2009-10-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks Rob & Joshua. You both get a gold star! Thanks Eric & Jared. We couldn't have done it without you.

Attention Inventors Everywhere

2009-10-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

I wish I was more dedicated to write on this blog. I love to read blogs & I love the value of recording events from a historical standpoint. So this is my request, would someone please invent a device where I could think my blog article & it would then appear on my blog? I think about blogging, actually write the article in my head, then work on homework, or housework, or whatever else takes up my day. For instance today is my 1st day of Fall Break. I get 2 days off from school. I worked the 1st half of the day, came home & typed history notes between naps. I am under the weather with a cold coming on. I went to get my blood tested, as I do every 4 weeks. I unloaded, then loaded the dishwasher. I still about 3 more class sessions worth of notes to type, I was way behind. Do you see why I need a mind to blog device? Any takers?

Newsletter Aritcle

2009-07-29T08:45:00.001-07:00

One of my responsibilities as a counselor in the RS is writing an article in our ward newsletter. In keeping with my blog is my journal here is my article, which reflect my thoughts at this time. Last Spring I was sitting in a car, watching out the window, when I saw a bird flying around in the air. I had the thought that all great inventions are patterned after one of Heavenly Father’s creations. The first part of D&C 52:14 reads: And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things. When I read this, it was an affirmation of my earlier thoughts. So I eagerly watched for more patterns provided by Heavenly Father. Was it after watching birds fly that great thinkers eventually produced airplanes? Did hovering Hummingbirds contribute to the development of helicopters? Beavers build dams and so do people. Even in marriage we have the pattern of Canadian Geese, who mate for life. I believe the most important pattern for us to notice is our bright sun. Every day it climbs over the mountain to light and warm the day. Every day it shines at 100% capacity. Even when clouds interfere with its direct rays, we feel its influence. The sun is a pattern of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world. Night and day we can feel His influence in our lives. Even when clouds of tribulation block our path we can feel His love for us and His desire for our success. As the seasons of the year come and go, the location of the sun changes. In the summer the sun is closer to us and we feel more intense heat, whereas in winter it is further away. Although in nature the pattern repeats itself in a predictable cycle, we have the choice as to how intensely we want to feel the influence of Christ in our lives. We choose the location of the Son in cycle of our days by reading our scriptures, praying, renewing covenants, etc. In the July visiting teaching message Pres. Hinckley was quoted, “There is need for constant improvement in all of our lives”. If we take to heart this suggestion, and sincerely work at personal improvement we will be like our exemplar, Jesus Christ.

On a personal note, Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers, phone calls, and concern for our granddaughter Jayne. She is back home in Arizona and has received a clean bill of health from her doctor. We believe it was through the power of the priesthood and the faithful fasting and prayers in her behalf that brought forth this miracle in our lives. Thank you for sharing your faith with us.

Dear Heavenly Father

2009-07-23T13:12:00.001-07:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

We don't like sick,

Please help.

(Prayer to Heavenly Father by Sam Bailey..Julianne's little brother after being told about baby Jayne.)

Two weeks ago tomorrow our family experienced an event that has changed our lives. Jen & her girls are here visiting for their yearly July vacation. On Friday, July 10th Jayne, who is 20 months old aspirated on either peanuts or popcorn. We had just finished eating BBQ pizza when this took place. We went from cleaning up dinner, getting kids ready for bed to.. drop everything and take care of Jayne. Within minutes she had stopped breathing and was limp. 911 was called as we attempted to clear her passageway and administer CPR. Within minutes the first officer arrived, swooping Jayne off the floor to take her to the street for a faster hand-off to paramedics. During the entire event, it was James who kept a clear head, worked on her, and gave her the life saving blessing as the officer waited for the ambulance. I attempted to call Austin, Rob, & Amy to let them know Jayne was on her way to the hospital, and I told them I was afraid she had choked to death. The paramedics did not stop to gather any information, they were handed Jayne, they got in the ambulance and were gone. Bill, Jen, & I followed as quickly as we could get a path cleared as James was trying to tell us she had responded. As we raced to Provo, breaking many traffic laws, we called James to find out what he meant. He said as he gave Jayne the blessing out on the front lawn she had tried to breathe. Austin was the first to arrive at the hospital. He was ready to administer to her. By the time she was in the ER she had very labored breathing, was crying, and she was alive. We arrived and were able to go right to her. At this point she was no longer limp, but her limbs & back were rigid & she could not focus her eyes. She was crying & very upset. I am sure she was very, very scared and did not understand what had happened. In the 2 hours we were at UVRMC she had a CAT scan and an EKG. Her color had improved. Both EKG & CAT scan came back normal, but she was not able to focus. It was at this time the medical staff working on Jayne told us she needed better care and arrangements were being made to life flight her to Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake. As no one would be allowed to travel with her & it is a short flight, Bill & Jen left the hospital to get a head start. During this entire event Jen always wanted someone with Jayne so she wouldn't be scared. It would be over 48 hours before Jen would let herself get a little sleep. So before they left, Jayne was given another blessing and was told she would make a full recovery. Bill & Jen left in order to be at the hospital when she arrived and Austin & I stayed behind. We talked to and kept touching Jayne to try to comfort her. At one point a nurse was trying to insert a 2nd IV in her foot and she was crying & upset, As I talked to her and looked in her eyes, for a tiny fraction of a second her eyes moved in a way I felt was normal and she was trying to see again. It was the first time in several hours I felt hope of a full recovery. After all the necessary paperwork & phone calls ahead to Primary's Jayne was wheeled out on a stretcher and loaded into the red life flight helicopter. I stood by her, told her to be brave, as the final preparations for her safe travel were made. I can not say enough complimentary words in behalf of the police, paramedics, pilots, nurses, etc in my corner of the world. Each was very professional & caring towards Jayne as they saved her life. I am grateful to live where all those life saving practices and procedures are in place. After Jayne left; Austin, Julianne, & I went to pick up Rob for the long drive to SLC. Without Jen close by I was able to cry for our little Jayne, still not sure what the outcome of this would be. When we arrived in SLC we found Jayne in the trauma ER surrounded by skilled & competent medical personal. Jayne had lost ground in the time that had passed. Her color had turned waxy & yellow and her breathing had declined to wheezy rattle and was even more labored. The most current x-ray showed a blockage in her airway and a surgical scope would be inserted & hopefully the piece or pieces would be removed and a quick recovery would ensue. As we waited in the waiting room we all breathed a sigh of relief as recovery was now in sight. Dave had been called numerous times by this time and would arrive the next morning via Southwest Airlines. At one point he was prepared to drive though the night to get to Jayne's side. Realizing he would arrive at appoximately the same time either way, he opted for the early a.m. flight. About an hour and a half later a doctor came to the waiting room to tell us they were not able to find any blockage, meaning they could not explain her symptoms or why they were so severe...possible answers were asthma, ARDS, or an allergic reaction, but we were back to square one. Jayne was in recovery and would be taken to the Pediatric ICU (PICU) where we would be able to see her again. It was at 3:00 a.m. when we were led into the PICU, where little tiny Jayne was in room 1, now on a ventilator, a suction tube in her nose, 2 IV's, heart monitors, and a toe wrap to monitor the oxygen in her blood. By morning the staff had turned her breathing 100% over to the ventilator as she was breathing too fast and breathing against the ventilator. They did not want her to wear herself out and it was critical for her to get enough oxygen. At this point she was still considered to be in critical condition. Through these hours Jayne was sedated and also administered a paralytic to keep her calm, allowing her body and mind to recover and giving the doctors more time to figure out what was wrong. As we waited by her bedside Saturday, she slowly improved. The nurses were able to turn the ventilator down and allow her to begin to take over her own breathing. Her temperature would go up to borderline fever and they would treat that and it would come back down. Her heart rate was above normal, but that was expected due to the drugs she had been given. Her blood pressure was up high, then down below normal, again due to the drugs. Slowly as the hours went by the drugs were reduced, the ventilator turned down, and we continued to wait for answers. We kept watching for signs that there would be no brain damage. On Sunday morning as she was coughing, she coughed out the ventilator. Her nurse had to think fast and decide whether to reinsert it or leave it out. She decided to leave it out, which was the right decision. As the medication wore off, Jayne was restless & at one point rolled toward Jen when Jen talked to her. On Sunday morning when Gramps & I went into the PICU, there was Jayne sitting on Jen's lap! Gramps started crying. It was a miracle. In fact it was a lot of miracle's in one. Jayne remained in the PICU until Monday then moved to a private room, where she stayed until Wednesday. In the end this is what I understand happened. Jayne aspirated on popcorn or peanuts at our house. As the fragment blocked her airway fluid was drawn into her lungs causing her to quit breathing. At UVRMC her blood was drawn and cultured. A bacteria which is 3rd most common in causing ear infections & pneumonia was found in her blood stream. Although the bacteria is a common one, it is not common or healthy to be found in the blood. Jayne was placed on antibiotics within 24 hours to combat that bacteria. The fluid in her lungs dissipated quickly, which is true in cases of aspiration. The blockage on the x-rays was believed to be pneumonia. Before being released from the hospital a PICC line was inserted and she receives a daily dose of antibiotics to combat the bacteria and the pneumonia. I am posting this experience to quiet the rumors of seizures, ARDS, affixation, etc. I am also posting to say thank you to the many, many kind and generous family members and friends who called, took care of kids, fed us, prayed with us, and helped carry us through this scary time. I am reminded of the importance of being in the right place at the right time, but more importantly James, Rob, Dave, Gramps, Eric, & Austin were worthy to exercise the Priesthood and bring the power of heaven which saved Jayne's life. We are grateful and recognize her life was spared and we have the continued responsibility to care for her and love her. We will be more kind, more grateful, and more careful from this experience.

Happy 4th of July...I Said it First!

2009-07-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! I am looking forward to family, fun, & fireworks! We are heading to Las Vegas for our annual Hoopes family reunion & this year we will all be there! First time since before Rob left on his mission 4 years ago. We've added so many family members since then, Julianne, Stephen, & Eric; plus Sariah, Jayne & Addy as babies. Who knew it would be so hard to get us all together. My hope is we have a fabulous time together & it won't be so long before we are all together again. P.S. photo is from last 4th of July Freedom Festival Fun Run in Provo, Utah. Brynn ran like a streak of lightening & grandma was left in the dust! Thanks goodness we found her at the end of the race.

A Week & a Day

2009-06-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

It is already Monday & I haven't posted for last week....too busy! It has been a busy week, but I am not complaining. There is always fun mixed in with the work. Last Sunday I was trying to leave church, when I got stopped by Teancum's primary teacher. She is a great friend in my life. We were visiting teaching partners for a while. Teancum is in good hands. She let me in on a funny though. She said Teancum said, "If the pioneers had just run, they would have gotten to SLC faster...!" I am still laughing at that one. Those silly pioneers that walked & walked & walked....& walked. We have had a lot of rain in Utah. Mushrooms are popping up in lawns everywhere & snails are multiplying tenfold. Anyone have any good escargot recipes? On Monday I recruited Austin, Julianne, Addy, Robby, & Grampa to help my cousin Marilyn start moving. She is moving to a smaller place & saving a little bit of rent $. We loaded the truck twice, then went to Cold Stone for ice cream. I challenged Grampa to 2 lessons, 1 service project, & 1 activity a month for FHE. We'll see what happens tonight. Tuesday was a loooong day. In preparation for driving to Arizona on Wednesday I worked my hours ahead. I ended up working 8.5 hours, which topped me off for the week. After work was the packing & preparation for travel. I had been cleaning house & had a couple of projects left to finish. I went to bed @ about 1 a.m. & woke up at the usual time, excited to get on the road. Wednesday was the long, long car ride. In order for Grampa to have phone service on a working day, we drove the Las Vegas route. It takes a couple of hours longer that way. He did work on several work related issues, so the sacrifice is worth it, but 11 hour in I started to whine or murmur. If there was a facebook Book of Mormon character quiz I would maybe be Sariah! (murmur in the dessert!) We did eat at In & Out in St George, which is the Las Vegas route bonus. We finally arrived to the screams of 4 little girls. It is always fun when people are excited to see you. Thursday morning Jen & 3 of the girls, Tess, Brynn, & Claire had their full dress rehearsal for their dance recital. I was left to tend Jayne. Jamie came over & we hit the swimming pool. When Jayne fell asleep I was worried she was getting sunburned so we got out of the pool & went to Paradise Bakery for lunch & Savers for some bargains. I found 2 bar stools for grand kids to use around the table. It was fun to see Jamie & spend time with her. Jen & girls came home, we had chicken bruschetta for dinner, & relaxed in front of the television while working on dance projects. Friday was a little overcast, but it didn't stop us from a 2 hour swim. I found out Jayne wasn't sunburned, but my shoulders were. The girls & I played the color game, motorboat, motorboat, & played & played. It was a fun activity. We hopped out in time to dress for the recital. It was a fantastic show. After helping behind the scenes I sat down in my seat, pulled out the camera just to have Amanda say, "You can't take any flash photography in here." Oh my goodness. I sat through 41 song & dance routines & couldn't take even one picture. So many pretty dancers. Dave did a father daughter number with Tess & Brynn & Jen brought the house down with the teacher dance. I am so glad our errand to Arizona included their year end recital. It was priceless. Jen let us in on her news that she is having surgery on her heel this Tuesday. So on Saturday we packed for 4. We brought Brynn & Claire home with us. We drove home through Page, which is shorter & faster. The girls were on their best behavior. The only fussing was when Claire wanted to pick every movie, but Brynn is a peacemaker & would usually let her get away with it. Thanks Brynn. Our ride was quieter due to your generosity. That wraps up our week of work, travel, & fun. I am working ahead this week in prep to go to our family reunion in Las Vegas...I can't retire "busy" from my vocabulary yet. Thanks to Julianne & Erin for taking care of Brynn & Claire while I work. Between their own kids + 2 Julianne's backyard looked like a daycare facility...

A.W.O.L.

2009-06-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have fallen off the blog, but have set a goal to update once a week. Hopefully I can find time on Sunday to do a week in review, at least until I get under control. This past week has been busy, as usual. Tuesday was Teancum's 10th birthday. He is now in the double digits! Their family went swimming in Lehi, then Pizza @ home. We watched him open presents which included a Bionicle, a BB gun, 2 squirt guns, & the best clothes. Springville celebrated it's annual Art City Days this week. Gramps & I bought a scone on Wednesday night & James & Erin took the kids to the carnival so they could ride a few rides. Saturday Gramps, Austin, Julianne, Addy, & I watched the parade. It was fun to watch Addy clap & wave. We picked up a few candies and did a little people watching. Actually, we got TMI of a particular parade attendee. I went to the quilt show by myself. It seemed like there were more quilts this year, so it was fun for me. I hope I have time to quilt before I am too old to quilt. We hit the food, carnival strip, & craft booths Saturday evening. Eric declared his new passion is to graduate college and then work into the "carney business". We couldn't be more excited for their future! Addy got to pick a duck out of the pond for a prize. She watched the ducks go round & round, but was hesitant to choose one & pick it up. With her dad's help she was a winner & got to choose a prize out of the bin. I watched the fireworks over the treetops from our front window. It has been so rainy & wet, we thought they would be cancelled. The next hot year I will go watch them up close & personal. Along with celebrating Art City Days I worked 33 hours. We are taking our big table & chairs to Arizona this next week, so I worked hours ahead. I attended RS board meeting. I walked 81,024 steps this week. Thursday I drove up to Bountiful and Amy & I made 6 freezer meals. The jury is still out whether or not we like them. It was fun to chat & work with Amy. I was lucky enough to not help with the clean-up. Amy had a test to get to & I dropped her off. So we worked hard & left the mess for them to face after school. (p.s. A & E, thanks for cleaning up our mess!) Saturday, between ACD events I met with Kris, Kathy, & Pam to celebrate Kris's birthday, which is today...Flag Day! Last Sunday morning a high council member called & said my name had been submitted to be on the Utah food committee for trek, would I accept? My thought process has been..."really? I feel really busy, but maybe it is a figment of my imagination." I accepted, don't know yet what that will entail. Also Saturday between events we went to a ward BBQ @ Big Hollow Park. Gramps took his grill & helped cook hamburgers. I made a fun new salad. I got the recipe from the extension agency class I took a couple of weeks ago. It was a hit. It has jicama, avacado, & pineapple in it & 2 serrano peppers give it zip. I am working on my list for the coming week & it looks about the same...No rest for the wicked comes to mind.

2009-04-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

How Deep Is Your Snow?

2009-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

On a snowy day in March I blogged just how cold & snowy the day was considering the date on the calendar. After all March does boast the first day of Spring. I must now admit my complaints & sarcasm were premature. It is now April 16 and again we woke up to a boat load of snow. Will this winter ever end? All morning long I thought of sarcastic one-liners to describe snow in April. Then I reminded myself of a kindly farmer type that once told me, "Spring snow is like a layer of fertilizer." I am sure the snow helps in the greening process, but is anyone else tired of the soft white blanket outside? Sad, but true...in August I will need someone to remind how cold this April snow was as I am complaining of the hot, dog days of August. But at the present time I am keeping my fingers crossed that warmer weather is just around the corner.

Colored Eggs or Colored Walls?

2009-04-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday while all families with kids were busy dipping boiled eggs in dye...Grandpa & I dipped paint brushes in paint to freshen up a room in our home. Thanks to the generous help of Austin, Amy, Robby, & Ashlyn we were able to start Friday evening & finish Saturday afternoon. The next day Austin, Reese, Eric, & Robby even moved the office furniture in...Now I need to clean the blind and hang pictures. I hope you all had fun coloring eggs, but I'll admit I'm happy I have newly colored walls!

Thank You....Thank You Very Much!

2009-04-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for the many hands that helped prepare for and those family and friends in attendance at Amy & Eric's wedding & dinner. In sending out thank you notes I do not want to leave anyone out that contributed in time, effort, or coin. I appreciate the effort of those that traveled, especially those with children. It is disruptive to schedules and costly. Thank you for your support. The closer to the day, it seemed more details wanted immediate attention. Thanks to all that pitched in whether it was cooking, cleaning, crafting, sewing, combing kids hair, tending children for long hours, shopping, running errands, melting chocolate, playing a musical instrument, picking up flowers or shirts, etc. As you can see the partial list is lengthy and there was so much more help..too much to list. The important message here is thank you for your help. I couldn't have pulled it off alone and every contribution was valuable making each of you a hero in my eyes.

Give

2009-04-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

March 26, 1944 I wonder if any of the people sitting in warm, comfortable homes have any idea what it must be like to be a beggar? Have any of those "good, dear people" ever asked themselves about the lives of poor people or children around them? All right everyone gives a beggar a few coppers now and then. But it is usually pushed hurriedly into his hands, and the door is closed.

We are all born alike; they were helpless and innocent, too. Everyone breathes the same air, a great many people believe in the same God! Everyone is born the same, everyone has to die, and nothing remains of their worldly glory. Riches, power and fame last only for a few years! Why do people cling so desperately to these transitory things? Why can't people who have more than they need for themselves give that surplus to their fellow citizens? Why should some people have such a hard time during their few years on this earth?

The true greatness of a person does not lie in riches or power, but in character and goodness. Everyone is human, everyone has his faults and shortcomings, but everyone is born with a great deal that is good in him. And if one were to begin by encouraging the good, bu giving poor people the feeling that they are human beings, too, one would not even need money or possessions to do this.

Everything begins with the little things. For instance, don't only stand up in a tram for the rich mothers, no, remember the poor ones too. Say you are sorry if you step on a poor person's toes as you would for someone rich. People will always follow a good example' be the one to set the good example, then others will follow. More and more people will become friendly and generous, until finally poor people will not be looked down upon anymore.

How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing the world! Ho lovely that everyone, great and small, can make a contributions toward introducing justice straightaway! Just as with so many thins, most people grumble because they think they receive so little themselves. Open your eyes, first make sure that you are always fair yourself! Give of yourself, give as much as you can! and you can always, always give something, even it it is only kindness! If everyone were to do this and not be as stingy with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world. Give and you shall receive, much more than you would ever have thought possible. Give, give again and again, don't lose courage, keep it up and go on giving! No one has ever become poor from giving! If you do this, then in a few generations no one will need to pity the beggar children anymore, because they will not exist?

There is plenty of room for everyone in the world, enough money, riches and beauty for all to share! God has made enough for everyone! Let us all begin then by sharing it fairly.

Visiting Teachers Take Note: New Lesson Manual!

2009-03-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

Tall, Dark & Handsome

2008-12-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-10-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-12T17:34:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-09-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

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 :-(

2008-08-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T22:30:00.003-07:00

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!

2008-08-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-31T21:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-29T21:29:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-07-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-07-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

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)

Windex Isn't Just For Windows

2008-06-26T07:16:00.003-07:00

Anyone out there with a microwave or dishwasher. I recently learned a couple of cleaning tricks for these 2 appliances that I will pass on to anyone interested in trying. I have used both tricks & plan to continue to use them, as I think they both work. Number 1: Spray a rag or dish cloth with Windex, 4 or 5 shots will do. Then place in microwave & heat for 30 seconds. The crusty food will wipe off easier. It really works. You may need to repeat if the crust is really, really bad. I started scrubbing my microwave, then remembered the trick. It was a night & day difference, it really was easier to clean. Number 2: When your dishwasher is empty, fill both soap cups with cider vinegar. Run through a rinse cycle. Then do the same with Clorox. I also cleaned the bottom of the door, as it catches & builds a lot of crud. Do this treatment once a month to maintain a clean dishwasher. I had trouble with glass looking cloudy, but this has cleared it up. I am at the end of the month & I am still smooth sailing. This is the 1st month I have cleaned my dishwasher, but plan to keep it clean this way. Good luck, I hope this makes your chores a little easier.

Last Blog, I Am Caught Up

2008-06-22T23:06:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a reason to love Sunday, I've got a good one for you. No exercise, it's the Sabbath! This past week I have gone on a long uphill bike ride every day this week except Monday. It feels sooooo good not to ride today! Thank goodness we get Sunday every 7 days. I love Sunday!

Happy Birthday Aunt Julie

2008-06-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Better late, than never is my motto. Julie & I have been trying to celebrate her birthday since February. With both of us in school, work, & moving it has taken 4 months to finally party. I treated her to a night of scrapbooking at Archivers, a local scrapbooking store. It was so fun, it has been too long since I have done any scrapbooking. I enjoyed the activity & the company. Although I didn't finish any pages there, I have about 8 pages designed & ready to finish at home with my embellishments & sewing machine close at hand. Included in the evening was dinner, a 12 x 12 page kit, a make & take, & door prizes! As most know door prizes are my favorite element of any party. So here is an open invitation to all the scrapbookers out there, the next time you are in Utah let's get together for an evening of scrapbooking at Archiver's.

Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

2008-06-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Jennifer has a pressure cooker. On the day Tess was baptized Jen was cooking chicken in a crock pot for the luncheon afterwards. After several hours Jen checked the meat & it wasn't ready. Pressure cooker to the rescue, the meat took minutes & was tender & tasty. Jamie was impressed & resurrected her decades old pressure cooker from the back of the cupboard & again uses is regularly. Not to be left in the dust I shopped online, found one that looked like I would like it, hinted I wanted it, & received a $10 used one from a thrift store via Aunt Jamie. Thank you again Aunt Jamie. I am so glad she found it for me. She even sent the replacement ring & valve. After reading the instructions, I installed both parts, then set it on the back burner, a little afraid to try this new technique of cooking, as I've heard somewhere that they can blow up if not used properly. I went to book club & found out Opal has one & uses it regularly. She got a crock pot recently & doesn't like it as it takes too long to cook food. Well, I finally decided to embark on the maiden voyage. I put water, chicken, rice, & seasoning in the pan, brought it to a boil, put lid securely in place, then watched & waited. Steam was building up, hissing noises were being emitted from the valve, & droplets of water were gathering under the weight. Well, about 10 minutes into the process there was a loud popping noise & rushing of steam as the new steam valve blew right out of the lid straight into oblivion. Both Gramps & I were in the kitchen at the time & needed to be resuscitated as we were in coronary distress. . We both thought we were goners. After searching high & low I found the valve, put it in the lid the way I thought it should be instead of the way the instructions said to put it in, & tried the process again. Second time around was successful & we had chicken & rice wraps for dinner. There are a few adjustments I need to make to the recipe, but will definitely be using the pressure cooker again.

Have You Heard From Austin?

2008-06-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

It is always fun to get real snail mail, which I received from Austin this week. I think his letter to me & my care package to him crossed in the mail. He was bored in the 1st Aid class he was in, so he wrote me a letter on small notebook paper telling me about life at Fort Lewis. He has a week & a half left, then home to Utah for a week, then finally reunited with Julianne & little baby Addy. Will she remember her daddy? I am blogging this letter for 2 reasons. Number 1: Remember your parents. They really do love to be part of your life, even after you have grown up with your own family. After being number one in your life for many years, it is an adjustment to take back seat to your child's spouse & children. So thank you to Rob for dropping in on his way through to Detroit & thanks for the note from Austin. I do have wonderful kids that call & take care of me. Thanks for Planet Earth Jen for Mother's/Father's Day. I realize this is a diversion, but a funny thing happened in regard to Planet Earth. As I was checking books out at the library my cousin Marilyn, who works there, held up the Planet Earth & asked, "Have you seen these, they are wonderful?" I was able to answer, "Yes, I have my own copy." Number 2: (if you have forgotten, as I have, I am writing why I was happy to get Austin's snail mail) I love the paper he wrote on. It looks like the paper now being used in scrapbooking to journel on really cool pages. I think I am going to use the back side of Austin's letter on some scrapbooking pages. So, to wrap this up, send your parents a cheery letter when you are away & write on cool paper & you will give double the pleasure, double the fun! p.s. the mouse is to let you know the size of paper Austin wrote on.

Guess Who's Coming To Breakfast?

2008-06-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

I went down to the kitchen this morning to make breakfast & the back door was ajar & a pair of Robby's flip flops were on the floor just inside the door. I called upstairs asking Gramps if he had gone outside wearing flip flops sometime in the night. As I was talking I also looked down the basements stairs. I was so surprised to find Robby on the couch! "Did you quit?" I asked, "what are you doing here?" He came up the stairs & I got a hug from him. I was so happy to see him. It feels so good to have one of my kids here. I love it. So to explain this surprise visit, his area in California has been slow all along. A manager called to see if anyone was willing to change states. Robby countered with them if they would pay him some gas money & raise him to experienced, which gives him more per install, he would move. Well, Utah was a little out of his way as he is on his way to Detroit, Michigan. It will be good for him there with the raise & more work too. We only get him for about 24 hours, which isn't a lot of time, but we are glad for what we can get. Gramps and I are discussing which jobs he can help us with which will be of most benefit to us before he is on his way again. We've got to make hay while the sun shines.

From Not To Hot.

2008-06-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I like to talk about the weather. I admit it is strange, as there isn't

anything we can do to change it. Maybe it's because it's a safe topic. I can't offend anyone, most people have a comment to make about it, & not everyone has the same weather at the same time. So, here in Utah the weather yo-yo finally has a short string. Our daytime temp's will only vary between 85 & 92 this week instead of last week's 60's to 80's. Today has been hot. I rode my bike to the library & by the time I got home I was dripping. Not to be discouraged by the heat I planted my 6 tomato plants & while digging around found 2 volunteer pumpkin patches. Not just a plant or two, but 2 groups of plants. I am going to let them play out for now. I know I will need to thin them, but if all goes well I will not get caught gleaning at Harward Farms this year! I love pumpkins in the Fall, so bring them on. The problem with a hot day is it eventually turns into a warm evening. As it is now evening, I am not very motivated due to the heat. The swamp cooler hasn't been turned on yet. I don't like nagging gramps to get on the roof, so it may be July 2 when Austin & Dave are here before it get turned on. Oh well, at least I've quit complaining about the cold.

James Baker Farrimond

2008-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am going to leave the tributes to William K for the kids to do, as they do a great job. I would like to pay tribute to my own father. Unfortunately neither Bill nor my kids ever got to meet him and I do wonder what he would be like now in this computer age. What impact would he have had on my kids? After dad died Aunt Ruth had to remind me once that "dad loved his kids & he was proud of us." I know he did, here are a few reasons I know he did and a few reasons why I loved him back.

When Julie & I were in MIA we earned Individual Awards. We, along with other recipients would be called to the front in sacrament meeting to receive them. As bishop dad would hand them out. He always kissed Julie & I on the cheek & I was always soooo embarrassed that he did that. In retrospect I remember this as a way he showed love to me & I recognize that he was not afraid to claim us as his by that show of affection. He wasn't afraid to show publicly he was proud of us. I know he would have loved & enjoyed all his grandchildren. Cindi was the lucky one to be born 1st & enjoy a little taste of that love.

Back in the old days Sunday was split between a.m. and p.m. meetings. We would go to Sunday School in the morning, Sacrament Meeting in the evening, Primary & RS were on a weekday. We always had a Sunday dinner between meetings at the table in the dining room. Dad would leave earlier than the rest of us for meetings, but he would circle the table giving whiskery goodbye kisses to us before he left.

The last 2 Christmas's before he died he went shopping and bought the kids Christmas gifts. Mom always did the Christmas shopping. The 1st year Julie & I both got blue quilted bathrobes with lace around the collar and flower shaped buttons. I didn't ever want to give that robe up. The next year I got a purple outfit; it was a purple, plaid wrap around skirt with a pretty lavender colored chiffon blouse. I loved both gifts & wore both for many years.

I remember playing a guessing game with him one day. He had a surprise. It was in a big box. As it turned out is was a tv, but that wasn't the surprise. I guessed a few things, then he told me the surprise. It was a "color" tv. Not all shows were broadcast in color, so even with a color tv we watched a lot of black & white shows, but we now had the capability to watch those that were broadcast in color. The two tv shows I remember he liked were "Star Trek" & "The Road Runner." He laughed so hard at the road runner. It was fun to be with him when he laughed like that.

I always felt pride in my dad. He worked as a welder at Certified Manufacturing Co. When we would stop in I always felt so important because he was my dad. In my mind he worked at a very important job and worked at a very important company.

I remember he was on a bowling league and wore a maroon shirt with his name written in shiny yellow thread.

He learned to fly a plane. I only remember getting to take one ride with him. It was an expensive hobby for someone that didn't own their own plane. I'm glad I got to be with him on one ride. We went to a cabin with someone once & flew in a sea plane & landed on water. That was fun too. Dad didn't fly that plane, but afforded us the experience.

He served his country in the Navy. He worked for Boing on enormous airplane arts. He could fix cars & trucks & washing machines. He built a boat in our carport. He went fishing & brought home salmon. He drove a pickup truck ( I remember a red one & a white one.) There was always a bag of thick pink peppermints on the seat. I always asked for one, they weren't my favorite, but I wanted them to be so I would be just like him.

Julie & I got allowance once in a while. It was never set in stone. In fact I think we got it whenever we asked for it & we didn't ask very often. I think it was usually on Saturday & we wanted money to do something. Julie & I would go back & forth trying to get the other one to be the one to ask for it. I remember being the one to go ask for our allowance. Dad would pull out his wallet & give us a dollar each. I don't ever remember being tuned down, which makes me wonder why we were afraid to ask for it & why we didn''t ask for allowance more often!?

He had rebellious years, but once he turned himself around he never went back to bad habits.

I loved to hear him laugh. He loved to tell jokes. He laughed with his parents & siblings. He laughed until he had tears. Family was very important to him. I think we went to visit relatives every summer. It was more important to vacation at grandma's house than to visit Disneyland.

Next month will be 39 years since he passed away. I am thankful for the memory of my dad, I just wish I could have shared him with my family. I am thankful for the sealing power of the priesthood that bonds us together forever. I look forward to reuniting with the hero of my childhood, James Baker Farrimond.

Garage Sale, Art City Days, & Rape Crisis

2008-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog for several days. Last night I copied the alphabet list from Jen's blog & pasted it to my blog, changed all the answers, & then hit publish. I am not sure if it is out there somewhere, but it is not on my blog. I did not hit save...would that be my problem? Two of my neighbors were having a yard sale so I tagged along & had mine at the same time. They held it on Friday and Saturday, so I spent time Thursday, Friday, & Saturday setting up, babysitting the junk, then cleaning up the leftovers. It was successful as I added $100 to my Fall tuition fund & unloaded a truckload of excess. As it was also Art City Days we squeezed in our favorite events which include the scone shack, the arts & crafts tents, the quilt show, the library book sale, and of course the fireworks. We missed the parade due to the yard sale & no kids here to take with us. The weather was beautiful this year. It has been rainy the last two years, so that was a bonus. We saw a few hot air balloons, but basically missed them I think due to our distractions & they didn't float this far south. We attended our ward temple night on Friday and I picked up the backpack to be on call for rape crises until Wednesday evening. I ran to Macey's for a Flag Day celebration they were having on Saturday. It was so fun, I wished I had a few kids with me to enjoy the bounce house, free popcorn & sno-cones, the band, lots of free samples inside and out. I enjoyed the party atmosphere & the fantastic sale prices on food we don't need, but the grandkids love, (cookies, fruit snacks, monkey bars etc.) I loaded up as the Mix kids are coming to visit shortly. So busy, busy, busy has been my last 4 days. I didn't mention math, my current headache. I have a test on Monday and I still have 3 sections of homework to finish & the review questions. It looks like that will occupy most of Monday. My motto of the day..."carry on."

It Worked.

2008-06-11T06:49:00.007-07:00

The next time I have a lot to do I will post my list on my blog. I didn't give up as easily and kept working late into the night. The 2 things I didn't finish, I needed assistance with, and my help fell through. The excuse was the weather had turned with wind and showers. We didn't retrieve the garage sale items or my bike. Other than that I can cross everything else off my list. I did math at home instead of at the math lab, but I worked on it longer than 2 hours and saved the gas. I will go to the math lab today since I have class today and will be at the school anyway. So yesterday was a good and productive day. I am working off a list again today. Accomplishment feels so good.

My To-Do List

2008-06-10T08:30:00.001-07:00

Today I am blogging my to-do list in the hopes that it gives my more energy to keep pushing through the day to finish everything I hope to accomplish. I will report back at bed time how successful I am. Here goes:

1. finish reading "My Antonia" by Willa Cather

2. wash 3 loads, dry 3 loads, fold 6 loads

3. dust and vacuum bedroom

4. finish moving happy room

5. move desk & dresser for garage sale

6. 2 hours at math lab

7. take movie and 2 cd's back to library

8. get 2 loads of garbage out

9. stop at Reams to buy fruit and veggies

10. drink 8 glasses of water

11. get my bike on the truck

12. read my scriptures

13. take my pill

14. anything else that comes along!

Wish me luck...

Scones anyone?

2008-06-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well, all you deserters, the carnival is here! As I drove through town the trucks were lined up, getting into position on the library lawn for our annual Art City Days. I just don't know why you folks don't make it a priority to visit during this event. When else do you get up close and personal with such an interesting variety of people while eating a scone? Who will go sit in the sun to watch the parade with me? There is a used book sale at the library and my favorite, the quilt show, with all 40 or so quilts. I am baffled not one of my kids made it to town to help celebrate. p.s. I'll let you know if we see any balloons out our bedroom window this year.

Update Your Address...

2008-06-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here is your early bird chance to get on my Christmas card list. I am looking for all updates on address, phone number, birthday, e-mail, blog, etc. You can give me any information you are willing to share. I do not sell to mass market, unless they offer me a lot of money! Seriously, I am trying to update my records and I have a lot of holes. Thanks for your help.

Just Call Me the Dragon Slayer!

2008-06-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have worked today. Gramps and I moved 2 loads, then I went to Provo to the Farmer's Market. Stopped in at IFA for cherry tomato plants and Heindelsonmens for yarn. Then home where I started cleaning out the rose area in front. As I was pulling weeds and ground cover gone wild, I used a stick to rid the area of a spider web. In my mind I wondered if the owner of the web was anywhere near. I moved around the rectangle pulling and clearing as I went. On the other side of the spider web area there is a rock with a hole in the side of it. I found and smashed what looked like some type of egg sack. Then I noticed movement as cleared out more of the detritus. I saw a nice sized brownish spider and a huge black spider with a smooth round shiny body the size of a BIG pea, a really BIG pea. I found a smallish stick to poke at it and hopefully disable it as I called out to Gramps to bring the bug spray to me. He found a can, but he thought it was empty. I was able to coax a bit of spray out, which I aimed at the really big spider. Then I told Gramps about the big spider as I used my stick to roll it out more in the open. That is when I could clearly see the red hourglass on the underside of the really big spider! I don't like finding that type of spider so close to home. I continued to work outside and crushed with a tool, stepped on, or scraped into a bucket and disposed of many snails today also. I am not a fan of icky bugs, slugs, snakes, snails, or mice. I kill them without a backward glance. On the positive side I planted 6 cherry tomato plants and one flower. Hopefully I am even with nature.

Pizza, a Purse, & a Pair of Scissors

2008-06-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

Can anyone guess how these 3 random items are connected? They are the 3 prizes I won this month. I am so excited! I love prizes. The scissors were a daily drawing at the Cotton Shop where I buy burp cloths. The purse is from a radio station; I sign up for their contests hoping for a trip to Disneyland. I won a purse this time instead. It was their "pick a purse contest"...I picked all the purses that were left. I am curious to know which one I won. Unfortunately there were some ugly purses, but I picked them all! The biggest and best prize is the pizza prize. Bill & I went to California Pizza Kitchen and they gave us a coupon to be used on our next visit. It couldn't be opened until we were at the restaurant. Well, we went last night. I expected the prize to be 10% off, but it wasn't! The manager said, "oh, you got a good one. It is dinner for 6, up to $120..") We only have until June 16 to use it before it expires. I was hoping it would hold until July when Austin, Amy, and Jen will be here, but it expires next week. So, we are inviting Kris and Kathy to enjoy some pizza with us on Monday. We each have $20 to spend. It should be fun.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-06-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Spring, Summer, Winter, or Fall?

2008-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

The weather here in Utah continues to take us through the seasons. Last night as it was drizzling and the temp was in the 60's it felt like a typical October evening whereas Monday was beautiful with lots of sun. I have worn a jacket or sweater the last 2 days due to cold temps again. If I was an alien and had been dropped on earth in Utah right now I would definately be confused. As a resident of Utah I know it is Spring. The tulips and daffodils have come and gone, the weather fluctuates radically, but most importantly the birds are to be heard and seen. It is one of my favorite signs of Spring and Summer. I listen for the return of chirping in the air. A particular Robin caught my eye today. I was driving down the street past a open street gutter. Due to all the rain we've received the past couple days the gutter is running over. Perched on the edge was a Robin taking advantage of the free flowing water. He was taking a bath as birds do. It put a smile on my face, just watching him dip and dive. It is just too bad I didn't have a camera with me. My question to you readers in blog world is...what is the last coincidental sighting that put a smile on your face?

Jack Sprat & his Wife

2008-06-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Remember the old nursery rhyme Jack Sprat could eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean. Bill and are that couple, with a twist. For us it has to do with medical conditions. Bill suffers from the common head cold, followed by a cold sore, followed by a severe allergy attack. Just as one condition eases a new one sets in. Gramps worked outside on Monday evening for a couple of hours, by Tuesday morning his eyes were swollen and he was itching (more than usual). On Wednesday he went to work in spite of his condition, which seemed to be holding its own. This morning he couldn't open his eyes enough to see. His neck and arms covered with red splotches. After listening to a morning conference call he went to IHC, where the doctor suggested he take Clariten an hour before exposing himself to allergens and also gave him prescriptions to get this attack under control. I was beginning to believe I was married to the elephant man. To finish the allegory of the nursery rhyme - Bill gets the run of the mill illness, whereas I only get conditions that land me in the hospital. I did my best on the photos, they do not capture the true essence of allergies gone wild., but they do give you an idea.

June 5th 2008

2008-06-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to James on his "real" birthday! Yesterday was just a warm up day for today. I am not yet senile, but yesterday was the 5th in my world. What a shock to me when I called and sang happy birthday to James and he informed me it was only the 4th. All sentiments still apply. I apologize for any confusion in this matter.

Happy Birthday to James

2008-06-04T10:55:00.001-07:00

It is almost too hard to remember so long ago. In fact it was a long time ago and a long day of waiting for my firstborn child. We had no ultrasound back in the olden days, so I didn't know who was arriving. I was so excited when the doctor said, "it's a boy." I thanked the doctor and he said, "I didn't have anything to do with it." I was so excited to have a new baby boy. When I got back to my room I started calling all my friends and relatives. That was a mistake as I ended up with the dreaded spinal headaches. They are caused by not laying flat within the first hours after a spinal, but I was just too excited to tell the news. They were blinding. I was afraid to tell anyone, because I thought it was going to kill me. Makes no sense and I have learned to communicate with my medical professionals. Bill had a hard time getting telephone connections with his family back in Idaho Falls as the Teton Dam had broken and flood waters were raging through Rexburg down the Snake River. James was kept in the nursery day and night, with feeding visits in my room. The best nurse ever told me to walk a lot to help speed the recovery after a c-section. My goal was to walk to the nursery and gaze at James every hour during the waking hours. The only time I missed was if I happened to catch a nap. I was so enamored with my beautiful baby boy. So best wishes on your birthday James, with many more to come!

Monday's are great!

2008-06-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

I think I like Mondays. I seem to be more energetic at the beginning of the week. I have hope to accomplish much in the week. By mid-point or shortly thereafter I want to throw my hands in the air and go watch a movie and start over on...Monday! I feel accomplished today. I scrubbed the bathrooms and did half our laundry. The days of laundry every day are over for me. We don't even make full batches after a week with just the two of us! Sorry to those that do numerous loads a day to keep up, I do remember those days. I unloaded my car which was loaded from the other house on Saturday. I was too pooped to unload that 3rd load on Saturday. I went to the house and loaded the car again, then went for my blood check. Still too thick. I am eating more greens, which causes thicker blood and I missed my dosage on Saturday. I started fasting and closed the kitchen and didn't think about taking my pill until I woke up Sunday morning. So the pharmacist upped the dosage again this time and I go back again in 2 weeks. He would like to get me up over the 2 mark and not even worry about the high 2's. It is weird as I was over the 3 mark initially, then he cut me back, I dropped into the 1's and can't get back over two. After that I went to class where I got my 1st math test back. I was so relieved with my 93. With only 4 tests I feel like I need to do well on all of them. He does drop the lowest score, which I may need later on. After math I went to the math lab and met with 3 other students and a tutor and we did some of the homework. It is good to get more that one teacher explaining the problems. After that I picked up my prescription and came home for dinner at 9 p.m. and now I am too tired to even watch t.v. Dad and I watched Elder Oaks talk on Testimony for FHE and I am hitting the sack. Maybe the reason I don't get as much done at the end of the week is because I am too tired at the end of the week to accomplish much. With 3 or 4 days like today who isn't?

Get Happy!

2008-06-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

For a long time I have struggled with happiness. From outward appearances it seemed to me like some people were just born happy and others had an easy life, therefore they were happy. It has taken me so long to finally believe that everyone can be happy, in spite of circumstances, as it is a choice. So many experiences are pushing me towards that understanding. Today as I was reading the Book of Mormon I ran onto an interesting scripture; Mormon 9:14. It says; And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still. I honestly don't ever remember reading the last part of this scripture. My mind always stopped at righteousness and do I fit in that category. Now here it is. I will be happy if I learn to be... or unhappy if that is what I practice. To quote a great philosopher, "get happy." It is a choice to be happy and only we can make that choice.

See Grandpa jump!

2008-05-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon we celebrated James' graduation from UVSC, we were on the back porch cooking chicken on the grill. Ana was jumping rope and somehow the rope ended up in grandpa's hands and he jumped a few times. Without these pictures to prove it I doubt anyone would believe he did it as it is a little out of character. It still makes me smile to look at these pictures.

Countdown to blog...3, 2, 1, blastoff!

2008-05-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

I want to be just like everyone else in blog world. It is such a fun way to record history and share fun times. Like today...moving 3 loads from one house to another and going 2 hours late to the block party! Since I couldn't find the invitation, which I thought I put on the fridge, I expected the party to be early evening, but no.. it was at 3:30. When Dad saw a table set up in the yard over and behind us he went to see what time the party would start. Silly us, it was almost over. So, with red faces we took our chicken and cupcakes and joined the party. We chatted with a few old friends. This ward has good people and whether or not they have heard about our mess, they are kind and welcoming.