Today's Harvest

Today I went out to our little garden and picked green beans, a tiny summer squash and 3 tomatoes of the many, many that are slowly ripening.  A small harvest yes, but plenty for sweet hubby and my needs for the day.  We will have a wonderful dinner of shepherds pie using the green beans, meat from a beef harvested earlier this year, rice and cheese.  We will slice up the tomatoes and squash and have them as a side dish.

Rhode Island Red.

The eggs are from our small flock of 6 hens.  They took so long to mature from baby chicks that I despaired that they would even be hens instead of roosters, much less lay eggs.  But faithless me was pleasantly surprised that once they started laying, they REALLY started laying and find 5 to 7 eggs per day now. Most are double yolkers too!

Another miracle is one hen who we thought was lost just 2 days ago.  We have 2 each of the following kind of hens. 

Barred Rock

We don't know what kind she is?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, day before yesterday hubby saw a big hawk flying through our yard and I heard a loud squawking in the back yard.  When we went outside, there was a LOT of feathers all over the lawn and we were sure our Red was gone forever.  We herded the rest of the chickens into the run (no more free range for these little beauties dang it).

The next morning, lo and behold there was little Red, all mused up with feathers sticking out sideways desperately trying to get back in the run with her sisters.  So we let her in and she ran to the waterer and drank her fill and then went in to dutifully lay her egg for the day.  She looks much better today, less stressed and we have no idea where she hid out over night, but we are thankful for both our garden harvest and the protecting Heavenly Father lends us.

Football Season is Here!

So last night began the annual widowhood of this woman whose husband loves and worships FOOTBALL!

This means several things.  

1. The husband will only hear things related to football.

2. The husband will go around either ecstatic or in deep depression according to whether    his team won or lost.

3. There better be lots of chips, pops, nuts and more pop in the house.

4. He will look at me and if I am not in team colors, he will not see me.

5. I can go shopping all I want and will not be missed as long as #3 is covered.

6. I need to either love football also or have lots of movies, books or shopping trips planned.

My sweet hubby loves 

St Anthony Cougars

So he has games whenever the high schools play or the BYU Cougars play.  He can either go to the games or watch them on TV.  He also needs to watch the competition play to see how they will be in comparison to BYU.  AND, he has to check the stats on the internet and find out what everyone else is saying on the chat rooms. So football is a menu filling every day

I am sure there are more things on this list.  I've forgotten some things from last year....sort of like forgetting how childbirth feels after the child is 3 or 4 years old. But you get the idea.  Men are in a world of their own during the season and everything else is secondary to them.  

So, from August until after the Super Bowl, I can count on my sweet hubby to only be partially aware that I exist.......oh, but wait......Basketball season is in there, along with Soccer, Baseball, Rugby, Lacrosse, Bowling, Pool, etc, etc,etc,etc.......................

Don't Worry, Have Faith

This last week I learned that one of my son's and his family are going to move all the way across the United States of America within the next month.

He has a wonderful job opportunity there and it is an absolutely gorgeous state with forests, lakes, oceans, and fresh seafood right out the back door.  I am sure they and their boys will thrive and be very happy there.

At the same time.......they are moving CLEAR ACROSS AMERICA!!!

I am spoiled. 

 Almost all of my kids and grandkids have lived within 3 hours of us.  They could all drive here and spend the weekend easily.  I could travel in 1/2 a day to babysit for them if the parents wanted to have some private time together.

At the same time, none of us lived close enough to get in each others faces all the time. 

 A perfect plan.

When I first heard of the moving plan, I fretted and silently prayed that they would never do it.  But they are.

Then I decided I was being selfish and delusional.  After all, I had done the same thing to my parents and they had done the same thing to their parents. My mom and dad moved from Oklahoma to California when I was a baby and left their parents and only saw them twice more before my grandparents passed away.

Sweet hubby and I moved far enough away that I only visited once a year to see my own parents until they both passed.

So, I am going to trust in the plans that our son and family have made and trust that Heavenly Father will watch over them and guide them.

I'm also going to go buy a webcam so those 3 grandsons won't forget what I look like!!

Middle of the Week

Well, for some reason, or many reasons today was a really different day.  Lots of ups and downs emotionally and physically.

I decided that I was going to clean house, dust, mop, vacuum, normal housework.  I started with the "Cougar Room".  It's where the computer is and sweet hubbies BYU sports shrine. 
So I started with the dusting........there is a lot of stuff in that room!!

Moved right along to vacuuming, and then the bathroom.  
All in all....took a good hour and a half!!  For one room!
Then came the living room.  I decided to move the furniture around and clean and re-arrange the bookshelves.  Didn't like the furniture moved so moved it back.  Another hour shot.
Next to vacuum the rest of the house and the other bathroom and last but not least the kitchen. 
It is now 3 1/2 hours later and I am all hot and sweaty (oh my goodness, I forgot, women don't sweat, they glisten!) so I had to shower and redo my hair, etc, etc.
It's now past lunch time and hubby is hungry....he gets a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He has been out mowing the lawn...a big job at our house.
The pup we have been babysitting needs attention.  She misses her family and I don't play with her like her little boys do.
Any way, it's not late and I am worn-out

and I'm not lion!

Weddings

Well today one of my grandsons' was married,  no wait a minute.  He and his sweet bride were sealed together for all time and eternity in the Holy temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 
That means that their marriage doesn't end when "death do us part", but instead lasts for infinity.  All of their children will be "sealed" to them under this covenant also.
Of course all of us are Heavenly Father's children.  He and our Heavenly Mother gave us our spiritual premortal bodies before we came here to earth and if we live right we will return to Him when this earth life is over.  But if we are sealed together, well we will join our families when we return to heaven and we will all know each other and be together always.
As I sat there and listened to the officiator tell this sweet young couple about how to keep their love fresh and always think more of each other instead of themselves, I thought about my own marriage that so far has lasted 50 years and I realized that that is the only reason we have stuck it out this long.  He thinks and worries about me and I think about and worry about him.  I look at him and see the wonderful man he is and how much more wonderful Heavenly Father thinks he is and I have a little more patience and a little more tenderness in my heart for him.
Love is an ever changing, flowing, bumpy road and we just have to enjoy the ride.

Aren't they cute together!

Sunday Sunday

Didn't sleep well last night (a common happening with me) and really didn't want to get up at 7 a.m. to get ready for church, but I did.
Absolutely a terrific Relief Society lesson, wonderful Sunday School lesson that ended up with half or more of the class weeping.  And then a young returned Navy young man who is now leaving on a mission for The Church of Latter-Day-Saints of Jesus Christ gave a great talk in sacrament meeting.
So glad I made my lazy self get up and get going.
Now that dinner is over, I can be lazy again.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, I was kinda bored today and decided that I would start up this ol' blog of mine and write what is and isn't interesting about each day that I wake up and start living again.
Today I made 3 batches of cookies.... peanut butter, chocolate chip and white chocolate, crasins with  salty almond cookies.  The last were the best.
I had sweet hubby take a plate with some of each to a couple of neighbors...one who is a druggie alcoholic who needs his sweets and one elderly couple (look who's talkin!).  Then I spent the rest of my day reading and finishing one of my "mindless mysteries". 
I did send a text to my grandson for his birthday today, he's 24 yrs old now.  Wow that makes me feel old!
And I played with our son's dog Tag off and on.  We are babysitting her while they travel to Maine for a vacation.  I did not get invited 
Not to much of a day, but I lived through it and that's a good thing.

Good Bye

Decided to not blog anymore. I have bookmarked the blogs I'm interested in and will check on them but I'm not going to do this anymore. Bye, bye

Why is it??

Why is it that whenever we go on a trip that I am the one who gets the house ready, does all the laundry, makes sure the dog has food and water, the garbage is taken out and that my sweet hubby has everything he needs?
Then I pack the car, the snacks and the beverages, the armrest pillows, the pillows for our beds and a jacket.....just in case?
Just asking ya know!

Getting Old

Yesterday I woke up feeling great and eager for a day of window shopping and possibly purchasing a new dress for church.
Got in my car.....got out and went back in the house for the car keys.
Got in my car....got out and went back in to put the trash out for the collector.
Got in my car and took off.
Got to the library....it was closed for the holiday weekend. Backed up and drove forward 3 times to get close enough to the drive thru book slot.....had to open the door and semi-get out of the car anyway to put the books in the slot.
Took off and drove to Idaho Falls.
Went to the first store and looked all over, put a photo album in the basket, put a dog toy in the basket, put a wall picture in the basket, headed for the cashier. Saw the 2 cashiers and 20 people in line. Left the basket in the store and left!
Went to the second store and looked all over, tried on a blouse.....discovered I'm fatter than I think I am and put the blouse back on the rack and left the store!
Went to the mall. Went up the escalator and clear to the back of the store to the fat lady clothes. Found the dress of my dreams in my size! Looked at the price tag. Put the dress back on the rack and left on the down escalator.
Walked all the way down to the OTHER end of the mall to book store.
Bought way too many books and 3 magazines.
Walked all the way back to the OTHER end of the mall and out to the car!
Drove home
Got out of the car and discovered that my feet hurt so bad I could hardly walk!
Sat in a chair until bed time and hobbled to bed.
Got up this morning, still could hardly walk.
Went to get a drink and sciatica pain in left hip. !@#%#&*@# out of my mouth!!
Spent the day in the chair until hobbling back to the computer.
Made solemn vow to never go shopping all day again.
Amen

I just want to say that I love my sweet hubby!

My sweet hubby can be a stubborn, selfish old man, but he puts up with this stubborn, selfish old woman everyday and is still a sweet, sensitive, caring man.
He is a good father, a patient and loving grandfather.
He is opinionated conservative full blooded patriotic American who takes off his hat and puts his hand over his heart when the flag goes by in a parade.
He is a fanatical, blue blooded, jumping up and screaming BYU Cougars fan who grumbles his way through football season vowing to never watch another game until the season ends and then he can hardly stand it counting the days until football starts again.
He is hard working keeping our cars running, machines working, lawn mowed and fences mended.
He loves animals and won't even kill a spider or ant unless he absolutely has too. He treats his dog better than most people do their kids.
I love and cherish this old man and I thank my lucky stars (or the angels in heaven) who brought us together over 47 years ago. Don't know what I'd do without him.

Awesome!

I found this little book at the library titled "Awesome". It's all about small, insignificant things that are just plain awesome compared to the everyday awfulness that surrounds us in the news.

Like waking up in the middle of a hot night and turning over your pillow and laying down your head on the "new, cool smoothness of the other side of your pillow"

My Awesome moment today was washing all the sheets and pillowcases from the weekend and then hanging them on the clothes line to gently blow dry in the breeze. Taking them down about an hour later and smelling that clean outdoor crispness and folding them right into the laundry basket and placing them in the linen closet and knowing that the next time I change the sheets, we and our guests will be able to enjoy that fresh wonderful smell and feel.

Awesome!
Tell me about your "awesome" moment!

Play Time

Remember when you were little and you loved to play dress up and be someone fantastic?

Remember how you would be a grown up mom or lady going to the ball or the princess or the cowboy or the knight in shining armor?

When you had those costumes on you could be anyone you wanted and do things no one else could do.

Slay dragons, ride the fastest horse, fly high in the sky. That cape you wore flew out behind you as you ran faster than a speeding bullet and nothing, no nothing could stop you.

Tea parties with the fancy china, delicious flower tea and mud pies for dessert.
Those were the days, yes oh yes, those were the days.

If at first........

While at my son's house awhile back my daughter-in-law decided to make a lemon tart.
She followed the directions exactly and I helped her juice the fresh lemons and the smell was so delicious that my mouth watered and the kids all gathered round to see what was going on.
Shawna used a spring form pan because she didn't have a tart dish and when she took the finished product out of the oven and turned to place it on the counter that pan and the tart came apart and fell upside down on the floor.


Now we could have cried and Shawna did get mad for a little while, but what we couldn't resist was the enticing smell of the lemon and the buttery crust, so we sat on the floor and picked tiny, non-floor touching pieces of the tart up and ate until there were only pieces touching the floor. It was DELICIOUS!

Most people would have said "That's it, never again!", but not Shawna. She is not a quitter.

A couple of mornings later I woke up and when I arrived in the kitchen there was Shawna making another lemon tart. This time in a ceramic dish that was perfect for the recipe.
It turned out perfect and we all sampled the finished product.
Super yummy and even better this time without the threat of floor flavoring.

So many times we give up when life doesn't go the way we want. We rant and rave at the mistakes we have made and decide to go a different direction. Instead we should step back, gather our emotions, think things through and try again correcting our mistakes from the first time and maybe go a little slower and more methodically until we reach the desired result and are even more satisfied than we thought we might be because of the struggle.
Lesson to learn.......when life gives you lemons MAKE A TART!

Painted Toe Nails

When I was a teenager, I used to spend a lot of time growing, filing and painting my finger and toe nails. The only colors in those days were clear, pink tinted clear, pink and bright red. I was only allowed to wear clear or pink.
I took great pride in having beautifully long shapely fingernails and well groomed toes.
Then I married my sweet hubby and had children and between the two the nails went by the wayside. Short fingernails and no polish at all. Sweet hubby likes the natural look! Plus it took to much self-centered time.
After the kids were older, I was working in food service and fingernails were kept short and polish wouldn't have lasted a day!
Now that I am in my sixties and retired I have the time and could do my nails if I wanted, but sweet hubby would not approve.
Last weekend though I stayed with my grand-kids and daughter-in-law who talked me into letting her paint my toe nails and put flower stickers on them! My little 3 year old granddaughter did her nails too!
Suddenly I felt 30 years younger, glamorous, and sexy! Now I have narly old toes and hideous toenails but that bright red polish changed all that in an instant! Gone were the thick nails, in was the long slender foot!
It is now 5 days later and the polish is gone and my old lady feet are back, but for those 5 days I was a changed woman!
Thank you sweet daughter-in-law, thank you!

Memorial Weekend

Sunday Dresses








Fun Rides









Funny Faces








Big Fishes








Crazy kids







Great Weekend!

Soggy in Idaho

It has been raining off and on here in my part of the country for the last 2 months! I have been waiting for a few sunny days, but I am just about certain that I am growing webs between my fingers and toes now.Soon we will start turning into swamp creatures.
Moss will grow everywhere and Mold will creep all over the place.
Oh the horror and the terror of it all..................................oh wait....................................... The sun is coming out. All is well!

boy am I lazy

I should write something interesting but it has been cloudy, windy and cold for the last week and it was the same the week before that!
Went to my sister-in-laws funeral last weekend. Her death was a shock as she was the youngest in the family and 1st to go.
One of our grandson's got his mission call to the Washington Tacoma Mission. Wa Hoo! We are so excited for him. He is a great kid and he will be a terrific missionary.
Another of our grandsons had to have his appendix out but is now doing well.
One of our sons and family will be moving away in another month and although we wish them well....Dang it!
Anyway, that's the news from here for now.....I'm to lazy to think of anything exciting and fun to write!

I Miss My Mommie!

Mother's Day is coming up next month and I've been thinking about my mother quite a bit lately!
My boys, their wives and my husband all got together and gave me a really great early Mother's Day gift....a class in learning to do stained glass. I'm going to my second class tonight and I really like learning about this art that I have admired for many years!
I can't give my mother gifts any more. She passed away many years ago and before she passed on she had senile dementia for several years so she wasn't herself.
Everyone says that I look a lot like momma, I don't always see it when I look in the mirror because I wear my hair different and use make-up and I am lots heavier than my mom ever was.
But then I will hear myself laugh like she did and I see her eyes and nose when I look again. The last couple of years I see her hands when I look at my own.
Momma was a very hard worker. She kept our house clean, she had to use a wringer washing machine and clothesline for years, she cooked super delicious meals three times a day everyday for close to 70-plus years.
Most importantly, she loved me even though she wasn't always patient with me. She tried her best to teach me to cook, sew, clean and take care of my own belongings. She gave me lots of free time to read, explore and be myself. She was always so busy being a homemaker I don't think she ever had time to be herself.
I think she always dreamed of doing lots of things she never got to do. She always wanted to go to the Ice skating shows. And when she was 90 years old she painted her very first picture of 2 little birds on a branch and we realized she would have been a good artist! I wonder what other talents she had that we never knew about?
Praise was sparing, but when it came it made you feel wonderful because you knew you had reached her expectations.
I don't really think I ever appreciated my mother until she was gone. Now, whenever I feel ill or down in the dumps or have something beautiful or exciting happen I want to tell my mom about it, share it with her and she is only there in spirit.
I miss my Mommie!

Just messing around

Decided to just mess around and try a new background, font and see what it all looked like!
Yes, I am bored!