Of Two Minds

A Customers quilt

2012-01-23T15:37:00.000-08:00

I just finished my latest customer quilt. Makes rather a good whole cloth doesn't it?
She wanted traditional quilting - mostly stitch in the ditch and crosshatching.
I talked her into a few flowers and leaves in borders to soften the look.
Had a few piecing problems but altogether rather a beautiful quilt. Not cheap, unfortunately. (Sorry ladies). Had I been trying for a whole cloth I would have buried the knots, which would have added even more to the cost. I spent over 40 hours quilting this puppy! Oh, and she created the pattern on EQ.

By the way, it is finally snowing. It has been a weird, cold winter with almost no snow til now.

My latest wholecloth

2012-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

A glimpse of a quilt I am doing for someone else, and my latest try at a whole cloth. Unfortunately, after I had finished it I realized it is too small by 20 inches circumference to put in the competition I wanted to enter. Sigh. I could try again slightly larger if I could find some 60 inch fabric or wanted to seam the top, or I could color this one and enter it as an art quilt. What do you think?

Pinky again

2011-11-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Remember months ago when I made this very pink quilt? Well, I finally got it quilted.

latest quilting

2011-11-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

I can't get the photos to show me which I am choosing on this computer and my old reader won't work so I can only pick a couple, sight unseen to show you. These are a couple of my latest quilting efforts. The one with the white border was hand done and the black and white was done with the aid of my computer. They both look much better in real life.

Award winning quilt photo

2011-05-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my winning quilt, and the ribbon. Unfortunately you can't see much of the quilting that won me the award. Anyway, I am so thrilled I can't stand it.

Getting better

2011-05-05T20:50:00.001-07:00

I won the BEST ROOKIE award at HMQS!!! That is a really big deal quilt show and I am thrilled to death! I won with the cream and blue baby quilt with feathers, and I will try to take a photo of it tomorrow hanging with it's ribbon. Hurray!
By the way, I am taking a number of quilting classes that are all making me a better quilter. Love that Long Arm Quilting Machine.

Holey Moley

2011-04-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

I was digging holes for the fence poles when I came upon a rock I couldn't move.
Sweet C worked on it when he came home. He was very determined.
The hole got bigger and bigger until he finally found the edges. It's hard to imagine with the photo's alone- but the thing is at least two and a half feet long and a good foot and a quarter tall.
However, we finally got the posts in, the cement poured and the fence up. Now we must wait for the gates to be custom crafted. Oh, and by the way the deck is done, but I hadn't taken a photo yet. Notice the weather this morning. We had a day new 70 degrees, and then the snow came back. Today we have had sun, then snow, sun, then snow. Pretty funny spring.

Coming along

2011-03-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

My husband can do anything!!! (OK, maybe some of our boys can do more with computers - but he can do tons that they can't. So there! )
Yesterday, with a little help from me - I am the carpenters helper - he built the lower deck, sheathed the lower deck, built and sheathed the stairs down, and we picked up more materials to sheath the upper landing and stairs.
The day before I had picked up deck rail and fencing materials, so my next project will be digging two foot deep holes in this rocky dirt. Three foot deep where the gates attach! Wish me luck. Better yet, come help me dig. Sweet C, in the meantime, will figure out how it all goes together (he's the tinker toy guy) and be cutting and putting it together. We really are trying to get it all done before we leave for Canada (to help our daughter finish her basement - AND see the grand-babies!!!!)
It is becoming quite exciting. Even the neighbors stop to see how it's coming along. Why is it that we so love seeing things being built? I am just as interested in what I see others building. Progress is fun.

quilts and decks

2011-03-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, again with the picture problem. Heather is helping me to fix it, but I haven't yet bought the lights I need. This is a poor shot of the last freehand quilting I did. I really like it, but don't know if anyone else will. It was a good exercise though.
I hope to get our stuff up on the website soon, but I want good pictures so people can tell what they are buying.

I also wanted to show you what we have been working on lately. We rented an auger and dug huge holes in the hillside. (Lots of BIG rocks) Then I moved MANY wheelbarrow loads of dirt and rocks out, flattened as best I could and John framed today. We are building a deck!!! Then we will put in a fence from the deck to the side fence in an attempt to keep out the neighbors cats and the people who seem to wander at will through my backyard. (I find tracks every time it snows. Sheesh!)

Roses and feathers

2011-02-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

For this quilt, which is for charity, I wanted to try my hand at quilting completely freehand. Remember that I have a Statler Stitcher with hundreds of beautiful patterns created by top designers. However, I still find people who want the freehand look.
I need practice, so I tried to match my pattern to the fabric, which is roses. I got pretty good balance I believe, but my next is better. I will post it later.

A little extra

2011-02-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I have been practicing my quilting and am getting better. For this quilt, the woman wanted to keep it as low priced as possible, hence the simple meander on the body of the quilt. I wanted to add some sports stuff since her son - whom the quilt is for, is into all kinds of ball. You can't see much, but I added some of all the sports I had at the time. She liked it which was very important.

Provo Tabernacle

2010-12-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

The more I think about it the sadder I am about the Provo Tabernacle. I sang there always in the choir I was in. I loved the building for it's beauty and history and of course, because I love all the history of the church. I consider myself a Provo girl. I love Provo and the wonderful old neighborhoods. And this was such a lovely old building. Sigh. It hurts my heart to think about it. (Search the web for Provo Tabernacle to see the stories and pictures.)

Pictures, please!!!

2010-11-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

I know all of you younger people now have face book and that is how you communicate with all your friends across the globe. Good for you. However, sometimes we older folks don't do facebook, don't want to know some of the things you post, and you may not want us to know that much about you either. So don't forget the blogs! You don't even have to write much, just give us new pictures of our grandkids every week!

Help, anyone?

2010-11-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

So I would really like to divide this blog into two. Anyone out there know how to do that? Would you help me?

Home again, home again,. . . .

2010-11-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Finally home from work mid September (can you believe I haven't posted in so long?) and I have WAY too much to do in garden and house - not to mention the business.
But when daughter and son-in-law invited me up for a couple of weeks I couldn't resist. Had a wonderful time with the babies!! I came back home Oct. 26 and woke the next morning to this!

Of course, it didn't last. Most melted that day and the rest the next day. I have been madly trimming bushes and plants out of the yard and garden. Nearly filled our large trailer. I really need another couple of full days to finish, but the weather is raining today, and supposed to change to winter now. I may, or may not get back to finish. Oh, well, there is always spring.
I really love the fall colors and bedding down the garden. There is something very satisfying about trimming everything and having it ready for the snow. If the above had lasted the limbs would all have broken.
Now, I should just mention that I am still learning quilting. Didn't spend enough time on it while the Census was going on, but now I work on something every day. I do need to do more hand driven practice, but Things are looking pretty good. More about that later.

Popcorn Popping

2010-04-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

As you can see the apricot tree is in full bloom.
I finally have a Saturday off when it isn't snowing. I got to do actual yard work! I trimmed roses, and raspberries and did a little weeding and took a huge load of stuff to the green-cycle. My neighbors helped because they don't have a trailer and wanted to take some too so we combined our efforts and it helped us both.

Sweet C has been remaking the pond and the waterfall. He is almost done and it looks wonderful. He has been doing lots of work in the yard, while I have been working 10-12 hour days. Sigh.
The magnolia tree is in full bloom, though I cannot figure out how to flip the picture.
And you really should wish you could smell the hyacinths and the magnolia blossoms.

I should add a few dozen more, in larger groupings.
We have had a real problem with deer this year, and most of the tulips have been chewed off terribly, but for some reason they don't eat the hyacinths.

I sure do love spring!!!

Fill out that Census form.

2010-04-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

So, I am way too busy with the Census to post most of the time, and for the rest of this month at least, will continue to be over busy. We have at least 5 operations going right now. By May though, I think we will be down to only two, and I am going to go to the HMQS as long as I am still allowed a couple of days off. (got it approved weeks ago, but if I asked today the answer would be no) I will be taking classes in using my long arm quilting machine. I can do lots of great things right now with the computerized part, so I could do any work for you that you want, but I want to become better on the free arm portion. All show quilts are done there. Wish me luck. I am no artist and it really is drawing, using a very large sewing machine as your pencil.
BTW, much of my work is driven by whether or not people filled out their census form. If they did not, and many are protesting government by not, we will be at your door asking. I just need to say that this is the one arm or the government that actually does you some good. We get our representation to government through our numbers, we get all the tax monies we paid back to our state, county and city through the numbers, and we create history. So please, for your own good and mine, fill out your census form NOW and send it in. The cutoff for us having to go to your home if you didn't is almost immediately.

The quilting machine.

2010-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted forever, and don't really have time now. I am working too many hours for the census and when I get home, if I'm not too tired, I work on quilts. I really do quilt a lot but many seem to be for others, for gifts or charity, and too few for stock. However, Sweet C is making a lot of really cool new picnic quilts for sale. He's thinking $135 each. The latest is a hot pink and orange nine patch with hot pink butterflys quilted on it. Lovely.
I wanted to show the machine, but I have a really hard time getting the color right. However, here are a few, some with a quilt I did for my niece on it.
The top picture is from an open house we did at the office. A quilt of C's is on the left. The second one is a baby quilt I did recently that turned out nicely.

New addition to the family!

2009-10-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

The good news is we have a beautiful new baby grand-daughter!!!
The bad news is, she is in the hospital. Our daughter had been having mild contractions all day Wednesday, but nothing to write home about. Then while she was on the phone that night with me, her water broke. It was green, which, for you boys who don't know, means the baby has pooped in-utero. Not a huge deal, but it meant she had to go in to the hospital instead of just waiting at home for things to progress. Then early in the morning labor stopped, and since the water had already gone, and the baby's heart rate was considered too high, the decision was made to push things along and they gave my daughter pitocin. Oh, and somewhere in there the gynecologist threatened a C-section if things didn't move forward soon. She had a midwife though, and neither my daughter nor the midwife wanted that to happen so they got her up and walking. After that the baby came quite quickly, but, from the brief conversation I had with my girl last night, she (baby) never gained any color, apparently she has very low red blood cells. She was given a blessing, but my daughter was pretty shaky when we were talking and the authorities couldn't explain why this was happening. A son of mine looked it up for me, and there are a number of reasons. One that sounded most likely to me is if the cord is large and the baby is held too high above mom's abdomen before the cord is cut, the blood can drain back into the mom, leaving baby with not enough. Anyway, since they weren't finding a reason. they were moving baby to children's hospital last night. We have been praying of course, but haven't heard more. I wish I knew what was happening, but they have too much to worry about for me to keep calling. I wish I had time to fly out there and help, but I just started a job that requires me to be here. Talk about being of two minds!!

Very busy summer!

2009-09-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of my "vacation" so I thought I had better explain my summer. It started in mid June with Trek. We had volunteered to go along as 'Ma and Pa' months ago. sometime last fall. We had training meetings, and were given lessons to prepare. Nothing, though could prepare you for the actual experience. For instance, the love you have for the youth that you are in charge of. I know it's like that for every calling, but this was so immediate. We had the very best group of kids on trek and knew it as soon as we met them. We all met at the church the night before to check in baggage and hear about what was coming up. Then we were back at the church the next morning at 5 am to drive up to the ranch. I won't even try to explain the incredible spiritual experience we had though I might have if I had written this down earlier. I just want to say that it was wonderful. Physically we had a bit of everything. Some sunshine, some cold, and mostly a lot of rain and mud. And we still had a ball. I'm sure there were some who absolutely hated it, but everyone I talked to had a great time in spite of the wet. (Maybe because of it. Without rain it would have been incredibly hot.)
The day after we got home my son brought my granddaughter to spend some time with us. He only got to spend a couple days, but the granddaughter spent three weeks and that was fabulous. My daughter and her daughter came next and that weekend was our family reunion. We had a lovely camping trip - perfect weather, lots of fun things to do and lovely family to do it with. The most fun for me was that my granddaughter got to go camping for the first time. I think she had fun. I know I had fun watching her.
Then it was the wedding for one of my sons. A couple of spouses didn't make it, but the rest of the immediate family did. It was such a great gathering. I wish we could have spent more time together, but some people had to get back to work. Sigh!
Then my daughter and I drove back to Washington DC where she was living at the time. It was 4 days driving, and we broke the trip in Iowa where we dropped my son's daughter off. I miss you Missy D! Interesting trip, but we were traveling too quickly to stop as see much. That isn't to say we didn't stop. With two little girls you stop a lot. Mostly at rest stops to let certain people run around for an hour or so. In spite of dvd's, toys and food she still got very tired of being in a car seat. (Who can blame her?) (I'm speaking of the 2 year old)
I was expecting to hear about a census job during July, and when I didn't I started think about what else I should do for work. I knew I could have my old job back and that would be fine, but I still needed to think about after. Before I left home my husband had suggested the new quilting business. My daughter and I visited a couple of quilt shops on the trip and I started thinking about quilting for a living. Spent a lot of August looking into the idea of running a long arm quilting business, but then I also heard from the Census Bureau. I will be the Assistant Manager of Quality Assurance for the Provo office doing the decennial census. I begin work tomorrow, which is why I thought I better post now. There has simply been no time.
The garden was very productive, still is. I took a class on a long arm machine, which helped me make up my mind that; yes, this would be a good job for me. I could choose my own hours and work around my garden. I can work barefoot, my favorite way to be. We bought a new sewing machine (regular type for piecing quilts - mine is nearly 30 years old) and I have been taking classes on how that works. We have shopped for quilt fabric and other things needed to start a business. I went to the Utah Quilt Guild Quiltfest, and took a couple of classes there on how to piece quilts. I also went to education week, more very instructive classes. We painted the area where we wanted the quilting machine. We made a lot of quilts to practice on. My husband actually made more than I did as I was always doing other things, but I had a lot of fun anyway. Since August I have made 7 quilt tops and my husband has made 8. His are mostly larger and more detailed than mine.
And last of all, Thursday our quilting machine was delivered. It was an all day affair and we were too tired in the evening to really catch the little bit of training they were trying to give us. Sweet C has already quilted and bound two of his tops. I have been doing sample quilt stuff on cheap fabric. So, there is the summer. Now begins the working life.

Jester

2009-09-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my photos are never quite right color-wise. Maybe you can't tell how wild but cute this is, but I thought you should see it anyway. I think I'll call it Jester.

Bountiful harvest

2009-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the morning picking of tomato and cherry tomatoes.I'll be giving away four or five small bags of "sweet million" cherry tomatoes. As usual. Oh, and I could have kept picking, I just get hot and tired and come in with many still undiscovered.

The top picture is the cherry patch immediatly after picking. ( I had them in the right order for once and somehow ended up deleting that one!) You can see how many I will have to pick tomorrow. I took a gardening class this spring. He suggested black plastic under the tomatoes and the vine crops. That was a great idea. He also suggested no support for the tomato vine. That isn't a great idea. I am wading around in the vines trying to find a place to put my feet that doesn't smash the vines or the fruit. He also said tomatoes like to be watered once every week to ten days. That is probably a good idea, my fruit tends to split a lot just at the end of the ripening process, however, I have a hard time remembering to turn the water on and off at the right times. It is set to water automatically twice a week, which the other crops need.
Here you can see half of my potato patch - ready for harvest but where would I put the potatoes? It is still too hot to store them loose in the storage room. We put in yukon gold and Pontiac Red. We have already pulled out potatoes at least 6 inches across. John and I shared one baked potato for dinner on Sunday and had way too much to eat. I will have to leave them in the ground for now, except to pick one to eat once in awhile. At the back of the picture you can see the sweet potato vines. They look great, but I don't know when or how to know if they are ready for harvest. Anyone?

Pinky

2009-08-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

I finished my green and pink top. I like it, but the stripe is very bold. I have enough scraps to do something else. And you should see the top Sweet C has started. Tiny little triangles that add up to 2 1/2 in squares. In the end it will be stars, but a very complicated way to get there. It will be fabulous.

What's in a name?

2009-08-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

Sweet C has now made 6 quilt tops. This is his pinwheel.
This is actually a baby quilt. The favored fabric will be the back.
This is the quilt I am working on. I am having some corner problems.
This is the balloon that flew over my head as I was reloading the hummingbird feeders this morning.

Ok, so we have decided to go forward with the business. We have ordered a long arm quilting machine and are preparing some quilts to practice on. We had hoped to buy a used machine from a teacher of mine who hoped to move. She ended up not taking the job, so we weren't able to get the 'deal', but have decided to go forward anyway. I will let you know when new one arrives, cause you all will need to make quilts for me to learn on too.
Here's the problem: What do we call this business? We have a business license already for DJP Enterprises, set up when we were going to do something else entirely, so anything we do can be under that general umbrella. I am thinking maybe DJ Quilting, or DJ Machine Quilting. We could go with something like Spruce Quilting cause it ties with our name. I'd love to do something cute, but I'm not very creative and we do want it to suit us. My daughter told us about someone she deals with whose business name is Green Fairy Quilts. Amazing how well that would fit me (anyone seen the fairies in my garden lately) but it's taken. Should I think of something that goes with gardening? Flowers? Quilting? Or just stick with the name we have?
In the meantime, I will be working as fast as I can in the yard, as there is a bit too much harvest right now, and on the house, as I have lots of painting to do. I start my new job September 28th. That is, the new census job.

research and learning

2009-08-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sweet C decided he would make a quilt top to see how it is done. I didn't try to get the whole top in, as the lighting was bad. It is much nicer than you can tell here.
And I went to a long arm quilting class to see if I could even begin to do this. Of course, I loaded the pictures backwards, but you can see that my first ever attempt isn't half bad. Maybe I can quilt for others. My flowers (above) are my favorite. Didn't get the best picture.
They say you get better with practice. The above is my worst square, as I'm not sure I like those styles so I haven't drawn them much.
This is my teacher's favorite flower version
I, personally like hearts, but not perfect little all alike hearts. I can do those, but I prefer the little pointy tipped hearts that look all different.
You can see on the left my first attempt at a meander. Not even enough, but, still, my first few minutes on a machine. The bit on the right is my own version of a bounce. I kind of like the more geometric look than my version of my teachers favorite bounce, which I was horrible at.
And that is a poor picture of the whole days lesson. It was great fun, but I can see that I will need lots of practice. If I do this you will all have to let me practice on your quilts.

Am I insane?

2009-07-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, advice here please. A couple of weeks ago sweet C mentioned an idea of his for my 'after census' job. I need work after the census is over. I am kid-free and capable so I should definitely do something, but I have this yard, and house and frankly want to be home when sweet C is home (don't we all!) and be able to go see my kids when the opportunity comes up so I would like to do something where I would pick my own hours. Not very many jobs like that out there. I talk about it all the time.
Anyway, his idea was about my buying a machine and doing machine quilting at home. We have been saving for years for a business of buying and fixing up homes, but the real estate market is so volatile right now, so completely out of wack, that we have been reluctant to do it. Therefore, we have that money we could put into something else.
My first thought was that I know nothing about quilting, much less machine quilting for a living. I started asking questions. I thought there would already be too many people doing such a thing in Utah, and there are, but even so the wait line is very long at any place you go. Also, not so many people do it other places, and you can ship.
Then there are the amazing varieties of machines. Mind you, all are far more expensive than I would have thought. On the absolutely low end of hobby quilting I could spend around $7000 up to say $13,000, and do small quilts by hand driving the design. I need to learn to do this part anyway, all quilts need some hand work, but it is doodling on cloth and I'm no artist. (They all say, practice, practice, practice, and do a dozen or so before you ever touch a customers quilt.) Then there are the small industry type, with longer arm (so you can do larger quilts) and longer beds. They seem to range around $10,000 to $20,000 +. Still you need to learn a ton, or add a computer. The computer will drive the cloth and make a very even design, which some people would like, and others not. (Also every computer is different and works differently. And the computer costs are about $5000 to $30,000)! And then there are the truly professional machines, running for about $30,000 to around $80,000 or more. You can guess that I wouldn't even dream of the top price, but it turns out that with all the bells and whistles, even the mid price/type come up close to $30K and the professional models are, well, professional. I can't imagine doing this on the hobby machine. They are essentially a regular sewing machine set on a quilting framework, and really have little room to work. I don't want to do only crib and wall hanging types. I think that is what most of the competition do. So, its really between the small industry and the professional. I think a successful business might even need more than one machine, since quilts can take days to do. (or hours with a computer, but I don't want to work 12 hour days all the time) However, I must start with one. So many to choose from!
Would this even work? With me knowing so little about quilting? I have peiced a few quilts but I hand quilted or tied them. I am an excellent seamstress, or used to be, but rather stopped sewing after making too many costumes where I made all the chorus. (50 of the same outfit took all the fun out of it!) I am getting the itch again to sew, but you can buy clothes cheaper than you can buy the fabric nowadays.
I have gone back and forth between: "I can't do this, I know nothing about quilting, I am no artist, and I don't know how to run a business!" to "This would be great, I could get paid for doing something I love (meaning sew) instead of feeling guilty for it. I could pick my own hours. I could really do this!" I look at a machine and get all intimidated, then I go away and think about it and get excited. I read about another machine and think, "good grief, I can't spend that kind of money" and then I think some more and realize that any business is going to take some start up funds.
That brings up another problem. I don't know where and how to learn about the business end of running a home based business. A 'cottage industry' sweet C calls it. That is almost more intimidating than the thought of learning to quilt on a machine. And there are the other start up costs, like: Thread and needles and patterns and batting and backing and most important, advertising and/or a web page. And pricing. Some places charge so much, and get it, I might add, but I think I'd need to start with some more simple designs, lower prices until I can prove myself.
At first I think I could learn anything, and then I think I'm too old and tired and can't learn things anymore. I am chicken. I tend to think I am incapable, which I never did when I was young, but often do now.
So, friends, I am asking for your opinion. Your thoughts on the matter. Would you start a business doing something you have no experience with? (Many of the quilters out there have been doing it for themselves for years.) Would you start small, with a 'cheap' machine and hope to build up to a better? Or would you buy the best you could afford and have more capability to begin with? (I'd never go with the $80,000 and up stuff) Would you start a business knowing you wouldn't be working it really for nearly a year, or would you wait to even start until the other job is done? (There is that need to learn how to run the machine, which I think I could be doing even while I am working for the census bureau)
Am I totally insane to consider this?

In Praise of PA

2009-06-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

I noticed something on TREK (more to come) that made me think of my own children in regards to their Dad. We had been asked to make sure the carts were clean before we turned them in, take a stick and clean the mud off the wheels, take the knots out of the rope etc. One of the boys mentioned that we didn't have mud on the wheels and I said that that was because Pa Pinette cleaned them every time we stopped for a break. They looked at me in surprise, none of them had even noticed. They hadn't noticed him cleaning up the campground after them, that he did most of the set up of camp, that he subtley checked with the kids to see that they were doing ok, and monitored the weather and encouraged them to eat right and put on sunscreen and drink lots of water, etc, etc.
My husband has always worked so hard to provide for the family, and did so many things quietly in the background for our comfort and safety. He works so ingeniously sometimes to serve us that I think they missed a lot of what he did while they were home. I wonder if they have any clue how much he worries about them now, how he pleads with the Lord for them. Doesn't help that mom is so outspoken either. He works constantly to take care of us all! I just want to say that my husband is an incredible man who serves daily all people that he comes in contact with, feels responsible for. His primary class, his employees, his wife and kids. . . . He is a wonderful man who happens to be a little on the shy side. And I love him dearly!!!

Young Women Secretary

2009-06-07T21:01:00.001-07:00

I have a calling!!! I am so excited! I was beginning to feel like the red-headed step-daughter: unwanted, unloved and useless.
It's my own fault I've been without for so long. Sweet C and I had a calling together, and when they called him to something else I panicked. I complained and somebody listened and passed my complaints on to the bishopric. I always panic at something new or different, and I complain until I get used to something. I fussed to the person who formerly had the calling, because I was afraid I couldn't do it as well as she had, worried to a mom,and complained to a friend. I think it was the friend, but she is the one I depend on to tell me to suck it up when I complain too much!
The bishop seemed to think I didn't want any calling. I'm not sure where he got that idea. I've only turned down a calling once. I still think I was right about that one, (long story - essentially I felt the spirit was telling me something else) but I have felt so guilty over it for years that I wouldn't say no again. I just felt scared that I would be too hard on the little boys without C to temper my strictness. We all know how I ruin little boys.
Anyway, I have had this calling before, for 2 weeks some 25 years ago. Then they called me back to the nursery. I have actually had a small number of other callings, but most of them I only held for a week, or two, or a month, not long enough to actually get into it, before I was called back to the nursery (19 times, through all the years my children were little and I was babysitting to earn extra money and I never saw another adult for more than two minutes at a time! I so needed to be with adults.) I loved the nursery, I just would have liked to do something else sometimes. Now would be a good time to put me in the nursery, I miss having babies.
I thought bishops had lists of who was allowed to do what, since the primary president would get released only to become the relief society president and the young women president would become the primary president and I would be called to the nursery in every ward we moved to and the only difference was whether I was ward nursery leader or stake, or both.
I was so terribly excited to be called to the library! But I was librarian, ward, building and stake for 15 years. When we moved to Reno I had no calling for 8 months then was called to be librarian! Actually, while I was librarian I got to teach sunday school too, and that is what I really loved. I taught the end of the New Testament and then the Book of Mormon - course 17. I so wanted to do the rest of the scriptures before I had to give it up. That would only have been 4 years, nothing like 15. Doesn't seem too much to ask. But it wasn't to be. I was called to teach Gospel Doctrine in Las Vegas just before we were to come home. And then because of the foreclosure had to leave that even earlier than I thought. I only taught 3 weeks, but I sure loved it. Sigh.
Anyway, enough of the old.
I get to be with the young women!!! I was already going on trek. Now I get to go to class with them! I get to get to know them! I get to have a calling that isn't nursery or library. I really want to do something new. Yeah!

Bone-lazy cheapskate

2009-06-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

My hands hurt, my feet ache, my back is sore and even my face aches. I have spent most of the last two days racing (hah!) up and down a three tier scaffolding re staining our house. We have actually been at it for two weeks, but since we are both working full time, well, you know. I had two days in a row off, and the rentals were due back. This started as a simple project of fixing some loose trim. However, as soon as we began to stain the trim it became obvious that the whole house was thirsty. Our house is entirely wood sided. We do a good job when we stain, so we haven't had to do it often, but it is a twenty year old house.
Sweet C says that not many women my age would take on a project that involved climbing scaffolding three stories high or putting a ladder on the top of the scaffolding to reach just that little bit higher. (I'm short) He is right. Most women are smarter than that. While I am, in reality, bone-deep lazy, I am also extremely cheap. I can never pay someone else to do a job that we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves, so I get myself, my husband and all the kids involved in these huge projects.
I am getting old though. Everything hurts more than it did when I was younger. The ground looks further away. Twisting myself around to reach something from the top of a ladder makes my back ache longer. I held a spray bottle in one hand and a brush in the other because the liquid is as thin as water and needs to be driven into the wood with a brush, so my hands hurt. And I was on my feet the whole time. Even in the house standing on a ladder makes my feet hurt. But why does my face hurt?

Sights and Smells of Spring

2009-05-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

The lilacs have faded, but the snowball bush is loaded. The bleeding hearts are covered. Anybody want a bleeding heart start? They are quite expensive as they are perennial, but around here they are almost weeds. (too many babies). The Golden Rain tree is in full flower, as is the Purple Robe Locust. There are not enough English Daisies, but the regular daisies are coming on. The Johnny Jump-Ups are in bloom and the regular pansies too. I have put a few of each of these in between the pages of the phone book in the hopes that they will all dry nicely and I can make book-marks with them for the girls at the Children's Justice Center. We have been asked for bookmarks or homemade cards, and I am not a carder. I so wish I could send you all scents though. The locust is amazing!

Terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day

2009-05-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had one of those. I had an interview about something I had REALLY wanted to do, but the rules of engagement are very strict and I have simply made too many commitments in the near future, so, they don't want me. All of the commitments are good things, and things that I want to do, but I had so hoped we could work around them. I cannot go back on my word on any. Even if I did I would have to go back on my word on all. I may not have much, but I have a very strongly developed sense of duty. I cannot change my mind now and say, sorry, I'm not going to do that after all. In addition my employment future is so undecided that I can't really plan anything more after these commitments end mid-summer. I am trying to see the good in all of this, but in reality I am really down.

Tulip Festival

2009-04-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

It's Tulip Festival Time at Thanksgiving Point Gardens. For those of you who cannot come, I thought I would give you a small virtual tour. Of course, this is only a taste. I took more than a hundred pictures, and didn't get nearly everything.

Some of the daffodils that are still out. I missed Daffodil Days, but really, I didn't miss many of the blooms.
I love this color mix.
This view is coming up the walk toward the top.

I love all views of the stream, but really like this one with the statue.
This is where the stream enters into the pond. There are usually lots of frogs here, but it is too early right now.
This is a view of the butterfly garden from the top of the hill.

I love the smell of hyacinths.
Isn't this a great daffodil!
This one is in the center of the secret garden. I couldn't show all views in there, but they are all lovely.

I wish I knew the name of the yellow drop flower.

This is the circle outside the gardens where you first come in.
And of course this is the gateway saying enter here and enjoy my blooms. I really would like to encourage anyone who lives nearby to go visit the gardens during tulip festival. It is so beautiful. They also have entertainment daily.

Welcome spring!!!

2009-04-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last thursday it was a record low high of 43. We got 6 1/2 inches of snow. I took these in our yard on Wednesday.
My poor magnolia tree, where the first few flowers all froze as soon as they opened.

Some of the new bulbs I put in last fall.
I wish the color were more true to reality. Or maybe I wish reality had some blues in it. I have a blue garden that always seems to be purple or pink.

And these Hyacinths are really a very pretty pink with purple flowers around them.
One thing I have learned though. Even 20 dozen tulips don't look like much spread over the whole yard.
We went to Thanksgiving Point on Wednesday and I find that the best looking clumps of tulips are about 24 bulbs in 3-4 sqare feet. I planted them too far apart. I will take some pictures down there to show you the difference. On the other hand, I love my yard, and it is getting prettier every day. I love spring. I love the tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers. The fruit trees are in bloom too, and the lilacs will open soon. Smells so good out there. The grass is so green this time of year. May I suggest everyone who can take the time to go to a garden nearby.

Snow II

2009-04-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

After what I said yesterday the air warmed enough to take all the snow off the little branches. Then last night it got colder and more snow came. Talk about lots of snow! Notice the pile on the branches! Some of the branches out front have 4 inches piled on them. The thing is, the sap has started flowing, so unlike the winter, when the branches are stiff, they are rather soft, and they drooop under the weight. Look at the opening to the garden. The lilac branches are hanging so low you'd have to crawl under to get to the garden. But now the sun is shining, and it is absolutely gorgeous out!!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-04-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I'll post but have been so busy with the non-work stuff, like taxes (aaauuuggghh!) and putting in the spring garden, that I don't get here. I just want to say that spring could come anytime. I am really ready! I am more than ready!
I say this because right now outside my window huge flakes of snow are coming down and swirling around in circles. We have a warm day, then a storm, then a warm day, then two storms in a row. Today started out rainy, and while it is supposed to be 75 by Saturday, there is so much snow coming so fast I wonder how it can all melt. The little limbs on the trees are two inches deep, then it drops in big chunks. Then it builds up again. It really is a heavy winter storm. Hah!
I am now going to go back to figuring out how one should apply for a management job in the Provo Census office which opens in the fall. I am going to be administering tests, but am finding the process a little hard to understand. I need to be able to tell people how to apply, and check over their applications. Wish me luck.

Many thanks

2009-03-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it turned out to be an appendicitis attack. My baby girl is better now and home - see her blog for a terse version of the whole story. I just want to say thank you all for your prayers. She truly needed them.

Prayers Please!!!

2009-03-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is in hospital. We aren't sure why yet, the test they would normally use to figure it out they cannot do now due to other medical concerns. She has excruciating pain in her stomach and is throwing up. They are thinking appendicitis. Please pray for her. In the meantime, anyone want to go to Ottawa to take care of my baby girl's baby girl?

update on Water

2009-03-10T02:39:00.000-07:00

I just thought I ought to mention that my vertigo must have been an inner ear infections since it faded away after about 3 weeks. An inner ear infection generally lasts about 3 to 6 weeks and then heals on it's own. I do have a friend with muniers disease, and that will come and go for the rest of her life. I am very glad it wasn't that!

Whoa, baby!

2009-03-10T02:04:00.000-07:00

It is something like 2am, there is a full moon out, shining on new snow, and I can't sleep. Some nights I just wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. If I get up and do things my body gets used to the idea and I will wake every night for night after night and go around with a major sleep deficit all the time. Also I wake sweet C if I clean house or do laundry.
I have reached my recruiting goal for the Census Bureau for the first operation. We get all worked up at the beginning with concern that we aren't getting enough applicants and "how do we get more people interested in doing the census?"; and then as our advertising begins to work, and word gets out that we will be hiring, and people start coming, there is no way to stop the onslaught. We simply have to schedule fewer testing sessions with the idea that they will get discouraged if they have to wait for weeks for an appointment. Then a year from now we go through it all again. The two biggest operations are the first, beginning immediately, and the last, beginning about this time next year. In between all the operations use far fewer people so we are able to hire those we have already used.
So, my job is winding down but I couldn't take the next thing offered because I had made other plans for the summer that would interrupt the last week of the job. (More on that later) Therefore the responsible thing was not to take the job. I feel a little jealous, though, of the person who did take on responsibility for "my" people. Also, address listing is probably my favorite operation with the Census Bureau. I like maps and love to see the houses and imagine what they are like inside. I won't get to do even an enumerator job with that operation as I will be recruiting the management staff for the new office that will open in my county in the fall. That is another slightly sore point with me. Since I did this job ten years ago I have wanted to be on the management staff this time around. I really want the census to be accurate. However, as I am to be testing 100 applicants for each management position there is very little chance I will be chosen. Not enough experience. Sigh.
Well, whatever job I do, I will be doing my best to see that we have an accurate count. It means so much to our state, and to each city within our state, to have accurate data. And that is the civic reason to do the census. The personal, or maybe I should say the religious reason is that census data is one of the more important ways we find out about our ancestors, people who have lived here before us. That is why I care about the census. That is why I got involved in the first place and why I will continue to be as involved as I can be.

Ten confessions

2009-02-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

Confession #1: I doubt I can come up with 10 confessions that I will be willing to share with others.
Confession #2: Referring to confession #1. I Have done many, many things in my past that shame me to remember. I have learned a few lessons, wish I had learned more, but mostly I owe a number of apologies to people.
Confession #3: I have been faking the self confidence all of my life. I got a lot of compliments on the talk I gave in church last Sunday, and I was up there shaking like a leaf, knowing full well that I wasn't well prepared and could barely follow my own notes. One of the complements really meant a lot to me though, because I admire this woman so much and always feel she is so spiritual.
Confession #4: I fear terribly for my health, knowing I weigh too much, but I love to eat, crave sugar, and always feel empty and I am trying to fill the hole. I am a little jealous of my husband, but more proud of him for what he has accomplished. I am scared that he will get tired of the fact that I am not keeping up with him in life, and leave me.
Confession #5: I like to work cause I feel like I am accomplishing something, but I feel like I'm not getting anything done at home. I just never have the energy to do both.
Confession #6: I love Sunday. I get to see sweet C all day, I get to attend church and I am a true believer, and now that we are on a 9am schedule I get to take a nap. Ok, lame but I never get enough sleep.
Confession #7: I love color! My favorite color is always purple, but I really like the deep reddish purple. I want to paint my bedroom with purple stripes.
Confession #8: The best thing in my life right now, (other than the wonderful sweet C), is the thought of the grandbabies. I sure do love those two little girls.
Confession#9: I am incredibly excited for spring! I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt, put in seeds, see them grow. I can almost see all the tulips coming up in my yard. I put in 20 dozen bulbs. It should look good. Of course, I have no idea what those bulbs were.
Confession #10: I meant this blog to be a political rant blog. I made it completely anonymous so that anyone could read it but not bring whatever anger I brought on back to my friends and family. However, I am trying so hard to be a nicer person, that some of the desire to rant has gone away. Oh, you still see some, but mostly I want to talk about my garden. Silly, huh? I may have to go back to the original thought with the way things are going in the country right now though.

Anybody else got anything to confess?

Police State

2009-02-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

I am a law abiding citizen. I believe in the rule of law. I believe no one is, or should be, above the law. I do everything in my power to know what is legal and to follow the law. I believe most laws are good, and necessary. I believe that if a law is bad, we should still obey the law until we can get it changed.
Having said that, I still think some policeman are bully's. I think some of them take up that profession because they like to push people around.
One of my sons was walking home from Junior High when a policeman going the opposite direction down the road made an illegal u-turn and came careening around to pull up next to my son and his friends. He demanded to know what my son did with the cigarette. My son was confused, as he doesn't smoke. The policeman was yelling at him, "I saw you smoking, I saw the cigarette in your mouth, what did you do with it!" apparently rather out of control. My son finally figured out that he had had a pen in his mouth while he reached in his pocket for something, but by the time the policeman pulled around he had put the pen in the pocket. I would never have known about the incident except that one of the friends reported it to her father, who reported it to the chief of police. They called me to say the officer was under investigation for the incident.
One night another son was driving home with a group of friends when a policeman pulled them over and made them all get out of the car. The driver wanted to know what they had been pulled over for and was told there were deer out that night and the policeman wanted to warn them to drive carefully. Okay. The policeman then made them stick out their tongues and proceeded to tell them that their tongues were green so he knew they had been smoking marijuana. He kept talking to them, harassing them about all sorts of things they had not done until one of them said that they were going to be late for curfew (their family, curfew, not the town curfew). The policeman asked what their curfew was and said he was going to keep them until they were late. At that point, one of the boys whose parents are political activists asked the man's name and badge number. He finally let them go then, without giving his name or badge number.
One evening we (sweet C and I) were sitting on the front porch listening to his ham radio when we heard about a riot at a youth dance at the next town. The police were asking for backup from the closest towns. Our three youngest boys were all at that dance so we went up to get them. When we got there young people were streaming down to the closest store to try and call home, wandering everywhere while they waited for their parents to pick them up. We walked into the crowd to try to find our boys. We found one, and he was steps behind us when a policeman started yelling at him to get out of there, go home, he'd been told to disperse, why was he still there?!!! He replied that he was looking for his little brother, which got more yelling, and then said he was with his parents, and pointed to us. The policeman calmed right down but we had already heard him, all of them, screaming at these kids as if they were criminals. We later heard what had started the riot. Someone in a house nearby had set out a chair for the parade the next day, and one of the kids had picked it up and brought it to the dance to sit on. The woman called the police and they came to find a young man sitting in it. They immediately started bullying him about taking the chair, only, this young man hadn't brought the chair over, he was just sitting in it. He also happened to be a young man with mental problems, he is rather slow, though probably not retarded. When the policeman got into his face and was yelling at him, another boy stepped in and tried to protect the first boy. The policeman yelled at and shoved the second boy, so the kid shoved back. The policeman was twisted around at that point and he went down, twisting his ankle. He came up spraying mace everywhere, and all the kids who got hit started yelling, which made the other two police at the scene jump in and start with the night sticks, as well as call for backup. This was an outdoor dance held in the parking lot of a church. No seating provided, no access to restrooms, or phones. Kids had been dropped of by their parents with instructions that they would be picked up at a certain hour, and after the first few kids came to the only store nearby , the store owners wouldn't let anyone else borrow their telephone. The kids had no way to reach their parents (cell phones were just coming in to fashion, only one or two kids had them) and no way to get home.
One day we got a call from the school. Our son was with the police. He was suspected of stealing a stereo out of a car in the auto shop. When we got down there we found that the police had been questioning him for hours, telling him that the other kids all said he had done it, and that they, (the police) knew he had, as they had proof. They showed us the tape from the shop camera, and sure enough, you can see my son get into the car. And you can see him get right back out again. He was in there all of 3 seconds, not time enough to steal anything. I pointed that out to the police, as well as the fact that he had not left the shop before they arrived, where would he have the stereo? Turns out the kid who fingered my son was the one who took the stereo.
One of my sons got a ticket for obstruction of vision. Since there was nothing obstructing his vision except a little tree shaped piece of cardboard hanging from the mirror, he went to court to talk to the judge. Turned out the policeman was driving past and saw my son flip him the bird. Now, I am ashamed that my son did that, but it isn't against the law. The judge told him so and let him off.
My boys don't think much of policemen.
Yesterday one of my sons came out to find his car had been booted. This car is new, only four months old. Right after he bought the car he got two tickets for parking in front of his house, (no off street parking at his place of residence so he has to park on the street) without a permit. Only, you can't get the permit without proof of registration and it hadn't come yet. When the license came he went to get a permit, but needed the paperwork. They hadn't sent paperwork, only a license. He went to the DMV to get paperwork, but they had suspended his license since they didn't get proof of insurance. When he called the insurance company it turned out that they had sent paperwork, but one number or letter on the VIN didn't match what the DMV had so it was ignored. He got that straightened out, but before the paperwork came he had received two more tickets. Revenue is down so the city has doubled the price of tickets. This young man has been out of work for three months and doesn't have the money to pay the tickets so hadn't done so. Now he has had to pay the last of his savings to pay 4 tickets he never should have gotten and the boot removal fee. $530, but you can't find a job if you don't have a car. Besides, they would have towed the car if he didn't pay it, they have done it before, and then he would have owed even more.
Ever think the government is just out to get you?

A bit of cheer

2009-01-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

A quick update: I still don't know what exactly is causing my vertigo. The doctor just gave me motion sickness pills, and since they make one drowsy and so they shouldn't drive - I seldom take them. I am getting rather used to being dizzy though! Hah!
I really am posting just to bring a little spring into this very cold and snowy winter. I thought I should post some pictures I took at Thanksgiving Point Gardens last summer and saved purposely for mid-winter cheer. Hope you ENJOYED them!

All living things need WATER!

2009-01-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

When I got up yesterday morning the room swayed, my head spun and I nearly fell. I had to grab the closest thing twice more before I made it to the bathroom! I didn't know what to think, it felt like when I was hypoglycemic and didn't eat. But I did eat and I no longer have low blood sugar. We had been working out with the trainer the day before and my legs were killing me. He had us do three different exercises that targeted the front of the thighs and believe me, I felt the burn. Could that be causing my vertigo? Was I having my blood blocked? I had just read about the symptoms of women having heart attacks (as opposed to men), and I think I have most of them all the time. That is the biggest problem with women's health. So many of the things that would be really dangerous if it happened to a man, we deal with every month. Could I be having a heart attack? We did our normal walk, and ran a few errands. I went fabric shopping with a friend. But through it all, every time I changed position I nearly passed out. I even sat in a recliner and tried to sleep. My head was spinning even more with my eyes closed. I saw weird colors and patterns behind my eyelids.
It felt like a bad reaction to a drug, or fainting when pregnant. Mostly it felt like when you were a little kid and spinning, spinning, spinning on a merry-go-round. Then when you get off your head still spins and you have to sit down until it passes. Only, this isn't passing!
This morning, still spinning, sweet C looked it up for me on the internet. There were three possibilities, low blood pressure, an inner ear infection, or dehydration.
Dehydration sort of feels right. I forget to drink. So I started guzzling water. So far, though I am hardly back to normal, it does feel a bit better. (If it isn't all the way better by tomorrow I will call the doctor, this is just weird!!!)
So now I have another thought. My mother suffered with vertigo for years. It seemed to start after a heart surgery when her eyesight never came back into focus. Now I have to wonder if she was simply dehydrated for years. She almost never drank anything. I always worried about that, but didn't think about it causing the dizzyness.
Oh, for the days when I didn't have just one medical concern after another!!!!

Oh, remember, remember

2008-12-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

I am doing the same job that I did 10 years ago. Every day I am reminded of things I did before that I had forgotten. I do learn a few new things, as we are doing some things differently this time around, but mostly it is a matter of remembering.
It makes me think about how often the scriptures ask us to remember, remember - usually repeated twice. When one stops going to church, or stops living the gospel as they know it, for whatever reason - they quickly begin to forget those things they knew or believed. Very quickly after choosing to ignore God and His ways we no longer remember what those ways were and it becomes easier to ignore more, which makes us forget more. Eventually we can drown out even the basic conscience that belongs to all men. God will do for us those things that we cannot do for ourselves, but we must do those things that we can, such as be good, be kind, follow the commandments, obey God's law. He that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, it is sin. That's a misquote but I'm not looking in my scriptures right now. I feel like I am seeing so much more immorality in the world than I used to. Those of us trying to follow the teachings of Christ must become better in order to keep the balance in the world.
I propose an experiment. Look up in the scriptures how many things we are told to remember. Maybe we can learn something we need from these things?

Having a happy holiday

2008-12-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

My daughter was able, at nearly the last minute, come with hubby and baby to visit us for Christmas. So brother from California and his girlfriend came to be sure to see the baby and the two boys in SLC made it down as well. They may be coming to see baby but I got to see them too!! We were rather snowed in, it has snowed many inches many times in the past few days, but we made a fire, shoveled snow and visited a lot. Drank a lot of hot chocolate. We should probably have played more games but talking seems to take up all our time. Watched a few movies, played with my grandpuppy and a grandkitty too. Mostly it was a quiet Christmas as I am toning down the santa stuff and putting up more nativities instead. We sang hymns and read scriptures and ate a lot. One son and his girlfriend made a huge snowman which then proceeded to tilt over the next few days till it finally hit the ground. Hilarious! It was a good time and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if my oldest son and his family could have come. Maybe next time?

Over veg-ing

2008-12-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

I am so out of practice at working full time! I get the work done fine, maybe even a little too much (my tendency is to fill out my time card and then later study something I need to, do e-mail to my boss, sort things for the next day. I swore I wouldn't 'give' time away this time but I do that just the same), However, I am having trouble keeping up with my housework. I am tired when I get home. I don't want to start a new cleaning project or renovating project. I will get better as I get used to work (I keep promising myself!), but right now I just want to sit and knit - crochet, and watch Christmas specials. At least I don't have to worry about doing any chores outside. It is too cold, too snowy and I did most of what I needed to in the yard before it became too cold and snowy. I would have liked to move some strawberry plants, but they will wait til next year. No, it is the renovating that needs my time and attention and is just not getting it. I WILL DO BETTER, I WILL DO BETTER. Think affirmations really work?

My word is my bond!

2008-12-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

I have gone back to work full time. I'm very torn between wanting to stay home and do all the work that I need to do around here, (I still have move in stuff to do, cleaning stuff to do, and renovating stuff to do) and wanting to work and get out of debt. Renovating was my idea, but my timing was awful. Now I worry every time I hear a new message about preparedness. We had a member of the stake presidency speak to us again last Sunday. I owe money and I want not to!
So, I am back working for the US Census Bureau. I'm recruiting for individuals to work on the 16 operations we will have leading up to and taking the decennial census. Anyone who is interested in temporary work, (some part time, some full time) please call 1-866-861-2010. They will tell you where to apply in your area.

Another reason that I am feeling especially the need to get out of debt is that I have just heard a story of the latest loss of integrity in the world. The newest thing is to buy a new house while you are still in the old one. Prices have fallen so you might find a bargain. Then, after having obtained the new house, you stop making payments on the old one. It is foreclosed upon, your credit is ruined, but you have a house already so you don't care. This is fraud! It is stealing! It is conspiracy to commit fraud! It is totally illegal and completely immoral, yet people are getting away with it. There are too many of these crimes for them to be prosecuted.
Guess who will end up paying for this crime? All of us who want to buy houses in the future. All of us whose hard earned money is going to bail out companies who borrowed their entire working capital. All of us who want to use a bank that used poor business sense and lent to people without checking to see if they would pay back.
Lack of integrity in the world affects all of us. Stealing effects us all. (Obviously I don't know which of those words is correct.) However, I, for one, will pay everything that I have contracted to pay! My integrity is more important to me than any loss of value. (Hey, if I thought it was worth what I paid for it why should what is going on in the market effect my belief?)

Some basic respect, please, for other people and their things.

2008-11-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

Spent the day at my husband's place of working doing lunch for them. I saw a lovely rusty orange microfiber sofa that I would love to have, or give to one of my children. It was contemporary, very pretty and warm feeling.
Just happened to notice while I was there that one of the customers had taken off her children's shoes and was letting them jump on the mattresses! These are mattresses that belong to the retail establishment in which she is shopping. Same customer had earlier been letting her children push strollers around into furniture and appliances.
I read an article years ago called "Those Poor People and Their Poor Ways". I'm sure I have bored people to death with discussing parts of that article, but really, how can a person treat anyones property that way? How would you like to be the person who bought a mattress that someone else's children had been playing on? How can you justify treating your own property so poorly that you break it down as soon as you have it?
My church used to have a maxim: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." In spite of some recent evidence to the contrary, I do agree with that maxim. We have too many products that cannot be repaired if they break down. We have too many poorly made things. And we treat our property with such casual disregard that things have to be replaced much too often.
I love the clearance store because I love a bargain and can't help but love the idea of buying a leather couch that is brand new for 1/2 off because someone didn't like a little scratch in it. It was going to get a scratch within minutes of being in the house anyway.
However, it wasn't going to get the scratch from the way I treat it. I take care of my things. (and I vow here and now to take better care of my things in the future.)

Family History work

2008-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

We had a follow up fireside last night regarding the regional conference and temple week we had in September. Some amazing promises were made to us by our Stake President and we heard reports of some of the experiences members of our stake had in trying to follow the word of our priesthood leader. Too sacred to tell, but just let me say, when you are told to do something, and you follow through, fabulous things happen.
Get out of debt. Get food and other emergency storage. Get a financial storage (ie: save money!!!!) and most of all, attend the temple. Be spiritually prepared for the things that may come in the future. Do as the Lord says and trust in Him, and things will be ok.

Time in the woods.

2008-11-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Last week some friends invited us to spend the weekend with them at their cabin near Bear Lake in Idaho. We have a wonderful, relaxing time hiking, playing games, watching movies and of course, visiting with our friends. We have a lot of fun when we travel with friends.
Unfortunately, in this case we met up with a bad traffic accident wherein a propane truck dumped on the freeway. We were stuck in traffic for a good three hours.
Their cabin is very nice. I didn't take the best pictures, lighting was either too bright because of the sunshine or too dark without. Still, I thought I would show you a few. This is the living room.
This is a shot of the exterior.
This is the bedroom we stayed in.
This is a shot of the kitchen.
Here are the stairs up to the loft.
Look how cute the doors to the bathroom cabinets are.
This is the bed in the master bedroom. It is bigger than it looks. I couldn't fit the whole thing onto my screen.
This is a view of the lake from the main floor deck. Views were beautiful even in the late fall. We did wake to find a skiff of snow on this deck Sunday morning.
This is the wrap around seating on the lower deck.
This is a rather poor shot of the lower level bonus room. The cabin has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a large bonus room, a two car garage, kitchen with dining area and living room area, and three decks - the main deck wrapping around three sides. The Idea of a cabin at the lake is a wonderful one. I'd love to own such a thing. However, these cabins are more homes, with furnaces and electricity, water, sewer, and propane gas. Also they cost as much as a home in town. I couldn't justify that for a recreational property. Still, we had a great time. Their cabin is for sale if anyone is interested. E-mail me and I'll pass on your interest.

It was a great weekend with friends and I am thankful to them for inviting us along.
The futon in the loft.
A too early in the morning view of the lake.

Barack

2008-11-19T16:33:00.000-08:00

I gotta say, I am rather excited about the idea of our first 'black' president. I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it on my own. I am not the type to vote for, or not vote for a person based on their 'race', or 'color'. However, after watching how very excited the black population is about this whole thing, I think we do need to have a person of color as president, finally.
I guess I don't understand the whole feeling picked on because of race thing. I once saw an interview with Brian Gumball (?is that the name?) and the interviewer asked how he would feel if a waitress slammed his plate down in front of him. He said he would think she didn't like blacks. I thought then, and I think now, that it would be much more likely that she was having a bad day, or that she was just rude. There is, after all, plain meanness. I live among a people who love all races and my church teaches that we are all children of God, so, most of us don't notice color except for interest sake.
On the other hand, I am the type of person who votes for someone because I agree with their ideals. I am a fiscal conservative who has voted independently all of my life. I was very unhappy about all of our choices because the history of democrats is to spend our money for programs and lately the republicans have put us miles deeper into debt.
Government is not your daddy. When you receive money from any government program it is being paid for by the guy next door. No problem if there is true need. As in; truly unable to work. But way too many of those monies go to the simply lazy. Everyone in this country has the opportunity to receive a high school education for 'free'. The rest of us should not spend our lives trying to pay for the choices of those who couldn't be bothered to get at least a high school education. We should not spend our lives paying for the needs of those who would rather get high, play around, or do a million other things rather than take care of their own responsibilities.
So, my hope is that our new president will think of all the citizens of this and not just switch to a lot of new programs. I am very concerned about the taxes and expenditures he may implement. But. . . . . I would so like to see him be a great president. We so need a great president!
So, good luck and may God bless Barack Obama.

Investment tips for our time (cheerfully stolen from someone else)

2008-11-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

With all the turmoil in the market today and the collapse of Lehman Bros and Acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America this might be some good advice. For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks.

Watch for these consolidations in the near future:

1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and WR Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

2.) Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become:
Poly, Warner, Cracker.

3.) 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood

4.) Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.

5.) FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FEDUP

6.) Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become:
Fairwell Honeychild.

7.)Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.

8.) Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: KnottNOW.

and finally. . . . .

9.) Victoria's Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name: TittyTittyBangBang.

(sorry about that last one but it was funny, if crass. We all need a laugh.)

Finding Joy

2008-11-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Quote: "This is our one and only chance at mortal life - here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey - now."
This was the quote read to me today by my VT's. My first thought was of my daughters mission, where they often used the line "Got Joy?' to lift each other up. They even had 'joy wands' so they could bestow joy upon one another.
I really have up days and down days and pain gets in the way more than it should sometimes, but I must say, I really do love working in the yard, planting flowers and watching them grow, planting vegetables and weeding them (notice I didn't say in harvesting them), raking leaves and feeding the soil with them, knitting and giving what I have knit to someone. I even enJOY washing the dishes. Sometimes, the things that I don't like are only un-fun because I am alone. Yesterday my son and I were mudding sheetrock, sanding, and painting. Ok, I always like painting, but I am really bad with sheetrock. I can do anything else in regards to building better that I can mud. But, because my son was working there in the same room it was fun.
Enjoy your journey today, whatever it may be.

Crazy 8s

2008-11-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

8 TV shows I like:
1. CSI
2. Gilmore Girls (I still see them in reruns)
3. Ghost Whisperer
4. House
5. Fringe
6. Pushing Daisies
7. Numbers
8. Blog Cabin (DIY)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Cafe Rio
2. Market Street Grill
3. Sages
4. Lemon Tree
5. Chilis
6. Wingers
7. Sweet Tomatoes
8. Garden Cafe (at Thanksgiving Point)

8 Things I did yesterday
1. sanded sheetrock mud
2. primed the wall
3. got my bike brakes fixed
4. exercised at the pool (I don't really swim, I do pool aerobics)
5. painted the wall
6. finished a hat for Adopt a Stocking
7. swept, swept, swept the garage
8. exercised a lot

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Christmas
2. finishing my house renovations
3. finishing my handmade Christmas items
4. losing some weight
5. getting in better shape (I am working on the last two, but boy is it slow)
6. tilling leaves into the garden
7. redesigning my garden pool
8. putting my sewing room back together so I can sew! (it is the staging area for all other renovation work)

8 Things I love about this fall:
1. How long it stayed warm!
2. Actually harvesting all the grapes
3. Getting most of the fall yard work done (with youngest son's help)
4. Watching all the leaves turn color
5. Nearly two months worth of PERFECT days
6. No need for furnace yet!
7. Feeling better than the last two years (maybe I am finally getting over it all)
8. Walking outside

8 Things on my wish list
1. Other than wishing to be skinny and rich, (don't we all?) I don't really need much except some very sacred things I'd rather not say in public.

I tag Chrys, Jennifer B, Lily, AJ, and Shannie Liz

For the good of the Nation

2008-11-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

I've tried to say very little about the election. I can get way too caught up in politics and I am trying to become a kinder, gentler, more spiritual person so . . . . . Talk about being of two minds. I am so torn. I really don't believe either of our choices for president is good for the country. In fact, I don't think either party is good for the country. Politics has become so much about power - their personal power and party power, and so little about the good of the nation. No one in power really cares about the American people. Mostly, I think ethics, personal and political, have gone by the way side. I think we really, really need a return to the Constitution and to real values, such as honesty and integrity. To doing things for the greater good. We really need to stop the constant spending, spending spending without the funds to back it. We are so terribly in debt and no one seems to think about putting the brakes on. It is all so very depressing.

Conflicting desires.

2008-10-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

My old boss called me to say they are testing for the first wave of a new job. I haven't worked since Reno, (where I worked 3 part time jobs - usually around 12 hours a day) and I am very torn. I've spent everything I made the last time I was working and with the economy the way it is and what with (my) insisting on coming back to Utah, sweet C's income is down by at least a third. We could certainly use the money. Plus, I seem to accomplish more with a schedule that I have to keep to. I really want to go to work.
On the other hand, in Reno we lived in a condo where there is no yard work. It was in unusually good shape so I had little house work to do. Here, I have 1/2 acre of vegetable garden, fruit trees, bushes, flowers, lawn and misc. ground to care for. I moved out in to the yard to work when the weather warmed up and I still haven't finished my inside the house sorting, putting away and renovations. And this is a much bigger house to clean. I really want to stay home and work here.

Sweet C has lost a lot of weight. He has worked really, really hard to do so, getting up very early to exercise and changing his diet completely. He looks younger, and prettier. I really want to lose weight to keep up with him - can't have him looking so good some other woman takes him away from me!
On the other hand, I have changed my diet a lot also, but truly don't want to give up sweets altogether (which he has done). I am always tired and don't want to give up much more sleep to exercise a lot more and I am always hungry. I don't know if he is always hungry but if he is he doesn't complain about it the way I do. I really want to keep eating cookies - they are my comfort food.

I could tell you about some more serious conflicts of interest, but you would just tell me to make up my mind and do what needs to be done. If I could make up my mind to just be good - I would be a much better person all around wouldn't I?

rubys

2008-10-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have spent a large part of the last 3 days finishing the beets. I bottled most, dried a few. Beets take me a long time. Digging, cleaning, trimming, boiling, skinning, cutting then bottling. I really like beets but wheew! I only a have a few more apples then I will be done with the harvest. I have a lot more trimming, and all the bulbs to plant still in the yard, and the weather has been perfect but I have been inside putting up the harvest! I hope I can get the yard all put together for the winter. I bought 20 dozen bulbs at the Thanksgiving Point bulb sale in the summer. Hope the spring is worth the work I need to do!

To bless and sanctify

2008-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

I have thought a lot lately about Christ and his role in my life. I have studied the scriptures with more purpose, and listened more carefully to what others say about Him.
One of the things I have noticed is how my thoughts about Christ are affected by the young men blessing the sacrament. When they speak clearly, enunciate well, and seem as though they themselves are paying attention to what they are saying - I find it easier and more productive to think about the life and sacrifices of Jesus. When they mumble and stumble over words and pay no attention to the reading I find myself thinking more about them and how well they read or how they live their lives, than about Jesus.
Yesterday a young man in our ward spoke clearly, distinctly and with power as he gave the sacrament prayer. I have noticed this young man in his personal life is neat and clean, hardworking and productive and truly going somewhere with his life. The young men who mumble often are also sloppy in their dress and grooming, and pay little attention to schoolwork or outside work. It seems to be all part of a pattern. . . . . .
Making me think that I need to pay more attention to the way I dress for church and temple, my own grooming and the attention I pay to other parts of my life. Have I let myself become too sloppy in all the parts of my life?

Bailout stupidity

2008-10-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't actually spoken to anyone who thinks the bailout was/is a good idea. One of my sons says he has. (spoken to someone who thinks it is, he doesn't!) I am NOT good at explaining myself so I suggest you go read Kip's blog, because he is.

Weathering the weather

2008-10-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

We woke to this in the backyard this morning,
And this in the front yard.
We knew cold weather was coming, for a few days, so we picked all the apples, plums, most of the grapes, and all the red tomatoes. We spent Friday and Saturday bottling and drying the plums and grapes. Still need to do the apples. We made a lot of grape juice from what are actually table grapes. We just mixed the varieties as they are on the arbor, so the juice turned out to be a lovely rose color.

Weathering the weather

2008-10-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

We visited my in-laws in Florida this past week and while there we went to Homassassas State Park. Our favorite thing at the park were the alligators.
While there we visited some birds, including waterfowl,
fish, ( I know this is a terrible picture but I took it through the thick glass wall of an underwater tank. There are tiny little fish swimming upside down along with the big fish)
Manatees, (He is feeding them and there are two or three gathered around but I couldn't get a great picture since they went back below so quickly!)
this is another try at catching a manatee on film.
other species native to Florida.
We also visited the beach, and our very favorite at Homassasas State Park

The baby alligator. In Florida it was warm, 85-90 degrees, and the humidity was quite high. I would come home from a simple morning walk covered in sweat. What a difference!

Between a rock and a hard place

2008-10-10T01:35:00.000-07:00

I spent the day yesterday trying to bail my son out of one of those terrible positions society sometimes puts young people into. His car had been impounded for expired registration. He was pulled over literally around the corner from his house, and even though he actually begged the police officer not to impound, just to ticket and let him go home and fix it, the officer swore at him, called him names and took the car. He had committed no moving violations, wasn't guilty of any other crime, and certainly wasn't DUI, so he called the officer's superior, and was told that he was correct, it shouldn't have been impounded but he still had to pay the fees etc.
The problem was never that he wouldn't register it, he would have been happy to, the problem was that he couldn''t, because he couldn't get the rotor off to replace the brake pad, it was rusted on. Therefore the car wouldn't pass safety even though the brakes were working fine. He had spent a full day off here at my house trying to remove the rotor, and just ended up with a broken bolt for his trouble - you know, the ones that hold the wheel on. Now he needed the bolt drilled out and replaced too. He had called a brake shop but was told that he could never bring it in after work, even though he is sometimes off as early as 3pm, he needed to bring it in early in the day and leave it all day. But he couldn't do that, he needs it to work and he can't afford to miss a day. And he really couldn't afford to pay to have the work done.
He has searched, this boy, and been unable to find any place he can rent for less than $600 a month. (and that gets him a tiny, crumby little apartment he can barely move around in with no off street parking.) At barely over minimum wage he cannot live without a roommate, and even with, food has nearly doubled in the last few months and gas, well we all know about gas. He uses his car to work (cleans carpets for a living but the employer doesn't provide transportation) so he has to have a car, and regardless he would have to get to work.
I've seen it before. They need to register a car, but can't afford to, or can't afford to do the work on the car needed to register. So they are driving, or parking with an expired registration. They don't want to break the law, they just can't afford to comply. So the state, in it's infinate wisdom, tickets them, and if they don't pay the ticket in a certain amount of time, because they simply can't afford to, the fine doubles, then triples and keeps going up from there. They can never get out from under without help!
So, I helped. We paid the registration fee, and a late fee, and an impound fee and a towing fee, and a storage fee and then the necessary repairs to make it pass inspection. All this on a little old car that ran pretty well before. Registration alone would have cost $86. Altogether it cost over $1000 to make a car worth not more than $500 "road worthy" in the eyes of the state. Yet we couldn't let it just sit there, the fees will still keep piling up. Even if you give the car to the state you have to pay the towing and storage and impound fees. (And then you don't have any car!)
My son will be working for me for every day off for months trying to pay me back. Don't you just love government?

Singing my heart out

2008-09-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, my choir experience is over. What a fabulous time we had! Friendships made, jokes told, but mostly the most incredible spiritual experience. A lot of it was all the fabulous people we heard speak over the weeks of rehearsal. A lot of it was the wonderful director, who has such a bright, light spirit and shares it with all. Most of it was the introspection that we all went through in our attempt to be ready to sing our testimonies out to the world. We grew to love the women all over the world. We thought long and hard about what we believe and why. We spent much of the day at the conference center, rehearsing, doing lighting and camera checks, and visiting. The actual conference seemed to fly by in no more than 5 minutes and then, it was all over. Rather sad to break us up as we had such a great time. I just want to say that now, more than ever, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ and his Atonement. I am finally beginning to understand the Atonement. How gracious, kind and good to us Jesus is! I believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I feel so privileged to belong to this church, and to this most active, serving, loving and spiritual group of women, the Relief Society! We are the largest group of women on earth, and the ones who do the most. (We aren't the loudest, but we do the most to serve others and change lives.) Thanks for listening to us all, we had fun.

Incredible Honor!

2008-09-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a member of the bishopric approached me to ask if I would be interested in singing in the choir for the upcoming General Women's Conference. I wondered why they would ask me; I sing tenor normally and my voice has been very hoarse over the last couple of years. (Though it is better with a change in medication.) I know I cannot really sing well enough to do this but what an honor to be asked! And the opportunity to be near the prophet and other general authorities, too cool to pass up. Of course I said I would love to!
The rehearsals have been an incredible experience. We have met and heard a short encouraging "speech" by all three members of the General Relief Society Presidency, a number of members of the general music committee, our local musical representative, other members of the Relief Society General Board and the stake president for some of the other stake's involved in this. Our stake is the contact stake. At the first rehearsal our Stake President gave the entire choir a wonderful speech and a communal blessing, a rare and very lovely occurrence. we have essentially been told that this is more about showing our testimony than about singing. We have actually spent more time hearing encouraging words than singing. We are expected to practice singing at home on our own.
So, considering my voice and core tendency towards self-doubt, would I be asking too much to ask all of you to pray for me? Thank you! I hope not to be caught by the camera, I can just imagine me scratching my cheek just as the camera scanned my face, but as far as testimony goes, I believe in God, and this church, I love Jesus Christ, and hope that my testimony does show when people see me. Please, encourage everyone you know, member and non-member alike, to watch this conference. That is the point of this meeting.

Refilling the space

2008-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, we are filling the empty bottles with whole grains and legumes, which play a much larger part in our diets nowadays. I know the parlor seems a funny place to stage such a thing, especially since I have always had a rule about 'no stuff' in the parlor, but it seemed the only place to gather that many filled bottles. We need 100 jars in order to use the oxegen packets, which come in packages of 100 and begin to work as soon as you open the packet. In case you cannot tell, there is no wheat or rice in the mix there. That is because when we did our inventory we found that we had plenty of white rice and wheat. We are getting there.

Amazing!

2008-09-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Would you believe it took me the better part of two days to wash all the bottles I emptied? Of course, when my back got to hurting too much I sat to knit a row, but what I am knitting is a baby sweater and I am on the sleeve, so short sit. Now we will fill them all with grains, beans and a few bottled fruits and veggies.

Bringing joy into life

2008-09-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

I Thought it was time to put something of my garden here to bring joy into others lives, as they bring joy into mine.

Here is my very tiny Hydrangea. If you know my daughter and have seen the giant blue hydrangeas on her blog you will know how alkaline my soil is in comparison to Wales.

This is the largest of my dahlias.
This little flower is one you see all the time, unfortunately I cannot at the moment remember the name though it is one of my favorite. It comes in a orange and yellow version, and a pink and yellow version. The sun was too bright, this is the pink and yellow.

The Matter of Thought

2008-09-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is the poem by Henry Van Dyke that I mentioned earlier:

I hold it true that thoughts are things;
They're endowed with bodies, breath and wings;
And that we send them forth to fill
The world with good results, or ill.

That which we call our secret thought
Speeds forth to earth's remotest spot,
Leaving its blessing or its woes
Like tracks behind it as it goes.

We build our future, thought by thought,
For good or ill, yet know it not.
Yet so the universe was wrought.

Someone I have seen much of lately, Merilee Webb, talks a lot about the fruit that we produce. How often, when we think bad thoughts, or negative thoughts, or even just less than nice thoughts, we send those thoughts forth to sicken others with our 'bad fruit'. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to any and everyone I have sickened with my 'bad fruit' and to promise that I am trying very hard not to do that anymore.

Preparation

2008-09-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sweet C has, for some time, been concerned with our food storage. He has wanted to inventory, throw out old things and replace with things we are eating now. More whole grains for one thing.
This past weekend was our regional conference. The Saturday night meeting was all about preparation. Not emergency preparation but simply being prepared for what ever may come in our lives. They spoke about the economy, and getting out of debt. They spoke about not turning our wants into needs. They spoke a lot about food storage, and challenged us to get a three month supply as soon as possible, even if it is by buying 3 extra cans of food per week. They also spoke about getting together a store of money. Start with making sure we have a one month supply of savings, then build it up to three, then six, until we all have a years financial needs set aside (Huge goal!!!)
Sunday meeting were more on the theme of spiritual preparation. We had two general authorities so it was really, really good, but many people were more impressed by the Saturday night meeting.
I had been cleaning out our storage room three or four bottles at a time. This week C began to help me. Yeah! He can carry much more than I can. He carried out a couple of hundred bottles. So I have been emptying the bottles into trenches in the largest garden bed. (Hard on the back.) I know it looks really silly, but it does feed the soil and gets all the old fruit out of the storage room so I can put in new and fresh. I'm a little torn. All those bottles represent a lot of work. In the old days when the kids were little we would put up 4 or 5 batches of everything, every year. My kids, little or big, were very good hard workers, and helped a ton. We never ate it all, so I had bottles that were very old and discolored. I won't be bottling so much in the way of fruit and vegetables now - with only two of us we will never eat as much as we used to bottle. I emptied a huge variety of stuff, but I think I feel the worst about the salsa and the black raspberry syrup. Those two were the most work, and taste the best. I doubt I will get much more bottled this year though. Still to much cleaning and sorting to do. Wish me luck.

State Fair

2008-09-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

The state fair is going on in Utah and we went the very first day. (It's cheaper that way.) I wanted to share a few pictures with you. I took waaaaayyyyy too many, but you can get an idea, and if you are in Utah you should go, it's a good fair. You see here some displays from the home arts building, the agricultural building, a tiger show, the art building, the floral display, photography, creative arts and the 4-H building. I forgot to take pictures in the fruit and vegetable display area.

HighWind Utah

2008-09-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

There was a big wind storm at the beginning of the week and it took down my corn. I didn't think to take a picture until I had removed most of the stalks but here is a shot of the last few rows. I still got nearly an ear of corn per kernal planted as I got both ears from some stalks so I can't complain too much, but there were quite a few that would have matured later, if the wind hadn't taken them down. I also lost a lot of green plums. Don't know why, since they are so green you wouldn't think they would blow down. Sigh. The saddest part is that I think I may have lost some hummingbirds. I had quite a little flock coming before the storm. I didn't see any during or after the storm, for days after the storm. Two days ago one showed up, and that is all I have seen since.

The non-chef

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Monday was Labor day, so I was at my husbands place of work, feeding the troops. I do this often, since on a big sale day the employees can't leave to go buy lunch. Usually I set out a make-your-own sandwich bar, I have been known to do chili, or bring in food from Appleby's or Boston Market. I have done salads and desserts. This week I made two types of soup and put them in crock pots to keep them warm. Two problems: One of the crock pots was missing the knob and couldn't be turned down to warm, and I made chicken noodle as one of the soups but there are fewer employees at this store and they were very busy so didn't all come up to eat near noon. When you leave noodles cooking for a long time they become rather mushy. (still tasted good but the texture was soft)
This is the part I find hilarious. I often feed 60 to 250 people at a time, and I don't cook!!!

The Mind of a Faith-Filled Disciple

2008-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

This is another of my education week classes. Notes as follows: (please remember that I have to cut my notes to the bone to post them-there simply isn't room. And of course the instructor says 3 times what I get down on paper.)
(day 1)Overcoming the World and Our Weaknesses by Faith:
A disciple is more than a 'believer' or a 'hearer'. A disciple is one who entertains a field of discipline, a field of instruction, of schooling or training, of a system of conduct. (see D&C 76:50-54)
A story was told of a school for thoroughbred horses. All are trained to come to a clap and call. Food is then withheld for 3 days. Placed within sight is fresh water and hay, and all the horses are let out. Just before they reach the food comes the clap and call. 80 % go on to the food, only those few who forgo the food and turn to the masters call are allowed to breed to be the sires of champions. They alone will obey and delay gratification. Can we see the final reward clearly enough to ignore the world and obey the master? (see Heb. 11:24-27)
Unless you do what you say you believe in, you don't know if you truly believe.
Brigham Young in the Journal of Discourses: . . . it is a masterwork to school our minds so as at all times to exercise complete power over them.
Joseph Smith: Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time. . .
Henry Van Dyke: Thoughts are things. We build our futures thought by thought and so the universe was wrought.
A story told of a young athlete who was in a bad accident which changed her life and abilities completely. She saw that she was still in a position of choice. She could choose self pity, anger and bitterness, or she could go forward with her life. Only her body had changed. She said that she had a body, but she was not her body, she has feelings but she is not her feelings, she has emotions but she is not her emotions. She is a thinker of thoughts, and she chooses the thoughts.
We can think about our thinking right in the process of thinking it and we can change our thinking. We can choose to be positive.
We label ourselves, such as "I'm just not a morning person" like God made us that way. We have no fixed personality. We can change it. We do it all the time. We go to answer the door. We have one personality if the person at the door is an IRS agent coming to discuss our taxes and another personality if the person at the door is Cindy Crawford (Brad Pitt)(someone else we think is hot!) It all depends on our attitude, belief, perspective and character - all things we choose.
At judgment day we will be accountable for our thoughts because when life is completed you will be the sum of, the product of, your thoughts. We alter our destiny by altering our thoughts.
(day2)Cultivating Righteous Desires:
Some of Joseph's visions came as a flow of pure intelligence into his mind. Then he had to find a way to communicate them to us in a way we could understand - into the English language. ( I have said this myself, sometimes the revelation given to the prophet was as simple as, for instance, a strong feeling that we need to find a way to reach the youth. Create a MIA and over the years try to improve how it works. Does the fact that now we have Young Women and Young Men instead mean the church isn't true because it changed and God is supposed to be unchanging? Of course not!)(sorry, sidetracked!) Joseph progressively called the essence of our being; the soul, the mind of man, the immortal spirit, the mind (again), intelligence and then intelligence of Spirits. Our teacher called it "the thinker of thoughts". That part of us responsible for everything we think.
Satan can and does insert inappropriate, untrue, self-denigrating thoughts into our minds, but we can choose to delete them.
Remember the adage "If you make a mess you clean it up"? Well how about "If you don't make a mess you don't have to clean it up"? We don't have to choose to retain improper thoughts. Nobody makes us mad. We allow ourselves to become mad. Happiness is a creation in the corridors of our minds.
David O. McKay: "Man is the creator of his own happiness."
Abraham Lincoln (after losing a senatorial race, losing his mother, losing his first wife) said he was the most miserable man alive and couldn't remain that way. Then he said: "I have come to the understanding that people are about as happy in life as they make up their minds to be."
Helen Keller: "I seldom think of my limitations and they never make me sad."
Stop murmuring, stop doubting, stop complaining, stop finding fault with others and with self. (oh, whoops, that was in my notes, so he said it, but was starred specifically for me).
Do you think you need a reason to be happy? No! Decide to be happy!!! Be an owner, not a victim.
(day3) Choosing Life over Death, One Thought at a Time:
The greatest mystery a man will ever learn is how to master his own mind.
The degree to which we take from what is "there" depends much on the mindset we bring to it. (whatever "there" may be, church, a seminar, FHE etc.)
We receive according to the seeds that we sow. Do we go to a seminar with a mocking attitude, or a desire to learn whatever we can?
2 Nephi 2:27 choose! (here in my notes there is stuff impossible to type Pictures and arrows etc. If you are really interested call me and I'll tell you about it.)
Joseph Smith's cheery disposition was a choice. He had plenty to by depressed about.
When Norman Vincent Peale first said that the happy would live longer, the medical community censured him. Now all believe it. (Power of Positive Thinking)
He told a story about a motorcycle ride. His friend who loves to ride, sees the passing scenery, feels the air flowing past and his interlukin - a chemical in the brain which raises your immune system, is elevated. He, on the other hand is scared of motorcycles, sees the passing scenery, feels the air flowing past and his cortisol - a chemical in the brain which suppresses the immune system, is elevated. Most heart attacks happen on monday. Why? We have a bad attitude about monday. 31% of those who die of heart attacks have no plaque, no high cholesteral. They have a bad reaction to a letter from the homeowners association. (Or the IRS, or the kids.) We can kill ourselves with our thoughts.
Begin where you are and start practicing thinking more positively. We all have bad habits, but they are only habits. When we start thinking differently, things are different.
Look for good. The eye sees what the mind looks for. Look at the life Christ lived, and yet some saw Him as a devil.
(day 4)Internalizing Traits of a Faith-Filled Disciple:
Read the Lectures on Faith. this was the curriculum of the school of the prophets. Used to be in the D&C as the doctrine part.
Don't pray in generalities. If we ask "help us to have a good day" how will we ever know when our prayer is answered? Remember, nothing is foolishness to a child. They are very specific in what they ask. We are told to become as little children. God always answers prayer, and he always answers yes, but he sometimes says I will give you what you ask for or something better. All prayers and answers are based on Faith. Faith, to be faith, must center around something not known. If you know, there is no need for faith.
There are two kinds of faith. Faith born of experience, and faith in things that are scheduled to happen. (such as, if I continue to go to school I will graduate at such and such a time) Faith can cause things to happen.
He told the parable of the grey envelope. A struggling family in a third world country is told by a young man with a badge that if they will give 10% to the Lord he will bless them. They give, and the Lords crazy math comes into play. They are still able to pay their bills. They act- He blesses. They repeat it again next month. They act- He blesses. Their experience is that it works so they begin to look on it as an investment. But God is trying to build faith filled disciples. so a month comes with no blessings. Can we continue to pay? (or attend, or serve or . . . ) We must exercise faith. Grace sometimes has to do with attention and devotion. Keep paying and eventually the Lord backs up a truck full of blessings to our door. Read the Bread of Life discourses in the New Testament.
Remember that the Lord has much more to give us than physical blessings.
Even in trials he is blessing us. He blesses us to grow.
A Faith Filled Disciple: Strives to increase obedience.
A FFD: Strives for mental purity. (see A beautiful Mind. "They aren't gone, and maybe they never will be, but I've gotten good at ignoring them.")
A FFD: Strives to be submissive in Trials
A FFD: Strives to keep covenants meticulously
A FFD: Strives to be faithful to the end.

Obstacle in my path

2008-08-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

We held pack meeting in our backyard last night. I tried really hard to have the backyard looking good before people came, so of course, all I could see were the weeds. However, we got some lovely comments about everything.
We (meaning sweet C and I and the Cub masters- a husband and wife team) built an obstacle course for the boys to run. They had to walk a balance beam, step on a series of buckets, swing themselves over each of a group of saw horses, do a forward roll, jump up on and run across a platform, crawl through a twisting tunnel made of cardboard boxes, step between the rungs of a ladder, run around a spiral made from a hose, do a backwards roll down a hill, throw a ball, and jump up to touch a wind chime to make it ring. (we didn't have a bell.) The kids all had a ball! Even some teenage big sisters and brothers who were there and the little ones. The hardest thing seemed to be the jump up and hit the chime. We couldn't hang it too high, the little cubs wouldn't have been able to hit it, but it was too low and easy for a few. I put a stool for some to jump from but that didn't seem to help.
One family though was the most coordinated. They raise their children somewhat like I did mine- sending them out to play outdoors. It is obvious to me that many children simply don't get to play or do outdoor activities.
Send your children out in the backyard to play! Take them to a park! Play ball with them, bike with them, run around in circles with them, have them chase the dog, Teach them some skills. Life can't get too busy to give kids some outdoor time. It just isn't right!
(All that simply because I watched little boys who couldn't put one foot in front of the other or jump up in the air.) (Ouch!)

Teach Me

2008-08-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

For the last four days I have been hanging around on the Brigham Young University campus doing Education Week. For anyone who isn't in the know, the college campus is used during the week between semesters for adult, or maybe I should say, everyone education. It is nothing like going to school. There are 1000 classes to choose from during the week, divided into series of 4 usually. Other college campuses do this sort of thing but the price is usually hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Here the entire week, for classes only, is $57 if you buy your ticket ahead of time. If you want to stay on campus, or eat there by ticket, it costs a bit more. Of course you can just buy food there or bring your own. (which I did). The classes are varied, although most are of a religious nature. Even the money management and cleaning classes are LDS based.
Having said all that I would like to do a mini - series on some of the classes I took. I had a wonderful time and gained a lot of spiritual knowledge. I can't really pass on much but I'll give it a bit of a try.
The first class I'd like to comment on was called Peace: The Savior's Magnificent Model. From my notes:
Peace through forgiveness.
We all have wounds that need to be healed. Why is it so hard to let go of the unintended injury? The world is troubled. Can we begin a healing process? 1) Forgive others. 2) Seek forgiveness from those you have injured. 3) Seek forgiveness from God. The enemy of our peace is Anger. Christ, who was injured most of all, said "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." and "... whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment:. . ."
Peace through Faith.
"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world," again from Jesus Christ. Corrie Ten Boom who years after her experience in "The Hiding Place" saw the man who had caused her so much pain. She had a really hard time not hating, but she said, "Jesus Christ had died for this man. Was I going to ask for more?" The enemy of our peace is Fear. Learning about faith is like learning about gravity. You: 1)Learn about it. 2) Observe it. 3) Experience it. 4) Act according to your understanding. 5)The deeper your understanding the more courageously you act. 6) Deal with apparent anomalies and inconsistencies. For instance, if you saw a helium balloon rise, not fall, did it shake your testimony of gravity? Why then, do we get in airplanes? Why is faith in Christ sometimes destroyed by apparent anomalies? And if every good person were blessed immediately how could faith fully develop? What would drive you to your knees to form a relationship with the savior? How would compassion be added to your character?
Peace through Service.
What is causing me anguish? The enemy of our peace is isolation. If you don't take that loaf of bread to a friend in need, or the new neighbor, they may be hungry but really you miss out on a great experience. How much of our confidence comes from acts of service we do? (You'll never know if you never serve.) We learn to love those we serve. Simon Peter, a master fisherman, was asked to change completely and like a shepherd "Feed my sheep." Read the poem "Father, where shall I work today?" by Meade McGuire (?) Enos prayed all night. What drives us to our knees? He was told, "thy faith hath made thee whole." She quoted a poem:
I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need
Made me blind.
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
How about instead of random acts of kindness we were consistently, purposefully kind.
Peace through sanctification.
What is causing your turmoil? We all have a secret wish for world peace, but, if we had world peace but not inner peace, would we really appreciate it? "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10 "and if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ. . . ." The enemy of our peace is complacency. Sanctification means to be made holy. We cannot make ourselves holy. Becoming holy is a process, needing 1) Preparation-invite the experience. 2)Prayer-initiate the process. 3)Power-through the Atonement of Christ. 4)Personal-individual tutoring by the Savior 5)Painful-demanding surrender of who we currently are. Peace is urgent, essential, eternal and a component of a Christlike character. She mentioned Craig Decker, a former student of hers, who lost his right hand (he was right handed) came to peace with that loss and was teaching others how to be at peace with loss, when he died in a drowning accident. Why do we want to search for peace? Because we need it, and because we love the savior.

Weird idea of fun

2008-08-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

After twenty years experience in this yard I know that it takes me about an hour a day every day of the year to keep it up. Since I do little work in the winter, that means I need to need to work longer in the summer. Also I never work out there on Sunday, or sweet C's day off and that lost time has to be added to other days. Also this year I did absolutely nothing in the winter. The caretakers I hired to care for my house and yard were gone in November, and while I came up a few times before I moved home I was busy having an operation, and painting and refinishing things. I didn't actually do anything in the yard until June. Then I spent time with my granddaughter and went to her house and while she was here I did very little in the yard. So, now I am trying to make up for ignoring things by working longer per day. Weeds are very tall. However, I find weeding rather gratifying. The pop when you pull them out by the roots. The clean ground you find under when you dig them with a shovel. (I don't hoe much - it leaves the weed on top of the ground and I like to remove them completely) I have been picking apricots and now am trying to put them up, and I have to tell you, I'd rather be weeding! I can't stand to be out in the heat so I seldom work past noon - it's too hot. But while I am in the house, no matter what I am working on, I am thinking about the next thing to do in the yard and wishing I was out there doing it. That really is why I like fall and spring. I can spend more time in the yard. I like to work there.

Dinner plate flower

2008-08-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

My hardy hibiscus is in bloom. This is probably my favorite flower in the garden. At least this time of year. (I also really like my Tiffany rose) Years ago when we lived in Phoenix I had a regular red hibiscus outside my side door. It bloomed all the time. I don't think I really appreciated it because it was always there. However, here where we have 4 seasons, or at the least winter and summer, I am lucky to get a couple of weeks of bloom. That means I appreciate them all the more. Hope you like these shots.

harvest

2008-08-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

The green beans are finally on. Tomatoes too. I planted late, and was beginning to think I would never get anything, but yesterday I picked nearly a large paper grocery bag full of green beans. yeah! I also got a meals worth of purple beans. The magpies ate most of the seeds after I put them in the ground. ( I am not a fan of magpies or robins!) The tomato plants have looked awful, but the tomatoes are fine, and will give me a few a day for the rest of the summer. Also, I have peaches. They are ripening a few at a time, and that is good because they are best right off the tree - oh, I have such delicious peaches!!! I think peaches right off the tree are one of my favorite foods.

Oh what do you do in the summer time?

2008-08-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to visit a friend of mine (vt) who is having quite a gathering at her house this week. They are calling it "girls week". She, and all her daughters, (I know of 5) and all her granddaughters (15 so far) are gathered for the whole week to play, and visit, work on scrapbooks, do needlework and just be together before one of the older granddaughters gives birth to the first great-grandchild and another of the older granddaughters leaves on a mission for our church. They were already in a giggle-fest when I came to visit and only about half of them were there so far. I don't know what all the boys are doing this week, (15 grandsons also) but the girls are going to have fun!!!!
Today we took the wolf cub scouts to Moyle Park, which is a little pioneer re-enactment park in the next city over. They got to make candles and play all kinds of pioneer games and eat fresh churned butter on wheat bread, and visit a pioneer museum and have a picnic. We did not do all that one could do there. It was a very busy day at the park, the last day they will be open this summer; everyone there is a volunteer and has school year lives to lead.
Last Saturday was the last day of my city's little celebration. We went to the balloon launch, and the parade and ate some food cooked in the park, and listened to some of the music playing in the bandstand and watched the fireworks. We were right under the fireworks!!! We had a great time. I forgot to go to the art show though. I was so sleepy all day that I just forgot! To bad, it's one of my favorite things to do.

Other peoples creativity

2008-07-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I want to admit to a silly but fun pastime. After visiting some of your blogs I click on the note in the upper left side on next blog and am taken to the blogs of total strangers. Many of them I can't read because I don't speak the language, and many of them are private so I don't read them even if I do speak the language but lots of them are fun fun fun and very public. I saw one once with collections of high end fashion dolls - very chic. I see a lot that are just beautiful photographs. I love photos. I did this for a while one evening before bed and found 5 different blogs on the same twin brothers. The photos were often repeated and looked more like they were all done by a mom rather than by 5 different people. Kooky huh! And of course I find a few that are about someone else's garden, and those are very fun for me. Try it, you might like it too!

Of two minds

2008-07-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

I just want to remind my (few) readers of the name of my blog - "Of two Minds". The point of that name was that on most subjects I see two sides, and usually agree to some extent, with both sides. On the drug wars blog you will notice that I have three segments stating why I don't like drugs before the one statement where I say how we go about fighting drug use incorrectly in my opinion.

Throw 'em all in the clink!

2008-07-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

So, I am entirely anti-drug but still I can’t say I am in favor of legalizing drug use, the pain they bring into the world is too great.

On the other hand I really don’t like the way our nation fights drugs. Using the law to go after big time drug cartels in one thing, putting all our police force time and money onto arresting users is another. The federal government spends about $600 per second on the drug war. State governments spend ½ again more. We fill our jails with people who were only trying to feel good when they don’t feel good. We give someone guilty of ‘possession’ more punishment than someone who steals the retirement fund of all his employees. We often give them more punishment than child abusers. Sometimes we even punish them more severely than murderers.

I don’t want people to take drugs. I don’t think any good will ever come of such behavior. However, a better way to keep that from happening might be education. Lets spend some of the money we waste arresting and punishing users on teaching them the truth about drug use.

Punish people for illegal acts committed while on drugs, such as robbing stores or hurting others. Those things are already against the law. The idea of someone sitting quietly in their house smoking pot may be a sleazy and rather disgusting thought, but it certainly doesn’t bring the same depth of disgust as someone going out and robbing another at gunpoint, running over someone while drunk, or beating someone up to prove they can.

Helping people get off of an addiction without punishment would bring more results than punishing them when it is discovered that they use.

stroke, stroke

2008-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I so want my own swimming pool! I don't swim really, I work out in the water. I have a lot of aches and pains and have had arthritis for more than 20 years and it was 20 years ago that I started dreaming about having my own pool. I'm still dreaming! It can be very small, I'm thinking 10x20 feet, and needs to be chest height on me. That way I can do the exercises with all the water pressure I need on me. Oh, and I want it to be an indoor pool so I can use it in the winter, and not have to constantly clean leaves out of it.
We have memberships in the community recreation center. It has been updated since we last lived here and attracts far more kids now with water slides and spray areas. They don't open the main pool, which is deep enough for me to exercise in until after lessons, about noon. Then they close for lessons again at 5:30. Since I work out in the yard till nearly noon every day, and then try to avoid being out in the sun until about 4pm I am not left with much time to go work out. I also seem to be the only adult in the water. There are hundreds of kids and teens all of whom I think look at my too big body and think, "yuck!"
See, I need my own, private pool to work out in. Maybe I'd even learn to swim.

Conspiring men in the last days

2008-07-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

At one time I thought any time you were ill the best thing you could do was visit the doctor who would help you get well. I no longer think doctors will do that.

Now I am even leery of prescription drugs. There are too many side effects. Nearly all prescription drugs are based on the way some natural plant affects the body. However, there is no profit in something natural, so they make a chemical version in order “that they can control the dosage” (really so that they can patent their version) and charge us a fortune for it. Drugs that cost 2-3 cents a dose to manufacture cost the public 2-3 dollars to use. I have no problem with a reasonable profit, but this is highway robbery!!! Drug companies are not our friends!

I may sound paranoid to some of you but I really believe most of the diseases we treat could be cured. Drugs could be made that actually got rid of nearly everything. They probably have already been invented. Many problems can be treated or cured with proper nutrition.

The problem there for the medical community is that, well, obviously, they can’t actually cure us! The money is made in treating problems, not in getting rid of them! So they are gleeful when they find that we have heart disease, or diabetes, or malaria, or depression or any other disease they can treat and monitor. We have to come in, and keep coming in forever.

Doctors will experiment on finding the reason for one single symptom until they see we are catching on to what they are doing, then they will say that they think these two things might be related, when they knew all along that all your symptoms are from one single cause. They will drag out a diagnosis for as long as they can. In fact, they are taught to do this in med school!

Health care is all about profit and not at all about health.

Since I no longer trust doctors I think I will always go for the most natural ‘cure’ first from now on. Usually diet, then look for the herbs that will treat. I have friends who think I am crazy, but frankly, from my own experience, those chemical versions of things are horrible to the body!!!

speed demons

2008-07-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

The mimosa tree is in bloom, the trumpet vine is in bloom and my hummingbird feeders are full. Nearly everyday I catch sight of at least one of the little guys. I love hummingbirds! Unfortunately, no matter how I try I can never catch one in a picture. (Maybe I should use the better camera?) ps. I took the picture through the window so that doesn't help.

Legal addictive substances

2008-07-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

I understand the need to self-medicate pain, including emotional pain. However, I also know from years of experience that illegal drugs are the worst way to treat. Much better to get high on serving others, or on a good book, or on doing something cool with family or friends. People who bring you drugs do so for their own purposes, and their purposes are NOT to help you! Mostly it is to line their own pockets. To some extent it is to “convert you to (their) own bad habits.” (Haywood Smith –Red Hats) As in: misery loves company. We really thought at one time that smoking pot was safer than getting drunk, but it isn’t true. Everyone I know who took hard drugs started with pot, or Valium, or Viverin (a simple upper from the old days. Maybe caffeine?) If you do real research into the problems pot causes, as opposed to ‘how can I justify smoking pot’, you will find it isn’t at all as innocuous as we once thought. (Do you know that the “pot” available now is 3 times as strong as what was available when I was young? Guess why?)

I don’t like the idea of turning control of my body over to anyone else – including the petty crook whose first interest is to get you hooked either to justify his own use or to line his own pockets. Certainly not to the leader of a high powered drug cartel who would kill anyone who got in the way of his profit. I don’t want to turn control of my life over to business people either.

Some of you have heard me talk about an article in National Geographic about caffeine. (early 2005 – you can look it up online) These people, and they are business people, who add caffeine to all kinds of drinks and foods to ‘increase your stamina’ or to ‘boost your metabolism’ are actually doing it entirely for the profit it brings. An effective advertising campaign! Caffeine is addictive and they know it. They will even add it to lemonade so you will buy their brand always. They have gotten a few doctors to endorse the caffeine craze. However, a legitimate doctor who cares about health will tell you that caffeine is associated with infertility, Meniere’s disease, insomnia, sudden infant death syndrome, fibrocystic disease of the breasts and gastrointestinal problems, it elevates stress levels and encourages the problems that lead to diabetes, leads to nutritional deficiencies as well as others I can’t remember and don’t want to look up right now. (see Ensign, July 2008)

To me, the biggest problem there is insomnia. I have enough trouble sleeping without drinking something with caffeine in it. The tiniest bit of caffeine makes me unable to sleep at all. Have you ever read up on the chronic sleep deprivation problem we are facing nowadays?

Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs out there, and yet, cigarette manufacturers will add other things to their product to make them even more addictive. There is nothing good about smoking-the only way they would ever sell is if the cigarettes are addictive, so naturally, even if it is well proven that smoking encourages the growth of every kind of cancer and causes many other diseases and even death, they will do all they can to try to sell to everyone. Profit is all to these people.

(Note: legal addictive substances include some over the counter medications.)

Alcohol is also addictive, and certainly leads to overuse and bad choices in many people. If you are one of those people who are genetically disposed towards alcoholism, (and everyone in my family probably is- see ancestor history) then it certainly can topthe ranks of the addictive substances.

I have no desire to make rich those whose whole purpose is to harm me and mine.

summer pleasures

2008-07-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about summer is a beautiful sunrise. The sky is deep blue and the clouds begin to look purple in contrast, then they fade to pink, then apricot, then gold. We don't get a lot of clouds here in the desert so every sunrise of color is cherished.
I also love the fireworks. All the little cities around here have their own celebrations. Some have free entertainment and parades, others bring in carnivals. But they all have fireworks. Last Saturday night I was just getting into bed when I heard the fireworks from the city just south of me start. I couldn't see well from the main floor windows because of the trees next door, but from upstairs I had a perfect view. This Saturday the city to the east of me will have fireworks and the Saturday after that is my own city's celebration, and we always have great fireworks - just barely north of my own neighborhood! Yeah!!! It was really sad that on the 4th of July my granddaughter and I had to get up too early the next morning to catch the train and were unable to stay up to see the fireworks. Sorry darlin' maybe next year?!?
I also love a beautiful sunny summer day (if it isn't too, too hot, and it hasn't been for a couple of days here) where you can lay on the grass and watch the clouds tower over your head making pretty pictures for you to find. The trees and the grass are green, the bees are buzzing, and if you just pulled a milkweed plant your fingers are sticky and feel like any minutes you should run through the sprinklers. What fun!

Why I don't take drugs.

2008-07-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

See, the thing is, I did take drugs once. Well 3 times to be exact. I was young, it was the time and place for it (hippy – you know?) and I had much anger and rebellion in me. I pretty much did it to make my dad mad and because he had accused me of it so many times already. Of course, I didn’t tell him I was smoking pot. I also didn’t tell him all the good things I did later to try and please him so there you go!

Smoking pot with friends resulted in - First time: felt kind of mellow and didn’t care about anything. Second time: again, mellow but wondered “what is the big deal?” and Third time: got some “pot” that had been laced with angel dust (or something!). I was dizzy, wobbly, saw weird lights and movement, could barely stand up and felt paranoid and completely out of control!!!

I came to 3 conclusions:

1) Drugs cost money (lots of money) and I don’t like the people you give the money to.

2) You don’t know what you are going to get, but for sure the people you are getting it from don’t care about you or your needs.

3) It is illegal and definitely not worth breaking the law over.

I never smoked pot again and never tried any other illegal drugs. All the people I know who took drugs when they were young feel ashamed of their past actions – none of them feel a sweet nostalgia for it like the movies show you. When I have mentioned such things to others (such as my children) it was to warn them away, not to give them permission to be as stupid as I was. Drugs truly can kill!!!

What I didn’t think about then and certainly should have is how the Lord would feel about my taking drugs. I can get a pretty good clue of what things he does not appreciate me putting into my body from those laws he has specifically stated. Now, what the Lord wants would be my first concern. 1 Cor. 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Wealth

2008-07-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am rich with raspberries! I have, at times in the past, had 20 cases of berries on my bushes. While last years crop was pathetic, little more than one case, and this years crop is only somewhat better, still I have had enough to share a couple of cups with one friend and a couple with another. My second son came down with his girlfriend today and picked at least half a case, and a few black raspberries to boot. And being able to share - is this not true wealth?
I have, in past years, picked the raspberries that smashed in a windstorm and juiced them and drunk the juice or made jelly. We became so used to being able to do this that even in leaner years we still make jelly. In fact, I have so much old jam and jelly and fruit and vegetables in my pantry that I need to empty bottles into the garden and refill them with new, fresh fruit and vegetables. (My children never liked bottled fruit as much as my siblings and I did when we were children.)
Now that sweet C and I are alone here we don't need as much freezer jam or as many frozen berries, so we can still share. And we really don't do cooked jam anymore. So tonight, I made raspberry juice concentrate that we can add to lemonade or just drink alone.
It's funny though. I always have more harvest than I can use. Yet even though I plant, and water, and weed and care for my garden - I cannot get anyone to share the harvesting. People often tell me that they would like some of my berries, or apricots, or tomatoes, or whatever, but they never come. My only rule is that they pick it themselves, and somehow, no one ever wants to do that. (Picking is the hardest thing for me for some odd reason.) I won't give away food that I had to pick. Well, at least most of the time I won't.

old houses

2008-07-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

While in Iowa I worked on some crafts for my granddaughters room, and some pillows for her mother's classroom (sorry, I forgot to take pictures) and I walked around the neighborhood looking at pretty houses. I have a thing for good looking older homes. I thought maybe I would share a few with you. The last few I took were just to show porch swings, I'm showing you one. As anyone has been to my house knows, I love porch swings. I have one on the front porch and one in the rec room. New houses are just boring compared to some of the homes I saw in Iowa!

The great rail adventure

2008-07-13T11:07:00.001-07:00

My grand-daughter and I finally got our train ride all the way back to her home in Iowa. At the last minute Amtrak called to say the train ride through Iowa had been reinstated which was good for us as they were going to send us to Denver by train, then to Omaha by bus and then we would have been on our own and would have to have rented a car for the rest of the trip.
It was the first trip that train had taken since it was closed down for flood damage control, and we could see many areas still very wet and showing how high the water had been. We had to go very slow through those areas since there still may have been unseen damage to the track.
My grand-daughter was bored on the journey, even though we had brought books and activities and even movies. I think it was that in a car, strapped into her car seat, she knows she can't move, but in the train she knew she could get up and go to the bathroom, or the dining room and so wanted to move around more than the conductors want you to. She said she was tired of seeing forest, which was my favorite part! The best part of the journey is between Grand Junction, Colorado and Denver, Colorado (incredible views!) although I quite liked the area through Iowa too, since it is so green there.
While I was in Iowa it rained at least 4 more times, and I mean -really rained!, so the trip home was still slow due to wet areas and they had come across two separate trees across the track before I got on. I was supposed to be home in Utah by 10pm and it was closer to 2am. Still, I enjoyed visiting with people and knitting and watching the scenery. I could travel by train. It might be nice if one could afford the sleeping cars though. It is hard to sleep in the seat, even if you do have more room than a plane. And the food in the dining car, though good enough, is hardly worth the high price they charge. So, If you ever go by train, take at least some snacks and try to limit your time in the diner, take a pillow as the ones they give you are inadequate, and take things to do on the journey. It is fun though!

That's entertainment

2008-06-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the granddaughter and I have had a few good days. (Her comments when she is mad run along the lines of "this is a very bad day!") We went up to the Salt Lake Arts Festival on Friday where she got to do a lot of crafts, play a lot of musical instruments, and meet a few new people who love her just because she exists. (my sister, three of my nieces, her uncle and a friend of mine). We spent the whole day! Then on Saturday we went to the Lehi Roundup Parade. She had a great time except that she herself caught only one piece of candy and of the pieces I caught or someone gave her, I only let her eat two at the parade. Therefore, it was "the worst parade ever". However, the day was rescued when an old and very dear young friend came to visit, and she went with us to the Lehi park, where there were lots of jump games, (you know those big blow up things) and ponies to ride, and cotton candy to share (so she didn't eat too much herself). She got along famously with my young friend. She also earned the right to the rest of her candy by eating her fruit and vegetable pieces, though I still worry about the way she eats since she hates all the fruit and vegetables I offer her. Sigh. I don't remember it being so hard to get my kids to eat healthy things so I never worried about a few unhealthy things. Or do I just have a bad memory here too?

Needed: a sharper mind

2008-06-25T01:32:00.000-07:00

Our trip home to Iowa with my granddaughter has been delayed due to the extended flooding in the Midwest. The train will only take us as far as Denver, then we would have to take a bus to Omaha, then find a car or our own way on to Mt Pleasant. We shifted our tickets to later on when hopefully the train will run the whole way, but in the meantime I need to find more things to do to entertain her besides the pool. It has been a long time since I had a 5 year old at home. Any ideas anybody?

Thanksgiving Point Revisited

2008-06-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

My granddaughter is visiting, and we climbed to Timpanogos Cave, (it was scary, and made her nervous, but it was worth it - her words) and visited the Bean Museum, which she absolutely adored, already knew the names of most of the animals and read aloud the names of the rest, (this museum is wwwaaaayyy better than the last time I was there) and we went to Thanksgiving Point gardens while the Plein Air art show was going on. (Look it up online, I recommend it to everyone.) This was my favorite. In the children's discovery garden my granddaughter got to paint (watercolor) her own pictures and then make the frame to put them in. They used foamies, and she says it was easy, and I tell you, she loved it.
Then we went down to the main gardens where there were real artists set up everywhere plying their trade. I watched a woman doing an oil painting of the stream that I dearly would have loved to own. They were to be sold by silent auction the next night and I guarantee you I could not have afforded this picture. We saw lots of watercolorists, and other oil painters and sculptors working and displaying. Three sculptors were particularly good with my granddaughter. They were 'arguing' over which of their sculptures was best and which she should come admire and Dennis Smith (some of you will know who he is) had her come put some clay on the sculpture of swimmers that he was working on. You would have thought he'd given her the moon! They even invited me to come join their group and learn to sculpt in clay. Wouldn't that be cool! I just may take them up on it. Anyway, I love gardens and I love art and I love my granddaughter, so I had a fabulous time at this activity.

Fool me once

2008-06-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

In the front, next to the walkway I have a flower bed with three large roses. One is a Tiffany hybrid Tea, a beautiful pink with a yellow interior. One is a red rose whose name I do not recall, but that has a deep rose scent. One is a yellow floribunda on a red climbing rose root stock. I know that the root stock is a red climber because it has sent out shoots. I actually like the shoots, except that they have nothing to climb and if I let them grow too much they will take over and I won't have the yellow floribunda.
Underneath the roses I have a rock garden and I plant miniature flowers. I have miniature daffodils in the spring, and I have johnny-jump-up's, which reseed themselves nicely. I have allysum, which also reseeds itself, probably too much. And then I have English daisy's and miniature daisy's. Both of those, particularly the miniature white daisy, when they are very young look very much like weeds that grow here. I am afraid I have pulled out baby plants, thinking they are the weeds and now I have too few in the bed. I have replanted English daisy seeds but haven't yet seen signs of new plants. Buying the plant itself is a bit expensive, leading me to believe that others have trouble getting them to grow as well.
So, for this year at least, I have added some portulaca and some verbena, both of which look very good, and some purple salvia, which aren't doing well at all. Too little water maybe? I don't water often. Still the overall bed, (other that needing to be weeded more) looks quite good. Come see!

Fatherhood

2008-06-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

In light of the day tomorrow I wish to say something profound regarding my sweet husband and fatherhood. Unfortunately I am not much of a writer. I think wonderful thoughts but they don't translate into words very well. I'll do my best, though, because I am married to the best. My husband, as well as most husbands and fathers that I know, feels keenly the responsibility of making the living for the family. Nothing worries him more than the thought that he might not be earning enough to pay the bills. Corporations in this day and age have absolutely no loyalty to their hardworking employees. Therefore the fear of losing the job hangs over the head constantly. (That fear should hang over the head of a guy who shows up late, doesn't do the work and always wants time off, but that isn't the kind of guy I'm talking about.) In the same vein, these lovely men are always concerned with doing better, making more so as to give the children everything they want. Sometimes the children want too much. Sometimes we wives want too much. We can't demand that they are home with us, and demand that they make more money as well. I just want to say that I think my husband is the smartest as well as one of the hardest working men I know, and that I am very proud of him and impressed by everything he does.
Besides the incredibly important making of the living, my husband can do anything. Had the children been willing to learn he could have taught them woodworking, auto-mechanics, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation and repair, and a thousand what-to-do-when-things-break-down. Instead, they were busy with their own things while he was working in the shop or building things or repairing stuff. No slight to them, children are allowed their own interests, however do not let it be said that he couldn't or wouldn't have taught them. He is always doing things for the house and family. And he loved it when the kids would come say "Dad, how do I. . . . . ."
I do not mean to denigrate those who do, but my husband never golfed, or went off fishing or hunting with the 'guys', or played football or basketball with his buddies. He was always home with us if he wasn't at work. I think we are incredibly blessed by this. He cooked and cleaned and built and helped, and still does. The kids are gone from our house, but he still worries about them all the time. He is a wonderful father. He is a fabulous husband, and I just want the world to know that on this Fathers Day.

In defense of grass

2008-06-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

We hear all the time that we need to remove the grass and plant native plants, or use rocks and a few bushes to landscape our yards because grass uses too much water. Fiddlesticks! Water is never lost! It runs into the ground and back into the water table. It evaporates into the air and rains down somewhere else. It waters a plant and becomes a part of that plant until the plant dies, when it re-enters the environment. We drink it, and it is used and discarded and re-enters the environment.
The problem is the way people water. I have turned on my water, and run it 3 times only on the grass so far this year. I have watered my vegetable garden a few more times for the new seeds and baby plants, and have also hand watered the new bedding plants. But we have had a very wet spring for a desert state, so no more than that has been needed (so far). Also grass doesn't grow long, healthy roots if you over-water. Better to water a little longer at a time - less often, and force the roots to go deep to look for a drink.
When our house was newly built it continued to feel like a construction site until we got the grass in. Grass keeps the house cooler (truly) and delivers water back into the air making the local humidity go up. Grass gives children a place to play, us a place to connect with the earth and nature, and is just prettier.
Have you ever noticed that the cities are always watering in the middle of the day, sprinkling where they should be drip-irrigating, and over-watering? All the things they tell us not to do, they do. If they would feed the grass, mulch and grow things that are good for the soil they would need less water and we could still have our grass. I vote for a little less rhetoric and a little more responsibility on the part of the municipality as well as all the rest of us and I vote for green.

Old, older, oldest

2008-06-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

We were invited to join a group viewing some of the 'Special Collection" at the Brigham Young University library last night. What an experience! We were shown a few items taken from the collection and spoken to about them by a curator named Russ who know an amazing amount of stuff! We saw a handwritten page of the Book of Mormon from the original translation days written out in Oliver's hand, and something in Parley Pratt's hand. Parley writes smaller. We saw Hyrum's missionary journal, the cover of which was made from an old oilcloth tablecloth of the Smith's and of course saw Hyrum's writing inside. We saw one of the original copies of the Book of Mormon - a copy that had been given to an early investigator who had not joined the church but who's decendant just recently did. We saw Emma's original hymnal, tiny little thing with no music, just words. We saw some of the pages of the 'Book of Commandments" that those two young girls saved when the presses were being destroyed, and a book make from another of the pages. I had never understood before, but the way they were printed, an entire book was printed on one large sheet of paper, then that sheet was folded and the edges cut to form a small book. So each page that they saved was an entire copy of the book. I had always worried about any pages that were lost.
Then we got to see some books that were hand copied and decorated in the 14th century by monks. There was a history book but most were hand copied bibles. We got to compare a page that was hand lettered and decorated with the same page done on the Gutenberg printing press. It was a page from a Gutenberg bible and cost $65000. A whole bible would go for 4 1/2 million dollars. The hand lettering was almost perfect but it would take 11 years to do a bible! The world sure needed that press. Do you know that the only Gutenberg press still working is in Provo, Utah? We saw some hand cut movable type. We saw some books with beautiful, intricate paintings on the foredge. What an art form that would be, especially since one of them had one painting when you held the book one direction, and when you turned it over the other direction there was a different painting.
We saw actual papyrus and books made on skin or hide. Where there was a hole in the hide (would you call it leather?) they just wrote around it, since it was far too dear (rare, expensive or hard to obtain) to replace. We saw ancient writing on a turtle shell. The oldest thing we saw was a clay tablet from 2055 bc. It was a beer merchant's record of goods and was dated by whoever wrote it. (his name was there too, but I've forgotten it.)
We saw some of Jimmy Stewart's collection, and an original hand written page of the musical score from 'Gone With The Wind' and a real Oscar that was given to the Library. I think the Oscar was from 'Camelot'.
Most of these things were donated to the library, and they are kept in special climate controlled vaults and handled with gloves. However, when I guessed that the first foreign language translation of the Book of Mormon was to Danish, and the second to German, I got to carry the German copy around to show everyone. He let various people in the audience carry a number of things, although the most important were carried by his assistant, the professor who got us the invitation and himself. Particularly those things that on the market would sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was far better than going to a museum since we got to hear where things came from and how the library got them and ask all the questions we wanted. Great time for people interested in history.

Going Home?

2008-06-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

I took a bit of time and my sister and went to the Uintah Basin to visit. We visited the cemetery, and another sister, her daughter, their homes, my deceased parents home, the house we lived in for a few years as children and some of our old neighbors. We read a lot of headstones and sorted through some old things of my parents, and just drove around places we knew well 100 years ago. (ok, maybe only 40 years ago) The best part was spending time visiting with my sisters. We get so busy with life and our own husbands and children, that we tend to forget just how much we enjoy each others company. One of my sisters mentioned the idea of the sisters visiting Europe together. I think we'd have a ball. I think we'd love to cruise together. I think we'd love to travel America together. I know families where the sisters get together and do just that sort of thing. Only, I think my husband would want to come too, and I think I'd like him to. I can't even imagine the logistical problem of trying to get all the husbands to coordinate their vacation times and all get together!

Weeds

2008-06-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I've been working in the raspberries, tucking in the baby plants and weeding, for the better part of two days. Most of the weeds are of one variety, which means a parent plant (or more than one) was allowed to go to seed last spring. *-#%**!!!! Then there is the orchard grass. I have been fighting the orchard grass for years. It is almost impossible to get all of the rhizomes-whether I pull or dig or chop. I think that tool the sprinkler people use to dig tunnels under sidewalks came from an engineer who had been trying to rid his yard of orchard grass. You know the one I mean, with the pointed end chugging its way through or past everything in it's path. Those little roots have pointed ends! Ouch!. And of course, the raspberries need attention from me at the same time they need attention from the bees, and sticking my head into a bush full of bees is very disconcerting, even if you aren't afraid of bees. (I'm not. I've even toyed with the idea of becoming a beekeeper.) Still, I have pulled all the weeds for now and can move on to something else, like cleaning up tree limbs around the yard.