My New Life

Bear

2011-11-19T00:50:00.001-07:00

First, I have a dog and we named him Bear. He is a drop off. In other words, how could any person not love this wonderful pup. This 11-year-old pup. He is the kind of dog that you would not give a dollar for him, but you would have to give me a million to take him off my hands.

This is the Bear. With his Squeaker. When he first came to live with us, we tried many, many toys. And the only thing that he would play with was this little, pink stuffed cow. Of course, the first thing he did was pull out the stuffing. But he did not care. As long as it squeaked, he loved it. He tossed it, played catch with it, tried to take it outside, and even snuck it outside (fortunately it was summer and it did not get lost in the snow). He was so hard on the squeakers that come in the stuffed animals, that I finally put a squeaking ball inside. Of course, it was bigger that the belly, so he ended up with a patch in the middle. He did not care. He loved that thing.

Well, a couple of weeks ago Bear’s cable broke and off he went, chasing a stranger down the road. Fortunately he did not catch that person. And I found out that my neighbors are afraid of my dog. At least that is what Animal Control told me. So the past couple of weeks have been difficult for both of us. I repaired his cable, but it did not reach the door. So I was traipsing out with him on a leash to the chain, and repeat on the way back. Bear weighs about 60 pounds. And I trust him as far as I can throw him.

Today I finished his new cable. Unfortunately it is about 15 feet too short. So I took a section of an old chain and added it to the new section. It is not perfect, but it is sound. What we don’t do for those 4-legged fur child. It is not that I don’t love him, but if he were a child he would be easier to take care of. And probably eat less.

Now, I am going to quit rambling. Fortunately for him, I love the dumb dog. Time to go get HIS dinner out of the oven.

Have a great day!!

Sitting

2011-11-16T23:03:00.001-07:00

Why is it I would rather sit in front on a paused TV than listen to what is playing. This place is a mess with a great bit SSSSSs. I spend the day sitting, or sleeping, or eating. or hating the way I spend the day. So….. Onward and upward… Forward Ho… Off we go into the great beyond.

But what to do first? There is laundry needing to be folded. And papers to be sorted. And the trash taken out.

There. I have a list of three things. Strive to complete them in the next 24 hours. Then your life will be yours.

Lawn

2011-09-12T15:25:00.001-06:00

I just had my lawn mowed. Getting your lawn mowed by surprise is so000 wonderful. Thanks so much.

Update

2011-05-26T18:33:00.000-06:00

TV. Okay, I am a TV junkie. Even witout regular TV, moves still drag me in. Got to quit doing that. But it is not on right now, so at least I am making a headway.
Lights. I did manage to turn off all of the lights before I left yesterfday, so that is a good thing. If it werent for the darn TV....
Dishwasher. Since I spent the night on a sleep-over with Trish, I did not get everything done. I DID run the dishwasher, but I did not get it emptied. I am ashamed to say that I spent too much time doing other things. And it still isn't done. So..... GET IT DONE!!!
Other stuff.... I have unloaded more of the stuff from my trip to Idaho. Does more count??? I think it does. Anything accomplished counts for a lot. Or maybe I should say any one thing accomplished counts... Every little thing counts.

On a different board... My sleepover with Trish was wonderful. We went out to dinner at Angies, a place we have not visited in over a year. And did so with enjoyment.

We discussed putting together the gifts for the guests at Alicia's wedding. I will get it posted ASAP so that I can get feedback from everyone. The charms are turning out wonderful. Shrinky-dinks are back, and they are wonderful.

Facebook

2011-05-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

Okay, I am officially a Facebook junkie. When I just caught myself reading and replying to who know what, I am not even more determined to stay away. I am not quite as radical as some, but am attempting to hold off to twice a day. Guess this means I am done for today.

Life is good right now. Not that it is terrific. I still have lots of things to accomplish, but with this newest solution, I hope to never be in this situation again. EVER!!

Things I have done to help things be better:

Turned off TV. Permanently.
Turn off lights. Constantly. Always. It makes me wonder why I need so many lights.
Run dishwasher daily. ACTUALLY, it should be EMPTY dishwasher every night. I can do this. It is not hard. I just needs to be what I do every night, like taking my pills. I needs to be the thing that I do to live. Not because you need clean dishes to live. Clearly, you do not. BUT you need to have the results of this action to truly enjoy LIFE. And that is what I wish for myself.
So, what else. Laundry, floors, car, lawn, weeds. There are so many things that it is impossible to prioritize. So choose. Do one thing each day. LIFE will be better because that one task is finished. I CAN DO THIS.

Why

2011-03-10T19:28:00.001-07:00

Why do people keep telling me it’s a mistake to stop working before I have to?

Answer: This question reminds me of something my mother used to tell me… “Don’t ever let someone else tell you what you get hat you cannot do. Not even me!” When someone says “You can’t”, what it really means is that they can’t… So why should get to? You are about to start doing “what makes you happy”; that means you have a dream worth protecting. As long as you have a plan for how you will live, don’t let jealous people turn their insecurities into yours.

This was taken from the March 2011 AARP magazine article written by Chris Gardner.

games

2011-02-24T16:49:00.001-07:00

No More Games until MIDNIGHT. K.

Joys in Life

2011-02-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

A Hot Tub!!

There is nothing better in life than a fresh, hot tub. You climb in and soak away all of your troubles.

Believe it or not, this morning I took a fresh, hot bath. It was wonderful. I used a bath fizzy that my niece, Katrina, had made for me. It was wonderful. I may do it again tomorrow.

Dear, dear Dell:

2011-01-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

God saw you getting tired and a cure was not to be,

so he put his arms around you and whispered "Come With Me".

With tearful eyes we watched as we saw you pass away,

Although we love you dearly, we could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the BEST.

Baby, It's Cold Outside.

2011-01-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

I typed this a few weeks ago when I had to go to the doctor and it was so so soooooo cold.

It is 3 degrees outside and I have to go to the doctor. Life is not so good. The cough is still here, and Bear is still trying to beat me up constantly. Actually, I am not considered a risk in daylight hours, just at night. Oh well, it could be worse. It could be getting better instead of worse.

BUT…. I have a smile on my face so life could not be better today.

Now I just wish I had scraped the car yesterday when it was not frozen. Just could not face the cold. Should have... should have.

Have a great day. Do something that makes you grin!

Life, the more the merrier.

2011-01-13T20:06:00.002-07:00

What I want to do with my life: It is 7:30 at night. All I want to do is get in bed and watch TV. But that is not part of my goal from yesterday. Yesterday I set the goal of putting together 3 books. And I did not succeed. So, I am going to get in the tub and take a hot bath with a good book, get into bed before midnight, and sleep the night away. When I awake in the morning, I am going to get up and start the day. and accomplish something.
I am not going to say wish me luck, cause luck is not what I need. Please grant me the energy to accomplish the goals I have set forth for myself. Then, life can be good.

Alarm Clocks

2011-01-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

I hate alarm clocks. You set an alarm. Then when it goes off, it interrupts what you are doing that, at the time, seems much, much more important that the reason for the alarm.

Our Future Together

2010-12-02T20:03:00.002-07:00

I went onto the Brave Girls Club blog today, the topic was A Month of Miracles – Day 1. Melody’s Miracle she was thankful for is The Power of Writing Things Down. I took the liberty of pulling a few of her thoughts for my blog. To read her entire post, go here: http://bravegirlsclub.com/blog/.
“The end of the year is a crazy, busy and often stressful time. It is a hard time for lots of us. I remember well my own long string of difficult years….where each of them ended with the holidays, and all of the mixed emotions attached to them. Something that has always always always been wonderful…year after year, no matter how hard the year had been….was to really and truly look the last year over. Look it over, up and down, side to side, in and out. Look for the miracles that made it so that I was and am still breathing in and out…still having the opportunity of another day. Still learning, still growing, still here. Sometimes we forget all of crazy things that happened to help us along….all of the “coincidences”, all of the things that just somehow worked out, all of the people who showed up just in time. All of the friendships made and the changes made and the progress made. Our days are filled with these kinds of miracles. The end of the year is a great time to reflect on all of that. I would like to share some of mine with you, and I hope you will share too. Our stories are so much more healing to each other than we could ever know….so please open your heart, your mind and your memory bank in the coming month as we seek out and share the each other’s miracles…….
Here’s the miracle I’m thankful for today:….THE POWER OF WRITING THINGS DOWN.
I am constantly in awe at the power of putting ink to paper and having faith in what we’ve written down. It is as if an army of miracle makers is sitting on each of our shoulders, waiting to put circumstances together that bring our deepest goals and desires to fruition. We are suddenly called to action by the deepest voices of our gut…and when we keep the faith in the words that we wrote…miracles happen. Miracles don’t always happen fast…..but they always happen exactly when they are supposed to, and always just in time. I just found a journal that is a few years old….and it reminded me that I really need to know what I want out of life or life will just keep happening. We’ve got to write stuff down. I typed out an entry at the end of this post.
An example? I’m sharing this because I want you to know that I know what it feels like to be in a place where you just want to be ok. I have been there….so much of the reason we started BGC. Because I know what it’s like to be there…I know I needed to know that I could get out of that state of mind. I felt so lost…felt so much like my best years were over….Here’s an excerpt from one of my journals not so long ago….while trying to work my way out of a very difficult years-long funk…..trying to figure out how to clean up all of my life’s messes, how to be happy again, how to dream again, how to hope again, how to trust again…..it all started with I WANT TO MAKE ROOM FOR:…and guess what? Over the months…it has happened. I got there. I wrote it down first.
I want to make room for happiness, bliss, joy, light. – I want all of that to take up so much rom that there is room for nothing else. I want to make room for fun & adventure & new experiences & friends. I want to make room for forgiveness & trust & healing. I want to make room for more goodness, which means I must de-clutter, remove and eliminate everything…every feeling everything limitation that is no longer necessary or constructive in my life. I want to make room for new ideas & beauty & appreciation & creativity. I want to make room for fun outings & projects. I want to make room for making my home beautiful & homey. I want to make room for security, and trust that the security is real and not fleeting. I want to make room for love, absolute unconditional love. I want to make SO much room to be able to give love to others, especially my children. I want to make huge amounts of room for the truth, so that nothing but the truth fits. I want to make room for God, a room that is always open, a special room where nothing else can come in, a room where He dwells, always, where I can always find Him and He can always find me. I want to make room for writing, and understanding why it has been so very difficult and scary to write. I want to make room for carefree, happy days, for happiness, for fun and for new memories. Yes, I want to make room for NEW memories instead of holding on to the old memories. I want to make room for serving others, and sharing what I know and have with others – and I want to make room for letting others teach, share & even serve me. I want to make room for new definitions of success, happiness and wealth. I want to make room for new opportunities that I never thought existed, or maybe never even knew existed. I want to make room to see the miracles and blessings all around me. I want ot make room for peace – safety. I want to choose solitude out of choice rather than fear and desperations. I want to make room for whatever I was born on this earth to do or be. I want to make room for experiencing more foods, more art, more places – but even more, I want to make room for doing this every day at home with the people that I love. I want to make room for my spirit, every hour of every day.
(typed out from a handwritten journal, 2 years ago.)”
This message touched my soul. So much that I HAD to leave a message, which I have added below. What made me want to add this to my blog is the fact that, even though nearly every message hits a part of my life, this is just what I had been telling myself all week. That I needed to reevaluate my life and my choices and where I was headed. These ladies are truly inspired. We are truly fortunate to count these inspired ladies as our biggest cheerleaders.
When I was at Brave Girls I was “the one writing in the journal”. Journal writing has always been important to me. When I went to Brave Girls I had 2 journals at home that were long lost, actually 3. We stopped at Wal-Mart to get photos and the composition books were on sale for 25 cents. So off the deep end I went. I probably bought 30 extra because I could not go to camp without a journal.(Plus, I tend to get carried away sometimes.)I even passed on a few to ladies in our vehicle who liked the idea. Little did I know what was in store and what a beautiful new Journal I would be given. I am not even sure what happened to that original book.
I have always blamed my lack of journal writing on someone else. Well, now I don’t have that excuse. And I am still no better at it. For some reason, the desire has not overridden the “do it later”!
Melody, this past week when I missed going home for Thanksgiving because of the weather, I took stock in my life, what I like and what I don’t like. This past year I have been existing. Finding joy only when I was with another person, like I cannot be happy by myself.
Today I took a drive all by myself. I stopped at MickyD’s and got a Happy Meal and Coke, then just drove. I have not done that in about a year. This time last year we were not even certain I was going to survive for the new year, as I was scheduled for surgery. Then one day I decided that I had to survive cause there were too many people who would not make it without me. Funny how some choices change a lot of lives.
I am getting off track. I love that you are able to go back and see how you were doing a year ago. It is one of the things that I admire about you.
This past week when I re-evaluated my choices I made some definite plans. I am looking forward to a wonderful life with the daughter, my sisters, my brothers, and my Mom, plus all of the nieces and nephews. We are again planning a future together, places to see and wonderful things to do.
Most of all, I am once again setting up a craft room. I once had a wonderful room to craft. I had a big house with a big room with nothing in it. I could set something up and never move it. It was wonderful.
Life is good. The future is better. Find the thing that makes you **giggle** and go for it.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-21T18:35:00.007-06:00

I initially made this Pumpkin for the Mod Podge challenge, but when Life ran over me, i asked my sister, Christine (http://changeofheart56.blogspot.com/), to find another place where I could share this cute little fella. He is just too cute to resist. I am so excited that she found this Halloween Extravaganza in which I could participate. Click here to see many, many other talented crafters and what they have to share.

Now, for what I did…. First of all, I probably cheated because I purchased the plastic pumpkin at the thrift store for a buck.

Initially I had thought to use the back side painted with chalkboard paint because I had seen that on web sites and it sounded like so much fun. Then, Christine and I sat down to paint our pumpkins and the chalkboard paint was not so handy, so I went with orange. Here he is:

Since the pumpkin is plastic and craft paint would probably not stick, I Mod podged (yes, that is a verb) the entire pumpkin. Since I did not have any orange paint and did not want to leave the house, I mixed red and yellow. This was great because it gave the paint that shaded look. While in Disneyland a few weeks ago my daughter purchased a Mickey Hat for me to wear at Boo at the Zoo at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City next weekend and I plopped it onto the guy, not realizing it would match so well.
It is so wonderful, that I plan to carry him when we attend Boo At The Zoo next weekend.

Hamlet

2010-09-19T01:43:00.003-06:00

Today was quite the day. First I was out of bed before 8:30 in the morning today, which is quite unusual for me. Then I took Bear to Logan for a sleep-over and drove semi-frantically back home. You see, it was 10:15 when I dropped Bear off and I needed to be in Park City to pick up Trish at 12:00 then we needed to be back to the U of U campus for the play at 2:00.

We saw Hamlet.

It was wonderful, although I must admit to falling asleep, I don’t think I missed much because the story still made sense to me. Anyway, it is full of marrying the brother-in-law (can you say ick), shipping off the son, son is certain father was murdered by Brother-in-law and returns, accuses mother of marrying husband’s murderer, son murder’s mother’s advisor thinking it is brother-in-law, mother’s advisor is son’s girlfriend’s father, son is shipped off because of the murder, son’s girlfriend goes insane over death of father and falls into stream and drowns, brother of girlfriend returns only to find her dead, son returns to call out brother-in-law, instead girlfriend’s brother calls out son, son and girlfriend’s brother have sword fight, brother-in-law (now married to mother) offers son a large pearl if he draws the first blood, boys fight, son draws first blood, brother-in-law drops pearl into wine and tries to get son to drink but he refuses, the boys continue to fight, son skewers brother of girlfriend, mother drinks wine in which brother-in-law dropped pearl except it was poison, mother dies of poison, son skewers brother-in-law… and it think that was the end.

Now are you appropriately confused. So was I. To make matters worse, every young man had dark hair and wore a dark suit. They could at least have different colored wigs or different colored clothing. Or maybe they could wear name tags.

I did enjoy the play. I will go again if given the chance. And I encourage you go attend if you can. The only thing I would do different is that I would read the cliff notes before attending the play. That way I would be a lot less confused.

Flood….

2010-09-16T13:42:00.003-06:00

It is flooding again at my house. And before you ask….

No, the Mantua dam has not broken…

No, a pipe has not broken.

No, we did not have a huge rainstorm.

The neighbor let the water run too long and it has flooded me again. Thankfully Bear wanted to go outside so the basement got no water.

This is between the two garages. It is a river running downhill.

Here is the puddle next to the basement. It is over an inch deep. I cannot get into the back yard without stepping into water.

Bear wanted to walk with me into the back yard, but stopped when he saw the puddle. Bear hates water. A lot. If you spray him with a hose, he will run away.

This is the start of the river between the two garages. This is where I plan to build a dam. Thanks Grandpa. I would not understand the theory about a dam.

And here is my waterfall at the end of the river between the two garages. This is at the front of the garage.

This has been going on periodically most of the summer. It was not so concerning before because it did not get into the basement. Over the past three weeks I have gotten flooded 3 times. It flooded while I was on vacation and I came home to musty, sour laundry on the floor and lots of wet rugs. Thankfully it did not get as far as the family room.

The clothes are now washed and the room no longer smells of mold. I am so thankful that the carpet did not need to be pulled up because it is glued down.

I guess my Truth Teller is here for me today. Because there was noone else home to turn the water off. And I don't want to clean up another mess.

Water

2010-08-26T17:26:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I decided to treat myself. I love sparkling water. I buy cans of sparkling water. For a long time now I have felt like this was a silly waste of money. There had to be a way I could put bubbles in the water from my own tap. And yesterday I did it.

I bought a Sodastream Home Soda Maker. It is wonderful. It makes this bottle full of bubbles. You know how sometimes you grab a soda just for the bubbles. I liked sparking water before, but this is great since the cost is about 25 cents (and when did they take the cent sign off the keyboard) a bottle.

And the bubbles last all day. I could not have asked for more. I even bought a sampler of all of their flavors and a bottle of cola flavoring. Right now I am drinking Smith’s store brand, so I guess I am not that picky. It has cola, orange, pete’s choice(Dr. Pepper), root beer, lemon-lime, fountain mist (Dew maybe?), diet cola, diet pink grapefruit, diet lemon-lime, diet root beer, diet cranberry raspberry, and one called energy. I am going to wait to open the flavors for Peach Days, cause that is when the sisters will be coming down for a visit.

I just make another bottle of sparking water. At this rate, I may not drink coke much anymore. Which is quite good, because I would really like to wean myself off caffeine so that it works better when I truly need the boost. Like driving. Driving is hard for me right now. Bear and I know all of the shady spots to take a nap.

Dell:

2010-08-26T09:59:00.006-06:00

I wish heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too. I think of you in silence.

I thought of you today. As I drove home from getting my new keyboard. We should have stopped somewhere for dinner and had such a good time. I miss the things we used to do together. It is so very hard to go for a drive, to go anywhere that we used to go to together. How can I go on trips that we had planned together. How can I do things that we had such plans to do. We had such a life planned, and now I don’t know what I want to do.

I often speak your name. Sometimes I ask why you did this to me, even though I realize you did not leave on purpose, that you wanted to stay with us. I think of the plans we each made individually and the plans we made together. When I think of the fun we would have had with each other, it brings a tear to my eye.

I will miss you every day of my life. Even though I am attempting to build myself a new life, to be involved in things, every day I miss you. I hate going to bed without you. I hate that I cannot get things done around the house. It was only this week that I realized that all of the things that I had done were all for you. Nothing seems worth doing anymore. I do realize that fact, but it does not change anything, and I still don’t get much done.

I have many memories of you, of the things we did and of the places we visited. You will always hold a sweet spot in my heart. I remember the love we shared and the good times we enjoyed. Thank you so much for all you have done for us. For the good times and the not so good times. I will always love you. No one will ever replace you. Not even George.

Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part......

God has you in his arms and I have you in my heart ~ and you will never leave.

Swimm ing with Sharon

2010-07-29T14:17:00.001-06:00

This coming weekend, July 31, There will be a Ray Rasmussen Family reunion. Lorna and her family have organized this get-together. Fortunately, and unfortunately, the water pump on Lorna’s car went out on the freeway near Honeyville, Utah. What that meant, was lat night I got to spend the evening with Lorna, Sharon and her daughter, Pauline, her husband (sorry, I am not good with names), and lots and lots of grandkids. They camped at Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville.

First we needed food. Here is Lorna and Sharon pushing the grocery cart together. See, I even brought my recycle bags.

We went to the local thrift store hoping to find swim suits, but no such luck. All they had were 2-piece suits, and I am not going there, let alone Sharon. I could not resist a couple of pop-up books for Sharon. One is Noah’s Ark, with all of the animals. The second book was a giant book with Warner Brother cartoon characters as babies. She loved both.

Polly’s husband grilled chicken for us. It was the best ever. Next time they come, I am going to get them to bring a couple of bottles of that sauce. Dinner could not have been better.

Then we went swimming.

Polly and her husband are so great with Sharon. They helped her “swim” around the pool most of the evening. Jessica, Morris’ daughter, also took took Sharon a lot. They went into the cooler pool and swam and bounced for quite some time. I think Sharon enjoyed it more that me, which is great.

Here is Polly, Jessica, Lorna, Sharon (in front) and Polly’s husband (sorry).

This is Jessica, her husband (sorry), their son and another of Lorna’s grandsons (sorry)

At the end of the evening Jessica’s husband helped Sharon out of the pool. They were standing there enjoying a moment when I rushed over for this picture. He is such a great kid.

Sorry about the names, I should have written them down. But I didn’t. But I could not wait to do this post.

Take Him Back

2010-07-24T17:23:00.001-06:00

I Took Him Back To Wal-Mart

My husband and I fought constantly,
Why I married him, I’ll never know.
For all those miserable years I said
My hubby has got to go!

Tried poisoning cakes, stripping brakes,
Salting his pork chops with lime.
Wiring his chair, igniting his hair
Even though playing with fire is a crime.

But I failed at each plot ‘til I suddenly thought
Of a way that would set me free!
I got rid of him for good and, know what?
They couldn’t do a thing to me!

I took him back to Wal-Mart!
They’ll take anything back you know!
They said they couldn’t recall selling him.
But they must have if I said so.

They just credited him to my Visa and said,
"Ya’ll come back now, ‘ya hear?"
They were so nice, polite, pleasant and insistent,
I took back his mother the next year!

They’ll take anything back at Wal-Mart,
Though it’s broken or rotten or sweet.
And know what else? This time of year
You don’t even need a receipt!

She did it anyway

2010-07-23T15:47:00.001-06:00

This morning Trish helped me get the branches out of Dell’s truck. I should have taken a picture so you could see where we started. After we emptied the truck, I drove on over and got a scoop of topsoil for the garden. Trish and I are going to work on it for a little while every morning and every night. Does that count as aerobic exercise?? Here is what we brought home.

Aren’t you proud of us?!!! One little step every day.

Brave Girls

2010-07-11T21:14:00.001-06:00

Christine and I are going to Brave Girls Camp on Tuesday. Christine purchased an apron that we could decorate together, and we purchased matching fabric. Here is mine I can’t wait to see Christine’s apron.

Shoes

2010-07-01T18:36:00.001-06:00

The problem with living alone – who do you blame for loosing your shoes?

New Day

2010-07-01T17:36:00.001-06:00

I just went onto a new antidepressant. It seems to be working better than the old one, but I don’t know if it is anticipation or actually working.

Now if I can just learn to stay focused on what I am doing. I turned off the TV and put on a book on tape to minimize the distractions.

Distracted again. Anyone have a recipe for baked beans>??>?

Butter

2010-06-09T11:11:00.001-06:00

Butter is one of the miracles of life. A smooth, delightful tasting spread that makes anything taste wonderful. How can something so good be so bad for you.

When you add it to vegetables, they taste wonderful.

When you add it to gravy, it only gets better.

And let’s not go into how it wonderful it is on toast.

Isn’t life wonderful.

Bear

2010-06-09T00:28:00.001-06:00

Bear is sad tonight. Since Dell died Bear has periodically climbed onto the bed, laid down close to me and cried. He is doing it again tonight. First he jumped on the bed and nearly crowded me out. (You know, he is so tiny.) After about a half an hour I finally got him to jump down. Bear is a lot like the proverbial gorilla. He sits where he wants.

After He finally jumped down, he looked so sad standing beside the bed that I asked him if he wanted to come up onto the bed.

Big mistake!! Now I have a big dog on the bed with me with his head laying in my lap. He has been crying and moaning all evening. Hope he gets happy soon.

Let’s all say one for Bear.

FAT

2010-06-08T11:02:00.001-06:00

How do you know when you have gained too much weight? When your fat clothes are too tight. Guess that means this is the right time to start taking charge of what I eat.

Today

2010-06-01T18:05:00.001-06:00

I am sitting here in my living room, having done nothing much all day. The list on the door is still there. The camera cord is still lots. My feet still hurt. And it is nearly time to go to work.

Not what I had originally thought I would be doing with this life. But oh well. Life goes on. The sun is shining and the dog is not barking.

On with life…..

Memorial Day

2010-05-20T14:08:00.001-06:00

I have cancelled my Memorial Day get-together. Alice, my sister, is having surgery and it is much more important that we support her.

Memorial Day

2010-04-08T10:41:00.002-06:00

Trish and I went to Grief Group last night. We were followed by one other lady, and it looked like we would be the only attendees. Then Others arrived. That is when we realized just how fortunate we are. One lady’s husband committed suicide. Another died of a lung clot in his 50s with a daughter that is 9 years old.

We did a worksheet that brought lots of tears, but it was cleansing too.

The social worker suggested not avoiding holidays, so i am hereby inviting everyone to my house this Memorial Day. There used to be a get together at the park with all of the family, but I am here and have a great apple tree, so let’s everyone gather and enjoy.

We can reminisce about those who have gone before us. Bring stories and pictures. I will have my printer/copier set up to share.

Snow, snow, snow

2010-03-09T20:48:00.001-07:00

It's snowing again. Kind-of. Little snow pellets on my face when I an taking the dog out.

SNOW!!!!!

2010-03-05T06:28:00.002-07:00

For those of you who live in the more temperate regions (Boise), I have snow again. The car was covered. Fortunately the driveway was not. I think it is even still snowing.

Bear loves it.

Just kidding. Almost. There is not quite this much snow, but Bear did have little pelets of snow on his back when he came in.

2010-02-26T11:14:00.003-07:00

I have joined a new group,SNR Card Universe at http://snrcardiverse.ning.com. Here is my first attempt:

I know it is amaturish, but the deadline is tomorrow and I will be in Idaho tomorrow.

Olympics Hockey Team

2010-02-25T18:02:00.004-07:00

I was watching Katie Couric on the News when an article about Josh giving this speach was highlighted. He has even been invited to Vancouver to give the speach for the current hockey team, and it is working for them too.

Enjoy:

This is from Ellen. It also gives the original speach from the Movie. Watch them both.

Now I am Looking

2010-02-19T13:32:00.002-07:00

I just had some wonderful news. I am not eligible for survivor benefits until age 60. Can you say Job Search.

I'm Back

2010-02-16T08:10:00.003-07:00

I had no idea how long it had been since I had blogged last. I knew it had been a while, but not this long

When I started this Blog it was to chronical the retirement Dell and I would enjoy together. Well, he has changed everything. So, when you or your spouse does not feel well, now matter what else is happening, GO TO THE DOCTOR. And keep going back until you find out what is causing the problem.

Dell had a Neuroendocrine tumor, which caused liver failure and his death.

So this definitely is the beginning of My New Life. Today I am calling the company to get all of the information about pension and his life insurance. Now I have to call Social Security to see if I will be getting something from them.

Gingerbread Serial Killer

2010-01-02T12:39:00.001-07:00

Each year Trisha and I try to do Gingerbread Houses. Unfortunately this was once again the “Year of the Hospital”. This photo of gingerbread serial killer is a tribute to all of the gingerbread everywhere that did not get baked, that did not get decorated, or did not get enjoyed.

This photograph I got off the National Geographic website. It was submitted by Candy Caldwell.

A Christmas Carol

2010-01-01T20:15:00.001-07:00

We saw A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey tonight at the 4:50 showing at the Capital Theater. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I am very happy I did not take any children with me. I did not dream it would be such a dark film. Now, I do realize the Scrooge is a dark story, but this one seemed much more scary that any others that we watched this season…… And I don’t think we missed one. I guess coming from Disney I expected it to be more kid friendly.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and am very glad we went. Thanks Trisha.

Yes, Virginia

2009-11-27T15:18:00.002-07:00

Trisha reminded me of this, so I did a search and am sharing it with everyone.

Thanksgiving Wishes

2009-11-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING..........Here is a recipe I received from my sis and wanted to share with you for the holiday.

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
1 large lemon, cut into halves
salt and pepper to taste
butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Rub butter or oil over the skin of the turkey until it is completely coated.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you prefer.
Take a knife and gently separate the skin from the breast meat;
Slide lemon halves under the skin with the peel side up, one on
each side. This way the juice from the lemon will release into the breasts.
Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove cover and continue
to roast until juices run clear, basting every 15-20 minutes.
If you've followed these steps correctly, your turkey should
look like the one in the picture.
Bon Appetit!

Miracle Thought:

2009-11-25T08:01:00.002-07:00

The Greatest Contribution
The greatest contribution you can make to this world is to better yourself. God works directly through you, so his work is an outcome of the person you make yourself out to be. Marianne Williamson talks about dealing with your issues and knowing that you're healing the world.

I receive an email from Marianne Williamson through Oprah. She has such good thoughts for improving your life. I have decided to start posting these to share with all of you.

Let’s go to Texas

2009-11-14T15:28:00.002-07:00

I ran into this video about the Texas State Fair, the Capital of Fried Foods. Who wants to come…..?

Watch CBS News Videos Online

The Sleeping Lady

2009-11-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Sleeping Lady

Legend tells us that a millennia ago, the Great Land known as Alaska was inhabited by a race of giants. Among these people was a beautiful young maiden and a handsome young man whose devotion to each other was admired by all the villagers. Wedding preparations were underway when word reached the village of a warring tribe approaching from the north.

After a village council it was decided that the young man would bring gifts to the invaders to show the peaceful and friendly intentions of the villagers. Keeping herself busy while waiting for the young man's return, the maiden eventually grew tired and laid down to rest.

Soon after, word reached the village that the invaders rejected the offer of peace and a battle ensued in which the young man was killed. The villagers, gazing at the sleeping maiden, did not have the heart to wake her.

So there she rests today, still waiting for news of peace and the return of her love . . .

Projects

2009-11-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

I look at all of the quilt projects on line.

And I wonder why I am sitting here…..

Cause I got projects of my own.!!!!!!!!

Weather

2009-11-12T17:21:00.001-07:00

I have a widget from weather.com. It shows the weather in different cities and turns dark at night and daylight during the day. And I was wondering…..

Why is it light in Boise and dark in Brigham. they are just not that far apart.

By the way, it is 41 degrees in Boise, 37 degrees in Brigham, and 25 degrees in Anchorage.

Anchorage

2009-11-11T17:54:00.001-07:00

Do you want to moved to Alaska?

This is taken approximately eight miles from Anchorage at the Glenn Highway Weigh Station, pointed west, toward Anchorage. The camera provide a very nice view of the Glenn Highway and the entrance to the weigh station.

Yesterday the highway was snow packed. I am wondering if this is as good as it gets.

Here was downtown Anchorage yesterday

And here it is today…..

Can you say……. SNOW

Countdown to Surgery

2009-11-05T20:34:00.001-07:00

I am having a countdown to surgery. About a year ago I met with my cardiologist concerning an echocardiogram that was done. The opening on one of the valves had narrowed. Last spring there was another echocardiogram done and the valve opening had again narrowed.

We scheduled another echocardiogram this fall, which is not all that unusual. The studies have been about six months apart in the past. Well the opening had narrowed even further so a transthoracic echocardiogram. These is where a probe is passed down your throat to better measure the valves from the back side.

I don’t know what the measurements were, but the did an angiogram. That must not have been very good, because she did not even wait for me to come in for an office visit. We discussed the test and the doctor who did my previous surgery, who is Dr. Bull. He now heads the transplant team at the University of Utah and works at the VA Hospital.

So I decided to go with the surgeon at Ogden Regional Hospital. Of course, I want to do some research on these doctors before the appointment. I am scheduled to meet with him on the 19th.

Now that I have reached this point I can relax. I don’t have to be concerned that something is going wrong and my doctor was not catching it. Although I have not had that concern with this cardiologist. She is right on top of everything.

So don’t anyone worry. I am good, just a little tired. I am able to do nearly everything I could do last year. I do have a little trouble shoveling dirt, but people keep telling me I should not be shoveling dirt anyway.

Thanks for all of your good thoughts.

Rose

Happy Halloween

2009-10-28T15:53:00.003-06:00

Here is my Halloween wish to all of my dear friends…

Have a ghoulish day.

in every way

and let your inner child – or outer child if possible – remember the fun of the day…

And remember, Mom is always there to rescue you from the “scary” strangers

This is my Halloween Card to all of my friends. The pumpkin drawing comes from free clipart on the Precious Moment’s website. I am not sure where the font came from, but it was on my word program.

So………

Don’t let the mean old grownups ruin what could be the best day of the year so far. I will be thinking of all of you.

Loves and Hugs……

Rose

Twilight

2009-10-27T15:25:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago Trisha invited me to go to the movie “New Moon” of the Twilight saga. While I enjoyed the first movie a great deal, there were times where I was lost and there was Trisha and I whispering like a couple of rude teenagers.

So I decided I had to read the second book before going to the movie. Easier said than done……

But I have just finished the first book. It was wonderful, everything that I was led to believe. If you have not read the book and want to read a fun teen love story, this is it. It is all about innocent, endearing love that can overtake all challenges.

Now I am really looking forward to reading the next book

APPLESAUCE SQUARES

2009-10-15T16:47:00.002-06:00

APPLESAUCE SQUARES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar (I used Splenda granules)
2 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups raisins (I used Chocolate Chips)
3 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2-3/4 cups and 3 tablespoons chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees I. Line one sheet cake baking pan with parchment paper. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat well. Blend in cinnamon, flour, baking soda and salt; add raisins, nuts and applesauce. Mix well. Place batter into the prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees I for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Since Dell is diabetic, I used Splenda instead of sugar and could not tell the difference.

I could not find the raisins (and they may have been eaten), so used chocolate chips. Hint: 2 bags are too many. Use only 1 bag.

I put pecans in half of the bars. My applesauce was homemade and was very thick, so I added water until the consistency seemed right, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup.

There was left over, which I put into cupcake pans. They ended up being about an inch thick and were wonderful. I cut parchment to line the bottom of each and they baked wonderfully, except that I should have sprayed the pan with Pam first.

Enjoy. We sure did.

Winter

2009-10-01T18:07:00.001-06:00

Just for those who enjoy Ice Fishing, I thought I would reprint something I received some time ago. First you get there….

Then you find the right spot…..

And drill your hole

Then you decided what you are fishing for:

or was it scuba diving

But you could not possibly carry all of that stuff out on the ice, so where’s the…….

Oh yeah we brought a snowmobile….

And now for the fishing part…..

BUT….

You need to remember that it does get warm later in the day and…..

Caring

2009-09-29T22:06:00.001-06:00

Technorati Tags: Caring,Sharing.

The Cab Ride
So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.
'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.
'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Thirsty Kitty

2009-09-16T10:10:00.001-06:00

I ran onto this on AdorableAnimals.blogspot.com and want to share with everyone.

Bear Ran Away Again

2009-09-12T21:30:00.003-06:00

Saturday was Peach Days in here Brigham City. And this year we decided to go to the Parade. Now, the parade starts at 10:00 in the morning. So off we went.

Isn’t he cute. How could he ever do anything wrong?

But first…. Bear (the dog) went outside before anyone got dressed to “do his business”. Then, right before we left, we brought him inside.

Now, bear is a Chow/Husky mix. And quite possessive. And quite vocal about the whole thing. So we are very careful. And he is quite strong. I am no longer able to hold onto the leash when he runs away.

So now, whenever he moves from the house to the to his chain in the backyard, there is a rope that I use. One end is hooked to the chain outside and the other end is hooked to his collar. That way, when he decides to chase a cat I do not risk him running away or getting someone else’s pet.

Now here’s the problem…. If the cable hooked to Bear’s collar is not shut “under” the door when you leave, but into the “side” of the door, bear has figured out how to open the door. Bad Dog!! Bad Dog!! Bad Dog!!

So today when we got back from the parade the back door was open. And there was Bear. Grinning at us and wagging that bushy little tail.

So, how do you get angry with a dog who, while he may have left, he did come back. And he is so very cute.

What’s a girl to do??@??##?

Word of the Week: BEGIN

2009-09-12T18:13:00.005-06:00

What is a beginning. I did really plan to start the beginning of a new life. But that is not what is happening. It seems that to start a new beginning, you need to have to have an end. And how often can you have a new beginning anyway?@#??

The name of my blog is “My New Life”. And that is where I started. What is the new beginning that I wanted. We all want changes in our life, but how do you decide what the beginning would be.

How do I want my new beginning to start.

I did want to travel. I even found an apartment in Anchorage. Of course, I do know that is not real, but it sure would be fun.

And who would not want to live there. Yes, it is a city. And I am sure there are lots of people. And, of course, there is SNOW!@!. But what is wrong with that.

It is September. And that is the time School starts around here. So let’s have our beginning right now. And just what am I beginning. We’ll have to wait and seen. I think I will start a new page. I believe one day a week I will continue the plan on my Beginning. We’ll just have to see where we go.

Cat tricks

2009-08-27T22:36:00.004-06:00

For all of you who wanted to teach your cat a trick... And the steadfastly refused... This one is for you.
ENJOY ;)

Waitressing

2009-08-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

When will I quit being a waitress. I don’t even have the basic compensation of a waitress. I never get tips. I rarely get a thank you. And I rarely get appreciated. What next?????

The First Wives Club

2009-08-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If it were a movie it would be rated R. It is much different from the movie. Not only is the story more involved, but there are more characters (which is no surprise), but the "payback" is more intense too.

View all my reviews >>

Lion Cubs

2009-08-20T21:18:00.003-06:00

This is what you find when do some earching. Enjoy.

Harry Potter

2009-08-03T20:49:00.002-06:00

This weekend Trish and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie.

Now, I am not a Harry Potter devotee, but I have read a couple of the books. Not enough to know what was happening, so Trish had to explain what was going on a few times.

I really enjoyed the movie, and not just because I went with Trish. I was surprised how much I recognized and understood from what I had read and watched.

If you are looking for something to do and have a couple of hours to kill, this was a lot of fun.

Thomas

2009-07-27T21:24:00.001-06:00

This reminded me so much of a long-lived cat, Thomas.

There was nothing he loved more than a box. We often kept boxes around just for him.

Technorati Tags: Thomas,cat

Indian Paintbrush

2009-07-19T06:21:00.002-06:00

We went for a drive on Saturday over Monte Cristo. First we went up Ogden Canyon, then to Eden, Utah, then Monte Cristo.

We picked up Subway sandwiches, which is the best way to picnic, then stopped at the side of the road with our blanket. It was wonderful. There were not too many bugs. Trish and I sprayed with bug spray, so they did not bother us too much. One of the things that surprised me, is that the flys did not The drive was wonderful.

The surprising thing was that the Indian Paintbrush was blooming on top of Monte Cristo. As we all know, Indian Paintbrush is a spring flower. I used to pick it every spring to put on the graves for Memorial Day, along with Sego Lilys. That is what I miss most about Herriman. The Sego Lilys growing in the yard. I used to have many and they would last quite a while. I just wonder how the pioneers found the bulbs to eat. I dug and dug, but never got down to a bulb. They sure are deep.

The drive was beautiful. I am so glad that we went, even though we were all very tired.

A word to the wise…. If you are going on a 200 mile drive, start before 1:00 in the afternoon. It would make the drive much more fun. And do not take your water pill before you leave. We actually had to stop in the trees. But that is nothing new, right.

One Word Only

2009-07-14T15:25:00.001-06:00

Here's what you're supposed to do...
and please don't spoil the fun....
Leave one word answers…
Don’t spoil the fun.

Remember only ONE WORD!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? pocket

2. Your significant other? Dell

3. Your hair? blonde

4. Your mother? Patty

5. Your siblings? 6

6. Your favorite thing? Alone

7. Your dream last night? nothing

8. Your favorite drink? Coke

9. Your dream/goal? Eternity

10. The room you're in? Living

11. Your fear? Heights

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Pennsylvania

13. Where were you last night? home

14. What you're not? thin

15. One of your wish list items? chocolate

16. Where you grew up? Boise

18. The last thing you did? dishes

17. What are you wearing? dress

18. Your TV? Old

19. Your pet? bear

20. Your computer on? yes

21. Your life? Good

22.. Missing someone? Mom

23. Your car? gold

24. Something you're not wearing? Makeup

25. Favorite Store? Joann's

26. Your summer? Painful

27. Your favorite color? Red

28. When is the last time you laughed? Saturday

29. Last time you cried? Today

Now it's 4 answers:

30. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME? Trish, Alice, Christine, Beci

31. FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: Cake, candy bar, BBQ ribs, crab legs

32. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: relaxing, Boise, Salt Lake, Logan, Some where else...

33. FOUR PEOPLE I THINK WILL RESPOND: Katrina, Alice, Trish, Christine

Broken Arms

2009-07-11T19:51:00.001-06:00

What is it like to have a broken arm?

One broken arm is awful. You cannot move it and it hurts so you take pain pills, so you cannot drive, so you are stuck. I do not know which is worse. The pain or being stuck at home.

So I went to the doctor because the “other” arm was hurting so badly. And after poking around a bit, finding the sore spots. And sure enough. The arm was broken. So then I got 2 splints. The good thing is that I can take them off from time to time when I am resting or watching TV. Unfortunately they have to stay on when I sleep.

Unfortunately I have not been able to mail my pincushion, and for that I deeply apologize. It will be off on Monday.

But I am feeling better and hope to be better soon.

Technorati Tags: broken arm,pincushion

Pincushion Summer Exchange

2009-07-04T18:11:00.002-06:00

I have received the most wonderful pincushion on the exchange. It is from chookyblue.blogspot.com and it is absolutely wonderful.

Thank you o much. It is absolutely perfect. I had to take all of the needles out to take the picture.

I got a new keyboard

2009-06-12T22:33:00.001-06:00

Next Tuesday is my birthday. And I have always wanted a wireless mouse. So, since Dell is still laid up in bed, he bought me a birthday present at the store today.

I am now the proud owner of a wireless mouse and wireless keyboard. I have always wanted a mouse, but when I checked out the different computer mouse, mice, mouses…, the box on the next shelf with both a cordless mouse and cordless keyboard was on $20.00 more. It is a Logitech keyboard, mouse and speaker in a box. So far the mouse and keyboard are great. I can’t wait to try to speakers.

beehive pincushion

2009-06-08T09:24:00.001-06:00

Kalling all friends. As you can see, I have joined the Pincushion Swap. And, being from Utah, I plan to make the beehive a part. But I really have not found one I love.

So……If anyone has seen or found a cute pincushion centering around a beehive, please leave the location for me.

Or if you think on of the beehives below is “to die for”, vote on it now.

Thanks for your help.

Beehive #1:

Beehive #2

Lish

2009-06-07T22:15:00.001-06:00

If you remember, my niece, Alicia, is getting married. Her mother is a single Mom, so I want to help if I can. Well, I have agreed to help with the decorations at the Wedding. I need to call Alicia and get all of her specs about what she wants, etc., what colors she thinks to include, etc. Can you say Answer Your Phone…

Mom is making the dress and it will be beautiful. She was stressing because she wanted to have a fitting and SOMEONE was not answering her phone. I told her that after dark on Saturday night was SUNDAY and that she should not be sewing. It was rest time. I don’t think she took my word though. I’ll bet she kept working. She IS like that.

Oh yeah….. I think I have volunteered Christine and I to do the decorations. I probably should call her before she gets a chance to look at this. Or she will get a big surprise.

We are also planning a Bridal Shower for Lish.

Can you say… “What were you thinking” No, just kidding. I am looking forward to the entire summer.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

2009-06-03T17:19:00.000-06:00

I just rented the first disc from the first season of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. starring Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin. Weren’t we all in love with these two?

Does anyone remember was U.N.C.L.E. stood for? No fair cheating BY looking on the Web. Or on Netflix.

I remember watching this show as a child. The first season was in 1964, which I barely remember, so it was probably much later that I remember, especially since these episodes are in black and white.

I had this confused with Get Smart, because I though their arch enemy was KAOS. Of the 3 episodes on this disc, each had a different group trying to overthrow a government, each time a different country. One was what I assume was a country in South or Central America, because she had a Spanish accent. The second was a country in Africa where the "bad guy" was the President and he was going to kill off his ministers. The third was a group from Yugoslavia.

What I had forgotten, or not realized at the time, was the role women played in these films. Either she is answering the phone 0r radio in a bikini (2-piece swim suite to those of you under 50) or she is pulling files to be ogled at or getting coffee for the men.

There are female guest characters who plan a strong woman who is in control. But most of the strong women were "bad guys". No wonder I wanted to become a secretary

Jack Hannah

2009-06-02T23:34:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me, know how I feel about Jack Hannah. Now Jack has done a lot to promote wild animals. He brings them on talk shows and you get to see a little bit of an animal that you would not get to see otherwise. He does enrich our lives. BUT....

The first time I became disolusioned with Jack Hannah was on the Tonight Show. He was showing some type of monkey. Unfortunately, the cutie chose just that time to relieve himself. Yeah. He peed on Jack Hannah.

Now when you work with animals, it should not surprise you when the animal relieves itself. Hardly anyone in the family has not had Roger or Blanket relieve themselves when being held. It is sort-of an editorial comment. You know.... Put Me Down NOW!!

Well, tonight Jack Hannah was on Letterman. First, he brought out a baby porcupine, and gave Letterman some dead crickets to feed it. It was not hungry and Letterman got poked by the quills. then Letterman brought out this bird, a crane I think. The assistant put food on the desk so that it would land on the desk. Then Hannah gave Letterman some food in his hand to feed the bird. And the bird pecked the hand instead of the food, spilling it all over the desk. Needless to say, anyone who has been pecked knows that HURTS. Last was a cat, I cannot remember what kind. They brought out a milk bottle for the cat, but he wanted the crickets, probably because their natural food is bugs. So the cat is scratching at Letterman, probably quite hard, as cats will do.

Then Jack Hannah was calling for another animal, but Letterman called for a break, saying there were no more animals. Hannah was trying to explain that there were more animals to come out, but Letterman would have nothing of it. Hannah was given the bums rush.

Kimmie's Birthday.

2009-06-02T19:53:00.003-06:00

My sister, Christine, posted about her fellow Flutterbyer's birthday. Kimmie is giving away lots of yummy candy, lot’s of stamps and also some stamped images. Isn't she great.

I don't know how to make a "link" yet, but here is the place:

http://craftingforsanity.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-my-birthday-giveaway.html

Good luck.

Dell's Surgery

2009-05-29T16:00:00.001-06:00

Today went pretty good. Dell came through surgery very well. The doctor gave us the piece of bone they cut off and you can see where it was torn.

Dell is doing well. We hope he will be coming home tomorrow.

Surgery

2009-05-28T21:47:00.002-06:00

Dell is having knee replacement surgery tomorrow. We have spent the past week busy, busy,busy. Everyone wish him well.

Trish is coming home tomorrow after work to help for the weekend. Originally the surgery was scheduled for Monday, so she took the day off. Unfortunately she cannot get Fridays off, so I will be picking her up.

Wish us well.

Rose

Susan Boyle on Britan's Got Talent

2009-05-25T20:50:00.003-06:00

Trish shared this with me, so I am sharing it with you. Hope you enjoy her talent as much as I did.

She has never sang professionally, I am told only with a church choir. WHen you are done, go to YouTube and search for her first performance. It was amazing. Even Simon was surprised and loved it.

Enjoy.

Weekend at Wendover

2009-05-22T16:00:00.004-06:00

This week Christine was down so Dell and I were able to get away without our beloved puppy.... or DOG if you prefer. We got a good room at Peppermill. They have a mini suite that can be had for $70 on weekdays. We went to the Rainbow for their buffet. I had chow mein and kung po chicken. It was good, but a bit too spicey this time. Dell had fried chicken, which he enjoyed too. But the "Top It Off" was the desert. they had Horns filled with the most wonderful whipped cream stuff, and then they had dipped it into a chocolate that made it come out like a Brown Topper. For those of you not from Utah and Idaho, they take an ice cream cone and dip it into chocolate and it ends up with a hard coating of chocolate. It was wonderful.

The next day we drove around Wendover and toured what we could of the Wendover Air Base. This is what the base looks like now. It is quite run down and many of the building's roofs are falling in, which is such a shame. With all of the condos and apartments, it is too bad that they have not remodeled more of those barracks instead of letting them fall into the ground.

Anyway, we had lots of fun. I want to thank Christine for taking care of my dog, Bear.

You see, when she came home Wednesday night, he was wandering around the neighborhood. We had him on a new cable with a good, heavy snap lock, but I guess he managed to get himself off of it. Or else someone let him loose. I am so thankful to her finding him, because I would miss him lots.

We would miss this puppy lots if he were to get lost.

Whack-A-Kitty

2009-05-20T22:12:00.001-06:00

I got this from Cute overload. It is so much fun, I had to share.

Don’t even ask if kittens were harmed, People, I don’t want to hear it la la la la la

Lost camera

2009-05-08T09:55:00.001-06:00

I have lost my camera AGAIN. I am going to Idaho, so I hope I can find it soon. Otherwise I will have to use the one that does not download very well.

Wish me luck.

This is great.

2009-05-06T10:32:00.002-06:00

My Sis-In-Law, Beci, sends such fun emails. This is one she sent me and I just had to post it. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

This is hilarious! (and it's ABOUT TIME someone did this!)

Click here

Birthday

2009-04-24T14:53:00.007-06:00

Sunday Jackson's Birthday. Jackson is my nephew. Today I made him a Birthday Book. I got the idea from a segment on my favorite morning show. It is a Birthday Book that you have guests sign for his birthday every year.

This is the front cover. The paper was actually 12x12 that I cut to size. Then I had to move the "day" back onto the book because it was off the page.

On Saturday we plan to go to the Hill Air Force Museum, so I put these planes on the first page. Dell and Trish will sign this page too. Just think, when he is old like me, he will have a copy of the handwriting of all of the people who are dear to him.

THis is a picture of Meteor, which is a children's show. It is the theme of his Birthday party this year so I could not pass up putting in this page. Now there is a page for all of his friends to "sign".

2009-04-12T19:54:00.002-06:00

My sister, Christine, at Change of Heart posted about a contest at Crafty Coo at http://craftycoo.blogspot.com/ .

I know it is Easter, but hurry on over and enter her contest. It ends at midnight.

Hand of God

2009-04-09T14:26:00.001-06:00

This is a photo I pulled off the nasa website. Here is the location:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1323.html

Can anyone say "Hand of God"?

A Young Pulsar Shows Its Hand
A small, dense object only 12 miles in diameter is responsible for this beautiful X-ray nebula that spans 150 light years. At the center of this image made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is a very young and powerful pulsar, known as PSR B1509-58, or B1509 for short. The pulsar is a rapidly spinning neutron star which is spewing energy out into the space around it to create complex and intriguing structures, including one that resembles a large cosmic hand.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Don't plant that seed

2009-04-08T15:06:00.001-06:00

I am sitting here....
At my desk
Wondering just why
I do what I do.

I hate that the games
waste my day
but here I sit
Sore hand and all

But if I leave
This little room
there is so much work
That needs to be done

So I sit and I sit
But it won't go away I
don't worry a bit
Cause I know it will stay.

My job is my job
It waits just for me
No one else cares
If it let it be

Until someone comes
Then we rush about c
leaning this and clearing that
without any doubt

But the seed always remains
To start over again
And Grandma warned me
THE SEED ALWAYS SPROUTS

Is Winter Gone??

2009-04-03T12:07:00.002-06:00

The grass is green
but the sky is gray
what will happen
during this day.

The dishes are dirty
and so is the floor
I'm at the computer
Thinking of more.....

Of things to do
besides housework
Cause that's no fun
I could go bezerk

So you go have fun, okay

Winter is not gone

2009-04-02T19:56:00.004-06:00

The Grass is green
The sky was blue
The day was warm
But what else is new.

And I went away
Just for the day
Oh, how wonderful
The FaBric StoRe...

And home again
Sky is gray
Wind is blowing
It just could not last

The weather predicts
more snow tonight
To make the week
Quite a fright...

So I hold up in the house
Turn the furnace on HIGH
And hope against hope.
To pass this night
WITHOUT MORE SNOW

Winter is not gone

2009-04-01T08:43:00.004-06:00

It snowed again. There are blue skies and about 2 inches of snow in my front yard.

I would show you a picture of today, but I cannot locate the cord to my camera and I do not have the driver for the camera with a cord.

So, That's Live.

I am stuck in the house. In the snow.

YEAH!!! I FOUND THE CAMERA!!!

Here is my front yard.

Again.

And here is my car.

And the street.

And the beautiful blue sky.

Hope Springs Eternal.

Spring will come
sooner or later.

Winter

2009-03-31T12:02:00.002-06:00

It has not snowed yet today. But I am not holding my breath.

This morning all I wanted to do was call Mom. Unfortunately Tuesday is the only day of the week that she is unavailable.

Guess I will have to remember to call her tonight so we can talk.

Winter is not gone

2009-03-29T10:56:00.010-06:00

It's Snowing Again.

I thought winter was over. It has snowed, like, a zillion times. And it is snowing again this morning. Yesterday I did not want to go anywhere because I was cold (I did not warm up until about 8 last night) and, honestly, being lazy.

Now it is snowing. We have no eggs. We have no dog food. I really NEEED to go to the store. But I don't want to.

Oh Well.

Bread again

2009-03-28T07:01:00.006-06:00

I made bread again today.

Word to the Wise........

When you smell the bread cooking.
And you think "I probably should get it out.
Because it probably has been in too long."

Get your butt off tghe chair.
Because it is waaaaay past time
To take it out.

The good thing
Is that the rolls
still tasted wonderful.

But the second batch
tasted even better.

I am on the track
to duplicating the
Maddox recipe.

Bet ya can't wait to find out.

Winter is not gone

2009-03-24T19:51:00.003-06:00

This is Bear.
Bear is outside.
The grass is green
Bear does not have dandruff
No, the camera is not making funny spots.
Yes It is snowing again.

Just in case you missed the snow in the last picture.

Firefighter Museum

2009-03-24T12:06:00.006-06:00

We went to the Firefighter's Museum in Tooele, Utah. Tooele is just west of Salt Lake city, almost a bedroom community. This is a mountain just outside of Brigham City on the way down to Tooele.

There are lots and lots of fire engines from over the years. All of the engines have a connection to Utah in some way. The museum is in the Larry Miller complex between Tooele and Grantsville. Just drive around the entrance booth to the west.

I do not remember what engines were what years. These are just some that I enjoyed.

This is my Trish and my Dell in front of a horse-drawn fire engine. Aren't they great?

Know how to have fun

2009-03-24T11:59:00.001-06:00

This is wonderful. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

children

2009-03-22T17:12:00.011-06:00

I received this email from my Sis-in-law, Beci. It will give you a bright spot on what, for me here in Brigham, is a rainy day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's great.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896..66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140..00?

* Naming rights . First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus .

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas , hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day , and cards with backward letters for Father's Day .

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

* First step,

* First word,
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren! It's the best investment you'll ever make!

2009-03-21T17:14:00.004-06:00

I just saw some film of our last big snowfall. This was taken in Logan, Utah, just east of me. And they did have more snow that I did, about 4 inches. This is the blog of Laura, a friend of Trish.

Her blog is http://www.barlowbuzz.blogspot.com/ Click on the video of her husband and wait. It is priceless. You will want to watch them all.

You Can Make This

2009-03-19T22:48:00.004-06:00

My sister, Christine, blogged about a contest where you could win a quilting machine. I copied this from their website:

"This is an exciting week for me because I get to reveal a NEW website set to launch this April! To celebrate, you could WIN a Marie Osmond Quilter’s Companion sewing machine from our friends at Janome! Isn’t that exciting?

You may have guessed it by now - This April we will launch www.YouCanQuiltThis.com! We can’t wait to share with you the projects, tutorials, and patterns brought together by a team of experts and lead designers in the industry."

Their website is http://www.YouCanMakeThis.com/. Their new website is http://www.YouCanQuiltThis.com/ I urge each of to ignore this. You are much, much too busy to enter this contest. Besides, I am sure there are too, too many entrys to make it worth you while. So please, please do not waste your time. Leave the machine for me.

Thanks So Much.

Hudson Hawk

2009-03-19T13:38:00.003-06:00

I just watched this movie online from Netflix. Although it is rated R for definite "F" language,and I will never understand the need to color such a fun film, this is a delightful, funny, campy film done with full tongue-in-cheek effort.

For those who can ignore the "F" phrase about ever 10-15 minutes, it is a delightful film. Unfortunately most will miss this fun film because the filmmakers chose to target a different audience. Too bad.

Guess I should make it more clear. There was lots of "FU" and "MF" using the *uck word that everyone knows but very few people actually use. It is such a shame to take such a wonderful movie and ruine it with that phrase. Imagine Bruce Willis skipping and singing along. It was fun.

Is Winter Gone??

2009-03-17T22:25:00.009-06:00

This is my front porch. The snow had been falling all day.

This really isn't a big bush. Rather, it is one of those tall, narrow trees that sit next to the porch. Although it is a bit overgrown, it usually does not block the stairs.

Here is my neighbor across the street's car. And the street.

The snowploy had made a couple of passes on the street so you can see some tracks, but it was not really clear.

And this is Bear, the best dog in the world.

He just oves sitting and watching the world

And here is my big, beautiful back yard. It looks so wonderful with snow covering everything.

2009-03-10T20:01:00.001-06:00

I saw this cat and just could not pass up sharing with everyone. I hope you enjoy it too.

<

Take time to look at all of the cats in this next one. You are certain to find someone you know.

What's in a Name????

2009-03-07T21:33:00.003-07:00

What's in a name??

Trisha and I were playing with the turtles, spinning them and taking them off screen and watching them... And we were talking about how to get the guests comments to show on screen.. Then she said "Name them Cheech and Chong" It sounded perfect. One of the best ideas around. Hope everyone enjoys it.

Winter

2009-03-06T21:15:00.002-07:00

Is winter over? This is all there is that is left of the snowstorm I posted earlier. And I would not have this pile except this is where my neighbor pushed the snow in my driveway to the front.

This morning we were having light snow - very light snow, but very constant. That was, at my house and in Logan. But by the time we made it to Ogden there was no snow. Now, it might have just been the time of day, since we left Logan about 1:00. And Ogden is lower altitude than Logan and normally about 5 degrees warmer.

We'll just have to wait and see

Name the Turtles

2009-03-02T18:50:00.003-07:00

Name the turtles.

Trisha asked for the names of my turtles. I was thinking of Jim and Jack.

But that is without imagination.

So for the contest.......

Everyone nominate your favorites for a name.......

By the way...... Click on the turtle and hold down the button and twirl...... It's fun.