Found this funny picture that I took of Neal!

This was one of those cardboard pictures at the UVU basketball game that I talked Neal into posing with.  Isn’t he just darling!

Annie’s find

Lynda Ann has been going through all her storage boxes, cleaning and purging and has found some things that have been put away for years and forgotten.  She sent me two pictures that I just had to post.  The first one is a picture that I’ve never seen of the two of us getting off the boat that took us to Alcatraz and back.  Neither one of us remember this picture ever being taken.  Glad she found it.

The next picture is not really a picture but a cartoon that holds a great memory for both of us.  Too lengthy to try and explain on a post so I’ll just add the picture and if you are interested in what it means you can call Annie!  Thanks Annie for sharing some wonderful memories!  And yes, everything has to be a “dam” project!!!

One little act of kindness that has lasted for 23 years.

I know I’ve posted a picture of this Christmas Cactus but I couldn’t help but take yet another picture this year.  I hadn’t really paid much attention to it and happened to be cleaning Saturday and noticed that it was out in full bloom.  Usually it blooms at Christmas but because I had moved it to a new location in the bedroom it was late blooming this year.  A small plant brought to me by a neighbor just because.  That little act of kindness to welcome me into the neighborhood has lasted now for 23 years and each year when it blooms I always think of Gretta McPhie and I smile and thank her.

Tending a happy Desmond

Lyndsy had to work an afternoon and an evening.  As luck would have it, I just happened to be home during the short hours that she needed me.  This baby is one happy baby and I had to share some pictures.  He basically smiles and eats.  That is pretty much his happy little life.  What a darling little grandson!

Neal is busy carving for future eagle scouts

I love Neal’s creative abilities.  One of my favorite things that he does is when he takes a block of wood and turns it into wonderful personality.  Below are pictured three more of his creations.

Changing the china cabinet–remembering Annette

I love how Neal arranges the different sets of china in the cupboard.  It is always interesting how changing the china in the cabinet always gives the kitchen a different personality.  I love Annette’s china and how it makes me feel when I look at it.  I feel a touch of Annette’s personality – her tender side.  The memories of our years together come flooding back.  The way she took care of me, looked out for me and taught me to love music.  I love looking at the china and thinking about her.  How I miss her!

The Gertsons now have bunnies!

Annie said that she had them checked out and they are both boys so hopefully there will be no surprises one morning like Jamie and the girls experienced!  I believe the names are Bunny and Snoopy.  Snoopy is the black and white one and Bunny is the all white one.  Hey Jamie, any advice you want to through out there to the Gertsons? 

Emmi has been busy in pottery and very creative

She sent me this picture of her latest creation.  This is a Mocking Jay cookie jar.  Of course, the Mocking Jay from the Hunger Games.  Amazing Emmi and so detailed.

Desmond’s first smile!

Lyndsy sent me these darling pictures of Desmond and his first smile.  She said he almost laughed right out loud he was so happy.  She also sent me a picture of him snuggled in the blanket that I gave him.  What a cute little angel!

Christmas at Ron and Judy’s

After the basketball game at the U of U, Neal and I were invited to Ron and Judy’s for dinner, bridge and to exchange our Christmas presents with them.  We hadn’t seen them since before the holidays so January was our first time to get together.  We had a delicious dinner, played some bridge and then decided to take a break and exchange our presents.  As I opened one of my presents I noticed a pair of scissors sitting on the top of what looked like fleece material.  My first thought was that Judy was giving me some kind of project to do and it included a pair of scissors.  I slowly pulled out the scissors and started to thank them for what I thought was a really strange gift and all of a sudden Ron and Judy burst out laughing.  Of course Neal and I didn’t get what the humor was until they explained.  Apparently, Ron was wrapping presents and all of a sudden couldn’t find the scissors.  He hunted all over the place, on the pool table, on the floor, under everything but to no avail.  The scissors had literally disappeared.  He finally had to go and round up another pair of scissors.  These presents were wrapped before the holidays so all that time the mystery of the scissors had not been solved and it had bothered Ron over those weeks, wondering how he could have lost them when he hadn’t moved from that spot while wrapping.  Needless to say, we all had a great laugh over that one and for the rest of the evening many comments were made about getting old and forgetful!  They kept the scissors and I got the blanket – which I love!

Cameras flying in the sky?

Last week Neal and I spent Saturday at the U of U Basketball game.  There was an alumni brunch and the basketball game all for the price of (?).  So we headed off to the brunch where, of course, Neal ran into a person who used to live across the street from his parents.  He knew know one from the alumni group but connected with someone from his past.  He had a nice visit and then off to the basketball game at 2 p.m.  It was a good game and we had good seats and Utah won.  After the game we had to work our way across campus to get to our car.  As we were coming down the steps of one of the buildings we saw a young man standing in the middle of the sidewalk with a control box in his hand and high above his head was a small (what looked like) flying saucer.  We stopped and watched and asked questions.  It was a flying camera!  He could control the apparatus and the tiny camera inside it.  Neal and I were fascinated.  I’ve heard about them on the news but never see one close up.  Kind of creepy to think that you could go out in your back yard and someone could be spying on you from above!  By the way, we took these two pictures for Tucker to actually prove that I was at a game and drinking a coke out of a Utah cup!  Who would have ever thought! 

If you look closely at the second picture you can see the flying camera just to the right of the young man and he has the controls in his hands.  The black dot you see on the saucer above me is the actual camera lens.  You can also see that it has four propellers.  Interesting! 

New Years Day

We spent New Years Eve at the Bridge Center playing bridge and bringing in the New Year.  Today was saying goodbye to Christmas, drinking wassail and watching football bowl games – one after another!  

I took this picture below for Peyton’s benefit.  That was the very first bulb I grabbed to remove from the tree and I dropped it!  Smash it went all over the floor.  I believe between Neal and I we must have dropped about 4 of them!

Haven’t got the heart to get rid of my poinsettias yet so they will stay on the table and bar until they decide they are through blooming.  We’ll see just how long they will last.

I needed some wassail to keep me going this morning.  I’ve had a cough and sore throat I swear since Thanksgiving.  I’m hoping the wassail will warm me up and give me some energy to face the projects for the day. 

Happy New Year everyone.  I can only hope this next year will be as fun and rewarding as last year was.  Our family has been so blessed and I hope we will all look up and acknowledge where those blessings are coming from.