My Mini Zoo

 I came home the other day from running errands.  Had to get some more food for the bird and the squirrels.  I drove in the garage and before going in the house decided to check the front porch.  Jamie had alerted me that she was sending me a random surprise.  As I rounded the corner to the steps I hear this loud "watch where you are going" quack!  I look down and right at my feet is this big mallard.  He isn't moving and he is loudly telling me that he got there first.  I smiled and said, "Sorry Mr. Mallard."  As I turned to go back in the garage I hear another loud quacking and I see his little partner in crime nestled in the leaves right by the front steps.  Goodness.  I laughed at them both and thought to myself that I was now running a small zoo.  Squirrels (Chip, Dale and Nancy), tons of birds at the bird feeder and now two ducks taking up home in my yard.  I've also seen Quail coming in and out of the bushes along the North side of our home.  Glad they like to hang around here because I love seeing them.

He was originally standing right on the porch and then stepped back to the lawn.

His female friend :-)

Long Awaited Chandeliers

 Neal and I haven't like the light fixtures that have been hanging over our table and in the entrance hall since we moved in here 23 years ago.  But, there always seemed to be other things that needed taken care of before replacing light fixtures.  Besides, I didn't really know what I wanted and spending hours in a lighting store trying to decide of fixtures just didn't appeal to me.  I'm not a very patient shopper.  A few months ago we were at a friends home and I saw her chandeliers and immediately fell in love with them.  We found out where they bought them and the rest is history.  Of course they were on back order so we had to wait 3 months to get them.  When they finally came, we then had to get Mike Dowse (our brother-in-law and electrician) to get us scheduled in his already very busy days.  Last week, he called and said if I was home he would come right then.  Honestly, if I had been in St. George, I would have hustled home to meet him.  So excited and happy that we now have beautiful light fixtures and the added feature (thanks to Mike) a dimmer for the one over the table.

The entrance hall fixture is smaller.  Mike had to actually ask Neal to go back in his office because Neal was making him a bit nervous.  Probably giving out directions!?  Hahahaha

Story of the Bowl

 While Abby, Annie and I were shopping we came across these stainless steel mixing bowls of three or four different sizes.  Annie has always wanted a great big one like mine and we've tried to find one, but to no avail.  When we saw these, we both decided that we needed to get it.  Of course it would be an adventure having it as a carry on.  We knew that from the beginning.  These mixing bowls are 16 and a half inches wide at the top so obviously they aren't going to fit in our small suitcases.  But it was a find that we couldn't pass up so we bought it.  The thing that made me laugh so hard in the store was when you pushed on the bottom of the bowl it made a metal twang sound and it was loud!  It just struck my funny bone and laugh I did.  Annie and Abby were laughing too but not as hard as I was.

The story continues.  The next morning as Annie and I were walking to go into the airport a security guard came up beside us and said, "That is the biggest bowl I've ever seen."  Then he laughed and said, "If someone gives you a bad time about the bowl you just hit them over the head with it and I'll stand behind you!"  He continued making funny comments about the bowl as we walked in the airport.  Annie checked us in and then we check our luggage and headed toward security.  We could hear comments hear and there about the bowl as we walked along.  Honestly, people just couldn't help but notice it.  Annie put the bowl upside down on the conveyer belt.  Nothing was said until we got through the other side to pick it up and the security guy looked at us and said, "Well, that's not the craziest thing I've seen come through here."  We both laughed and headed on our way.  Seriously, how often do you get a comment from anyone in the security section?  Pretty rare unless they are yelling at you to do something.  

From there we headed to our gate and, of course, heard comments here and there about the bowl.  Even getting on the plane, the stewardess smiled and made a comment as well.  It fit perfectly in the overhead so it was hidden through both flights home.  Again when we got off the plane in Salt Lake people looked and commented to each other.  

The bowl made it home safely.  Annie told her kids about the bowl and Emmi said, "Why do you always find some weird buy when you travel?"  It is true.  It is rare that Annie and I don't find something that we just have to have that is going to cause us some grief traveling home with it.  But want and creativity to get it home always wins.  I think Emmi also asked Annie what her plans were with the bowl that big and Annie told her Thanksgiving stuffing, batches of puppy chow, 10x recipe of banana bread, etc.  It is amazing how often I use my own big mixing bowl.  

So, that is the story of our latest adventure bringing home another "weird find"!  

Thanks to Lynda Ann for planning such a fun trip and having me tag along.  She literally takes care of everything including me.  What a grand time we had.  And thanks to Abby for hosting us and driving us all over the place.  Love you both!

LA Trip Continued

 After we had our pizza, we visited a couple stores to get some things for Abby.  I totally lost it at one store.  I really can't explain what set me off because you had to be there but Abby took some pictures of me laughing so hard that I had to sit on a suit case.  I also found the picture that Abby took of Annie eating the corn from the vendor.  Her first bite pretty much covered her mouth and the end of her nose.  Yes, we laughed at her.

After we were finished shopping we met Antonio back at Abby's apartment.  It was raining but we wanted to see the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood so we headed in that direction.  It was so worth seeing it and being there even in the rain.  I was able to get a couple pictures of the Hollywood sign across the valley.  The clouds lifted for just a very few minutes.

Looking out over the city of Los Angeles.  

We stopped at a Latino Restaurant and had a late dinner and then home to snuggle down for a short night's sleep.  Abby had to be to work by 7:00 and needed to drop Annie and I off at the airport on the way so we were up by 5:00 a.m.  

It was an amazing and very fast trip but we were able to see most of what we wanted during our short visit.  I think next time, weather permitting, we will climb up to the Hollywood sign.  That would be a fun adventure.  I still have to report of the big silver bowl that set me off at the store, but that will have to come in the 3rd addition.

A Trip to LA

 I was given the opportunity to travel with Lynda Ann to LA to spend a weekend with Abby.  It was her birthday this past week and Annie wanted to be there to celebrate her birthday.  We were going to leave on Thursday, but circumstances made it better to leave on Friday.  We arrived at the airport a little after 2 and had a few minutes to grab a bite to eat.  There are so many restaurants and fast food places in the airport that no matter what you are in the mood for, you can find it there.  We stopped at Cafe Rio and had a good lunch to start our journey.

Then we boarded Southwest for LA.  Our flight was - thankfully- uneventful and we arrived safe and sound, gathered our luggage (which also made it) and headed out to the curb to find Abby who was there and ready to pick us up and begin our fun birthday weekend celebration.  

Our first event was taking Abby to the restaurant of her choice for her birthday dinner.  She chose The Cheesecake Factory in Sherman Oaks.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then order a piece of cake to top off the dinner.

The Happy Birthday To You! was written in the frosting.  So clever and so fun.

After out delicious dinner and dessert we headed back to her apartment to settle in and unpack a bit and mostly visit and catch up on life events.  I don't know what time we finally got to sleep and none of us cared.  It was so fun to be together.  

Saturday morning we went to Abby's favorite daily breakfast stop for some smoothies and muffins.  Annie and Abby got Strawberry Banana and I got Blueberry.  They were delicious!

One of the things that Annie really wanted to do was to visit the Flower Market in downtown Los Angeles.  Nice that Abby knows her way around LA and is comfortable driving us everywhere.  The Flower Market was amazing and the smells were incredibly refreshing.  It was like walking into a Bath and Body with so many fragrances coming at you all at once.  You wanted to just stand there and enjoy the moment.

Rows and rows of every flower you can imagine.

Bundle of orchids.  They were everywhere.  I get excited if I get a second bloom from my orchids and here they are growing in bundles!!

One of Abby's favorite flower and color.

And what would picture taking be without a photo bomb?

After spending a couple hours at the flower market we headed to Northridge for the long awaited pedicures.  I say long awaited because I hadn't had one since December and was ready to have my feet properly pampered and the toe nails painted.  Can you tell who belongs to these feet? 

Somewhere on our journey, Abby decided she wanted a cob of corn from one of the street vendors.  I didn't try it but Annie did and said they were delicious!  Sadly, I didn't get a picture.  But I will say that you can't eat one of these delicacies without getting it all over your mouth and even your nose!  Which I will add here that Lynda Ann did.  Goodness!!!  Where was my camera!!

We headed back home because we were supposed to be to a birthday party for Antonio's niece who turned one.  We had a delicious dinner and birthday cake.  The table that Annie, Abby, Antonio and I were eating, all of a sudden collapsed and all the food slide down and hit the floor.  A little embarrassing, but we didn't cause it.  The leg just came out from underneath it.  

This picture is Antonio's sister and 4 year old, Abby and Antonio and the one year old.  Sorry I don't know names.

Abby and Antonio with Antonio's nieces.

After the party we headed home.  It had been a long day and we were ready to snuggle in for the evening and a good nights sleep.  Yes I'm wrapped in a blanket because I was cold.

The next day was Sunday so we got cleaned up and headed out to the Spanish ward that Abby goes to.  We met lots of her friends from her mission and Annie was excited to meet a lot of the ones she has heard so much about.  We stayed for both meetings.  I think Abby would have been happy to then go to the singles ward, but Annie and I said two hours of Spanish was good with us.  We headed back to the apartment to change and then off to get some lunch.  We decided on Pizza.  So back to North Hollywood for some delicious pizza and salad.  We stayed in the restaurant and talked for a couple hours.  It was so fun.  Lots of laughs.  Such good times.  I didn't take a picture of the Pizza place but as we drove in I had to take a picture of Crumbls and Sees.  Goodness, right together.  Felt like we were back in Utah.

More of the trip in the next post.

Thinking and missing my mother

 My mother was an incredible woman.  Who was my mother as a person?  What made her what she was?  What influenced her?  What happened in her life to shape her character?  We could each ask that some questions about ourselves.  We are complicated people, right?

I remember mother telling me that when she was little she took a pair of scissors and cut a 4" fringe on the bottom of all the lace curtains in the living room.  She says that her mother defended her against an outraged grandmother.  She says she had a happy and protected childhood.

I think some of mothers strengths came from joining the LDS church.  She said that when she was first baptized it didn't mean much to her.  My father wanted her to and she wanted to because he wanted her to.  If it has not been for Lorin, she may not have ever joined the church.  She said that joining the church was worth all her worry and woe and indeed worry and woe did come into her life.  She divorced Lorin because of irresponsibility, drinking, heartbreak and separation.  She was left to raise 5 children on her own.  There were hard years and lean years.  But her children were the most important thing to her and she worked hard her whole life to support and take care of us.

As I was making bread today I remembered an incident that happened when I was in college.  Mother made about 14 loaves of Norwegian Holiday Bread.  As she finished the second to the last batch she noticed a hole in the bottom of the plastic bowl she had been mixing dough in.  So in order to keep the liquids from all running away before she had a chance to get the flour in, she plugged the hole with a strip of white cotton cloth.  She got all the little loaves of bread in the oven, started washing the dishes and when she got to the bread bowl, the hole was there, but no cloth plug!!  She looked in every plausible place for it, but couldn't find it.  There was only one place where she couldn't look, and that was in one of those loaves of bread, so to those who received a loaf from that batch, she had to give instructions to look for a strip of cloth so they wouldn't think it was a strip of a dirty dishrag, or an unknown object introduced by a very careless cook.  Mother lived by the motto, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."  She always, always 'made do' in many instances and she 'did without' in many more.

Mother liked ordinary pleasures, her flower garden, a good book, or crossword puzzle, a good meal and gathering with her family.  Woody Allen said that "85% of life is just showing up."  Mother always showed up as a faithful mother, a giving grandmother, a contributing Church member and teacher and a good neighbor.  She gave what she could, when she could and did it the best way she could.  I am better for having had her as my mother.  She left me a beautiful heritage of love, testimony, service, forgiveness and faith.  She was an example of how to face difficulties with resolve, how to stop and smell the roses, and how to live life gratefully and productively, believing the promise that is we endure to the end, God will make all things right one day.  

I love you mother and I miss you greatly!

Tucker Comes to Visit

 Neal and I picked up Tucker on Thursday night at midnight and then sat up until 2:30 talking and catching up him and his family.  I have to add here that when we pulled up at the airport to pick up Tucker I text him to tell us when he was coming out so we would know when to move forward in the line of cars.   He was waiting for his luggage that was taking a little longer than expected.  Finally I get this text:  "Squirrel has the nuts.  Heading to the treehouse."   Yup, I laughed right out loud.  

Friday, Tucker spent the day with Maren and her family and Neal spent the afternoon getting a massage and running errands for Lyndsy.  That evening Neal and I met Tucker, Maren and Greg out at Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse in Sandy for a delicious and very fun dinner.  I would recommend it to anyone. 

Saturday Tucker had a photo shoot up Millcreek Canyon but his model didn't show up.  He was irritated and disappointed that he had spent so much time getting all the props and camera equipment to the sight for the photo shoot. The girl apologized and said could they do it the next day.  Tucker and Neal got home about the same time and got ready to go to the U of U basketball game.  Tucker was going with all his buddies and Neal had been invited by Norm.  Norm did invite me but I most graciously declined the offer.  No interest in basketball and especially the Utes.  Neal and Tucker helped me set up the tables and chairs before they left.   While they were gone, I finished the table settings, peeled and cut the carrots, scrubbed and foiled the potatoes and made sure I had plenty of barbecue sauce for the chicken and then settled in to starting my new stitching project and grab a little TV.  

Sunday Neal and I attended our church meetings and then home to get all the food cooking so everything would be done promptly at 4:00.  Tucker made his famous bacon bits, which I might add were delicious!  We had a full house (I think 19 people) only missing Maddie, Grayson (who had just had his wisdom teeth out), Jaden and Desmond along with our California family and CJ and Justin.

After dinner and the table was cleaned up and the first load in the dishwasher, we played What Were You Thinking.  That is always a game of laughs and fun.  After that game the Gertsons headed by to Stansbury and Mallory back to Provo.  Taylor, Brock and Boston headed home so the rest of us play a game of Reds which I lost miserably.  Tucker loved that I lost and he beat me.  It was such a fun evening.  After everyone left we finished putting the final touches on cleaning the kitchen and then Tucker and I sat up until 12:30 talking.  

Neal and Tucker got up at 4:30 and left at 5:00 to take him to the airport.  I got up just before 5 to give him a hug and send him on his way.  I was so good to have him here for the weekend.  He always brings lots of fun, laughter and energy.  

Finished and Starting

 I finally finished my Repeat the Sounding Joy project.  This will go down as one of my favorites.  I put in the last stitch and now need it press it good and take it to the Framing Establishment to get it framed.  I'm very excited about this one and what it will look like when framed.

This gnome Christmas is my next project.  I've been anxious to finish the above project so I could start on this one.  This project came in a series of three.  One of Spring, another of Halloween and the last of Christmas.  The thing I love about this series is the all that is going on in them.  You can't just glance at it and think you've seen it all, you have to look at each individual item to see everything that is there.  

Just beginning.  Always at the very center.