Happy Day After!

Yesterday was Tenille's birthday (I call her Tenillie) I love this DIL of mine. She's funny and fun and always ready for a good time. She's a great mom, a fabulous housekeeper and has a bit of daredevil in her. She's such a good match for Travis. They've been together since they were 16 so Tenille's little brother, Jake that married gold-medal Torah this year, can't really remember a time when Travis wasn't around. We can't really remember when Tenille wasn't around as well and that's good. We love her to death! (My favorite memory is her making David's dad clog with her on the houseboat at Lake Powell. It still makes me laugh.)

Kouing Aman

Several months ago I was watching The Food Network- The Best Thing I Ever Ate. I don't think I've ever watched that show before but what got my attention was the theme of "sweet and salty" or something like that. The Neelys, foodshow hosts, mentioned a restaurant in Salt Lake that I hadn't even heard of call Les Madeleines and that they served the most fabulous Kouing Aman on the planet. I didn't even know that Kouing Aman lived on the planet but today I'm addicted. Yesterday Voila! and I had lunch at Vinto's (an Italian restaurant in downtown SL that I also had never eaten at) then we headed to Les Madeleines for dessert. Voila! is my friend Valenes little sister, who we stayed with in France so she knows her Kouing Aman. Kouing Aman (how many times can I say it in this entry) is like a croissant baked in a muffin tin (so scrunched up) with a little salty caramelizing on the outside and flakey and moist and buttery on the inside. Just a little bit of French heaven. Right here in Salt Lake. I think I need them with hot chocolate each morning.

Balancing Act

This little cartoon is how I'm feeling after two days of really fun activities! Kind of bursting at the seams. On Monday, friend Penny and I went out to celebrate her birthday with pedicures and lunch. Delightful. Penny and I lived next door to each other for years and became like sisters. She is family to me. I knew she had recently gotten home from a fun girlfriend trip with 3 other women I know and love. I love to hear about people's trips but the first question I always ask is for them to tell me the funny things that happened. (Funny things always make life memorable.) She said they had funny things happen one after another but one stuck out in her mind. They had gone to the temple in Palmyra and then were off for a sightseeing adventure and had to quickly change in the car from dresses to more casual clothes. Penny did say they were constantly eating and when friend Anne was in the backseat struggling to get on her pants she said, "Man, I'm so bloated, I can hardly get into my pants. I must have gained 10 pounds already on this trip!" Pam, also in the back finally got re-dressed and commented, "I think I've lost weight on this trip. My pants are pretty baggy." (dang, that never happens to me.) Penny said it was about 2 hours later....Anne and Pam discovered they had each other's pants on.....

The styles were similar....

Getting closer to 100 than one is so much fun.

Yesterday after class (excellent as always), we had our Visiting Teaching lunch at the new Corner Bakery at Fashion Place mall. We all enjoyed it (and each other) but ate until we popped. Then last night was Girl's Night Out at Loretta's. Another group of friends that I love. Here are some of the pictures from Loretta's house. I love how she changes the curtains in her kitchen for the holidays. And have you ever seen a pitcher like this? Her daughter in California sent it to her. It has a piece that goes in the middle that you stuff with fruit or vegetables to infuse the water. Loretta had strawberries and cucumbers in hers and it made the water delicious.

Today I am cleaning with a fury (actually I'm sitting here blogging so you see with how much fury I am cleaning!) and getting ready to take my daughter to the hospital for some surgery today. Her life is still the definition of "when it rains, it pours" (I thought that yesterday when she called my cell phone to say that, on our way to meeting each other and exchanging Addi, her car had stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. It was an hour of chaos.... Fuel pump.) but she just deals with everything with such amazing grace and strength. Love this girl!

Then my sweet friend Pretty Patty Petty is coming to town and staying Thursday night. She's the one I always con into helping me with gigantic service projects. I laughed when she called to say she was coming...and I told her that would be great...but I was signed up to help at the local D.I. Thursday night (it's like a Salvation Army.) She replied, "Of course you are!"


You know how oftentimes I'll put a little quote that sums up something from my blog entry for that day. Well, I had this one in my file. It covers all the topics-friends, family and eating. Strange!

“If someone were to harm my family or a friend or somebody I love, I would eat them. I might end up in jail for 500 years, but I would eat them." Anon.

(on a happier note, BFF Cathy's daughter, Erica, had her first baby....a darling little boy (I've seen pictures!) and all is well. BFF has gotten two little grandsons in a month. She's trying hard to catch up to me but I'm telling you, it's NOT going to happen!)

Meme

When I feel stressed: I eat or take a bath. Sometimes I’ll have several baths a day. Good smells calm me as well and I'm always burning yummy candles. Right now I'm burning sweet cinnamon pumpkin from Bath and Body Works. I LOVE FALL!





(I thought you'd rather see a picture of my candle than me in the bathtub...)




What I'm reading: I'm not reading any fiction at the moment. Since I start teaching Isaiah this week, I have been studying my head off. In the book, The Little Prince, it talks about taming wild things. Last Sunday I tamed 6 whole books of Isaiah and loved it!







What I'm doing today: going to kiddo Boston's soccer game. I have 5 kiddos playing soccer all over the valley. I'm not a real good sports grammie...but I try to get to at least a couple of each of the kids. Last week I made it to 3. I'll be stopping at the store after the game to pick up a case of fresh strawberries and making freezer strawberry jam today. Then working on my lesson for tomorrow. David's at scout camp so I've pretty much got the day to myself. Mallorie worked all night so maybe she'll be ready to play in the afternoon.




What I'm cooking: Yesterday I tried out a recipe of Brandi's to make for Creative Cooking which is coming up in October. It is a pasta dish with chicken and squash and zucchini. Brandi has always told me how good it is...and now I'm a believer. And Pam, I used your Simon and Garfunkel spices in it! (everyone else can guess what they are!) It's perfect! I'll share the recipe next month!





When I feel creative- I have no end of things to fill me up. I just had some of my artwork photographed and the photographer said, "So, you're in a barn stage now!" Funny. That's how I was in poetry. My moose stage, my Monet stage, my elephant stage, my hummingbird stage. I've been painting barns and pumpkins but I'm ready for something else. I've got a few things up my sleeve (besides paint!)



When I feel disorganized- (pretty much every day) it messes with my fung shui. I’m working on it. This past week friend Sophia and I had a spontaneous "meet-in-the-middle." Below is one of our finds. I told Sophia I needed some way to organize my necklaces in limited space. We found these holders at Rodworks....she got one for her earrings. See how tidy her earring holder is...she NEVER has a problem with fung shui.












I, on the other hand, am constantly in chaos. But this serves the purpose. I screwed a couple of knobs onto my screen because mine is for necklaces. I put long screws in the knobs so they stick out on the other side to hold more necklaces there. Not as tidy but it works!









When I’m feeling excited, it is usually because I have something to look forward to. I LOVE looking forward to things. Here are a few things I'm looking forward to-

~hosting my two writing friends for lunch. I've already got my poem done. The topic is "traveling." It isn't a happy poem, but guess what? I've got it done....

~lots of birthdays




~St. George girl's trip in October to recharge






~Creative Cooking in October

~Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point with kiddos in October.


~planning a Witches breakfast at Gardner Mill with all my girls and little girls. I've been getting costumes for all the little girls....it is a dress up occasion. Then Ladies Witches Night Out with my big girls. Both in October.

(this isn't us....these are the workers at Gardner Village during the festival. They are pretty fabulous!)







~Halloween is getting nearer, I can tell. I also host Bucket for Oct. and again, making everyone dress up like witches. Excited to plan the tables and menu and activity. I'm at my best when I have a party or lunch to plan. I love to plan activities to show friends or family that I love them. I’m not as good at this as I used to me. I get burnt out a lot quicker now. Afterwards you'll find me in the bath. Which brings this meme full circle....

Thoughts For Rylee

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (Matt.)

This past weekend Rylee was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the world oftentimes the church is referred to as the Mormon church but that is a nickname which makes people think we worship someone named Mormon (we don't.) "The Church of Jesus Christ" defines who we worship. We don't believe in infant baptism or that infants are born in sin but rather baptism occurs when a person (age 8 or older) can be accountable for their choices between right and wrong including choosing to be baptized. Baptism is by immersion, like stated in Matt. where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, being totally immersed in the water and coming straightway out. This baptism represents a spiritual rebirth. Later, the gift of the Holy Ghost was conferred on Rylee which I think is one of the most amazing gifts of God. I'm so thankful in my life for having the direction of the Spirit- both to encourage, to protect, to teach truth, to verify what is right. When we are baptized, in addition to becoming a member of Christ's church, we also take upon us his name...meaning we will stand as a witness of Him in all that we say and do. It is a big step, a great challenge especially during this day and age when the world has lost its focus on what is good and pure. People think it is impossible to keep the Sabbath day holy, not take God's name in vain, always tell the truth, be morally clean (which includes any sexual relations with someone other than your husband or wife). It isn't impossible but it is hard. It's difficult when there are so many entertaining distractions around us to forget about what is really important. That is why having the spirit with you fortifies you to be strong. I hear on television all the time about the irrelevance of the Bible (and that it is baloney) and organized religion. It is interesting that one of the purposes of Christ's mortality was to organize HIS church. I'm so thankful for Rylee's baptism. I know how mine changed my life. How the gift of the Holy Ghost is the key element in my survival in this hard world. I love the Lord. I love the scriptures and gain such strength from them. They are the roadmap in our life to lead us back to him. A person that doesn't read it isn't any further advanced that a person who doesn't know how to read. A closed book helps no one. I love the closeness I feel to the Lord, I depend on it and am excited for Rylee for this incredible new journey.

Ruthie's Very Bad Day

Tuesday night was a Relief Society "event" in our Ward. It was really the summer party that got bumped by something else. This year turned out to be spectacular. Friend, Pam Funk, wrote and directed this play called Ruthie's Very Bad Day...the plight of a young mother frustrated by her life, the chaos of raising a family, being torn by a hysterical friend that urges her to toss it all in. It was 5 very short acts but the best part was that it was a musical...with shoo-bee-doo-baa dancers and singers dressed in the 50's style. They were AMAZING! Songs of words were cleverly changed - like "Hang on Ruthie, Ruthie hang on!"(Hang on Sloopie.....) or It's Your Life and you can cry if you want to, cry if you want to, cry if you want...I would cry too if I happened to be you! (If you're not familiar with "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, you're going to miss out on imagining how funny these songs were. Kind of like Mamma Mia.)





Anyway, fun, delightful evening. Afterwards we were treated to dinner (Hawaiian Haystacks ...note to N. from Nigeria Falls..."see, we really eat them! Yum!"....and a fresh berry cheesecake trifle for dessert.) (note to readers: see comments for typo explanation)



I loved the table decorations by Lisa OOMS (our own Martha Stewart.) She and her twin sister do weddings and this is something they just whipped up for a summer party. I've decided I need some black and white and yellow table toppers.They looked so cheery and the popcorn was a great idea.

Life's like a play; it's not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters. Seneca

Pruning

When we purchased this property about 6 years ago, we inherited a mess of fruit trees. I say mess since I hate to can and since I married a cowboy, not a farmer, we have unattended fruit. (And just let it be known, I didn't know I was marrying a cowboy. I thought he was a normal boy and horses and ropes didn't show up until we had been married 25 years!) I don't care about all the pear trees because canning pears is labor intensive. You don't pick ripen pears. You pick unripened pears and they have to sit on lounge chairs until they decide to ripen and each pear has a different timetable about when that would be and they never consult your personal calendar. I bottle grapes every other year and even that is too much. We don't drink grape juice (purple grape juice and red koolaid was banned in our home when we had children home and just never got back into the habit) and there is only so much grape jelly one can eat. We have 4 or 5 plum trees which is 4 or 5 more than we really need. The birds get the apricots. The mulberry trees are about six stories high now and I won't even go into what it is like to pick one mulberry and have your whole body maroon tattoo stained. We have two quince trees that are loaded but even the deer won't eat them. They are hard as mini-bowling balls and should fall into the lethal weapons category of emergency preparedness. The fig tree in the greenhouse is enough to drive my MIL and I crazy. Splatting figs on the cement is an ants' paradise, not ours.



So then there are the apples. We used to have a whole orchard but cut them down when we planted the blue spruce forest. We have two giant ones left in the children's playground. I call them grapple trees since the branches are loaded with grapes from nearby vines as well as apples. We never spray the apples (did I mention my husband is a cowboy not a farmer...) and literally we get hundreds of apples each year that feed the deer. They love grazing out under the apple trees and I love watching them. We eat a few but mostly they belong to the deer and friends.





I decided that I must be ungrateful to not appreciate all the free fruit we've been given. I decided I was going to be better. The husband of the gal who helps me in the yard called and asked if I didn't need to hire him and have my fruit trees pruned. I thought this was the nudge I needed so I said sure. He showed up with a buddy and chain saws and ladders.....and worked for one whole day on one tree (that's what happens when you don't regularly prune.) The cost for the one tree was $400! When I realized that, I told him not to do the other tree. I could buy a lot of fruit for $400!





So this year was going to be the year of an abundant harvest. It is apple season. The deer are ready. I am ready. I have been thinking applesauce (but just shoot me since my kiddos don't like anything with lumps.)



Not ONE apple on either tree. Not ONE!!! I guess we had a frost back in May or June when I was oblivious to the world, thinking life was great. Not one apple.


When I think of this summer, I will always remember the apple tree. This summer has been one of great pruning and the cost has been great. One day you wake up and nothing is the same.

I know in the scriptures all the stories that talk about the need for pruning. The moral to the stories is that pruning helps us to be strong. I'm not feeling particularly strong. I'm still in the "Ouch! Ouch!" That hurts stage. I was recently reading an article in the Ensign about pruning and it gave good advice:


First, we must be grounded in Christ. If we are not, we will not be fruitful (see John 15:4). If our lives are not in harmony with the teachings of the Savior, it is no more likely that we will bear good fruit than that a branch cut off from a vine will bear fruit. Second, even when we are living righteously, we still need the Gardener, who knows us so completely and sees beyond what we see, so that He can purge, or prune and purify, us (see John 15:2). While at times this pruning may seem hard to bear, it is only through this process that we will become more fruitful. Our pruning comes in a variety of ways. We may develop an illness or physical limitation. We may find that our expectations are not fulfilled. We may find sorrow in relationships or experience personal loss. Yet what initially might seem to be a sad event can help us grow if it causes us to rely more on the Lord and to rethink our priorities. Such difficult experiences can make us more fruitful, or more like the Savior—our true vine.

I realize that the greatest lessons I've learned in life have come through pruning seasons and I also realize that maybe next year, I'll look back and see how I've grown, how those I love have grown. But not today. Today I'm just not seeing the fruit of the summer. I understand that sometimes God gives us challenges to overcome weaknesses and to develop strength but the pruning that really hurts is that which you suffer because of another's choices. Oh, the damage that can do and I'm still in the "ouch" stage. It's called mourning. But I also realize that the end product is the same. We become victors or victims of our circumstances. We develop a stronger root system with the Lord or we dwindle in faith.

Today I'm finally seeing the colors on the mountain in front of our home changing. It is a new season. I'm ready to see what is around the corner. I'm ready to turn the page.





This didn't mean to be a sad post. I'll leave on a funny note. (Funny as in ridiculous not funny as in ha-ha!)




You know how I mentioned the husband of my worker friend is the one who I paid to prune the tree? After paying him, I laughed myself silly. Each year I call his wife and tell her to come and get all the free fruit they want. Each year she comes and gets bushels of pears and grapes....and apples.




So, in essence, I paid her husband $400 to prune the tree for his apples.....



Okay, so I guess I DID learn something this summer. Duh!


(my only apples of the summer are ones I paint myself! And guess what? No worms!)

Finding Our Way Home

Timon: [of the decimated Pride Rock] We're gonna fight your uncle... for this?
Adult Simba: Yes, Timon. This is my home.
Timon: Whoa. Talk about your fixer-upper.



This past week I was able to take most of my girls and girlie kiddos to the traveling Broadway show of The Lion King. First we met at Rumbi's Grill for dinner. The little girls all dressed up and looked so cute. After dinner we boarded Trax (our train system) and headed uptown and walked just about 1 1/2 blocks to the theater. At the expense of earning someone's indignation, The Lion King isn't my favorite Disney story. It isn't the DVD that my kiddos wanted to watch over and over and over. Instead of saying, "Oh wasn't that wonderful"- I found myself saying, "Weren't the costumes AMAZING???" Because they were. Over the top. I especially loved the giraffes and the elephant! Timon and Pumbaa and the hyenas were delightful because of comic relief but other than that, I felt no attachment to any of the characters. The music was okay but no memorable numbers.


Nevertheless we had a great time. The show was long (for attention-deficit me and some of the littles) but I think everyone enjoyed the party. And we were VERY late in getting home.





So, one of the premises of The Lion King is finding your way home. I thought of that when I was in the car with Addi the other day. Addi's latest obsession (she's 4) is "getting her driver's license!" "I can't WAIT to get my driver's license!" she'll exclaim. So the other day she asked, again how old she'll have to be. I told her 16 and that then she'd have to take two tests....one a written test to make sure she knew all the rules and the other a driving test to make sure she knew how to drive. And in all seriousness, she added, "And you need to make sure you can find your way home."

I have chuckled over that again and again. We're all going to have to keep our eyes on this one, who is already anxious to fly the coop.




“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires." Dorothy Parker


I remember when my parents took me to college and dropped me off, I couldn't WAIT for them to leave so I could be on my own. About 5 minutes after they left, I had a huge sobbing attack because I missed them already. (I also laugh about my thinking I was on my "own".....even though they were paying the bills!) I think of Mallory, our niece who is living with us, because she couldn't wait to get away on her own.....but how she drives home to Idaho almost every weekend because she misses what is there. Home. It is a pretty great place to be.


“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to."
John Ed Pearce

A Week In Review

This past week has been crazy busy beginning with -

~Swiss Days last Friday with Brendalyn. She had to work in the afternoon so it was a quick trip in the morning. Midway, Utah is about 40 minute drive up Parley's Canyon, about 15 minutes past Park City, Utah. Each Labor day weekend (I have blogged about it each year) they celebrate "Swiss Days" with all sorts of festivities. It is a giant craft fair (I once had a booth when I was in my brain damaged state.....actually my beta-blocker state...read about it here
(http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1784441341483852700&postID=6569343878980418837) and about 100,000 people attend in a two day period. Think sardines. Think Chinese fire drill in a Volkswagen. Think salmon swimming upstream. Okay, Marilyn, enough of the metaphors..... (the above picture is Brendalyn with the masses behind her....) It is also a yodelers paradise. During one significantly LOUD yodeling number, I had to call my dad in Washington to just share the experience with him. We have this yodeling thing between us.....

My favorite finds were getting both lime and purple fru-fru skirts for all the girl kiddos for our next girlie excursion to Gardner Village during Halloween. We're all dressing up like witches and I got some great glitter makeup for the littles as well. Already planning ahead.

~Saturday BFF Cathy and Brandi and I got up early to do to the Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park in downtown Salt Lake City. I LOVE our Farmer's Market. Cathy hadn't been. We started right off with breakfast at Bruge's Waffles (you know how I feel about these REAL yeast-raised waffles....topped with fresh peaches and creme fraiche. Thank you, Voila! I'll love you forever for introducing me to these....)......followed by booths of fresh artisan breads, fruits and veggies, street performers, flowers, jewelry and art, funky clothing.............ended by, our favorite, the 15 minute massage for shoulders and neck. Ahhhhh....died and gone to heaven. We found some over the top pestos....artichoke lemon and pistachio basil being our favorites. Just a perfect day with two people I love.

~ Sunday I taught on Hosea (pronounced Ho- Zay- Uh) I loved studying and teaching about this often confused book in the Old Testament. More thoughts to come....

~Monday was Labor Day....and all of the kids came in the afternoon for swimming and food. Nephew Jared Jaggi and wife, Jenny and kids all came as well as Aunt Pat (not my aunt) and Cousin Casey, whom we haven't seen FOREVER! I loved this day. I loved being surrounded by people that I love....that we could casually eat and sit around and visit and do whatever. I just got an assortment of sliced luncheon meats and cheeses, had the new pestos and condiments for everyone to grill their own paninis. Chips and dip. We had yummy artichoke dips, bruchshetta. I made a big batch of crab ceviche to serve with chips. Dessert nothing more than creamies or ice cream sandwiches. Life is good.

~oh, it was a little crazier in the day. Monday is also my neighborhood meals on wheels. This week I made:

chicken broccoli divan (I make mine with cream cheese)

salad

artisan bread from the Farmer's market

and this for dessert.

Pineapple upside down cake.
Hope they loved it.

~Yesterday was so dang busy, it was like a marathon all day. I have Brandi's 4 year old, Addi, most Monday and Wednesday's overnight since the other kids are in school and both Brandi and Ryan work. Sometimes she and I sleep in the guest room but lately I have made her up a bed in our bedroom fat chair and ottoman, which is honestly, just right for her. But Monday night I heard her stir (about 4 in the morning) and then a little voice in the dark, "Grandma, I love you." I told her I loved her back. About 5 minutes later she said, "Grandma, I'm scared" and the next thing I know, she was in bed with us. I adore this little girl and we got the giggles about the noises Grandpa makes. Finally we both fell asleep but for the next 3 hours I had someone kicking my head and jabbing my back and, "oh my....." Sleeping with Addi is NOT easy but listening to her take on life is hysterical. I love our Addi time.

I felt bad ditching her most of the day on Tuesday but thankfully, downstairs Grandma (as my MIL is referred to) always loves to have her (and feeds her ice cream all day long) and Susie dropped by later with her nephew Finn to take them for a swim (thank you, Sus....I forgot to give you your pesto!) I ran to my class in the morning, Bucket Group for lunch, then a cleaning at the dentist....then date night last night with my daughter, daughter's in law and the girl kiddos. I'll share about that tomorrow.


“Because gratification of a desire leads to the temporary stilling of the mind and the experience of the peaceful, joyful self, it's no wonder that we get hooked on thinking that happiness comes from the satisfaction of desires. This is the meaning of the old adage, ''Joy is not in things, it is in us.''
Joan Borysenko