Good News

I chose this....

over this. (I love you Taylor and yes, when I was fifteen and a boy told me he loved me, I kind of believed him....)

(picture- fanpop.com)

And I really hope Pegalita doesn't do this to me. You know how she has a penchant for dressing up those she loves.

(Yep, I miss Jenny too...) (see all the Jenny stories on the categories to the right)

And speaking of Taylor and the story I have to retell EVERY time I mention her (you can all mouth the words with me since you all know it!)...... I DID buy Tenillie a dress in Paris (it is Tenille's birthday this week and I'll be gone so "LOVE YOU T!!!!") and when I got home Taylor was on some awards show wearing the same dress. Well, probably not the same one since Tenille didn't loan it to her but it was a knock-off from Tenille's dress. We will see if they are wearing the same outfit on Wednesday. (Becky, have fun for me. Nope, sorry, can't meet you in the bathroom at Energy Solutions wiping off raspberries from Bruges waffles....but truly, next time!)

And speaking of fruit flies (I know we weren't talking about fruit flies but the raspberries made me think of it)......THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!! We can't even pick pears or grapes and bring them in the house! They are regulated to outside only. If anyone lives around here (now that I've made them sound so appetizing) and wants pears or grapes, please come and get them. The pears line the whole north side driveway....the grapes are all around the tennis court. Bring a ladder. I'd be grateful if someone would come and get them!

Oh, and one more thing that I got to experience this past week was a trip to the dermatologist. She did a complete head to toe (please leave any self-esteem at the door) and she didn't like a brand new mole on my leg so I came away with stitches. Apparently, at MY age, new moles are bad moles. Who knew.

There is always good news/bad news at my age. The bad news is that during the summer, several homes in our area had break-ins. The good news was that we were going to Lake Powell. The bad news was that I got nervous so I hid my wedding rings. In a SAFE place. Where I knew I would be able to find them when I got home. The good news was that we had a great time in Lake Powell. The bad news was that I don't have a clue where I put my rings. The good news was that I was/am going on another trip. The bad news was I couldn't think of a good book. The good news is friend Michelle P. (well, kind of friend since we never see each other....) recommended one I have TWO copies of. And still haven't read. That's good news, right? Bad news I couldn't find EITHER of them. But, and this is the whole point, I found my wedding rings. See how happy life can be! How bad can it be when good news is just around the corner.....

And FURTHER GOOD news. I was doing my facial, stress exercises. You know the ones that make me look dreadfully ridiculous. They haven't really seemed to help except make me laugh and also, be extremely grateful to not have to pay for another root canal. But while I was squishing and gyrating my face, I found that my teeth quit hurting when I pushed below my eyes. My teeth that have been aching FOREVER. Duh! I took some Clariten and voila! My teeth feel just fine, thank you, thank you very much (that last part was my Elvis impersonation...)

Happy.

And speaking of crazy, a direct flight to Boise takes about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Of course, you could always fly to DENVER, then to Boise and take 6 hours. Or choose RENO and then Boise for 5. Really, I'm surprised they don't have a choice to fly you to San Diego and then to Boise. I think they just throw those in there so you'll be like me and take any direct flight (which fills them up.) However, this morning I'm thinking that a 5-hour nap sounds pretty good.....

Happy trails. Don't miss me too much. Except my family. I want them to miss me terribly and ache until I get home. Pretty sure THAT is going to happen....

(I can almost see David's face play good news/bad news. "Oh sad, my wife is leaving for the week. Oh wait? Where are my ropes? Let me start calling the guys to line up ropings EVERY night. Yahoo! "Oh wait," (sad face again) "I'm going to miss you so much." (said as he gleefully gallops off in to the sunset.)

Runaway

Pegalita: McCall in the fall?


Me: You're on! I just did a back flip. Well, I did exaggerate a titch on that one. (note: you totally didn't believe I could do a back flip, did you? I'm the most uncoordinated person I know.)


Pegalita: Well, I did a backward somersault. We'll compare techniques when you're here. What do you want do? I'll make the itinerary. (Note: Totally believe that Peggy can do a backward somersault since she was a cheerleader in college.)


Me: Nothing. Nada. No itinerary please. I don't want to make food for dinners, funerals, special occasions. I don't want to get anyone ready for (another) scout camp. I don't want to collect food for the food drive. I don't want to do dishes. No diapers (though I love you Peyton.) No kiddos running through the house (although as I'm writing this, I have 4 kids at the kitchen table playing games while waffles are cooking. We can't figure out why some of the kiddos don't have school today but they don't so they're here.) And can I say, I'm totally ready for a vacation. Somewhere up north, preferably in the trees with a lake nearby. A good friend to chat with. And (don't tell anyone) a Diet Coke to sip. Truly can't wait for McCall heaven! And you! M.



Sigh....I'm taking off tomorrow. This past week has put me under on a few things so I'm ready to run away. Just to be still and breathe. See if Pegalita and I can sit under the pines and do our famous jungle calls. The jungle calls our husbands made us each sign an affidavit not to do anymore when we got married.



McCall, Idaho. If you've been there, surely you're jealous. McCall in the fall might send me right over.....




There were a few things highlights from the week that I want to remember. Just little things:


(I'm laughing as I write this. The girls are in the adjoining room doing each other's hair for a photo shoot. I'm not listening to the conversation but then I hear Rylee raise her voice so I can hear "And I GUESS we are not going to Lake Powell next summer since Grandma UNINVITED us and wants to go with her friends instead...." Can I just say this little executive decision I made gets brought up in most family conversations....)





~when I went to Rupert for my aunt's funeral, the drive to the cemetery went the long route because of a detour. It was quite long....and all along the way, we'd pass either a farm tractor or truck or construction workers who would pull along side of the road, stand outside of their vehicle and take off their hats out of respect. I MISS this kind of respect.





~my coyotes are GROWING! I did call animal services but they didn't call me back. Grrrrr! The other day the mangy one was out eating apples on the kiddos playground. I was talking on the phone, watching him out my kitchen window. Then I see a deer cross on the lawn before me. It's ears were like radar antennas, twitching every which way. It walked stealthily across the road to the playground. I'm thinking the deer is nuts to go where the coyote is. She (the deer) gets closer and closer and closer.....then the next thing I saw was the deer chasing the coyote around in circles on the playground. I'm talking 3 complete circles before the coyote dashed out into the trees. I guess I can quit worrying about my deer. Apparently they know how to take care of themselves.



~my favorite gelato place closed. No more Yogurt-Sour-Cherry gelato for me. Well, UNTIL NOVEMBER! (Italy here we come!)Woo-hoo!





~I love that when I volunteer or get asked to do big projects (10 batches of tortellini salad for the Women's Conf. this weekend) I have wonderful friends (Geneil Tyler in this case) that step in and say, "I'll help." (and Brendalyn appreciated me not conning her into another of "my" projects.) (and I'm sorry for whining about all the other things I've done this week because, truly, they were things I wanted to do. I just can't multi-task very well anymore.)

I have a list a mile long before I get on the plane tomorrow. Life will be crazy before it is calm. I wish I had a good novel to take. (Finding a "good" novel is so hard to do!)

(And note to Becky- dang! We can't meet at Bruges AGAIN? I actually had a ticket.....I have kids and kiddos going. But what can I say, I got a better offer! Have FUN!) (Okay, Michelle won. I'm taking Poisonwood Bible. It is the oddest thing. Barbara Kingsolver used to be my very favorite author. And even with all of the reviews and raves, I've started it about a dozen times and never get through 2 chapters. But THIS time I'm staying with it! Thanks, M.!)

Forget Not

Last night was the worldwide yearly meeting of the Relief Society. We could have had tickets to the Conference center to watch it live but I was helping with the meal, after the televised broadcast to our Stake center. Sweet DIL Marci and sister Chelsey sang in the choir (it was GORGEOUS!) Brendalyn and I went to the meeting together (I've missed her terriably!) President Uchhdorf spoke last, and truly it was an amazing talk. Here is the link-

http://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/10?lang=eng&vid=1178489255001 (I don't know if you have to fast-forward to his talk....but listen to the whole thing if you missed it. And did I mention the music?)

Pres. U. talked about 5 points and likened them to the "forget-me-not" flower. It was a talk I will read over and over and over. I hope I won't "forget them."

Celebration of losses

Two people that I loved died this week. One was my Aunt Marie....my father's sister. She lived in Rupert, Idaho (someone who reads this blog commented once that she knew her.) The funeral was Tuesday so Cousin Zella and I headed there on Monday. We stayed in the Fairfield Inn (Marriott) in Burley. I parked outside while I waited for Zella to find out where our rooms were and she didn't come out forever. When she finally came out, there was a tall young man with her. I recognized him immediately as one of the Nebeker boys (Susan and Roland's son.) He is the manager there....he worked with Charles and Zella in the single's Ward forever. Anyway, he gave us a heck of a deal...and the desk person also gave us meal coupons at a local favorite (he said) called Stevios. We had a nice dinner...and since we had two coupons, we spied a young couple with a new baby eating close by and gave them one of our coupons. Pass it on!







Loved going to the funeral and seeing long lost cousins- Diane, Connie and Jerry. I hope we can continue our connection.






I loved hearing wonderful stories about my aunt. She loved clothes and fashion and dancing. She made sure that all her grandkids had tap shoes and danced with them all, not worrying a bit about any hardwood floors! I loved that! Red was her signature color and her granddaughters went through her jewelry boxes and remade necklaces for all the family with red ribbon, a section of Marie's pearls and a brooch or pin attached.


Below is mine...sorry it is so dark but I'm doing this late at night...and I'm too tired to edit!





Most of the kids wore red with red lipstick in honor of Marie. I loved this dear aunt. (Grace Marie Darley Garner)







I also loved the time with my cousin Zella. We talked the entire 3 1/2 hr. trip, both ways. Surprising I know.....







On Monday, before I left, I got the news that our dear neighbor down the street- Jay Swint, died. He was a man dearly, dearly loved in our Ward and community. His wife, Lois, was our RS president and I was one of her counselors. She is one of the most beautiful and optimistic women I have ever known. She's taught half the world to play the violin and still plays in the Utah Symphony. Jay was an executive with Capital records for much of his career and they had a display with many of the albums (albums!) that he helped produce.....including Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, The Four Freshman and Glen Campbell were a few that I saw from a distance. One of the saddest things I find in funerals is to hear about "life before we knew them." Life in their prime. I wish I would have known him in his prime. (One memory I have of the Swint's: I was called as Young Women's president when we first moved to this Ward. (that means working with the young women, ages 12-18.) We would do weekly activities so I would have the girls in the car quite often. And girls make you do really strange things. I remember one of the girls, Jamie Nelson (LuAnn Rudelich's daughter) was "in LOVE" with the handsome youngest Swint boy....who was much, much older. She would have me drive by the Swint's home...so she could roll down the window and scream, "I LOVE YOU PAUL SWINT!" It worked. She grew up and eventually they got married!)






I remember Lois telling me stories of dinners with Sinatra! That was a whole other era. When our son, Ryan, served his mission in Guatemala, the Swint's also served a mission there, teaching and sharing music. I loved that they watched out for Ryan...and they've since shared a special bond. Recently another friend visited from Guat. and Ryan and Antonio met the Swint's for dinner. I'm so glad they had that last time together. I will miss seeing Jay, riding his scooter, out the door and up the big hill of Dimple Dell, heading to the church. I will miss his decorated Uncle Sam in our annual Granite Fourth of July parade. Just a couple of weeks ago, I gave him a hug at church and as always, he then said, "I sure do love you." As I walked away, I thought, "One of these times, that will be the last words he says to me." It was.

Daughter Love

Last night it was Brandi's turn to host her Girl's Night Out group. Since Brandi is a single mom, with 4 kids, all playing soccer at the moment, working full time.......it is EXHAUSTING! I didn't want her stressing over something that should be fun...so I volunteered hosting it here...at our house...at our cabin.

Okay, some people say, "Oh, we're going to our cabin for the weekend." And you think, "Cool!"

But when I say I'm going to our cabin, I really mean I'm going out to the back and side of our house, about 75 feet away (I'm laughing here because I just made up 75 feet...I have NO idea when it comes to footage.) It is a one room cabin (about 20 feet by 15 feet- I actually measured that for the garland) with a teeny tiny loft. It does have with a Monarch stove and a fireplace. It is cosy but underused. I've been working on it all week and had Emily, BFF Valene's daughter, come and help me decorate.

We made it "fallish" rather than Halloweenish. I'm hoping that we will have non-stop parties here through Christmas.

This is how the table looked. Love the sunflowers. (Do you love my sunflower chairs?)

I made a butternut squash soup that turned out wonderful. I made it with coconut milk and sprinkled toasted pine nuts on the top. I also made the Olive Garden salad. Brandi made her yummy pasta with savory chicken and squash (zucchini and yellow squash.) All cheesy and good. If you haven't made it, go to my cooking blog and get the recipe and make it. It is so delicious! She also made these amazing roll bites that I CAN'T wait to share! They are made in the most unusual way and you could eat them all night. I love it when I get a new recipe that makes me jump up and down...

I also made a little Smore bar....actually the ingredients with skewers to roast the marshmallows over the candle.





That was just a snack dessert because the real dessert was Sophia's fresh peach pie. No bake. Truly wonderful. (recipe on the cooking blog as well.)

Below are Brandi's girlie friends. Most of them have been together since high school. Brandi's second from the back (in case all the blonds looked alike!)

Brandi posted this picture on her Facebook page, saying a year ago when her life fell apart...these girls stepped in with arms to comfort her and have loved and carried her (along with her neighbor friends!) Brandi honestly never thought she would survive. But here it is, a year later....and those same friends were here to laugh (they all have crazy stories and then there are Brandi's bizarre dating stories!) and share and chatter. Brandi could never thank them enough! Me either.

20/20 and Hair-Do's

I got this email from my dear friend Vicki about her daughter Mindy. Mindy was one of my darling Young Women and her hair styles blog is amazing! She has segments "easy do's for dads"....which I must admit, saved me. And I'm not a dad, just a grandma that had a lot of boys.
Even if you can't watch tomorrow night, check out her amazing blog!


"It looks like ABC is going to air the 20/20 segment tomorrow night on Utube sensations with a piece on our daughter, Mindy. They filmed a segment a few weeks ago with Mindy and her family about her hair blog (www.cutegirlshairstyles.com) and how many followers they have picked up on Utube. It was unexpectedly grown into a nice little side job for her. ABC sent a team from LA to film for about ten hours and we don't expect more than a few minutes on air. It will be interesting to see which parts they use and we all hope it will be positive--never know how they will edit things! It is all ready surprising how many times they are recognized when we go places with them---but that probably also has something to do with having identical twins and two adopted black children. Anyway--watch or TIVO or DVR if you can!"
Vicki

Vocal Point

Monday, the show "The Sing In" with Nick Lachey begins again. I thought it was a new show but apparently this is the 3rd season. Regardless, it is an a Capella singing show. Call in votes are important so if you are watching, and you love Vocal Point (or if you love me who vicariously loves Vocal Point) please, please, please call.

So here's the deal.

My DIL Marci,who sings like an angel, has a sister Chelsey, who also sings like an angel who married James Stevens (from Idaho Falls) who sings like a boy angel....but he also is a fabulous musical arranger. James used to sing with Vocal Point and now he is their director. He does their musical arranging as well. Can I just say that during one of the performances (I assume after taping....and just the preliminaries have been taped), James got a standing ovation from the judges and audience. He really is amazing. (I also did the catering for Chelsey and James' wedding reception...and I am happy to report, no steers ran loose through the party. I "do" however, remember what we were eating....)

Also, in the above picture, the guy dead-center is McKay Crockett. His parents live in our area and they are all musical geniuses. Love them all. Can't wait for the show to start!

My Participa-tator Week

(above is an old Valentine I made for Cathy)

I've shared how my BFF Cathy and I have our own little personality descriptions. She knew "just what she was wearing" and I knew "just what I was eating." So, I'm so sorry I keep posting about food but I do have a lot of fun activities in life, and food just happens to show up in the picture.

Tuesday night was GNO at Terri's home. Had a little detour before, since friend Penny called to tell me that her sister-in-law Paula had unexpectedly died. (She's like in her early 50's.) Paul lived in our old neighborhood as well, besides being Tom's sister. This is another hard blow for their family. That meant that Niki and Ross flew out to be here. Niki and Paula have been flight attendants for Southwest Airlines forever. (Niki is Penny's daughter...that's who Penny and I went to visit in Ohio and had all the Amish adventures.) (Ross flies for Southwest as well.)...so I did get to see them and hug. Love them.

review:

Penny and Tom are some of our best friends... next-door-neighbors when we raised kiddos....not neighbors now

Paula is Tom's sister (old neighbor as well)

Niki is P and T's daughter, who married Ross, and had their reception at our home when the steers ran through it.

Niki and Ross live in Ohio and flew Penny and I out for a magnificent trip last March. There you go....

Then I headed over to Terri's. This group of friends have been together, having GNO for 27 years! How is that even possible? We talked about kid's romances, kid's babies, work, Joe's recovery, husbands, travel, etc. I did want to share a funny little thing that Elaine (who missed GNO but I had talked to earlier in the day) told me. Her son, Paul, lives in Lehi, is an attorney that kind of worked in the business end. Business is slow so he has been flying to California and freelancing in a law firm that his brother Kent (another of Elaine's sons....are you with me????) works at. He has been gone a TON....I guess too much. Recently his little son, Tate (I want to say he is 4), said to his mom, "Mom, when is that guy Paul going to drop in again?" Mom Natalie said, "That Paul guy? Do you mean your father?" To which Tate flipped his head and said, "I think I can call him Paul if I want to!" Wow! Can I say, he IS Paul's son. Feisty adorable!

Okay, here's the killer deal. Terri served a fabulous dinner but really all we wanted to do is to skip to dessert. I promise you, you will hate me if you make these...because you will eat them all. Loretta, who is probably a size zero ate three and was trying to figure out a way to eat a fourth before she got out the door. She ended up eating "just another half." They are called Rocky Road brownies.....it might be a road you do not want to go down. Unless you want to buy a size bigger pants. You'll find the recipe on the cooking blog-

http://www.constantgrowingamazement.blogspot.com/

Wednesday was Creative Cooking. I was so busy/involved/doing whatever that I forgot to take pictures. I NEVER do that? If I'm eating, I'm taking pictures. So picture this-


First, Ali Gibbons demonstrated a delicious marinate flank steak with a mushroom sauce. We learned all about flank steak (which you would use for carne asada as well)...and I thought it was delicious.


I taught them some new ways to cook french fries. I have learned through several months of crazy studying/cooking/eating/watching t.v. shows....that there are several things you can do to make the perfect fry. These are a few tips:

~use Russet potatoes

~soak the cut potatoes in ice water or cold water at least 1/2 hr. before (preferably more) up to a day before. This gets rid of a lot of starch

~heat peanut oil to 325 degrees. In many taste tests, peanut oil was the preferred oil (and by most t.v. chefs.)

~dry off french fries and cook about 4 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain.

~ let fries completely cool. They can be in this state for hours so if you are doing a party, do the fries to this point ahead of time.

~when ready to eat, heat oil to 375 degrees and cook the fries until golden brown. This double cooking allows the potatoes to cook through without getting them too done on the outside. They really ARE a perfect fry.


At my favorite Belgium waffle place, Bruges Waffles- they serve pommes frites with various dipping sauces so I made a variety of sauces to share- an andoulouse dipping sauce, a lemon aoili dipping sauce and a Greek yogurt dill sauce. I also shared some blackberry pepper jelly and apricot pepper jelly, both with cream cheese served with crackers.

Cari L. also made a fabulous fresh peach pie with shortbread crust. I wish I would have taken a picture of it. Actually, I just wish I had a piece of the pie. Now.

And in case you are thinking, WHAT is this woman eating, let me just assure you that I'm BIG on eating healthy. Carrot cake. Zucchini bread. More of the above. Pretty sure that counts as vegetables...

Switchpoints

My dad as a young man led a very adventurous life. He was a leather jacket motorcycle dude, a World II veteran, a handsome fancy dresser. He owned a gas station, loved cars, owned an airplane and did frost dusting for years. He was hired to fly wealthy people around the country in many hazardous conditions...but before that, he worked as a brakeman on the railroad.

In those days, the 40's, a brakeman’s job was not just essential but very, very dangerous. It was his job to hook and unhook cars onto the train. Each car had pressurized air hoses that had to be attached, car by car, in order for the brakes to work correctly. Timing was everything in transportation and oftentimes the engineer would be antsy and start to roll before all the air hoses were properly connected. It was dangerous to be found in-between two heavy cars. You would have to let the pressure slowly into the hoses by a valve or else it would , as they said, dynamite the brakes and not just the brakes in that car, but all of the cars.... everything would freeze up. If you had a hundred car train, that could be a problem since each car then had to be "bled out" for them all to move again.

There weren’t radio messages in those days, and as a train would go barreling through a station, the brakeman had to literally hang out the side of the train, where a sign would have kind of a wishbone contraption on it, with a message (received by teletype from one station to another) hanging on a string. The brakeman would grab that message and then let the engineer know of what problems lie ahead or any changes to the schedule.

It wasn’t uncommon for the axles or wheels of a train to catch on fire. As a brakeman, you were always on the lookout for smoke, and if you saw smoke, you would literally have to climb on top of the first car and run from car to car, while the train was sometimes going 40-50 miles per hour....to check to see if anything was on fire. If it was, the brakeman would signal to the engineer that they needed to stop and repair the train. Dad talked about the difficulty of running on top of the moving train and the slack that was in-between cars. The slack changed with cars going up or down inclines...which could cause severe jerking of the cars. When Dad heard certain noises, he knew that he needed to fall down on top of a car on the cat walk and hang on for dear life.

That stopping could create problems as well for any train running behind them. Sometimes a train would break down on the tracks in the middle of nowhere. The brakeman would then get off at the end of the train and for about a city block long, place caps the size of a silver dollar, called tornadoes,....and when an oncoming train would hit those caps, it would cause little explosions and it would signal that train to slow down or halt. In earlier times, a brakeman would have to stand on the track or on top of the train in the back with lanterns to warn of danger. I asked my dad if he had any "near misses." He laughed and said, "It was always a near miss."


The brakeman also had to switch the tracks at turnout points, where one train passed another. You can imagine how communication was essential, and how very lives depended on following proper guidelines.

I thought of my dad while I was preparing my Sunday School lesson for last week. We are in Corinthians and already the newly converted Christians are falling away from the church. There isn't unity but arguing, immortality, people being puffed up in knowledge thinking they are wise (BIG difference between being knowledgeable and being wise. Having the spirit of discernment is critical.) They were not taking care in their marriages and not partaking of the sacrament in the intended way.





President Gordon B. Hinckley told this story:
"Many years ago I worked in the head office of one of our railroads. One day I received a telephone call from my counterpart in Newark, New Jersey, who said that a passenger train had arrived without its baggage car. The patrons were angry. "We discovered that the train had been properly made up in Oakland, California, and properly delivered to St. Louis, from which station it was to be carried to its destination on the east coast. But in the St. Louis yards, a thoughtless switch man had moved a piece of steel just three inches. That piece of steel was a switch point, and the car that should have been in Newark, New Jersey, was in New Orleans, Louisiana, thirteen hundred miles away" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 106–7; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 91).

The questions were presented in class about switch points in our lives, events or decisions that alter not only our lives but that of our families as well. Switch points can be negative if they lead us away from God, positive if we get back on the right track. Paul was in essence acting as a brakeman for the early church and for all of us as well. Love, love, love these scriptures!

Cupcakes

Last night was a shower for the daughter of a friend in the neighborhood/Ward. Most of us didn't know the bride-to-be but are friends of the mom. Megan, the bride, does a spot on one of our local TV news programs (Channel 2) a couple of days a week (representing Tosh) in case she looks familiar.

Paula Alvarez (mom) and daughter Megan Hutchinson

We didn't have cupcakes but we had a wonderful feast- chicken salad, savory breads, petite coconut or banana cream pies. White chocolate bundt. I made lemon bars. In fact, I made several pans of lemon bars and 2 pans didn't turn out! What's up with that? I've only made a million lemon bars in my life. But we certainly had enough food.

The backyard shower was beautiful. Sherrie Alston hosted-the Alston's are our "across the street and down one" neighbors.

I loved the wedding notebook that Paula was using.

So, I've been thinking about cupcakes. (Obviously.) Yesterday was a hectic day. I thought I was on top of the game. Getting my desserts finished before running to meet Chubba Wubba. The desserts failing. Going to two different places to BUY dessert) which they didn't have that day. Getting home in time to change a diaper, make another pan of lemon squares and then heading to the airport to pick up niece Ashlee and hubby and kiddo....flying home from Italy! Chubba Wubba wasn't happy (who would be in the car that much)...and of course, customs and luggage took forever. It all worked out but the day was tense. (I had to do face exercises.) But all in all, it was a great day. I love my baby. I loved hearing about Italy and the trip. I laughed so hard at the shower,got renewed, enjoyed wonderful friends. Whew! Thankful for all the cupcakes in my life.

"Friends are the cupcakes in my pantry of memories." anonymous

Lost and Found

Everyone is so busy scurrying out the door and I get distracted and forget to ask and you get distracted because the car is running and kids are looking for shoes and the boat is about ready to leave, etc.

So here we have it. The first Williams' Lost and Found Days- if you have been to my home in the past day, week, month or year, these items might belong to you. Just so you know where they are. In case you were missing them. Or not.

This charger has been plugged into the downstairs guest room (Tanner's room) for ages. Cellphone (Iphone) or camera? Mallorie or Tanner? Anyone? Anyone?



One of those creepy crawlie battery operated thing-a-ma-jigs. Pretty sure it belongs to Parker or Addi. If no one wants it, it belongs to me. I think Grandpa would love to wake up with this in his ear....

Pretty sure I can figure out who this one belongs to. He'll be wanting it come next Easter.

Every one of the kiddos (and Holly- your daughter?) has probably lost their CTR (Choose the Right) ring within hours of getting it. I have one here, first come, first serve.



I want to say Tenille but I'm not sure. I want to say Tenille anyway since her birthday is this month so I'll say it however many times I want. Tenille. Tenille. Tenille. Tenillie for short. Or for longer....

A whole bag of girlie goodies.

Now I LOVE this big green bowl. It is BIG. I've had it here forever and keep asking people but no one claims it. I can't tell you how many salads I've served in it but always with guilt. I don't want to lose my soul over a big green bowl. There is a green plate as well. They didn't come together but here it is. My kitchen is yellow and red and blue. No green except for these two things. They are missing their own home....

I think winter wear is communal. You get some gloves and a scarf from a lost and found box, wash them, wear them for a while until you lose them. Then somebody else does the same thing. (This works for any season!)

Each Day

Not School Lunch Anymore!

My Labor Day was pretty low key. David, as I've mentioned, is hard at work "laboring" out of town for a trial he starts today. I had Brandi's kiddos come and spend the night Sunday since she worked half-day yesterday. Poor Parker got sick before an hour had passed and I won't mention what he did all night long. I tried to keep the girls away from him...and invited kiddo Rylee over for the day. When Brandi got off work, she planned to take the kiddos up to Snowbird (local ski resort) hiking with Ben (my son,her brother, kiddos uncle.) She really planned it for Parker but he stayed with me while all the girls went hiking. They also chose what fun activity they wanted to do up there....they have an Alpine Slide, a Zip Line, a Bungee Jumping something-or-other and a bucking mechanical bull. Brandi chose the bull. Really? Crazy girl. I bet her back is killing her now.


So, while I was at home, feeling sorry for myself (not really)....I was in dire need of comfort for dinner. Nothing spells comfort like Mac and Cheese. When "I" was growing up, no one had boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese dinners in their pantry. We didn't have a pantry, just cupboards. I unfortunately had a father that wasn't a fan. I fortunately had school lunch where on Fridays, in observance of the Catholic faith (no meat on Fridays)....they served delicious, mouth-watering macaroni every other Friday (alternating with fish sticks.) Marriage came along and as fate would have it, I married a man, like my father, who disliked casseroles, including (no!) macaroni! I decided right then and there to have children. MANY children who would help encourage and enjoy my passion. Unfortunately that is when Kraft came into play. My kids loved it. I couldn't buy a no-name brand....they could pick it out in a taste test. I would create wonderful concoctions of homemade wonderfulness and noses would immediately turn up. I had thoughts of applying to become a school lunch lady just for the added benefit of eating leftovers. Little did I know that eventually I would find myself alone a lot (working, traveling, lawyering, cowboying husband) (kids moved on to lives of their own, no kiddos living with us at the moment) but small blessings pop up in life, like yesterday, on an unconventional Labor Day. I needed some comfort. A container of mac noodles started shuffling on the shelves, doing a soft shoe at first....until finally it was doing a full out "Ball and a Jack" (tap dance. That is another story....) I got the message and got out my pot.


Macaroni heaven can be around any one's corner. I made a simple rue of butter and flour. Added about a cup of milk (with a hint of cream...just because the cream was in the refrigerator and feeling totally left out.) and grated up three kinds of cheeses- Colby, Parmesan and Monteray Jack. When you add cheese, you need a little dried mustard to pop it. (It is like art...when you want to pop a color, you paint a titch of the color opposite it on the color wheel next to it to bring it to life. It is why Christmas works (red and green.) The same principal applies to teeth. If yours are getting a little dingy and yellowed, don't wear purple lipstick. Just sayin"...... )



While my mac was cooking, I fried up a couple of pieces of bacon for the top. In the same pan, I also threw a couple of finger fulls of grated cheese (I like fresh Parmesan grated the best) on the fry pan to make a few cheese crisps to add some crunch to my mac. I didn't want to take the time to toast breadcrumbs for the top but I found some seasoned croutons and crushed them and scattered them on top.



How many ways can you spell heaven?



Brandi came home with the girls...and I told Rylee she needed a bite. Immediately I saw the nose crinkle. I knew she was shutting down on me. "Grandma," she said, "I can't believe you made macaroni and cheese for yourself. Grandpa's not here." (note to self: I didn't know you couldn't eat when hubby was gone....) (also note: I DO feed my MIL who lives downstairs if I really needed an excuse.) She tried not like it but I could tell she was won over. Her comfort food when she comes to my house is cooked noodles with butter with grated cheese sprinkled over it. She doesn't realize I was giving her baby steps to the school cafeteria. Next time she comes, I'm going to have her cook it with me....then she'll BE MINE! (witchie laugh sound effects...)

"When I walk in my kitchen, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring father and mother and kitchen table, every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be." Molly Wizenbery

In The Mood....

Things I'm in the mood for:

Some new recipes and some creative cooking. I know! I know! This is nothing new for me but cooking is therapy. It's one of my best friends. I inherited the itch from my mom. My daughter loves the same. I think it's a family gene...

This is a new recipe I'm going to try this week while fresh corn is still on-

Coconut Creamed Corn (with coconut milk, cilantro, lime juice and red pepper flakes. It is made with lite coconut milk so maybe it won't kill me over. It is from www.eatingwell.com or find the recipe on the cooking blog.)

Family pictures. Although the thought of it excites me, the thought of it also runs shivers up and down my spine. They are SUCH A HASSLE! But our last family picture is outdated. It is almost 3 years old. Nash and Noah were babies in the picture and they are BIG kids now. Sadie was in her mommy's tummy and she's now running wild and adorable. My chubba wubba Peyton wasn't in it. My (ex) son-in-law is. (I can finally say that without sobbing.) It's time.

I went with Brandi on Saturday looking for coordinated outfits for their new family picture and it totally put me in the mood. Can't decide what to do.....we've done outdoors woodsy, outdoors sitting on giant rocks, white backgrounds. I'm thinking real bright red, blue and yellow shirts. Something that would go in my house. Casual. I'm not sure I'm ready for the groan. (Think husband's response when you mention family pictures!)

For sure I need to get a picture like this..... (from http://www.theidearoom.com/)

I've already ordered the mustache sucker molds!




AND- although I really hate to see Halloween in the stores already (Hobby Lobby has also set up Thanksgiving and working on Christmas).... I LOVE thinking about it myself. Doesn't this muffin tin get you in the mood. (check out www.anotherlunch.com where she celebrates muffin tin Mondays. Adorable!) I've decided that I just want to frame a picture of this to hang in my kitchen in October! (And actually, those mummy dogs look mighty tasty right now...)


I'm in the mood for a lot of things today. David left yesterday for a week long trial out of town so I will have lots of time for dreaming and scheming. Cleaning bunches and going out to lunches. Call me!

Picture This

Today is my "Peyton" day....

I love this little chubba-wubba....and today TA-DA! He is actually taking a nap. A real nap! For me it is a first. Hence, I get to post on the blog.


My little guy is 5 1/2 months. He already weighs 20 lbs!


Look what he got this week! He's so patient with his grammie sticking her fingers in his mouth!


Since Peyton is napping, I actually got to fix a yummy lunch. You probably have fresh tomatoes around the house. I've been eating them in every which way...but today I baked some with cheese on top. I love them with a little olive oil, a little oregano, Parmesan and additional grated cheese. It is a nice side dish but pretty good on toasted whole wheat bread or eaten with wheat thins. I like something crunchy with it. I bake them about 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. The real recipe says 15 but I think the tomatoes get a titch too weepy. I'm going to miss real tomatoes next month....

Remember how when you were little, you watched Pinocchio? And Jiminy Cricket was so wonderful and wise?

Not so when he is in your bedroom at nighttime. I went to bed after David the other night and Jiminy was chirping his heart out. I think he was trying to out-do hubby who was sawing logs. I wish I had pictures of what happened next.....me flipping on the lights, crawling around on the floor, pulling out a small dresser, patting down EVERYTHING. Couldn't find the dang thing. And the chirping stopped. Flipped out light....and he starts singing again. We are talking high-pitched trillion-miles- an-hour chirping. (It is Sept. Our crickets get deafening in September!) Hubby is still sawing. I flip on the lights and repeat the drill. Nada.

After this happened SEVERAL times, I finally gave up. Our crickets are kind of a translucent green and very hard to detect. I took half of an Ambien, put my pillow over my head...and growled myself to sleep.

The next day I mentioned it to David. "Oh ya, that cricket was horrible. It kept me awake all night!"

Ya, right.....

(just so you know, male crickets are the ones that chirp. You can tell temperature by the chirps per minute (look up the formula.) When crickets are seeking a girlie cricket, they sing nicely....but when they are territorial or have "conquested" the girlie cricket, they go insane! Such boys! (I know, more cricket information that anyone wanted to know right now!)