Bathing Beauties

 When friend, Pretty Patty Petty was in town, we were in DownEast where I spied this suit.
I know moustaches are big but this is pretty funny!

People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you'll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.
Erma Bombeck

Visiting the Folks

 
Warning:  Graphic Picture coming up.

I just got home late last night from flying to and from Washington to visit my parents.  My dad has recently been in the hospital and I was anxious to spend time with them.  I had just been there for a few hours...when Dad was teaching me to play Shuffleboard on the Wii....and he hit his arm on his oxygen tank, not even sharp....and this is what it did!!!! 

We spent a hurried while with mom and I trying to get his arm wrapped and everyone dressed and oxygen tanks traded for car use (not easy task) and  running to the front desk to get a wheelchair, then running to get the car in the parking lot (and going to the wrong car.....kept trying to get in.  Finally I popped the trunk to see if it was the right car...and the trunk opened.  But it was the wrong car.....)  Struggled to get Mom's walker in the trunk (of the right car).....and on and on.  Let me tell you, it was harried!  But they were great at the hospital and we all calmed down.  Sorry for posting this gruesome picture but I figure if I was freaked out, you could be as well!

On the bright side,  you've heard of Ken and Barbie.  Well, Dr.Ken stitched my dad up. He looked exactly like a Ken doll.  Streaked hair.  Very tan.  Movie star handsome. His first words when starting to get my dad ready for stitching were "Man, you are one hairy dude!" Spoken totally like Surfer Ken....

The REST of the trip was uneventful and truly enjoyable for me and the folks.  I loved being with my parents.  We Wii bowled and shuffleboarded.   Mom and I played lots of Hand and Foot.  I was able to do some errands for my folks.  It was a great, great time.  (also visited my SIL in the hospital where she was recovering from an "oops" during a routine endoscopy.  I think my family is trying to pay for a new wing on the hospital.)

Everything is blooming in Vancouver.  Loved the beautiful flowers.  These trees were all around the hospital.  I don't know what they are, do you?

 

 

This funny little guy kept us entertained outside of Mom and Dad's window.  Dad had actually superglued the yellow flower centers to keep the squirrels out of the hummingbird feeder but this guy wouldn't be stopped.  He yanked it right off and went to town!

 

 

 

You can't be friends with a squirrel!
A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit.
- Sarah Jessica Parker

New Project

A few weeks ago, I shared how I bought a smaller table for our kitchen area (ended up buying 2 since one didn't work.)  I loved everything about it except the chairs were boring.  From the get-go, I knew they would be fabulous reupholstered. 
 

and Ta da!!!

 
Today I picked up the chairs from European Expressions.  I love their work.  I LoVe how the (4) chairs turned out.

 

When David saw them, he said, "Wow, you went a little wild on the chairs!"

I said,  "You think they are wild?  I think they are darling."

He said;  "That's what I meant....."

 

good answer

 

 

 

I'm finally doing the happy dance!

 

 

Another Week

Each week I think I am going to get consistent again with journaling but each week ends up having a mind of its own.  We've had lots of company this past month and this week was no exception.  Pretty Patty Petty came from Boise and we had a great time.  We never run out of talking, running places, taking in a movie or two.  I've been trying to eat healthier ..and didn't do too bad with PPP...except for the grand finale.  Her request was to go to Beyond Donuts- a sinful place that we love.  They have marvelous flavors....all the same glazed donuts with toppings.  (We did these for PPP's daughter, when she had a wedding at our home.)  I chose Maple and Bacon.  I can't even begin to tell you how good it was!

PPP left on Friday and after a nice dinner with Brendalyn and Joe (we always stop at the store on our way home for our Sunday dinner menu, which drives the guys nuts), we got home to niece Mallorie and her two friends, Kaitlin and Taylor Y.  They spent the weekend here, and nephew Casey came today to spend the day and night with us.  Love being Auntie M. to all these people.  Mallorie gets married on May 4 so we're all counting the days.  I'm so happy for her.  Yeah!!!

Sunday dinner was an easy crock pot roast (I add Italian dressing mix, Au Jus Mix and beef bouillon and cook it all night.  Friend Sophia's recipe.), baked potatoes, salad, warm rolls from the oven...

and this masterpiece at the end.  It is called Coconut Caramel Pie and I'll do it for the next Bon Appetit dinner- it was so good.  (Actually I only had a bite because I'm trying to get back on track.)  It is a pie you freeze overnight so you have to think ahead but everyone agreed it was a winner.  Recipe on the cooking blog.

I'm hustling to get packed.  I leave tomorrow to fly to Portland/Vancouver to see my folks.  My dad is home from the hospital but he's not doing cartwheels.  My sister-in-law, Cher, that does so much for my folks there- went in for a routine colonoscopy/endoscopy and they pierced her esophagus so she'll be in the hospital all week.  

I have a PPP story for you.  PPP's mom lives with her as well and one night PPP and Tom were going out for dinner.  She had some sour cream left from something so she made some French Onion dip and called to her mom and told her there was some dip and veggies in the refrigerator for her.  When PPP came home, she saw an empty container on the counter... not the one with the dip...but the one with CAT FOOD!  When Patty told her, her mom said, "Well, it wasn't too bad but I didn't think it tasted like something you'd fix..."

Oh my!

I have noticed that what cats most appreciate in a human being is not the ability to produce food, which they take for granted, but his or her entertainment value.  Geoffrey H.

First Week of April

Just wanted to jot down a few things from my  week.  Monday night- David, BFF Cathy (Kirk was out of town) and I went to make Food Bank deliveries.  Humbling to say the least and you meet a broad spectrum of people.  Count your many blessings, name them, one by one... 

My dad has actually been in the hospital all week. I've been so worried about him.  And mom.  I hate being so far away but I'll be flying there next Monday. 

• I already shared about Bucket on Tuesday at funny Kathy's home.  In addition to a great luncheon, she also gave each of us one of her favorite children's books- Stephanie's Ponytail.  It's a fun little book showing what happens when you follow the crowd.  
  

• Last Friday I went to Miss Addi-tude's grandparents program.  I was thankful they didn't draw masks of us that looked like George and Martha Washington....  I was so impressed that Doug's dad and step mom came! (Can you imagine getting 4 new grand kids and attending their school programs????) Addi is in the middle of the picture with a teal colored shirt on.  Love this little girl.  She's a VIP in our Family (the name of the program...I love that song!)

 Watched Annie and Chubba last week.  Of course they had to get in a horseback ride with Grandpa.  I've got Chubba again today.  He actually slept over since Brooke had an early continuing education class this morning and Tanner is in San Diego at a work conference.

• 
   

Thursday I rode Trax uptown and met Brendalyn to go to a fund-raiser for Kaleioscope Kids- a hospice for children.  It is one of my favorite events of the year....dozens of artists showing their wares and dozens of restaurants vying for the "top soup" prize.  I loved, loved, loved seeing the artwork....and was hoping I would be inspired to pick up my brushes again.  I've been in this funk for quite awhile wondering what in the heck I'm suppose to be doing now.  I would love to paint but I question why when I have dozens of paintings in a pile downstairs.  I've quit writing because frankly, few people care about reading poems.  I do tons and tons of service...and will continue to do so, but I'm not feeling filled. I'm sure part of it is having the role of caregiver for my MIL.  I think she may have had a mini-stroke last week.  I remember reading years ago a quote from a book (Living Together, Feeling Alone) that said that life is made up of a series of losses and we need to be able to recognize that- and realize that you go through all those stages of grieving for each one...and it's okay! This is a time of many transitions for me. Conference came at a perfect time. We watched it Saturday and Sunday and there were so many talks that went straight to my heart.  I'm anxious to study each one.  We also had company- niece Ashlee (Mallories' older sister) and hubby Wes and 4 yr. old Crae came for the weekend.  Nephew Kyle was also in town and brought a couple of friends for breakfast one morning.


Last Friday the bird came.  This picture is the end of our living room.  

See the window at the top?  It's hard to see in the second picture but there is a bird that has been here for the past 4 days flying incessantly into the window.  

Since we were watching Conference on the t.v. below, you can imagine it was a little disconcerting.  It is almost constant.  He has the whole wide world to explore....
and yet he's banging his head on the window.


I'm feeling a bit like that bird..... 

 There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.
Pres. Uchtdorf

Makes Me Crazy Story

We switched our home phone service to the same company our cell phones are with at the first of the year.  When I got a bill from our old carrier, Century Link (used to be Qwest)  I assumed that it was just some left over billing.  But then I realized they have been charging us each month for a home phone line since the first of the year.  I called them on the phone and told them we no longer had a phone line with them.  They said, "Well, you cancelled your main line but you still have a second line with us."  I told them we don't have a second line...and they insisted that we did.  I'm searching the bill....and see a number...that I thought was a trouble-shooting number...and they said that was our second line.  Again, I told them we didn't HAVE a second line.

THEN  they said, "You've actually had it since 1976."  WHAT!!!!!!  I told them we don't have a second line, that the number didn't even exist in 1976 (we didn't have 944 prefixes then) and that we have moved 4 times and no one has EVER mentioned a second line.  And since it has never been hooked up, we have been paying for 35 years for a line out in outer space!!!!!! (I just figured about $4,000)

The lady non-helping was insistent.  Nothing could be done.  There was no one else to talk with.....

I called the next day and talked to another phone rep.  He was a little more accommodating (but at least credited us these past months phone service on our phantom  line) but really!!!!

How do you fight a battle from 35 years ago?  How do you question something you didn't even know existed?  

Was I ever happy or what that their computer-generated company sent me a questionnaire to ask how I liked my customer service.......

 Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.
Donald Porter, V.P. British Airways

Bucket- April- Just Read!

Bucket this month was at funny Kathy's (with a K) .  It was marvelous, as always.  Beautiful table, wonderful food (a curried chicken wrap was a highlight- recipe on the cooking blog)- and fun conversation. Before lunch, Kathy had Diana (another Bucket member) share about a new book she has written- Rebekah and Other Lionesses. (it's not published yet.)  So proud of this amazing woman!  (She's an amazing author AND artist!)

After lunch, Kathy had us all share some of our latest favorite reads.  We have done this before but there were many that were different from our last time.  

Visions of Glory John Pontius
The Rent Collector Cameron Jarvis
Blue Castle Elizabeth Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables Elizabeth Montgomery
Hallelujah J. Scott Featherstone
Till We Have Faces CS Lewis
To Heaven and Back Mary Neal MD
All of Lee Child’s books
Nothing to Envy Barbara Demick
Still Alice Lisa Genova
Ladies of Misalonghi
Happier at Home Gretchen Rubin
Becoming His Emily Freeman
Borrowing Fire Ben Behunin
The Walk Series Richard Paul Evans
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake Jenny Wingfield
Gilead Marilyn Robinson
Yearning for the Living God Enzio Busche
To the Rescue
Christy Katherine Marshall
Star Girl Jerry Spinelli
The City of Ember Jean du Prau
The Secret Fan Lisa See
Shanghai Girls 1 of the series Lisa See
Dreams of Joy 2 Lisa See
The Infinite Atonement Tad Callister
Continuous Atonement Brad Wilcox
Continuous Conversion Brad Wilcox
The Savior in Kirtland Karl Anderson
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford
Little Britches Ralph Moody
Those Who Love Irving Stone (any book by Irving Stone)
Same Kind of Different as Me Ron Hall

Books enable us to live more lives than the one allotted and allow us to experience impossible adventures.  Richard Cracroft (who also happened to be one of my favorite professors)

Reality

 Saw this today and it made me laugh.  Dedicated to my sweet daughters-in-law and B.

A man came home from work and found his 5 children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn around garden, The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and no sign of the dog, walking in the door, he found ...an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, the throw rug was against one wall, In the front room the TV was on loudly with the cartoon channel, the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel... She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?...
''Yes," was his incredulous reply..
She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.