Autumn Leaves

Every day the Charm girls (including me) talk on our Marco Polo app.  It is such a wonderful way to keep in touch and to not feel so isolated during the day.   Pam is traveling to an extended family dinner in Tacoma, Debbie and Dawn and Fay are preparing food to take to kid's homes for the holiday.  And I am not.....
cooking.

And although I love cooking, I feel satisfied that our Thanksgiving dinner is over. Well, we are having another one at a restaurant tomorrow in San Diego.... but

Debbie was making pies.  I'm not a pie maker but I actually did make a couple this past week just because I wanted to play around with the pie crust.  Here are my creations:

So, if you are making pies for the big day tomorrow, you might want to get out your teeny tiny cookie cutters and make a cute design.

Meanwhile- dear great-great-greats and whoever else may be reading this- may your heart always be filled with gratitude which in turn brings joy.  Happy Thanksgiving!  We are packing our bags to fly to San Diego in the morning.  Brandi and Doug and family are already there- walked 13 miles at Disneyland yesterday!  So, may I add, SOOOOO thankful I wasn't there!!!!  My brother just called today and Dad is back in the hospital.  This roller coaster is so familiar to what mom went through her last 6 months.  Yesterday I had just booked  plane tickets to see him in 3 weeks.  I guess that is the trigger.  He always goes into the hospital after I have booked tickets!  But Gary thinks he'll do fine.  But I have just a little heart anxiety.

So- on to sunshine and soccer games and family time and fingers-crossed, I'm hoping to spend Sat. morning with Charm Girl Fay!!!  Woot!  Woot!

Snowmen- Bottoms Up!!!!

Niece Mallorie lives in Pocatello and sometimes she just needs some Auntie M time.  She got here last night and is staying a few days.  I told while she was here, we would invite Brooke over and let the kiddos play- while I provide the tools to make neighborhood Christmas treats!



These cute snowmen made with a roll of toilet paper is so easy and cute!

The little note on them says:
Merry Christmas!
Here's something to use,
Something to share
So bottoms up-
because we care!

(get it?  Bottoms up?  Toilet tissue?)


Look how many we made!!!!!!  So fun!

Bon Appetit Italia!!!!

 Okay, I might mention that sometimes it's pretty great to be me!  On Bon Appetit evening it is for sure!  Chef Valene hosted this time and chose all her recipes from an 2010 Bon Appetit magazine.  The recipes are all from a province in Italy.  I don't think you could have found a more fabulous meal anywhere! 

 

The starter course was Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal soup.  Yum!(and warm sourdough bread.)

 Butternut squash gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter.  Truly, died and gone to heaven....

Two additional sides accompanied the main dish-  Braised red cabbage with vinegar (I could have eaten the whole bowl.  We call it Rotkohl at our house- German for red cabbage)

 Skillet Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon ( turnips- who knew?  So tasty!!!!)

 
 and the main dish was Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary (actually with a vegetable reduction.)
 

 My contribution was pretty pathetic next to that magnificent meal.  I was striving for a Pecan Pie bread pudding.  David insisted I try it the night before...and I'm glad I did.  I didn't love it at all.  But I was stressed and knew I would be gone all the next day until meal time- so I stirred up a Pecan Pie filling and just stirred it in to the bread pudding.  I didn't know how it would be the next day so I hurriedly looked up another Pinterest recipe- Brownie Pecan Pie Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.  I actually served both but truly, I was so full from dinner, and so stressed (another story) that I couldn't really tell if I loved either dessert. 

It might take me a day or two but  recipes will soon be on the cooking blog!  Beware, you will feel the gnocchi slowly sliding on your hips.....

Always a wonderful evening with Valene and George- love these dear friends!

Thoughts Brimming

Wow- I can't believe I have time to just sit down (surprisingly how much time being a slug can take....) but my heart is heaped up and running over with thoughts and ponderings.  So many but today I'll just share two.

I serve in the temple on Wednesdays and oftentimes substitute on Saturdays (because I laugh- I don't really have a life so I'm anxious to fill in.)  There are a million things in the world I can (and do!) fill my life up with....but this one fills me with not just the love of God (because, man, oh man- His Spirit dwells in His temples!) but also a sense of self-esteem which may sound odd.  When you are almost 100, sometimes you feel like you were as a child being on a merry-go-round and getting flung off or last picked on a team.  No, that is all too dramatic but I don't often feel like I am accomplishing much or matter much.  But I DO in the temple.  For 1 or two days a week, what I do is important and matters  It is time not that I just serve but is a true consecration.  Does that make sense?  It's not about me- it's about me doing something worthwhile for others and it gives me strength and confidence in myself.

That really wasn't even what I wanted to share. Onto another thought:

This past week, a group of women were talking and visiting.  We all live in different areas and one mentioned she used to live in a condo at the mouth of our canyon.  I exclaimed, "Oh, that's in our Stake!  Do you know so and so?"  We went through a list.  One of the names was a very talented semi-famous in the LDS world man and his wife that actually lived next door to my friend.  His very name was familiar to the other women and someone asked where they moved to.  My friend said they moved after their divorce.  Some of the other women exclaimed, "Oh no, they divorced?  What happened?"  My friend said, "I don't know" to which another (making a comment that comes easily in conversation) "You don't know what happened?"  It was quiet for a few seconds and then my friend replied, "Well, nothing that I would say."

Wow!  My heart just leaped as I was taught a beautiful and simple lesson.  "Nothing that I would say."  I love that.  I want to "engraven" that on my heart.  Even in the company of good, good women (and these were)- natural curiosity lends itself to sharing things that shouldn't be shared and discussed.  I learned so much from a lovely lady I admire.

God wants us, as we grow closer to him, to learn to BE like Him.  That is not to speak ill.  I remember a little adage I used in a lesson years ago that said, "Be careful of the tongue.  It is in a wet place and may slip."  I am going to try harder to always speak with kindness and respect.

The other thing I want to share is a thought shared in Stake Conference today by our wonderful friend and neighbor Cheri. (she's a semi- celebrity too- lol- she was asked to be on Martha Stewart because of a blog she used to write and also she's a fabulous singer/songwriter and co-teaches Gospel Doctrine with my husband.) (that last one REALLY makes her semi-famous!)  Cheri referred to a talk given a few years ago by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called The Cost and Blessing of Discipleship (April 2014)  He talked about the "God" that people in our modern day wants- a God that doesn't demand anything of them.  He gave this analogy:

 It is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.

Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?

And what of those who just want to look at sin or touch it from a distance? Jesus said with a flash, if your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off.¹² “I came not to [bring] peace, but a sword,”¹³ He warned those who thought He spoke only soothing platitudes. No wonder that, sermon after sermon, the local communities “pray[ed] him to depart out of their coasts.”¹⁴ No wonder, miracle after miracle, His power was attributed not to God but to the devil.¹⁵ It is obvious that the bumper sticker question “What would Jesus do?” will not always bring a popular response.

 

At the zenith of His mortal ministry, Jesus said, “Love one another, as I have loved you.”¹⁶ To make certain they understood exactly what kind of love that was, He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”¹⁷ and “whosoever … shall break one of [the] least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be … the least in the kingdom of heaven.”¹⁸ Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once).

 

**************

Anyway, just a few Sunday thoughts swirling around my head.  I've invited whoever in the family can, to come over today for tacos, which are really burritos.  I'm also making the Taco Bell pizzas (recipe on the cooking blog) and also have a big pot of black beans simmering on the stove (with lots of onion and spices.)  My heart is full, as always, in this wonderful season.  And with wonderful spicy good cooking on the stove! Today is a great day!

Thanksgiving Pins

Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving pins this year.  Even though we've technically had "our" Thanksgiving, I still might have a few things up my sleeve!


First of all, I found this darling leftover containers at World Market Cost Plus.  Cute covers to put on aluminum containers.  If you don't have a Cost Plus near you, make your own with a personal message!

 

 

I'm thinking we might need this game for the restaurant dinner on Thanksgiving in San Diego!  HappyHomeFairy.com

  These turkey treats made me laugh outloud.  They are so dorky, they are cute!  youneedchocolate.com

 And I love little paper thingies to put your silverware in.  For some reason, this just makes me happy.  This pin also has questions for conversation.  Not that you could ever control our group to focus.   yellowblissroad.com

 Pecan pie bread pudding.  I might make this for Bon Appetit this week! Or Pecan Pie cobbler.

 These just look like perfect Thanksgiving!  lollyjane.com

 I love to do scavenger hunts for my kiddos and this one sounds easy and fun.  Happyhomefairy.com

  Hope everyone's hearts are brimmed up and overflowing with gratitude!!!  Mine is!

Oh So Thankful!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours.  May we "always give THANKS and be GIVING."

Aunt Pat and Cousin Casey and Megan made it!!!!

Thanksgiving Early

 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving at our house!  So excited!  Love this holiday- and the whole feeling of love and gratitude.  I got out all my Thanksgiving props-  our trusty pilgrim hats (and I also had Indian headbands) 
 

 But this year I got some more!  Aren't these the cutest!  I got them at Hobby Lobby (I love that they play hymns over the intercom...) and they will be perfect for the younger bunch.  (Sorry I bought out all they had at our Sandy location....)

Indians-

 Pilgrims

 

and turkeys!!!!

 
 Of course we have our regular place settings.  I know, we have a crazy family...

 

 

 

We have 28 people coming.  That is all our family minus two (Connor and Parker at college) plus one (Bri's boyfriend.)  We were going to have Aunt Pat and Cousin Casey and wife Megan but Aunt Pat's mom died and her services were today in Idaho.  She was a beautiful and lovely woman.

Everyone is bringing stuff so I'm not doing too much.  Grandson Josh wanted to bring one of his turkeys he has raised but Marci just called and said the thing is 50 lbs. and won't fit in her oven!  I had reserves- I'm doing two large turkey breasts and a ham, the dressing (all made!), gravy and rolls.  Easy peesy.  We'll do family Thanksgiving silly pictures as soon as everyone arrives and then the guys can quit complaining and take off their pilgrim's hats.  We have two long adult tables (with teens) and then the younger girls table and the younger boys table plus the littles.  It will be crazy fun!

Always be ready to have the time of your life.

(and can I repeat since I LOVE this thought!)

Always be ready to have the time of your life.

Living Water

For Bucket on Tuesday, I am asking all the girls to send me favorite quotes that I'm compiling into a little packet. I sent off a note to Diana (she and her husband are serving a mission in Long Beach California right now) to get her imput.  She and I are big C.S. Lewis fans- so  it doesn't surprise me that some of her favorite quotes  are also some of my favorite quotes.  In fact, I've probably shared this with you before.  But I love, love, love it....and so here it is again.   The fictional work, The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis, a young girl, Jill Pole, has entered a strange wood in the  land of Narnia with her friend, Eustace Scrubb. Due  to poor judgment, she finds herself alone and separated  from Eustace. She is very thirsty and is walking in search of water. She finds a stream, but stops dead in her tracks. Lewis writes,

But although the sight of water made her feel ten times thirstier than before, she didn’t rush forward and drink. She stood as still as if she had been  turned into stone, with her mouth wide open.  And she had a very good reason: just on this side of the stream lay the lion. …“If I run away, it’ll be after  me in a moment,” thought Jill. “And if I go on, I shall  run straight into its mouth.” Anyway, she couldn’t have  moved if she had tried, and she couldn’t take her  eyes off it. How long this lasted, she could not  be sure; it seemed like hours. And the thirst became  so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being  eaten by the lion if only she could be sure of getting  a mouthful of water first. “If you’re thirsty, you may drink.” …For a second she stared here and there, wondering  who had spoken. Then the voice said again, “If you  are thirsty, come and drink.”…It was deeper,  wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice.  It did not make her any less frightened than she  had been before, but it made her frightened in rather  a different way. “Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion. “I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill. “Then drink,” said the Lion. “May I — could I — would you mind going away  while I do?” said Jill. The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low  growl. …The delicious rippling noise of the stream was  driving her nearly frantic. “Will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill. “I make no promise,” said the Lion. …“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill. “Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion. “Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer.  “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” “There is no other stream,” said the Lion. It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion – no one who had seen his stern face could do that – and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst  thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward  to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up  water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing  water she had ever tasted. You didn’t need to drink  much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once.

In Narnia, there is no stream other than Aslan’s that can keep one from dying of thirst. In this world, Christ alone offers us eternal life through His gift of living water.   "Jesus answered her, "if you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water...but whoever drinks of the water that  I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  (John 4:10, 14)  (I just saw that I posted this 8 years ago after a  Stake Conference where a man I really admired reminded us of this story.  He prefaced it by saying,  "Now, God being God didn't have to ask where  Adam was physically...the question was "Adam, where are you in your heart? Where is your loyalty?  What path do you choose?" Bro. Tippetts said,  " With God there are two directions "toward or away."  He went on to talk about Christ being the only "living water" - that which truly fills. We try to fill  ourselves with so much that won't sustain. )

Halloween Imperfect

I used to love, love, love Halloween.  I loved it when my kiddos dressed up and a million neighbor kids came to the door.  I have tubs and tubs of fabulous Halloween décor- the more the better.

 

Then we moved to a place with zero trick-or-treaters.  And my kidlets are getting older so they are anxious to be at their homes, with their friends, doing their thing.

 

And once you miss it (like when I went to Paris with friends) and realize you can survive, sometimes maybe it's not worth the energy to decorate.  I will probably only decorate when having a party.

 

So here is my sad Halloween.

 
 

I don't even have to dress up- I can be in my jammies and just Snapchat.

 

 

 

One tradition that I do is pick up the pumpkin-shaped pizzas for Brandi's family while she is getting ready for her caldron of cotton candy. 

 

Addi was adorable in a very creepy way.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Remember when little girl's dressed up like Cinderella and Elsa?  And little boys were cowboys or astronauts?  Everyone is a titch creepy now.  They love it.

 

My Lehi bunch :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I can't believe they would do this to my baby Summer!!!!!

 Noah and Elijah came from Eagle Mountain to trick or treat with Addi.  Cousin love.

 

 

Doug is a principal at a school so he's always game for dressing up.  This year they were Men in Tights!  That's Doug on the far right.

 

 

 Nash was sumo man. 

 And Boston a creepy clown.  Really, poor clowns have really sunk to new lows.

 

 Sadi Jo Jo- acting the part.

 

I actually spent Halloween at the dentist (no cavities- my gums are bright and sassy. Just thought you would like to know.)  Perfect activity for Halloween.

Then I spent the day decorating one of the tables for Thanksgiving!  Since we are having Thanksgiving at our house on Sunday! (crazy, huh?)

We are doing tons of stuff around our home.  I got the painting and repainting done, furniture in and tomorrow hanging pictures.  I have a pavers company suppose to be here to get a new sidewalk and front porch in.  They promised they would have it done Saturday.  So far we have loads of sand and gravel and pavers but no workers....

then we cut down a dozen giant cedar trees at the front of our acreage.  Again, the workers aren't finishing up like they agreed.  And David is having bids on new fencing and maybe paving our street.  You see, we have two long gravel driveways into our home.  David wanted to pretend we lived on a farm so he never wanted them paved.  I think it's time....  I heard a quote that said if we all had our dreams come true, the world would be full of princesses and cowboys.

Oh, and I also worked outside cutting back a hedge.  I don't know when it happened but I got a great spider bite.  Maybe it was a vampire bite since there are two and they're right on my neck.  Swollen and itchy but I think I will live. 

So- living Halloween vicariously this year.  Kind of blah but I survived.  Now on to Thanksgiving!!!!!