Birthday Do Over

Have I mentioned I have the most darling friends?  My Girl's Night Out group- we've been together about 40 years- friendship through all the ups and downs of life- surprised me with a drive by/porch surprise (that was redundant) belated birthday party!  I felt so special- I just couldn't even believe it!  I had gifts and balloons and signs and treats and presents and a crown and everyone singing on the front porch!

Friendship

I mentioned that a new book has just come off the presses called Courage to be You- Inspiring Lessons from an Unexpected Journey- by Gail Miller and Jason Wright. I think you can get it on Amazon but locally I think they are holding it until Mother's Day.   One chapter is called "Yes You Can (And Should) Pick Your Friends."  What a sweet surprise that she tells about our Bucket group.  Just part of it says this: "We talk about our children, but only to lift them.  We talk about our husbands, but only to praise them.  We talk about our faith, but only to grow it.  What we've never done in over ten years together is violate the rules of friendship.  Every month we count our blessings and remind one another that we'll never make it through this life alone.  We always have to have someone to go to or lean on, or who wants to lean on us.  I might lean today, maybe even tomorrow, and their turn to lean on me will surely come..."

and then "Sometimes when I drive away from a gathering of the Bucket Club, I remember the old adage that we are the average of the five people we associate with the most.  I hope that's not quite right.  I will be a happy daughter of God if at the judgment bar I have become the average of those twelve divine friends."

Wow- that was so sweet.  And so true.  What amazing women I get to associate with!

Beach Reality

 You know how some things you look forward to just don't turn out like you think they are going to?
Like Pinterest gone wrong.

Pinterest inspiration-

My reality-

(and of course, now that I am home, I can see how I was trying to do this upside down...  the story of my life.)

But this girlfriend trip to the beach (although I said it was Newport, it was actually Oceanside...sometimes it helps to have a clue where you are going...)- was so perfect it could have been on Pinterest.

We had a GREAT GREAT time.  A full week of wonderful and refreshing and laughing and sharing and pondering.

and of course, sand in our toes.  Heaven.


Here's what we did:

stayed at condos in Oceanside right on the beach.

Long beach walks

drive to Balboa Park- eat at Prado (one of funny Kathy's favorites and now ours as well)

time spent at the San Diego temple (always on our list of "to-do's")  (our GPS Bridgette sent us on a terrible, round-about-get-lost-several times journey to the temple.  I said I thought I heard her snickering "Heh,heh, heh, I'm Catholic....")

fabulous pedis- sigh

watched movies- Matilda, Now You See Me, The Constant Gardener (edited) and several episodes of some funky Canadian series called Gas Store or something. (and will never think of Pilate's the same...) (actually the series is called Corner Gas.  I'm going to order it on Amazon.)  We laughed and laughed. (Well, not at Now You See Me or The Constant Gardener)

played Hand and Foot

to-die-for salmon dinner (thank you Chef Valene)

Street Fair with fun foods from all countries and the best strawberries and candied nuts ever

trips to See's (Cathy's addiction)

trips to Costco (Valene's addiction)

Did I say Beach Time?  Well, beach, beach, beach.  Time.

Rubio's on the Pier.  Slowest, most incompetent waiter in the world.  Which just makes a funny story.

Fish tacos on the beach

bicycles  (funny Kathy missed out)

mussels and starfish and anemones, oh my!

whale and dolphin watching on a charter

ocean waves crashing (to everyone else that is calming but to me it is like listening to classical music or hearing the wind in our trees during a storm.  It is so powerful and full of energy, it doesn't lull me.  I like it (love it) but it also exhausts me.)

Church at a delightful ward in Mission Viejo.



Actually touring the working "Mission Viejo"- and seeing a beautiful rustic chapel (Catholic) (to make GPS Bridgette happy)- pepper trees and experiencing a Mexican celebration going on with music and food

 

 









 
 
 
 






 
fun shops-

 
 
 









Our favorite posing pelican-

chili rellanos at Olemendes-yum

 

Did I mention good food?

 

 

 

Beach Messages to our hubbies...and those that didn't quite cut it....

 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 


The hours spent coveting this quilt.  I want it.  I want it.  I almost stole it right off the bed.  It has "me" written all over it. (I actually think it from Target but I don't know how long ago it was purchased.)

     The key to a perfect trip is to go with people you love. 

(Oceanside friendie trip-2013- Cathy O., Brendalyn B., Valene C. and funny Kathy W. and Marilyn Me-  one of the funniest moments of the trip was when funny K.-  confessed that the friends she was meeting at the beach after us were a little intimidating because they were classier than us.....)  (we love her anyway...)

 

 

“I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.”

-- T. S. Eliot

Newport Beach

~just got back from a girlie trip to Newport Beach, California with BFF Cathy, funny Kathy, Brendalyn and for a day -Valene.  A heavenly 5 days.

~we've tripped so much together that it is comfortable, easy and crazy fun.

~we stayed at wonderful Marriott accommodations and close beach access.

~went to one of Kathy's favorite haunts....an area that is very 1940's with a fabulous restaurant that serves wonderfulness at breakfast (the only meal we ate there) like Crab Cake Florentine.  I loved the beach house pinks and blues and yellows...and the waves crashing on the shore.

~had a couple of things on my bucket list for the trip.  One was to develop somewhat of a taste for sushi (I don't like to eat things that taste like aquarium) and also find some Thai I love.  Happy Moon was the most amazing sushi place-delicious and cheap.  Can't believe they can do that. (There are a couple of Happy Moon Sushi- the one we went to was at 9965 Ellis ave. ste 1 in Fountain Valley, Calif. I had a California roll platter (8) with tempura- shrimp and vegetables....for $6.50!  Of course when I was told that you don't cut your rolls, but put them whole in your mouth, I immediately proceeded to cut all mine in half.  If there is a food rule, I'm sure it is meant to be broken....


The Thai was in a little shopping center that again was a great find. Called Mai Thai- 17938 Magnolia in Fountain Valley.  Great Pad Thai and tom yum soup in a hot pot.   Mosamun. (is that spelled right?)  Yellow curry dishes.

~truly the most remarkable experience was to go to EZ massage...for a foot massage that turned out to be a full massage....the best I've ever had....for $15 for a full hour!  Heaven.

~we rented beach cruiser bikes and biked the sidewalks along the beach....then took the ferry across to Balboa Island.  Always a good time when I don't crash into anyone or get hit by a car.  We chain our bikes to do window shopping.  The day was over-the-top beautiful with a slight breeze. It was a best day...

~my goal was to eat shrimp at least once a day.  I might add I was successful.  Pat myself on the back.

~besides laughing our guts out, we watched a movie, played Sudoku, I reread The Shell Seekers, funny Kathy listened to Alaska (by Michener) (it is like a million cds), Cathy started reading The Thirteenth Tale (that you guys recommended to me!)  We can be still together.

~we named our GPS Gidget since we were at the beach but she totally sounded more like drill sergeant Gretchen.  We mocked her every time she grumbled "re-calculating....."

~read a good article in Real Simple.  It was under "life lessons" and a writer recalled her early love with art....elementary school...when we all dream of doing incredible things...only to find many a disconnect between head and hand.  I thought I was talented in art although I never could take it in high school (had other electives).  My first art class in college was my last art class.  Everything in class was compared to the professor's son- Del Parsons (if you have LDS art, you probably have one of his pictures hanging in your home).  Who did I think I was kidding?  So I put my brushes away for 25 years. I'm glad I found my way home.  When I go to the beach, I just want to paint.  It is so inspiring.  Instead I take zillions of pictures for my art files.  Being creative, making "anything".....spurs my juices.  The beach spurs my juices.  As the author of the article said, "and to my surprise, the more I made art, the more equanimity and freedom I found in the rest of my life.  My ratio of tra-la-la to ay-yi-yi shifted noticeably."

~this trip was an ay-yi-yi.  sigh.....

Cleveland or Bust!

Just when I thought life couldn't be funner, I'm off for another adventure. BFF Penny and I are headed to Ohio. Penny's daughter, Nikki (remember her from her wedding reception at our home when the steers got out and the snakes came. THAT reception???) lives in Medina,Ohio. Nikki is a flight attendant and husband Ross a pilot so they sent us their buddy passes to come and visit! How cool and generous is that? We were going to leisurely fly out tomorrow but then, being the hostess with the mostest/over-achiever in the fun department that she is, Nikki insisted that we catch THE EARLIEST flight so we can be there in time for a pro-baseball game! Penny and I might sleep through it and have hotdog mustard dribbling from our chins but we plan to be there! (lol) Today has been a "running our heads off" day for both Penny and I so we've already agreed that we can go to sleep before the plane leaves the tarmac (my usual mode of operation regardless) which doesn't mean we're not fun people, it just means that we are getting our sleep so that we can hit the ground running in Ohio!

While there, besides hanging out at the ballpark, we're visiting some Amish country with Nikki, Penny and I are doing some historical LDS sites in Kirtland, Ohio and....whatever else we want to do. I just Googled Cleveland and saw they have a lingerie football team. WHAT????? Okay, maybe we won't do that but we're game for most things. (Definitely not the lingerie thing since that is a sore spot for Penny. I would bring it up but you almost had to "be" there...when a Relief Society fashion show that was suppose to be funny went awry. Think Victoria Secret. Penny was the president and therefore "in charge." She didn't show her face in public for months but I bring it up whenever I can....)


Penny is like my sister only we don't have cat fights or do much name calling. I do regularly bring up her most embarrassing moments and she'd bring up mine...if she weren't so forgetful. (See what I mean? I'm the mean "younger" sister....)

Love girlfriends. Love random trips. Excited to make more "Gwilliam" memories!

Bryce Canyon Trail Ride

We girlies had the best time in St. George. We:

~went to the St. George temple. Awesome!

~went to a Day Spa where we each did two things. I had a massage and a facial. Talk about pampered!

~ went to The Pizza Factory twice...I heart it. I just love their twisty bread sticks. There is a Mongolian place we also love.

~ did water aerobics in the pool

~hot tubbed

~made cards. Thanks, Brendalyn!

~made locket necklaces (I'll show later!)

~exercised. Well, most people did...

~watched great BBC movies. Persuasion and also Wives and Daughters. Suits on the Loose.

After driving to St. George (3 1/2 -4 hrs.)....we then drove 2 1/2 hrs. through Zions National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park to go on a trail ride. Then back to St. George. My how time flies when you are yapping constantly.

But before we get there, let me set the stage. We girls (I know it will surprise you) talk non-stop. And if someone says something, we refer to it thereafter. Valene was telling a story about her son-in-law, who is finalizing his P.A. studies. He was doing rotations in pediatrics and a woman brought in her young son, who was about 100 pounds overweight. When he mentioned that the boy really needed to lose some weight to be healthy, the southern mother scolded her son saying, "You hear that boy? No more ho-ho's for you!"

Much of our conversation during the trip included the phrase, "No more ho-ho's for you!"

Back to Bryce's.

It's magnificent.

It is full of hoodoos, which I affectionately referred to as ho-ho's.

This is a ho-ho hoodoo. I'm not sure why this seemed funny to me during the week of playing and laughing and being silly. Maybe I'll quit talking about this ho-ho nonsense and just give you the tour......

Aren't they great? They don't really taste like a ho-ho (I'm not sure I've really had a ho-ho) but they are incredible. These hobgoblin formations are caused by wind and rain.

We saw many trees on our ride that looked like they had been burned in a fire. But really the trees have individually been hit by lightening. The red in the dirt and rock is iron, which magnetizes and draws lightening like....

well, like a lightening rod.

The trees are spaced (by nature) so usually only one tree burns but the magnitude of the jolt actually twists the tree. Notice the bark. Fascinating.

The air was crisp, crisp, crisp. Elevations to 8 and 9,000 feet. We dropped 2 thousand feet on our descent.

Here's our happy trio and duet. (What's five called? A quintet?) We look rather "filled out" since we all had layers and layers of clothing. I had 5 layers to keep warm. It was marvelous. Totally felt like a marshmallow. Pack horses and mules. My mule was named Sweet Pea. The horse that Valene was on was one Laura Bush rode last year while there on a girlie trip herself! Our trail guide's name was Hank. Why was I not surprised. He had a great long mustache. He wasn't much of a city slicker. It wouldn't have been the same if his name was Melvin....

I have such great and wonderful friends! We call these trips our "filling stations." We regroup and charge each other up again for life.

I'm home. Back in the saddle again!

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."
John Muir

Girl Therapy

Girlie Trip to Midway-Jan's beautiful home- dinner at Fanny's at the Homestead, then forever in the hot tub pools- posing for beach pictures- eating strawberries dipped in melted Symphony bars (my new favorite dessert)- hysterical that two people brought Dunford chocolate donuts-beautiful big comfy beds -hiking and climbing over fences, Rochelle's yoga, the gazebo, girl talk/life is a challenge talk, laughing and talking around the table, in chairs on the porch, the dead fly bag (!), the wetlands, the hawk, yogurt parfaits with tons of fresh fruit, lunch at the Blue Boar Inn







Ah, revived!

Our faces were unrecognizable: cherry red gums, cavernous wrinkles trailing from our eyes, overworked nostrils stuck in a permanent flare. We had finally laughed ourselves to death.

Bumps

Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Winnie The Pooh



Yesterday my dear friend,Joy, from Colorado and I were Instant Messaging on the computer when I wrote to her "Oh wait! The phone is ringing." And I looked at caller ID and it was Joy! We laughed...she said she can talk much faster than type. So we had a great conversation. We've been forever friends...our husbands were in law school together at BYU...and we've been in writing groups together......and then they moved. Darn!

One of the things that close friends say to each other, is, "How ARE you?" How many times do you answer automaticly "Great!" or "We're doing fine" when you really aren't. I even have the problem the other way....I really do feel happy and peaceful...which is strange because inside I still have a whole list of my "worries." Serious worries. Worries so serious that at another time in my life would have consumed me. Worries that I have learned that you have to hand to the Lord because they are unfixable to me and to the ones I love.

My prayer list is long. I just found out yesterday, that my friend Penny's little granddaughter, Brandon's daughter, just 9 months old, was diagnosed with leukemia. They are at a children's hospital in Kansas City. In two days your whole life changes. The Gwilliams are like family to us. Brandon was one of Ryan's best friends and we were neighbors for years. I was the boy's cub scout leader (when I learned the fine art of scraping your brains off the ceiling after every meeting!) and Brandon would always entertain us with his hysterical rendition of "Uptown Girl."
Now his little "Uptown Girl" needs our prayers on her behalf.....

Another neighbor from that era was John L., who took the missionary lessons in our home and was baptized. When John and Kim were married, I got to be John's mom in the temple! He is like one of our kids as well. And their sweet friends have a little one in Primary children's hospital with big time concerns. Kim asked for our prayers on their behalf as well.

Yesterday, Brandi shared that her sweet father-in-law, whom we all adore and worried and fasted for last August, has reoccuring cancer in his lymph glands. We're not sure where it is going. And Brandi's husband is having MRI's and all sorts of tests....again....because of horrible symptoms that previously manifested themselves before as a brain tumor. We are worried what is going on. Both need our prayers...

And the list goes on and on. Like Edward Bear, sometimes I feel like my head goes "bump-bump-bump" down the stairs. Do you ever feel that way?

And so when my friend Joy asked, "How ARE you?", I say "I'm good. Really, I'm fine." And I ask her "How ARE YOU doing?" (because she is taking care of a family member with mental illness which is a WHOLE other story) and she says, "I'm tired...but I'm doing okay".....we know what we really mean.

Because good friends understand......

Squash-Head, Utah

Yesterday Carolyn Campbell and I drove to Santaquin, Utah for lunch with Linda Midgley. We always have fun together...we talk about everything-writing, books, our families- at these get-togethers we have every few months. Yesterday was no exception. Linda has done some neat things in her home which was fun to see. She has made a lovely home for herself. And lunch was delicious and I just couldn’t wait to share two new recipes with you. These two ALWAYS have good recipes!

First of all, Linda made grilled sandwiches for us. Now you know I LOVE grilled sandwiches...they are a major comfort food for me. But this one....this one....this one is FABULOUS! We actually went to the South Ridge Farm that you can see from the freeway....they have wonderful dried tart cherries and all sorts of goodies inside....and that is where we also purchased the secret ingredient so I could make these for dinner for David and I last night.

I'll call them:
Linda's Fabulous Grilled Sandwiches
black forest ham (I just used the ham I already had)
smoked cheddar cheese (last night I just used cheddar)
apple butter (the secret ingredient!!!!)
good bread...Linda used sourdough, I used honey wheat because that is what I had on hand.
Butter the outside of two slices of bread for each sandwich and spread the insides of both pieces with apple butter. Then pile on the ham and cheese. Put sandwich together. Grill on griddle or in a Panini maker. The apple butter is such a delightful surprise!

Then for dessert, she served blonde brownies with a creamy maple sauce. Delicious!

Butterscotch Brownies
3/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. nuts
½ c. vanilla chips

Grease an 8 x 8 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and add sugar. Cool slightly. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Add nuts. Pour batter into the greased pan, leveling the batter and then sprinkle vanilla chips on top evenly. Bake for 22 minutes. Top cooled brownies with sauce.

Creamy Maple Sauce

½ c. butter, softened
1/4 c. cream cheese
2 T. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
½ c. powdered sugarBlend all ingredients in a blender. Warm in microwave before serving.

I was curious about the name Santaquin and wondered where it came from. Apparently there was an Indian chief named, no kidding, Squash-head, who had a son named Santaquin. There was some ruckus....stories differ but the one I read online said that Santaquin was going to start a raid and Squash-head put a stop to it and saved the settlers lives. Then when Santaquin became chief, credit was given to him for the warning instead of his father. The real hero got the short end of the stick, but regardless, Linda said that she is glad that her town isn’t called Squash-Head. I don’t know....I think it has a certain ring to it!


"There isn't much better in this life than finding a way to spend a few hours in conversation with people you respect and love. You have to carve this time out of your life because you aren't really living without it."

"There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time." Rebecca West

Oh My Gosh!

Can I just say......SSOOOOOO much fun? The girlfriend trip to St. George was perfect! We left here Monday morning and yakked the entire trip. Well, except when we weren't laughing.

The players were:

Valene- my friend that I went to France with, my friend whose house I call "my favorite restaurant", my friend that our daughters are the best of friends and were college roommates, my friend that gave me two pink flamingos with bobble heads for my yard. That kind of friend.

Elizabeth- her college daughter....darling, darling, darling. With Elizabeth, we shared how fun it is to have girlfriends and really, how terribly entertaining we can be....and then Elizabeth shared with us her "heart flutters" and all the romance in her life and we hung on every word and swooned at all the proper places. Did I say she was darling?

Kathy- I hate to always refer to Kathy by her husband's notorious jet ski slam into our ski boat (which was one of the funniest moments of my life)....because Kathy really is a constant flow of insane, incredible, off-the-wall moments. She is my claim to fame because someday I am writing a book on Kathy-isms. It WILL be a best seller. Everyone will think it is pure fiction but really it will be biographical.

And Me. Just along for the ride. Making sure everyone stays on course.

Monday, after checking in at Kathy's wonderful house that I covet, at Green Springs, right on the golf course, we decided our plan of attack. First day included eating at Sharkeys, which isn't called Sharkeys anymore but it is the same menu. Mexican food with a twist. Then shopping.

Before the sun went down, we got in our brisk walk (Ann, are you paying attention? Didn't miss a day!) before settling in for a BIG, LONG movie...."Wives and Daughters." Kathy and Valene always rave about this movie ... it is a Jane Austen-type movie. It starts just a titch slow....but then....you are hooked.....and the characters are so full of life and dimension......and we watched this all night and finished it the next morning. Wonderful movie. I can't wait to buy it for Marci, my daughter-in-law, who LOVES Jane Austen-like-movies. Oh, Valene made noodle bowls for dinner. Did I say she is my favorite restaurant? Lo Mein Chinese noodles (which don't have flour) in a big bowl, with strips of tri-tip steak and a variety of goodies on top and an oriental sauce. Delicious! And during the movie, I made cupcakes and more cupcakes for our "service" project. And, of course, during the movie, we had to sample one or two. Okay, three.

Tuesday morning we frosted all the cupcakes and made plates and decided who to take them to. We took 3 plates to the Family History Center in St. George for all the workers, since our friend Lois and her husband are serving a mini-mission there. Lois wasn't at work yet but we were headed to the temple and didn't want the cupcakes to melt in the car. And we came back later to visit with her. The day was just enchanting......I hadn't done baptisms for so long and all the workers were so darling. It was a wonderful experience to be there...and during the confirmations, I really thought I could see in my mind, this band of sisters, holding hands, stepping forward when their name was called to receive this great gift. A holy experience.
And all the trees along every street were in bloom. (the picture at the top of the page.) And it really looked like spring. And it really smelled like spring. And birds were singing and flowers were blooming...and there wasn't an avalanche of snow anywhere except where it belonged on the mountains, at this time of year.

This store, called Krumpets, was recommended by Mary Ann. It is SUCH a darling store...they actually have one in Santa Clara and one in St. George on Riverside. We got lots of treasures here.

Lunch was at the Pizza Factory....where they had these incredible bread sticks that Valene and I were trying to figure out how to make.


They were so delicious. The bread stick is wrapped on a stick and baked with a wonderful, yummy herb covering. After a fabulous lunch, we headed to Authentique Gallery. Jane, the owner was there and we visited for a long time. She's like this whirlwind, this charming, beautiful animated character that could entertain for hours. Unfortunately Zella's and my prints weren't signed as the artist, Julie Rogers, has a son in the hospital in Salt Lake and hasn't been available. So we'll get our pictures another day. We loved learning about all the new artists that she carries. I think my new favorite artist is J. Kirk Richards. (http://www.authentiquegallery.com/QueryArt.cfm?SearchType=0) His work is just so amazing.....I could have stayed and looked at his pieces forever. After art, we headed to Costco....to buy our "hot-off-the-shelf" copies of "Enchanted!" We were so excited. We headed home, and invited another friend that now lives in St. George (Carla Hanks) over with her daughter to watch "American Idol" and give her cupcakes as well. We had a great time catching up on her family and ours as well as all the people we have in common. After "Idol" was watching "Enchanted" again.....we thought we were part of the movie because by now we can all quote entire scenes. We are so glad we are so easily entertained. We hated knowing this was our last night and we tried to squeeze a whole week's worth of activities into the next day....more shopping, more delicious food, pool time, yakking. We actually had time to solve most of the world's problems (hardly!) and lots of spiritual moments and funny experiences.

We went on our last walk Wed. morning. Kathy, mind you, has had this house for 3 years now. We set off walking....and walking...and walking...going different ways....and walking....only to hear Kathy say (as she did about 50 times) "Now wait. this doesn't look familiar. I have no idea of where we are!" Surprise! This is totally Kathy! The night before she had to tell Carla to look for Valene's car..since she had no idea what her house number was. So, we were not surprised to be lost, wandering the streets and hills of St. George. We finally got to an overlook (exhausted) and saw the golf course they live on. Unfortunately we were on the "other" side of the golf course. Kathy has already had run-ins with the "Golf Course Police" (you know the scripture, "give a man a little authority....") since last year she hid all her grand kid's eggs for a giant hunt on the course. But, we hid behind bushes and waited until the current golfers passed us and bee-lined it across the greens. No one went to jail.

I could go on and on (now THAT would surprise you!) but today has already started. I'm actually picking up one of my writing friends (from when I used to actually write!), Carolyn Campbell, and we are heading to Santaquin to have lunch with the other part of our writing trio, Linda (of Tiger fame.) After this I promise I am going to seriously get to work and do something REALLY constructive. Well, like stuff Easter eggs. I have a box on my front porch overflowing with bags of candy since I was a drop-off house for the neighborhood hunt. But then I'm REALLY going to do something constructive. It is good to be home.

"May you live all the days of your life."