Taco Sauce

We had some cold fog and a bit of drizzle, so I put a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup on and gave Adrianne a call at work with an invitation to come for dinner tonight. We are totally out of Taco Sauce! So tonight we made a LARGE batch.

Duff and Adrianne charred, peeled, and diced all the tomatoes. I cut up all the onions and hot chili peppers. We added the Las Palmas sauce and the spices and let it simmer away for a couple of hours. Oh! The aroma is so authentic and just makes your mouth water! I have never known tacos without this 'sauce'. It is NOT a salsa--it is HOT sauce. I remember when I was a little girl and we would make it in the fall with the tomatoes from our tomato plants. It was an all day Saturday project for the entire family. This was the era of no food processors. Everything had to be done completely by hand.

We 12 x'd the recipe tonight. This gave us 15 quarts and will last us for a year pretty much. Mike and Adrianne took home 2 quarts. After it simmers and cools, we ladle it into plastic storage containers or empty and clean whipped topping containers and freeze it.

Hooray for food processors! Everything is done in such a short amount of time and it's so fast the onions don't make you cry, and the hot chili peppers don't burn your hands. My mom would have to soak her hands in milk for several hours to take the sting out from all the peppers she did by hand.

This is one of our family traditions--making taco sauce. We are now onto the 3rd generation carrying it on. The recipe came from a hispanic neighbor of my dad's sister, Auntie Ann, who shared it with my mom about 45 years ago and the rest is history!

The Wedding--Finally!

Stay tuned. I think I finally figured out this CD.....

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I've caught up on a few things since I've been distracted with my ongoing 'clean and purge' of the house.

I need some help: I accidentally deleted some pictures I had carefully posted in order. Is there a way to insert them back in the place I want them to be so it flows with my journaling????

Leap Day/Year

30 days hath September,

April, June, and November.

All the rest have 31,

Save February--the shortest one!

28 is all it stores,

Till Leap Year gives it one day more!

Leap years are added to the calendar to keep it working properly. The 365 days of the calendar year are meant to keep up with the solar calendar year--that means the time it takes the Earth to go around the Sun. But the actual time it takes to do that is a little longer: about 365 1/4 days. So every four years it adds another day to our calendar. If the extra day wasn't added our calendar would, over time, be off. For example, over a 100 year period, the calendar would be off by 25 days! That's a LOT. Summer wouldn't start in June, it would be in July. Winter would begin in late January, etc. You get the picture!

We have fog this morning which will burn off and end up being right around 70* they are saying. It has been absolutely GORGEOUS this week. Last week everyday was rain. I'm not complaining because we need it so badly and I love rainy days. But this week has been incredible. Miguel and I planted flowers in the front yard. Impatiens and begonias. It just adds a smile to the house! Cheerful and happy.

I Miss A Basement!

The 'clean and purge' is on-going and I am lamenting the lack thereof of a basement!

Okay--so I know it is a trade off: I live next to the BEACH, I have SUNSHINE practically everyday, I enjoy GREEN year round, and for this I 'give up' having a basement. But oh, how I miss the storage space.

For those of you who have basements: LOVE them. TAKE CARE of them. Keep them TIDY. Don't take them for GRANTED. Get your food storage and enjoy putting it away in a wonderfully organized manner.

(Today: reorganized more cupboards. It is AMAZING what we save that we don't need. I was able to give LOTS of elementary workbooks, beads, puzzles, games that we never played much to the elemtary school nurses office. One of my friends takes care of all the little kids with diabetes, asthma, etc. While she's testing their blood, waiting for meds to 'kick in' , she has some fun things to do with them. They were thrilled.

Went to the church for a computer training for my new calling. Wow! Last time I served as the VT coordinator, we did everything by 'hand'. Now it's all done on the computer. I'm learning a lot.)

New Beginnings

Tonight was New Beginnings for Christine. It was great! Each girl and her parents got a 'summons' from the DMV in the mail a week ago to 'appear' for some 'testing'. When we got there, each girl was given a 'number'--you know--the dreaded number you get and then go sit down and wait FOREVER for your turn.

There were skits, introducing the new Beehives, talks, songs, etc. Christine was in one of the skits. Sister T. called out her 'number' from a megaphone in the RS room and I swear, it was just like being at the DMV! Chris went up and answered a question from the Personal Progress 'test' and had to explain her answer. (She had been briefed and practiced beforehand...). Then she had to answer another question: We talked to your mom and asked her who is the better driver--her or your dad? Christine's eyes got very big and she glanced over at us to see if we would give the answer away. Nope, we just smiled on. She finally said, "Well my mom's the BETTER driver, but my dad's the FUN driver!" Bingo! Correct answer! Yes, I said I was the better driver because dad drives too fast! Everyone had a good laugh!

Oh--the DMV isn't just about cars. It stands for the DEPARTMENT OF MANY VALUES. Very clever. They decorated all in the 'cars' theme and our refreshments were served on red, yellow, and green plates like a traffic signal. Very cute.

Sister T. gave a good talk on the origin of the current YW Values. For all the years I have served in YW, I had not picked up on this before but it's spot on: The first three values have to do with our IDENTITY: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth. The next have to do with our DEVELOPMENT here in mortality: Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, and Integrity. I've asked for a copy of the talk. It was excellent.

So, on to a brand New Beginnings of Young Women for Christine!

Grandma Duffy's Viewing and Funeral

I finally got these pictures uploaded. It is hard to believe that Mom has been gone for a month already. It will be 4 weeks on Thursday. The viewing was nice. I am not a big fan of Utah viewings. I think they tend to be a bit on the disrespectful side with a receiving line, loud conversation, kids running all over the place. I just grew up in a different cultural and social environment and so these kinds of things were done in a different manner. On the other hand there is something to be said for the celebration of one's life! And they do that very well.

Mom's casket was beautiful. She had had most of her arrangements taken care of. As you can see from the spray, the flowers were stunning and such rich color for such a colorless time of year with soooo much snow.

Jan and Ann with their mom. A close trio those three! Mothers and daughters have a special relationship.

She looked so beautiful. She would have been very happy with how pretty she was. We were grateful for technology and science techniques so we could have an open viewing. What a gift.

'Big' Josh with all the 'little' boy cousins: l-r: James, Big Josh, Little Josh, Jacob, and William. Our family is really 2 different generations. The Duffy boys all married younger and had their families. The Duffy girls were a little older and have just had their children. It's actually fun this way because we've never outgrown things like Santa, the Tooth Fairy, dancing, sports, Old Maid, Go Fish, Husker Du, Dr. Suess, etc.

Not the best picture, but a story worth telling. These are my friends Elaine (left) and Ellen (right). They are twins and are mentally challenged since birth. We share the same birthday in May. They grew up in the ward Duff grew up in. I first met them when Duff and I were dating. For some reason, we just connected. We have kept in touch all these years through birthday and Christmas cards and notes. They have done such a good job of being mainstreamed.

They are 46 years old now. They have participated in many Special Olympics, especially with ice skating. They have worked at the same McDonald's restaurant as table bussers for 25 years and they do a GREAT job. They have held callings in the church too. They are a wonderful asset to the Nursery! Their parents and siblings are amazing people. They have taught and encouraged and nurtured these ladies to reach THEIR potential. When you are with Ellen and Elaine you feel strengthened and LOVE. They have an incredible ability to love. I remember when they received their Patriarchal Blessings. We were visiting in Utah and they had to come up and share them with me. Their blessings were very unique and individualized for each of them. An explanation was given for their physical challenges in mortality. It actually was given to them as a protection from the adversary because of certain things that occured in their pre-mortal life. This is not the place to go into that, but suffice it to say, that I am very honored to be their friend and grateful for their valiancy! It was a highlight for me to be with and visit with them at the viewing. Ellen's trademark is taking your face in her hands and looking you deep in the eyes and saying, " I love you soooooo much! You know I love you soooooo much!" and then hugging the breath out of you!

Like I mentioned above, we have two generations of grandchildren/cousins. Here are some of the older ones: l-r: Meredith, Melanie, Katie, Josh, Brooke waiting in the chapel before the Family Prayer.

Here is mostly everyone together: l-r: Elizabeth, Meredith, William, Melanie, little Josh, Christine, Katie, Abby, Big Josh, Jacob, Brooke, James, and Danielle. (missing: Megan, Deidre, Brad, Bethany, Aaron, Nick, David, Michael, Shaun, Natalie, Adrianne. Natalie was having a meltdown because when she was getting off the freeway exit, she slid into a snow bank and couldn't get out. Here she was all dressed up, going to her grandma's funeral and digging herself out of the snow! No one stopped to help her either, bummer! When we finally found out what happened we sent Josh and Mere to fetch her! They all missed the family prayer, but made it just in time for the service. The weather was absolutely HORRIBLE that day. Snowing buckets and windy and bitter cold.)

Grandchildren/cousins at the gravesite. Grandma would have loved this picture. She was wanting a new one. Too bad it had to be at her funeral.





Okay--I've accidentally deleted 2 other pictures so far. Help! One was of all the younger grandkids together and the other was of Mom's children all together. But here is our family, minus Mike and Adrianne and Shaun.

Grandma loved Holbrook Mortuary. She came to the cemetary in style!

Good-bye. God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again! We love you!

(Julie's sisters brought over dinner for all of us at Mike and Julie's house inbetween the private family viewing and the one later that evening. It was all the fixings for ham dinner/sandwiches. Love these gals: good women. The ward put on a delicious luncheon after the funeral as well. It was fun to see so much extended family. I had the thought that this just might be what our Heavenly Reunions with everyone will be like!

After the viewing,we stopped at Shivers and got shakes. Oh they have the best shakes besides the Dairy Keen in Heber! It was kind of like in remembrance of Grandma. We always would get shakes from Shivers if she didn't have Creamies. Then we headed back to Midway and had a contest to see who could guess the correct temperature when we got back to the cabin. Meredith won. She guessed 6* and it was 1*!. Like I said: bitter cold! Yes, I know: shakes and bitter cold weather don't seem to go together, but it was FUN anyway.!

The RING!

Robert recreated all of their significant 'dates'. One of them was when she was really sick and she was laying on the couch all wrapped up and Robert was taking care of her at her apartment. They were watching some TV and the conversation turned to getting married. So he recreated that and got down on one knee and proposed with the ring. She was totally caught by surprise! Here it is in the box. It is vintage looking. Something she hadn't really thought she would like until they went 'looking' and she fell in love with the style.

After he put it on her finger. So beautiful!
Congratulations Natalie and Robert. July will be here before we know it! We love you!

I just have to add that from the time Natalie was a toddler she was a 'sparkle' girl. Nothing could have too much sparkle or glitter for her: headbands, barrettes, purses, shoes, shirts, paper, pens, etc. Nats--you've got LOTS of SPARKLE going on there, girl. Some things never change! It's perfect for you! hahaha.....

Natalie and Robert are ENGAGED!

Well, it's not a random Monday anymore! We just got a call that Natalie and Robert are getting married on Friday, July 25, 2008 in the Newport Beach Temple!

Save The Date. (more to follow, when I get it...)

I think it is the first time I have ever heard Natalie speechless. All she could do was giggle!

Rolled Coin on a Random Monday

Today I rolled coin. Duff doesn't like to carry coin in his pants pockets so each night he takes it out and puts it in a small plastic container I keep in the closet for it. I turn it in at the bank in the grocery store and then get it in small bills and it is our emergency preparedness money. It adds up quickly. Just thought I'd pass it on as part of Provident Living for the Duffy's! (Don't ever put it through one of those coin machines--they take 10% of it and that adds up over time too!)

• Got all the laundry washed, folded, AND put away!
• Put away the garbage cans.
• Went to Albertson's and picked up the case lots I ordered. They were having a great sale on LOTS of items that lasts until tomorrow, and we NEVER get case lot sales in California! When I asked last Thursday if I could get them in cases, they looked at me like I was loopy. But they did take my order and called to let me know they were in and I could come and pick them up. The freight manager loaded everything up on a cart and wheeled it to the register. He seemed kind of pleased to be doing it. I got a LOT of questions from people and it gave me a chance to explain a little about the church and emergency preparedness. I got: soups, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pastas, refried beans, pork and beans, dish soap, and mac 'n cheese.
• Clean and purge continues with the spice cupboard today. This is a hot button for me! I am a bit on the 'obsessive' side about my spices. Just ask my family! I keep them on single and double-tierd turntables. They MUST be alphabetized and faced out. To me this is a no-brainer: it makes it very easy to find what you need and put it back in the right place ready to go for the next meal or baking recipe. With so many cooks in the house it's gotten messed up, but now everything is clean and back in it's place! (Besides, the grocery store does it this way, right?)
• My visiting teachers came and gave a great message on the eternal nature of the family. I have the BEST vt's. They have started this new program in our stake where the Laurels visit teach one sister with their mothers. So I have Janis and her daughter, Kristin. They are wonderful and I enjoy our visits. They also were in charge of ALL the food for the reception. They VOLUNTEERED. Now THAT is the Super-Duper-Deluxe version of visiting teaching, don'tcha think?
• Warming up left-overs for dinner tonight, and then FHE.

Commercial Jingle

It's raining and cold this morning and I just couldn't resist some Cream of Wheat for breakfast. If I had a choice between this and oatmeal, I'd pick oatmeal for sure, but I saw this on the shelf and thought, "Gee, I haven't had this in a while and it's a good morning for it."

I cooked it in the microwave instead of on the stove in a pot where you have to really watch it and stir carefully so you don't get lumps. We have come a long way since the 60's in preparation!

The commercial jingle came rushing back to me as if time turned back and I was 5 or 6 again. My mother sang this to us every time she made it and we had to learn it to sing along with her! Maybe it was her way of getting music into our mornings or convincing us that it was the best cereal ever.

Cream of Wheat is so good to eat,
And we have it everyday.
It makes us strong, so we sing this song
It make us shout hooray!
It's good for growing children,
And grown-ups too to eat,
For all your family's breakfast,
You can't beat Cream of Wheat!

The tune's been stuck in my head all morning and the cereal stuck to my ribs as well. It was after all delicious!

Good-Bye, Sushi....

Christine and I were in the kitchen this morning making some blueberry muffins for breakfast and I called out to Sushi, our pink beta fish. (he's really Natalie's but she left him here when she went to grad school and like all good moms, I inherited his care and keeping!)

He usually does twirls and swims right to the glass when I talk to him and then I feed him his beta bits. Today--no response. Now he is a tropical fish and on cold mornings he moves a little slower and takes a while to warm up, so I wasn't too concerned at first.

BUT, then I SAW HIM and he was on his side flat against his blue and purple glass pebbles. There was no mistaking he was gone. I burst into tears. Amazing how a little fish can just wiggle into your heart! We held a small funeral for him downstairs in the guest bathroom, and then Duff did the 'honors' of proper fish burial. It was very sad to see him at the bottom of the porcelain throne.

We knew he was getting old--almost 3 years--and when I changed the water in his bowl last weekend, Mike and Christine gave me a hard time and said I should just flush him then. I debated it with myself, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He rallied yesterday eating a lot and swimming around so carefree I thought he might be on the mend.

Funny how now that he is really gone I don't feel any better about it. I don't think I'll run right out and get another fish, but I will miss his greetings. Even fish have personalities I've learned. At least he died in clean water!

George Washington & The Clean and Purge Continues!

Today is the birthday of George Washington, the first president of the United States of America and often referred to as the Father of our country. This is one of my favorite pictures of him kneeling in prayer asking God to direct him and help him in the battle for religious freedom. The birth of our nation paved the way for the gospel to be restored and the Book of Mormon to be translated. It was divine and the Lord's hand was in every part of it. He was a 'homebody'. He built a lovely farm which he named Mount Vernon, in Virginia. I have been there and there is a tangible feeling of peace there. It is right on the river. I can easily see why he longed to be there whenever he could. Unfortunately, he was gone a lot molding the country and fighting for freedom from the British rule. He was a loving man. He died at his beloved Mount Vernon of a throat infection in December of 1799. The nation mourned him for several months. He was a man of character and devotion.

Ever since Jeaneen has passed away and the wedding is done, I find myself going through rooms and cleaning, straightening, and throwing out. Now my house is NOT dirty or messy--but I'm going through things that just accumulate over time and you just close the cupboard door or shut the drawer and think "I'll do that later!". I don't spend my whole days doing this. But all of a sudden I'll look at something with fresh eyes and think how did that get like that????

So today I started with the cupboard in the laundry room with all the school supplies in it. That then led to the pencil/pen/junk drawer in the kitchen since they share common items. By the time I was done I'd gone through the whole bank of cupboards over the sink in the laundry room and boy do they look fabulous! And you can find exactly what you need in the drawer in the kitchen!

Two days ago, I cleaned out the garage refrigerator. It was a bit desperate I'm sad to say. It acted as the floral frig for all the bouquets and boutinerre's for the wedding and all the fruit. But it is 'clean as a whistle' now.

We continue to have rain and drizzle. It really poured during the night last night. Mostly intermittent and drizzle today with another storm coming in tomorrow. They are forecasting rain for the Academy Awards and the Red Carpet is covered with awnings. It will be interesting to see how they pull it all off. Or maybe the weather will cooperate in the end. After all--This IS the land of palm trees and fair weather!

Welcome Brandon Steele!

ANNOUNCING The Arrival of:

Brandon Eric Steele

Born: Thursday, February 21, 2008

Weight: 8 lbs. 2 ounces

Length: 20 inches

Time: 1:42 a.m.

Proud Parents: Jeff and Lisanne Steele

Mommy and Brandon are doing great. Grandpa Kevin is flying there tonight, and Grandma Cindy and Aunties Stephanie and Brittany are on their way to Arizona tomorrow morning.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Errands and Memories

Today I had a lot of errands to take care of. Lowe's, Willow Manor, Albertsons (for some case lot sales for food storage),and the bakery that did the wedding cake. I had to return the tiers and base.

I drove past a Weinerschnitzel restaurant. This made me SMILE. It used to be 'Der' Weinerschnitzel, but they have now dropped the 'Der'. When I was growing up, we had one on the corner up the street from us, and my mom would always take us there one on one for a chili/cheese dog to 'talk'. The hot dogs were only 33 cents back in the early 70's! I remember her picking through the change in her wallet that she had carefully saved. And we sat outside on the little round tables under an umbrella with the breeze from the beach blowing or in the car when it was cold. Looking back, we had some pretty good parent/child/teenager talks during those times and I didn't even realize it then! Smart mom, huh?

So I just had to pull in and get a chili/cheese dog for old times sake. Mmmm, it was GOOD and so were the memories!

Drip, Drizzle, Drip, Drizzle

We have rain/drizzle today. So cold and windy. I made a fire in the fireplace this morning while I was cleaning up the kitchen and tidying up the downstairs. It was so cozy and Miss Darla took her 'baby' over and stretched out on the hearth and napped all morning.

The rain has been light so far which is good, because we could still use the moisture and this way it has a chance to soak in good without running off. I used to love rainy day schedule at school! We would play Heads Up 7-Up at recess and lunchtime. When I was in the 8th grade, rainy days meant we could wear pants to school instead of a dress. I loved that because it felt so warm. 'A long time ago' girls couldn't wear pants to school! You'd think that was pretty funny today. But we only wore skirts and dresses then. And NO jeans! Those were for boys only! Yikes--this is making me sound OLD!

Catching Up

I've been doing a little catching up each day. Almost done! Scroll down....

Water

I went to Enrichment Night tonight. It was our meeting for the quarter. They had a great mexican dinner and then we had Patti Preparedness fly on in in her cape and tights costume to get us all fired up about emergency preparedness. I have to say, it was really well thought out and cute.

Then we had 3 speakers from the ward talk to us: the first about water storage, the Bishop next on financial preparedness, and then a sister on Spiritual preparedness by studying the Joseph Smith RS lessons. It was so well done. I came home very inspired.

We have been good about our water storage, but it needs to be rotated. I did order some Aqua Liters that have a 5 year storage life for cars and portable drinking. I guess I better calendar a weekend soon to empty, clean, and refill our 55 gallon drums! The RS presidency's point was to at least START. You can only eat the preparedness elephant one bite at a time! We have a lot of storage that needs to be gone through. But we do have our 72 hour kits! Those were Christmas presents to each one of us a couple of years ago.

(journal: drizzly day. Doctors for Shaun. Laundry that didn't get done yesterday because of the holiday. Phone calls, piano lessons for Christine. Got the cause of death on the death certificates for Jeaneen: hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Got mom and dad off for the trip home to AZ. Worked on knitted cap.)

Presidents Day

This is a picture of the Washington and Lincoln Memorials in D.C. When I visited them, there is such a feeling there. Today on the news they announced the presidents of our country who have been voted the top 5 of all time. They are:

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Ronald Reagan
3. Roosevelt
4. John F. Kennedy
5. George Washington

I have love and respect for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I truly believe that they were guided by the Lord to prepare this land for the restoration of the Gospel and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.

I'm glad we set aside a day to honor them!

Fun Random Day

On the way home from Church yesterday, Christine thought it would be a good idea to take Grandma and Grandpa to The Original Pancake House for breakfast. This is NOT to be mistaken for IHOP. This is TOTALLY different. Lines all the way out side and around the parking lot, only seats 100 tops, and everything is made from scratch, fresh! My dad is a pancake LOVER and here he is in 'Pancake Heaven' trying to decide which ones to order.

There is no need to dress up or even get dressed for that matter when you eat breakfast here. Pajamas are just fine! (No lingerie accepted-whew!)

Who can tell me who these 'Chewbaca Boots/Slippers' belong to? They kept her plenty toasty on this overcast morning!

Grandpa and Grandma waiting with us outside. Aren't they cute? And take a good look at Grandpa--I see a resemblance to an uncle of his! Just add a gray mustache! Do you see it too???? We had fun laughing and visiting while we waited for our turn.

While we were eating, we looked over at one of the tables next to us, and a person there had ordered Corned Beef Hash. It looked divine! It jogged Grandpa's memory with a flash from his childhood: Mamo Myrna would ALWAYS make Roast Beef Hash on Monday mornings from the leftover Sunday roast beef dinner. You could count on it like the sun setting! He could see perfectly in his mind how she would attach the grinder to the table or the pull out bread board and put the meat, potatoes, carrots, etc. in and grind it up and then fry it into hash with a fried egg on top. He said he could smell it and taste it by just remembering the moment! He said it was very delicious. I can believe it because I remember my grandmother being a really tasty and good cook!

Then when we were driving home, we passed the 73 toll road on ramp and Grandma asked where that took someone. Duff answered that it connected up to the south down in San Juan Capistrano. This triggered a memory for Grandma! She remembered how every year her parents would load them up in the car and they would drive from Westchester to San Juan Capistrano for a 'ride' to see the swallows return. After the celebration, they would drive home via Pacific Coast Highway through Laguna Beach, Newport, Huntington, and then Palos Verdes. In PV, there was a Japanese vegetable stand and Mamo Minnie would stop and buy fresh peas and beans and they would go home and cook them for dinner.

I never ever heard these little 'bits' of growing up about my parents! They remembered them so vividly and warmly. It was great to hear about them, and so I just had to write them down for posterity!

We dropped off Mike and Adrianne at their apartment and they invited us up to see the new BBQ they got. It is pretty nifty! They'll be able to get down right gourmet and challenge Bobby Flay to a throwdown! Grandma and I helped Adrianne by washing and putting away some more dishes and kitchen stuff while she showed Grandpa (the family handyman...) where she wanted clocks, pictures, and shelves hung. Mike was his assistant. It's really coming together and looking homey.

Before we knew it, it was 3pm, and here we were still in sweats and pj's from the morning! We hopped in the car and came home to get ready for the President's Day BBQ. This is the first time in about 12 years we are not in Utah skiing during this weekend. But we were so tired and had so much to 'tie up' from the funeral and wedding that we decided this year to stay home. We BBQ'd shish kabobs--lip smacking good--and had cherry pie in honor of George Washington!

The guys washed all the dishes with Grandpa at the helm, and then Christine studied for her violin chair test tomorrow and her science test. Grandma and I knitted hats for the Humanitarian Center on our round looms, and they guys watched Transporter on the TV.

I need to just note: Grandma didn't put make-up on or comb her hair all day! I know, I know--hard to believe, but she went with the flow and the relaxing was good for her!

A great day all the way around!

Sunday

Grandpa and Grandma have decided to stay until Tuesday! It's been fun to visit. Church was great, and tomorrow morning we are taking them to breakfast at the Original Pancake House. Grandpa already knows he is getting the 49er Flapjacks and he's never been there! Too funny! He loves a 'sweeter' breakfast whereas Grandma prefers a 'saltier' one. He and I both share a love for pancakes and waffles. I'm a lot like him in those things. We both prefer more cake than frosting, vanilla ice cream is our favorite, etc.

Grandma and I will be knitting hats for the Humanitarian Center on the round looms.

Mike and Adrianne will be coming over for a BBQ later on in the afternoon tomorrow, or maybe we will be going to their place??? Adrianne gave Mike a really nice gas BBQ for her wedding gift to him. It was all set up on the balcony when they got back from their honeymoon and he was sooo excited. He gave her a nice digital camera which was great because neither of them had a camera and now they can take pictures. I learned that she took a photography class not to long ago. I better get some pointers from her!

We had a yummy roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and ate in the dining room with the blue china. Rosie (their Cockatiel) was having a fit and wanted to be in there with all of us, so Christine went and got him and he sat on the table and ate brocilli and potato with us. I'll have to do a post devoted to Rosie. When Rosie 'goes' we will just have to bury Grandpa with him! They are quite a pair! The interesting thing is that Rosie--a bird--and Darla--a dog--get along. Darla could care less that Rosie is in the house. G and G leave the cage open and he roams about and Darla just disregards him. So interesting.

Slow Saturday And Loving It

Wedding pictures soon to come! Grandpa's here with his camera and we went to Target.

But the morning was very slow. It felt so good to everybody. We ALL slept in--even the usually early risers. Most of us just puttered around or sat around talking in our jammies. Obviously we all needed it. Down time is a good thing.

Here is Grandpa talking to Auntie on the cell phone. He's in a t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms complete with bed-head! He usually gets right out of bed, in the shower and into his jeans and sweatshirt--but NOT today.

Love these kind of times!

The Honeymooners Are Home And The Gifts Are Opened!

Mike and Adrianne are home from their honeymoon. They stayed locally in Newport Beach and then down San Diego way at LaCosta! They went to Disneyland and Sea World and just had a great relaxing time. They came back today, and I put on a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup for everyone for dinner. Christine and her friend, Addy, went back and forth to each other's houses today to 'hang out' for the day off from school. They helped me roll out some of Grandma Duffy's famous soft sugar cookies for the opening gifts party. (It seems like lately everything is a 'party'...) Christine is so interested in all things pertaining to the kitchen. At 13 she is becoming quite the cook! She is always asking if she can help or try to do this and that. I figure, why not! She's getting pretty good at knives too!
So here we all are: Grandma Sigie making hot fudge sauce for the ice cream and Christine, me and Addy frosting away. We decided on pastel pink and lavendar frosting for the different sized heart shaped cookies. Grandpa didn't get a shot of the finished products on the platters. Oh well! The dessert table looked fabulous though and we had 4 different flavors of ice cream, sauce, and valentine/love cookies in honor of the bride and groom.

Groom and Bride very pleased with their All-Clad slow cooker. Hey how did they get so lucky to get that? Can I trade my Rival for theirs? I've been married longer! hahaha....

Beautiful vase from Crate and Barrel that she had registered for.

A great oval platter. Always a good thing to have a few of.

Mike's turn. They switched off who got to read the card and who opened. Can you say P-Y-R-E-X? They registered for one set and got 5!!!!! Fortunately they can be returned, but how did the store not catch that??? I do want to mention though how nice they are these days. It's great how over time the improvements they make on products are so good. Nowadays Pyrex comes with soft rubber/plastic lids. Why didn't they think of that when I got married? It makes so much sense. No more foil or plastic wrap and you can stack them on top of each other in the frig if you need to!

I don't want to get married again--I'm very happy with my hubby--but I've been thinking lately how it would be really nice to have a 'shower' and get some updated things! What do you think?

(I took Grandpa to Target and we put the pictures from his camera on a disc. I chose a Kodak disc and the blasted thing won't let me load them to the computer unless it is in their program. So it is a bit complicated for me to identify what picture is what. Any hints from anyone how to make this more simple???? Well, maybe it's just a reflection of my not-to-savvy computer skills!!!!!)

Kristin's Birthday Today!

Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday,
Happy, Happy Birthday To YOU!

Yay! It's Kristin's birthday today. I totally remember the day you were born! I was babysitting and my mom called me to tell me. Your mom had been in labor all day, so you were FINALLY here. I can't remember the name of the family, but I can see them in my mind and they lived in a brown house on the corner and had a yellow kitchen with a wall phone that had a really long cord!

You were so darling. I had made a white with red dots stuffed dog for you in my home economics class. I was pretty proud of it and your mom would put it in your crib. I used to babysit you when your parents would go out. I had so much fun.

Have a very happy day today. I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day

To My Valentine!

Your sweet smile fills my heart,

Something there sets you apart,

From all the other ones I've seen,

And makes you #1 for me!

You give me hope--

I have no care,

And always is the constant prayer:

I'm grateful your hand reached for mine,

For you are MY Valentine!!

Happy Valentine's Day, Duff. I love you with all my heart!

P.S. To all my other Valentines: I love you too: Mike, Adrianne, Josh, Meredith, Natalie, Robert, Shaun, Christine, and Darla

Happy Birthday Melanie!

Happy Birthday To You-

Happy Birthday To You-

Happy Birthday Sweet Melanie-

Happy Birthday To YOU!

We hope you have a fantastic day! We send all our love and best wishes for an awesome year!

Love, Aunt Cindy, Uncle Don, and the Cali Cousins

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off To Work I Go

Not really, but I've found my self 'whistling' while I've worked! So much to do here at home to catch up on EVERYTHING!

The house is getting back to normal, and so are the garages. They were turned in to a florist shop as Aunt Sue did all the flowers for the wedding. I've been washing vases to be returned to those we borrowed them from, drying the thousands of glass beads from the vases and putting them into bags. Consolidating the remaining paper and plastic goods. Got all the outdoor plants and pots watered good. Re-set the sprinklers.

We're all having some tummy 'issues'. Don't know if it's just the accumulation of everything or a bit of a 'bug'.

Christine is overloaded with make up school work from missing last week. We decided to stay home for the 4 day weekend after all and it will be good to rest up and for her to catch up on her assignments.

Mike and Adrianne come home from their honeymoon on Friday and we will watch them open all their presents. That will be fun.

My mom and dad are supposed to come back in to town tomorrow after visiting my mom's sister, Rita, in Wrightwood. I'm hoping my dad has his camera cord so I can download his pictures of the wedding. I truly did not take ONE picture myself I was so busy that day, so he and Lisa are the only ones who have any besides the photographer!

Till tomorrow---

Abraham Lincoln

Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday. He was born on Sunday, February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. As he grew up, he loved to read and preferred learning to working in the fields which led to conflict between he and his father. He was always borrowing books from friends and who ever he could.


He stood 6 feet 4 inches tall, and was around 180 pounds. He had different jobs as he grew up: store clerk, surveyor, and postmaster. He even wrestled the town bully and earned the nickname, Honest Abe.

He suffered with deep depression. He once said that if all the world's sorrows were combined, they would not equal the sadness he felt. And yet in spite of this he became a respected attorney, and our 16th president of the United States! He was elected on November 6, 1860. He was a man of honesty and compassion most likely developed as a result of his personal trials. He grew and wore a beard at the suggestion of an 11 year old little girl! (One of his trademarks.)

Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his role in preserving the Union during the Civil War, and for beginning the process that ended slavery in the United States. I have always loved Abraham Lincoln. To me he is a great example of humility, and someone whose humble origins but determination and perserverance led him to greatness and our nation's highest office. I have always felt that he was guided by Heaven and played a part in preparing the world for the restoration of the gospel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT LINCOLN!

Tuesday

I just realized it is Tuesday! I haven't kept track of the days very well lately!

I am finishing the 14 loads of laundry since the funeral and wedding, washing vases and drying glass beads from centerpieces, sent off the last of the family guests from the wedding yesterday, doctor's visits with Shaun, changing sheets on all of the beds, etc.

It is a beautiful day here. In the 70's, blue sky, calm, peaceful breeze. Hard to believe that less than a week ago we were in the middle of a chaotic amount of snow and 1* weather!

I think we are officially tired of pasta. We brought 2 trays home that were left over from the reception and have eaten them everyday so far. Enough. Boy it was good though!

??????????Got a phone call from Natalie yesterday with some 'information' about she and Robert. Batten down the hatches and gear up because it looks like we just might be getting on the 'event treadmill' again by the end of the summer????????????? Have Mercy!

Sunday

The family all started leaving today. The Duffy group left at different times to fly back to Utah. I just have to interject here how grateful we are to them and how much we love them. Jeaneen's sudden death and funeral could have had an impact on the wedding, but the family rallied around us, expedited the services so they could all TRAVEL and BE WITH us and Mike and Adrianne on this very special day.

My family started leaving today too. How grateful we are to them for making a difficult decision NOT to go to the funeral, TRAVEL here and clean up my house, do all the flowers, fruit, and extra errands while we were at the funeral. I don't think Lisa wants to run one more errand! She's tired of being in the car! Cripes Mirandy! (don't know what that means, but my mom used to say it all the time when I was growing up and it just popped into my head). Lisa and Craig and Josh and Meredith and Bob and Gwen all left today. My mom and dad headed for Wrightwood to spend some time with Auntie Tia and Uncle Bob.

Mike and Sue left too, but we got a call around noon that they got bumped from their flight and were headed down to spend the rest of the day with us, stay the night and fly out in the morning. That actually has turned out to be a fun thing to spend some quiet time with them!

Shhh...The 'ox was in the mire' and I didn't get to church today. I NEVER do that! But with so many leaving at different times it just didn't work for me. Duff went to Ward Conferences and then came home. He took Bob and Gwen to the airport and Sue and I drove the kids car to their hotel and Duff met us there and we drove home with him. Wow, what a view of the ocean!

Then another trip to a different airport to send off Natalie and Robert tonight. Sue and I donned our p.j.'s and curled up for some 'sister' talk and relaxed. Boy it felt good! Tomorrow we switch gears again and attack Shaun's diseases with a beavy of doctors visits and consultations.

They're Married!

What a day! Wonderful, beautiful, fabulous. Soooo tired. Family just went back to their hotels and I am off to bed. More later...............

Wedding Dinner

I was so busy I did not take ONE picture!

But the evening was nice and we pulled it off. We had gotten home late the night before from Jeaneen's funeral, so first thing in the morning was switching gears to wedding mode!

We went with a Mexican theme, and had SuperMex shredded beef tacos, chicken and cheese enchiladas, and two chicken party burritos, rounding it out with lettuce, cheese, salsa, guacamole, beans and rice, and their homemade tortillas chips. Yummo! It was Adrianne's family and our family, immediate and extended and we made up quite a crowd--in the neighborhood of 50-60 when the count was finally in!

Victoria (my super-woman friend) called in the morning and asked what I needed that day. I said, nothing--it was all under control--then she started asking me questions like: do you have all your paper goods? what are you serving for dessert? uhuhuhuh.......I hadn't got that far yet (which is so NOT me when entertaining). She promptly replied that she would bring the dessert and paper goods. What a relief not to have to think about that! She made two of her delicious chocolate cakes on beautiful pedestal stands with strawberry sauce to drizzle, chocolate dipped strawberries. Oooooh so good! And they were a perfect ending to the meal. THANK YOU Victoria!

Duff's family all arrived today, and they pitched right in and helped me tidy up, put away the straggler Christmas things that I somehow missed, arranged the candy dishes and set up for the dinner. They also sat outside on the patio and on the hammock and soaked up the warm sunshine, considering they came from snowed in Utah! They were so grateful to have a little break from it and hopefully soaked up enought to tide them over for a while with vitamin D and visions of GREEN grass, bushes, and trees. THANK YOU DUFFY FAMILY!

My family was busy with cutting fruit for the reception fruit table, flowers, flowers, and more flowers, and driving to complete all the last minute errands. THANK YOU DAVIS FAMILY!

Tired, tired, but what a great day!

(journal: I continue to be amazed at the physical and emotional strength I have been blessed with lately. I know it is a gift from God. There has been so much on our plate and yet I am able to move from one enormous thing to the next without a break and handle it all. I know it is related to prayer. Our prayers have increased, been more specific, deeper, and I can feel Father's blessings. I need to continue in this manner, not just during crisis times. THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!)

I'm BACK!

Quickly--We got back tonight about an hour ago. All I can say is: CRAZY TIMES AROUND THIS FAMILY right now!

The funeral was great(!), the snow unbelievable, and I'll give lots of reports when the wedding is done. I have to prepare for the 'dinner' tomorrow which we are hosting here at the house. Yes, like I said: CRAZY TIMES right now.....

24 hours ago we were having a funeral and less than 48 hours from now we are having a wedding!

!Ay Carumba!

God Be With You Till We Meet Again!

Today was President Hinckley's funeral at the Conference Center. I recorded it on the DVR and have had it on the tv all day today along with all the programs about his life. It is still very hard to believe he has passed away. The service was absolutely fantastic. The spirit was very strong. I especially liked how the program was dotted with appropriate stories of his life mingled with the doctrine and truths of the gospel. It was well balanced. This was a good example to follow. His casket and the flowers were magnificent and fitting in light of his love of gardening.

A 'heart-clutching' shot of President Monson and President Eyring with President Hinckley's chair between them vacant. And yet this is also an exhilirating picture because of the knowledge that Heavenly Father has a plan and we will never be without a prophet here on the earth.

I did very well during the funeral until the closing song. "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need" is one of my all time favorite songs and with the video montage of his life played during it I just cried like a baby! I am grateful for his life, example, love, true Christlike behavior, and teachings. The way he could make me feel like I COULD stand a little taller and be just a little better each day--I didn't have to be perfect just a smidge better than the day before.

I WILL MISS YOU PRESIDENT GORDON B. HINCKLEY!

(journal: I feel much strengthened today. Yesterday I just really couldn't function very well. I'm quite certain it's because I'm mourning for President Hinckley's death and all that, the wedding details, worrying about Shaun, and then Jeaneen passing away so suddenly and at my parents house, etc. I know that a good night's rest helped, but as I was watching the cortege driving to the SL cemetary, I had a very strong impression and heard the words sharply in my mind that my parents had been praying for me and their prayers were a direct result of my renewed strength. I had it come to me twice. I knew immediately that the Holy Ghost had spoken to me and let me have a glimpse of the eternal truth that parenting never ends and is eternal. I have been trying to be more aware of the quick promptings and impressions that come to me so I can recognize the spirit in my life better. I am grateful for this one!

"You Lift Me Up"

Here is another great video in tribute to President Hinckley. I have always liked this song by Josh Groban. I couldn't resist and had to add it to the other videos I've posted.

It's been a long day, but good. Got Duff to the airport EARLY this morning. He and his brother and sisters met with the funeral director and went over details for the viewing, funeral, burial, etc. They planned the program and wrote the obituary. I had another brief wedding meeting this morning to finalize details since I will be gone next week and only get back with about 36 hours before the wedding! But again, my friends have been more than WONDERFUL and everything will turn out great!

I think the reality of her death is sinking in with all of us now that the crisis has passed. The phone lines are busy with all of us just needing to talk to each other and connect. That is actually a good thing, really. Christine and I didn't make it out this afternoon--we just couldn't pull it together--so we are tweaking our plans.

I'm looking forward to President Hinckley's funeral tomorrow. It's now midnight and I'm going to shut things down. Nighty-night!