Thoughts on Cleaning

I've been cleaning today. Bathrooms, clean sheets on beds, dusting, etc. And I am loving it. Weird thing--I don't mind cleaning here. Why is it that when you go somewhere else other than home it doesn't seem like a chore? Hmmm. It's been fun. Maybe because it's not where I live full time and I am not pulled in other directions or have lots of interruptions. Maybe because the outdoor scenery is vastly different. Maybe because I know I won't get a phone call that needs my immediate attention. Maybe because I have all day to do it and I won't feel guilty if I sit down for a minute.

It's been a gorgeous day. Early evening clouds and rain.

Went to Provo to meet up with Natalie and Robert. I was having a serious hankering for some good Mexican, but alas, Natalie had her heart set on Chinese, so off to Panda Express we went. We decided on a fast place since it was a Friday night in Provo, and every place would have a long wait.

Then off to The Quilted Bear. I got the next 'piece' for the girls Nativity sets for Christmas, so I can cross that off my list! Yay! Some Christmas shopping already done in September. I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for that one. I really want to be done by November 1st this year, which is 2 months earlier than I normally do. Oh PLEASE, I hope I can do it! Natalie found some darling fall refrigerator magnets and I treated her to a luscious Salt City candle of apple/cinnamon something. When we walked in, Robert's eyes got big, and Natalie turned to him and said, "Yes, and we go down every aisle, slowly." He said that he was going to go check out the other stores in the center and to call him when we were done! I got a good silent laugh out of that one.

I dropped some things off at DI that we don't need or have replaced with something else at the cabin.

Then grabbed some small juice glasses at BBB right at nine o'clock. They were so nice and let me in right at closing. I used the $5 off coupon and got them all for under 10 dollars. You gotta love a good buy. Then hopped on the freeway to get to Jenn's to pick up Taylor and head for the airport to get Duff and Christine by 10pm. Up the canyon we went as the temperature dropped and dropped and dropped.

Oh, and the HD couldn't get hooked up this morning. We need the new dish that doesn't come out until October 10th, so that was a bummer. The current dish is fine for the wiring we have and regular televisions. But now that we have added/replaced some of those with HD units, the dish needs to get signals from 9 satellites instead of 1, thus this new dish that isn't released publically until October. The guy had it on his truck with everything needed for installation, but the office wouldn't let him put it up until the VERY day. Bummer, bummer, as that means another visit. That should allow us though to get the other tv's for the game room and they can all be set up at the same time!

Too awake from all my nighttime driving and errands, so I'll stay up a little longer and empty the dishwasher and do some more chores to wind down. Tay and Chris are watching Ice Age. I remember what it was like to be a young teen and stay up forever!

Way Too Early!

This is really what it looks like out my window!

Good Golly! Why oh why do I keep doing this early flight???

I have to have EVERYTHING ready before I go to bed. Well, that's a good thing actually. But then I have to get up at 4:45am to leave by 5:15am to get to the airport by 6am to board at 6:30am to fly at 7am! I am not a morning person. I know this about myself. But it gets me here without a layover and not when it's dark to be in the airport by myself getting the car. Whatever happened to the 11am flight without the layover??? Oh well, I did it and quite well if I do say so myself.

Had a little shopping trip on the way up. Stopped at Kimball Junction at the Wal-Mart to look for some pajamas for Christine so she doesn't have to keep bringing them. We have been working a little at a time to have what we need already here so we don't have to bring everything with us each time. Duff and I are pretty good now--he a little better than I. No more toiletries or personal items. He even has clothes that he can just leave here so he only packs his briefcase with church and work items and he's done! I'm almost there. Anyway--so got the pj's. Then looked for some BYU fabric and at the sewing machines. No fabric, but some great deals on machines.

Walked leisurely through Pier One and a furniture and accessory store for mountain homes. It was so fun to go at my own pace and soak it all in. My dear hubby is NOT a shopper. Then came 'home' and got the water turned on, etc. The weather is really cooling down. It was only in the mid-60's at the heighth of the afternoon. So pleasant!

Ate leftover soup for lunch, a tuna melt for dinner with an apple. Super simple but oh so good. Had a nasty headache, so I layed down on the couch for a minute and fell sound asleep. Woke up to the phone ringing and it had been 2 hours! Guess I needed that! Got the laundry we had left all done. Lit some pumpkin and spice and apple candles for the evening and hunkered down with a Paula Deen magazine full of autumn recipes and articles.

Enjoying the quiet, but missing the family. Glad they will be here tomorrow night!

Wednesday Ways

• Calendar items. Synching it up with the rest of the family.
• Make travel plans.
• Make plane flights and driving plans.
• Start working on General Conference schedule.
• Start working on Thanksgiving schedule.
• Find more info on Heber Creeper Train schedule.
• 2 hours down at the church working on the MLS system for visiting teaching.
• Water pots and garden.
• Dinner
• YWomen for Christine.
• Pack for Utah.

Busy, Busy day! Lots of computer and paperwork time.

A Coincidence?

Listent to this: All 3 of us sisters have the same calling right now! How fun is that? Lisa, Sue and I all are the Visiting Teaching Coordinators in our wards! I have enjoyed sharing ideas with each other and learning new things with my 'gals'. Every ward has different needs and so each program has similar and yet different approaches to their visiting teaching.

I just thought that this is a pretty neat thing for all of us to be serving in the same calling in 3 different states at the same time!

(Speaking of which, I have a sweet friend who is pretty much a shut-in. She has had TREMENDOUS health problems for several years that prevent her from getting out. Usually we will just have lunch brought in and have a good visit. But she decided that this time she wanted to go OUT! That is huge. So another dear friend, Leslie, went over to her house last night and learned how to help her in and out of their car, etc. We got there today and got her settled and then I drove their car to the restaurant. She did really well and we had such a good time with her. When we took her home, she asked if we could go again! So we are planning another lunch date in a few weeks and we'll go for Mexican food we decided. Yay!)

Tormenting and Afflicting!

I went out this morning to check on my garden. It's fall so it's starting to decline a bit. But to my dismay I noticed something even the smallest gardener hates to see. Tomato leaves gone and only stems! That only means ONE thing: TOMATO WORMS!
Now really, these are the most unattractive things, don't you think? I found 5 of them on one plant. This just gets my blood steaming. HOW do they find tomato plants? Can anyone tell me? I plucked those little buggers off so fast and got them in the green waste garbage can. In my younger days I'd smash them, but my stomach isn't that strong anymore! Why oh why do we have to put up with these nasty guys?

Tried And True Recipes

It was so fall-ish while we were in Utah in the mountains we couldn't resist some hearty homemade soups while we were there. These are a couple of our favorites. Tried and True through all the years.

Clam Chowder

3-4 (6 0z.) cans chopped clams

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup onion chopped

3 cups potatoes diced

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup clour

1 quart half and half cream

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

pinch pepper

pinch dry parsley flakes

Drain clams and pour liquid over chopped vegetables in pot. Add enough water just to cover. Cover and cook until tender. In separate pan, melt butter. Add flour and blend. Cook 1 minute. Add half and half and cook, stirring with a wire whisk until creamy. Add to vegetables and liquid. Stir to thoroughly incorporate. Add clams and the seasonings. After refrigeration it can become very thick. When reheating, add a little milk to desired consistency.

Serve with biscuits, rolls, carrot sticks.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken (or chicken parts, breasts equivalent)

Chicken broth to cover

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups peeled, diced potatoes

1 small-medium chopped onion

1 cup frozen corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

4-6 oz. dried wide noodles

1/4-1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

chicken soup base 1/2 tsp. at a time until desired flavor

cornstarch and cold water

Cover chicken with broth and bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove from broth and let cool. Remove meat from bone. Meanwhile, chop vegetables. Add to broth and simmer until vegetables are almost tender. Add noodles and continue cooking until veges are tender and noodles are cooked. Add soup and seasonings. Thicken ever so slightly with cornstarch mixture. This is a brothy soup, but you just want to hold it together just a little. Correct seasonings.

Serve with biscuits, rolls, corn bread, salad, etc.

"Leave No Doubt"

All smiles from fans of both teams before they leave for the game. Mike K., Duff, Robert, Vince S. Can you tell the 2 BYU grads are in the middle flanked by the UCLA grads. Not the same bunch of smiles from all 4 after the game--but very good sports I must add. At least they wore the 'right' colors! A very good idea since they were sitting in Cougar territory!

To borrow a phrase from the film Remember The Titans: LEAVE NO DOUBT! Which is exactly what BYU did yesterday in their game against UCLA. Final score: 59-0. Duff invited some co-workers of his to come up for the weekend and go to the game. They graduated from UCLA and were quite confident that their team would whup us. Good thing we have a very long, nice friendship with Mike K. and Vince S. because it was a slaughter.

Duff, Mike, Vince, and Robert went to the game, while Natalie and I worked on a few things here at the cabin and watched the game together and had some 'girl time'. Everything went so fast! We decided that we didn't want to miss a thing of the game so we made an agreement that every time there was commercial or time out we would jump up and get some little thing started or finished and then go back to the game. WRONG! We were winding up the deck wire that got taken off since the deck was refinished and came back in to another touchdown in like 10 seconds. What was up with that? Finally, we didn't do anything else until halftime.

Oh! What a game! Towards the end you just felt so sorry for UCLA, but for me, not sorry enough to want them to score. I liked the shut-out. I did feel awful for their coach. The tv coverage just kept showing a frustrated, disappointed man. Their poor defense must have been absolutely exhausted.

Big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup with rolls, butter, jam, salad. Nice cool, fall weather up here in the mountains.

Way to go Cougs! Going home tomorrow, but will be back for Wyoming.

Fab Friday

Well, we are here! What a difference 14 days makes. Much cooler, tons of fall color on the mountains. Autumn is in the air. When we came out of Smith's yesterday afternoon with a few 'weekend provisions' you could just feel it in the air! Ahhhh, just love this time of year.

Natalie and Robert came up last night and I put on a pot of Clam Chowder. It was appropriate for the the weather, and Duff had a hankering for it and I was happy to oblige! Natalie did a puzzle and I did some relaxing reading and the guys watched--you guessed it--football. Tomorrow is the big BYU/UCLA game and we are rooting our little hearts out. GO COUGARS!

****I just wanted to note this. We flew on 9/11 to get here. Both airports were eerily empty. We raced to get to Long Beach only to pull right in to a parking spot, not one line to wait in, and the concourse completely empty, except for our flight. I don't even think our flight was full. Then in SLC, it was like a ghost town when we landed. We kept commenting on how great this was that there were no crowds and how we 'lucked out', only to wonder later on the drive up the canyon if the lack of travelers was due to it being the anniversary of 9/11. It was definitely not your normal flying experience by any means. Duff went down and picked up Vince S. and Mike K. who are our guests for the weekend. They both graduated from UCLA, and are Duff's right hand co-workers and friends. Both airports were busy today. Hmmmm....That day in 2001 changed so much forever.*****

PROVIDENT LIVING FOR SEPTEMBER

Holy Mackeral--another post for today! Sheesh, BUT it's a GOOD one.!

Please locate the new food storage items to the right and down--------->------------->------------->------->----------->------------>
for September. This is an EASY one to do. Put the items on your grocery list and go for it. When I was in Midway 2 weeks ago I talked to the grocery store manager about getting some case lots during their sale even though I wouldn't be there. He let me know that Pasta is going to go up significantly in price in the next few months, so let's stock up!

Eat the elephant one bite at a time, FAM-I-LY! How are you doing????? Even if you are in school, in a tiny apartment, you can start and just accumulate a little bit. If we are doing our best and trying the Lord will bless us when we need it!

Love you all,

Mom

Thought For A Lifetime

As I've been cleaning things up and going through piles of 'stuff', I found this tucked away. It thrills me today just as it did years ago when I first discovered it. We need to rehearse this everyday!

Today you are you!

That is truer than true!

There is no one alive that is you-er than you!

Shout loud, "I am Glad to be who I am!

Thank goodness I'm not a clam, or a yam,

Or a dusty old jar of gooseberry jam."

I'm ME, yes it's true, what a great thing to be!

If I say so myself: Happy everyday to me!

Dr. Suess

Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him. Cherish your esteemed place in the sight of God. He needs you. The church needs you. The world needs you.

--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2005

One Year Anniversary

Hurray for me! Today is the one year anniversary of keeping a journal/blog. It was one year ago today that I got brave with my computer skills and wrote my first post. Things I've learned:

• It is important to write down about my life.
• Difficult times are put into perspective when you identify and focus on your blessings by writing them down.
• How to put pictures on my computer.
• Family is soooo important!
• You are never too old to learn something new.
• Better time management.
• Improved communication.
• And many more....

Thank you to my cuz, Berta, for setting the example and paving the way with all her skills and encouragement. Look at your influence for personal /family history in the making! And to the newest blogger, my sis Lisa, keep it up!

Remembering 9/11

Today is the 7th anniversary of the terroist attacks on the world trade center towers in New York. I will never forget it. It changed all of our lives in a blink. We were shocked, numb, hurt, fearful, strong, compassionate, prayerful, resolved all in an instant.

We have a flag hanging today outside our house. Christine is having a program at school. While terrible, it is part of the fulfilling of the prophecies from the scriptures and living prophets. We learned so much of who we are as individuals, families, and a choice country.

Today I am going to be traveling by air. I have a little shiver when I think about that. When I'm checking in through those long lines I'm sure I'll be having a reflective moment about just how much lives changed forever on that day seven years ago. Click on this link for a tragically awesome slide show of photos from an aerial view of that morning, most of which we haven't seen before.

z11sept20...pps (3.4 MB)