The new son...

Thirty-nine years ago, my husband left town for three days on business. I assured him our baby would be born while he was gone. He didn't agree, so off he went. At 1:00am that morning, I awoke with contractions. My mother-in-law took me to the hospital and our baby was born that afternoon. When I called my husband to inform him he had a new son, his response was "of course I do". "No, really!!" I exclaimed. He really thought I was teasing him, so I had him speak to the nurse who convinced him, that yes, he did have a new son. That son has never ceased to amaze us. He's talented, smart, funny, and an all-around great guy. I love you, son!! and always will!!

"The Night Before Christmas...a grandparents tale"

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The house was decked out, the porch lit up bright,
We’d put up our feet for a long silent night.

When, out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
We sprang from our chairs to see what was the matter.
Away to the window we flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds and looked through the glass.

The moon on the crest of our driveway below
Gave a luster supplied by electrical glow.
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But three mini-vans, a Honda, and a Suburban out there!

More rapid than beagles the grandchildren came,
And we whistled and shouted and called them by name:
Now Jared! Now Nathan! Now Jacob & Ben!
On Ali, On Tyler, On Kaelie Christine!

Come Natalie, Ashley, Emma & Katelyn!
Andrew & Avery & Audrey Lurleen!
To the top of the porch to the top of the hall,
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky
So up to the house the children they flew,
With Toby & Molly, the grand-dogs, too!

They were dressed in pajamas from their heads to their feet,
And they begged us for candy and other sweet treats,
A bundle of toys we had hidden out back
And we brought it all out fearing frontal attack.

Their eyes—how they twinkled! Their dimples, how merry!
Their cheeks were like roses, their noses like cherries!
Their droll little mouths were drawn up like bright bows,
And their faces lit up like candles aglow!

They were chubby and plump, like good little elves,
And we laughed when we saw them, in spite of ourselves.
They opened their gifts and filled up their bellies
That shook when they laughed, like bowls full of jelly.

Then they sprang to their feet, as their parents gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like a guided missile,
And we heard them exclaim, ‘ere they drove out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

~ Christmas 2008

Two from Galilee

I just finished reading the book "Two From Galilee" by Marjorie Holmes. I read this book many years ago and have decided I will read it again every year at Christmas time. Not only does it tell the beautiful Christmas story, but it also describes the difficulties faced by Mary and Joseph as they traveled to Bethlehem and prepared for the birth of the baby Jesus. "No room in the inn," they were told. Surely God would provide a place for His son to be born. Surely the baby would not be born in a lowly stable. Surely God would not require the same pains of birth for His son. Surely that which began as a miracle would end in a miracle. Surely angels would lift her up and spare her the agony of birth. 'But, alas, he came forth out of Mary, his mother, and Joseph held him up for her to see. And they looked upon him together and marveled at him, his wholeness, infinitely small and red and perfectly formed. And when he squirmed in Joseph's arms and uttered his first cry, the thrill of all mankind ran through both of them, for this was life, human life, and they knew that indeed a miracle had been achieved.'

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: 11

The Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

The following is a true story...

“Don’t expect too much for Christmas this year,” we heard our daddy say as we sat on the sofa listening. “We don’t have a whole lot of money and we don’t want you to be disappointed in the morning.” I was 12 at the time, my sister was 13. Our younger brothers were 9, 8, 4, 2, and a new baby. The year was 1960. Dad was a homebuilder and a recession had taken its toll on the economy. He was working hard to save his business and provide for his growing family.

Mama had found a huge tumbleweed that had blown up against our house and had brought it inside, sprayed it with white paint, and hung blue lights and shiny silver balls on it. That was our Christmas tree.

On Christmas Eve, we read from the Bible about the birth of the baby Jesus; and then we went to bed, but not with visions of sugarplums in our heads. Our anticipation of Christmas morning was filled with little hope that there would be much under the “tree”. Daddy had told us that no one was to get out of bed before 6:00am, so we snuggled under our covers for the night.

At 5:00am, we were awakened by the sound of bells and someone running up and down the hall singing, “Jingles Bells” at the top of his lungs. “Wake up, wake up,” Daddy was shouting excitedly. “Come and see what Santa has brought.” We jumped out of bed and ran out into the hall in our pajamas. Daddy lined us up, youngest to oldest, and led us into the living room where our tumbleweed tree was shining with bright lights. Underneath it, we found ice skates for me and my sister and inexpensive toys for our brothers. Mama had made us new dresses and new shoes were unwrapped. Our stockings were full of homemade candy, cookies and fruit. No children on earth were as excited as we were. We watched as mama and daddy opened the gifts we had made them in school. Tears came to their eyes as they watched their children hug their gifts to their hearts.

We didn’t get much for Christmas that year, but we received a whole lot more. We learned to have a grateful heart, a generous spirit, and to treasure the love of a family.

The next year, daddy sat us all down again and announced, “Now, don’t expect too much for Christmas this year….” And we looked at each other and smiled.

Example

"Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." ~ St. Francis

Double Yum Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 - spice cake mix
1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 - pkg chocolate chips

Mix together and drop by tablespoon on sprayed cookie sheet.
Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes or until firm.

Cool completely.

Pudding

This morning at church, I noticed our grandson was guarding his scripture bag closely. I thought, "How sweet that he loves his scriptures so much!!" Shortly after that, he opened his bag and inside were his Matchbox cars!! It reminded me of the time I begged my husband to go with me to an organ recital. He carried his scripture bag into the church, but during the recital I noticed his bag contained a Tom Clancy novel he was reading. Lots of things appear to be quite different on the outside than what they really are on the inside.

Take my house, for instance. I've always thought I had a pretty clean place, but the past month, I've been packing, cleaning, spackling, and painting. Once the bareness was exposed, the house had lots of scars. Another grandson, threw open a door the other day at his house and put a dent in the wall. Of course, his parents were not happy. He just looked at them and said, "Well, dad, you can just put some pudding in it!!" I'm assuming he meant "putty". As I've been patching up the house, I've thought how great it would be if we could just put some "pudding" in our own scars and make things all better. We all have scars that we've gathered along the way. An unkind word, a snub, an offense, just little knicks and scratches, but too often, we don't smooth things out and get on with our lives. We keep looking at those scars and feeling bad and they don't get any better. In fact, they get worse. Maybe that "pudding" is really a balm of forgiveness, understanding and love. We can find the recipe in our scriptures bags.

Fabric of our lives...

I just took a trip down memory lane as I was going through baskets of fabric. I used to sew quite a bit, not so much any more, but as I picked up each piece of left over fabric I would remember what I had used it for. As I discovered a piece of black and white checked flannel, I remembered the jumper I made our teenage daughter. To avoid her disappointment when she realized it was homemade, I took a GAP tag out of an old t-shirt and sewed it on the jumper. I wasn't as smart as I thought. She knew it wasn't from the GAP, who was I kidding? Another piece of fabric was from the dresses I made our two younger daughters for their older sister's wedding. Fabric from Christmas dresses and baby quilts. A lifetime of memories. I've heard it said before, "She who dies with the most fabric wins!!" I think I'm in contention for 1st place.

Technology

I wonder if Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and others knew what they were starting. Did they know that someday people would be so dependent upon electricity that we would go into withdrawal without it? Case in point, I switched internet providers and while registering over the phone, my cell phone battery died. I took my blood pressure medicine while it was charging. I was beyond frustrated and I stopped to realize how addicted I am to all my gadgets. We take every modern convenience for granted and when we are deprived of them for any amount of time, we freak out!! At least, I do!! As for me, I'm about ready to join the Amish. Their lives seem so simple. So free from the craziness we inflict upon ourselves. Modern technology is wonderful, but at what cost? Oops, I gotta go, I just received a text message.

Music

I've been singing for as long as I can remember. My sister and I have sung together since we were very young. Our family reunion was held every summer and included a talent show. We would sing together accompanied by our uncle on his guitar. Grandpa also played the piano and his harmonica. My sister sang the melody and I sang harmony. We sang at retirement homes, church programs, and when we were older, funerals and weddings. When I was eight years old, my dad put a new roof on a home owned by the local piano vendor. Instead of payment, he brought home a brand new piano. I learned to play and accompanied my sister and I as we sang. When I was 14, I was the pianist for the junior Sunday School and when I was older I learned to play the organ as well. Music has been a huge part of my life whether singing lullabies to my children or just singing in the shower. It has shaped my life and defined who I am. I know I have passed my love for music on to my children and hopefully my grandchildren. Music is eternal...

The Plan

Yesterday I attended an awards ceremony where former BYU football coach Lavell Edwards was the guest speaker. He talked about how we won't succeed at anything if we don't have a plan. Then today, we attended a conference broadcast from the Marriott Center at BYU. The speakers were Elder Holland, Sister Beck, and President Packer. Excellent talks on how to have a plan that will take us back to our Father in Heaven. In that plan we should never rely on our previous testimony, but should renew our testimony every day. The Lord is voting for us, the devil is voting against us and we make the final decision. Faith is the key to spiritual survival in these latter-days. Having a plan will keep us on the right path, the one that will lead us back to our heavenly home.

Clam Chowder

Today I went with my sister-in-law to her family's cabin in the mountains. The elevation there is 9,000 feet. The temperature was 40 degrees when we arrived. The leaves are changing colors and it was a beautiful sight, with white barked aspen trees, pine and oak trees. The air had a crispness to it and made us look forward to the coming fall weather. I immediately thought of clam chowder, one of our favorite fall meals. I'm going to have to make some tomorrow. Maybe you should, too!!

Clam Chowder:
4 cups diced potatoes (I cheat and use frozen hash browns)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans minced clams
Simmer together until soft.
Make sauce:
2 sticks butter
1 cup flour
Melt butter and stir in flour to form a roux
Stir in one quart half and half. Stir continuously until thickened.
Add 2-3 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
Add to potatoes, etc. Stir and serve.

Zucchini, meeny, miney, moan.....

A man had an out-of-town visitor and had taken him to visit many local places of interest. The final day of his visit was on a Sunday and so he was invited to go to church. After they had parked, the man made sure he had locked his car. The visitor asked him why he had locked his car since he hadn't locked it at any of the other places they had visited. Surely he didn't need to lock his car in the church parking lot! The man turned to his visitor and said, "If I don't lock my car, I come out and it's full of zucchini."

Zucchini meeny, miney, moe. Plant a seed and watch it grow.
Eeny, meeny, makes a lot. Like a magic cooking pot.
Eeny, meeny, munch a lot. Zucchini every meal you've got:
Zucchini bread, zucchini spread, zucchini casseroles,
Zucchini pies, zucchini fries, zucchini dinner rolls.
Zucchini juice, zucchini mousse, zucchini jam and scone.
Zucchini hash, and succotash, zucchini, meeny miney, moan.
(From the book, "Busy in the Garden" by George Shannon)

Zucchini Bread
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour

Mix together and pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

Baby sea turtles

Last night our son and his three young daughters were walking along the beach when someone told them to be careful where they were stepping because baby sea turtles were making their voyage from their nest to the ocean. Our son took some video with his phone and emailed it to us. (You gotta love modern technology!!). We were able to watch the little turtles as they followed their instincts and made their way to the sea. If they don't make it to the water, they can be eaten by seagulls or other animals. Statistics show that only 1% of the baby turtles make it to the sea. So, it was a great victory to see the little turtles swimming in the water. We could draw lots of parallels to their plight and apply them to our own lives, but sometimes it's enough just to enjoy the miracles that are around us.

Happy Birthday Nannette!!

On August 12, 1969, I became a mother. An 8 lb. baby girl was born at Utah Valley Hospital and placed in my arms. Her skin was pink and she had peach fuzz for hair. We didn't have a name for her since my husband had insisted for 9 months that she was a boy. We decided on the name Nannette. Today she is the mother of four boys and she is a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful woman. I am so blessed to be her mother. Happy Birthday, Nannette!! I am so proud of you and love you so much!!

"There are no birds in last year's nest..."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the phrase "there are no birds in last year's nest". Every spring, the birds build a new "home". They never return to last year's nest, and so it should be with us. Past sorrows, regrets, and hardships should be left behind as we move on to new opportunities that await us. It does us no good to dwell on the past, but we should concentrate on the future by building a new nest and looking forward to a brighter future.

No empty chairs...

"God intended the family to be eternal. With all my soul, I testify to the truth of that declaration. May He bless us to strengthen our homes and the lives of each family member so that in due time we can report to our Heavenly Father in His celestial home that we are all there~father, mother, sister, brother, all who hold each other dear. Each chair is filled. We are all back home." ~ Ezra Taft Benson

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; when 24 hours in a day is not enough;remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 glasses of Root Beer. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students respondedWith an unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two cans of root beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.. 'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family,children, health, friends, and favorite passions, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So...pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. 'Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.' One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Root Beer represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of sodas with a friend.

A funny story...

One summer our daughter was home from college and as she was driving our family truck out of the neighborhood, she thought she had run over something. Checking her rear view mirror, she didn't see anything in the road, so she continued on her journey. About five miles away, she was stopped at a red light when she noticed the guy in the car next to her was trying to get her attention. He yelled to her, "YOU HAVE A MAILBOX STUCK IN YOUR DOOR"....Sure enough she had hit our neighbor's mailbox and it was stuck in the hinge of the door....post and all....and the mail was still inside!! Now it's a federal offense to steal someone's mail, so she returned the mailbox to their home and left it on the front porch since no one answered the door. The next day the mailbox was back out on the street. They never did find out who kidnapped their mailbox. Her punishment for denting the side of the truck was that we could tell this story for the rest of her life!! Problem is a tree fell on top of that truck during a hurricane and destroyed all the evidence. Oh well, it's still a fun story to tell...

If life was fair.....

"If life was fair, there wouldn't be so many bra sizes!!" ~ Julia Sugarbaker

Livin' in the South

Living in the south has been a learning experience.....a whole new language. I remember when we first moved here, I went to the school to register our son and as we walked in, a woman came running down the hall yelling, "Ho de doe, ho de doe, ho de doe!!!" What in the world??? Then I realized she wanted me to "hold the door". There are southern words that you just have to learn to understand. For instance, the word, "jeet". Which means "did you eat" as in "jeet yet?" Then there's the proper use of the word "ya'll"...."ya'll" is singular, "all-ya'll" is plural, and "all ya'll's" is plural possessive. I also learned that women in the south don't have PMS, they have FTS....they're "fixin' to start". If the weatherman says we might get a dusting of snow, everyone runs to the grocery store to stock up on bread and other necessities.... which includes a whole lot of movies cuz the schools will be closed for at least a week. My boss asked me once what he was supposed to wear to a meeting. I told him "a collared shirt"....he asked, "what collar??" You gotta love the south!! especially the southern people....they're the best people God ever put on this Earth!!

It's a great life.....

My life's a little crazy right now. Preparing for a one-way trip to Utah and deciding what stays and what goes is making me more than crazy. In our first 25 years of marriage, we moved 13 times. Those moves weren't without trials. Like the time I opened a box and the smell about knocked me out. The movers had packed a plastic container of leftover stew!! Or the time we trusted a truck driver to care for our hamsters in the cab of his truck, only to find them bloated and dead inside our car that had been shipped across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Or the time we couldn't find the truck that was carrying all our earthly goods. A few days later the driver pulled in and said he had decided to stop in the mountains and do some fishing. A driver told me a story once about a woman, who after the truck was loaded and ready to go, couldn't find her cat. Five days later, the cat crawled out from inside a sofa as it was being unloaded. Anyway, I will be strong and carry on and try to remember what my mother always says, "It's a great life, if we don't weaken!!"

Full Circle

My husband and I have decided to go back to Utah....the state we left 40 years ago. We've always laughed that we have retirement property in Utah...at the Orem City Cemetery!! Yep, we're going back home. It took some coercion to get us there. Our youngest son is starting a business and wants his father's help. So, we're packing our bags and heading west. We've come full circle!!

Pedigree

It's July and I'm looking like a native American Indian. We spent the day at the beach yesterday and even slathered in sunscreen, I look like a piece of fruit leather. My sister's dentist once told her he could tell by her teeth that she has Indian blood. Not long after that, I was going through my grandmother's geneology and found a pedigree chart that shows one of my grandfathers, Steven Garlick, was born in 1756. His mother is listed as a "Mohawk Indian maiden". I can walk a little prouder, knowing I have Indian blood and in the summer, I can even look like my Mohawk Indian grandmother.

"Where's my family??"

When I was 19, I left town for three weeks to be in the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant in upstate New York. Upon my return, as I walked up the front sidewalk to my family's home, I discovered.....the house was empty!! My family had moved while I was gone. Now this was way before cell phones, so they had no way to warn me, but I swear there was no discussion about moving before I left. I had no idea where to find them, so I called my grandma and asked her, "Where's my family???" She said, "Oh, they moved out to West Mountain". Turns out my dad decided my five younger brothers didn't have enough to do, so he bought a farm with 15-acres of apple trees. There was a small home on the property with three bedrooms. My parents had a room; my grandpa, who was living with us at the time had a room; and my five brothers shared one room. That left the couch for me on the weekends......at least for the next year until I was married. Every fall I remember those crisp, juicy apples we could pick right off the trees. At some point, mom and dad moved back into town, but our West Mountain farm has always remained in our memories and my brothers learned the value of work, just the way dad had intended.

"Over the Hill"

We've reached the summit of the hill, the one that they call life.

We've traveled along that winding road together as man and wife.

We've had some speed bumps along the way, but the view at the top is clear.

Remember it's always best to look through the windshield, not the rear.

Look up, not down, and you will see a vast and wondrous view

Of other hills yet to be climbed there are still many things to do.

So let's begin our journey on the roads that lie ahead

And gather still more memories, let's not fill our minds with dread.

We'll hold onto each other when the road gets bumpy or dark,

And enjoy the ride together until we have to park. ~ nlp

November 8, 1968

Our wedding

When I think of June, I think of weddings, so I thought I'd share the story of our wedding. First, of course, I have to write about the engagement. My boyfriend was serving a mission in Western Canada and unbeknownst to me, he bought a diamond ring and sent it home with his companion who delivered it to his father. On Christmas Eve, I was given a gift to open. Upon opening the ring, his father got down on his knees and asked me if I would marry his son. True story!! When my boyfriend returned from his mission, I gave the ring back and told him if he still wanted to marry me, he had to ask me himself. Of course, I wouldn't let him out of the room until he did. We were married in November in the Salt Lake Temple. The church hall was decorated in fall colored flowers. My bridesmaids wore floor length, gold, satin gowns. Each of them held a long stem yellow rose and a handkerchief edged with crocheted lace created by my grandmother. My wedding dress cost $11. Yes, $11.00!! My mother-in-law helped me make it out of damask drapery fabric. It was a floor length, A-line dress with long sleeves. To me, it's value was priceless. I borrowed my best friend's veil which had a bubble headpiece and a long train. My bouquet was a white orchid surrounded by yellow roses. Our honeymoon consisted of a weekend in a cabin in the mountains...then it was back to work and school. That was 42 years ago.....wonderful husband, wonderful memories.

How Am I Doing Lord?

"How am I doing Lord?" I ask as I kneel to pray.
Am I keeping the commandments you have given me today?
Are you proud to call me daughter? Please let me know you care.
For tomorrow I'll be kneeling in another earnest prayer
Asking, "Lord, how am I doing?" I need to know again.
Oh let me hear the answer, before I say "Amen".
And then I feel a stirring, deep within my heart
"I'm proud to call you daughter, for you have done your part.
I know you need to feel my love, to know I really care.
And as you kneel each night to pray, please know that I'll be there." ~ NLP

Punch Bowl Cake

I got this recipe many years ago from my 84-year-old friend, Okie Davis. Basically you take a glass punch bowl and layer it with cake, pudding, cool whip and fruit. Today I made one with broken pieces of angel food cake, vanilla pudding, fresh strawberries and cool whip. Yum!! Sometimes I make it with cherry pie filling. It's absolutely delicious made with brownies, chocolate pudding and raspberries. Double yum!! Try it!! I guarantee you'll like it!!

Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm thinking of my dad. He was born May 18, 1923 in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In December, 1942, he was drafted into the army and received training as a radar operator. In 1944, dad was on a ship headed to the South Pacific. He spent nine months guarding his radar equipment on the island of New Guinea. In 1945, he was shipped to Manilla in the Philippine Islands where preparations were being made to invade Japan. The United States dropped atomic bombs August 6th and 9th on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan surrendered. The war was over. He witnessed the signing of the peace treaty between General Yamashita and General Wainwright on Luna Beach, Philippines. Dad was sent home and entered the San Francisco Bay on January 5, 1946. He said he will never forget the cold night he returned home and saw Mt. Timpanogos covered in a glistening blanket of snow under a full moon. Dad died March 6, 2007 at the age of 83. Today, he has over 100 descendents and leaves behind a legacy of courage and faith. He was one among many who served his country to preserve our freedoms. Thank you, dad.

Talents

Carpe Diem

How much time do we spend worrying about tomorrow when we should be living today?! I've heard the phrase, "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." Too much time is spent worrying. Worry wastes your time and gives you ulcers. The opposite of worry (or fear) is faith. I remember the lyrics to a song I heard when I was young, "Don't worry about tomorrow, just think about today, the Lord is right beside you, to help you on your way. Have faith, hope and charity. That's the way to live successfully. How do I know?, the Bible tells me so." Matthew tells us to take care of today for tomorrow will take care of itself. In Latin we read, Carpe Diem, seize the day. Cherish yesterday, live today, dream tomorrow...

Counting my blessings...

I had a conversation recently with one of my grandsons that went like this:
Him: "Gramma, why don't you have any kids?"
Me: "I do have kids."
Him: "You do???? Well, where are they?"
So, I told him the names of my five children and he gave me a very confused look. "Huh???" Just for the record, I have five of the most amazing children God ever put on this earth!! They married wonderful spouses. Plus they have given me 17 grandchildren to cherish and love. How can one woman be so blessed?? My heart bursts with gratitude and love as I count my many blessings and name them one by one.

Men

I feel sorry for men. For one thing, they have to wear socks all summer, neckties on Sunday and they have all their plumbing on the outside. They have whiskers they have to shave every morning and they have to figure out what to do with all that testosterone. My husband came out of the shower wrapped in a towel one day and asked our young son to leave the room so he could get dressed. "It's okay," our son replied, "I won't laugh!!" See what I mean? Plus men always have the dilemna of how to respond to a woman's questions. "Does this make me look fat?" They can't win!! One time I stepped on the scales and burst into tears. My husband asked me how much I weighed and I told him. Trying to soothe my tears he said, "Well, that's not as much as I thought you weighed!!" See what I mean.

Missouri Adventure

Our youngest daughter is a singer/songwriter and performs in an all girl bluegrass band. They were performing this past week in Branson, Missouri and so we decided to spend the weekend there. We got out of bed at 3am Saturday morning to shower, finish packing and drive to the airport. Our flight was supposed to land in Branson at 11am, but due to bad weather (and the fact that the Branson airport has no radar), we were diverted to Kansas City, removed from the plane and asked to wait. After a couple of hours, we were told the plane was returning to Atlanta and our flight had been cancelled. That was the bad news. The good news? They were securing a bus to take us on to Branson. The bad news? The bus only had 47 seats. There were 108 of us on the plane!! Just about then, two couples from Miami asked if we wanted to go in on a van that would take us to Branson. We climbed aboard the van with them and another family of four from Virginia. The good news!!.....The bad news?? We were introduced to our Somalian driver who didn't speak English. By now I was so tired, my brain wasn't functioning properly. "Great", I thought, "a Somalian pirate"!! I started planning how we could take him out if he pulled over and tried to rob us. The drive was four hours. We looked like a bunch of bobble-head dolls as we snoozed through the ride. We finally arrived in Branson 8 hours after our scheduled arrival and as we bid our fellow passengers goodbye, I reminded them what Kermit the Frog used to say, "There isn't a word yet, for old friends you've just met!" The next two days were spent in Silver Dollar City enjoying the band perform on stage. We flew back home last night and as we walked off the plane I asked my husband if he could take one more piece of bad news.....I had lost our parking ticket. The good news? We finally made it home to our very own bed! ZzZzZzZz

Mothers Day

A child clings to her mother yearning for safety, security and love.
A young woman gleans from her mother the knowledge acquired from life's experiences.
A middle-aged woman learns from her mother the accrued wisdom of years gone by.
An old woman accepts from her mother the reality of eternal life. ~ nlp

Never give up, but get even!!

I was asked a few years ago to give a talk in church on "The Joys of Motherhood". Here is the talk I gave:

Every Mothers Day, I would sit my children down and tell them that the only thing I wanted for Mothers Day was happy, loving children who obeyed and didn't squabble and fight with one another. I would watch them with teary eyes as they sang; "Mother dear, I love you so. I will try all day through, to please my Heavenly Father. I'm so glad He gave me you". By the time church was over and we had made the trek home, I realized that my Mothers day wish was unrealistic. I would hear the familiar sounds from the back of the van. "Mom, he's looking at me!!" "Am not!!" "Are too!!!" "Mom, he took my whatever!!" "Did not!!" "Did too!!" By the time we arrived home, I had had it. I would send them to their rooms and tell them not to come out until they were ready to leave for college. Then I would go into my own room and shut the door. I deserved some peace and quiet on Mothers Day!! I decided then and there, that even though I wasn't a perfect mother and I knew that my children would never be perfect, I was going to get even!!! So, this is what I did:
1. I stayed home. For twenty-five years they were under my surveillance 24/7.
2. I elected myself president of their fan club and showed up at every recital, concert, awards program, and playing field.
3. I made them take music lessons and I even made them sing together.
4. I accompanied them on their choir trips to Boston, Montreal, Williamsburg and Orlando.
5. I bribed their friends with home made treats and a place to hang out.
6. I made them go to church every Sunday and early morning seminary, Young Women and scouts.
7. I made them accountable for their choices.
8. At the age of twelve, I made them do their own laundry.
9. I made them teach me what they had learned at school each day.
10. I started "Moms Savings & Loan". They had to work to earn money.
(No free handouts at our house!!)
11. I never allowed the Relief Society to bring in meals. I taught them that compassionate service begins at home. If I was in the hospital, they had to serve one another.
12. They had a strict curfew!! If the Holy Ghost goes to bed a midnight, then so should they!!
13. I made them dress modestly, especially at the dinner table.
14. They were required to keep the Sabbath day holy.
15. They were required to kneel every day in family prayer.
16. They had to participate every Monday night in Family Home Evening.
Yes, sir, I got even!! and what did they do in return?
1. They made me pin Eagle Scout badges on both sons.
2. I had to look on as all three daughters received their Young Women in Excellence awards.
3. I had to take three of them to the Missionary Training Center.
4. I watched as they earned college degrees.
5. I had to go to the temple with everyone one of them.
6. I've had to accept wonderful daughters and sons-in-law into the family.
7. I've had to rock 17 grandbabies.

Yes, Mothers Day is a wonderful day now. My advice to all you young mothers out there is "Never give up, but get even!!"

"Happiness is Lubbuck Texas in your rear view mirror..."

Thirty-two years ago, I was knocked out for some oral surgery and nine months later gave birth to a baby girl. My husband had threatened to sue the oral surgeon if she had come out looking Italian, but she came out with blond hair and a pink complexion, just like her daddy. We named her Melissa and called her Missy. We were living in Lubbuck, Texas at the time and she was born in the spring during a tornado warning. It was definitely an omen. She bounced into this world and hasn't slowed down since. There's a song written by Mac Davis that says, "Happiness is Lubbuck Texas in your rear view mirror". We did leave Lubbuck behind, but we definitely brought the happiness with us. Happy Birthday, Missy!!

Mixed emotions

I now know it's possible to be incredibly happy and incredibly sad at the same time. We had twin girls born yesterday. The most darling little granddaughters, the size of little baby dolls. What a joyous occasion for our family. Then, I remembered, they will soon be moving thousands of miles away and sadness enveloped me. Our oldest daughter and her family will also be moving far away this summer. Seems like our own children were just newborn babies and now they're all grown up with families of their own, but no matter how old they get, they'll still be our children. Sometimes there are happy tears and sometimes there are tears of sadness. The challenge is to enjoy the happy times without letting sadness steal away those happy moments. We need to enjoy every moment, every gift that we are given and when the storms come, we dance and thank God for those moments that bring us so much joy and happiness.

Pedicures

I used to think it was incredible that women would actually pay someone to paint their toe nails. That was until I actually experienced a pedicure. My daughter-in-law took me to the salon on my birthday one year and I soon discovered the reason why pedicures are so popular. First, you sit in a lounge chair that is massaging your back through the entire procress as you soak your feet in warm, bubbly water while the pedicurist trims your nails and removes the dry skin from your feet until they're nice and smooth. Then she smiles as she massages your feet and legs (below the knee) with soothing oil. Aaaaaaah!! She then paints your nails the color you've selected. Sometimes I choose hot pink or sometimes plum. You leave the salon feeling oh so pampered. There's just something about having beautiful feet that makes you want to head to the mall for a new pair of sandals....and something inside your head whispers, "Oh you are sooo worth it!!"

Who do you think you are?

There's a new show on TV that researches the ancestry of famous people.
They are so excited to learn their family history and to find their roots. I have been fortunate to know about my ancestry most of my life. I have 16 sets of great-great grandparents. Most of them were born in England, a few were born in Sweden. They listened to the Mormon missionaries, joined the church and migrated to the United States. All of them crossed the plains in covered wagons and are buried in Utah, the state where I was born. My ancestors are very important to me. Without their dedication, faith and perseverance, I would not be who I am today.....and I would be living in England!!

Resurrection

I was driving early this morning and was amazed at the beautiful world we live in. After a long, cold, dead winter, the earth has been resurrected. What was "dead" is now alive. The trees are blooming, the flowers have risen, the grass is green. It's a beautiful reminder that we too will be resurrected. Our Savior made it possible for the dead to live again. Spring is a reminder of this amazing gift. "Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me...."

Danish Aebleskivers

2 eggs
3 Tbl melted butter
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

Mix together and fry in Aebleskiver pan.

Aebleskivers

There is a town in southern California called Solvang that was founded by a group of Danish settlers near the turn of the century (1900). We were introduced to Solvang by some friends and were enchanted with the town, its customs and especially its food. We devoured delicious servings of Aebleskivers sprinkled with powdered sugar and sausage served with applesauce and raspberry preserves. An Aebleskiver is a pancake that is fried in a special pan that shapes them into a ball. We bought a pan and started our semi-annual tradition of Aebleskiver breakfasts. The first Sunday in April and October we don't have our normal church meetings, instead we stay home and watch a broadcast over satellite. We cook Aebleskivers and sausage with all the condiments. Over the years, we have challenged our guests to see who could eat the most. The record is held by a young missionary who ate forty-four....yes, 44!!! It's a tradition our family looks forward to and enjoys every time we gather together on "Aebleskiver Sunday".

Tony Roma's World Famous Ribs

I always let our children and grandchildren choose their favorite meal for their birthday dinner. Last year, our seven-year-old grandson requested rooster. I asked him if he'd ever eaten rooster and he said, "No, but I'd sure like to try some!!" So, I cooked "rooster". Tomorrow, I'm making BBQ ribs for our grandson who is turning 13. This recipe is supposed to be Tony Roma's world famous ribs. I don't know about that, but they sure are delicious!!!

Buy 4 pounds of baby back pork ribs and cut them into serving sizes (4-6 ribs each). Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat the front and back of each section with barbecue sauce and wrap tightly in foil. Place in oven, seam side up and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from foil, place on hot grill and brush with additional sauce. Grill each side 2 to4 minutes. Serve hot with additional sauce.

Tony Roma's Blue Ridge Smokie Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine in medium sauce pan, whisk until smooth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
(From http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/)

Soapbox

You'll have to pardon me while I get on my soapbox. This is something I feel strongly about and most people think I'm nuts!! Which is probably true. Anyway, one thing I truly believe is that compassionate service begins at home. Whenever I was in the hospital having a new baby or having surgery or for whatever reason and the wonderful women at church asked me if they could help by bringing in meals, I would thank them, but I would respectfully decline the offer. I've been advised that I deny others the blessing of serving me, but I also believe that by doing so, I deny my family the blessing of serving each other!! And, after all, if these delicious meals are delivered to our door, my family will never learn to appreciate me at all. I want them to SUFFER!!! I also want them to learn that you love those whom you serve!! and serving each other in a time of need is definitely a way to learn that lesson. I mean if a boy can earn a cooking merit badge, he can cook a meal or two for the family. I must admit at this point that I have a husband who will step up to the plate and do whatever it takes to keep the home running when mom is out of the picture. For this I have been truly blessed!! Yes, I have turned down meals, but, I have never nor will I ever turn down cookies!!!

Stratagems

Table Monster: Another stratagem I used at our home was the Table Monster. The Table Monster sat on our dinner table every night and was awarded to the family member with the worst table manners. The awardee had to do the dishes. This worked really well for all of us except one...my husband....who won the Table Monster every meal. To this day, he gets up and does the dishes as a matter of habit. :)

The Smiley Store: This one works especially well with the youngsters. I made a bunch of "smilies"....construction paper circles with smiley faces.
Anytime I caught one of the children doing something nice or something without being asked, he or she would receive a "smiley". Once a month, I would open my "Smiley Store" where they could use their "Smilies" to "buy" inexpensive toys or treats.

Mom's Savings & Loan: As the children grew, I opened "Mom's Savings & Loan"....I even printed my own "cheques". I would post jobs that I needed to have done and how much I was willing to "pay" for that particular job. These jobs were outside of their normal chores, i.e., washing windows. When they had finished a job, I would write them a check from Mom's Savings & Loan. Then, whenever they needed money, I would cash their "checks". BTW, our kids never received an allowance. Instead, they were given food, clothing, and a place to live.

And, alas, when they turned twelve, they received their very own hamper, along with instructions on how to use the washing machine. Their clothes no longer appeared in the laundry still clean and folded. Their clothes were worn more than 5 minutes and they no longer cleaned their rooms by picking up everything and throwing it down the laundry shute. I no longer spent my life in the laundry room. We did have one problem, our youngest son would rather ride his bike to WalMart and buy new underwear than do his laundry. When he was married, I made him a quilt out of all his old boxer shorts. It turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself!!

The Agenda

The bishop’s wife’s main responsibility is to keep things running smoothly at home. Most of the responsibility is yours because when dad arrives home, he wants peace, tranquility, a hot meal, and angelic children. In addition to his church responsibilities, my husband's full-time job required him to travel all the time. Too many times, when he would return home, one of our children would say, “Mom! Dad said I can’t do this, that or the other…”. It’s like who is this guy and who does he think he is???? Kids need dad's attention, discipline, and love, so I started “The Agenda”. I posted a blank piece of paper on the fridge and titled it “The Agenda”. Every time one of the kids would complain, tattle, whine, or demand justice for whatever reason, I would tell them to put their name on “The Agenda”. They couldn’t write their complaint, just their name, so that when we held family council once a week, they could register their complaint. Nine times out of ten, they wouldn't remember what it was they had to complain about and I would just sit and smile.

Cinnamon Rolls

In blender mix:
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 stick melted butter
3 tsp salt

Add to 7 cups flour in mixer.
Beat well with dough hook, let rise to top of bowl.
Dump out onto well floured counter, divide in half.
Roll one half into rectangle, spread with 1/4 stick melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and sprinkle well with cinnamon. Fold in ends and roll, pinching the end. Cut into 12 slices and lay in greased 9x13 pan. Repeat with second half of dough. Let rise to top of pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost while hot with buttercream frosting.

Buttercream frosting:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4-5 cups confectioners sugar

Good grief!!!

Have you ever had a really embarassing moment? One of mine happened when our ten-year-old daughter told her friend that we didn't have anything to eat. It was Sunday night and there wasn't a cookie, chip, or piece of junk food left in the house. We had ingredients, but anything else was long gone. Her friend went home and not long after that our doorbell rang. When I answered the door, there was no one there, but on the porch was a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, and a gallon of milk. Good grief!!!

My Best Friend

Sometimes I swear I have the best husband in the universe. He just went to the pharmacy to pick up my antibiotic and came back with a dozen roses as well. It reminded me of a time many years ago when we had just moved to a different state. One morning after all the boxes were unpacked and things all put away, I burst into tears. My bewildered husband asked what in the world was wrong. "I don't have any friends," I wailed. I continued having my pity party throughout the morning, when suddenly I heard the doorbell ring. When I opened the door, a delivery man was standing there with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The children were excited, wondering who had sent them. I read the card and all it said was, "From your BEST FRIEND!!!"...."Who is my best friend?" I asked. "DADDY!!" they all shouted, and you know what? They were right!!

Sunday Dinner

One of my favorite childhood memories was Sunday dinner at grandma's house. We would all sit around her huge, round mahogany table and enjoy a meal fit for a king....homemade rolls, fresh vegetables from the garden, delicious desserts....just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I've tried to carry on that tradition at our house. For instance, today is Sunday and we'll have eight adults and eleven grandchildren here for dinner. My rolls are semi-homemade thanks to Rhodes frozen dough, the vegetables won't be fresh from the garden, and dessert will be Girl Scout cookies, but I hope my grandchildren will feel the same unconditional love and acceptance that I felt at my grandmother's house. That's how memories are made.

Sunday Coke Roast:
One 3-4 pound beef roast
One envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix
One 12-oz can Coca-Cola
Cook in crockpot on high from Sunday morning til dinner time. (6-7 hrs)

I Love Lucy

I didn't watch a color TV until I was ten years old when I watched "The Wizard of OZ" at a friend's house. At our home, we had three channels in black and white. I remember watching the Kennedy/Nixon debate because it was being broadcast on all three channels. I didn't realize I was watching history in the making. Standards back then were laughable compared to what we see today. I mean, Ricky and Lucy had twin beds on their TV show and she was the first pregnant woman to appear on the airwaves. When I compare the television options of my youth, it pales to what we have today with hundreds of channels providing hundreds of options. It's amazing to sit and watch the Olympics take place right in our own family room. While there is some redeeming value to the television programming we watch, there is way too much garbage pouring into our homes. When our children were teenagers, I finally put a sign on top of the TV that said, "Is there anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy?" to remind them to avoid being desensitized to the downward spiral of decency on the screen. Television can provide us with a live satellite broadcast from Salt Lake City, but it can also drag us into programming that will drive away the spirit and turn us into a robotic audience. We have to glean out the best, turn off the trash and be very careful who we invite into our homes.

The Letter

The first time my husband was bishop (lay minister) in our church, he had a very large congregation and he was determined to personally meet the needs of every member. After a while, we started to feel neglected so I decided to bring our feelings to his attention. I wrote the letter.

Dear Bishop:
There is a family in your congregation who needs your help.
Their address is (our address).
Sincerely,
(My name)

I stamped the envelope and put it in the mail. It got his attention and he realized we needed his attention as much, if not more, than anyone else. He started to learn the art of delegation and we didn't feel as neglected after that. I never had to write another letter.

The 14th Article of Faith

If you haven’t heard, the 14th Article of Faith is, “We believe in meetings. We believe in all meetings. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. If there are any meetings which are of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things….”

The Church has done its best over the years to rid itself of meetings. The three-hour block helped a lot. Bishops have been encouraged to keep meetings to a minimum with none on Sunday. Let’s see, there’s bishopric meetings, welfare, ward council, BYC, PEC, PPIs, tithing settlement, stake bishops council, stake priesthood leadership. Some things can be delegated, some cannot. In other words, a bishop attends LOTS of meetings. That doesn’t count the many hours conducting interviews and visiting with members of the ward who MUST see the bishop.

The bishop’s time is a very valuable commodity. That’s why he has an executive secretary who makes sure members of the ward have access to him without infringing on his other responsibilities, i.e., family, work and vacations.

As the bishop’s wife, you have the right to his time and attention. Yes, more so than other members of the ward. Remember, he may be the “Father of the Ward”, but the children in your home are his first and greatest responsibility.

The Church has imposed a Monday night rule. Nothing is to be scheduled on Monday night except Family Home Evening. You may have to move FHE to another location in order to avoid interruptions, but DO IT!! You may have to ask your husband to step out on the porch while you tell someone on the phone that “He’s NOT IN”…Do whatever it takes to protect your family’s time together. Children spell love “T-I-M-E”. They will resent the fact that dad has to miss their games for too much church stuff. Remember, families are forever and we only get one chance. A happy child is one who knows he is #1 on his dad’s priority list. Yes, that includes above his church callings!!

Definitions:

bish’op n: 1. A lay minister for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 2. A full-time calling given to men in the Church who already have full-time jobs, families, and other domestic responsibilities.

bish’op’s wife n: 1. A woman who is married to the bishop. 2. A woman who can assume the domestic duties normally performed by her husband.

bish’op’s chil’dren plural n: The children in the ward who "never" run in the halls, belch in sacrament meeting, or moon people out the back window of the van.

A Survival Guide for the Bishop's Wife, Chapter One:

I must have been foreordained before I came to earth to be a bishop’s wife since I’ve had the job three times. The angel in charge of mission control must have asked for someone who was willing to leap pews in a single bound while trying to maintain a state of reverence during the sacrament as her husband looks down from the stand with an empathetic smile. I wonder if I received any pre-mortal training for the job? There must have been classes such as “Taking Messages 101” or “Playing Dumb for Dummies”…

Being married to the bishop must be a lot like being married to someone in the CIA…He’s always on some covert mission that he can’t share with you. Or maybe it’s like being married to an obstetrician…..receiving phone calls in the middle of the night. Maybe it’s like being married to a sailor…spending your time watching the horizon, hoping to see a glimpse of his ship coming home.

The first time I was called into the stake president’s office and asked if I would support my husband as the new bishop, our youngest was 3 weeks old. We had five children ages 12, 10, 7, 4 and the baby. Oh, I forgot to mention, when we brought the new baby home from the hospital, my husband also brought home a new puppy. I kept reminding myself that pioneer women took care of the children and their oxen, so I had no room to complain. A new bishop is full of commitment and a desire to be “everything to everybody”. He hasn’t yet learned how to delegate. It takes time.

The second time we received the call, our children were 18, 16, 13, 10, and 6. They were now the bishop’s teenage children. A whole chapter could be written about that. I was asked to say a few words when he was sustained, so I asked the ward to remember that he wasn’t perfect, I wasn’t perfect and our children definitely were not perfect. By this time, he had learned to delegate and I had learned to smile a lot. When he was released, three of the children were in college and two had served missions. Aaaaah, an older, but wiser wife.

The third time, the oldest four were married and we had 10 grandchildren. The youngest had just returned from his mission. At twenty-one years old, his father had been bishop half his life.

Please don’t think I’m complaining. There are lots of perks being the bishop’s wife. For instance, you get a lot of good advice from well-meaning members of the ward. I was very happy to learn that a bishop’s wife should never wear open-toed shoes. Who knew? Members assume her husband shares all the ward gossip, so she never hears anything. What a virtue! Her life is never dull, like when an announcement is made from the pulpit and she learns the youth fireside will be held that evening at her home and refreshments will be provided. Another perk is that the bishop’s wife is usually spared any major callings, especially if there are young children in the home.

There are over 20,000 bishops in the Church today. That means there are over 20,000 bishops’ wives. I began to realize that training is provided for every calling in the Church, except one…..the bishop’s wife. With that in mind, I decided to write this message, “A Survival Guide for the Bishop’s Wife”. Within these pages, I hope to share my insight into what this calling entails. Yes, there is some irreverent humor. Please realize that sometimes humor is the best medicine.

B's

Be grateful
Be smart
Be clean
Be true
Be prayerful
Be humble
Be positive
Be still
Be involved

~ Gordon B. Hinckley

Dedicated to my daughter, Amy, who is definitely ALL of these!! Happy Birthday, Amy!!

The Perfect Day

Grandmother on a winter's day,
Milked the cows and fed them hay,
Slopped the hogs, saddled the mule
And got the children off to school.

Did the washing and mopped the floor
Washed the windows and did the chores,
Cooked a dish of sun-dried fruits,
Pressed her husband's Sunday suit.

Swept the parlour, made the bed,
Baked a dozen loaves of bread.
Split some wood and drug in
Enough to fill the kitchen bin.

Stewed some apples she thought would spoil,
Cleaned the lamps and put in oil.
Cooked a supper that was delicious
And afterward washed all the dishes.

Fed the cat and sprinkled the clothes,
Mended a basket full of hose.
Then opened the organ and began to play,
"When you come to the end of a perfect day..."

What would grandmother think of mothers today?? It amazes me what women accomplish in our day. Their day might look something like this:

Get the kids up and pack their lunches. Walk them to school and hurry home to throw some laundry in the automatic washing machine. Load the dishwasher and push the button, then run five miles in training for a marathon. Jump in the shower and dash off to a PTA meeting and a pedicure. Pick the kids up after school, then drop one off at dance lessons, one at piano lessons and one at gymnastics. On the way home, stop to pick up the dry cleaning, serve dinner that has been cooking in the crockpot. Help kids with homework, then leave them with dad while she goes to her book club....

The perfect day.....WHEW!!!

"Who Did You Take??"

I was getting my hair cut today and my hairdresser mentioned she's taking a trip to London. I told her I almost went to London once. My husband won a sales contest at work and the grand prize was a trip for two to London....on the Concord. I didn't find out about it until a few years later when he received a promotion and they did a write up about him. It mentioned how he had won the trip a few years earlier, so I had to ask him, "Who did you take?". Then he told me he didn't go and he didn't tell me about it because he didn't want to take the time to go. Naturally, I was pretty upset and I still give him a hard time about it sometimes, but I really shouldn't complain too much. He's taken me to Hawaii four times, on a Caribbean cruise, to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, Niagra Falls, the Golden Gate bridge, Broadway shows, a helicopter ride over Manhattan, just to name a few, but the Concord???
Someday I still want to go to London!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love to make soup in the winter. Tonight I made one of our favorites.... broccoli cheese. Here's the recipe:

4 cups broccoli florets
cover with water and cook until tender (do not drain)
Make cheese sauce:
Melt one stick butter in pot
Add 1/2 cup flour and stir into butter until smooth
Stir in one pint half and half until thick
Add 1 tsp salt
and 1/2 tsp pepper
Add two cups grated sharp cheddar cheese.
Stir until cheese melts and add to broccoli.
Mix well and serve in bread bowls or with warm french bread.

Sometimes I replace the broccoli with potatoes for potato cheese soup.
Yum!!

Everything I need to know I learned from a snowman...

~It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy.
~Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
~Wearing white is always appropriate.
~Winter is the best of the four seasons.
~It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
~There's nothing better than a foul-weather friend.
~The key to life is to be a jolly, happy soul.
~We're all made up of mostly water.
~You know you've made it when they write a song about you.
~Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!
~Avoid yellow snow.
~Don't get too much sun.
~It's embarrassing when you can't see your feet.
~It's fun to hang out in your own front yard.
~There's no stopping you once you're on a roll.

Storms

We've seen snow storms, ice storms, sand storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and have survived them all. In 1996, North Carolina was hit by hurricane Fran. We were living in Cary at the time and our street was the only one, that we knew of, that didn't lose power. While everyone was busy removing trees from their driveways, I was in the kitchen baking cinnamon rolls. When the town announced they were establishing a curfew, we jumped in the car and headed north to Delaware so we could watch our son play in his college football game the next day. We caught up with the hurricane in Baltimore. You could call us storm chasers. In North Carolina, if there is a threat of snow, everything shuts down; schools, businesses, churches, etc. Now I grew up in Utah where snow is an everyday occurence in the winter. The only time I remember the school being closed was the day the furnace broke down; but, I understand the problem with snow here in the south. First, the state doesn't have enough snow removal equipment to clear the roads and second, southerners don't know how to drive in it. They're either too cautious or they drive too fast and don't know how to handle an out-of-control vehicle. Plain and simple, it's safer if everyone stays home.

We received about 5 inches of snow last night. The neighbor kids are outside sledding down our driveway. No church tomorrow....I get to stay in my pajamas until Tuesday!!

Grandma's Banana Bread

2 sticks margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup walnuts, optional

Cream shortening and sugar, add eggs.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour into two greased loaf pans
Bake 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees

Enjoy!!

The Entertainer

My husband never ceases to keep me entertained. Here's just one example....We were having a party at our home and his job was to hang the pinata over our driveway. He was trying to decide the best way to get a rope over the tree limb and decided to tie a hammer to the end of his rope. He gave it a hearty heave ho and was disgruntled to see the hammer had wedged itself in the crook of the tree. Wondering how he could get the hammer unstuck, he decided to tie another hammer to the other end of the rope and hit the first hammer loose. So he swung the rope and tossed the hammer up into the tree and cussed when he saw the second hammer was also stuck. Now what would you do in this situation????? His remedy was easy. Next thing I heard was the sound of a chain saw starting up. Sure enough, he cut down the tree in order to get his hammers back. Now isn't that smart thinking??!!

The Devil Made Me Do It......

I actually told this story to someone yesterday, so thought I'd post it on the blog. My husband used to travel constantly. He would come home, replace his dirty clothes with clean ones and take off again. Well, one day a box came in the mail. It was from a hotel he had stayed at the week before. I opened it and found a letter saying, "Dear Sir: Here are some items you left in your room......". I pulled out a man's shirt and a pair of socks. They weren't his. At that instant, the devil appeared on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Do it"!! So, I placed a pair of panty hose and a slip in the empty box, replaced the letter, and sealed it back up. When he came home, he saw the box and asked what it was. "I don't know", I lied, "It's from that hotel you stayed in last week...". He opened the box, read the letter and looked inside. No sooner had he looked, when he slammed the lid shut. The conversation went like this:
Me: "what is it?"
Him: "nuthin'!!!!!"
Me: "Well, there must be something in there!!"
Him: "nope, nuthin'!!!"
Me: "Let me look.."
Him: "I said, there's nuthin' in the box!!"
By then, the astonished and perplexed look on his face got the best of me and I burst out laughing. He didn't think it was funny, but, like I said, the devil made me do it!!

Do Not Eat The Oranges....

Our 12-year-old granddaughter was attending "Standards Night" at the church tonight and our kids reminded me how I broached this subject with them. I found a book, way back when, called "Love and Oranges". It was written by Marvin Payne, the father in the Saturday's Warrior movie. I used a chapter in the book to teach our children about abstaining from sex before marriage. The premise was that they are walking along a sidewalk in life and next to the sidewalk is a conveyor belt loaded with oranges. The oranges represent the sexual relationship between a woman and a man. There is a sign that says, "Do Not Eat The Oranges" because they are the Lord's oranges. Pretty soon they come to a tunnel with a sign over the entrance that says "Marriage". They go through the tunnel and when they come out on the other side, they are married and the Lord is standing on the outside. He is taking the oranges from the conveyor belt and giving them to the newlyweds, for they are His gift to them. After that, every time one of our children left on a date, I would remind them, "Don't Eat the Oranges"....It became a family joke, but they got the message. I even carried it a little further. After the wedding reception, as they were leaving for the honeymoon, I presented them with a basket. In the basket was Orange soda, Orange crackers, Orange cheese, Orange Cheetos, Orange candy, and of course Oranges with a big Orange bow on top.

Have you been looking in the mirror again?

I have called my mother every night for the past three years...ever since my father died. We live a couple of thousand miles apart, so I like to check in on her at the end of the day just to see how she's doing. She's 84 years old and living alone, so even though I have siblings that live nearby who take very good care of her, I feel like the only thing I can do for her is to call. Last night when I called her, she was feeling blue. This happens now and then so I had to ask her, "Have you been looking in the mirror again?" This always makes her laugh. They say inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the heck happened!! As we age, our body begins to wrinkle and starts to sag. Our hair turns gray and we begin to look like a person we don't even recognize. Who is that old woman in the mirror? I don't feel that old!! Our body ages, but our soul stays young and soon the only thing we have to look forward to is resurrection morning when we get that youthful body back....no brown spots or varicose veins.....just a body, perfect in every way!! Thank goodness we can tell that to the old woman in the mirror.

How to tell the sex of a chicken...

The last time we lived in California, we lived in a rural area with no sidewalks and a hitching post in front of the 7-11. Most of the folks in town had horses or other animals. We decided it would be fun to have a little farm. The kids were excited, so we went to the local feed store and asked to buy some chickens. We told them we wanted four hens and a rooster. We were looking at all the baby chicks running around in a pen and they all looked the same to us. The man picked one up by it's beak and said, "That's a hen". He picked up a couple more and said they were hens, too!! Then, he picked one up and announced it was a little rooster. By then we were scratching our heads wondering how in the world he could tell the difference. So, I had to ask. He told us that when you pick up a chick by it's beak, a hen will just hang there, whereas, a little rooster will flap its wings. Who knew!!! So, we bought our chicks, a few ducklings, and a couple of pygmy goats. I also bought a milk goat, but that's a story for another time. After a few months, we were scratching our heads again. The chickens had all drowned in the duck pond, the ducks had all been trampled by the goats, and the goats had gotten loose and eaten everything in our garden. Needless to say, that was the end of our farming experience. Guess we were meant to be city dwellers!!

Choosing the father of your children...

One of the most important decisions a woman makes in her lifetime is, "Who will be the father of my children?" So, of course, I have to explain how I chose mine. One of the first things I remember about him was being picked up and dumped into an irrigation canal. I was 15.....he was 16. It was love at first sight. (Well at least for me.) A couple of years later he saw the light and we were "officially" in love, but too young. When he was 19, he left to serve as a missionary for two years while I attended college at BYU. Soon after his return, we were married. Two young people with their heads in the clouds loving every minute of life. Nine months and four days later, our first child was born. Reality brought us back to earth!! We were parents!!! During the pregnancy, he was determined that it was a boy and would not discuss girl's names. I went into labor on his birthday and he was thrilled that he and his son would share the same date. A daughter was born the next day; but it was, again, love at first sight. Through the years, we added two more daughters and two sons to our family.

Most men have some kind of hobby....golf, hunting, whatever...My husband's hobby was (and still is) his children. He sat through every play, concert, ballgame, recital, whatever they were doing at the time; and he sat on the front row cheering, clapping, making sure they knew he was there. They knew without a doubt that he was the president of their fan club. They knew they were the most important priority in his life. He has been a devoted husband and father, always putting the needs of his family before his own. He has blessed our family in a millions ways. We love him dearly, especially me, because, after all, I chose him!!

Why are homes for sale and houses for rent?

You can check the classifieds in any newspaper and find that homes are for sale and houses are for rent. I've always wondered about the difference. Can you drive through a neighborhood and distinguish a home from a house? They both have windows, doors, roofs and from the street, there's really no way to tell if someone is a homeowner or a tenant. In the past 40 years we have lived in six "houses" and six "homes". They all provided us with shelter and a place to put our furniture. You've probably heard the saying, "A house is made of bricks and stone, a home is made of love alone"...hmmmm. It's been my experience that it doesn't matter if you live in a house, or a home, it's the people who live inside that make the difference.

Oz

Oz....the destination. I agree the joy is in the journey. Along the way you meet interesting characters, see beautiful scenery, and learn lots and lots of new things. The many things I've learned in my journey cannot be listed in detail here, but my journey to "Oz" has been full of joy and wonder with only a few speed bumps along the way. My "Oz", my destination, has to be defined as my Heavenly Home. A place where our family will be together forever...a gigantic family reunion!! Our journey here on earth will lead us there if we all follow the right path, hold on tight to the iron rod (the word of God) and don't get lost along the way. Where is your Oz? What is your destination??

The yellow brick road...

My yellow brick road didn't start in Kansas....it started in Utah...Orem, Utah and over the next 40 years it wound its way through Idaho, California ( 3 times), Texas (twice), Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Whew!!

My Mormon boy graduated from BYU with a degree in business/marketing and landed a job with Procter and Gamble selling Crest toothpaste and Ivory soap. We were sent to Boise, Idaho with our 2-year old daughter in tow. While we were in Boise we added baby #2, a son. When we were expecting baby #3, we were moved to Union City California in the San Francisco bay area. Baby #3 was born there...a little girl. When she was 9 months old, P&G moved us, and our 3 children under six, to Tampa, Florida.

Two years later and while expecting baby #4, my husband jumped ship.
He left P&G and took a job with a Johnson&Johnson company, selling surgical suture. They moved us to Lubbock, Texas (where #4 was born, another daughter) and then to Southern California, back to Texas (Dallas) and back to Southern California, where
#5, a son, was born.

My yellow brick road continued on to Pennsylvania and North Carolina...no more babies, but more details to follow...

Recipes

Johnny Cake
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 tbl melted butter

Mix ingredients well, pour into well-greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with honey butter.

Honey butter

1 stick butter or margarine (softened)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat together until smooth.

Johnnycakes and babies...

There's an old pioneer song that goes something like this: Come girls come and listen to my noise, don't you marry those Mormon boys, if you do, your fortune it will be, johnny cakes and babies is all you'll see. Well, I married a Mormon boy and I've eaten lots of johnny cake, or cornbread as it is more commonly known, and I've given birth to five babies; but, marrying that Mormon boy has taken me on a journey that would rival anything written by L. Frank Baum. This blog is about that journey. I hope you'll enjoy reading about it...