Just Kate!

Great Grandbaby Kate is a delightful child and Kristi is such a great Mom. Kate really enjoys being with everybody and is busy, busy, busy all the time. She usually won't look in the camera but I caught her four times here, just couldn't get her to smile.

Looks like she is always eating but she is a good eater. Cute, cute, cute. Every day's a good day for Kate!

Looking Good!!!

The Pulsipher children stopped at the river last night after their supper and brought the rocks over this morning and I couldn't resist going out and working on it.

Then Gary, Tanner, Linda and I did one more run and I have it this far tonight!!! I can't believe it after 4 years it is almost finished!!!

The Pulsiphers have really been super about giving so much time to gathering river rocks--thank you, thank you, thank you.

Fun on the Lake and Happy Anniversary!

Linda and Gary have been married 26 years today. Wow, if Richard were alive, we would have been married 49 years!! Anyway they went to Dianna's at the Club for prime rib and said it was good. Hard to believe how quickly life passes by.

 Today I was on the boat with them while they did their wakeboarding. They are all so good and it was quite smooth. Great lake and it was beautiful as always!! I took a lot of videos but haven't figured out how to put them on my computer yet???

 Tonight Kelly, Craig, Amy, Sarah, and Tanner all sang karaoke at Teen Karaoke. That was entertaining. I am always amazed how many want to sing and dance and how few are really talented. Makes you appreciate to pros but it was fun. The kids had made cake for their parents so we finished off the day with that. Nice day!!

Oh, yes, I worked from 6 to 8 am putting down the rocks they brought me yesterday. A little back breaking for an old lady but keeps me young I guess.

River Rock Patio

The patio is almost half done!! And it is looking great. The Pulsiphers have made about three trips to the creekbed--(only need about 200 more). Oh well, Matt first starting digging the area out 4 years ago so if it takes a little more time, that is ok, I am patient.

Summer Concert and Work on the Patio!

Every Sunday night in the summer there is a music under the stars.

But first comes a surprise!  Before Matt leaves with his truck to go back to Reno late Sunday afternoon it looks like my patio is getting a little closer.

Gary somehow finangled some sand from a landscaping place and everyone helped shovel it out and smooth it in my area. 

Pizza Time on Tuesday night.

After pizza at Taratino's they all helped gather some rocks from the river. I can see it will take me years though because a car full of rocks really doesn't go very far!

I really appreciate Gary going to all the effort to find sand before Mike took his truck back to Reno and everyone helping so much. Thank you, thank you, Pulsiphers and Stewarts!

Tijuana

When I came to San Diego to teach in 1956 one of the first places we went was Tijuana to shop. When my parents came that summer we also went across. In fact, all of the tourists that visited us went to Tijuana. It was a fun place to go in those days.

We also had exchanges with the Tijuana ward and ate down there with them and they with us. Each Christmas we would have a ward drive for Toys for Tijuana and this would go to the ward and also to the orphanage there.

I just read an article in the Washington Post about the severe Aids epidemic in Tijuana--one in every 125 people has aids from prostitution and drug use. But it says Aids is a hitchhiker into the United States with the many that go back and forth across the border. Just another "signs of the times" and very sad. Richard loved the Mexican people and enjoyed helping them whenever he could. We always had them as day workers in our home and often as yard workers. It is sad to read this.

Documentaries

Today I was educating myself by watching documentaries and became fascinated with all the money being spent on the buildings for the Olympics. Who decides what is enough or too much, is something I have always wondered? 1000 welders had to be trained to do the 15 months of welding for the Birdnest!

Then there is the Bubble building that is also intricate and expensive. Evidently the Chinese want to have something that no one has done before and it is costing plenty!! But in a world full of needs should money be spent like this on the Olympics? It has become a competiveness between countries and I think it has gone too far.

On the opposite end of spending money is the Duggar family who started out doing everything for themselves and even built a 7000 square foot home that is debt free. On their website you learn about financial freedom and their philosophy on having children. They are really living christian values. She even homeschools!!! Totally unselfish. They are always being asked if they are Mormon or Catholic and they are neither! Interesting story on their website.

Since they have become famous though, I am sure there is lots of income from appearances and photoshoots. Good for them, they will be interesting to watch as the children continue to grow up. They reminded me of the Packard family as far as organization and all the children being responsible for each other and sharing the load. Amazing parents is all I can say!!!

And last but not least, news of the day, is that BYU is the Most Socially Conservative school of the top 368 colleges in America!!! Yea for BYU!

Oh, and one more thing I learned today is how to make Wendy's Frosty, which has always been a favorite of mine. The formula is twice as much milk as Nestle's Quik and three times as much ice cream as milk. Umm, yummy!

'Come See the Paradise'

Tonight I watched a very provocative film about World War II and the civil rights that were taken away from the Japanese Americans. It was shameful and a great mistake. The movie is 'Come See the Paradise' and was filmed in 1990 with Dennis Quaid and supposedly is very factual as to events and places, etc.

The movie had a sweet love story woven throughout the fact based movie but the treatment of the Japapanese Americans was really sickening and sad to watch. It would not make you proud to be an American.

I was so young in WWII I have really never known many of the horrible facts of events before, during, and after the war and am always anxious to learn more.

Mediterranean Trip

Linda asked me today where we went on our Mediterranean Trip and I must admit I couldn't really remember the names of the places so I had to do a memory check with my slides. It was such a fantastic trip, how can I not remember every minute is a mystery but ...my mind is a mystery to me at this age.

I am so glad I have it all recorded on my blog and have the pix on Picasa Web and can read about it all and also have a memory book with lots of pictures and data. I am lucky that when I can do nothing else but look at pictures I will still be able to recall the wondrous days of my life.

Observation about Saturday Night

"Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week" was a song written during World War II about the gals left at home while their boyfriends are off to war. I know most of the words.

Anyway tonight as I was observing that I seldom get emails on Saturday night or Friday night either, I was thinking it is because most people obviously have something better to do than sit at their computer!!! Woe is me...

Pioneer Day

I just watched the Pioneer Concert from the LDS Conference Center with the Mormon Tabernacle Choice and the Osmonds. It was excellent.

This was the final stop on the Osmonds 50th Anniversary World Tour. On the very last number which was "I Believe" the two brothers who are hearing impaired "signed" the song. It was very touching.

The Osmonds have gone through a lot from that beginning on the Andy Williams Show 50 years ago (which they showed), and they really are an amazing family. Marie looked amazing with her slim Nutri-system body.

If you missed it, I am sure it will be shown again on the BYU Channel!

Living Well and Living Fully

"We don't beat the reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well and living fully." This quote from Randy Pausch, who died today at 47 from pancreatic cancer, is worth remembering and living.

Randy Pausch was the professor at Carnegie Mellon whose "Last Lecture" and book of the same name became a best seller and the lecture is very popular on YouTube. He lived a full life, all of his life and made a difference in other people's life.

I became interested in him because of the pancreatic cancer. When I was working at Choice Mortgage there were five young men in our extended circle of appraisers, loan officers, title officers, real estate officers, etc. who had this pancreatic cancer and all in their mid 40's. It seemed so odd to me and evidently this Randy wanted more research done on pancreatic cancer and donated funds for such because it is not exactly clear what causes it and very difficult to cure.

In the first video Randy states he originally did the last lecture, not for the 400 watching at Mellon College, but for his three children who will watch it someday. In the second video he states he waited until 39 to marry because he had never found anyone until then whose happiness meant more to him than his own and then he picks her up and carries her off the stage.

Both videos are worth taking the time to watch and learn from. I hope you enjoy your life all of your life and live your dreams each day.

California Pizza Barbeque Chicken Salad

Once again I tried one of the recipes out of the "Insider's Recipe Book" I keep on my desktop and sent to you all. Yes, Maria, there were a lot of ingredients I had to buy and I was still out of black beans so went without them but I tried the California Pizza 'Barbeque Chicken Salad' and it was really good.

Instead of mixing all the ingredients together for the salad part, I kept them in separate dishes and just did a 'pile on' salad. That way I can have salad over several days. Marjorie came on Sunday and she liked it as well.

I couldn't make my barbeque turn on easily (I am a whimp) so I just did oven barbequeing of the chicken but it was still great.

Anyway, love that book. Going to try the Big Boy's Strawberry Pie (used to be one of our favorites back in the good ole days) and it uses a can of 7-up!! And Maria, there is a recipe for funnel cake.

Mysteries of My Simple Life

Those birds I thought were geese are actually some game playing crows and they had a conference in my backyard so I know for sure. They appear to chase each other through the trees and call to each other and their caw is a very noisy, very irritating sound, in fact. I need to get a bird book, I am getting so many different kinds of birds bathing in my bird baths.

Another strange thing. I have been having fun making tootsie rolls and trying to make them without having them sugar or get too hard, etc. The recipe calls for the milk to be added after the candy has been removed from the fire. Today I forgot and put it in with the sugar, cocoa etc. Strangely it totally changed the texture, though the ingredients were the same. The candy became hard like a lollipop instead of chewy. Does anyone understand why?

What's New in Lake Almanor?

Lots of new and large and expensive homes, that is what's new. What a lot of building has gone on...and the lavish landscaping, makes my feeble efforts look very puny. Lake Almanor Country Club is truly becoming a rich man's playground...good thing I am happy to stay in my own backyard with my own set of marbles.

I took some old clothes to the thrift store at the Fire Station and then wandered back on Peninsula to the market. The tennis courts have a store that has cute clothes and other fun things to buy. The food wagon has a big presence at the swimming hole. The place the Pulsiphers have rented (hope it went through) is really fantastic and no one was staying here this week. The Kodiak restaurant has been purchased by someone new and is supposed to be very good called the Q or something like that. The eatery at the miniature golf course is bragging to be the best hamburgers in town.

The boat docks seemed filled with summer boaters but the lake still looks empty. Saw several fisherman in boats by the bridge the other day near Chester. It has not been too hot, in fact in the mid 40's at 6 in the morning but warms up to the 70's quite quickly and in the 80's if you stand in the sun. Beautiful for visitors.

Haven't been to any of the concerts yet but I can hear them and everyone seems happy with them. Monday night dances at the clubhouse are popular I guess but dinner is too expensive for my budget even on that night, $17. Dinner's at Dianna's (clubhouse) are in the $22 to & $29 range for those who want a lush night out other nights of the week. The Peninsula Market has changed hands and is really looking good plus has lots of deli sandwiches and salads as well as terrific looking meat for barbequing. Expensive but nice. As I say it is really getting to be the playground of the rich. Just saw a lakeside lot for sale for $1,300,000 and that is just for the lot!!!!

I am also hearing the honking of geese in my area which I do not remember before. Usually they are down a little closer to the lake. Really noisy. Seems to take a pass or two and then move on and quiet is restored.

Anyway things are looking very prosperous around here. Dyer Mountain Ski/Sun Project is still in foreclosure but they are saying they are just dealing with investors and it is still a go... I am hoping, of course, it never goes. There has already been too much change since I moved here 9 years ago. On the road down to Peninsula Market from Clifford there is another "lots for sale" project as more and more homes are built for the summer crowd.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the airport is really improved and expanded so there must be some of the rich that do fly in.

PS Another postive is that one of the homes at the backside of my lot put in deer pleasing grass so the deer are staying away from my place except for potty breaks and sleeping in the night and do most of their eating further back yonder...Yea!

My Sister Carole's Clan

The Fuqua's gathered at Silver Gate over the 4th and posed for some pictures. Carole and Len have 5 boys and one daughter plus spouses, girlfriends and grandchildren. Good looking group. Carole is the blonde in the back.

Maria Recuperating

I meant to take pictures yesterday when I went to Susanville to show that Maria was recuperating but instead I didn't take a pix and left my cell phone instead. What can I say? It is who I am these days.

It is always a scare when you get a call and a child is in the hospital or worse. Our children are supposed to be stronger, healthier, wealthier, and happier than their parents. That is what we hope for anyway.

I enjoyed seeing Maria up and about and Mitch and Melissa and spending a whole afternoon with them. Melissa said I was enabling them to be lazy by waiting on them with a dinner. I told her they were enabling me to serve them.

I am blessed with the most wonderful children and grandchildren and even the most wonderful great granddaughter that anyone could ever ask for and I am eternally grateful for that. Richard is missing so much just as my Dad missed so much and John is missing so much. Why are they taken before they get to enjoy their children grown up and meet the grandchildren? I don't understand that.

As we learned on Sunday it will have to be in the millenium when we spend a lot of time together.

Anyway I hope you are feeling better for your trip to Italy, Maria, and am so happy you have a strong heart after all!

Summer Sprucing

One trip to Susanville and one trip to church costs $18.25 now so I stay at home a lot. Mostly I try and make things grow but Dee Dee, who has lived here a long time, says it won't happen unless I haul in new dirt! And we know that is not happening. Anyway notice how everything is reaching toward the south trying to get sun.

This soil is nothing but tree roots, what can I say, they are doing the best they can with no good soil and not much sun.

New stain on the front and back decks looks good but notice that the shady, rootfilled flower beds are not too happy.

Regardless, with temps between 60-80 during the day, it is a wonderful place to be right now. I love it.

More Lillies Blooming

What's New at my House?

With the river rock Matt helped me gather on July 5th I am within two feet of finishing my river rock walk from front to back. With all the ups an downs and etc. it is probably not too safe to walk on but looks kind of neat I think. And all those lillies I planted in cages last year are paying off! At least they will grow in my impoverished dirt...

Celebrating the 4th

The 4th of July was celebrated as usual watching the parade in Chester. It couldn't hold a candle to the parades we used to have in Glendive but it surely draws a huge crowd each year. Marjorie bought me Lions Club barbeque for lunch and we perused all the craft booths. We even indulged in a shake and sundae from the new Ice Cream and Burger stand at Peterson's Place and it was very good. Will be good competition to Frosties down the street.

In the evening there was Mexican fare with Maria, Mitch, Matt, and Melissa at my house but no trip to the beach! The day turned out cooler than usual with a breeze and we watched videos instead and I forgot to take pictures again. Other than that it was a lovely day and I was happy to have Matt spend the night and catch up on all the yard duties the next day...fixed my chimney, cleaned out all the gutters, swept the roof, new light bulbs as needed and even took me to the river and helped me gather a lot of river rock. So much easier with muscle around. Thank you, Matt.

And Mitch, before he left on the 4th, did figure out how to do that dictate and write program I have in Word! Good ole Microsoft. I had no idea I had that capability. Should come in handy when my hands are too stiff to type. Richard would be so happy to finally be able to dictate into the computer, a program he was always pursuing. Thank you, Mitch.

The Simple Things in Life...

Robin Red Breast takes a Bath...

Since I made my bird baths, it has been a delight to watch the birds take their bath. They dip and shake about 4 times before relinquishing the bath to a friend. I notice the squirrels like to drink from the bath but will not get in.

Which reminds me, Bandido must have a bath today, he loves to dig and roll in the dirt. This has always seemed very strange to me since he is supposedly a lap dog. Guess he is just a mutt, after all. And that is the exciting life of Grandma Janet this week.

China and the Church

Since some of you are talking about teaching English in China, this is something you should know. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not legally recognized in China. The Church has gained their trust, however, by understanding their restrictions and complying with them. So members can meet together in rented halls or homes but:

• There are no Church owned facilities in mainland China.
• No proselyting of any kind is permitted.
• Religious materials may not be shipped in or distributed.
• No Chinese nationals may be invited to join in the meetings.
• LDS.org lists places to meet, you cannot hold services on your own.
• Avoid religious discussions with Chinese nationals. If they ask you questions, answer basic facts and end the religious conversation.

You are encouraged to be an example of goodness through acts of kindness.

I was surprised at all this since Hong Kong has a Temple and meeting houses and missionaries. Of course, they are separate countries.

"Bachelorette" lovers out there?

I suppose I am the only one of my family who has avidly watched the "Bachelorette" this year. But it has been the best season yet! There has been so much honest emotion displayed. And Deanna is something else. Wow, I wish I had been as wise and confident as she is at 26. She had those guys all in check. I did not like the fact she had three over nights but I choose to believe they were just spending the time alone away from cameras getting better acquainted and not having full on overnights. That part of the Bachelor and Bachelorette has always seemed very strange to me. When you know you are only going to choose one in a week or two, let us keep our virtue!

At any rate I will go on record as saying she is going to choose Jesse, the snowboarder, which is a far cry from what I would have thought at the beginning of the season. But he is so fun, honest, with such integrity and good values and it turns out a passionate and romantic guy and I believe without a lot of baggage and hangups as some of the other guys have. He is truly an original. I think she will choose that. Jason is who I wanted always from the beginning and he is also a very sincere, fun, loving guy with great integrity and with the same Greek heritage as she has. I think she can't lose by choosing either one but I think she will choose Jesse. She gave up the moody guys who were high maintenance even if they might have been better providers and be better looking. She is a very wise gal.

Fire Update!!

Fire Update! After Kathy telling me someone told her they were calling in the National Guard and planning to evacuate the homes on the East and West Shore I talked to Bro Smailes. He has a forestry business and lives south of us. He assured me that the fires were all to the west of us and any near us are very small. That is why there is so much smoke, it is that the fires are smoldering rather than flaming high.

It is so gorgeous here today, 70 something, no wind at all, no smoke, just lovely.

Eating Frenzy...

Today I really blew it, I had 10 peanut butter cookies and 1/2 gallon of ice cream. I haven't eaten cookies or ice cream for months! I will be sick all night I am sure.

Why did I do it? I wish I knew, but there is something so soothing about ice cream and crunchy cookies. I guess I just needed it and they were there. For somebody else, of course, at least that is what I tell myself.

Sleeping Bandido

I've never seen Bandido sleep in this position before...

My Dad

On Father's Day I was telling the Valko children about the all-around athlete that my Dad was in his high school days. This would have been taken around 1920-22. He had many medals and trophies from his track, football and basketball.

Here his hair is greased down but on close up you can see that it was very wavy and evidently it used to stand up in curls as he was nicknamed 'Snowball'.

1917-18 Freshman Brigham City then out of school one year because of flu epidemic 1918-1919 Worked in Saddle Dept of Salt Lake Hardware 1919-20 Sophmore Salt Lake City--lettered in Basketball and Track 1920-21 Junior in Blackfoot, Idaho--lettered in Basketball and Track 1921-22 Senior in Blackfoot, Idaho--lettered in Basketball, Football, Track and was Student Body President as well

First store experience in 1919 for two weeks at Golden Rule in Ogden, Utah--during summer of 1919 and 1920 he worked on building the Stakehouse in Blackfoot with his Father and two brothers Arlow and Lorin.

After graduation in 1922 (born Jan 5, 1903) he moved to Ogden, Utah to work in shoe department of the Golden Rule Store. He met Ethel Larson there and married her on Nov 6, 1923. She was the only one in her family born in America as her parents had joined the church in Sweden in the 1890's and one by one came to Ogden, Utah where she was born in 1902.

Dad's great grandfather Anders Petterson of Kalmar, Sweden was a student and lover of the bible and his conversion to the church is a good story for another day. His wife had died when she was 44 in 1865 and left him with 10 children. He was converted along with some of his children and came to America in the 1880's.

Dad's great grandfather and great grandmother Lillywhite joined the church in England in the early 1840's and they came to America in 1847 and that is also a fascinating story for another day.

Ancestors and such...

This week I received a wedding notice and a funeral notice, both from cousins I have not met or knew only as a child. Neither are having LDS ceremonies which made me contemplate how many descendants are in or out of the Church and why.

For instance, in my mother's and dad's families, they were the only ones who had all of their children stay in the Church. Since they raised them as the only LDS family (most of the time) in their community, that is quite remarkable.

My newest great granddaughter Kate is a 8, or 9th generation Mormon on her mother's side depending on which line you follow back to the first ones to join the Church. Every one of her lines had early roots in the Church.

Most of her ancestors joined in the 1840-1850 era with one line joining in the 1890 era. This means her ancestors have been in the Church for over 150 years.

So what happened and why to those who are not. I can only speak for the lines I know, I cannot speak for the others. But I can see that in the first generation a couple of the boys and one of the daughters married out of the Church. Their children did not stay in the church even if they were baptized originally. None of their descendants that I know are in the Church.

There was also at least one of the children of the second generation who became caught up in alcohol. She had no children. Next generation a few more marry out of the Church and then some of their children marry out of the Church and a few get caught up in alcohol. And it appears that there is an addictive strain in the blood line so none of the descendants should take that first drink and take the chance.

And so it goes--descendants are not in the church either because 1--They were not taught by their parents and never gained a testimony of the Gospel (like the Lamanites) I call this the Lamanite Predicament or 2-they got caught up in the worldly things and teachings of the world and strayed away. I call this the Nehor Aspect. It is the problems of the original followers of Christ all over again.

The problem is that one person leaving the church leads to all their descendants being out of the Church as well and never having the choice to know for themselves whether the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

When I think of all that our ancestors went through to join the true Church, against family and friends, and giving up all they had to get to America and join the Saints and the great testimonies that have been born by them in the way they lived, it makes me very sad generations of descendants will never know what they knew.

On a positive note, I have never heard of any that are anything but upstanding citizens, educated, living noble and christian lives and that is a real blessing and shows the strength and goodness of the original ancestors coming through. It is just sad that they never knew the joy of the fullness of the Gospel in their lives.

Good Mood Diet!

And another simple 'GOOD MOOD DIET' (Linda and Maria, you will like this one!) This also lends credence to the "after school snack" of cookies or Indian Fry Bread that I held to when raising my children...

..."That brings us to Granddad's cookies, which can brighten your spirits when eaten judiciously. (Incidentally, carb snacking may be more effective for women because they produce substantially less serotonin than men do.) Now, you won't want to try this regimen if you have diabetes or are prediabetic. But if you qualify, try raising your mood-lifting serotonin levels a couple of times a day by doing the following:

1-Include protein in each of your three meals.

This will raise blood levels of tryptophan, a chemical that eventually turns into serotonin. The best sources of tryptophan are poultry, seafood, and lean meat.

2-Have a small carbohydrate snack about 3 or 4 hours after each meal and about 1 hour before your next one.

Make sure that your stomach is empty and that you eat no protein between meals. The carbohydrates should be easily digestible — such as one or two oatmeal cookies, a third of a bagel, a slice of whole wheat bread. This will cause tryptophan in your blood to enter the brain, where it is metabolized into serotonin. Elevated serotonin will improve your mood within 20 to 30 minutes.

If you follow the rules, you'll also fall asleep more quickly at night, because at the end of the day, your brain metabolizes serotonin into the natural sleep aid melatonin. From happy to sleepy, all by way of a cookie. It doesn't get much cheerier than that!"

Thomas Crook, PhD, a clinical psychologist, has conducted extensive research to improve our understanding of how the brain works. He is a former research program director at the National Institute of Mental Health and is CEO of Cognitive Research Corp. in St. Petersburg, FL. Provided by Prevention

Fire, Fire, Fire, Raging all About!

There are so many fires up here there is a continual smoky haze under the sun and it makes the day a strange color. You can smell the smoke, too. However, there are not any fires in Plumas County as yet so the smoke is coming from both directions but not too close.

We cannot burn any fires outside, no fires on the beach and no fireworks anywhere at all. We cannot even burn in our wood stoves unless the screen guard is on the top part of our chimney and mine is not. I have to call the chimney sweeper and get him out to fix my chimney and clean it as well.

I have one huge pile left to burn from the last wind storm we had but my fire permit is up June 30 and I doubt they will lift restrictions by then. Evidently our trees are very dry and combustible. It is very sad.

The Nightmare or Reality?

I was so glad it was a dream! or Nightmare that is...haven't had one like this for a long time. It had all the elements of every worst nightmare I have---

I am lost so stop to ask for directions to a school where I am to teach...

With directions in my mind I start down the stairs and...

I find I have lost my purse that has my keys to my car, my money, name of school where I am to be...

I think I left my purse where I asked directions so I try to find the place again...

I go up and down countless stairs with many, many people on the stairs but I can't find which floor of this huge building I was on...

It is time for school to start, I must find a phone to call...

I can't find anyone to ask to use their phone though there are countless people everywhere...

I am praying frantically all through my search...

Finally my prayers are answered and I wake up!!

Hey, alone, lost, no money, no job...

Why don't I dream about the good parts of my life instead of the bad...

Sunny cool days, time to play, lovely home, neat yard, money in the bank, good food, nice clothes, faithful Bandido, friends and family to email and phone, beautiful scenery out my door, beautiful music to listen to, good literature and scriptures to read, the gospel in my life, big tv with good stories to watch, nice car in the garage--why don't I dream about all that?

So which is reality, what I think I have in the day time or the fears and nightmares in the night? I will ponder that today as I play...

Janet does Barbeque!

I did it!!! For the first time in my life, I lit the barbeque all by myself and actually cooked my dinner on it! For some reason it has intimidated me. I did Tilapia fish which I ate a lot of in Texas. It is very mild, they usually blackened it with spices. When I found it up here and so cheap I tried it and liked it and now that I can cook it outside and not have the fish smell, I will eat it often. Someone told me the reason it is so cheap is that it is home grown in hatcheries so no cost of catching them. Anyway I am proud of myself. You can get two huge shrink wrapped ready to cook fish for $2.00!

It's a Good Life!

Lovely day without a hint of breeze but not hot at all. Yesterday was a very lovely day. Lesson went well. I think I have figured out what I need to do to compensate for my poor memory and fatigued eyesight to keep the lesson moving along. Now if my ears dim we are really in trouble.

We have new missionaries and they both came up and complimented me on the lesson. Charming, good looking boys. On the way out I asked them if they had plans for lunch and they didn't so I invited them over. I couldn't imagine what we were going to have but thank heaven there are things in my freezer. Next time I will be better prepared.

But Elder Nolen, the football player from Tennessee loves to grill and I had cleaned the grill yesterday so he flavored and grilled chicken. Very good. I had some frozen muffins and cookies and veggies. If I would shop on Friday instead of Monday we would have been in really great shape.

Anyway both had charming manners and swept the patio from yesterday's storm (have to eat on the patio with a single lady) took the garbage to the curb, set table, cooked the chicken, very nice guys. And Elder Nolen showed me specifically how to turn my grill on and off and all the little details that guys know. I will have to write it down quick before I forget. I have been wanting to do fish out there as I do not like the smell in the house and I am very intimidated by the gas, etc.

I should have taken their picture, they are definitely granddaughter material. Elder Witt from Chicago will be at BYU in the fall and Elder Nolen will be going to back to Tennessee in a couple years. He is a soccer player but specifically for college he is a football kicker and Elder Witt says he is really good.

Today I was out early and cleaned up all the branches so now I am off to the library for the book I ordered called "Suite Francaise" so I can spend the rest of the day reading. Yea. Oh yes, and I already have my lesson completed and printed out for next Sunday. That doesn't often happen this early in the week. I am either very efficient or just do not have enough to keep me busy.

Mary emailed from Iowa and said it is ridicilous that they need people so badly and I am already trained and not out there. She was going to email Dave to see if he could do anything. She said there were 300 in line in Des Moines yesterday and only 35 to take care of them. You are supposed to only take about 20 min with each but it often takes longer. Even then it would make it a long wait for the people and SBA does not like that. She thinks it is going to be as big as Katrina...

Melissa the Gourmet Cook

Every day without a stomach ache is a good day for me and Melissa planned a meal to put us in a good mood and I am still in a good mood so it must have worked. I have half of it left for dinner tomorrow so that is good. I haven't craved any sweets either so it must have been just perfect. Thank you, Melissa and Maria!

Yesterday I vomited part of a bottle of Spinach Dip plus the chips. It was Tostitos and I am sure there was nothing wrong with it except I cannot tolerate some of those ingredients they use. Just have to stick to natural foods.

I suited up today and thought I would finally get a swim in the lake but a freak storm came up and sent us scurrying. Now I have firewood to gather from all over my yard, especially from the cedar trees, they must be especially brittle...

Then off to work on my B of M lesson. It is all about destruction being poured upon the Nephites because of their hardened hearts and wickedness. Is history repeating itself? I agree with Maria we need the prayers and obedience of the righteous in these tumultuous times. It is interesting how many emails are calling for that right now so there must be a lot of people thinking the same thing. I liked this quote from a man who had a mighty change of heart from his unfulfilled living. "I never knew how miserable I was until I found out how happy I could be."

Music We Love to Hear

Today I was thinking how interesting the different music on the blogs of my daughters, granddaughter, and I. So what makes us like the different kinds of music? Many of their artists and songs I have never heard before but I like them. So much of what we like is just what we are introduced to.

Speaking for myself, some songs are just beautiful like "Lady in Red" and "Hold Me Till the Morning Comes"--no special artist I like, no special memory it brings to mind, just like to hear them.

Most of the songs I liked in high school, I do not care for presented by the artists or movies of that time but when reprisals are made by Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Steve Tyrell, Linda Rondstadt etc. I love the music and memories they bring back.

Some songs I have learned to love just by hearing them over and over. During the 2001 disaster in Texas I had a car that had a CD in it of Burt Bacharach songs and I still love to listen to them. That disaster Julie introduced me to Phil Collins and his music. In Spurger, Texas after Hurricane Rita, one of the young management guys introduced me to Al Green, in Galveston, the FEMA computer guy had me buy John Lennon and I learned to love his songs, Randy in Guam reintroduced the Bee Gees and introduced Don Henley songs. My car partner in Guam helped set up my speakers and said I was listening to Reggae--never was sure which they were. It was Hurricane Isabel that I listened to Elton John so much and remembered John had listened to him so much in high school.

Some songs like "I Cried For You" reminded me of Richard and it is very beautiful as well. And it is true, often a song reminds you of a certain person, a certain place, a memory, a time in space and so we want to hear it again and again and remember. It tells a story to us that no one else knows.

Garth Brooks song "Dance" just makes me embrace the heartbreaks I have had in life and so is a positive plus good listening. Our record player when I was in high school was in the living room so whoever was in there had to listen. I remember my Dad casually walking over and stopping the record player after I had played "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" about 10 times. He never said a word.

I discovered Michael Ball while grieving for Richard. Which reminds me of all the old tapes I have in a carton. They are mostly oldies and Richard liked to carry them in his car and play them when he was showing property to one of his "older" clients. They really loved that music. He never got much into music but he knew they did.

I remember when grandson Michael was riding with me and very calmly said, "Grandma, I think I'm going to be sick if I have to listen to this music." When Meagan was riding with me just a few years ago, she said, "Grandma, I didn't know you were such a romantic." The grandchildren have often asked me to listen to a song to see if I liked it. It is a different beat than I am used to but they usually know which ones I will like.

I love the versatility of going from Rock, to Classic, to Country, to Ballads, etc. It is a wonderful world of music and I am always happy to find a new one I love to hear over and over... I just happened on Chris Botti and his sax, love sax...

My all time favorite?--"Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Listen to Connie Talbot sing it. She sings it like it should be sung. So many artists ruin it by changing the tune. I asked Jacob to learn it to sing at my funeral. Not sure he remembers.

So how do you choose the music you listen to?

Facts About Kissing

Not that these facts will do me any good--but I thought it was interesting. How do you do with No 8? I could only come up with 15 that I remember... 29? That is a lot...

10 Quirky Facts about Kissing By Laura Schaefer

Think you know a thing or two about kissing? You probably do. But the facts below are so off the beaten path, we’ll bet you don’t know them all—and they could come in handy. Not only could they provide some steamy “Did you know…?” chit chat, but they’ll help you see all the benefits a satisfying lip lock can bring into your life. Happy smooching!

1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.

2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that’s a rigorous workout!

3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.

4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.

5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing.

6. Ever wonder how an “X” came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.

7. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.

8. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married.

9. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t.

10. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you’ve beaten that record, it’s time to celebrate!

Midwest Flooding

Reading about the devastation in the Midwest from all the flooding is very heart breaking. The thing that always bothered me when I was working the disasters is that the rest of the nation is hardly aware when people are on the brink of losing everything. This was a quote today that really struck me:

"For some it's a bad year, a terrible year," he said as he cleared corn stalks from the propeller of his boat. "But for some, it's the end."

What do you do when it is the 'end'? Hopefully the government or churches or friends step in and help but so many are totally unaware when it is the "end" for anyone.

I will never forget when we had lunch in a small town on the way to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina. The waitress was totally unaware of what was happening. Strangely I have found if you happen to miss the news when the little blurb is on, you don't know about the tragedies of people's lives. Everyone goes on talking about movie stars, politics, losing weight, buying cars and life goes on as before.

I remember when Richard's brother died. After the funeral and his return to San Diego he was having a hard time realizing that other people's lives go on the same when his world had been turned upside down and would never be the same again.

Still it is gratifying to read about all those who come out to help. I was reading about the yellow shirted LDS youth who were cleaning out all the debris and damaged walls from homes, working long hours serving these older people who couldn't do it themselves or afford to pay someone else to do it. And all of the yellow shirted that were there sandbagging in every TV blip I saw. Every disaster I was in the yellow shirted LDS were always there. It is always amazing to others how quickly they can be organized and get people or trucks of food out to others.

Richard would have so loved to go on one of the Humanitarian missions that they have today...

Collins Pine Co Museum

Today we had an interesting Enrichment Meeting. We met for lunch by the Feather River in Chester Park and then toured the Collins Pine Co Museum in Chester.

The museum debuted last summer but I had never heard of it. It is actually very interesting and educational. I think all my family visitors here should put it on their "To Do" list.

Have any of you heard of "FSC" and certified wood? I had not either but it is a must for everyone to know...

I also heard an interesting thing on the radio driving home. You can call and get a book called "The Bible vs The Book of Mormon" which is so ridiculous. How anyone could write a whole book on that issue and not realize that the Bible and Book of Mormon go to together as two witnesses of Jesus Christ--they are definitely not opposed to one another or opposites in any way. The Bible takes place in the land of Israel and surrounding countries and the Book of Mormon mostly takes place in the Americas. There is so many untruths out there, it is sad...

My Backyard

My yard has never been so clean this early in the season! I have several lillies just about ready to bloom and I am so worried the deer are going to eat them as they did last year. Today I watched one walk right on by though, so I am thinking the 'Liquid Fence' is working.

It is so perfectly quiet and lovely right now. I just love looking out into the peaceful vista...

SBA Friends Call from Cedar Rapids

Emmett is standing behind me in red... Mary is here with Sirdon, and he is also out there...

Two of my SBA friends called today from Cedar Rapids. Mary, who I worked with in Beaumont, and Emmett, who was my leader in Baton Rouge are car partners. And chatting realized they both knew me.

They are trying to figure out how to get me out there. Emmett said he knew someone in Personnel and was going to ask him how I can get switched over to CSR easily so I can get some work. Hope he finds out something good, but the system is so different now, I am not holding my breath.

Anyway good people, and I was happy to talk with them. They said if they were successful in getting me out there, I might be mad at them when I got there...

At any rate, I appreciate them thinking about me and trying...