Recipes

I was looking through Rachel's blog this morning at 4:30 (Yes, my inner alarm clock is going off even before school starts)and there were several mentions to this website,The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. for recipes so I thought I would look. Nancy, even you can cook with these instructions! (Read that with a laugh.) There are step by step pictures of what it "should" look like as you cook and prepare the recipe. And they are all just ingredients you can buy at a regular store, or Walmart grocery section. Nothing fancy, just home-town cooking. They all look wonderful. Maybe I will try one this week.

Temples

Yesterday in Relief Society we had a lesson on attending the temple. I needed that lesson because it has been a while since I was able to go to the temple. Or should I say, since I chose to spend my time at the temple. I have lots of good excuses, but they are just excuses. Spending time in the temple always seems to clear my head and I feel the blessings of a calmer spirit for several days after going. So why do I wait so long between my trips there?

Being in Utah you would think it would be easy to just "run over" to the temple. But we are a two hour drive and right now that is expensive with gas prices so high. Someone in Relief Society said "We should go while gas is only $4.25 instead of waiting until it is $4.50 or more." What a good way to look at it. We really just need to do it. Selma also mentioned that the stairs are so hard for her. I remember being worried about them the last time I went, but I was able to make it up the large flight of stair alright. Even though it was difficult to breath. Now I am feeling better with breathing and our knees are all working better, that isn't even a good excuse any more.

Cranessa Mower and her husband, Bill Anderson, came in and shared their story about how they made the trip to the temple. Cranessa started to go with the Relief Society women to do baptisms and she would come home so excited about being able to go to the temple, but feeling that she wanted to go with the others to do an endowment session. She struggled with this for several years, until her husband started to see the spirit she came home with and felt he needed that in his life as well. They went to the temple in February of this year. They had such a special spirit about them. He talked about how much the Book of Mormon has helped him gain a stronger testimony. It was really special to see and feel their spirits.

Even though it takes us 4 hours of travel round trip to attend the temple, we are blessed to have a temple! We had a couple from India visiting our ward today. They brought such a great spirit with them. He is attending LDS Business College. They knew Kent when he was on his mission. This brother said all the priesthood leaders in their ward had been members just about a year, the bishop, counselors, Elders President, etc. They all decided they wanted to go on missions, but they were worried about what would happen to their branch. But they all went and when they returned the branch had more than doubled, split and ready to split again. What a blessing. Do we really appreciate what we have? Our attendance at meetings has been so sparse, it is like no one is there. We are really struggling with activitation and motivation.

I love the gospel. It brings peace to my mind and I enjoy the calming spirit I get when I read and attend my meetings. I enjoy the peace knowing that God is in charge and I just need to do my best and things will work out for my good. The clue is to look for that good, to do what I should, to keep trying to better myself through study and prayer.

More Experiments

Experimenting With a Video.

We had such a great weekend with some of our grandchildren. We really missed having Tyler there with us and hope that we can all be together one of these days. It was great that Max and Morgan were in the area, so we took them, along with Lexi, Kayden, and Koy to the zoo. Aunt Nicky was so generous to come along and help us keep track of the kids. It was fun and everyone was so nice. It did get hot the last hour and that push up the hill was hard. I was so glad to have good lungs again, and so proud of myself for being able to walk and push the strollers up and down the hills. I only got winded because of hard work, not tight with lung problems. I was able to breathe deeply and not suffer from the bad asthma. Dad and I were able to walk all day without sore knees. We are so thankful for our good health again. Artificial knees, lungs and all the other problems were forgotten when we laughed with the kids. In the evening we went to Chuck E. Cheese's and had a great time there. Poor little Morgan cried so hard when it was time to go. She broke our hearts. It made up for the laughing we did when she just couldn't decide which animal to ride on the carousel. Kayden was content with riding on a bench, the only thing he would get on. And at dinner he actually took a piece of pizza and ate it! We were so proud of this little man for eating something. He had to be pumped full of fluid during the night, but he ate food, not just bread sticks. In all, it was a great day with those who were there. Thanks kids, for letting Grandma and Grandpa have such a great time! We love you! Tyler, we are looking foward to coming to Arizona and spending time with you. So here is my experiment with adding a video.

No Dynamite!

It was too quiet this morning. No waking up to the blast of dynamite. What a strange morning. I think this is the first time in my lifetime that our little town hasn't been woken up on the morning of July 24 by the booming. What is this world coming to? No parade, no celebration. It is sad. There is a picnic at the stake center this evening, so there will be a celebration of the pioneers, but how sad that our valley isn't honoring our pioneer past. I wonder if Willie will fly past, just as a tradition?

I always enjoyed the July 24th celebrations here in town. I have wonderful memories of the little parade when I was a child, the program at the church with kids singing pioneer songs, the relays and games at the park. I even remember the games at the "old" rodeo ground right in our backyard. Yes, there was a rodeo area where the tennis court, road, and lawn is now. So much has changed. We had pillow fights, rope ladders to climb, just a lot of fun. Today, nothing.

One year I was in Washington, D.C. on the 24th of July. I was there for the Invent America competition with my third grade student (who won first prize!). We were visiting the Congressional offices of our congressmen and senators. I don't remember exactly who we were visiting, but the people there were getting ready for their own Pioneer Day parade. They decorated up the office chairs with streamers and flags and proceeded to push the chairs up and down the hallways, waving to everyone on the parade route. It was fun to see them remembering a Utah tradition. I think even the Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho people joined them. That was a celebration I will never forget because it was so far away.

I am spending the day working on my talk for church on Sunday. Just trying to get my thoughts organized in a logical way. I have been asked to talk about "faith." Not like we haven't had a trial of our faith the past few years. As I look back now, I can see how my faith in Christ has grown or deepened, but it is sure hard to see it as we face those trials.

Looking forward to seeing most of my grandchildren tomorrow. Can you send Tyler up here for the day to join us?

I Got a Laugh Out of This

This one is especially for Dallas! You may have already seen this, but I think it is funny. I am sure you can connect with the humor. Hope you like it. I don't enjoy the music so I turn it down, but I laugh at the content.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vobUoKQRZdA

It's Quiet Around Here

We are trying to adjust to the quiet here in our home. We are missing the kids a lot, but we are keeping busy getting things done that just weren't a priority before. We got the living room carpets and furniture cleaned. Word of warning for Tammy: Be careful with the strawberry milk...some stains don't come out. There are a few choice pink spots near the love seat that are there for good. Probably because of the "red" coloring, so be sure to wipe it up as soon as possible. However, the pink on the couches did come off. Don't know why some did and some didn't. We also got the den mostly cleaned up and the clutter organized. There were just so many papers that needed to be chucked. The back bedroom is ready for the bed to be put back in when we get time. I am hoping to get to the hallway closet today, and on Saturday we attack the basement.

I went to school yesterday to work on the computer class we have scheduled for August. Now it looks like the computer lab won't be up and running by then. We are STILL waiting for carpet and then the computers have to be put back in. The carpet was supposed to be put in the second week in June and we are still waiting. I don't understand why the authorities don't start screaming and insisting things get done. Here we are wanting training and we can't do it. If we wait until school starts it is too hard to get teachers to stay late. They have too many excuses to put in more time in school, which I don't blame them. But I have put in a lot of time to get ready for this and I am getting frustrated. It is time the administrators get things rolling!

OK, off my soap box. Hope everyone has a great day!

It Has Been Found!

The case of the missing refridgerator vent cover has been solved! We are doing some much neglected cleaning today and pulled out the love seat in our small living room and found it! Although we had looked behind the seat many times, it was underneath and at the back. We couldn't see it looking under the seat, or behind. But it has been found! Now it needs a good cleaning and will return to its rightful place.
I don't want anyone to think the cleaning was neglected because of the others living here. We just haven't been able to get to the down and dirty yearly cleaning for several years. Now, some people move enough to get the cleaning done (ha, ha, ha)...but last year I was laid up with knee surgery and all that went along with that.....so we have gone a long time. Now that I am able to breathe and move at the same time, I have this added energy that keeps me going. I actually feel like I can clean and not kill myself. And with only a month to go to the beginning of school, I have lots to get done.
So now, back to the cleaning. Just thought I would let everyone know the vent cover is back! And Tammy found the knob to the heater downstairs so we are set! Now if we could just lose the dirt! When I make my world, gravity will not hold down dust.

How Do You Do That?

How does someone lose the vent/grill cover from the bottom front of the refridgerator? It was there yesterday and Koy had pulled it off and was playing with it. I took it away from him and laid it up against the fridge and didn't think about it again. Now today, it is gone. I don't think he could walk down the steps and outside with it because it would be too long for him to drag behind him. We have looked high and low. Where can something like that hide? And can it be replaced? I guess now we actually have to clean that dirty, ugly space so it doesn't look so gross. But where could it have gone?

Mr. Clean

I have found a new obsession. Where was he when my children were young? For many months I have put off and put off cleaning my kitchen, doorways, hall, bathroom, doors, etc. It just brought back all those memories of working so hard cleaning and scrubbing. Sometimes it was simply better to just paint over the fingerprints. But there was no way we would get painting done this year, so I needed to clean. Then I remembered the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Thinking, "If it works on crayon, marker, and a host of other things, why not fingerprints?" Although my walls had more than "just" fingerprints, I gave it a try. Why did I wait so long? It is as simple as wetting the sponge and wiping the walls. Granted, there were a few spots that I had to go over another time, but not many. I couldn't be happier with the result. Although I do worry about wiping away fingerprints. I think it is the grandmother in me because those fingerprints are so special. But then again, there is a difference between a cute fingerprint and a bunch of dirty, grundgy fingerprints. At least my kitchen is getting clean. Now, what about that stove? There is no hope except for a new one. But, hey, this one is an antique, all of 26 years old. In fact, I have never purchased a stove of my choice, in 30 years of marriage. Where do I begin?