A Gift for Christmas...

I never knew Orchids would bloom in the middle of winter...

I have had this orchid plant for about 5 or 6 years. The only time it has bloomed was when I bought it from the store. I did everything I had learned about orchids, but nothing had ever happened, except it didn't die. I thought the leaves were simple enough and pretty, that I kept it on my kitchen counter, and just enjoyed it as it was.

You know sometimes I think that Heavenly Father knows when we need a special gift.

This whole year has been difficult and hard for us, extremes, that we have not been use to. This Christmas season has been unreal for me. Not having a Christmas, as we have found ourselves not having enough money, and having to make what little we do have, stretch for five more months, has been extremely hard in keeping the warmth of Christmas inside. We never have had enough to have a large, or fancy Christmas, as other family's do. But it seemed to be filling and rewarding.

I am so use to the abundance of Christmas music, planning personal gifts, both for my family, and a few friends and neighbors. The warmth and smell of Christmas, even the baking of goodies. The Christmas lights inside and out. The Christmas tree, in all its glory. All the little things, like trading personal cut snowflakes, and tapeing them on the window. And tapeing the Christmas cards up for all to see how beautiful they are. I love the snowflakes from my family...they are so special.

I try to do some sort of service project this time of the year, in years past I have often felt like I was floating above the ground, while planning and working at it.

All my children are grown with family of their own, They are the light of my life.
But this year they are branching out in new areas of life, and I don't hear about them as often as I use to.

Feeling down and abandoned all month, and wishing this month was over so I wouldn't have to suffer with the sadden emotions, that somehow often stick in my throat.

I turned and was surprised to see a funny stick, vine thing coming out from my Orchid plant.

I have watched it over several days. It was in no hurry... Three buds formed, and the first one has gotten bigger, Two days ago, it slowly started opening. It is so beautiful. A deep pink, purple in color has left me admiring the creativeness of the delicate blossom. I wonder if he thinks I am funny, often bending down to look inside this flower, before it has finished opening.

This little flower has brightened my day. I think Heavenly Father knew I needed something to keep me going... How elts can you explain Orchids blooming in the middle of a snowy winter...

Perhaps a gift for Christmas...


Update...The orchid plant has bloomed all three blossoms for Christmas Day, very unusual...

Interesting Thought...

A Quote taken from the blog called "Stone roads"


Interesting Quote

"The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
Cicero – in 55 BC

“So, What have we learned in 2000 years? Evidently nothing.”
Me – in 2008 AD

Be Thankful...

"Joy is not found in the waiting rooms of our dream of tomorrows.
True joy must be found in the crowded, complex, painful, challenging, cluttered rooms of "right now." Sister Jaroldeen Edwards.

Take the time to enjoy the things around you that bring beauty into your eyes. Don't be in such a hurry that you pass things by that the Lord has created to brighten and uplift your day. Spend a little time to be grateful for blessings that make our lives a little better. Do something to make someone elts feel happier today... :)

First hot rolls....

Today was the Family Home Evening for the 50+ Singles in our Stake. Lynn and I have been working with the Single program for almost four years. Maralee, and Claud Parkinson who have been our leaders, were released this last month. Maralee has been making the rolls each month for the dinner. I volunteered to make them for the seniors, because it means so much to them.

After being taught by Maralee, and useing her recipe, I made two pans full. Each pan the size of half sheet cake, and holds 32 rolls.

This evening was centered around Thanksgiving. We were expecting about 40 people or a few more. We ended up with 62 people and 10 take outs, to the home bounds. We ran out of rolls, and Bro.Brown went and bought more.

It made me feel good as the folks felt that Maralee had made the rolls, and they were a big hit. I gave myself a small pat on the back, I had been compared to Maralee, and she is a Queen of Cooks, and a great teacher.

Fall...

I fell today, and it was not a good thing. I saw a black fuzzy jumping spider walking on my vaulted celling. Normally they don't botter me, but since I have moved to Utah the jumping spiders are larger, and more furrier than I have seen before, and they continue to grow. My concern also was for my birds. I didn't want them to get bit or scared.

I tried to reach the spider with my broom. He seeing a broom was after him, let himself down on a web string. Some how I lost my balance and started to fall. I grabbed the rocking chair that was close to me, but it couldn't hold my weight and it toppled with me to the floor. No one could hear me, and I couldn't get up from the floor. It may have been a good thing, because it forced me to sit still for a while. The bad thing is I landed on my left hip and leg. The one I had surgery on just 6 months ago.

I am puzzled as to why I lost my balance so easy...I had no sense of falling till I was in the middle of falling and then it was too late to do anything. I was not standing on anything, just reaching up with a broom, like you would normally do.

As I sat on the floor I watch Mr. Spider crawling all over a wooden kitchen chair that was holding my VCR, and some vidio tapes. Wondering where he was, and how was he going to get off these funny things... He was latter escorted outside by Lynn when he came in from tilling Fall leafs into the garden soil...

This is the third fall I have had since I have lived in Utah. One was while I was showering. The other was while I was sitting on the bathtub side. both were before I had hip surgery. But I don't know why I seem to be losing my sense of balance...

Halloween...

I Love the fall time of the year. Changes all around me, such as the turning of the leaves from green to orange, red, brown, and yellow. It seems that Mother nature has taken the time to paint fall time beautiful, the last glimpse of radiant color before the beauty of winter times begins.

I Love Halloween, Its the beginning of the Holidays. Mostly filled with beautiful keepsakes displayed within our homes. A time for making our family happy, watching smiling faces. A feeling of warmth and love.

These are some of my decorations for Halloween this year. 2 points for each spider you can find.

This is the first time I have put more than one photo on my blog at a time. I found it interesting that no matter how many times I try to make them perfect, the Computer puts them the way he wants them to go anyway..... I give up... Just enjoy. :)

Update: There are 8 spiders. Your close Mike....

A New Grandaughter...

This is taken from Mike's Blog, my son-inlaw
Violet Ruth Maughan Oct. 13, 2008
..........................................


Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Then there was Twig........ and we saw that it was good.


So my buddy Sam and his wife and kids came down to visit. Well they came for a funarel, but visiting us was a good biproduct. :) They left sunday morning and we went about our regular daily activities. Jen went to cleaning up toys and I went to studing and so forth. Jen was tired and didn't feel up to church so I went and took the worm. Nothing really significant happened on Sunday; until around 11pm. I was asleep and Jen was not. She didn't tell me that she had started contractions. My alarm goes off at around 6am(being extra tired cause Jen was up half the night "cleaning" and keeping busy but hadn't yet told me why) I thought it highly suspicious that she would ask me as I'm going out the door if I have the cell phone and if it's on. I go to class (which I was an hour early for.) and sit and talk to a class mate of mine. He hadn't been able to guess the weight of the unborn yet, so we chatted and I told him I was expecting a call from Jen to go have a baby. Not more than 5 minutes later, Jen called and I laughed and told my friend that I had to go and to tell our teacher that I was at the hospital having a baby.(well not me but my wife) and off we go. We get to the hospital and after about 45min of paper work and check ups. they take us to the "offical" Delivery room. 30 minutes later the man giving out drugs in the form of an epidural shows up. (Jen was in great pain at this point) and after he's done she doesn't feel much diffrent. It was a little late. 15 minutes later the nurse said she could see and feel the head of the baby coming through and so she told the Doc to git in the room. He had been in the hall for a bit just waiting for it to get closer. He had just check Jen like 2 minutes before the nurse said that he needs to get in there! I was a little worried that I would have to put on the catchers mask and go to work. No sooner than the doctor got his gown on and sites down does the head show up and poor Jen almost no drug relief, now has to push the kid out. The doctor tells her 1 good 10 second push and it will all be over. So she does and to the doctors dismay only the head comes out and the sholders just don't. So 2 more big pushes and it was over. We have a twig! Now you might be wondering why we call her "Twig" it's a nic and our first daughter has one it's "worm" cause she wiggled a lot. We couldn't call this one the same thing for obviouse reasons so it became twig. Violet was born Oct. 13th 2008 at 10:06 am (only an hour and a half after getting there) She weighed in at 7lbs 12 oz. Just one more ounce than Sarah was at. She was 19.5 inches long. Mother and Daughter are doing fine and are looking forward to coming home today.

Its just time...

I had a special time this morning with two of my birds and two of my daughters.
They are all Jenday Conyers. Even though its fast Sunday I still have to eat a little something in order to take my morning meds. So this morning to keep it simple I had made a plain peanut butter sandwich.

I heard some noise coming from the room where the birds were. Holding the sandwich behind me I slowly opened the door to see if they were all right. I found Hermione on the floor, and Kiwi on top of Hermine's cage. I quickly picked up Hermione and returned her to the top of her cage and tried to get Kiwi. How ever Kiwi doesn't like hands, but slowly she allowed me to put her on her cage. By this time Jenny was asking for a little attention. I remembered I was holding a peanut butter sandwich behind my back and thought that maybe they would like a bite. Hand feeding four funny birds is quite a treat...

Hermione, prefers to be on top of her cage, at the back. Will not eat anything she does not know, unless Jenny eats it first.
Jenny, who prefers to be inside the cage, is a little picky about eating something new, and often will move her mouth up and down pretending to you that she has taken a bite of what had been offered to her.

Kiwi, is quite abit like Hermione, likes to be out, little more aggressive, doesn't like hands, and is extremely intelligent. Shy about trying any thing new.
Aussie, Very gentle, Likes to be in the cage more, and likes everything.

So here is four different personality's, and a peanut butter sandwich.
Jenny had eaten a couple of bites, but when she got peanut butter stuck in her beak, most of the time was spent in licking it off.
Harmonia shy, but kept running back and fourth across the top of the cage to get small bites.
Kiwi would take a bite now and then, she didn't know what to make of the sandwich. You could tell she really wanted more, but her eyes got in the way of coming for more.
Aussie ate as much of the sandwich as her beak would hold, and loved it.

I hadn't intended to spend time with them this busy morning, but I am glad that I did. I will have some fun memories to remember....

But doesn't it always seem to happen that way...

Strange feelings...

Money, Money have I none.... None for Thanksgiving, None for Christmas, or birthdays... No money for at least seven months, and then.. we will see... right now even, no money for food...

But I have a years supply of fading soap for cloths...

Mirror mirror on the wall...

I look in the mirror and ponder the face that is looking back at me. It seems to have gotten older, alot this year... wrinkles have deepen, and my skin is loosing its elasticity. The gray hair on my head has been covered with dye, and it helps me from feeling older, just a little slower. Age marks have started showing up on my skin, and the ugly black hairs around my mouth and chin are pesky, and wont go away.

My smile is still there, just have to push a few more wrinkles out of the way. My eyes seem bright as ever, just needing glasses to see more clearly...however they seem a little tired lately.

I sit here feeling sorry for myself, when I look out the window and see my neighbors white and black cat, with three legs, just enjoying himself. He is usually playing in our garden in the morning times. He loves being there. Missing one of his front legs slows him down a little, but it doesn't stop him at all...He is quite a cat...

Not a funny Halloween trick...

Its a scary thing to know you have just received your last paycheck... And the financial bottom of the stock market has just fallen out, where your retirement funds are... and your in your 60's but not 65 yet...

October... this is not a trick or treet for Halloween...

Our Small Garden...

This week I have been canning from our garden. It is small, but has been producing alot for its size. Today I have caned 24 pints, and 10 half-pints of Red raspberry jam. I would have done more, except my husband while trying to help me, burnt jam in the bottom of my pan, by accidentally turning the wrong stove burner on, and I have not been able to get it out yet.
I have chopped 14 and half cups of onions to be frozen, and 12 cups of green peppers to be frozen. This week we canned 27 quarts of tomatoes, and 7 quarts of peaches.

Its nice to have a garden that will give us enough to can from. I have canned pickled beats, and snap green beans. Not to mention that I ate to my hearts content on green peas.... I think we will have enough green snap beans that we can dry and give us seed for next years garden.

We even had the most sweetest cantaloupe I have ever tasted, and lots of them... The problem is, I only ate a quarter of cantaloupe and my sugar level jumped from 120 to 300 !!!... Lynn promised to find one that would not be soooo sweet for next year. I am diabetic and have to watch my calories.

Our Garden produced plenty of corn, which graced our dinner plates for a couple of weeks or so, and was soo good...

Nice to have a garden, even if you grow one in a pot...Its food you have grown, and the flavor is so rich and yummy...

After Conference, Lynn brought in a watermelon from the garden. It was a round green one. The insides was the color of orange and pink...It had been growing with the cantaloupe...but it was still nice and sweet!....

The Doe...

Doe is a nickname given to my youngest daughter by her nieces, Her name is Jodie, they started calling her Jo, and ended up with Doe, which stuck.

Several years ago when Jodie was about 16-17, I was waiting to drive her to school.
For some reason I grabbed a pen and wrote a list of what I saw about her, for she was a very colorful person, and full of surprises.

As I was sorting through papers today I ran across this list, it brought back memories. Try it sometime, and put the list away, or write it in your Journal. Its fun to remember how things were.

The Doe, a school day

. Yellow, blue ring
. sucking on a candy pacifier
. 3 earrings, one a loop
. a clear blue pager
. black knee high boots
. white long skirt with slit up to butt in back.
. black shirt, square neckline
. yellow vest
. black purse with sholderstrap
. blue bangs, and ponytail
. glitter eyeshadow
. beautiful smile
. blue bead neckless
. Chinese symbol charm neckless

Left Hand
. blue toothbrush
. white bead bracelet
. 2 rings, ctr and 1914 dime ring

Right Hand
. watch, clear plastic
. beaded bracelet blue and white
. 2 sparkle thin rubber bracelets.

This was only a minor day.
Jodie became very stylish, both in clothing and hair.
She was great with makeup, and always had an idea how to fix things.
She is warm, and people want to look like her. She loves to serve others.
She is always creative, and can not sit still....and still does....

If you happen to be driving down the street and a Paramedic Rig flys past you, with its lights flashing and siren going, and you think you might have recognised a face.... It could be Jodie on the job...

Frustrating...

Have you ever been in a position where a decision had to be made, and it rested upon your shoulders??? you try to make the correct one.....and find out afterwards it was wrong...

Well it has happened to me a few times. But this one really gets my goat....
Its not that it was really important to anybody elts.

I have been trying to acquire some things for my husband and I, that we would use for a year. I have been keeping a list of things we normally use and trying to figure out what amount we would use for a year.

One of the items I have been working on is Landry soap. A few months ago I had tried a different brand that was new. I seemed to like it. Being it was a powder I knew it would have a good shelf life. After a couple of months I could not find it in the stores any more, but to my surprise I ran across it in a "dollar" store, at a lower cost than I had been paying for it. I happily started buying the boxes until I had enough.

I noticed this last week that our clothing was starting to look a little faded. Your right it was the soap I was using. And now I have a year supply of fading soap for my cloths....

It wouldn't be so bad, but I have spent time to collect the boxes, money (in short supply), planning about the amount needed. Not to mention the cost of clothing, etc, to have everything fade out... AND...what do I do with a year supply of fading soap, that does not live up to my standards..........AND.. then doing it all over again, or half way at least.

I feel so Frustrated, and wonder how many more mistakes I will make before I reach my goals, or if I ever will....

Train, train, train, train...

Yesterday I saw a train, traveling down the track,
made up of 12 engines, and no cars....

Playhouse...

I was watching a commercial on the BYU channel, where a dad was spending his time building a playhouse for his children. It brought back memories from my childhood. A neighbor 3 houses away from me had a beautiful wooden playhouse. It was one room, and had one electric lightblub. I was in aw, and dreamed of what mine would look like if I ever had one.

We lived on Main St, in the south end of Orem, in a new building area. I remember we had dirt streets for a long time, and the only house that had a cement driveway was next to ours, the whole neighborhood of kids roller skated,(skates that clamped on shoes), or rode their trikes, or bikes on that driveway.

Out in back where houses had not been built yet, was flat land, of high weeds. We would often stomp out rooms for play houses there. One could sit down on the ground and not be seen. Tall round top weeds made nice umbrellas to play with.

Some of the area was flat enough that the neighborhood kids would play baseball.
I was never very good at this, I think because I was so young, Kindergarten and first grade. But they kept asking me to play, and giving me a chance to bat. I don't remember ever hitting the ball.
Or we would play King of the Hill, on top of high mounds of dirt that the builders had plowed out for building houses.

In the summer we often slept outside on the lawn. I love it. A sleeping bag was a wonderful and new thing, I was quite impressed when I received my first one.

Our land area, had been farm land. We had nine fully grown peach trees. And two apricot trees that grew up in my sandbox. As I use to play with the apricot pits, when mom was canning in the fall time. Our land was watered by irrigation. So ditches were common then. As children we would create all kinds of boats to float on the water. And sometimes we would end up wading in the water. That came to a end when mothers were told that the Polio bug could be found in dirty water. I don't know if that is true or not, Polio was very scary then, I had school friends that came down with it. Families were frighten because there was no cure, and it was new, and no info on it. Children were dieing or being paralyzed from it.

Florescence fad...

I have enjoyed watching the different "Fads" that come in my kids life. One of the fads that comes and goes is the wearing of florescence color. This was extremely important to my youngest daughter Jodie. Even though Jodie had several pieces of clothing that were florescence in color, she was focused on a pair of florescence pink socks that her older sister Jennifer had. Jennifer was seven years older than Jodie, and had told her no to the wearing of her socks.

One day as Jodie was on her way to school (about first grade) I noticed that she had Jennifer's socks on.
"Jodie, do you have Jennifers' socks on? Yes and I am going to wash them and give them back to her." I wasn't sure if Jennifer had given her permission.

Jodie came home from school happy as a lark......Later the rest of the kids came home from school. About dinner time Jennifer discovered two very wet pink florescence socks in her clothing drawer.....Jodie had very carefully, in her own way, washed the stockings and replaced them, from where she had taken them.

Just Venting...

Have you ever had a terrible pain in your stomic and can't get any relief from it no matter what you do ???
Well I do... when I don't have connection with my kids. It seems silly I know.... but they are part of me, and I have to know they are happy, or safe, or busy doing something, no matter what is happening in their life. I guess you could call it "A Mother Thing".

For Thirty seven years I have given everything I had to help my kids, it wasn't easy for me then, stumbling blocks have always been part of my path. And yet they have all grown to be wonderful people. I guess I just need to know they are safe and happy more often.

I have 6 children, 5 that are living.

One I never hear from, unless she needs something, (it may be a long time,) her dad and I are now facing retirement.

I have one, when important things are happening in her life, good or bad, she goes Invisible....for a while... Sometimes its hard to get communication started again, and you just have to wait and wait and wait.....time goes by very slowly....

The other 3 check in fairly often, even if its "I am at work, just checking in, I'll call you later..." or "read my blog....I made a new entry"...... Its just so good to hear the sound of their voice, even if its "Hi..that's all"....

I often feel the movie of the "The Mailbox" fits my life.

8 weeks ago I had Major Surgery. I didn't realize what a big thing it was, until it was over.
I was surprised to see very few of my children cared what was happening to me, or how I felt.... I felt all alone.... If it hadn't been for my visiting teacher, and Lynn, the therapist, and my vampire (nurse) I would have had no one. I guess folks have no idea, unless they have been through it themselfs.

I hope I die before Lynn does, I don't think I can handle loneliness...I am too much of a social bug...

I don't mean to get morbid, as I was saying, I am just "Venting"....I guess I grew up during a time where family depended upon family. When there was a need, family came to help out. When my daughters needed help, I and some of my daughters went to help, even when it was out of state. I guess times are changing, and it's not the way things are done in todays world.

That is a really sad thought... For service really brings love and closeness of family, closer together.

David's World...

This is taken from my son's blog "Thoughts of a Small Dragon" I had a good laugh, David is over 6 feet tall. And I know the feeling of flying pillows.

............................


Satin Sheets

What do you think of Satin Sheets?

Well let me tell you a story about them, that happened to me.
I was talking to my mother about these sheets and she had a good laugh and said I needed to blog about them.

In my room, I have been sleeping on the same sheet and blanket for about 6 years, of course I have been washing them often, so they are faded. It does not help either that the bed is next to the window and for some reason the sun does help fade the colors. hahaha

I moved to a new place and the apartment already came with a bed frame. It does not have a foot board or a head board.

The bed that I had bought I needed to put in storage while I live where I am now until I move. That seems like a good idea because I wont wear out my bed frame.

I thought it would be good to have a change of color instead of having a black bed in color and try to find something that looks Asian.

I thought I found something good. It is cool in a way. I also thought that with summer almost here my room always gets really hot. So, I thought maybe I might buy new sheets for the bed.

I looked around for different colors to match the tan colored bed spread. I did find a nice color for about $20. They were made out of cotton.

Then I found these satin sheets. Wow, They are only $2 more. You know when moving on satin, from place to place it gets cold. That is just what I need to stay cool at night.

So I bought them.

I put my bed together. It really looked nice and feels good. The satin just lets you slide every where and cool.

Note: DO NOT LET IT FOOL YOU.

That night was sooooo uncomfortable.I kept sliding allover the place. My pillow kept shooting off the bed for the lack of head board. I got no sleep. It gives me a kinked neck.

After 3 nights of trying it, I yanked off the satin sheets as fast as I could, and put my faded sheets back on including the pillow case. After that, I have been getting a good nights sleep.

Satin Sheets are NOT for ME.

Thought of a Small Dragon.

Counting blessings helps...

Sometimes Lynn and I just look at each other and shake our heads. I find it so incredible that we haven't drowned and died. Everything seems to be piling upon us. My hip replacement, 2 deaths on my husbands side of the family. Fighting with the insurance company that says we are not covered, in two issues, that had originally said we were. Which could mean, we could be thousands of dollars in debt. Lynn being layed off, with a year to go for retirement. And then there are the problems our children are facing. I often feel my prayers are covering the Lords door, so when he comes through it, he is snowed over by them...

I look out the window and take in the beauty of our back and front yards. Looking at the beauty of the flowers, and garden, and everything that is there. We have a nice garden, thanks to Lynn, who has worked very hard. 6 fruit trees, 4 ornamental trees, pine tree, grapes, blackberries, raspberries strawberries all in the back yard. and the lawn is beautiful.

this year I have enjoyed daffodils and tulips, and now Pansy's in the front flower garden. Our neighbor even planted 3 more roses for me... Our friends in this ward have been so unbelievable...I don't know what I would do without them.

Lynn works hard in our yard to make everything so beautiful, to help him and me to count the blessings the Lord has given us, and hopefully he (The Lord) will help us get back on our feet.

Sometimes it frightens me when my husband walks around in a circle not knowing what he is doing... He is on overload... and when Lynn gets that way it is scary.

Not only is he doing everything he has to do, but he is doing everything that I have to do, and then has to take care of me too. Hopefully in about four more weeks I might be back on my feet. And to top things off, he helps the family on his side, with the heaviness, because of the deaths. Lynn's parents are in their 80's, and alot of the weight is falling upon his dad.

( I just remembered, Lynn was asked to conduct a funeral on my side of the family just a couple of months ago.)

Lynn is doing a great job, and it is not easy for him...

Update:
I think Jerry Middleton, and maybe Kevin Brimhall's wife.

New Hip...

This time is full of surprises... not only that seems to be happening in my family, but also with myself.
We saw Dr. Douglas on Thursday, and had a fast hip replacement on Tuesday.
Another new experience......

My husband comments on how everything seems to be drowning us, we keep bobbing up and down in the waves... yes we have troubles, but the Lord seems to keep our heads out of the water. And we can count our blessings.... As an example, my neighbor keeps reminding me that I had the surgery, and it seems to be well done... and no body can take that away from me...

I have missed playing my harp...

Almost two years...

Its been almost two years since our first ward, Willow Creek Ward, was split, and we found ourselves in the new Grantsville 11th ward.

The funny thing is, this is a new area in Grantsville, and we are not even on a map.

Today Bishop Grua announced that papers have been sent in to SLC, to split the Grantsville 11th Ward, and a new ward will be made. This will be interesting to watch. Our ward building is new, it could hold three wards. I wouldn't be surprised, if in the next two years, a new building will be needed.

Wow...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LYNN, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR HOUSE,
( house is 3 )... AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME :) :) :)

I know it was here...

My neighbor who lives in back of us, on the corner, has a camper which fits into the back of a pickup truck. It has sat in the same spot for over two years. This camper has a air vent on top which must have been open, for two small dark colored birds have called it home for at least two years.

This morning I watch the owner and a friend load the camper onto a truck, and drive away. A little latter I saw one of the birds come home. He would fly from the top of a small tree near by, to the top of a screened in trampoline, which was opposite of where the camper was. He even hovered over the area were the top of the camper would have been. I could almost read his thoughts, "I know it was here when I left! Where is it???"

He stayed for a while searching for his home, quite confused.
It is bitter cold outside today, I hope they finds shelter near by.

Are you saying goodby...

I think one of the hardest experiences of life, is to watch someone on the edge of this life, and moving toward the next. A young father trying desperately to keep his family together, as his wife lay in a hospital bed, edging toward the end of this life. Laying in a Coma, with the Dr. saying that there is much brain damage.

I see the tender love he has for her, and the love in the faces of the children for their parents. He is trying to stay strong for his children's sake, but inside is a different story.

Many prays are lifting unto heaven in their behalf, with hopes and prayers of all who surrounds them...

We don't understand how fragile our marvelous human bodies are, and how easily they can be damaged, or how short the time we have here, really is...

Maybe we should consider what is really important to us...

Update: Elaina Brimhall, Kevin's wife, died today 3-31-08 in Provo, Utah

Lynn was asked to conduct the funeral service for Elaina on Sat 3-5-08.
Burg Mortuary, in Provo Utah. She will be buried in Provo City Cemetery.

Kevin is Verl and Sharon Brimhall son. Verl is my Brother.

Spring is here...

Besides the Calendar stating that it is really Spring.....I saw 2 Robins this morning, and my tulip and daffodils leaves are poking up in the flowerbeds.

It is alot warmer outside today, not even needing a coat. I have opened the doors to let in a cool breeze. I saw a group of seagulls flying in circles high in the sky.

It has been a long winter, and lots of snow, which I think is beautiful....(I love the change of seasons,) but I am sooooooo ready for a change.

Hello...

This photo was taken on the back porch of a neighbor's daughter, who lives in Santiquin Utah. During the time we had heavy snow, in February 2008

Special Delivery...

Sometime ago I had made a Mary Kay order with my daughter Jodie, who lives in Arizona. It had been sometime since she had received it, and had not sent it to me. In talking with her last week, she said it was being sent in a big box, with a surprise in it for me, because I had been so patient in receiving it. It was schedule to be delivered on Saturday.

So Saturday came, I watch for the UPS truck....it goes by, I watch for the Fed-ex truck...I see it on the road behind us, but it never comes here. Hum... maybe she ment regular mail, but the postman had come and gone....no box. Tom said it was to be in SLC on Saturday, we live about a hour away by freeway, so maybe it will come on Monday. Then I hear Jodie over the phone, in the background, it will be delivered on Sat.

About 12:30 am, after much door knocking, and doorbell ringing, which I did not hear. And a phone call,... My Mary Kay order arrived. In a big box, a truck, with a big surprise in it, Jodie and Tom :) :) :) ......That was a Surprise...

Everybody seemed to know about the surprise, except for Lynn and I...

More Rain...

"Rain, Rain, go away, don't come back another day..."

Its still raining in my home...Besides dealing with everything concerning Lynn's layoff, and trying to figure out how to make it to April of 09. I have been increasing in pain in most of my joints. Wanting to know where I was physically, We, Lynn and I, visited with Dr. Lee, Our family Dr. X-rays, and blood test were taken. Seeing there could be a problem we asked if we should see a specialist, to be sure... He recommended 2 Doctors. Dr. Douglas, orthopaedics... who took more x-rays, and announced to us that I have arthritis in both hips, and they both have to be replaced, for I am, bone on bone. I also have it in my knees. Ouch!

How to solve the problem?????
The Company Lynn works for, insurance ends the first of Oct. of this year. And would not be enough to cover a hip operation. We personally do not have out of pocket money to do it ether. The plan is to try to get me to April of 09, when I would be covered under Medicare, and a supplement insurance, which would cover the surgery. I will be receiving shots in my knee, 1 a week for 3 weeks. They should last for about 6 months, along with some pain pills.

The other Dr. is a Remumatologist. I have an appointment in about a week. I have something in my blood that is running around inside of me, attacking me, causing me to feel tired, and week. Hopefully we can find out what it is. Some good news, is that my diabetes is under control...and does not show up on the blood test....

Update: We saw the Remumatologist, and even though my blood test was in the positive, the Dr. called it a "False Positive"... about 200 people will run a false positive, and I guess I am one of those....and for now I don't have to worry about it.

I have always believed that we are to experience some of these things. It will help us to develop a deeper compassion for others. I feel this is the only time we can learn it, for after this life, our bodies will be returned to a perfect state.
Just because I feel that way, I know I am not free from pain...

Family Funnies #2...

First you need to read "Family Funnies" just below this entry to get the whole picture. These are comments from my girls about the shark in the bathtub.

"Family Funnies..."
3 Comments - Show Original Post

~paulette said...
jodie actually thought there was a large tank of water on the other side of the wall (the water that was used to fill the bathtub) The shark was the guard of the tank, which she had no problem with. But she was afraid that when the water was on, we'd drain his tank too low and he'd come through the foscet. Somehow, i guess she thought that if i was in there, i'd be able to magically save her from being eaten in case this massive thing managed to get through in the first place. Didn't make any sense to me, of course, but i stayed nonetheless. (Not that i was being a nice sister; just cuz mom made me.) tehehehe

February 22, 2008 1:04 PM


The Doe said... (Jodie)
well.... actually the shark would get angry that his water was dropping and he could break through the wall of the tank... not fit through the fauset! Fit through the fauset, ha ha ha, like that could ever happen people... :) lol!

February 22, 2008 1:28 PM


~paulette said...
HAHAHA.... yah, you're right. It was cuz he'd get angry. But i remember once having an conversaion with you-Doe (while you were in the tub) about how he couldn't get through the wall cuz the wall was solid brick, or whatever, and thn you said he'd come through the fascet if he couldn't come through the wall

February 22, 2008 1:35 PM

Family Funnies...

Kids have real good imaginations, and for them, its real. As we look back in time, it brings a smile.

My Oldest daughter, Launie, would not go to bed until someone would go with her, and make sure there were no tigers in her room, or in the closet, or under her bed. A night light was required for awhile.

My youngest daughter, Jodie, would not take a bath unless someone was in the bathroom with her, because she thought sharks could come out of the foscet and into the bathtub. It often ended up with her sister working on her school homework, in the bathroom, while she had her bath. Good thing her sister Pauli, loved her enough to do it.

We had a exhaust fan in the bathroom that after a while it finely gave up and stopped working. A few years later our home received roof damage from a savere hail storm, the roof had to be replaced. Quick thought, lets replace the bathroom fan while the roof was being replaced. When my husband checked out the fan from on top of the house, he discovered that the fan had been filled with candy bar wrappers! The fan blades could not turn any longer, and the little motor burn it self out..... Latter in a family gathering, (if parents keep quiet you can get answers to alot of questions.) The kids would talk together, I found out that my son, David, would put his candy wrapperd down a pipe on top of the house when he was up there. This is the same young son who thought it made him a big person to walk through the front screen door and through the hedge in front of the door, braking the plant in that area. And to swing out on the ropes of the flagpole, until the flagpole broke in half. And after makeing a homemade spear, he tried it out on our large Doeboy pool, cutting out the bottom of the entire liner. This was all about the same time in life. We still love him, but there was never a dull moment with him growing up. So if you have boys, hang on to your hats.

For many years our family had an aquarium. About the time my first son was born, I bought a redtail shark. This shark became the ruler of the tank, and all the other fish knew it. We had him for about eleven years. This shark had his own house which was a piece of black slate leaning against the glass of the tank. After a few years, I bought five baby clown loaches. As anyone who has fish knows, clown loaches snuggle. These baby loaches followed eachother around the tank, until they found the redtail shark, and his house. They snuggled under him like a hen and her chicks, much to his surprise. They would follow him around the tank, like a mother duck and her ducklings. As hard as he would try he could not shake the baby fish off him, they had made him their mother.. After a few days, you could see him give up. And then he started to protect them from all the other fish, he would go to battle against the agressive fish if they even came close to the clown loaches. Even as adult fish they were still his to protect.

One night when I went to fill a baby bottle, I found him nose up, tail down, floating all around the tank, fast asleep...


One time on vacation, we had stoped for a rest, and a snack. My kids were in the back seat of the car. My oldest reached to unlock the door, the lock was like a heavy plastic, covered with aluminum, we discovered that it was pealing off. As Launie reached to pull up the lock she cut her little finger on the aluminum. We were all surprised to see the cut. When her dad ask how she did it, she said "like this", and showed him how...cutting another finger.

Old Fashion Humor...

Here's something else to make you laugh:
(I copied this from the blog of Candace E. Salima.)

"Mildred, the church gossip and self-appointed monitor of the church's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business.

Several members did not approve of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new church member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon.

She emphatically told George (and several others) that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.

George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and then just turned and walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny... He said nothing. You see….(George is the towns D.D. or Designated Driver)

Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Mildred's house... Walked home... And left it there all night.

Ya gotta love George!"


In my life I have known people like Mildred, and some like George.... I could see in my mind the whole thing happening, and the expression of George as he walked on home.

Giving it some thought, George set a good example... not causing problem with others, and yet teaching a good lesson, without harm.
It reminds me of the days, my parents lived in...I wish we had more of that kind of time to experience.

Valentines...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

I remember Valentines day as being very speical as a child. We not only took valentines to school for our class mates, but would hurry home to take valentines around the neighborhood to our friends. It was alot of fun, placeing our valentines on the front porch of our friends, knocking on the door, and running as fast as you could, so you wouldn't get caught. (How ever your name was on the back of the valentines). Then at home you waited for valentines to come to you and after the knock, quickly opening the door to try to catch kids running away. Often no one was insight, just the beautiful valentines on the porch. Sometimes when you would reach to pick them up, they would skoot away, being pulled by a string around the corner of the house. It was usualy a boy or two, playing tricks, and if you were fast enough you could catch the valentine before it disapeared.

I remember it seemed forever writing the names of my friends and class mates, and then my own, on the back of eack valentine. Mom would say it was good for me to improve my writing skills, and would offer me a cookie.

I have no idea what children bring their valentines home in, from school, now days, or even if they still do.
I remember being very young when a valentine box was needed in class. Each student was to have a decorated shoebox, which his valentines would be put into. These boxes would be judged, to find the prettiest.
I watched my mother very carefully decorate my box with white, and pink, crapepaper.
wrapping the box in the white, and carefully glueing pink crapepaper ruffels around the top and bottom of the box. After makeing a hole for the valentines to slip through, she glued little red and pink hearts on top. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.....I was so impressed with it, that when I had a little girl of my own, who needed a valentine box, I decorated it the same way my mother had made mine.

As my children grew older, the Valentine box was no longer needed at school, and was replaced with large red hart folders made from paper with their names written on the outside. Then there was a large folded over paper with their name on the top, decorated by crayons. and last was just two pieces of paper stapled together, with a name on it.

I loved my valentine box my mother had made...I think I remember her saying that she was also pulling a memory of her own, as she loveingly created this for me.

You said what?...

Storm clouds are arrising, life changes are comming...

Depending upon my regaining my thoughts,this post will have revisions from time to time.

My husband has worked out of the same computer building in Phoenix for 42 years. Because of a company layoff, this morning he was told that after about six more weeks he would no longer be employed with them.

There are alot of thought that are running around inside my head. My husband will be 65 in three months, and I follow a year latter. This is a time we should be looking forward to.... But now it is filled with uncertianies, and how are we going to make it for two more years, keeping our heads above water.

This will be a new experience for us. Once before when were a young family, Lynn had been laid off, he had bummping rights, and still had a job. Now bummping rights no longer excits. This is hard on him, he has been the family provider, and takes his work seriously. As he says "For 40 years each day has been the same, and now each day is not the same as the others." Simple words, but with deep meaning.

One of our biggest concerns, we will no longer have health insurance. And at our age that's critical.

Right now its finding out where we stand today, on money, insurance, bills, health, dental, ect. What we have to do, and How to get from here to there. and then there are a few months that we really have to strech to make ends meet. Fortunately we have very little debt, namely a house and a car, and hopefully we can get them paid off. Its a strange feeling that hasent set in yet, that we will no longer be getting a comfortable paycheck....

I will miss you...

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley died tonight.
He was 97 years old, but a very, very special person.
Even though it was to be expected to happen, I feel a deep loss for my self,
but happy for him.

I will miss him, and Brother Faust greatly...

A Beautiful Bird...

Driving to my home in Grantsville, one would think they were in the country. It is a small town and I love it here. The main road to our home is long and in one area winding with tall trees, looming on each side of the road. With winter here the trees are bare and dormant.

One morning as we were driving on snow packed roads I happened to look up into the trees we were passing through, and to my surprise, a Bald Eagle was sitting there. Three year ago when our home was starting to be built, we saw two Bald Eagles, one was sitting in the same group of trees. I wondered at the time with the explosion of home building in our area, if people would chase away these beautiful birds. They were not seen last year, and I feared they were gone.

We stoped the car and watched in amazement of this beautiful bird, hoping that he will come back often, as we enjoy his beauty. It is a wonderful feeling to think we have the privilege of seeing Bald Eagles in our neighborhood.