How Hard Can It BE??!!

"Hey Dad, d'ya have a socket set and a heavy jack?" says Jake on the cell phone.
"Sure," says Wayne. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Changin' my brake shoes." Pretty soon, here comes Jake, CheckerAutoParts box hugged to his chest. His necessary parts.

"You ever done this before?" I query.

"Nope," grins Jake. "How hard can it be?" [I guess that IS the question.]

Pretty soon he's taken the back tires off and is having trouble getting the outside of the wheel drum off. Wayne has disappeared. Jake walks towards the house. "Gonna look on the Internet, figure out how to do it," he mutters.


Wayne comes back with auto-wise neighbor in tow.


"C'mon, Jake," says this experienced shade-tree mechanic. "I'll show y'how it's done. Not hard." [I mean, how hard can it be?] This guy has that stubborn wheel drum off in a trice.

"Now then, I'll need a piece of cardboard. . ." and he proceeds to take out the little springs and levers and du-jiggies, laying them in the right position on a piece of mechanic paper from the driver's side floor.

"Now then, Jake, y'take off the pieces and put yer new parts in there. Don't tear the other wheel apart until y'have this one back together. Use it for a pattern so y'know where parts go. When y'get this side fixed so it looks like the other side, then y'can tear that one apart and use this side for a pattern. . . . See ya." And with that, he saunters back across the street.

The CheckerAuto brake shoes are the wrong kind. Jake goes to Napa and gets the right ones.

About an hour after he comes back, Jake's working on finishing up the second tire's brake shoes.

He and his Dad have been talking back and forth across the car.
"Does this spring go here?" "Can y'see where this spacer goes?"
Stuff like that.
I am weeding flowerbeds, putting the sprinkler on the lawn, wandering around now and then to snap a picture. Would love to stay and watch the whole production, but how much can you observe when a guy's head is clear in under the fender? It's like watching grass grow.

Pretty soon the brake drums are back together and the tires bolted on. Dad & son take the cement block and the jack out from under the back of the car. Jake is ready to go finish his car inspection with the guys who wanted to charge him in excess of $200 to do the brake job. He takes his old brake shoes and greasy hands along as proof that he has done it.

He backs out of the driveway and waves his greasy paw. "See ya," he says. "Thanks for the help. Thanks for the sandwich." He's gone.

After all, how hard can it be???




About 10 minutes later, Wayne muses, "I wonder if Jake's brakes work?"




[For your information, they did . . . but he SHOULD have taken another sandwich, he told me later.]

Spring Grannie Camp - April 13-19, 2009

Josh, Lauryl & Kade came to visit Grandad & Grannie Annie for a week, already this year! We had a delightful time together.

One day we went to Cove Fort to see how the pioneers lived.

Daddy Sam had the inspiration to send the kids' bikes along, and riding on the bike track up behind the old school was high on the excitement list, even though outside temperatures rarely climbed out of the 40's the whole time the kids were here.

Kade had never ridden his bike with the training wheels, but he is a trooper and did just fine, good humored as usual.

Then, the playground is a big favorite with these kids, so they're a joy to entertain.

Come again. We Love You!!

Delightful to have you!!

30's a Tall Order!!

April 20, 2009:

Joe is thirty this month, and his sis Sarah planned a surprise party for him.

Surprising Joe is an almost impossible feat, given the fact that he is very observant of everything around him and remembers!!

Jen said, "I couldn't plan anything, because I never do. If I started now, he'd figure out what was going on!"

So Sarie planned, everyone brought food and came to celebrate Joe's big day.

How very precious family is!!

Amy and Aunt Sarie, the party planner . . .

We have a real blast when this crazy crew gets together, and with the grandkiddies, we are even better (or worse, whichever you think)!

So, here are some faces from Joe's party! Happy Day!!

Amy & brother Mike. His eyes aren't really crossed. He did that for Grannie's benefit.

Everyone's favorite Aunt Joanie & great-nephew Jace
. . . gotta love 'em!

Uncle Gordie was there too, but no picture,

The one-and-only Lizzie!!

Our Andy & Becky

Jake & Wayne in the kitchen

Hunter, Sammy & favorite Aunt Cody

What a great son Joe is and always has been!!

What a good wife Jen is for him!

How happy they are with their new healthy little Jace!

Happy Birthday, Daddy Joe!

Easter Weekend - April 10-12 . . .

I didn't used to enjoy Easter much when the kids were growing up: too much lying about an Easter bunny who was a commercial replacement for the Savior. ---

But in this choice season of renewal, the New Life of spring restores my soul, and of late, we have enjoyed vacationing visitors who come for the long weekend. We love to have them fill our empty bedrooms, eat our food, sit by the fireplace with us if it is chilly, and go on those spring hikes that are so wonderful this time of the year.

SO --- This year, Sarie came, all tired out from her job and needing a break, AND Joe & Jen brought Jace for a visit, on their way to an annual family party in Kanosh with Jen's family.

Joe, Jen & Jace's first family portrait -- April 2009

So good to have them home!

It's always fun when Joe & Jen come -- They like to play crazy games, and we have a blast!

Little Jace settled right in. Aunt Sarie , a.k.a. his favorite aunt (according to her) and Jace "hung out" while the rest of us played our game.

Lots of Loving Care in that "hanging out" stuff!! It was fun to watch.

And when Sarie comes, we always go for a hike, this time in on the trail near Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Wayne & Sarah rest on a culvert next to the trail, which has been built atop the old Marysvale Canyon railroad grade. It was a chilly day, and a blustery little rain cloud chased us down the canyon, not moisturizing us until we got to the car, then the storm came.

And last of all, Miss Sarie did her own tour of the yard, looking at our spring flowers that are beginning to brighten the yard a bit.

In the newly emerging springtime, having a new little grandbaby boy along with some returning Kids home makes me think of other sweet reunions with loved ones at some future time, all because of our Savior's gift to each and all of us! What a priceless, delightful treasure He gave!

Thanks for coming, dear ones!!

Tree Decorations

Found this great tree on the way to the temple on Friday. It was a rainy-snowy day and the birds had found a haven in the top of this tree. Problem was, there were no leaves in the treetop, so they couldn't hide as they usually do when all you can hear is their joyful chatter: but today they couldn't hide, so we got to see them AND hear their conversation.

Woolly Neighbors

Our back door neighbor to the southeast has sheep. He pastured them in the field that shares our back fenceline. Periodically, Larry comes over and says, "Do you have any table scraps for m' sheep?" so Wayne has taken to feeding the woollies out back.

First time he went out with some stuff that he was just sure they would love, he hollered to them . . . No reaction. Again: same result. They just looked at him with fuzzy faces. Finally Wayne went, "Maaa-a-a-a-a-a-," and those crazy sheep trundled themselves right over to see what he had.

Guess you have to speak the language!!

TIMBER-R-R-R [No More Snag]

That big silver poplar snag that was near the lane on the back corner of the lot??? Most of it isn't there anymore!! You see, its big grabby limbs were hanging right over the new grape vines and berry bushes that Dad & I have been trying to get started. You never know how rotten snags are, or when they'll let go . . . So . . .

A week ago, Dad leaned Uncle Jim's ladder up against the tree trunk and ascended with chainsaw in hand. He hates ladders and trimming trees, because you can fall OR things can fall on you

. . . and he didn't like that idea at all!

He was very cautious (good for him!), looked things over periodically and took the job a little bit at a time.

After he sawed through the trunk as far as the saw would cut, Dad drove in some wooden wedges to spread the cut further.

The tree finally came down about 10 a.m., in time for the Scouts across the street at the church to hear the big CRAA-A-A-A-CK and wonder what the noise was.

I stuck around [from a distance] to see how things were progressing and ended up with some pictures as well. Was hoping to get a picture of the tree falling. . . It is just leaning in the one to the left. Next time the shutter functioned, it was all the way down on the ground . . .

Last of all, here is the triumphal Dad, standing on the carcass! I love it!!!