Annie's House

The Lord's Tender Blessings

2009-12-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

One never knows what Tender Blessings the Lord has in mind.

This past week we had a "trip North" planned, to see Joanie & Gordie, Sarah and her little kindergarten people, Dave & Niki and Sam & ShaNee.

We enjoyed our wonderful visits so very much. Then Old Man Winter decided the weekend was the opportune time to flex his frosty muscles in snowy show, so we missed our visit with Sam & ShaNee. However Joanie & Gordon made us welcome in their comfy home for another night.

Joanie's enthusiastic YES when I called to see if we could stay with them was followed immediately by a call from her:

"Will you sing O Holy Night with me in church tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'll have to sing alto. Is that OK?" I said.

Well, it has been forever since we have sung together, seeing as how Joanie was a little girl when I went away to college.

Singing with Joanie was a sweet blessing, the huge bonus to a wonderful weekend of visiting. The delightful warmth of singing a song with my sister that Mom used to play for us so very long ago was unexpected and still lingers with me today.

What a choice surprise Heavenly Father had for Joanie & I! What a priceless blessing getting to sing with my sister! What a wonderful Sabbath dividend!

Top picture: The Navitity, birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Picture 2: Joanie and baby Jace (Mar 09).

Picture 3: Amy and her Grannie Annie (Jun 09)

I was hoping for a recent picture of Joanie & I together. Didn't have one, but these are a couple of my favorites, taken in the last year.

Harvest Celebration: Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

A little baby boy, his first Thanksgiving. The whole family invited. Great food. Choice company. That was our Thanksgiving this year at Joe & Jen's this year.

So much fun to be together and celebrate the blessings of this past year!

We got 'em jammed into Joe & Jen's stairs. Made the picture narrower, you see! That's Andy's Mike & Jake at the top; Joe, Jen, Andy; Becky, Sarah; Brittney, Sammy, Cody; Lizzie in front & Grannie Annie with baby Jace.

Photographer is Grandad. We are missing Amy & Hunter. They may have been hunting for Copper the beagle, who escaped when the door was open. We thought we had cornered everyone, finding out later that we had missing persons!!

What a FUN OCCASION!!!!! What a wonderful party you kids put on!!! Thank you, Thank you, Joe & Jen.

Sunny California -- May 27-30, 2009

2009-06-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

We had a memorial service for Aunt Laura's husband Don Seavey on Friday, May 29th. About 35 people were there to support Laura and her sons, including her two brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, and five drivers from the San Diego transit system. The bus drivers knew the Seaveys, liked them and looked forward to seeing them during their runs.

Laura and son Lonnie.

One of the drivers told a fun story about Lonnie at a time when McDonald's had a 12-cent hamburger deal on Tuesdays. Lonnie and the driver went every Tuesday for their hamburger treats, until one day when the bus driver found the whole family waiting, ready to go the McDonald's . . . Don, Laura, Lonnie, Aaron, Wendy & Holly. He knew them all by name.

Picture: Cousin Tom & wife Joann, the McDonald's bus driver, 2 ward members, Bonnie the bus driver.

Family picture: Brothers & Sisters -- Laura, Wayne, Lyne, Jim, Bonnie.

Wish I had more pictures. This last week I've expended more elbow-grease than picture-clicking, but it was necessary. We washed walls, Jim re-did ceilings, then we painted in the kitchen, living room and hallway. Glad we had the opportunity to help out. Good to be with family.

Another One Bites the Dust!!

2009-06-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Last Monday night, I was busy baking cookies and banana bread, getting ready to go to California for the rest of the week. Wayne was reading to me, keeping me company. I have my head in the cubby where the mixer lives, doing my thing. Wayne is gone when I look up again. Pretty soon he comes in, all excited.

"Hey Honey, know that snag on the back of the lot? It just went down! Come see!"

I went outside with visions of a torn up fence in my mind. A big silver poplar snag has towered over everything else on the northeast back corner of the lot for years. I can't remember the last time it had leaves. It has made a fine lookout for hawks and other birds wanting a clear view of the neighborhood during that time. I thought of dropping it for the wood a few years ago, but the limbs would have taken out the neighbor's nice tight wire fence along the lane strung on straight steel posts, which would have made the fence loose, and the posts, well, less-than-straight.

The wind felled the tree on the diagonal towards the southeast, doing no harm to the fence. The sheep in the field must have scooted out of the way, but by the time we went to look, they were all sampling green leaves from a few small trees that the big one had brought down.

The only hole in the fence was caused when the tree uprooted itself! Wayne and Jim had that fixed in a trice, and the fence is as good as ever it was. [We always have had a rather picturesque back fence! Makes the beautification ladies nuts!]

Honoring Those Who Serve: Memorial Day 2009

2009-06-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

A small town, population 850.

A community school, established 1896. Hardworking, good neighbors who help each other.

An annual tribute at the Town Cemetery, sponsored by the American Legion, honoring those who have served in the Armed Forces over these many years.

Wayne & I have made a point to be at the cemetery, 8:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, to enjoy stories of our pioneer neighbors and spend a little quiet time honoring our community and nation. Fresh country air, American flags flying, "new" sunshine, the veterans' dignified honor to our Flag as they post it and salute. Wonderful!

A bugler accompanied the flag-raising with To the Colors. His clear tones through the trees and in the quietness of the morning air foster thoughts of patriotism and Country.

The American Legion also performs a service-ceremony, retiring used and old American flags from service. All veterans and uniformed Scouts are invited to participate, our friends and neighbors, young and old.

One of our neighbors served in WWII in the South Pacific. Every Memorial Day, many of his 10 children, spouses and grandchildren come home to share this choice occasion with their Dad.

And when the speaking and ceremonies are all over, the bugler plays Taps as the vets and scouts salute and stand at attention.

So this year [guess this shows how old we are getting], instead of asking an Old Timer to talk about the early years in Elsinore, one of our boys' very good friends was asked to speak, Master Sgt. Shane Peterson, Utah National Guard.

Dig, as the kids call him, has been in the Guard for about 20 years now, served a tour in the Middle East, and is now working fulltime for the Guard.

Dig spoke about extending the blessings of freedom to all peoples: He is willing to serve to do that.

Cannot say enough good about Dig: he has been such a good friend to us all over the years, so strong and steady doing many good things.

What a great blessing it is to have such neighbors and friends! We watched the older men whom we see every week at church, performing their duties. And we saw our Scoutie boys, diligent and sober in honoring their country and flag.

What a privilege it is to pay tribute to our wonderful nation and those who serve in her Armed Forces.

Our dear friends, Shane & Staci.

Mom's Iris & Memories of Home

2009-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Mom's Iris have had a way of migrating to my gardens. When we lived in Randolph, she came in Oct 1970 to tend "us" when David was born. From somewhere in her gear, she produced a refrigerator crisper drawer full of iris roots. She had cleaned her flowerbeds and was sharing. I was glad!! ... But we need to remember that Dave was born the week before Halloween, long after Indian summer had left that frigid corner of Utah ... and so one evening I looked out the south windows, and there was Mom kneeling on the sidewalk, planting iris with rainwater dripping down her neck!

Fast forward to 1973 or so . . . we now have our own house . . . and a flowerbed in front . . . and another baby. Here comes Grammie to take care of us, bless her . . . with iris in tow. One of my favorite photos is of David (about 7 at the time of the picture) with Baby Joe on his lap, looking at our wonderful iris blooms.

I love iris!! They remind me of Mom because she always had them. I always thought they were a regal flower, prettier than orchids even. I am told that not all iris have a perfume to them, just the old ones . . . like Mom's!

I went out the front door the other day, and called back to Wayne, "Something smells good out here!" ... Some of that was iris, but mostly, our black locust

trees are in bloom with that wonderful heady perfume they have. They remind me of early summer, my birthday and home, and being a kid.

So . . . I have been revelling in an At-Home Experience this last week or so, waiting to get the right pictures and enjoying perfumes of long ago.

Thanks Mom!

Top picture: Our wonderful front iris bed, backlit by the afternoon sun.

The poppies came from our next door neighbor years ago. She is gone now, but the poppies are spectacular every spring and gone by June.

How Hard Can It BE??!!

2009-04-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-04-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2009-04-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

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]

2009-04-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Jace Makes 12!

2009-03-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

When you're a Grannie, it doesn't make any difference how many grandbabies you have, each is extra-special and a great miracle and blessing from Heavenly Father when they come. Especially so, this new little Jace Thomas who has finally made his appearance in Joe & Jen's home after waiting for so very long to arrive. This little tyke has been so hoped for for so very long, and for some reason, his Grannie was especially excited as the time for his birth drew closer.

So, this past week, Grandad & Grannie Annie made a visit to meet this new little fellow. Of course, they found he is extra-special, extra sweet and especially smart, although he mostly just wiggles and grunts for visitors at this point in time! It is also a great blessing to see his dear parents begin the caring and nurturing process that brings such great blessings and responsibilities. Joe & Jen do so very well with it!!!

The miracle of new life seemed evident in many of the pastures on the way home, as we saw brand new little calves and lambies. Spring seems to be an delightful time for our little miracle child to begin his life on Earth.

Welcome, Jace!!!

Jace is in Grandad's lap and Jace is holding Daddy's finger in this tiny hand.

Go Fer a Ride with me, me Patty??

2009-03-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Joanie the other day . . . Have been trying to get there for the past two weeks, and time just would not allow the trip. But Friday we carved out a whole day for the excursion and were off! Years ago in Livermore or Palmdale, Joanie gave me a shamrock start which I have loved, especially in the spring when it gets so leafy and excited about the new growing season. And we had a St. Patty's plant for Joanie that we wanted to deliver . . .

"Take a ride with me, Lucille, in my merry Oldsmobile . . ."

We also thought of Jake: maybe he would be playing his bass for a gig that night, and we could stop and listen.
When Jake called back, he invited us to their place to see the "sweet set-up" he had, more especially, his music room.

He and Cody had also painted their living room and acquired a new couch since our last visit!! Pretty nice, for sure!

Long and the short of it??

We had a most enjoyable day with Joanie and Jake. What good company those two are! Poor Cody had to work and Uncle Gordie had some home things to attend to.

It was a fun day to be able to drop in on My Sister like she was a neighbor and enjoy a visit. Haven't ever been able to do that before!

Here Cum de Mud

2009-03-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Cindy blogged about her beautiful new shed a month or so ago. Well, we are getting a shed too: not cute and decorative like hers, just your basic shed -- But it WILL be here to store things out of the weather!

I AM EXCITED.

It will even have a cement slab, and that is where the Mud part comes in. This is what it looked like when that big old hulking mud truck came underneath our front trees and squeezed itself down the driveway to discharge its load.

The truck managed to maneuver itself back to the little slot where an ancient one-car Model T garage stood years ago.

Wayne & Chris gab while they wait for the mud to come down the chute.
Wayne & the bull-float finish. Love the perspective on the handle.

And, this is what the sky looked like that day, perfect day for finishing a slab, not too hot. . .

Last of all, Wayne specs in a safe place, i.e. not in the slab!!

Our Garden IS Coming!

2009-03-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Wayne got a bee in his bonnet to plant seeds for this year's garden: tomatoes and stuff -- so he got out the little peet-nuggets that swell up when watered and proceeded to plant tomatoes. Since there were 72 holes in the planter tray, he went to his seed bucket and kept adding different things until he had 72 little seeds nestled down to sprout. This is what we found:

Sweet basil sprouts very fast -- first little leaves appeared in a couple of days.

Zinnias were right behind the sweet basil!!

Tomatoes?? -- we found the very first little pointy leaves today, one week after planting.

Sweet peppers ?? -- They are still incognito, although we can see the seeds, but no baby plants yet.

Years ago when Sarah was about 6, she and her daddy were in the back yard planting the garden. He was wearing a straw hat and she was climbing on his back. With that in mind, I couldn't resist when I saw him diligently planting this year's garden!! Sorta fun!!! I love these pictures!!

Also took some shots of our indoor flora.

The big tree is a schfleura, brought home by Dave when he was in Cub Scouts some 30 yrs ago. It was in a paper Coke cup at the time. . . . I love it! Now it goes ceiling to floor. A summer or two ago, I walked in the back door from my wonderful, shady back yard, thinking how much I love trees, when I realized I really DID: I had an indoor tree in the dining room!! This plant has been with us so long, it is just part of the woodwork! The indoor tree idea made me chuckle.

And over the years, one of our all-time favorites are spider plants. I have several and they are all gorgeous.

I love the way plants soften a home. What a blessing they are in life!

Aunt Lyne & Darlene

2009-03-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Since she hadn't been able to come for quite a while, Aunt Lyne and her daughter Darlene came the first week in March to visit her mother Luzell. It was so very nice to have Lyne & Darlene here to stay with us, and they had the fun of being able to spend a couple of days and a two hour drive with each other. Wayne enjoyed having his sister and brother together and they had a blast. Lyne loves to talk about the Gospel with her brothers. Darlene is a delightful, lovely young lady, and it was a privilege to have them come.

Grandad Shares His Tiny Hammers

2009-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Miss Sarah invited Grannie Annie & Grandad to her classroom the last week in February. She wrote on the board, "A carpenter builds houses. Grandad is a carpenter." Then I wrote, "Grandad builds houses." Those smart little kids were able to read all of it, and they are only kindergartners!! I tell you, Miss Sarah does a great job teaching!

A few years ago, Wayne invested in some kiddie hammers, putting them in a little red toolbox along with a few little screwdrivers and a couple of little bitty saws. That little box lives in the basement, except when we go to visit Miss Sarah's kiddies. Then the kids pound nails, screw screws and saw little pieces of wood. Wayne says usually a little girl is his best hammerer, hitting the nail all the time.

While the kids are doing all this gleeful pounding, I usually have some sort of art project. Since we were talking about houses, I had the kids do a water color picture of their house where they live.

A couple of years ago, Sarah was in a different classroom where the hammers echoed more. I noticed one little boy flinching every time somebody hit a nail. Finally he said, "Boy that is loud!" Remembering that, this year we went out into the hall where it was a little quieter.

Miss Sarah has some really nice little kids. It is a great pleasure to spend a day with them . . . and then, if we can help Miss Sarah as well, why that's just hunky-dory!

The Wings of the Air

2009-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Daddy taught us to watch birds and love them. He put a little square cardboard box up in the eaves on the back porch so the bluebirds could nest, and located it so we could watch from the kitchen window. Cats who tried to rob the nest bought trouble for themselves that they surely didn't want!!

Mrs. Sheehan sponsored a 2nd Grade birdhouse contest when I was in her class. I was so excited to see what I could do! I took my excitement home and told Daddy about Mrs. Sheehan's contest. Would he help me make a birdhouse?? Absolutely!!! And so we set to work. It was fun to watch Daddy measure and cut, explaining all the time what kind of birdie bungalow would be best for the kinds of birds we had around. Daddy even shingled the roof with cut-down asphalt shingles, and we decided that we would mount it up in the peak of the chicken house eaves.

That little birdhouse won the contest and earned me a 25-cent's worth First Prize. Daddy had done the work!!

So we were raised with a love for the little birdies, and Daddy would call Sue & I, "Chickadee".

A few winters ago, I noticed some darling little black-hooded birds who would come and bob around on the vines outside the computer room window. Immediately, I thought of chickadees. They were so cute, friendly and fat. But they weren't small enough for chickadees. The bird book told me they were Oregon Juncos, and they come back every year.

We started putting birdseed outside the dining room window three winters ago, enjoying watching our winged visitors feed. We have sparrows, who come in big flocks like storm troopers. There are morning doves whose tail feathers look like scalloped eyelet lace when they come in for a landing. And there are the little juncos who are calmer than the sparrows, although both birds are about the same size.

I've heard that some children refer to angels as Birdies . . . and those little feathered beings have brought that kind of joy to my life.

Above right: Dove & sparrows by Wayne's rock garden

Left: Two doves puffed up to stay warm on a power line.

Right: Oregon juncos and a sparrow feed outside the window

Sunflower Serendipity

2009-03-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

When Draper Temple was under construction, Joanie & Gordon drove us up to see it, afterwards taking us back to Utah Valley on a wonderful ridge road that went farther east up the canyon and coming down in Alpine. So as we headed home that Monday morning after going to the temple with Andy & Becky's family, we decided to take the Scenic Route home, leisurely fiddling our way through Alpine, Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, and parts of Orem. Beautiful communities. Then we headed over to I-15 via University Parkway, just incidentally going by Sunflower Market in Orem, where Cody works as a manager. They had a wonderful special on pink grapefruit. We had just "loaded up" on grapefruit.

Wayne had wondered out loud, "Wonder where Cody might be?" when this bright voice said, "Hey. What are you guys doing here??" And it WAS our Cody. She is so great!!!

Draper Temple Open House

2009-03-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

Feb 23 -- Andy & Becky arranged their schedules so we could visit the new Latter-Day Saint temple in Draper, Utah, early Monday morning. Going to the temple is an always a sweet experience, but being able to enjoy it with the children is an unusually choice occasion.

We always made it a point to take our kids to temple open houses because they couldn't go inside until they were in the Young Men or Young Women's program, and then they couldn't see the whole temple. Of course, there weren't as many open houses years ago. We got to attend the Jordan River Temple open house when Joe was about 2, and when Manti Temple was remodeled and rededicated, we enjoyed that privilege as well. And so, this was a choice time with the grandkids.

After we were guided through the temple, we were invited to the adjacent stake center for refreshments after the temple tour, where we enjoyed cookies, beautiful paintings, peaceful piano music and a map of temples that dot the earth.

Draper Temple will be dedicated the last part of March.

Above: Grannie, Andy, Becky & Hunter at the world temple map

Above right: Becky and daughters Amy & Brittney (R-L)

Right: Mike, Grannie & Lizzie with a cookie.

Painting at top: Christ, teaches Mary & Martha by Minerva Teichert, LDS artist.

Stuff for Sweet Baby

2009-03-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

We had the most fun Saturday the at Jen's baby shower! Mom Rayma and Aunt Charri hosted a wonderful luncheon social for Jen in Charri's lovely home. I got to go with Joanie, which was a great treat in itself! Cody greeted us when we arrived, and shortly ShaNee & Sarie came together from up north. A little while later, Becky and all her girls arrived, and we had a Boucher party!!!

It was fun to be there with all those sweet girls whom the Lord has blessed me with as my boys have married. Also got to visit again with Rayma and Charri and Grandma Conna -- nice, nice, NICE and gracious ladies. And I got to see Jen and her sister Stephanie enjoy the festivities together, as sisters should be able to share special events.

Later in the day, Wayne & Sarah & I got to see the lovely room Jen & Joe have been preparing for their little Kidlet. They have worked so hard, and things are turning out very nicely. That little baby is certainly excitedly anticipated and very loved already!!

Wayne caught Joe and Sarah at the top of the stairs just before we left. Those two still seem to enjoy each other!

The two beautiful little round-faced kiddies were guests at Jen's shower. Aren't they darling?

Silver Sneakers

2009-03-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Yea, Curves!! Recently their exercise studio has been made available to Humana members as part of their "Fix It Before It Falls Off" [Silver Sneakers] program. Like Joanie said: Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". In the case of my body parts, I would like to do WITH them as long as I possibly can . . . And good old Wayne, he is willing to go with me. [Actually I think he enjoys it.] These funny little machines don't look like they'd do much, but they are getting muscles that haven't been exercised since I had little kiddies to heft around all over the house!

So, this one day we went to exercise, and Wayne says, "Hey, it's closed!" I checked the clock, knowing Curves should be open, then checked the door where he was standing. He was trying to get into a manicure place two doors down from CURVES! We had a ha-ha over that.

2009-02-16T06:58:00.000-08:00

I spent a wintery February day very contentedly, doing washing and working in the dining room and kitchen. Snow was falling outside and I had a fire going in our trashburner and was feelng very cozy going about my work and listening to the little sounds a fire makes -- little sighs, some muted pops, and sometimes a little roar when the wind blew across the top of the chimney. Very comforting and happy. Reminded me of growing up.

When we first moved to Greenville, our little home was heated by a warm morning stove in the living room and a wood-coal range in the kitchen. That light green range stood up off the floor on legs, and Sue remembers scooting under there when she was little to feel a little cozier on a winter day. Though toasty and warm on a cold day, that old range was a bear in the summer, however, when Mom had to fire 'er up in the summer in order to have hot water for Daddy to clean up in the evening after working. Add to that, the kitchen was on the southwest side of the house, and you can imagine the heat! So eventually the old range was replaced with a modern propane stove which was much more summer-friendly, but Mom found a little stove that she called the Trashburner that she could fire up on wintery days to bring that wood fire warmth into the kitchen on winter mornings. Morning chilliness greeted our sleepy-warmness then making it hard to get out of bed and get dressed for school, and we would make a bee-line for that little stove where we could warm one side while we hurriedly pulled on clothes and tried to wake up.

When Wayne & I moved into our home some 37 years ago, we needed something to take the chill out of the winter mornings, and even though it was many, many years after Mom had purchased her Trashburner, she managed to find one for us. Wayne popped a hole in the brick chimney and installed it between the kitchen and dining room, where pleasantly warms our wintery days creating memories and bringing back the warmth of older times when we least expect it.

Helper, Utah

2009-02-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

Helper is a little railroad town north and west of Price. We drove through on our way home from Dave & Niki's in Vernal just for the fun of it.

It was so named because it is at the bottom of the 15-mile long grade up the east side of the Wasatch Plateau. Trains headed up Price Canyon to Soldier Summit and on to Salt Lake City needed an extra "helper" engine to make the steep climb. Established in the 1880's by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, Helper still has some company houses, standing side-by-side like paper dolls all holding hands. There is a great laundromat too, a place where you either lose or (if you're lucky) find socks!!

I'm not sure why Helper felt familiar . . . I have never been to this funny little town before . . . but I like the name and the connotation it bears.

Population in 2000 was 2025 souls.

Vernal in the Winter

2009-02-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Last time we went to Vernal was last January, when Dave and Niki moved over there. We haven't had the chance to visit since then, nor have they been able to come here, so we have been missing them. This past week, we took a couple of days to go, ironically, again in January. [Joanie tells me that the words Vernal and January should never occur in the same sentence!] But the weather wasn't as cold this time [about 25 degrees warmer] and we didn't have to wrestle household furnishings out of a truck and into a house or storage unit!!

Instead, we got to visit!! And I must say, computers are wonderful for family sharing pictures in a size that everyone can enjoy -- makes them screen-sized, not 3x5 or 4x6 -- and you can visit and share stories at the same time as you are looking!

But, one of the funniest things happened while we were sitting in the living room Friday afternoon, trying to scare up energy to have a guided tour of Vernal: all four of us dozed off and we enjoyed parallel naps!! Now, I have heard of parallel play with toddlers, but not parallel snoozing!! Made me chuckle. Guess we all needed it! Good visit with the kids! Good rest!! Nice trip!

Right: Lulu & friend Mandi

The view from the top of the world, the pass between Price and Duschesne. A winding road brings you to the top and then the view opens up!

The Castle Gate power plant is in the canyon near Helper, and the road drives right under the coal chute that feeds the plant, one of my favorite parts of the scenery. Makes me feel as though I am right in the middle of things and need to be careful not to get in the way of a man trying to get his job done.

Jeff & Laura

2009-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Guests came to visit for a couple of days --- our nephew Jeff & his wife of about two years, Laura. Kjirsten*, Jim's daughter, had supper at Jim's house one night, and we had two evenings of great visiting with the six of us altogether, which is what Jeff particularly wanted to do: renew family relationships. They visited with Grandma as well, and she was a bright as a new penny.

A very nice time, getting to know Jeff & Laura, something that we really haven't had the chance to do before.

I worried that life in rural Utah might be a little tame for entertaining, but they totally enjoyed the museum and we had some great conversations. Jeff is collecting native American traditions about the visit of a great white God and healer to their ancient ancestors, who came, taught and ministered to the people, both physically and spiritually.

A series of very nice occasions!

*Wish I had a picture of Kjirsten. She is such a kind and happy girl!

BIG & little

2009-01-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

My grandkids surprise me. I will be talking to a little chipmunk of a person and will have the feeling that I am actually with someone who is an adult, not a child! I have a sense that they are much older than they have years to be.

So, my sister Joanie shared some pictures from her childhood several months ago, and among them was one taken in our driveway: our branch president Bro. Sims, myself, Sue and Joanie. My lands, she is so tiny, about 3. I know she was 3 once, I just can't remember that she was ever that small!

More recently, I came across pictures of Sue & me, ages 5 and 3, and we are the same size chipmunks and Joanie was in that other picture! We were little, compared to the Badley kids who were visiting at the time. The kicker is that I can never remember feeling small. I always felt BIG!

When we were babies, in fact, Mom would say, "Look at that. . . just as big as anybody!" Well, in my case at least, I was a little wild indian, hollering and running around all over the place --- that's what my Auntie Frank said when she came to visit just after we moved from the Bay Area in 1946: "My goodness, they're raising a couple of little wild indians up there!"

So here you have it: Little wild indians, who do not feel or sound little. When we would be in this frame of action, Mom would say, "Go outside and blow the stink off!" probably because our little house could not contain all that noise and energy!!

An aside or two:

1. Notice that Mom braided our hair. That was the only way to keep it neat for any length of time!

2. With a Dad who came from Texas, wild indians were cool, not politically incorrect!

JAN-uary THAW

2009-01-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

In Utah, we have an annual tradition: January Thaw. It can last from one afternoon to a week or two, depending on what the weatherman says is coming this way. I KNEW Tuesday was the day. The temperature had to be up in the mid-40's and I celebrated by hanging my wash out on the line without a coat!! The weather was gorgeous: no wind, no clouds, just wonderful, warming sun in a clear, blue sky. I even did a little yard cleanup that hadn't happened in the fall, and I felt like I was cheating Grim Winter of one or two small victories.
My friend says, "If you just watch, there will be enough warm winter days that you can scoot out and get your spring work all done in little installments." It's true!!

The Thaw, right after the hussle of the holidays and facing the bleakness of 2 1/2 months of winter, gives me hope. I CAN accomplish things! Life WILL be better and more pleasant! But I don't have to get going all at once. I can do what I have to by little parts and rest in between! I like that idea. The January Thaw is OK in my book!!

Ward History

2009-01-13T17:13:00.000-08:00

Done!! After most of last week finishing it up, I am done! All 88 pages of it are in the hands of the bishop who promptly turned it in to the stake president . . . Wa-Hoo!!! The Ward Hysterian is now a real person for a few months!!! Ain't that fun??????

Froggies

2009-01-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

Funny how your mind works . . . Wayne and I were sitting in front of the fireplace reading a wonderfully illustrated Planet Earth book when we came upon the picture of a frog. All of a sudden I was with Sue in the field out behind our house, looking at pollywogs in the water.

Our Greenville frogs were a nice, trim medium-sized frog, not toads like in Utah. I can't remember if they were greenish or brown, but we thought they were cute little fellows.

They had musical voices and we loved to hear them croak in the evening. A little ditch not more than a foot wide ran the length of the field, and in the spring and early summer when there was water in the ditch, that's where we'd find pollywogs.

It was amazing!! I suppose it was Daddy who told us what those wiggly little black things were in the water.

He said after they grew a bit, they would develop back legs, then front legs, finally losing their tail and becoming real little frogs. I remember finding one or two of those teeny cute little guys without their pollywog parts, but not too many.

Sue & I probably made enough noise that they heard us coming and hid before we got there.

When we did find adult frogs, we would look at them and play with them a while, and then put them in The Well on the side of the house, thinking they would be happy there where it was cool and somewhat damp. They could sing us to sleep at night.

Right: This is Daddy, some years later, in the driveway by our house. If you look just behind him on the wall, you will see the door to The Well, where our outside water faucet and hoses were kept. That's where we put the frogs.

Funny how those cute little froggies never liked to live very long in the gravel in The Well where it was dark and there were no bugs to eat, and where it was pretty dry under the house! But we thought we were benefactors to the froggie world by relocating them where we could hear their song. Besides, if they stayed out in the field, something was sure to get them, poor froggies! Never occurred to us that maybe if the froggies could avoid us, they might hide from other animals.

That field with its tall "braiding grass" (sedge) was a great place to play. We made grass huts by flattening down the grass, wove mats out of sedge and braided the "braiding grass" like boondoggle. And we got to watch the pollywogs in the early part of the warm season.

Left: The Field behind our house. We thought it was ours!

Pictures of Ann & Sue -- Top: taken in 1947. One of the first times Mom curled our hair. Usually it was braided . . . or not. I don't know that Mom allowed us to wander too far out of the yard at this age.

Bottom, right: I am guessing we are about 8 and 10 here. The blouse is one Mom bought so I could get my cast through the armhole when I broke my arm. These kids are probably the pollywog/ froggie hunters!

Chesnuts

2008-12-26T22:35:00.001-08:00

Let me tell you about chesnuts: The doggone things do NOT pop-pop-pop like the lyric writers of the popular song Sleighride would like to have you think. They EXPLODE, blowing little chesnut body-parts all over creation, especially when you "roast" them on top of the woodburning trashburner stove, under a cast iron skillet.

Being a bit novice at the process, we did the best we knew how, thinking that we would try something new and interesting for Christmas this year.

Here is my evaluation of the experiment:

#1. Chesnuts taste better raw than roasted.

#2. Chesnuts explode, so find a way to contain the resulting blown-apartness.

#3. Do not try said experiment in close proximity to your recently out-of-school kindergarten-teaching daughter. She is absolutely great, but hadn't had enough time to rest up, just being dismissed for Christmas on the 23rd.

#4. I did enjoy the experiment. . . I would not repeat it. Ha-ha-ha.

Have to tell you, it was a wonderful breakfast. Wayne had made cornbread, but we all had to add our own little touch to the menu. Jake's description of the fare follows:

Train-wreck Eggs

Breakfast Meat besides

Fried Potatoes prepared with an Army Grater

in addition to

Wayne's great cornbread and

Exploding Chesnuts.

Man, don't Joanie's traditional Christmas sweet rolls sound great right now?? I almost called and asked for her recipe the week before and got too involved in other things. . .

Taught me two things:

#1. You have to have a thick skin with sons' accounts of home happenings.

#2. Don't procrastinate asking for a recipe.

Another Christmas tinged with unique family color!!

I am grateful we enjoyed some quiet Christmas stories in the afternoon before dinnertime. . . .

Christmas 08

2008-12-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

Nice day. Wayne brought his mother for the afternoon and we read some wonderful Christmas picture books in front of the fire place while the ham cooked in the oven. Jim came over for a little while too and we thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time while we read. (We had had some excitement in the morning, revolving around breakfast preparation and chesnuts, but you'll have to read Sarah's blog for that.) Times involving Luzell seem to be increasingly peaceful. It was so nice to have Jake & Cody and Sarah home as well. A wonderful Christmas Day!!

Palm Tree, O Palm Tree

2008-12-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

A panic call to Joanie's quilting hot line: "How do I make a palm tree pincushion?? Jake would like one for Cody for Christmas."

"Wel-l-l-l-l, I don't do three-dimentional quilting . . . But check out pincushions on Google . . ."

So this is what I came up with, after some thinking and head-scratching and digging through my material. Turned out kinda cute, if I do say so myself!!

Thanks for a great idea, Jake!

Merry Christmas, Cody!!!

LIGHT Parade

2008-12-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

I've loved light parades since the first one I saw in Disneyland years ago. It was so magical.

A few years ago, a Christmas light parade became a part of the local celebration in the valley. Usually we don't go to town for it because the weather can be bitter, but this year our friends invited us to watch from the warmth of their new handicapped van, much better than being on the sidewalk in the snow that blew in late this afternoon. Here are some of the highlights:

Here's old Ronald McDonald in his little plastic-bubble-enclosed cabin.

On the other hand, the local middle school kids weren't dumb. Rather than march through the slush, they brought their band in a BUS and tootled through the open windows for all their fans.

Of course, you understand, all those white spots are snowflakes from the snowstorm we have needed so badly here.

Being this is a farming community, the tractors are even decorated!!

There aren't too many pics because my fingers got frosty, but you get the idea. It was pretty, and we were glad for shelter to where we could watch and friends to enjoy it with.

And when we got home, here is our little Christmas-decorated-inside, snowy-sunflowery house -- warm on the inside, even if the wreath on the porch is wrong for the season -- a great place to come home to!!

Ides of December -- Happy Christmas, All!!

2008-12-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

For all of you people who decorate during Thanksgiving vacation for Christmas, I know you will not understand why some of us wait ... and wait ... and wait ...

And I will have to admit that there was one year that I entirely forgot my Christmas tree was UP. It was when we first moved here and there was not an insert in the fireplace hole. All the heat went up the chimney and all the cold came down. As a result, we just closed the Family Home Evening room doors until the weather got warmer. And so it was, in March when my visiting teachers came for their monthly visit, that I ushered them into the cleanest room in the house, the Family Home Evening room .... and was totally shocked to find my Christmas tree, still standing there in its glory, every needle intact because it had been so well refrigerated!! (I think that may have been the year we had a pinon pine tree that took up about 1/4th of the room: We had to lean out around it to see each other when we had visitors... )

So here it is only Dec 13th and our tree is UP and the Thanksgiving turkey is DOWN from the front door. Of course, the sunflowers are still on the front porch, in spite of the snow, but the Christmasie wreath will come along some time next week. But then, you have to understand that I had the Christmas wreath up all year, just changing flowers for the seasons until I put up the sunflowers about a month ago.

OK. So I'm not Martha Stewart, Susie-homemaker-decorator. Soooooo?

Anyway ......................... we had fun today decorating, Wayne & I.

And, Sarah, you will be glad to know that you won't have to do it this year!!!

Some years, bless her, she has come home at Christmas to a treeless house. She just sighs and heads for the decorations upstairs. This year, we decided to have fun with some seasonal stuff, so it's all done, honey!!

So, Happy Christmas to US all.

We hope you enjoy this wonderful season, doing the things that make your soul happy!!!

The tree goes in the crook of the stairs so we don't have to
lean around it!! We love the cozy, warmness of the living room, all those soft lights and warm colors.

Our Love to YOU!

Leftover Turkeys

2008-12-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

Best thing about Thanksgiving is the leftovers, right?? This the day after the big feast and all the visiting. We are relaxing, enjoying the park and the fresh air and wiping the rain off the slides with an old towel. I love the colors on the slides and the kids' faces. Sarie is so fun with them. All of us love it.

ThanksGIVING 2008

2008-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving: a great time to get together, eat a good meal, and enjoy family. And this year was truly a miraculous occasion. Andy & Sam both said they would come, but could not stay long because they had to be back to work before the week was done . . . We knew we would be doing our Enjoying of Each Other's Company on Thursday.

~~Little happy-face girlie cousins Lauryl & Lizzie. Daddy/Uncle Sam taught them how to cut butterflies on the fold of the paper so the wings would flap. Dining room chimney in the background.

~~Kade, Sammy & Lizzie looking down from the top of the stairs with the kids' Hidey-Hole library in back of them. They found some thread cones from a commercial sewing machine: they were playing bionic monster and Kade called them "claw protectors".

Andy, Becky & their crew arrived first, and I could tell the difference Grannie Camp each summer for the kids makes: they were at home and relaxed, glad to be in Elsinore. Greeting my grandkids was like saying hello again to old friends!!

~~ Here's Amy & Mike last summer: 24th of July in Monroe, the "traditional" (for the Bouchers) book sale. Usually it is in the basement of the library where it is pretty cool . (Two reasons for going: the books and the cool!) This year it was in the old firehouse to the side of the library building and not as refreshingly cool.

~~Wed night we ran out of bedrooms and were trying to find places for Andy & Becky's crew. The little kids were on the living room floor and couches, and Britty was reading in the library. I said, "Honey, would you like to sleep on this little bed (in the computer room up over the porch -- the one where you watch out when standing up or you conk your head)? You'll be in here by yourself . . ." Well, of course she wanted to, she always finds an excuse to play around in there when she visits. This time, however, she ended up with company . . . With Andy & Wayne visiting in the TV room and Sam & I in the dining room, Amy & Mike "visited" Britty until the TV couches were "vacant" and ended up staying the night. I don't know how the other 2 kids fit in there!

Next morning when Sam's kids woke up they just rattled around like they had always lived here. . . Josh, Lauryl & Kade felt at home and enjoyed their Boucher cousins. Sam's Josh (left) & Andy's Hunter (right) have a special friendship, as do Lauryl & Lizzie, and they got all excited to see each other.

While dinner was cooking and we were visiting during the day, I would find myself listening . . . Listening for the kiddies, how they were getting along . . . And all I found was the most wonderful, calm feeling of peace and happiness. No squabbles, and really, no kids under foot. They were off someplace in our funny little house with its hidey-holes, playing with each other. It was kind of a chilly day and they didn't go outside much, just played inside.

What a wonderful blessing, to feel joy and peace with your family, even though they don't see each other often. What a blessed occasion, to be able to celebrate a special holiday of gratitude and thankfulness with our loved ones . . . who love each other!!!

There are other pictures of Thanksgiving, and Sarah has some on her blog, but this is one of my favorites. After all the kids had played, and the gals had cooked, and everyone had eaten, the Grannie Cook was all tuckered out. That is when the Knights of the Dishpan popped up and banished us from the kitchen. And that's something a body can be thankful for!!

A special thanks to Sarie, Becky, Amy & Britty for their wonderful help and friendship . . . We, all of us, had such a great time being together!!!

2008-11-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

P.S. to The Mama Chair --- Here are some snapshots from our family album that date about the same time my Mommy's chair came to our house -- some ancient pictures of happy occasions.

Usually Daddy dressed in khaki work clothes and Mom in a house dress. Regular everyday playclothes for me consisted of a little T-shirt and a pair of overalls --- So here I am, about 14 months old, looking like a little boy with a dolly. But all dressed up in a little girlie dress and bonnet, I am still making pretty funny faces.

Daddy always wore a hat when he went out, whether he was dressed up or going to work, so you can see the shadow of the hat above his tanned face. Mom & Daddy loved us kids, and since I am the only little kiddie in the family on this occasion, they are taking turns playing photographer on this summer afternoon.

One of the few photos I could find of Mom's little rose-colored armchair is from a family reunion at our home a couple of years later just before we moved. Daddy's brother Bob and his wife Lorraine pose for the photographer.

Interesting, isn't it, how furnishings recede to background of activities and relationships, yet they are reminders of things we did and feelings we felt.
Mommy's snuggly chair brings to me the cozy, happy, quiet feelings I had when I was a little girl.
Again, what a great blessing that Wayne fixed it up so we can enjoy it for many, many more years!!!

The Mama Chair

2008-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

Mom & Daddy moved to their first home when I was not quite 2, just before my sister was born. As they were shopping for furnishings, Mom saw the carpeting she wanted from across the store. They also bought a greenish-bluish couch and matching square armchair (Daddy's chair) and a nice snuggly dark rose upholstered chair for Mom.

Over the years, her little chair has made some changes. The rose upholstery with the woven swirled pattern was replaced with gold velveteen, and Mom attached ball casters on the front to make the chair easier to move. When she went to live with Heavenly Father, her little cuddly chair came to stay at our house, and we have enjoyed it so much over the years! It became my favorite place to nurse my younger children, and read to any of the others, unless there were too many of us to fit!

Sometime ago, I took Mom's chair to an upholstery class and fitted it out with papricka-colored $20/yard fabric that was to last 20 years.

Enter the present day: Wayne & I are getting to the point that we need to have furniture that makes our knees higher than our bums when we sit down, or we have troubles getting up and out. So this past summer, we purchased a new couch and loveseat, and because Mom's little chair seemed very low, I worried we might have to replace it. Just the idea of not having it around any more made me sad, but gratefully, there was nothing in the furniture stores that we liked. We rearranged the living room and brought Mom's chair to the opposite end of the room, and it looked cute and homey there, only problem now being its height.

Wayne, the Hero, came home this week with some new legs for Mom's chair, and the other day he turned it upside down and fixed it, just in time for Thanksgiving. He is so smart, knowing how to do things! I am so excited and happy, looking forward to many more years with Mom's snuggly, cuddly, as-old-as-I-am chair to enjoy!!

I am so glad!

Grannie Annie & Grandad: Miss Sarah's Guests

2008-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

Visiting the Queen of Kinder-garten --

Several times a year, we go to visit Sarah's kinder-garten class ~~~

It all started when she was teaching at Edison Elementary. Wayne knows all about hammers and nails, so he purchased a bunch of little bitty hammers (tack hammers, he would call them . . . not a man's hammer!) and furnished an itty-bitty red toolbox with said hammers, some little screwdrivers and a couple of itty-bitty saws. Then he talked to the kids about building and let them drive nails and screws (what a lot of noise!) and saw off little pieces of wood.

This visit we did something different: Sarah had an idea for take-home Christmas gifts for the kids to make that she needed help with: enter Grannie Annie. She said the hammers were too noisy for this time, and poor Wayne was on his own to figure out an activity.

Well, he was only momentarily stumped, and then his old drama training asserted itself . . . He would tell the kids a story and then let them act it out.

Left: This is a story about a wife who tried to roll out too-long noodles in her too-short kitchen. At the advice of Grandpa Wiseman, all the barnyard animals are brought into the house. The kids are playing the animals . . .

In the mean-time, I am painting kids' hands for handprints on a Christmas bulb, the fingers of which are to be turned into 5 little snowmen. Sarah divided up her 24 (3 absent) kids into groups of four for what she calls "Centers", with Grandad taking one, Grannie Annie another, doing testing herself in a third, and the kids playing games at three other stations. Boy, that girl is talented!!!

And at the end of the day, Wayne did the Lion Hunt with the kiddies who were waiting for the bus, and they all had a blast, especially Grandad!

So it's always fun to be with Sarie and see the great things she does with her kiddies. Then she feeds us well and takes us to do fun things, giving us royal billing with those kids. "Grannie Annie & Grandad are coming!!" she tells them. How can you be anything but GREAT that kind of an intro???

Love ya, Sarie. Love your kids!!

Bus Arrival

2008-11-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

We have these absolutely dear friends that live down the way. When I was visiting little over a week ago, the husband was all excited: He won an online bid for a handicapped bus! They were so tickled when he brought it home, that they loaded up their two little schnauzers and trundled up our way to show off their new vehicle. At first, I wasn't sure why a UTA handicapped bus was out in the road in front of our house, but then I remembered how excited Lavar had been when he won his bid. Main idea is, now they can go visit Terene's mother in Washington and travel comfortably! We are so very pleased for them!!! (We also got a ride in their new bus!)

Ward Hysterian

2008-11-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, this is where I was last Sun evening for about 5 hours, working on the Elsinore Ward History. Don't we think it is interesting that there are just small letter changes between the words history and hysteria?? Anyway, this is part of what I do, the ward history. Did such a good job last year that I was afraid they might make it a stake calling! I am so glad that they did not!

But here I am catching up on my notes since about last August . . .

Election 2008

2008-11-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

This past week has been an interesting one: had all sorts of things going, but the biggy was the 2008 Presidential Election on Tuesday where I serve as poll supervisor. Our election machines had to be set up by 7 a.m., so we were there at 5:45 to be sure they were up and running for the first voters. One fellow who came about 6:30. Chris told him we'd be open at 7. (We have had some people come and think they should vote right then because they were there.)The fellow said he didn't mind waiting, but he had always been the first voter in our precinct for the presidential election for I don't know how long. So he sat and waited so he could be first once more! Afterwards he told me he was 89 years old!

Voter turnout was great, about 70% of registered voters. After 8:00 p.m., we did all our paperwork, put away all our equipment, and took election results to Richfield. It was 9:30 p.m. Long day!

Right: Friends Leslie Gordon & Chris Kirkpatrick, dandy company for an all-day job!

Great people in Elsinore. I am impressed every time we do this sort of thing how kind and congenial they are, visiting with each other and not seeming to mind if they have to wait a little bit. We did have a line a couple of times during the day, and we were busy enough that I didn't have time to think about the book I brought in case business was slow.

Our polling place is the big, old town recreation hall, about 45 S. Center, which was built in the 1940's by the CCC (Civil Conservation Corps). The kids used to roller skate there, and every year they have a Halloween party and a town Christmas party, complete with the kids dancing the hokey-pokey just before Santa comes.

So the election is over for another year. One kid commented that I had been there ever since he could remember, and I guess I started registering voters in our home years ago when Calvin Rampton stepped down from being governor. I enjoy the experience, serving the community and getting to see folks that I don't see any other time.

There ARE Smiles . . .

2008-11-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

We go to visit Wayne's mother Luzell a couple of times a week. Often we find her dozing, snoozing she calls it, which is understandable since she will be 97 on Nov 10th. She wakes up with a wonderful smile. When Andy was a baby, he would greet us with un gran sonrisa as Wayne put it, and Grandma Luzell does the same thing. One day I told her how great her smile was, and she commented, "Well, people like you better if you smile!"

As one who wakes up a bit foggy, wanting soft sounds and no bright lights for the first half hour of life after sleep, I hope I don't react too often like a post-hibertating bear when life jars me too soon out of my preferred cotton-wool enviornment. Luzell's cheerfulness is such a wonderful, bright gift she gives, although she needs help to do many other things in life -- she gives that smile to everyone who comes around.

My random thoughts this past week have come again and again on how great smiles are . . . How they lift burdens and brighten life. What great gifts from the heart!! So, to all of you who have lifted my life with your smiles and sweetness, thank you! I salute you with my Smile Album! . . . and a truly grateful heart!

A hike with Jake & Cody this spring. We all got into the pic, sort of.

ShaNee & Harlan on his blessing day . . .

Sam & Kade Eastering at Castle Rock . . .

Jen & Daphney on the J&J vacation.
Cousin Holly visits Grandma last Christmas.

Kids Joseph & Caitlin (?)

Kade, Lauryl & Josh came for Grannie Camp this summer. We went hiking . . .

Harlan & Brittney play at the Family Fun Day in Ogden this summer . . .

Then there's good reason to smile with Joe & Jen's great news!!!

Cody, you make my eyes crinkle up and the corners of my mouth go up whenever I see this pic! You & Jake!!

There's Hunter mugging for the camera at Grannie Camp 2007.

Dad & Aunt Joanie are searching for light while they wait for me to try on a dress in Mr. Macs. What nuts!

And Mike, Sam, Hunter & Grandad on the Navajo Loop trail at

Bryce Canyon.

The next few are as old as the hills and courtesy of Aunt Joanie. The first is of me, Sue & Joanie in Greenville along with our branch president Glen Sims. That's our house in the background.

That's Daddy with his Big Fins car, also in the driveway, near the back porch.

And the last one is Sue and Joanie, about 1953. Great sisters!!

Andy & Becky at home, enjoying each other. . .

Amy, Sarah & Britty resting on a hike we took at Castle Rock in 2007.

And, last of all, Joanie and Annie at the Caraway reunion she planned in 2007 at Kelley's Grove. So much fun that was!

And folks, I can see I need to smile, regardless, especially after trying to put this blog together!! Man, the spacing is murder, isn't it?

Anyway, Loves & Smiles from Annie's house this week!! Grandma's pretty sweet, spreading all that gran sonrisa around!! What an easy way to make life fun and better!

Cabbage Patch Kids

2008-10-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, I went shopping in the the garden for "a salad". About all that is left growing out there are some frost-bitten tomato plants still ripening a little fruit, some potatoes (which need to be dug), and our Spring cabbages. These are the cute little guys I found, each no bigger than a softball, but just as tasty as the bigger members of the family.

How we got these?? When we harvested the bigger cabbages in June, we cut the head off just below the last row leaves curled around the bottom of the head, leaving the stub of the stem still in the ground and little buds exposed in the axels of the remaining leaves.

These "Babies" came from those buds and extended our cabbage crop to fall. Each one is just right for a bowl of cole slaw serving 3-4 people. Great blessing, I say!

The trees are changing their clothes this fall afternoon. Falling leaves create a serene feeling.

Trojan Horses and the Colonel

2008-10-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Computer images are things of the ether waves. Put your heart and soul in there and it can all be gone in the snap of a finger . . . or maybe even faster!

Wayne was doing his family history the other day. Then he received notification that the computer's security system had detected a "Trojan horse" which had found a nice warm home with "the Colonel". We aren't into house pets so that horse just had to go.

Best way was to take our poor little infected machine to the computer doc for a check.

Results: Complete new program guts in the computer. Some of the documents were saved . . . (a bunch of un-useful stuff that we should have deleted long ago).

Alphabetically, our document list now goes down through the D's, which does not include Wayne's PAF file with over 4,000 names, or my Elsinore Ward History 2008 that I have been compiling since January. We are hoping that some great, good miracle will find these two little items for us. If not, we start again and restore as best we can.

The patient recouperates with quiet bed rest at home before resuming regular chores on Monday next.

I was right. That doggone arbitrary colonel can leave his horse outside next time !!

Fall in Sevier Valley

2008-10-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

"When are we going to Maple Grove? I wanta see the leaves." Wayne's brother Jim has been wanting to go for a couple of years now and wouldn't go by himself. We decided to take Grandma and have a picnic supper for FHE a couple of weeks ago. Potatoes mined from the garden made a trip to the kitchen, and I made potatoes au graten which would taste good and hold the heat while we made the half hour drive. Luzell (Grandma) is never sure if she is hungry at mealtime any more, but there are two things she will ALWAYS eat: chocolate and potatoes! There didn't seem to be quite enough of it that day. The food tasted so good, eating outside in that wonderful fall air perfumed with the color-changing leaves. Ever noticed that fall tang in the air that tells you the leaves are coming down? It is just Fall!

Our garden has been about 3 weeks late this year, due to a coolish, wonderful gentle Spring. I wondered if the raspberries would ever produce. We were getting teeny little pickings, then all of a sudden the warmth of fall enveloped the the raspberry plants and they started to pop nice big, fat red berries out, a gallon bucket at a time -- plenty for cereal in the mornings and making jam for winter time.

Then the apple and pear trees generously produced several bushels of fruit a piece. About 30 years ago, Mom sent me money for Mother's Day, and when I bought a fruit tree, she said, "Would you like some more trees?" The trees that lived are a Jonathan apple, a yellow delicious apple and a Bartlett pear, and they have been gorgeous this year. I wish I had taken pictures!

The garden is gone now. We had 19 and 20-degree nights, a couple in a row, about a week ago. There are a few things left, but the more tender plants didn't survive even covered with a tarp. We are still looking for people to adopt the apples we can't use ourselves. I can heave a sigh of relief because I know the end is now in sight! I love the fall work, preserving the harvest. I love to be outside. That fall warmth makes me feel like an old cat, wanting to find a sunny spot where I can soak up the sun before wintertime comes.