Winter continues in Prescott Valley

More pictures of the trees, this time with the white stuff....soooo pretty!

I looked out my window...

I looked out my window and what did I see

white stuff covering the ground and trees

We had a visitor come our way

And a gift was brought so we could play

This visitor and Woody got along well

Thanks for the snow, it's really swell

Punxsutawney Phil said it there would be 6 more weeks of cold

I guess we should pay attention to what we are told!

"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way."

Today is Brad's 25th birthday. This guy is abosultely TERRIFIC! We all love you and here are a few reasons why:

1. You have an unquenchable desire for adventure. Even when we went to the Grand Canyon and you are soooo afraid of heights, you still went to the edge to view the splendure and went on a hike with the family down into the canyon.

2. You love to play. This is good for my daughter Kerri. She can be too serious at times. However, you have been able to get her to enjoy life much, much more.
" And when they played, they really played. And when they worked they really worked."Dr. Seuss

3. You love ice cream. "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" I do not know anyone who enjoys a bowl of ice cream like you do. You are always in the mood for this treat. Which is good for all of us, because when you come for a visit, Gary always stocks the freezer with pleanty of the cold stuff. We all benefit from your ice cream addiction.

4. You are always gently and kind. I do not know many people who can be so kind, so often, without effort. Even when you are teasing me, I never feel attacked or uncomfortable. You always offer love, --warm, tender love.

5. You are the orginal 'Minute Man'. Whenever we are discussing a question, problem, etc. you are up and working on a solution immediately. Whether we are contemplating an activity, going to a movie, finding a job, questioning the source of information...you are quick to find the answer and you do it right on the spot. You get so much done because you don't wait til later. Because of your example, I have been encouraged and do not put off til tommorrow what I can do today.

6. You're just Special. You just iz!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful person, father, husband, son of god, and all around good guy. Thanks for your optimism and kind heart.

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" Dr. Seuss

If you never did you should...

This is me when I think of you...
This is me when I'm blue

If you never did, you should.
These things are fun, and fun is good! Dr. Seuss

This past Halloween I sent the picture of me with my witchy hair do to my mother just to be funny. I love to be goofy. Not everyone appreciates my humor, but I do and when I am in the mood to goof around, I do. Like when I call my neices, Jessi and Brooke, and leave them silly messages on their phone. Or when I dance in the car, my favorite is the Cyclone. Most of the time I just like to laugh out loud for no reason at all and keep laughing until I wet my pants. Some times I like to laugh and keep laughing until I can get others around me to laugh also. Just because it is silly!

From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere. Dr. Seuss

CONFUCIUS SAY:

***Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.

***Crowded elevator smell different to midget.

***Man with one chopstick go hungry.

***Man who scratch bottom should not bite fingernails.

Just can't break old habits

Sometimes I hear a joke I just have to pass on and remember here it goes...

A gynecologist had become so fed up with malpractice insurance and HMO paperwork and was burned out. Hoping to try another career where skillful hands would be beneficial, he decided to become a mechanic. He went to the local technical college, signed up for classes, attended diligently and learned all he could When the time for the practical exam approaced, the gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks and completed the exam with tremendous skill.
When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%.
Fearing an error, he called the instructor, saying, "I don't want to appear undgrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade."
The instructor said, "during the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark. This equaled an A. After a pause, the instructor addded, "I gave you an extra 50% because you did it all through the muffler, which I've never seen done in my entire career!"

Grand kids: I have to share these funny comments...

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure,'"Look in your underwear. Grandpa, he advised, 'mine says I'm four to six.'

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant,"said a teacher. The samll boy wrote: The fireman came down the ladder pregnant. The teacher took the lad aside to correct him, 'Don't you know what pregnant means?' she asked. "Sure, said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

Dave Letterman - Taco Bell humor, must watch and laugh

http://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&zx=uf1h1zh6xn09&shva=1#inbox/11f13c673ea130ad

A tribute to my dentist

I understand that most people do not like going to the dentist office. I am one of those who really don't mind. I am fasicinated with what a dentist can do to make eating (one of my favorite "To Do's" of the day) comfortable and pleasant. We all take out teeth for granted. We expect them to be on duty 24-7 and never give us a complaint. Well, when I visited my dentist he asked me this question. "What can we do to help you overcome your fear of coming to the dentist?" I told him I do not fear the dentist, I fear having to pay him. Dental work is very costly. But more so if you neglect caring for your mouth, which I have done. I lost a filling in my tooth a year ago which was supporting a very fragile tooth. I just figured I could eat on the other side of my mouth and keep my teeth clean and all would be well. Hmmm, not so much. This past week I have been suffering with a throbing in my cheek that kept me from sleeping. I noticed it most when I would eat items that were chewy or hard. After going without sleep for a week I had to give in. My friend referred me to a good dentist and I now have a new mouth. I can eat again without pain or frustration. This of course after 3 hours in a chair and $800. Lesson learned
Do not, I repeat, do not neglect your body just because you do not want to pay for it's care. I could have visited my two daughters and grand children with the money I had to pay the dentist for his expertise. And there is more work to be done...ugh! The dentist said it would of been a simple job that would of only cost $150 had I taken care of it when it happened. What a dope I am. Thank you Dr. Mangum for your excellent care and understanding. The next time I lose a filling, I will take care of it immediately. But for now all I have to console me is a piece of chocolate cake, which I can now enjoy to it's fullest.

Dad is great! Gives us the chocolate cake...

{I'm sure some of you remember the words to this song that Bill Cosby tells of his children singing to him one morning when it was his responsibility to feed them breakfast and in his laziness he gives the children chocolate cake as the children eat they sing the jingle...Dad is great, gives us the chocolate cake. If you have never seen this comic routine, you must treat yourself. It is humor at it's best.}
Hmmmm, yum, yum, chocolate cake. There are times when I crave chocolate cake. It is so yummers! Yesterday I made a visit to the dentist. While waitng for my appointment I went browsing through the magazines available in the waiting room. This time of year, in anticipation of the Month of Love, chocolate is everywhere. One the most common treats is chocolate cake.
If my mouth was not in so much pain I would of ditched the dentist and immediately headed for the store that could offer the best cake. Reading all the recipes made my mouth water. So today I will be baking a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. And I am sure by the time all is done, I will be in heaven.

Learning something new

At the present I do not have my camera so photographs are not yet available. Gary and I now share a camera and he has it at work today. I wanted to video the snow falling. I know, I know, it' not that great a thing to most people, but I love it when it snows. It doesn't stick to the ground but that is not what I enjoy, it's watching it fall, swirling and dancing in the cold air, drifting down from the heavy grey clouds above. It's pretty! Today the flakes look like pieces of kleenex when one gets washed in a load of laundry and are scattered and stuck to everything in the washer. Then when you shake the clothing to dislodge them, they fly all over the room and land in your hair and eyelashes...just like the snow.

Oh, what am I learning...how to use photoshop. It is the most fascinating program. I have to limit my time each day because I would just sit and play with pictures morning til night. So much fun! Oh it's, snowing again. I have to stop and sit and watch....later on!

Wish for New Year

My mother sent the following to me and I thought it was the best "wish" I've ever read. ENJOY!

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires, may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address.

Which one do you like the best?

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose...

"Take time for each other~for nothing else is that important."

When we visited Gary's aunt in Maui one of things that impressed him while in their home was that their office was set up with their desks facing each other. Until now, we have only had one desk, for Gary's real estate. This year his broker decided to close their store front office and work out of their home which left Gary without a place to do business, so to speak. They were generous and gave him a computer and printer so he could set up an office in his home. This is great for me because now I have my own computer and printer and we can work together in the same room. Our desks do not face each other, we actually sit back to back, however, it is so nice working on projects and not sitting in front of the television all the time. He works on Real Estate and surfs the net, I play with photgraphs and create scrapbook pages using the Photo Shop Elements computer program. One day I hope to be able to put our desks facing each other but for now this works well.

reading to repair your heart

My mother shared two books with me this holiday season. Both were delightful and did some serious repair to my heart. If you want a quick read and warm fuzzy feelings read the following. You will be glad you did.

The SHACK by William P. Young The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it....". ~ J. D. Salinger

Giggle: to laugh with high, quick sounds in a silly or nervous way.

"IF YOU LAUGH AT IT, YOU CAN LIVE WITH IT!"
Girls giggle. All the time. Why is this so? This week Krystal, her friend Bree and the Sister Missionarys where here for breakfast one day. It was glorious to hear laughter ring throughout the house. These four girls laughed, giggled and screamed for 3 hours. Why is it that the giggling intensifies when two or more women are gathered together. "laughing all the way" The only requirement for such merriment is that you are a girl. Guys don't do this. But put two girls together in any situation and you get laughs and giggles and grins. You get tears on occasion, and "whoa is me", but for the most part it's giggling. "LAUGHTER IS A TRANQUILIZER WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS." Just last night I went visiting teaching and although we talked about some serious things, for the most part we giggled. It did not matter who we visited, in what home, to what age woman, we still giggled. "LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE." I am grateful the girls were here with us if only just for the entertainment. It did my heart good to hear them have so much fun visiting with each other. Being a girl is humorous, literally! "THE BEST BLUSH TO USE IS LAUGHTER: IT PUTS ROSES IN YOUR CHEEKS AND IN YOUR SOUL~"

The New Year Begins

"The New Year, like an Infant Heir to the whole world, was waited for,
with welcomes, presents, and rejoicings." -Dickens
We don't know about you, but we are really looking forward to a wonderful New Year.

"If I know what love is, it is because of you." Herman Hesse

The Ashcrafts: Austin, Grandpa Bob, Baby Xander and Arla
Bob with his new bride Dorinda
Dorinda with her grandson. She has 8 grandchildren. Bob now has 9 grandchildren.
Cid, Arla, Izabella, Abby, (this will be Arla's new family soon)
Kevin, Marsha, Brooke and Jessica Lister


Our New Year kicked off with a wedding. My brother Bobbie Allen married Dorinda on a beautiful sun shinning day. Pictured above are a few snapshots of the event. Congratulations Bob & Dorinda.

There's no place like home for the Holidays

As you can see we had a wonderful Christmas. Fast but fun. The evening started with an introduction to the newest member of the family Zander Ashcraft, son of Austin Ashcraft. Granny is in love with this little one. We drove home late Christmas Eve in the rain and fog, got a good night's rest and finally around 9 a.m. Krystal and Garrett opened presents. We made our way down the hill to Papa's for a nice ham dinner. Aunt Sandi and Gary made use of the new pool table. Soon it was time to take Garrett and Krystal back to Phoenix. We visited with Granny a bit and back up to Prescott in the rain and fog. We had a wonderful time with all of our family, but it just wasn't the same without Kerri and Kim and thier families. Hopefully next year we can be together again.....ya never know, it could happen!

Life is like a box of chocolates...

Christmas time makes me hungry for chocolates. Not just any chocolates. The kind that comes in a 5 pound assortment, with nuts, cherries, cream and carmels. When I was a litte girl my father always purchased one of those big ol' boxes of chocolates. I loved it. Of course it never takes long before most of them have been poked and proded so as to determine the filling. But I looked forward to this treat every year. When I began working at the school one of the teachers, Dear Sweet Mrs. Sigg, would bring in a large box of chocolates every year for the holidays. Those babies kept me going till it was time for our Christmas Break. Earlier this week I was thinking on this subject and thought I better make a trip to Sees Candy to pick up a box of "nuts & chews" to make my holiday complete. That same morning my neighber brought over a cute little box which was just enough to get me through for the next few days till I can get to the mall. I don't know how anyone can go without chocolate during the holidays. Now my question is, who gave Mary chocolate when Jesus was born? You know she needed it! I'm thinking the wife of one of the wise men must have been sensitive to this need. So I decided it was the wise man that brought the myrrh...that's what chocolate does to you, it makes you myrrrrrrrh. ha, ha, ha!

How can they know me so well?

The women I live next to are delightful. They have become such good friends. Lily is recently widowed and she is my shopping pal. I know, I don't like to shop, but she makes it so much fun. She lives to the right of me, to the left is Barbara. I call her Nurse Mama. She is a retired RN and is a yarn crafter which mean she creates whatever she can out of yarn. Barbara brought over this adorable box of chocolates . It is the perfect gift for me because #1 hey, it's chocolate and #2 Snowmen. The other day I received a gift from another neighbor, Tracey, she gave me a ceramic ginerbread house and a CD of an old radio show christmas story. And Lily gave me a beautful angel that had wings and gown like a fairy. All these things are so ME. These women have only known me a short while, since June and they all gave me gifts that only family and old, old friends would know I enjoy. People are so perceptive or maybe totaly receptive to the spirit.

Sparkling Jewels compliments of Mother Nature

Our first winter storm rolled in eariler this week. When I looked out the window early one morning this is what I saw. The trees were drapped in beautiful translucent beads of ice. I thought it looked so pretty. The mountains all around are covered with snow. Being that we live in the "valley" the snow hasn't accumulated much, but it still snows. But baby it's COLD outside.

Downtown Glowing

left to right: Justin Cameron, Rae, Scott, Baby Emma, Lisa, Laura and Gary

When Kim moved to Prescott she invited us to attend the Courthouse Lighting. We have been attending ever since. This year we are without our lovely daughter and her family...we miss them sooooo much, but we attended anyways. Here we are pictured with Nate's family and the newest addition Baby Emma. Isn't she a doll. We brought along hot chocolate and whip cream and later gathered at Yuri's for the tradional Chili dinner. I did my best to keep my camera still duirng the shoot, but I think you get the idea. The city added some new lights this year along with a Santa Workshop in the gazebo. If you look closely you can see my attempt at making a winter hat. No giggling...I like it! It kept my ears nice and warm. Oh and Justin is a new additon also. Laura was married in October. We love being a part of this wonderful family. Thank you Nate for marrying Kim and giving us someone to claim us while you are in Hawaii.

All I want for Christmas is YOU!

It's beginning to look alot like christmas. I decorated just a bit for the holidays. I was going to put up just the little pine trees, but Gary began to pout. So I dug out the "Charlie Brown" tree and he was happy. The only ornaments I have left are the hand-made one given to us by various family members and friends. It's a bit pitaful but fun! Yes, the lighted garland is up also. Gary says it's not Christmas without the garland. Here are a few pictures of us goofing around in front of the trees. Our house is the only one on the block with lights outside. We are a becon in the night.

Bride and Groom

Two brooms were hanging out in a closet and after a while they got to know each other so well they decided to get married.
One broom of course was the Bridge Broom the other one the Groom Broom
The Bride Broom looked very beautiful in her white dress.
The Groom Broom was Handsome and Sauve in his tuxedo; the wedding was lovely! After the wedding and the wedding dinner the Bride Broom leaned over to the Groom Broom and said,
"I think I am going to have a little whisk broom."
"IMPOSSIBLE!", said the Groom Broom

Are you ready for this?


"WE HAVEN'T EVEN SWEPT TOGETHER!"

Laugh...it is the best cure for a bad day.

Vote for Marriage Man & Woman

If you are living in Arizona Vote "Yes" on Prop 102. Marriage between a man and woman preserves our way of life. The Lord set it up that way for a reason.

It's Autum Time, the leaves are falling down

As you can see the tree pictured in my last post has gone bare. Gary came home the other evening and said, "Well Fall is over, the leaves are just about all gone." I just giggled. I told him, sweetheart, Fall is has just begun. That's what happens this time of year, the leaves FALL!
Oh yeah, he says, that's probably why it's called Fall. There is a beautiful multi-colored blanket of leaves right outside the front door. Today I gathered them together and gave Woody a leaf bath. Then I threw Woody on the pile...ha, ha, ha Wood... Pile... I'm so funny!

The fall season is here and all around is beautiful color. I tried to photograph the full moon the other evening. It looked like the perfect Halloween Moon. The tree pictured here greets us with these pretty leaves every morning.

Scirpture Pictures

I have started something new. I have created a "Pondering the Scriptures" scrapbook. When I read my scriptures I jot down passages that jump out at me or that have special meaning to me that day and I combine it with a picture or embleshiment. This has become my activity on Sunday while Gary is at work and helps me to keep the Sabboth Day Holy. Here is just one of my entries starring my adorable grandchildren; Nate the younger and Silly Lili.

Silly LIli, Nate the Younger and Kaci Bear books

I am thankful I can clap my hands, can you do it?
from "I am thankful I can..."


Since my grand children have moved "Far, Far Away" I have decided to make books for them
featuring their family members here in Arizona. Currently there are three new books in publication. Here you can see a sampling of the pictures used for these projects. These books are part of a series I started last summer...'people I know'. I combine photos I have taken of scenery or objects with photos of cousins, grand parents, aunts and uncles so my grand children to see their family members often even though they are far away. I have a lot of fun making these books. The next three books will be coming out mid-November. So kids, keep a look out for the mail!

Brooke is looking for Tinker Bell, can you help her find her?

from "I can find it!

The three books are entitled. "I am thankful I can..", "I can find it!", and "How do we love you?"

This is my witches corner. It features my newly acquired hat for the season. If my grand children were here this is where they would have to go for time-out for being "witchy" or in mortal language, naughty. So little ones behaive or you will be banished to the Witches Corner.

The Halloween Gang is all here

It's time for Halloween. I always look forward to this time of the year. The air gets a lot cooler and I get to decorate with pumkins, ghosts and ghules. This year I will dress Woody the Bear on our front porch as a modern witch with a boutique hat, found at Walmart for a gonga deal!
The only goblins missing are my darling grand children. Halloween will not be the same without them. BOO HOO

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

Just recently my three daughters have all made the comment, "Mom, I'm turning into you!" This statement was always said when they recounted a decision they made , an item they pulled together from odds and ends, or this one, finding a treasure next to a dumpster. So I made them a rare and functional Halloween Costume that they can cherish their whole lives.
A beautifully crafted apron, made from left over fabric of about 10 years, decorated with words of wisdom and sent with tender loving care. The wisdom I shared?

Mirror, Mirror on the wall
I've become my mother
after all.

Gary and I wanted to buy poofy wigs for them to wear also then they could really look like me for Halloween, but those darn wigs are so costly. Wouldn't that be a hoot! I thought it was cute and was a great joke to pull on my girls, but when I went to the post office to mail them off, the lady at the register admired it and wanted one for herself. You never know what someone will like. I hope my girls get a chuckle when they see their aprons, I had so much fun making them.

Shopping with Gary at Walmart is the Pits!

It's Friday and we hit Walmart to do our bi-weekly grocery shopping. Why Walmart? Well, the store is suppose to price match the ads from the other stores. This use to be pretty convenient for us, just grab the ads and go to Walmart. But 'times they are a changin'. Now they are being extra picky on what they will or will not price match. So what's my problem? Well....
1. I actually made a shopping list this time and what is even more amazing, I remembered to bring it with me.
2. Gary is an 'up and down every single isle' shopper. I am not. However, this time I decided to use his method and remarkably enough I was able to find everything on my list (which is a feat in itself if you have even shopped Walmart, especiallly here in Prescott when the shelves seem to always be depleated!)
3. Gary goes to get in line, I run to pick up the last two items meet him at the register and what
do I find? He is arguing with the cashier about the ads and the items he has selected. Next,
you've got it, the argument with the manager. Memories of my mother arguing with the manager when we shopped with her as children came rushing into my mind. NOOOOO!. Stop it! I whisper to him. He refuses and the manager refuses to honor the price-match so what do you think happens next? Yep! Gary walks out of the store leaving behind all my groceries in the cart. BUMMER! I will never get that shopping experience back again.
4. The next day I go to make me a peanut butter and jam sandwich which I am so excited to eat because I found this absolutely yummmy looking apricot jam the night before and as I am looking through each cabinet for this jam it dawns on me that we don't have it because it was left in the cart at Walmart when Gary walked out!. Arrrrrggh. I did the same thing again this afternoon when I went to make my mashed red potatotes and peas...no sour cream...it was also in the cart.
5. Gary is not allowed to grocery shop at Walmart ever again. It is simply toooo traumatic for me.

Always be flexible

A man was not feeling well. He was experiencing dizziness and seeing white spots. After a visit to the doctor he was told that he had a rare disease and approximately 6 months to live. He immediately quit his job so he could spend quality time with his family and do some traveling. One day he purchased a sports car and as he was driving down the street he notices a well-known Men's clothing store and he decided to stop in and have a nice suite made for himself. As the tailor began measuring the man, pants, coat, shirt, he came to the neck and said, okay, 16 1/2 shirt. The man was upset and said, I do not wear a 16 1/2, I wear a 15. The tailor measured again, sure enough it said 16 1/2. The man said very sternly, you will make me a size 15. I have always worn a 15 and I'm not going to change now. The tailor said, Fine, but if you wear a size 15 shirt you will get dizzy and start to see white spots!

Magnolia Girls

Well it seems I had two requests to be a part of our new fantastic, super duper, club. Welcome ladies. You will not be sorry. I am currently lookin for a logo for our fun club. If you have any ideas just let me know. It should probably incorporate the magnolia some how. What does a Magnolia look like?

Bra sizes

ever wonder what the letters represent in your bra size?

A almost boobs
B barely boobs
C can't complain
D DANG!
DD DOUBLE DANG!
E enormous
F Fake!
G get a reduction
H Help I can't get up!

Magnolia Girls Unite

MAGNOLIA GIRLS UNITE
Winter*Summer*Spring *Fall We can do it all!


Are you the type of person that loves to sit around with friends
and laugh til you wet yourself?
Is Semi-homemade more your style?
OR is homemade your passion?
Would you like to learn What NOT to wear?
Are you married to the greatest guy in the world?
OR are you currently single looking for Mr. Right and could use some pointers?
Boobs—too big, too small, don’t care?
Sassafras—in good condition?
Do you sing off key and dance like a monkey?

Well, this club is for you. Whether the above questions apply to you or not, we want you for our sister.
Come and join our hot new club. We talk, laugh, sing and listen. Magnolia Girls come in all shapes and sizes.

President: Lynda Call (just because she likes the attention)

Glamour Technician: Hayley Call (because she is totally talented and makes you look great!)

Project Chairman: Verda Hebner (because she enjoys searching for new things to do)

Interested in joining our club? You can contact us by sharing a comment on this blog. Just say, Make me a Magnolia and you are in! No previous experience is required.

Just visiting with new friends

September 12, 2008

I just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City, actually the name of the town is Murray, Utah. How did this trip become possible? Well, I was visiting Papa Canell one Sunday and in Relief Society one of the sister’s asked if there was anyone who would be willing to be her travel companion. She wanted to attend a reunion held in Brigham City. At the time Krystal was living in Ogden and I thought it would be a grand adventure to visit her so I volunteered. In the mean time, Krystal returned to the Valley of the Sun and I was on the hook to make this trip.
I called Kerri’s in-laws, Bryan and Lynda Call to ask if I might be able to spend a week with them and they were willing to take me into their home.

Lynda had an unfortunate accident on a hike the week previous to my arrival and she really couldn’t too much with a broken foot. We spent most of the week napping, eating, and laughing. Haley was stuck babysitting us two old ladies, (which are her words, not mine) but she managed to make the most of it. We did watch a movie together, Steel Magnolias, and it became our point of reference for the entire week. I decided to form a new girl’s club and call it The Magnolia Girls Unite. Our motto: … Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall… We can do it all!

Lynda and I had our hair cut and styled and we now have a whole new look thanks to our resident hair stylist Hayley. She had to work long and hard but she was able to transform us.


Bryan spoiled us by preparing yummy meals and snacks throughout the week. One evening he made homemade grape juice and whipped up delicious grape smoothies. YUMMERS! He was very good to us. His garden supplied us with fresh, ripe tomatoes and green peppers so we could make salsa.

The Calls have the most darling grandchildren. Abby, Anna, Megan, Mayley and Hunter. (Forgive my spelling if it is off) On Sunday morning I heard the front door open with a bang. I than heard the most adorable voice yell out,
“ Grandpa, I’m here!” Grandpa replied, “Who are you?” (A) “I’m Anna.” (G) “Do I know an Anna?” (A) “Yes you do and you love me too!” After that greeting all that could be heard from my room in the basement were giggles and laughter and little feet running here and there. I really missed my own grand children at that moment.

Besides eating and laughing we did find energy to do a sewing project and Lynda shared family photos and memories of her life. I especially enjoyed hearing Bryan and Lynda’s “Love Story”. The highlight of the week was Hayley turning in her mission papers. Our conversations seem to always go back to her mission. I can’t wait to hear where she will be called to serve.

The week ended, Sharon picked me up and took me home. I had a glorious week thanks to the Call Family. Will I ever take a trip like that again?
... hmmm, that would be a “No, Bob”. I missed my hubbie way too much. However I now have some happy memories and wonderful new friends. It’s nice to be back.

Give me a few days...

Hello ! Soon I will have some new info for you to view. Don't forget me...check back in a few days. Just to wet your whistle....

1. I just returned from Utah where I had a FAB time with the Call family.
2. I have made a new 'old lady' friend who makes me laugh and sing (the singing part is literal)
3. I came home to a special surprise.
4. I have a new look.
5. I am the member of a new and fascinating girl's club...The Magnolia Girls

So stay tuned there's lots to come....

Fun blonde joke

Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch.
Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble.
In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull so that they can breed their own stock.Upon leaving, the brunette tells her sister, 'When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home.'The brunette arrives at the man's ranch, inspects the bull, and decides she wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less.
After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office, and says,
'I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I've bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home.'The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad to help her, then adds, it will cost 99 cents a word.
Well, after paying for the bull, the brunette realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word.After a few minutes of thinking, she nods and says, 'I want you to send her the word 'comfortable.''The operator shakes his head. 'How is she ever going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her just the word 'comfortable?''The brunette explains, 'My sister's blonde. The word is big. She'll read it very slowly.... 'com-for-da-bul.''

pictures tell everything

You will notice the t.v. atena hanging from the ceiling. This was the only way we could get any decent reception for the televison. Thank goodness the satelite guy came to the rescue and we can now view movies and programs with clarity. Also pictured are my step-sisters and their cousin Mag. My step-mother Betty had quaduple by-pass surgery done last week. All her valves in her heart were blocked. The surgery was a success and she is now at home resting. These three women were very worried, but all is well now.

Overnight adventures at Maw Verdi's

Lili and Nate came for an overnighter and we did all kinds of fun activities. Nate found himself in the mirror, Lili learned how to use the spray bottle to create new hair fashions and Krys was invited to the comfort corner to read books and cuddle.

In the Summer time when the weather is hot...

For Father's Day we were invited to the lake with Nate's Family. Pictured

here is the bum line-up and the faces that go with them. This is a beautiful spot for fun in the sun. Thanks to Nate's family for turning us on to this great place.

Didn't see that one coming...

Hello Everyone! So sorry I have not been on line for a while. We do not currently have the internet in our home, however Krystal has turned me on to the Public Library and I can now at least keep my blog up to date. No pictures!

I have been keeping busy re-visiting some old hobbies...calligraphy and needle work. I even got out the tole paint this week and did a few projects. Also Lili has two new princess dresses to wear when she comes over to play.

My first month in our new home has been interesting. I met my neighbor one night and the next morning we were dailing 911 because her husband died. YUP! I was thankful I was a visiting teacher and had the know-how to handle the situation. I would rather have gotten to know her better at a bar-b-que. I still have pictures of this dead man in my head and it's not so good, but oh well, what do you do? She needed someone to help her and I was the one available.
Just the night before I had prayed that I could be of service to someone...this was how my prayer was answered. Didn't see that one coming...

Our new home is cozy and comfortable and I love being able to sit outside under the trees and enjoy playing with my grandchildren. We are very happy!