Announcing....

I enjoy making announcements--especially if they are of the happy variety.

A few weeks ago, I sent a text to my married darling daughters with the following announcement:

BREAKING NEWS!  I purchased my first watermelon of the summer!

Now, that might not be breaking news for MOST people, but for me with my passion for sweet and juicy watermelon, it was a big deal.  I LOVE watermelon!  It's my favorite fruit and when I purchased my first one sometime the middle of May, it was big news for me. 

Of course, my darling daughters responded with cheers.  They know how much watermelon means to me.  I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes afternoon and before bedtime snacks.  Do you get a little sense of WHY buying my first watermelon was such big news? 


About eight years ago, I got up in the front of Relief Society to share some other good news.

I announced that after four daughters and 23 years of marriage I was finally expecting a son!

Of course, there was much exclamations from the women in the room.  Emily was 10 at the time.  That's a pretty big gap between a fourth and fifth child.  However, it was my way of announcing Christie's engagement and that we were finally getting a son-in-law.

So, yesterday I did it again.

I made a big announcement in Young Women because that is where I currently serve. 

I walked to the front of the room and twirled.  (That is what the young women do in this ward--they twirl when they want to share good news.)

With a catch in my voice and a few tears in my eyes, I pulled out an apron that was given to me by darling daughter Heather and her husband Dustin on Mother's Day. 

This is a smile of pure joy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I am going to be a grandmother sometime the end of November or beginning of December. 

I LOVE making happy announcements!

The Parable of the Baking Soda

There are some things are I am not too good at:

1. Team Sports. (I still have horrible memories of being picked last every single time during P.E.)
2. Not getting stressed. (Although I am working on it.)
3. Being outgoing in a large group of people. (And when I mean a large group of people, I mean anything over six. Yes, I know. I'm pathetic.)

There are some things I am OK at:

1. Cooking a meal for company. (See number 2 above. I'm ALWAYS worried that they won't like what I made, or it won't turn out, or that it won't be done in time.)
2. Fixing my hair so it looks OK. (Emily touches it up for special occasions. I wish EVERY day was a special occasion.)
3. Playing the organ. (I've been taking lessons for a few months now and slowly I'm hoping to get better than OK.)

There are some things I am very good at:

1. Keeping a clean and orderly home. (It's never perfect, but I'm never embarrassed to have someone drop by unexpectedly.)
2. Setting and accomplishing goals. (Ask my long time friends--they will vouch for me on that one.)
3. Baking some pretty awesome chocolate chip cookies.

I was very good at baking cookies, until I moved to cute little town. The recipe stayed the same. The pans were still the magical ones. But, my cookies just didn't turn out.
At first I thought it was the oven.
My old oven was perfect. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 9 minutes and you had perfection. Every. single. time.
I raised the temperature of the oven. That helped.
I let them cook just a minute longer. That helped.
But, there was still something not quite right about those cookies.
They were flat.
As I recently pondered this perplexing turn of events, I kept getting a prompting: "Check your baking soda."
I ignored it.
A day later, I remembered that prompting. "Check your baking soda."
I wasn't anywhere near the kitchen at the time, so the thought was fleeting.
The third time I was prompted to check the baking soda, I did. We had two open boxes of baking soda. (I don't know HOW that happened.) Imagine my shock when both of them had expired in 2010--right about the time Heather got married and we moved.
No wonder my cookies were flat.
As I write this, I am baking a fresh batch of cookies with fresh baking soda. They are golden brown and slightly puffy. I'm still trying to figure out this oven, but maybe, I'll become a very good baker again.
As I thought about this, I think many times we let our "baking soda" go flat. We lose that zest for living. Perhaps it's because we aren't taking care of ourselves physically. We aren't eating right. We aren't getting enough exercise. We aren't getting enough sleep.
Perhaps we aren't taking care of ourselves emotionally. We aren't reaching out to friends. We aren't building our family relationships. We are neglecting an important part of our inner core.
Perhaps we aren't taking care of ourselves spiritually. We have neglected our scripture study. Our prayers have become trite. We aren't engaged in meaningful worship.
I'm grateful for re-learning how important baking soda is in baking. I will never assume that my opened box can last forever. As soon as I see the tell-tale sign of flat cookies (or a flat life) I'll wonder if it (or my life) has lost it's zest for living. Then, I'll do something about it.

Valentine Nicknames

Last Sunday, I was reading the comics. Snoopy was given many Valentine's greetings but the one that he was hoping for never came.

No one called him "Sugar Lips."

And so, in honor of Snoopy's wish, I decided to bestow the mushy nickname of "Sugar Lips" on Ron this week.

I'm sure he's thrilled.

Of course, Emily could not be left out. As we were brainstorming possible Valentine nicknames for her, she came up with "Muffin" or "Pumpkin." They are very lovely but just not quite special enough.

Ron thought a combination would be better. "How about Pumpfin?" he asked.

I burst in with my suggestion a second later, "How about Muffkin?"

And so, Emily is now Muffkin for the week.

I'm sure she's thrilled.

Of course, I could not be without a Valentine nickname. They didn't EVEN ask me what I wanted to be called.

My nickname? Honey Bucket.

And yes, I'm thrilled. :)

SWN and EGA

Many, many years ago, before my third daughter was born, I was invited to join a group of lovely individuals in a group that was affectionately titled, "Sew...What's New?" The object of the group was to meet once a month working on counted cross-stitch or other craft projects, partaking of delicious food, and enjoying each others company. My family soon learned that the first Wednesday of every month was sacred. It was my time to relax and rejuvenate. Only Ron's birthday which occasionally occurred on the first Wednesday in December would keep me away from my friends.

For many, many years I faithfully brought a project each month. Sometimes I cross-stitched, sometimes I painted wooden objects to decorate my home, sometimes I worked on other special projects. However, as the years passed, the project bringing and making dwindled. I was so tired at night that ALL I wanted to do was sit, laugh, eat, and visit with friends. (Not necessarily in that order.) Many of the other members followed this pattern. Oh, a few still brought projects along. Lori was quite good at keeping up the cross-stitching and Marian brought bills to pay. Candy would bring her card making supplies and Trina would bring her stack of neglected magazines to peruse. But, it certainly wasn't like the "golden olden days." And you know what? I was OK with that.

When I moved to my cute little town, attending Sew What's New (or SWN for short) was pretty much out of the question. Driving nearly two hours each way wasn't too practical. It was also the same evening as the FFA's parent booster meeting. Those three letters soon replaced my SWN monthly adventures. Sadly, FFA was lacking in the laughter, sitting comfortably (I usually stood because of the lack of chairs in the high school classroom) catching up with friends (although I certainly caught up with Ag business) and delicious treats.

And then...last week I was introduced to EGA! Just what is EGA? I'm SO glad you asked!

A week earlier when I was sponsoring book club at my home, one of the women noticed my plethora of counted cross-stitch items adorning the walls of my home. As the meeting came to a close, she asked if I had done them. I told her I did.

"Would you be interested in coming to my embroidery group next Wednesday morning? We meet on the 4th Wednesday of the month at the church."

Interestingly, I had been at Michael's just the day before and came across a darling cross-stitch pattern book. Impulsively I purchased it, bought some Aida and came home with great anticipation. After two or three years of putting counted cross-stitch on the back burner, I was excited about picking it up again! So, when Dawn asked if I would like to join her, I excitedly said, "Yes."

OK, I was kind of picturing a small group of women sitting around a large classroom, embroidering and talking away. That is NOT what I found.

Instead, I discovered eight long tables set up in a U-shape with nearly every chair taken. I was warmly greeted and sat down and began working on my new project. These women are SERIOUS! I found out that they are a chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America or EGA for short. They have gorgeous bags and carrying cases for their supplies. They have flosses and yarns and a variety of needles. They wore special "things" around their necks that had EGA stitched on it with golden pins and golden stars recognizing their finished pieces. They had a PRESIDENT who conducted a business meeting. They had committee heads who reported on membership, humanitarian work, awards, and a variety of other things I don't remember.

After nearly an hour of business, we went to the adjacent kitchen and ate the most amazing food! It was nearly as delicious as what a SWN meeting would offer. I met a retired librarian (my ultimate dream job), and women who have been embroidering for a few years and women who have spent a life time pursuing their passion.

When we finished eating, we went back to the large room and the guest teacher was introduced. She shared with us the history of lace making and how to make lace on a bobbin. I don't think I will EVER attempt lace-making (although Emily has challenged me to try to make lace gloves for her wedding some 5 or 6 years in the future.) I learned a lot and enjoyed the companionship of women who have similar interests.

Before I left the meeting, I was given a colored brochure inviting me to become part of the EGA. And you know what, even though it is way more hardcore than my wonderful SWN group, I think I will! I had a fantastic time.

There Are No Coincidences

Recently I finished President Monson's inspiring biography To the Rescue. Near the end of the book, the author recounts several experiences that President Monson had. Many people would say that they were coincidences, but President Monson firmly believes that "there are no coincidences."

Nearly two weeks ago, I was working in the Oakland Temple. I don't have any say in where I'll be assigned. I was hoping that I might be assigned to work the front door from 11:00 am until 11:30 when my shift ends so I might greet my cute niece Nikki and her handsome husband-to-be Kirk when they entered the temple. I knew they were scheduled to be married at 12:30 pm and there was a good chance they would arrive during that time period. Imagine my delight when I looked at my schedule and saw that that was where I was assigned! Sure enough, shortly before 11:30 am Nikki arrived in her wedding dress accompanied by her mother. The happy couple had been taking pictures before the wedding. A few minutes later, Kirk also showed up. I greeted them with a hug and escorted them to a room to make sure all their paperwork was in order. I really feel like my temple coordinator was inspired to assign me during that time.

But, that is not the end of the story of "there are no coincidences."

Earlier that morning I was scheduled to spend two hours in the Youth Center. A family was being sealed and they have 2 1/2 year old twin sons. I had never worked there before, but it was fun playing with them and keeping them happy and entertained until it was time for them to go upstairs to be sealed. They were pretty happy--until it was time to go up the elevator. The twin I was carrying had a melt-down. I found out later he is terrified of elevators. Nothing would calm him down. His crying set off his brother and we made quite an entrance to the sealing room in the normally quiet temple. As I walked into the sealing room, tears came to my eyes. I was going to be part of a sacred experience as a family was joined together eternally. I was so grateful to be there and witness this event. As I looked at the parents, the mother looked vaguely familiar but I knew I had never met her before. Soon, it was time to go back down the dreaded elevator and soon the father picked up his twin sons at the youth center. I didn't think I would ever see this family again.

I told Ron and Emily about my experiences in the temple later Friday afternoon. A couple of days later, I was sitting in church when a toddler began screaming and crying.

"Ron," I whispered, "Do you hear that baby? That's the same kind of cry that was in the temple on Friday."

Then I looked at the child being carried out. And I looked at the parent who was doing the carrying. Imagine my shock when I realized that the family I helped out was sitting in my Sacrament meeting! I wrote a hasty note to my brother and sister-in-law asking who the family was. It WAS the same family I helped out! My eyes were not playing tricks on me.

After Sacrament meeting, I went up to the mother and said, "Do you remember me? I helped your little boys in the temple on Friday." She smiled and said, "You looked familiar, but I wasn't sure where I knew you."

Ron, Emily, and I have moved into a large ward. I am still meeting people every week even though we've been here nearly 11 months. What a wonderful way to form a connection with a young family in the ward.

I believe there are no coincidences.

Last Thursday was my turn to host book club. I was very excited. We had read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. In honor of the book, I served three foods that had something to do with the book in some small way. OK, one of the foods had nothing to do with the book, but I served it anyway.

The Guernsey book club was hastily formed to protect a group of friends after they roasted a pig secretly. Guernsey was occupied by the Germans during World War II and all livestock was confiscated. It was illegal for them to slaughter and eat this hidden pig so when a few German soldiers found them after curfew, Elizabeth (one of the main characters in the book) quickly thought up a lie to protect them. She told them that they had been meeting to discuss books and had lost track of time. When the German soldiers expressed interest in joining them at their next meeting, they quickly formed a REAL book club which helped them emotionally survive the war years.

To celebrate the roasted pig in this book, I made what I lovingly call "Heart Attacks on a Stick." The REAL title is "Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages" from Our Best Bites web site.

Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages

1 14- oz. package of Lit'l Smokies
1 12 oz. package of lean bacon
3/4 c. brown sugar

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Using kitchen shears, cut each strip of bacon into thirds. Wrap each Lit'l Smokie with a cut bacon strip. Secure with toothpick. Sprinkle brown sugar over the sausages. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until bacon is starting to brown. Place in slow cooker and cook on low until ready to serve.

Well, can I say, these little heart attacks were a great hit! The ladies could not stop eating them! Hurray for the great web site where I found this tasty recipe!

I also served pie--but not potato peel pie. That sounded too horrible. The history behind the potato peel pie is that everything was scarce except potatoes. However, what kind of a book club would it be if they didn't serve refreshments? One book club member came up with this questionable recipe. Instead of subjecting everyone to my interpretation of potato peel pie, I made Candy Crunch Pudding Pie. This is a Kraft food recipe and it is yummy!

Candy Crunch Pudding Pie

2 c. cold milk
2 pkg (4 serving size each) Jell-O chocolate flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping, thawed and divided
2 milk chocolate English toffee candy bars such as Heath or Skor, chopped and divided
1 Oreo pie crust
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Now this is a pretty easy pie to make, but would you believe that I went to THREE stores to make this pie. The first store did not sell Oreo pie crusts. So I went to store number two. As I was making the pie, I could NOT understand why the pudding was not thick. I kept checking the recipe and I knew I had put in the right amount of milk and pudding. Finally, I looked at the pudding package a little more closely--I had purchased one INSTANT pudding and one COOK and SERVE pudding. So, I went to a third store to buy more pudding filling. OK, now for the rest of the directions.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (mixture will be thick).

This is how it's supposed to look--nice and thick unlike the first batch I made that was as runny as milk.

Gently stir in 1 1/2 c. of whipped topping. Reserve 3 Tbsp of the candy pieces; stir remaining candy pieces into pudding mixture. Spoon into crust.

We could stop at this point and it would be delicious. But, we're not done yet!

Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with the remaining candy pieces, drizzle with the melted chocolate. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Doesn't that look tasty?

Finally I served fresh fruit with a yummy fruit dip. They didn't get to enjoy such delicacies during World War II so obviously this had nothing to do with the book--except perhaps in their dreams. However, I wanted to serve SOMETHING healthy and this seemed like a good choice.

Family Reunion--It was Pretty Amazing!

Nearly the entire family. There were eight people who couldn't be there.

Our family reunion ended a couple of weeks ago, but can I say one thing--it was AMAZING! After our lovely weekend activities filled with family dinners, family games, family photographs, and a special family testimony meeting, we began Monday morning participating in The Amazing Race!

Our large family was divided into four groups. Carol was my group's lead driver and Daniel was our "spiritual adviser" who knew where we were supposed to go and handed out the next clue at each location. When I got my hair cut after the reunion, my stylist was extremely interested in this activity. In case you are looking for an idea for your upcoming reunion (or church activity) here are some of the highlights.

We started off the race by running to our cars. Now, I know this will be hard to believe but I hurt my left thigh the first two running steps I took. I don't know what I did, but it hurt. I was very frustrated because I work out at least five days a week and this should not be happening to me. I limped my way to the car and despite my pokiness, our car was the first out of the parking lot. We headed to the local high school where we had to run AGAIN to the 50 yard line of the football field and build a pyramid.

Carol and I refrained from pyramid building because of our bad backs. Once our picture was taken, we were back running (or in my case, limping) to our next location.

We had to pose like statue.

We had to find a particular ceramic mushroom.

We had to drive a long ways up into the foothills and feed carrots to deer.

We had to continue driving a long way to the other side of the hills to find certain artwork at a garden nursery.

We had to drive back over those same curvy mountain roads to a Jelly Belly Outlet and buy and eat the NASTIEST jelly beans you could imagine.

Jalapeno pepper anyone? How about vomit?

One unfortunate teenage niece actually threw up after this challenge. My sister Barbara was so car sick from the mountain roads that she got a pass. Everyone else had to eat at least two nasty beans. Emily claims she ate two honking handfuls to spare the little boys on her team.

Wasn't that thoughtful of her?

We had to race to an A&W restaurant and get two gallon jugs of root beer and take them to the Taco Bell a couple of miles away.

Each team member was required to order one or two burritos or tacos from the dollar menu. We told the poor order taker that "This is for here. We'll pick up our order inside."

As you can imagine, the first car got the strangest looks, but by the time the third and fourth groups came through, they hardly blinked an eyelash.

We then had to drink our root beer and eat our tacos/burritos as QUICKLY as possible before we could get back into our cars and head towards our next destination.

Joie was taking this challenge seriously--very, very seriously!

I only ordered one burrito. I was still the last one to finish. :( I am not good at eating quickly as my family and dear friends know.

We were nearing the end our our race. We completed a couple of challenges at the San Juan Bautista mission before ending up at our ultimate destination--our reunion campground.


Our Amazing Race was a lot of fun! It was a great way to build family unity and have a lot of fun!