Oh Say Can You Hodgepodge?

So it's time once again for Wednesday's Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond.  By now you should know the drill, seven questions and one random thought.  It's easy and fun!  Play along won't you?

1.  What makes you stand to your feet and cheer?

When good wins.

2.  What's your favorite patriotic song?

Beside the national anthem I would have to say "God Bless the U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood.  You can  listen to it here.

3.  Do you believe that opposites attract?  If you have a significant other, are you opposites?

Um . . yes, wait it depends, maybe not or it could be relative.  If you had nothing in common there wouldn't be anything to keep you together after you've met.  Me and my hubby are alike in some ways and opposite in others.  He is an extrovert and I most definitely am not.  But we both play golf (except I haven't played in a couple of years) and we mostly like the same kinds of foods, we have the same ideals and values, and its important to be on the same page when dealing with your kids.

4.  You're going to get a behind the scenes look some place  . . .  where would you like that to be?

Heaven.

5.  How far would you have to travel to ride a carousel (merry-go-round)?

Well, why would anyone want too?  Not so much fun for the over 10 crowd however I wouldn't have to go very far, there is one at the South Towne Center mall and I have actually ridden on it with my boys recently.  Yeah, not so much fun for the over 10 crowd.  But they had fun.

December 2008

6.  When was the last time you saw fireworks?  What was the occasion?  Do you enjoy fireworks?

Last July 4th we went over to friends and watched with them.  I do enjoy them, but I don't enjoy the crowds or the mosquitos.  When we were kids we used to climb up on the roof of our house and we could watch them all over the valley.

7.  Of all the beauty products you own, what item do you consider to be the most overpriced?

All of it, if it delivered on all of its promises then it might be worth the money but $15.00 for a tube of mascara is a bit much and I have yet to find one that doesn't flake off or smear during the day or $20.00 for eye cream that is maybe an ounce.  The packaging keeps getting smaller and the price keeps getting bigger.  Ouch!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.


Say a prayer today for our leaders, whether you are republican or democrat, whether you are from Zimbabwe or America or somewhere in between.  They have a thankless job and the whole world is watching to see if they screw it up.  Pray that God would guide and direct them according to His will.

 ¹ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving 

be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, 

that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

I Timothy 2:1-2

Now hop on over to Joyce's and see what everyone else had to say.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Wallflowers

I'm a very tactile person.  I love pattern and texture and color.  I love the feel of things, the soft silky smoothness of a rose petal in contrast to the prickly thorns.  You can't really appreciate one if you haven't touched the other.  As a youngster whenever we went any where, the supermarket, the fabric store, a furniture store, my parents were constantly telling me to keep my hands off the merchandise and in my pockets.

Maybe that's why I like to quilt.

Maybe that's why I signed up again for the state fair quilt challenge.

I've had since September to figure out what to do and when Amy posted last week that she was going to do the One Thing, One Week Challenge I decided it was time to "git 'er done"!

So here's the top all pieced.

The State Fair Quilt Challenge is using not less than 50% of a fat quarter (a piece of fabric 18" x 22") of the current challenge fabric in a quilt, wall hanging size.  The challenge fabric here is the farm animal print in the center blocks.  I think I shall call it "Wallflowers at the Barn Dance".  What do you think?

This is the third year I have participated.  My first effort won a first place blue ribbon, my second effort won a second place red ribbon.  Hopefully I can buck the trend.

It's your turn now.

A Week in Review

Today was another glorious summer day, actually this whole week has been just lovely.

I have been getting up and going for a walk some mornings and have enjoyed the solitude and the scenery.

It was warm enough Wednesday to get the wading pool out of the garage for the boys.  HT was in heaven and wanted me to immediately call all his friends and invite them over.  He was so sure that they would all come that when I told him that I hadn't called any one, he stomped his foot very indignantly and said "Why not!" "Humpf!"  "Then who will I play with?"  I told him he could play with his brother but he was having a hard time being gracious.

Some days I have a hard time too.

I suppose that's when I really should stop and reflect on my blessings.

Like splashing in puddles on the driveway made from the sprinklers.

Like watching toddler legs running.

Too cute!

Thursday was a busy day, we spent our morning at the park with friends, had a lunch date with Papa, but he had to cancel so we ate lunch at home and then had a nap.

Well, one of us had a nap.  Pretty sure it wasn't me.

Then Auntie got home and we went to Bountiful for the Farmers Market.

It was opening day.

I was underwhelmed.

There were more vendors there selling tchotchkes than fresh fruit and vegs.  But we did pick up a watermelon, some "fresh" peas and a few vine ripened tomatoes.

We came home to find Papa with an unexpected bouquet of flowers for Mama and the stress of wrangling two boys through a very busy day all melted away.

Thanks Papa!

On Friday Auntie took HT to the Salt Lake Arts Festival and he came home happy, tired and looking like spider man in a wizards hat.  I had a heck of a time scrubbing off the face paint.

And now today is done.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow will be another one.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Summer!

Today was the first day of summer and it was a gloriously beautiful day, the kind of day one dreams about mid January.  The kind of day where the sun takes pride in the blue sky, bouncing rays of golden light through the scattering clouds.

A day for swinging at the park,
for eating popsicles on the back porch.

A day for an early morning walk.

HT would race down the sidewalk from tree to tree and rest in its shade.

EM tried to follow as fast as his little legs could carry him.  He bounces when he runs and it is so dang cute.  I keep telling myself to get a video.  Perhaps tomorrow.  We had video of HT running but lost it when the computer crashed the last time.   He would hold one arm behind him as a ballast and swing the other one as fast as he could pumping with all his might.  (Sigh)

It seems inconceivable to me that one year ago EM wasn't even walking let alone running.

People keep telling me that having had my children later in life (40's) that they will keep me young.  Quite frankly I think they are making me older faster.  Some days it is impossible to keep up.

Today was one of those days.

And I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

It's Never Too Late . . .

to give thanks.

To give thanks, is to give the giver of life His due.  And I have been remiss.

I am thankful for sunlight dancing in the shade of the trees,
for lilac blossoms and for the sweet scent carried on the breeze,
the promise of summer to come,

for slides and swings and play dates with friends,

for sandbox castles,
the sound of children laughing,

for a good book,

for flowers blooming and the scent of freshly mowed grass,

for a husband who loves me and tells me I'm beautiful,
for love notes he leaves me on the kitchen counter after he's gone to work,
arms that hold me tight in the darkness,

for little boy napping,
for cuddles upon waking,

for dinner in the crockpot,
a dish of black raspberry ice cream with chocolate syrup,

a sister to confide in,

and that I am forgiven.

Thomas Was Back in Town

I say "was" because that was soooo last month. I mean a week is a long time if you are 4 and still asking if you can go again. You just don't get why you can't ride Thomas everyday.

I'd like to say that we all had a good time but that wouldn't really be true. It was too cold, too windy and when the clouds kept threatening to spit on us, us parents decided it was time to go home.

And yes, that is snow on the mountaintop and yes it had snowed that morning. This past May was one of the wettest on record in over 100 years. Thing is . . . by now the snow pack has usually melted away and the danger of any flooding is minimal, but this year . . . well this year there is more snow pack still on the mountains waiting to come down then there has been since 1983 when the city turned State Street into a river to deal with all the excess runoff and with all the added rain our waterways are already overflowing. Get out your rain boots, 'cuz the floods a comin' people. I will say though that so far we have been blessed with cooler temperatures which has helped slow the flow, so to speak.

This wacky weather has my closet confused, one day I'm pulling out a sweater and boots and the next day capris and flip flops.

The best part was that we got to meet up with friends. And I did get some cute pictures of the boys.

A Cookie

When we had the farewell for my aunt a week or so ago I made three different kinds of cookies and a toffee bar.  The most popular to my surprise was not the chocolate chip cookie but the cake mix cookies and I had several requests for the recipe so I am posting it here.

These are super simple and easy to make and there wasn't a single cookie left on the plate before the evening was done.

Cake Mix Cookies
1 Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

You can use whatever flavor of cake mix you like, although it works best with a "pudding in the mix" or a "super moist" cake mix. Pictured is a devils food cake mix and a yellow cake mix because that's what I had on hand. I am partial to the lemon cake mix with an orange cream frosting.

Mix together with a spoon. Shape into balls, place on a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool. Frost.

To get a uniform shape and size I used a small ice cream scoop (size 70ml).

These are also good with a scoop of ice cream in the middle. A homemade ice cream sandwich.

Yum.

Farewell

I'm really kind of behind in my blog posts. I have had several things rumbling around in my head to post about but haven't taken the time to do so and then it's the end of another day and I would rather commune with my pillow than the computer.

I mentioned in this post that my aunt was not well and would probably not see another Mother's Day and truth be told she died just shortly after noon on that same day. Things have been a bit hectic since then, but life goes on and you deal the best you can.

It was decided that there would be a formal memorial at her home church in California and an informal get together of family here in Utah. With my cousin (her only child) in Nevada the job of organizing and preparing fell to my sister and me. Our brother graciously opened his home for the event so on May 23rd we all got together for some food and some fellowship.

It was good to visit with family and reminisce.

I missed most of what was said because I was dealing with a cranky one year old, but apparently my aunt knew that the Lord was calling her home as her son told us that before she had left her home in California to visit him in Nevada she had told several people that she didn't know how long she would be gone and wasn't sure when/if she was coming back. She had paid all her bills and two months rent on her apartment. I guess it's pretty amazing that she even made it there. Shortly after she arrived she suffered a major heart attack and she had pneumonia and had not been taking proper care of her diabetes.

These two pictures are from the family reunion that was held August 2010.

Shelly, Brent, Annadelle, Christy, Chris