Happy Halloween to ya' all out there! To me it is just another day in the land of Zion, but the kids are excited. We don't have trick or treaters back in our Condo Unit, so I don't buy all that good candy that I could munch on for weeks afterwards. A little rain is forecast but should be fun night for the kids......I remember some years when it was so cold and stormy and the kids so bundled you couldn't even see their cute costumes. This year no fun trip to the grade school to watch one of the grand kids in their room by room march through the lunch room, to show off the many different ideas that the little ones have......Scottie moved up to middle school this year. I do have lots of fun memories though of the years gone by.
No, this isn't Pam and I dressing up for Halloween......We are dressed for the 1K mile race at Nicci's wedding.......even though we would easily fit into any Halloween night costume party????
Happy Halloween for Rob......he is off having a colonoscopy. And oh yes, the Boston Red Socks won the championship last night.
One of our favorite parts of the world was a trip to Tahiti for a couple of nights. We stayed in a beautiful hotel on the side of the mountain and swam in the ocean. My first experience of black sand! Then off to the Island of MOOREA.......stayed in little bungalows a few feet off the ground with chickens running under them. The water and beaches here were wonderful and the twins loved this beautiful water and shells and bright fish. All of our first experience in snorkeling. Down the beach was the fun beach Club Med. Many top-less girls running around .....which Don thoroughly enjoyed ,and was an eye opener for the little girls. Just their culture we explained! Went back another time taking Pam and Rob......which was even more fun with the whole family. My first Peru was 
Woke up to rain and a cloudy day.......but I woke up so I guess that is a plus! Been listening to the bad news of the coming of Obama care.....Sebelius testifying......lies, lies, lies! An email I received just stated any one over 76 will not be treated for cancer! Hello......I am 81 with a family history of cancer......should I just write farewell notes to all my family and friends now......just in case? It seems to me they just want old people ......those over 76.......to roll over and die!
Lettuce wraps.......one of my favorites at the Pei Wei. Pam and I stopped off for lunch after dropping Bree off at the groomers with a few hours to spare we headed to the outlets at Thanksgiving Point. Our original plan was the outlets at Park City, but they were having a snow storm up there. Neither Pam nor I had been to this relative new outlets and had a great time shopping. I voted my favorite to be the Ralph Lauren's Polo store..........Pam had better luck than I did, but I did a little shopping. Earlier Kar came by with a neat vest for tending her children over the weekend....she doesn't know they really tend me!
This is Korina Northcott Elliott..........One of my favorite nieces. She gave me a fun surprise for Halloween.......a fun card and a box of goodies she had made.....I especially liked the rubber gloves filled with goodies and tied at the top with a ribbon... She is very talented and is showing, real signs of being related to me and her grandma Hazel Yeomans! She loves old things....antiques, garage sales, swaps meets, thrift stores etc. Always looking for something old to use again in another way......or just cherish it's "oldness" like my mother did and I still do. I am sad my Saturday morning garage sales are ending......just to cold in the winter. Thank you Kina for remembering your old aunt in Salt Lake, it is having family like you that care that keeps me going.
This seems like yesterday when this cute little one was the youngest of my 9 grandchildren. Scott Calvin Cook........ he.just turned 12. I spent the weekend babysitting Scott and Annie while the Cooks slipped off to LA for a break. Karrie thinks I am baby sitting her kids, BUT,,,,,really they are taking care of Grammie. Friday a little friend came home with Scott from school till that night. We had Pizza and root beer floats! Andrea was busy cheering, taking ATC tests and getting ready for the big school dance so didn't see much of her. Scott and I hit the Panda Express on Saturday and checked out a movie......then Sunday......off to church. Scott and I went to church......Sad, my last Children's Primary Program with my 9 grandchildren......Happy, it was Scott's first day to pass the sacrament! He did it like a pro. I was so proud of him. After he showered that morning he had pressed his white shirt and black pants.......which blew my mind! He is training to be a good missionary I guess. I offered, but he said no.
It takes imagination, talent and the love of food to spend time creating these interesting looking examples of art. I like radishes, but only to chop up for a salad! And when I munch an apple I might have made some interesting designs on it, but I wasn't in to making it look like a map of he world or a famous work of art.
From the Heritage Foundation........A program called "means tested" benefits programs are second largest category of government spending. The government spends more on these programs than public education and defense spending. WOW....programs such as Social Security, unemployment insurance, workers comp. and Veterans benefits not considered "means tested".
Bora Bora.......These were always magic words of a far away paradise that most people can only read about but not see. The beautiful scenery, blue water, bright flowers, warm winds and oh yes those fun little bungalows over the water with their glass bottoms are just in pictures for most. These are pictures my granddaughter just published from her honeymoon last week. I spent a day in Bora Bora once when I was on a cruise and I personally got to see these places. It was a fast paced day of tours of the pearl factories, the town square with it's fun market with beautiful pearl and shell jewelry. I also remember an interesting lunch with their local music accompaniment. I say to all my family and friends......put Bora Bora on your bucket list!
Wonderful scenes like this and if you are a water person......you can get in touch with their sea creatures around every turn.
Am I impressed by Royalty?.....Well, I loved Diana and her children. I won't voice my opinion of Charles! Now that William is all grown up and has a beautiful wife and darling baby I am hooked. I like Queen Elizabeth and hope I live long enough to see who is to follow her, but know eventually it will be William and then George. Someday as my great-grandchildren read this they will enjoy these pictures maybe. Also love that in this day of Face book, emails etc, these wonderful pictures are available to everyone. 
What haunts you? This is the time of year "haunted" is used a lot......mostly in connection with Halloween which is a week away. What am I haunted by......well really quite a few things. I am haunted by what Obama care will do to our health system, by the thought that eventually my kids won't let me drive, that my health will change, that something terrible will happen as my kids 'FLY' around the country......Oh, I could go on and on but I just have to say this too will pass when bumps appear in my life.......and remember to enjoy every minute of my life when its 'all good'.
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA......you have to see it to believe it and I have been lucky enough to have walked on it! Yes, we took pictures and there are many, but you have to share it with others, see it, feel it, to know how great it really is. My trip to Beijing China with my sister and Cox's was a dream come true. The history, Tenn
Had a good day with one of my bridge clubs.....Brunch and bridge took most the day as usual. Seems everyone has a story to tell. The big new was Mae's 2 year old granddaughter had a heart transplant two weeks ago......and so far doing very good with it. She read a touching letter her daughter had written to the Donner's family.....of course she didn't know who they were, what age their child was or even if it was a boy or a girl. The social worker will just pass it on to them and they may or may not wish to know the lucky family that got their child's heart. Stories like that make me know my troubles are nothing......compared to many others. My heart is full of gratitude for all my blessings.
QUITO, ECUADOR.......A favorite part of South America for me. They use our dollar and the prices for everything are great. The people are interesting and friendly. My favorite thing was the line that represents the Equator running right through it....this picture shows where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Took many picture with my friends but had to fight a Russian delegation for front and center.......BUT, my favorite was a short day excursion to CAYAMBE, ECUADOR......THE CITY AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH! Bet not many people have that honor. Here there is a globe monument (representing the middle of the world).....in a spot where the road to Cayambe from Quito crosses the equator. There is another " middle of the world monument"...... in Cayambe near Hacienda Guachala which explains in great detail the history of the equator line. This monument was created by scientist Cristobal Cobo.
Every season has it's fun times.........and you just have to jump in and enjoy them. Here is Andrea Ramsey and Jake in a corn maize........and they look like it was a lot of fun. All those beautiful green corn fields are now just dried out, brown corn stalks, but they make games out of them.....how unique! 
KOTA KINABALU located in East Malaysia on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the So China Sea. Known as KK internationally, it is a major fishing destination and popular gateway to Borneo. My very first cruise with Nadine Lyngle (both newly divorced), took me there to see a complete eclipse of the sun.......sooo exciting. A beautiful part of the world so far from my home in Salt Lake City. I did not get to explore the country side long enough, but the culture, people, shopping and excitement will always be special to me. I remember the sunset as we pulled out and the small fishing vessels scattered around near the homes on stilts close to where we had docked. I felt very lucky to have been to this interesting place.....one of my first of many to come......I was 56 years old.
Honestly, when your not working Mondays are good........but I love this picture......I know for working people, weekends just aren't long enough.
A wonderful sight no matter how many time you are privileged to view it and visit it......The Leaning Tower of Pizza.......My first visit was with the twins when they were young. We were visiting Italy and staying in Rome. We took a bus tour out of Rome......they only had three seats available so Don did not go with us. Later I went with my sister and family group on our European tour.. The first time we got to go into the church free, but they started charging and I did not go back into it the next time. Very large, beautiful and a thrill to see no matter how often. I never did climb to the top, but the first time many people on the tour did.....now I am not sure if they feel it is safe enough to do it today. I love Italy and the history is never ending!!
Our state is turning into a wonderland of colors.....yellows and oranges and reds dominating the landscape on every side. Up early and off to watch Scottie my youngest grandchild play football on his 12th birthday......it was grandparent's day and I helped Karrie make hot chocolate, hot coffee and she picked up the doughnuts. There was a lot of food and many proud grandparents strung along the sidelines in the warm fall sunshine proudly cheering on their favorite player. Scott's dad is one of the assistant coaches so it is quite a family affair! They are off to fun and games to finish up the big day. It seems being a "big football hero" starts early and is a good goal for any little boy. Besides girls love boys on the football team, but when you think about it ........"We have the whole concept of popularity backward. We imagine it as a small and exclusive club of people we idolize or envy. But most popular people are hated by the majority. So, if you are despised by everyone outside your little clique, and liked only by those inside it, you are vastly unpopular by any objective measure. The key to ultimate popularity is not to be loved or envied by as may as people as possible but to be loved or envied by the right people." I hope my little football hero realizes this sometime along the way.
The top castle is In Werfen, Austria.....It is quite well preserved, but rather space inside. When your growing up you think about the king and queens in their fancy clothes and all their servants that live in these castles and rule the land. As you wonder through them you realize how cold they really were....... I am so glad some castles have been preserved for us and our children and grand-children to see there were such a thing as a real castle.....
Now the castle of my dreams was the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. It is the castle that Disney Land copied for Disney Land. I have been through it four times and I discover a new treasure every time. Don and I saw it first, then took his brother and sister-in-law, then when the twins were 9, we spent their 9th birthday at the foot of the castle in a little town called Fussin and went through with them. Then my sister and a family group visited it after I was divorced. I have never been there when there was snow. It is the castle of all castle as far as I am concerned. At the foot of the mountain it is on, is a fun little village with wonderful food and shopping.. Ludwig's castle has such interesting history with such a sad ending. He hardly lived in this one, but had several. There are many castles in Germany you can see as you take a Rhine River Cruise........which I have done a couple of times!
Burma.....also Myanmar......was always a dream of mine and when we walked across that bridge from Thailand into it, all the sounds, sights, smells and monks in orange, I knew I had arrived. We toured temples and the home of some of the monks. They live very humbly and the temple was surrounded by dogs, hungry, sick, lonesome......but being feed by the good monks. I also bought a small sparrow from a little boy for a few cents. He had several birds in a little cage and for a small charge you could pick one, make a wish and he would set it free to fly off and make your wish come true???? I think I wished this little boy would make enough money from the tourist to help feed his family that night. Also, the shopping was great........ Funny what you remember.......not the big beautiful buildings and scenery, but the people and their random acts of kindness.
Well, I have been alone all week as the Pannier's are off to Mexico and Island Park so I am back to my favorite 4 food groups!!!! Yes, canned, boxed, bagged and frozen????......well maybe I should also add Drive Inns. I have always contended eating is expensive, time consuming and a waste of time.....unless you are enjoying the company of a friend or family.....and because it is necessary for life! I made it clear a long time ago....after my divorce and my girls were married......I wouldn't even have a kitchen, but it came with the house!
My bucket list is long......They say it's never too late, but of course it is------for all the things that waste your time, drain your energy, and make you feel anything less than fulfilled, content, and delightful. A story of a girl named Mickey who said she had 10 pounds to lose and had hardly left her room for weeks until she lost it, she was at a party celebrating and said now I can start living.....two days later she was killed in a traffic accident! As I ponder this story and think of it often I wonder what I would do if I was given a specific time limit to live....I can tell you I would not sit in a room waiting for my thighs to shrink! Life is brief and there is a lot we don't have time for.
Where does this older lady get the strength to paddle her goats....without a life jacket.....off to the other side of this water.......standing up yet???
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I expect to pass though life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again! (William Penn)
We so take our wonderful bodies for granite! I believe in some instances we can heal ourselves......and there are those out there that seem to have given us a map as to how to do it. With this picture came instructions on what and how to help do it.......1. Determine the affected area. 2. Practice twice daily. 3. Press appropriate area with thumb for 5 seconds. 5. Time for 2 minutes (not less). 6. For maximum relief, repeat daily for week to 10 days. 7. If more than one area needs attention, do each area separately. (An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.)
You can never replace the connections you have with families.....Cousins, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and children of the above. Last night I spent a warm and enjoying evening with my favorite cousin and two of her daughters......Becky and Shannon.. We went to see BRIGADOON at the Hale Theater. One of the main stars was my nephews son, Chase Ramsey. When anyone you are related to succeeds the honor and pride is passed through you all just like the blood lines you share. Chase was so cute and did such a good job and was so appreciative that Lucille and I would come. Saw Chase's wife Vanessa and her parents sat in front of us. Chase's adopted family were also there to support him.....The Holcombs. Lucille and I grew up 18 miles apart an I was only 9 days older than she is.....so we share much.....However with her big family of six children and 19 grandchildren plus significant others......even great-grandkids we don't get to see each other much.... but thanks to the telephone we touch base every week. .Oh yes my three children and 9 grandkids also are my priority. So a fun relaxing evening together was a treat.......and at 81 we never know how many more we will have to enjoy.
I can do that.....who hasn't lived to regret those four little words? I am one of those people who are convinced 'I can do anything'......maybe not as well as someone else, but it never hurts to try! As I thumb through Martha Steward or flip through Pinterest......they promise all those fabulous ideas that are very enticing 'are easy'....and I figure if someone else did it I can. I just found a couple of web sites that help you from feeling a complete failure when your project turns out to be a real eyesore not fit for a back-alley dumpster. CraftFail.com will make you feel a lot better. Not to be discouraged when you decide to stencil a white paisley pattern on a burgundy patio umbrella. The umbrella turned out looking a if it were a roost to a dozen pigeons with diarrhea. Worst the paint seeped through the drop cloths and stained the porous patio pavers. This wouldn't happen to Martha!!! If you are a 'do-it-yourself er one thing to learn is .....the greatest tool we have is failure'.......When we succeed with the first try we don't give much thought to why we succeeded. But when we fail, we get all this valuable information about why things don't work......I have lots of that kind of information. Desperate????? Do a gone-wrong Google. In addition to looking online at gorgeous examples of DIY drapes or outdoor projects or whatever your desire. Look for the ugly results,...... so you know what could happen and what to avoid.......And if you mess up, well celebrate the failure and try again.
So many memories of this little one...Nicole Alice Pannier.....always a fun, happy, go-getter. I can't believe the years have flown as I watched her grow up , swim meets, marching girl team in high school, dancing in fancy costumes, graduation from Brighton Hi, from ASU in Phoenix and when she got her MBA from Kelly Business School in Indiana and the wedding in Minneapolis this month.....now I get a picture from her on her honey-moon in Bora Bora! (I don't believe I was invited to that big event.....I'm not busy I could have made it??) and I have tried to share all her other big days! My only consolation is I have been to Bora Bora. Love you NIC and know your having a wonderful time. This is their bungalow.
OH YES.......I can hardly wait till this picture becomes a reality! I may not live that long BUT I hope I can. He can't lead, can he follow? He can't tell the truth either.
Oh yes, seeing this picture brought back some wonderful memories of three years ago today.....my oldest grandchild Tiffany Pannier married Scott Horton in a beautiful wedding at the Salt Lake Country Club. Flowers, music, his and her's wedding cakes, sit down dinner and open bar and dancing. Such fun dancing with my two youngest grandsons, Kennedy and Scottie. So a great big CONGRATULATIONS.......to Tiff and Scott today. I love weddings and am happy to have lived long enough to enjoy two out of my nine grandchildren so far.
Well the secret is out! Nicci and Bill left for Bora Bora last night on their honeymoon........she didn't know where she was going until they hit LA. He is a good secret keeper. I loved Bora Bora and wear a necklace of a ivory fishhook with a big black pearl on it I got when I was there. The black pearls are out of this world.......and so is the scenery.....the people and the ambiance. One of my favorite places......above Hawaii for me. To me the Final exam is....."we tend to measure lives and love the same way----by how long they last. For most us, the longer the better. But a short life can make a big impact just as a short-lived romance can leave a lasting impression. In the end, it's not the time we spend but how we spend the time that truly tells our story." I think one good GRAVITY"example of this is my sweet mother......she gave and did......was loved......and influenced more people in her 58 years, than I have in my 81 years.....but I will keep trying.
