COUNTING THE DAYS.......

As you can see I am already looking forward to next weekend and it is only Monday morning????  This getting up in the dark is for the birds......one more month of the days getting shorter......then we start working on the days getting longer....YEA.
                    Do you realize......Life is just an Echo?
                    What we send out, comes back.......What we sow......we reap.......What we give .....we get,.....What bothers us in others also exists in us.....SCAREY.....So now and then stop and remember, Life is an Echo and always gives back to us.....so give lots of goodness each day.
               Well lets see todays list......clean the fish bowl, empty the dish washer, do the floors, Relief Society ladies coming, get showed and dressed before they do........call Patty and Shirley about tomorrows movie date, make dentist appointment.....finish wrapping  Christmas gifts and decorating the house.....Boy this list will take me ALL week!......IS IT TOO EARLY TO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO FRIDAY?

LESSON FOR WOMEN.....

LISTEN UP GIRLS.......

He didn't like the casserole and he didn't like my cake.......

He said my biscuits were to hard.....not like Mother use to make.......

I didn't make the coffee right, he didn't like my stew......

I didn't fold his pants the way.....his mother used to do.......

I pondered for an answer....I was looking for  clue.......

Then I turned around and smacked the shit out of him......

Like his mother use to do!!!!!!!

With the news so full of women coming forth with harassment charges against so many men I think it is time for all you girls to step up and say....."you don't own me, treat me like you would your mother, sister or daughter".......I look back with many regrets of not speaking up!  Women are not just for sex and having babies......we are people too!

Last Friday my sweet Relief Society teacher's grandson was killed in a car wreck......she lives at the end of my street......I am so sad for her.....he was only 17.  Knitting a Christmas sock for Libby......

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER........

How time flies when you are having fun.......or doing just what you want!

Fun evening at the Spaghetti Factory with my daughter and her family Wednesday night.......slept in Thanksgiving and went to two movies and ate left over from Speg Factory.......Friday.....slept in...... a fun black Friday shopping spree.......Saturday.....slept in and started my Christmas decorating and present wrapping.......Sunday....slept in.....off to church and a visit from Patty......This sleeping until eight or eight thirty could become a habit.......BUT I guess back to the old routine in the morning.....One nice thing our weather has been breaking records for warm and sunny and I am loving it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.........

HAPPY THANKSGIVING............

So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.......

What am I doing to celebrate????

Just what I want to!

I planned on going to McDonalds for a Happy Meal with extra fry sauce, but so many people felt sorry for me and invited me to join their family dinners....guess I won't do that.  Two neighbors invited me.....two different good friends.....my cousin.....they all think it is about the FOOD, BUT to me Thanksgiving is about family and love.  Last night the Christensons took me and Darren's mother to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner and just being with Sher and her kids is what I love.  They invited me to go up to the cabin with them......but they had plans to hit the stores at 6;00 for Black Friday shopping tonight and it would be for the whole weekend...... and they were going to have a house full........which would be nice to be with them, but now days......with the dog.....home is easier.  I will eat my left overs from last night and go to a movie......or two this weekend and get on  with my Christmas decorating and wrapping.  So nice to to feel free to say "NO THANKS"......without guilt or obligation.

With the past history of my HAPPY THANKSGIVINGS.......No really good memories.   Don was always flying and none of the Petersons included the girls and I......it just became another day in our lives alone and so today the tradition goes on........but I will be thinking of all my sweet family and hope they have the best day ever! 

BORN WITH CHOICE OF EVIL OR GOOD??

Watching Morgan Freeman on National Geographic.........and he is traveling the world asking people about their Gods and beliefs........One of the decisions was we are born with both the choice of evil and good to go forth in our life.....and the choices are ours!  Thank goodness I was born into a family and town that instilled in me that good choices made your life better........I am struggling with this religious thing....up to Brigham Young......I believe....BUT I feel he was a leturouse old man who wanted a lot of wives to screw and thus started polygamy......which worked in other places in the world but has ruined many lives in America.  The word of wisdom ......well, I understand smoking and drinking for your health......coffee , tea and caffeine.....not so much!!!  And the garments...... a great way to start an industry he could make lots of money on......CONTROL, CONTROL, CONTROL!

Take the places in EUROPE where thousands of men were killed during he war .....They did not start Polygamy to have someone take care of all the single women and children that were alone???   So many poor widows in Holland....... They helped them but women were not free game to the men left around.  I can't decide if these programs are good for my thinking or not........I do agree we are born with both good and evil choices in our lives.....

EXCITED..........

  Slept in.......!  Then up to my coffee and Face Book.....And put on a roast in the Crock Pot before Church.......Church was OK.....BUT if I had remembered it was the Primary Program.....may have skipped it!.....
   Sherrie and Ken are coming in to stay all night with me.......and maybe Alex..... Nice sunny day, but cold.  Decorating the house and have the Christmas Tree up.....Don't know if Pam is coming for her dog tonight or not...... The weeks are flying till Thanksgiving.....I plan on just staying around and grabbing  some fast food and a movie.....The First Counselor at church invited me to have dinner with them if I didn't go with family.....I have such a great ward......what  people don't understand is I have spent more Thanksgivings alone......than with family......it is just another day to me.......and it doesn't bother me.
            "THE HARDEST WALK YOU CAN MAKE IS THE WALK YOU MAKE ALONE.....BUT THAT IS THE WALK THAT MAKES YOU THE STRONGEST!"

PONDERING........

PONDERING.......can be good and bad......As I ponder why I am the way I am.....I think back to where and how my life began......My father being a Bell TELEPHONE Foreman was always on the move with his job......Mom, my sister and I went along....until I had gone to 7 different schools in the first grade and they decided that was no way to raise a family!!!!  As I look back....I had no trouble making new friends and fitting in as I was moved from school to school......and it may be the reason I just thought the way to get through life was to travel.....travel.....travel..... and become a people person which seems to be what my life ended up being with my stewardess job and marrying an airline pilot and after my divorce I later met a travel agent......Ann Moseley...... that shared my love of travel.......I continued to see the world with the great deals she could get us.

I was fortune enough to be able to show my three girls some of the world.....Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Bangkok, Tahiti, Moorea, Alaska etc. Travel is the best education you can get.

My next chapter of pondering will be when we moved to Mancos, Colorado when I was 7 and my few years of life on the farm.....what effect or influence did it have on my life?????

TAKE CARE........

More and more I see and hear the words "TAKE CARE OF YOU"......If you don't take care of YOU.....Who will?  And if you aren't well....how can you help everyone else that depends on you.....Sooooo especially as you grow older....it is up to you to put yourself first some times.  Say NO.....once in awhile if you don't feel up to the families request.....I am tending Pam's dog Bree this weekend while they are in Seattle with Nicci.....but I can handle her.....the big dog...NO!  My turn to have bridge in December.....but with shopping, wrapping, decorating and other social things I had to say No.....I will do it in January.......I think there was a time I would have tried to squeeze it in.....when you realize you are in charge of you......you change.

"When someone touches a wound and it no loner hurts.....you then know you have truly forgiven them."  I have reached that point in my life with Don and it is such a great feeling.......Only took 30 years????

WE MADE IT ..IT IS FRIDAY!!!!!

EXACTLY........

Surprise.....Surprise.......I got the best Christmas present ever!!!!  A ROBOT!  I guess if you live long enough......it finally happens.  I decided to get a floor cleaner that just does its own thing after watching Pam's for six weeks......why not????  I ask Pam where to get the best deal and she said...."OH YOU CAN'T BUY ONE.......SHERRIE AND I ORDERED YOU ONE FOR CHRISTMAS.......Well, I got it early.   I named it Arnold .......and now I have a live-in robot who is programed to clean the floors every other day.....yea!!!!.....I would say now.......my life is perfect!

Sher came by and picked up Ken for the weekend......Darren and six buddies are having a FABULOUS FIFTY OLD FART REUNION IN LA THIS WEEKEND.......She came just as we got our first real snow in the ski resorts......pretty slow going home for she and Ken......she will bring him back Sunday after church and stay all night with me.....YES!

Yesterday a fun outing with the neighbors......took Suzanne and I to the BLUE BORE in Midway for breakfast......it is a darling bed and breakfast very Swiss......and good food.  Ivan knew the INN keeper.....Ned Neizerhousen......grew up together.....heard lots of fun stories about sieving gas growing up etc......which I could relate too......more than once.  Today the weather changed.....mostly rain down here.

\Well ......I just had to do it.....started my Christmas decorations today....Put up the tree and will decorate it tomorrow.  Talked to my sweet little sister.

GOOD MORNING......

MONDAYS ........Are so hard!.....Ken and I have our routine and the weeks are busy and go pretty fast......Thank goodness he is through with his Brain Change classes.......it has been a long haul for him.  With the time change it was dark when he got home and getting up at 7;00 AND home at 7;00 three days a week really made long days for him ........he loves going home two days every week end.

Yesterday put a baby quilt together for Annie......her baby shower is coming up soon,  So excited to have two great-grandchildren now!!!  Spent some quality time with Aaron last week as Pam had him from Wednesday night till Sunday night......working on the potty training!

Have bridge on Wednesday.....Thursday the neighbors invited me to drive up to one of their favorite breakfast places in Midway.......I love Midway and just hope it doesn't snow.......then another week flys by AND I AM PUTTING UP MY CHRISTMAS TREE this weekend!  December is shaping up to be a very busy month.......Really need to do some house cleaning today.

SO HARD FOR THE TURKEYS.....

ween

I can feel for the Turkeys of the world........They end up someones Thanksgiving dinner and get practically ignored now days.......HALLOWEEN.......then CHRISTMAS!.......and some where in between we squeeze in THANKSGIVING.  Thanksgiving has never been a big day for me.......I had a husband that always flew on Thanksgiving......no family close by on my side and the Petersons never included the girls and I........SO it was just another day in our lives.  When Pam got married she always spent it with the Panniers in St. George.......I could count on one hand the turkeys I have cooked in my life!!!!

BUT......

I am so ready to put up my Christmas Tree and start decorating the house.....this week.  We have not had any snow down here yet and only a little at the ski resorts.  But it is cold and frosty most days.  I am happy with no snow!!

What are my plans this year for Thanksgiving???  I plan to get a McDonald's HAPPY MEAL with extra fry sauce and take in a movie......YOUR SAFE IN MY HOUSE MR TURKEY!

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON......

Every year Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier!!!!

Pam and I went into Hobby Lobby in July.....They had a couple of shelves of 4th of July stuff.....a couple of shelves of Halloween stuff and a couple of shelves of Christmas stuff!......in the middle of the summer......They say Halloween is the second biggest holiday for the stores.  I have to admit I do love Christmas, the lights, the presents, the good food........and am really looking forward to putting up my tree and decorations.   I hope I can hold off till Thanksgiving,........ But maybe not!

When I was growing up it seems we went out in the woods and cut a tree about a week before Christmas.....There were not trees in all the stores and Santas on every corner........I'm not sure there was even a Santa in the whole town.....Mother bought a bag of nasty hard candy.......and after you licked several pieces and put them back......they all stuck together.  We made most the tree decorations and only got a couple of presents.  As we got older the Christmas Eve dance was the high-light of the holidays........and dinner at grandma and grandpa Goffs with the uncles, aunts and cousins on Christmas day finished it off.......we could do it all in a week!

MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THE LAST 60 YEARS FOR ME?

TURKEY DAY...........

Can't believe every store is decorated for Christmas and shelves lined with goodies and no Pilgrims or Turkeys in sight.......Really does give a person the urge  to drag out the Christmas decorations.....I keep buying cute little Christmas decorations.....if you wait they are all picked over or gone by Christmas!.......Now if I can just remember where I put everything......Really turned c old today and snowed at the ski resorts.

Got an invitation to a baby shower for Andrea the 2nd of Dec so ran out and bought material and batting to put together the cute little animal blocks I embroidered so I can give it to her.   The baby due in January sometime......a girl!  Sherrie said she was invited and I guess Pam will be.

This time change thing can really do you in for a few days .....the clock says 7;30 But your body says Oh no ......it is 8:30 on my schedule......?

BUSY DAY......

       At my age......every day is a good day!  Got Ken off and back to bed for an hour.  Pam wanted to get out and do Lunch......so picked her up a 11:00.  First stop JoAnns for embroidery thread for a project she is doing.....then lunch.....then Walmart for a couple of things she needed......Fun day and glad I could help her out.....only two more weeks on her scooter!!!!  Rob off to the foot ball game with Will tonight.......she might make it to tail gating if it did't rain.
                   Things about old age that are OK.......Ate salad for dinner.....mostly croutons and tomatoes.....really just one big round crouton covered with tomato sauce and cheese......FINE....it was a Pizza.
                  How to prepare TOFU......Throw it in the trash and bar-b-q some real meat.
                 Just did a weeks worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.
                 A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it!
                 I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented........I forgot where I was going with this???.........Senility has been a smooth transition for me!
                I guess Life will always be complicated and we have to just learn to be happy right now otherwise we will run out of time......
               The young couple across the street invited me over for lunch tomorrow......And I can't even remember their names?????  THAT IS REALLY SCAREY.........
                CHANGE THE CLOCKS TONIGHT!!!!
               

MAKING BELIEVE.......

Where did the magic of make believe go in our lives.......Here Aaron and I make believe our ghosts are having a conversation....mine is a candle, his a plastic light up that makes a noise.......we had a delightful few minutes and it takes you back to playing with paper dolls and dolls or little boys and their dirt roads to magic places with their cars and trucks......as you enter the world of make believe......and real conversations.......My little sister Dixie had a couple of make believe friends and a make believe mother that had to be consulted before she could eat with our family etc.  No one ever saw them...but we knew they were real to Dixie.

Moving through November already.   I am making out my Christmas List.....I want sexy lingerie......anything flannel with less than 8 buttons!  The weather bureau is forecasting snow soon.

Trying to decide what to do with the dog.......got fined for fencing a little section of my yard for her to potty.....I simply can't walk her four or five times a day......and night.....especially with snow and ice in the forecast.......and her being 15 years old...... she doesn't want to.  I bought a dog pen and will try and work out something this weekend.............."SCREW IT"......My final thought before making most decisions lately.......?

WELCOME NOVEMBER.......

Well Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner!  So put away the Halloween decorations and get out the pilgrims and turkeys.......November is here and we change time on Sunday.

The big news of the day........TODAY IS KEN'S LAST "BRAIN CHANGE" class....it has been a long hall for both of us.......it was expensive and he should have done it many years ago when he was younger and the brain was just forming......his other grandmother pushed it!!!  I love this kid and love having him here serving his mission......Yes, he is kinda different.......but aren't we all?  This picture was taken the night he got his Eagle Scout Award.......He is here to help make me a better me.........and I am very proud of him.

This week flying by.......today is make out bills day, tomorrow off to an afternoon of lunch and Mexican Train at Shirleys........and then it is weekend again!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.......

Yep......I am a day late......but got busy celebrating Halloween!  Hope everyone had a fun and safe day.  The weather was great and I had about 50 kids come by.  Turned off the light when I ran out off candy.

Early went over to Pam's to see my cute Great-grandson dressed like Mickey Mouse in his cute monster truck his mom had made him......thank goodness for masking tape.....it turned out great!  He is almost 3 so really got the hang of trick or treat this year.......Had pizza and enjoyed Rob's front yard full of blow ups and his 3 witches stirring their brew in the front hall......Rob also enjoys this Holiday.

I was invited down to the neighbors for Chili and pie ......a neighborhood gathering which is always fun.....then home to answer the door for a couple of hours.   Last year I had one child come by....what a difference.

TODAY I AM CELEBRATING KEN'S LAST DAY OF THE "BRAIN CHANGE" CLASSES!!!!! And I don't need to tell you how happy KEN is.  This was one of his other Grandma's wild ideas and it cost the kids a fortune.   It might be helpful to younger kids but not 19 year olds who are involved in serving a mission.......you really feel out of place lining up with all the little kids going in,