SURVIVED ANOTHER YEAR...

As we count down the hours till a new year is upon us.....we are thankful for our blessings and do hope 2022.....see's a better year for most people.....

Many have found big changes in their life this past year.....deaths....bad health....divorce....new babies .....job changes etc........and being alone as children grow up and establish their own lives and families and move away.....I like this...."Being with no one....is better than being with the wrong one.....Sometimes, those who fly alone...are ones with the astrongest wings".....

Had a great Christmas Holiday.....Family parties....neighbors in and out....and feeling fair.  My grandkids are so fun...thanks girls for these 9 wonderful people you gave me......

Bree and I have just been hibernating all week....snow and cold wind...it is winter here. Have not seen Patty for weeks....just the neighbors mostly as the Cooks are in Hawaii...Panniers off to St. George and the the Rose Bowl game....and Sher in Vernal.

Last night Brayden took me to dinner and stayed all night....He was to  pickup Libby at the airport at 7...but her flight was cancelled and she was stuck in Denver..... Bray was Off this morning at 4 a m to get to work in the snow storm.....our skiers are happy.

Guess I will start taking Christmas down tomorrow.....so HAPPY NEW  YEAR TO ALL.......

 

MY HEART S FULL.....

The doorbell just rang...and this was the kind of thing that really makes life worth it!  A card from two of the boys that hung out at my house with the twins.   Mike and Tom...always called me Mrs P ...AND were the boys I never had.  On the door step a card with a tree decoration Mike made and the following messsage...

"Dear Mrs P.

The longer we live the more we realize the importance of positive adult influence on young people....and it makes us even more grateful for your influence on us! Merry Christmas .

Love Mike and Tom

Can't even put into words the gratitude of these cute boys for telling me this...you feel maybe you have made some differences in the world...Thanks guys for reaching out to me at this time......I LOVE YOU BOTH.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2021......

Well, it has been a busy week before Christmas....I am so greatful for my wonderful family....neighbors.....and friends.  Every year of your life is different.....no two Christmases are the same...you change, the kids change and the world changes.....

Last Monday my cute and youngest grandchild....Scotty and I went to lunch and then to see a movie...SPIDERMAN.....what a special day with him.....not many 20 year olds are willing to take their almost 90 year old grandmother.....anywhere! I am so lucky.....

All week the neighbors were in and out.....with Chrisstmas gifts and Holiday wishes. Then Thursday  had a family party at the COOKS....All my grand kids were there but Nicci and Richie and four of my great-grandkids were there.....lucky gram. Karrie had the Olive Gardens cater and we all pitched in with drinks, desert and snacks.  It is so fun now days with the cute little ones.  Sherrie, Ken, Alex and Ashlyn stayed all night with me....Then off to Denny's for breakfast next morning....Christmas Eve I went to the Pannier's for dinner and presents.....so happy Robbie could be home with us and Aaron kept us all entertained.  Today...Christmas..all three girls called and my sister and I am going to the neighbors for for dinner.....MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU ALL...

 

OOOOPHS!

This is our prankster in the family.....Alex my cute number two grandson.......He and Ashlyn are expecting their first baby.....So glad when last month they called and let me know....they were having a boy!.....every one was happy about the baby.didn't care boy or girl...Well I zip out and buy three blue presents for Christmas.....so excited!  Well one month later....after the checkup yesterday....Ashlyn called laughing....grandma .....they made a mistake.....we are having a GIRL!

Well, I hope she has blue eyes to match my clothes.....BUT I now can shop some more for a little girl! Sherrie is now adding girls to her family .....which she loves.

Jim called me awhile ago...so nice when your little brother cares and keeps in touch....do talk to my sister about every other day or so....compare great-grand kids...Leslie has 15 great-grandkids and I will have six!

 

BOY....AM I BEHIND.....

Hope I am still alive when Darren's and Don's KARMA sets in!

For some reason this month is half over and I have negleted my blog terribly.....The days all seem the same ......however..... yesterday we got a snow storm of snow storms...18 inches at my house....thank goodness for wonderful neighbors.....they dug me out.....where were my kids?  I am finally realizing that grandparents are only for Birthday and Christmas presents.....or baby sitting when they are young......so thankful for neighbors!

Pam is in Seattle with her cute Tucker for a few days before Christmas....so I have Bree. Tucker can really sing jingle bells. Leslie said her granddaughter's Tesa's third little boy who is three has been watching the GRINCHS...who stole Christmas...And decided he would be the Grinch,,,,he undrecorated the tree and hid all the stuff in the closet???? He is also one of those who gets kicked out of day care regularly...don't you love kids at Christmas????

Been five days since I left my nice warm house.....so afraid I will fall.......

 

JUST THINKING......

Any more.....I just live on a day by day schedule....if you are not flexable.....you are in trouble!....I have a calendar and I make sure I write my day by day things to do......since 2020 and the panderic I have to admit I have gone down hill "a bit"..... when you stay home and no one but neighbors knock at your door...many days at noon I am not showerd and dressed and they are understanding.....WHY?.....I have become a walking meme about daytime and nightime PJ'S and elastic waistbands....You have a doctor aappointment....wash and dry your hair....you put on real clothes and make -up.....you suddenly feel more motivated than you have in a while....What we wear really can influence how we feel and behave.....it is called....."enclothed cognition"..... and studies show  that wear certain outfits may help us focus  and feel more confidence.....I know that feeling.....when I was young I remember the fun times my mother sewed me a new dress for the first day of school.....Easter dress.....or Christmas dress.....It always made me feel I was the best of the best.....and through the years,,,,,I still feel good when I have put the effort into dressing the best I can......My Grandma always said....."You never get a second chance to make a first impression"....

 

WHO KNOWS.....

MY MIND THINKS I AM 25.....MY BODY THINKS MY MIND IS AN IDOT!

You never really know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.......Every day you are faced with lots of choices......Should I or shouldn't I?....Can I or can't I?.....Will I or won't I?.....and on and on.....As I add years.....I think more about .....being not afraid of going slowly...but being afraid of standing still!..,,Every day I want to learn something new....do something new.....see or hear something new....The kids wonder why I watch the news each day?....Well, when you come from years of no TV .... facebook....etc. you see how fortunate you are to live in the age.....you can see so much without being there.....I am so thankful that with my 90th birthday just around the corner....I still have all my marbles....well, most of them....I do have a senior moment now and then!  One thing you learn at my age .......life goes on....with or without you!

My MIND THINKS I AM 25.....MY 

 

OH YES IT DOES!

You have  to

believe this......to go on sometimes.......

Neighbor in hospital with stomach cancer operation...her daughter Cindy just drove in from LA to spend the month with her as she is still facing a breast operation soon....Cindy brought her

 dog.....which Suzanne hates and drinks coffee which Suzanne...does not!...but hope they work it

 out!

Had the usual quiet weekend.....talked to Leslie and Jim...thankgoodness for siblings.....Can't believe it is the 7th of December already.....seems I only get to the blog any more once a week.....but I will keep trying.......my life is very dull .......and quiet,

 

ANOTHER SUNDAY.......

Sunday is just another day in the week!.....But to many it is when you sit in church for an hour and try to be holy.....I grew up being taught.....you should live every day as if it were Sunday..... Be kind, good, honest, helpful, patient, trustworthy, etc....I have found it so hurtful and hard to bath and get dressed for church.....I just can't do it.  No one believes in pain pills any more and tylanol doesn't do it for my arthrits any more.....so I am not trying to please my family or neighbors any more.....I know what I can do.....it is between God and me now.

It was a long week but a bright spot was Wednesday....Scottie and Holly came and put up my Christmas tree and decorated my front porch.....first present under the tree....my new cell phone from the Cooks!......Sherrie came by Friday for a few minutes with my neighbors gifts......so sweet.....and looking forward to Pam coming home tonight.....My heart is full of gratitude for all these blessings. Still nice weather....no snow!  Secretly.....I love it.....I pretend I live in Arizona!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING LATE......

Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday......I would gladly settle for a McDonalds Happy Meal with extra fry sauce....but for so many they insist on turkey.....I went to the Golden Correll with my neighbors and her brother....man do they eat!....it was packed but very reasonable....Pam and Bree flew back to spend 10 days with Rob in Detroit.....and the twins were in St Thomas......so I was alone.  Mike called to be sure I wasn't alone...such a sweet guy.  The day before Darren came by with a humungus poensetta....I was furious because he had been such AH the week before over my phone transfer....and just expected to buy his way back in....I didn't give it to him....and was sorry.......I tried to give the plant to all the neighbors......but no one wants it.....they know his history .......Took the turkeys down and plan to put up the tree this week....and the holidays are upon us.......

 

DAY BY DAY.......

As I look back over this year.....we added another baby and a half.....but it has been a very unproductive year for me.....I keep fighting off arthritis...but it is wearing me down.....Seems a lot of hurt and heart ache in the family and neighborhood....cancer...divorce....bad health for many......and then there is Biden and the country going to pot! We are having strange weather for November......cold but no snow.....2 more days and December is upon us......As usual a very quiet Sunday.....Pam and Sherrie did call me......Pam said they got snow and it was cold.....Sher had had lunch with Libby and Olivia......

Patty came over yesterday....got caught up on our lives....she does not feel good either..... I got my Christmas wrapped and I am ready for the big day almost......need a couple more gifts and I will be done.

 

NICE VISIT.....

I feel so sorry for people without sisters.....I was so lucky....  I had three.....two are gone....but I dearly love and enjoy the one I have left.  Leslie has been through so much this last year....broke her hip....two operations....knee and ankle problems and constant pain...but she doesn't give up she just keeps pushing on.  She, Mike and Kristy came and got me yesterday and we had  a nice lunch together and a couple hours visit .....she called awhile ago and is safely home in Mesquite.

Wish we lived closer to each other.

Had lunch with Cleon and a visit here with Patty......thankgoodness for old friends.  I try not watch much news.....Biden is throwing our country away and it frustrates me! I need to get busy and wrap my Christmas presents......  done shopping thankgoodness.   Need to get a buster shot and many of us still wearing masks.

 

GRADITUDE......

Sunday morning.....another weekend rolls around......today I heard a good talk on GRATITUDE.....

Every morning in my prayers I thank God for another day on this great earth.....for my family and neighbors.....They suggested a gratitude journal to write down every day something you are thankful for.....I am thankful for so many things I don't know where to begin.....My nice home....three beautiful daughters that are so helpful and nine grand kids I adore.....some are very caring .....others not so much.....but I love them all. My neighbors are so caring and keep me going....I am greatful for things like my husband walking out 36 years ago...hard at first....but led to a wonderful life and I am happy Darrren walked out...Sherrie and the boys deserve better....I have arthritis but I could have many things worse......Yes....I am truly greatful for so much.

 

QUIET DAY.....

On holidays you always think about your family.....Mom made these times so fun....I use to, but the family is grown and have their own celebrations ......I got some great news today....Ashlyn is having "A BOY".....Now Sherrie will have a boy and a girl to be a grandma too....and I will have 6 great-grand children!....Met Cleon for lunch....so nice to have good friends.....did laundry and put the house back together after the party....Leslie may be up for lunch tomorrow.....HOPE SO.  Got the car inspected and transferred money to pay my house taxes...$3,000.oo.....keep going up.  It is cold and rainy.....but no snow so far......and another weekend already......

 

YOU NEVER KNOW.....

We had an early Thanksgiving on Wedneday.......

Sherrie set up a little dinner at my house with Bray and Libby as she is off to St Thomas with the Cooks for the holiday.....she had a dinner with Alex and Ashlyn before she left Vernal.....Ken and I set the table for five.....soon Sher called and said Pam,,,,Scottie....and his girl friend Holly wanted to come.....so Ken and I set three more places at the table......When Sher arrived with the food from the Cheese Cake Factory.....she informs us the Cook's decided to come and would pick up their own food.....now our little dinner had grown to 10.....so we unset the table .....put in another leaf.....set the table again.....and Yea a fun group for Thanksgiving.....if I had of known I was having a big party I WOULD HAVE PUT ON SOME EAR RINGS....and dressed up!  But,,,,it turned out to be such a fun evening.....Sherrie, Scottie, Ken and Anna were catching the 11:00 red eye for St. Thomas....I have no idea what I am doing on Turkey day...Pam is off to Detroit to be with Rob.

 

MORE BAD NEWS.....

Well......last week was full of angry people....three days in a row we went to Verison to get my phone tranferred from the Christenson's family account....Darren requested it.....to the Cook's....but Darren was needed to make it happen.....but he was a real AH and it took three days with Karrie and Richie working on it and costing a lot of money we were stuck buying some one elses phone...thanks Darren. The fourth day I had to run into Verison to have them show me how to turn off the flash light....uggh! and then Friday to transfer the old phone into the new....who would of thought getting your phone changed would be such a problem....

Then my sweet neighbor was told she had stomach cancer....only a few days later to find after her mamogram she has breast cancer....2 different cancers at the same time.....she is devastated.  Talked to another good friend this morning and one of her sons is in the hospital and they aren't sure why.....Everyone you talk to has some cross to bare.  Would love some good news now and then......Well Leslie said she would be up Saturday and take me to lunch.Yea.....good news!

 

WELL I DID IT!!

Well.....I made the extra effort needed.....and packed my bag and spent the weekend in St. George with Pam.....and so glad I did....we had a great time.  Left Thursday after noon...so got there in time for a movie and bed.....Friday and Saturday were go go go....no nap time for me.  Friday we shopped  T J Maxx....had lunch....appointment at Verison to get my new phone transfered over and then off to a movie.....home to let Bree out and eat some dinner.....and two movies.....Saturday....a lazy morning and then off to one of my favorite places...the CRACKER BARREL for brunch and shopping....found a cute cape I could not live wthout....then off to Mesquite to hit their giganic liquer store so Pam could get her holiday supply and then off to gamble a  couple of hours.......the poker nickel slot is all I can handle.....and then I had to keep asking the person next to me......"what do I do now".....?Trying to keep up with my computer.....learn a new phone.....AND learn to gamble on a slot bout wore me out.....old people do not catch on to fast.....no I didn't win!!!!.... We grabbed a pizza for dinner and watched a movie...and I had  nice chat with Mike Mendosa......We had a nice ride home Sunday....and I took a nap!

 

SHOULD I OR SHOULDN'T I?

Another week end looms close....Pam invited me to go to St. George with her for the weekend....she has the Pannier House this week and she and Bree were just going to get away....I really would like to...but every  thing is such an effort when you hurt.....I could see Leslie on Saturday....do some shopping and enjoy the sun!!! so may try and push foreward.....

Rained all day so spent the day on the heating pad....not looking forward to winter snow..I love this little prayer....

Patty came over yesterday for our therapy session......Scottie and I went to Chilies last night for dinner....and had such a good talk...I am so happy he is cancer free....the last 8 months have been hell for him......and his parents.  We both agree....THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON......JUST BELIEVE!

Got my Christmas shopping done.....now to get it wrapped! 

 

UNCERTAIN......

So many thngs are uncertain.....like marriage!

We are all sucked up in Sher's divorce...wanting to help but not sure how...Darren has turned into a real devil....trying to get my phone transferred from his account to Karrie's...met at verison twice with Richie and Brayden and Karrie aand Scott....still no phone...guess I will have to change my number in order to move on...God will make him pay....Brayden is trying to play it down the middle......some times it doesn't work.....he wants both parents in his life and his baby's ....he may end up with neither....Karrie and Pam have been her go tos.....she tells me little....She doesn't understand...."I have been there....done that"..... 37 years ago! She is strong and will make him regret it someday......

 

A DOZEN THANK YOUS.....

Each day of your life is a step forward.....into your future......enjoy each step.  As you watch your friends....and family.....move forward with good families....successful careers and buusinesses....while you feel  like your own life feels like a piece of luggage left behind on an airport conveyor belt......going round and round.....waiting to be picked up for its next aventure.....I have finally figured out our life's purpose is not a one-stop arrival....it is worked out along the way.....The journey itself is the most essential part.....because that is where the endless choices exist that lead us to where we are going and the story we're going to tell with our lives....and nothing is permanet....

Sherrie finally called....been a week!  She and Alex been busy setting up a new office for the apartments.....Darren really being an ass hole to her and the kids....I know I won't live long enough to see how or what happens to him and his millions...but God has a way of being sure "what goes round....comes round"...and he will die a sick lonely old man some day!

Starting to get my Christmas stuff organized.....through shopping.

 

WONDER YEARS......

I know these last couple of years have been different.....now I think I know why......they have become my WONDER YEARS!  I also wonder why a lot.....why all these bad things keep happening to the people I love in my family.....why the country is going to pot......why getting old changes so many things in your life?

Here we are the 4th day of a new month already.....and I have not written since Halloween night.  It was a fairly quiet evening...a day early with about 15 kids....didn't even turn on the lights Sunday night......which wa Halloween.  Monday was house cleaning day.....don't get much done that day each month.....but love having them....THANK YOU KARRIE.

Tuesday....Patty came for our weekly therapy session?....did some laundry and washed my hair.......

Wednesday....Karrie , Scottie and Richie and I......went to lunch and to get a new phone switched to the Cook family since the Christensons have parted ways......but one of them had to be there to make it happen....and they weren't.....so later.

Today Pam took me to see the Lawyer and pick up my WILL he was redoing for me....updating it......we had lunch and then stoppd to check on my cemitary plot at Wasatch Lawn....guess if Don dies first Tony could try and plant him there.....but I would have to sign....and I won't....any way Don wanted to be buried in Huntsville with his parents where there are 8 plots available...but knowing Tony there will be a fight....

Tomorrow....Friday....and another week gone by.....PAM off to St George to stay with some friends and Karrie is in New York.....busy family.  Just me and Bree again!

We "fall back" Saturday and change our clocks an hour....such a pain.

 

TODAY OR TOMORROW?

This sweet girl dropped by today ....with my first great-grandchild to show off his Halloween costume......a fighter pilot......my first trick or treater of the year......This year, Halloween comes on Sunday so will we have kids tonight or tomorrow or both.....I hope I have enough candy......will turn off the lights early.....Pam was going up to tail gate ....but not the game....don't know what the other two families were doing.

The weather is unbelievable....Suzanne came over and said lets sit on the porch and enjoy this weather...sat in the warm sun for an hour....thankgoodness for good neighbers......she just got word.....she has stomach cancer......so sad.

Well, I just got a trick or treater....so guess it will be a busy night.

 

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY......

I have so much to be thankful for......

One year ago today I went through the Vernal Temple....with my immediate family. I was sealed to my parents which was the icing on it......  I can't BELIEVE a year has passed and so many changes to the family. Scottie cleared of his cancer....Sherrie in the middle of a nasty divorce.....Rob had a toe off and is working in Detroit for Amazon.....Brayden and Libby moved out....... so live alone.....Ashlyn is pregrant...due in May......and my sweet neighbor just told she has stomach cancer......that nasty word just keeps popping up.

It was a year ago while I was in Vernal that Lucille died.

What a difference a year makes.......

HOLIDAY SOON....

The mother of twins.....how blessed!

Karrie on the right is 6 minutes older than Sherrie on the left.......they are each others best friends and their six kids were raised by both and are very close to their cousins.  

Halloween comes on Sunday this year ...but Mormons are funny about what they can do on Sundays...so expect we will have some "Trick and Treaters" on Saturday nite.....plus real believers on Sunday nite....I was in Vernal for Halloween last year and we had such fun.....this year much quieter....

 

WHY?.....

WHY?

Why can't I blog every day like I use to?  Part of my excuse for this month is I was really sick for about 10 days....not the viris but the flu....about a week after my flu shot....and since maybe my life is shutting down....talk to the twins some....but don't see them.....Pam comes over once a week and we go to lunch or she takes me to an appointment....like lawyer or my finance adviser....need to get every thing in order in case I KICK THE BUCKET.....unexpectedly.....Just got word my sweet neighbor has stomach cancer and she is 72....

The bright spot of the month was Scotty's home coming at church and the the Cook's after church get together.....got to see grandkids and three great-grandchildren....the kind of days grandmas love...I try to realize every one is very busy...my kids are travelers....I tended Pam's dog three weeks while she went back to Detroit to tend Rob when they cut off his big toe.....and she and Sher spent five days in Vegas......then Rob got bitten by a spider or several and is trying to get over that.....has been off work most the month.  Oh Yes....Scott turned 20 this month and Nicci turned 36.

My faithful friend Patty usually comes over once a week and I ran over to her place today.....our weekly therapy.....I do spend quite a few hours on the heating pad each day to help the arthrits...only gets worse in this cold weather.....we have snow in the mountains.....but so far none down here.  

 

BRIGHT SPOTS.....

This cute guy ...BRAYDEN.....called today and wanted to get together tomorrow for dinner and games....will bring sweet wife ...Libby....and baby daughter....Olivia for me to love.  Get out the crockpot time.  They are so sweet to do little chores for me.....I miss them. 

AND.... this neat grandson called and invited me to his.....Homecoming.....at church.....next Sunday.  He came down with cancer in April and had only been out on his mission for six weeks. It was three months of chemo after the operation.....a month off....then another operation and now six weeks recoop.  Hard choice but not returning to mission....signed up for college the first of the year.....he has his 20th birthday this month.  Sure love my grrandsons.

 

NOT MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR.....

MAYBE 10 YEARS YOUNGER WOULD BE NICE.....BUT NOT IN MY 20'S AGAIN.......HAVEN'T SEEN FAMILY OR NEIGHBORS IN 3 DAYS,,,,BUT FINDING THINGS IN MY LIFE.....LIKE .....NO ONE LIKES "OLD" PEOPLE MUCH.......IT HAS RAINED ALL WEEK.....BUT DID GET A FLU SHOT AND HAVE MY NAILS DONE....ZIPPED OVER TO THE GROCERY STORE BETWEEN RAIN STORMS TODAY.....A COUPLE MORE DAYS AND BREE WILL GO HOME.  PAM SPENT TWO WEEKS WITH ROB......AND A  WEEK WITH SHERRIE AT HER TIME SHARE IN LAS VEGAS.

I was thinking back on the sad and lonesome places I have visited in my trips around the world......Places you can feel the spirits have never been set free to go home to be buried like.....the cemetary in St John island where the bodies from the Titanic were brought....such a sad grave yard....then an awful place I WILL NEVER FORGET....ASWITCH,,,,,in Poland....it was left with many reminders ....like binds of hair....or shoes....or suit cases!  The people were gased ,,,,burned,,,or corpes dumped in large holes and covered.  The feeling of their spirits are still in limbo and lost....so sad......Then Ann and I were driving through England, Scotland and Whales and stopped at Lockerbee Scotland where the airplane was  sabotaged and crashed.....killing many Americans,...we stayed at a bed and breakfast just down from the crash area....I could feel those spirits still lingering around.....in fact I slept in my clothes and could hardly wait to get away from the place next day....I think the TWIN TOWERS in NYC has some of that feeling....

 

THINKING BACK......

As your family travels off around the country...or world....you pray they will be safe ...and healthy!  I had been very lucky in my many miles around the world.....BUT one trip will always be one I will never forget.  Don and I were off to JAPAN and CHINA on a tour.....I had some cists burend off my uterus...but given pills and Dr permission to go on the trip.....Well....I bleed from the day we left the whole time in Japan......Don did the fun things ......but I barely made it to the bus each day.....THE TOUR ENDED AND WE HEADED FOR HONG GONG FOR A FEW DAYS....BUT HEADED FOR THE YWCA AND REQUESTED AN AMERICAN DR. FOR ME TO SEE....OFF WE WENT TO FIND HIS OFFICE ONLY TO FIND HE PICKED THAT DAY TO MOVE HIS OFFICE DOWN THE HALL AND I WAS TO SEE DR. K K CHOW!......BY NOW I WAS DESPERATE.....AND IN WE WENT....GUESS WHAT?  HE SPOKE ENGLISH AND HAD GRADUTED FROM 'JOHN HOPKINS' IN OUR COUNTRY...TOLD ME TO STOP TAKING THE PILLS AND HE GAVE ME A VITAMIN B SHOT AND SENT ME ON MY WAY.....BOUNCED BACK AND ENJOYED HONG GONG......MANY YEARS LATER WHEN I LIVED ON LAURI KAY DR......A NEIGHBOR.....WIFE OF A PAN AMERICAN AIRLINE PILOT.....WAS BASED IN HONG GONG.....AND DR. K K CHOW HAD DELIVERED HER FIRST BABY......IT REALLY IS A SMALL WORLD AND BAD THINGS CAN TURN OUT GOOD.  MOST OF MY TRAVELS ILLS COULD BE FIXED WITH TYLANAL OR ASPERN.

 

WEEK BY WEEK.....

I use to blog almost every day.....now it is almost every week! Old age is really showing....A very quiet weekend as usual.....Sherrie and Ken did stay all night last friday .....then Saturday and Sunday was LDS Conference....so didn't get anything done.....Monday.....the cleaning ladies and laundry.....Tuesday cleaned the back porch....Wednesday.....today.....I had my nails done and got a flu shot! I still have BREE for another week as Sherrie and Pam headed out today for Las Vegas for a few days relaxation. Guess Rob's toe is still keeping him home.....plus he  got up in the night for the bathroom and fainted and hit his chin on the tub....What next?  Did get the good news Scottie is cancer free.....he has decided not to go back to the mission and is signing up for college....move on with his life.... since April it has been all up hill with that darn cancer, He turns 20 this month.......It is really Fall in SLC.

 

YES.....IT IS FALL....

We are now counting the months.....not days till we get a baby Alex...I am hopeing....but will love a baby Ashlyn......it would be fun to get twins....his mother is a twin and she has twin brothers. 

Spent the day hunting my covid shot card....where...oh where did I put it?  Being old is starting to rear it's head.....Seems we will need it to go on living......Wish me luck!

Not an exciting week....Miss Pam....and the twins...just Bree and me.  Got some wonderful news yesterday....Scotts cancer operation was a success and the tests came back negative for cancer....it has been a long haul for that sweet guy......AND he has hair again...just several weeks of taking it easy and healing......then back to real life again.  

Stopped in yesterday to see how Scott was doing.......and Richard took me up Brighten Canyon to see the fall leaves....we are so lucky to have the mountains in our back door.....and the leaves were so pretty.  I so enjoyed our ride and visit.

Keeping my fingers crossed Rob listens to his doctor and his foot heals.....and he can get back to work.

 

FIRST DAY OF FALL...

I am more at Peace tonight.....knowing Scott and Rob are getting good care at the hospitals they are in and they have family with them......

We are definitely feeling the smell and feel of Fall.....the hills are starting to turn and the temperature has dropped....turned on the fireplace this morning.  I have Bree for three weeks or so.....Pam was not sure how long she would be gone to Detroit......Scotts operation was a success Kar said .....can go home in a couple of days.  Waiting to hear what Rob's status is...Pam a little slow in up dating......

Had the urge to do some RETAIL THERAPY the last couple of days......The Mask...Oh Yes! Do have most my Christmas shopping done......

HAPPY FALL.....U ALL.

 

BIG TOE......

This happy grandpa......isn't so happy tonight!

Pam stopped by to see if I would tend Bree a couple of weeks while she goes to Detroit to tend Rob.....They cut off his big toe this morning and she needs to leave tomorrow.....It has been giving him trouble and infected for some time and with his diabetes...not healing,,,,,so the MRI showed the infection had gone into the bone..SERIOUS....so cut off his toe!  If a week passed without a crisis in our family.....WHAT WOULD WE DO?  What are we doing wrong?  God will think all I do is hunt people to pray for........we love you Robby and good luck.

 

FALL......

Fall is in the air....lawns turning brown.....flowers shedding leaves.....and tomatoes turning red.  I have been lucky enough to see the colored leaves in my own hills.....love the yellow of the quakin aspen trees.....AND Leslie and I did a road trip up to Vermont, New Hampshire, Mass and that area in the east one year.... The colors back there are reds and oranges.....God really knows how to paint his world.......It has been unusualy hot his summer....so cooling down is a relief......A little rain this morning.  

Kar's family getting ready for Scotty's operation Monday....five days in the hospital and Kar will be right at his side....that's what mothers do......we are praying for him.

 

BIG NEWS........

Got a call this morning from this cute couple....AND.....Ashlyn excitedly told me they are pregnant!....they had found they had some problems...plugged tubes....which they fixed......and lazy sperm.....and were on the verge of trying intervetro....something or another.....and very expensive....well she was late and got some sticks to pee on.....am I PG? .....it looks like it? Ashlyn was so excited she went and bought 8 more test sticks....and they were all positive....so she could tell Alex.. I am so excited for them.....Ashlyn has twin brothers and Alex's mother is a twin......MAYBE?

 

9-11.....20 YEARS AGO.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

20 years ago today the world was rocked when two enemy planes flew into the twin towers and killed so many wonderful...innocent people....the beginning of a 20 year war with the talaban....also a plane hit the pentagon and one went down in PA....we remember these people each year on this day......I have been down to this sacred spot and into the church but we didn't know you needed reservations to get into the fountain area .....so missed out on that.  The pictures will forever be etched in our minds of this terrible thing...and the war goes on.

 

SHARE CROPPING....

I love my next door neigbor ....but we cannot talk politics!  We can talk about the weather...church.....family...but not politics,,,,,,We have worked out sharing land .....every year she plants a garden along my front porch because I face the sun...her land not so much....she buys, plants and waters all summer....I sit on my porch and watch them grow and eat them....tomatoes....cucumbers....zucchini....squash and a pepper plant....It has done so well this summer and we are sharing with the neighbors....so fun when she does all the work.....but she is 14 years younger too.....

 

PAM AND TUCKER....

Just me and Bree this weekend....hard to believe this week is gone....Cleaning lady...laborday....patty for coffee.....dinner with  Pam.....Sherie and Olivia stopped by.....guess time just slips by. Pam went up to baby sit this cute kid this weekend......Bill an Nicci's wedding anniversary .....so they could sneak off a couple of nights and Grandma baby sit........Bree stuck with me.

\Good news from Sherrie.....that I have to keep secret.....It is so hard to keep a secret....when you want  to stand on  the corner and tell the world.....

Tomorrow a big day and celebration for 20 years  ago .....9-11...... time does fly.....Didn't

 even get  dressed today.....some days are like that .....no incentive to do anything.

 

LABOR DAY WEEKEND.....

I will make it through......

A very long and quiet weekend.....Pam busy doing her thing .....Sherrie camping with her kids.......and K arrie recooperating from the Disney trip and certifying for deep sea diving in the volcano......so didn't hear see any of my kids.....Suzanne gone for a week to Farmington.....but HOHN over with food a couple of times and Gay over to visit ....... Thank goodness for good neighbors......guess that is it......next will be Halloween....

Sherrie in town tending Olivia a couple of days;;;baby sitter sick.....so she came over for a little while this morning to let me love the baby...has pierrced ears no less!

Pam just called and invited me to go out to dinner......she is off to see Nicci tomorrow for a long weekend.....I get Bree.....As you can see....Ireally live an exciting life......

 

MY LAST DATE........

Getting divorced at age 54......after 30 years of marriage....and three grown daughters....isn't an easy transition...........My last date......WAS MY LAST DATE......I call it my Taco Date......the guy saw me at a friend's missionary home coming.....and they lined me up....were to go golfing....but  he was late getting here....so settled getting on getting something to eat.....he ask if  I liked Mexican food...why yes.....every body likes Mexican food and I envisioned one of the  Mexican restrauants near by???YES.....it was near-by....across the street from my condo was a Taco Bell......Well....this wasn't exactly what I had in mind for a first date......my grandmother always said....."you never get a second chance....to make a first impression".....He ordered 3 tacos for a dollar and a dollar lemon aid for each of us....and had to write a check for 3 something!  I would say at this point .....the date was over for me...which is to bad as he was nice looking.....had a nice car and worked at Abertsons.......and was a cheap skate!!! At this rate I could handle my own dates....and from then on I don't take any chances......

 

YOU NEVER KNOW.....

As I was telling you in the last blog.....my big chance to appear on TV crushed by blocking out my face in the bank robbery.  Well the Panniers were in Mexico with friends and decided to watch the home town news,,,,something about an airplane crash......and low and behold.....it is Pam's father!  NO breaks in landing so crashed into a hanger.....he and the dog walked away....the plane never to fly again.....Pam could not belive both her parents on the night news....with tails of woe....not fun news like.....lucky couple   wins the MILLION DOLLAR LOTERY....Any way life goes on........

 

LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND.....

Sorry for the mood.....but long quiet weekends seeing or hearing from no one does that to me......I try to think back to some fun or interesting happening in my past......like when I was in a bank robbery!!!!.......I had gone to the bank across the street from where I lived to get a little cash for the weekend....I had lived there 26 years and knew the people well.......As I reached for my my money....... the same time...... some one with a longer arm grabbed it and very quietly told the cashier "MORE".....without hesitation the gal opened a drawer and handed the arm a bundle of money....which he stuffed in a back pack between us.....he turned and walked out of the bank....all this happened in a matter of minutes.....WHAT DID I DO? according to the camera in the bank....I stood there with my mouth open and let him escape......The bank immediately went into lock down and was full of police.....and the questioning began.  What did he look like?  Tall...smelled bad...we were shoulder to shoulder so couldn't see much besides he had a cap....mask...glasses...sweat shirt....gloves and only spoke a word....not much help.....So they let me go home.....I thought in bank robberries.....you had to lay on the floor.....cover your eyes and count to five so he could get away....not true.....At last my chance to be on TV.....wouldn't you know......they put a block across my eyes so the robbery would not recgonize me on the night news......or any one else for that matter!!!!!

 

SISTERS......

Where did summer go?

Here we are into September already and soon the snow.....The world is either flooding or burning up.....like God predicted.....My back yard turned into swimming pool and sweet Brayden cleaned it up for me while I feed Olivia.....Back east is a mess.....between weather and Covid there is no good news.   Went to lunch  with Pam yesterday and Brayden tends baby every Friday so he is coming up for lunch tomorrow...and I get to see the baby......so fun to watch her grow......Darren gave Alex COVID and Alex gave it to Ashlyn.....they did not get shots.....but will.....JIM just called and we had a nice visit....like me the evenings are long and lonely ....so nice to have some one to reach out to.....and Leslie is a life saver.....FAMLIES ARE FOR EVER

 

LONG...LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY.....

As I ponder ......what made me....ME......I go back to my 7th year....My first year in school and beginning to associate with people....I had to move to 7 schools in the first grade....my father was a foreman for the Bell Telephone Co. and constantly on the move.  The folks made the decision to settle down so Jo and I didn't have to keep that up...they bought a ranch in mother's home town of Mancos Colorado.....and a whole new world began for me......

No electricity.....running water......no inside bathroom .....ride school bus.....no central heating.....

but when you are 7.....life is good......an "out house".....is an adventure.....cold in the winter and hot and smelly in  the summer...TOILET PAPER???...The Sears Roebuck and MONTGOMERY WARDS catalogs!!!....Winters were bad but the Spring an Summer you could leave the door open and enjoy the sun and thumb through the catalog.....Brush your teeth came afew years latter when we moved to town and got a real in-doors bathroom.  A bath was on Saturday .....a big tub was brought into the kitchen ....hot water heated on the coal stove and all the kids scrubbed down....I have no idea when my parents bathed....or if they did those five years on the ranch...I guess when you are seven etc......things like clean parents is not your concern.....The house was heated by the kitchen coal stove and a pot belly stove in the front room and when it was cold no one got up until daddy had both fires going and the house was warm......There was a ditch infront of the house and they used that water for washing dishes or our hands.....but you had to carry water from a little spring behind the house down a little hill to drink or cook with....Mom took the laundry into grandma's as she had electicity in town.  Dixie Lee was born during these five years of farm life....so a baby in diapers was an extra burden on the need for water.....she grew up alone in a play pen and consequently no one to play with,,,,,,made up her own family to talk to and play with...She had another mother and several friends.....when mother called her to dinner she always had to ask her ....other mother......thank goodness she always said....yes.  To iron...and as I got older and more aware fitting in and looking nice I would iron my own cloths....put the ironing board on the back of two chairs and stand on a stool and.....to heat the iron you put it on a hot stove to heat it....they were heavy and did not stay hot long....I am using them as book ends now!

Sunday was a special day.....we killed two chickens and we all loved fried chicken....and I mean ....went out to the chicken pen grabbed a couple of inocent little chickens....put their heads on a log and with an ax chopped off their heads....they flopped around a few minutes.....then MOM stuck them into a bucket of boiling water to loosen their feathers and you all helped pluck the feathers.....which were saved for pillows and feather beds!.....Then into the house to be cut up and be fried...we all fought over who got the liver...heart...gizard?.....Then there was usually some fun desert.....Did I ever paticipate in these rituals.....YES....I could kill a chicken and get it ready to fry by the time I was ten....One thing is a bad memory still....washing the milk seperater.....I'm not even going to try and explain that chore.....Good times too...sleeping in the hay barn with the Kellers.....Daddy bought some "doggie" lambs and I feed them all summer by bottle ...when they were grown he sold them and gave me the money to pick out a new bicycle...it was red.....I don't regret my time on the ranch...I see how hard a rancher works...it taught me how to work.....but daddy's decision to give up farming and move to town and work at the Diamond Match factory about the time I was 12......was very welcomed by all the family....WOW...an in-door bathroom at last and real toilet paper!

 

GOOD-BY AUGUST.....

Good-bye August.....and summer!

It has not been my favorite summer.....starting in April so many things have happened in my family.....Leslie broke her hip on vacation in Costa Rico with Kevins family....Scotty came home after six weeks from his mission with testical cancer... three months of chemo kinda ruined his summer and the families too.....Rob decided to take a promotion for six months ....with Amazon in Detroit...Pam here alone....Sherrie getting a divorce....so hard for her...and me...my arthritis has kicked in and I hurt all the time!  The kids moved out in June to Lehi.....miss them.  September has to be better...

The Panniers had to put Henry Ford to sleep this weekend....we all will miss him.

Went to Patty's for coffee yesterday and off to lunch with Pam tomorrow...just have to get out now and then.....

 

LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY.....

With all the bad things happening in the world today....I try to go to bed thinking of something good in my life.....To day when I was buttering my toast...I thought about the butter I had growing up....My grandparents lived a couple of blocks down the street.....they had a cow named Pansie...grandpa milked faithfully every evening.....Grandma made sure we always had milk...she would let it sit until the cream came to the top and take it for butter.....into a big glass churn it went and we would fight over who got to churn it into pretty yellow butter.....she would salt it and put it into a wooden butter mold and was it good on her big hot rolls....then the war came and our butter was sack of lard looking stuff with a small capsul of coloring in it to break and turn this stuff yellow....like real butter...... when you are young you don't question your food much......my kids know only our now days butter.....the rest of the milk was made into cottage cheese orbutter milk.....now days they come in tidy cartons with dates on them and are always available......I never wondered where butter came from....I watched it magically appear from cream in a churn.

Been a long quiet weekend....I never made it to church.....talked to Mike ...he will be out of Page in two days....off to ST GEORGE to live and work after nine years with Darren in Page running his B and B'S.....I knew he had a girl friend!!!  I'ts best I don't write down what I think of him.......I wish Sher would talk to me about the divorce......

 

BABY GROWING....

Three months old and the love of our lives...

"Olivia"

 

BEEN A LONG MONTH.......

 

Been a long month with no blogs because I did something wrong and nhanks o one had time to fix the computer.....until today and Sherrie stuck with it.......Thanks Sher.

Two of my favorite people from the twins old crowd dropped by and it was fun remembering the good old days....Tom Short and Mike Mooreno.  Mike came by a few days laterr to leave his phone number and spent an hourworking on my compuer.....sweet kids.

My sweet Karrie  has the "Merry Maids" come clean my house twice a month.....with the arthritis in my shoulders it is hard to do anything.....In all my 89 years I never had any hired help in the house.....

August is a big birthday month for me.....Andrea turned 26 the 15th....Brayden turned 26 the 16th  (Mom's birthday).....Pam turned 64 on the 18th.....And big Rich ...57 on the 19th.....Mike had a birthday on the 25th.

ON the 18th it rained all day....and the neighbors behind me really flooded me out.....what a mess...we had prayed for water.....but I 

had a swimming pool in my back yard.......

I had a mamogram the 26th...good to go for another year.....thank you GOD........

Two Hornet nests in the back yard this summer......thanks to BRAYDEN he got rid of them.....

Well enough catch-up news for August......other than the horrible situation Biden caused in Cabul......

HELP......HELP......HELP

I

Help.....I am losing it......I have lost all incentive to do my blog lately...partly because I can't work the new computer!  Why so many passwords......So much going on and always the arthritis pain.....My neighbor borrowed my car to go to exercise......and still has not brought it back....and I have sat home all day for his convenience....no more car lending....

Yesterday Bray came by with Olivia and I took him to Birthday lunch....26.....it was fun seeing them....4 birthdays next week.....busy......Rob launched in Detroit at new job and Pam and the dogs holding down the fort in SLC.....hope to see more of her the next six months......Sherrie in the middle of a nasty divorce and Karrie stressing about Scotts up coming surgery ......for his cancer.....I am up one day and down the next.....Last Saturday Karrie Suzanne and I went to see a wonderful Chinese show down town......Karrie has signed the Merry Maids.....to come clean my house every two weeks.....such a treat.....best present a old lady could get.....well so far so good....don't know how i got this far......

 

LONG>>>LONG >>>>AGO

 

Long long ago and far away......a friend and I were young and full of life....Charlene Knisley......My summer has been full of trama with this darn arthritis.....and all the famlies troubles.  Cancer, divorce....broken bones....viris still prevalent....kids moved out....alone now....miss them....... NO.... don't need a dog!