I love Dr Seuss

How many people in this land have been entertained by the Dr Seuss books? I know they became part of my household when my oldest daughter was little and she is around 50 now. Our first book was "Green Eggs and Ham".......I love that Dr Seuss (or whomever) , is still on the same page as many Americans when it comes to liking the President, Mr Obama this is for you:

Green Lies and Ham

I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like this health care scam.

I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like this speaker Nan, I do not like this , "Yes, we can."

I do not like this spending spree, I'm, smart, I know that nothings free.

I do not like your smug replies, when I complain about your lies.

I do not like this kind of hope, I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!

That little green little Grinch kinda reminds me of you know who..............just a different color.

Maybe we just need someone around us to lend a little humor to help us survive these very hard years ahead. You can do it Dr. Seuss.

Oh by the way did you know: where the pound cake got it's name? Originally a pound cake was made with one pound of flour, one pound of sugar and one pound of butter.....hence it's name. And the same logic is true of cupcakes. They are named because the original recipe called for one cup of each ingredient. And you thought it was because they are baked in those little paper cups..................

Why Does Popcorn Pop?

As my blog is named "I didn't Know That?" I am always anxious to be learning something new. How many times a day do you hear or read something that is new to you? I think we never stop having "a need to know". When we do we die..........So many, many things to learn out there like, "Why Does Popcorn Pop?" Well, it is a corn called flint corn, it has small hard kernels that contain only a small amount of soft starch. Each kernel has a moisture content of about 13.5 percent. The kernels contain a food storage layer known as the endosperm. This tough, elastic layer resists the buildup of steam pressure with the kernel when heated. When the temperature reaches a critical point, around 400 degrees, the kernel expands up to thirty-five times its original size and the endosperm violently ruptures. Wow, popcorn! now you know. Do you know the first pencil sharpener was invented by a French mathematician named Bernard Lassimone, who patented the device in 1828?

We all have our favorite color M&Ms, do they taste different? Do different colored M&M's have different flavors? The company assures us, that all colors have identical flavoring. The colors are browns, yellows, red, orange, tan and green. Recently added blue. My favorite is brown......

I am researching many of my questions and will pass them on to you regularly, then we will all know........ Sherrie and Brayden get home tonight......I have been sooooo lonesome.

Lunch With The Ladies

When the waitress finishes tabulating, the ladies start confabulating.

"Mine was the Chef's Surprise" Let's see,

"The tarts were a quarter and I had three...."

"Mine was a dollar-twelve, I think.....was the salad extra or just the drink?"

"No wait, if Joan had the Shopper's Plate,and three cents tax and five makes eight." "The way I figure, mines ninety cents"---And they never split the difference.

"And a tip would be?" What offers such mental aerobic ts, as femimine lunch time, mathematics?

How many times in our lives have we endured this scenario? Men just split the bill two or three ways and leave it at that. But ladies either ask for separate tickets or go through the little scenario above.

Why? I don't know. I guess we are just ladies.

This is what is left of our birthday club started many years ago and I mean many years ago. Pam was little and she is 52, so I would say close to 50 years. Originally there were eight of us.

Elyce Hutton, Ruth Raymond, Joy Brown, Bev Peterson, Lavern Leonard. The first four have since died and Lavern is house bound with a sick husband. This picture was taken on for my birthday at the Town Club: Elaine Sorenson (92), Pat Noall, and myself. Elaine and I are now single. Funny what a difference 50 years make. Elaine is real goer and works every day at their bank, she will probably out live both Pat and I. But I promise there is nothing better in life than old friends!

Write It Down

"A story can travel without you and inspire many." "Every word a woman writes changes the story of the world, revises the official version."

The way I look at it, every woman is a Journey of her own life. Some one once said "in our journals we are in search of the real self, of what really move us, what we really think, what we really feel." My journal is the witness I have lived. It is an unconditional friend that I can complain to, cry to, brag to, show anger, or tell my secrets and it never tells anyone.

When I talk to my Journal I can have a conversation about private things and it gives me a chance to work out my problems. I think of the many stories I have heard that have inspired me----to be me. Stories told or read help people find their own meaning in their life..I have stories to tell someone of my wonderful life.....I tell someone of my wonderful days growing up in a small Colorado town, or going through a miserable divorce after 30 years of marriage or the challenges of raising twins or about my many travels around the world and people say, "I can relate to that" and many of their stories I assure them "I can relate to that."

If others stories can teach me, up lift me, remind me, give me permission, reassure me, inspire me, give me strength or allow humor......then why can't my stories do that for others? I love, love, love to write and am into blogging. I have my blogs printed into books for my family to share some day in review of my life. This is just my journal in print.

I am excited about my friends in China who read my blog and leave me comments. I have finally figured out how to translate them then I don't have to just imagine what they are saying.

So yes Betty.....people do read your blog. So I will tell more stories , it's my therapy, and maybe, just maybe the stories will touch another. You cannot know the effect your story might have, but you can hope someone is helped. inspired, reassured.

Karrie ventured out today, I took her to register Scottie in the 3rd grade, to the bank and store.

I think she is feeling better. She can drive again in one more week.

WORRIED MOM

A child having an operation no matter the age is a fearful day for any mother. Last Wednesday Karrie went in for a female operation and any time there is an operation there are many dangers, known and unknown. Hundreds of hysterectomies are preformed everyday, but when it's one of yours........it is different.

Rich and I waited it out together. She was scheduled at 10:30 and finally was taken in at 3:00. So still a "long sit" till she was back in a room for us to see her, about 6:00. She was really sleepy and kinda came and went until about 8:00 when Richard brought the kids in to see her. I couldn't believe they were going to get her up in the night and let her go home the next day. That didn't happen in my day and age.........Rules were laid down.......no driving, vacuuming or lifting heavy things for two weeks. It has been a miserable summer for her and I hope this clears up some of those problems. She has good helpers, Richie 16 and Annie 15.......then there is Scott 8......and grandma in a pinch. I'm glad to report, she is home and happy to be in her own little bed. I got the honor of taking Annie school shopping and help out with the driving to the swim meet and conference. Been a busy week. Pam said Laura Ruiz died. She was (Don's sister and his last sibling to die). I think she was 94-95. My cute oldest grandson called last night and wanted to come and swim with his girl friend and another friend. Mighty hot so I jumped in with them.

Counting the days until Sherrie and Brayden get home from Africa.

My EAGLE SCOUTS

This week in Washington DC they are celebrating 100 years of scouting in America.

This Grandma is so proud of her two Eagle Scouts! Can you believe this picture? I'm surprised their mothers (my twin daughters), didn't just take them in the house and flush them down the toilet! I would have, but then I never had any boys. I think they were probably stripped down and hosed off before anyone could touch them. By then everyone had probably cooled off.

Richard Cook is on the left and Alex Christenson is on the right...... (in case you couldn't recognize them.) Some time has passed since this picture was taken and yes, they are growing up to be wonderful young men, not just because I'm the proud grandmother, but also because they have caring, loving parents guiding them.

Alex will be a senior in high school this year. He is a hard worker and interested in cars, mechanics and welding. He knows his cars and wants one of his own. Last summer Alex spent three weeks in Europe with the Young Ambassadors Group. I think traveling is a must for all children, the best of educations. The boy's mothers were fortunate to travel a great deal when they were young and know the importance of it. Alex is a sweet boy, shy boy and thinks girls are a waste of time and are expensive, of course, that will change as he is only 17. He is very good to his grandma. For Alex's final Eagle project he organized a group to clean up a camp ground at a near by lake. The guys shored up the dirt around the bathrooms with railroad ties and the girls picked weeds and picked up trash.

Richard is 10 months younger than Alex and will be a Junior in high school this year. He loves sports. He plays football and LaCross. He was 16 last December and loves driving. He started a new job this summer at the "Firehouse Subs" and is working hard and saving for a car. However, when school was out in June he and his father and another father and son did a back-packing trip in Europe. It was the first trip to Europe for both he and his father. He comes over and helps me with yard work and we have good visits. He has discovered girls, but is pretty busy with working and sports, so no time to get serious. For Rich's Eagle Scout project he organized a group to repaint the parking stalls, curbs and fireplugs around his church.

And, as I write this, I have a third grandson in Kenya Africa building school desks and benches for a new school they will be dedicating while he is there. That will complete Brayden's Eagle Scout requirements......So then I will have three ES. Brayden will be 15 in a couple of weeks and starts driving. Brayden and his mother went to Kenya with the "Koins for Kenya" group. He worked hard to help earn the money to go and what a great experience , not in books. Brayden is an inventor, and has a head full of wonderful ideas that I know will make his grandmother proud some day. He is so good and caring to his Grammie and to everyone, a joy to be around.

Yes, I am a very proud grandmother......wonder how many of the boys badges would also apply to their dedicated families that were very involved with time consuming details?

I'm Back

I bet you thought I had gone on vacation. You could see me lounging on some exotic beach, with palm trees, trade winds messaging my whole body with a tall cool drink in my hand!

Sorry Cupcake........My Quest modem died and I switched to Comcast which took a whole week or 5 working days if I wanted to keep my old number I have had for years. Of course I did-----how else wold my kids and friends find me? It was over the 24th of July Holiday and everyone I knew had left town to celebrate, but the dogs and I stayed home to hold down the fort. I could have really enjoyed my computer for the long weekend, but I found out bad things do happen to good people........?!?

Sherrie and Brayden had left for Kenya Thursday morning. Delta cancelled their trip which was the first leg to Boston about an hour before departure time. There were 20 in the Koins for Kenya group and there were put on other flights out of Salt Lake City. So my family were scattered for the weekend. Cooks in Bear Lake, Panniers in Schofield and part of the Christensons in Kenya, Darren and two boys in Vernal. Thank goodness for friends. Shirley came over Saturday and we swam, on Sunday we went to a movie and dinner. Anyway I am so excited to have my blog and face book and email back!!!!! Now to catch up on the last 10 days.