Good Bye Uncle Kurt (for a while)

"The day which we fear is our last, is but the birthday of eternity."

Thanks for the memories.

I am sad to post the passing of Norms brother Kurt. He has had a long struggle with cancer which ended Christmas Eve at 11:10. He passed away at his home with his children, Kurt, Todd, Linda and Barbara (Barbie), their spouses, and most of his grandchildren,and siblings around him. There was one son Mark, who was not able to arrive until Christmas Day, with his family. Our prayers and concern are with him as he was not able to be with all of us to say good bye.

I wish Kurt well and pray that he knows how much he is loved. It sounds a little odd to say, but we are glad he is not suffering anymore, and is now "skipping in the meadow" as was once his dream!

He is free of pain and the trials that he endured while fighting this horrible disease but will be missed by all who know him. He married a wonderful woman, Linda, about five years ago, it was evident to all, how devoted she was to him and how much they loved each other. I pray also, that she may know how much we love and support her. She was so good for "Uncle Kurt" and was the perfect person for him to be with.

Yesterday, as we were all at his home to be with him, Linda and those of Kurts children plus their siblings and their children, there was a steady stream of people who's lives were effected by Kurts generosity and his gentleness, to wish Linda well, and tell Kurt good bye. Lots of tears she, but much love evident. A "gentle giant" in stature, heart, might, mind and spirit.

We love you!

"We are all of us, from birth to death guests at a table we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, family and our very breath, are all parts of this banquet."

Pearl Harbor Day

Let us all take a moment and remember those who have done so much for us. It seems in this busy time of year, we are thinking about gifts and loved ones, and Christmas Trees, etc, which are not bad things to think about. In fact they are fun and I personally am excited for the first time in years. Some of my children are not here anymore so that will be a bit sad.

I was at Wal Mart this morning, again, thinking about some of the last minute things I needed to get to finish some projects, and don't forget the eggs and milk. On the way home, I was listening to my favorite radio station and the guy was talking about Pearl Harbor and the fact that there are very few survivors left. He talked about thanking them, and their families and loved ones for all they have shared with all of us.

In looking for a picture to put here, I was reading a little bit about the USS. Arizona. Admittedly, I didn't read much but just enough to remind me that there are still over 1000 men "entombed" in that ship. Surely a lot of you knew that, but for me, I needed to be reminded.

Thank you all, wherever you may be, for sacrificing your time, families, and your lives, for us to live here in this free country and enjoy all of the wonderful things that so many have fought for. Thank you!

And so my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address..Jan. 20, 1961

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!

Ha!!! I got it!!!! Our annual Christmas tree hunt was a big success and all came away with a satisfactory tree!!!

When I met my soon to be son in law, he told us all about his family and some of the cool things they do. I knew they were my kind of people before I met them. One of the cool things he told me about was the fact that they go search for a live Christmas tree out in the Uinta National Forest. It is a fun drive out there, and lots of time to visit.

The coolest part of the story Roger told us was that when they eventually find the tree of their dreams, they SHOOT it down!!!! Yes, you heard me. They get out the trusty shot-gun and shoot it!!! I thought that was crazy. Had never heard anything like that before!!!

We were invited to go with them three years ago, and I thought, "Yea, right!!!" Well, we went and boy was it fun!!! It has become a Lowe/Lyman Christmas tradition, I think. I love the Lowes, and they have come up with the coolest way to get a Christmas tree ever. Not only do you get to get the tree of your choice, and create memories decorating it and making your home all pretty, but you get to create memories with people that you love and you get to trek all around on the hillsides looking for a tree in the stinkin' cold, carrying the guns and all of the stuff you need to keep warm. What a blast it was the first time we did it, and it was a blast yesterday.

Here is the proof!

Ready, Aim, FIRE!!!! It had been a while since I had taken my crash course on "Shotguns for Dummies" so, as you can see, I have the gun in the totally wrong place and it is gonna hurt!!!! It did!!! Still does!

Here is the prize!!!! Is that not the prettiest tree ever! One shot too!!!!!

Now, after miles and miles of huffing and puffing all over the mountainside, Big Roger and Teresa found a tree. It was Rogers turn to "kill a tree".

Hot Dang!!!! He got it!!! (but, don't ask him how many shots it took him to kill that little bitty tree!! He tends to fib a little about that! Remember, I got mine in one shot.)

THE FEARLESS HUNTER HAS RETURNED!!!!

Now it was Teresa's turn!!!! She again found the perfect tree and it was her turn to make "the kill".

BANG!!!!!! Timber!!!! She got it!!! But, sadly, she had to take more than one shot!!! But, the results were the same, except, I was the only one that was a true marksman that time!!!!

Meet Annie Oakley!!!! Well, almost!!!! She is better!!!!!


Two of my favorite people in the whole world.

All joking aside....Thank you Roger and Teresa, for asking us to go with you three years ago, and allowing us to "crash your party " ever since!!! It is a blast and something we can treasure for a long time. Oh yes, and we mustn't forget the Christmas tree hunting hat!!! See if you all can guess who is wearing it!!!

WE LOVE YOU ROGER AND THERESA!!!! Thanks for the memories!!!

Yes, Norm was there too, but we all got so excited and were having so much fun, that he didn't get in the picture. He took them!!! Just so he won't feel slighted, here is his picture from last year!!!! Talk about a wimp!!!!


"If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them."

~~~ Bob Dylan

Nothing!

Did you ever think nothing would be a positive thing???? Well, I guess that is not so hard to imagine....! I haven't done my blog for so long, I figure no one even checks it out anymore. Maybe I can redeem myself, and come back!!!


A while back, Norm bought me a small camera that I could carry in my purse so that I could take pictures for my blog. It worked for a while and I had a lot of fun, but the thing has been in my purse now for sometime, unused. Sorry.


I just have a totally normal, uneventful life!!!! I don't have kids to tell stories about. Well, I guess I do, but they each have their own blogs and do a much better job than I. No, I am not having a "pity party", and feeling sorry for myself......just thinking that a normal, uneventful life is a good thing.....to a point! No sickness, etc.


I have been busy trying to catch up with "life after garden", and have been working on Christmas. It has been fun.


I'm just a run of the mill grandma, and that is a good thing too. ( Maybe my family would differ with that) My grandchildren are all healthy and strong. They all have shelter, good parents and are doing very well. I love them dearly...each and every one of them. I have wonderful children and children in law. They are good to us, each other, and good to my grandchildren.


What more could a person ask for???


Oh yea, I have a good husband who is good to me, and is healthy and strong. As some of you know, that is a miracle in itself!!!! 07 and 08 were pretty rough, but here we are!!!!!

( I have to tell you a little bit of a funny story! I went to the hospital to get some blood work done and an ultra-sound. When I got the order from the doctor, she said to just go to the admitting office and get myself admitted. (not to the looney-bin) So, I walked through the door, and couldn't find the admitting office, because I had forgotten which hospital I was in!!!!! For so long, we have bounced back and forth from Utah Valley, to American Fork, to Timpanogos!!! I went to the information desk and said that I had forgotten which hospital I was in and asked where the office was. It was right in front of me!!! Now, don't you think I felt like an idiot!!!!) (No comments!)


Praise the bridge that carried you over. ~George Coleman




This time of year give us all much time to contemplate what we are grateful for and how we can be worthy of the many blessings we have, not only at this time of year, but during the whole year. That has been what I have been thinking about too.

As with most of us, there could never be a list long enough, of the things that we are grateful for. Here are just a few of mine, but like I said, the list is far from complete!

"We can only said to be alive in those moments that our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

~ Thornton Wilder

Look!!! There!!! Up in the Sky!!!!

Whoa!!!!! Look up there in the sky!!! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Noooooooooooo!!! It's Super Tomato!!!!!!!!!!

Norm said I should put this on the blog! Can you believe these honkers? It was so cool for so long in June and in combination with the fact that we planted a little late, it made me worry that we were not going to have any tomatoes!!! Everyone I talked to said they were worried because their tomatoes were plentiful, but green and didn't show much sign of ripening! Well guess what folks, mine did!!!


Norm had been watching this one for quite a while to see how big it would get, and just got too impatient, and picked it. I'd say that it was big enough!

I know it doesn't look like it but this one is huge, and just perfect!! No spots or anything.


Here is a bit of comparison!!! But that big, beautiful tomato went the way of all good tomatoes!!!!


Bring on the bacon!!! (not you Roger!!!)


High tech tomatoes, mysterious milk. Super squash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff , or is it going to eat us????

Don't be Stupid!!!

Don't ever sit down at your computer, when you are ready to turn it off for the night and go to bed, and think......I think I will just glance at a couple of blog posts from last year. DON'T EVER DO IT!!!!! Got my keyboard all wet and I can't find any Kleenex!!!!

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."

Oh Yea!!!!!!

Way back in June, Norm and I went to the air show at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden. This air show is huge with many thousands of people attending. We had to park quite a ways from the tarmac, so had quite a walk. Norms brother got a little tired, so we decided to stop and just sit where we were. It was right out in the open with no shade and it was very hot, but a good show in spite of the conditions!!! Most people come to see the Thunderbirds. They are a team from the Air Force that fly for shows like this and create publicity for the Air Force. It is an awesome show, and the pilots are really good.

These pictures make clear, how rotten a photographer I am!!!


Them little suckers are fast!!! I couldn't catch them!!!!

See the "dip stick" whose head is right in front of my camera???? I got a really good picture of him!!!!

This ding dong was just a few feet away from us and must have waved that "thing" in our faces for 15 minutes and believe me, it got much worse!!!! He was supposed to be taking care of his baby that was in a stroller, but I think he was trying to make us move!!! I got so sick of looking at this that I took a picture. I don't know why that made me feel better, but it did, knowing that it was going to end up on my blog!!!! There turkey, that's what you get!!!!!

"A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
Bill Cosby

Need a lift!!

I am so tired, I need something to cheer me up!!! Look what I found!!! Now, how can you not be cheered up by this face????

I sure do miss him!!!!

"Grandchildren fill a place in your heart that you never knew was empty."

Here you go Jake!!!!

Norm was talking to Jake on the phone a couple of weeks ago, and telling him that he was doing some body work on our truck. By the way, you may want to ask Jake why we needed to do some of that body work!!! At any rate, Jake wanted to see pictures, so here they are!!

I think Norm got into it a bit!!! Do ya think????? I remember when Norm was still going to speech therapy (they also work on memory) and told the therapist that he had taken apart our riding lawn mower and got it back together...and it ran!!! The therapist was amazed and said that we didn't need him anymore...and that was our last visit!!!!

I'm wondering if we shouldn't get in touch with him again!!!!

This fender has your name on it Jake!!!!!

There are parts all over the yard!!! I wonder if, when he gets it back together, if it will look like a Ford, or a Chevy??????

"Depend on the rabbits foot if you will, but remember...it didn't work out for the rabbit!"

O.K.!!! It's time!!!!

I pretty much have ignored my blog, most of the summer. Not because I want to!!! Just happens that way.

It has been a good summer..not too hot, and not too cold!!! Just right! I was worried about my garden when we had that long cool spell in June, but it has come on with a vengance, at this point, so, that would give you a pretty good idea about what I have been doing for the last little while!!!

Three cases of rasberry jam, but I gave one to someone! 35 quarts of pickles! I never want to see another dill pickle!!!
Two laundry baskets of onions! 21 pints of green beans! Dried peppers! 15 quarts of tomatoes!



Believe it or not, I really hate canning!!! Norm and I made a deal in 07 that if he wanted to have a big garden, that he would have to help me can the stuff! Then, in 2008 he was sick, but insisted on having a garden, and we couldn't keep up with it, so most of the stuff was given away. So this year, he has just escaped!!! Not!!!! Gonna have family counsel on that one!!!


But, all in all, the shelves are filling up and it is somewhat of a comfort that at least we will have green beans, onions, tomatoes, rasberry jam, and pickles!!!!

"God made rainy days so gardeners could get housework done!!!!"

For EmberLee

It is a well known fact that I have been complaining a lot, about my son and his family moving to Alaska. Well, I got myself a webcam so we can talk and see each other. Thanks to my daughter in law, it is actually functional. I was talking to them yesterday and said that I was going to fireworks and she said they couldn't have fireworks in Alaska, so, here are some fireworks for you EmberLee!!! I love you!!!!

Everything is created from moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator contemplating the eternal Fourth of July of your absolute splendor.

The Secret Life of a Rasberry

I have thought a lot about rasberries the last few weeks. Perhaps it is because I have a bunch of them in my yard! Of course they have many huge weeds as their friends. They love these friends so much that the rasberries grow "pokies" on them so when you try to relocate the "friends" you get scratched! They do the same thing when you try to "borrow" some of those wonderful berries!

Before they graduate into the different stages that you see here, they start out as pretty little white flowers on these giant green plants. The "pokies" develop about the same time as the flowers, or maybe earlier. They are preparing themselves for the onslaught of humans and their greedy palates. Soon the begin to take on the shape of a "teenage" rasberry, and are kind of white in color and much smaller. As they become more mature and ready for the new world of sacrifice to those who have watered and nurtured them.

As they grow into a "ripe" old age, they become a darker color of red and begin to leave the vine! They now see the vision of a new home.

There is a process to taking up residence in their new home. They have to be "smooshed" up in a pot. Kinda like putting a pair of pantie hose on that is too small!!! Then to make the process a little sweeter, there is a ton of sugar added to the wonderful little berries, and they begin another adventure in their lives, and that is to become JAM!!!!

Some stay in their new homes for a while and some leave immediately! No matter how long they stay, they know that their ultimate desire is going to take place soon, and that is to reach their final destination:

The true reason for their existence!!!!!

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished".