SLC Trip Summary

Ok, I am back from a 9 day trip.

I drove to Larry & Linda's on Tuesday morning, the 11th of March. Stopped at Walmart on the way down for a larger suitcase with rollers and handle to keep my luggage to one piece. I had lunch, watched Donny & Marie with Oprah, and played cards with Linda's friends, Sheryl and Carol...and laughed a lot. That evening Larry helped me with my photography and we printed some of my "works." I really am enjoying it.

We left early...4:30 am to the airport, Larry dropped us off. United Miles Plus...does not give a direct flight to SLC, so we spent 3+ hours in San Francisco. After a brunch and people watching, we found 2 really great massage chairs and tried them out...they were nearly $4,000.00 each. After being completely worked over we meandered to the red carpet "loading gate." It is interesting they have the red carpet for first class...but we all walked on it.

The flights were a bit bumpy but we managed to sleep thru the beverage cart and did not get our free juice...both times!

We arrived in SLC and our luggage was the first out of the shoot...Jean was soon there to pick us up and we went to her place for a great dinner that the Jones prepared. SLC is really just a bunch of freeways...no kidding! We visited with the Jones for a while and then took Linda to her sister, Carol's place on the other side of SLC.

Thursday morning the three of us went to the SLC temple (rainy when we arrived), had lunch, and then toured the old neighborhood...that was a hoot!!! Followed by a very large ice cream cone, reminiscing our youth (which has since gone bad!). Jean took Linda back to her sister's...I had seen enough freeways!!

Then the attack!! We started on the columns of boxes to be unpacked! I nearly wiped out my sister...but we got a lot done. Never enough, but ya gotta stop somewhere. Jean has pictures on the wall and her cute little glass show case...I never can remember what it is called, let alone spell it...displayed and the nick-knacks displayed. She has to finish getting the other book case in and 4 boxes of books from behind the chair.

It snowed and melted and snowed and melted and snow flurries thru Sunday. Monday was beautiful. I am posting some of the pictures I took.

It was fun getting to know Pam & Allen and the boys! They are a great bunch and lots of talents and fun.

Saturday morning Jean & I went to a Stake Choir practice and it made me dust off some cobwebs! It was a great experience to sing with so many talented musicians! I loved singing with them. We practiced again Sunday evening just before the performance, an Easter Fireside. It was even more fun singing next to my sister!!! I even hit the high notes! (I told you I had to dust of a lot of cobwebs)

Jean substituted for the ward choir director for choir practice and it was my first experience with her as a director...that was great too. It was Ward Conference and the youth sang.

Sadly, Monday was our good-byes to Jean and the Jones'. We did have a wonderful private concert before we left...Pam's amazing on her grand piano...so inspiring! How she loves her music and then Jean sang with Pam accompanying. I just don’t get any better than that!!!

Carol took Linda and me to Park City...a lot different than when I went there to Beehive camp at age 11 7/8. We met Kari Culp(Linda's niece) there and had a great lunch, touring and site seeing. I enjoyed the Robert Duncan Gallery, but didn’t purchase the $23,000 painting I really liked. The Barn which was full of accents, metal art, jewelry, crafts, farm wheel furniture, etc. and I found the address numbers for my house, yeah! We had the famous homemade brownies from the gas station…another story in itself. Took pictures of a farm I considered buying for Virgil…not. Found a beautiful ice sculpture. It was a great day. Went Carol’s house, relaxed and ate Chinese. The next morning it was flying home. From SLC to San Francisco, the plane was really little, but the ride was smooth…so was the second flight…and we did stay awake for the beverage carts!! Sprite and Cranberry mix.

Larry picked us up and dropped me off to Rick and Jami’s. I had fun with the girls and cuddling Dalton. I especially enjoyed visiting with Rick & Jami and JC. (He came over for a while.) The next day, home sweet home!!

Life just keeps coming!!

Ok, Murphy's Law is alive and well.

I have had some interesting events lately. While talking to granddaughter, Brittani, I grabbed the box and stirred up some cornstarch and water to add to the crock pot stew (that really tasted good). Then I added it to thicken the stew...well, I watched it boil straight up two inches above the crock pot and then run like mad out of the pot. When it was thru, there was no liquid in the pot and all my hand towels were sopping up the river. In the pot was the most beautiful pink hamburger, clean potatoes and carrots, not a drop of pepper could be seen, nor any bits or pieces of onion. I glanced over to the box and realized it was orange not yellow...I had used baking soda...not cornstarch. I have never seen cleaner, purer veggies and hamburger in my life...and they had no taste at all! And they were mushy...I added seasonings and some cream of chicken soup...and we ate it.

Next day, I thawed out frozen cookie dough balls and baked them. I did this to get the oven warm for the rolls I was making for a funeral. Guess what, my oven stopped working some where during the last part of baking the cookies. I didn't realize it at that time, and made a dash to Holbrook to the bank and some get some stuff from Safeway for the Relief Society, while the bread dough raised. I could see I was pushing the time limit and felt inspired to buy 3 dozen rolls...just in case they didn't rise fast enough...Well, I realized the oven was not warming up as I was preparing the rolls...so I made the dough into loafs and froze them...we will see how that works today as I am thawing them out and taking the to Grandma's house.

I dressed for the funeral, my button popped off the jacket, so I refused to even try to put on nylons!

As I got the items out of the car, my back door latch was messed up and couldn't shut the door. I tried to get it to release...no such luck. I hoped no one would try to shut it for me....yep, there were others who tried and told me it wouldn't shut. So, I got Uncle Allen to look at it and he fixed it in about 30 seconds...Thank heavens. I didn't want to use duck tape on it to get home.

My cell phone vibrated during the funeral, a call that I have been waiting 4 weeks to reply, tried to contact me....so goes life. The funeral went late, so I couldn't call them back...what luck. It was interesting to watch the bishopric try to figure who's phone it was, I was in the choir right behind them.

Yep, some times you just have to be thankful for the boring days of your lives...just not this week!

Oh, it also changes the mean plans for JC bring a cute girl home for the weekend...do you know how much you use your oven?????

Photography

From the front porch Feb 5, 08 The day after the first 6" snow. It was a strange type of fog that morning. The new Hughes home in the distance, Beau & Jessica's driveway on the far left.

At about 8 am, same place...the sun shine hides the power plant.


Feb 15, 08 second snow storm.

I enjoy taking pictures!

Snow, Snow, Snow!

In town pictures I took followingt the two snow storm in February 08

Important things!
Snow sliding off garage roof and re freezing with the ice cycles now pointing to the garage, the new ice cycles formed the next day are pointing to the ground.

Cleaning

Some day I will get everything done...NOT! Oh well, live goes on. Since I have no kids at home, you'd think I could get things done on my list.

Well, my list keeps getting longer and checked off items do not keep up with what I add to the list. However, we did get all the carpets cleaned...and that led to the paneled walls needed to be cleaned and oiled...well, you must wipe down all the walls and ceilings, and light fixtures, and picture frames, and re-arrange them since they are all down...and the mirror that has been beside the dresser for 4 years gets mounted, and the curtains need to be cleaned---cause everything else is clean...and finally get the boxes put up and since the file cabinet drawers are sitting on the kitchen table waiting for the carpet to dry, you might as well go thru them and bag up 1/2 of what is in them, which leads you to another box, then another box. After all is done, I had 2 big black bags of trash, thinner files, organized boxes, and alot of memories smiled at and a cleaner house. I still am finishing the kitchen cupboards and the last hem in the new curtains in the living room. By the way, oiling the paneled walls came about because I have just acquired my Grandmother's upright grand piano and it needed to be lemon oiled and the cloth still had some oil in it...

Yes, it is still winter, so why clean the carpets...well, I cannot work out in the muddy yard, I have no kids at home, Virgil takes off his shoes at the door and there is no holiday coming up and the carpets needed it. I bring more dirt into the house when I work out side---March thru November. I know, I am not normal...so what's new???

F-20

Tomorrow I will take a picture in the daylight to see the man driving the tractor.

Christmas Nativity 07

Joseph & Mary traveling to the manger.

East side of the barn...six foot star
Merry Christmas!!!