A view from the couch!!

When I glance over towards the fireplace, I see - and smell - the lovely bouquet from Margaret.

When I glance at the dining room table, I see the beautiful hydrangea - I love hydrangeas - can I just say, like Bonny would, that they bring me joy!!??

This is my vantage point - except in the a.m. I face the other way, so that the sun - which grows more powerful each hour - won't be in my eyes.

And I get really, really excited to glance down at my truly skinny ankles - I don't think they've been this skinny for a very long time. Maybe some of you have never even seen me with skinny ankles!

The orangey cast comes from the betadyne they painted all over me - I only get sponge baths so far, so it's still there.

Wednesday is the big day for removing the sutures!!

Diary of an Invalid (of the temporary sort that is!!)

I have indeed been well cared for during my convalescence. Starting with a funny card from Jan Marlia on Thursday, a loaf of pound cake from Bonnie C., and flowers from Karl on Wednesday, I have been remembered with many loving and thoughtful gestures.

Probably the most important and most essential was the lovely blessing from Dad and Harry on Thursday night. I truly felt at peace - even when every person I encountered at the surgical center Friday morning - except my doctor - said, "You are having both knees done today?"

When we got home from the surgical center, there was a beautiful hydrangea and a lovely card (see above) from Heather M. Later, while I was "sleeping it off" the Kellys brought by a loaf of warm Hawaiian bread. Kathy K. sent Gerbera daisies in a colorful pot, and Dad fielded numerous calls expressing love and concern for my welfare. (I walked into the house on my own power - not long distances for sure - but on my own power - with the help of Dad's arms and various walls and chair backs!)

That evening, my faithful visiting teacher Brooke brought over a wonderful meal - I need the recipe! And even though I didn't sleep very well that night - once again pain meds failed to relieve any pain - and only produced dizziness and nausea - I woke up feeling better than I had felt the day before. Ice packs and Advil seem to be the most helpful.

Saturday produced visits from Marcie and Arlene B. Marcie brought dinner and Arlene brought daffodils!! The dinner was yummy and satisfying and the flowers were enchanting!! ("And then my heart with rapture fills, and dances with the daffodils")

Harry F. brought the children by, and Eve played Girl Friday for me - she is such a helper! I read all day long - check the book blog for my progress through a number of novels. Dad and I also enjoyed browsing through YouTube for clips by Marian Andersen and Susan Boyle. Good stuff. There were more calls, cards and emails. A special card from my old roomie Joy brought a smile to my face.

Saturday night I slept well - awoke refreshed and feeling like I could handle it while Dad went off to church - taking Heather's lovely hydrangea to put on the organ. I read the LA Times cover to cover - but the LA Times is pretty meager these days, so that's not saying much. It was a change anyway! Finished one novel - blogged on the book blog - and started another book.

Dad came back from church and brought me a nice card from Kara M. and the greetings of many from our great ward family.

Mary Jane Card brought chocolate dipped strawberries and stayed for a nice long visit - we had lots to talk about since she had knee surgery last summer - she was a fount of information!! (And didn't question my doing both knees at the same time!!) J.J. came by with a beautiful bouquet of lilies and lysanthus from Margaret.

Enjoyed wishing Eliza a happy day and chatted for awhile - always fun! She'd had a good day - even without us and Boston!

Dawn did dinner for us - they came by later with lemon pie for dessert. The Cornwalls came by with some caramel bars of some sort - mighty tasty too!! We enjoyed a visit and Sue's report on the opera Thursday night - she, Sarah and Rene used our tickets. Looks like they went to a good home!

The day ended with a visit from Brenda C. - the R.S. Pres - and then Dad and I watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame show about Irenka Spendler - it was well done - sobering but insightful.

I went to bed optimistic that it would be another good night's sleep - but I awoke at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. The ice packs were warm and so I went into the living room to read - thought I might fall asleep - but the mystery I was reading got compelling - so I finished it - and finally fell asleep around 5!!

Had some weird dreams- dreamed I'd taken the wrong road leaving Bonny's and had driven into the ocean - but was able to drive the car back to the beach when I realized my error!! We were actually floating in the water. Strange!! I had Ida and Porter in the car and we ended up in a shabby beach house that seemed to belong to us. And some tenants came to stay in it - then I woke up!! Thank heavens!

I awoke this a.m.to the sounds of the Boston Marathon - Dad was rooting for the American male - who came in third - but that is impressive - first time an American placed in the top three since 1985. The American female came in third too. He was pretty engrossed for a tme.

I enjoyed a nice visit from our friend Dana and had fun checking my email and the blogs. Dad is off home teaching, so I'm going to hit the pillows again - and see if the new novel either keeps me awake or puts me to sleep. Elizabeth G. is bringing dinner - and maybe for FHE Dad will let me win at Quiddler or Phase 10!

And you should see my skinny ankles.!

Just want to say . . .

This photo has little to do with the post - but I always look for some pic to post.

This is 1973 - in Phoenix AZ - we'd gone to Arizona for Charley and Jeannette's wedding. Stopped to see our good friends the Jensens. And I am wearing an apron - made by my mom. I had several of these - well, three of them - blue, red, and green - and they'd started out as mini-dresses for Donna and Leslie I think!! I actually wish I'd kept them - but I may have worn them out.

But I digress - as I am wont to do. I wanted to note that I had indeed finished the last of my Blog Handmade Giveaways - and they are packaged for mailing in the a.m.

Just FYI for any of you slackers who haven't done yours!! (j/k) I said my goal was April 1st - April 15th isn't too far off the mark!

I get labels in packs of twenty - and the empties in my sewing draw show that I've made over 80 aprons so far - I should have kept better track. I'm not sure why I should have - but you might have been impressed with the sheer volume of my efforts if I had exact numbers.

It's a good thing I enjoy making these.

Calling All Mothers and Daughters

I don't think everyone reads our book blog, so I decided this was an important one that I wanted you all to know about. There's a funny story here - especially since the book is about communication - that I will tell on myself.

Harry bought this book for me - he'd heard Diane Rehm interviewing the author and thought I'd enjoy reading and discussing it with our daughters. Sounded like a good idea to me - this was about 2 or 3 years ago - so I added it to my stack of books.

Then I saw the same book in a store a few months ago - and bought it - when I brought it home, Harry said, "I already bought that book for you. Did you lend it out and can't remember who you gave it to?" Boy, did I feel foolish - and forgetful!!

So I finally got around to reading it this week, and said, while reclining on the couch, "This is a pretty good book. I'm not sure where I got it or who recommended it, but I should have the girls read it with me." And Harry said, "Don't you remember that's why I got it for you in the first place?"

I am really losing it!! I need to start keeping track - actually I have about a gazillion book journals - they are all so fetching, that I don't just keep one - I keep starting another one. I've even tried a personal library system. Somehow though, I just seem to read books and put them back on the shelf.

But I digress. However I ended up with this book, it is a good read - and my girls do need to read it so we can discuss it - and maybe my sisters should read it too.

Anyway, I have two copies - one is relatively small and paperback - I think I should send it to Hannah to read on the plane to France. And when she gets home, she can give it to Eliza. And I will give the hardback to Phoebe when I go up there and when we go in August for the Hood to Coast, I can get it back for Bonny.

Sound like a plan? Or give me your plan.

Let me give you a snippet that touched me, from a chapter entitled, "Blending Intimacy and Independence: New Ways of Talking"

"As my mother grew progressively weaker from lung disease, I visited her and my father more and more often. The weaker she got, the more time I spent helping her, caring for her. One afternoon, during a visit, I lay down on the couch to take a brief nap. Before succumbing to the plunge into sleep, I felt a movement at my legs. Briefly opening my eyes, I saw my mother, one hand on her cane, the other carrying a small blanket she had brought from the foot of her bed. Still gripping her cane, she used the other hand to spread the blanket over my legs. I can't tell this story with out tearing up. It is one of my most precious memories from the last years of my mother's life."

And this passage from the beginning of the book sums up what I think it is all about,

"Because talk plays such an enormous role in women's lives, understanding how conversation can lead to frustration and finding ways to improve conversations is key to more satisfying, less frustrating relationshipips between adult daughters and mothers. Our deepest wish is to be understood and approved of by our mothers and our daughters. We can get closer to that goal by listening to the ways we talk to each other, and by learning to talk to each other in new ways."

Are we ready for a Group Read??

My Own Easter Bunny

I don't really think of Dad as the master of grandiose gestures. He is thoughtful and considerate and often has ideas - great ideas - for the perfect gift. But he usually reports that he couldn't find it!
(Owing to his personality type, he usually goes looking sort of last-minute!)

But the other night he had a meeting to attend. And he was apparently worried that I wouldn't have the stamina or energy to fix my own dinner. (I assured him I could, but I have been limping and gimping about a lot these days - any bystander would be concerned. In fact, at church Sunday I had left after Sacrament meeting to take some newsletters over to the Stake Center. When I got back, I was getting my purse out of the back seat. Just then a sharp pain hit - the pain is constant - gets sharp now and again. And Brother Larsen, who happened to be in the parking lot, hustled over and said, "Do you need some help?" I guess I was vocal!)

After Dad left, I went into the kitchen and he had indeed left a meal for me!! And in spite of what might look spare to the casual observer, it was quite satisfying. (There was soup in the pan and salad in the plastic container.) I smiled when I saw it. And I had the stamina to find my own dessert!

And Saturday night, he stayed up and dyed eggs for me - quite artistic eggs actually. And I smiled when I saw them too.

We make a good pair!

The week ahead

The week ahead promises to be relaxing and rejuvanating - verily it could even be life-changing.

Mostly I'm excited to be getting closer to solving my current pain-management problem.

But I'm also thinking of the books I can read, the movies I can watch, the emails I can send, the blogs I can post, the blogs I can read, the sewing I can do - sit down jobs work for me - and I've refined my sewing set up to include a swivel chair for the ironing board/sewing machine desk and I can make an apron without standing up!

And Mom, Hester and Donna are coming out on Tuesday to visit !

The possibilities are endless!

Call or come by or email or just have a good thought for me!!

(I'm not planning to go fishing - or get down to 110 lbs. - but it seemed like a good photo for this post!)

Easter in the East

Bonny, Bruce and The Vowels are enjoying a Spring Break jaunt through the East coast - Bonny has been emailing photos on her Blackberry and it looks like they are having a fine time.

Montreal looks like a place I would like to visit. And I do want to see New York someday. If this were the old days, when they get home, they would do a fireside for the youth and show their slides!!

Technology has indeed done away with some fine old traditions!

I think you have to be of a certain vintage to know whereof I speak - and you know who you are!!

We love you Sam!!

It seems a shame that I don't have a shot of Sam by himself - but that's true of many of the relatives!!

But Sam is struggling right now - keep him in your prayers.

Spring and Proms

Actually I haven't been involved with a prom for a number of years. I guess it would be maybe when Hannah and Noah went up to Concord for the Mormon Prom.

And I'm not sure what started me thinking about proms. Maybe coming across this photo from my prom in May of 1962 - my date was Kim Hocker, senior class president. And I was cajoled into going - was jealous when my girl friends all went camping that night. And I had to use up my birthday money for the dress Alice made - of course she did a lovely job - but I think she and my mom were more excited than I was.

And then at dinner after the prom, I spilled gravy down the front of my dress.

Bonny destroyed all her prom photos - I don't have any anyway. Maybe that's why she did a Prom for her 30th birthday celebration - so she could bring the moment back and do it right!


And it attracted some very festive prom wear - and prom hair dos!


It was a "happening crowd" that night, that's for sure.

Harry's prom was a true 80's night to remember!!

I think Phoebe went to more proms than anyone, but this was the first photo I found.

Couldn't find a prom photo for Eliza - this Winter Formal will have to do for now.

You know, we are going to blink, and I will be posting prom photos for Ara and Ella!!

Where would we be without this American cultural icon?

There would be something to take it's place I'm sure.

If you are among the many who never went to a prom, you really didn't miss out on much.

At least from my point of view.

Does anyone "iron" anymore???

I remember learning to iron. It was a sign that you were older and more responsible when you got to take over ironing table napkins, handkerchiefs and pillow cases. Maybe you'd get to do doilies too - or embroidered dresser scarves. You didn't get to do tablecloths until you were older - they were harder to do - and it would be easy for you to get your feet tangled in the bottom of them if you weren't really careful.

My mother had a Kenmore Mangle - and if you have to ask what they are, you are too young!! (Machines similar to them are in dry cleaning and laundry establishments, so you actually have seen them.) And I never got to use one - I think that by the time I was old enough, my mom wasn't using it anymore. I don't know if it broke down and never got replaced, or if they went out of fashion. It's possible my mom quit caring about ironing sheets - decided that was something she could live without. (People used to always iron their sheets - they were all crinkly otherwise and not very sleep-inducing. Cotton may have improved to the point where you could not iron them and still be comfy. I really should have done my homework and asked my mom before I posted!)

And they didn't have steam irons - you had to "sprinkle" the clothes that needed to be ironed - you sprinkled them with water - from an old soda pop bottle with a special sprinkling attachment that was connected to a cork which you stuck in the old pop bottle.

After you sprinkled them - you rolled them up and put them in basket that was covered with a towel. You had to iron them pretty quickly or they would dry out - or worse still they could mildew if it was humid! I have laundered many a basked of mildewed clothing - with varying degrees of success!! You could put them in the fridge or freezer to retard the mildewing process - and I often did just that.

I sprinkled lots of clothes - for lots of years. And I enjoyed it. While a student at BYU, I ironed shirts for male students - got 75 cents a shirt - that was good money!! (I suppose I would have ironed for a female student too - but I never got asked to do that!)

I would iron and watch T.V. I would iron and watch conference. With the advent of videotapes, I would iron and watch movies. I would iron and chat with friends on the phone. I would iron while the children played underfoot. I have a very specific memory of a rainy spring break one year - I was 12 or 14 - channel 9 was hosting a week of Fred Astaire/Ginger Roger movies - they showed the movie three times each day - and we'd often watch all three showings!! And I ironed the whole time - it was so satisfying to see my wardrobe in all it's sleek, ironed glory hanging up on the curtain rods - of course!

I remember ironing Dad's shirts - and then getting annoyed when he wore them!! (I hated to see them rumpled up by wearing!) It's part of the conundrum of ironing. I have been known to iron blouses and then not wear them - because I didn't want to see them wrinkled. I don't feel the same if the cleaners has ironed them though!! As a teen, I was often a bit sad when I put on something freshly ironed - I guess I love the process more than the result.

I actually still iron - and still enjoy it. With my bad knees, I have sat and ironed tablecloths and table napkins. I don't iron as many of my clothes - I prefer the results from the dry cleaners - but I don't always take them there - I often just iron them myself. And a lot of my stuff really doesn't need ironing.

But I still get great satisfaction from the transformation of a wrinkled surface into a plain, smooth one after the application of spray starch and hot steam.

I do most of my own ironing - so I guess there is no danger of me becoming spoiled!

Conference Wrap up

Conference is indeed over for another 6 months - and I will need all that time to ponder and digest the many wonderful talks.

Looks like Eve took her conference watching time to hone her artistic skills - she presented this drawing to Harry and me. She noted that he was holding his scriptures!

Speaking of President Monson, his retelling of the very sad and moving story of the woman who lost her entire family after the war certainly gave me pause. I read a lot about the Holocaust and pre and post war Germany and the sad truth is that there are thousands of stories just like this woman's story. We are truly blessed, but we still need to develop and nurture our faith so that we can withstand the trials - whatever they may be - that await us. I read a book several years ago that included the letters and journals of the time President Benson spent in Europe after the war. It was very moving - and I loaned it to someone - I can't remember who - and never got it back - and it's out of print - at least it was several years ago - and now I can't even remember the title - but he encountered many faithful Saints who had truly been through the refiner's fire - and he told their stories so that they would not be forgotten.

As usual Elder Bednar was inspiring. They all were actually - I am eager to dissect them all a bit more closely. There didn't seem to be any "buzz words" but we don't really need "buzz words" to focus and realign our lives.

What inspired you?

General Conference Time

October, 1963 - the first time I ever attended General Conference in person.

Over the years, our venue for General Conference has flipped back and forth. Sometimes we went to the Stake Center and sometimes we watched at home - or at Grandma Terrill's house - depending on who had the right T.V. reception. When I was a child at home, we'd sit on dining room chairs and listen to the Sunday morning session at home - on the radio! When we lived in Utah - many years ago - conference was on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I enjoyed Fridays in front of the T.V. doing my 6 months worth of ironing that I had saved up!

More than once, Conference has meant quilts, pillows, pj's and snacks in the family room.

I recall October of 1985 when Elder McConkie gave his now famous final conference address - whenever anyone quotes those famous lines, I am once again seated in the darkened Stake Center with a sleeping infant Hannah in my lap - and tears come to my eyes.

General Conference time always involves Bonny's birthday!

I recall specifically going to the Stake Center, even when we had reception at home, so that I could stay focused. Often a teen or two was with me - taking notes for Seminary scrutiny on Monday. I recall the Sunday session when we were at the Stake Center and Elder Haight spoke about Connie McMurray - and I realized he was talking about Grandma Connie.

One year General Conference combined Easter - as it often does - with a trip to visit Donna in SLC and to stay with our good friend Ronnie Horton - it was 1994 to be exact.

Frequently we've squeezed in General Conference sessions with the St. George Marathon.

And I recall prom dress shopping between sessions!

Conference for a few years in a row involved driving the youth there - in The Van. Fun times.

On Friday, I was trying to explain to my instructional aide why this weekend would be different. The cultural construct that is General Conference is difficult to explain.

I'm off to the family room couch to snuggle with Dad and watch conference!

Long ago and far away - but just like yesterday

I go looking through the photos looking for a particular photo. Isn't it amazing how we have a memory of a photo - sometimes not really the event, just the photo that captured the moment.

And while I'm hunting a particular photo, I come across one I had forgotten about. And that little moment in time comes back.

Jenny and Phoebe go way back - to 1980 - when Sharon and I would trade babysitting each week. Jenny came on Tuesdays and Phoebe went to her house on Thursdays.

This shot is from summer of 1986, so the girls were 9 or thereabouts. This is Dequer's backyard. (The trading stopped when Phoebe started kindergarten - but the girls have remained friends all these passing years.)

I came to know and love Jenny. And years came and went. And life happened. But Jenny and I are still connected - isn't friendship a blessing?

"Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime . . "

Maybe it's the Everly Brothers - some big name in my youth had a song called "Summertime" and it still makes me yearn for the lazy days of summer that I recall so fondly. Just humming it to myself can send me into rapture!

All this talk about reunions and travel and no school just makes my little heart beat faster. It is actually pretty close - once we get Spring Break over with, it's all downhill.

This is why we stay in California!

Mark your calendars now!

Eve took this picture - not sure where else it would fit. Not that it fits here. I just figured the post needed a photo!

We have a date - April 17th - for my knee surgery. It is outpatient and I am predicting a rapid recovery - nothing could be worse than the way it is now.

Unless you are listening to our "new" dishwasher. Does it sound like a threshing machine because it is broken? Or because it was cheap? Or both?

And Dad is not doing Boston - he's staying home to pamper me and wait on my every whim.

So he may do LA.

Stay tuned!

And this is not a joke.

"Shoes, glorious shoes . . .

So, I complain a lot about how Dad lines up his shoes against the wall - in spite of the lovely shoe shelves I have gotten for him. He may do it just to spite me for hanging door hooks over doors to hang clothes on. (I also hang clothes up on curtain rods, door knobs and window ledges.)

Everyone knows this story, but when I was a girl, and we lived in the "little house" we didn't have closets - well, maybe there was one. So we used the windows and the curtain rods thereon as closets. I've always thought it was kind of efficient. And it's a habit too.

Maybe this passion to "line up" stuff is on a Terrill gene too - this is photo from 1995 - I'm guessing they are Eliza's shoes.

I guess Dad could have worse habits. But when he pokes fun at my proclivity to hang things on doors and knobs and curtain rods, he sounds pretty sincere!

Thoughts ahead - and back!

I was looking for some suitable photos for a quote I found (these come daily in my email at work - and some of them quite impress me.)

And while looking for a service project photo, I came across these - from 2002 or maybe 1?

And I wanted a good excuse to post them - although who needs an excuse?? The one above highlights how many changes have come about in the last 6 or 7 years. And this one is one of me with my mom and all of my sisters - we don't have too many of those. Alice will be in the state in 2010, so we're hoping for a get together then.

And the quote?

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day."

On a Clayton Reunion note, looks like it will be August 8th, rather than the 1st to accommodate Joe and Jane - who faithfully attend every one of the reunions. If Bill and Bobby can't change their plans, maybe we'll just have a mini-Clayton reunion the weekend they are here.

And Anne and Wayne moved to Arizona, so who knows what will happen on that front.

Nothing so constant as change!

Why family matters!

Had a voice mail from Amy when I got home today. I was on the couch all afternoon, nursing my poor, pitiful knees, so figured I had the time to call her back. She was interested in my take on a new sewing machine - and I like to think I gave her some good advice. Ask me for advice, and I will give it!

As we visited, we both re-affirmed our belief that the family blogs are a good thing. They erase distance and help us feel closer to one another.

I loved visiting with her - a bright spot in my day - and I thought about how I miss the family members I don't have much contact with.

Family does matter - a lot!

Thanks for the visit Amy - and the chance to dispense advice - makes me feel like a grown up!

(The shot is from June, 1970 - when Frances, Ernie and Amy came to SLC - and we celebrated Ernie's 30th birthday - Harry and I were thinking 30 was so old - that's pretty funny!)

"When it's springtime in Monrovia!!"

I'm not sure if moths qualify as a harbinger of spring, but we are certainly experiencing a plethora of them these days.

Maybe Dad should have been a photographer for National Geographic or something - he certainly loves to take "nature shots!"

I love to look over at Linda's yard and covet!! At least I get to look at it - so maybe it's a plus it's her yard - every morning I look out from the kitchen window and start the day with a smile!

Actually our yard looks pretty good too - the grass is green and the lilies are blooming!

Some (more) late night thoughts

I just finished reading Love in the Time of Cholera. I'm a bit behind in my reading it seems. I will say what I'm reading and the reply is usually something along the lines of "that is so last year." At least I am finally getting to it. (I'd bought it a few months ago just because I'd heard it referred to several times and got curious.

I did enjoy it - although I thought it bogged down about 2/3 of the way through and I was hoping for the story to get resolved!! Or maybe my knees were just hurting so much I would have to close my eyes and drift!

But towards the very end, there was a passage that really resonated with me, and I was struck once again at how some themes are so universal.

Fermina Daza says, " 'We have to get rid of all these trinkets; there's no room to turn around.' And her husband laughs because he knows she will just fill the spaces up once she clears some space."

I mean, is this sounding familiar??

She tears through the house, "razing closets, emptying out trunks and tearing apart the attics" and the patio is littered and she is ready to burn everything but then says, "It is a sin to burn all this, when so many people do not even have enough to eat."

The author's little dissertation on clutter intrigued me because it is so true:

"And so the burning was postponed, it was always postponed, and things were only shifted from their places of privilege to the stables that had been transformed into storage bins for remnants, while the spaces that had been cleared, just as he predicted, began to fill up again, to overflow with things that lived for a moment and then went to die in the closets: until the next time. She would say: 'Someone should invent something to do with things you cannot use anymore but that you still cannot throw out.' That was true. She was dismayed by the voracity with which objects kept invading living spaces, displacing the humans, forcing them back into the corners, until Fermina Daza pushed the objects out of sight."

And then my favorite part, because it is so me: "For she was not as ordered as people thought, but she did have her own desperate method for appearing to be so: she hid the disorder."

The story goes on: "Death's passage through the house brought the solution. Once she had burned her husband's clothes, Fermina Daza realized that her hand had not trembled, and on the same impulse she continued to light the fire at regular intervals, throwing everything on it, old and new, not thinking about the envy of the rich or the vengeance of the poor who were dying of hunger. Finally she had the mango tree cut back at the roots until there was nothing left of that misfortune, and she gave the live parrot to the new Museum of the City. Only then did she draw a free breath in the kind of house she had always dreamed of: large, easy, and all hers."

I was so struck by how exactly the author had zeroed in on the question of clutter, excess and our vain attempts to conquer the control that things seem to exert over all of us.

I still dream of taming the beast!

(The photo has little to do with anything, except I was scrolling through photos thinking "Do any of these have anything to do with order?" And I thought how I am now doing with my classroom, what I used to do with my house. And since I got a new room last fall, I had every intention of having order that would perpetuate itself.

But alas, I too am dismayed at the "voracity with which objects keep invading living - and teaching - spaces" and some days it's pretty tough to hide the disorder!!

But my new room does have a "walk in closet" and it's a good hiding place because it has shelves and the door closes!!)

Fave Fotos From Files

I should probably spend my time and energy posting the rest of the anniversary blogs - but I seem to be avoiding that task - probably because it feels like a task now, and not a pleasure.

But I was thinking that maybe I could have a Friday Feature of Fave Fotos From Files - or maybe I just wanted to post this because we got some of the photos from Jesse and I just love this.

Probably because I love Dad. And one of the things I love about him is the way he loves his daughters.

He loves his sons too, but I don't think we'd have a photo of him dancing with them!

Why do I always think I have to make things equal?

Who knows if Harry or Noah even read my blog?

So here's a Dad and Son pic - and maybe they did dance in this one!!

And it's not Friday!!

Heard it on NPR

Because it is the Ides of March, here's an old Ides of March photo. Maybe I should make a book of them. This must be 2000 maybe?

So, Garrison Keillor had a "joke" weekend - some were pretty lame but some were really funny - of course I was driving so I couldn't write them down.

I did remember two of them:

What's a paranoid dyslexic? Someone who thinks they are following someone.

Why did the Romans close the collesium? The lions were eating the prophets (profits).

And this one really needs a voice feature - try to imagine it:

Knock, knock? Who's there? Sam and Janet. Sam and Janet who? Sam and Janet evening, you will see a stranger.

Maybe you had to be there.

Tom Swiftie

I'm not sure who Tom Swiftie is - or if he is even someone. In the spelling book I use with my 1st period class, the review section this week had proofreading exercises that said, "Read the Tom Swiftie puns below. Find the twenty misspelled review words and circle them."

Some of them are pretty funny. What was sad was that most of my kids didn't laugh - even after I "explained" them.

But I keep working on understanding humor - especially humor that is based on words.

A few for your chuckling pleasure: (I will go ahead and correct the misspelled words!!)

"Rejoice! Our team is going to the playoffs!" said Tom winsomely.

"Tigers attack fiercely, so we have to restrain them," Tom said cagily.

"I'll always be loyal to the Navy," said Tom fleetingly.

"We need more weight on the back of the boat!" said Tom sternly.

"No earthquake will ever destroy this city, " said Tom faultlessly.

"Merely seeing that piano makes me happy," said Tom grandly.

And a particular fave:

"I'm probably going to pitch for the softball team," said Tom underhandedly.

A place for everything, and everything in its place

My Grandma Stevens lived out her retirement years in a mobile home. It was lovely for its time, and the park they were in had some nice amenities - like a pool we always enjoyed when we went there.

We were sitting in her living room for this shot - the traditional "4 generation" shot - but you can't really get a feel for it - other than that my grandma is of course wearing an apron, an afghan is on the back of her chair, and there is a framed picture of my grandpa in the background.

What I remember about her trailer is how small but how compact it was. And it was very well-organized. She would often admonish us to put things back right where they belonged - otherwise, she told us, it would be hard to find them again.

That's when she would say, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." I realize that she didn't coin this phrase, but I don't remember hearing it before that.

I thought about this today when I got the Bosch out of the cupboard formerly holding the water heater in the room formerly known as the laundry room.

This is a great cupboard, but the shelves are deep - I can see just what is in there, but I often have to take other things out to get to the item I need. And then I have to take the time to put the stuff back just where I took it from. If I don't, nothing seems to fit very well. This can get tedious.

But it usually makes me think of my Grandma Stevens - always a fond memory.

Her Royal Highness

Another random photo - just to let everyone know that I had a secret life as a beauty queen!!

I've probably told this story many times - but I love to tell it anyway. One year when I was in the 11th grade - it would have been A11 - we made a rule in Student Council - I was always in Student Council - that you had to have a 3.5 or better to be on the Homecoming Court.

Homecoming was kind of a misnomer - when I started at GHS, it was the year the school started too - so there really was no one to come home!

But any excuse for a dance and a date and getting your hair done!

And after that, they did away with the GPA requirement - but for one brief shining semester, the geeks ruled the royalty!!

Don't you love the bouffant do??

We did!

Random thoughts

accompanied by random photos!! This was A9 Pin Day - something I bet none of you have ever even heard of.

For starters, LA Unified used to start and end school years in January and June - If you started kindergarten in February, you graduated 12 years later in January. Conversely, if you started in September, you graduated in June.

I don't know how many years ago they did away with it, but at the time, Mom and Dad had to decide whether to put a kid up or put them back.

It had definite benefits to my way of thinking. For one thing, no one in your grade level was more than 6 months older or younger than you. And the class that ended in January was always smaller - some parents seemed to prefer the June graduation - so my graduating class had 90 students - and I knew most of them well -which I consider a plus.

When I graduated in January of 1963, I had many months to work before starting at BYU in September - which was another plus for me.

Also, since you were separate classes, the first part of the year was B - as in B10 or B5 - and then the second semester - regardless of whether is was spring or fall - was called A - as in A10 and A5. I enjoyed changing all my classes every semester - I often wondered how my kids could stand the same teachers for an entire year. And as a teacher, I often wish we were doing the same thing - changing every semester!!

Junior high was 7th, 8th and 9th grade - and A9 was the big year - at the beginning of A9 we got pins that we wore each day that designated us as big Kahunas. And the day we got them was called, fittingly enough, A9 Pin Day.

My dress was brown and my mom and I made it - and I thought it was pretty stylin'!!

LA Unified was growing rapidly in the 50's and our school was brand new - as you can tell by the construction - we were in portables for all the time I was there. LA Unified gets a bad rap these days - but my school experience was outstanding - I felt that my first year of college was easier than my last year of high school. And my mom says many of her neighbors are happy with the schools they have. I mostly think the district is just too large and unwieldy.

Like I said, random thoughts - and a random photo.

"Going once, going twice (going chicken soup with rice!!")

So, on February 28th at 11:59 p.m. I am going to officially close my "Homemade Item" offer. So far I have 3 takers: Diane, Robbie's mom, Chanel Taylor, Noah's former Sunday School teacher, and our own cousin Heather! If you want to sign on, now is the time.

It will look like the aprons above - but the fabric will be a surprise - kind of like not finding out what you are having when you are pregnant! (Well, not quite so significant I'm sure!!)

If you think I can't guess your right size, you can email me - but I only do Small, Medium and Large. And they will proudly bear the "Pinnies From Heaven" label.

So I'm just saying, now's your chance.

(Remember: Restrictions apply - see previous post!!)

I thought it was a fun idea - and I'm actually projecting finishing them before April ends - how is that for commitment??