Frosty logs and weeds

It's almost Christmas...

So it's the 22nd of December. I think this is the first Christmas since I got married that I've not been stressed way beyond human limits. I don't know exactly why but it might have something to do with the fact that I let Dennie make (or forced him to make) some of the major decisions. And then I went with it, without second guessing or reevaluating, like I know way more than he does. I think I'm getting old. I haven't got near the "fight" left in me that I use to. Imagine if I'd done this years ago....

It's raining and you know how I feel about rain. I love it with all my senses. Sight, smell, sound and (to a lesser extent) feel. Hmmm, what else is there? Oh, taste. I guess rainwater tastes good too, but I'm not so sure when it's filtered through the smog and stuff. But the first three for sure. And I guess it makes it even better when you live in Southern California where it goes for years without a drop!!! I'm exaggerating a bit here. It alway rains a little just to tease me. This year it has started early and hard. I don't know what our totals are but I bet they're on up there.

Some pictures of morning frost.

My Photography, My Grandkids

I love photography. Recently I took some pictures of Pyke and Ollie and today I was messing with them on Digital Image Pro. Here are some black and whites.

The Eastern Idaho Kids

I went to Idaho while Dennie was working in Salt Lake City, to see the Leah and Erin families. (Same trip to Provo to see Ethan in the Symphonic Orchestra) The weather was great and the kids were cute. Leah went with me to Erin's house. The Erin's kids were a whirlwind of dancing, playing the piano and getting their back stratched. That evening we went to Erin's Releif Society Christmas Dinner where Erin played the piano and sang. She was very good. I don't think I've ever actually heard her sing a solo before. We left all the kids except the twins with Jon. Teagan and Beau are starting to crawl but they stayed put pretty well during the program and we were able to see most of it. Erin's ward is very friendly and made us feel welcome. The food was excellent!

Back to Erin's and then home to Leah's by around 9:30. Spent the night and the next day we met Erin and kids at Erin's in-laws, a five acre place on the west outskirts of Idaho Falls. What a beautiful place. Just what I picture me and Den living on when he retires. I took pictures of Leah and the kids and then headed back to SLC to pick up Dennie and head on down to Provo where Ethan had fixed dinner for us. All my kids beat me at cooking but some really have a talent for it. I think Ethan is one of those. We had pork chops, cooked to perfection, and salad. We then went to a voice recital, a girl Ethan knows from the cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie. It was very entertaining. She sang opera to show tunes to some really clever stuff.

Here are some pictures of the trip.

Thanks, Ethan

Took a trip to Provo to see Ethan's Symphonic Orchestra concert. A little background is in order here. Back a few years ago, five to be exact, Ethan was in Karl's (our trumpet expert friend) Middle school advanced band. He had invited him to come down to Poway a couple times a week to play with them, Twin Peaks Middle School. It was Karl's last year, he was retiring. Karl had been Ethan's "mentor" for several years... well, ever since he first started taking trumpet lessons when I took him to Karl and he played for him and Karl said he was talented. Anyway, Ethan played with Karl's band in the end of year concert and for the last song Karl played Trumpeter's Lullaby by Leroy Anderson, accompanied by the band. It was truely beautiful and I'm a sucker for beautiful trumpet music and Ethan wanted the music. I looked on Ebay and found it and they were selling that one and another one by Leroy Anderson called Bugler's Holiday. When the music came in the mail (they were old and looked like genuine antiques), I don't remember whether we found a CD with it on it or listened to it on the internet, but we heard Bugler's Holiday and Ethan wanted to learn both of them. He did learn Trumpeter's Lullaby and played it for a Young Artist's Concert that some organization in Ramona puts on yearly, then again for a Church talent show. But Bugler's Holiday was hard, and fast, and seemed quite a bit beyond his abilities. I remember thinking, wondering, if he'd ever be able to do it. I knew he had the talent, even back then I knew it. But would he stick to it long enough to gain that ability? I didn't know.

Well, I'm happy to inform you (whoever's listening, or reading) that he did it, along with two others students, it's a trio, accompanied by the orchestra, at the concert we just went to at BYU, Provo, Utah! They played it as fast as the professionals too. They did a wonderful job and hopefully we will be getting a recording, along with the jazzband concert we missed a couple weeks prior to this one. It's hard to put into words the way I felt hearing this song that five years ago he wanted to play. I am very proud of him for all the years of hard work and practice and it gives me such joy to see him accomplishing things that I knew he could do but wasn't sure he would do.

Thanks, Ethan, for this gift you've given me.

My first blog, Thanksgiving '08

Thanksgiving. My favorite day of the year. Last Thursday was no exception. It was a beautiful sunny day, not that I wouldn't have loved it if it had been rainy.... (Another favorite of mine, rainy days)

We had 17 people for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone brought something and all I had to do is the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and a couple kinds of pies. Pumpkin and lemon (No merangue. Ran out of energy the night before. No pecan because I discovered I didn't have any corn syrup.) Amy brought sour cream apple pie. Lynn and Stan brought Collards and ham hocks, mashed turnips (later we acsertained that they were actually Rutabagas), cornbread with jalapenos, homemade bread and fudge. Ally brought lime and cranberry drink (limes from their tree) and sauted little whole greenbeans. Steve brought the traditional Heavenly Hash in Grandma's old pink bowl, and three kinds of cranberry sauce. He always cooks fresh cranberries and they're my favorite! Howard brought the traditional frozen turkey that we'll cook at Christmas.

The kids were delightful and they ate at a table in the new room, the patio conversion. Amy brought the dogs, Lottie and Steve, to play with Sadie. I think we all had a really good time. I know I did!