kanewoman

Cannellini and Cabbage Soup

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe via the website Eating Bird Food - a great site for some healthy recipes. If you want to see a pic of how yummy this recipe looks - click on the link of her blog. The author in turn got the recipe from Fitness Magazine. If you go to this link - there are some other awesome looking soups as well!

I made a modification to the recipe to suit my taste (is it really soup with no onions?). It is a delicious cabbage soup, filling and low in calories. Enjoy!

Cannellini and Cabbage Soup
Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

2 carrots, sliced
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme (not a big fan of thyme, you can try something else - I used SPIKE seasoning found in the health food section of my local Hannaford grocery store)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, and pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Stir in broth, undrained tomatoes, water, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Mash half the beans with a fork. Add all the beans to the pot. Heat through and serve.

Nutrition facts per serving: 164 calories, 11g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 4g fat (1g saturated), 9g fiber

Life Coach

2011-09-15T10:31:00.001-04:00

Hez has a new job - she is a life coach. She works for a worldwide company and helps people commit to a healthier lifestyle. She loves it. I love her.

She is practicing on me.

I need a lot of work.

I am doing well under her tutelage, however I will say this. A visit to Utah with the whole family, including my life coach, did nothing for my new resolve. Ah well! I have recovered and repented, and back to eating healthy. The gym scares me, but I will get back there as well. I will. I promise. Pinky swear. :-)

The only reason I am telling you all this is to explain why on earth I am posting recipes, sans pics, of some incredibly yummy food. I don't have fancy camera but wow you should see the food I have been cooking up!

More to come.

A day late and a dollar short!

2010-08-18T00:48:00.001-04:00

Only $2100 stood between me and my dream of owning a vintage camping trailer.

I spotted this beauty in Dover - a 1964 Shasta. It was in remarkably good shape.

Look at those orange wings! *sigh*

I drove by once more to take a picture and the "for sale" sign was gone.

Truthfully - I am pretty sure that maintaining this beauty is beyond my capabilities right now, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Images: Moose Runs Around Maine Beach - Photos - WMUR Manchester

2010-06-25T16:22:00.000-04:00

Seriously, those who say they never see a moose in Maine - we have them, and they like to swim in the ocean. Proof right here:

Images: Moose Runs Around Maine Beach - Photos - WMUR Manchester

NOT starstruck

2010-06-16T02:01:00.001-04:00

OK Maybe just a little, but not impressed.

Flying home the scenic route, the hubby and I found ourselves on several planes taking us from the heat of Phoenix, through the rain of Detroit, to the perfect weather of NH.

Detroit has an airport that can only be described as long and thin (as I wish I were described in like manner ;-) )

We of course got off one plane at Gate A1 and had to catch our next plane at Gate A209,658 - OK I exxagerate but seriously it was like Gate 89 or something like that - clear at the other end of the airport. Thankfully there is a monorail right in the terminal that will rush you to your next gate.

We hopped on the train, and as I got settled I realized I ~~knew~~ recognized the dude across from me:

Yep, that's right, Michael Moore. I must say, in the above picture, Michael is slightly overdressed compared to how he dresses while traveling.

It's a good thing I have a touch of Alzheimers and couldn't remember his last name, or I would have struck up a conversation with the dude. But seriously, what does one say to Michael Moore. Or rather, what does a conservative Republican Yankee say to Michael Moore? "Hey dude, I heard about that controversy when they asked you to speak at UVSC (now UVU) in 2004. So they got Sean Hannity to balance the odds. Cool, huh?" Yeah, no. Again, thanks for the Alzheimers, cause it could have been awkward.

loser

I am pretty sure he must have stopped at the food court to have one of these:

Seriously, who eats this? Maybe Michael Moore?

Starstruck

2010-06-08T05:06:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, a little star was blessed - Sullivan Harvey (say it Hahvee) was taken in his Dad's arms and encircled by loving Priesthood Holders, and his Dad gave him a name and a blessing. It was beautiful and memorable and this little boy is well loved and amazing. What a great day.

So let me tell you how the day goes in the Kane family when there is a baby blessing.

First, we all agree that we shall honor the Sabbath Day, especially on such an important Sabbath Day, one when our precious newest gift from God is given a name and a blessing. So we prepare on Saturday and have a peaceful restful day - a happy quiet loving Sunday. Or something like that.

Church is from 1-4 in this neck of the woods and when I hopped in the shower at 12:46 (after just a little food preparation), I sensed I might be in a bit of a tight squeeze to make it to the church on time.

When we rolled into the parking lot at 1:06, I was pretty certain we would be lucky to sit in the back row, but Katie standing at the door rushing us in gave me the hint that we had indeed made it just in time for the sacred ordinance. The windblown hair I sported was a fashion plus, accenting my lovely 5" discs that Heather assured me were earrings that hung from my lobes. My one pair of earrings that I wore on the trip were now an orphaned set, no doubt one earring residing embedded in the seat of a Delta Airlines jet somewhere. Seriously, those big earrings look cute on Heather, but I felt like a lady of ill repute and I could hear Aunt Valeda's voice in my head all day - reminding me that dangly earrings are of the devil. But I digress.

Amazingly, the last row in the chapel was sitting there empty, as though it had our names on a reservation card. How did they know? One thing is for sure, the Kane's know their place, right there in the back row. Especially on such an important day. (We were just lucky that we didn't have to march up to the front row because that is usually where all the empty seats are.)

(I am sure a few of our loving friends are shaking their heads, smiling, right now. A few of our other ~~judgmental~~ friends are appalled. Oh well.) We do have the best intentions. We really do. We just have a problem with time management.

As it turned out we had PLENTY of time cause the Bishop totally forgot about Sullivan HAHVEE and we had to wait until after the Sacrament Service for his blessing. It all worked out, Sullivan got his beautiful blessing, and I was sitting there basking in the glory of the gloriousness of the day, enjoying my beautiful family - including all four grandchildren - wonderful friends etc, looking at my beautiful granddaughter Olivia sitting there with her parents, when suddenly

I notice

just past my daughter and son in law

HIM:

and I just about had a heart attack right there. I knew Michael McLean was in their ward but honest to goodness there he was! To think, this guy must know my deepest darkest secrets because he has written a song about every one of them! From the moment I first heard his song "You're Not Alone" I have loved his music and his message.

Now, it didn't take long for my three daughters to realize they had a problem because their mothers eyes were suddenly glazed over and they sprung into action. They forbid me from approaching the stand, certain I would mention Michael McLean a hundred times and make a fool of myself. (I might add a couple of women did just that in the meeting)

Michael himself approached the pulpit and bore a beautiful heartfelt testimony. I was certain he had been sitting there composing a song about this beautiful baby that was blessed, but it seems he had been thinking about something else.

Now I have enough of my father in my to squelch the human tendency to hold back and allow the celebrity some privacy, and I approached Michael after the meeting. I wish you could have seen his face as I approached him. He lit up, extended his hand, and said hello to me with the enthusiasm of someone who was finally being reunited with a long lost friend. I seriously thought "Does he remember me from somewhere?!?" We had a great conversation and I apologized for being starstruck, and he gave me a ginormous bear hug and told me to be starstruck no more, for now we were friends.

And we are. Later we were gathered as family and Michael came over and I introduced him to everyone. He gave Sullivan a big kiss (after asking Heather who was holding him if he could have a kiss - phew that was close he meant from Sullivan not from Heather) - and as he met each person he managed to find a connection in some way - he really is personable and very genuine.

As we left the chapel at the end of the meetings (yes we stayed three hours shame on you for thinking otherwise), Michael spied our friends and said "Bye Winterton's!" across the parking lot. What a guy.

And that baby we blessed? We didn't.take.one.picture.

But I know I for sure will never forget his baby blessing!

Apron Bibs

2010-05-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I found myself at the sewing machine channeling my beloved mother-in-law, sewing what I call "apron bibs". They are so fun to make, easy peasy, and oh so cute on a lovely little grandson or granddaughter.

June-bug was an RN

I remember watching Mimi, June-bug, Mom, Ma (all terms of endearment for Larry's mom) whipping these up for my children. She had a pattern - one of the apron-bibs she had for HER children that HER mother had made

Can you see the mending? This was repaired over and over!

and simply following it's design, she made me lovely little bibs for my girls - embellished with lace, trim, and all sorts of rounded corners, pretty ties, and other niceties that she pulled from her frugal stash of sewing materials and supplies.

Two generations of bibs - made by Larry's grandma (green) and Larry's mom (pink)

I picked fun fabrics and whipped a few up for the grands. I followed June's lead and just copied the bibs she had made for my girls. Half a yard of fabric, folded in half and in half again, with crescent shaped armholes cut on the fold. Finish off the armholes by either hemming with a zigzag stitch or using bias tape as Larry's Grandma did. Hem all around the bib and fold down and sew a casing at the top for the drawstring to slide through. I learned from mom to attache the drawstring with a few stitches in the middle so it wouldn't pull out. Make sure your drawstring of choice is longer than the casing so you don't lose it!

(Please forgive my lack of artistry and photography skills)

Cars and Flowers

Here is Olivia modeling one of the aprons Mimi made...

You simply slide their arms in the armholes, pull up the ribbon tie and voila - they are covered stem to stern and no stains on their cute shirts! Hopefully I can pass on these skills to my grandchildren.

Aren't they cute? (the bibs I mean, not the seamstresses)

Nightmare!

2010-05-28T10:38:00.001-04:00

I just had to document this nightmare I had last night so I never forget my resolve! I was also inspired by this post by a funny guy named Mike. He put my terror into words.

So, there I was, in a high school auditorium that looked remotely like the old gym at my Alma Mater Ellsworth High. Do things morph in your dreams, like they do in mine? I was standing on a lawn chatting it up with my friend Jen, next thing I know I am in an auditorium with the most random people. And suddenly I find myself in my most favorite role - that of Activities Chairman, committee of one, and (in the dream) suddenly realize we are having an impromptu variety show. The Bishop is very excited, but things go spiraling downhill quickly. He bolted about 10 minutes into the show.

It seems everyone has a talent they want to share. And I use the term talent loosely. And in this ~~dream~~ nightmare, I discover that my friends can sing, twirl, lip sync, and even tap dance. Not only that, but they carry their costumes and music with them everywhere, because everyone I have ever attended church with, in addition to random people I have never met, lined up to perform. This thing was taking on a life of its own and I lost all control (hmmmmmmm sounds like my life right now?). It didn't phase these performers that in looking out on the audience - there was no one sitting there watching. Since there was no one in the audience other than random children running around unsupervised (another nightmare of mine) to see my intense embarassment, I decided to embrace the event and just let these crazy people do their thing.

It was clear they were not bothered by the lack of interested audience, they still performed their hearts out. (You should see my clowning friend Jennifer tap dance in my dreams!) There was a big to-do because a friend of a friend of a friend wanted to lip-sync a song that was inappropriate to some (another activities chair nightmare) and heaven forbid there was no internet access to google the lyrics.

I was fighting the urge to jump on stage and show off my mad juggling skills I picked up at Weber State College (Ok just kidding about the urge, but I do have mad juggling skills) - when I looked out into the empty auditorium and watched in horror as my third daughter (yes the baby)'s husband's most awesome grandpa (from Utah no less) walks in cause he has been encouraged to attend this most awesome variety show.

The embarassment was so intense I woke up, lost all resolve, and had to start my day with the newly banned diet coke.

But I didn't lost this resolve.

NO VARIETY SHOWS WHILE I AM ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE OF ONE.

Darn, I really wanted to see Jennifer tap dance in real life.

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-28T00:05:00.003-04:00

Kate and Rode are car shopping. What do you think, is this their style?

(Sorry I guess this blog layout doesn't lend itself to youtube - if you right click you can go watch it on youtube!)

Best Mother's Day Ever!

2010-05-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

OK it isn't over yet - but here's what is so good thus far:

My house didn't burn down. There was a little incident with the fan/heater in our upstairs bathroom this morning. I didn't have time to call the fire department and wait around for them to check things out because I had to get to church to give a talk. I didn't think the Milton FD would understand, so I just said a little prayer that my house wouldn't burn down, and it didn't! Well, I didn't have time to call the fire department, but I did manage to run to get the camera to document the meltdown.

We got these delicious items at church. Smartest move the Bishopric ever made. I don't suppose they will ever include diet coke in the bootie, but oh well these cookies sure beat a wilted carnation with a 2" stem or a potted plant with the flower head popped off. I'll take cookies any day! The hard part was sitting on the stand before my talk admiring the large basket of goodies for over an hour!

I survived my talk. Most of you know I can talk forever, but those minutes leading up to standing up can really turn your stomach inside out. Basically it was a commercial for our upcoming activity "Provident Living, It Just Makes Cents". I got a few chuckles out of the crowd. I will soon post pics of the apron bibs I talked about in my talk.

Don't miss the activity - it's this Saturday from 9-2 - lots of good information for everyone!

I have finally let go of most Mothers guilt. So often we feel inadequate, incapable, and pathetic in this job of mothering. I have taken the advise of my wonderful stake leaders and LET IT GO. You can go ahead and give me a "Mother of the Year" award anytime you like, cause doggone it - I deserve it!

Heather called and offered to cook me breakfast, lunch, dinner, wash my dishes and clean the kitchen. Too bad she lives 2400 miles away! But it's ok cause there is only one dirty pan, one plate, and one fork that needs to go in the dishwasher. But I am holding to that promise this summer when she is here.

Since hubby is out of town and my mom is no longer with us, my adopted sister's hubby and son in law are cooking dinner for all us moms. Very excited for more pampering.

Happy Mothers Day to my beautiful daughters who are amazing women and wonderful mothers!

Hello, Backpack, are you ready?

2010-04-27T12:14:00.000-04:00

Dear sweet Olivia is ADDICTED to the "Signing Time videos" - she knows all the signs and would watch them day and night if you let her. It was one of our favorite things to do while I was there - signing along with "Signing Time". Kate borrows them from the library - every week a couple of different ones are on the shelf.

She loves the song "Hello Backpack, Are you Ready?" - it has a good beat and is easy to dance to (sorry dating myself with that Saturday Noontime "American Bandstand" quote - love you Dick Clark)...anyway...

She LOVES backpacks - so I thought I would whip one up (cause it's what I do when I am so busy I can't see straight - I head straight for the sewing machine to de-stress!) I used this pattern with a couple of modifications - I think they would be very cute with some embellishments - but I am wicked busy so...plain they are.

Sorry for the lousy lighting, pic was taken at night, and this morning it is raining. These beauties are headed out to Alex, Lillian, and Olivia today so needed to snap a pic now. Hope to see pics of these lovelies on their LIVE MODELS next week on their Mom's blogs (hint hint).

Oh yeah, and I finished those Christmas Pajamas - the pants in the pic don't have the bottom ruffle yet - which made them OH SO CUTE.

Hello BACKPACK
Are you ready?
Are you ready to go?
Hello BACKPACK
Let’s get ready
Let’s get ready to roll
You’ve got my CRAYONS
You’ve got my SCISSORS
You’ve got my PAPER
You’ve got my GLUE
You’ve got my PENS
You’ve got my PENCILS
And there is still room
For my lunch box too
Hello BACKPACK
Are you ready?
Are you ready to go?
Hello BACKPACK
Let’s get ready
Let’s get ready to roll
You’ve got my CRAYONS
You’ve got my SCISSORS
You’ve got my PAPER
You’ve got my GLUE
You’ve got my PENS
You’ve got my PENCILS
And there is still room
For my lunch box too
Hello BACKPACK
Now you’re ready
Now you’re ready for SCHOOL
Hello BACKPACK
Now you’re ready
Now you’re ready for SCHOOL
Now you’re ready for SCHOOL
Now I’m ready for SCHOOL

Can you sign backpack, crayon, scissors, paper, glue, pen, pencil, and school? I can't remember them all, but I do remember LINE UP.

Let it go!

2010-04-25T01:57:00.002-04:00

My three power statements I have come up with since tonight's amazing Stake Conference session: Let it go! Get Over It! Give it UP!

So I have. First I headed to Friendly's to Give it UP! (think diet here)

Then when I drove past (and tried to resist) the Fountain Soda calling my name on the way home I said Get Over It! and pulled in for an ice cold one. (think Diet C here)

And now, checking out You Tube - I say Let it Go! And I already have...

Wrinkled Ladies by Anita Renfroe:

And that, my friends, is why I love the Saturday Night session.

By the way, it was awesome.

Happy Birthday part deux

2010-04-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Sullivan!
Happy Birthday to you!
This little boy had a birthday!
This one standing here...
Father in Heaven bless him
Throughout the coming year.

(OK so I didn't have it at all correct in the last post, it was the thought that counts!)

Happy Birthday Sullivan

2010-04-13T04:15:00.000-04:00

(It probably seems like all this kid does is sleep - but I promise he has some great awake time. We just get so excited to play with him we forget to take pictures!)

Today, (technically yesterday) Sully is TWO WEEKS OLD.

We sang to him in the car:
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Sullivan, happy birthday to you"

And Katie shared a Loertcher tradition that is always done in Rode's family:
"This little boy is another year older"

And darn if I can remember the rest of the words. But TOMORROW you come back to this post and I will have asked her and added it, cause it was just too cute.

How strange is it that Sullivan is 2 weeks old? How strange is it that I am leaving in a few hours, and I wasn't planning on being here for another 2 weeks? Babies come when they are ready, and we have to be flexible. But my mind isn't that flexible, and it doesn't seem real. But he is wonderful, and I am so glad he is here! Happy Birthday little boy!

Dirt makes me happy!

2010-04-13T04:02:00.000-04:00

Sullivan has discovered the joys of a tanning bed early on. Doesn't he look relaxed? His bilirubin count was a little high (pretty common in pre-term babies) so he slept on this "bili-bed" for a couple of days.

Did I mention I have been knitting? The ladies (you know who you are) decided we would learn to knit socks. I tried to discourage them from this nonsense but they assured me it would be fun. I assured them that once you have made one sock, the realization that you have to knit another sock for it to be of any use would totally be a bummer, but they insisted we give it a go. I got a little carried away (yeah yeah I'm an over-achiever) and after knitting an adult pair for Katie, I knit a matching pair for the boy. So cute.

Check out this shirt - so tiny. I was folding some last minute laundry tonight and the size of this shirt just grabbed at my heart strings. Little Sully won't be wearing this for long, but I am sure the sentiment will remain - I am pretty sure that dirt will always make Sully happy! (read what it says on the dump truck)

I mean, check out the mess he can make and he is only two weeks old today!

So, here is the story:

Today was my last full day here in Utah, and as last full days go, it was, you know, FULL. We packed it in. I should add we did it in typical Kane style. We discussed hitting the road early to accomplish all we hadn't finished in the last two weeks.

But first, Olivia needed a nap. (So did Grammie, but that didn't happen). After Olivia awoke, it was lunch time, and then the Relief Society President and her counselor came to call - They were making the rounds as there have been SEVEN new babies born in the ward in the LAST TWO WEEKS. In fact, the twin girl babies live right next door. The Relief Society President said she thinks it is lambing season.

Next up, the baby needed a little nip to tide him over, and then a diaper change.

Now they warned Katie in the NICU before sending her home with a son that you should always stand to the side when changing a BOY. Apparently boys have different bathroom habits then girls, and it starts early on. Dismissing that craziness, Katie stood at Sully's feet this afternoon, changing his dippy dipe (Kane word for diaper). Sully expelled a little gas, then the lovely mustard yellow poop came FORCEFULLY, EXPLOSIVELY out his hiney and SHOT ACROSS THE ROOM - hitting Katie from her chin to her knees. It hit her bed, his bed, the rug. It was everywhere. Just like a jar of mustard under pressure. She yelled for my help and I obediently trotted right in to find her covered in...mustard?

Do you think it was rude of me to ask her to hold the pose while I ran to get the camera?

Olivia was MORE than happy to help mommy, getting right in the middle of the mei-lei. And before we could get the poop off ~~mom~~ Sully what did he do? He peed. Of course he did.

Do you know how long it takes a new mom to find a sassy outfit befitting a trip to the outlets in Park City? And how frustrating it is to have said outfit now covered in ~~yellow mustard~~ poop? It's OK, I think she looked just as lovely in her Jackson Hole sweatshirt.

So, right at the crack of ~~dawn~~ 3pm we headed to Park City. We met up with Hezzie (known as Z by Olivia) and Mama Winterton came too, and we shopped. And we shopped. And we shopped. And in typical kane style, we headed back to meet the boys for dinner at ~~dinnertime~~ bedtime. What can I say, there were some good deals to be had.

And now, my bags are packed, my clothes laid out for tomorrow. The plan is made, we leave at 8:30 (which really means we leave at 8:45 - it's a trick of the mind you know). I am awake and it is almost 2 am. I don't want to turn off the light, and try to sleep, because I know the tears will come. I am homesick, I miss Larry, I miss my empty nest. But I hate that I am leaving my girls, my sons, my grandbabies here. So far away. I know how blessed I am that I am able to see them so often. But when days turn into weeks turn into months, I hate that I am missing the silly little day to day happenings. I would rather be complaining that they are always in my hair, borrowing my stuff, pestering me. (oh yeah they manage to pester me long distance). But life goes on, and so tomorrow - I am leaving on a jet plane...

Know what else I am going to miss? 50 cent refills at the Silver Eagle. Utah does have some redeeming qualities.

Tying up loose ends

2010-04-03T02:45:00.000-04:00

First of all let me say

HAPPY EASTER!

Secondly, in case you were all wondering, I am going to study my camera manual tomorrow and learn how to turn off that stupid date that is in the corner of all my pictures. It might not be quite so bad if it was the right date! So if you wonder why my Friday pics say April 3 - well that is why. The camera thinks it is tomorrow when it is today.

Finally - thank heavens I made it through the last ten days! Thank you all for your comments and show of support. I am going to take the weekend off from blogging, but hopefully I will get right back on the band wagon and continue to document the wanderings and craziness that is my life. Can you believe I blogged for TEN DAYS STRAIGHT? Shoot me if I ever make that promise again.

Good night. Over and out. Asta La Veesta, baby. I'm done.

Gee, doggy, Gee!

2010-04-03T02:34:00.000-04:00

Have I told you lately how amazing my daughter Hezzie is? Well, she is!

She has been teaching PE now for 2 years at The Colby School, a private school in Park City for children from preschool age through 8th grade. It is an awesome school and a perfect fit for Hez. She has bravely and confidently taught the curriculum in place when she was hired (yep including creative movement!), and has developed some pretty exciting programs that have only enhanced the learning experience at Colby. She has also learned to drive a school bus. Yep, she drives the short bus.

the driver on the bus says "move on back!"

Last year Heather and her buddy the art teacher came up with a fun summer camp for the older group and it was a great success. Not wanting the summer fun to end, they continued on with an "Extreme Adventures" after school program. Evey Friday ( and occasionally on Saturdays ) they are off exploring all the fun things there are to do in the area.

This Friday was awesome and I tagged along to document the fun. Granddaughter Olivia (my best buddy lately) my good friend Lisa and I headed over to the beautiful Catholic Church across the highway from The Colby School in Park City. They were going to meet sled dogs and go for a ride in the field beside the church.

There we met up with the campers and their fearless leaders, along with the most beautiful sled dogs! It was so fun to meet each dog, give them love and praise.

As they hitched the dogs up to the sled, the excitement increased as the dogs howled and begged to get to work. They love pulling the sled!

(this tall guy loved the student that was helping to hitch him up to the sled)

The two lead dogs sure loved each other

The most fun? Olivia was able to go on the final run! A sweet girl named Lucy sat Olivia on her lap and Livie Lou got to go around the field on the sled. She LOVED it and didn't want to get off!

The dogs were tired after doing this track 9 times around, but they were all good sports and let us pet and love on them some more.

Pawsatch Snow Dogs is an awesome adventure! They do rides for families, groups etc on trails in Wasatch and Summit Counties. They also do birthday parties for kids, coming right to your home! The owners are wonderful and accomodating. They even have a wheeled sled for summer runs. If you are looking for an outdoor adventure - give them a call! You can also become a fan on Facebook.

This adventure was pretty tame compared to some of the crazier things these kids get to do, but so fun. That is the Kane way - fun is our middle name.

These guys remind me of my brother's huskies

The Extreme Team

(future extreme camper)

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

2010-04-02T02:30:00.000-04:00

So very tired. The events of the last ~~week~~ ~~month~~ quarter are catching up with me. So little sleep, so many events, so few healthy days, too many demands, too little time, oh yeah and SO MUCH FUN. It has been a whirlwind, and it is catching up to me. I am exhausted.

Don't I look tired?

Yesterday I went to the grocery store, a favorite past-time of mine here in Heber City. I love visiting grocery stores in other parts of the country. I browse the aisles, noting the brands I don't see at home, looking for regional food, things that intrigue me. Two things that are always on the list here are Grandma Sycamores bread, and cinnamon bread from either Days Market or Smiths. There is ALWAYS fresh cinnamon bread in the bread aisle, and it isn't from Pepperidge Farm - it is the REAL DEAL. So yummy toasted with a slathering of real butter melted into the cracks and crevices.

Wrapped up in a gender neutral blanket and being held by big sister

Last night was Sully's first night home, and it was definitely an adjustment period for all of us. Since his arrival was four weeks early, his homecoming was coupled with fishing out what could pass for baby boy clothes from the "BABY" bin in storage. We were all exhausted by bedtime, but it was a little tough for Sullivan to figure out that sleeping in that new bed of his (the one without the heat lamp like in the NICU) would be OK. At 2 am I found myself consoling a very tired mommy and sending her off to her bed. Next comes the sleep deprived grazing in the kitchen. I pulled the toaster out of the cupboard and commenced the ritual - 2 slices of cinnamon bread in the toaster, pull the butter and a knife from the cupboard and wait for the deliciousness to ensue. (Sorry fellow FCFC members!)

While waiting for the toaster I turned my tired attention to unloading the dishwasher, and then the toast popped up. I turned and was so frustrated that I had ~~burned~~ wasted two slices of the precious cinnamon bread. What happened next sent me into a panic and was definitely an eye opener. BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP went the smoke alarm! No, actually
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
went the smoke alarm - an alarm that would put the church fire alarm to shame - I swear the fire department on the other end of town could hear it.

Just great. Like I needed that! I start waving my arms trying to dispel the smoke, running through the house looking for the switch for the ceiling fan. I run to the front door to get the smoking toast outside, halfway there I run back trying to turn on the fan, then run to the front door to find it LOCKED. For sure, Olivia will wake up screaming, the baby will wake up crying, and I will find myself in the doghouse. I toss the toast out the front door, race back to the living room and run from switch to switch turning lights, fireplace, and who knows what on and off. Everything but the fan. During all of this I am trying to find out where the smoke detector was so I could wave my arms in the right direction. It wasn't long before Rode comes running out of the bedroom followed by Katie - ready to put out the fire. I wish I could say that Rode came flying out in his underwear, but he had presence of mind to pull some shorts on. Darn, it would have made for much more entertaining reading. They find a very guilty, sleep deprived ~~lunatic~~ grammie running around their living room waving her arms and flicking switches - with a very guilty look on her face. Yep I had lost my mind. The only thing I could think of to say was "What beeping?" Ok not really but I wish I was that witty.

Today Rode came home for lunch and when he came through the front door, he was carrying a lovely plate of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that he found on the front porch. So yummy.

And tonight? Rode is sleeping with his shorts on.

He's home!

2010-04-01T01:39:00.001-04:00

Sullivan came home today. Yesterday Liv got to see her cute little brother through the glass window at the NICU, and she was so thrilled.

Modern technology when used for good is a miracle and a blessing. We were able to skype with Grampie aka Buddy so he too has met Sullivan "through the window". How fun!

Today, Olivia got to see him up close and personal!

She is crazy about him and is simply enthralled. She will be a great big sister.

She can't quite say Sullivan yet, but Grammie taught her in the car on the way home from the hospital the correct pronunciation for his middle name - Haaaaahvey. She can say it perfectly!

A New Englander at heart.

PS. These ten blog posts are going to kill me. I am somewhat distracted and wasn't expecting a trip to Utah when I made my promise. Hope you all don't mind a hundred pics of the grands. Hopefully tomorrow I can tell you about my fun trip to NYC and Philadelphia (as it turns out, on my way to Utah!)

PPS. I think Sullivan would tell you there is altogether too much pink in this house, and he wants to know where all the brown and blue are. Never fear, Sully dear, Grammie has got your back. Park City outlets tomorrow?

Sullivan Harvey

2010-03-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

Little People

2010-03-29T21:00:00.000-04:00

Grammie's are pretty famous for their cool stuff. And this Grammie is no exception.

This wee one is pretty impressed with the goods.

Grammies even do cool things like make a special bag to store all the little people.

Check out that cool swimming pool!

Playground Equipment!

Look at this one, Grammie!

Do you wanna play?

Come on over and play with us sometime!

**play at your own risk - these are vintage little people and likely are a choking hazard...

Rough Winter

2010-03-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

High winds

Cold Temps

Not much snow

Earliest Ice Out in recorded history!

(loading up Bob Houses after a short ice fishing season at Milton Town Beach)

Small Town Girl

2010-03-27T21:00:00.003-04:00

Look at those shoes! Did you ever see anything so cute???

While we were in Utah, we went bowling with Brian's Mom and his sister and her family. It was a great time to get together and everyone had a a lot of fun.

Lillian liked the ~~monkey bars~~ rack that kids could use to roll the bowling ball down.

Alexander loved the other games as much as he liked the bowling. Maybe more!

But Olivia...

fell in love.

The sights and sounds

The noises

The people (and the fashions)

The shiny red bowling ball

For Olivia

the bowling alley is the next best thing to home!

December 2009 Reunion Days

2010-03-26T22:30:00.002-04:00

Every year we try to get together with our NH friends who are in Utah. This year was no exception and having a wedding was the perfect time for a reunion. Sadly we didn't get a picture of the bride and groom!We headed down to Dan's wedding with the Wintertons and met up with the Pendletons there. We got to see the Dennis family as they were leaving just as we arrived. It was so fun.

In true NH form, the Utah folk stood in line for hours while the NH folk picked out a table and sat down for a good visit. The party only got better once the Chaston family could join us in the revelry. We were the last to leave - and headed to a restaurant as we weren't ready to say goodbye. What a great time!

The curse

2010-03-25T22:05:00.005-04:00

(Kelley as a child)

Many years ago, I pronounced a curse.

"Maybe I can escape?" --Homewood Suites, Chesapeake VA

I said to Kelley:

"Is anyone watching?"

"Someday, you will have a child just like you!"

"Hello, This is 911. What is your emergency?"

And guess what?

"Don't I look like Grammie?"

It worked!

Thank you, Mr. Obama, for making my day!

2010-03-24T23:55:00.004-04:00

Before you all start cheering cause you love the new bill, or booing because you hate the new bill, or vica versa, hear me out.

The conservative card carrying Republican in me tells me that I don't like this bill. The country is in a big mess, we are all going to pay, it's the end of freedom and democracy etc etc. I have heard all the hype. All the criticism, all the cheers and all the jeers. For the most part, I have kept quiet. Why? Well, I haven't read the bill, nor have I read a summary. I don't trust a word I hear from either side, and I am not sure what to think, other than I am sure I don't trust most politicians regardless of their party affiliation. So I have just kept my opinions to myself (because though relatively ignorant about the nuts and bolts of this bill I DO have opinions) - but lest my ignorance show, I keep my mouth shut. Amazing, I know. But don't get me started on Biden. Major LACK OF CLASS.

But today, well Mr. Obama, today was the final straw. Maybe I am the last one to hear about this, but honestly, if this bill really becomes law, you have ruined my life.

As soon as next year, when you use a drive-thru or look at the menu of any restaurant chain with 20 or more outlets, the calorie count of their food items will be there, by law, as part of the new health care bill.
One of the few pleasures in life - ignorance at the drive thru - taken from the common man! How could you? (That delicious Bacon & Blue? 680 calories.)

I can't wait to sit down at Chili's and know that the basket of chips has 480 calories, not to mention my yummy Quesadilla Explosion salad has a whopping 1400 calories!

The only good thing that will come from this is that the Texas Roadhouse is finally going to have to come clean about their nutrition information. Thus far the Roadhouse has successfully kept their sinful caloric secrets under wraps. Hard to say how many calories were in those "Fall off the Bones" Ribs I had tonight. I don't want to know, not now and not next year!

You are right Joe Biden, this is a BIG DEAL.

And now, I am going to go cry myself to sleep. See you all tomorrow!

Larry's Pockets

2010-03-23T23:44:00.005-04:00

My adoring readers have informed me that the dearth of posts of late have brought great angst among them - fearing my hilarious tales of woe, excitement and Wal-Mart shootings are no more. And so, here I am, back providing you with just a taste of the entertainment coming up with my renewed efforts in writing.

Is it just me, or has anyone noticed my hubby's pockets? I know, I know, a few of you might think he is a tad overweight. But I swear to you, the man only weighs 185 at most. The rest of those lumps you see? Just stuff in his pockets. The man can put more in his pockets than I can put in that ginormous tote I carry to church every week.

First, there are the facial tissues. Clumps and wads and rolled up pieces of kleenex. Some used. Some clean. (kleen?) These compliment the various and assorted napkins he has picked up while driving through Wendy's. And then there are the pens. The cell phones (minimum two). Notes, Note pads. Sticky notes. A wallet that holds: 3,654 shopper cards from every grocery store from here to Hawaii, Flyer Mile cards, Car Rental cards, Points cards, Debit, Credit etc etc. License(s) maybe even expired ones, folded up bills (separated and folded neatly just like his mom kept in her wallet). Then there are nails, screws, paper clips, safety pins and miscellaneous tools. Let's not forget the beauty items such as nail clippers and toothpicks. Receipts, business cards, and maybe even a Spaulding Turnpike token along with a coin or two from a Scotland trip 25 years ago. Seriously, this man can fill a pocket!

You might think a man can't possibly fit all this in a pocket. Well he can. There is his right pants pocket, his left pants pocket, those two pockets in the back of his pants. The pocket on his shirt, and then the right pocket on his jacket, the left pocket, and the pockets that line the inside of his coat. Ah, yes, the man has lots of pockets.

Which got me to thinking, maybe he needs more pockets. You know, kind of like we need another shed so we can clean out the garage.

Well, I went shopping online the other day, and look what I found!
Larry's new couch!

By the way, just so I know you people are reading this stuff...I promise a post every day for every comment I get on this post - ie - one comment - I post tomorrow, ten comments - I post for the next ten days. Bring it on!

Playing Around

2010-03-11T01:31:00.003-05:00

I know you folks haven't heard from me in awhile. For now I am just playing around with the look of the blog - but watch for more posts to come!

Halloween Spirit

2009-10-30T02:10:00.001-04:00

I’m really into ~~Halloween~~ fall with all of it’s ~~skeletons~~ leaves and ~~ghosts~~ apple cider donuts and ~~jack-o-lanterns~~ pumpkins.

Seriously I just heard that Halloween business is down this year – from over 5 BILLION dollars to only over 4 BILLION dollars. What is wrong with this picture???

Anyway, since I am a little bah-humbug about the whole thing, it is a little difficult to do a Halloween post. But here goes…

A graveyard shot:

My Dad, Aunt Laurel, Aunt Bessie and Aunt Valeda at the grave of their parents, with my Great Grammie and Great Grampie Small.

A costume shot:

I am pretty sure I still have this costume in the costume box! Who is this cute little dancer?

A scary picture:

sorry girls!

What can I say – it’s the best I’ve got for this my favorite ~~holiday~~ season of the year!

OCD

2009-10-13T00:55:00.001-04:00

I know Maryellen and Barb are wondering how I got those Treasure Tower tokens so shiny…

Sprite, and OCD.

Who is this girl’s Grammie???

2009-09-03T12:40:00.001-04:00

I just wish I had a picture of when she tried my Diet Moxie!

The Government Can!

2009-09-03T12:36:00.001-04:00

Wanna join me in Washington DC next weekend?

www.912dc.org

The Taxpayer March – September 12, 2009

Bessie Amelia (Small) Erickson

2009-08-09T00:55:00.007-04:00

No words can adequately express how much I love my Aunt Bessie, and how sad I am to know I won't be able to see her again in this life.
I wonder who is going to feed Walker his hot dog. I am so grateful that our family made the trip to Archer Idaho last year (Click to read that post) to see Aunt Bessie and Uncle Norman. I wanted to make sure my children and their spouses knew them, and I wanted them to know how much they mean to me.Here is her obituary - perhaps it will give you a little insight into this delightful lady and her well lived life.

Bessie Amelia Small Erickson was born Aug. 10, 1916, in East Bucksport, Hancock, Maine. She passed away at her home in Archer on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009. She was 92 years, 11 months and 22 days old.
Her siblings and one grandson preceded her in death.
Her parents, Howard Edwin Small and Janet Beatrice Giberson, died in the 1918 flu epidemic, and her grandparents, William and Maud Small, took the four orphans and raised them.
Her sweetheart, Norman B Erickson, and their six children survive her: Eric Edwin (Beverly) Erickson, Georgia Maria Erickson, Norman Small (Susan) Erickson, Tonya Jean (Gerard) Junkert, Victor Small (Mona) Erickson and Herman Small (Michelle) Erickson.
She never lost her New England accent, which endeared her to family and friends. She loved Archer and her neighbors and living in the West.
In 1939 she left Maine and traveled to Archer. She stayed with her recently married sister Laurel Hacking. When she went to church, a young man named Norman saw her and nudged the fellow next to him in the choir and said, "That's the woman I'm going to marry." Thus East meets West, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 11, 1941. She retired in 1981 from Ricks College, where she worked as a switchboard operator and in the David O McKay Library. She loved her jobs and everyone there.
She and her husband served an LDS mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, from 1981 to 1982. In their family, they have been blessed with 26 members serving full-time missions and five members in the Armed Forces. They also served together for 20 years from 1984 to 2004 as Idaho Falls Temple workers. She was a Young Women leader, Relief Society leader, Primary teacher, dance director and choir member and the ward librarian for 20 years.
She was always positive, happy and was adored by all her family. She was "Grammie" to 31 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, there will be a viewing at Archer Ward from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held at the Archer Ward church Aug. 7 at 11 a.m. with a viewing before from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.flammfh.com. Published in the Rexburg Standard Journal on 8/4/2009

Eric called to let me know what the funeral program was like - there were 130 people who stayed for the family luncheon. I am sure the chapel was full to overflowing. When I heard Eric's message I cried like a baby (yet once again) and was so sad that I couldn't go to Idaho to be with the family. Eric is a dear cousin and I sure do appreciate that he stays in contact with me regularly.

I love you Aunt Bessie. I love you.

Waterfront rules...

2009-08-09T00:05:00.005-04:00

So peaceful in the morningOur visitors came to check out the ropes - I love the loonsProof that not only was I the "gatekeeper" - I even got on the dock to lifeguard.What a view - what a great time.Some of our fearless crew - this picture is missing all the daytimers that came for the day or only for a few days. Barb T. was our fearless leader and what would camp waterfront be without Tom and Ben? Of course I am the one with the megaphone and the clipboard. Ilona (front and center) had the most nicknames (Ilona rhymes with Iguana so I called her Iggy - she was always sweeping so we also called her the sweeper. Tom loved calling her Zena since her last name starts with a Z)The girls had so much fun in the water - the tent was my domain as the "gatekeeper".Kayaks were definitely the most popular watercraft, but we also had canoes, rowboats and sailboats.Ben pulling a train of inflatables.Evelyn proudly serving her meal during "Bishop's Night" - it's a tradition we all love.The camp service missionary - reminds me of the caretakers when the boy scouts owned the camp -always showed up at mealtime! Doesn't he look guilty??? (sorry Mike)YW Camp 2009!

If I were a Pioneer....

2009-08-08T23:39:00.006-04:00

There would be covered wagon riding...

Handcart pulling...
Game playing...

Dutch Oven Cooking...

Picture Taking...Ice Cream Making...Butter Making...Storytelling...And some very curious people in the line at Wendy's wondering what on earth they are carrying in the back of that "covered wagon"! Rochester Ward Pioneer Day July 25, 2009

A great time was had by all :-)

Brimfield

2009-07-16T00:12:00.007-04:00

For a few years now I have wanted to make the trek to Brimfield. "The Antiques and Collectibles Capital of the United States", Brimfield, MA is the host to thousands of dealers and tens of thousands of people three weeks every year - always in May, July and September. Brimfield is a sleepy little town with a population of 2,000 - but watch out during show weeks!

I left with a little cash in my pocket, and my trusty little point and shoot - knowing I would likely have more fun taking pictures than actually buying anything.I kept saying "I have one of those in the attic" - "I have that", "I remember that", "I wonder where I put that"...you get the drift. It was kind of like spending six hours in my house/garage/attic! I am pretty sure I could have my own mini-Brimfield, thanks to Larish and our Maine Packrat ways.

There are dozens of fields lined up with dealer after dealer selling every kind of antique and collectible imaginable. This cow was watching the last field very carefully, wondering when her field was going to be invaded by dealers. She was giving everybody what for too - mooing like crazy.I couldn't help but love this little girl in the food court - she was crying because she wanted to see her Grammie!
I loved this crazy painted Oak piece (and somehow never noticed that great jar until just now!)...You could get sterling - love these bundles tied with ribbon.
I hear they need a few extra hands at Girls Camp this year...
Or maybe a sign for the kitchen...
You could also outfit a marching band, or even an entire high school from the seventies! Click on the picture for a closer look...I love the old tubas...
I was the Lead Majorette in high school, but a guy was the Drum Major so I didn't have one of these hats:All in all, I spent $5 to park and a few dollars for lunch and water - but otherwise got away with a new appreciation for all that junk in my attic. Next show is September 8-13, anyone want to get away for the day?

Fettucine Alfredo, Red and White Mustaches

2009-07-07T15:37:00.003-04:00

Compliments of the Food Nanny:

Alfredo Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream (you can use fat free half and half - if you really want to)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and ground black pepper

1 pound uncooked fettuccine

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often, while you cook the pasta. If the sauce needs additioonal thickening (for example if you're serving it as a dipping sauce without pasta), you may sprinkle in flour, 1 tsp. at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency.
2. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain.
3. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss the sauce and the pasta in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Serve with a tossed green salad and hot French bread or bread sticks.

I should add

5. go on South Beach Diet and swear off this ridiculouly fattening recipe forever.

I use the alfredo sauce in this recipe:

Red-and-white Mostaccioli
(serves 10-12)
1 pound uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta
1 Alfredo Sauce Recipe
1 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (or 3 cups homemade sauce), divided
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain.
3. Meanwhile, prepare Alfredo Sauce
4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 pan. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaiining pasta, alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

Serve with a tossed greed salad and Italian or French bread.

And of course

6. Do not eat if you are on the South Beach Diet.

Moose River Trip - Scott's Pictures

2009-07-07T15:16:00.005-04:00

A few more pics taken by the amazing Scott:

The above is of when we first started out - I love the fog on the water.

When we were lined up like this - one canoe following another - we kept thinking "It's a small world after all" and it sometimes felt like we were stuck on a Disneyworld ride - only it was not motorized.

Here is that great fisherman shot I missed with my camera:

Ron and Janet did stay in the boat for the most part:Sometimes I paddled:

Sometimes I hung on for dear life:

This picture makes me think of Steve Earl's song "Sparkle and Shine":

Look at these clouds:

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

We just love the two young men that came with us - Scott and Jeff you are the best!

OK I think this is the final post on the trip. Hope you enjoyed our mini vacation! Just wait until next year!!!

Third Day June 27 - Holeb Falls to Attean Landing

2009-07-01T23:21:00.018-04:00

Yep that's right, this is a 34 mile round trip adventure! It is called the bow trip because the map looks like a bow, as in bow and arrow. We don't backtrack and we end up where we started. Here's a map to show you the route:

OK On with the third day.

As I ended the last post - it IS amazing what a good night's sleep can do for an attitude. I woke up saying "Let's hit those rips!"

It didn't last long. But I did get a little braver, asked Scottif he would take me down them and he agreed, In our morning prayer, Ron prayed long and hard that I would be brave, and I prayed that I would know when I should NOT go down. It worked and all in all it was a great day with no more anxiety!Although I did hold on for dear life!Janet, Maryellen and Barb all paddled through the rips.Tyler has the most athletic yet graceful paddle technique I have ever seen. I loved when we were behind them because I loved watching him paddle.After an exciting ride down Mosquito Rips and Spencer Rips - we had time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The last day was no doubt the best day because we all got enough sleep the night before. It was great weather and we really enjoyed all the river had to offer.

Barb did a good job paddling Jeff down the river :-)

Janet has the prettiest paddling technique of the girls (in my humble opinion)

We even stopped to share an ICE COLD Diet Coke - aaaaaaaaaaaah.

It wasn't long before we heard the familiar rush of the river and knew we had arrived at Attean Falls. This is a double set of rapids and is a familiar place to those who have wiped out on this trip before. There are two sets of falls and the first one was a piece of cake - long and fun and everyone did fine running it. The second was bit more tricky. I got out to take a look and Jeff and Barb ran it just fine - but Jeff's advice to me was to stay on shore, which I gratefully followed!
Ron and Janet came next and this is what I saw when I rounded the corner:

Hey what is Janet doing swimming?

And why is Ron clinging to that canoe?

This is my favorite picture of the whole trip! Look at that water!
Scott and Jeff bringing the infamous #13 through the falls....

Maryellen and Tyler made it through just fine, although perplexed why on earth
Ron and Janet got out of the canoe to take a swim...

Where's that first aid kit?

Lots of bailing and a couple of bandaids later...

we were on our way.
Back into the boat!

Yep, that's where they biffed it...

On the road again, leaving the falls and headed for Attean Lake...

The river widened out and pretty soon we were on the Lake again.The storms chased us out of there and the lake got very choppy, but we made it back to shore in record time!Back at shore, packing up
Jeff and Barb paddled together the last day...so that Scott could convince me to stay in the canoe!
Yummy dinner and bathrooms in Jackman Maine. We really didn't want the party to end so we went out to eat before we headed home.

Evidence of wildlife: On the way home we saw a beautiful bull moose with a big rack - and I SWEAR to you he is right here in these woods. Maybe YOU can't see him, but we all know he is in there!We did see this moose on the road, and Barb and Jeff saw a mom and baby moose in the river. We saw loons, ducks, an eagle, snakes, fish, crows - and I saw a red fox on the shortcut through the woods on the way home! There was also a racoon that enjoyed a meal at our last campsite compliments of the boys cooler with no latch. Oh yeah, and speaking of wildlife, Scott and I rounded a corner on the river and came across a woman naked from the waist up. That was pretty wild.WE DID IT LADIES!!! WE DID IT!

Day Two June 26: Portage, Holeb Pond to Holeb Falls

2009-07-01T17:00:00.005-04:00

The morning portage was the most eventful. By now we are exhausted and portaging wasn't really the best way to start our day, in spite of a yummy breakfast of pancakes and bacon by our great cook Ron. We broke camp, packed our bags, and started the long trip back and forth to get everything to the other side. I have a new appreciation for the warning to pack light!That pack weighed over 40 pounds! We made it about one third of the way, and put down all the extra stuff to return and pick up on the second trip. I wish I had more pictures of this portage but this shot of moose tracks will have to do. We saw two large snakes the day before in this same spot by the railroad tracks.Long story short: we carried and hauled and hefted and hiked and hiked and it about killed us. No really, it did. I wish I captured a few of the funny tragic things that happened on the trail, like when Jeff hefted the cooks box up on his shoulder and it flew right over his shoulder and opened in the mud - spreading its contents about in the forest. Yeah, that was funny. And no one witnessed Janet falling just before getting to Holeb Pond. She was sure we would find her covered with mosquitos and eaten alive. Luckily, she managed to get to her feet - 50 pound pack, Homer, and all!

And again, Scott and Jeff were great traveling (and portaging) mates, helping and offering their wit and muscle to make the trip a little more fun. The old guys were pretty darn helpful too. I have a new respect and appreciation for both Tyler and Ron.(I thought maybe I should show a shot of Jeff working - even though this is out of order and taken at the beginning of our trip:-))

Oh, and by the way, the P word (portage) is a swear word for all of us now.

Once again we had beautiful weather for our paddle across Holeb Pond - a short 3 1/4 miles. The boys fished, Barb and I stopped to even our load hoping to get the cursed canoe with the number 13 on it to paddle straight, and we all ended up on this little beach for a break before going on to the river.We paddled on Holeb Stream for about a mile...Then entered the Moose River.A rare shot of Jeff paddling (it was staged for a photo op!):Sorry Jeff :-)

Now I don't really have pictures of the next 8 1/4 miles of River. Like I said, we were pretty tired and it was just paddle paddle paddle around the next corner. And the next corner. And the next corner.

Until we came to Camel Rips.

We had paddled about 3 & 3/4 miles down the Moose River when we heard the rushing water. For some reason it caught us all off guard a little, I think because the water was so high. Tyler and Maryellen went over the rips first, a little rocky but they made it through just fine. Next Ron and Janet went through and again, made it fine, even a little smoother than Ty and Maryellen.

I was having a bit of a hard time getting up the courage to go down, and then the boys came along and they shot right through it.

Remember that breakdown I mentioned yesterday? Yep, it was me. I freaked out and COULD NOT GET MYSELF TO GO DOWN THOSE RIPS! I was SO MAD at myself, but I just couldn't do it. And when I get mad...I cry. Oh my gosh, right there on the river, right there in front of everyone, I choked it back until it just came flooding out. Jeff and Scott rescued us, taking Barb down the rips and I walked over the rocks on the side and got in the canoe down river.

Ugh, how embarassing. Sue Kane, wimping out. Unheard of, but true. I walked around Camel Rips.

Oh well, its done and over with now. There was at least one more area that had a little quick water over some rocks and I made it through those - but not without some anxiety and raw nerves. For the rest of the day, all anyone had to say was the word RIPS and I was in tears. Dang it!

Now I am going to talk in code for a minute for those of us on the trip. Let's say that going over CAMEL RIPS was a MOVING experience for one of us, and a stop with Homer was in order. Killer mosquitos, soft sand, moose tracks, and a hole in the bucket is all I'm gonna say about that. "Like I needed that" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Funniest moment of the entire trip!

We paddled the rest of the way to the PORTAGE (yes I just used a swear word) to the campsite near Holeb Falls. This portage was "short" and "easy" according to the guys - all down hill. They forgot to mention the uphill part, and the STEEP downhill. But we survived and made it to our campsite.

Does this look like a woman having a nervous breakdown?Did you know that if you try to lick the peanut butter off a knife while wearing this thing you get peanut butter all over the mesh?

I secured the campsite while everyone went to do a second trip on the "short" portage.
We got things arranged and this was definitely a fun night of camping, in spite of the killer mosquitos and other bugs that were VICIOUS.
Janet hiking to see Holeb Falls. The water was too high and we couldn't get across to get to the viewpoint. Bummer!The boys helped Ron get the fire roaring before dinner.Our awesome cook prepared beans, burgers, hot dogs, and yummy snacks like chips and salsa. Once again Ron outdid himself with another great meal.We relaxed by the fire and goofed off a bit. We all were looking forward to bedtime this night.Maryellen and Tyler were having a good time. Crazy kids. We bathed in this lovely area and later listened to the rushing water as it lulled us to sleep that night. Well, that and Tylenol PM, my new best friend. It is amazing what a good night's sleep can do for your attitude!

Day One June 25: Attean Lake and the Portage

2009-07-01T01:44:00.012-04:00

This is a distance shot of Attean Lake. When we saw this we were a little overwhelmed at the adventure we were about to experience! How amazing is this!

The men couldn't believe their ears when we said we could be up and ready to leave by 7 am - and athough we had a sleepless night of anticipation - we were!

At the lake waiting for the canoes by 7:30!Attean Landing Boat Launch

Luckily this fog burned off and we could find our way across the lake. It ended up being a beautiful day.Loading up the canoes and saying goodbye to our cell phones and modern conveniences for three days! (Please note that Homer is prominently featured in the above two photos! Homer was our best friend on this trip.) And we're off! The menfolk were equipped for fishing along the way.Beautiful sky!The lake was like glass!By 11 AM we were at the beach after a 4 & 3/4 mile paddle getting ready to set up camp.
Don't we look ready?Inflatable air mattresses were brought along for extra padding at night - but luckily we had four! The girls hopped in the water using the floaties to relax once camp was set up. It was awesome! I would show a picture but would have to shoot you if you saw it - so no pic of the delightful floating scene, only this one of us inflating the little lovelies. We were convinced the whole trip would be this idyllic - HA! While we floated, the menfolk hit the waters to catch delicious trout for dinner! (You will have to imagine this because for some reason I didn't get a picture of the fisherman - but they looked like they could have been on the cover of Today's Fisherman. I missed a real photo op - but you know, I was out on a floatie.)

The sky started looking ominous and it poured buckets while Ron, Tyler and I took the first portage trip with a canoe. Well, Ron and Tyler took the canoe, I carried paddles, wheels, etc and occasionally helped them heft the canoe up on their soldiers. We got soaked! We had a portage cart that would only work for about 1/3 of the way because the path got too rugged. (2 & 1/2 miles round trip)
Ron did a great job of cooking breakfasts and delicious dinners for us every day. The first day we had BBQ chicken, Venison, Corn on the Cob, Baked Potatoes, and that is FRESHLY CAUGHT trout in the foil. All that after the girls kept the fire burning waiting for us to return from the first portage, so Ron could prepare this delightful feast. Doesn't it look yummy?

More portaging. And only the FIRST DAY of portaging. The path was rugged - hilly - lots of roots, rocks, and mud! There were many places where the trail crossed wetlands and there were slippery planks to cross.Did I mention the mud?A long walk down the tracks with a heavy load on our (their) backs.I should mention that the two youngsters on the trip - Scott and Jeff - made this portage look like child's play. OK maybe not that easy, but they tossed those canoes around like they were featherweight and managed two trips with canoes on the first day. Many thanks go to them for their muscles, youth, and brawn!

We spent some time in our tent playing the alphabet game before turning in for the night.I guess I might as well confess that it was another sleepless night. I prayed might hard for a little shut eye - and was blessed to sleep soundly from 1-3 AM while it thundered and the lightning lit up the sky. But the 3 am trip we all took with Homer out to the woods woke us up and once Ron started banging around acting like a bear in the woods at 4:30 am - that was the end of our attempt at slumber. Thankfully we didn't sleep on the beach like Jeff and Scott - I would have freaked if a snake had tried to take up residence in the warm sand under my tent!

Now, as you prepare for tomorrow's post - remember - 4 women, in the woods, no shower, no potty except for Homer, and no sleep, not to mention all after a day of hard work. Which one of us had the breakdown?

The Cast of Characters

2009-06-29T00:52:00.005-04:00

Tyler: "Big Mac" The River Guide

Maryellen "Wilderness Woman"

Ron: "Cookie"

Janet: "Crash"

Barb: "Girlie Girl"
Sue: "The Mainah called Precious"
Scott: "Lifesaver"

Jeff: "Big Daddy"
and last but definitely not least...

Homer: "The Potty Bucket"

Tons of Fun

2009-06-29T00:36:00.005-04:00

Some of you may have been wondering what the last two posts were about...

For three days last week - I went into the wilds of Maine with a group of friends for the adventure of a lifetime. Believe me - ONCE in a lifetime!

There will be a few posts explaining our trip - but here is a peak at the group and the beautiful country we explored!

The fearless (we look pretty good after 34 miles of self propelled travel!):

What we did:

What we saw:

Keep watching for more info to come!

How on earth...

2009-06-23T01:07:00.004-04:00

Does one pack

Pants
Shirts
Socks
Windbreaker
Fleece
Hat
More socks
PJs
thermals
swimsuit
shorts
towel
poncho
sleeping bag
sleeping pad
underwear
sneakers
(tiny) pillow
minimal toiletries
food
snacks
water
diet coke
diet coke
diet coke
something to pee in
bug fighters of every kind
sunscreen
lots of ibuprofren
miscellaneous etc.

into (or attached to, hanging from etc etc.) a waterproof pack that one can portage 1.25 miles in the wilderness?

I hope by Wednesday at noon that I have figured it out!

Only TWO MORE DAYS!

Six days...

2009-06-20T01:23:00.000-04:00

How Grammie gets to be the favorite...

2009-06-17T02:38:00.005-04:00

My Grammie is the coolest!
She leaves the pantry door open for me to go exploring!
Oh boy is this going to be fun!See? She bought this big bag of rice for my Aunt Hezzie, and now she is letting me play with it!
Hmmmmmmmmm, what else is in here?
Oh man, I might be in trouble now...
Nope, Grammie is laughing and pointing that camera at me again!
What are these things anyway?
They are way too crunchy for me, right Grammie?
(posted by Olivia)

I <3 SWA

2009-06-17T02:00:00.005-04:00

Yes I do - I LOVE Southwest Airlines. It isn't often in this day and age when you hear someone say they love ANYTHING about an airline.I know some people hate the cattle call of standing in your "assigned" place in line - and we sure hated the fact that we were up in the High Uintahs when we were supposed to be getting our boarding passes online last Friday. We ended up in the dreaded C line and knew our fate - middle seats on the first leg of the flight home.

We begged to be bumped in SLC and eke one more day out of our "vacation" (I use that term loosely) but it was a no go - there was ONE empty seat on the plane so we got on the plane nearly dead last - but to our surprise both got aisle seats.

Then in Phoenix (is that really on the way home?) we heard the call for those willing to get bumped. Checking it out we learned we wouldn't get home until the next afternoon and the bump included no hotel room. We held our ground and got ready to take our place in the dreaded C line. They kept asking for 2 volunteers, but we accepted the fact that I had to get home for seminary graduation, so we were getting on the plane. At the last minute, I asked a new lady behind the desk what they could do for us, and she found a way to get us home the next morning - AND promised a hotel room! Score! Enough SWA credit for two or more tickets - a free night in a hotel, AND home in time for graduation!

The plan was to fly us to Baltimore, put us up for the night, and we would catch the first flight home in the morning. As it turned out - after the door closed on our flight - that they couldn't get us on the Baltimore flight. Larish in his wisdom requested a flight to Philly - and not only did we score all that credit - we got to visit these two delightful young'uns along with their mom and pop!And that my friends, is why I <3 SWA!

Sneak Peek

2009-06-13T02:25:00.004-04:00

After 10 glorious days with these lovelies...

Quiz question:Do we look exhausted?

Heidi and Ian

2009-06-09T03:15:00.007-04:00

I was privileged to help out Heidi and Ian with their wedding - we had a great time and they are a beautiful couple. I thought I would post a few pics here that I took at the temple. It was a beautiful day!

So glad when weddings bring family members home!Beautiful wedding party! These ladies had a great time!

Mr. and Mrs.

The beautiful bride!For the real deal - check out the Photographers blog: Perkes Photography!

Choo Choo Train

2009-06-09T02:46:00.006-04:00

Ever since moving to Philly, Alexander has admired a tour book of the area that was in the back pocket by his car seat. He always turned to the picture of the train and asked when he could go there. We decided to make it a fun family outing to the Strasbourg Railroad - a 45 minute train ride through the Amish country in Lancaster County PA. It was a beautiful day and we had an awesome time.

The train was a little intimidating up close.

We rode the open coach car for fun.
Lil rode the whole way with the wind in her hair, hanging onto the rail and watching the sites! She is a lot like her Grammie!
The scenery was beautiful with rolling hills - cows grazing, amish buggies on side roads, people waving as we rolled by.
Amish boys working on the farm alongside the tracks.
Xander LOVED his train ride!On our way out we had to stop at the car from the "Boston and Maine Railroad" for a picture.

Any day the sun is shining and we are with the grandkids - is a BEAUTIFUL day!

Dr. Boston

2009-06-09T02:02:00.007-04:00

I am so glad we made a last minute decision to trek to Pennsylvania a few weekends ago. It was the white coat ceremony at the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University where Kel's hubby Brian is a student. He has completed 2 years of study and was honored by being "coated" before he actually treats live patients - his first patient was today!Apparently even good photographers have a hard time getting good indoor shots - but my shaky hand makes it even more difficult.

The ceremony was held in the Great Court in Mitten Hall. It was a beautiful setting with this amazing ceiling - and beautiful windows at the front of the room (making it more difficult to get good pics!)The line up of white coats before the ceremony begins.There was a giant 2011 in the foyer with student names and pictures from their class.There are a few familiar names on the "two"

It was so difficult to get a "live" shot of Kelley coating Brian - this is the best I could do. I guess it wouldn't have been appropriate to ask the school's Dean to move so I could get a better shot. Brian is bent over a bit and Kelley is in a blue dress, see her there? The Dean is smack dab in the middle of them :-)
A re-creation for the blog!
The students reciting the oath.
A few good looking students and their wives/families. The future of dentistry - right here.
Kel got a few congrats kisses in.
The Dr. and his Mrs.
Maybe not quite yet a Doctor of Dentistry - but he sure looks impressive!

Brian kept referring to this ceremony as "no big deal" - but it really was! Congratulations Brian! We love you and are very proud of you.

Blubbering like a flu stricken baby...

2009-05-03T23:21:00.013-04:00

Some of you might have seen me blubbering like a baby in church today and wonder why on earth I was so distraught.

First of all, Shelby presented me with a gift of a framed picture that she took of this precious little one:

(not the photo Shelby took, but I was too lazy to scan that one in...)

Honestly, who could not be overcome with joyous emotion upon seeing that beautiful face?

And then someone mentioned the FLU word - mercy me - right there in Sacrament Meeting, and that was all it took. The blubbering commenced full force - and the closest thing I could find in my purse to a facial tissue was an athletic sock - thankfully a clean one that was housing my camera.

I am a little concerned about this flu. Not panicked, just concerned. I watch, and I wait, and I prepare. I am not worried about dying, but I sure don't want to get sick. Ugh, who does? I am wondering what everyone is going to do when they go to the store and there has been a run on ibuprofen like the run on surgical masks that happened this week!

Heather (my school teacher daughter) hasn't had school since April 29th, and won't go back to work until at least May 11th - with a confirmed case of the flu in Park City and more pending tests coming (one a sibling of three of her students - tested negative). All LDS church services were cancelled there this week as well.

You see, with all this talk of a flu pandemic, I can't help but reflect on the great flu pandemic of 1918. I pulled this bookoff the shelf this week to remind me of how awful** it was - and also to reconfirm what I already knew - that it was a strain of swine flu that took the lives of an estimated 40 million young and healthy people.

**I will spare you the gruesome details of how awful it was, but if you read on page 4 of the book - you will see it was MORE THAN AWFUL - to die of this flu was...well...it was like the plague. Just HORRIFYING. To quote the book: "Some who lived through it said it was so horrible that they would not even talk about it." I don't like to think about it.

Nothing drives me crazier than to hear someone say "What is the big deal? Thousands of people die of the flu every year." Dying from the Swine Flu of 1918 was definitely NOT like dying from the ordinary flu.

It appears that the current swine flu (or the more politically correct H1N1 virus) is missing a gene that makes it different than the 1918 flu. I also hear that this flu seems to be attacking the young and healthy, so there are similarities.

To quote the book jacket: "Children were left orphaned and families were devastated. More American soldiers were killed by the 1918 flu than were killed in battle during World War I. And no area of the globe was safe. Eskimos living in remote outposts in the frozen tundra succumbed to the flu in such numbers that entire villages were wiped out."

Yes, children were left orphaned...

Joy (my dad), Laurel, Bessie and Valeda Small

"But in 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic felled the young and healthy virtually overnight."

Yes indeed it did.

My grandfather Howard Edwin (29 May 1888-25 Oct 1918) and my grandmother Janet Beatrice Giberson Small (24 April 1890-20 Oct 1918)

My grandmother was only 28 years old - my grandfather was 30 years old. My Dad was 4 1/2, Aunt Laurel was 3, Aunt Bessie was 2, and Aunt Valeda was 3 WEEKS OLD when the flu took the life of their beloved parents. When Grandmother Janet took sick (a well meaning visitor to greet the new baby brought the virus into the home) - Grandfather Howard rushed home from working "in the county" (Aroostook for you non-Mainahs) - and it is believed that he was exposed to the virus on the train. They died 5 days apart. Think of this timeline - Oct 20 Janet dies, Oct 22 Janet is buried, Oct 25 Howard dies, Oct 27 Howard is buried. Unthinkable.

Can you imagine a little boy only 4 1/2 being told "Now you are the man of the house."

Only there was no house. No home. They were ORPHANS.

There were so many orphans, and so few people to take them in. I have a friend whose mother was a young teenager, and she went to work and lived in a boarding house when her parents died.

The only solution was to break this little family apart and divide the children up - but that was unacceptable to my GREAT-grandparents (ages 60 and 50 at the time) - so they took the children in and kept the family together:

My great-grandfather William Lois Small, my great-grandmother Maud Faustena Hapworth Small, my great-aunt Georgia Etta Small Ward with her husband great-uncle Herbert Leslie Ward and the four children - orphans no more!

I must say the four children look less than thrilled in this picture - kind of like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. I know they had a very happy childhood thanks to loving grandparents. Thinking about my father being raised by people born in 1858 and 1868 helped me to later understand why on earth he was so strict.

The only "Grammie" I knew was great aunt Georgia - my dad called her Auntie but to us she was Grammie. By the time my dad was 29 years old he had lost both grandparents. So young to lose so many important people in his life. Auntie and Uncle Herbert played a very important role in their nephew and nieces lives. Aunt Bessie is the last sibling still living - now age 92.

So, I wonder about my grandparents. Who were they? What were their dreams and aspirations? What were they like? One day I will meet them, and I know I will love them dearly. For now, I have a picture, but know very little about them. I miss them, and yet how do you miss someone that you don't know?

I think what life would be like if I didn't have these precious gems in my life and I can't bear the thought. I am so grateful that I am in their life!

These nine people mean the world to me and more!

And yet, I know, this life is but a moment, and one day we will all be together - one big happy family.

So take that, Mr. Flu. You will not win, after all.

Families ARE forever!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T00:17:00.007-04:00

Instructions to make your own May Basket at Alpha Mom

May Day was one of my favorite days of the year! We always celebrated the first day of May with handmade May Baskets that we delivered to our friends in the neighborhood.

It was so fun to fashion the baskets from clean used milk cartons and brightly colored crepe paper. We fashioned a handle to hang the basket on the door knob. The baskets featured freshly picked wildflowers.

Delivery was the highlight - we would arrive at our friends homes - take the basket to the door, ring the bell (only usually we knocked cause us Mainers didn't have those fancy doorbells for the most part...) and then we would

RUN!

The receiver of the basket would come to the door and run to try and catch us.

My favorite part of the chase was the catch. Depending upon who it was of course. Because upon catching the giver - a kiss would be planted squarely on the cheek.

Now if you happened to have a school girl crush on the receiver - ah it was heaven, that kiss. By then - your heart was pumping from the NOT - SO - FAST running you did (you know, so the boy could really catch you) - and the kiss - manna from Heaven I tell you.

I think May Baskets are a tradition that should continue. What do you think?

You gotta see this one!

2009-05-01T00:14:00.001-04:00

The latest from my favorite utah wedding videographer - it just gets better and better!

.andrea + jason. Canon 5D Mark II from Denver Riddle on Vimeo.

Create Part II: Sometimes I fear sewing night...

2009-04-27T11:26:00.005-04:00

This is what happens when Barb can't come to sewing night:

Come back Barb! We miss you...

Oh and we always bring super glue to sewing night, to patch up the rugs in the cultural hall.

Starring Shelby, a barren tree...

2009-04-26T22:26:00.006-04:00

Tonight I went to our Stake Musical Production....Presentation...Thingy?

I know lots of people really love Michael McLean's The Garden, I even have the CD. Nonetheless, I have discovered I am not too big on Allegorical Oratorios.

You know, the kind with singing trees, plants that don't grow, ensnared rams that mess up, and stones that are dead inside.

But I DO love the tree. The barren olive tree. Because she sings like a BEAUTIFUL BIRDIE. That's my Shelby. She is amazing, and I could listen to her sing day and night. So, I go to Allegorical Oratorios so I can hear her sing.

The first highlight of the evening for me was when my friend Linda stood up on the conductor's box and I realized she was the musical director. Things were looking up and no one had opened their mouths yet.

The second highlight was Bridget from Sanford, who sings like an angel. I felt sad that she couldn't grow and feel the sun.

The third highlight was a young man from Methuen who just might be the next American Idol. OK maybe not but the name David Archuleta did cross my mind. He was pretty good.

Ah, but the best, the very best, the bestest of all, was our dear sweet Shelby. She sings with HEART AND SOUL, and I loved every note, every musical expression. I felt sad that she was a barren tree, and elated when that was overcome.

Other than that, well... it was a great message if you like that kind of thing.

I guess I prefer Book of Mormon Road Show, Seminary video kind of talent, like this...

Just call me shallow...

Create

2009-04-19T23:49:00.005-04:00

We had a great lesson in Relief Society last week centered on President Uchtdorf's talk last fall. I love this video!

Easter Thoughts on Christ

2009-04-11T22:10:00.008-04:00

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

"I Stand All Amazed", Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, no. 193
Text and music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932

The Bunnies

2009-04-08T20:15:00.004-04:00

Click here for part one.
Click here for part two.
Click here for part three.

Probably my favorite Easter gift was the bunnies. There was one for me, and one for my brother. We went to the breeder up the road, and he let us choose our Easter bunnies. He checked to make sure we got two girls, and off we went with our favorite gift of all time. I still remember the soft fur, the pure whiteness, the little nose that wiggled, the long ears that perked up when I came around. I loved these bunnies!

After a time the cage got a little crowded. Hmmmmm, two girl bunnies and now we have 12 bunnies! How did that happen?

My poor mother didn’t know what to do, so after the first batch, she let them loose on our porch, where they would all fit.

And now…53 bunnies? 186 bunnies? 496 bunnies? 34682 bunnies? Yep that is how bunnies duplicate. You know, like rabbits. They had outgrown the porch long ago, so my mom just let them run wild. And run they did. Our property was a SEA of bunnies. Hundreds and hundreds of bunnies! They got big and fat, and stayed white. They were powerful, and strong, and just a little scary. We had been taken over by bunnies!

I remember driving down the road, and approaching my house from a mile away – road kill bunnies. Driving into the driveway at night was so fun – watching the bunnies part like the red sea when we drove in and the lights hit them.

It became a priority to get rid of the bunnies, but what on earth could we do?

A hobo that lived in a shack up the road volunteered to help get rid of the bunnies. He could eat well, and we would be rid of the problem. I will never forget the sight of two old shaggy men, running around our yard with burlap sacks, trying to catch those bunnies! They would open the sack, run around like crazy, jump and land on their bellies, and away would run the bunny! At the end of the day – very tired old men, with no bunnies in their sacks.

My dad finally did take care of the bunnies. Maybe you don’t need to know, but he was a card carrying member of the NRA, I am sure.

I am pretty sure the novelty of animals as Easter gifts was over for my parents, and we were happy with marshmallow peeps and jelly beans from then on.

Happy Easter!

My Baby Lamb Called Easter

2009-04-07T20:02:00.004-04:00

Click here for part one

Click here for part two

One year the gift was none other than a little lamb! Such a sweet, white, soft, cuddly little lamb! I loved this little lamb. Snuggly, loveable little lamb. I was in heaven. I named my baby lamb Easter. PERFECT name for a perfect little lamb.

One fine summer day, my mom planned an outing to outdo any before. Because we lived in the country and didn’t have a second car – an outing was no small thing. She arranged for the Greyhound Bus to stop at our house and take us to the city - 18 miles away! There we would shop in the large department store Freese’s, the city shoe store and ride home with my Dad at the end of his work day. Because we were going to the CITY, that meant we got all dressed up in our finest dresses. We were decked to the nines. Let me repeat, this was A.VERY.BIG.DEAL.

Remember that sweet little lamb? By now, it was a cute baby RAM lamb, and I still loved him. I went out in the field to play with my lamb while waiting for the bus. I turned to return to the house.

Watch out! Here comes Easter! He decided to charge me. Head down, he came flying up the field and BAM hit me below the knees, knocking me to the ground. And the Ram, well he got away scot free! In spite of ramming my ankle to the point of breaking it, again I was the one in trouble! I ruined the outing! I ruined my dress! Why oh why did I go out into the field to play with my lamb!

Ooooooooooooh I can't wait to tell you about the bunnies...

The Chicks

2009-04-06T20:48:00.006-04:00

Click here for the intro...

I vaguely remember the chicks, I must have been very young. I remember a cardboard box, a light bulb for heat, and lots and lots of peeping. Peep peep peep peep peep peep. That’s where the marshmallow variety get their name, you know. The live ones are noisy! Little fluffy chicks grow to egg laying hens. Everyone knows that fertilized eggs are better, so we of course had to have a rooster. And this is where the sweet Easter story takes a nasty turn.

I was all dressed up in my Easter finery, and in those days it included everything from white patent leather shoes to a glorious hat and white gloves to match. I followed my mom out to the shed where the animals were kept.

Apparently, my finery appeared a threat to the rooster, who proceeded to attack me and knock me to the ground. Let me rephrase that. The hen manure covered shed floor. There that’s more descriptive. The rooster proceeded to attack me in all my manure covered Easter finery until I was quite the sight.
Man was my mom mad. In a perfect world she would have channeled that anger toward the rooster, but alas, it was the little girl that didn’t belong in the hen house that faced her wrath. I ruined Easter! I ruined my finery! Why oh why did I follow my mom into the hen house!

You would think my parents would re-think Easter gifts, but oh no…

Watch Out! Here Comes Easter!

2009-04-05T23:36:00.005-04:00

Proof that I was a child once...

I grew up in the era when Easter meant gifts of chicks and bunnies and lambs, and not of the stuffed variety. No sir – we got the real deal! Almost every Easter we got a gift of new life. We lived on a “gentleman’s farm” out in the country – but on a main road. We always had animals and gardens, and even a farm stand where we sold the fresh veggies we raised. So Easter animals fit right in.

I think I should introduce you to some of them...

...to be continued

Fatty Fatty Fat Club

2009-04-05T21:20:00.007-04:00

So I've gone and done it. I've joined one of those fat clubs. You know the ones, where you pretend you are on "The Biggest Loser" and you are gonna get rich if you lose the most.

OK I think the winner might take home $60 or $70, but what the heck, if it motivates us, then that is great.

It was the great idea of a friend of mine, and few of us are getting together every week to weigh in, pay a little money, take turns giving a little presentation/pep talk.

I missed the first meeting because I had a previous engagement, but I got the word on how it all went down. My friend "Not-so-fat" did the presentation. She gave us all notebooks to record our progress, and every week we have to write down a goal for the week to give us something to work on and keep us motivated.

How is it going you say?

Well, the next morning, after Fatty Fatty Fat Club, I was contemplating the goal I would write down if I had my notebook. I chose two goals and was debating which to start with. Hmmmmmm what shall it be? Should I stop picking up an ice cold diet coke every morning at Cumberland Farms on my way to work? OR, should I just say NO FAST FOOD. That would be a good one.

I was so deep in thought that on auto pilot, I pulled into C-Farms and picked up my morning addiction (think ice cold). I continued to consider that I could still make that my goal. I mean, after all, I haven't written it down yet.

On the way to work I discovered I was STARVING (because in actuality it was more like 1 in the afternoon). Remember I was still debating between NO Diet Coke at C-Farms, or No Fast Food. I could just go to work and pop open a can of soup to get me through the day, right?

Next thing I know, I am pulling away from Dunkin Donuts, munching on the most disgusting grilled cheese flatbread piece of grossness. I finished it, every last disgusting bite.
So, what do you think my goal should be? I am taking all suggestions. My first thought is that I should write down

"Week One Goal: No debating over goals. Pick one and stick with it."

I think I better write that down...

Craft of the Week

2009-03-31T11:27:00.004-04:00

I am thinking I should do a craft of the week project. This week I should be working on Heather's pillows for her new old chair, but instead I am tempted to recreate this...Hooray! The girls are crawling.Couldn't you just scrunch these two up and love 'em till the cows come home?!?!?!?!

Couponing 101

2009-03-29T02:08:00.002-04:00

Last night the big guy and I went on a date. We debated the merits of movies, mallwalking or just going home and vegging. But I had a plan. We were going to play the coupon game!

I had read a couple of couponing blogs with tips on saving a ton of money at Target, so off we went.

I got a great big jar of Pace Picante Sauce...for free!

Oh, and 2 cans of Campbells Cream of Chicken soup.

It took us 1 1/2 hours of wandering around Target to size up the bargains and save over $18. And for the most part, it was all stuff we needed or would use in the near future. Except maybe the Cheetos. We didn't really need those.

By the end, Larry was tired of playing and asked me if Target sold chairs. At first I thought he was hit by the decorating bug, then realized he was just looking for a place to sit down.

I then dragged him across the street to WalMart. We saved another $8 plus there.

When you factor in how much dinner cost at the 99, I think the date cost us about $2o. Not bad! Somehow, I can't picture us adopting this as our Friday night ritual.

Addicted

2009-03-25T09:06:00.006-04:00

almostbunnies

You know I am prone to addictions...

like this

and now I have discovered this...

Oh how I love these Expedit shelves from IKEA!

I don't have any, but I can picture them in Katie's living room, or Heathers Dining Room, or my office/creative space...you know, the imaginary office/creative space I have yet to put together...

I love love love them.

Blog-a-holic

2009-03-20T00:30:00.003-04:00

This one is for you, Bethie...

French Baguettes

2009-03-16T20:45:00.005-04:00

This is a really quick bread - 1 hour tops. It is great with any meal and also makes awesome French Toast. It is even better made in a baguette pan - but I don't have one. Oh well.

1 1/2 cups warm water (total amount you will use) ***Think of body temperature of 98.6 - you want your water to feel warmer than your body temp, but not HOT - you want it to be 105 - 115 degrees.
1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast (that is 2 packets)
2 tsp. sugar, divided
3 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (or whatever flour is in your cupboard!)
2 tsp. salt
Melted butter for brushing on loaves if you wish.

In a small bowl (I use the 1 cup liquid measure) combine 1/2 cup warm water, the yeast, and 1 tsp. of the sugar. Stir just to combine and cover with a plate sitting on top of your bowl or cup. Let the mixture stand about 5 minutes or until bubbly or foamy.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy duty mixer or food processor, blend the flour, salt, the remaining 1 tsp. of sugar, and the yeast mixture. Gradually add water, up to the remaining 1 cup, and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle. (If the dough ends up too sticky, add a little more flour.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan (or cookie sheet) and place the loaves in the pan. Score the loaves down the middle (make a shallow cut), cover with a dish towel, and let rise in a warm place about 30 minnutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes or until they have a hollow sound when tapped with a knife. If desired, brush the tops of the loaves with butter halfway through baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking.

I went to an enrichment activity in in Kamas Utah where Liz Edmunds did a baking demonstration. You can get her book on Amazon or in any bookstore. I have made many of her recipes and loved them all, including the above recipe for the baguettes. Her son served a mission here in New England back in the early 90's!

Mrs. Hughes

2009-03-06T12:19:00.000-05:00

Heather is Amazing

2009-03-06T12:01:00.005-05:00

Don't you wanna go here?

****I've been told I should edit this post to indicate that Heather is the creator ~ along with the Amazing Art Teacher at The Colby School ~ of this fun exciting new summer camp. Also - the following paragraph is the description that is cut off in the info below it. Hope that makes this clear as mud.****

None of those wimpy popsicle arts & crafts projects and dodgeball games here. Guided by our Art and P.E. teachers, at Camp Colby Extreme kids will explore their wild side. For students entering 5th - 8th grade.

(Some of the above is hidden below so I thought you would want to read the whole thing. Who wouldn't?)

Camp Colby Extreme

Camp Colby Extreme Summer Programs 2009
To register, please come by The Colby School or call (435) 655-3966

Camp Colby Extreme
Starting weeks of June 15th, 22th, 29th
July 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
( no camp July 24th)

Cost per week
$200

Who:

students entering 5th - 8th grade.

When:

8:30 am — 4:00 pm
7 one week sessions
(Camp Colby will be closed July 24th)

What:

Each day kids will divide their time between intense art and amazing activities.

Week 1	Sports on Wheels & Urban Art	Week 4	Rock Climbing & Ceramic Art
Week 2	Creative Dance & Glass Art	Week 5	Water Sports & Watercolor Art
Week 3	Olympic Sports & Action Art	Week 6	Hiking/backpacking & Art Inspired by Nature
Week 7	Extreme Adventures & Abstract/Pop Art

Cold is a relative thing...

2009-03-04T02:55:00.003-05:00

Did I mention we had a little snowstorm yesterday that dumped another 9 inches, and now it is cold....

A little something to lighten the mood around here, and then I am headed to bed...

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. .

65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Maine plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Maine sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Maine drive with the windows down..

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Maine throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Maine have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20 above Zero
People in Miami all die.
Mainers close the windows.

Zero:
Texans fly away to Mexico .
People in Maine get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Maine are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Maine let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Mainers get upset because they can't start the Snow-mobile.

40 below zero :
ALL atomic motion stops .
People in Maine start saying...'Cold enough fer ya?'

50 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Maine public schools will open 2 hours late

Breaking News

2009-03-03T23:48:00.013-05:00

Late night Wal*mart shopper narrowly misses crossfire as two opposing gangs shoot it out in Rochester NH....

Ok that isn't exactly how it went down.

As I told the story to Katie:

I was shopping in Wal*mart, you know, just picking up a few groceries. I NEVER shop in Wal*mart for groceries, but thought I might save a little money on the basics I needed - mustard, brown sugar, chocolate chips (see previous post regarding oatmeal choc chip cookies), oh yes and olive oil. I had seen a sign when entering the store announcing a baby sale so I made my way to the infant department to scout a few bargains for the grandkids.

Did I mention that as I entered the store there were several Wal*mart associates searching fruitlessly for the source of a burning smell near the entrance? Having learned a thing or two from my friend Mma Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, I immediately identified the odor as burned bagels from Dunkin Donuts and referred the associates to the in-store Dunkin Donuts. They assured me it was not that, but later sought me out to let me know that I was indeed correct, it was BURNED BAGELS in Dunkin Donuts. Chalk one up to Precious.

After selecting my groceries and making my way to the baby sale (I didn't see any babies for sale) I heard an argument and shouting ensued at the front of the store. It was quite loud as I was way in the back, but I heard shouting, angry shouting, and lots of cursing - then I heard the distinctive sound of POP, and I knew, that was a gunshot. I could see the front of the store from where I stood and could see what looked to be young men running back and forth and it was craziness up front. Now when I heard the gunshot, I thought to myself, What would Precious do? Then I thought to heck with Precious, I am hiding. I apparently was the only one in the store that thought hiding was necessary, as associates were leisurely putting away stock and joking with each other as they pushed merchandise around on their annoying stock carts. Ever notice how those things are always blocking the aisle? Anyway...

I realized that if the running maniac with the gun (maybe he hated Wal*mart shoppers and was out to get us all?) had chosen to run into the store as opposed to out of the store, he was probably headed straight for the baby section where I would be cornered. (Everyone who knows the baby section in Wal*mart USA knows it always has a corner, where you can easily be cornered and unable to get out. Must be to contain the runaway toddler while mom shops) But I digress.

As I skulk my way out of the corner and to the electronics section, I see REALLY STUPID SHOPPERS heading to the front to figure out what the commotion was. Or to buy a candy bar, who knows. I also hear a frantic announcement over the loudspeaker from the front: Security! We have an emergency! Call 911! (Duh!) Then suddenly some IMPORTANT LOOKING Wal*mart associates go running for the front, and from my hideout I can see there are several other associates running to the registers with concerned looks. I decide electronics is the perfect place to hide and chat it up with the electronics clerk, who is clueless. He tells me he has no walkie talkie, but if we can find someone important enough have one...

A couple of stock clerks walk by and say they think it was just a couple of kids with pop guns. That shows what ASSUME gets you.

I continue to skulk in the back of the store, and finally decide that since everyone else is so nonchalant about the whole thing, then maybe the coast is clear and I can go pay for my olive oil. I make my way cautiously to the front, and scan the checkout section for bodies and blood. None of either. I know my source of information will be the mousy clerk quivering in her shoes, manning her post obediently checking out the ever important Wal*mart CUSTOMER.

When it is my turn, I ask the clerk what happened. She says she doesn't really know, because when the GUN WAS FIRED she ran and hid. My kind of girl. the poor thing, she left Massachusetts to get away from this kind of thing, came up here to quiet NH where this doesn't happen, and all she wants to do is go home and hug her hubby and hold her baby. I really felt sorry for her. She was so relieved when they announced "Attention Wal*mart Customers. Please bring your final selections to the register as Wal*mart will be closing immediately" Yeah, like half an hour after the shooting! Brilliant. Now, putting my detective skills to good use I notice the "front end manager" acting all important and loudly announcing to any and all that are in earshot, that "IF THE PRESS CALLS, TELL THEM WE HAVE HAD A MINOR INCIDENT AND ARE CLOSING THE STORE IMMEDIATELY". I take note of the nerved up front end clerks, and the poor people looking dazed over at the customer service counter. And remember those poor clerks looking for the source of the burned smell? Hey, my guess is they almost got run over by the runaway shooter as he exited the store. I wanted to hug the one lady she looked so shook, but she assured me she was OK, shook but ok. Can you say exit greeter, loving her retirement? I bet she filled her drawers.

By this point, the police are putting up police tape and Wal*mart is offering escorts to customers when walking out to the car. I was more than happy to be escorted by my very young high school stock boy who couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag, but he was very sweet and did put my groceries in the car for me. I was safe because my car was parked right beside the four police cruisers with light on. And everyone thought they were there for the Dunkin
Donuts. Ha, I knew differently.

(See my car was parked right behind this cruiser)

I got on the phone to let my family know I was safe, and headed for home. At home, I tuned in to WMUR where they reported a shooting in the Wal*mart Area, and I knew it was the duty of Precious to notify them it was IN Wal*mart. I contacted WMUR, and lo and behold, next thing I know...

Jean Mackin, TV News Anchor, is sitting in my family room! She is really young, and really pretty, and it is true what they say that the camera puts on 10 pounds, cause she is tiny. Now it is true I am putting this all out there on the blogosphere for the shooter to come find me, but I wouldn't let Jean Mackin interview me on camera cause what if the shooter comes looking for me? (OK and maybe cause of that whole the camera puts on 10 lbs thing)

Now before she came, they called and said they wanted to interview me, and I protested LOUDLY, informing them I was in my PJ's, but they wanted to come. I asked if I had to get dressed and they said...well...we are coming over... yeah, I got dressed. Oh yeah and I made Larry get up and clean out the cat box. HA HA.

So, Jean asked me a bunch of questions, and seemed genuinely concerned for my safety, and introduced my audio interview as "an anonymous Wal*mart Shopper". So there you have it. My 5 minutes of fame, all on Daybreak, news at 5 am. Tune in to WMUR and you might hear my voice!

By the way, Jean (I call her Jean, you know) told me that there were two groups of young men arguing, and TWO GUNS were pulled. One was fired. The victim ran from the store and jumped in a waiting car with someone else and sped off. The police caught them a couple of miles down the road and took the victim to the hospital to be treated.

Here is the story tonight on WMUR:
http://www.wmur.com/news/18848604/detail.html

17-Year-Old Shot In Rochester; Wal-Mart Closed

2 Guns Brandished, 1 Shot Fired, Police Say

And Precious concurs.

It has been one crazy week, and it is only Tuesday.

Have a nice trip, see you next fall!

2009-03-03T00:27:00.006-05:00

Side note before I begin: I am currently in the middle of Alexander McCall Smith's series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" with the main character being Mma. Precious Ramotswe, the owner of the detective agency. Precious is a lot like me, including being a "traditional built" woman.

Now for the trip...

I made the most amazing oatmeal chocolate chip walnut coconut cookies Sunday afternoon (hence I am a "traditional built" woman) and delivered three fresh cookies to my sweet hubby who had gotten out of his sick bed to enter some family history into the computer (upstairs). He was indeed grateful, being a traditional built man.

Oh, another side note: the light bulb in the downstairs hall is out. Gotta replace that. (Done now)

On the way back down the stairs, in the semi darkness, I don't notice the black shoes I had previously placed there to take upstairs on the next trip...

I step on the black shoe, that now slides out from under my foot and heads down the stairs. Only my foot is attached in some strange way to the shoe, and heads down the stairs with it. With me following. In a rapid uncomfortable unnatural way.

No worries. I am under control. I can stop this rapid descent. After all, I am on the fifth step, and if I go down I will be dead at the bottom. So I do all in my power to regain my footing, and I am successful...for another step or two.

Then momentum and my traditional build take over, and I am going down, down, down. My life flashes before my eyes. I realize this isn't good. My feet are now useless appendages, and they are in no way attached to the stairs. Nothing is. I am in flight.

The scream alerts hubby who yells "are you all right?" (most frantically) and then rushes to the stairs.

By this time I have hit, all of me, and I am sprawled in the downstairs hall on the floor. No attempts to pick myself up, but I am pretty sure nothing is broken. Except I can't really breathe.

Then I look up. And frantic hubby of traditional build is headed down the stairs. And...

remember that black shoe?

He hits the shoe, and again, my life flashes before my eyes. Because if MY fall doesn't kill me, surely when he lands on top of me, it's over.

With the grace and agility of a ballerina/hockey player, he successfully regains his footing, and spares me a trip to the ER...or the morgue.

That was a close call.

Quite a Crowd!

2009-02-05T13:02:00.003-05:00

The Winterton's were gracious hosts for quite a get-together for the New Year! It was so fun to be together with everyone.

the three amigos

Both Cindi and Lisa served with me in Stake Young Women's. It was great to be together. Cindi's kids are getting so big and she is expecting her 5th! I dearly remember when Russell was born in New Hampshire. Cindi and I spent many hours in the car driving to and from Stake activities and meetings and got really close while she was here. It is always good to see her and get caught up.
There was quite a crowd! Winterton family including Chris and Chels (we missed you Chey!), Kane family, Pedersens, Riddles, Bostons, Brian's mom, and her brother Uncle Tracy from Wyoming, Chris's girlfriend, Lisa's mom Millie and her friend. I think that is 20 in all!

Lisa and Greg outdid themselves with Prime Rib to die for, and lots of other goodies to eat. The house was hopping and Cindi's kids want to move to the Winterton's house cause it is the coolest house ever. I agree!

disclaimer: you can tell I NEED to learn to edit photo's, but for now, this is what you get!

Grandchildren

2009-02-05T12:56:00.004-05:00

“An hour with your grand children can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that and you start to age quickly.”

Can you tell I can't wait to see these kiddos!?!?!?

What is a Grandparent

2009-02-05T12:44:00.002-05:00

(taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's.

A grandfather is a man and a grandmother is a lady!

Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.

They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

They show us and talk to us about the colours of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'

They don't say, 'Hurry up.'

Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.

They wear glasses and funny underwear.

Grandparents don't have to be smart.

They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.

They know we should have snack time before bedtime and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

A 6 YEAR OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT AND WHEN WE WANT HER WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''

GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!

It's funny when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog.'

New Hampshire Reunion!

2009-02-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

Good times at the Olive Garden! On New Year's Day we headed to Salt Lake City to meet up with old friends at the Olive Garden. The Pendletons were headed north to deliver Tyler to school and we arranged to meet for lunch. Hez was thrilled to meet up with Chels, and we all had a ball. The Wintertons and Brian's mom Denise joined us for a great time. It was so good getting caught up with the Pendleton's, we miss them so much!

Cafe Rio! (or one heavenly evening of delightful eating!)

2009-01-24T18:23:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has eaten at Cafe Rio in the west know what I mean. So delicious. This is my interpretation of a Cafe Rio Pork Salad, and I must say - it is delightful. Cafe Rio Salads come in a tin pan - I used a pie plate, but you can use a large serving bowl if you wish.

(In some cases I merged recipes I found on the web and in some cases it might be identical. Sorry I don't give anyone credit, but it's a compilation of my google skills and cooking and tasting experimentation!)

Here are your layers (recipes follow):
Tortillas (warm these - I put the tortilla on the plate, sprinkled the cheese on and popped it in the oven that was warm from making the little Tortilla Strips)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Beans - dice onions and soften with some minced garlic in olive oil, add black or pinto beans, cumin, garlic salt, chopped cilantro etc. - doctor them up! or buy black beans that are already seasoned!
Cilantro Rice
Pork Barbacoa
Romaine Lettuce - shredded or broken into bite size pieces
Pico de Gallo - of course use Larish's amazing recipe for Salsa
Guacamole - the stuff you get sealed in a bag is amazing but it is so easy to make your own!
Tortilla Strips - slice a corn tortilla into narrow strips - I used my trusty pizza cutter! Put on a baking sheet, lightly toss with olive oil - spread out, add salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes or so at 350-375 degrees. Amazing! Toss them around 15 minutes (they will still be soft) and it will give them some interesting shapes instead of just straight sticks!
Tomatillo Dressing

Cilantro Rice
4 cups water
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can (4 oz) green chilis
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
3 cups of long grain rice

Add all to a pot, bring to a boil, stir and cook covered for 30 minutes. I like to cook rice in pot with glass lid so I can keep an eye on it - rice will form air pockets on the surface and you can tell when it has absorbed all the water and is done.

"Cafe Rio" Pork Barbacoa

~WARNING~ it takes two days to prepare this pork!

5-6 lb. pork roast (I used a pork loin roast)
21 oz. Dr. Pepper (not diet - you can use coke)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz. can chiptole chilis in adobo sauce
8 oz. red taco sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put pork roast in crock pot and pour in water to half way cover the pork. Put on low and walk away for TWELVE HOURS. Yes, 12 hours. (I do this overnight)

Use a metal mixing bowl for the next step. Put the can of chilies into the bowl and add some Dr. Pepper. Pour some more of the Dr. Pepper into the can to get every last luscious bit of that adobo sauce, and put that into the bowl. Basically, you are rinsing off the Chili Peppers from the adobo, and you want to remove them and throw them away, or you will have to have the fire department in attendance cause they are HOT. Mix remaining ingredients into the bowl until sugar dissolves.

After 12 hours, drain pork.

Add above mixture to the pork in the crock pot, and continue to cook on low for 4 more hours.

After 4 hours, shred that pork, stir in the sauce, and cook for 2 more hours. The pork will basically shred itself it is so tender.

So - cooking time is 12 hours, + 4 hours, + 2 hours for a grand total of 18 hours!

So heavenly!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkg Ranch Dressing mix
3 tomatillos, chopped
(up to) cup mayo ( I like less mayo 1/2 cup in mine but you might like it full strength)
1 cup milk (again I prefer 1/2 cup milk)
1 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1 lime

Mix this up in a blender and be sure to store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for 4 weeks, but if the lid is off your milk will taste like cilantro!

Breaking the News

2009-01-24T01:01:00.008-05:00

I can't wait any longer for Katie and Rode to break the news. They are just too busy!

Here is a little hint:

Even as I type, it is being installed in this beauty:

We lovingly refer to Lisa as Wonder Woman! She has been invaluable in helping Katie with babysitting, painting, shopping and choosing home decor. Mama, you are the best!
Of course wonder woman is married to this guy, installing bead board in the dining area:
Look at that cute baby, supervising his work.

His right hand man Tayson (Rode's nephew) has been there every weekend, working hard along with the rest of the guys!
Katie and Rode found this house in Heber, about 90% done, and they have been able to complete the work themselves. Luckily they have been able to choose carpet, hardwood, lighting, fixtures, etc to their taste! They are so blessed.

They closed on the house the day we left Utah to come to NH, so while we have toured the home, we never go to get our hands dirty helping! Darn.

I can't wait to see the results!

Sewing on Thursdays

2009-01-23T10:34:00.003-05:00

Every Thursday night I have been going to Sanford and meeting up with some friends for a little "enrichment" activity - we mostly sew, but we have also been known to knit, crochet, or just visit. Sometimes we bring a snack to share, and we have a great time.

I made these cute onesie dresses and headbands for the girls with Amy Butler fabric and - believe it or not - scrapbook embellishments!

For Thanksgiving I pulled all my fall scraps out, designed and whipped up this table runner:
And this banner:
I love these banners and made several of these to give to friends. Totally awesome!

I don't have pictures of the awesome grocery bags I made - some for myself and some for Hezzie for Christmas. I also whipped up a couple of Amy Butler Birdie Slings for Kate and Kelley for diaper bags. So fun!

There is more, but I need to take pictures to show you my "finishing" projects. I promise you will be impressed!

Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake

2009-01-23T01:18:00.005-05:00

Brian was raving about this cake his sister made while he was visiting in Logan. I made it for another New Hampshire reunion at the Winterton's and it was indeed a hit. While it was cooking all I could think was that it smelled just like a heart attack waiting to happen.

Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients & Directions:

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare Filling

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen and Random House Publishing

Happy Birthday to the College Graduate!

2009-01-23T01:03:00.004-05:00

You might think this post is about Heather, but no, it is her husband, our third son Denver! His birthday is at the beginning of January so this is a late birthday post.

Denver graduated in August and I never did announce that here. We are so proud of him, especially since his big Christmas Day announcement - he is now working full time in his field, no small accomplishment given the current economy. He is a Media Specialist and is still able to continue his Videography business as well. If you haven't checked out his work be sure to go to his website, he really is incredibly talented. And videography is not his only talent, he excels in anything he does from music to missionary work.

So, Denver. We have another smart talented handsome husband for our daughter. We love Denver and his enthusiasm for life and his ability to find joy in everyday experiences. As a rule he is very positive and is able to lift Heather at all times. They certainly are a pair! The two of them can't seem to stand still, so it is good that they have a dog to walk several times a day! Denver keeps us all laughing and we certainly love him for that.

Happy Birthday sonny! We are so glad you have joined our family!

Happy Belated Birthday?!?!

2009-01-23T00:20:00.004-05:00

Check out the loving look this son is giving his mom. You can tell he loves me, can't you?

Brian's birthday falls a few days after Christmas, and this year we missed out on the annual Brians Birthday Basketball Bash cause he was in Logan with his family, and frankly, Heather is the only one who likes to play basketball. The rest of us spend our time calling time out or pulling down the pants of the other players. Ok, maybe we do some pushing and shoving too. But I digress.

Brian is our brainiac son (Brian - Brain...), studying to be a dentist in Philly and likes to dress the part. Although the above scrubs are the throw away kind when you attend your second child's Cesarean birth. There I go digressing again.

Not only is Brian a brain, he is a smart, multi-talented, deep thinking, music loving, mac promoting, spiritual giant, loving husband, wonderful father, great friend kind of guy. We'll keep him, and we are so grateful that Kelley broke that rule about dating her home teacher. And kissing her home teacher. But that is a story for another post.

Watching them at Christmas was kinda fun, cause you can tell they are more in love every day.

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Scandinavian Almond Bars

2009-01-23T00:04:00.004-05:00

These delightful cookies were a big hit this Christmas. We were pretty consistent and when we found a recipe that was loved by all we stuck to it. We made a couple batches of these. Notice there is only ONE flattened "log" on this rack - we ate them as soon as the glaze was drizzled!
Like any good Scandinavian, Greg found these to be delightful.

Scandinavian Almond Bars

Cream together:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 stp. almond extract
Add:
1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix well and divide dough into fourths. Roll each fourth into a log about the length of your cookie sheet and put two logs on a sheet lengthwise. Using your fingers press each log to @ 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Brush each log with milk and generously sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes then slice each log into sticks (check out the photo above - I used a pizza cutter). Then drizzle the following glaze onto the cookies. I got this recipe from Maryellen and she likes a fine line drizzle, but Greg and I agreed - any drizzle is exceptional and these are like heaven in your mouth, fine line or not.

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
add milk SLOWLY a teaspoonful at a time until your glaze is the right consistency.

Maybe this recipe is clear as mud - but the cookies are amazing! Give them a try. Or call Maryellen and bribe her into making you some!

OR come over with your camera, and document the making of a masterpiece and I will post a picture tutorial!

In any case, enjoy!

Picture Postcard Christmas

2009-01-22T23:56:00.004-05:00

This year our Christmas was straight out of the Christmas Card Box! We celebrated with family and friends in a winter wonderland. It snowed and snowed, starting on Christmas Eve and snowing all day on Christmas. It was beautiful Utah Powder and it sure piled up. What a great day (two weeks!) we had!

Doesn't the above picture look like it could be on a Christmas Card? One goal I have for 2009 is to learn more about photography: not just taking better pictures but learning how to doctor them up like the pros. In the meantime, the above will have to do. This horse and buggy came along in Midway Utah just as we were about to go to a yummy restaurant and have some gourmet pizza. Good times!

There were so many highlights of this trip - watch for more posts!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-25T02:08:00.002-05:00

Merry Merry Christmas from beautiful snowy Heber City Utah! We are expecting a couple of feet of snow for Christmas Day, so it will be a white Christmas for the Kanes.

Storm update

2008-12-14T01:56:00.004-05:00

I committed the grievous error below of not giving credit to a photographer - this angel is pretty amazing and kudos to the staff photographer EJ Hersom at Fosters Daily Democrat, the local paper, for capturing this shot! I have now updated that post to include this info.

And also, I remember well the good example the Yeagley family set by packing up and heading to the shelters in Rochester to support their dad when he was Superintendent there.

We now have 9 extra people tucked safely into bed! We're open for showers if anyone is in need.

Finally - to our friends on the 5th floor - we are happy you are safe and sound AND have wondered if your elevator was operating!

Have a great Sabbath, and again please keep our cold neighbors in your prayers!

Safe and Sound

2008-12-13T02:08:00.005-05:00

(EJ Hersom/Staff photographer - Fosters Daily Democrat - Ice covers a religous statue outside a church in Rochester NH Friday during the ice storm.)
While it is mighty cold here in the northeast, it is warm and toasty at our house. We lost power for 12 hours, the longest we have ever gone without electricity in the 24 years we have lived here! The lights are back on, and all is well. John and Malinda brought the kids over to warm up and we had a little party. Now everyone is tucked safely in our many beds, and no one is cold.

We are among the lucky - many will be without power for days. For those who have never experienced an ice storm, it is a little hard to imagine. Ice coats everything (up to one inch in our area) and the trees bend under the weight of the ice. Many trees break and fall, blocking roads, tearing down power lines. It's quite a mess. It is beautiful, glistening ice everywhere, but also very dangerous.

Maybe the angel above is crying for those who are braving the 18 degree temps in their unheated homes. New Englanders are pretty stubborn, so there are a lot of cold people tonight toughing it out. Please keep them in your prayers!

As for me and my house: it's hot showers, warm food, good company. We're safe and sound!

The cool thing about hospitals

2008-12-03T23:15:00.003-05:00

I just read the paperwork from the hospital after my "routine medical screening procedure for people over 50" and it warned not to sign any papers for 24 hours. Maybe I shouldn't be blogging either?

In any case, the coolest thing ever! Check this out! This was in the prep room before the procedure. (I guess they figured a having a toilet handy is a good idea)
I want one of these! Just swing the toilet under the sink and the unsightly thing is out of the way. That's right folks, this is a "Swing-A-Way model 9510", and the toilet swings! Attached to the inside of the other cabinet door: A toilet paper holder! So cool.

If Heather had one of these, where on earth would Gunner get a drink?

The Rode between Denver and Boston

2008-11-17T02:49:00.005-05:00

Today is Rode's birthday!

I have loved this guy since the day I met him, and now that he is officially my son - well words can't express the love we feel for this man!

He is awesome! He is smart, talented, ambitious, studious, fun, loving and caring, conscientious, a wonderful son and a great father.

Truthfully, the list goes on and on. Most importantly he is a perfect fit for Katie and we are so happy to have him in our family. We love you Rode! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday

2008-11-14T01:10:00.003-05:00

Today is my brother's birthday. You know someone is getting old when their pony tail and beard are as gray as the fur on their Siberian Husky. Happy birthday Billy.

For all chocoholics out there

2008-11-04T23:33:00.003-05:00

I admit I stole this from Ariane and Mike's blog!

The Beach

2008-11-04T02:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I wasn't going to post anything about this, but Larry and I have been on "the beach" for several weeks now. Let's just say that I have been diligently on "the beach" and Larish has begrudgingly gone along with this bit of whimsy in my life, sneaking the bargain candy bars at Cumberland Farms whenever he thinks he can get away with it.

It's working. I know this because of the scales, and the fit of my clothes.

Larish also knows this, but he says there is no change in what the scale says.

So how does he know this?

Remember the post "This Old House" below?

Well, he reached up to work on the ceiling, and his pants dropped to his ankles!

Right there in the bay window - for all of Milton and the world beyond to see!

Way to go, Larish!

I'm in Heaven

2008-11-02T01:09:00.001-04:00

Puffs Plus with the Scent of Vicks combines soothing lotion with the comforting scent of Vicks.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. My life is complete.