My Club Luncheon Yesterday

We had such a fun luncheon yesterday with my club friends, their mothers, children, and grandchildren. This club, Amies Toujours (french for "Friends Forever), began 30 plus years ago with my high school girl friends. We had reached the point where most of us were married and had children, and there was no excuse, like wedding or baby showers, to get together.

We started out very officially, with monthly meetings that consisted of scheduled activities or guest speakers. We continued that way for many years, but as our lives got more complicated and busy, we have reduced that down to about 4 times a year. The big event is the Christmas Dinner held at one of our homes. It is an all out affair, and we exchange gifts and laugh together for hours. I can't wait to show pictures of our "traveling nut wardrobe ensemble" that gets added to each year.

Here are pictures from yesterday's event.
It was held in one of my friend's beautiful homes.

There's Natalie in the center,
cutting up limes and lemons.

There were 38 adults and 18 children there.
Everyone was invited to bring their
favorite doll and tell about it.
It was so fun to see all the adorable
little girls with their dolls.
Here is a picture of some of the dolls.
(plus a living one)

Here are my friends
(minus 6 who couldn't be there
and one that, unfortunately, got cut off in my picture)

Here are Natalie and me by the dessert table.

I was so happy
Natalie could share in the day with me.
She was so willing to help with everything
and made it a point to talk and visit with people.
I told her that she has a gift that way.
From the time she was little,
she has always been interested in
and listened to people of all ages.

Thank you, Natalie.

I'll always remember

the beautiful image we saw as we were driving from
Springville to Provo 32 years ago today.

I had worked on the 29th, a Sunday afternoon, in the Emergency Room at Utah Valley Hospital. I was an intake clerk there and usually worked on weekends when Gary could watch Misty. After I got off work at 9 pm I stopped in to say hello to Mom and Dad and then went to our home on Swenson Avenue in Springville. I awoke at 1 am on Memorial day, May 30, when my water broke and contractions started. This was quite a surprise. Misty had been two weeks late, so I was fully anticipating the same with this baby. Instead, she was two weeks early. When we called the hospital they told us to come right in.

As we drove from Springville to Provo, we passed the Provo Cemetery. I'll always remember the sight of hundreds of waving flags lined up to honor the veterans buried there. It was lit up just enough to give it an almost surreal feeling. I wish I had a picture of it. The year they discontinued having all the flags lined up, I did take a picture of Tiffany standing in front of them. (Do you have that, Tiff? I can't find it. Further proof that I need to digitize my negatives!)

We drove up to Cedar Avenue, dropped Misty off at Mom and Dad's, and got to Utah Valley Hospital at about 2 am. Everything happened very quickly from that point on, and our second daughter, Tiffany, was born at about 3:30 am. Because she was two weeks early and the labor went so quickly, I remember thinking that I wanted everything to slow down a little, that I wasn't ready yet.

As it turns out, it was a blessing she was so early. After the first day she was very jaundiced and was not responding to any treatments. Finally, they started doing blood tests, and that is when they found out that my blood had been typed wrong when I had it tested for my pregnancy with Misty. My blood type was not A positive, but rather A negative. Because I was shown as positive, I was not given the RhoGam shot when Misty was born. The RhoGam shot is given to a woman with negative blood after she has given birth to a positive baby. It stops the mother from developing her own antibodies that will then attack the blood cells of the next positive child.

That explained why Tiffany was not responding to any of the treatments. Her blood was positive, and my negative blood had built up antibodies against the positive factor in her blood. This meant the antibodies were breaking up her blood so quickly that her kidneys could not process it. That is a very layman's terms explanation, but it is really the only one I know.

They quickly gave Tiffany a blood transfusion, and then she responded to the treatments immediately. I have always felt so grateful that they found the problem soon enough. Otherwise, she could have had brain damage or even died. Then there would be no son-in-law, Justin, and no grandchildren, Eliza, Ashton, Annie, or Lucienne. That would be sad, indeed.

Here she is our beautiful daughter
at 6 weeks

Now, 32 years later, Tiffany is the mother of four cherished children and the wife of a wonderful man. I'm very proud of her and the woman she has become.

There was a time when she was about five that we wondered a little about what she would be like when she grew older. At a family reunion she entertained the whole group with a rather intense Michael Jackson rendition of dancing. One of my cousins commented, "I'd like to see that girl when she's 16." Fortunately, she never lived up to that!

We love you

Tiffany!

First time and (maybe) last time

I try these again.

Though I was somewhat more successful with the second try
(I used smaller amounts of cake mixture for each cupcake),
they still don't look as cute as the sample pictures.
I'm pretty sure I won't be trying them again real soon.
I'll have to forget how long they took
me and what a big mess I made.


One thing I'll for sure
do again is this:

Can you tell what the white flowers are?

And just think,
if I had given in to all the flack I get
for all the "Studio 5" shows I DVR,
I wouldn't have seen
this very cute cupcake bouquet idea.
http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=61&sid=6607025

You don't even want to know

the mess I'm in.

Let's just say
they don't look like this
from the website
http://bakerella.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20balls


Mine look like this

Pretty sad, huh?
Kind of look like acorns.

After further evaluation,
I've decided I made the dough balls too big
and made the tops too tall.
I refuse to give up, though.
I've only ruined half of the dough,
so tomorrow I'm giving it another try.

PS: If anyone in the close vicinity wants to taste some acorns, let me know. I definitely won't be taking them to my luncheon on Saturday.

A New Friend

I was browsing a collectible store today
and made a new friend.
I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her
that we were meant to meet.

I don't know how old she is,
but we're so much alike it's almost uncanny.
Physically we stand neck to neck,
and she's just about my size.
(Ok, I might have her waist and hip
measurements as soon as I'm done
with my personal training sessions)

She's a little bit of an airhead,
but what can I say.
I told you we were a lot alike.

I invited her to come home with me,
and already she is good company.
She stood by and watched as I worked on
cupcakes for my club luncheon on Saturday.
She listens really, really well
and agrees with me on every subject.

Though I've only known her for an afternoon,
I know we'll be friends for a long time.
In fact, I've already given her the latest apron I made.
That sealed the deal.
I only give aprons to friends (or family).

She's ready to keep me company for a long time.

I hate backside shots, but I couldn't resist
taking one of her.

I hope she'll still be my friend
after taking that picture.

First Free Day in Five Weeks

It was wonderful to have a free day,
though it certainly wasn't empty.
I did wake up at 6, but went back to sleep.
Back to the old routine of being
sound asleep when Gary left for work.
Sorry dear.

I went to my third personal training session.
This time the focus was the lower body.
By far the most grueling.

Came home and went visiting teaching to
two ladies I feel blessed to know.
Planned to go to the personal history class
but ended up having doc management work come in.
When it comes in, which has been rarely lately,
I have to grab it or it is gone.

So, now, I have 4 to 5 hours before bed.
I need to get to some of those
tasks and projects I've neglected.
The list is very long.

What I really want to do, however,
is finish the latest Mary Higgins Clark book
that I started Sunday evening.

Maybe if I discipline myself and work for 2 hours
I can reward myself with reading.

Sounds like a deal.
I better get started.

Provo Cemetery

Though we had taken the flowers to the cemetery earlier, we always like to go down on Sunday evening or Monday morning. The Provo Cemetery is beautiful with wave after wave of flowers dotting the entire cemetery. We saw families gathering around headstones and others apparently giving tours of family graves. It made me realize that next time we have all the grandchildren in that we should take them to the cemetery to show them where their great-grandparents are buried.

We also have the tradition of taking pictures at all the headstones, so that's what we did again. I have years of pictures taken on Memorial Day. Pictures taken from the time that the girls were just little. Each time I think I want to post some of the older pictures, I realize that I would have to scan them in. Which, at the end of the day, I have neither the time or energy to do.

I think I will make it a summer goal to get all my pre-digital pictures either scanned in or digitized.

In the meantime, here are our pictures from this year.

Me and Gary behind my Mom and Dad's headstone.

Gary and Natalie at his Mom and Dad's headstone.

Me and Natalie at our daughter Annalee's grave.

Gary and Natalie at our daughter, Emily's, grave.

My nephew, Chuck, and
niece, Christine's, headstone.


The beautiful inscription on top of the bench

Kahill Gibran

Memorial Day Memories

From before the time I was born my family had the tradition on Memorial Day of going to the cemeteries and decorating the graves of family. Then in the afternoon the the Hall Family (my Mom was a Hall) would meet either at a park or at an Aunt's house for a picnic lunch. This carried on until after my children were raised and Mom and Dad had passed away.

Every time I go to the Springville cemetery on Memorial Day, I am reminded of the last Memorial Day before Dad died. I will always have the image in my mind of Dad as he walked around the cemetery trying to find his Dad's grave. It was a very hot day and Dad was tired and confused by not being able to find it. I had never paid attention to where it was, but had just gone where Dad did, so I wasn't any help. Finally, while still holding the potted mum, he just sat down on one of the headstones to rest. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. We never could find it that day.

The next year Mom and I went to the caretaker and asked him where it was. I wrote down on a piece of paper so I wouldn't forget. "Go to Perrero and it is straight down from there." So, when Gary and I were putting flowers on the graves of my grandparents and aunts and uncles, he asked me where my grandpa Anderson's was. I told him, "You go to Perrero and it is straight down from there."

Dad's Mom died when he was just 14 and is buried in a little cemetery in McKinnon Wyoming. A few years after she died, Grandpa married a woman who we knew as "Aunt Mary." I wish I knew the details of how it all got arranged, but I don't. All I know is that it was an "arranged" marriage set up so Grandpa wouldn't be alone out there in McKinnon. This was her third such marriage and I guess she "made no bones" about the fact that she had only loved her second husband. They eventually moved to Springville, and my grandpa died when I was just four and she died a few years later. If any family member reading this remembers more than me, please add to the story.

I have only a vague memory of Aunt Mary, but I have many memories of hearing about how she wasn't very nice to Grandpa and did nothing to encourage his children or grandchildren to come around. At a reunion we went to a few years ago in McKinnon one of the cousins said they used to call her "Bloody Mary."

Because of those stories, when it came my time to decorate the graves, I decided I would just put a flower on the side of Grandpa. Not very nice, I know. Then I decided that I better repent. After all, I really didn't know her story. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to move out into an isolated area of Wyoming and marry a man you didn't know.

Not that it really matters or that she really cares.
But it made me feel better, anyway.
See, I put the flower right in the middle.

Last Day of Work

I'm sitting here in the empty school room

waiting for Gary to get done for the day.

It feels kind of sad.

There are no computers left.

I've taken all my signs off the chalkboard.

I've erased all my documents on the computer.

I've cleaned out the desk.

I won't miss the early and long days,

but I've enjoyed the relationships I've been able to develop.

I've enjoyed coming in to work each day with Gary.

He will miss me coming into work with him each day.

I know he much prefers that to

leaving in the mornings while I'm still sound asleep.

I can't blame him there.

I think he will miss being MY BOSS.

Let's face it, it's the only time in 35 years that he has been.

(He doesn't know that, so please don't mention it to him)

Anyone who knows Anderson women is sure to

understand that principle.

But I love him, so I'll ease him back to reality gently.

Hello Cupcakes

Making Cards with friends

I get together with two different card making groups. The one with my ward is where a group of us just show up and an amazing woman has made card kits for us to put together. I don't know where she comes up with the ideas or has the time to do them all, but she does.

With my friends tonight we each come up with a card idea and put together five kits for each person to make. This does not come easily to me. I have a hard time deciding what to do, how to do it, and making myself actually begin the process. Even though I know I have it coming up, I am usually right down to the wire finishing everything up. Once we are all together, we have a very fun time visiting and leave with 15 to 20 finished very cute cards. We've decided that we all have distinct styles, so it's fun to have some different ones from what we would usually make for ourselves. I'm grateful that we do this not only for the good company but also because it forces me to use the many tools and papers I have. And, I'm making a very public commitment to not be doing any last minute putting it together this next time.

First Day of Personal Trainer

Oh, My.

Gary, Natalie, and I have been going to the gym erratically for a while. Gary decided that we should get the most from our efforts, so we signed up for some personal training sessions. Tonight we all went out and got weighed and measured. Wow, that was fun.

The personal trainer, a very nice young woman, talked with us about nutrition. She talked about eating 6 small meals a day to keep the body fueled. Eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies. Drinking lots of water. Limiting carbonated drinks to just one a week. Exercising at least three times a week, 1/2 hour of weights and 1/2 hour of interval aerobic exercise.

What I was most excited about is that she didn't mention anything about cupcakes or cookies. I take that to mean that they are not off limits. Makes sense to me.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I am the youngest of 5 children born to
Golden Stevens Anderson
and Charlet Hall Anderson.
This week my only sister and one brother had a birthday.
Happy Birthday!

My brother, Tom's birthday was on the 14th.
Tom always had a knack for popping up in pictures
when he wasn't meant to be in them.
Here are a couple of examples.

Tom behind my grandma Hall (Gran)

Tom behind me and Charlene

Here's one he was actually meant to be in.


And, today is my sister, Charlene's, birthday.

Mom always told the story that when my 3 older brothers found out she was expecting another baby, after Charlene, that they were very concerned. They wanted their only little sister to have all the clothes and things she wanted as she was growing up. They were afraid that if it was another girl that Charlene wouldn't be able to have everything she wanted. Well, I can promise you, neither of us ever went without.

(Just ask any of the brothers)

Here are some photos (not great quality)
I scanned in of Charlene and me growing up.

I feel so blessed to have been born
into such a wonderful family.

Ok, I'm having a meltdown

I just had a meltdown.

Both of my hearing aid batteries went out and I couldn't hear a thing. I am like 95% deaf without them. I searched all over for more batteries and couldn't find any. I was so upset at myself that I dumped out drawers and bags and purses looking for my extra ones. I put in my old hearing aids and they were squealing all over the place. That just made me madder. I finally sent Gary up to the school to see if my extras were up there. They were. He came home very relieved that he had found them. He didn't want me to dump out any more drawers. He has kindly left me alone now to clean up my messes. No, he is gladly leaving me alone to clean up my messes!

Why does that make me so angry?
Because I feel vulnerable?
Because I'm mad that I need them?
Maybe I was just due for a meltdown.
I don't know,
but my meltdown is mostly over.

Now, on a happy note.
Ashton called and told us he made 5 goals in soccer.
Way to go, Ash!

Gary was flipping pancakes this morning for the breakfast with the Deacons, and Ashton was helping (via the apron with his picture on it, anyway).

Cooking pancakes is a tradition all the grandchildren have with Gary. They are all his pancake flipping buddies. I can't wait for July when we can flip more pancakes together.

And in the meantime,
I'll try not to flip out any more.

I'm Beat

It has been a fun day, but I'm beat.

I finished the flowers this morning, made cupcakes, went to a ward luncheon after the ward cleanup, went shopping, went to dinner, and then started to clean the house.

I put little sticky notes on the kitchen counter this morning that said:

Saturday Chores.
Gary: Mop kitchen and sunroom floor, vacuum main floor
Natalie: Clean downstairs bathroom, vacuum and dust family room
Annette: Clean upstairs bathroom and bedrooms

They've done better at their chores than I have, but we've made progress. Thank you!

Gary spent all morning, along with many other men in the ward, helping neighbors do yard clean-up. It is a wonderful thing they do and a beautiful sight to see. There were older men, younger men, and little boys and girls helping their Dads load up tree limbs and trash. It really touched my heart to see so many serving so willingly. Among other things, Gary was in charge of helping some young men dig gardens.

So he did all that, then helped me clean the house.
Sometimes things like that are just the lift I need when I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.
Thank you again.

Anyway, I haven't had time to scan any pictures that I mentioned yesterday, but I hope to tomorrow. I'm off to bed.

Too Dark to Plant

I'm a little behind schedule this year. We finally went out last night and bought our annuals for the yard and a few tomato and squash plants. Gary loosened up the dirt and I started the planting tonight. It's now too dark, so I'll have to finish in the morning.

Who would have thought 20 years ago that I would be into gardening? It was the last thing on my mind and the last thing I had any desire to do.

Out in the dirt.
Under the baking sun.
Digging.
Not one of those sounded the least bit enticing.

I can tell you precisely when that all changed.

1994

In the summer of 1993 we did some remodeling. We tore down the screened in patio at the back of the house. The screened in patio filled some good purposes. In the summer, it was nice to have a covered spot to have gatherings. But if it was hot, it was still too hot. In the winter, it was too cold. The biggest problem, though, was that the roof slanted down so that there was no direct light into the kitchen window. In fact, you could never see the sun or sky and very little of the yard. The kitchen was always dark. I still remember the first day it was torn down. I was in amazement. I could look out the kitchen window and see the sun and the sky!

We had decided to add on a room that could be used all the time and would serve as a an extension of the kitchen. Really, the major deciding factor was that Misty and Tiffany were teenagers and were having friends over all the time. So, they and their friends would hang out in the family room. The living room is not private from the family room (and doesn't have a TV) so Gary and I were relegated upstairs to a bedroom. By adding the "sunroom," it gave us another place to gather and also made entertaining much for comfortable. It has made a world of difference in our enjoyment of the house.

I know,

this is a very long explanation
of how I got into gardening.

The remodeling was still going on at the time that my Dad died in September of 1993. In fact, the last picture we have of him at our house is for Misty's birthday on August 22. In the picture you can see the frame of the sunroom in the background. I'll scan a picture in and post it tomorrow.
To make a long story "shorter," when spring came around in 1994 I could see the back yard in its full unkempt glory. I honestly don't ever remember even weeding in the back yard before then. I'm sure I must have, or maybe Gary did, but I honestly just didn't worry about it.

Now, however, it was an extension of the house. A very visible extension of the house, I must say. So, I decided I better do something about it. To my utter amazement, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed experimenting with different flowers and I found the whole process from beginning to end very therapeutic. I think it all came together at just the right time for me.

I honestly knew so little about it, that many times I would have my friend (thank you, Dianne) come over to tell me whether what was sprouting up from the ground was a flower I had planted or a weed that I didn't want. I was also so proud of my "giant" zucchini until I found out that being giant wasn't really an asset with zucchini.

So, I've come a long way. I still have a long way to go. There are times that it does seems like a chore and like just one more thing to do. But, I always enjoy the results.

And this is where we hang out

My very, very hot sweltering testing room.

Gary's very comfortable room

7 am 5 Days a Week for 4 weeks Counting

Off we go

Tribute to my Grandchildren's Great Grandfather

I wanted to let my Missouri Family and grandchildren to know that they have been in my thoughts and prayers.

They buried their grandfather and great grandfather, Virgil Timmerberg, today. He passed away after a very sudden illness on Thursday. He was 90 years old, and was still driving and planting his garden up until then. I feel blessed that I got to know him when Misty married Dan. He was always there at all family gatherings and parties and was always welcoming and friendly to us.

He was the mayor of High Hill Missouri (population 216) for many, many years, and that little town will feel his loss. He was an avid fan of all Montgomery County sports teams. He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was always very supportive of them. His wife of 66 years, Rosalie, died two years ago, but he has stayed independent and positive during all this time. I know he was always such a wonderful grandfather to Dan, and I'm glad Jackson, Lydia, Hyrum, and Harrison will always have wonderful memories of him.

His obituary is here:

http://obituaries.expressionstributes.com/?o=754a94947

A Long Life Well Lived

And one more special one

I spent a very long day at the school
trying to get caught up for tomorrow.
When I came home, this was in the mail.
I'm glad it got here a day late because
it made my day!

Listen to the sweet voice right at the first.

Thank you, Lydia!

Thank you

I feel very blessed.
(One) husband who knows just what I want (Chicos!).
(Two) wonderful son-in-laws,

(Three) beautiful daughters,
and
(Eight) grandchildren who I love with all my heart.

I haven't even had to ring the bell much today.
It has all been done for me freely.
There is nothing like words and pictures
made with love
from those you love.

Sorry, Misty and Tiffany,
you're not here to defend
yourselves on this!

Breakfast for Dinner
cooked by Natalie and Gary.



With my favorite syrup that I
love so much I practically drink it!



THANK YOU!

Got it Ready

Really Appreciate Fridays

So far I've done what I said I would do tonight.
Pretty much nothing.

But I am really Loving doing nothing.
Now that make-up tests have started
the days are very hectic as I try to juggle classes
and students as they come in,
It can be very stressful and confusing.
(Or at least it is to me)

But, I'm trying really hard not to have a
"walking nervous breakdown"
by kicking back and relaxing tonight.

Now I think I'll go have some chocolate.

What is it?

Here's a guessing game for you.

Is it a bird?



Is it a plane?



Is it a jumping bunny
with a really big tail?



One more try?



Ok, it's something that sits
on top of these.



And if you say those look like
bear claws and not Temples,
you are in trouble.

Thank you to my friends Pam and Elizabeth

for helping me out of my messes!

Now you know why I have very sticky floors.