Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Pine Valley COOL Drive

Last Sat on the hottest day of our summer so far, it was 108 degrees we took a ride to a cooler place the Pine Valley mountains about an hour from our home in St. George.
My first selfie and I got us both eating our Jimmy John's picnic together!
Lovely cool breezes and shade, everything's GREEN!
I love the Pine Valley mountains and their fresh smells!
Looking up, those clouds are providing more shades, possibly rain soon.
Looking down, granite rocks, pine cones and needles cover the ground
Love the sounds of the gurgling stream by our picnic table...
Amazing water gushes through our desert area.
Lots of firewood if needed. 
Pioneer homes stand empty once filled with families working the land

Some old historic homes have been restored and are lived in today!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Shutterfly fun...

Made a new mousepad for my computer desk with all my grandkids on it. My last one is missing the newest arrival Eddie who is now three years old and of course all the other kiddos have aged too. It was fun and easy and only cost $5 plus shipping. CLICK to enlarge. Early birthday present for me...


Friday, June 26, 2015

Organization vs. Chaos?


going through stacks of old papers
memories of meetings held long ago

journal entries of experiences forgotten

it’s my past learning recorded in words 


knowledge as yet unorganized
events, emotions and experiences
not cataloged but thrown into
a mess of disorder called my mind 


now and then a dream will return
something long forgotten now recalled
or not even experienced ever
created out of the chaos called life 


confusion but with thought and time
order can be restored as learning
takes place in my mind’s mayhem
precept by percept I have been taught

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Boat Update...

It's now been over 3 years since hubby started his retirement hobby of building a wooden boat. What a long journey frustrating at times, as new skills were learned and mistakes made that necessitated redoing some processes. This is where he's at today.

Brass strips have to be screwed into place to protect wooden boat bottom.
Curved to fit, then masked off for the next step...epoxy.
It looks simple but it's not, bending it to fit the boat's shape...
Physically and mentally challenging, next the strip will be glued to the wood
then all the little screws carefully drilled and filled with epoxy will be secured.
This is a lot like life, we learn by doing. I'm going back through my old journals from 2000+ and am amazed at how I'm still grappling with some of the same issues in my life.  Then there is my working desk without a computer which tends to become a stacking place for papers to sort later which  never comes. Picture the before stage stacked about 6 inches high every square inch. Now it's inviting!

Now the challenge to keep it looking like this and not make stacks!!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Photos from the past...

Remembering why we moved from New Harmony in 2002 with its snowy winters when it's 108 degrees in St. George and we're complaining of the EXTREME HEAT! Amazing how photos can take you on a trip to your past and other times and places.
Hubby complains of the cold winter and snow to shovel.
View of Zion Park Kolobs from our living room window was breathtaking!
My living room there was becoming Southwestern style
In New Harmony in 2003, my twin grand daughters came to be part of our
Daughters of Utah Pioneers annual July 24th parade! They are now 17.


Saturday, June 20, 2015

TIME...


As day follows day this summer
I wonder at how fast the months pass.
First it was June, soon it's July
then before you know it's August.

Although. our summer continues
into September. Each day turns into 
a memory of what could have been
vs. what did happen stored away.

A lifetime of memories catalogued
for future remembrance. How soon
time passes as weeks become months,
then years turn into decades gone.

No stopping of time it seems to me.
Just jump on, hold on for the ride 
while no one but God knows the end
of your life's minutes, hours and days.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Monday, June 15, 2015

Summer excitement!


Well, the visitors have left for their homes,
our old schedule remains to be re-discovered.
No more entertainment or meals to plan,
just sleep and recovery of physical strength.

Old routines return as normalcy surfaces.

Monday-mowers come and do our yard,
Tuesday-garbage and recycle day
Wednesday-free day-fix car muffler
Thursdays-temple session calls
Friday-it's the weekend again-date night?
Saturday-free day so far-road trip?
Sunday-church services

And so it goes with many hours in between
to fill or waste...as undone projects beckon
but are ignored, my computer is falling apart
though it continues to work, a blog post calls.

What's happening with your summer time?

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Cousins REUNION

More company as my cousins from Concord California visited us for the first time in St. George. We had a cousin reunion and enjoyed talking about our common grandmother that we all loved so much.

Some of my family cousins: seated (l-r) Doug, Mimi, Cheri and Bill
Cousin Bill looks at Doug's photos from his camera and listens to his stories.
Loving cousins: Mimi and Cheri enjoy talking together while the men visit.
Walking on the St. George temple grounds
Learning about the history of the St. George temple building.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Historic EXPERIENCES

Well, I'm exhausted after six plus days of entertaining my twin grand daughters separately––but it was FUN! I managed to do lots of different things for each twin.

For Emilee-we went shopping, to lunch and dinner, visited the nearby college-DSU, made a resume, walked, talked, attended the musical Mary Poppins, a band concert and the St. George Temple visiting center, practiced her driving, played Mexican Train dominoes, visited an art gallery, cooked stir fry,  baked apple dessert, zucchini muffins and attended a baptism. Whew!

With HEATHER-we went shopping, to lunch and dinner, made a resume, walked, talked, played games Rummy and Mexican Train, she had a private art lesson in Kayenta, attended St. George Live and helped me with church activities: funeral and Relief Society showing of Meet the Mormons! Double whew! Lol!

Checking out the St. George Art Museum and exhibit of cowboy+Indian artwork.
St. George live has actors in pioneer costumes telling about their lives.
Heather learns how to card wool to use on a spinning wheel to make yarn.
Jacob Hamblin actor tells of life in Southern Utah in 1860s. 
Orson Pratt tells of the history of the Opera House used for entertainment
Quite the inventor, he created a device for recording mileage, at first they had
to visually count every time the red flag went around the wagon wheel, then...
This device kept track of revolution of the wagon wheel, then turned a notch
on the inner wheel for 1/10 of a mile, then the larger wheel for miles.
Quite ingenious and it was hooked to a wagon wheel on the bed of the wagon.
At the St. George Tabernacle, we meet Erasus Snow who told us its history. 
On to the old courthouse, where the judge tells us of pioneer court cases.
The DUP Daughters of Utah Pioneers tells her ancestor's history.
Then we meet Brigham Young-second prophet of the Mormon Church.
Brigham Young led the Mormon pioneers from Nauvoo, Illinois to Utah,
then send a group of families south to settle St. George and grow cotton.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Art Experiences

Both grand daughters love to draw and paint, so I decided to treat Heather
to an art lesson with a dear friend of mine Caroll Shreeve of Blue Raven Studio 

Heather picked this moonlight painting to play with acrylic paint.
Caroll on the left instructs mixing colors for the background layer.
Mixing colors is fun and then painting the canvas to create an effect.
Caroll demonstrates how to get the moonlight shadow in the lake.
Heather practices making the moon for the painting, then the shadows.
Tips from the teacher are very helpful...
Standing away and looking to see the final effect helps you tell if its done!
Heather's painting, photo by Heather from FACEBOOK!
Drying off the painting so she can sign her masterpiece is the last step.
Blue Raven Art Studio in Kayenta Utah near St. George is a fun place.
Then it's important to clean the paint off your hands... 


Other artists rent space here to paint and display their art for sale.
Lots of desert and cactii scenes.
Love this piece with 3D beads, feathers and stick.