Ghosts of Christmas past

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." - Ebeneezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)

I love the traditions of Christmas but as the years go by there are parts of the holiday season that slowly disappear. And the older I get the more dear those memories of Christmases past become.

One of those memories is the picture of my dad in the kitchen making Tom & Jerry batter. I can see him standing there mixing the egg whites into little peaks, then adding the sugar and cinnamon and other goodies. He always made a separate batch for us, made with warm milk. Nothing tasted like Christmas more than that. I don't think I've had anything that has come close to that in over a decade.

Another Christmas memory I cherish is the one of my Mom's special ornaments for the tree. Each year she would hang a little glass Santa ornament near the top of the tree. She also made sure the ice cream cone my little sister made her was placed in a prominent place as well as the funny little lifesaver ornament she got from my brother.

Speaking of decorations, no tree compares with my grandmother's aluminum tree with the blue glass ornaments and the big rainbow wheel that shown on it. I have scoured vintage stores for one like it for years.

And do you remember those great Christmas specials ... It was a time before VCRs, DVDs and DVRs. Charlie Brown only saved one scraggly little tree a year, the Grinch's heart grew one time and my personal favorite, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol still was available. We'd hurry into our jammies and sprawl out on the living room floor to watch as a family and enjoy every minute of it.

Another favorite memory from my childhood Christmas was the annual display in the Breuners Furniture store windows. Life sized animated characters (think Disney's Mr. Lincoln) in wonderful Christmas scenes would take up all of the windows in the store. Each year we would bundle up and go down to Breuners to ooh and ahh over each one.

These are just a few of the things I miss about Christmas Past but Christmas Present is so full of wonderful things that, even though I get a little nostalgic, I can't humbug about anything. I truly have a "Wonderful Life" (which I think is airing on at least three channels as I type).

Merriest of Christmas to all!

Saying Goodbye ... for now

Today was one of those "hard" days that is edged with tender mercies. I attended the memorial service for a friend from my youth. He was someone exactly my age, someone I grew up with and who I remembered fondly. His death came as a shock and was the result of a tragic accident. I had last seen him at a reunion this summer and got to visit with him for a while. I am grateful for that visit because too many years had passed since I had last seen him.
Today at the memorial, as I listened to the story and stories of his life, I was reminded time and again of times spent with this friend and the rest of our little group at school and church and dances and Disneyland and service projects and parties and whatnot. And as is often the case at these type of gatherings, those of us who attended gathered around after to share stories and to catch up with each other. And then we said our good-byes with promises to get together again under happier circumstances.
As I reflected on this I thought of the reunion my friend must be having with others who have passed on. And for every tear we shed today at the sadness of our loss, I am sure there were an equal number of tears of joy that were shed on the other side of the veil by those happy to see him again. For every comforting hug we gave to each other, I know there was a welcoming hug of recognition as my friend was enveloped in the arms of those who have awaited his return home.
I am grateful for this knowledge, that the time we have here is just a beginning ... a doorway into eternity. My friend passed through that doorway and the next part of his journey has begun.
I found this little quote ... I don't know who to cite for its origin but I love it all the same: "What the caterpillar perceives as the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning."

Shout Outs

I thought I'd share a little blog love today. I love the blog world and where it can take you. It seems like I am always stumbling over new blogs. Blogging has unleashed this whole new culture for people to have an audience ... talented people who might never have been known outside their own immediate circle of friends. There is also a plethora of unique gift ideas in the blogosphere
Here are some of the new ones I've found:
http://gifts4booklovers.csla.net/ If you are looking for a book idea, this is not the site. But if you are looking for a special gift for someone who loves books. They have everything from t-shirts to mugs to the coolest rocking chair ever.
http://www.cutefoodforkids.com/ : Do you make your kids lunches? This site shows you just what you can do with a piece of wheat bread, a round cookie cutter and some imagination.
http://erikathecookingqueen.blogspot.com/ : Lots of great recipes here. Her most recent entry is a recipe for Texas Sheetcake Brownies ... one of my favorites.
http://www.sprinklebakes.com/ : This site is all about desserts and baking. I simply drool over the pictures on this blog.
http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/ : I'm really bad at decorating but really good at reading about it. I watch all the HGTV shows and love reading decorating blogs. This one shows how to turn almost nothing into something really cool.
http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow// : Lots of kid-friendly craft ideas on this one. Bored children quickly turn into creative ones after a visit here.
http://laurathoughts81.blogspot.com/ : This is one of my new faves. She has the cutest how to on making a darling little girl's apron.
http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorials.html : Lots of fun tutorials on this one.
http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/ : The title says it all! This blog really is full of great ideas. I don't know which one to start on first.

This post could go on for a really long time but I better stop here. Enjoy and be sure to leave me the link to your favorites!

Happy Halloween

Halloween is my favorite non-religious holiday... I love the decorations, the traditions and the season. It is one of those BIG family holidays for us with lots of events leading up to the day. Enjoy your Halloween and be safe!

Reunions

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

-Elisabeth Foley

I recently spent a couple of weeks reconnecting with old friends who I haven't seen in many years. You know those kinds of friends I'm talking about. They are the ones who you remember with great fondness and catch yourself saying, "I need to call so-and-so" or "I wonder what she's doing now?"

First up on the Reunion Tour was dinner with a group of people I affectionately call the Young Marrieds. That's who we used to be many moons ago. When we were all in our twenties we lived in the same town, went to Church together, had gatherings at each others' homes, celebrated our birthdays together. Our husbands played on the same teams, we watched each others' children, brought dinners in when one of us was sick, dropped off treats at holidays, were pregnant at the same time. One of my favorite memories was when all the girls were doing an exercise class together and our babies were scurrying around us in those little walkers that are considered dangerous by today's standards. Over a quarter of a century later some of those babies are now young marrieds and some have babies of their own.

Two of the couples had moved away many years ago but, surprisingly, had ended up relocating in the same town. Since four hours of driving time separates us, we chose a restaurant at the halfway mark and met up for dinner. The decades of time that had passed since the last time we all broke bread together melted away as we fell right into the easiness that had made us friends so long ago. Hours later (and withering looks from the wait staff, to boot) we finally said good-bye over promises that we would make this an annual dinner.

For the second half of the Reunion Tour, my sweet sister secretly made arrangements with my two life-long (we're talking back to 8 years old) friends. She booked me a flight and sent me on a visit. It came as such a surprise. These were friends that helped me through those rough adolescent/teenage years. We had lost touch with each other over the years as we all were busy establishing careers, finding and marrying our soul mates, and raising children. Those things take a lot of attention and focus. But never in all the years were those two ever very far from my thoughts.

Sadly, our plans didn't all work out. Miss N. got a horrendous case of bronchitis and was not able to joins us. So Lady G. and I just had to do our best without her. We shopped a little (okay, a whole lot!), we dined and dished, we went to the movies, tried on clothes, and just enjoyed hanging out together. And like the before mentioned gathering, time had not erased the bonds that were forged in friendship so many years ago. Even our phone "visit" with are dear sick friend was reminiscent of nights when we would tie up our parents phone lines chatting with each other. And as my visit came to a close, again promises were made to return for another visit soon.

And as these reunions all came to an end it reminded me that my life has been richly blessed by those who I have been lucky enough to call friends.

"Memory is a way of holding onto things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

The Wonder Years television show

"Pooh, promise me you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when I'm a hundred."

Pooh thought for a little.

"How old shall I be then?"

"Ninety-nine."

Pooh nodded. "I promise," he said.

Winnie the Pooh (The House at Pooh Corner)

Three Decades

The traditional anniversary gift for the thirtieth anniversary is the pearl. What a wonderful thought. A pearl starts out as a little grain of sand that over the years becomes something of great value. That is what my marriage has become ... something of great value.

I can still remember our wedding day. It was so windy that I'm not sure anyone past the front row could hear anything. Our mothers, somehow, ended up in the identical dresses (different colors) even though they had shopped at completely different stores and different cities. My shoes (with their a 5 inch stiletto heels) were killing my feet. I missed my hair appointment so my little sister did my hair. But I also remember that the people I loved were there and were happy for me. And more important... the man I adored was marrying me.

Here we are thirty years later. It's not just the two of us anymore. There are sons and daughters-in-laws and grandchildren. Our extended family is even more important to us than they were when we got married. We have said goodbye for now to parents we loved. We have friends who are considered family and always will be. We have had tragedies and days that made our hearts soar. So many memories within this marriage.

There are the big days ... the day we were sealed as a family at the Oakland Temple, going to the temple with each of the boys, when Ter Bear joined our family, when Andrew was born, when Tommy bought the store, when I said good-bye to the newspaper and went to work at the school, when the boys left for their missions and the day each came home. There were cruises and trips to Tahoe and Vegas (Tommy's first plane ride will always be a HUGE memory). Trips to the beach and Marine World and Disneyland. There were hard times ... trips to the hospital with EACH of the boys for stitches, ear infections, kidney stones, failure to thrive, bronchitis, pneumonia. Times when money was tight. Little League, Soccer, CYO Basketball, Volleyball, Softball.

Through everything our pearl of a marriage has been polished and I have gotten to spend the last three decades with my very best friend. I found this great quote offered by an unknown author: "Newlyweds become Oldyweds and Oldyweds are the reason that families work."

So to my sweetheart who brings me a candy bar when he gets home late, who leaves funny cards for me to find on my desk, who puts up with my chaos, and who always loves me.... Happy Anniversary!

Some things I learned this weekend

Each year Deseret Books sponsors Time Out For Women ( http://deseretbook.com/time-out ). It's a two day event where authors and performers from Deseret Book come and speak in a conference type setting. It's described as a "time out to catch your physical and spiritual breath" and I always come away feeling like I've had a mini vacation.
This year some of us decided to spend the night in Sacramento instead of driving back and forth. It was such a good idea. We stayed at the Sheraton which is a lovely hotel with a great staff and it's located just down the block from the convention center where Time Out was being held. The rooms are lovely and they have a great room service menu (I had the best sirloin burger ever for a late night dinner).
The two days were filled with alot of great speakers and I loved being able to spend the time with my friends. There were also two great musical acts. On Friday, violinist Jennie Oaks Baker performed. I have had the privilege of hearing her before. She is truly amazing and has such passion in her playing. I had to buy one of her cds. The other group was a trio called Mercy River. They have a great rapport with each other and share that with the audience. There music is kind of a pop/inspirational and they were fun to listen to.
The theme for the event was Hope. I wanted to share a few of the great quotes from the two days.
Ardeth Kapp:
We don't have to look back ... We can look forward.
The principle of hope drives us forward with optimism.
The trials and tests in life are not to discourage us but to refine us.
John Bytheway:
Wake up and say, "I think I'll be delightful today!"
Emily Watts (speaking about Motherhood):
It's been lovely, but I have to scream now!
The years fly by even though some of the days are so long!
We have to have faith that at the very moment we need God's help it will be there.
Don't abandon the hope that your children will progress and improve
Amanda Dixon:
Every day is perfect
Don't worry about the worst thing that can happen ... It might be the best thing for you, the most beautiful thing.
Whenever a parent yells at a child it is communicating one thing: Calm me (the parent) down.
Your best is good enough
Emily Freeman:
How to see a good day-
1. Change your perspective
2. List what you love (make a list of thirty things you love and look at that list each day)
3. Give your heart great experiences (when we give our heart great experiences, miracles happen)
4. Remember the great experiences, the special days of your life
5. Remember to turn to the Savior to be reminded of the hope that is in each of us
Jill Manning:
She spoke about the impact that Internet pornography is having on families and children. She talked about how we as women need to stand together to protect our children from it. She gave a great analogy of how elephant herds protect their young from lion attacks by standing shoulder to shoulder in a formidable circle around the young.

One more speaker was part of this amazing line-up. Her name was Mariam Kallom. She grew up in Sierra Leone (Africa) during a very violent and bloody time in the country's history. She shared the horrors of seeing many members of her family violated and killed. As awful as that was she never gave up hoping for a better life. Her story was inspiring as she told how she was helped through the efforts of the Humanitarian projects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was a great example of how that program helps change lives.

It was a fantastic weekend and we are already making plans to attend in October next year!

Gilroy Gardens

Ter Bear, my niece, my sister and I have journeyed to the happiest place on earth each of the past three years. We love Disneyland ... the rides, the characters, the entertainment, the corn dogs! What we don't love are the lines and the crowds and definitely not the ticket prices or the drive down to Anaheim.
And that is exactly why we loved our trip to Gilroy Gardens this weekend. If you buy your ticket online it's less than $30.00. The lines are short. The rides are unlimited and absolutely perfect for both a 2-1/2 year old and an 8 year old. The park is super shady and very beautiful.

When we arrive my niece bought a souvenir drink cup at the front of the park. My sister and I both gave her a hard time for spending the $10.00 on an empty cup that came with an armband that gave her unlimited fill-ups. We weren't laughing later when we realized what a bargain it was since a drink was a typical amusement park price and they only sold the cups/refill deal at the beginning of the day in the front of the park!

There are several water features, including Splash Garden. This was a great location mid afternoon when the sun was at it's warmest. It's a semi enclosed area with lots of tables for parents to sit at but I saw a lot of parents enjoying the spray coming off of the Tree Top Spray Around. I fell victim to one of the geysers that sprays up from the ground which provided no end of comic relief to my sister and niece.

Another cool water feature was the waterfall walk. It was really neat to wind through the beautiful waterfall formations. But be forewarned. . . the walk leads you to the very wet back side of a waterfall. I had to pick Andrew up and carry him through that particular spot.

There is a petting zoo that is an additional cost of $5.00. You get a hand stamp and can come in and out as many times as you want. Adults don't have to pay to get in (another family friendly feature!) Ter passed on it but Andrew loved the animals. He brushed every single goat, chased all the chickens and thought the duck with the funny white feathers on top of it's head was hilarious.
Ter was too tall for a few rides and Andrew too short for a couple but there was plenty for both of them to enjoy. Two roller coasters and one of those swing rides were major hits for Ter and the flying goldfish and fire engine were Andrew's favorites. One of our favorite Disneyland rides is the Autopia cars and we found its equal in the antique car ride where both boys got to drive. There was also a train ride that went all the way around the park that the boys loved.

This park is definitely for families with young children. There really isn't anything that would appeal to a preteen or teenager. But that made it perfect for us. Even the arcade games were easy to win and both boys got a pretty good sized stuffed dog.

Among the rides we missed were the swan paddle boats and the Rainbow Garden boats. We also missed walking through the two gardens (Claudia's and the Holly garden). We were all exhausted and ready to go home. But that just means we will be going back again soon. . . maybe for their Harvest Fest or the Holiday Lights Days.

Our family definitely gives Gilroy Gardens a thumbs up!

Music

Confession time: My name is Laura and I love to sing. This will come as a huge surprise to many because it is a well known truth that I couldn't carry a tune if I had a whole bunch of buckets. And so you will never see me part of a choir unless absolutely forced to.

But I have always loved music ... all kinds! I am also a huge believer that music is important to well-being and learning. You can lecture on the same concept until you are blue in the face and a child might never "get it". But teach that principle by way of a catchy tune and your point gets across and is remembered.

Show tunes have always been a favorite genre of mine. This started in the fifth grade when my teacher, Mrs. Hawthorn, taught us the entire score to the musical Oklahoma. I can't pass a cornfield (which is often where I live this time of year) and not sing in my head the line from Oh, What A Beautiful Morning: "The corn is as high as an elephant's eye and it looks like it's climbing right up to the sky".

I have a pretty eclectic taste in music. I enjoy everything from Lynard Skynard to Barry Manilow. I like both the old and new Rod Stewart (Hot Legs and his take on the old standards). I love to listen to Frank Sinatra but you would just as easily find me singing along with Aerosmith.

I like big choirs ... nothing beats the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

The television phenomenon of "Glee" has made being a choir geek cool. I stumbled on another choir themed show that I also love. It's a quirky little program on BBC (hurrah for On Demend) that I found by accident. It's called "The Choir" and done in a documentary style. Choir director Gareth Malone goes into English schools and creates beautiful choirs from non-existent programs. The first season was about a mixed choir that he led to compete at the Choir Olympics (who knew) in China. Last season had him convincing young men at a boys school, known for its athletic programs, to join the choir program. Their performance of Stand By Me/Beautiful Girls was amazing.


Music ... it can make me smile, sing along, think, and sometimes cry. I found this great quote by the prolific Anonymous : "Music is what feelings sound like."
I hope your day is filled with music and if you happen to be sitting near me in church, please forgive my bad notes.

Nicknames

One of the things you knew about my dad, within 15 minutes of meeting him, was how much he loved children of all ages. He was the favorite of nieces and nephews for as far back as I could remember. He was quick to bend his lanky 6 foot frame to get eye to eye with a toddler. And his grandchildren absolutely idolized him.

He also loved giving nicknames. From the very first grandchild to the last one he met on this earth, he assigned each one a name at birth (and some before).

Matthew was Beano because he was always moving like a little jumping bean. Samuel looked like a little Italian from day one so he became Gumba which is Italian slang for "good friend". Chris was "Jake" and Bobert was "Scrub". Carl was so tiny that he became "Moose". The two girls were always "Polliwog" and "Bright Eyes" to Dad.

When our first grandson came along and was named Andrew I thought his nickname might be Drew. It never really stuck but he earned the nickname "Monkey" from his mama.

So it seemed perfect that when Matt and Heather found out they were expecting again, they started calling the baby "Jelly Bean". The first time I heard it I immediately thought of Dad and it made me smile. And when we found it this latest addition would be a girl it was even more perfect. We have been calling her Jelly Bean for several months now and I think the nickname will probably stick.

We can't wait to meet her when she arrives this Christmas and when she's older I'll share with her about her Great-Poppa Terry. But something tells me they've already met!

Back To School

School started this week for us. Yes, we begin our new year in July, when the rest of the world is still vacationing at the beach or away at summer camp.

When I was young I had a very different take on the term "Back To School." It meant the end of summer and daily trips to the neighborhood pool. There wouldn't be anymore weekend camping trips to Silver Lake. At the end of August we would take our annual trip downtown to J.C. Penneys to purchase our school dresses (plaid with white Peter Pan collars) and new shoes.

We already knew who our teacher would be. Our school always gave that info on the end of the year so you could worry about it all summer if you got the one mean teacher in second grade (yes, this did happen to me). There was usually only one or two teachers per grade level so there really wasn't much mystery involved.

Our moms didn't drive us to school on the first day. They didn't have to worry about the scary monsters we do today. They packed our lunch pails (only the really cool kids got brown paper bags) with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, gave us a nickle for milk (No Capri Suns for us) and hustled us out the door. We walked in packs of 4 or 5 and got there in time to have a game of kick ball or tether ball or four square before the bell rang.

Back in the "good old days" we didn't bring backpacks to school. If we had important papers we wadded them up and shoved them in our lunch pails or carried them.

Teachers didn't have to send home supply lists of pencils, crayons and paper. The school provided these things. Maybe the budgets were bigger. There were always enough books for everyone.

Instead of tests, standards and benchmarks and more tests we had art and music mixed in with reading, writing, science, math and Social Studies.

Sometimes I wonder how we survived at all.

Happy Birthday America

It's America's 234th birthday and the Red, White and Blue deserves a top ten list to commemorate the day. So here is some of my favorite things about this great country:

10. The National Parks - As a child I can remember my parents taking us to visit many of them. Some of my favorites are Zion and Dinosaur (UT), Grand Canyon (AZ), Carlsbad Caverns (NM), Crater Lake (OR), Craters of the Moon (ID), Yosemite, Redwood, and my personal favorite, Death Valley (CA)

9. The National Anthem... whether it's being played at the beginning of a sporting event, by a marching band or at the Olympics... I love that song and wish I had the kind of voice that could sing it.

8. American invented food .... Corn Dogs, Ice Cream Sundaes, Peanut Butter, Deep Dish Pizza, S'mores, Toll House Cookies, Hershey's Kisses and M&Ms are just a few.

7. The freedom we have to travel where we want, prohibited only by our own resources. There is nothing like jumping in the car with your family and going for a ride. You can go to the beach or the mountains or the city or just over the hills and through the woods to Grandma's house.

6. Freedom of ideas and speech. The only thing that can keep us from expressing our opinions is us.

5. Everyday heroes. Not the celebrities whose every movement is chronicled by the media, but the American people who step out of their personal comfort zones to help others. Just today, I saw an elderly man crossing a street with a basket of groceries. His little cart tipped over spilling it's contents out. A driver quickly jumped out and helped the man then hopped back in his car and drove away.

4. How American people rally in disaster.... Floods, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Fire, Disease... we run marathons, hold bake sales, buy tee-shirts, and make donations to help others when it's needed.

3. Volunteerism... Soccer coaches, team moms, PTA boards, Boys Scouts, Community Clean-ups, Hospitals, Animal Shelters, Soup Lines, ... there is no end to the opportunities and many, many who step up to take them on.

2. Free public education. When I read about children in other countries who can't go to school because they can't pay for the books or the clothes or the materials it makes me want to scream. I am so grateful to live where, even though school budgets are being slashed to ribbons, any child can still go and there will be someone there to teach him/her.

1. My number one favorite thing about America is the right to worship my Heavenly Father as I wish. I am so very thankful that I can practice my religion without worry or threat. What a blessing that is.

I am very proud to be an American and as Lee Greenwood sings,

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me,

And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,

'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land

God Bless The USA!"

Happy Birthday America!

Rosalia

Today marks five years since Tommy's mom, Rosalia passed away. I have written in previous posts about this great lady and her very generous spirit. Her middle name was "Grace" and that word fit her to a T. I learned much from her example of how to treat people. She was totally without prejudice and I don't think the word "no" was ever in her vocabulary when she was asked to help.

My boys were so lucky to have Rosalia as their "Nana". She was proud of everything they did. She doted on them and I don't think she ever had anything but positive things to say to and about them.

She documented the family in pictures and even though we all good naturedly teased her about having to pose, those pictures are treasures to us today.

And as much as Rosalia loved her children and grandchildren, she was devoted to her husband, Tom. She adored him as he did her. Theres is a love story that is a legacy to each of us.

Memorial Day

When I was little Memorial Day was very special to my family. On the Friday before I would stand with my mom in front of the Bank of America with a little can and a handful of red paper poppies. The poppies were made by disabled veterans in a VFW hospital and the proceeds went back to them. I wish I had pictures of it but I haven't been able to find any. I do remember fondly though asking perfect strangers to "wear a poppy". So last weekend when I went into the local Safeway and passed an older lady in her VFW hat and a handful of poppies I knew I couldn't just pass by. And as I dropped money into her donation can I'm sure she couldn't guess why I was smiling so broadly.
My dad was a proud veteran of the United States Navy. In fact he was so proud of his service as a Naval Corpsman that he told us on more than one occasion that he wanted to be buried in his dress blues when he died.
My mom's family had a rich heritage of military service as well. This picture is of her father.
Several years ago Carl had the honor of helping to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. My mom was so proud that he had been chosen to part of the presentation.




As this holiday weekend winds to a close I am grateful for those in my family who served in the military. I hope you will all participate in the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. today. Just click on the link to learn more about this opportunity to remember.
http://www.remember.gov/MomentofRemembrance/tabid/54/Default.aspx

Cherry Pickin'

We live in farm country. Fresh fruit trees and vegetable fields abound. But in the almost three decades I've been here, I have never gone out to any of the abundant U-Pick farms. I love the Farmers Market with it's stands full of fresh berries and veggies, beautiful flowers and home baked pies. But the appeal of actually picking from a tree or vine has always alluded me.
But my streak is broken and I think I just may be a convert. My sweet daughter in law invited me to join her last Saturday in picking cherries. It actually was so much fun and I can't wait to go back in a few weeks when new varieties are available. The prices were much less then in the store and even what I pay at the Farmers' Market.





I'm not quite sure I'm ready to pick strawberries (too far down for this old lady to get to) but I will be back for the loganberries and olallieberries (I have a recipe for olallieberry stuffed French Toast I want to try) just as soon as they are in season.
Thanks Heather for turning me on to this new adventure. And now I to figure out what to do with 10 pounds of cherries!

Mothers' Day Reflections

Mothers' Day has rolled around again and it brings with it pause for reflection on the great women in my life. Of course there is my mom who taught me that family comes first always. She dedicated herself to her family, her mother, here sister and brothers, her husband, her children and her grandchildren. She stepped out of her comfort zone often to serve her children. Sewing was never her talent but when our elementary school PTA was holding a fashion show one year she went out and bought material to make three little dresses for us to wear so that we could participate. She was not a radical, but I remember the night she went to a school meeting to speak up for an issue that was important to her children's education. And I don't think she really cared that much for sports but she sure went to a lot of Little League and soccer games.
My mother-in-law was cut from that same cloth. I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone. She would have fed the world if they showed up on her doorstep. Anyone who came in her door immediately felt her warmth and usually were fed at her table. She welcomed me into her family and treated me like her own daughter. She taught me that being a mother-in-law didn't mean that you lost a child, but that you gained one.
I also celebrate my Aunt Jeanie on this day. She is amazing! She has always encouraged me and been so supportive. She also continues to inspire me to try new things because of her example.
My sisters also stand out as moms. Mother lions have nothing on either one and they have mothered my children along with their own.
Included on my list of great women are my four girls: Heather, Kelsey, Laura Mae and Melissa!
No list of amazing women in my life would be complete without my friends. I'd name you one by one but the list would be go on and on. You know who you are. We have laughed together so hard tears have come to our eyes. We have cried together over shared sorrows. We have sat up all night talking about babies and husbands and jobs and heartbreaks. We have had girls nights out where we've just let our hair down. We mother each other's children and love them like they were our own. We have each other's backs when it is needed. We have stood side by side as we gave service and we have served one another. I have learned something from each of you and my life is richer because of you.
I love the Jewish proverb that goes, "God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." Happy Mothers' Day to all of you!

Old Friends

This week I reconnected with some old friends by way of Facebook. We had a thirty minute "conversation" that took us right back to the late 70s and our teen years. I know I was laughing at my end and I think they were probably in the same shape. I wasn't picturing us as the fifty-plus year old women we had become. No we were three teenage girls with giant hair, short skirts and too much eye shadow, giggling over some silly thing.
I don't know when it happened that we lost touch. But it was obvious that we didn't lose the memories. And this week they've come flooding back to me. Here are some of my favorites that are as fresh now as they were back then...
Nancy had this car... I think it was a Dart. The horn made an "oooooga" sound. It was so cool. One of my favorite memories was sitting in her mom's kitchen watching The Sound of Music with her mom and grandma, both of whom I adored. Her dad tried to be this gruff guy but he was the sweetest man ever and I loved him too. One summer Nancy and I went to Girls Camp as counselors together. I'm not sure what the leaders of the camp were thinking. We were about 19 and they put us in charge of a group of 12 year olds. But we had a great time together. One of my favorite memories with Nancy was going with her and Georgia to see Barry Manilow at an outdoor concert in the pouring rain. We were in a little truck. We picked up a hitchhiker on our way home and made him ride in the back of the truck in that rainstorm. Then we were terrified the whole way that he might be an axe murderer! Nancy was my maid of honor when I got married. These days she's married to the love of her life and travels for her job.
My other old friend, Gayle, was my partner in crime. She was always such a free spirit and she would light up a room when she walked in. We walked home from school together and we would be cracking up the whole time. We had so many adventures. One day we decided to drive to a theme park about two hours away in my little Ford Falcon. We got so lost and literally were on some backroad I have never found on a map again. I think Gayle's boyfriend, who was along with us, wanted to kill us both because we were laughing the whole time. One of our favorite things was to go cruising on the "avenue" on Friday nights. We'd drive up and down the road with most of the other high school kids in town, wasting a tank of gas. Gayle lived with her mom and sister. Her mom was a hoot. She was the sweetest lady and even when we did something she wasn't too happy about, she could never get really mad. Later on Gayle and I were roommates. We always had an apartment full of people and you could always count on a bowl of cold spaghetti in the frig in the morning for breakfast. Gayle too is married to her soulmate.
I loved these girls then and I still do today. I am so glad that we have been able to reconnect before it got too late. I'm looking forward to the not too distant future of visiting them in person. I can't wait!

Peeps

I saw this darling idea at the blog Little Ant Design http://littleantdesign.blogspot.com/
I try to give each of the staff members at school some little treat for each holiday. We have over 50 staff members so I try to find a project that is not only cute but easy and economical. This looked like the perfect answer.

I know that the clerks at the store thought I must have a real yen for a sugar high when they saw all these loaded into my cart.
I had already used the purple ones when I decided to take this picture. Who knew these little creatures came in so many colors. I did notice that the "unnatural" colored Peeps were a little stiffer. The yellow ones are softer.


If you ignore the sugar content, Peeps are pretty healthy (ha-ha). . . they don't have any fat or cholesterol.






I mixed colors to make it a little more interesting.








I used the 4" cellophane bags for the Peeps and added a Hershey chocolate egg. It was a sticky project.










This is the label I did.








And here is the finished product! I hope they enjoy it. I only ate two Peeps in the making of these.