Jay Bee's Buzz

Never Fear

2011-08-24T09:10:00.000-06:00

Easter 2011

I know, I know!! It's been 7 months since my last post!

I can't believe how time flies! What can we do to slow it down?

Nothing!

We just have to be careful to enjoy every moment and every person.

Especially those we love and care about!

This summer has been ca------razy! I'm thinking about working

on my next post by months, just so I can catch up.

So much life....so little time!

Jazzed and Jimmered

2011-01-31T09:30:00.002-07:00

On January 14th we went to the Jazz game with Kathy's fam.

They played Cleveland and won big.

We all got to go free because we went to the Miller Family Christmas Sing-a-long and

everyone who went got a free Jazz ticket and other goodies too.

And of course because they were free you can guess where the seats were.

You could say we had a 'birds eye' view!

We had a great time.

It started off at Crown Burger....yum!

Can you say 'pastrami and onion rings'?

Our 'bird's eye' view

Connor, Lauren and Cody

On the next to the last row. We brought plenty of kleenix for the 'nosebleeds'

Then.....
On January 26th the 'guys' came over to watch the

#9 BYU vs #4 San Diego basketball game.

Rick, Brady, Tony and Connor cheering

Byu won 71-58

Jimmer scoring 43 points

It was a fun night!

First Party of 2011

2011-01-26T15:18:00.002-07:00

On January 1st, 2011 we had a party.

Those of the Jensen side that were able to attend were:

Rick and me...

Kathy, Tony, Connor, Lauren and Cody

Jenny, Kaitlyn and Anna (Brady & Alivia were home sick)

Bonnie and Dennis

Stacy, Ron, Kensie and Ryan

Kayla and Michael

Greta, Kylie and Brandon

We all had a great time.

Connor and Ryan playing video games

Judy's Famous Brownie Trifle - Yum!

Food, Fun and Fam

Dennis (Alias: Colonel Sanders), Bonnie, Rick, Judy

Tony, Michael, Ron and Dennis watching football

Cody and Anna playing wii (samuri swords)

The girls playing 'Curses' - pee your pants funny!

Greta brought her finace Brandon

The original fam...

H-E-L-L-O 2011!

2011-01-01T15:02:00.002-07:00

2010 was a great year.

Much, much, much better than 2009.

So how will 2011 go?

I'm leaning toward FANTASTIC!

Just to recap some of the highlights of 2010....

January...

Serving on Moroni's Quest 2010 planning committee...

Kick-off Fireside on the 31st...awesome!

February....

The wonderful Mexican Riviera cruise with Sue, Mike, Brownie and my love Rick.

March...

Our little Grand-daughters Build-a-Bear Party

Rick & I went to St. George, below photo: Having fun in Snow Canyon.

April....

Rick & I had a great trip to Washington DC

Photo is at Gettysburg, PA

May....

Rick & I with the 3 older grandkids spent Memorial Day

weekend camping in the trailer.

We went to Mesa Verde and of course Arches National Park.

June....

Our cute niece Kayla married Michael Chandler.

Her reception was up at Bear Lake.

Kaitlyn caught the bouquet. Scary...

July....

Had a wonderful time down in Pine Valley, Utah

at the Roland & Nelda Jensen Family Reunion.

We also went to Glenn Beck's 'Rivival'

August.....

Brought a bountiful harvest.

One of our favorite meals....

September....

Went to Swiss Days in Heber City with some friends. Fun!

On Labor Day we did one of our favorite new found hobbies...

Geocaching. Fun! Ask us about it...

October....

Of course, Halloween with the grandkids.

Livie does not like to have her picture taken!

November....

Thanksgiving at Susie & Mikes.

What a great family day!

December...

Our 35th Anniversary Cruise to the Caribbean.

Refreshing!

We start 2011 full of excitement. We expect only

good things and good times.

We can hardly wait!

Christmas Past...

2010-12-28T11:40:00.004-07:00

Another amazing Christmas season has come and gone.

It's hard to believe that time can travel so fast.

We had a great one.

All of our family came over on Christmas Day

for a bountiful brunch.

The Arrival - Tony

The Arrival - Cody

The Arrival - Brady

The Feast

Everyone partaking

Mrs. Claus and her two elves!

Opening presents!

The Girls - Lauren, Kaitlyn and Anna

Connor showing Grandma his 'RWH' ring...
(Return With Honor)

Grandpa and Livie

What a great day we had.

Merry Christmas!

Until next year....

Got Sun?

2010-12-23T14:07:00.003-07:00

Could there be a more wonderful way to spend your 35th wedding anniversary

than taking a caribbean cruise? No.

The only thing that could've been a little better was more sun.

We sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday.

One of the reasons we decided on this particular cruise was the

stop it made on Monday at Key West. We have never been there.

Well, the horrible storm that was hitting the southeast

just rolled on down and Monday morning Key West closed

it's port due to high winds. And boy were they high!

The ship scrambled to provide an acceptable unexpected day at

'rough' sea. It did OK, but our stateroom was the

preferred spot for the day.

Cozumel, Mexico was plan B for Tuesday. The sun did shine but it

was cold and windy. We made the best of it by eating lunch at

a great little Mexican restaurant.

Christmas, Cozumel style

Rick on our balcony. Notice the color of the water. Gorgeous!

Wednesday was Grand Cayman. We had reserved a tour online to go

to Stingray City, but the ship could not stop at the regular port, due

to high winds we had to stop on the other side of the island.

We had no way of reaching our tour company so we

just tendered in after lunch and sat on the beach.

Relaxing on deck. This area was called 'Serenity'. Love it!

On the beach at Grand Cayman.

Collecting coral on the beach at Grand Cayman.

Thursday was Jamaica. Rain.

Need I say more?

Friday was a much deserved beautiful sunny perfect day at sea.

A much deserved day of sunshine.

Saturday was our long trip home. Long airport delays due to bad weather.

When someone tells you to 'have a nice day', you must remember

to 'MAKE it a nice day'. That's what we did
and very happy memories were made.

It's That Time Again!

2010-12-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

We purchased a new Christmas tree this year.

Our old one was way too fat.

So, we purchased a 'thinner' tree. And it is just right.

Just like life...thin, thin, thin!

With Christmas time in full swing I'm starting to feel the spirit.

This is a wonderful time of the year.

Rick and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary this month.

And boy are we celebrating in style!

A Caribbean cruise...yes, eat your hearts out!

We are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with our family.

Our tradition is a great big Christmas brunch.

What's yours?

True Blue

2010-11-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

Rick and I are true blue.

We've had season tickets to the BYU Football games

for over 30 years.

You know the saying "It's not what you know, but who you know"?

Well, we know somebody!

That somebody is our grandniece-in-law, Lia.

She has connections.

Last Saturday we had the opportunity to go on the field before the game.

It was so much fun. Lots of excitement.

It was fun to see the players close-up. It was like being around rock-stars.

And then there's COSMO! How cool is he?!

The weather was spectacular!

BYU played UNLV and won 55-7!

I was with my one true love :)

How could a day get any better?!

Rick, nephew Don, Me, Don's wife Dee, Lia, Spencer

Heavy Laden

2010-10-25T13:30:00.002-06:00

Our Sweet Little Peach Tree...

Mid May I forced Rick to thin the almond sized peaches to 1 or 2 every 5 inches.

1/2 Home Depot orange bucket full.

It was almost shaken to death on June 1st from extreme winds....

Another 3/4 Home Depot orange bucket full of walnut sized peaches.

Normal mid-June natural 'drop' = 1/4 Home Depot orange bucket full.

I cried. We didn't think we would have any peaches at all!

Well, we were wrong.

Our little tree was so full the branches were laying on the ground!

One large branch even broke.

I was able to put up about 3 dozen quarts of peaches, plus share

with family and friends.

After harvest, with Rick saying "are you sure?"....
We trimmed our little tree. Hopefully, no broken branches next year.

With a nice trim.

This is our Monster 'Early Girl' Tomato Plant.

Not many 'early' tomatoes, but an abundant fall crop.

Enough to be able to put up 10 jars of Salsa

and 5 jars of Chili base.

Our gorgeous Rosemary plant.

I dried some rosemary last year and used it all winter.

Awesome!
I really do feel like Martha Stewart!

Geocaching

2010-10-07T09:37:00.001-06:00

On Labor Day Rick and I went 'Geocaching'.

Never heard of it? Well, this from the official website:

"Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."

We heard about it from Kathy and Tony and it has become

a very fun family activity for all of us.

One of the most beautiful Labor Days I can remember took us to

Adam's Canyon Trail in Kaysville, UT. There are several 'caches' up the canyon.

The trail was unbelievably busy and crowded, but some of our

expeditions took us off trail and we enjoyed some quiet moments.

The GPS coordinates took us to this cache. You can see it buried in the rocks.

This is how you find them. We also used our smartphones with an awsome geocaching app.

One of the 'caches' led us to this tree. The heart was carved a LONG time ago.

This cache was down below the trail and we had the place all to ourselves.

Caches have log books that you sign when you find it. Some of the caches contain

things that you can take if you want...but if you take you must give...

We usually just sign our geo-name with the initials TNLN/SL

Which translated is 'took nothing, left nothing/signed log'.

The canyon was spectacular! At the top there is supposed to be a 40' waterfall.

We did not make it there. We were pooped. The online trail information

said that the trail was 3 miles roundtrip...but we think that it was incorrect.

It should be 3 miles 'one way'!

We did spend alot of our 'hiking' waiting for people to pass.

The geocaching made the hike so fun and enjoyable.

Some of the caches are very difficult to find, or are very difficult to get to.

We enjoy the 'easy' ones.

If you'd like more info...go to http://www.geocaching.com/

Swiss Days

2010-09-24T10:05:00.001-06:00

Swiss Days 2010

Heidi Wilcox, Denise Hillyard, Linda Rassmussen, Stacie Wheeler, Heidi Christensen, Me

Question: How much fun can 6 women have?

Answer: LOTS!

Linda invited us to go with her to a condo in Midway, Utah and

join in the festivities of Swiss Days, September 2nd.

Thursday night we drove up and stayed up way past our bedtimes (ahem...2:00 a.m.!)

to play games, eat fun (un-nutritious) goodies and

get to know each other better.

Then up early (yawn) at 6:30 a.m. so Linda could get to the wrapping paper booth.

Wrapping paper?

We arrived at 7:45 a.m. along with at least 1/2 the state of Utah and quickly

made our way to the WP booth, only to find about 20 people already in line!

We moved on...(moved is a relative term with that many people)

We scoped the booths and bought some stuff, ate the food (yum) and listened

to the fun music. We heard yodelers and the Alpine Horn.

We had so much fun....

Can't wait for next year...

Trippin' #4 - Reunion

2010-09-08T11:41:00.001-06:00

July 8-12 we had a Roland and Nelda Jensen Family Reunion.

We all traveled to Pine Valley, UT from California, Colorado,

and Utah and camped in a beautiful spot with

tall pines and lots of huge

rocks and a wonderful little river called 'Blue Springs'.

The first night we set up camp and

roasted hot dogs and made s'mores.

There's nothing like sitting around a campfire with loved ones!

Friday we spent the day at the beautiful Veyo pool. We swam, ate, hunted crawdads, read, visited and just had a great time together.

My sisters, Bonnie, Susie & me

After the pool we came back to camp and had a potluck dinner that

was organized by Kathy. She provided sloppy joes and the rest of us provided

all the fixin's. After dinner we did s'mores some more.

Saturday the guys went shooting and the girls stayed at camp and played

by the river. Cousin Denise had also planned some fun around the camp games.

Saturday afternoon Aunt Susie organized our 'Hobo Pack' dinner.

Everyone brought their own meat and an item to put into the pack. Yum!

Cheri and Stacy with the potatoes that Kathy & Judy cut...

Creating our 'masterpieces'

The Hobo packs cookin'

Sunday morning we attended church at the historic Pine Valley Chapel

The cousins....

Mike, Stacy, Cheri, Kathy and Adam

The time had come to say goodbye...never easy! Until next time....

Kathy, Tony, Connor, Lauren and Cody in front of their new 'love shack'

The campsite....beautiful!

Grandpa Rick and Grandma Juju with the munchkins...

Crazy, happy family!

Bonnie & Dennis, Susie & Mike and Rick & Judy

We stayed for a few more days.

We hung around camp...reading, eating, sleeping...

on Thursday night we braved the 120 degree heat to

see 'Cats' at Tuachan theater. It was fun...

Rick taking down the flag for the last time...so sad...

We missed Deanna & Sharry this year....just not the same.

Trippin #3 = Grandkids

2010-07-19T13:57:00.001-06:00

Memorial Day Weekend

What a great weekend we had! Rick & I took our 3 oldest

Grandkids and headed off for Moab, UT. We camped at the

Moab Valley RV Resort and started a fun weekend adventure.

We loved being able to spend some quality time with the kids, bedtime

was always interesting...

Our first adventure was to go to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. It's about a 3 hour drive from Moab.

Along the way we had a little excitement with Connor.

He needed to use his breathing machine and it needed electricity.

In the middle of nowhere, Grandpa got creative.

Mesa Verde was so fun. We saw Indian dancers and we hiked to the 600 year old ruins. We even were

able to climb into a ceremonial kiva.

We spent a day exploring one of our favorite places, Arches National Park.

We climbed and hiked around Double Arch

and looked across to Delicate Arch.

We also saw lots of our state flower, the Sego Lily...

The kids were tired and ready to go back to camp and I talked them into

one more short hike to Sand Arch. It ended up being their favorite...

After a fun day exploring the beautiful red rocks of Arches Park we stopped at

the Indian petroglyphs on Potash Road. So cool....

then we went back to camp and had dinner

and let the kids swim. The camp had a giant chess board that

the kids loved! How much fun can 5 people have?

After a fun weekend it was time to go home. Always sad when you're having fun...but Mom's & Dad's were waiting for their munchkins....

Trippin' 2 - Washington DC

2010-06-23T15:08:00.002-06:00

Rick had a business trip to Washington DC

at the end of April, so I tagged along.

We left a couple of days early so we could see some sights together.

We arrived late Friday night and grabbed some dinner then

early Saturday morning we left for the 2 hour drive to

Gettysburg National Military Park.

We started at the visitors center and viewed the museum then ate lunch.

We purchased the book/CD 'Gettysburg Field Guide' by TravelBrains

and started our exploration. The book has a map with 15 sites to see while you listen to the information on the CD.

We loved Gettysburg!

While in Gettysburg we found a place called "Barlow Knoll".

A battle took place here led by Brig. General Francis Barlow.

We are checking to see if there is any relation. Interesting.

My favorite soldier in the civil war was Colonel Joshua Chamberlain.

This is a monument dedicated to him and his brave men.

Their actions literally helped win the civil war.

He was an amazing man and a heroic leader.

Google him to find out more.

Speaking at the dedication of the Monument to the 20th Maine

twenty years after the war he wrote:

"In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream; And lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls."

So inspiring. That was exactly how we felt there.

The next day we went to the Smithsonian.

We started at Ricks favorite, the Air and Space Museum.

Always fasinating.

Before we left for DC we contacted our congressman's office and we were

able to be invited on a personalized US Capitol tour

by one of his staff members.

It was really cool because we were able to bypass all of the long lines.

When the Capitol tour was over we took the underground tunnel to the Library of Congress. This

has to be one of the most beautiful buildings
I have ever seen.

Stunning architecture. Beautiful paintings and carvings.
Very symbolic.

We found that most of the historic buildings in Washington DC have

lots of symbolism.

(read Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol')

On Tuesday through the same congressman's office I was invited to tour

the White House. Rick was not able to come because of meetings.

Unfortunately I have no pictures because you're not able to

bring anything on the tour.

No purses or cameras or even lip or hand lotion.

I had to go through 3 checkpoints where

they checked my ID and crossed my

name off of their lists. While there I looked out a window and happened

to see President Obama boarding his helicopter. It was pretty cool.

Give respect where it is due, he is our President.

After the White House tour I walked to the Ford Theater

and went to the museum and then a short 2 man play they

put on about the assasination of President Lincoln.

From there I walked over

to the National Gallery of Art.

Could spend days there.

Wednesday I went to the US Botanic Garden...

It was the most peaceful place. Everyone spoke in hushed tones.

It felt 'reverent' there. Beautiful displays

of plants, flowers, trees and shrubs.

What wonderful creations!

Then over to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Very sobering.

On Thursday before we left to the airport we stopped by the

Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

There is a wonderful visitors center there with a huge emphasis on families.

Thanks for joining me on this travelog posting.

Washington DC is an amazing place with so much history. It's

hard to convey all the sites it has to offer. But one thing is for sure...

I'm grateful I'm an American!

Trippin'

2010-05-07T10:17:00.001-06:00

In February my sister Susie, her husband Mike, my brother-in-law Brownie,

Rick and I went on a Mexican Riviera Cruise.

Ahhhh, the sunshine! What a welcome change from the deep

cold weather we had been dealing with.

We had such a great time. It's not the places you go,

but the people you are with that make it great.

We were at sea for two days and had a wonderful time;

eating, sleeping, reading, eating, eating and eating.

Our first port was Acapulco.

We got off the ship and walked across the street to the old

Fort San Diego. It was a taste of Mexican history.

Then we hired a local guide to take us around.

We were able to experience the true 'local' flavor of Mexico.

Picking out the fresh Snapper at an out of the way beach restaurant.

Enjoying our freshly grilled fish.

Of course we experienced the cliff divers...

at night no less...

These are two divers jumping off with torches.

Acapulco at night.

Then on to Zihuatanejo. They give you a prize if

you can pronounce it correctly. :)

We took a water taxi over to the little beach cove called Playa Las Gatas.

What a relaxing day.

The kind of day you fantasize about when

you feel you need to get away...perfection.

Sipping pina coladas...virgin, of course.

Snorkling, people watching, and Rick's $10 - 30 minute massage.

Heaven...

Then on to Ixtapa.

It wasn't much, mostly a huge shipping port.

We just got off the ship and walked along the waterfront.

It was a beautiful warm day. Absolutely delightful!

Our last meal before we docked at San Diego.

This is my idea of a vacation. Just show up.

It's always sad to say goodbye...

Grandpa...that was not fun...

2010-04-05T12:27:00.001-06:00

(Grandpa Rick & Cody)

The Saturday before Easter we were tending our two grandsons, Connor (10 yrs) and Cody (4 yrs). Their parents had taken their sister Lauren (8 yrs) to her first session of General Conference. It has become a tradition when their kids get baptized to attend a session.

Anyway....the boys were dropped off at about 8:30 a.m.

Grandpa (Rick) had a haircut appointment at 9:00 a.m. On his way home at about 9:20 a.m., Grandpa noticed that at Centerville City Park they were having an Easter egg hunt at 9:30 am.

He called me and I quickly got the boys ready (including bags for egg collection)

and he picked us up and we raced to the park (of course getting behind the slowest drivers).

We parked at about 9:35 a.m. and by the time we arrived...it was over. OVER!

Not an egg to be had.

There were hundreds of kids with what seemed to be thousands of eggs

and not one, no, not one egg for the boys!

It was very cold with a little skiff of snow on the ground

so we dragged ourselves back to the car to get warm.

As we were pulling out Cody says: "Grandpa...that was not fun".

It struck a funny cord and Rick & I laughed and laughed all the while

with Cody saying, "what's so funny?".

So, Grandpa owed them.

We took them to Walmart and let them choose a toy around $5.00.

Luckily every Easter Grandpa (Rick) does host a grandkids Easter egg hunt at our house.

It was so cold and wet outside that he hid the candy filled eggs in the basement.

For a few minutes it is utter mayhem, but the kids love it.

And this time we weren't late!

(Lesson learned: Never be late to an Easter egg hunt!)

My First Tag

2010-03-31T09:15:00.000-06:00

Thanks Diana for the tag!

Her challenge was to go to your first picture file and

download the 10th picture and explain it.

Well, I had to go to the 5th folder

because it was the first folder with more than 10 pictures.

This picture was taken on Halloween 2005.

My daughter Jenny is shown with her 2 daughters (my grand-daughters).

Kaitlyn is the pretty princess and is about 3 1/2 years old.

The cute little lamb is Anna at about 7 months old.

Now see how they've grown in 5 short years!

Purse-o-mania

2010-03-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

At our Relief Society meeting last Tuesday night

the theme was 'Purses'.

I was asked to provide a centerpiece

for one of the tables around that theme.

Sounds easy enough.

Well, it was more difficult that I thought it would be.

Somewhere I came up with the idea of a 'purse bouquet'.

Downloaded some pictures of purses (or 'bags' as my daughters call them)

from google images and printed them out, then cut them, attached them

to green wires, tied bows and provided a greenery base and

Voila!

Purse Bouquet Extraordinaire!

The Look of Love

2010-02-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day always seems to bring out the best in people.

What could be better than expressing feelings of love and gratitude to your friends and family?

To my friends and family:

Thank you for being a part of my life.

I'm a better person for knowing you.

I love and appreciate you.

I'm grateful for your love and generosity.

I hope our love for each other will continue to grow

and that we can always inspire each other to goodness.

Gordon B. Hinckley said:

"Love is of the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, church, and neighbors.

I am one who believes that love, like faith, is a gift of God."

To me, you are gifts of God.

Watch out Mexico!

2010-01-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

Doesn't this look like FUN!

It's been 4 years since we've been on a 'real' vacation.

We've traveled close by with our trailer

and I've been able to accompany Rick on some

business trips, but not like this!

We're going with my sister Susie and her husband Mike

and my brother-in-law Brownie.

Shipmates.

Can't wait!

Watch out Acapulco(with an average year-round temperature

of 86 degrees!) Watch out Zihuatanejo and Manzanillo!

We are coming!

And we are going to have FUN!

OUT with the old, IN with the new!

2009-12-29T09:24:00.001-07:00

As 2009 comes to a close I'm breathing a sign of relief.

I made it! It's been a tough year!

I'm looking forward with great anticipation to 2010

knowing that it will be better.

What can I look forward to?

For starters:

Rick & I with my sister and two brothers-in-law are going

on a Mexican riviera cruise in February,

and we have a Roland & Nelda Jensen

family reunion in July

in Pine Valley, UT.

Let's add to the list!

How about a beautiful Spring season...

and a warm summer...

a fantastic fall with lots of peaches!

Then on to Christmas again.

I'm so grateful! I'm blessed beyond measure.

Even though the going gets tough,

life remains wonderful!

Goodbye 2009, I'm ready to embrace 2010!

Who's with me?

The Most Wonderful Time

2009-12-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time we had!

Everyone came at noon (well almost everyone)

and we had 'the feast'.

Our annual Christmas Day Brunch.

Everyone looks forward to this meal all year long.

At least the adults do. The kids seem to be

fine not eating anything. I'm sure when they

get older they will learn to appreciate

the finer things in life!

After everyone enjoyed the great food we opened gifts.

Tony opened his Austin Collie 'Colts' jersey and was

heard to say something to the effect....

'Sweeeet...best Christmas present ever'

At least that's the rumor.

He looked great in it by the way!

Mr. Claus

2009-12-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Our annual tradition of making Spritz cookies....

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. almond extract or vanilla

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar.

Blend in remaining ingredients.

Fill cookie press with 1/4 of dough at a time;

form desired shapes on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown.

YUM!

Sunrise, Sunset

2009-12-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

34 years ago,

my brand new sisters-in-law,

Pat & Lynn,

sang this song at our wedding breakfast.

(Sunrise, Sunset)

Everyone was crying except Rick & me.

We were just happy to finally be

starting the 'sunrise'

of our new lives together.

It truly does seem like just yesterday

Rick & I are soulmates.

We are cut out of the same cloth,

two peas in a pod,

bread and butter,

We are best friends.

Now as we are hurdling toward the

'sunset' of our lives,

the love we feel for each other

becomes more clear,

more pronounced,

less encumbered,

more pure.

I love you Rickey,

Higher than the sky,

Deeper than the sea.

Givingthanks

2009-11-23T11:19:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving at the Barlow home...

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year. (again)

Kathy, Tony, Connor, Lauren and Cody will be here

along with Jenny, Brady, Kaitlyn, Anna and Alivia.

My sister Bonnie and her husband Dennis will be

coming up from Orem (as long as it doesn't snow).

On the menu....

Turkey

Apple dressing

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Candied sweet potatoes (ala Kathy)

Spiced carrots (per Jen's request)

Traditional jello salad with pretzels (ala Jenny)

Bread rolls with homemade strawberry jam

Homemade cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream (ala Bonnie)

Water with lemon

What can be better than this?

Good food, great family, warm home,

blessings too many to mention!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heebie Jeebies

2009-10-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

A neighbor came over to visit last week and this is what greeted her on our front porch.......

Mr. hairy, long legs, bigger than *@&#, creepy, crawley

Tarantula

He was about as big as your hand stretched out!

I have to say that our neighbor is an elementary school teacher and she was sooo excited!

Yes, excited!

I was blubbering and whimpering...but she insisted on catching it. She could hardly wait to take it to school and show her students.

We were more than happy to get rid of it, but we did have to catch it first.

The first couple of containers were too small...then I found one big enough and with some manuevering and quickness, Mr. Barlow and neighbor caught it.

The picture above was taken through plastic wrap.

I don't know anything about taranulas. I really don't care. I'm just glad it's gone from my space.

This must be my personal welcome to Halloween.

muaaaahahhhhh!!!

"Fall"ing in Love

2009-10-23T15:25:00.000-06:00

I Love Fall!

I love this tree.

It is just below my house on 2nd East.

It is beautiful.

This is the front north west corner of my house.

The burning bushes are spectacular!

See this one below...

Did I tell you?!

I love the warm days and cool crisp nights.

I love not having my A/C or furnace on.

I love being able to open my windows and let fresh air in.

I love to look at pumpkins.

We went to the Syracuse Pumpkin Walk last night with Kathy's family and had so much fun.

Rick, Tony, Connor, Cody and Lauren

I know these beautiful days will have to come to an end, but boy am I enjoying them now!

Saying Goodbye Again

2009-10-12T11:13:00.002-06:00

My sister Sharry passed away last Sunday night.

She courageously battled ovarian cancer for almost 4 years.

She lost.

Comfort comes because she is now free of her horrible pain and suffering.

She is dancing and singing and leading music and probably looking around for Beethoven.

She is reunited with Dad, Mom, grand-daughter Elizabeth and her sister Deanna.

She will be missed.

I "Can"

2009-09-04T11:08:00.013-06:00

Shear beauty!

I channeled my mother yesterday. I 'canned' peaches from our own peach tree. Rick and I (well, mostly Rick) have babied this little tree for three years. It was a thoughtful gift from one of Rick's good friends that was given to us when Rick's dad passed away.

We've (he's) fertilized, watered, trimmed, sprayed and protected our precious crop all summer! And finally on Wednesday we picked our bounty.

Notice the shiney strips attached to the tree to keep the birds away. When you drove up our street the tree looked like it was decked out for the holidays! The instructions said to only put them on the tree within 14 days of harvest otherwise the birds will get used to them. Luckily, no birds. They must work.

We didn't think we had that many peaches until we started to pick them. This is only about 2/3rds of the crop. This was also before I put on my apron. :)

In process...

Nothing can prepare you for the work involved, and once you've begun, there's no turning back!

I have never canned anything before. I remember my mother's endless summer canning days from sun up to midnight. Usually canning close to 100 bottles of the precious fruits in season in one day! This was a new adventure and I had done a lot of studying. I regretted not paying more attention to her work. At the time canning was the farthest thing from anything I would ever do. Besides, you can just go the store and buy them in a can. Who would want to go through all that work? ...but, when you finally have your own beautiful little tree...

Two dozen!

I probably could have put up two more dozen if I'd had more bottles. Aren't they beautiful! Rick thinks I rank up there with Martha Stewart. The funny thing is is that I feel like Martha Stewart. I look at the beautiful bottles and pat myself on the back. I did it! I actually 'canned'.

So now with the leftovers, not counting the ones still on the tree, we're going to enjoy peaches and cream, peach crisp, homemade peach ice cream, peach pie, peaches alamode...and who knows what else I can make from peaches!

So here's to you Mom, thanks for your inspiration and the peaches ain't bad either!

Summer so far....

2009-07-28T09:55:00.016-06:00

I know! I know! It's been too long since my last post. Posting blogs is not one of my priorities. Most of my blog worthy activites are shared with my two ultra blogging daughters and their families who post often (with videos no less!) and that tends to lessen the motivation a bit, but in keeping with the spirit of the 'blog' I will attempt to update you on my summer so far...(I might even try to change the font or the print color...wish me luck!)

June 1-5, Martin's Cove and Mount Rushmore

Rick & I, my sister Susie and her husband Mike and our brother-in-law Brownie visited Martin's Cove, WY. With an interesting overnight in Muddy Gap, in an old single wide trailer... Me: "Where are the two other bedrooms? You said three bedrooms." Middle Eastern clerk: "No, three beds!"

On to Mt. Rushmore...we actually found a very nice motel in Custer, SD with three 'separate' rooms! Loved the Black Hills! Beautiful scenery, wildlife, food and activities.

We also enjoyed Jewel Cave, Custer National Park and Ellsworth Air Force Base, home of the South Dakota Air & Space Museum and the B-2 bomber!

We loved exploring quaint Hill City and Keystone, expecially loved riding the old train.

I wish that I could end this blog on a happy note, but, since just this little blog has taken me 1 1/2 hours to prepare, I'll need to update our later activities later, maybe NEVER! I keep trying to put the pictures in order, then for some reason they'd disappear, then I'd download them again, only to have the pictures all over the place! Please enjoy what you see, it was hard! I'm sorry that the pictures seem to be all over the place. I get it looking great in my draft but the preview has everything all over the place. Can you tell I'm just a 'wee bit' frustrated?

P.S. Summer so far has been great!

Lucky Day

2009-06-09T09:09:00.010-06:00

I actually had a 'lucky day'! They don't come along very often so when they happen you have to be ready. Ready for the surprise. Ready for the snippet of joy. When it happens you have to seize it, grab hold of it and relish the moment, try to prolong it, take advantage of it.

Lest you think that I won the lottery I didn't...but I did find money!

As I sat at my computer I looked down and behold...bills were sticking out of the 'money pocket' in my jeans! These were jeans that I hadn't worn in a while, apparently a l-o-n-g while.

Found Money! $15 bucks! Jackpot! I felt like I had won the lottery. Not a big one, but one none the less.

So...what do you do with 'newly found' money? I decided to call my husband and take him out to lunch. Luckily he had the time...

We decided to go to one of our favorite places, The Sampan at 7th East & 21st South. Yum!!! We LOVE the snowball shrimp! Large shrimp in a sweet white sauce with sugared walnuts on top of a bed of broccoli.

And when our lunch was through we opened our fortune cookies....Rick's fortune was: "The stock market may be your ticket to success." Well so far that definately has NOT been the case, but on a lucky day you can always hope.

My fortune cookie topped off the experience: "This week, you have a good head in matters of money." I can tell you I did have a 'good head' in money matters today! I wouldn't mind if more 'lucky' days would come along. It was an awsome day!

Princess Party

2009-03-20T13:57:00.011-06:00

Last Saturday I treated my 3 little grand-daughters to a collective Princess Birthday Party. Since Kaitlyn turned 7 yrs on March 4th and Anna turned 4 yrs on March 15th and Lauren turned 7 yrs on March 19th we had a 'girls only' birthday party.

We started at my house where we had lemonade, cookies and candy and opened presents. Then we went to a kids salon called Snip-its. The girls were pampered from the moment they arrived. They were able to dress in the princess clothing of their choice...then their hair was done...

Then pretty makeup applied....nails done...crafts completed and to top it all off...

a beautiful birthday cake with 7+4+7=18 candles. What beautiful little girls we have....ahhh.....to be young again!

Then we went to Appleby's for dinner. Servers singing and all...favorite food and special dessert! What a fun day...until next year...

Moving on....

2009-02-13T16:16:00.004-07:00

My sister Deanna left this earthly existance yesterday. Her fragile body gave in to the ravages of cancer. Now she is pain free and renewing relationships with loved ones that have gone on before. Words cannot express how much she will be missed. We loved to camp together every summer as a family (sisters and husbands) in Pine Valley, UT. The above picture represents one of Deanna's favorite places to be, her so called 'heaven on earth'. We have teased each other that she has gone on ahead to find the best camping sites. We are going to hold her to that promise.

Out of the Dreariness...

2009-02-09T13:30:00.004-07:00

What can I say? The start of this year has been tough. My dear sister Deanna is dying of cancer. In fact at this moment I am waiting for a call from Brownie letting me know that she has moved on. One of her favorite quotes is: "Out of the dreariness, into the cheeriness, come we joyfully, home."

January 6th I traveled to Newport Beach, CA to spend some time with her. My sister Sue joined me on the 9th and the three of us had three great days together. The day I left was the hardest. I had to say good-bye. Literally. We hugged and cried and hugged some more. Words cannot express how much she will be missed. So, I will take some advise from myself and say 'see ya later' my dear sister Dee. I love you.

Santa Found Us!

2008-12-30T15:41:00.006-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year!!!

Jenny, Brady and the girls have been with us for almost 5 weeks now and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Their carpet is being installed today in their new home and they're hoping to move in this Saturday. It has been wonderful having them here, especially after Mom passed away. I don't know what I would have done being here all alone. It will take some getting used to not having them here. I'm not looking forward to it. Anyway.....

Since the little ones were at my home we were a little concerned that Santa might not know where they were, but that jolly old elf knows all.....he found us and a Merry Christmas was had by all.

At about 11:30 am Kathy and her crew arrived and we had our traditional Christmas morning brunch. Everyone loves this meal and more than one said that they enjoy it more than Thanksgiving....imagine that! After the feast we opened our present to each other then just

lounged around. Watch football, read the paper, checked out the 'after Christmas' ads, ate more food, played games and just had a good time.

Here is a picture of 5 of our 'munchkins' (our 6th, Alivia was taking a nap.....

We look forward to the new year with great anticipation! What does it hold for us? Only good things!

I've got the greatest family!

2008-12-23T16:12:00.005-07:00

My doorbell rang the other day and I answered it to find a delivery man holding a big box. He handed it to me and left. What on earth!? The box said 'Pro-flowers' on it. I opened it and there was a card: "Thank you for the tender and loving manner in which you cared for our dear mother-in-law. Brownie, Dennis, Jim, and Mike." Under the card was two dozen beautiful roses in assorted colors with a beautiful red vase! How sweet is that?!!! Look how beautiful they are....

Imagine my surprise 2 days later when again the doorbell rang....there was a box labeled 'Shari's Berries" It was part 2 of the special thank-you from my brothers-in-law. Printed on the box where the instructions: "Close and lock door. Hide behind large piece of furniture. Quietly open box. Savor and enjoy!" Twelve extra large assorted chocolate dipped strawberries! I'm not sure if you can tell, but two are already missing :).

This is me 'savoring' the decadent strawberries!

I really do have the best family in the world! Thanks guys!

Too much of a good thing is Wonderful!

2008-12-18T16:03:00.004-07:00

33 years ago Rick & I were married. Time is now hyper-speed as we look back and realize that it was 'only yesterday'. What a wild and amazing ride! 2 wonderful daughters, 2 great sons-in-law and 6 grandkids later the future seems closer than ever before. What does it hold for us? Does it really matter? Life happens when you're doing other things, so come what may and love it, we promise we will!

Don't Say Goodbye....

2008-12-14T16:49:00.002-07:00

Friday, November 28th....My sister & I were saying goodbye to our dear elderly Mother as we were leaving her bedside after a fairly non-communicative visit. Susie reminded me that my Grandmother Jensen always said "never say goodbye" so we both loved Mom and told her "so long." As Susie & I were walking out of her room she unexpectedly called out clearly and distinctly, "I'll be seeing ya!" Susie & I looked at each other and called back to her "we'll be seeing ya, love ya Mom!"

Mom passed away the next Wednesday evening, December 3rd. She allowed me to be there with her when she took her final breath. She was finally at peace. I thought of all the loved ones that would be there to greet her and I felt their calming presence. I had a few moments to grieve before my daughters arrived and phone calls and arrangements needed to be made.

I realize that with her loss I am sad for me. Sad that she won't be there anymore, sad that one of my life responsibilities has been lifted from me, sad that I won't hear her say "I love you, honey" anymore in this life, sad that I don't have to pray for her anymore. But what about her? Is she sad? I don't think she's had time to be sad. She's been too busy visiting with her loved ones that she has been sad about for so many years. Am I happy? Not yet, but I'm happy for her. I'm happy that she knows that I love her, I'm happy that her family gathered and celebrated her life, I'm happy that she's with Dad, I'm happy that she lived a long and full life, I'm happy that she helped create lasting memories that I will cherish until I see her again.

So, for now....."I'll be seeing ya Mom, I love you."

Kids + Cookies = Fun!

2008-10-17T15:15:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Kathy had Jenny & her kids and me over to make Halloween sugar cookies. Kathy had premade the dough and had everything ready. She got out the flour and spread it all over countertop and the kids went at it. Rolling the dough and cutting out cute little witches hats, skull faces, ghosts, bats and pumpkins. Needless to say that flour was everywhere....on faces, hands, arms, legs, hair, and a fair amount on the chairs and floor. But what budding artists we have!

After we baked them to perfection, Kathy put me in charge of coloring the frosting. We decided on white, orange and purple. OK..normally this would not have been a problem but since Kathy's little dropper bottle of red food coloring was empty she pulls out her large 'capped' bottle of red coloring. Now orange calls for 2 drops yellow to 2 drops red and purple calls for 2 drops red and 3 drops blue, so I very carefully poured some of the red coloring into the cap to try to 'drop' it in the frosting. Somehow it flowed everywhere, making the process very difficult and totally coloring my hands.

What fun we had frosting the cookies and decorating them and especially EATING them!

What delicious works of art! Thanks Kathy!

My Dad, My Pal

2008-10-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for my Dad. I was the youngest by 7 years of 5 girls. I was supposed to be a boy. But an all wise perfect plan intent, defines where we belong. I always felt sorry for Dad. We all busted our buttons with pride when we talked about his 'glory' days as a star BYU football player. How he earned a full ride scholarship from excelling in sports at his small rural Brigham City High School. A farm boy made big. All 6' 4" and 220 lbs. of him! This amazing speciman of athletics ends up with 5 girls! Poor guy! But Daddy loved us. He took care of us. Even during hard times he never slacked, always providing for his family. I remember as a kid he would put up his arms to show his muscles, he would make them 'dance'. Then we would hang from his arms like tricky bars and he would carry us around. He taught me how to throw a baseball. Not like a girl but with a great wind up. He was always 'the softy'. I don't think he would have refused anything that we really wanted. He endured a lot in his life. He served his country. He loved God and His Son. He taught me patience, he always used to say, "If a string is in a knot, patience will untie it". Dad never showed you how to do something, he TAUGHT you to do it yourself. He was a great gardener. He loved to work in and keep a beautiful garden. He was good with his hands. He could build or fix anything. A grandson once said that 'Grandpa could put the wings back on a butterfly'. He taught me to have integrity. He taught me be strong. He taught me that big guys can be gentle. He taught me what to look for in a husband. Most recently he has taught me that I can make the right decisions. Thank you Dad. I love you.

My Mother, Myself

2008-10-03T12:36:00.000-06:00

My daughter Jenny decided to write in her blog about the things that she was thankful for and she inspired me. I started to think about what I am grateful for and decided I'll be posting updates occasionally. Today I have been thinking about my dear Mother. I'm thankful to her for giving me life. For enduring the LONG nine months of complete discomfort and the LONG hours of labor and delivery, the LONG episodes of crying, the LONG sleepless nights. Come to think of it, she endured a lot from me. Heaven knows she was not perfect. But she did the best she could with what she knew and was taught. She'll be 89 in December and I'm always comparing her different ages to were I am now...ie; when she was my age I was.....for some strange reason in my mind she always seems older than me.

She taught me to be honest. She taught me how to work hard. She taught me to always tell the truth. She taught me patience. She taught me compassion. She taught me about God and His Son. She taught me about love.

I love you Mom, and I am thankful for you.

2008-10-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

Hoodoo? We do!

Rick and I traveled south on a business trip to Southern Utah last week. We pulled the trailer (affectionately known as the ‘Pleasure Palace’) down to Provo on Saturday and parked at the University Mall and took the bus to the BYU vs Wyoming football game. BYU again dominated with another impressive 44-0 win. Afterwards we bused back to the trailer and journeyed on to Nephi, Utah. We stayed at the High Country RV Park. We were glad it was only for one night. After breakfast on Sunday we drove to St. George and set up camp at the Templeview RV Park which was a wonderful place.

As you can see in the picture we were able to park in the shade of the only tree in the park. Lucky for us since the temperature soared into the 90’s everyday. While Rick was busy at the conference, I jogged, shopped, read, ate, rested and shopped some more. It was good to have some ‘down’ time.

Thursday morning we packed up and headed for Bryce Canyon. The Webster’s Dictionary defines hoodoo as: 1 : a body of practices of sympathetic magic traditional especially among blacks in the southern United States 2 : a natural column of rock in western North America often in fantastic form 3 : something that brings bad luck 4 : Nonsense, Hokum.

Well, we knew we weren’t going to do any traditional black magic tricks, at least not intentionally, and we really didn’t want to run into any bad luck, but we were excited to see the ‘hoodoos’ that Bryce Canyon is know for. The beautiful brilliant orange columns in fantastic forms! And believe me that’s no nonsense!

We realized that we hadn’t been there in about 30 years. Hard to believe when it’s our favorite of the ‘canyon parks’. We set up camp at Ruby’s Inn RV Park and drove into the canyon. It was sunset and the beauty of it is difficult to put into words. Friday morning we got ready and planned our day, a morning hike on the Navajo Loop trail, lunch at Bryce Point, then an afternoon hike to Mossy Cove.

What a glorious day! The Navajo loop trail was a little taxing, especially on the way up! Lots of switchbacks but beautiful. The Mossy Cove reminded us of ‘Weeping Rock’ in Zion Canyon. Dripping water has formed the cove and it has deep green moss growing all around. After hiking in the warm sun the coolness of the cove was delightful. Then we hiked over to the little waterfall that flows from the Tropic Ditch river. It was so beautiful and crystal clear. While we were there, dark clouds started to form and we could hear thunder, so we hiked back to the car and went back to camp. Lucky for us because about 15 minutes after we got back the heaven’s opened and it poured for about 1 hour! It cooled down the temperature and it smelled so good!

Saturday morning we packed up and headed home. What a glorious week. We thank our Heavenly Father everyday for the beautiful earth that He has created for us. We are so blessed to be able to enjoy it.

2008-09-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

Start - Finish

I did it! What can I say but "I DID IT!" My daughter Kathy and I started out at 8:00 am and drove to the North Salt Lake Center St. overpass and waited for the 5K (3.2 mi.) to begin. First the bike riders went, 850 of them! It took a while for all of them to get through the start gate. Then the 10K'rs, then it was our turn.

Before we left my house, we were pinning our numbers on the fronts of our shirts and adjusting our timing devices on our ankles when Kathy pulls out two more things to pin to our shirts. She had made fabric signs honoring my sisters (her Aunts) and my niece (her cousin) who are battling cancer. Kathy, you are amazing! It provided us with a tangible reminder that we could 'share' with others as we ran.

As we waited with the hundreds of other participants for the horn to sound indicating the beginning of the 5K we warmed up. We stretched, trying to release any tension in our leg muscles and hoping to prevent any injury. We looked around at the other runners; short, tall, fat, thin, young and old. Kathy pointed out an older man and told me that if he could do it, I could do it. He was probably only a year or two older than I was, but hey, she was cheering me on in her own way! Then the horn sounded. Ready or not, let's go....I started with a slow steady pace. I felt sorry for Kathy because she obviously was used to running a bit faster, but she slowed to accommodate me and we fell into an even, steady stride. A lot of people passed us. But we ignored them. Soon we passed her car which was parked a long way from the start line. The crowds thined. The bikers were starting to come back along the route. Kathy commented about how they ride in 'packs' which was really true. Several 'packs' passed us as we ran. I had my watch and was keeping track of our time and it was OK. Slower than Kathy would have liked, but she kept assuring me that we were doing this together and to have fun. At the time it didn't seem very 'fun' but we plugged on. At the half way point they had a water station set up and a young girl gave us small paper cups of water as we ran past and turned the corner. It's hard to drink water while you are panting heavily. But we sipped, and then just threw our cups down on the road. It was kind of cool to do that :) Whew....half way! We just kept up our steady pace and we started to pass other runners. Off in the distance we could see the overpass (finish line). It seemed so far away. But we kept going. We soon passed Kathy's car going the opposite direction, we were getting closer. I tried to step up my pace, we were still lagging behind Kathy's time, but she didn't seem to care. As we got closer to the end, people were lined up along the way and were cheering us on. Kathy grabbed my hand and held it up high with hers as we crossed the finish line, tears welled in my eyes as I realized that I had actually done it. We hugged. I wasn't prepared for the strong emotions that I would feel. It was a special moment for Kathy and I to share.

After we were done, they provided the participants with fruit, bread and water. We walked around and found Rick and Connor waiting for us. It was great to see them! We then went over to the wall where they had posted the times and I found mine....4th place! In my age group I came in 4th at 39 minutes! Needless to say I now have something to brag about. We did it!

I did it!!

What am I thinking!

2008-09-09T08:44:00.000-06:00

In January 2007 I decided that I actually needed to DO something to become more healthy. After enjoying a somewhat 'fast' metabolism for many years I realized that what I was doing was not working anymore 'for someone my age':( Sooo, I enlisted the help of my 'video' good friend and mentor Denise Austin to help me accomplish my goals and came up with a healthy eating and exercise plan.

My first goal was to loose 30 pounds. Howdy Doody! That would mean completely changing my activity levels and totally revamping my eating habits. Could I do it? I came up with my own diet of about 1000-1200 calories a day. Low sugar, low fat, higher protein, more water and more fiber. Healthy foods. I had to make each calorie count. A lot of the time I just ate smaller portions of my favorite foods so I didn't feel deprived. I simplified my calorie/activity outlook to 'take in less, output more'.

My next goal was to exercise. I decided that in my 'golden years' I wanted to be the one actually moving around on my own without the help of walking aides. I wanted to be able to climb stairs without pain. I did not want to be diabetic. I wanted my pre-arthritic joints to be able to move freely as long as possible. I want to be cancer free. I started moving. Denise and I started out slowly, about 10-15 minutes per day in the morning, trying to do it everyday. She and I would warm up, do aerobics/cardio, spot training and then cool down. I gradually built up my time adding 1-2 minutes a day and increasing levels as I felt up to it. I tried to just move more during the day. I later wanted to add more cardio time so I started running after our aerobics. Starting out at about 6-7 minutes, I tried to increase my running time 1 minute per day.

Next I wanted to exercise my brain. While I ran I would memorize things. I'm not very good at it so it would take a long time. As a member of the LDS faith I memorized 'The Living Christ' and the 'Proclamation on the Family' and the Relief Society Theme. Now lest you think that this was easy, it took me 6 months to learn 'The Living Christ' and 8 months for the 'Proclamation'.

I reached my goal of losing 30 pounds and then some in June of 2007. My cholestorol went down 50 points! I went from a size 16 to 8. My shoulders, knees, elbows and hips didn't hurt anymore. I could move more easily. I felt fantastic! I still do.

Now, on to the next step 'A RACE?' My daughter Kathy ran in a 5K race in her city last Spring. And she raved about how much fun it was and insisted that I run one too. Oh, I'm not so sure. She's 21 years younger that I am. Well, after a summer of 'let's do it' everyday I succumbed. We signed up for the Hess Cancer Foundation Legacy Run on September 13th. Yikes! I've been training, but still don't want to make a complete fool of myself. I want to make a respectable showing. I want to finish!

I want to run in honor of those who can't. For my two sisters who have ovarian cancer, one scheduled to start her 3rd round of chemo and the other in the middle of her 2nd round. For my niece in her 30's who just had a double mastecomy and is in the middle of chemo.

Life is precious and I want to be around mentally and physically to enjoy it. So, I may be crazy for attempting the 5K but here goes.....I'll keep you posted.

2008-09-08T17:46:00.000-06:00

PC to PC?!

I for one am the most surprised of all that I have actually entered the world of the 'blog'! I'm still not even sure I know what it means. What does it mean? In my day the word 'communicate' comes to mind. We used to actually talk face to face! Then we quickly moved to ear to ear. Now PC to PC?!

I really only have done this to get in the grove with my two daughters, both of whom have blogs. Their blogs give me the opportunity to know what's going on in their lives, so I'll join the 'club', although I may bore everyone to tears.