The Look of Love

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"

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....

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

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

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....

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...

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!

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!