Getting Ready

We leave tomorrow - I have begun full frantic mode.

However, I am armed with a detailed list, and hopefully in a few hours all will be calm again.

Of course, calm is relative.

Great Harvest Bread Company

I was out and about today, running errands, and stopped in at Great Harvest on an impulse. I bought a loaf of their Honey Whole Wheat bread, and a loaf of their Cinnamon Chip bread (my personal weakness favorite).

It made me think of all the times my sister Cheryl and I would stop by Great Harvest and pick up bread while we ran errands together. I always think of her when I go there.

Of course you can't beat the free sample - with real butter to put on it.

One Hand in the Cookie Jar

When I was young, we had a cookie cannister that looked a little like this:

It had a different picture on it, but it had that same kind of lid.

My mom used to bake up a storm about once a week. I would come home from school and there would be rolls, cinnamon rolls, bread, anise bread, and whatever else she felt like baking all over the kitchen table, cooling off so they could be put in the freezer to be pulled out to eat another day. That's probably when my bread addiction began.

Not only did she make breads, she always kept the cookie jar full: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cookies with white frosting, spice cookies (my favorite), snickerdoodles, molasses cookies, gingersnaps, etc. We had homemade cookies in our lunch every day, and homemade cookies for our after school snacks. I think I was in high school before I ever tasted a store bought cookie (except perhaps the rare Oreo).

My dad got home from work about 5:30. Then he and my mom would have a drink or a glass of wine and discuss their day. We children were invited to join them if we could sit quietly and participate nicely in their conversation. Otherwise we were supposed to stay clear until they were done and we could eat dinner. We did not usually join them.

Meanwhile, we were usually starved to a fever pitch. But if my mom heard the fridge open or a cupboard door she would holler to stay out of the kitchen--she didn't want us to ruin our appetites. I, for one, became a master at sneaking a cookie or two during this cocktail hour. I would oh so very carefully open the cupboard door with the cookie jar in it. The cookie jar was on the second shelf down. I could lift the jar about a fourth of an inch and pull it off the shelf.

Then came the tricky part. Getting the lid off without being discovered. It was necessary to brace the jar so it would not slide on the counter. Then the lid had to be eased off very gently. It was tin, and would easily clatter, which my mother's very sharp hearing could detect.  Once the lid was pried up just enough, I would sneak my hand into the jar and snag a couple of cookies. Then the lid had to be replaced gently, and the jar put back up in the cupboard. Then I would breathe.

I would nonchalantly saunter into my bedroom, cookies stashed under my shirt, and eat them in there, away from the prying eyes and possibly tattling souls of my siblings (although they likely were sneaking their own cookies while I was eating mine in my room.)

Traditions

Remember the old story about the new bride who cut the ends off her roast before she put it in the pan? Her husband asked her why she did it, and she told him that was how her mother did it, so that's why she did it. The bride asked her mother why, and the mother said because her mother did. They then asked the grandma why she cuts the ends off her roast and the grandmother said, "because that's the only way the roast would fit in my pan."

When I was making cookies with Madeleine I thought about how I arrange my cookies on the baking sheet. I make a baker's dozen per pan, arranged like this:

A baker's dozen per cookie sheet

I've always done it that way. That's the way my mom does it, and I learned it from her. I'll have to ask her if that's how my grandmother did it, or if my mom just figured that out by herself.

Cookies with Madeleine

Madeleine was here today, and we made cookies. This time we cooked up a baker's dozen and froze the other 7 dozen (best recipe ever!). Madeleine helped me dump the sugars, flour, chocolate chips (minus a few that needed to be tasted for quality first), and oatmeal into the bowl. Then we both watched it mix, and had a little taste or two (more quality testing).

Big Helper Madeleine and Diane (cute apron by Elna)

Of course, once the cookies were baked, there was once again the need to taste test.

Madeleine reaping the reward of her hard work

All quality testing passed with flying colors. The frozen cookie dough balls will go with us to Yosemite next week, where we can bake them up and the whole family can have them hot out of the oven.

Another Abandoned Book

A friend recommended this book - said it is her all-time favorite.

Somehow it didn't click with me. I didn't hate it at all. I just thought it was okay. I haven't had as much time to read lately, and I wonder if it is just not quite gripping enough to keep me going when I can only catch a moment of reading here and there.

But then, I've read plenty of books that easily keep me going when I don't have a lot of time to read.

The book is due tomorrow. I'm about halfway done (page 231 of over 500 pages). I've given it a fair try. Frankly, I don't really care what happens to any of the characters at this point, and the book can't be renewed. I decided it's not worth paying overdue fines for a book that hasn't "captured" me.

It sure seems like a book I should love--history, love, intrigue. I guess we just aren't meant for each other.

Maybe I'll try it another time. Maybe not. I've got a lot of books waiting for me out there.

Garment Sewing

I used to make all my own clothing, except for pants. I didn't really have the patience for the detail with pants. Sometimes I would buy fabric on a Saturday morning and have something new to wear when I went out with my friends that night.

 I started sewing when I was about 10. It used to be I could sew about four outfits for the price of buying one outfit, but that's not really true anymore. Now I buy my clothing.

I still sew, but it is almost exclusively quilting. This week I was adventurous and made a few skirts for Audrey. My friend Jeanie taught us how to make the pattern (something I have never done before), and I whipped up the skirts in no time. I made a burgundy skirt (it looks pink in the picture), a white skirt, and brown skirt. The brown skirt has six panels, and a zipper. It is two layers. The burgundy and white skirts are made of gauze, with an elastic waist - easy peasy. 

Here is my silly daughter, modelling her new clothes:

Audrey in the white skirt

Audrey in the pink skirt

Audrey in the brown skirt - two layers

And my silly daughter's lovely children (also silly at times):

Elizabeth - almost 16 months, queen bee

Austin, 5 years, Matthew three and a half

Fashion and Beauty Tips

As I got ready for church today, I noticed three things that I do on a regular basis. These are things I read about as a teenager (likely in Seventeen Magazine), and still do.

1. When I lotion my face, I rub the extra lotion remaining on my hands on my elbows (in hopes of keeping them soft). I always do this - it would feel weird not to!

2. I apply mascara to my lower lashes first (keeps the upper lash mascara from blotting on my eyelids).

3. Best tip ever: I wear my slip inside out. It keeps my skirt from crawling. I don't know where I read this, but it really, really works. I recommend it if you don't do it already.

What do you do on a regular basis?

Funerals and Friends

Mae Blanch: 1928-2010

A good friend of my mother-in-law died last week. My mother-in-law is on a mission in Hong Kong right now, and was unable to attend the funeral. I went with two sisters-in-law as our family representatives.

It was a delightful funeral. I learned lots of lovely things about Mae, and what a wonderful life she led. She never married, but had a large family of nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was an English professor at BYU (I had a class from her 32 or 33 years ago, and still remember her from that).

But here is what I really enjoyed: the main speakers were five of her women friends. This was a perspective that I loved! Girlfriends see into each other's hearts in a way that is different from everyone else. We are not just mothers or children or siblings or wives to our girlfriends. I'm not minimizing being a mother, child, sibling, or wife - those are very important parts of my being, that enhance and edify my life. But there is a part of me that is just me, and I love how that comes out with my friends.

I think there should be a girlfriend luncheon before every funeral. A time to pay tribute, laugh, and cry amongst ourselves about the special parts of each other that we share because of our friendship.

But even more importantly, we need to have that girlfriend luncheon on a regular basis while we are all alive and able to revel in that friendship together.

Cookie Conversation Follow-up

I left for awhile last night. Audrey reported this conversation that occurred during the consumption of cookies:

Austin: G'ma is lazy.

Audrey: What??

Austin: G'ma is lazy.

Audrey: Why in the world would you say that?

Austin: When she put the cookies on the paper, I asked her why. She said, "Because I'm lazy."

(I put parchment paper on my cookie sheets--the cookies bake more evenly, and it is easier to wash the cookie sheets.)

Cookies

Audrey and family are in town. Audrey left to run errands, and the boys and I made cookies for our upcoming trip to Yosemite.

The boys:

Watched me mix the dough

Tasted the dough

Dipped the cookies in cinnamon and sugar

Tasted the dough

Austin declared: when the cookies are cool, we will have a few for a treat!

None of this batch is going to make it to Yosemite.

But isn't that what G'ma's are for?

Practice Might Make Perfect

Audrey is my tutor in all things creative. She is teaching me how to make collages in PhotoShop. I practiced here with some pictures taken last April. We were at Thanksgiving Point with the Pecks and took some pictures. Some of the pictures aren't great, but it's the process here that counts.

Troubadour Reunion Tour

That's right: two concerts in two days. Unheard of. In fact, the last rock concert we attended was the Eagles in 2002.

CaroleKing.com

Ray's done some work for Carole King's website. A couple of months ago he mentioned to them that he was disappointed that he hadn't been able to get tickets for the concert in Salt Lake - they sold out too fast. (In the meantime he's been trying to pick up some tickets online, like he did with McCartney).

Tuesday he got a call from Carole King's website person: Do you still want to go to the concert?

We all know the answer to that one! So she said she'd have tickets waiting for us at will call. We were ecstatic. We didn't care where the seats were, we were just happy to be going.

We had amazing seats - only about 10 yards from the stage. The stage was in the round, and rotated one full turn about every 15 minutes.

We've seen JT in concert several times, but the last time was Seattle in 2001, just a few days after 9/11. I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain was given a whole new meaning then. We saw Carole King in 1993 in the Summer Nights on the Pier series. She played on Pier 62/63 in Seattle, right over the water. It was festival seating--we waited in line for a long time, and scored seats right in perfect sight of her at the keyboard. One of the best concerts we've ever been to.

We fell in love to James Taylor's music, and have loved both James Taylor and Carole King since we can remember.

Our song is How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You. (It's even our doorbell ring.) Yes, they sang it. Together.

How sweet it was.

McCartney Mania

My first Beatles album:

I alternated between lying on the living room floor listening for hours, and grabbing a broomstick and pretending I was playing guitar with the band.

I always wondered if I had the chance to see them if I would have been one of the screamers:

On Monday Ray scored these tickets:

And last night we were at the Paul McCartney concert,

in what I believe were the ideal seats in the house. We were at the front of section B, about 26 rows back, with an unobstructed view of the stage whether we were seated or standing.

I resisted the urge to scream hysterically (it was there occasionally, but I maintained some dignity). The concert was fabulous - two hours and forty-five minutes solid, no opening band, no intermission. All McCartney all the time. Just the way I wanted it.

Paul (is that too familiar??) was cute with the audience. Here's a small clip of some personal remarks to Utah (only a few seconds long):

I have to say, the Golden Boy of Rock 'n' Roll is still hot. Seriously.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

I stayed up much too late finishing this book last night. Consequently my mind is in a fog today. It was worth it. I really enjoyed the book.

This is the second book in the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Flavia is an eleven-year-old who loves chemistry, poisons, and is fascinated by death. She zips around her English village on her trusty bike, observing and talking to people, and solves the latest mystery. Very fun, witty, and captivating. It sounds like it's juvenile fiction, but it's not.

I look forward to the next book. I hope Bradley can keep up the quality of the series - it has a lot of potential.

It's Official

Our lovely, cool, rain-dappled Spring is only a memory in the recesses of my mind. Summer is here, and I am officially overheated for the season.

I read about lovely women in the South who are always so cool and seemingly unaffected by the weather. Is it all fiction?

I consistently have little droplets of perspiration across the bridge of my nose - like my children have freckles.

Friday Night Date

We used to have Friday night set aside as our sacred Date Night time. We had a permanent sitter arrangement - every Friday night, rain or shine. We needed it to get away from the kids, and just be together. Almost nothing got in the way of our Friday night dates.

Our needs are different now. In fact sometimes it feels good not to have to go anywhere, and just be at home. But it is important for us to get out once in a while. Our typical Friday conversation goes something like this:

"What do you want to do tonight?"

"I don't know, any ideas?"

"Whatever you want, I'm up for just about anything"

Those are the Fridays we usually stay home due to lack of imagination (sad, but true).

Last Friday we started out with that same conversation, then Ray said, "Let's go up the canyon and listen to the river."

Up Little Cottonwood Canyon we drove. We stopped about halfway up to Snowbird and pulled over at a spot where the river runs pretty close to the road. We got out of the car, walked around, and just enjoyed watching and hearing the water.

Now I know where I can get a small "water fix" close to home. When I can't get to Seattle soon enough I can just dash up the canyon.

After that we drove up to Snowbird and walked around there for a little bit. We wandered into the big tent they have up by the lodge - it turns out this weekend is the Mountain Music Festival. Friday night they had a band scramble. We missed most of it, but came in on the final three bands playing. Pretty fun. It was a little bit bluegrass, which I really enjoy when it's live. There's nothing like watching a bluegrass band really get into playing their instruments. I just love a good fiddler.

I was going to post some pictures, but somehow I've had a visual aids breakdown. I can't get the photos off my phone to post correctly (not usually a problem), but I do have this video.

Now I can have the soothing sounds of water right on my computer. Thank heavens for technology.

Next time we're going to venture up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and maybe walk around Silver Lake. I'll take the regular camera.

The Utah Solution

Said by a friend visiting Utah who is not used to the heat:

What you need to survive here in Utah is a lot of water and a lot of deodorant.

Pearl of China by Anchee Min

This is a novel based on the life of Pearl Buck when she lived in China. It's told from the point of view of a Chinese girl who becomes her best friend.

It was interesting from the standpoint that I knew nothing about Pearl Buck's life. I always like learning more about people. Of course, it's fiction, so it is not completely true, but after checking a few facts myself, the book seems to be fairly accurate in most ways.

The last quarter or so of the book takes place during Mao's regime, when Pearl no longer lived in China, so I felt as though the book deviated from it's purpose a little bit.

I learned that Anchee Min grew up in China, and was required to denounce Pearl Buck as a young teen. She had no idea who Pearl Buck was at the time. After moving to America, Min read The Good Earth and was amazed at the accuracy with which Pearl Buck wrote of the Chinese people. She later decided to write this book.

The writing is a little inconsistent, and I think that is probably because English is not Anchee Min's first language. When my pile of books diminishes some, I think I will look into reading Red Azalea, Min's own biography.

I love the artwork on the front cover.

Flowers!

I love flowers. I need a yard full of them. My yard has too much green, not enough color. So when summer hits and water lilies grow in my pond, I relish the lift if gives me.

Thursday Workday

Audrey and Joseph had the nerve to go home this morning, and take their children with them. What were they thinking?

Audrey redeemed herself a little when she called to report Austin and Matthew's conversation as they pulled away:

"I just love Pa'a and G'ma"

"I love them all the way to Jupiter and back."

Thursday is, of course, workday. Trish and I quilted merrily away today, solving most of the world's problems as we stitched along. I managed to get the top to my Stoneworks quilt put together, except for the final border. This fabric is a delight to work with - it feels wonderful. And I love the colors. More on the pattern and quilt itself when it's done and I do my final post on it. I'm considering sending it out to be quilted instead of doing it myself this time. I'll decide once it's really done.

A bonus: Beth, Bruce and Rachel came over. Firehouse Subs just opened here in Sandy, and Bruce could not wait to go. Beth and Bruce went to lunch with Ray, and Rachel stayed home with me (napping). We had a nice visit, and Rachel actually came over and sat on my lap. She climbs on Ray's lap all the time. Usually she just tolerates me, but today she actually stayed with me for a few minutes.

Wednesday Was Bodily Fluids Day

Warning: If you have a weak stomach, or strong imagination, this post is not for you.

Wednesday, 8:15 am:

Audrey and Joseph are at the temple. Matthew is awake and playing. Austin is asleep. I hear Elizabeth playing in the crib. I go in, pick her up and give her a big hug before I smell it. An enormous diaper blow-out. (I'm tempted to call the Guiness people) I mop her up, and stick her in the tub (bath #1). Then I clean up her clothes and in the process realize mine don't look much better (Shower and change of clothes for me). Audrey and Joseph get home, Joseph kindly washes off crib mattress. Bedding and clothing in the washer (load #1).

Wednesday, 1:00 pm:

My next door neighbor comes over: do I know how to turn off the water in the house? Her upstairs toilet has overflowed, and water is coming down through the downstairs light fixture. I run over there. The toilet is no longer over flowing, but the floor has about an inch of water, and I'm sure there is at least one entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet (she has a 3 year old). I clean out the toilet, help mop up the floor (while she is madly cleaning and mopping other areas). We empty the light fixture of water (it was full to the brim). It looks as though the water issue is contained. Ray comes home and goes over and snakes the toilet. We leave the rest to the Rescue Rooter man. I come home and scrub as if for surgery.

Wednesday, 1:30 pm:

Audrey and Joseph went on a date and to lunch (they don't get out much in Wendover). Elizabeth wakes from her nap. This time I am cautious in picking her up. Safe! Sort of. Another foul diaper, but thankfully all contained. She is cheerful, and the boys are playing well.

Wednesday, 2:30 pm:

Snack time! I plop Elizabeth in her high chair and start giving the boys food. Elizabeth coughs. I look at her. She smiles. She throws up. A lot. She cries. Off for another bath - but first a rinse off in the shower (bath and shower #2). Ray (son) keeps an eye on Elizabeth while she cheerfully plays in the bath and I head back into the kitchen for HazMat duty. I mop up, eye the high chair and finally just take it into the shower for a full hose-down (shower #3). I notice my shirt. Hmm. Another change of clothes for me (#2). My shirt and Elizabeth's clothes into the wash (load #2).

Wednesday 4:30 pm:

The Hanks' have all gone swimming. I sit for a moment and relax. What an afternoon. I just can't shake that sour smell that's been following me around all day. I don't know a day when I've cleaned myself more. Still, that sour smell is persistent. I finally resort to smelling my arms and hands. It's my watch! Off comes the watch, and Ray thoroughly cleans and scrubs every link. Another wash of my arms. At last no more sour odor. Time for some powerfully perfumed lotion!

Welcome Sights, Welcome Sounds

These dinosaur flip-flops have spent the day just inside my front door. Sometimes I walk over there just so I can see them again. They are Matthew's, and he slips them off as he comes in. When the flip-flops are here, he is here too. Lucky for me his whole family is here with him.

Audrey had a couple of doctor's appointments, so the whole family came. They got here yesterday afternoon, and I revel in every minute. The house has a certain liveliness when they are here - lots of elaborate plots are hatched, and toys are out that have been stashed in cubbies for a couple of months now.

As I work in the same room with the boys I hear about all kinds of things:

Bull Snakes

Helicopters

Hammock adventures

and the ever-present Bad Guys dangers

Austin draws pictures. Matthew hangs over my sewing table as I zig-zag a hem onto some tablecloths - "Look, g'ma! You're sewing all M's right in a row!"

My Thoughts on the Fourth of July

I love this country, and the freedoms it affords us. I was proud to stand and sing The Star-spangled Banner in church today, and the last verse really struck a chord for me.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
(Last verse of The Star-spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key)

I have two nephews in active military service right now. Josh (read about him here) is in the Army, currently serving in Afghanistan, and Joseph who is in the Air Force and currently serving at Hickam AF Base in Hawaii. Thank you to them and their willingness to serve and defend our rights and our country.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

I cannot for the life of me remember where I heard about this book. I've got to make a list of books I request from the library, and why I requested them. Did I read a review? Did someone I know tell me about it? Did I pick it up somewhere and think I'd like to try it? If I just keep a list on my computer then after I read the book I can remember my "source" of recommendation.

I do know that I read somewhere that the book was "laugh out loud" funny in parts. I did not find that to be true. There were parts that I thought were humorous, but I did not laugh out loud one time. The better parts of the book were the thought-provoking, emotionally touching parts of the book.

I liked the book. I thought it was a good read, and the writing was often very good. Actually the acknowledgements at the very beginning were the best I've ever read, and gave me high hopes for the book.

Here's my only real criticism (and I'm not sure I can really put it into words): the books highs and lows were not extreme enough. Or rather, there was some potential for more suspense that Hoffman never took advantage of. Parts that had me on the edge of my seat wondering how they'd be solved just sort of melted away mildly. Too bad.

I did like the characters, and I liked the sense of family that she creates. I just wish it all felt a little more filled out. Not necessarily longer, just a little fuller. This sounds a lot more critical than I feel about the book. I've just been trying to put my finger on exactly what more I wanted from the book.

I'll have to keep thinking about it. In the meantime, if you're looking for a decent read, give it a try.

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

I should not have read this book right after my last book. It paled in comparison. So much so that it was almost irritating to read.

The main character of both books is in junior high school. Both books are set mainly at the school, although family time at home does factor in the stories. Both books center on the angst of being in junior high and all that that entails: mostly teachers and fellow students. Both books have Shakespeare and/or his works as a focus.

But--and it's a big but--one book was written so well, and this one wasn't. The Wednesday Wars seems like it will still be a wonderful read in twenty years. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet will seem dated in two years.

They're both juvenile literature. I wonder how a junior high student would compare the two books. I'll have to ask some of my nieces and nephews to read and compare them and let me know.

We're reading both of these books for my book group this month. It should prove to be an interesting discussion. Although I hate to waste time discussing this book when The Wednesday Wars has so many better things to talk about.

Can you tell how I really feel about these books?