Thanksgiving - Everybody but the East Coast Kids

Well, this photo didn't turn out all that well . . . rather grainy (and Jon refused to look anything but silly, but that's my Jon). I never like photos of me, and I think I look like I need a good plastic surgeon (or at least my hair combed) but everyone else looks pretty wonderful.

Ammon Atine, (my Ammon's friend) was taking the photo, so I didn't really know how it was turning out. However, It was a Thankful day. I have never, in all these years ever had the privilege of having so many of my kids to celebrate Thanksgiving.

We missed you Rachel and Jessie and families! (Or there would be 8 more in the photo).

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

Shon, my nephew, challenged us to look at this website. Actually, I already had registered for it some time ago, and it made me just laugh, even back then. Check it out. You can also match your children to yourself and see who they most closely resemble, you or your spouse. Ammon and I had a great time laughing at those results. It appears Ammon is almost right smack in the middle (see the bottom of my webpage) but I already knew that. So, on the celebrity thing, I did that bit of fun, but I forgot to pick a "female" match. The first celebrity match I had was with some old African politician . . . . lol . . . Oh, it was a great match, I think - I should have morphed that one - but I was just so shocked! Oh well! This "morph" was my best match - whoever she is, I have no idea - Good, fun site Shon! Thanks for reminding me.

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

How to Take Two huge Calcium Tablets (to prevent a choking hazard)

I inherited my mom's inability to take large pills. However, since my bone density had previously been diagnosed as "needy" I had to resort to certain measures to attempt to correct the dysfunction and get these minerals into my body via my mouth.

Here's my recipe for a great breakfast which includes my Calcium Citrate + Vitamins D and K, Magnesium and zinc - this pill is definitely one designed for larger mammals than myself. So get your blender out and here goes:

1. Gather the following Ingredients:

• Two Calcium (obviously, you need the Giant ones) tablets.
• Whole Flax seed - one scoop
• (I have no idea how big this scoop is, just use your best judgment)

• Rolled oats
• 1 Banana
  
• Raw almonds
• Raw pumpkin seeds
• Dried cranberries (sweetened with fruit juice - NOT sugar)

I put the calcium and flax seed in the blender and run them at full speed until powdered. If you do not grind the flax seed it will be of little use to you - your body won't digest it (goes straight through - trust me). However, if you grind it, it becomes a great health benefit with (among other things) omega oils.

Put this ground mixture into a cereal bowl and cut up a banana into small pieces and add it to the the powdered mixture.

Stir this concoction well, making sure the banana is completely coated with it. This prevents the flax from balling into it's own bread ball - I don't like to eat a big wet flax ball - so coat the banana with it like I said!

Add the uncooked oatmeal. I used about 1/3 of a cup. Actually, I use exactly 1/3 of a cup, because my 1/3 cup is my oatmeal dipping scoop - it's handy. so, add how ever much you want.

Then add the pumpkin seeds, craisons, and almonds. If you like your almonds in smaller chunks, grind them in the blender too. They can be ground with powder mixture if you prefer. I like it that way, but sometimes I like the almonds whole.

I do not add sugar, as the banana makes this dish quite sweet. However, my son Ammon (who was helping me with this photo op) is a sugarholic, and thought this was terrible. SOOOO last (and least) I sometimes add Kroger's "Honey Crip Medley". It does give it crunch and a bit of the sweeter. It still isn't enough for my sugar hungry son.

I use Kroger's (found at Smith's) vs. Honey bunches of oats because it has less sugar - only 6 grams per serving. HOWEVER, since I don't use a whole serving - I'm getting less sugar.

Add the Skim milk (though I like whole milk better) and . . . Wa-La!

Note there is enough here for two servings, so share it with your son. HOWEVER, since my son won't ever eat it with me, I eat the WHOLE thing.

Note - I said nothing about calories! MMmmmmmm good!

Holly's newest Gift From God - Gabrielle Sully Williams

Holly, one of my beautiful 'inherited' daughters (mine just the same) had her third child last Friday/Saturaday. November 8, 2008 at 1:08 a.m.

I got to babysit Isabelle and Joshua overnight the day Gabrielle was born - We had a great time watching SHARKBOY - Yeah! Thanks Joshua for letting me watch "Sharkboy" or I never would have seen it (chuckle). We did have a GREAT time though! Gabrielle was wonderfully born, weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces; 19 inches long.

(I used photo editing software to make the above photo look more "painting-like" - I just thought Holly looked soooo pretty in this photo).

Mother and baby and doing well . . .


. . . except the for the jaundice. Gabrielle has to be under the lights for awhile.

Click on any slide show photo (below). It will take you to a webshots link where you can download or see more photos. (Sorry there are two, for some reason I can't get the second slide show to go away) . . . technically challenged I guess!

Goodbye Indian Summer - See ya' next year!

Tomorrow or the next day, all my flowers will be gone - frozen - wilted - It is supposed to snow. I know Utah is known for it's snow, but I like it best when it blossoms.

I had to put my sandals in the further-most part of my closet until next year and my shadow will seldom come out during the long, shadowy months of winter.


And the water fountain is snugly capped - no more cool drinks on a hot day. Actually, I forgot to uncap it this year, so there were no cool drinks on any hot day - at least not at this fountain.


This weathered old tree stump doesn't care about winter. This came from the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming. My brother in Law, Wayne Ostler lugged it off the mountain for me. I'm sure he doesn't think it was worth it, but look how great it is. I think it was worth it. Of course, I wasn't lugging it - I mean I was attempting to help but . . . The egg looking rock in the background is from some other hike in Utah - I can't remember now. Cool huh!


The sunflowers are profuse at my house - everywhere they are not supposed to be. Jamie and I planted a sunflower garden the first year we moved into our house in Eagle Mountain. She was supposed to be getting some credit in her Young Womens - I've forgotten what it's called - you know, earned honors thingy. Anyway, she wasn't all that thrilled with it after the first month. So I ended up doing most of the labor. I don't think she should have gotten full credit on that one. Anyway, now we have an absolute steady supply of all kinds of sunflowers EVERYWHERE! Jim now HATES sunflowers. I still absolutely love them - thanks to the birds!


My back yard - still green (and the back fence is now painted). See, it's coming along! I xero-scaped this with a lot of sweat equity - salvaging boards, rocks, bricks and plants. Still, I think it is nice - no formality here, but comfortable for me.


The watermelons in my garden grew from stray seeds from ???? I didn't ever plant watermelons - but we had a bumper crop anyway. The last ones didn't get to ripen, but we had a WHOLE bunch that did! This one is growing amongst the potatoes.


And this is my hops! My sister bought this for me for my birthday two years ago. The vines are quite huge - so if you need any, let me know. I have no idea what to do with them, but they LOOK great! According to "THE SHORT HISTORY OF HOPS" by Coopsmaps.com which I found on the internet, they say: "

"Hop is a twining vine that grows rapidly in the summer months and enjoys direct sunlight. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable and the leaves are blanched and used as a soup. But hops are cultivated mainly for the brewing industry. Hops contribute bitterness and aroma to beer, but they were not always part of the brewing process.

From the earliest days of beer in 4th cent BC Mesopotamia to Medieval times, beer was seasoned with different additives. Wild rosemary, coriander, ginger, anise seed, juniper berries, even wood bark was added to flavor the beer. Hops were known to early civilizations - they grew wild among the willows in Roman times. The Romans noted it grew like a "wolf among sheep" and referred to it as Lupus salictarius, which means the "good wolf." From this colorful origin, hops took its botanical name of humulus lupulus. The Jews provide the first written account of the use of hops in beer during captivity in Babylon. They record a sicera ex lupulis confectuam (strong drink made from hops). They also believed this drink alleviated leprosy."

There you go - no leprosy at our house this year!

NEXT:


This is the caster bean which grows on the giant caster bean plant (see below). According to W.P. Armstrong (http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmar99.htm) this:

"The spiny seed pod or capsule is composed of three sections or carpels which split apart at maturity. Each section (carpel) contains a single seed, and as the carpel dries and splits open, the seed is often ejected with considerable force. Walking among large castor shrubs on a hot summer day can be quite an experience, with the sound of exploding carpels and seeds flying through the air and bouncing off road signs, sidewalks, and your head."

Well, I didn't notice anyone getting hit by my caster beans, but they do say they are quite poisonous. In fact the source said:

"They are unquestionably among the most deadly seeds on earth, and it is their irresistible appearance that makes them so dangerous."

Hmmmm. . . . I live in a neighborhood with a lot of children. I'm finding this out NOW! That said, we use (mankind) the caster bean plant for paint, nylon, motor oil, jojoba oil (wax), flavorings, elixirs, flavorings, medicine (I thought they were poisonous), and last but not least, the deadly poison, ricin. So, I hope you enjoyed the last 2008 trip around my yard. I have now cleaned out my garden and put the caster bean seeds safely (I hope) away in the landfill. The watermelons are eaten, all but one - and - Tomorrow it snows . . . .

I'll get ready for next spring. We'll see what plants I can come up with then.

PUMPCORN SQAUSH?

Every year in my garden I plant squash (which includes pumpkins). I love them, tasty, nutritious and colorful. By definition, squash/pumpkins are actually a fruit - botanically speaking. I think they are more of a vegetable, but whatever they are, they are just such happy looking plants.

However, last year I planted several varieties (as I do every year) i.e. pumpkins, acorn squash, Hubbard's and banana squash. This year I only planted pumpkins and acorn squash. However, some stray seeds from last year grew in my garden from the compost pile - cross-pollinated seeds! I didn't realize it until harvest this year that I was not growing pumpkins in that one hill on the left. Oh, I do still have some pumpkins and I do still have some acorn squash (one pictured above) - BUT - then I had . . . . these . . . Pumpcorns?

Many cross pollinated plants are not tasty! However, I had to try one (I actually had six of the oddities) and they all looked like these three big ovals (as pictured above). The small one is an actual acorn squash from my garden from this year.

I cut one of them open, and I noted that it had a heart shape inside, much like an acorn squash - but big, big seeds and bright orange, rather stringy pulp was more like a pumpkin. I baked it with butter and a bit of brown sugar. Mmmm, it tasted, Mmmmm, very much like . . . just like the acorn squash. It was very, very good - beat the odds of the bad mix. The texture, however, almost resembled . . . hmmmm, a spaghetti squash? I didn't plant any of those . . . did one of my neighbors? Bad bees! I mean, good bees, bad pollinating. Well, good pollinating - I did say they were tasty, didn't I. They were tasty! I think they are Pumpcorns! Anyone want seeds for next year?

The Department Of Alcoholic Beverage Control

The keyword here is "CONTROL" - mind you, and not "Alcoholic Beverage". I currently work as a "licensing and compliance Investigator" or so my business card says. It's nice to be on the civil end of things though. Just the word "civil" has significant meaning. Oh, I don't think I was ever a hard case BAD cop - I'm kind of a pansy, though I had to learn to pretend I was't. Anyway, DABC has been a great place to work, and I am loving my job. BUT . . . WOW! There is a LOT to do. My days whirl by because I never have enough time to quite finish. HOWEVER, the last couple of weeks I have had some traveling opportunities within the state, and it is icing on the cake for me. This is one of my co-workers, Stephne Pilling. She has been so patiently training me - showing me the twists and turns - and also . . . a good time. By the way, Stephne's unusual spelling of her name is a fun story. She says her parents were expecting a boy, and thus had decided to name him Stephen. However, when he turned out to be a girl, they just switched the last two letters of their chosen name and "Wa-La" Stephne! Anyway, I planned a trip to see some of my licensees in Carbon County and Sanpete Counties, and she went with me on an overnight trip. Busy as it was, we got to sight-see a bit. We went to the Natural History Museum in Price. Take a look at the dino's arm and that look on his face - He looks like he is enjoying a giving Stephne a good goose, and she appears to be reacting appropriately (chuckle). I'll just name him Romeo. She's not going to like this picture, but I think it is hilarious.















I took photos of these two fossil specimens for one reason only. I pick a bunch of them up in the ravines of the Pryor Mountains every year. I then dole them out to the neighbor kids. However, I never knew what they were called exactly, so here is what they are (though I still can't say the name). Oh, and don't worry. These are perfectly legal to pick up as they are not rare (so the museum description even stated).



And these little fellows are called the "Pilling" figurines. Stephne's Father in law (and his brothers) found them near price. So her last name is of interest too!

How about a night in the Museum with this fetching fellow?

Or this not-so-woolly Mammoth?This guy was found nearby too, so on our way to the next county, we stopped to take pictures where they found the complete mammoth.Interestingly, the finder, or at least the "exhumer" of the Mammoth, according to this billboard, was the State paleontologist, David Gillette, whom I happen to know! It's o.k. - I don't think that counts as "name dropping" really - I just thought it interesting.
This is the lake where the little guy was found . . . it was really pretty.

Stephne takes the camera . . . and just look the the fine photo she snaps of me! Maybe not my best side there Steph! Notice the soap I took from the motel peeking out of my pocket.

The Following week we flew to Saint George (Washington County) to conduct a Public Hearing for a licensee in Springdale (among other things). We had to go from one end of the County to the other and still make our flight back. However, we still had some photo ops. The photo I have of Stephne at the very beginning of the blog was taken in Dameron Valley. I had to go there to check on an applicant for a restaurant license.


The hearing in Springdale was a wash. Not one soul showed up for it. So Stephne and I stopped in Virgin to check out this tavern licensee . . .
and get to know the locals . . .

Stephne is stealing my new beau . . . so this is how it's going to be at work huh?

We had a long, long day that day - and had to rush back to the airport. However, I love the Saint George area. It think it is very beautiful. Too bad I couldn't go visit all my family (Hi Jem) down there. Maybe next time. Yeah! this job is a good gig!

Just Thankful I have a Job!

In August, 2008, I retired from 24 years of being a Cop. I have been both a Utah State Trooper, and an Agent with the State Bureau of Investigation. One of my favorite assignments was singing in the Department of Public Safety Ensemble. Our ensemble group is pictured here with Governor Leavitt and the Lieutenant Governor at the state capital where we had been performing for some dignitaries. We sang at all kinds of venues like the Jazz game and other sports events. We sang at the new Citizen swearing in ceremonies, funerals etc. - but mostly we sang at dignitary events.

I also liked investigations - a lot - I worked as an undercover agent working liquor and vice crimes for many years. This young man was caught buying a keg for his senior party. We rather ruined it I'm afraid. Most of my work was actually in bars and seedy parts of town. However, it was really sort of a safe (or it seemed to me) excitement, being undercover - more like playing a part on stage than work. Since my major in college was theater (actually, musical theater), the undercover work was actually the best acting job I ever had - and I was paid steadily, unlike my actual work in the theater. Here are two of my co-workers, Rob Humphrey and Jeff Dunn and I on a very difficult undercover assignment - no really! It was tough climbing the red rocks to watch our enemies . . . Looks like we got caught - Sergeant Dale Neal taking the photo!

Here I am undercover . . . o.k. this is not real. I stole the guy from the internet and photo-shopped myself into it to depict my undercover stuff. I don't have any photos of actually being undercover . . . too bad, I had some really wild "bar clothes" . . . well, wild for me. Actually they were all really very tame in the bars! I don't drink at all, so I had a hundred (or so) ways to pretend to drink and fit into the crowd without really being part of the crowd. Like I said, best acting job I ever had!

Later, I transferred from the undercover stuff to solving Identity theft and financial crimes. I loved that too, a giant puzzle (I like puzzles) to solve, but the stakes are higher!

However, there comes a time when you know it is just time to go . . . and it just was my time.

Actually, I always feel like the Lord blesses me with jobs, 'cause he feels kindly, sorry for me, or he just knows that I need a little boost. Mosly when it appears that I can't do it for myself. He lets me work most things out, encouraging me when appropriate. But then there are those times that He just sort of hands things to me. He makes the stars align, the mountain move and the sea part, and it does not matter how unusual or who opposes it. He just moves the opposition out of the way, and sticks me in there. It happened when I was hired as a trooper with the highway patrol. It also happened with my new job which I will go into later. I want to publicly thank Him for his great love and kindness. I have always been able to support my family, be it humble . . . and I have been truly blessed. So, here is my story -My 24 years with the Department of Public Safety began this way:

In 1983, my short marriage to Lou was ending (That is another story I will tell on another day). But the fallout was simple. I had an infant in my arms, and no means to support myself. I was left alone in our big house (which I actually loved), still a student of the U, and no income. I had been praying so diligently about a direction, and for help, as I needed to provide for myself and my two sons. I was not yet finished with my education at the U, and the house was being sold. One night, however, or rather in the wee morning hours, I was up nursing my baby. I was so sad, but very prayerful. I just thought that maybe I should turn on the TV for comfort, and a sort of companionship. I was (and still am not) much of a television watcher, and so I rarely knew what shows were popular. However, that night I watched one whole re-run episode of “Cagney and Lacy” (which I had never seen before, nor since). I had the impression that maybe I could be a detective. However, I had no idea how to go about it.

The following day I looked through the Yellow Pages and found P.O.S.T. (police officer standards and training) and decided to call them. I naively asked the woman on the other end of the phone how I could be a "detective." She kindly snickered at me, and said I would have to go through the academy, and to do that I would have to be hired by an agency and be a street cop first. I thanked her and was about to hang up when added this tid bit. She told me that many police agencies hired from a statewide test that was given every six months for possible recruits. She said, however, that the deadline to sign up was “today”. I pulled myself together, packed up my boys and filed my application that very day.

It seems amazing I as look at it, and at the time, I thought it quite ludicrous. I was not in any physical condition to be taking that required P.T. test, (only six weeks after my son was born). When I arrived at the gym, unprepared for anything in my mind, I looked around and saw what I thought were about 500 giant men in gym clothes. I suddenly thought it quite funny, and decided that being with 500 men by myself could not be all that bad.

Most fortunately for me, the trainer also took a kindly liking to me. I did well on the written exams but failed nearly every physical test they had. When others were wet with perspiration, I was wet with breast milk! I tried to splash water on myself from the sprinkler to make it look like I was just really into hard physical training.

I was hired! That same wonderful trainer worked with me day after day, and after hours to get me physically through the academy. I think I was hired as one of their mascot women at the time. We (women) were not well liked back then and we were considered a threat to "real" cop’s safety . However, I knew this job was a direct blessing to my prayers. I found out later that a bunch of the Captains had made wagers on me, whether or not I would even make it through P.O.S.T. - most were betting against me. Fortunately, they lost their money - but then, it was not really my doing. You see, they could not have known the promises the Lord made with me. He makes a way and I know it was a direct answer to my humble pleadings. NEVER in a million years would I have thought to do something so outrageous and against my personality. But there is not one doubt in my mind his hand was in it from the beginning. It is not just the seeming coincidences. I could also feel it happening. That part I can't describe, but I knew it was out of my hands or the Captains, or anyone. I knew I would be hired.

My new job? I now work for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control as a licensing and compliance Investigator. I work the civilian side of what I did for years on the law enforcement side. However, I felt that same sense of just being moved along, all things falling into place. There were two hundred and something, something other applicants, and even some opposition from some of the employees about hiring a cop for that position. Never the less, the Lord has once again given me a slice of pie, just because he loves me.

There are adjusments, (like driving my own car), Thanks Dad for helping me . . . with the repair bill! but I am very happy doing what I am doing. Hopefully I will be an asset, and be able to continue supporting those who need me. Especially, my dear, dear God who loved me all along.

August and September Birthdays

Our Family has a lot of birthdays in August and September - Actually, a lot in October, November and December too! For that matter, January, February, March, April, May and June . . . The only month that not much is going on, is July. I made up for that by getting married in July. We do have a large bunch after all - But I digress . . .

I am posting birthday photos of August and September 2008. Wade's birthday is in August too, August 7th to be exact. However he did not share any birthday photos with me from Denver, so I don't know what he did that day. Happy past birthday Wade, we love you!

So, Ammon's birthday was next on the list, and on the Sunday following August 22 (when Ammon turned 19 years old) we had our usual Sunday family party with all those family members who could attend.

This photo shows the party goers taking on an absolutely uproarious turn, don't you think?


Hmmmm . . . Looks like Matt Jensen was trying to liven things up a bit!


We did have cake for Ammon's birthday, but of course we forgot the candles. In fact, if we ever do have candles, it is highly unusual, so our family tradition has become to light the cake on fire with matches or sticks. Notice these past birthday cakes.













Here is Ammon's 2008 birthday cake:
We don't use 19 matches, we use 1 and 9 = 19 ....After dinner, we marched outside for family photos. These go about as well as expected:

Notice my left hand - That death grip is not a loving mother holding her birthday boy's hand in gentle joy . . .

it is a desperate woman attempting to prevent Ammon from sticking his finger in my nose or ear . . .


Oh! no - he's making progress . . . notice the tendons in my arm!






















Ammon turns his attention to T.J. and Jason decides he's had enough of the probably ten tries at this photo shoot! AND - why in the heck is MY hair the only one blowing in the wind!

So, Ammon's successful day ends . . .













We now turn our attention to Becca's birthday on September 3rd (or rather on the following Sunday) . . .

Her cheesecake (she likes cheesecake which is great with me) actually had candles. In fact, Becca seems to be the only one who regularly has candles on her birthday cakes. I can't think why this anomaly takes place, but I believe Jamie brought the candles. There are also actually 25 of them instead of the makeshift 2+5 = 25 . . .





. . . but look at all that smoke! Boy Becca, you are half a half century old and it is showing by the look of the candle smoke!



(and by the way, Becca is the only daughter not married - which reminds me . . . Becca is going to SPAIN next year to live for a while. Maybe she'll find a handsome Spaniard and we can visit her in exotic places)!

Oh Yeah, I was writing about her birthday party . . . ahemmm


And so, we gather for the traditional family photo at the party (Jim's taking this picture) . . . Ammon was there, but he must have been in the bathroom or something . . . fortunately for me.












Jason turned 31 on September 27th. THIRTY ONE YEARS OLD! That make me . . . . . Thirty nine, of course! I was eight when I had him!Notice that we used Becca's left over candles - pink too! But we are back to the 3 + 1 = 31 scenario. And we did not gather for a family photo as my camera ran out of juice. By the time I got the battery charged? Jason said, Uhhhh! no. Not only that, he requested a PECAN pie for his birthday which we had already eaten before the newly charged camera could capture the moment. I had, however, purchased this cherry pie at the same time - so we substituted the Kodak moment with the cherry pie. (Nobody would be the wiser, except I just told you)! When I finally got this photo, I suggested that we sing happy birthday because I thought we had forgotten to sing. Everyone started laughing . . . they were actually singing while I was fiddling with the camera, and I didn't even notice! I say that I am not senile, I just have wonderful focus! (no pun intended).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALL MY LATE SUMMER BABIES!