Sisters

I have some fairly amazing sisters. This is a recent shot of us at Emi's for Christmas Eve dinner. You can't tell we're related, can you? Our cute sister in law isn't with us because she's due to deliver niece number 6 any day now. That will bring my total of nieces and nephews to 12. :) I've requested she be named Ainsley Catherine lol as though I had any say in the matter. Anyway, back to my sisters.

They are all talented in their own right. Meg has a thirst for learning and knowledge that she has passed onto her children. They are all very well read and crave the library as much as we did when we were kids. She creates and inspires and tries new things. She eats vegetables she doesn't like and will keep trying them until she finds a way to cook them that works for her. She's simple and yet rich in so very many ways. Emi is the mom we all want to be. She's organized and talented. She keeps track of four active children at all times and can chastise with patience and learning. She bakes and cans and stores and creates for her home and family. One day I will be like both of them.

I love my sisters because of who they are and how they remember me. Its a hard call to know where to stay for holidays because I feel so loved and wanted at both places. It will be lovely to have them both here for a time. While I don't get to stay home and spend the day with them, I know that I can make the short drive at any time and find laughter and love and peace. I could not have asked for better sisters or friends. :)

Merry Christmas to all...

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Houses

For as along as I've been alive (and actually for about 20 years even prior to that), the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been reserved for gingerbread house making. From what my mom was saying yesterday, my grandma and her sisters started this prior to 1957. The earliest pictures we have are from then, however, my mom remembers houses being done for years before that. We've used the same pattern the entire time. There is a version with a second part to the house, but I prefer the simple, traditional house. We don't eat them. They're simply for decoration. An extra house is always made and given to someone who might need a little reminder during the holidays that they are loved. We've done as many as 15 houses at one point. Its too much when it gets too big. I prefer a smaller setting.
As per tradition, I got together yesterday with my mom and her friend and her daughters for gingerbread Saturday. Each house may begin with the same pattern, but they definitely turn out with a flair of your own.
There's so much to this day that I could write about, but it simply boils down to remembering my grandma and the things I learn from her, even though she's been gone for many years now. Having a little gingerbread on my dining room table reminds me what an amazing lady she was. Merry Christmas, Grandma!

As I head into Thanksgiving

I've been decorating my house today for Christmas. I'll post some photos once I get my tree in better shape. We've been fighting each other today. Tree=3. Me=0. More on that later. As the holidays roll around, I have one friend in particular who always makes it a point to remind me how "HARD" the holidays must be me. I believe its her way of trying to be supportive and a good friend so I never really put much stock in her comment. I've never actually said "Wow, the holidays are so difficult." So I'm not quite sure where she gets that from, other than some people who are in similar situations such as myself maybe don't handle the holiday season too well. With that being said, there can be some tinges of sadness, occasionally, but most of the time I focus on how blessed I am and how fortunate I am to be so well loved by my great family and friends. Sometimes I think making a list of all I'm grateful for at Thanksgiving time is so cliche. Shouldn't I make of point of being grateful ALL the time, not just some Thursday in November? Regardless, I'd like to take a minute (or a paragraph or two) to mention some of my blessings.

First on my list (and probably many others) would be my family. We are all healthy at the moment. We welcomed a new niece this year and she is a delight. We get to welcome another one just after the new year starts! All my nieces and nephews are such little adults in small bodies. I learn new things from them all the time. I'm so looking forward to having most of them around for a bit. Meg and I were laughing the other day at how abnormal our normal family is compared to the "modern" family of today. We're so lucky.

Next would be my friends. Nope, I don't have my own kids so my friends are my "in-laws." It has been a year of friendships all over the charts. I have lost some dear ones and gained some new best ones. The great thing about my friends is that they come from all walks of life and ages. It always makes me so happy to hear them say "I love coming to your house. Its so cozy and comfortable." I love when they wake me up to tell me something funny or stop by late at night because they know I'll get up to listen to them. I love that we respect each other and work through disagreements and keep trying. They are some good people and I'm very blessed.

I am grateful for my home. And for my little trooper car that keeps running. I'm grateful for a warm bed and my beenie to sleep with. I'm grateful for food and the ability to prepare it and take care of myself. I am grateful to have a job (i still can't call it a career for some reason) and have it be something I enjoy doing. And I am SO grateful for the people that have come into my life as a result of that. I'm grateful that I not only believe in a God, but that I belong to the only true and full gospel on the earth and that brings me more comfort than any soft blanket could.

Most people don't get the perspective I do of puttering around your house and being able to reflect on all your blessings in silence, without kids underfoot. I get turn on Josh Groban and remember "there's so much to be thankful for." And if that means I get to "have a hard time during the holidays," then I'm thankful for that, too. :)

Welcome to my Winter Wonderland!

And there's more on its way!

Every girl wants a tea set.

When I was a little girl, I wanted a tea set so badly. My older sister had one and I wanted one, too. I'm not sure if I wanted one simply because Meg had one, or if I really thought having a tea set was the coolest thing ever. Regardless, I eventually received my own tea set. I don't remember playing with it very often and now that I look at it, it really doesn't have much wear and tear on it. But l loved it.
I'm obviously much older now and don't keep my tea set out for visitors. However, I do still love a tea kettle and enjoying my wassail or cider or cocoa in a tea cup and saucer.

My adult tea set comes from my Uncle Jay. I'm not sure of the full story behind how the set came to be in my possession (other than MOST dishes in my family end up at my house because I love dishes...). I think the set once belonged to his neighbor's wife and they had a garage sale and Uncle Jay picked it up. I do know that it has the same wheat design on it as my grandma's china. Whether or not that had anything to do with why he got it, I'm not sure. This set is not priceless china and I use it all the time. I love it. And yes, it does make my hot drinks taste better.

Garden Vegetable Pizza

ONE OF MY FAVORITES!

1 13.8 oz refridgerated pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 Roma tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza crust on cookie sheet. Place olive oil in small bowl. Infuse garlic into oil using garlic press. Brush oil/garlic mix over dough. Place in oven and cook for seven minutes.
Prepare vegetables while dough is cooking.
Combine all cheeses in a large mixing bowl. Add Italian seasoning and toss lightly together.
Remove dough from oven. Sprinkle half the cheese on dough. Layer with vegetables. Top once more with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes to complete. Serve hot!

October was delightful, but...

I've given myself until Sunday. Sunday is my day of pulling it together. During the school year, I use my weekends to pull myself back to my life. I clean. I shop. I sleep and be lazy. I ground myself in my life outside school. I relax and do what I don't have time for. It brings some balance. As you have seen, October was busy for me! I was out pretty much every weekend, traveling or being some place other than my house. It was so fun and I can't say I really regret it. However, the rest of me has suffered a little bit. I've stopped exercising. My bathroom- well- let's just say it needs some attention. I need to clean and do some serious grocery shopping besides milk and bread and cereal. I need to sleep and feel re-freshed. So this is my last busy weekend for awhile. Then on Monday, its back to business. I plan on getting my house cleaned and shelves stocked and body exercised. So look out!

Love TJ Maxx!

If you know me at all, you know I love to find a good deal. And then you also know I love a good dish. Some people go on vacation and bring home t-shirts... I go on vacation and bring home platters and bowls and kitchenware. This past weekend I went to my favorite store for good deals and (even better...) good deals on kitchenware. Never fails! I can always find something that has to be added to my kitchen. Look at this lovely piece! I have a gajillion Christmas dishes. Plenty of every day ware... but nothing for fall or harvest. This is perfect! And of course it looks perfect on my table with my brown tablecloth and amazing wicker pumpkin. You should come see it :)

Happy Halloween Part 2

Being at Tuachan, they project Halloween-y things up on the sides of buildings and the mountains. Its pretty cool.

Here's a sampling of the zombies who move through the audience. They just stare at you and creep you out lol good thing they don't look all that real :)

Here is the couple dressed as earbuds haha They actually had an ipod with them and music played while they were on stage. Very clever!

I have no idea who these people are other than two senior citizens dressed up for Halloween. They were so funny that I had to have a picture with them!

And finally, this is Jazmine- Katie and Kassie's Yorkie. She came with us on the trip. While doing our TJ MAXX run, Kassie bought her a coat lol Wow- gotta really love your dog :)

Happy Halloween!

My friends and I took a little weekend trip to Tuachan to see Odyssey Dance Company's performance of Thriller. Its basically a bunch of Halloween style dances put together in a big variety show. Some of them are funny; some are creepy and disturbing (kinda) and some are more serious and touching. Its a great show!
This is Katie- my dear friend of many years. It was her idea to go down last year and my idea to go again this year. She is a good woman and so incredibly talented! BTW- Amelia, another friend who came with us, made us each a flower for our hair- a little Halloween decor! So look close and you'll see them. She also incredibly talented.

Before the show starts, during intermission and after the show ends, there are zombies walking around the audience. They are ghastly creatures and they DO try to scare you. Its fairly hilarious to sit back and watch people freak out haha This lovely girl took a seat right beside me so I figured- why not?

The theater also has a costume contest. The Little Mermaid and the Tin Man were present! There was also a couple dressed as earbuds- lol they'll be in a separate post.

And there we are- in front of the stage. wow- I should really stop standing with my hip out ;) Anyway, (l-r) Katie, Amelia, Kassie and Me! Great time!

Pumpkin Pie!

LOL one of my student's made this for me :) I've never seen one before but maybe you have. I thought it was darling! And being that I detest actual pumpkin pie, this works as a good substitute.

Let it snow!

It'll be gone by noon because its going to warm up a bit and its just heavy, wet snow... but look how pretty it is! I'll be done saying that right after Christmas, however, the first snowfall of the year is always just beautiful. I love how the leaves are still green, showing through the cover of white.

Thanks cute kids!

And Happy Halloween!

Roadtrip!

Two of my dear friends, Rachael and Maryanne, got in the car with me this past weekend and we hit the road for the final soccer game of the season. It was a QUICK overnight trip and worth every minute we spent in the car. We laughed our heads off when Rachael tried to sit on the dinosaur for a picture...but then launched herself over it instead lol And then we giggled some more as we met Chuck at the local Loaf-n-Jug service station and he offered up free burritoes at his restaurant. The game was worth it- we tied and kept possession of the Rocky Mountain Cup. Such good times with such good friends!

Meier's #5

My sister did a post last week that made me giggle and kind of "inspired" me to do one of my own. So here goes. Years ago I was looking for a job and applied at a little grocery store. It wasn't a major chain and that's why I wanted to work there. It wasn't open on Sundays and it closed at reasonable hours. The grocery department didn't have any openings so they sent me over to the deli. I was hired on and that's where it all began. I was 17. My boss, Marsh, was just getting started with the whole catering thing so mostly I worked scooping salads and slicing turkey and answering the question "Gourmet potato salad has eggs and celery, regular does not."

As Marsh's catering business grew, we moved to the back of the store. I started working more hours. More or less full time during the summer. It was hilarious! Marsh, Jack, Tori, Lisa, Matt, Marie and I held down the fort with occasional visits from Marsh's wife, Dixie. I spent the days breading chicken, frying chicken, chopping lettuce for tossed salad for 500 and memorizing recipes to the endless salads we made. I can definitely cook for 300. I can whip up potato salad sauce for 50 lbs worth of potatoes. I can make baked beans and enchiladas with my eyes closed. It was one of my favorite jobs ever.

As I'm sitting here tired beyond words today, it reminded me of the endless hours in the deli. It reminded me of the 2 a.m. call times for movie crews. It reminded me of slicing ham and turkey and cheese- literally 30 pounds at a time for meat and cheese trays. It reminded me of fried chicken for 3000 hospital employees and their families. Of feeding Bart the Bear left over baked beans at a commercial shoot. Of being sent on a 4 week movie shoot and sleeping 2 hours each night and loving it. Of having Marsh ask me to rub his feet while we figured out everything that needed to be done for the day. Of crazy vegans blowing up his van! Of smelling like Meier's #5, eau de chicken grease. I can't help but think of the endless hours spent in that kitchen talking about life with Queenie and Tori. Or crying to Marsh about school or boys or because stupid Margie at KSL yelled at me for being ONLY 10 minutes early. Or thinking about dying when the punch bowl cracked at Symphony Hall, spilling hot wassail down the green carpeted stairs. LOL OH THE DELI! I learned more there than anywhere else.

Catering for over 8 years has ruined me for life. I can't go to parties and just leave the food set up the way it is. I can't even avoid critiquing the salad bar of a restaurant without knowing I could set it up better. Making potato salad sauce or white sauce is a guessing game when it comes to measurements- ask me for 10 gallons of it! However, my sister and I are your go-to people in the kitchen when you have a family gathering. Stay the heck out of our way! hee hee

I've now graduated college and have been teaching for much longer than I catered. Without Marsh, I would never have finished, I don't think. We had many discussions about me coming back to the deli in 25 years when I was uneducated, divorced and needed money for my homeless children- would he give me some sterno to heat my house? LOL I still love to go visit with Marshall. We head down into the musty, creepy, haunted basement of the Shalimarsh and he still has me rub his feet while we just talk and he'll ask me "How's my favorite doing?" And then we talk just like we're sitting ontop of 5 gallon buckets next to the deep fryer 18 years ago. I ask him if I can come back to work for him and he says he can't afford me these days. He's probably right- he trained me well. :)

OH! I love this!

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-radio-flyer-car-092910,0,1784245.story

Yes, I'm LDS and I support my leaders

I've felt like I had to say that a lot since General Conference this year. Here where I live, there's been a lot of fall out from President Boyd K. Packer's talk. It has stirred up emotions from people and groups and news and media of all types. Groups want to take messages out of context and misconstrue as much of his comments as they can in an effort to discredit him and the LDS church in general. I have friends who are angry over his comments or disagree with what was said. I've had people at work make naive comments without reading or listening to the entire talk. So I've tried to respond in a manner that satisfies me and what I believe and here's what I've concluded.

I was raised LDS by parents who took me and my siblings to church every week. We participated in prayers and scripture study and were encouraged to live our lives in accordance with the LDS faith teachings. Thankfully, for us and our immediate family, we never encountered large earth shattering, faith testing moments- or atleast none that I'm aware of. I went off to college and chose to continue to go to church on my own and attend institute, where I could learn and grow more in my faith. Obviously along the path of my life, I've met people who aren't members of the LDS church. Some of them are still part of my life and I love them. There are good people everywhere. I've listened to conference pretty much every session of my life and tried to reread and study the talks as they've come out in the Ensign each November.

Now that I'm on my own, my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel is all my own responsibility. I don't have a husband or children or roommates, even, to remind me to read my scriptures or attend the temple or say my prayers or be a good example or go to church or watch clean movies or make sure the spirit can be found in my home. That's all on my shoulders. I've watched many friends leave the church because of various reasons, some simply because they don't take responsibility for their own testimony.

I know that my faith and the religion that it is based on is the only true and complete gospel on the earth. And because I know that, I don't doubt my leaders when they speak up for truth and righteousness. I feel I am so lucky to have the ability and common sense to know and recognize truth when I hear it. I can honestly say, while I may have not lived my religion as perfectly as I could have done throughout my life, I've never doubted what our prophets and leaders have had to say. I've never doubted the truth of the doctrine. And just because the leaders of my faith have the courage to stand up for what's right, doesn't shake what I know. It only strengthens it. I ask for confirmation and receive peace to my mind when such controversial issues arise and never once have I been led to somewhere other than what they say.

So as I listen to the hateful remarks and disparaging comments made about President Packer or the rest of the Church, it comforts me to know that I know what they've said is true. And truth isn't always popular, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Isn't she lovely?

Happy Blessing day, Belle! Niece #11

BA-HAH!

So that salsa I made from 3-4 posts ago...? It won best non-traditional in the school competition. LOL I didn't win a major award like a leg lamp, but it was fun anyway. :) The best part was knowing that I was making up it during 1st period as my kids were learning about child care. I rock. The End.

Hello, Autumn!