May flowers after a May shower

The showers we had this morning left these two peonies on the ground.

Brought in 2 earwigs, but they didn't live long. Never got off the table.

Time Out for Women 2012

I didn't think I was going to the Time Out for Women this year.  It was held in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, which is about 3 hours away, and I don't like to drive the beltway.  Tina called to see if Trudy and I would go with her and of course I said yes so did Trudy.

Dad and I picked up Trudy at school at 12 noon on Friday and then drove to Tina's.  Dad went home and Trudy, Tina and I left at 1:00 pm for Harrisburg.  It was fun being together, the girls in the front talking and me in the back listening and chiming in every once in awhile.

When we were 38 miles away from Harrisburg I took this picture.  We made good time.

This is the Howard Johnson Motel we stayed at.  We got there just as The White Plains crowd was going for dinner.

Someone had seen the Dodge City Steakhouse on Restaurant Impossible and thought it might be good. So we all met up there.  Good thing for GPS.  That is another story in it's self.

 Kiersten ordered this wonderful dish.

Tina, Trudy and I ordered this.  It was Delicious!!!!!

 For some reason I didn't get a picture of the first speaker, Jason Wright,  Friday night.   It started at 6:30 pm. I fell in love with Jenny Oaks Baker.  I didn't know she was Dallin Oaks daughter and lives here in DC.


Oops cut off the word Rescue.

The next day I went into the Deseret Book Store that they had set up and bought the Biography of Thomas S. Monson.  He had personally signed it and Heidi Swinton was still there and she signed her name on my book.

Saturday morning ate breakfast at Howard Johnson's.  Then it was off to the Expo Center to be there at 8:15 for good seats.  No problems finding it this time.

 Just waiting for the event to start.

 What a fun speaker.

 It was fun to see and hear them.  I follow their blog.

Probably showing my age, but I had never heard of this group.  Oh are they good!!!!!

 During the break that I bought the book on President Monson I saw Mariama Kallon and got my picture with her.

I had a emotional time, a fun time, and a great time with my two daughters and the White Plains 1st ward ladies.  I'm so thankful I could do this.  I needed this and all the advice that was given.  It renews my testimony in my Savior, Jesus Christ and the gospel. 

Lumpia (1 of 2 posts)

Trudy and I learned to make these Friday night at a friend's house.

Noah Playing Touch Football

Saturday Sid and I went and watched Noah play his first flag football game.  In the first half he was the quarter back, I think he learned a lot.  I enjoyed being out and about and it was a nice day.

I think the flags are to small.  It seemed to me that is was hard to grab those little flags.  One girl on the other team made a touch down because her shirt was not tucked in and our team couldn't see the flags.  AH well it is only a game. 

Knitted scarf

I haven't knitted in years.  I decided to give it a try again.  This is a scarf I just finished for Sid. Just in time for 80 degree weather.

Squirrels

We were at Tina's Tuesday and this squirrel was having so much fun until I got out my camera.  He was climbing up and down the trees, rolling in the mulch, and just living life in its fullest.

Spring 2012

I think that spring has arrived.  I have had purple flowers blooming since the middle of January but now my daffodils are blooming along side my purple flowers and my patio blueberries are blooming out also.  Everywhere I go now I'm seeing daffodils, a good sign of spring.

I couldn't get a good picture of the blueberries but you can see the buds are opening.  I hope it doesn't freeze.

I planted hollyhocks a couple a years ago and this one is growing in the crack of the sidewalk.

I had to go out to the garden to see about my rhubarb. I only found one plant, but it looks like it has spread so maybe I'll be able to get a pie and some jam.

No new calves or colts to be seen; this is one thing I miss about being on the farm, but I still love seeing the new plants come through the earth and trees blooming and knowing that warm weather is just around the corner.

Sid's 69th Birthday

Yesterday was Sid's birthday.  We had a quiet day at home and then the girls and their families met us at the Tequila grill for dinner.  It was a  lot of fun being there with the family and not having to cook the meal and clean up afterwards.

This isn't the best picture, but when we first arrived at the Tequila Grill these waiters were donning hats and tambourines and then they went and sang Happy Birthday to a group of people, so I let our waiter know that we were there celebrating Sid's birthday. 

There were 12 of us there.  In the first picture you can't see Zane, and in the second picture you can't see Noah, but you can see one of the happy waiters.  That is one of the things I like about Tequila Grill is their happy waiters and how they keep tabs on your chips, drinks and how the food is. What a noisy night.

Dad and I both had taco salads, mine grilled chicken and his shrimp.  My was delicious.  I ate every bit.  From the looks of it, it had plenty of calories.

Then as we were finishing up here came the waiters to sing to Sid.  I didn't have my camera out and missed the singing and the first spoonful to Sid but the waiter posed for the picture of him feeding Sid.  They put hats on both Sid and me.  The dessert was a baked taco shell with ice cream that they brought out as his cake I guess.

Waiting for his flan that he and I ordered and split.

Stevie's dessert

Baxter's

Noah and Stevie ordered the same dessert.

Mckay's

As you can see the company and food were great.  

Old Age

When does Old Age start feeling like Old Age?  Since Sid and I are closing in on 70 I'm waiting to start feeling my age.

I admit that on some days I feel old and others I feel young.

I asked my dad, then in his 80's, how old do you feel?  He told me most days he feels like 20 but then he goes and does yard work, or tries to walk to the store and then he knows he is old.

Then there are your hands.   I loved my Gran's hands. She said, "just you wait until your my age and you won't like your wrinkly hands".  Of course this hand of mine was taken 20 years ago, but at the time one of my daughters was looking at her hands and thought, " Oh dear my hands are looking old like my mother's hands".











This is me at age 18.  In my mind I still feel, most days, that I'm still 18, and then Sid and I go walking or go on a vacation and come home and then I feel my age.









I found an article in the New York Times entitled How Old is Old Age?

"Most adults over age 50 feel at least 10 younger than their actual age.  One-third of those between 65 and 74 said they felt 10 to 19 years younger, and one-sixth of people 75 and older said they felt 20 years younger". (Survey by Sarah Arnquist).

At what age does old age begin? "Most people in the survey said it begins at 68."  Are you kidding? " Not surprisingly, most people over 65 have a different idea about old age.  Among those getting the senior discount, most say old age begins at 75." (That give me hope).

Most people under 30 think you're old by the time you hit 60."  hmmmmm

All I know is that I look back on my life and it has gone by like crazy.  There were so many things that I put on the back burner for later and now is it later and I still haven't done them.  Is it now to late?  Do I have time to get my life in order to meet my maker and have Him say, well done, or will He say you wasted your time.  If I live to be 89 years old like my parents I still have time, at least that is what I say.  You are never to old to form good new habits, eating healthy, exercising, reading good books, studying the scriptures, do good to your fellowmen, and so forth.  

I don't know quite how to end this blog about getting old, but I do know this, I love my life, I love being here on earth at this time and with the family Sid and I were blessed with.  I love the gospel and all the blessings it brings into my life and the different people I have met through the years at church and the example they have set for me.

Wonderful Honey

I started buying raw honey in Delta for my allergies and it worked pretty good and I loved eating a teaspoon every morning.  Then I moved here to Maryland and the question became where do I find raw honey?

I didn't have to look far.  The Amish have their own bees and in their markets you can find any size jar you might want.

The doctor I go to told Baxter and me, when you have a sore throat use honey to coat your throat instead of cough syrup.  It works.

I have started making Ezekiel bread and it calls for 1 cup honey; so I decided to go larger than a quart at a time.

I looked up honey to see what it said about it's properties.


Nectar itself is composed of mainly of sucrose and water.  Bees add enzymes that create additional chemical compounds, inverting the sucrose into fructose and glucose, and then evaporate the water so that the resulting product will resist spoiling.  (I know as you store honey it becomes hard, but setting the jar, or can, in hot water it becomes usable again with no flavor change)

Vitamins in honey are B6, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and certain amino acids.  Minerals are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.  (Good multi-vitamin I should think).

This natural sweetener has antioxidants --, is fat free and cholesterol free.

No wonder I like HONEY so much!!!!!