former olympians

Recently my friends Pual and Jole kicked some ice in the winter olympics. Movies were made and the rest is history...

Oh how I love the Fall

Oh how I love the fall. This is the season of harvesting, children going back to school and family portraits. It is cooler weather and high school seniors. It is slowing down to watch the leaves change. The final crop of hay coming in from the field and the thought of spud harvest around the corner. I love the smell of the grain being harvested and the dust in the air. I love watching the anticipation of my children as they get ready for a new year at school. New teachers and new classrooms. I love hearing the news of old friends in the classroom and the hope of new ones for the coming year. I love the thought of new peaches all ready for canning and preparing the jars for homemade jam. Rodeos and state fairs and the smell of scones and hot dogs lingering in the air. I love new pencils and fresh new boxes of crayons. Sweatshirts in the evenings while still wearing sandals. Remembering Maine in the midst of "leaf peeping season" and the covered bridges in Vermont against the red, orange and yellow leaves. I love corn on the cob and fresh apples from the tree. Oh how I love the fall!

The Core IV

Paul, Nanette (cousins), Sherri and Joel (not cousins) have been friends since most of us can remember. Friends came and went over the years. Some still stick (Carrie and Michelle) and others we look back and wonder why they even tried to keep up. The years went by and we all have families and seem to be living in different directions but getting together has never been better. I know why while growing up we laughed, cried and lived to visit each other. Fact stands that the bond is still strong regardless of time or place. That is a rare and priceless thing these days. We remain the core IV.

What I deserve

This is the time of weddings, family reunions and any excuse for a get-together. Our get-together is coming up this weekend. I plan to hug my favorite cousin, chat it up with long lost friends and eat a lot of freakin' delicious food. No work, minimal computer time and true reasons to stay out in the hot sun. Sorry customers, this weekend belongs to me. I deserve it.

Just hanging around

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Some days don't you just wonder why life hasn't turned out the way you planned? I mean I really don't think that everything has to be just that perfect but man.. somedays are still worth dreaming about.

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A great day!

Yesterday was July 4. The day of independence. For some reason year after year we still feel pulled to the hot, sticky long ordeal we fondly call "the parade". My children have yet to indulge in the fine times of decorating bikes or a riding lawn mower just to make their way down the streets packed with hordes of people waving and shouting approval at others not smart enough to stay home in the air conditioning and out of the blazing heat. Once again we also joined the group arriving early to secure the spot we've called our own for the past 10 years. Every year we swear we won't ever do this again and yet there we are. We mumble and grumble a bit but end up agreeing that this year was "a pretty good parade" and quietly comment to mostly no one that we're glad we made the effort. We always set up at the start of the entorage so we get everyone fresh out of the gate and have a quick get away as soon as the last horse and carriage is pulled past the line. No waiting for the pooper scoopers we're in the vehicles before they even put their shovels to the pavement.

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Following is the food. This varies from year to year but somehow ended up grilling at our house this year and eating way too much. My sister recently moved from Arizona to Utah a couple of weeks ago. Her family visiting kept things hopping so that naps were not an option. They didn't mind the heat and so we sat and visited on the porch all afternoon while watching the kids take turns try and kill themselves on our go-cart. They got pretty good at going just fast enough around the corners to skid several feet while turning the wheel just right and continuing on to the roundabout where tearing around the circle kicked up just the right amount of driveway to look really cool and then making it to the side yard to finish up with cookies in a cloud of dust and finally resting a the starting point ready for the next driver. My sisters kids almost have their parents convinced to let them use their pooled money of $267.58 to have Todd buy parts and work with them to build their own go-cart so they can work on killing themselves in the comfort of their own property. Trips are being planned even as we speak to meet in Pocatello at the parts stores and junk yards to start this new adventure.

Later we drove out to the thriving metroplis of Menan, Idaho. Home of possibly 1,ooo people that quadruples close to sunset every year on the 4th of July as the Volunteer Fire Department puts on a truely spectacular firework show in the center of town. We meet friends there every year and set up with blankets and camp chairs in the middle of the park while the kids run wild until the siren wailes and lets us know that the show is about to begin. This is my favorite part. By this time is has cooled off, the kids are tired enough and entertained enough to actually sit in one spot and the fireworks soar high above in amazing color of red, white and blue. By the time we arrive home and carry sleeping kids in from the car it is way past our bed time. We drag ourselves to bed and drift off to sleep. As we are lulled into slumber by the fireworks of neighbors still going off in the distance we hear ourselves saying "Now that was a great day!"

Robin Spencer

I just happen to have the best friend in the ENTIRE world. She is somewhat of a wonderwoman to me. In case you haven't met Robin Spencer let me just say.. you are really missing out. You actually become a better person just knowing she is in your life. Since I don't say it enough... Thanks Robin for all you do, You are the Greatest!!