Mon-Making It Happen

We're responsible in making life happen for ourselves. If we want to travel, accomplish things, complete a project, buy a new car, it's up to us to plan & execute those dreams into reality. Sitting back saying 'Woe is me. My life if boring. Nothing fun ever happens.' Is our own fault.

Several years ago after my son left for Chile on his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I decided to save the money to go pick him up in South America. I didn't make much money at the time, but put away every penny possible. It was hard to pass up new clothes, mini trips, impulse purchases, but the dream made it easier. The day we left for Chile, was more exciting than all the little things I'd passed up.

Last Saturday knowing only days remained before the warm weather & beautiful mountain scenes were snowed on & destroyed, we spent the day in the Albion Basin above Alta. In the summer people flock to see the Wild Flower Festival. Winters it is packed with skiers. The mile hike to Cecret Lake, lunch under towering pine trees and views were amazing. The area was void of noises we live with such as planes, cars & tv.

We could have stayed home & worked, but we can do that any day or time. Setting a goal and following through, makes life much more interesting and fulfilling. Make it happen in your life, too. You'll be happy you did.

Friday-Fascinating Fall

Ninety days is fall, remember?
September, through most of December.

Full of feats, fires & fatty acid
Ends with flurries & starts pretty placid.

Fall is 50 mild colorful days with cool quiet nights clamoring to keep you happy until November 10th when it turns cold. Forty more days when the leaves get serious about dropping, dead or tilled under gardens have their last rites & we begin to plan for the holidays.

Autumn foliage is natural eye candy,
A ride in the mountains is more that dandy.

Frights, fun & a football game,
You’ve found fall is still the same.

Last year I spent several weeks on the Hudson River by the George Washington Bridge. Walking along the river trail, enjoying the solitude as millions of people & cars trudged to Manhattan & back. The brilliant colors along the ridge was hard not to wrap up in from my floor to ceiling overlook of the Big Apple.

Tues-Tomatoes, Timely & Tasty

Red tomato, green tomato, all are so fair.

Our fresh tomato days are numbered, because of a chill in the air this week. Those near jungle size plants will get struck down & we’ll be back to pasty greenhouse grown store ones @$2 plus per pound. Until then eat, accept the free ones & cover them w/blankets or plastic for protection.

Share those Roma, Cherry, Beef Steak & Pear.

I had the yummiest bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwich for breakfast. Why have I forgotten this great sandwich?

Early Girl, Salad & Italian are there.

Homemade salsa is fresher than a spring breeze. What fun to have the family crowded around the table with a big bowl of salsa munching away from a bigger bag of chips.
Dress it up with black beans, cilantro & corn. Pour it over a block of softened cream cheese. Vitamin C, here we come!

Popping the red & yellow bouncy ball size tomatoes into your mouth right from the vine, can’t be beat. Throw them in a salad or use as a garnish or snack.

Take advantage of these tasty treats while still lots to spare.

Sat-Satisfaction Guaranteed, yeah right!

How is it possible to guarantee you'll satisfy everyone that buys your product?
Packaging has gotten so complicated to ensure a product isn't damaged, it's harder to remove from the box than breaking and entering a bank safe.

“A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.” Harry Truman

Growing up we found out it didn't do any good to complain, so we tried to go with the flow. Is it education that empowers a person to be critical of everything or is it their genes?

People I know, including a sister in law, can't open their mouth without something negative coming out. Others only say positive & kind things. Are we taught to be positive or acquire that attitude. Some may not even notice what they've become.

Take a look at how you behave. Are you happy most of the time (juggling to work things out)or angry & question everything (it's not my fault/problem).

I asked the boss for three extra hours off last week to leave early for an anniversary getaway. The gal asked to cover turned a simple request into thirty emails, of who could cover for 15 minutes each so it wouldn't be a 'burden' to anyone. Brent, my boss, told me to 'go have fun' & not worry about the office.

Thank you, to all those that 'just do it', 'like it' 'accept it' without complaint, questions, alternative & so on & so on.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed, because of who you are not what you get!!

Thur: This is The Way We Can Our Food

I abhor canning, because of the mess, heat & time. Friends have to beg me to take bushels of tomatoes, fruit or such off their hands. Wasting food drives me even crazier. Sometimes when a box of prime produce is staring me in the face, before letting it spoil, I’ll ‘can’ it.
Allan had a terrific idea to make it faster, simpler & easier. I was willing to go along. Using our one burner camp stove he pulled out our turkey roaster. Used once, ten years ago when it fried our Thanksgiving dinner to a crispy critter. We filled the colander basket with tomatoes, dunked them in a boiling bath for 1 minute. He poured the contents onto cookie sheets to await skinning & quartering.

After the bottles were filled & capped. We placed the tomatoes into the basket again to process forty-five minutes. The red cooked fruit sat on our deck table as the lids popped away sealing them for later use. The whole mess (20 bottles worth) was completed in no time. All the heat, noise & commotion took place on the deck, while the house, stove & electricity rested for another job.

Now accepting, any excess fruit or veggies you may want to unload.
He’s a genius!

Mon: Matching My Memories

While out of town for our anniversary seeing the sites & plays, we also attended church. Finding a time & place to go, we arrived early sitting on the sixth row. A growing family walked to the front of the chapel sitting on the second row. At first glace it looked like they had five girls. They put the year old baby on the front row facing the rest them & us, to toddle back and forth. If a pen or binky was dropped, a loved one picked it up & gave it back. What good children they were.

Studying the baby, it was hard to tell what sex it was. The navy shirt had boats on it, so I thought maybe it was a boy. No one lifted it up to sit on their lap, so I could see if there was a skirt or pants. It was content to manuever up and down the bench as happy as could be, turning to look at the musical number or speaker now & then. My curiousity went wild watching the precious thing worrying it would loose balance & topple over. It didn't happen, because this was their weekly routine.

Twenty three years earlier it could have been us sitting there. The older sisters were about eleven, nine, seven and five. The youngest looked exactly like our grand daughter, Sarah. The resemblance was amazing. The mother, with hair pulled into a bun, must be as busy as I'd been years ago. She managed quite well, I thought.

Finally the father gently lifted the baby into his arms, a BOY! I knew it! Just like our own family, now grown. They were an exact match to our children, with four girls, a baby son & similar ages as well. We wondered if he squealed like his sisters.

How many people, visitors & friends, sat behind us at church, year in & year out with the same memorable thoughts? We have a family like that, too.

P.S. The speakers were good, as well.

Fri: Fleeing the Unfriendly Foe

Sunday I was released as the Relief Society president after serving for 45 months. It carries with it a special protection or mantle, as they refer to it. In order to be worthy of this position, I spent lots of time praying, scripture reading & being worthy of the Spirit. Often as challenges loomed I was reminded how to respond, doing as I felt best.

At first it was difficult to see myself in this leadership position. Gradually it became easier to make decisions, be in the lime light & ‘lead the pack’ so to speak. Overtime as I felt the support & companionship of the sisters & the Holy Ghost, the work was fulfilling. ‘Would a Relief Society President do that?’ Questions like these helped me make better choices. I took advantage of the power in everything I did, to capitalize on the blessings it gave me.

After the new Relief Society president was sustained, we began singing the Sacrament hymn. Soon, I felt a significant draining of the spirit. It went from the top of my head down to my toes. Was this the mantle that many previous leaders had told me, I would feel leave?

Have you ever been washing dishes and accidently pulled the stopper out. The water drains away so fast there isn’t time to grab it & plug the hole up before it’s all gone. This is the feeling I had. It was bittersweet, but I knew it was going to a worthy sister.

A few days later when frustrations came, I began to swear and lost my patience. It happened many times. Before each outburst I was subtly reminded, “You’re not the president anymore. Do what you want!” So I did, but was ashamed of my actions. I recognized it was Satan, trying to sink his negative thoughts into this fresh soil.

No! I said. I won’t let this happen. Praying for help that night, I asked to have the Holy Ghost guide me through these times. He did & is. Hopefully I'll continue to be aware, when Satan tries to kick me in the butt. I'll say a quick prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help me fight this unfriendly foe.

Tues: Taking Time to Play

Holidays come & holidays go & we stay home. With family far & some near it's easy to make excuses & do nothing. Responsibility weighs heavy on days off as you play catch up in the yard, house & more. Maybe you'll have steaks, read, take a walk or see the fireworks as you doze from fatigue. The pressure's still there on your shoulders like bad sunburn.

Is it the crowds, the cost or the chaos of trying to get away that keeps us home? When we arrive at our destination, the burdens of home & such seem to float away like seeds on a windy day. Letting go, your mind clears and freedom comes at last. It says to you 'enjoy', if only for a moment.

Find a quiet spot to ponder, look at the beauty of your surroundings, breathe deeply, sleep or find adventure. Better yet forget the trials & mentally fly away. If you have children, take them with you & explore. Share what you know with them. Wade in a stream, count bugs or find an anomaly of nature. Show them how to see the wind beneath their wings.

On Labor Day, I ignored the jobs crying for attention, packed water, goodies, hiking gear & climbed in the car at 9am telling my driver (hubby) to head for East Canyon. We stopped at the summit. With our binoculars we enjoyed a 360' view spotting the Oquirrh Mountain Temple between two peaks. We took the closest trail stopping along the way to read, "Joyful Noise" by Paul Fleishman. Sharing our mile long trail with bikers & a few hikers, we wished all well who passed.

At noon we took Highway 66 north passing reservoirs, land marks & the tiny town of Henifer. We lunched on subways in Morgan City's park, followed by a nap & wading in the Weber River. Skipping rocks, Devil's Slide and a toffee ice cream topped off our day of nine heavenly hours away from 'it all'.

A glow filled our home last night, because we took time to play.

Sat-Sizzling Summer Squash Recipes

Is zucchini coming out of your years, appearing on your porch & filling your refrigerator? It is mine. With only one plant I thought they would be few & far between. Everyone else overplanted however. It's Unamerican to refuse a zucchini offer, kind of like apple pie. Have you tried mock zucchini/apple pie? It's an idea.

Here's some yummy recipes to try as you get a handle on your squash crop. People will love you for giving them another recipe to consume the prolific plant.
Zucchini & Stuffing Casserole

6 C Sliced zucchini, &/or summer squash
1/2 C Chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C sour cream
1 T Parmesan cheese
1 C grated carrots (optional)
2 boxes Stove Top stuffing
Grated cheese
Sauté squash & onion until tender but still firm. Mix soup, sour cream parmesan & carrots together, add to squash mix.
Make dressing per package directions. Spread half of dressing on bottom of 9x13 pan. Pour in squash mixture. Top with remaining dressing. Bake 30 minutes 350’ or microwave 5-6 minutes. Top with cheese if desired. Yummy! Serves 8

Crook Neck Casserole

6 C Sliced zucchini/crook neck squash
1 medium onion
3 Beaten eggs
1 C Mayo or 1/3 C of each Mayo, Yogurt & sour cream
1 C grated Cheese
Saute squash & onion to tender but still firm . Arrange in 9x12 dish. Combine eggs & creams Pour over squash & sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 min on 350’ or microwave 6-8 minutes.

Wed: Win Some & Lose Some

Everyday we meet with positive and negative experiences. It's best to dwell on the good ones & let the downers go. It eliminates the stress. Here's this weeks batch, but hey, life is good.

Win: Took a zucchini dish to a family reunion because I was out of everything else & got three requests for the recipe, two were teens. I didn't think they liked veggies. It was a shock to have people rave about something 'I made' & finish it off, too.
Lose: A friend told me she has Stage IV cancer & prays she can make it a few more years to enjoy her grandkids. Sad, because she's the best grandma ever.

Win: Breann had surgery today, looks great & is recovering amazingly well. She's off the oxygen, catheter & hopefully the stay is short.
Lose: A few streets away from me, an all night standoff from a domestic dispute ended in a death 2 days ago. Drugs wreck havoc on people's lives.

Win: Catching the last day of the Springville Quilt show with my sister, Julie, was great enjoyment as we critiqued the variety of displays. We couldn't choose a favorite because we loved them all.
Lose: Forgot & left the sprinkler on for 14 hours. I'm not even going to open the water bill until the day I send the payment in. That way I'll only stress one day, unless I can't afford to pay it.

Remember don't get P O'd about life. Let it go. It's a win, win.