Farewell Friend to 2012

I always like to review each month of the past year before it passes through the hour glass of time to never be retrieved.  Here are some blessings we enjoyed:

January-  New baby Joshua arrived healthy & hearty to Alicia & Dave in NJ.

February- St George watching Brayle's softball games and visiting special sites was a highlite.  We also sold my mom's home to a young family.

March- Sarah turned 8, was baptize.  We spent the week with her and baby Josh in NJ celebrating birthdays and blessings.  What happy times. 

April- Jory completed his first year of the Master's program.  I put my back out gardening.

May- We spent Memorial weekend in Portland with Jenn's family.

June-  I turned 60 and joined the Fitness Center. 

July-  A weekend at Bear Lake with the family while Alicia visited and a night at the Pickleville Playhouse and BBQ.  Also spent a week at Jenn's in Washington while she headed the Relay for Life raising $80k for the Cancer Society.

August-  Allan spent a month of working on the road and getting a broken toe.  Plantar Facsiitis came to visit, but we fought it hard. 

September-  Breann & Jed spent some special times with us and prayers were given in their behalf.  Jory and Sarah had a tubal pregnancy that broke their hearts, and more prayers, but we look to next year to try again.

October-  Lang Lang performed at Abravanel Hall and we visited Breann & Jed in Idaho Falls.

November-  Mike and Jenn visited for a week over Thanksgiving.  Hillary Hahn with the Utah Symphony kept us refined and an end to the foot problem. 

December-  Six stitches to Allan's thumb and blessing unbelievably received.  He even cut out this Twelve Days of Chrismas tree.  Our computer was upgraded to alive and an ipad was under the tree, too.  What more could a person ask for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato Cagerella Transformed Into A Tree

There once was a lonely tomato cage that worked really hard all summer long in the garden supporting numerous tomato plants.  People came to water or pick the ripe red tomatoes every day.  They commented on the abundant harvest of the plant, but no one paid any attention to the tomato cage.  Sometimes a strong hand would push it upright if the fruit's weight or the wind caused it to lean over.  It did all the work without any word of thanks. 

At season's end the plant was plucked out and the cage stored in a corner of the yard.  One day a brilliant woman that couldn't sleep at night, got an idea.  She couldn't afford a small tree to cover with lights to set on her porch, but she did have some out-of-work tomato cages.   Wrapping from top to bottom several strands of lights around the turned-on-its-head cage, she liked the result.   After posting her decorated tomato cage on Pinterest, women the country over copy-cated the idea with their own twist. 

Here is my copy-cat version.  You should see it. 

La Bella Vie la Beautiful Is

Soothing and beautiful are the La Belle Vie papers with their soft printed words.  The pleasant background takes us to the land of love and language.  'Bonjour,' it says as we want to share our story with loved ones.   Welcome and come to the class Thursday, Dec 13th at 7pm.  The kit is easy to assemble. then add your favorite French words.   It will be a lesson in la belle vie.  Call or just drop in. 

Feasting Folks

Are you ready for folks & feasting?  Well my table decorations are not like these.  They are some old creations from years back when I took the time to make them.  Who cares.  It is more important to spend time doing things together.   Mix up a batch of play dough, roast hot dogs and smores in the back yard or carve those last pumpkins or zucchini into ships or something.   The tikes will love it and stay busy for awhile. 

Pear & Partridge Passes With Flying Colors

Being a lover of the song, Partridge in a Pear Tree, I was delighted when Close to My Heart designed papers with the same name.  Our November class features this amazing paper for our 12 x 12 pages.  Highlighting reds and greens it doesn't have to be used for Christmas, but any color coordinated photos.  Try a Twelve Days of Christmas set of photos. 

Garlands and Garnishes samples are ready and willing when you are. 

Join us in making more Garlands with Garnishes of  Thanks, Joy, Snow, Peace or Love.  Class is same time as scrapbook or do both on Wednesday, Nov 7th at 7:30pm. 

Friends, Then & Now

Still after all these years our high school group still gets together on a yearly basis.  Some of us are best of friends and others were not even back in school, but it doesn't matter anymore.  Just getting together and seeing how good everyone looks, comparing notes and catching up on news of other classmates makes it all worth it. 

I have to admit some have weathered better than others.  Most of us think 'WE' have not changed a bit, but the other person has.  Pounds, challenges, trials, children and more are the fabric of our being.  Don't let another year pass you by without seeing the classmates of yesteryear and saying 'How are you, let's talk'.

Garland Garnishes

Happy Holidays!  We are at the beginning of many great events. 

 

 

How is your decorating coming?  Could you use a little color or jazz?

 

 No talent?  These garlands are easy and simple to stamp, cut, paste and decorate.

Come to our Garland Garnishes class on, Monday, October 22nd at 2pm or Wednesday, Nov 7th at 7pm to make a colorfully cozy saying to hang in your entry or on a wall.   "Spooky", "Boo", "Thanks", "Fall", "Snow", 'Joy', 'Peace' or any word your heart desires can be chosen to display and decorate your home with.   At $1 per letter don't miss this funner than toast class. 

Ten - Eleven - Twelve

I'm celebrating the eleventh day of the tenth month of the twelvth year of the twenty-first century today.  It has been about 400 days since 9-10-11 and will be another until 11-12-13.   So do some different things today such as:

Eat ten healthy things.
Walk or work out for eleven extra minutes.
Smile to twelve people you don't know. 

or
Think about what you were doing this time ten years ago.
Write down eleven things you are grateful for.
Consider items that twelve is common.  Such as eggs, months of the year, the religious age to be honored, things sold by the dozen and more. 

This was to be published yesterday, but my computer froze up and I didn't check to see if I succeeded.  Here's to yesterdays 10/11/12.  Yeah!! And only 2 more.

Moonlight is Boo-tiful

Boo, from the crew.  Black and white are the background pages for October's Moonlight papers.  Aren't they Boo-tiful?  With hooting owls, pom-pom flowers and corner vines growing symetrically, it is crying out, "I vant to get your photos".   Come enjoy our scrapbooking class with these fall colors on Thursday, October 18th at 7pm. You will be glad you did when your little goblins and ghosts come in from Halloween.  No bones about it.

Our recent full moon looks like it is sitting on the mountain peak ready to drop off to sleep.  Amidst the power lines and trees it saying good bye for the day. 

  "Fangs for the memories!"

Toting Off My Trash to Make Your Treasures

Many of us have heard this statement.  'One man's trash is another's treasure'.  How true. One never knows what original, amazing things can be done with someone elses cast offs. 

I have wanted to throw a yard sale and clear out much of my past treasures, held on to for years or given as gifts.  I recently read a book, "The Joy of Less" which talked about parting with long kept tokens of a bygone time.  It was easier than I thought to box up my knick-knacks and stuff.

Now to haul them out to the driveway and sell them.  The next big step after that, is taking the left-overs to the goodwill store. 

They say if you tell people you have a goal and write it down, it is more likely to happen.  I am officially stating and announcing a "Yard Sale" at my place on October 13th.  Now I really have to do it.   Do you have anything you want to bring over?  You are welcome to join in the fun. 

Firty, Fashionable and Fun

These Flirty papers are so fashionable with the retro styles coming back.  It takes me back to my ole' Virginie days of fast cars and fun.  We wore these prints in high school.  The brave gals wore the bold flowered skirts and pants with small print tops. 

It is a little hard to begin again or go back to yesteryear clothes.  Seems like I just threw these styles out, after keeping them in the back of the closet a few decades.  But, here we are again and it feels like I'm recycling.  You could call it that, only different medium.  I should add my old photos to these papers and no one would know they are thirty years in the making. 

Join our class on Sept 19th at 7pm to make your own Flirty pages.  It's okay we won't tell you've been flirting around. 

I Fila the Difference

After years of looking like a black & white blob jogging along the roadways, in my large size T-shirts earned at the many 5k's I've been in.  It was time for a new outfit.   As the summer days stretched out like a clown's balloon, neon colored outfits popped up everywhere.  Easy to spot and more appealing than the puff pastry shaped pants on this body, I was tempted to join the club.

When the sales were shouting my name and the store lines were short, I grabbed a Fila brand bright yellow top and some black, sleak stretch pants with Laffy Taffy yellow stitching.   Instead of trying them on, for fear they would end up back on the rack, I decided to 'go for the gold' by pulling out my Kohl's card.

No sense letting the new clothes settle in the bag, they had their coming out party at the gym one night.  I felt like a million bucks.  A neighbor spotted me that week out walking and complimented me on my new Lime Rickey outfit.   It definitely makes me feel younger and classier.  Now to get the body to join the party. 

Quite a Quilt Show

The Springville Art Museum has hosted a quilt show for at least the past thirty five summers.  I went to my first one as a young mother.  How I loved looking at all the amazingly gifted creations.   Years ago a pineapple design struck my fancy. I kept going back to it over and over that year, trying to cement it in my memory so I could make one just like it.  Sad to say I never did, but still think about it. 

Look how just black, white and gray can walk you into a mighty maze optical illusion.

 

This town square creates a stop and visit feel at each home inviting you to stay awhile. 

   More than 200 ties make up these 19 circular designs collected over the course of a young man's missionary days.

 This 'Best of Show' applique quilt with eye popping poseys is a sweet treat.

    On the diagonal these squares bring out each color and stripe in a unique and crisp way. 

Each quilt contains within its borders the stories no book could tell, designs more pleasing than eye candy, more colors than the rainbow, thousands of pieces and years of delicate stitches. Don't miss the quilt show next year. 

40 Hour Work Weeks

I have officially joined the forty hour week work force.  I hate it.  What a blessing to only work 30-32 hours weekly and get full benefits of insurance and vacation.  The lady that is here Mondays so I can enjoy three day weekends all year, had surgery.  She's been out all month.  I have been singing the 'wo is me blues' all four weeks and still have one more to go. 

 Now I see how hard it is to get anything done. Doesn't matter if you go to bed early, it's the same twenty-four hours to get everything done in. To treat myself and Mr. Manly, we will be going to see the play, 9 to 5 at the Hale Theatre on Labor Day. That will be my official end of working five days a week. 

Today was payday and my check was more, but is it worth it?  I will tell you next week when this stint if over.   For now I'm just glad to have a job to pay the bills.

Beautiful Bathroom or Bust

I avoid attending the Parade of Homes because seeing all those smartly decorated models, with the latest in technology, massive kitchens, the hottest colors and perfectly placed plants brings on depression.   My own adequate home looks like an outhouse compared to them. 

Well, this year I am putting on my big girl attitude and going out to see every last house. 

I want to redo my master bathroom and what better way to drive up the price than to get ideas from theirs.  I can't even come close to all the gadgets in the ones at the Parade, but at least ours will only be semi-outdated. 

 We must have a separate toilet room, two sinks, bigger shower and tile everything else. Should we do a garden tub or jetted and how big?   

 What size shower, double or single size; clear or frosted glass, surround or one sided?

 His and her sinks and cabinets or....Hey wait a minute.  My budget is only $5k or less.  Now let's start over.   Although better than lovely, they are more than I can afford, but a starting point at least.

Yep, I think I'm ready to re-do.  Now to get Mr. Manly to come on board, we will be taking off in November.  Oh, the places you can go when you buy tickets to the Parade of Hot Houses. 

No Way, No How

I found the cutest old wagon.  It was probably fifty years old or more. 

Then the most amazing spot for a photo, was just outside where the wagon was spotted. No grandchild of mine was ready or willing to have a picture taken.  No way!  No how!

  It would have been easier to bribe some strangers in the neighborhood than get mine to smile.  Hey, wait a minute, there's a quick one we got on camera from Zach, while holding baby brother, Josh.

Chances are they will ask ten years from now, why was I so cranky?  Because, we are part of the 'Cranky Crane' bunch.  Thus history was made on a farm in Nounan, Idaho.   And to think this is my very own Grandma Eugenia Crane's birthplace, as well.  She was probably watching

and laughing from the spirit world, while we begged our little ones to look happy. 

Faulty Foot Needs a Fix

Three years ago I traipsed around on vacation in poor shoes on cement and got plantar fasciitis in my left foot.  This is severe pain in the plantar (foot) fascia (tendon or sheath on bottom of each foot) often caused when the fascia relaxes at night as you sleep with toes pointed downward.  Upon awaking and walking the fascia stretches and becomes inflamed.  After six months of stretching, foot bracing and inflammation it was healed.  Now my right foot has it.  Curses!!!

Was it the four miles of run/walking a day, worn out tennie runners or foot abuse that has caused this unfun problem?  Each day is another one of achy foot, anti-inflammatories and limping about.  Got to get that foot brace, I say and new shoes. 

The major causes of getting this dreaded problem are poor shoe support, high heels, over-weight, long standing on hard surfaces and myriad other reasons.   Take care of your feet because 'where ever you roam,' you will be using your feet.

Much Ado About Memberships

I (we actually) joined the fitness club.  Yup, we are members with an annual pass.  There was a discount for two at $175 so we said, "Let's do it!"   With a commitment to go twice a week, it will be less than $1 per visit. 

So far I have been about eight times and taken the grand kiddies several more.  You can't beat a waterslide and great open plunge pool with no sunburn for an afternoon of entertainment.   Pool closes at 8 p.m. most nights we discovered, as we encountered a locked door to it and had to find another avenue for the evening. 

We will get our fill of the cardio glide, basketball, weights, track, swimming and more.  If this doesn't keep us movin' and shakin' I don't know what will.  I'm looking forward to classes in kranking, spinning, water aerobics and such.  It will be great this winter, when the ice and snow keep us indoors.

Why didn't we do this sooner.  Oh yeah, it cost twice as much.

Banged Up Bumper

Oh and ouch to rear-enders.  My sister and I were in one this week, as we waited at a light to enter the freeway.   When it turned green and the cars started forward, there was a delay and all the drivers had to pause a second until proceeding.  Someone not paying attention banged into our car's rearend. 

Not expecting the jolt and bump, immediately we were thrust forward then back slamming our heads on our seat backs.  Both of us were wearing safety belts, getting only head and neck aches as a result.   Now, a few days later, we are still checking to see if all neck joints are working well.

The car only sustained a bummed up bumper. It felt like our whole back end was smashed, but fortunately not.   This isn't the first or the last time this car's bumper has been hit or fixed.  Maybe it is jinxed or just a target for inattentive drivers.   Thankfully it wasn't serious.



  May you be safe while out and about.  Please pay attention, drive slowly and watch out for the guy in front of you.

Victory is Vivacious

These versatile Victory pages are easy to add photos to because they go with camping, graduation or any celebration.  The cardstock papers are so full of character and decorative that very little needs to be done to them.  Spread Wings and Fly is the title for the pages.  What child or picture doesn't fit that? 

Come to class Wednesday, July 11th at 7 p.m. to make these scrapbook pages.  July's special says to place an online order of $75 or more in July and we’ll send you a popular paper packet and coordinating accessory—a Perfect Pair—for free!to order $75 which is a $17.90 savings.  See you at class. 

Three Cheers for Cherry Tomatoes

We have tomatoes!  Ripe ones! Hurray!  It's really a miracle because the wind has blown this cage over several times, but the plant has survived anyway.  Staking it will help.  Now to remember to water and pick them.  May you be as lucky, too.

Subtle Survivor

Well I survived the big sixty, but have noticed some subtle signs of aging. 

Such as: 
Spelling-   My recall of the correct spelling of words is getting worse.
Typing-    I cannot type a single word without errors and have to go back and fix them.  Argh!
Balance-  It is definitely diminishing and I walk like I'm drunk more often than not. Maybe I am.

Good:
Membership- I qualified for the Senior Citizen membership at the Fitness center so signed up and going twice per week. 
Discounts- Oh there are several discounts and they will only get more numerous.

Motorized vehicles- Now I can legally use the motorized carts at stores and not feel guilty, but I won't. 

The good, Bad and ugly of being sixty.