Wandering, Wondering Smithfam

Christ's love and Mother's love

2011-09-06T14:42:00.003-08:00

While I was waiting for my ride a couple of weeks ago, I saw a picture of Christ being surrounded by lots of white sheep. Christ is holding the only black sheep in the flock. It just struck such harmonious notes with me. I've often felt like I was the black sheep in our family as I didn't always follow the traditional ways of my sisters, I was the youngest and left out of much, yada---yada---yada. It wasn't that I was rebellious so much as I felt left out of all their doings and they were not a part of my doings because they were older and moved on. But it struck me that Christ is holding ME! That He loves ME.

Then I got to thinking about my kids and when they've acted out and been the "black sheep" of our family for a time. I felt the love Christ has for each one of us. I know that the one constant with my kids is that I have continued to love them and have tried to separate what they've done with loving who they are. Whether or not i was successful is up to them. They must decide if their mother loved them even when they knew they were doing what I wouldn't have approved of. But I realized that was also a Christ like attribute.

Then I thought of my mother. You loved all of us. You were involved in each of our lives. You really try to make me feel special, that I was worth talking with and have a little less sleep time, this I was of worth to mend a yellow nightgown and get me a wonderful rocking chair when money was tight. I think of all the many times you so willingly pick me and my family up from the airport and take us back to the airport, who loves for us to come visit, pick some oranges, play some games or play dough with my new little ones. No wonder they love you and want to be around you! Thank you Mother, for your love, and your Christ like example.

Since seeing the picture and wanting to find a copy, I found out it is a Minerva Teichert art and that it is called 'Finding the Lost Sheep'. Now, that kind of ruins my thinking. I wasn't lost, I was just different and lonely. I was picked up and loved. That message applies to so many more of us. We try our best, do our best, hold on to that which we know is true but feel left out of the "Norman Rockwell" picture. I like my first impression of being with the large group, being different and being loved. So think outside that box of "Christ is rescuing the black sheep..." Think about the love Christ has for each one of us. Think about him holding you and giving you a break from the rest of the flock. of getting to know you, letting you know he knows you and loves you. It's not rescuing you because you're not doing wrong things, it's loving you because you're doing the right things!

Thank you mother for being an example of how to live as a senior, a widow and selflessly serving others. Of being involved with those around you, fulfilling church callings dependably, of going over 100,000 miles on your exercise bike, reading your scriptures and praying daily, enjoying the nature around you (even when it means figuring out how to prune trees, water all those plants and keep order in your garden. Of knowing how much you can do and saying "no" to that which you can't. Of taking classes to learn new technology. For enduring hearing aids so you can still take a vital part in our lives.

When I was little, we still lived in Orangevale, CA, I remember my sister Eileen and my mother having an argument. I do not know what it was about nor do I care to, for it is unimportant. I remember waking up from that nap on the couch, hearing their voices in the dark, and hearing another still, quiet voice. It said, "You're mother is right. Listen to your mother." I have tried to do that. And I have wished that my children had been blessed with that inspiration also. Oh well, i guess I am not always right. At that time however, I realized my mother was a wise woman and to listen to her. As you can see, she continues to show me by her Christlike example wisdom in every stage of life.

I do love my mother more and more.

So much for monthly posts!

2011-04-22T13:17:00.002-08:00

My journal writing has gotten lower and lower on the priority list. I do have a good reasons though.

December came with Grandma & Grandpa actually getting projects done and fun stuff sent before Christmas. I made "ABC books all About ME" for each grandchild. I was able to use some of the same pictures but not too often. It really was a lot of work and a labor of love. It was fun to hear the kids express their enjoyment with their own books.

My headaches came back January 1, 2011. nice way to greet the new year. I have been busy with doctors, new meds, PT, sleeping and working. Work is exceptionally patient with me. I'm trying but there are many days I'm not pulling my weight. Haven't figured out the right combination yet.

Kent and I are still here in beautiful Alaska. The moose still visit us. Stretch (the cat) got declawed. Got a new grandson, Jaxon Walker Butler. I'm looking forward to helping Katie the end of May and meeting Jaxon, seeing Tyler and Brian! Brian made some real good looking toy bins I want him to make for me too! Don't forget to look at KT's blog and Eliz's blog. I enjoy talking with Abby on the phone. Sometimes I even get to hear Tyler on the phone but he's usually busy.

Time Flies By, Part 3: Changes

2010-11-28T03:36:00.005-09:00

Part 3: Changes
Anchorage, Alaska

The end of September I was called to be a temple ordinance worker. I work Thursday evenings. I worked September 23rd then the temple was closed for two weeks for General Conference and cleaning. Since then, I've been able to get passed off on all the ordinances. It's a lot of memorization but it is so wonderful to read and know what is said, be able to take in the significance of many of the words used and humbling to administer these sacred ordinances.

October brought a trip to ID for Kent (for retirement planning), Halloween and cold weather but no snow. It didn't snow until November and then it has hit with a vengeance! Lots of accidents that first real snow day and then people drove slower, made sure their studded tires were on. Then the weather warmed and froze the melting snow. That coupled with sleet made the roads slicker than snot! More accidents. Fortunately we didn't have any trouble or accidents and knock on wood our accident-free time will continue.

Thanksgiving was spent at some friend's home. The Barruses invited us and to my surprise Kent accepted. He just didn't want the mess for the two of us. Surprised me because he has never, ever wanted to go anywhere else for Thanksgiving dinner. I did miss the smell of turkey cooking throughout the day. Kent made 2 pumpkin pies and a yam/apple casserole that I actually enjoy. I made some deviled eggs and a Texas Fudge Pecan Pie. We brought home most of the yam casserole, and almost all three pies... Nobody was hungry after dinner. There was lots and lots of food. Nice friends and they have a nice family and friends that joined with us.

Black Friday has come and gone. Didn't get so much this year. Didn't even leave the house until 6:30... Not much held my interest. But there is still a thrill of getting a bargain. Lowes had 2-quart poinsettias on sale for just $.98! I got 12. They will be used for the ward Christmas dinner and home teaching/visiting teaching families. Right now they are clustered on our iron baker's rack and really look quite festive!

I've just been moved from teaching the 8-9 year olds to becoming the Primary pianist. I will miss teaching. My class was great and it was a joy to teach them. Kent is still ward clerk. I wonder why he gets to keep the same calling in a year while I get moved around... I'm glad to be of service but will miss my class.

So our wandering for the year 2010 is finished. But the wondering is still on-going. Wondering what the kids are up to (even though we speak with them often), what Kent got me for Christmas (he went shopping today), and wondering what I'm going to get him, wondering how school is going for Daniel and David and Tawnie, wondering if Andrew will get a new job, wondering where Katie and Brian will be living when their new son is born. Lots to look forward to! And wondering what the new year will bring.

I don't want you to wonder what we are grateful for. As I work with the elderly and disabled, I am so grateful for good health for all of our family. I'm grateful that my mother is still enjoying an active life. I'm grateful to be able to go to the temple each week. I'm grateful that Kent and I both have good jobs. I'm grateful for a cat that likes to sleep with me. I'm grateful for great kids and greater grandchildren! I'm grateful for the Savior and the gospel. I'm grateful for church leaders who work tirelessly for me and you. I'm grateful for a warm home, a working car (that even still looks good) and a plan for retirement that includes our home in Idaho. I'm grateful to live in the States once again, to be able to vote, to be able to read English and not to struggle with another language. I'm grateful to have moose come visit us in our back yard and to enjoy the wonder of nature. There is so much to be grateful for!

Time Flies By, Part 2: Denali Lottery

2010-11-27T22:59:00.034-09:00

Part 2: The Lottery
Denali National Park September 18-20, 2010

Two weeks later we went to Denali National Park, also known as Mt. McKinley National Park. It was the last weekend the Park and nearby motels were open. To get into the park that weekend you had to enter a lottery and win. I won! Normally visitors can only drive a few miles into the park and then you have to take buses but on the lottery weekend, lottery winners were able to drive the park roads. And we did. The weather was perfect: sunny and not too cold.

We left on Friday so we could get to town that evening and be able to go into the Park first thing Saturday morning. We stopped along the way to see various sites. We stopped at a memorial to the many veterans from the various services.

At one turn off, we found Devils Club. It has huge leaves and HUGE thorns.

You don't want to get into the Devils Club! Alaska may not have poison ivy but it definitely has some plants you want to stay away from!

We stopped at the South Side of Denali View Point to get our first glimpse of Denali.

This is my favorite view of Denali
taken on Friday, September 17, 2010. The park is located on the other side (north) and the pictures aren't as good.

Early morning at Denali National Park; Saturday, September 18, 2010.

I wish I knew how to do a slide show so the pictures could be enjoyed more easily.

And the animals! We were quite fortunate to see so many. Some of our favorites:

The Bears: We saw 4 of them near the road. Of course we weren't the first ones to come across them. There was a line of cars with people outside their cars taking pictures. Now, we had all been told not to get near the bears, to stay in your car. Did we obey? Of course not. I got out of the car and did stay downwind from them and watched. They didn't want to cooperate and stay close enough together to be all in the same frame. At least my pictures of the bears are more than a dots and you can tell what they are...

We saw some cross a river. They were too far away to get a picture To see them cross the river as they has been done for generations gave me a sense of what my pioneer forefathers might have seen. I wonder if they were in awe or thought, "Where's my rifle? There's some meat for dinner tonight!"

A ranger came by shortly after we found the bears and staying in her truck, called all of us to get back in our vehicles on her bullhorn. I did obey. Then the bears came up over the slight rise, across the road and wandered on the other side of the road out of our view. Aren't they incredible? Real live bears! Not in a zoo. In their own habitat. Wow!

A Bull Moose. Usually we see the cows and calves near our house. Rarely do we see a bull moose in town so it was great to see one in the wild.

A wolf. He was eating wild blueberries.

I think this picture makes the wolf look like it's defecating but it isn't. It is just going up the hill sniffing for berries.

There was a line of cars with people all over the road, crowding around trying to get pictures. The wolf seemed to ignore all of us. The rangers were rather excited themselves as wolves are rarely seen in the day.

Dall sheep. Dall sheep are often seen on the hillsides all over Alaska. They aren't as elusive as the other animals but are still fun to see. With them, it's like searching for Waldo.

We also saw eagles, squirrels, voles and birds. We thought most of the birds would have migrated south but I guess the ones that are still here are hardy ones. You are requested, and can be fined if caught, not to feed the animals, especially the birds. We sat down for lunch and a bird flew down and landed on the table across from where Kent was sitting, looking around for food. Unfortunately I came over and he flew away. He stayed in the tree near the picnic tales and would swoop down to get the crumbs.

We saw the sun rise and set...never over Denali because it wasn't in the right position but it was so beautiful! I kept wishing Katie was there to capture it "right".

Taken at first turn off where you can finally see Denali!

Kent waited an hour for the sun to set so I could get a picture of the sun setting over Denali. Two problems, first the sun glare and two, the sun doesn't actually set over Denali at that angle and the season we were in. I took a picture of the sun beginning to set, a quick picture of Denali and then back to the sunset where the sun was slipping behind the mountains.

And then you could see the full moon rise.
It was so quiet, peaceful and oh, so beautiful.

We left early Monday morning for home. It was nice to get home on the early side so we could get the car washed and be rested for work the next day. I enjoyed going to Denali and wandering around. It's good to be free to wander.

Time Flies By, Part 1: Fairbanks

2010-11-27T16:51:00.039-09:00

I'm wondering where they time has flown by since I last wrote! Much to tell, much to be in awe of as well as grateful for. I will divide this up into 3 parts: Fairbanks, Denali, and Thanksgiving in hopes that it will be easier to read.

Part 1. Labor Day Weekend
Fairbanks, September 4-7, 2010

Labor Day weekend (Saturday through Tuesday) Kent and I drove to Fairbanks. We had planned on going with the Van der Martins before Dorinda had died. I think it was too tough on Wes to go with another couple so soon and he made plans to do some hunting with friends so Kent and I went by ourselves.

We had a leisurely drive up on Saturday. When we were by Denali we couldn't see anything through the fog and rain going to Fairbanks or coming back home. I kept thinking, "This is a huge mountain, we should see it!" But we couldn't see a thing. We didn't make any stops other than a restroom stop (which was in a private park as there were no other rest stops for miles!) because between some road construction and no visibility we just wanted to get there. And we did. Glad we had a GPS though to find our hotel. It made it so much easier to find places.

On Sunday we went to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks' museum. It's a really nice museum. It was a good activity while it rained. The museum has wonderful Alaskan artifacts. Here are some of my favorites.
This is an outside view of the listening room. It is supposed to have amplification of sound in the room so you can hear earthquakes and what not. It was just a peaceful, quiet place while I was there. No earthquake.

The flowers around the museum were beautiful.

At the front of the hall where most of the exhibits are, you are greeted by a huge Grizzly bear.

The native dolls are quite labor-intensive works of art. They use doe skins for the skin. Different furs are used for clothes, coats, mittens and boots.

And the gold display. Wow! It is still beautiful. It's amazing how it doesn't change colors. No wonder it has been highly prized throughout the centuries.

We then visited Santa at the North Pole! You could tell we were at the right place. The light poles in town are all in the shape of candy canes.

I loved the murals painted on the walls.
There were even some reindeer out back.

OK, so it may be dorky but I got a kick out of seeing Santa at the North Pole. Kent got a picture but it really isn't very clear... Santa encouraged me to sit on his lap but I didn't want to hurt him so he couldn't drive his Christmas sleigh.

The rain did clear on Monday when Kent planned to go fishing. I enjoyed picking up rocks and reading. I actually got pretty good at skipping rocks. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we drove around finding the perfect fishing spot. He didn't catch a thing but we both enjoyed the sunshine and the serenity while fishing.

On Tuesday we drove home. The fall colors were beautiful but you couldn't see very far. Still couldn't see Denali.

We saw one moose on the way home and that was it for wildlife. We got home and had a cow and her baby in our backyard...they wandered around to the neighbors flowers, where the calf enjoyed a meal and then across the street for a meal of branches.

Rain, Rain, go AWAY!

2010-07-27T09:10:00.005-08:00

Back in Alaska. The temperatures are much cooler. Work awaits us each day. Dorinda is no longer here. Wes is drawn but adjusting. I am back to teaching Primary, Valiant 9. The kids have already been baptized. We are studying the Old Testament also. Life goes on. And it rains and rains here this summer.

Brian and David finished going through the boxes in the basement from China. They found the Vietnamese dresses I had bought and sent two to Abby that they thought would fit her. Abby liked them but thought they were too big. Waiting still to find out how they fit. They also found KT's China dinner plates that had been missing from her China service. She is happy! They were in with a quilt and "other junk". Then David and Brian moved to the garage and unpacked our Norske boxes. And found Elizabeth's silver in a box that said Elizabeth's silver all over it! I did not think I had the mover's pack it up! Dangerous!! Especially with all the boxes that were damaged or lost on their way to AK. Although Elizabeth had already packed it and was heading out the door back to AZ, David called me to make sure she could take it... What was lost has been found and is returned to their rightful owners. According to David and Brian, the Chinese packed a lot of paper. They were surprised that the boxes were full of paper and there weren't that many things (except even I agree there are lots of quilts). Now the Norway stuff didn't have as much paper and things (glassware) was broken. The paper does make a difference.

Our garden pots are blooming. The broccoli needs picking. You can see the tomato plant but probably won't get any tomatoes off of it as it is still too small. I miss having lettuce like we had last year. The cauliflower/broccoli plants are beginning to flower so I think we should have picked them last week.

The cat still likes us and sleeps on us. My company had its annual picnic the 17th of July and it went over well. Kent and I helped set up, cook, played with kids and helped to clean up. And it was the last sunny day. I think Abby would find it cold here too.

One day (two weeks ago?) Kent received an office-wide e-mail: The sun is shining. Everyone is dismissed at 2:00 to go enjoy the sun.

One of my co-workers is retiring at the end of the month. I'm wishing we could retire too and go back to Idaho... I like working but I like being in ID... I like wandering the hills of home and wonder when the sun will come out again... And in case your wondering, Kent is still happy I'm alive. After I got the baseball bats and balls for the grandkids, he wished I'd gotten a t-ball stand. I had. And he was happy! Wonders will never cease.

Idaho

2010-07-27T08:31:00.004-08:00

We met David's flight at the airport in SLC. Keys had been left hidden for us to drive the silver car home. Unfortunately the steering wheel key is not the same as the door key. We ended up having the airport security come and open the door for us. It wasn't even easy for him, who had lots of experience breaking into people's cars...

Then we were at "Smith'aven" also known as our Idaho home... And we got to see Tyler Joe and Brian! And see the basement finished! And see Mo (the dog)! And see Dell's peonies blooming! And see the porch steps sliding down the hill! And smell Idaho! And see the wildflowers blooming! It was nice to be home. The wild flowers (sego lilies, lupine, sunflowers) were beautiful. We played ball with Tyler too. But he later got a cowboy hat and a lasso and had much more fun with them!

We had fun at Riverdale's hot springs swimming pool. Tyler at first didn't want to jump off the edge of the covered seating area in the pool but then got the hang of it and wanted to do it over and over.

We enjoyed our days with Tyler while Katie and Brian catered in CA. He missed his mom and dad though. David and Kent didn't give KT the info she needed. They gave such answers as everything was fine... So she called me to get the real scoop. What we did, how many times Tyler made it to the potty, blowing bubbles, working outside, helping Uncle Dave move cement pieces over the hill, helping throwing the weeds away. Grandpa got him a wheel barrow just his size. Made working so much easier for him. Tyler really is a good worker! He helped me clean windows too! He also enjoyed getting paid for doing it... (He likes dollars better than coins...)

Tyler was rewarded for "pooping in the pot" with some fruit snacks. He liked toys instead. Just little ones. And after we had gone through the little ones I had brought for him from Alaska, he found some in a bag in what used to be David's room but is now the crib room. I think they were left over stocking surprises? Anyway, he found them. And he decided what he wanted the next time he pooped... One toy per day, the fruit snacks the rest of the time.

Abby came up with her parents for an Orton family reunion. They were able to stay with us a couple of days. I was able to do our Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt and our Easter Egg hunt with Abby and Tyler. Abby is good at hunting. Tyler just had too much fun finding the confetti eggs and hitting them over his Mom's head! Besides, Grandma had lots more candy so you didn't need to waste time getting the eggs that had candy in them...One day Katie found him and Abby in the crib room opening cards (Old Maid, Crazy 8s, etc) and toys. They were so very quiet... and they were having so much fun!

As the Butlers had the crib room, David had his room, Kent and I shared our room, we put up a bed for the Ortons in the basement. Our basement is wonderfully cool in the summer. It was COLD for the Arizonians. Abby told me, "Grandmama, it's too cold down there!" After we left, the Ortons stayed in our room, and it was too hot up there...

We even made some zucchini relish with the zucchini Eliz brought from AZ. Lots of pints! Then Ortons left for Yellowstone.

4th of July: we went to the Preston cemetery, the farm (took pictures of granary, tore the ladders down as people were climbing up and tearing things apart, and walked the fence line, most of the fence is still in good repair that was done in previous two summers) and did fireworks. We started lighting off fireworks but then the candle lighter ran out of juice, the candles kept going out, too, and then we ran out of the matches from the kitchen and couldn't find anymore...until Brian found the 72 hour kit in the laundry room. There we found some waterproof matches and were glad we were prepared. The sparklers were still hard to light and we had to use the propane stove/grill.

Monday, after finishing up some work around the house, we packed, Elizabeth, Andrew and Abby arrived just in time for a Prime Rib dinner (prepared by Brian) from our portion of the cow, then Eliz and Andrew took us to the airport. We left ID with farmer's tans and lots of pictures-that are still in my camera...I'm wondering when I'll get the pictures downloaded to share.

A Mini-Reunion in June and July

2010-07-27T07:50:00.005-08:00

We made all our flights and got to San Diego without problems, other than our luggage was large and awkward...

Mother picked us up at the airport. We drove to her home, packed what we needed for AZ leaving the rest in her basement and then drove with Joanne Robertson to Maricopa, AZ where Elizabeth, Andrew and Abby live. Joanne met up with Tamara and stayed with her and Jack. Tamara was finishing up some of her classes for her degree. Tamara was driving with Joanne back to San Diego to be with Mike for Father's Day.

There were some miscommunication about who was actually staying with Andrew and Eliz , so Mother stayed there, sleeping with Abby in her room while Kent and I stayed at a hotel. AZ is HOT! Eliz and her family are used to the heat. Our Alaskan blood wasn't. We were glad we had our hotel room where we could crank the AC up way down low... Poor Elizabeth. The air conditioning was on so low in her house (74 degrees F) that she actually got cold and had goose bumps. 74 to Kent and I is HOT! 103 is unbearable. I don't know how they do it!

Daniel and his family were able to come Friday and stayed with Elizabeth while Katie and David flew in Friday noonish and stayed at our hotel. I didn't know if they would want to share rooms but we only had reserved two rooms. They decided they'd rather sleep in the same room (two beds) and have the AC turned down low, fan up high.

And I forgot about picking up David and KT up... Mother, Eliz, and I were shopping at Wal-Mart when we got the call...did you forget us? YES! We hurriedly paid for our things (Andrew's graduation cake, t-ball equipment (including a pink bat and ball for Abby and yellow balls and a black bat for the boys) and picked them up at the airport. They were hot and hungry. So on the way back to Eliz's home we stopped for In & Out burgers for them. There's a secret menu which KT and David were well versed in.

Then Andrew's family came and later we had a nice lunch and took pictures of Andrew in his robe. He left, we cleaned up and then all FOUR of my children attended Andrew's graduation! I am sorry that Tyler and Brian weren't able to come (they had already bought tickets for a visit to CO) but I never really thought all 4 were going to be there... So now, Andrew has his Bachelor's Degree! He and Elizabeth are glad!

We were able to get nails done, get some family pictures, play games, nap and eat. (See KT's blog for pictures.) The boys actually liked playing t-ball with the pink bat and ball...it was easier to see the ball and the bat was liked by all. It was fun to see Kent teach Kyle how to choke up on the bat. Kyle had seen enough baseball that he would swing at the ball and run the bases. Grandpa had thought they would just practice swinging at the ball. No, you got to run the bases Grandpa. Abby did surprisingly well at swinging the bat and hitting the ball. As she is two years younger than Kyle I thought it might be hard for her to "get it" but get it she did. She must have some of her Mom's athleticism. We know she didn't inherit her ball throwing ability from Grandma Smith...

Kyle is social, still loves being with Grandpa. He loved playing ball with Grandpa. Aaron is listening to people and beginning to interact with people. His eyes landed on Great-Grandma Cowles and stayed a few seconds while they flitted right past me. Understandable. It is easier to understand Abby when she is in front of you. Verbal language isn't one of her strengths yet but she definitely communicates, especially if it's pink. We heard lots of "Abby's" when she wanted something or was asking if it was hers. She was easy to entertain. I have a great picture of Mother playing dominoes with Abby. Mother lined them up and Abby pushed the first one over. They did it several times till I got the "perfect" picture (which is still in my camera) of some dominoes up and some falling over. Abby is a happy girl.

All three grandkids painted their hands and left a hand print on a board for Kent for Father's Day. Kent laughingly told me that the kids had gotten into some paint not knowing that it was done on purpose. He was surprised when he saw the grandkids' hand print board and realized the paint on the hands wasn't kids getting into mischief. (A space was left for Tyler's hand print and was completed in ID). The board hangs proudly over our fireplace mantle in Anchorage.

Then Katie left on Sunday. Mother, Kent and I left early, early on Monday when it was cool. It is nice weather in AZ ... at 4 in the morning... Safe journey home. Kyle, Aaron and Christina came up for lunch. Kyle stayed with us while Christina took Aaron home for his play therapy. Kyle enjoyed playing at the Mary Ann Park in Crest. He played some soccer and hide and seek with us (Grandpa mostly). We tried a dart game (ones that land in circles on the ground) but it didn't go over well. Then back to Grandma Cowles' home. Kyle picked a grapefruit that was so sweet, even I did not need sugar on it. A family dinner with Dan's family, Robertsons and Eileen later to celebrate Kent's and my birthday. WONDERFUL Chocolate and peanut butter cakes!

Then after packing, having lunch with Mother, Daniel and his family at the Spaghetti Factory, Mother took us to the airport to go to SLC. I wonder when we'll have another reunion again.

June and the death of a friend, Dorinda Van der Martin

2010-07-27T07:07:00.011-08:00

As I read and enjoyed Katie's new posts and then turned to Elizabeth's only to discover nothing new yet...I realized nothing new from me either... I will split posts up since I know David doesn't like long posts.

June was busy. I spent too many hours getting ready to leave my work in good order before going on our trip to San Diego, Phoenix, and ID. I got everything done but I worked pretty late Wednesday evening (7:00isn) when Kent and I had decided to leave work around 2:00ish. So yes, that was an additional 5 hours... But the t's were crossed and all i's were dotted... Kent picked me up, upset with me.

One of our friends, Dorinda Van der Martin, (actually my only one in Anchorage) had a brain aneurysm on Monday evening. We heard about it on Tuesday. Kent took some flowers to the hospital on Wednesday but she was in ICU and he could not leave her flowers. We thought she was still alive and so might make it... We took the flowers to Wes so he could take them to Dorinda later as we were flying out that night. Her family was there, including her sister from southern China (Shekou?) and her parents, along with Missy (going to BYU-ID) and Nathan and his family (live in our ward). We were told Dorinda was brain dead and tests were being done for organ transplant compatibility before the lifelines were turned off. We were heartbroken--for Wes and their family as well as for us.

A friend we had gone camping with, shopping with, laughed, eaten and played games with (just the Saturday evening before), and was several years younger than us, had died. It has left us with a hole in our hearts.

This is a picture of Wes, Dorinda and Missy on our trip to Valdez last September. We stopped and hiked to one of the glaciers. It was a little more strenuous hike than I thought it would be but we were all glad that we did it. You could hear rocks dropping and rolling down while you were in the space created between the glacier and the earth. Dorinda wanted to get the picture over with quickly! She was afraid something was going to cave-in on her. The glacier is blue but the wind picks up the dirt so it is "dirty" unless you wipe the dirt off.

Well, it was hard for Kent to stay mad at me. At least I was alive. I hurried, packed and cleaned house. And yes, I was ready to go to the airport on time and we made the plane. Although we were looking forward to seeing our family, we were sorry to leave our friend behind, not being there to support Wes and Missy or be at the funeral. I wonder how long Kent will be grateful that I'm still alive and not get so upset with me when I'm late picking him up, or buy something he thinks is useless.

May is Almost Gone

2010-05-28T07:59:00.002-08:00

It is surprising how fast the months go by! I am trying to write a new post once a month being as not much really changes so there really isn't much new to write.

Kent and I finished up the fly fishing seminars. I actually learned how to cast! One class was a casting clinic with experienced people helping the newbies. One mentor got me started in the right direction of stopping between the back and forth motion (this allows the tip with the leader to gain speed) while keeping my wrist straight, elbow close to the body and the arm raised. Another mentor got me so that my fly will land where I want it to...and I did it! YES!!! Kent had other mentors helping him also. It was a great opportunity.

Before we went to the casting clinic, we practiced in the "overflow" water/pond by the church parking lot. One man stopped to see if someone had stocked the pond. No. It has no in or out for keeping the water fresh so it wouldn't be good for fish. It is great for frogs however...

Other news is that Kent has been called to be the ward clerk. This means he will be released from Sunday School, which means they are also releasing me. I was enjoying the class and am sorry they are releasing me just because Kent will no longer be teaching it. I'm not sure why they didn't think I could do it on my own... But I will be moving to Primary soon...and I do enjoy Primary.

We are looking forward to going to San Diego to visit my Mom, Daniel, Christina, Kyle and Aaron and then going to Andrew's graduation with them! Hopefully KT and David will also be able to come and we can get everyone together!!! It's quite an achievement in my book for Andrew to graduate with all the time he has spent in the Army, getting married and supporting a family while in school. I am impressed!

After Phoenix and San Diego, it's off to Idaho to see how the basement has turned out. While Kent and I were in Costco the other day (yes, we finally broke down and got a membership) we saw a great tool chest/work table. I think it would be a great counter with drawers in the basement kitchenette. I really think someone like KT or Eliz could make it work and look fantastic. I'm thinking like put red appliances on top... Kent could see it but...we're in Alaska, the house is in Idaho...

Well, other than the above, it's still work, work, work. I'm ready to go to the Idaho home to live and work on retaining walls, and make my home MY home. I'm left wondering when retirement will actually arrive...

April Sunshine

2010-04-27T15:05:00.003-08:00

The run-off hasn't been too bad this year. The snow has been able to melt between snow showers this month. I can finally see leaf buds on the trees. Spring is coming to Alaska!

Our kitchen window looks out on our back yard, which isn't fenced so you can see a grove of trees behind our house. I've always wanted to look up from washing the dishes to see a moose. Well, I got my wish! A big old cow was out grazing on the trees. I love to see the moose! Another time we watched a moose in our back go through a neighbors fence gate to wander in their yard then turn around and go out. I would have thought that gates were new to them but no...you go in and go out through them. Fortunately the gate was open...

Work is going. It is busy. I have over 90 people that I watch over. Lots of visits, lots and lots of paperwork! Next week I get to go to Missoula to do some cross-training...be a liason between MT and AK. Kent gets the car for the week and gets to teach Sunday School all by himself! Isn't he blessed? He is a good teacher. And I. I get to sleep at a hotel with a TV by my bed (so I can go to sleep with the TV on...), eat out at restaurants, see another part of the world and maybe get a manicure and visit a fly fishing shop...

Kent and I went to the Great Outdoors Sportsman show. I was coughing away and Kent was getting over pneumonia. It was a nice time. We got a 8 wt fishing rod and reel which will go well with Kent's 5 wt rod and reel. We enjoyed seeing all that AK has to offer and put in our names in all the drawings for free stuff. Obviously we didn't win anything because no one has called...

Then the next Friday was the Fly Fishers Club auction. We found some nice flies to buy and "won" at some things with a silent auction. BUT the regular auction was something to behold. Now I know prices are higher here in Alaska but...the opening bids were out of our price range! How do people do it?

Then the past two Monday evenings we've been learning more about fly fishing. The Fly Fishers Club holds a seminar each spring. The first Monday was an introduction about the basic gear for fly fishing and learning some of the knots. Last Monday we watched people tie flies. I was glad Kent and I had attended a fly tying class last February because I understood the hows and whys things were done. Next Monday is the monthly meeting so the next seminar will be the 10th of May where we will learn where to fish with a casting clinic on 17 May. Good way to spend FHE, eh?

The sun is rising earlier each morning and setting later and later. Abby would love it here. The sun is up almost all the time now... The weather is warming. It's in the 40's and maybe today will even be in the 50's with the nighttime temperature above freezing! My tomato and green pepper seedlings are up and growing. I've got to get the other seeds planted before too long as we have a short growing season here. I'm wearing my sandals once again. Sometimes I've gotten snowed on too...but spring is here!

So I'm off to wander for a bit before returning to this land of the last frontier.

March Madness

2010-03-05T07:54:00.002-09:00

I really have nothing new to say. We work, we work, and sometimes we play...

But here are some funny things that have happened at the office.

On Monday, it had snowed, I had blown snow off the driveway and then gone in to shower and dress for work. After brushing my hair and not liking the result, I set it with hot curlers...not once but twice. My hair was not cooperating. Finally, I gave up because I needed to get to work. I thought, my hair will be "fashionably wild" today. I hair sprayed it and left. The weather was still snowy, the wind blowy, and my hair suffered. Even though I have a mirror in my office, I do not look into it often. Around 4:00 one of my ladies that comes in to turn in her timesheet came by. She is a wonderful Alaskan Native, always positive, always has a twinkle in her eye, always gives me compliments. Today? This is what I got: "What happened to your hair?" After explaining that it was a bad hair day, she looked at the clock and said, "Well, it's almost time for you to quit. You can go back to your office and hide." That was just too good to not share with the temp front desk admin assistant, who then beat me to the Program Manager's office to share the story...

At our office, we are looking for a new front desk admin assistant. One interviewee had a great title at a previous job: Director of First Impressions. Another interviewee, after being asked why she would possibly be absent and how often she had missed work from her previous job said she hadn't missed a day of work...then did add that she had taken the day off when her Mom had died (2 years previously). Admittedly I didn't think through the next comment as I said, "Well, you can't use that excuse again now..." (In my defense, we've had some pretty flimsy excuses for not coming to work and that is where my mindset was.) We have had many, many applicants. It is heart wrenching to look at the resumes and see over-qualified people just wanting a job and willing to do whatever it takes to pay the bills. However, we have the opportunity of picking and choosing who will be the best person for the job, and unfortunately, over-qualified people will want to move on.

Our ID home driveway is still tough to get up or down in the snow. We have had it reworked but it hasn't helped. The guy hired to plow the driveway hasn't been as reliable as needed. David has been stuck sometimes at the top and other times hasn't been able to get to the house. With our 4-wheel drive Explorer in AK, we have also have a problem needing a 4-wheel drive vehicle to use for the farm. Last year Brian let us use his 4 Runner for hauling the trailer full of fencing material to the farm. This year? We needed a truck...for the farm, for David getting up and down from the house. Kent was able to go last Thursday morning to SLC via Phoenix. Elizabeth and Abby were able to greet Grandpa during his layover while Katie was able to finish up with her job and meet him at the SLC airport and drive him up to ID. And then the hunt was on. Do we get a "better" used truck so that we have it when we retire or do we get one that will do the job until we retire and then take our time to find the "perfect" one? Kent and Katie looked high and low and found a cherry of a truck...a 1997, F-250, 4x4, cherry red truck with 114,000 miles. It even has a bed liner and sideboards... But it is red...and old... David was hoping for a reprieve from red cars and something "newer" but I think it's a good looking truck. Course, I haven't seen it up close and personal yet, just the pictures from the dealer's online site. But now we have a truck.

I came home from work during the day last week and found a cow moose in our front yard chewing on the prickly tree we don't like. Go moose! She even stayed long enough for me to get some pictures, then eyed me, turned her back to me, sprayed her territory and walked across the street. I love Alaska!

We've had some days in the mid-30's for the snow to slush and melt a bit. Then it snows again and ices everything up. Thank goodness St. Patrick's Day is coming for a bit of a "fun" break. We're talking of having a St. Paddy's day potluck at work. I've got Andes mints and Hershey's mint M&Ms (green of course) in my office along with lots of greens and clover decorations to break-up the dreariness of dark days. The days are getting longer though, 5 min a day right now. And we are still living in winter wonderland, only wondering when the spring thaw (break-up) is really going to happen.

Bagheera

2009-12-20T04:35:00.029-09:00

My cat is wonderful!

I have missed not having one around to greet me when I come home, to purr and sit on my lap, to sleep with me. And this one does. Thank you Elizabeth, Andrew and Abby for giving me one of your favorite kittens! (And having him neutered plus sending him up to us!!)

And a big thanks to David for bring him to Alaska. And to Tawni who had to endure having a back pack that the cat sprayed before leaving SLC... They both seem to like MY cat...Sorry David.

He's a playful teenage kitten.

He likes the automatic kitty litter we have. He likes to sit back and watch the rake do its job. He likes to play in the litter crystals too...

He decided that he liked playing with the ribbon around one of Kent's packages. He actually bit the ribbon and tried carrying it away to play with.

It's nice.

I like this cat the way he is.

Fortunately I was able to sidetrack him with good old yarn!

It's nice to have a cat again. I'm hoping he doesn't wander off. I do wonder how he will be after he gets over his "teen years" and becomes an adult cat.

My cats always seem to have a personality shift then. I wonder why?

They Caammmme!

2009-12-20T02:38:00.009-09:00

Tawni Chambers and David arrived safely on Tuesday, 15 December 2009. It was a crisp day. The fog was finally lifting and you could see the beautiful frost laden trees. However wonderful it was to see David and meet Tawni, (who is quite impressively beautiful, and how did David ever luck out meeting her?) I must confess I was more interested in what they brought me...my Christmas present from Elizabeth! Bagheera , the name of the panther from Jungle Book, is now MY cat. Both actually look a lot alike. I like the name but cannot pronounce it correctly as everyone that I tell about my cat corrects my pronunciation. I feel like I'm back in Norway...

Wonder why?

This cat's fur is more like velvet rather than soft cotton ball's like Scratch. He's also shorter hair which will be nice.

We did like Scratch. And we miss him.

Bet you don't wonder about that!

It's Never the Same, OH, but it IS!

2009-12-19T23:01:00.023-09:00

I was starting to write this nice blog about David, Tawni and MY cat. Nothing big, life is great, love Tawni, love MY cat (even if I can't say his name correctly), it's cold here, excited for Christmas, etc., etc. When what to my troubling eyes did appear...my printer is no longer reading my SD memory card to download pictures. Why? David is here...

David has figured out why I couldn't download my pictures onto a digital frame. (I had plugged the memory reader into an USB extension rather than the computer...so it didn't have enough juice to receive and download pictures.) But with the good comes the urghhhhs! I tried to download pictures of the kids at Beluga Point and at James Cook's monument but... I usually do it on the printer's card reader but it says it's not connected to the computer... Where is the cord? Why is it NOT connected anymore? David, what did you do? And of course, David is asleep... Wait a minute, he just woke up but he is too tired.Can it wait until morning? Of course it can. Minutes later he is up. Tawni is still awake. He comes down. He finds the cord and makes sure I can download now. Somethings are figured out while other things that were working no longer are, WAIT they are again! YEAH!!!

David, also wanting to receive wireless connections has configured the router into our server. If you only have one computer and it's a desktop, you need to stay in one place and so it doesn't matter that the router is not in use. Now it IS nice that if we ever get a netbook or a lap top we can use it wherever we want to in the house. BUT the computer is not the same. The yahoo site looks different, it's acting slower, pictures are not coming up with the post...

Today is Saturday. Yesterday Tawni and Kent put up the tree. (Did David help? He usually refuses to help put the lights on the tree and decorate it but Tawnie is here and he needs to impress her?) Early this morning I went through several containers of Christmas decorations and put them out while everyone else was asleep.

These long nights are confusing their sleeping clocks. It stays dark until at least 10:00 and then the sun sets around 3:30 so if you're sleeping when the sun is down, you're getting lots of sleep... You think it's 7:00 because of the light only to find out it's 11:00.

Today they finally got going around 1:00 and we went to Beluga Point south of Anchorage after finding an open Wells Fargo and the Post Office. The tide was out and you could see the chunks of ice sitting on the shoreline.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!

And baby was it EVER cold today! David and Tawnie have discovered the windchill factor in Alaska means that what is cold (10 degrees F) is REALLY cold and that's at 3:30 p.m. The wind is blowing and it is freezing!

Kent and I look a little more acclimated to the weather, don't we? There's a reason we store fat in the winter... I only wish it came off in the spring!

Getting back into the warm car, we went north to downtown Anchorage to see James Cook's monument.

It might have been an impressive sight if it were lighter and you could see further than two feet from your nose...

David IS a good cook. We have been sharing cooking responsibilities: David and Tawni one day, Kent and I the next. So far David's made curried beef, Kent has done a roast. Yesterday was leftovers from a PCA (Personal Care Attendant) Open House appreciation day my company held which included shrimp, tortilla/turkey/Swiss cheese wraps, ham croissant sandwiches, chips, cookies, cupcakes and drinks. It all tasted really good! I was able to bring some of the leftover wraps and shrimp home so David and Tawni were relieved of cooking duties yesterday. They were all relieved as the went to the Anchorage Museum all afternoon and were hungry when they came to pick me up at 5:30. Today was my turn and we went to the best Mexican restaurant that we can find in Anchorage-Pancho Villa's. Good food at reasonable prices (for Anchorage!). Don't I have this cooking routine figured out?

You know, I really love my job BUT it is tough working when you'd rather be home visiting, playing games, decorating, sightseeing, and so forth. Problems at work always pop up and need to be resolved. New plans come in and need to be presented to clients. I think I'll have the afternoon off only to have a busier day than usual...

So at the close of this post, the wondering thought is how to balance the now with not being home like I used to be. It would be nice to be home to play but... it is nice to have a job too. In this day and age where so many need jobs. I'm so thankful I don't have to wander far from home.

Valdez

2009-09-08T07:04:00.004-08:00

One of the things I wanted to do in Alaska was catch a salmon. We were lucky enough to have some friends, Wes and Dorinda Van der Martin [if it's not Dutch, it's not much] that own a Chalet motor home and together we went to Valdez to do some fishing.

We wandered all over East/Central Alaska going from Anchorage to Valdez, a 6+ hour drive. We had gorgeous, sunny, autumn weather. The trees were beginning to change colors-mostly yellows but a few reds. We hiked up to the Worthington Glacier, touched the glacier, got our picture taken under a cave built between the rock and the glacier (an "n-flow"?). You could hear rocks falling, water dripping and never knew if it was going to collapse on you. The path to the cave was definitely not a groomed National Forest path...as there was none.

We saw Bald Eagles, bear cubs, Dall sheep, spawning salmon, jumping salmon, sea lions, and did you catch bear cubs [as in plural]? Valdez has a fenced, viewing area where the salmon spawn and in the evening we saw one cub on Saturday and TWO cubs on Sunday evening. I got pictures but haven't downloaded them yet. They are bigger than dots but...not too clear as I'm not patient when taking night pictures. But, Mother, you can tell they are bears!

As to the fishing... I'm left wondering why the people on our left caught some, the people on our right caught some. We were using the same type of lures. We got a couple of look, see, bites but we didn't catch any. Wes caught two nice sized silvers (which he gave us, aren't we lucky?)and a few carcasses (lots of dead salmon in the water) and even a small halibut that looked like it was too sad to eat and was thrown back in to the water. But nothing for Kent and I (nor Dorinda or Missy their BYU-ID daughter). But the sun was on our back, the high tide took the dead fish smell away and we were in a little bit of heaven. The Van der Martins stayed at a campsite and we had wonderful campfires and food. Kent and I stayed at L & L Bed and Breakfast. The Van der Martins took us back and forth.

Great weekend even if we didn't catch any fish! I'm left wondering if life could get better?

Happiness is Catching a Fish

2009-08-07T07:34:00.004-08:00

Kent and some of his office went fishing out of Seward for a team building trip. Doesn't he look happy! He caught a couple of halibuts, some silvers and some sea bass. It's a good thing we got us a used freezer to be able to keep and store his catch. Guess who's having salmon for dinner tonight?

You know, it's very expensive fish by the time you calculate the boat (charter) fare, the processing fee, the non-resident fishing license (you have to live here for a year before being considered a resident), the drive down amd so forth but isn't it worth it?

Just wondering...

Grateful

2009-07-05T00:43:00.004-08:00

It is 12:45 am, I am awake and I am hot. So I'm talking hot for Anchorage hot. It's actually about 50 degrees F outside. But it's 74 degrees F in the house. I finally found a window that has a screen on it that I could open up and get some cool, fresh air in the house. I know, in another few minutes the hot flash will have dissipated and I will be chilly. But we did have sunshine this weekend. And for us, it was hot.

I hear pops outside. They must be fireworks but we're not supposed to have any within the municipality. I was hoping I would be able to see them from the downtown site. But no. And that's actually alright. I remember the fireworks we had in Beijing. What joy and fun! The scars, the thrills, the burns, the deaf ears,the sulfur smell, the earth trembling and shaking underfoot, errant fireworks that skidded this way and that, under buses, under cars, under foot, in the grass that accidentally caught on fire, the guards that would come out with their fire extinguishers. It was great. It is not the same here. But I am so grateful to be here.

I am grateful to be back in the States. I am grateful to be a citizen of this great nation. I recognize that we have faults but I want to recognize so much that is right. I am proud to be an American. I appreciate the many rights such citizenship offers me. I see the flag blowing in the breeze and am filled with joy as my eyes still tear up. To be able to see MY flag flying in the breeze fills my heart. I remember all the drills and practices we did in Girl Scouts on flag ceremonies, raising, lowering and folding the flag. I remember stopping on the BYU campus when the flag was raised in the morning and the national anthem played, hand over heart. I remember watching the flag be raised and lowered while on military bases when I was in uniform, hand raised in a salute. I remember training my cub scout dens to appreciate the flag, how to fold it, raise it and lower it properly. This wasn't easy because we had to do it inside the school classroom as we lived in China. One of us would act as a flag pole while standing on a table or chair... I remember going with the Fryers to the US Consulate in Vietnam to have their Webelos raise and lower the American flag in "American territory".

How much we take it for granted here. It is our country, our way of life. We do not always appreciate all the lives that have been lost and sacrificed so that we could enjoy this way of life. In Beijing, people did not respect flags, their country's flag or any country's flag. To them it was just a piece of material. They would put them on the ground and raise them, lower them to the ground and leave them on the dirt as they went to another flag and then gather them into a jumbled mass to fold later. There was no respect, no ceremony for the symbol of their country. We must have respect for ourselves, for our symbols of who we are, of those who gave their lives for us, those who are giving of themselves for our ideals and opportunities. This is a blessed land, a blessed country.

I don't think we realize how rich we really are in this great country. Rich in traditions, land, opportunities, abilities to have and raise families, rich in medical milestones and miracles, rich in good food and religious beliefs. So many of us have more than one car, more than one dish, more than one dress, more than one pair of jeans. We have milk and fruit in our refrigerators and probably some ice cream in the freezer. And Tums, Maalox or Pepto Bismo nearby. We have our own beds, our own tv, and blankets. We have shoes and pets, lawn mowers and weed trimmers, gardens and water we can drink from the faucet. Running water and toilets. Hot showers and water heaters. Temples. Church buildings. Books and libraries. Safety.

We are a richly blessed country and I am thankful to be a citizen of it. These are my wandering thoughts. I'll bet you've been wondering about many of the same things today as we enjoyed having a day off of work, to barbecue, play games, relax and read books, watch movies and enjoy being friends and family. I love you.

She came back

2009-06-27T10:48:00.003-08:00

I believe the moose came back yesterday while we were at work. How do I know? No, there were no moose hoof prints or scat around BUT my kohlrabi leaves have been eaten. They look like they were munched on by something BIG and I haven't seen a horse or a cow around. Luckily for us, the kohlrabi is a root vegetable so if she's going to eat something from our garden, it's the thing to eat. Plus, I thought I was buying broccoli not kohlrabi...as they have the same looking leaves. If you are wondering about kohlrabi, look it up. It's the sputnik-look vegetable. As long as she leaves the tomatoes and herbs alone I'm okay with "feeding her." She did leave our lettuce and flowers alone. BUT I really would prefer for her to eat while I'm at the house with my camera pointed at her. You gotta love Alaska! So if you're wandering our way, come on by.

There's a MOOSE in my Backyard

2009-06-20T06:26:00.007-08:00

We were talking with Elizabeth and Abby last Sunday evening on Skype when all of a sudden Kent cries out there's a Moose in our backyard. The grasses are about 5 feet tall so you can see how large it really is. I think it's a cow because no antlers... and nothing else "abounds". Look at that hump! It almost looks like a camel. No, it doesn't but did you know moose had such big humps? And yes, those grasses and trees haven't been mowed down yet for a subdivision that is supposed to go up behind our house so we still have a view of the great outdoors. We turned the Skype camera around so Elizabeth and Abby could see. Elizabeth said, "Wow! It looks like Alaska. You really do live in Alaska." You think? Abby saw the moose also but it wasn't so thrilling for her. When you are two, everything is new...

So I'm wondering, where did you think I really lived? And how did the moose get so many scars? Just wondering...

Cakes

2009-06-13T03:59:00.018-08:00

I have been decorating cakes since high school? I decorated the kids' birthday cakes for years. When we moved to Beijing there weren't so many decorated cakes, American style (sweet) so I started making and decorating more. In Norway I made decorated cakes for my Young Women's birthdays. This is a bridal shower cake I made in Norway for one of my Visiting Teaching sisters.

I wanted to learn how to work with fondant but to take THAT course you have to start with Course I. So I did. I had free time after we first moved to Alaska and decided to do something worthwhile and perhaps meet new people. I did meet people but most were taking classes with friends. I still learned something from each class. And how to make so many flowers!

These are from my Wilton Course classes. I took them at Michaels' Crafts Store in Anchorage.

Course I, lesson 1 was teaching us how tos: how to bake a cake (using Wilton even strips...that really do help to keep the cake baking more level, rather than have a bump in the center), how to level a cake, how to frost and stack it, how to make "Wilton Buttercream frosting". Lots of how tos.

Then in lesson 2 we worked on using decorator bags and various tips, how to transfer patterns to a cake and doing the drop star filling-in techniques. Obviously I had done that before and wasn't interested in rainbows or filling a cake with lots of stars...

In Course I, lesson 3 we learned the first steps to making the "Wilton Rose" and clowns. I already knew how to make roses. I thought the cakes were just to practice on, not to decorate as "masterpieces" so I just put things on my cake, practicing... Didn't know there would be pictures and I should have balanced and positioned my clowns and rose better...

I missed Course I, lesson 4 with my original class due to going to AZ and ID to receive our Norsk shipment. I took lesson 4 when I got back to Alaska and joined another class. This class was on decorating a cake using roses.

In Course II we learned how to use Color flow Icing, Royal Icing and make various flowers. We also learned how to do other borders and basket weaving. I just didn't like the birds so I didn't put my Red Cardinals on my cake...plus the red would have clashed. You can see that I like more muted colors than the rest of the class. I really did enjoy learning how to make so many different flowers. I also appreciated even more all the Royal Icing daisies my sister Eileen made for my wedding cake all those years ago! Oh how her back must have ached! Thank you Eileen.

The Fondant and Gum Paste Course actually comes in between Course II and Course III. This was the class I originally wanted to take. I enjoyed stepping out of the box and doing something completely different and yet used all the skills we learned in the class. It was fun. I did learn that it is better to use Royal Icing when writing/decorating on fondant. Buttercream just falls off. It lasted on the eggs just long enough for pictures.

I also learned that homemade marshmallow fondant is cheaper to make (although it is hard on your mixer) and tastes tons better than ready prepared fondant. Because you can heat it up in the microwave for a very short time, it becomes softer and more pliable to use. I found that it needed to be rolled out on cornstarch whereas the Wilton fondant does well on a greased rolling sheet. And you must use enough cornstarch or shortening so that it doesn't stick to the rolling sheet because that will really make a wreck of your frosting job!!! (Yes, I do have experience in this...)

I started taking my own pictures of my cakes. You can see where some of the buttercream frosting decorating the eggs has fallen off. Yes, those are individually crafted fondant leaves, daisies and eggs. (Fondant daisies aren't easier than Royal Icing daisies but do go a bit faster.)

Even with all the fancy cake learning, I still had to do the traditional Easter bunny cake for Easter dinner.

After the Fondant and Gum Paste class comes Course III where we learn how to use fondant... again. But it really was better to have the introduction to it before because in this course you're expected to know how to work with it already. Here we learned how to top a square/rectangle cake with fondant. It is NOT as easy as the instructor made it look. We all had wrinkles. We also learned how to ripple the fondant bows for a more realistic look. I had figured out the curly ribbons for my Easter Egg cake and did not like them on this cake.

Grand Finale Cake

The last cake you make is a wedding cake. It can be stacked or pillared. This is mine. Each of those flowers are hand done (by ME) fondant/gum paste roses and leaves. They are completely edible other than the fact that they are held together and arranged with wires... I was going to do a different border instead of the green ribbon but ran out of time and found the ribbon while looking for floral tape. The color matched and helped to hide the fondant wrinkles in the top layer (don't roll the fondant so thinly, but then I was using up all the white that I had made and had to make sure it would go around... Learn as you go.) I must say I am proud of how it turns out when I don't think of me as having a real artistic touch arranging flowers. It was a sad day when I dumped all those flowers in the trash. All that work and out it goes... We ate the bottom layer at work. The middle and top are in our freezer.

I was hired to replace a lady who went on maternity leave. Angela became a friend and I wish she were still at work. She was very kind. We had an office shower for her and I made the cake. It looked good but...
*the blue didn't turn into baby blue like I wanted it too
*the frosting that I used under the fondant (yes you still have to frost the cake with frosting and then you put the fondant over it) never hardened up and the fondant sagged.
*The blocks are not heavy and are not what makes cake look like it's sagging from their weight...
But Angela was pleased. And that is what matters. You get what you pay for...

And after this cake, the fondant is gone and I am done... It takes a lot of hours to make fondant decorations: blocks, flowers, buttons, etc. and then put the cakes together. It is fun. It does stretch my artistic abilities. And now my girls are married and don't need me to make them a cake...and all the kids are grown up and I'm not around them to make them or the grandkids birthday cakes...and I finally have the skills!

So, I'm wondering, why did I take the classes?

It's already JUNE

2009-06-06T05:48:00.010-08:00

You know, I've worked for 6 weeks now and I'm still loving it. I like the computer work, the meeting the people work, the challenges and laughs. We have a fun-loving office. I have a back office that is usually a quieter area and people forget I'm there until I surface for a break.

Our ward started dinner groups this spring. It was our turn to host it. The menu consisted of Herbed Chicken Francois, Oat bran rolls, brown rice (that I put in 3x the right amount of salt, so rinsed it off, put it back in the pan and it was okay), green salad w/ mandarin oranges, corn, broccoli and peas w/ carrots. Dessert was a yummy éclair style cake with chocolate curls on top. Everything went together well. The salad was just perfect with the chicken.

Kent had the day off and it was fun having him drop ME off to work and leave him a Honey-Do list. Which he DID NOT do but DID clean the house which was even better! The Honey-Do list can wait another week as it's waited for 6 months already... One of the best surprises was a vase full of flowers on the dining room table when I got home. He picked me up from work and on the way to the grocery store we stopped at a roadside van for some fresh frozen (caught 3 days ago, frozen, bagged and sealed on the boat--how do they do all that and catch their catch???) Since the shrimp and scallops were frozen and needed to go into the freezer, Dad dropped me off at home and then went on to the grocery store. I suggested it would be nice to get some cheap flowers if he saw some. With a sheepish grin he replied that he already had gotten some while at Wal-mart and they were on the table...but they needed some help. What a wonderful surprise! (And all the help they needed was just to be cut down as they were to tall for dining and then they filled in the vase nicely.)

My "garden" is doing nicely. The pots are high enough off the ground (on a porch deck) that the rabbit is leaving them alone. You see, I've got lettuce so I know he'd find it if it were on his level. The only plant that seems to be eaten is the catnip... And Scratch isn't acting mellow so I'm not sure who (or what) is stealing my catnip. But some animal is getting mellow.

Kent went to Idaho a couple of weeks back to work on the farm's fence with Vern, Brian and David. He came back tired out and leaving a list of things that needed to be done around the house.
Katie and Brian went to work and man did they work! They sanded and sealed the trailer, scraped pillars, cleaned and cleaned, weeded, mowed, trimmed, weed wacked, sorted storage and Noway boxes, found the trampoline and set it up (and it seems to be in good working, usable shape, YES!), and cleaned the garage. I think Dan helped with the garage cleaning too as he's in the picture. (He just missed getting to Idaho in time to work on the fences...)

Brian built some wonderful shelves in the garage and stocked them with all our "stuff". Most of the 'free' wall space now has built in shelving. He
sent some pictures and it looks great! (I thought I figured out how to do it... but do you see them? Okay, found them and cut and pasted them about where I wanted them but how do I get them to line up in a row? Hey, somehow they just did...)

There are a couple of more corners that he could still put some shelves up on but he "didn't want to encourage me to save more" what was the word he used? Knickknacks? Memories?
Keepsakes? Antiques? Stuff? Junk? (Getting closer to the word...) Garbage... Garbage? Yah, I think garbage might have been the word he used... Does this look like garbage to you?

Remember in The Field of Dreams "if you build it, they will come" line? Well, the corollary for me and Brian is "If I build more shelves for Mom, she will fill them...and then I will have to move them umpteen times just to have to sort through the garbage and take to the dump...so let's not build them and say we did!" Someday, someone will appreciate my "garbage". At least one or two or my grandkids are enjoying a few of my books... And one day you guys will enjoy some of my other 'good' stuff (furniture, jewelery, china, silver)...when I'm dead!

On the drama side of life this week:

the basement window was not put in properly and the rains came...and the library room flooded... And Brian and Katie (and David and Tyler???) had to move boxes again, dry things out, and mop up water.
David has a cyst that needs to be checked out. He had an ultrasound done but no word yet on whether it is something to really worry about. (It is fine.)
And our Aaron (Dan and Christina's 2 year old son) was diagnosed as autistic. It wasn't a surprise but is still overwhelming. He did seem to be in his own little world but is pleasant and seems happy. I worry about the detour in life this is going to give his family.

It seems that 'bad' things usually come in THREES so hopefully these three will be it for the rest of the year!

Well, enough for this month of wandering thoughts. Love you guys!
Mom

We are the Smiths

2009-05-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

We are the Smiths. Kent and Beverly. We are now living in Anchorage, AK, have four children, four grandchildren and lots of extended family. What else would you expect from someone with the last name of Smith? I am new to this, obviously, so bear with me as I try to unravel this brave new world of computer literacy...