I hate to leave my garden in June...

I would love to see Paris in April and I will travel with you to London in July. I will visit Zions National Park in February... but in June I must be home... because there is no Grand Canyon, no Tokyo, no ocean that bests (to me) the majesty of my own June Roses in my own little garden patch...

The Peace Rose, The Chicago Peace Rose, The Abraham Lincoln Rose

Anatomy of a Murder...

Edgy and interesting. Great script and acting. Just when you long for a simpler time, think again as you watch how the issue of rape is treated by society in this film. The film makes some interesting statements while not completely siding with the victim. Who's truly guilty and of what?? A very interesting look at 1950.. this is NOT a Doris Day film and is still current in that it makes you think. The cinematography and art direction are quite amazing... watch carefully the opening scene as the lights come on room by room in black and white.. amazing.
6yx47rt2hj

Baby l's party decorations...

The party turned out pretty well considering the dark and ominous rain clouds that blew in about an hour before the party was to begin. I was praying hard that just the wind would leave. When it did, there were beautiful sun showers and I was there just by myself setting up.. the park was so beautiful. It was fun to begin the party with just the little birds, the beautiful sun showers and myself. Thanks to my dear mother and sisters for tons of help and to my good friends (since I was 5) Circe and Michelle for their help and just for being generally wonderful. Love you guys.

Crazy Week...

Right in the middle of remodeling little c's room.. we dropped our paint brushes and decided to take a quick and unexpected trip to see THE mouse. When we returned we blessed (LDS vernacular) / Christened (most other vernacular) baby l.

The room has no more wall paper and is "nuclear reactor pink" excuse me Spring Azalea :) and can be seen from all of the lower 48 states... Little c chose the color and did a great job. It is lovely, but it does cause a hot pink glow in the hallways in the afternoon.

We had a marvelous trip. Thank you Bishop G. for letting us use your beautiful place! We had a marvelous time! The shine is off the mouse in my opinion, but the ocean and some of the other places we went to visit were gleaming.. Southern California is lovely! I love the sound of the ocean so much that I hated to come home, but then as we deplaned in SLC, it had been raining and the sweet smell of pine mountain air reminded me that it's good to go, and wonderful to return home.

We came home and had to hit the ground running because baby l was scheduled to be blessed and if we hadn't blessed her this exact day.. she would have been too big for her little dress.. we kind of had to shove her in as it was.. which she didn't appreciate.

I have more photos later for anyone who is interested.

Baby Banana Brush...

Loves the amazing things they have for babies these days. My sister-in-law recommended this and baby l loves it. It was designed by a very smart dental hygienist. It would make a great baby gift I think.

Hearty helping of collage...

... a failed dieters attempt to hide the brownies? Maybe. Meet our fridge. A long time ago, little c and I saw a craft segment on an episode of Martha Stewart where she hot glued magnets to large buttons and we went a little nuts with it.

Here is my grandpa in his Merchant Marine uniform, my grandparents on the day they got engaged, photographs of our sweet girls, some cousins, our beautiful niece on her wedding day, postcards from our favorite destinations, ticket stubs, quotes we love, friends, copies of the first portraits little c made of us (we look like Mr. & Mrs. Potato head), some "I love you" notes, pictures of some favorite flowers, the latest in little c art creations, the magnet phone numbers for the dentist and the auto body repair man (just in case)... My mini gallery of Raoul Dufy, a favorite artist.. an invitation to an unforgettable event... an American Flag.. some of the things we love.

It's a crazy mess and yet it so much resembles our life, the happy part, the part where we get to celebrate together...

You won't find our fridge in a remodeled kitchen in Architectural Digest, but we like it.

Family Skunk Work...

C coined the phrase "skunk work". It is the brainless type of work that must be done. There is no way around it.. there is only through it head down .. one. step. at. a. time. until. it's. finished. It's called skunk work because skunk work stinks.. or so they say.

Our stinky project was removing the wall paper from little c's little girl bedroom so we can turn it into a tween heaven. Everyone has their own system for removing paper I found. We tried several of them. None of those systems take large swaths of paper off in one swoop.. all systems remove paper one small piece at a time. So, after 12 hours effort, we were three quarters finished.

My sister and my niece came over to help and we sat covered in old wall paper glue and wet paper gunk and swapped stories and laughed most of a blue skied Saturday. C thought we were overly silly. Brain dead work can do that to you.

Finally after a few hours we got to laughing about our chore, little c said, this isn't wall paper removal.. this is "lame loser work" (my apologies to all professionals.. we do not really think this.. mostly). "This" My sister Christine laughed and said, "This is what I'm doing with my illustrious university education.. 'lame loser work' AND answering the phone for my son's ring-a-ding friends!" That's not really true, but we had a great laugh.

But, you know after all the wall paper was removed, (not that I wish it back on the wall), I have to say that what we were really doing did not stink like a skunk nor was it 'lame loser work,' but instead we were doing something simple together. It was a day of joy. Really.

Skunk work can mean different things to different people. If it's really that bad, I say don't do it. I love to iron, some people hate it. I hate cleaning bathrooms.. I take it back you have to do some things. I like to do the dishes. It only takes 15 minutes and then the kitchen is clean. There are few things in life worth doing that can have such happy and successful results in such a short time.

There is skunk work in most every job. I love to paint boxes, but don't always enjoy the sanding. I have learned to find a sense of accomplishment in it however, because I know what I want the end result to be.

So many times we say that we will be happy when. I do this all the time. I will be happy when I accomplish this or that, when my house is finished, when my child sleeps through the night, when I am able to exercise more. Worst of all, there are those of us who will be happy only when we make it to heaven. But how will we find joy in heaven if we have no experience with it here. But, when we can find the purpose and joy even in the skunk work of life, then we have found happiness now.

Kissy Kissy...

These little Kissy Kissy blankets are so wonderful. They are very small, just to cover baby or for baby to hug and hold. They wash up softer everytime and make the most wonderful gift. There's a hole schlew to see HERE. Thanks Boo!

Jack & Sarah...

Jack is a nervous, very intense attorney whose wife is expecting. When the time comes for the baby to arrive, he has neglected to pack the back. In a neurotic panic to pack the bag he falls down the stairs knocking himself unconscious. It has the beginnings of a comedy, but then in the hospital he awakens next to his mother who informs him that Sarah, his wife and the love of his life has passed away in childbirth.
He is so devastated that he becomes a drunk for a time and refuses to see his baby. However, his parents stage an intervention and when he wakes up from a drunken binge to find the baby next to him.. he realizes how much he loves the baby and cleans himself up.
I don't know whether to recommend this film or not. It has some very strong language in it that more than usually feels unnecessary and out of place. On the other hand the writing is pretty good in spots and some of the acting is superb. The entire plot line about Jack's workplace should have been cut because it's just distracting and not to the point. However, Sir Ian McKellen brilliantly plays a drunken friend that Jack picks out of a dust bin.. who cleans himself up as well to help with the baby.. charming.
What I liked about the film, is Jack's explanation of what it feels like to lose someone you love. .. so I guess I thought it was valuable for that.

Summer Chandelier...

Since I moved into this home, quite a few years ago now, I have loved decorating this chandelier with all kinds of junk.. it makes me happy. Yesterday, I found these pink daisy ornaments with glitter and thought how fun to have hearts and flowers for all summer long.

Last Chance Harvey...

Dustin Hoffman plays Harvey who has done nothing very well. He has failed at marriage, parenting and did not become the Jazz pianist that he wanted to be.
He goes to London to be a part of his daughter's wedding and finds that no one really wants him there and behaves less than graciously. He's hurt and he lets it show. He takes cell phone calls at the table!!! (That actually drives me nuts!)
Then he meets a lovely woman played by Emma Thompson, who helps him to behave like his better self... I think they find that they are each other's last chance. I love films about redemption and this script has a double dose.
The script is wonderfully put together, but the depth brought to these characters by two very fine actors is simply breathtaking.
I think this sweet little film is a gem.

Corn Black Bean Salsa...

This recipe needs a little tweaking, but it's good enough that I smell like the garden patch..

1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 stalk green onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 Serrano chili seeded and chopped
1 large avocado diced
a bit of Cholula hot sauce to taste
a smidge of sea salt
a tiny bit of black pepper

"A" Monogram Box...

I had a special order and ended up painting to of these..

so if you need an "A" to go.. it's in the

SHoP

My Favorite Modern Artist...

... most recent composition by

little c

I love it!

Some Where That's Green...

I'm a fan of Mandy Patinkin since his performance in Princess Bride.. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die..." Anyway I love this album and the funny song from Little Shop of Horror, which I have never seen by the way and don't really want to because I have built my own little ideas about this funny song that has become kind of tender to me...

A matchbox of our own

A fence of real chain link,

A grill out on the patio

Disposal in the sink

A washer and a dryer and an ironing machine

In a tract house that we share

Somewhere that's green.

He rakes and trims the grass

He loves to mow and weed

I cook like Betty Crocker

And I look like Donna Reed

There's plastic on the furniture

To keep it neat and clean

In the Pine-Sol scented air

Somewhere that's green

Between our frozen dinner

And our bedtime, nine-fifteen

We snuggle watchin' Lucy

On our big, enormous twelve-inch screen

I'm his December Bride

He's Father, he Knows Best

Our kids watch Howdy Doody

As the sun sets in the west

A picture out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Far from Skid Row

I dream we'll go

somewhere that's green.

Pear Salad...

This is my new favorite salad!

1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces.

3 pears cored and chopped

5 ounces Feta Cheese crumbled up

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion

3-4 strips of very crisp bacon crumbled

1/3 cups white sugar

3/4 cup pecans

2-3 tablespoons of water

1/3 cup olive oil

6 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

a smidge of black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup pecans and 2-3 T water continually until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Transfer nuts to waxed paper and allow to cool. Break into pieces.

Dressing: Blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp. white sugar, garlic, salt and pepper

In large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, cheese, bacon, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with pecans. Serve.

Four New Feathered Friends...

One more little bear.. and then I'll quit...

This one has sparklies..

in the SHoP...

Mother's Day Gift...

I wish the colors showed up better in this photo.. but it was fun to wrap this up for my mom.

Happy Mother's Day.. We love you!

That's life... a few thoughts.

A friend of mine spoke in church a few weeks ago. She talked about the sanctity of life.. the holiness and grace of birth and the sweet and tender godliness of death.. of saying good-bye. Sometimes friends can say the things that lay unexpressed in your own heart.
Life's journey is one that has so many things that are completely unique for each person and so many things that we all yearn for... can we find love, understanding, community, family, work, adventure, purpose.. joy?
C and I have both said goodbye to friends in the past two weeks. One friend took his own life. We don't judge, but we know that some of those important things were missing in his life and that his heart was broken.
Another friend literally waged a 3 1/2 year war against the disease that eventually took her life, but then with the most divine grace she accepted God's plan for her and slipped away peacefully with her family around her.
You don't ever know what's coming and I was taught just this week that it's unwise to waste precious moments living in fear, but rather have faith in the process and pray for the strength to deal with what comes... Have you ever noticed.. a lot of older people are good at this?
Every time I have gone to a funeral, I have had two distinct feelings and impressions at every one I've attended. The first is that a person's life is gift, a gift to the person who lived it and a gift to everyone around them. Each life touches another. People are remembered and loved by someone, but often by very many. The second thing is that a death, even of a person who is very old and has been very sick, never feels like relief even though people say that all the time, but instead leaves a space like a hole in the universe that only that unique individual can fill. I have lost grandparents and great aunts and uncles who were very sick, to whom life had become a burden.. and yet when they are gone.. it's still very sad. A friend of ours lost a child that only lived 2 hours.. and yet when I see that family, I always think of sweet boy who is missing... always. So, I don't know if age really matters. People are unique and beautiful spirits and they make their mark.. no matter how long they stay.
I believe that at some point the grief of loss will be erased and replaced by the joy of eternal reunion, however the moments in between are so difficult, painful and often lonely. But, in those difficult moments of great pain.. there is something holy and sacred, something of exquisite beauty... I believe it is our hearts teaching us how greatly we love and our spirits reaching for the greater faith to carry us home to each other.

An Evening With John Denver...

If you ever need just some happy music ... this is a favorite recording of mine. I LOVE it. It's become a favorite of baby l.. It has all ..no.. most of my favorites.

The Unveiling... 2009 Christmas Box..

This is a medium size box. Inside it reads,

"Christmas is love..."

Multiples are available upon request. Find them HERE.

Snow Drop Crabapple Tree...

I love flowering spring trees. This Snowdrop buds in bright pink and flowers in a brilliant white. Happy Spring!

Best Face Forward...

Isn't it interesting how people are... especially women.. I know I do this anyway. We go around comparing our worst selves to everyone else's Sunday best. I heard Marie Osmond say something to this affect the other day on Good Morning Utah. It's so true I think. We compare our messy house to our neighbor's gorgeous garden and our slobby sweatsuit to our friends perfectly pressed ensemble.
We all want to be better. Well, there are a few jerks around who think they are perfect and wish everyone else would just be like them.. but, I think most people are in the other category. I look around at my neighbors and friends and think. I wish my house was as clean as Laurie's and I was as fit and lovely as Alecia. I wish I had Kim's musical talents and Laura's organizing skills. I wish I could befriend people like Lisa and be as gifted a mother as Kate. These are real folks, the ones I watch and see everyday... amazing people.
I don't know how to stop judging oneself completely.. but I have been thinking that maybe we should stop thinking of ourselves as individuals in that way, but think more of the one or two gifts that we add to the group. Maybe we aren't meant to be perfect one at a time... maybe we only achieve perfection in this life when you add us all up together.

Eucerin with SPF 30...

I like this stuff. But, I defer to Janice on face creams with SPF.. What do you like Janice. :)

Cutest Baby Booties in the World!

HERE...

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day...

Pretty cute.

Plans Change in a Poof!

If I haven't been around for awhile.. this is why. Little c is supposed to be wearing this beautiful costume in her up coming dance recital...... we shall see. There is a slight chance that she can do it. Unfortunately, this is a photo of her and her friend S... both dancers and both sidelined until breaks heal. (Little c, going screamin' fast.. tried to jump a speed bump on her scooter. Her cute friend S fell down the stairs.) Poor little dancers.

Grace... My little brother J..

Today little c reminded me of one of my favorite life stories today and I thought I would write it down even though I know that I will never forget it.
I have a handicapped brother and he is a big guy to say the least. He suffered oxygen deficiency at birth and subsequently his world is very limited. He does not speak. Once I think a doctor said that he had the abilities of an eighteen month old child. However, he is huge.. over six feet tall and strong as an ox.
In my family he has been gently and patiently cared for primarily by my father. It has been a task of gargantuan effort and great love.
When you have a family member who is handicapped, you gain a sensitivity to certain words and to the insensitivity of those who imitate and poke fun at those whose courage just to live from day to day is valour beyond measure.
It takes a special person though to look not just at a person's ability or disability, but into their hearts to see the dignity and courage and love that are almost always there.
One day my sister and I decided to take him on an outing to the mall. Insane. J, my dear brother, had a habit of taking things in restaurants and other places, food stuffs mostly. He might walk past the chocolate milk in the market... only stop.. open and chug-a-lug rather than say placing the milk in the cart for purchase. If we were being escorted to a table by a waitress, J might pass by another patron who might happen to have a lovely buttered roll just sitting at his plate.. not being eaten. J does not understand any hesitancy in eating ones buttered roll and to show this lazy patron how things are done, he might just kife the thing and gingerly stuff it in his mouth before anyone was the wiser. It's kind of a slight of hand.. so fast you almost didn't see it.
People take things differently. Some people are kind and some are not. Some are really not. How would you feel if your buttered roll just disappeared into some big guy's mouth? J's manners are out of our control and it could be more than a little embarrassing taking him places sometimes because of these little social misunderstandings.
This particular day at the mall as we carefully went our way down the walk passing shop after shop as we went.. brother J spotted a kind face with a very large soda and in his impressive way, he had cup in hand and straw in mouth happily slurping away before we blinked and noticed.
When we did notice, of course we were horrified, although not surprised by J's thievery. We then awaited the scene that often followed.. the one where we apologize and explain and apologize and apologize... However, instead of acting annoyed or offended, this gracious lady (victim) smiled in the most genuine and friendly way and said, "Don't even worry, he is welcome to it."
I don't know this woman at all, but when I meet her in heaven, I will throw my arms around her and tell her that I love her.
Mother Theresa once said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." But, done with great love, a small thing can become a grand gesture.
It has been more than 10 years since this little happening, but I think of it often and it is one of the events in my life that confirms to me that people are essentially good and that even with all the bad news one so often hears.. still.. we are likely, every so often, to run into an angel right here on earth.

Today I Joined Facebook.. I mean yesterday..

... and felt pretty silly taking photos of myself.

Hello Friends..

It has been fun to wander around that site though and find old friends from school. I do like the old blog though with all the pretty colors.

PS... Blake.. I love how you wrote, "Welcome on to this thing. Now your emails will double." The way you said that reminded me of Grandpa's phraseology so much and had me chuckling to myself for an hour. :)

True Colors...

I loved this page from this months MSL Magazine.

I love true colors and if you ignore the muddy, puttys in the lower left..

the rest are rainbow brights. There are several Benjamin Moore paint choices. Benjamin Moore is my favorite paint because you can't beat them for clear, pure color with no browns or grays dulling the mix. If you want a wall the color of daffodils, raspberries or hyacinths.. you can find it.

Benjamin Moore True Blue (lower right) is the color of my bedroom and I love it.

Susan Boyle... I dreamed a dream...

A neighbor told a reporter that life has not been particularly kind to Susan Boyle. She lives alone after having cared for her dying mother. She is unemployed. But when she stepped out on the stage and after opening her mouth immediately turned an unkind audience into one that leaped to its feet cheering for her, she made the world a brighter and more hopeful place. If you haven't seen the video of her full performance... don't miss THIS

Thank you Susan! Your courage to achieve your dreams and the beauty of your amazing gift have inspired the world.

Provident Living...

Provident Living...
The subject of provident living comes up a lot in our church, especially lately in the down economy. (If you happen to be unfamiliar with the term provident living, you can find out about it here and here). In fact, a friend of mine said that Mormons walk around all day with the idea of food storage in the back of their heads... Yep.
Before he passed away, President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of our church warned that we should get out of debt, put away some for a rainy day and gather a storage of food for at least 3 months and preferably a year. I know some people who followed his counsel and have lived to be very grateful for it. As jobs disappear and incomes shrink, these folks have a peace of mind others do not. They know their children will have a roof over their heads, food to eat and clothes to wear. I believe in the doctrine of provident living with all my heart.
Even when C and I had no children and lived in a 1 bedroom condo with no space, we tried to follow the prophet’s advice and we had a few things put by and in a disaster, we could have made it a week or two. (Think of the difference just a few things put by would have meant to the victims of Katrina). Now that we have children, the counsel to gather and maintain a food storage has become a more urgent concern and since we have moved into a home with a bit more storage space, we have been trying to gather all the needful things.
However, in our Sunday School lesson three weeks ago (this is still bugging me), I made a comment that was kind of dumb. I told a short story about a family my Dad converted to the church in Hong Kong who went without a great deal including shampoo to be able to come to SLC and have their family sealed in the temple. Meeting this family made a great impression on me when I was young and they are wonderful people.
But, I don’t think the prophet’s counsel means that we should go without shampoo or anything really and so my comment made a wrong impression and it made me sound like one of those Mormons who takes the prophet’s counsel to an extreme and then goes wrong with it. I’m not going to point fingers, but if your family is prepared for a nuclear event, you have a 10 year supply of food and a bunker in your basement.. I might be talking about you.
After a person is out of debt and has set by a reasonable savings and a supply of food, I don’t believe that they should go about denying themselves of every convenience. Of course money is a gift and a tool that should be used responsibly, but what does that mean?
Several years ago I got into a discussion with a friend about a Hollywood type who threw this lavish party... over-the-top. I’m sure that it cost several hundred thousand dollars. My friend maintained that the kind of spending it took to throw this party was gross and wrong. I wasn’t sure..
First of all, the person could afford it. Debt was not incurred to throw this party. Secondly, this person has money and investments set by and they will be fine in a disaster. Thirdly, this person is very generous and supports many good causes. Forth, it’s not my money.. so...
But, the main reason that I’m not sure it was wrong is that there were party planners, caterers, rental companies, florists, bakers, designers, lighting people, wait staff and on and on that made money that day for putting in a hard days work. If no one throws a party.. all of those people are out of work, the businesses goes under and there are that many more folks who need a handout because they don’t have job.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give our money away to those who are sick, elderly or handicapped and can’t for any reason earn a living for themselves because we should, but I would hate for people to decide in a tough economy that we just cannot spend. Earning a living for oneself and family is, in my opinion a spiritual principle that offers a person self worth and dignity. In other words, I think it’s great when a person can be hired to do a real job rather than receive a handout.
So, I think that what I said was wrong. Don’t be the person to go without shampoo. If you can afford it, buy the shampoo, the new car or redecorate the living room if that’s what you want. In America, our quality of life comes from the efforts and labors of our neighbors who are nurses, firefighters, podiatrists, car dealers and even party planners. This is capitalism and while imperfect, it works better than anything else. So, I think it’s provident living to give your neighbor a real job rather than a handout and hope they give you a job as well. Our wealth as a nation, as Benjamin Franklin put it, is not our gold or natural resources of any kind, but our collective efforts in all the different things that we do. (sorry.. someday I will find the exact quote.. I lost it but it’s found in Benjamin Franklin An American Life by Walter Isaacson).
People really get into this discussion. I went to a party recently where the birthday girl was needled, a bit strongly I thought, for going through a drive through every day to buy a soda. "It’s a waste of money!" they said. Maybe so, but my soda drinking friend is in great shape and she isn’t spending money she doesn’t have on soda so ... My point is that it doesn’t have to be a luxury mansion that causes disagreement about money.. it can be just a soda.
What do you think? Does it bother you if your neighbor buys an expensive car or spends a fortune to remodel their bathroom. Is it "grinding the faces of the poor" to enjoy a vacation to Paris? Does it bug you if your friend drives though and buys a soda.. she is, after all, supporting a business and a family.. or should she be donating her $1.50 to the poor or buying more wheat?

Etsy ..

Isn't this cute!

Made in Utah by...

The Cupcake Goddess

Easter At Mom's...

Thank you Mom! It was so lovely!

Horatio Hornblower...

Who knew that Horatio Hornblower had new adventures?!? I didn't until this week. Hooray!!!

Everyone in the family... OK %75 of the family loves Horatio Hornblower and %25 of the family think the guns and canon are too loud.

The Brave Cowboy...

Last night little c was reading baby l this cute book. I love Joan Walsh Anglund and have always been inspired by her artwork. This cute little story about the power and magic of having a fun pretend friend has always been a favorite and captures the vivid imagination of a 4 year old boy very well.

Out of the Mud into High Heels...

Growing up, you weren't supposed to crawl under the fence past the "No Trespassing!" sign to get to the ponds by our house. But, my brother and I never paid that sign any mind at all. Those ponds and the hollows all around our house were the most magical place and they belonged to us. That's what we thought. Spring, summer and autumn days melted away as we played a million games and were young naturalists finding bird nests and eggs, playing with sticks in the creeks and floating things down the streams and our favorite, collecting pollywogs.

We brought the little pollywogs home and put them in the upstairs bathroom, in the toilet bowl and then begged our poor mother never to flush them away, which she always did as soon as we weren't looking. It was OK though because we didn't have long attention spans and were off to the next adventure. How did she ever keep that house clean?

I think that I went through a bit of a tomboy stage because I spent so much time with my brother and he wasn't about to play dolls. When I was almost 12 things started to change I felt caught between an imaginary world and reality like Wendy in Peter Pan, knowing that it was time to put away childish things.

One last day, I went to the ponds with my brother. Crawling under the fence alone was enough to get a body pretty dirty and dusty. I think we were after the pollywogs and got right into the water. Oooops! The reason for the "No Trespassing!" sign was that there was this mud. It could get you! And, like quick sand, the more you struggled to get out, the more you were stuck. So, pretty soon, there I was, stuck up to my hips in mud which in the effort to get free had gotten in my hair and all over my arms. I was a little scared for a minute, but my brother (who would later find himself stuck in the mud and have to be rescued! .. but that's another story.) pulled me to safety.

I think we decided to leave a different way than we came. We crawled under a different fence and into a mostly unused park where there was a drinking fountain and I could maybe at least wash my arms and face before going home to the hose in the back yard... (Again, my POOR mother!)

When I came up from crawling under the fence, to my horror I found in a crisp, white oxford shirt one of the most handsome boys in town. There he was licking strawberry ice cream from a sugar cone with a his beautiful blond sweetheart as I, the swamp thing, emerged from the mud!

With not a shred of dignity left, I had to walk right past their dismayed faces. I vowed to myself that this was the last time I would trespass.

Little c has a million times more sense than I had at her age and so I doubt her journey into young adulthood will have as many embarrassing moments as mine did. But, it's happening.

When she was little, she was my little princess going as Cinderella 3 Halloweens in a row. She loved lipstick & jewelry and always wore a matching hat. Then, The Incredibles happened... don't tell me the media doesn't influence kids! Little c became a Super Hero for years until just recently.

Now, she sometimes forgets to sleep with Pancake, her favorite stuffed dog. She's learning to do hair and makeup and the other day she became quite enamoured with a lovely blue dress. When she put it on and twirled around I almost cried... there's my little princess again, but she's all grown up.

My First REAL Stir Fry... HELP!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine, apple juice or water
1 pound boneless beef round steak, cut into thin strips
3 cups broccoli florets
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 (6 ounce) package frozen pea pods, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, undrained
hot cooked rice

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce and wine, apple juice or water until smooth. Add beef and toss to coat; set aside.
In a large skillet, stir-fry broccoli, carrots, pea pods and onion in 1 tablespoon oil for 1 minute. Stir in water chestnuts. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes; remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, stir-fry beef in remaining oil until meat reaches desired doneness. Return vegetables to pan; toss. Serve over rice.

*** To say that I am a novice cook is an understatement and this was the first time that I made this recipe and even a real stir fry meaning I didn't just make it up. I really hated it actually, but it could be really good, I think. I over steamed the veggies so they were kinda soggy. I made twice the amount of gravy which I think was good, but the gravy was pretty flavorless. I think that I would also double the amount of onion next time as well as add some garlic and a bit of ginger.. I used the apple juice option, but a question to those of you who cook more... would rice wine vinegar be good next time? Also, I would like it to have a little heat to it... is there a good Asian hot sauce that anyone can recommend? Any other suggestions??

All Passion Spent... Art or Family???

This film is an adaptation of Vita Sackville-West's 1931 novel. It is interesting if you go in for slow parlor dramas as I do. The gist of the story is that Lady Slane married for position and to please her family. She lives her life as a public servant's wife and does her duty beautifully, but only one man understands her and that man is someone who meets her once in India and looks into her eyes and knows that she has "sinned against the light" by becoming a wife and mother rather than an artist. Yep. Don't you get this all the time!?!?
Maybe back in the day, before disposable diapers you had to choose, but then there are the examples of Minerva Teichert and Madame Curie (who wasn't an artist I know, but still...)
Do we have time to pursue our passions and still be wife and mother? It is true that being an artist of any kind requires time which is difficult to find as a mother as you diligently do the things everyday that will bring your children success and happiness.
Hopefully a lifetime is time enough. Hopefully we have the time to raise a family and pursue our dreams. I find that being a mother adds a dimension to my pursuits in art, a happiness, that would not otherwise be there. Making art, whether it be canvases or sculpture a long side a beloved child is a joy I would not trade for a Manhattan exhibition.
In her book Things Good Mothers Know, Alexandra Stoddard writes, "As much as I respect the enlightenment of the Buddha, he left his wife and child in the middle of the night to pursue his inner search. But mothers can't leave. Mothers must pursue wisdom at home, in their daily lives, at the kitchen table." I know many women who do just that.. they pursue their dreams and goals at the kitchen table by carving out just a few minutes a day to better their art whatever it may be.
My own mother is a lover of art and all things beautiful. When I was young she pursed interests in art, French Hand Sewing, piece quilting, gardening, dress making, literature/reading, cooking, decorating and floral arrangement. She is the one of the most accomplished women I have ever met. She has unfailing taste, a true aesthete. She did all of that with 7 children.
In the end, I don't love this movie, because it doesn't ring true. You might have to give up some minor things... you might have to be less social than some would have you be.. you might have to say no sometimes, but there is time somewhere to paint and write... to study and learn. Small achievements every day add up to a large body of work over a lifetime. There is time for our dreams.

Jazzed Broccoli Casserole...

This is a jazzed up version of the old Broccoli Casserole recipe most Utah folks have had a million times. I really liked it, however next time I think I will saute my onions with the chicken to flavor the chicken and mellow out the onion. It was a big hit however and it's quite pretty on the table. I also served green grapes and red apple slices just because we are still trying to get those 5 a day in.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package chicken breasts
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 pound broccoli florets
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 tablespoon mayonnaise (I use the olive oil base kind)
1 cup (or so of) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 package dry stuffing mix (I just used Stove Top original)
1 T seasoning (I like Cholula Garlic, but any Italian seasoning would be fine)
3/4 C milk
A bit of chopped onion (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cut chicken into medallion size pieces and saute in olive oil with salt and pepper until just done.
Meanwhile, steam broccoli until crisp but tender.
In a small bowl mix together the soup, mayonnaise, milk, seasoning, onion and cheese, then mix in cooked chicken and broccoli. Set aside. In a 9x13 inch greased baking dish, spread the rice and then add the chicken broccoli mixture on top. Prepare stuffing mix according to package direction and sprinkle over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

What is it like to be you?

Last night as I was tucking little c into bed she surprised me by asking, "What is it like to be you?" It was late, and to be honest it was on the tip of my tongue to say, "Exhausting! ... And, no matter how I try to be a good mother, wife, sister, friend, housekeeper, cook, chauffeur, artist, church member, neighbor etc... ... I go to bed every night thinking of all the things that I didn't get to and how I have fallen short."
Thankfully, for once, I thought before I spoke and told her what is really the truth. "It's pretty great to be me," I said, "after all, I get to be your mom. I love you."
It's amazing what you learn from children. I went to bed counting my blessings.