TEETH

Monday, May 26, 2014

It's Memorial Day.  I know it's a day for remembering those who lost their lives defending this country, but I also use this day to remember my grandmother, Alma Carr.  She died on Memorial Day in 2003.  I had taken the kids to Riverside National Cemetery, to see the graves and there ceremony there with all the displays and the veterans.  It was very moving.  But I remember, too, getting the news later on in the day, of Grandma's passing.  It wasn't a huge surprise - she was missing Grandpa - but, too, it marked the end of a family era.  No more visits to Grandma.  She was such a symbol to me of what womanly strength is.  So, on this day, I also remember her.

We didn't do anything special today, not even barbecue.  Ken had the day off and was able to relax some.  I did my usual laundry and shopping.  Ken took Jonathan out to Chinese as a last-minute birthday gift.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Still having off-and-on rain.  While I shouldn't complain - we need the rain so terribly - I do feel a bit waterlogged.  Things just don't drain well here and there are plenty of puddles and mushy ground.  The parking lot at the airport still has two big muddy puddles in it that I have to maneuver around.  And the humidity...don't get me started.  Poodle hair!

Jonathan & I were going to give blood after I picked him up for class today.  The blood-letting place was so busy; I think there were at least nine people ahead of us and that doesn't count the bodies on cots already giving.  I had a four o'clock appointment, at the Cruz's, with the missionaries, so I figured I wouldn't have time.  Ken was going to go after work, so I called him and asked him to first pick up Jonathan and they could go together.

The Cruz's weren't home; I think we scared them away.  Last week we were firm - bold - they needed to do more than just say it was okay to come back.  We needed them to read, pray and commit - or no - but at least tell us so.  They don't have a car; they must have taken a taxi somewhere.  

So, I decided to go visit the Maldonados.  I'm Nasly's Visiting Teacher (well, one of them, but the other doesn't speak Spanish so half the time I just go myself).  I'm trying to get her to stay with me when her mother and younger sister visit Honduras in June.  I think it will be fun and a learning experience for her.  Also, since Rosa's been working Sundays lately, I said I'd pick up the girls for Stake Conference this Sunday.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

It was Jonathan's turn to go to the dentist today.  Before he could have braces put on, he needed to have a deep cleaning.  I keep bugging him about caring for his teeth, but like a teenager, he dismisses what Mom says.  The dentist - who has photos to prove his claim - is another story.  He does have one little cavity, but that may be removed during the braces process, so we are waiting.  His gums were swollen and he had a lot of plaque.  To be fair, with his crowded mouth, even the hygienist said she had trouble getting to spots.  But not all...

I had planned on going to water aerobics, but Jonathan's appointment was at 3:50 and they didn't even get us in until 4:10.  I should have known.  It is hard to get an afternoon appointment there, yet with his schooling, I don't have a choice.  I even made an appointment for the next check-up, six months from now, in December.  That was difficult, too, because they fill up fast!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Ken is home today because he is having a tooth removed today.  Another dentist trip...they will certainly get to know us soon!  He's rested up and has gotten a lot of work done at home this morning.  Jonathan will be happy because Ken mowed the front yard and weeded.

He decided to take me out to dinner for June "early"  I think he just wanted a good meal before the dentist pulled out his bad tooth and he was on soft foods for a few days.  We went to a prominent Mexican restaurant in town.  The ambiance and the service was great and the food wasn't half bad!  But Ken had a hamburger, who does that at a Mexican restaurant?  He thinks all Mexican food is loaded with onions - not true!  But I had chicken flautas and they were very yummy!

He came home one tooth-less.  The funny thing is, he has very long roots on his teeth.  The dentist really beat up his mouth trying to jiggle the bad tooth back and forth, trying to get it out!  I think he ended up doing it in pieces.  I remember when Jonathan was a baby and had a tooth removed; they commented that he had long roots, too.  Now I know where he gets it from.

Friday, May 30, 2014

I took Jonathan to the Vo-Tech today.  He had to take an exam to prove that he learned enough in his class to justify him going next year.  To pass, he needed a score in the low 80's.  He was very nervous about it, studying and including it in family prayers.  Well, I think it took him all of 15 minutes and he passed with a score of 93.  He was floating on Cloud Nine after that.

For me, it was pedicure day.  I had a toenail tearing and I didn't want it to tear too far.  Analiese chose my color, per usual.  So today, I now have banana toes.  

I had a meeting at WOSC tonight with the Kids' College people.  It was pretty much a get-to-know you thing and how to look on the website to see how enrollment in your class is going.  Some classes were doing great...almost full!  I can't really say that mine was.  I have one student per week's class.  I need four in each class to keep them open.  But...we still have time, they can enroll practically up to the day of the class.  However, now I'm really praying I get more students!  I've been working hard planning this class and I don't get paid for that!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

I was very busy today.  I started by getting my basket of yummies.  Ken stayed up a bit after getting off of Walmart and was amazed at how much I get for my money.  Then, after putting that away, I put fajita meat in a marinade and chopped up veggies for it.

Then, my biggie, I got to make apple pie like my mom makes it.  It's the Granny Smith (green) apples in a single pie crust piled high with a crumb topping.  I had enough apples from last week and this to make two pies and, luckily, I remembered my mom putting a cookie sheet under the pie pans.  Good thing, too, because, they leaked juicily over the side.  

Actually, having two pies was a good thing.  The elders weren't coming to dinner, they were coming over after Stake Conference in Lawton (1 hour away) to pick up their dinner and that meant I could give them one pie to split between themselves.  They were very happy to pick it up, I can tell you.  And my kids were sad that there wasn't more pie for themselves.

We didn't go to the session last night because of the distance.  We are going tomorrow, plus I need to do a Sam's run next week which means another Lawton trip.  I couldn't justify the gas for three trips.  We'd hoped to get the money for Ken's work goodies so that Jonathan & I could have gone today and gone to Conferene too, but it didn't work out.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

We were out the door by 8:20 a.m.  We were picking up Nasly and Gisela and taking them with us to Stake Conference.  Sadly, only Nasly came; Gisela decided to sleep in.  Still, we had a nice ride to Lawton, the kids doodling and such, Nasly and I talking about stuff...in Spanish.  I think I've got her talked into staying with us the week her mother goes with Gisela to Honduras.

We got there early enough to get a good seat and Nasly was surprised to see how many people there were.  She's trying to understand the difference between a ward and a stake.  There was a choir, small (not surprising because of the distances to travel) and mainly composed of missionaries.  Plus, this was weird, they didn't sing parts.  It was a little let-down.  

But the meeting was wonderful and spirit-filled.  The Stake President spoke as well as a counselor and the temple president and his wife.  The mission president's wife didn't speak last night, so they asked her to bear her testimony today.  And then Elder Villarreal of the 70 spoke to us.  He was fun to hear, but so genuine in Spirit.  I wasn't translating for Nasly, just adding a comment here and there, but I could tell she was enjoying him, too.  After conference, I dragged her up to meet him.  He's of Mexican descent, but grew up in the US, and served as the mission president in Columbia, so I was confident we could have a little Spanish conversation.  I introduced Nasly, and let the two of them go.  He told her (in Spanish) that she would never regret her decision to join the church.  She beamed and asked a couple of questions.  She'd been shy before, but was glad afterwards that I did.

The ride back from Lawton always seems so LONG.  I am tired and the road is so straight and uneventful that it is easy to get sleepy.  Plus, I'd brought along a picnic lunch since I knew we'd be getting out at noon and my troops would be ravenous.  But Nasly made sure I wouldn't get drowsy and kept me talking.  She's such a cutie.

CHANGES

Monday, May 19, 2014

Our schedule has altered somewhat.  Jonathan will be at the airport from 7:30 am to 2:46 pm (weird #, huh?) from now until June 18.  This is because the high school is almost out and he can use this time to study and prepare for the end-of-year-final.  Also, he'll have Fridays off, so he gets a longer weekend!

I had to pick him up from Seminary a little early to take him to the airport.  It also means I don't have to interrupt my day in the middle to take him to school.  He's had to make a lunch to take with him as well, so we had to shop for a few things the end of last week.  He made it last night; I didn't have to do it.  I just had to remember to bring it and his study bag when I picked him up from Seminary.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Got to go to the dentist today (yippee - not).  But, I take good care of my teeth so my cleaning was a breeze, even if Analiese thought it took a long time.  Dentist wants to remove and replace an old crown that isn't on right and can possibly cause trouble by trapping food in bad spots.  We'll see how much that costs!

I even had the opportunity today to play Spanish missionary.  The elders had me go with them to visit the Cruz's.  Neither of the elders speak a lick of Spanish; Eniquetta and Presenta (that's his name!) only speak a little English.  So, really, I had to carry the conversation.  It wasn't really interpreting; I just asked the elders what they wanted to talk about and I went on from there.  Plus, I had to train them not to give big speeches - give me a statement or a questions and let me interpret it.  I'm not that good or that fast.  Ken could do it, but he's always working.

Homemade fish tacos for dinner...with a great creamy chipotle sauce recipe I found.  It was good, even the kids thought so.  Yum!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Analiese and I have been using our early mornings together (since I have to be up to take Jonathan to class) to work outside in the garden.  We usually let one rabbit out to roam while we do so; we can't let all three - one would try to impregnant the others and the other two would fight and fur would fly!  I really like being out before it's too warm and just enjoy grubbin' around outside.

We planted a basil I bougt at Wal-mart yesterday and some cantaloupe and zucchini.  Because my planter plants were set aside, I can only do a little bit this year.  But I'm hoping, what with the compost bin ready, I will have some really good stuff for the fall.  They tell me that a lot of things can be planted here later for fall, like green beans.

Ken came home super-early today...as in, he was on his way home when I dropped off Jonathan at the airport.  The reason?  The drug dog kept sniffing his hands, insisting there was something there!  Ken was VERY irritated (it became a serious Asperger Day)  because he couldn't go in and went straight to Walmart.  It appears that the person he had to work with yesterday is always high and Ken figured that the contamination came from him.  He complained to HR who advised him "not to open that can of worms."  Ken said, "That is my main job that I support my family with!  I WILL open that can!"  Needless to say, he was at times grumpy, at times withdrawn for the rest of the day.  I even had him take me to out to lunch to try and help and it did...for a little bit.

Tonight Ken & I went with Analiese to her Activity Days.  It was the end-of-year activity (they'll start up again in the fall) and they had invited parents to come see what the girls had been doing.  Each girl had to stand up and talk about her favorite activity.  I hate to brag - but I will - my daughter was SO eloquent!  She talked about visiting the mayor of Altus and about his responsibilities in the city.  I think maybe we need to work on her speech-giving skills; there may be talent there!  As it is, she wants to enter the 4H speech contest next year.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Ken got back into the prison today, no problem.  But he took an extra long, extra careful shower and even did a bleach water clean of his steering wheel in his car!  I didn't think it would be a problem, but it was a major irritation to him!  And, he got teased a bit about it.  

Rabbit Club was tonight, so I took the kids (and Alice) and went.  Jonathan was antsy, not really wanting to be there, because he wanted to go with his friend Howard.  Howard was supposed to pick him up from there, but it took a little longer than Jonathan liked.

In the meantime, he and Analiese worked on a recycling/fundraising project for the club.  They took animal feed bags and made them into tote bags.  Analiese did fine; she's in the sewing club and knows her way around a sewing machine.  This was Jonathan's first time.  He really didn't want to, but he caught on fairly fast.  The gal who came to teach us how to do it remarked that his stitches were better than nearly all the others (and they were all girls).  But a sewing machine is a mechanical thing...and he's a dude who loves things mechanical.

Howard did eventually pick him up.  I let him spend the night.  Howard leaves for New Mexico on Saturday to work at a Scout Camp and then will rejoin his family in Las Vegas, where they will be moving in five weeks.  Jonathan is SO bummed.  So, I loosened the reins a little and let him spend time with Howard.

Friday, May 23, 2014

RAIN!!!  They predicted it and for once, it happened!  It's been getting very scary around here, the lack of water, and everywhere you see signs "Pray for Rain!"  At first they were at the churches, but now even the banks and other establishments are posting them.  I had read a news report the other day that estimated that a nearby lake, already at 26% capacity, would be dried up by 2016, if measures weren't taken.  We're going to need a lot of rain to help heal the land, but today is a nice start!

Apparently, the storm today is trying to make up for lost time.  My back yard is a swamp!  Analiese and I went return books to the library and had to go through the front door and a smaller swamp to go through the front of the garage to get to the van.  But we really can't complain!  Streets are flooded (no storm drains.  Well, not much.) but our books were due!

Jonathan went to the movies with Howard (X-Men), but came home in the late afternoon.  He was tired, having stayed up all night, and a little blue.  He cried some at the thought of losing his friend.  Friend losses twice in the space of a year is tough.  

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Still gray and a little drippy, but the water levels in the back yard have gone down.  However, it is a big muddy mess in the back, especially leading to the shed/garage.  I have a bunch of flagstones in odd, unnecessary places.  I think I will move them to make a path from the shed to the house for occasions just like this.  It would have been handy in the winter, too.

I can't believe how fast weeds grow.  I had a box completely empty of weeds and had planted some garlic chives, canteloupe and a zucchini there.  Today, there are grasses and weeds in there!  Analiese wants to know what we are going to do Monday for Memorial Day.  I told her, weed.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

I led the music in Sacrament Meeting this morning.  Bro. Lee had called and asked me to do it earlier in the week.  Ken thought maybe he was going to ask me to talk of give me another calling, but, ha!  Nope.  Sister Shields couldn't make it; could I sub for her?  No problem.

However, the Stake President and a counselor were in church today.  I was invited to speak with one of them.  I can't talk about it yet, but my husband was greatly amused by it.  In a couple of weeks, I'll let you know.  SIGH.

NEW WEEK, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, NEW ADVENTURES

Monday, May 12, 2014

Wind and dark clouds hovered over our morning.  By ten o'clock, booming thunder was distracting Analiese from her lessons.  And then...a little rain.  Not much, but enough to tide my tiny garden for the time being.  Still, I hate to be greedy, but we need more!

Look at this!  A poppy naturally growing amongst my weeds!

This time at homeschool PE, I was a little more social.  The kids were fine, the Doshers were there and they've gotten to know the others better.  Today, I got to know the moms.  Two moms of younger children were picking my brain.  They were especially interested in how I teach my kids Spanish.  That's actually a hard one, because I don't use a lot of curriculum (other than Discovery Education's Elementrary Spanish) and we have speakers in the home.  Still, it was nice to get to know them better.

Analiese had been panicked (for a short while) that the weather might cancel PE, but neither PE nor water aerobics were effected.  Though, the weather had cooled things off a bit and coming out of the pool was a chilling experience, literally.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hippo Birdie to my big boy!  He's seventeen today...where did the years go?  In Seminary they brought in doughnuts to celebrate.  I am going to take him shopping for shorts and church pants after class.  Maybe first I'll slip him over to Braum's for some birthday ice cream!

I went to WOSC (Western Oklahoma State College - right here in Altus) and applied for a position as a creative writing instructor for their summer Kids College program.  And I got the job!  I have to figure the curriculum on my own; I think that makes it more fun!  I am going to do one week (well, four days) for grades 4-8 and a second week for grades 9-12.  This college is very hip on tech, so I'll have computer to board access (no need for chalk or markers), internet access for videos, Ted Talks, etc.  I haven't worked in years (since Jonathan was 4) and I haven't done a resume since...even longer!  It was an interesting experience getting it done.  Now, I just need to smooth out my lesson plans.  I'm so EXCITED!!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

My son bought Legos at Wal-mart yesterday with some birthday money.  He ordered MORE today at Amazon with another birthday certificate.  SIGH.  His room is a veritable den of Legos.  I won't deny he enjoys it (and plays best with his sister when he's using them) but...really?  Ken thinks he's too old for toys, but I also know how relaxing and creative an outlet it can be for him.  You should see his organization system.  He has several tackle boxes that he uses for the express purpose of sorting out small pieces in shapes and colors.

Speaking of creative, Analiese and I, after dropping Jonathan off at Scouts, did some specific doodling called Zentangle.  Inside of blank shapes or lines that you create in a square, you use different patterns inside to decorate.  It was fun and gave us a chance to talk.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

I woke up with a headache...a bad omen for the day.  I really think I have some kind of bug.  I just feel...off.  After taking Jonathan to school and settling Analiese with her lessons, I actually took a nap!

But, ugh, I woke up feeling awful still.  I had to pickup Jonathan anyway and take Analiese to 4H Sewing, but I didn't want to.  I dropped into Wal-mart for something and proceeded to be sick in their bathroom.  No bueno!

Ken beat me and Jonathan home.  I went back to bed and left them to figure out dinner (and get Analiese).  Could I stay in bed?  Nope, we are having a Relief Society activity tonight and our daughters are invited.  They are going to have crafts, cooking and line dancing...do you think Analiese will be content to stay home?

Nope.  I dragged myself out of bed, pretended I felt well, and had a tolerably good time.  Analiese had a great time. She helped make apple crisp, learned the Macarena, and made a handkerchief doll (pioneer doll).  Plus, she ran around with her friends.  Believe it or not, Jonathan came, too, and was in the nursery helping to watch little ones (with his friend Chris and a member of the bishopric).  He didn't do half bad; when I went to get him, he was putting on a puppet show and using different voices.  He had the kids charmed!

Friday, May 16, 2014

Still not terrific.  I had recently cut all dairy out of my diet due to stomach issues, and that had helped.  But I am yucky now and have no idea why.  Bug, virus, food poisoning?

As I flopped around the house, doing the bare minimum (including laundry), my daughter thought she should help me feel better.  So...I ended up with a rabbit in my lap.  Hugs and rabbits are her answers to everything.

Moms are not allowed to rest, though.  I had to take Jonathan to someone's house to mow their lawn. Apparently, mowing is going to be his "job" this summer and, while one person who owns lots of rental homes has her own equipment for him to use, today this person did not.  So we had to fit the mower in the van, which meant loosening the screws on the handle so it would fold over - and fit!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Touch and go, yet.  Eating a lot of plain bread and crackers (gets old quickly) because I am hungry...and afraid to eat.

Bountiful Baskets pick up was a meet-and-greet today.  I saw Jeff, the gentleman in charge of Kids College at WOSC, so I asked him a few more questions.  I chatted with Emily, too, a sister in my ward, who was right behind me as we wondered...what do you do with a Daikon radish?  Those things are huge!  And I ended my trip seeing yet ANOTHER homeschooling Michelle from our PE class. (I think Michelle's and Michele's are more likely to be homeschoolers than any other name! LOL)

Despite how I felt, I was determined to get some stuff done!  For one, I have the pallets, it's time to get my compost bin up!  The instructions on Pinterest (one of the few who actually DO something they see on it) were fairly simple - connect the corners with 14 gauge wire - but I had to do more.  We have too many strong winds to just leave a structure like that laying in the yard.  Jonathan & I staked around them and screwed the stakes to the pallets.  It is not a beautiful thing, just useful.  Maybe I'll eventually plant some flowers around it.  But now, I can toss my scraps in there and get garden gold out of it!

In between that, I made homemade, from scratch, banana cream pie.  I am not the best pie maker (I have such trouble with pie crust), but it turned out tasty.  Or so I'm told.  I did not eat dinner or anything when the missionaries came over because I had decided to eat some lunch (celery with hummus and a whole wheat flour tortilla) and was sick an hour afterwards.  Something's going on; I just don't know what.

And don't forget the hours I put in today before, during, and after all the other stuff above working on a Relief Society lesson.  It was interesting to me - the topic was Truth - and I finished it late into the night.    Besides Pres. Smith, I found a great BYU talk by Pres. Uchtdorf on truth, plus I have Elder Bednar's book "Increase in Learning" which applies as well.  I was so tech saavy, too (pat on the back), because, after I merged it all together in a Word file I did NOT print it up.  I sent it to my iPad, where I'll just read it off there.  So much better than a bunch of papers!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Major Bummer!  We are only having Sacrament Meeting today, no other meetings.  Apparently a water pipe broke in the building and there is no water and no bathrooms.  And here I had this great lesson!  Beware of pride, I guess.

There was a large spot of carpet in the hall, and a bit of tile too, soaked with water.  We came through the front entrance, so we didn't see it, but everyone who comes through the back did!  I've wondered about the plumbing in that building for a while; toilets seems to overflow easily and water seems to come from other areas at the weirdest times.

Agh!  My allergies have kicked in today.  I do not want them.  I want to be able to go outside and enjoy it.  I can't smell my honeysuckle through a stuffy nose (and no, the honeysuckle isn't the problem).  

TALENTS

Monday, May 5, 2014

Cinco de Mayo! Big deal.  What is a big deal is the rising temperatures and the huge amount of stuff going on this week.  Second weeks are always crazy, but this one takes the cake!  Just thinking about it all makes me tired and gives me a headache.

I don't think the heat is helping.  Upon retrieving Jonathan from the airport today, the banks' thermometers were reading 104-106.  The a/c is on, the fans are on, but it's a struggle.

And the poor bunnies are so hot, sprawled in their cages, panting.  However, I had the foresight to freeze water bottles for just this occasion.  They don't sit right on top of them, but with the fan blowing and the icy bottles, it keeps them a little more comfortable.  Keeping them watered is so important, too, as they dehydrate easily.

Ken & I were supposed to go out tonight to Wal-mart (so romantic) to get Jonathan's birthday taken care of.  But, while I was away at water aerobics, he fell asleep on the sofa. (Question: Why wasn't he in his recliner?  That is it's purpose.)  He works so hard and I don't have the heart to wake him up.  He slept until about 8:00, after which he went straight to bed.  I can figure out the birthday; Ken needs the rest.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

The heat continues, but I can't let it slow me down.  For one, I have to make sugar cookie dough, chill it, and then bake it into stars for tomorrow's Talent Show with the Activity Day girls.  Being in charge of refreshments, Analiese voluntold me I needed to make them!

On top of that, I have been busy putting together a resume and a Creative Writing curriculum.  Why?  Because WOSC, the local college, is having a Kids' College this summer and they need classes and instructors.  I felt drawn to it...I like to teach...I like to write...I work well with kids.  I talked to the gentleman in charge last week some about it and have spent the last couple of days working on my proposal.  It's not easy, and I don't have a lots of time since the program starts in June.  It's been a long time since I was in the work force, so I've had to go back and do some digging.  Still, I hope they accept my proposal, because I think it could be fun!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Besides morning lessons, I am frosting cookies this morning.  I need the icing to set before this evening.  I have a great recipe that I used a couple of years ago so that I could sent cookies to Ken in the mail.  They don't get all mushed up that way...and still taste good.  The icing was colored yellow and then Analiese sprayed them with a gold food coloring so they glittered.  They were cute (and tasty - I added a little lemon flavoring to them).

The afternoon was mainly about getting Analiese ready for the Talent Show.  She had to assemble her materials and make last minute adjustments to her costume.  We had dinner in a rush and off we went to the church.

The Talent Show was sponsored by the Activity Day girls, but the Young Men & Women were invited to participate.  It wasn't very long, barely an hour, but was full of fun.  The Young Men did a couple of skits (loosely based on Studio C), some kids played instruments or sang, and the Activity Day Girls wrote an unusual (but cute) skit about Un-super heroes.  Analiese dressed up as "Spider-Bunny" a cross between a rabbit and Spiderman.  She had me paint her face like a rabbit and had rabbit ears and a tail over a Spiderman costume.  They were cute.

But the unusual talent that really stole the show was Analiese.  She decided to take Alice and show everyone what Rabbit Showmanship was.  After the show was over, we were bombarded with rabbit questions...and all the little kids wanted to hold or pet Alice.  I can imagine that several children went home that night to bug their parents about getting a rabbit!   Luckily, Alice is a very patient, even-tempered rabbit and was good with all the attention.  Our other rabbits wouldn't have been quite so nice!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

We had a thunderstorm last night (the crashing and flashing woke me at 3 in the morning), which dropped about .5 inches of rain on us.  Hoorah!

It meant everything was damp and green; you could almost hear the collective sighs of relief from the plants.  I went out in the cool morning to do a little weeding.  How can you wonder why I like gardening so much when the scent of honeysuckle wraps around me and a dove coos in the tree above?

Ken took a half day today and a full day tomorrow (he needs it).  He went with me to one of my Visiting Teacher's home to help her pack up to move back to Indiana.  She has asthma and for some reason Oklahoma does not agree with her.  She's been very ill and can hardly speak.  Poor dear, I hope she gets better rapidly!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Today we have been in Oklahoma for a year. Not all of the foreign-ness has worn off and I can still get lost, even in town, but it is starting to feel comfortable.  I have a better idea of how life goes around here.

Water aerobics tonight was a hoot, as usual.  I don't just go for the exercise; it's a place for gossip, advice, and lots of laughs!

For example, one gal, Donna, is helping me figure out places to take my family.  She has been telling me about this place, Sulphur, which is about an hour and a half away and has springs  and rocks to play on.  Her kids have always loved it.  Anyway, she tells me, "While you're up there, don't forget to get some fried pies."  Me: "Fried pies?  Is there anything you don't fry here in Oklahoma?"  And they all laughed at that.  But it's true.  They fry EVERYTHING here.

I baked Jonathan's birthday cake tonight. He decided on a cake recipe I'd found on Pinterest: blueberry lemon cake with cream cheese frosting.  The recipe makes a three-layer cake, but I put it in a 9x13 pan, since I'm serving it tomorrow and the elders will be here.  Much easier to cut up that way!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

I woke up this morning as Ken walked into the bedroom after his Wal-Mart shift.  He wanted to take me out to an early Mother's Day breakfast.  We went to a local place - Araceli's - where he had hot cakes and I had a Belgian waffle.  It was okay - no IHOP - and I was stuffed.  Ken was decidedly unimpressed.  

Garden club was today and, as I'd forgotten to go last month, very enjoyable.  But the best part was the field trip following; we went to see Barbara's garden!  Barbara is the head of the Garden Club and our super garden Sensai Guru Master.  No, really.  If they ever teach a master gardening class at the extension office, it will be her that teaches it.  

I was in Seventh Heaven.  She has a small farm, but it's her fascinating vegetable garden that awed me.  She grows her veggies in old horse watering troughs.  She also has a stock pond (very small) with fish and turtles in it and a visiting Canadian goose; two Purple Martin houses, complete with purple martins; and a huge chicken coop for her twenty (more?) chickens.  Plus, she has several pecan trees and has really mentored me on how to care for mine.  In fact, one of her trees is a transplant from a sapling on my street...maybe even a child of my tree!  Goodness knows, I'm always pulling up starts out of my boxes!

That extra field trip put me behind time and I had to rush home to make lasagna (Jonathan's choice) and frost the cake.  I did manage to get everything done in time for the elders to come, but I had to hustle!  Still, the birthday boy was happy...with two huge helpings of lasagna and a good size piece of cake (which, by the way, turned out spectacularly!).

Sunday, May 11, 2014

I woke up this morning to a breakfast my daughter had made for me: toast, scrambled eggs, and orange juice.  She was very proud of having done the whole thing herself.  Also, the table had my gifts on it...two pots the kids had decorated for me and flower packet seeds.  Analiese was eager to help me figure out where I could plant them, especially the morning glories.  There's a small piece of chainlink fence between our house and the neighbors and, as chainlink always is, it's unsightly.  So, it's a good idea.

Church was nice and the talks on Mothers Day very touching. I ended up picking up Enriqueta Cruz for church and helping interpret. Actually, she understands a good bit of English.  So, I only had to do a little guiding and show her in the Spanish manual on my iPad where we were in our RS lesson.

Oh! I need to tell you about one of the talks in Sacrament meeting. This sister, speaking of her mother, told us her mother's story about becoming a mom.  At 13 years of age, she was basically traded by her father to a 30-year-old man as his wife for a pick-up!  He was a widower with an eight-year-old son and needed a wife. Her dad lied to the judge about her age, saying she was sixteen.  She gave him five more children, divorced him, remarried, and had two more kids.  Wild!

The rest of my Sunday was peaceful, with an hour-long Skype to my folks in CA. We miss them, but technology makes the world just a little smaller. It's hard to believe you aren't right there with them. Though, as my kids would tell you, they know it's not nearby because they don't have access to Grandma's cooking.  Hey! I'm a good cook, too!