EXPLORING

ANIMAL ANTICS

The squirrel situation is almost out of control. They are everywhere! Is this an omen of a bad winter? I see them scampering all over the grass, running out in the road (I almost hit one this week; I saw him out of the corner of my eye as he dashed in front of the van) and pretty much everywhere.

Skunks have been fully present, too. Monday, Ken complained of the house smelling like skunk. I didn't really notice it until we'd returned from grocery shopping when it practically smacked me in the face! And it was worse on the west side of the house. I could have swore they sprayed right there! You could practically taste it! So my candle warmer is going full blast trying to counteract eau de skunk. Even after several days. Potent.

The rabbits have their turn with their end-of-summer molt. Pom has been particularly brutal with fur everywhere. I got fur in my right eye one evening and ended up putting eye drops in it. Come to find out, the drops had expired. How did I know? After a bit, that eye got blurry. I went to look in the mirror...my eye had dilated to twice the size of the left. It didn't quit even when I went to bed. I prayed that night that my eye would be okay in the morning...I swear I'm trying to blind myself one way or another!

Then I decided to brush Pom on Friday afternoon. You see, rabbits don't vomit like cats or dogs so if they ingest a lot of fur it could mean surgery or death. It was nice outside, with a little breeze, so I took her out there to let the wind take away the fur. I think I brushed enough to stuff a toy animal her size! And, I was coated with fur; I had to change my clothes. Yes, my eyes were irritated, too. Maybe I should wear goggles when I groom her?

FOR THE RECORD: TALKING ABOUT TEETH

I want you to know, I have great oral hygiene. I brush, I floss, I rinse, sometimes I even water pick. Every day, all of it, and twice a day with brushing. Sometimes I even floss more, if I eat something that gets stuck (meat, lettuce, popcorn).  So my teeth aren't gross and you'd think they'd be darn near perfect.

That being said...I had to go to the dentist Tuesday. They were going to take off the old chipped crown on the right, take impressions for a new one, and put on a temporary. Also, the tooth in front of it had a cavity, so they were going to take care of it at the same time. Starting at 8:00 a.m. No walk, no stress relief, and no short visit. Goodie.

It was three hours of pretty much hell. They started with the front tooth. The shot didn't take at first, so they gave me a second one in the cheek and a THIRD one in the tongue (so weird). As the dentist worked, he muttered to his assistant that it was a deep one. Terrific. That took a bit of extra work.

When it came time to remove the old crown, though, it wouldn't come off!!! They chipped and drilled at the cement, finally TUGGING and YANKING on it! Even with a bite block on the left, both jaws ached so bad I was on the verge of tears. I ended up asking for an analgesic, which they gladly gave me. My whole body was stiff from tensing up and trying so hard to stay still in the midst of the tooth tug-of-war; I was exhausted when it was over. I'd been in a battle!

I ate soft stuff the rest of the day, on the left side only. My numbed tongue kept getting stuck in my teeth on the right and I kept biting on it! Later in the evening, Analiese hugged me, snuggling up to the right side of my jaw. I jumped! It was very tender and still was the next day.

YOUNG WOMEN IN EXCELLENCE

Even though the majority of the day was a soggy raining-cats-and-dogs sort of day, there was still YW Wednesday at the church. They had invited the whole branch, but in particular the families of the YW for an evening talking about the YW program and the things the girls had been doing for their Personal Progress.

This was a big night for Analiese because, as part of one of her value projects for PP, she was organizing and conducting the evening's events. She'd' been working on it for a few months at least; everything from the decorating, to the speakers

, to the music and the presentations, including a slide presentation she made of photos from the last year of YW. She's been busy. 

It turned out lovely. Each girl had her own table to decorate and display her achievements. Analiese brought Alice (in her carrier) since - in her own words - Alice is an on-going project. The younger kids loved that!

ROCK ISLAND ART FESTIVAL

I don't know why it's called that.

It's an art festival, held by the Chickasha Arts Council every year for a weekend. One of my seminary students had some art displayed there, so after Jonathan got off of work Friday, we all headed down to the old train depot by the BSNF tracks

on the east of town where the event was to be held.

Besides the art (both displayed and for sale), there were activities for kids, live music (in the evenings), a bicycle race on Sunday, and a food truck competition. I must confess, we had a weak moment at the kettlecorn truck. We came away with dill pickle popcorn (really quite good) and caramel apple corn (a mixture of caramel and spiced apple popcorns).  It would have been nice to stay longer, but we had the sisters coming to dinner, so we had to leave after an hour.

Friday, I got birthday presents from CA BFF ME! (CODE LOL)

PAWHUSKA

First off, I haven't had a day "off," girls day trip sort of day for a LONG time. But Janet (Altus, used-to-be-boss) and I have had Saturday on our calendars for several weeks to go out to the eastern part of the state (somewhere between OKC and Tulsa, near the Kansas border) and visit this little town.

Very into buffalo here!

It's claim to fame? Ree Drummond: Food Network's The Pioneer Woman. Her family owns a ranch out there and her fame, including several cookbooks (I have used a few of her recipes, including for pecan pie), has brought this town to light. It is also the capital of the Osage nation

, so we got a little culture in our day, too.

It's not a short trip. Poor Janet had the first hour-and-a-half leg coming to get me, then it was another three hours to get to Pawhuska. At least, that's what it should have been. The roads and signs were 

wacky and unclear at times. We had to get off just past a toll, but the exit was right on top of the toll on the right and the PikePass reader was all the way on the left. We ended up driving nearly another hour to get off (28 miles to the next exit) and through a bunch of small towns

Fun fact we learned on a pit stop in Pawnee, OK.

to reach Pawhuska.

We didn't let it get to us, though. The day was overcast, not too cool, and so very pleasant. We managed to score a parking spot right across from the Mercantile - Ree's store.

It's mainly kitchen stuff, but there are some clothes and kids' stuff, too. I was a bit overwhelmed by it all! 

We wanted to eat after a bit and there's a cafe connected to the Mercantile. But the line goes all the way down the block past her Bed & Breakfast and across the road from the Triangle building, which she's turning into a hotel. Crazy! We weren't sure we wanted to wait in that huge line,

Huge line down below. Triangle building is to the right.

so we saw a fire-oven pizza place across the street and went up the (steep) stairs to it on the second floor. Turns out, it is owned by Ree, too!

But, wow, was it ever awesome! It had some gourmet pizza and I never thought I'd try something like that in my lifetime, but it was so delicious! We ordered two small pizzas - fig and prosciutto with arugula on top

and their steakhouse pizza that had sliced steak (remember the ranch) with steak and peppercorn sauce.

I cannot tell you which was my favorite because they were both so good. I did later, however, find the recipe for the fig and prosciutto pizza. A teensy bit sweet, but wonderful. I have to try that again! I had an amazing blackberry (real, not fake) lemonade and we had a lemon-raspberry trifle in a ball jar for dessert.

Stuffed, but the best kind ever!

After that, we did some walking up and down the main street across from the mercantile. There was some interesting architecture

City hall

City hall as seen from bakery on 2nd floor of Mercantile.

, art,

and kitchy shops

Buffalo grill!

Otter skin

Happy pig planter (I really liked him). Sorry it's sideways.

Never seen a live rabbit this color!

. I think my favorite was the Osage shop that had these amazing story blankets (each one has designs in it that tells a story) and the most exquisite (and expensive) shawl. It was cool to learn a little about the Osage tribe.

Then we went back to the Mercantile and upstairs to the bakery and coffeeshop. Lots of goodies there, but we were still too full to be tempted. Still, it had a great view of the street down below. All of these enterprises of Ree's are done in renovated buildings, that she's preserving the old style in. They are really neat to look at.

Then decision time had come. We couldn't stay forever and I had to find some little thing to get to take home. It was not easy. I like expensive stuff (see the shawl above) but I have a little budget. I ended up with a spoon rest

Funny, huh?

and a ceramic set of measuring cups designed like owls (display, not use!).

So cute!

We got it right coming home and made good time. I think my favorite part of the trip was just being able to talk and catch up with Janet. For a while, I haven't felt like I could get super close to anyone in OK because of my fabulous BFFs in California. But Saturday, I could say for sure that Janet is my OK BFF. I can't believe how much I've missed working with her...and it wasn't just the library, though I loved that, too. You never know who you're going to meet on the path of life. I am grateful for the friends God has given me!

Janet gave me this set of measuring cups as a birthday present. She knew I had a hard time choosing between sets!

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME IN SEPTEMBER

Southern, Not Southern
I've already kind of established the Oklahoma state of things. It's kind of southern, but not 100%. Other southern states kind of sneer at OK; it's like the red-headed step-child of the south. Yes and no. But Okies are pretty certain that they ARE southern. In fact, they go to extraordinary lengths to convince the rest of the world - in particular the southern part - that they are through-and-through southern.

I have tried to be a fairly "when in Rome" sort of person, trying to fit into the strange spaces of my 5-years-new part of the U.S. However, I do draw the line at certain things. So, in the interest of this cultural expansion of mine, here are my Southern Dos and Don'ts:

Southern Do's

• "Y'all." It just comes; it's nearly impossible to fight. It's soft and unintrusive and very warm and welcoming, for the most part. Besides, I couldn't really mock it after I heard a native Okie mock the California "Dude." That sounded undeniably moronic and I had no defense. Note, however, that I don't do "All Y'all". There, my California comes out and it's "you guys." Neither sound terrific; maybe I need to move to another dialectic region.
• "Bless Your/Her/His/Their Heart". This phrase, as of late, has taken on a negative connotation, wishing ill will while sounding sympathetic and kind. However, I've heard people use the phrase meaning nothing but the best. I've said it, unconsciously, meaning the better one, but afterwards felt uncomfortable. What if they thought I meant it the mean way?
• Dr. Pepper. To be honest, I was raised on DP (and Squirt), so I had no issues joining in the DP love that abounds all throughout the state. Chain food establishments that would normally not offer it (sometimes proffering the terrible replacement, Mr. Pibb), all carry it here. A lot of people think Coke is a Southern thing, but not in OK. We're next door to Texas, and our southern cousins there practically insert DP in I.V.s! I call it the Elixir of Life. I have yet to have a native refute me!

Not Southern

• Fried foods. Seriously, they fry everything here. Fried pickles, fried pies, chicken-fried bacon, fried okra, etc. Okra, by the way, is the worst. And, it's the thing that is easiest to grow in the OK garden. Go figure. The chicken-fried aspect of frying is also very popular here. No can do. My stomach just hurts thinking about it.
• Sweet tea. Also known as iced tea to the rest of the world, this is as popular, if not more so, than DP. This is a no-brainer, though. Word of Wisdom. Easy choice. It's boiled, then chilled, grass water anyway. Yuck!
• Bib overalls. Maybe it's more of a out-in-the-country, farmer fashion. But I wouldn't use the word fashion here. It's terrible, with a shirt, and the stuff of nightmares without it!
• Cowboy hats, boots, and giant belt-buckles. Buckles - like I want anyone paying a lot of attention to my middle section. I don't look good in hats and cowboy hats make me feel just a little like an interloper and a fake. Cowboy boots look funny and they're the most uncomfortable footwear someone with plantar fasciatus, high arches and toes that don't want to be scrunched can bear. 
• Football. I'm just not a sports person. But around here, local and college football are HUGE. Everyone either supports OU or OSU and never the twain shall mix! Don't get in a debate with the two, either, it can get bloody.
• Camo, hunting, and dogs. I think it's just a matter of where I was raised; I've never handled a gun. Analiese is allergic to dogs. Plus, camo is just plain ugly, as is the orange safety gear they make you wear with it - ouch! My eyes! Include fishing here, too.

Maybe Southern

• Pecans. Since they're everywhere. I like them. I make pies. I use them in cooking. Waste not, want not. 
• Lousy parking. NOT A VIRTUE. But people here are the worst at parking. When I do a lousy job myself I wonder if I should be proud that I'm fitting in or embarrassed because surely I know better. Parking can get pretty creative.

You say it's my birthday?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wednesday was my birthday. What? How rude...you never ask a lady how old she is! Very funny, I do TOO look like a lady!

I made my birthday cake Sunday afternoon because Ken was sick. He did the frosting on Monday, though. I was trying out a new Pinterest recipe. It bombed. The cake was dense and heavy, like a pound cake and the frosting was overwhelming.

Fred did not care for the cake, either.

It had 4 1/2 sticks of butter plus four 7 oz. cups of marshmallow fluff. Not repeatable. 

We had my birthday dinner Monday since that was when everyone would be around. Ken put a beef roast in the crockpot and we had it shredded on onion rolls. Yum! My favorite! We don't have that sort of thing very often because beef is outrageously expensive.

I got some facial mask things from Ken and a squishy (think stress ball) elephant from Analiese.

I've named him Fred. Analiese said he was for all the good memories. He is funny and I use him to make memes to remind my Seminary kids to do things.

Gotta love Fred!

Jonathan's gift came later in the week, since he'd ordered it online. It's a new apron. I haven't had one in years and the old one is falling apart. I was glad to get it! 

I got rid of - excuse me, shared - more of my cake at Seminary Wednesday morning. Some ate it, some didn't. I told them it didn't hurt my feelings. I told the sister missionaries the same thing on Friday when they came to dinner. I only ever had that one piece on Monday.

I have a little birthday outing planned for Saturday, the 29th, that I'll tell you about later!

Trying not to hit things

It's not a matter of getting old. It's a matter of critters and people being in places they shouldn't! The squirrels have all gone crazy Kamikaze, running around collecting nuts and acorns. Coming home from Church on Sunday, we nearly ran over three! 

Then there are the neighborhood dogs. Some are strays, some aren't. I'm so tempted to take off all of their collars and call animal control. There are two in particular who like to chase cars, a certain death sentence. I found the owner for one, but I wanted to tell her she needed to keep her dog locked up in the yard. That is, if she didn't want a flat dog.

And she was parked cross ways in the street yesterday. With her car door open. Trying to convince said yippy little Chihuahua dog (Tiny) to get in her vehicle, when he obviously wanted to chase my van. She had to move her car so I could get through. Not even telling you what went and is going through my mind. I think humans are the worst of the street creatures to deal with, and the most dangerous!

Party Time!

Saturday evening, in Blanchard, at the ward there, was a dance party. They had invited some wards and our branch to come. Analiese, who LOVES to dance, really wanted to go and I thought it would be fun to go as a family. Blanchard lies between us and Norman, closer to Norman. It was a 30 minute drive.

The bishop's wife there was with me in the cabin at Girls Camp. She was so excited to see me there. I also saw a few Seminary students, current and last year. We have a pregnant sister in our branch who was there with her husband and kids. She's not due until February, but she was dancing like she was two weeks late!

And yes, we danced. I got to dance with my husband and son during slow songs, and with my daughter for the fun ones. That is, when I wasn't tuckered completely out! She hardly ever stopped; but she had a good time!

Analiese and BF Savannah

Jonathan dancing with a VERY young lady!

Would somebody control these two???

More Photos of the week:

Young Women had a Celestial Marriage activity Wednesday and invited the mothers.

Savannah and Analiese prove that marriage is serious business!

What a way to scare your mother...dress up like a bride!

NATURE HAS ITS WAY

Don't Mess with Mother Nature
The squirrels, the geese and the oak trees, at least, think that Autumn is upon us. The furry little idiots (trust me, squirrels are NOT bright) are busy carting acorns - pecans come later - back and forth to their hidey holes in trees or burying them in the ground. With the latter, they will totally forget where they put them and then we'll have to deal with the sprouts in the Spring.

More Canadian geese are coming to visit the park and the pond as they work on their migration to wherever it is they mostly go for the winter. We do have some who will remain here; apparently Chickasha is a hip place to over-winter. Analiese and I got a kick out watching a flock come out of the pond...each in turn in a row, one behind the other. From there, they climbed up the banks and across a path down into a lower area to graze. The funniest part was when a guy came walking down the path. Two of the geese acted as crossing-guards, stopping the others coming up from the pond, until the gentleman passed. I so regret not having my phone for the video!

The oak trees are busy putting up their fall bounty.

We love the view from our dining room window! Often, we see the squirrels running around.

At first, it appeared like fuzzy green balls on the branches. Then the acorns popped out. Yes, they are acorns, and eventually I'll get a picture of one. Ken didn't think they were because they are big and fat unlike the scrawny things you see out in Calif. These are robust acorns! And when the wind blows, they drop down on our roof (conveniently on the part where Analiese studies and I work on Seminary) with rather loud "THUNK!"

We had a dew-free morning on Wednesday and decided to walk through the grass to the pond path. BIG MISTAKE! Because of recent rains, there were a lot of toadstools and we decided to have a little fun, trying to field kick them across the lawn! First of all, Analiese kicked a big one right into my rear, onto my black skirt (yes, I go walking in my Seminary church clothes, I just switch out my shoes for tennis shoes!), making a mess all over. When we stopped at the park amphitheater so I could brush off the fungi, we noticed another, not-at-all-nice surprise. Burrs, that the locals call goats' heads were clinging to the back of my skirt and all over our shoes and laces! They are tiny but devilish! They hurt and stick to practically anything (though we have hypothesized that the geese's rubbery legs aren't bothered by them) and our fingers were soon smarting. So then we looked for sticks so we could pry them off. We at least had two dozen each on us! And, I found one I missed the next day when I went to lace up my shoes. Ouch! I guess this was nature karma for 'shroom kicking!

I was talking with someone in my yard on Wednesday, when, from out of the field across the road lumbered a skunk. (NOTE: Skunks are nocturnal. To see one in the daytime means that Mr./Ms. Stinky is not healthy, which is a problem in it's own right.) Then, a few paced behind it, skulked a mangy cat. Now, I always thought that nasty beast was just a neighborhood roamer, but a neighbor two yards down said it was hers (then keep that thing off of my porch and out of my yard!). Both the neighbor and myself tried shooing the cat away from the skunk, but we didn't dare get too close. Not that it did any good, the cat refused to quit hunting. Eventually both cat and skunk went into another neighbor's back yard, but since I did not sense any lingering odor later, I assume that Mangy Thing did not get Mr. Stinky. What a relief!

NOT Stinky bunnies...Analiese just likes holding them. PomPom is a really cuddler.

Alice is more independent, though, and not fond of Analiese holding her

Plus, the weather has been so unpredictable. The first part of the week wasn't terribly uncomfortable, low eighties. But Friday went all the way up to 93! Not at all nice (especially when you find out what I decided to do that day). Then, I kid you not, I went to look at the weather first thing Saturday morning. The WC said clear skies, a little bit cooler. By 11 a.m., when Jonathan took Analiese to TB for a work shift, it began to rain. And not little sprinklies, either. Full out, fill-the-reservoirs, flood-the-neighborhoods rain. Luckily, it quit by the time I went to a RS activity by 2 p.m., though it was a warm and close as a sauna. Maybe I'm starting to feel a little sympathy for the weathermen...how can you keep up with that?

Autumn Desires
People get so hopeful when September rolls around here, even though they fully know that there will be no significant cooler/comfortable-r temperatures until later October-early November. They are dressing their porches with Fall decor and there are pumpkins in Walmart.

I must say, I fall prey to these wishes myself. I couldn't help it, but Monday, I made split pea soup. I wanted soup (and soup weather) so bad! It was good, but the weather wasn't quite cool enough to make it the absolute wonder that it usually is.

Then, I decided, for the RS activity Saturday, that I was going to take doughnuts. Last year, for my birthday, I had purchased doughnut pans.

I've never had the chance to use them, what with house work and moving, and such. I was determined to try this recipe I found for Lemon sugar baked doughtnuts.

It really wasn't hard - the worst part was grating lemon rind for six teaspoons worth! (eye roll, please) But it was also too warm - remember the 93 degree day? I was sweating something awful. They turned out beautifully...and tasted heavenly! See, after they bake, you dip them in butter and lemon-sugar.

The lemon sugar is sugar infused with the lemon rind and - oh my! - it is wonderful!

Bet you'd like a bite!

My Teeth...the Saga Continues
Sunday evening of last week, I felt something weird in my mouth. Sandy, gritty, on the right side. I clamped down my teeth carefully and met with a spongy feeling - not good. Then, all of a sudden, something strange was wedged between my teeth. I tried with my fingers to dislodge it, but eventually resorted to flossing in that area. Come to find out, an old crown had a chunk out of it and that was the foreign object causing discomfort. Funny thing, though, the rest of the crown had a sharp edge on it and it didn't bother me at all!

So, I saved the chunk and, on Monday, called the dentist. I had an appointment Tuesday to put a new crown on the latest re-root canal on the bottom left. Did they have time to also see to the new issue on the right? SIGH.

The crown went on smoothly and quickly. The other, well, the dentist sanded down the sharp edges and said we needed to replace it (fortunately, no root canal needed this time) right away. So, next week...new impressions, new temporary. I feel very betrayed by my mouth right now.

Sweet Service
I'll end on a happier note. Seminary this week has been very full of the Spirit. I love these kids and they bring so much to the class! The other day, I was sharing a personal story and it hit me...these kids were all looking at me and listening, really listening, to what I had to say. That's a big responsibility!

Besides feeding the sister missionaries this week, which we always do, I was able to go with them to visit an investigator and talk to him about the Apostasy and Restoration of the Gospel. Having studied that not too long ago in Seminary, I had it on my mind and felt good about contributing.

The Saturday RS activity was all about Family History Indexing. I hadn't done it in about a year, but I have done it, so I was asked to help people get going on it. I was able to bring some laptops and my shaky expertise to help a couple of sisters who came. I even did some work myself on the intermediate level. I've never gone beyond beginner before! Oh, and they loved my doughnuts, too!

SOGGY IN SEPTEMBER

NEWS ON THE TB FRONT
This was Ken's last week at the Chickasha store (that's what they call them). As of next week, he will be working in OKC at a TB just NW of the airport, about 45 minutes away. No, we're not moving. So this week he spent his time with the new Chickasha manager, teaching him the ropes. He even took Saturday off, which didn't seem to matter much since they ended up being closed (no hot water, very important!).

We don't know much about this new place. Ken looked at their stats, though, and they are in the same fix that Chickasha TB was before he came. So that's what my husband is. A fixer.

IT'S BEEN A WET WEEK
The clouds were teasing us at first; gray and full, they'd only spit little sprinkles down occasionally. It maybe would rain a little at night. It rained when I went up to Norman Tuesday

Owie! They took blood for my food allergy test! Big FAT needle and a lot of blood!

, but was a mere nothing by the time I got home. Wednesday, it contrarily waited to come down until the middle of Analiese & my post-Seminary

My new motto to encourage scripture reading in Seminary!

walk. But Friday it began to threaten us with something more. We went to Seminary, watching lightning streak across the clouds. I told Analiese that we wouldn't walk: I had no desire to walk under all those trees during a lightning storm! As it was, on the way home the rain began in earnest and by the time Ken was leaving for TB, it was sheeting down. Very soggy.

The nice thing about it all has been cooler temperatures. It was down in the eighties for most of the week. Sunday was mid-seventies and very enjoyable! I even was motivated on Thursday to bake cookies. In homage to the Autumn we all hope and pray for, I made gingersnaps! Oh, they smell heavenly and taste even better! Watch out, Cookie Monster!

SCHOLASTIC PURSUITS
Jonathan went over some stuff about the BYU-I Pathways program with the missionaries over it. He starts on the 17th. I think he's eager and ready to go. Time to move his life forward.

Analiese took the ACT on Saturday at USAO. She's only a sophomore and it's her first time, so it was kind of a testing-the-waters sort of thing. She felt very confident about the reading and writing sections; I did not find this surprising. But...she grimaced a bit when I asked her about the math. We'll look at the scores when they come and if she needs to, she'll take the test again, with probably a bit more study. We did this early, though, so that she has time to retake it before she needs those scores. Before next year, for sure, when she enrolls in the concurrent enrollment program for high schoolers at USAO! Two birds, one stone!

Pom is being very affectionate. Analiese says it tickles!

NEW FORMAT

I received a couple of comments about last week's blog. Basically, people like the format better. Probably an improvement on the old dry day-by-day thing. So I'm going to do it with thematic paragraphs instead for a bit and see how it goes. Let me know what you think, okay?

Smelly Seminary
So the new carpet was installed in the completed construction area Tuesday. I didn't see it first as much as smell it. The fumes were horrible! I imagine it's from what adhesive they used, but you could even smell it BEFORE you opened the doors! I gagged on it going inside and by the end of Seminary on Wednesday, had a king-sized odor-related headache. Please tell me this whole construction thing is OVER!

Friday's lesson in Seminary was the best ever so far. We were talking about Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates and beginning the work of translation. The Spirit bore such amazing testimony as the need for prophets, the priesthood, and saving ordinances. I always feel so much lighter when I've had a spiritual class; I was floating that day!

Walk Walk Walk
Analiese and I walked every (business) day this week. We walked around the park pond right after Seminary. On Tuesday, we had to share the path with the USAO's mens and womens cross-country athletes. We parted like the Red Sea each time we heard the beat of running feet behind us.

I wonder how the trees will change as the weather gets colder. Which will change colors, and what colors will they have? There are a few evergreens (OK doesn't grow many), but the majority of the trees there will change somehow. I'll miss the green wisteria vines and the wildflowers by the pond's edge this winter. But I won't miss the heat!

We've been busy naming creatures again. To remind me it's a crane, I've named the local crane at the pond Fraser. No, I don't know if it's a boy or girl. Though I told Analiese that if it had a pal - boy, girl or whatever - it would have to be Niles! LOL! There's a large group of ducks that lately have been sprawled over one grassy area grazing like cows. We call them the Quack Pack. We find ways to entertain ourselves.

TB
...is TB is TB is TB. Ken had to go there on Monday and work. I'd planned his birthday dinner for that night (Tuesday was his actual birthday).

B-Day card from his In-Laws

Scary candy dish? (He loves Halloween)

Favorite game from the Family Reunion - so we gifted him one!

Jonathan had a magnet photo made of the two of them!

Dinner got postponed; we ended up having it Wednesday. Thursday, he and Analiese were there by ten and, with Jonathan at Walgreens, I was all alone. Friday I played TB yo-yo, going there after Seminary to get him change; going back around 11 to give him straws stored in our back room; going back at 3 after picking up Jonathan to go get him some MORE change. See what I mean about being a yo-yo?

Etc.
Walmart has been changing around their grocery area and are driving me nuts! Monday, I actually got upset enough with the insanity of their so-called logic made me want to scream! Instead, at one point I exclaimed loudly: "You've got to be kidding me!" Why? The cereal was on the same aisle as the soup! And the granola bars and poptarts were over by the chips and bulk items. Who's screwy idea is that?

I spent several hours on Wednesday making a Black Forest cheesecake for a family at church. I had promised it to them a long time ago but delays - first, they had my cookbook and took a while making a decision and second, I had to find time to do it - put it off until now. I wasn't really thrilled to bake on a 90+ degree day, but I didn't want to put it off any longer. And it looked and smelled great (tasted good, too, I heard later)!

Friday, Analiese and I cleaned up our desk areas. She starts school next week and I had Seminary stuff all over. It needed a good going through.

My area - trust me, it's an improvement!

Analiese's area, ready to go for school (yes, my Seminary binder is TEMPORARILY there!).

Ken's side, where he does TB stuff. Yeah, those are my markers. I'll put them away I promise!

Opened my big mouth in RS Sunday. It was brainstorming - I mean, council - Sunday. We're still learning the ministering ropes, as it were, and they had us talking about ideas of all sorts:

• Getting the YW involved
• Getting to know each other better
• Finding ways to involve less-active sisters
• Helping lonely people with no families at nursing homes
• Etc.

Somehow...I made the suggestion about freezer meal parties. So guess who's in charge of getting that going? Everyone thought it was a great idea. The RS President said she's working on learning to delegate...and she did! My homework is cut out for me as I research what's involved and how we can do it. As Ken says, It serves me right!