Home of the Brave and the FREE!!!

 M.O. G. Day 8 -      

 Sing it with the beat now - "This is My Country, 

Land that I love...."

 So this morning I voted, 

right after I got the stitches taken out of my heal, which, just so you know, I have been a model patient and you know that being a patient is not really my thing.  

The boot finally gone, but I have to be a little careful, don't ya know?

Still, after the stitch removal ceremony, My Boyfriend and I did our civic duty and voted our conscience, 

which you might guess if you live in our District has been hotly debated. Then went over to 

Subway to get a 

Breakfast flatbread sandwich and 

then looked in on the new iphones (4s, that's right)

 and while there and also now as I think about it, I want to say yay!!! 

WE live in a free country, .....so far.  So let's be Grateful!! 

Last night, we watched and sort of saw me, (in the red shirt, duh, and Rob in a green shirt, meg was in black and Madison in turquoise- upper left if you are facing away from the stage)while watching the taping of The Sing Off. 

 It was so fun to tell Parker the stories of who did and said what, that we sat next to Katie's Parents(Urban Method, awesome solo, right?)and right in back of the Vocal Point delegation, and get his take, remember he was baby sitting Boston for us.  He is such a giver, truly. 

 So my point, (please Peg, the point)  is that we are FREE!  

We are free to Go to the Sing Off, to have surgery if needed, to shop at Subway is we choose and to buy iphones or Droids or whatever we choose and to vote for Russell Pearce or Jerry Lewis according to our own information and ideas. We are free.  I'm grateful to be free.  I hope that I will always take 

FREEDOM 

seriously and do my part for the continuation of the Principles of Freedom and keep my voice heard.  

And now in the spirit of freedom....... I'm gonna bake up some Gingersnaps 

(cause I can!)and send/take them to those who used their freedom to comment yesterday.  Well done you cute people, and 

Let freedom ring!!!
k. and notice how cool the white lettering on red and blue is? good!

37 - It's like, Eternity or something.

Gratitude Day 7  -  And a big number 

 - Start with 2011 and subtract 1974 and what do you get, Math Whizzes?  

That's right, kids,  and that's how long my boyfriend and I have been married, uh... to each other!   Here is the photo to prove it.  

 Remember when we took all those dead trees and hot - glued fall leaves on them for a backdrop? 

It was way cool, I promise.  And we looked great, right?  

Not much different from what we look like now either(in our minds at least).  We drove all the way to Los Angeles, because the Mesa Temple was closed for remodeling, so we claim two Temples as our own.  We like to return to "Our Temple  #1When ever we can on our Anniversary.

 So, how do we do it you ask?  Well, you need some of this.....

 And ignoring a little of this.....

And a whole lot of liking each other in spite of some stuff and because of some stuff.  I'm gonna go out on a little limb and say, "Sure, I would do it all over again." Quote me.  I am Grateful to have a worthy husband and one who is dedicated, kind and helpful.  I am Grateful for our 6 wonderful kids and those who have joined our ranks by marriage and birth. We are proud of each and every one.  Parker(my boyfriend, not grandson) is a great listener and can see good in every person and situation.  He has made making a home for him an easy task, because he is pleased by small and simple things.  He will eat anything I put before him, and there have been a few serious "losers", and some for sure "winners".  He is a fixer.  He gets "it", he makes a great Chocolate Almond Ice cream, though some would argue that his Berry Blend or Nectarine flavors are the winner!

Dang, he's pretty great, right?  Maybe I should keep him.  We took care of that like 37 years ago! 

I'm grateful he's mine and I'm his.

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Now.  A not so new topic........ Today besides being an anniversary,  It's the day that
"The Sing Off"
is being aired that Megan, Rob and Madison and I attended!

This is last week's offering from Vocal Point, a personal fave.  But holy cow, you will love tonight!


Be sure and set your DVR's for it.  There is some great stuff on tonight and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the faces of one or all of us a few times, since there was a camera in our faces(mostly the young/cute ones, who were really enjoying the experience) kind of often.  If we are on the T.V. and you see us, and you make a comment here during the regular airing time of the show.  I just might have to reward you for your effort with some cookies.

 And you know that I have cookies, right?  

Oh sure, I would invite you over to watch with us, but
gee, it's our anniversary,
so I think we will sit on the couch and hold hands(with my leg in the air, that is - stitches come out tomorrow, just in time to vote - I got permission).  

Music - gets me every time.

Month of Gratitude Day 5 and 6.  

 

Sometimes music is such a thrill to me that I cannot explain the profound effect it has on me.  

Think -Here is Hope - from Rob Gardner's Lamb of God available at Spire Music

I am in awe of those who write it, perform it and arrange it and can hear nuance in the harmony, the color, the mood.  I am so Grateful for this dimension of life.   
I can't sit in an auditorium and listen to the overture of a great musical or even a mediocre musical that I have grown to love and not weep in anticipation of the enjoyment to follow.
Think  The Music Man - it never gets old for me.

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." Victor Hugo

I will not belabor the fact that I love good music and even average music sometimes just for being clever or having incredible harmony.  

But to avoid a spoiler alert her is a big hint:  You might want to watch The Sing Off tomorrow night  or tonight if you are reading this on Monday morning for Vocal Point's 2nd number the Country One - oh yeah it's good. I will be watching it with my foot in the air but my heart will be back at Sony Studios and the taping, which I enjoyed with three of the Moffat offspring. Just saying...

But for your enjoyment a couple of my personal favs.

Men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

And I may or may not have found myself weeping at this wonderful program this morning.

Salute to the Armed Services 

C.S Lewis wrote, “Isn’t it funny the way some combinations of words can give you—almost apart from their meaning—a thrill like music?” He must've felt the toward words as I do about Music. 

Fair Weather Friend, Me, but still grateful.

M.O.G. Day 4 - "We could be cold as a dropping Thermometer in December,  if you ask about our weather in July"

Extra point for origin of this line and a point for the actual name of the song.

  I think that after a while I start to take the summer weather here in our fair state personally.  It's true.  That might be why I want to leave for huge periods of the summer.  So, when we get the slightest hint of cooler weather(the actual reason we live here from November to April) we start thinking of what my

 Mom called "Fall Breakfast"*. 

Mom  - approx. the time when Fall Breakfast originated. 

Now, Fall Breakfast, which was totally thought up and executed by Mom was kind of a  carrot to dangle in front of her kids.  She would offer her World Famous Waffles® (see below)and fruit etc.

serving suggestion
 Everybody loved it.  The carrot part was,  earlier in the week,"the boys", as she called her sons,  would be invited to mow and edge the lawn and help set up the tables and chairs etc.  So in that way, the Fall Breakfast was really used to bribe for the eventual reward of the waffles.
Was my mom brilliant?  I think so.
Here's the current dilemma for me... when to have Fall Breakfast this year?  There was a brief few days a couple of weeks ago that we could have tried to have it, but it's a little warmish again now. Well actually it's not hot immediately, the temperature as of this writing is exactly 74 degrees. Not bad, but could be better, right.  Now fast forward to later this afternoon after the very odd Haboob type weather we have had this afternoon, I'm so confused. So I guess, I am a fair weather friend in the truest sense of the word.  I am the weather's friend, when it's fair, or cooler at least.

So how does this diatribe fit in with Month of Gratitude Day 4, you ask?

 Well, I am so grateful that we are having nicer weather today.  Is it perfect? Well no, but it is possible to be outdoors in the middle of the day and not burn your bare feet on the concrete.  It's the perfect temperature for growing fall vegetables and nice rye grass and the best news is you don't have to wear a coat over your halloween costume! Woo Hoo!  So my hat goes off to you Mother Nature for the lovely Fall weather  and to Mom, who taught that good weather needs to be celebrated.  I might just want to throw a Fall Breakfast one of these weekends. Anyone for waffles?

* Actually Origin/Date of the first Fall Breakfast is unknown, but I believe that  Mom was literally relieved when the heat of summer was gone.  The year Dad passed away the weather turned cooler earlier.  By the end of September it was pleasant outside and a cool evening was the norm.  Mom told me one time standing on the back porch as the weather was cooling off, that the cool weather was Heavenly Father's way of showing that he loved us.  She also said she didn't think she could've gone through what she did that year if it had stayed hot longer.  Now as  think about it, a Fall breakfast would be just the ticket.  

 Norma Arnett’s

    Famous Waffles®

    Add:

       2 cups mix

       2 eggs

       1/4 cup oil

       1  1/2 cup water

    Waffle Mix:

        10 cups wheat flour

          4  cups white flour 

          2 cups powdered milk

          8 Tbs. baking powder

          3 teas. salt

          1/2 cup sugar

Tech-no? Well, yes actually!

Month Of Gratitude - Day three.........

I am grateful for technology. 

There I said it.  

I love that I can get on this computer thing, or as my Bro. in law says - "the dot com", and instantly find the recipe for a killer banana bread(actually the best one is Loretta's  - see below), or find out how many cups are in a pound of flour.  

Or, I can go online to search for a pattern to use up one of those cute lil charm packs, or buy more of those cute lil charm packs.  

Oh, and how 'bout checking up on your family who live out of town  by video chatting, eh?

 Yeah that's a fav with me too.  

And how 'bout paying bills online, yup!  Thought so.  

But then, what about the world of iphones?  I love that I can do most of that before mentioned stuff on my phone no less!  Do we live a a great age or what?  I love that my phone can tell me where to go, not in the bad way, but actually keep me from being lost in that great wide world out there.  

It would be good to admit that I find most of the info for teaching/planning/studying for church assignments etc. from lds.org.  Love that.  Watching Conference, studying the talks, reading scriptures, all good on "the dot com".  

But the best of all, is the little ding about 2:30 in the afternoon on Mondays and you check your email and it's a letter from that one cute daughter at the MTC. Holy Cow!

You've Got Mail was never a happier thought than that.  Just think, seconds before, she was folding laundry or something and now we are communicating from 631 miles away in just seconds.  (Wait how do I know that number? Yup! Looked it up, people!  It's right there.)

 What is next for me in the technology field? Ipad?
 Sure, if that happened,  but I would love to learn how to do photoshop like my kids can, design and print and stuff like that.  I still depend on them for alot in the technology world(Can you say screen sharing? Megan and Jacob, what?), cause I am something of an old dog, and you know, new tricks and all.  But still I am grateful for the miracle of technology, and I don't care who knows it!! Heck, one of the miracles of technology is right here, you are reading it.  Me blogging!  Adding photos etc.  Now that, is a miracle!

Banana Bread by Loretta

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. shortening

3 ripe mashed bananas

2 Eggs

1 Tbsp. sour cream

2 C. flour

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C. chopped nuts

Cream together shortening and sugar; add bananas and eggs. Mix well, then add rest of ingredients.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into 2 well greased 8X3X4 inch pans.  Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Yum - seriously try this.  Not kidding.

Modern Medicine M.O.G. Day Two

Yes, I am grateful that I can be the recipient of a little 

Modern Medicine

meds to keep things rolling along
Wait, not that kind, but this kind.... 

My current look in trendy footwear.

I know, I know,  many people that I love have had way worse things to go through medically.  I'm, not complaining,  truly.  I'm grateful that a good friend(Dr. McKay) was able fix my little problem (an ostectomey)and get me on my feet in a few short weeks.  But even with the meds(like, I'm taking the same one House is on) and taking care to keep my foot in the air, it still feels like a long time. I confess, I have watched way too much mindless T.V.
 What I'm most grateful for, is a great Husband/boyfriend, who is taking his role as Dr. Mom seriously, and good friends and family who have called to check up on me and bring me stuff to help the time go faster.  And, that when this time is over, I will be able to wear sneakers again and walk etc. like people. Yaa, I'm grateful.
 

M.O.G. Day One - Sisters

A Month of Gratitude,
O.K. Well, actually 24 days, so that we finish on the Big Kahuna day of Thanks,  

Thanksgiving Day!!  

 Woot, Woot!! I love this month.  It is so full of days with all kinds of celebrations that I love.  (spoiler alert) Anniversaries, Birthdays, Weddings, Baptisms,  new locations for missionary daughters etc. So I thought I would just do a 'lil journal type thing in honor of the month......

So Day One - I am Grateful for.... (wait for it)

Sisters

All of them, for sure, but  today I am especially thankful to have this sister.  

Glenna.  Cause it's her Birthday and I'm glad she was born.

Glenna, laughing it up with the Brothers

Happy Birthday Glenna!    

So this sister, one of 4, really wonderful sisters, lives close enough to me that we get to see each other often, a huge blessing to me.  She brings me a Diet Coke® when it's a bad day(or like yesterday when my foot was in the air). She gives me permission to speak freely and is a great listener.  She is an inspiration for all kinds of events and fun things, cause she knows how to party, and so does her whole bunch.  She can even grant you more points on Weight Watchers®! True story.  Ask Mac.  She is an expert quilter and does beautiful work with her hands, like you should see her beautiful embroidery.  And one of the coolest things about her is that she actually finishes her stuff.  I have maybe 5(that I counted) or more projects that I started to copy of hers yet hers are finishes and hanging and mine are still being created spiritually. 

She is full of fun and has a ready smile and is liked by everyone.  But the best thing about my sister, is that she is the "real deal".  She gets me, you know, that way that sisters do, when you finish each other's sentences and just know when to comfort  or to bring you back to reality, and does both with a smile on her face. Really, she has so much of Mom in her and is not just a sister, but my dearest friend. I'm not gonna tell you how old my sister is, but you should call her and wish her much joy on her Birthday. And when you do tell her that I went in on the call.  Happy Birthday, Glenna - I'm grateful you are my sister!