Stormy Day

This was the view from my driveway when I got home from work today. The wind blew all day yesterday and then really picked up last night. This morning it started pouring rain and continued most of the day. We did get some hail this afternoon and as you can see snow in the mountains.

When I walk out of work this afternoon you could smell and feel the change in the weather. I think it will be safe to say that those 80 & 90 degree days are a thing of the past. I am happy to see the cooler weather finally get here.

I can't wait until the leaves start to turn. They already have in the higher elevations but it seems that Brigham is a little behind when it comes to the fall colors.

It looks like I'll have a little more to do at work. Jade is our UPC clerk but because they are streamlining the offices to get our hours in line I will be doing her job also. They gave us 60 days to make the change but Jade is going to be going out on maternity leave the end of January and Bob said he was going to talk to Mark (Market Manager) and tell him that we were keeping Jade where she is until then.

That means I need to learn her job. She has taught me some of it but I need to really learn it so I feel comfortable taking it over when she goes. I will miss her and then I really will have no one to talk to. I told Bob if he was going to do that, I needed better radio reception in my office. Most days I can hardly get a station in without having to keep my hand on the antenna. This makes it a little hard to do my job.

I try to remember to bring some of my CDs to listen to but sometimes I'm lucky to get myself to work on time without slowing down to grab them. If I get desperate and Jeremy (APC) is at work I call him because he always has some music in his little office for me to borrow.

My home teacher Chris came by this evening and took away my old broken box springs that have been in my carport since my birthday. Now I don't look so white trash. If I only could get rid of the dog house that is still in the driveway (are you reading this Leslie?). :)

What can I say?

I've been trying to think all day of some exciting or witty things to write about in my update. Nothing has come to mind.

It was your basic get up everyday, go to work, work, come home from work, eat, and go to sleep and start all over the next day all week long. Now that I am no longer in personnel I never have good stories about what people are doing. The only time I see anyone is when they poke their head in my window to say hi.

I really don't like my new job. I never get to be around people and it is really boring. I do the same thing every day. It's too easy. No stimulation. But at least I have a job which is more than what most people have now a days. For that I'm grateful. They have been having to cut our hours for the last couple of months. Between the new South Logan store opening up and the current economy sales have been down. So my budget has gotten a little tight lately.

Thursday I went out to Leslie's to help with the kids. She had a doctors appointment and wasn't going to get back in time to take Cambria to dance. So I ran out after work. I helped both Braxton and Cambria with their homework. Gunner was at Tanya's (Leslie's sister-in-law). After Les came home she dropped off Gunner and had to go do someones nails. Gunner fell asleep in my arms so I just sat there holding him. They are just too cute and cuddly to put down when they are sleeping.

After I left Leslie's I ran to my Know Your Religion class. Got there just in time. I had called Carol and told her to save me a seat, glad I did because it was a full house. Brother Droubay gave a great lesson. I actually learned a few things that were in the scriptures that were a comfort to me. I took pages of notes and I am learning a lot.

Jamie called when I got home. Jax had ridden a bike. Now I know you are all wondering what the big deal is. Jax is 10 and of course he should be able to ride a bike. Well we have been trying to get him to ride a bike since he was 3. One of his bikes sat in my carport until we got rid of it and he never rode it. He just flat out refused to ride. He would ride his scooter and was very good on it but would not even try to ride a bike.

Finally Jamie bribed him and after he considered it for a while he got on Trevon's bike and just started to ride. He acted like he had been doing it all along. Jamie had even called Johnny to see if Jax had been riding a bike when he was with him. All Johnny could say is that he wished he had been there to see it.

Jax was very proud of himself and now Jamie can't get him to stop. Poor Trevon might never get to ride his bike again. The other thing is it is a bike for a 4 year old and Jax is 10 so it is a little small for Jax but he doesn't seem to care.

Yesterday I went to the General Relief Society broadcast. Our stake had a dinner beforehand. It was fun talking to all my friends. They had a salad bar, fresh bread sticks and cookies. The broadcast was good.

I went with Carol and Jackie. In the first talk they talked about all the things the Relief Society President was responsible for. Jackie leaned over to me and said she was glad it wasn't her and I agreed. But Carol is the president and now we know just how much is on her shoulders.

Today the Primary put on their annual program. They did great and were even very reverent while it was going on. But afterwards, oh my, the kids in my class acted like the were sitting on ant hills.

Jackie and Trina (my visiting teachers) came by this afternoon and visited. They are so much fun to talk to. Then my home teachers Alex and Chris came by.

I finished the book "City of Bones" and have started the next book in the trilogy "City of Ashes" this week

Lazy Sunday

Yesterday Leslie and Paul went out to dinner so the kids came over to stay with me. We had the usual mac and cheese and the some popcorn later. Now that school has started they are full of stories about what they have been doing.

They decided that my old mattress makes a great trampoline. Gunner is really into building things with blocks. Cambria set up a beauty salon and was doing all the cabbage patch dolls hair. Braxton was just happy watching cartoons.

Gunner has a new phrase when ever a commercial for toys comes on. He points and says "buy it that me". I thought he was too young to start that up.

I woke up about 3am to thunder, but when I got up at 6:30 it was clear but there were puddles in my driveway.

This morning I went to church. Today was the day the choir had to sing. We combined the choir with the YM/YW. They sang "We Ever Pray For Thee". They filled ALL at he choir seats. It was awesome! I am so lucky to be able to work with Rhonda, she is so inspired.

For Primary once again we practiced the program that we will be putting on next Sunday. We didn't have choir practice today so I was home right after the meetings were over.

It has been a perfect day and I took a book and a lawn chair out and put it under my maple tree in the front yard. The mountains are practically in my front yard so I have a great view. Up towards the top the trees are starting to turn. A little bit of a breeze was blowing, just right for reading a good book. I've started reading "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare. I'm borrowing the series from Megan at work.

I haven't had to go to the library in ages. There are quite a few readers at work and we all have been sharing our books with each other. It's great, our break room looks like a reading room. Everyone is reading on their breaks and lunches. I usually go to lunch with Megan, and Connie and Megan's brother Conly. We always bring our books but if Conly is with us he doesn't let us read so the book I read at work takes me forever to get through.

I want everyone to notice the music by Paul Cardall. I discovered his music quite by accident a few years ago. I was in a book store looking around and there was a display of piano books by Paul. I had never heard of him before but I looked through the book and I liked what I saw so I bought it. I took it home and started playing the pieces. I fell in love with his music. It's one of those connection things, I just connected with what he wrote. I looked him up on the Internet and started buying his Cd's and piano books.

I play a lot of his pieces for musical numbers in Sacrament meeting. He just doesn't arrange and compose religious music, he also composes pop/new age/instrumental music. One of the things I like about him is that when he works on religious music he does a lot of collaborations with other Christian musicians other than LDS musicians. If you click on the song "Grateful" from his CD Songs of Praise you'll hear Steele Crosswhite on guitar and vocals.

He was born with a bad heart and for over a year now has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant. He has not been able to do much with his music but if you want to read some inspirational stuff, read his blog. His faith is amazing. Anyway just this month he received his new heart. So far he is doing great and is getting ready to come home.

I am a member of his Street Team and we are celebrating his homecoming by putting his music out there for all to hear. They have made it a contest so please if you read this click on his songs on my blog and have a listen.

One of the songs "Gracie's Theme" he wrote for a friends baby girl that passed away this last year with the same heart condition that he has. It is a beautiful piece of music and if you get the chance watch the video on You Tube. Warning.... if you watch it have a box of Kleenex close by.

Highlights for the week so far......

Monday....work

Tuesday....more work. While I was at work my cell phone rang and when I answered it this is what I heard..."Grawmaw, I pood on the pawdy!!!!" No hello just that. Gunner was so excited about this accomplishment that he proceeded to tell me this 3 more times. I love that my grandchildren love to share their accomplishments in life with me. It makes my day.

Finished the book "The Noticer" by Andy Andrew. Very good, it is one of those books that makes you think about things in life. It is an inspirational book but not religious inspirational. It was based on the idea that things in life happen to us and how we handle those things is based on our perspective and how we can change that perspective to change the outcome of those things.

Wednesday.......more work but I got to wear jeans instead of khaki's, YAY!

That evening I went with Rhonda to the YM/YW activity night so that we could practice the song that they are going to sing this coming Sunday with the choir. It is always fun to go because the kids are so fun to be around. I can't wait till Sunday to hear them all together. It is going to be good.

Afterwards Rhonda gave me the music for October's choir number and we talked about what we will sing for November and December.

I got a new cd in the mail that my friend Jeremy (who is our APC) recommended to me. We are always discussing music and bands. He has his own band , they have put out a couple of cd, which I have. I've told him that I will be their oldest groupie. He plays guitar and some piano and writes his own music. He helped me when I was writing the arrangement for the womens choir a couple of years ago.


It is Brand New "The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me" It is their 2nd CD and Jeremy says it's better then their first. I gave it a listen and I liked it.


Thursday...o yea, that's today.......work again, just one more day to go.

It was payday and we also received our 2nd Quarter bonus. Extra money is always a good thing. This also meant lunch was on the store. We had salad, spaghetti and garlic bread. EXTRA money and FREE food is a better thing!

Tonight was the second class in the Know Your Religion course that I am taking. But I didn't go because Leslie was having a party at her house. I called Carol to let her know and to ask her to take notes and pick up handouts for me so I can study them during the next week.

So I went out to support Les and to spend the bonus I received today. I bought Leslie and Jamie's Christmas presents, myself a new flat iron and a cute Jack-O-Lantern Scentsy burner with a yummy new scent to burn in it. It was fun, she had a good turn out and I got to talk to several of my friends and a couple of Leslie's high school friends that I hadn't seen in years.

As you can see it has been a rather slow week. The weather is still on the warm side (low 80's)but I have shut off my central air. If I keep the windows open all the time it cools down enough at night now that it will cool off the house. When I get home I just turn on the ceiling fans and things aren't too bad. I think I can tough it out until the cooler weather gets here. It will help to bring down my electric bill.

THE MOST BORING WEEKEND!!!

I know you think boring weekend? How could Peach Day weekend be anything but boring?

Well it is boring when you have to keep your leg propped up because you twisted your knee at work Friday morning. It happened when I got up to run and get an email I had just printed. I had to use a shopping cart to help me get to my car. So I had to keep off of it all weekend.

It is feeling MUCH better today. But you know when I want to be lazy and just sit around it is so easy to keep myself amused. But when I HAVE to just sit around......

Jamie and the boys came by Friday night and I couldn't go to Peach Days with them. I just wanted to cry.

I was going to see Jon Schmidt Saturday night with Carol H. and her family and couldn't. It was a good thing I had just seen Jon last weekend at Thanksgiving Point. Carol told me it was good but not as good as the concert, which made me feel a little better about missing it.

So I spent the whole weekend watching tv (when there was something worth watching on). Played on the computer (played Bejeweled Twist until I thought I would lose my mind). I read and finished "Wicked, Son of a Witch" and started "The Noticer" by Andy Andrew. I even hobbled over to the piano a couple of times and played (yes, I cheated and put my leg down but I was going nuts).

I did go to church Sunday. I had to get out of the house. My knee was feeling much much better. I didn't have to play the organ and for Primary we had practice for the Primary program in 2 weeks. We sat up on the choir seats for 2 hours. I was on the second row and by the time it was over I was so glad. There was no room to stretch out my leg when my knee started to ache from being in the same position for too long. Then we had choir practice.

Last Thursday I started going to the Know Your Religion fall classes with Carol and Letty. The subject for this 12 week session is The Mortal Ministry of the Master and will be concentrating on the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). It is being taught by Brother Droubay, who is also one of the Seminary teachers. It is held at the Adult Institute over in the old Indian Chapel and only cost $15 for the course. The first class was very good, Brother Droubay is a great wealth of knowledge. It should be an interesting 12 weeks.

Labor Day Weekend-09

So it was another busy fun filled weekend.......

Saturday was Cambria's baptism at 10am. She was baptized and confirmed by her Grandpa Blake (Paul's Dad). Cambria was so pretty and it was very nice. It had been a while since I have felt the burning in my heart. I was grateful for another needed Tender Mercy.

Afterwards we all went to Paul's parents house for lunch. The weather was nice for eating outside. It was overcast with a breeze (which is always blowing in Tremonton).

We had taco salad, chips and salsa, watermelon, several dessert choices and the best corn on the cob I have ever eaten. Angel grabbed a piece when Blake first brought it out and took a bite. She turned to me and asked me how they cooked their corn. I told her I was sure they just boiled it in water like everyone else. She asked how they got it to taste this good and shoved it in my face to get me to take a bite. I went over and grabbed my own piece and yes it was the sweetest, most tender corn I have ever eaten.

Usually I smother my corn in butter and salt and pepper. This corn didn't need anything, I just ate it plain. We asked Tanya (Leslie's sister-in-law) what kind of corn it was. Blake grows his own on his little farm. She said it is called Serendipity. It is a white and yellow kerneled corn. So if you ever want to plant it, there you go.

Saturday was also the Jon Schmidt concert that Carol H. bought tickets for my birthday. She called me a little after I got home and said we would leave at 3. I asked her if that wasn't a little early and she said that we were going to have dinner at her mom's.

Her mother is serving a mission in Salt Lake and lives in an apartment building right across the street from the Conference Center. It is a security building were a lot of the senior missionaries live and it is really nice. She lives on the 6th floor and the view from her balcony was something else.

You of course could see the Conference Center and then the Temple right across the street from it. In the winter with all the trees in between the apartment and the Temple bare you would have the best view of Temple Square all lit up for Christmas.

We had never been to the Thanksgiving Point Amphitheater before. It is surround by trees so that even when you are sitting at the top (where we were) that's all you can see with the mountains in the background. It has a pond with several waterfalls behind the stage that light up once the sun goes down. Once again...perfect weather.



The opening band was the winner of the Salt Lake City Battle of the Bands. They are called Avenues of Ember. You know me, I love rock, but this band just didn't do it for me. They weren't bad but I don't think I'd buy their CD that's coming out. Music is a personal thing. If I like it I listen to it no matter what kind of music it is, but if I don't like it, well I'm sure someone else will. I do have to say this though...the girl that was the lead singer could really belt out a song and the lead guitarist was pretty good. The drummer and the bass player just looked bored during the whole performance.

Jon was awesome (for lack of a more original word). This was the first non-rock concert I have ever been to. I like to listen to several pianists but have never been to any of their shows. You can just tell how much he loves what he does. I wish I could play like him. He also had Steven Sharp Nelson, who is a cellist with him. They collaborate on a lot of songs together. They would banter in between numbers when he was on stage and it was very funny. Even when they messed around the music they made was great.

Of course like at any public event the people watching was at it's best. There were people ranging in age from older than my father to babies. People on dates, families, you name it they were there. As I was looking around to see what I could see the girl sitting next to me was nursing her baby. I am not opposed to this, I was just a little surprised to see that she didn't bother to use a blanket or anything to cover up with.

There were also the fashion diva's that seemed to think that stilettos were the proper foot attire for walking down the grassy hill of the amphitheater. You don't look too cool when your heels are getting stuck in the nice soft soil.

During the concert Carol disappeared for a minute and when she came back she gave me Jon's new CD.

She is too good to me, but I love her anyway.

After the concert I noticed that they had a table where they were selling Jon's piano books. I was sad that we didn't have time to stop and shop. We were trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot so we could get out without to much waiting.

We got home around midnight and I had to get up early to go to church. It was my turn at the organ. It was also my turn to teach the Primary lesson (which I didn't read and prepare until 6 this morning). Yes, procrastination is my middle name. We also have started the choir up again now that summer is over so we had practice after the meetings.

By the time I got home I was beat. It was one of those time when you are sooooo tired that you can't get to sleep. My afternoon nap was made up of a bunch of little naps. By the time I decided to give up and get up to fix me something for dinner I was so groggy that I felt like I had been drugged. That's why I didn't update yesterday. I was in bed by 8.