A Dreary Day in the Desert

It's a very cold day here in the Idaho desert. I took hubby in early to leave his truck for a lube and oil at our mechanic's shop, then went back to pick it up and the streets are slick with ice from the rain yesterday. I was going to have lunch with a friend today at a new French cafe downtown but it wasn't opened for lunch in the winter except on Fridays. We had to go to another restaurant and it was delightful to spend a couple of hours with a friend who is just a few years older than my granddaughter, who is 32. We just seem to connect and that's what I'm telling you chicks: Old women can be fun, charming, humorous, silly and a whole lot of giggling went on!

But for now just feast your eyes on these little gems of photos. I have plucked many off the internet to show you so they'll be smaller than my usual. I really like large photos to show you. I hate the tiny ones some bloggers post. I want to see them large! But nothing to be done about these. They're lovely and I'm in a hurry so I won't leave much commenting, just let you look at the eye candy and swoon.

I will be doing something similar to my patio in a few months though. I love this type of decor on a patio.

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Winter Is Finally Here

Oooooh, what's a girl to do today? It's snowing like crazy out there. I took these photos of our street just a few minutes ago.


I'm just sitting here answering the phone for my mission and being the comic relief for these people calling in. I'm so glad they seem to like it when I chuckle along with them. This Mormon girl ain't dull for sure!

Anyway, I thought I'd do a blog since it seems to be a slow day for callers seeking help with FamilySearch. Just a few days ago I was complaining about the lack of "winter" around here. The first snow is natures assertiveness training and she's really dishing it out today, chicks. Love it!

So now I'm waiting to see these again in the spring.

Later on today I'll sit and do a little bit of this: reading.

I've already done some of this this morning.

And if the weather keeps up like this, then I'll be doing some more of these coffee filter roses to put in little pots around the house.

And I'm eating these at this very moment! Yum.

But if I go out today I'll definitely need one of these.

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Heydon Hall Doll House

Heydon Hall has one of the oldest doll houses in England. Queen Anne gave it to her goddaughter in 1696, so it is over 400 years old. I thought you might like to see it, especially if you're an admirer of doll houses or if you have one and love to play with it or furnish it as so many bloggers are doing. It really is quite darling and unique with its nine rooms. Well, just take a look at it and I'll keep quiet for once. ;-)

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I love seeing kids in school; it means they're not taking up road space or roaming around WalMart trying their best to be cute by shoving a 6' skinny male of 17 into a shopping cart and trying to be cool. Sigh...
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Okay, I'll now explain the comment from an earlier post about Mormon girls and casseroles.

Mormons are known for having a lot of children. There's a sound reason for that and I shan't go into it here, but I agree with the reason. Anyway, to make their budgets stretch they make a lot of casseroles. Don't misunderstand me; I love casseroles and there is nothing wrong with them. But young, strong men want meat, unless they happen to be vegetarians, which few are, at least that I've known.

The daughter of a friend of ours who was mother to 7 children served a lot of casseroles so that is what this daughter learned to cook. They were from Idaho. The daughter married a young man from California, who grew up on a cattle ranch. As a newlywed she served a lot of casseroles. One day after several months of marriage he asked her if they could have just meat and potatoes sometimes. She was flabbergasted as she hadn't had much meat with so many boys in her family.

I'm a convert to the Church so we ate meat at just about every meal. I do have vegetarian meals though, but not much, as my hubby also thinks meat is a staple. But I've never done a lot of casseroles to stretch a meal. This is what I meant: mormon girls from large families know how to stretch meals to go further. There was never any disparagement meant here. I am a Mormon.

My granddaughter is a vegetarian and her hubby is not. I know how to plan and cook for her. She'll eat anything I cook except meat, and the utensils I use for meat cannot touch her veggie burger or vegetables. My hubby—her loving indulgent grandfather once flipped her veggie burger with the same utensil as he flipped the meat and she looked at him in horror, and he promptly threw away the burger and got her a new one, put it on the "clean" side of the grill and cooked for her. No problem, He and I love this kid. (We're going to feed meat to Caroline and let her make the choice when she's older, but my grandson-in-law is very much a meat eater and loves for me to visit and cook.) I suspect Caroline will also love meat because she hasn't refused anything put in front of her so far. Gorgeous Granddaughter, GGD, (as we call her and will refer to her as such from here) will feed her baby food with some meat in it though. GGD made this choice when she was 5 years old! I was amazed. But she and I would go out to lunch at Emporium/Capwells' lunch room and, since I love vegetables, would order the steam veggies with cheese sauce. GGD, at 5 years old, would order the steamed veggie, Perrier and cheesecake. Get my drift here? We always knew she was going for high expectations in her life and she has not failed us.
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Dancin' Queen

Again, forgive me but Caroline loves dancing and, as her great grandmother, I love sharing a few funny things about her with y'all. Ballet to her is putting a leg in front of her with her toes pointed as you'll see in this video. She's done it better, but she is distracted from it by watching herself in the mirror, which is the only way our granddaughter can get her to stop grabbing for the camera. See:

Her usual cute face:

Caroline doing Ballet and Hip Hop! She has started this sniffing thing recently and sniffs everything and then puts her finger on her nose if it stinks to her and which you'll see towards the end of this video, the sniffing not the finger to her nose in this one. Weird kid I know but then she's in this family so what can I say? ;-)



Just a few Random Thoughts today:

I actually do visit some blogs; it's just I don't have much time to leave comments for a lot of them. I've seeing the profiles of a few and noticed that a lot of women are putting in their profile about books they like—the classic books. Now, I wonder if they just put that on there to sound—oh forgive me for lack of a better word and I truly don't mean this to sound like it is going to sound but highbrow. I don't like the classics at all. Give me a good trashy murder mystery or action packed thriller and I'm lovin' it. I truly don't like the old love stories. I'm asking: what do they really like about them? I read them in high school and college but found them truly boring.
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If you are not married to the guy, the answer should be NO and you know what I'm talking about. If he truly loves you, he won't ask and he would ask you to marry him. First hand knowledge here! :-)
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Another 24 and Jack Bauer comment: He once saved the world with duct tape. This is true.
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Every day I'm able to stir up endless possibilities in my paranoia pot that is forever boiling on my mental stove.
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Mormon girls serve casseroles...this comment will be explained in a later post!
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Pink Saturday for 1/14/2012

Welcome to Beverly's Pink Saturday once again. Just click on the logo and visit her blog to see what it is all about and visit all the other participants.

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While this isn't pink, it sure caught my eye when I saw these photos of gorgeous kitchens.

This one is very similar to a friend's kitchen. They have recently sold their house but I'm sure the new owners bought it because of that kitchen.

Also, the purple ruffled bedspread. My granddaughter's favorite color is purple so I'm showing her this one for sure.

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I'm a crafty and creative person so I thought I'd simply show you some of the things I've made for the last several years. I've sold most of the birdhouses, which is my favorite thing to do and will do more someday. I just need to find time to get the craft room in order and do them. Okay, let's face it; basically, I'm trying my best to be lazy. It's a contest between a friend of mine and me. I think I'm winning!

This is a clothespin bag. I have three of them in my laundry room just for eye candy. But actually, they do have clothes pins in them. Decorated and darling clothes pins.

This is one I sold. I do them with barkcloth and/or designer fabrics. They all had the same theme: roses. What else? I love rose fabrics and still have quite a stash of it.

They truly are adorable, and I put my heart into each one. I may have some for sale someday again. I'll show them here if I do.

I have picked up old suitcases for as little 50¢ and as high as only $2.00, which I consider quite a bargain. I then cover them with gorgeous fabric and place them on plant shelves around my living room.

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Okay, ready for some more of my thoughts on the television series 24 and Jack Bauer? Well, you're gonna get them anyway.

Why do they keep doubting Jack Bauer when he's "been there and done that" and is rarely, if ever, wrong.
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In the 8th season, the CTU (counter terrorism unit) one woman is trying to be a fashion model. No agent would walk like a runway model in high heels. Her clothing is so tight I can see her navel and stretch marks through the fabric!
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They are forever asking "Are you alright?" Sometimes I want to jump through my laptop screen and scream, "If I was alright with 3 bullets holes in my chest, a gash on my head gushing blood and a broken kneecap, I'd be sure and let you know!"
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Oooh, and the big one: "You're not leaving this room until you tell the the truth." Well, if that doesn't scare them into telling the truth, I don't know what will!
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Has anyone noticed how all the architecture is 1950s style. I mean the "residences". Then the doors in almost all the scenes are glass. I found that very odd. When questioning a suspect I'd think they'd want heavy wood doors. My guess is that they got a discount on those old looking doors. Simply the worst decor I've ever seen.
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Has anyone noticed none of them wear seat belts?! Horror!!! Just let me try that and see how fast the police pull me over.

In one season they had a "villain" who was from India, had long hair, a vertical soul patch, very short and was, frankly, about as threatening as a squishy banana.
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The satellites spying on us was, quite frankly, disconcerting. I hope that isn't true but something tells me it is. Wow! To be able to track me right down to my bathroom is not comforting, I tell ya!
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Yet...I'm still enthralled and loved that series.
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