A Visit to The Chocolate

We finally did it. All those here for Christmas took the leap and visited Grandma & Pa's old home which is now called 'The Chocolate'. After ordering mouth-watering treats we checked out almost every single room. Bright colors, comfy couches and appealing art work met us at every turn.

With a twist of the arm and a knock on the head,
Everyone knew to smile or they would dread
The wrath of this lady before they were fed.
So we munched, bunched and crunched, even Jed.
While pictures were taken and then we all fled.

The kitchen is off limits where all the baking and prep work is done. Not much different than twenty years ago, when stepping in the door the tantilizing aroma of chocolate chip cookies, bread or pie called to us and we answered.

Check Out Our Christmas Lights

You won't recognize the place. Now that you can see, that is.

It all started when our renters complained about their livingroom lights not working. Rather than buy them new ones, we gave them ours. Then our diningroom light only had one bulb that worked and they weren't burned out. You could say we were in the dark.

After checking out several places we found and ordered matching lights. Dad got busy installing twelve new light fixtures we bought for Christmas. You could say, it has taken twenty years off how the house looks. Like dominoes ready to fall, now the ceiling needs to be painted. What next? We don't dare look further or think about it.

Great gains in our computer were made by our son-in-law, Jed. He likes to upgrade and improve it when visiting. Perhaps he was tired of seeing the family photo wallpaper I put on it, so we now have these beautiful photos of national sites.

It took us awhile to figure out the new programs, or shall I say find them then go from there. We are getting used to the little twanging beeper that pops up when you want to leave a site. It asks, 'Are you sure?' Worse than a mother.

Thank you, Jed, for keeping us on the cutting edge. At least it feels like it.

A Thankful Thanksgiving

It's a good day to look back at the things enjoyed over the year and be thankful for all of our blessings. The times we spent together, the places we visited, the special events that took place, the accomplishments we made and the growth we experienced. Take it month by month or each event as it unfolded can be shared and revisited in our mind.

It is easy to wallow in our trials. We had some, sure, but how much more joy and happiness was in and around each day. Think about your own 2011. As you recall your experiences individually, more will flood your mind and bring you to tears remembering the special year you have had.

What a thankful Thanksgiving it will be.

Super at Sixty

Dad turned sixty today. Wow! It gets caught in your throat when you try to say it, six... 'gag, cough, gag' ...ty. That is so old! Here he is surrounded by his birthday gifts: a white shirt, temple slippers and a Belgian Waffle maker.

It’s hard to believe that sometime in this decade of his life he will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits. He can also retire. Ooh, the big ‘R’. That is waaay down the road, though.

For now he is still, super at sixty.

Trip Had a Tile Task, Too

Alicia kept us busy on our trip to New Jersey, or at least Dad. He tiled her kitchen floor. You could say we earned our keep. I helped chip off the old black and white checkerboard and haul it out. Next he moved the appliances to the livingroom. Black paper and wire mesh followed. I had to hammer the staples flat. On day two the cement was smeared out in sections and the tiles were placed carefully keeping them the exact distance from each other.

Eating out and crock pot suppers were a necessity. Fortunately, the fridge was handy keeping us company and supplying our needs. Last of all the grout was spread all over the tile filling up the joints. After wiping all of the excess mixture off, and a night of drying, Alicia had her kitchen again. Yeah!!!

Salsa, Savory and Sumptuous

The current weather reports predict frost in the next seven days. Most of my tomatoes are still green. I stopped watering them weeks ago, but they like us humans, want to be 'Forever Young'. Everytime one turns red, I make salsa with it. Ooh, is the salsa ever delicious. We have it on chips, breakfast burritos, and everything mexican. I even eat it by the tablespoons full.

Here is the recipe for Salsa, Savory and Sumptuous:

30 medium size tomatoes, skinned and chopped. Blend briefly (a few seconds) in blender to a choppy pulp.

Chop each of the following and add to tomatoes in a heavy pan:
1 Onion
1 Green Pepper
1-2 Cloves Garlic
1 Jalapeno Pepper or more if you like
1/4 cup chopped celery (Optional)
1 T Sugar
1 T Salt
1/4 cup vinegar

Cook on medium heat until boils, then turn down to simmer for 2 hours until flavors blend and water evaporates. Serve fresh or make enough to bottle it.

La Cucaracha!! B-)

Real Big or Real Deal?

The diamond fell out of my wedding ring recently. Within seconds it caught my attention, when the rough post scratched my arm. A fellow employee and I scouted out the receptionist desk area until it was spotted. During lunch I drove straight to the jewelers. For $20 more, I could get a full carat cubic zirconia the jeweler said. Hmmmm.

He handed me the sparkling marble and watched while I set it on my ring. Wow! It was big and looked pretty awesome hovering over the setting. People would be so impressed when they saw it, I thought. I imagined envious eyes popping as they gazed at it. "Is it real?" they would wonder. Hmmm.

Is that what I wanted? No. Why and who's opinion is most important? I would know it was a fake and that is what matters most. "Put the real one back in", I told the jeweler.

Two weeks later I didn't recognize my own ring. Tiffany's move over for this gleaming "TRUE" diamond sparkled like a sunrise. What a transformation was the 'real deal' all fixed and polished up.

Often through our own trials and challenges our self-esteem becomes battered and bruised. Like my ring we may need a little refurbishing, to remind us how beautiful we really are. Everyone is sacred and special to the Lord. If you're feeling low or whenever you need it, ask for help from the Lord or your loved ones.

Apron Accolades

It was a keep your clothes clean kind of day so all of the aprons were on the table. Everyone picked their favorite one to wear. With that many dressed up in Grannie's best we had to model them. Next was the line up to see who looked the most culinary minded. It's time to vote?

Cloudy, With a Chance of Fog

Three of our double pane bedroom windows have gone cloudy over the years due to the seals separating which allowed moisture to blur them. Of course they were all the stationary side of the framework. It was like having one bad eye every time I looked out the bedroom window.

Enter Bountiful Glass man, Ray Irkkla. We met him through his elderly aunt, Margaret. Hit with more than her share of health challenges this year, she sought our help from her assisted living home by way of our Home Teaching responsibilites. Sometimes the least likely person can be the source of finding help. She was and we did.

Ray came over to measure and say he could make them. A few weeks later he installed, sparkling new windows. No more 'Cloudy, With a Chance of Fog'. Thank you Ray & Margaret.

Donut Falls adventure

The excitement of watching dumb people who park in terrible spaces getting ticketed was not the only highlight of this little trip...

It could have been Brayle spitting so beautifully through those lovely teeth of hers...


It could have been the cuteness of Jed and Breann...


It could have been Sarah's saucy attitude in finding the perfect stick...


It could have been Hunters ability to not smile in a single photo...


It could have been Jory's ability to strike a pose under a stressful waterfall


It could have been how pretty it is up in the canyon!!



It also could have been Brayle's awesome eye for Moose.


We really missed these little boogars...


... Thanks Gma and Gpa Schmidt for a fun day!!



(P.S. yes we love you Zach!! We just didn't get any pictures of you because you were hiking so darn fast!)

'Super Sheep' Shepherd She Is

Brayle's sheep waits patiently in his pen for his number to come up at the Tooele County auction. She waits patiently in the chute until it is her animal's turn to be auctioned off.

Thinking her love of hunting might encourage a better bid, she painted her intentions on the sheep's velvety coat. Looking like an experience sheep woman, she guides her charge to the desinated spot on the auction floor. The Les Schwab Company made the winning bid at $450.

It was hard to tell who the auctioneer was as he sat so still, holding the mike in his hand chanting the familiar tones so fast you didn't know what he was saying most of the time except, "I have $300, who will make it $350? $350, $350 who will make it $350, repeated over and over, droning on for hours pushing the bidding higher and higher. Every time the price would be set, with the words, 'Sold for $450, $600 or whatever the highest and last bid was.

This young lady was happy at the end of the day.

It's All About the Auction

Hunter had some sheep in his 4-H Super Sheep Club. He spent a good deal of the summer feeding, herding and caring for two sheep. The county fair was this weekend where the sheep were auctioned off. Each of them sold for $400. After paying for feed and the original investment to buy them, he profited $600.

His skills at handling the sheep were very good. See him during the sale with the auctioneer in the background, with the blue shirt handling the bidding smoothly. Three gents at the edge of the pen verified each bid as the buyers held up, nodded or showed their bid number.

One happy young man led each sheep down the chute to the waiting owner.

Fire Pit Fancy

I fancied a fire pit in the back yard visualizing our family sitting around it roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Imagine quiet cool nights sitting around one, oozing with campfire aroma and camraderie. When a round one with star shapes went below $100 (the top seller), we slapped down our money and packed it out of the store.

Marshmallows and tin foil dinners have found their way to the coals. On hot summer nights its hard to mimic the campfire chill and feel, but we tried. What child isn't mesmerized by a fire's glow. Bring your weiner roasting sticks and come on over for an old fashioned dinner this week.

Way to Go Window Washers

I had Serene Clean window washers come wash my windows this week. All I can say is Wow! They are sparkling clean. In fact it looks like a whole new world outside. My 'Windows on the World' changed from gray (last photo) to bright green (first photo) thanks to these efficient men (Jory & Jay with Zach as their assistant) washing off twenty three years of grime.

'If your day is gray and grimey, just give them a call. After they are done, 'the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar' it will be bright and clear.