Pyles of Clutter

Just a thought or two...

Here's a question:  you know when you cut a shoot off a plant and then you get it to grow roots, what is that called?  I'm trying to do that with a plant that I got from my grandma, but I'm not sure why.  Any help would be appreciated. 

Well, I didn't get to go pick raspberries and it isn't looking good to be able to.  But my sister called me today to tell me that she can get me strawberries that are picked, cleaned, sliced and sugared for a pretty good price.  I'm pretty excited about this because I want to make jam.  Now I've never made jam so if anyone wants to share a great recipe with me, it would be greatly appreciated.  I'm still hoping for raspberries though.

We are off to the pool again today!  Yesterday when we went to the pool, I found a nice little corner of shade, where I read my book while Tessa swam, and then we decided to go on the lazy river together.  People, this is a major triumph.  I have not been in a swimming suit for so long, I can't even remember when I last wore one.  I found a regular old suit at Walmart, but then I found some board shorts that I can wear with it.  Yea, fat legs hidden!  We had so much fun in the lazy river!  We just went around, and around, and around.  Fabulous!

Our studio is puting on the play "Suessical".  It has a lot of our dancers in it, but it really is for anyone that wants to try out.  Well, we have about 40 kids in it right now, and so the director decided that she needed a little organization help.  Or maybe I should say that she needed a little disciplinarian help.  And because apparently I don't have enough to do, I'm now being called the assistant director.  Terry was like, Are you really doing this?!  Are you crazy!?  Yes.  I am. 

Alright, I'm off to Suessical practice.  Ugh.

Love, me

Magazine woes

Alright, are you totally tired of me complaining about magazines yet?  Well, if you are, just click on out of here.  Otherwise, here comes more.

Last week, one of the co-managers told me that they would be moving my magazines Tuesday night, late though, so I might want to come in on Wednesday morning so that I could put them back into order, because let's face it, no else cares if the magazines have any order whatsoever, except me.  So Tuesday night, I get a call from a good friend of mine who asks me if I want to go picking raspberries in the morning and through lots of back and forth, we decided that I can go to work super early, then hopefully be done in time to go picking.  Consequently, I get up at 5:00 to go to work.  Not fun.  I am not an early bird type of gal.  Well, I get there and I see that I have new fixtures but guess what, no magazines moved.  What!?  What is going on here?  As well as that, I see that I'm missing a few of the shelves, so I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do.  Anyway, long story short, I find someone who has to find someone, who has to wait for someone else, who then has to check his list, who then tells me that my shelves are on back order, no one moves magazines but me, I'll have to use some of the old magazine shelves, and so on.  Fine.  I start to move magazines, and yes, 4 hours later, I finally finish moving all the magazines.  Ugh.  But!  They are in their new home and I shouldn't have to do this again (well, except the part where I have to put my new shelves up, but that shouldn't be to troublesome)(famous last words). 

And that is my tale of woe, and why I'm so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open, but tomorrow, I will tell you all about When Tess and I went to the pool for Mother's Celebration Day (a holiday Tess made up).   Oh my, what fun!

Goodnight!

A couple of tidbits

Just a quick one to say if you haven't seen this movie, you must rent it!!  It is pretty funny with lots of inside jokes, and the songs are so cute.  The dance scenes are pretty good too, but the best part of the whole movie is the Sadie Hawkins Day race, where the women try to catch themselves a husband.  Oh my goodness.  I love this movie so much, that I bought it for $5.49 on Amazon.com.  Whoo Hoo!  I can hardly wait for Friday when we own it for good!

Oh another note!  Happy Birthday to Jane!  She is one of the only people I know that truly shows Christ-like love to EVERYONE she meets.  I feel incredibly blessed to be able to have my children have her for a seminary teacher.  The great love that she shows to the students is truly amazing, and gives them all a chance know what Heavenly Father wants them to know.  Thanks Jane for all that you do!  You are the most amazing woman!

Treasures from Grandma Great

Last Wednesday, my dad, sister, brother, his two boys, and I went down to Grandma Great's house to start cleaning it out.  My dad's big goal was to cleanout out the food storage that my grandma had.  My grandma took very seriously the challenge from our church leaders to have a year supply of food.  People, she had more than a year supply of food left!  It took us more than an hour to clean out all her dry and canned goods in storage, her freezer and the food in her kitchen.  The problem with all this is that she hadn't bought anything new in a long time, a loooonnnnngggg time.  Like we found food in her storage that was dated 1968.  Seriously!  We threw away more than we saved because it was so old and past it's expiration date. It was truly amazing. 

But it's done now.

Then I spent a little time going through what was still left of her things in the house.  I looked at the books and looked in closets.  I found these few treasures:

This may not look like much a treasure, a Lassie plate, but this is the plate that my Uncle Garth, who had Down's Syndrome, always used.  I can remember always wanting to use it but he got really uptight when I tried.  Oh, memories.

 

When you were little at my grandparents house, you sat on this stool at the table so that you were as tall as the table.  I can remember sitting on this little stool for a long time, and I even have a picture of my sister who is ten years old than me sitting on it.  Fun.

Now this is beyond wonderful. I found this dress all crumpled up in a bag in the back of the closet.  We pulled it out and I thought my girls could actually wear this with a little added touch here and there to make it a little more modern.  Awesome!.  Then, when I got it home and was showing my mom the dress, she told me that it was the dress that Grandma wore to my parents wedding.  Goodness!

Now this, this... rooster is just....something.  It is made of glass, light blue in color, and, well, ugly.  It was in y grandma's bedroom, and I know nothing of it's history.  We have it because of this: Megan went with me to the funeral and while there asked if she could have a little music box on the dresser but when we went back to get it, it was gone.  Bummer.  She was very upset over this, but there wasn't anything we could do about it.  Well, as things go, my dad felt bad about this and so while we were there, he says, hey, you could give this to Megan.  I'm like, I could, but why?!  And he's like, as a little joke.  I was like, junk in my house dad!  Yuck!  But I took it home, and wouldn't you know it if she didn't love the thing!  She has a very eclectic taste.  Funny Megan. 

Besides that, I also found my dad's high school graduation announcement.  Also, a bunch of vintage baby announcements, which I hope to scan in and post, some old books, and some dishes that I remember from my childhood. 

True treasures.  

Oh I've missed you!

Dear Readers,

I'm almost home!  I've been to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, back to Provo, and soon to be back home.  People, I am not cut out to be gone this long.  Really.  Oh my goodness. 

We started our big trip going to my sister's new house in Salt Lake City.  It is an adorable house, and after she works her magic, it's going to be fantastic!  My sister can make anything look homey and beautiful with very little.  She is amazing.  We spent a day with her and her husband, with both my nephews with their wives and children came over to visit.  I love her family.  They are truly awesome.

Then on to Vegas, baby!  Now, you know that I have been stressing over this part of the trip for weeks, WEEKS!!  So we took off on Sunday morning, getting into Las Vegas at about 1:00. First thing, the hotel screwed up our reservation.  After an hour of crying, arguing, and yes, swearing, I finally got that figured out.  And can I just say that it was the hottest days of the year while we were there.  115^ every day we were there!!  Ugh!!  Double Ugh!!  So we took showers because that is the only way to cool down in 115^ weather.  AJ had given me three names of families that he wanted me to visit.  I want you all to know that I actually called all three, visited with two, and tried really hard to see the other.  Oh my.  We had so much fun visiting the families.  Thank you to the Barlows, the Olds, and the Stuarts for the great time we had visiting!  I feel so much better that my son is there because these people truly care about him.  It brought tears to my eyes. 

So, interruption to the travel log.  We went to visit the Barlow's first, then over to the Olds family.  After we left the Olds home, Sister Olds called me and said, I have a funny story for you.  About ten minutes after you left, guess who came to our house.  Elder Pyle!!  Elder Pyle?!?  Oh people, I couldn't have taken it if we had seen him.  It was hard enough to know that he was there, less than 5 miles away from our hotel.  Crazy!!  That was a funny story.  She said that he was as surprise about it as I was!  Funny.

Later that night, Brother Stuart got us tickets to go see a show there in Vegas called "V".  It is a variety show, and we had a blast.  I will put up pictures later.  Thank you so much to the Stuarts for getting us the tickets.  It was really fun!

Now comes the boring part of the trip.  On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning, we were so busy dancing, that we didn't get to go do much else.  (Okay, really, even if we would have had the time, I didn't have the motivation to go anywhere else.  First, heat.  Second, son five miles away.  Hard.) 

Wednesday, 2:30, we start home.  115^.  Hot.  AC going non-stop on the car.  The car does not like it.  My car was over heating like crazy.  So we had to turn off the AC, open the windows, and run the heater.  I didn't know if I was going to make it.  We drove the first three hours of the trip with the heater running intermittently, until it cooled off enough outside for the car to be able to make it.  It was crazy and I seriously felt like I got a sunburn off of the heater.  Oh my.  But we made it back to Provo, and that is where I am now.  I got to see my boy, the old one, and visit with cousins that I adore. 

More updates coming. 

Miss you,

Love, me.

Monday, Monday...

Well, Monday has passed. 

Let's see, what did I do today?  Ugh.  Not so much.  I went to work today.  The magazine scene is crazy.  In the big remodel, they changed the checkout stands.  That means that instead of magazines on every check stand, they are now on every other check stand.  That is a lot of magazines that needed somewhere else to go.  Ugh.  Again, ugh.  It was just not too much fun.  (Do you want to know something else that isn't too fun, my "o" is sticking.  Driving me nuts.)

After work, I came home and had about 20 emails for checks for booster club.  I sent out an email yesterday saying that I was going to be gone for a week, and everyone, and I mean everyone wants a check.  You have got to be stinkin' kidding me.  So I started on those.  I'll bet I wrote about 25 checks today.  Ugh.

While I was still writing checks, the missionaries came to make crepes.  I told one of our missionaries that I really wanted to learn how to make crepes, and from there it when on to having crepes for my birthday, and then it got pushed back to the next week, and so on and so on.  Finally, I can not take anymore of him asking me if this is the week we are going to make crepes, so I gave in and we had crepes today.  Too bad I had about A HUNDRED things to do today.  But, they were pretty good.  He made whole wheat ones, regular ones, and chocolate ones.  Ok, so here's a little story about this missionary.  He has lost a lot of weight while on his mission.  He has done it by really watching what he eats.  So here he goes trying to make the rest of the world eat that same way.  He is always pushing the whole wheat everything.  Ugh.

Alright, so after that, I took the two young ones, otherwise known as Zoey and Tessa, to the auditions of the Suessical Musical that our studio is putting on.  Anyone could try out though, not just dancers.  So I dump off the kiddies, run a couple errands, take Megan to work, and then back to the studio.  Oh my.  Tess is quite a character.  Apparently during auditions, she was just doing her own thing, making up her own dances as she went.  That was fun.  Tess is not really trying out for a real part, just a part of the back up.  But she was making her presence felt.  Oh my.

I came home.  What did I not do?  No exercising.  No house cleaning.  No laundry.  No packing.  Ugh. 

I'm not sure I have anything to say...

Dear Readers,

I've tried to blog every day last week, and every day, I just couldn't put it together.  So today, I'm just emptying my head because apparently this is all I can put together right now.

• I had a great weekend at my scrapbook retreat!  Lots of visiting, lots of creating.  I did 24 pages which is pretty dang good for me.  I think I like these retreats for a couple of reasons.  1) Of course, the friendships I have made there, so of course, the visiting is great.  2) The things that I learn about scrapbooking, card making, and other creative endeavors.  3) With that much creating going on, it stimulates my creative juices so I am able to put things together easier.  Great thanks to Deb and Jane for putting these on.  I know it is an amazing amount of work, and I'm very grateful to them for doing it as cheaply as possible.  You are awesome women!
• I've been working on my exercise ethic.  It is sadly lacking.  I started walking a couple weeks ago, walking 6 miles.  It takes me quite a while, but I like the time to meditate and run things through my head until I can either 1) come up with a solution or 2) come to grips with the fact that I can't fix it.  But I really have to become more consistent with it.  This week, I made the goal to walk every day but Friday.  On Friday, I will be...
• ...on my way to Las Vegas!  Honestly, I can't tell you how I feel about it.  I know that we will see some amazing dancing and I think our girls are more than ready to compete.  But we don't have the money to do anything other than be there, which is fine, but boring.  We will be going to Utah for awhile to visit with some family, mainly Tyson, who never comes up to see his mother.  I'm also ambivalent about the fact that my son on a mission will be within miles of me and I cannot go see him.  Yes, I could sneak and see him, but it would hurt too much to leave him again, so I have no plans to go and see him.  What are some really, (and I mean really) cheap things to do in Vegas that will keep us busy during the time when we aren't dancing?  Any suggestions? 
• No news on the employment front.  Ugh.
• We had a great stake conference today.  I love our new stake presidency.  They are really fun to listen to, and because I know them pretty personally, I know they are men of God, but not perfect. 
• I have to finish the books for the year for Booster Club.  I'm hoping to finish that on Tuesday so that I can give the accountants my books so that they can get the clubs taxes paid early.  That would be pretty awesome.  I would love to have that finished up so I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the summer.
• I want to do some fun summer things with the family this year.  What to do though?  Any ideas?  Please give me some extremely cheap ideas for some fun family activities.
• My van needs to be fixed and I don't see that happening anytime soon.  Ugh. But it still runs so I guess we're okay.
• Our dear friend Nick will be leaving soon to go visit his family in New York, and then on to his mission in Pennsylvania.  You people in Pennsylvania do not know what is going to hit you when he comes.  He is so awesome.
• I'm in a funk and I can't get out.
• I'll be doing a post tomorrow on my lastest movie phase.  I can hardly wait.  I also have a book review to do as well.  Fun.
• Alright, I guess that is it for me.  I wish I could have something happier to report, but really this is me for now.

Love, me.

Picture catch up

Graduation days:

Tessa Graduates From Preschool

J. Dean Graduates From High School

Grandma Graduates From Life (I know, irreverent!) (this is my family at the funeral)

That's all!

200 things for Jane!

 

 If you have not been reading Jane's newsletters, you are missing out!!  This week is her 200th newsletter and so she posted this list of 200 things and asked us to duplicate this list in our blogs (or whatever) and bold all the things that we have done.  I found out from doing this that I'm fairly boring.  Such is life.  Thanks Jane! 

 

200 Things

1.      Touched an iceberg

2.      Slept under the stars

3.      Been a part of a hockey fight

4.      Changed a baby's diaper

5.      Watched a meteor shower

6.      Given more than you could afford to charity            

7.      Swam with wild dolphins

8.      Climbed a mountain

9.      Held a tarantula 

10.    Said I loved you and meant it.

11.    Bungee jumped

12.    Visited Paris

13.    Watched a lightning storm at sea

14.    Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15.    Seen the Northern Lights

16.    Gone to a huge sports game

17.    Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18.    Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19.    Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20.    Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21.    Had a pillow fight

22.    Bet on a winning horse

23.    Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24.    Built a snow fort

25.    Held a lamb

26.    Gone skinny dipping

27.    Taken an ice cold bath

28.    Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29.    Seen a total eclipse (my dad got me out of school to see it)

30.    Ridden a roller coaster

31.    Hit a home run

32.    Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking  (all the time!)

33.    Adopted an accent for fun (in high school, in Canada, how weird!)

34.    Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35.    Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment.

36.    Loved your job 90% of the time. 

37.    Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38.    Watched wild whales

39.    Gone rock climbing

40.    Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41.    Gone sky diving

42.    Visited Ireland

43.    Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44.    Visited India

45.    Bench-pressed your own weight

46.    Milked a cow

47.    Alphabetized your personal files

48.    Ever worn a superhero costume

49.    Sung karaoke

50.    Lounged around in bed all day

51.    Gone scuba diving

52.    Kissed in the rain

53.    Played in the mud

54.    Gone to a drive in theater  (my sisters made me ride in the trunk so they wouldn't have to pay for me)

55.     Done something you should regret, but don't

56.     Visited the Great Wall of China

57.     Started a business

58.     Taken a martial arts class

59.     Been in a movie

60.     Gone without food for 3 days

61.     Made cookies from scratch  (EVERYDAY)

62.     Won first prize in a costume contest  (it was actually Tess' costume, but heck, I made it!)

63.    Got flowers for no reason ( my husband does this all the time)

64.    Been in a combat zone

65.    Spoken more than one language fluently

66.    Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67.    Bounced a check  (yikes, sad to say)

68.    Read - and understood - your credit report

69.    Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70.    Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71.    Called or written your Congress person

72.    Picked up and moved to another city just to start over

73.    Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74.    Helped an animal give birth

75.    Been fired or laid off from a job

76.    Won money

77.    Broken a bone

78.    Ridden a motorcycle

79.    Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80.    Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81.    Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82.    Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83.    Eaten sushi

84.    Had your picture in the paper

85.    Read The Bible cover to cover

86.    Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87.    Gotten someone fired for their actions

88.    Gone back to school

89.    Changed your name

90.    Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91.    Eaten fried green tomatoes

92.    Read The Iliad

93.    Taught yourself an art from scratch

94.    Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95.    Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96.    Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97.    Been elected to public office

98.    Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99.    Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100.  Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101.  Had a booth at a street fair

102.  Dyed your hair

103.  Been a DJ

104.  Rocked a baby to sleep

105.  Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four

106.  Raked your carpet

107.  Brought out the best in people

108.  Brought out the worst in people

109.  Worn a mood ring

110.  Ridden a horse

111.  Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap (thank you girls camp)

112.  Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113.  Buried a child

114.  Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115.  Been inside the pyramids

116.  Shot a basketball into a basket

117.  Danced at a disco

118.  Played in a band

119.  Shot a bird

120.  Gone to an arboretum

121.  Tutored someone

122.  Ridden a train

123.  Brought an old fad back into style

124.  Eaten caviar

125.  Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need. (but thankfully, my husband talked me out of it)

126.  Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127.  Published a book

128.  Pieced a quilt

129.  Lived in an historic place

130.  Acted in a play or performed on a stage (high school, I played a femme fatale)

131.  Asked for a raise

132.  Made a hole-in-one

133.  Gone deep sea fishing

134.  Gone roller skating

135.  Run a marathon

136.  Learned to surf

137.  Invented something

138.  Flown first class

139.  Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140.  Flown in a helicopter

141.  Visited Africa

142.  Sang a solo

143.  Gone spelunking

144.  Learned how to take a compliment

145.  Written a love-story

146.  Seen Michelangelo’s David  

147.  Had your portrait painted

148.  Written a fan letter

149.  Spent the night in something haunted

150.  Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151.  Ran away

152.  Learned to juggle

153.  Been a boss

154.  Sat on a jury

155.  Lied about your weight

156.  Gone on a diet

157.  Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158.  Written a poem (and had it published!)

159.  Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160.  Gotten food poisoning

161.  Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162.  Hiked the Grand Canyon

163.  Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164.  Gone to the opera

165.  Gotten a letter from someone famous

166.  Worn knickers

167.  Ridden in a limousine

168.  Attended the Olympics

169.  Can hula or waltz

170.  Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books (I've read them all!)

171.  Been stuck in an elevator

172.  Had a revelatory dream

173.  Thought you might crash in an airplane

174.  Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert (does it count if you dedicated it to yourself?)

175.  Saved someone’s life

176.  Eaten raw whale

177.  Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178.  Laughed till your sides ache

179.  Straddled the equator

180.  Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181.  Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182.  Sent a message in a bottle

183.  Spent the night in a hostel

184.  Been a cashier

185.  Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186.  Joined a union

187.  Donated blood or plasma

188.  Built a campfire

189.  Kept a blog

190.  Had hives<