I'm still alive...

Really - just because I haven't posted in like Forever doesn't mean I've disappeared off the face of the earth.  sigh.

I used to think that blogging was a great thing and I loved doing it.  Now I hardly have time to think about posting, let alone coming up with things to post about.

Right now I have this gorgeous bird outside my window and I'd rather watch it in fascination than come up with something someone might want to read.  Part of the problem is I know that while I have followers - if they're like the kind of follower I am - they aren't waiting with bated breath for me to write something.  They have lives and they are most of them writers themselves, so hey - no biggie.

This blog covers many aspects of my life, though it was only meant to be a writing outlet.

One of my critique group has self published and is having a great book signing/release party at Barnes and Noble in Layton on Monday.  I know I'd be excited if it were me to have all my friends writing about it, so I thought I'd mention it for anyone who decides to peep at my blog between now and then and lives in the area.  I'm so excited for her -- I'm also jealous as heck.  I have to remind myself that it could be me doing this - if I'd the drive and gumption.  sigh.

So anyway - lots of work this month to get some writing done and off to Createspace for my free copy of the book I wrote for Nano.  If it works out, perhaps I'll publish both sets, and you'll have access.

Hope you have a great first weekend of school out!!  ;)

The Perfect Gift

For anyone who's been a mother...that is.  Okay - Mother's day is coming up, and if you want something inexpensive and hilarious to give your mother-type person, you'll want to grab this little jewel, The Crazy Daze of Motherhood.  Jane Still has written a collection of stories about being a mother that are just sooo close to home.  Anyone who has been a mother, has lived with a mother, wants to be a mother or knows a mother should pick up a copy and hand it over.  It's a laugh a page, and many of you will totally associate with her.


For example, one story is how her husband became a hypochondriac when they had their first baby.  Another story is the about getting a spiral perm that I certainly related to.  She delivers each story with dry wit and humor, bringing the story totally to life.


It has cute little illustrations (though, Jane, did you forget I do illustrations???  I don't remember getting contacted...ahem.) that enliven the story and add to the humor.  Really - you need to grab this and gift it to anyone who needs a laugh about motherhood.  Which is like, well everyone female on the planet.  Right?


And to make it even better, you can win a fun prize from Jane to help celebrate the release of her book.  Just go to her blog at http://www.janeisfeldstill.blogspot.com and become a follower, and then leave her a comment and tell her that you're a new follower.  You could win: 

1. Mother's Daze basket, soap, chocolate, lotion, decorative candles, and recipe cards

2. Box of blank cards with a smattering of Canadian chocolate

3. Chocolate

Anything better than chocolate??  Most woman wouldn't think so...and since most of you will be hinting for a copy of the book for Mother's day, then hey, there you go.  Enjoy!!

I should have brought...

My notebook. 

I'm sitting at work at the phones today, standing in for the secretaries as they do training.  Do I have much to do??  No.  Nope.  Nada.  Zingo.  sigh.

Once in a while someone will come with something for me to do, but it's the most bored I've been on the job in months and months...  Interesting. 

I finally made a post on my political blog, but I don't dare post it here, because I could get my daughter upset with me, since it's about unwed pregnancy.  sigh.  minefields...everywhere. 

Then I realized that I hadn't written a blog on this one in about a month, and that's depressing.  I knew I was busy, but ya know...

and so, here we are.  One of my favorite bloggers, It's Like This, posted that she'd realized she hadn't posted in a while.  She claims to have two readers...well, that's better than me, by a long shot.  lol

I could be spending this time getting caught up on my writing, which is terribly behind right now, but I'm stuck here trying to catch up on blogs and looking at recipes.  lol  Well, at least I've got lots of soup recipes I want to try now...much to the bane of my youngest who seems to hate all things soup.

I think I've found a good chicken dumpling for my hubby - won't he be surprised?  That's his favorite and I've made it like 2 times in our whole marriage.  I guess it's time to perfect the thing and let him know how much I love him by cooking what he really wants!!  ;)  Good thing he generally likes what I cook anyway. 

Have a good one!

In a perfect world

I would like to be a famous writer.  Unlike most people, I am not, and never will be popular.  I just don't have that little something that draws people to me.  People like to talk to me, tell me the strangest things that I would never dream of telling a complete stranger...but they don't befriend me and want to follow me home.  Not that I'd want perfect strangers following me home...

But anyway - every time I watch Julie and Julia, I think about the blogging world and how I so missed the boat.  Back in 2003, I started a blog about our pizza store.  I had a reader comment, and I was hooked.  Our store tanked, the free site started charging, and I switched to blogger.

Now everyone has a blog.  Everybody can write and have the world read it.  Some people actually make a living at it.  I think some people are actually worth reading, and I have those blogs attached so that I can see when they've written something new.  Invariably it's something humorous and witty, something that makes me smile.  Which is why I like their blog in the first place.

My stuff, on the other hand, is what happens to come out of my thoughts and through my fingers at the time.  Usually I just need an outlet to share my thoughts and figure no one is really going to be reading it, because rarely do I get comments.  I know I have readers, but they have lives --  Everyone has more exciting things to do than sit and read blogs all day.  (or should ;)  )

However, watching that movie always makes me wish I were there.  Wish I had that something that makes people want to know more about me, and eager to see what I've written.

The problem is, I've discovered I don't want to be tied to the computer.  I already spend enough time during the day at my computer, either at work or at home.  It's where I write, after all.  I try to write each day - and usually I make it.  But adding the pressure of keeping up a blog every day, just doesn't work.  I even thought I'd try it once a week and do a scripture thought.  Nothing came of that, did you notice??  Tuesdays are just blank as every other day.

I was going to document my experimenting with recipes on my cooking blog, but I don't have the time to do it on two places, since I'm usually eating what I'm cooking and have to keep track of it on sparkpeople.com.  (which is a wonderful place to help with loosing weight, by the way).  Sigh.  I feel like there are already not enough hours in the day, why add more to it??

So.  There you have it.  The ramblings of a 50 something woman who is feeling some days as if life is passing her by and she's never taken the bull by the horns and made it hers.  Some days I do - but most days I just wonder if I'm letting too much get by.

So...I guess I might try again.  But I'm not going to announce it like some great fanfare...it's not like anyone's going to notice.  But if you happen to read my stuff and like cooking, I will try to be more consistent with my entries on the cooking blog.  I won't be posting everything, because my hubby is determined for me to publish my recipes and doesn't want anyone to steal them.  We don't live in that kind of society, do we??  right.  Even Julia Child was afraid someone would steal her recipes when she was mailing them to her friend in the states.  So.

I won't promise to write more here - but I will try and be a little more consistent.  I realized the other day that I could have been sharing my weight loss adventure.  While I've given updates a few times, I haven't really let you know when the weight was coming off and what I've been doing from month to month.  Well...I've lost 85 pounds now (which is a lot less than I thought I would have lost by now...sigh) and am still going.  Next week I'm teaching a class to my neighbors about how to adapt recipes and menus to lower fat stuff.  I'm hoping they like it.  I couldn't believe my measurements last week.  I've lost 10 inches off my hips and 10 off my waist.  It blows the mind.

I guess my encouragement would be if a 50 year old can still do it, you certainly can!
Enjoy life to it's fullest and remember each day is a gift.  That's why we call it a present.  ;)

Well...He's on his way...

Well, Wednesday we took our son to the MTC.  The first time either of us has been back in over 27 years.  It's amazing how little things have changed, and yet, how much they have changed.

The curbside bit is totally new -- and I guess it's better for everyone all around.  It was fun to meet the missionaries that were leaving in three days for Korea, and I know they'll do great.  It was hard to hug my son goodbye and hurry into the car to leave.  I did fine till we got out of the car to go eat and then the tears started threatening.

It's crazy how hard it is after they are gone.  It's not like he hasn't been gone before, so I guess perhaps it's the whole idea that he's gone for a longer period of time and I can't just call him when I want.  I don't know.  But anyway, he's off, and he's doing what we always dreamed he would.  sigh.

Life is good.  ;)

The Wait is Finally Over! And other news...

Okay...I've been a little lax in my postings...mainly because it's November and Nano time again - but there has been soooo much going on!

First - my granddaughter looked soooo cute in her little ladybug costume!  Mom had to come show her off on Halloween before heading to a party.  I just had to take pictures, ya know?  Don't you think she's just cute as a bug? lol

Then - we've been waiting for almost 2 weeks for my son to get his mission call.  It finally came yesterday!!  Party!!  So, he's going to....

The Carlsbad California mission!!  Way to go son!!  His cousin was there that had gone to California and had been the only one to guess California as a mission, so he won the big prize...lol  A lot of shrimp!

Anyway - life is just starting to get crazy - but it's been great.  Especially the leaves!  Our big tree has finally turned colors and is just starting to drop.  I'll have to take my annual photo of it and post it later...

But for now - I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it...

Can you hear the song now??

There Seems to be a Need...

There have been several comments to my husband at work about the food he takes for lunch.  If you read my food blog, you'll feel like you're having de'ja vu, but I wanted to post this here as well.  It seems that they have told him they would be willing to buy my food if it was pre-made for them.

I'm wondering how much of it is time and how much is knowledge.  I've volunteered to teach a couple of women in my neighborhood how to lighten up their menus and recipes, and they are totally excited.  I know for a long time I was frustrated with how to do the same thing, and it's been research and experimentation that made the difference.  I guess the fact that I've lost 80 pounds in a year makes people think I know all, or more than they do.  Perhaps - but I think it's all viewpoint.

So, I'm tossing the question out to the cosmic world of blogging to see if I get any kind of response.

What would you think of a web site that you could submit recipe or menu questions to and get help and advice for low fat, low sugar cooking?  Possibly even money saving tips, but I'm not expert in that area by any means.

Fall Colors

Fall is my favorite time of year, hands down.  I guess spring is in there too, followed by winter, but fall takes the prize.  I think the colors are just amazing and every year I try to get my family to go driving with me.  Last year we didn't make it, but this year I was determined.

Amazingly enough, by conference weekend (which is usually when we go) we still had leaves!  After conference was over we went driving up Lambs Canyon.  It was sooo gorgeous.  I couldn't believe the yellows.  On the way home we drove through East Canyon which had some pretty reds.  sigh.

It was a wonderful afternoon and I got my leaf fix for the year.  Fortunately, our big maple out front hasn't turned yet, so I still have that treat in store.

I'm a Grandma! Where Did Time Go??

by G.Parker

If you've ever watched Star Trek, you'll know there are a couple of episodes that involve time travel.  I feel like I've lived that this past week.  Last week my first grandchild was born.  It was like looking at a video of myself 23 years ago -- it looked that similar.  It freaked me out.  Not that I don't love this new little angel, quite the contrary -- she's a total doll.  But it's just so odd to suddenly go from being a parent to a grandparent.

And then I got the news that I'm a grandmother, again.  Another baby girl.  Wow.  We think it's kind of ironic -- we had twins first and now we have two grandbaby girls born in the same month.  I guess we'll never really know the feeling of 'one'.  I guess it's a lonely number that we'll never know...grin.

I did have a photo that someone had forwarded to me of this granddaughter, but I've been asked to remove it, so it's gone.  Take my word for it, she's cute!

So, despite actually having had a few minutes to write this week, the blog wasn't a priority, so you just get the news flash.  Next week it will be something writerly...is that a word Darvel?? 

Grandbaby Number two is here...

Well, as if having one grandchild wasn't thrilling enough, I just found out I now have 2!!!
The second one arrived much earlier than expected, though everyone is saying it was fine and full term, yada yada.  Anyway - granddaughter number two is here.  Carrie Lee Parker...doesn't that sound like a country singer's name?  lol
I don't have any photos yet, but when I do, I'll post it.
Life just keeps getting better and better... lol

Never Forget

Well...today is September 11th.  I can't believe it's been 9 years since that fatefull day in 2001.  I wish we had a huge flag to raise, but we don't.  We have two that we put in the window.  Last year I put yellow ribbons everywhere and my kids were asking why yellow ribbons?  I told them because we didn't want to forget.  They got it, but I'm not sure anyone who saw them did - they probably just thought we were remembering or honoring a specific individual.

This year, we're still celebrating the birth of my first grandchild.  We put pink balloons out on the mail box (we'd gotten some latex ones to take to the hospital and then remembered when we got there that they didn't want latex inside...sigh), but no yellow ribbon.  Our commemoration is going to be a little less obvious, I guess.  We have a neighborhood party, and I wonder if they planned it on this date on purpose.  It kind of makes me wonder.

I hope you've had a chance to reflect and remember.  I plan on teaching little Kestra all about this great country - if it holds together long enough for her to understand such things.

I hope you have a wonderful day and spend it with family.  It's a special day.  We're alive and free.  Not everyone is able to enjoy that.