Hi...it's me again...

Well, not really me..although it could have been me if my hair was not gray. And I was like, 57 1/2 years younger...

But when I spotted this little face, I thought, "well, she has my almost-not-there eyebrows, round face, chubby cheeks, blue eyes............. and she's wearing glasses!"

I should too..........really....

If you've been reading these posts, you know I can't see a thing without my glasses.

But, oh how I try....

Yesterday morning, I left to walk the pups AGAIN without them and I should know by now that I truly can't believe what my eyes are telling me I see...

I was sorta looking at license plates as I walked and saw one with the frame around it that said (or I thought) "God bless the onion workers".........

Hmmm, nice thought..... I never realize the produce workers were so specialized! Kinda like doctors now, huh?

I wonder if there are tomato workers, and lettuce workers, and qcumber workers......??????

As I thought and walked, (yes, I can do both) I was getting closer to the license plate....more in my line of vision...

And realized it said "God bless the UNION workers".....

Oh, well that makes much more sense.

So, God, if You will, please do bless the onion workers, and the tomato workers and the lettuce workers.........Oh, .and the Union worker, too..............

Love,
me

Sunday at the “mart”…

Doesn’t that sound ,oh I don’t know, cosmopolitan?

Like, the fashion mart in New York? Or an open-air market in some exotic place??

Yeeaahh… This me…in Utah…uh huh.

OK, so the “mart” was Wal- coulda been "K-" or "Stein-"....

But it is a nice place to spend a quiet Sunday morning, especially if you need new socks.

Did I ever mention I LOVE new socks?

I can be having a fashion crisis, a money crisis, a life crisis, a health crisis and it can be soothed by new cotton socks.

And, to top it off, I got new T-shirts! Actually, they are called A-shirts. You know, the kind bad mechanics wear…..or rednecks??

No sleeves. However, their’s are usually dirty and ripped, while mine are a kind of camisole….yeah that’s it… a ribbed, sleeveless, cotton cami!

I wear these always. Under things. Not as a fashion statement….. just to be clear….

But since the “baseball game of life has stolen second base”…I no longer have the need for bras….

Which I remind Randy of all the time, are EXPENSIVE! Look how much money I am saving us…..

Anyway, it’s Monday morning. I am showered & coiffed. New sock AND ribbed-cotton-cami and am ready to start the week.

How about you? Enjoying the “new-socks” in the everyday of your life? It’s really wonderful…

Here’s to new socks, baseball and bad mechanics. Have a great Monday!

Love,
me
PS - Since this is Breast Cancer Awareness month, please do your self-checks ALL THE TIME! Don't let them steal second base .....

Ahhh..sisters!

Some people are blessed with one. I was blessed with two...

I think everyone should have one...or two..

We are always there for each other - even when we don't necessarily want them to be there....

The Three Musketeers.
The Three sisters.

We butt in when we shouldn't (however, there aren't really any times when we shouldn't,

...if you love each other like we do, right??)

And we fiercely do love each other. Just ask anyone who's ever tried to break us apart. My 'starter marriage-jerk' tried....and failed.
Big time.

My ex-brother's -in-law tried....and failed.
Big time.

I still have my sisters -we have each other - and we are permanent, not starters.

And now I am lucky enough to have a husband that truly understands those bonds.
And goes with the flow....

That's what Randy is, a "go with the flow" kinda guy... until anyone tries to mess with his family- sisters-in-law included.

Anyway, today's message is short and sweet.

Butt in if your heart says it's the right thing to do.
Be fiercely loyal to those you love.
Risk them getting angry at you. You'll live.
And they will too.
And they will realize we do things these things because,
we butt in,
we talk to each other in front of and behind our backs,
we tell fibs,
we tell truths,
we pray,
we cry,
we try to help..
We love.

The best of these is.... love.

-me

This one's for those I love....

Today's entry will be on a more serious note.

This week, we've had some things happen in our extended family that I wanted to note, for personal reasons as well as to remind us all of life's mysterious turns - and to remind us to cherish each moment and each person we love...

My son-in-law's lovely mother was hit by a car while crossing in a crosswalk. She will live (thank you Lord!) but her body has been hurt very badly.

It was a lovely day. She was in a crosswalk. All the right things. Then, this. How quickly life can change. The teddy bear and the flowers above are my "cyber-thoughts" for her. And, you know the angel will look after her and see her through her long recovery....

To her and to the family, I send my prayers and love ...know that I will be thinking of you all during this time of recovery and I pray that your pain will ease.....

The angel above is also for my Sister-in-law. Her first born, now an adult, left this world for a better place. She was nearing 40 years old, but most of those years were troubled and pain-filled. Bad decisions, bad times, maybe bad people that she trusted. Who really knows.

But, she is with God now and perfect in His grace. However, to her Mom, my dear Sister-in-law, her daughter is gone. And I weep for her....if I could take on her sadness I would....

Her daughter has left behind a circle of friends and family that loved her and stood by her while she attempted to get control of her out-of-control life.

And, also by God's grace, she gave the world 2 precious children. Neither knew the extent of their Mother's pain; one lived with her father and one with adoptive parents, and both will spark lovely memories of their Mother's childhood for my Sister-in-law and her family. God rest her soul. And keep in Your embrace Cilla, Ginny and her grandparents and friends. And bless the children....

The clock above is a reminder that time, while it does seem to make things easier, is precious. And no one know when it may change.... May run out..... May have to slow things down a little. Tick tock, tick tock.....

Old advice to say "enjoy the moment", "live for each day", yadda, yadda, yadda.

But we know it's true. We are reminded of this all the time......

Have a wonderful week-end. Be still. Let your mind relax. Smile while you close your eyes and listen...can you hear the rustling leaves? Children playing?? Beautiful music from the next room??

Can you hear the beating of your heart??? Listen.......

Gifts. All of them. From God. To you.

Love you all...
me

We're "rOcK StArzZ!!".........

Nope - that's not water.............

Not sand.................

It's weird.

It's "rock".

Or, maybe not...........

I'm quite certain it has some fancy-schmancy geological name that I probably should have read about somewhere at sometime...like in high school or something..but I've slept since then, so I don't remember....

Anyway....the rock formations were awesome. Everywhere we turned some rock somewhere was smoldering or spewing or dripping or steaming or oozing....

Gee, when I write it out it doesn't sound all that great, huh?

But it was cool to see!

We stopped to look at some old cabins, long ago abandoned.

As I peeked into one window, I spotted a really smooth rock. (On the ground.... sounded for a minute like I saw it in the window, which would have been silly..) It was like a river rock, all smooth and perfectly round. Cool to the touch and pretty.

I picked it up and showed it to Randy who was in the truck. He smiled.

The "how nice"kind of smile.... Then when he saw that I was going to put it into my pocket, his eyes got all round and his head started shaking in the "no!" thing I often see while window shopping....

I shook the rock at him, smiling in the "Oh yeah!" way I do (..when window shopping..) oh, and I was smiling - no the rock...

Anyway, he shook his head more violently than before, so I thought "Well, he certainly doesn't want this little 'ol rock in his big 'ol truck, fer sure..."

Hrumph.. Grumpy Gus...I put it down. So he could see. Made a big deal about it.

I walked around the back of the cabin and saw a smaller version of the rock, which I quickly put into my jeans pocket. AhHa! I have a smooth rock to paint artsy-quotes on! WhooHoo...sneaky me!

When I got back in the truck, Randy told me he had read that to take ANYTHING from the park was a FELONY!! ...( and Randy is a "letter-of-the-law" kind of guy, which is really truly wonderful...really...he never goes one mile over the speed limit...which is, ah........... wonderful...and ..yeah...wonderful... )

So, OK, it was cold outside, the rock was cold to pick up and it was cold in my pocket - UNTIL he told me about the felony-thing. Then it started burning a hole in my pocket - burning GUILT that is...

I felt so bad AND guilty that I couldn't bear to tell him I had STOLEN a small rock (actually a pebble in my mind..) So.. I decided to toss it out the window. Good plan!

One small problem...since it was cold out, the window was up. And, we don't have electronic windows.

Yeppers, the crank kind. The kind you really can't hide that you are rolling down...what with your whole body going around in circles....rollin', rollin', rollin'.....

But I got it down, and tossed out the pebble (OK, rock...)

Randy didn't miss a beat.

"Tossed out that rock in your pocket, huh?..."

Yeah, he's a boy scout-citizen-ship-award-kind of guy.

The thing is, he's right.

I felt sooooo much better.

Can I get a girl-scout award? How about a Brownie award? How about a..............brownie!

So have fun. Don't steal rocks....or pebbles...and get ELECTRONIC windows, for Heaven's sake!
me

Oh yeah...there's also Wildlife in Yellowstone!

Along with some really great food, there are some really great animals - some of which I actually did see...

Some I only heard about......sadly......

The elk were prevalent and not afraid of people at all. This one seemed a little off-put that I interrupted her dinner.

I was pretty close..and excited enough to share my bravery with Randy who was in the truck waiting:

Me: Did you see that??!! I was sooooo close to her!!!!

Randy: Yes, but you need to be careful........

Me: I know, I know...but did you see how CLOSE I was??!!! I could've TOUCHED her with my hand!!!! Like 2 inches from her!!

Randy: Well, the literature I read said you must stay at least 25 yards from the animals......

Me: Oh..............yeah....I was probably that far away...........................

( uh huh -like my arms are 25 yards long.....)

The buffalo was in the middle of a Yellowstone traffic jam. Actually, he WAS the Yellowstone traffic jam.

Seems he thought he OWNED the road!

OK, well, he sorta does.... I mean, do you want to argue the point with a 1500 lb. creature?

No, not the overweight park ranger, silly! The BUFFALO!

Oh yeah, the bear wasn't real, if you thought for a moment it was....

OK, so the moose wasn't either....well, the antlers anyway...


WARNING: These photos were taken by a professional on a closed course. Do not attempt this on your own......

Have fun with the wild life where ever you are....and have a fun day!
me

...and then there was.....

....BIG desserts....

OK, so the ice cream one is not real, but the cake we had (called on the menu "big old chocolate cake") @ The Three Bears Restaurant in West Yellowstone, was real and.........

.... as big as Randy's hand! (notice the 2 forks?...didn't want you to think we were piggies!!!!)

And yes, we do know that even half of that cake is twice as much as anyone needs...)

The little rolls were from Tubby's ( great name, huh? ) Each morning we stopped for their scones - cranberry-orange with orange glaze and pecans..... ............can you see me smiling even now??

We had a picnic lunch in the park everyday... thin sliced salami & provolone on, what else?

Yep, Tubby's rolls. So good! I don't care what you eat, it's always better when eaten outside, huh?

Yeppers, I am a Recreational Eater all right..............


So today, enjoy God's bounty....And split some big 'ol chocolate cake with someone you love....