What's Up, Bugs?

What a great weekend!  We had visitors.  Abigail brought her parents to see us.  She knew Grandma needed some good laugh therapy.  We got out the Bugs Bunny jack-in-the-box.  She loved the music.  Friday I got her to giggle, which made Bonnie and I laugh.  Sadly, it was a one-time event.

But every time the music started she got the biggest grin on her face.  You will notice that Bugs has no ears.  Wonder why?

I was trying to remember which of our children received this gift.  Impossible.  But I did go down to check out the baby books and found that it was given to Justin for his first birthday by my Uncle Gerald.  After going through the abuse from five children, no wonder he is missing his ears!

She is not camera shy!  I pulled out it and she comes right towards me.  Love that smile!

Abigail is still a very petite little girl.  This photo makes me laugh because she looks a little bit pudgy!

She loves those feet and enjoys sucking on her cute little toes.  Thanks for coming to visit us, Abigail!  And for bringing your Mom and Dad with you.   The joys of Grandmotherhood!

Spring Fever and March Madness

March - the month that supposedly comes in like a lion and exits like a lamb.  Many times it is the complete opposite.  Winter fighting to extend itself while spring is struggling to emerge.  I look forward to March each year for two reasons:  1)  the beginning of the gardening season and 2) the NCAA tournament.  Saturday morning Kevin tilled a small portion on the north side of the garden so that I could plant peas.  It was a windy morning.  Lewis, my next door neighbors' new dog, was outside running around and trying to keep the glove away from the three children who were trying to catch him.  They made me laugh.  It took me a little longer to get the seeds planted because I frequently paused to watch and wonder if this new puppy would ever run out of energy!  I got the peas planted and came inside so that in the afternoon we could watch the basketball games.  We were happy when BYU beat Gonzaga to advance to the Sweet 16.  San Diego State, another team in our conference, also advanced.  We enjoyed cheering for the underdogs and seeing a number one seed, Pittsburgh, fall to Butler. 

Also this week, I decided March Madness had more to do than just basketball games.  For example, the last two weeks some of the cubs in our Wolf Den have been off the wall - Kevin said that this gave March Madness a whole new meaning - thank you for making me laugh when I was a bit grumpy.  Second March Madness - planting peas in weather so cold that it numbed my hands.  Shortly after I was done and inside, it began to snow!  Third March Madness - doing a load of laundry and having two new shirts "bleed" onto each other.  As I pulled them out of the washing machine on Saturday it looked like bleach had been poured on them.  I was not a happy camper.  BIZ to the rescue!  They definitely hadn't bled onto each other.  I had washed them on a hand wash cycle and my best guess is that in a rest period they had extra soap on them and were pressed against each other.  I don't know, but I am glad that there was enough BIZ in the box to fix that mess.  Have you had your dose of March Madness yet?

Spring Cleaning and Creativity

No, this is not a post on creative ways to do spring cleaning.  Today I was cleaning out the armoire in our bedroom.  Some things were destined for the garbage.  Some made me laugh - my Sony Walkman, ancient ancestor to the IPod.  And I unwrapped a gem.  It was not a diamond, or ruby, but to me it is more precious than either of those.  This is a small six inch china plate that was hand painted by my grandmother, Anna Mary Bechtol Porr.  I called my Mother to ask if she remembered when she had painted it.  She felt pretty certain she made it before she got married, which was in 1909.  Mom said that while we lived in Iowa she showed it to an older lady who told Mom that that's what young ladies did at the time.  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said the following:  "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul." http://lds.org/ensign/2008/11/happiness-your-heritage?lang=eng Grandma was probably between 16 and 19 when she made this.  She came from a large family in rural Ohio. They were farmers, like their ancestors before them.  I had a hard time imagining a teen age girl, whose mother was ill during those years,  having the time to paint, but prior to her marriage she did spend some time in Indiana with extended family.  Perhaps she made it there.   To further quote President Uchtdorf:  "No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before." 
This is a picture of Anna taken before she was married, perhaps at the time of her engagement.  After she was married Anna became the mother of 14 children.  No doubt, there was not time to paint pretty plates.  There were children to tend to, laundry to be done, and many meals to prepare for a very large family.  Yet, she still found time to create.  President Uchtdorf:  "Everyone can create.  You don't need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty."  Grandma created quilts.  Each of her children received one when they graduated from high school. Grandma sewed dresses for her daughters.  At the end of each harvest season, her shelves displayed "the fruits of her labors" with her creations of jams, jellies, etc.  Each spring Grandma went through the yearly rituals of deep cleaning in order to create a clean home for her family.  President Uchtdorf:  "Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment."  I have felt that deep satisfaction in doing the things that my Grandmother did:  quilting, canning, and sewing.   Not so much the spring cleaning - I'd rather blog about spring cleaning than do it!  But I'll be back at it tomorrow, and maybe I'll discover another long-forgotten treasure.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Thursday evening we went to see Viewmont High School's production of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  It is one of my favorite musicals.  I will be humming "Into the Fire" for days to come!  This is the third time I have seen this play - the other two times were at Hale Center Theatre.  I was curious to see how this would compare.  I was not disappointed.  The three people who played the main characters were so talented.  Percy's role, that of an English fop, was played to perfection.  His timing was so good.  Chauvelin and Marguerite's roles showcased the talents of these young people.  It was hard to believe that they all were just high school students and not professionals.  The whole experience was a little bittersweet, though, because the director, Ms. McGuire, is retiring in June after being at Viewmont for 35 years.  There are some big shoes that will need to be filled.  I hope they find someone who will carry on this great tradition that she has established.

We took Ross with us.  He loves musicals.  He was very excited when I told him there would be some sword fighting in it.  He told me he had a favorite song, but couldn't remember what it was.  We had great seats - three rows back from the pit in the center section.  He was wide-eyed the entire time as he sat on the edge of his seat.  He whispered a couple of times, "Grandma, when will they sword fight?"  When they sang his favorite song (Into the Fire)  he told me that was the one!  In one scene Percy was standing right in front of us singing.  I viewed the production a little differently that evening - seeing it as Ross might be - the amazing, colorful costumes, stunning scenery, and lots of action.  I felt like I was viewing it again for the first time - through the eyes of a child - for just one evening.

Where Did the Years Go?



Barb, Diane and mother, Alice



So reads the title of the editorial in the Church News yesterday.  For the past week I've been planning a family gathering to celebrate Megan and Katie's birthdays.  I remember our party celebrations when our kids were young.  We didn't do anything too elaborate.  For example, here was a party celebration for my mother in 1985.  Her birthday is December 23, so I thought it would be fun to have reindeer hats.  I don't remember too many details, but if you look at these pictures, you will notice that some of us seem to be enjoying the party more than others.



So, it is 2011 and we've all moved up a generation.  I am now a grandmother, and Ross is about the same age as Justin was in this picture.  My parents are still alive and would have been at the party celebration had they not been in St. George enjoying sunshine and warmer temperatures.   The years have passed, but we still gather as family to celebrate important occasions - birthdays, holidays, baptisms, baby blessings, missions and weddings.  We just enjoy being together, and we love those who have joined our family through marriages.



I want the grandchildren to remember family gatherings.  I decided to do a birthday party, with balloons and party hats.  One-stop-shopping at Dollar Tree!

Just like in  1985, some of us seemed to enjoy the party more than others.  Abigail did not like the noise and commotion going on.  She didn't enjoy the party hat (sorry, Abigail - I didn't mean to cause you so much distress!)  With three older siblings, Benson is more accustomed to the noise and chaos.  The rest of us had a good time.  We played a game where you put a balloon between two people and try to pop it.  It was pretty funny. 



Katie and Crystal


Lizzy has never liked loud noises like the fireworks at the 4th of July.  She didn't want to participate in the balloon popping.  Perhaps Abigail will find a kindred spirit there!


Lincoln loves his Uncle Justin.  And the feelings are mutual!





Photo of Joe courtesy of Lincoln.

 

Katie had been using a very old quilt that I had made years ago when the girls were small and all shared one room.  She wanted a new one for her birthday and here is what I made for her.

We had a panini bar for dinner.  I love my panini press and we use it often.  I like to try new things and this time I made some basil garlic mayonnaise, which was a big hit.  Here is the recipe and the link to the website where I found it.   http://www.paninihappy.com/

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Thanks, everyone, for a happy, memorable day.

It Doesn't Get Much Better

I was able to spend the day doing what I love the best.  Time with children and grandchildren.  I enjoy laughing with them, reading with them and just hanging out together.  I love to hear them sing Primary songs.  Lincoln is a typical almost three-year old.  I never know what mood he'll be in.  Today the mood ranged from, "Don't boss me, Grandma", to a hug and kiss.  I sat by him as I ate lunch and he slyly slid bits of his granola bar over to share with me.  I've always been grateful that I was able to be a stay-at-home Mom and now be a stay-at-home Grandma.  Thank you Popes for a wonderful day!