Whatever you do, don't take good health for granted! We've been involved with some sick people this week and have been reminded what a blessing it is to have strong, healthy bodies. Grandpa has been here for a few days. He's doing fairly well for what's going on, but is slow, weak, tired and in constant pain. He can't walk far or very fast, but he can't sit for too long either. He gets up in the night to walk around and has to use a catheter at night. His spirits seem well and he spends time catching up with friends. He talked with Barbara Winder this morning (former R.S. General President and matron of the Nauvoo Temple when Grandpa and Jenny were there). While Dad was talking with Grandpa, he (Grandpa) got a phone call. "Hello." "Hello, Angus. This is Dallin. I'm just calling to check on you." Somehow Elder Oaks had heard about Grandpa's cancer and called to see how things were going! Dad wondered if that was because last week when he (Dad) was visiting with Elder Ballard, Dad mentioned Grandpa's condition and thinks maybe Elder Ballard passed it on to Elder Oaks. Amazing that men with such a load, especially at conference time, would make time to check on friends. I hope to be more like that.
In addition to the sickness around here, Bret Allred broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. He had to swerve to avoid a car whose driver didn't see him, and crashed his bike. What a blessing to "only" have a broken leg! Certainly could have been much, much worse. He'll have surgery next week, but it's a leg instead of a neck or back. Just be careful! Take care of yourselves and be careful driving motorcycles - or cars - or bikes - or airplanes - or when you're walking,,,
I drove down to Payson to watch Emma's marching band performance yesterday. They are a small band but have an impressive sound. They have a very fun show with entertaining music and visuals, with cannons, swords, a ship helm and even some pretty good marching! I hope some of you get to see the show this year.
Emma and I did our best to see the eclipse tonight, but there were clouds in Cache Valley. We didn't get to see it at all. We were sorely disappointed! I hope some of you got to see it. I know Jenn did and Ruth's family watched it, too. Quite an amazing occurrence. Signs in the heavens.... ?
CONGRATULATIONS, Jenn and Scott! If you need any help with this one, you know the team to call! I'm sure the gals would all be willing to come again. We had a great time last year! We should make it an annual tradition! Are you ready to buy another house each fall? We are cheap labor and we do a good job when we're all together... What do you say girls??
Have a great week, all. Love you lots...
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Flake Fun - Did It Again
27 Sept 2015 - We bought another house. Well...we're buying another house. The close date is Oct 30. It has been a whirlwind and has progressed really quickly. We first saw the house on Labor Day and called the realtor to see if we could walk around. We set up an appointment for that Thursday evening. We thought it was a pretty cute, quirky house so we went home. After talking it over we called our loan officer Friday morning and submitted a low ball offer to the realtor. That night she called back to say that our offer had been accepted! Talk about shock! We did a couple deeper inspections and submitted our list of things that would need to be fixed. We got word a few days ago that the list had been accepted too and the seller will be fixing them. So...I guess we just wait now to see how quickly he fixes them.
The house, like I said is a little quirky but won't require nearly as much fix up. The list we submitted were just the big things (like a new furnace) and we left the smaller things (like painting the basement) for ourselves. The house is currently rented under a short term contract to some of the construction workers that are building the Wal-Mart. (Yes, construction has started so next time you visit there might be a completed Wal-Mart in Snowflake.) We don't know the details of their rental contract so we don't know if they will be there at the end of October or not.
Here are some photos:
The house, like I said is a little quirky but won't require nearly as much fix up. The list we submitted were just the big things (like a new furnace) and we left the smaller things (like painting the basement) for ourselves. The house is currently rented under a short term contract to some of the construction workers that are building the Wal-Mart. (Yes, construction has started so next time you visit there might be a completed Wal-Mart in Snowflake.) We don't know the details of their rental contract so we don't know if they will be there at the end of October or not.
Here are some photos:
The basement/back door. Love the little greenhouse!
I don't know why we buy houses with such ugly exterior paint!
The front room leading to the master bedroom
The master bedroom fireplace
The basement (he used it as an art studio)
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Emanem's Exciting Enterprises
Ok, first, I have no idea what Enterprises mean, but I looked up synonyms for Adventures, and that's what came up so there ya go. Mom wanted me to post some pictures from Homecoming. It was a blast by the way! Every game we played, my date, Jonah, and I, dominated! we are now the Winning Team;) It was intense.... Jonah insisted that we play against the other three couples in water balloon volley ball, so I got nervous! at first, things were looking pretty slim, 4/1 :/ But then, Jonah made some great serves (okay, I held onto the other side of the towel, so I get some credit) and we totally beat them, 10-6!! We kinda forgot that they had all the water balloons on their side though.... We had to sprint.... A LOT! They chased us all over the park! I mean, 6 against 2? who came up with this? ;) Anyway, we got away without getting too incredibly wet, and then we went rollerblading, which was a blast, except the next day I had a couple of bruised ribs from falling down pretty hardcore;) Anyway, they dropped me off and I was able to get ready with the wonderful help of Jenny Fife (magic hairdresser), Elise (Makeup specialist), Ruth (cheerleader), Eliza (she helped me with my dress), Lauren (shoe saver), and Natalie (calming team). It was pretty great;) felt slightly spoiled;) Oh, fun little side story. I was in the bathroom getting ready and Eliza sticks her head in and says: "Emma, you're a very pitty giwel!" totally made my life! she wrapped her arms as far as they would go around my dress and said it over and over! Such a sweetie! Anyway, as you'll see in the pics, Jonah looked very dashing and was nothing but a gentleman! Thomas wasn't there to intimidate, so that was even better;) we went to Jonah's house (GORGEOUS HOUSE, might I add) and took pictures in his grandma's back yard. Then we went to Neil's house for a delicious dinner (salmon, potatoes, salad, fruit etc.). We played a game called Guillotine (I think our boys would love it), and again, Jonah and I dominated! #WinningTeam! Then we went to the dance and just had a great time! then we went back to Neil's house for French Silk Pie:) It was pretty great! makes you all want to go back to high school I bet! Totes JK...I don't even wanna go back to high school.... Anyway.... I look super awkward in pictures, so don't look at me. The rest of them look super cute though!
Neil, Ross, Jonah, Josh
Stacy, Keirsten, Me, Tess
Yep...The one on the left... They're all great boys!
Okay, before you judge me too harshly about the one below, they said think of dead puppies....What else was I going to do???? They were trying to get me to do a straight face....Jonah succeeded.
Stacy, Keirsten, Me, Tess
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Happy in Hyde Park
Sign me up for the workout, Jenn!! I remember cutting and hauling wood with my grandpa way back in the day in the mountains by Manila. I'd love to take that trip down memory lane just to smell the fresh cut wood and feel the mountain air... The workout wouldn't be so bad either!
Speaking of workout, a few members of the family have expressed an interest in doing another family challenge. We'd have fewer categories and it would probably work a little differently than last time, but if you're game, let me know and we'll see if we can get something planned. It might be fun to start right away and do it until Thanksgiving time, when we would give awards. What do you think?
Dad surely enjoyed his birthday! Thanks isn't enough to say to express our gratitude to Ruth and Elise for coming so far and staying so long and working so hard to make things so nice! They cleaned out flower beds, painted doors, built a wonderful porch bench, make a new address sign, and brought some wonderful grandchildren to play with! It was a bit of a crazy day and I didn't get dinner on until late. The solution was to have Dad's birthday treat first - before dinner. So, we got dinner in the oven to cook, then pulled out the ice cream sundae ingredients. Funny thing - no one complained! Not one person refused to eat ice cream before dinner. Not sure what to think. Peter had made a little treasure hunt for Grandpa to find his presents - a new ice cream scoop, some chocolate licorice and some balloons! Truly, it couldn't have been a better day - unless the rest of you had been here :) Elise, Emma and I went to see a few houses in the Parade of Homes, which was fun. It's hard to not covet, but mostly it was fun. Dad and I went to a meeting with Elder Ballard and Elder Clayton on his birthday. That was a treat! Now we are enjoying our lovely new-looking front doors and can't wait to get our bench painted so we can sit on the porch and visit like people in small towns are supposed to do.
Emma went to the homecoming dance on Dad's birthday too, and looked beautiful! Eliza even said so - "You a pretty geel, Emma." She had a delightful time because she chooses her friends wisely and they do fun things that are good. Her date, Jonah Wood, didn't even seem to mind all the mess and chaos when he came to pick her up in the middle of the door-painting and had her home at a decent time!
Thomas went on the bus to Washington to cheer the Aggies on. They lost. I hear that Joe and Alex went to California to cheer the Cougars on. They lost. Maybe everyone should stay home next time and their favorite teams might win. Just a thought.
Well, good things are happening here. I hope good things are happening where you are. I hope you're remembering the Sabbath day. It's going to solve a lot of problems and bring a lot of blessings to our families if we catch hold of the purpose and meaning of that day! Keep it up, one and all!
I sure love belonging to this family! You are the best thing that ever happened to me - all of you!!! I attended a birth this morning and after the mom had her baby and was holding that sweet, "little" (10#) baby girl, she lovingly said, "Oh! You are everything I ever wanted!" It was her 9th baby! I know how she felt - each of you is all I ever wanted. I love you all tremendously! Thanks for being so great and getting great-er all the time!
Speaking of workout, a few members of the family have expressed an interest in doing another family challenge. We'd have fewer categories and it would probably work a little differently than last time, but if you're game, let me know and we'll see if we can get something planned. It might be fun to start right away and do it until Thanksgiving time, when we would give awards. What do you think?
Dad surely enjoyed his birthday! Thanks isn't enough to say to express our gratitude to Ruth and Elise for coming so far and staying so long and working so hard to make things so nice! They cleaned out flower beds, painted doors, built a wonderful porch bench, make a new address sign, and brought some wonderful grandchildren to play with! It was a bit of a crazy day and I didn't get dinner on until late. The solution was to have Dad's birthday treat first - before dinner. So, we got dinner in the oven to cook, then pulled out the ice cream sundae ingredients. Funny thing - no one complained! Not one person refused to eat ice cream before dinner. Not sure what to think. Peter had made a little treasure hunt for Grandpa to find his presents - a new ice cream scoop, some chocolate licorice and some balloons! Truly, it couldn't have been a better day - unless the rest of you had been here :) Elise, Emma and I went to see a few houses in the Parade of Homes, which was fun. It's hard to not covet, but mostly it was fun. Dad and I went to a meeting with Elder Ballard and Elder Clayton on his birthday. That was a treat! Now we are enjoying our lovely new-looking front doors and can't wait to get our bench painted so we can sit on the porch and visit like people in small towns are supposed to do.
Emma went to the homecoming dance on Dad's birthday too, and looked beautiful! Eliza even said so - "You a pretty geel, Emma." She had a delightful time because she chooses her friends wisely and they do fun things that are good. Her date, Jonah Wood, didn't even seem to mind all the mess and chaos when he came to pick her up in the middle of the door-painting and had her home at a decent time!
Thomas went on the bus to Washington to cheer the Aggies on. They lost. I hear that Joe and Alex went to California to cheer the Cougars on. They lost. Maybe everyone should stay home next time and their favorite teams might win. Just a thought.
Well, good things are happening here. I hope good things are happening where you are. I hope you're remembering the Sabbath day. It's going to solve a lot of problems and bring a lot of blessings to our families if we catch hold of the purpose and meaning of that day! Keep it up, one and all!
I sure love belonging to this family! You are the best thing that ever happened to me - all of you!!! I attended a birth this morning and after the mom had her baby and was holding that sweet, "little" (10#) baby girl, she lovingly said, "Oh! You are everything I ever wanted!" It was her 9th baby! I know how she felt - each of you is all I ever wanted. I love you all tremendously! Thanks for being so great and getting great-er all the time!
Flake Fun
20 Sept 2015 - First of all, happy birthday to the greatest Dad ever!
This week has been a little bit out of the ordinary. This was the week of the County Fair and since we work for the county, we were both involved with that. I had a 2 day training in Tucson to start the week which was pretty good but very hot. I got back on Tuesday night. Scott was on fair finance duty all day on Wednesday and finally got home around 11:45pm. Thursday was a fairly normal day I think. Friday was busy running around doing errands and bottling tomatoes. And yesterday we spent the whole day working at the fair and finished the day and week attending the rodeo.
In all of his "spare" time Scott was also able to split some of the wood that we cut last Saturday. Oh, I didn't tell you about last Saturday so let's back up.....
We have 2 different types of wood permits this year. One is for hardwood and takes us about 30 minutes to get to the designated cutting area. The other is for softwood and it takes us about 2 hours to get to the cutting area. Scott's truck holds 3/4 of a cord. Since the only time that we really have to cut wood is on the weekends, we decided to try and get 2 loads of softwood in one day. Scott borrowed Uncle Dude's small trailer (holds 3/4 cord) and we decided to start early. Neither of us slept very soundly on Friday night so, since we were both up, we left around 4:30AM Saturday morning. Scott loaded the truck while I grabbed some snacks and water and made bagel sandwiches for breakfast. We ate on the go and were able to watch a pretty nice sunrise. We cut wood until we had filled up both the truck and the trailer. The area was really soggy due to lots of rain so we almost got stuck a few times getting in and out. We got back to the house with our first load about 1:00 I think. To speed up the unloading, we simply dumped the load and left it in a chaotic pile in the back yard. Scott returned the trailer while I threw a quick lunch together and we ate on the go again. This time we found a place with ground that wasn't quite so soggy. We had everything cut and loaded in a couple of hours and were headed back around 5:30. We arrived and once again just threw the wood on the pile in the back yard. I think we were in bed by 8:30 and slept VERY soundly.
If anyone wants a full body work out, we still have a couple of trips left!
This week has been a little bit out of the ordinary. This was the week of the County Fair and since we work for the county, we were both involved with that. I had a 2 day training in Tucson to start the week which was pretty good but very hot. I got back on Tuesday night. Scott was on fair finance duty all day on Wednesday and finally got home around 11:45pm. Thursday was a fairly normal day I think. Friday was busy running around doing errands and bottling tomatoes. And yesterday we spent the whole day working at the fair and finished the day and week attending the rodeo.
In all of his "spare" time Scott was also able to split some of the wood that we cut last Saturday. Oh, I didn't tell you about last Saturday so let's back up.....
We have 2 different types of wood permits this year. One is for hardwood and takes us about 30 minutes to get to the designated cutting area. The other is for softwood and it takes us about 2 hours to get to the cutting area. Scott's truck holds 3/4 of a cord. Since the only time that we really have to cut wood is on the weekends, we decided to try and get 2 loads of softwood in one day. Scott borrowed Uncle Dude's small trailer (holds 3/4 cord) and we decided to start early. Neither of us slept very soundly on Friday night so, since we were both up, we left around 4:30AM Saturday morning. Scott loaded the truck while I grabbed some snacks and water and made bagel sandwiches for breakfast. We ate on the go and were able to watch a pretty nice sunrise. We cut wood until we had filled up both the truck and the trailer. The area was really soggy due to lots of rain so we almost got stuck a few times getting in and out. We got back to the house with our first load about 1:00 I think. To speed up the unloading, we simply dumped the load and left it in a chaotic pile in the back yard. Scott returned the trailer while I threw a quick lunch together and we ate on the go again. This time we found a place with ground that wasn't quite so soggy. We had everything cut and loaded in a couple of hours and were headed back around 5:30. We arrived and once again just threw the wood on the pile in the back yard. I think we were in bed by 8:30 and slept VERY soundly.
If anyone wants a full body work out, we still have a couple of trips left!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Hyde Park Happiness
I must agree that fall is a scrumptious time of year! The Best! It's a lot of work, but you won't find more satisfying work anywhere, any time. We've tilled the garden, picked apples, cleaned out the chicken coop, rearranged the storage room and it feels great! There is still much to do to get ready for the winter, but we're making progress little by little.
Going to Idaho to celebrate with Jack was delightful! What a great little boy. He had ordered salmon for lunch, which Elise cooked to perfection. We had a lot of laughs playing miniature golf (Alex likes to fish his ball out of the water... or the gravel...) and watching the boys enjoy the day. Thanks for the invitation, Jack! It was especially nice that Dad decided to go at the last minute!
Thanks to everyone for the very kind thoughts, phone calls, lovely singing - on the phone and in person, delicious dinner cooked entirely by Emma, visits, etc. I went to bed feeling grateful for such a wonderful family who doesn't remind me how old I'm getting, just how wonderful it is to be a mom and a grandma! Thanks for your kindness, patience and forgiveness and for letting me keep trying to get it right!
After reading/watching some great articles on the church website, I was especially grateful for my children who are wonderful spouses and parents. Thanks for being so good to each other! One of the articles I read was by a man trying to make Sundays easier for his wife. Very good. It caused me to think how important it is, with all of the focus on Sabbath observance right now, to make the Sabbath a delight not only for ourselves in our personal worship, but also for our families and for each other. Give it some thought!
https://www.lds.org/blog/the-sabbath-was-made-for-mom-not-mom-for-the-sabbath?lang=eng
Going to Idaho to celebrate with Jack was delightful! What a great little boy. He had ordered salmon for lunch, which Elise cooked to perfection. We had a lot of laughs playing miniature golf (Alex likes to fish his ball out of the water... or the gravel...) and watching the boys enjoy the day. Thanks for the invitation, Jack! It was especially nice that Dad decided to go at the last minute!
Thanks to everyone for the very kind thoughts, phone calls, lovely singing - on the phone and in person, delicious dinner cooked entirely by Emma, visits, etc. I went to bed feeling grateful for such a wonderful family who doesn't remind me how old I'm getting, just how wonderful it is to be a mom and a grandma! Thanks for your kindness, patience and forgiveness and for letting me keep trying to get it right!
After reading/watching some great articles on the church website, I was especially grateful for my children who are wonderful spouses and parents. Thanks for being so good to each other! One of the articles I read was by a man trying to make Sundays easier for his wife. Very good. It caused me to think how important it is, with all of the focus on Sabbath observance right now, to make the Sabbath a delight not only for ourselves in our personal worship, but also for our families and for each other. Give it some thought!
https://www.lds.org/blog/the-sabbath-was-made-for-mom-not-mom-for-the-sabbath?lang=eng
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Hart Happenings
Can I just say that I LOVE fall?! There is something about the onset of a new season that is invigorating and rejuvenating. And fall just happens to be my favorite. We've been up to our chins in harvest festivals, late night footballs games projected on the side of house, neighborhood block parties, canning, and starting school. It's been so great!
We celebrated Jack's birthday on Friday which was delightful. I think that everyone needs a 7 year-old boy around. They are good for the soul. Thanks to everyone for the birthday calls and wishes. I think he felt like a million bucks. A special thanks to Mom and Dad for coming all the way up here to spend a few hours celebrating with us. We all melted in the heat playing miniature golf per Jack's request but had a lot of fun. Mom schooled us all. It was so great to have them here!
Hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. We spent it in Yellowstone (we thought of the Mannings the whole day we were there) and had a really great time hiking around and enjoying one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Lastly, Happy Birthday to Mom! So glad she's the Mom of this clan and holds us all together. Her efforts matter more and more each year! Love you love you love you!
Nilsson News
Happy Birthday to the most incredible mother in the world! I knew our mom was pretty amazing when we were growing up, but I don't think the magnitude of what she did hit me until I became a wife and mother. I really took for granted how organized she was. How she managed to keep our home in immaculate condition even with all of us at home, I will never know. She always had/has the best meals served in nice dishes (not just the pan they were cooked in) with around five side options too. She was always studying the scriptures long before the sun or anyone else was up. She had skills when it came to carpooling our family with three cars (most of the time at least one was in the shop) around to the 20 different appointments we had. Her bread is the best on the planet even if her youngest daughter doesn't appreciate it now (she will once she moves out). Service is her middle name. Her laugh is contagious. No one could ever doubt her love for the Savior.
Addy says that her "grandma is always happy and always invites her to help." Emerson can't say enough about the gold coins that grandma gives him each birthday. Eliza loves to read books with grandma and make cookies.
In short, Mom you are the best of the best! I love you and when I grow up someday, I want to be just like you!
Addy says that her "grandma is always happy and always invites her to help." Emerson can't say enough about the gold coins that grandma gives him each birthday. Eliza loves to read books with grandma and make cookies.
In short, Mom you are the best of the best! I love you and when I grow up someday, I want to be just like you!
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Aunt Karen's Delicious Tomato Soup
8 quarts tomatoes, quartered
Cook tomatoes in a soup pot until soft. Put through sieve or strainer to separate out skins and seeds. Should make about 1 gallon tomato juice.
6 small onions
1 pepper (red or green)
1 small bunch celery
1 bay leaf
1 small clove garlic
Cook until soft.
Blend.
Put through sieve.
Add to tomato mixture.
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
Mix together
Cut in 1/2 cup butter (like for biscuits)
Add to tomato mix.
Watch carefully because it can scorch easily.
Cook until hot, not necessarily boiling. Aunt Karen says hers gets a little glossy.
Ladle into hot jars.
Water bath quarts 15 minutes and pints 10 minutes.
Aunt Karen says it is so much yummier before it is bottled!
Cook tomatoes in a soup pot until soft. Put through sieve or strainer to separate out skins and seeds. Should make about 1 gallon tomato juice.
6 small onions
1 pepper (red or green)
1 small bunch celery
1 bay leaf
1 small clove garlic
Cook until soft.
Blend.
Put through sieve.
Add to tomato mixture.
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
Mix together
Cut in 1/2 cup butter (like for biscuits)
Add to tomato mix.
Watch carefully because it can scorch easily.
Cook until hot, not necessarily boiling. Aunt Karen says hers gets a little glossy.
Ladle into hot jars.
Water bath quarts 15 minutes and pints 10 minutes.
Aunt Karen says it is so much yummier before it is bottled!
Nilsson News
Happy Fall to everyone! I don't about everyone else, but I can definitely feel fall in the air. It honestly happened over night. It has been really windy the past several days and it blew the cooler temps in for sure. Usually when I wake up in the morning, it is around 75 degrees and this morning it was 69 degrees folks! I'm already envisioning pumpkins, corn mazes, sweaters and beautiful colors. As a type 3 this is my season!
I would have to agree with Mom and the amazingness of our recent canning adventure. I just have to add that mom is incredible to deal with all the mess of canning and grandkids. What a saint! We were glad to see Emma home earlier on Friday. Her football game was cancelled due to lightning and you could tell she was not the least bit disappointed. I think sometime we need to have an Emma weekend. She is always so good to help with the kids and puts up with the dullness of adulthood whenever we come to just visit. We need to have some dedicated time for games and fun and not do it as an after thought or when we're all too tired from canning. Emma, you are terrific!
As an update: Eliza is doing well with her potty training and we are lessening the amount of accidents each day. Henry is sitting up pretty well and is starting to scoot like a caterpillar. Mobility is right around the corner! Addy is eating up the school thing and is doing great with her new piano teacher (do you all remember my friend Anarie White?). Emerson is starting to show that he loves math and chemistry. He is going to be more of the analytical kind, for which I'm very grateful but I'm not going to be able to help him out much in that area - it takes a good brain. Garrett is still doing the bishop thing and the D.I. thing. he is again considering the option of school, but we'll see what pans out.
Today in Relief Society I learned that I need to be a chocolate chip. When the going gets tough and there's a lot of heat, don't melt under the pressure. Remain firm and stand out. Be the best part of the cookie. It was a great lesson! Happy Labor Day!
I would have to agree with Mom and the amazingness of our recent canning adventure. I just have to add that mom is incredible to deal with all the mess of canning and grandkids. What a saint! We were glad to see Emma home earlier on Friday. Her football game was cancelled due to lightning and you could tell she was not the least bit disappointed. I think sometime we need to have an Emma weekend. She is always so good to help with the kids and puts up with the dullness of adulthood whenever we come to just visit. We need to have some dedicated time for games and fun and not do it as an after thought or when we're all too tired from canning. Emma, you are terrific!
As an update: Eliza is doing well with her potty training and we are lessening the amount of accidents each day. Henry is sitting up pretty well and is starting to scoot like a caterpillar. Mobility is right around the corner! Addy is eating up the school thing and is doing great with her new piano teacher (do you all remember my friend Anarie White?). Emerson is starting to show that he loves math and chemistry. He is going to be more of the analytical kind, for which I'm very grateful but I'm not going to be able to help him out much in that area - it takes a good brain. Garrett is still doing the bishop thing and the D.I. thing. he is again considering the option of school, but we'll see what pans out.
Today in Relief Society I learned that I need to be a chocolate chip. When the going gets tough and there's a lot of heat, don't melt under the pressure. Remain firm and stand out. Be the best part of the cookie. It was a great lesson! Happy Labor Day!
Hyde Park Happiness
Can I just tell you that there is nothing better than working together for a desired objective?! Last year, I made salsa by myself because the tomatoes were ready just when everyone else was too busy to help. It took me all day long! But, Ruth and her family came up this weekend and brought their tomatoes, peppers and onions and we (with Lauren's help) got the whole batch made in 1 hour and 15 minutes!! Of course it had to boil down for a couple of hours - but we made lunch, Ruth renewed my feet, and we played a game while that happened. Then we processed the 30+ pints, cleaned up the whole mess and went for a walk. And they were on their way home by 5:30 or so. I was still in a mess and doing salsa at that time last year...
Moral: only do canning when there is company, conversation and fun to be had! It goes faster, is much more pleasant, and feels better when it's all done. I don't think I've had such a satisfying day in a very long time! Thanks to Ruth and Lauren, for the kitchen companionship - and to Dad for being our heavy lifter and for setting things up, and to Garrett and Emma for taking care of the kiddos while we were in the kitchen! I hope you all had as great a day as I did. And by the way, in Lauren's words, "The salsa is to die for!" Oh, and I forgot to mention the bushel of peaches we bottled for Ruth on Friday night. They got here, unloaded, and we started on the peaches - finished them and cleaned up in about 2 hours! Amazing.
Dad's tooth trouble has finally been resolved. He had his root canal after a week long effort to get rid of the excess infection, then got his filling replaced because most of it had fallen out. Glad to have that done and hope to not have any further teeth issues. He did have a funny chicken situation recently that I told some of you about. One morning, Dad went out to feed the chickens and heard one of them quacking!! I even heard it inside the house and wondered if one of our neighbors had recently acquired ducks. Anyway, when he went to find the quacking chicken, he found an injured duck in our hen house! We have no idea how it got there, but it was limping and in distress, poor thing. Dad put on some gloves and brought it up to the house. We decided it should probably have some water, so I drove down to the canal while Dad held the duck on his lap. It settled down when we started driving and seemed to like being in the truck. When we got to the canal, Dad set it in the water and it took off like a shot! It couldn't walk while on land, but sure knew what to do when it hit the water! I wish I had thought to take some pictures...
I didn't know Elise had responded to my FHE invitation/request, but the Harts are willing to try out the long distance FHE with us some time! We'll let you know how it goes and if it's worth making a tradition of. This week we are going to Springville for FHE with Grandpa and Christi. He is wanting to have more frequent connections with family. Please remember them in your prayers.
Have a great week, one and all! Remember to call if you want help canning.....
Moral: only do canning when there is company, conversation and fun to be had! It goes faster, is much more pleasant, and feels better when it's all done. I don't think I've had such a satisfying day in a very long time! Thanks to Ruth and Lauren, for the kitchen companionship - and to Dad for being our heavy lifter and for setting things up, and to Garrett and Emma for taking care of the kiddos while we were in the kitchen! I hope you all had as great a day as I did. And by the way, in Lauren's words, "The salsa is to die for!" Oh, and I forgot to mention the bushel of peaches we bottled for Ruth on Friday night. They got here, unloaded, and we started on the peaches - finished them and cleaned up in about 2 hours! Amazing.
Dad's tooth trouble has finally been resolved. He had his root canal after a week long effort to get rid of the excess infection, then got his filling replaced because most of it had fallen out. Glad to have that done and hope to not have any further teeth issues. He did have a funny chicken situation recently that I told some of you about. One morning, Dad went out to feed the chickens and heard one of them quacking!! I even heard it inside the house and wondered if one of our neighbors had recently acquired ducks. Anyway, when he went to find the quacking chicken, he found an injured duck in our hen house! We have no idea how it got there, but it was limping and in distress, poor thing. Dad put on some gloves and brought it up to the house. We decided it should probably have some water, so I drove down to the canal while Dad held the duck on his lap. It settled down when we started driving and seemed to like being in the truck. When we got to the canal, Dad set it in the water and it took off like a shot! It couldn't walk while on land, but sure knew what to do when it hit the water! I wish I had thought to take some pictures...
I didn't know Elise had responded to my FHE invitation/request, but the Harts are willing to try out the long distance FHE with us some time! We'll let you know how it goes and if it's worth making a tradition of. This week we are going to Springville for FHE with Grandpa and Christi. He is wanting to have more frequent connections with family. Please remember them in your prayers.
Have a great week, one and all! Remember to call if you want help canning.....
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