Family Prayer and Doug the Dog

Years ago, when we lived in Boise and most of the kids were home, a Black Lab found us, adopted us and stayed with us for a few days.  He was a wonderful dog and we named him, "Doug".  Since we didn't know who his owners were, we treated him as though he was our dog until the rightful owners could be found.  It was Christmas time and my son, Dan, flew home from Utah.  I went to the airport to pick him up and allowed Doug to accompany me in the van.   Imagine Dan's surprise when he opened the sliding door of the 12-passenger-van to find a big dog waiting to greet him!

That night we knelt for family prayer.  It was my turn to pray and the kids knew they might as well get comfortable because my prayers last more than 30 seconds!  Doug sidled next to me and sat, looking at everyone.  The prayer was going well.  Christmas is a season to be thankful, especially when your kids come home, so I was expressing my gratitude when I heard a loud sigh and felt Doug slump to the floor as though he was exhausted.  Needless to say, the prayer ended abruptly because we were all laughing. 

(google image)

Since that night, the kids have learned how to display their feelings if they feel the prayer is going too long.  It's not as funny when they do it.

Reunited and It Feels So Good!

Is that song going through your mind?  Sorry, but that's how the hubs is feeling now that Bessie is back!
When Andy was in high school, a 25-year-old car joined the family fleet.  They affectionately named her "Bessie" and she was Andy's to drive.  She became quite popular with the high school kids, and Andy's claim to fame, among other things,(which won't be mentioned here) was Bessie.   After high school, Andy left for a mission, returned 2 years later, went to the University of Utah, got wise, and married me.  In the meantime, Bessie was handed down from one brother to the other. 

 A lot can happen to a poor, defenseless car when teenage boys are driving.  Over the years, a great deal of work went in to restoring this 1941 Chevy.  When we lived in Idaho, we had her for a couple of years.  There was an elderly widow that I'd take to the store and the doctor office.  She LOVED riding in Bessie, even though there are no seat belts.  While driving down the road, if anyone looked over at the car, she'd yell out the window, "This is a '41 Chevy!"  So much for being inconspicuous!

Andy's brother has had Bessie for the past several years.  He decided to give her up and asked Andy if he wanted her!  Guess what!  He did!  He flew to Denver to get her and drove all the way to Utah without any problems.  She had a nice wash on Saturday, has been driven several times, and has her own place in the gargage.  It was weird when I caught him stroking her fender while singing, "Reunited and it feels so good!" (I think that's what I saw and heard)

Me?  Jealous?  Of course not!

Parable of the Popcorn and Harvest Moon

Last year I posted about these magic cobs of corn.  These are so much fun, that I decided to post again!   Would you guess that this little cob of corn yields about 6 cups of popped corn?  It does and it's cool and it's good.  We get these cobs at a local Farmer's Market.

First you place the cob in a brown, paper lunch bag.  Fold the bag over on top and secure with a piece of tape.

Place in microwave and push the popcorn setting, or pop on high until popping slows down.  Make sure you have a turn table in your microwave.  It helps evenly distribute the heat.

The bag was so full of popcorn that I couldn't pull the cob out without tearing down the side of the bag.

Add butter and salt and enjoy!

It's fun to see the cob after the popping. 

It reminds me of the parable of the popcorn.  I don't know who wrote it but it's good for a lesson on service.

Parable of the Popcorn

Behold at the time of the harvest, the ears of corn did bring forth

kernels which we dried and prepared for the popper's hand.

And then it was that the popper did take the kernels, all of which

appeared alike unto him, and did apply the oil and the heat.

And it came to pass that when the heat was on, some did explode with

promise and did magnify themselves an hundred fold, and some did burst

forth with whiteness which did both gladden the eye and satisfy the taste

of the popper. And likewise, some others did pop, but not too much.

But lo, there were some that did just lie there and even though the

popper's heat was alike unto all, they did bask in the warmth of the oil

and kept everything they had for themselves. And so it came to pass that those which had given of themselves did bring

joy and delight to many munchers, but those which kept of the warmth and

did not burst forth were fit only to be cast out into the pail and thought

of with hardness and disgust.

And thus we see that in the beginning all appear alike, but when the heat

is on, some come forth and give their all, while others fail to pop and

become as chaff to be discarded and forgotten.

Speaking of harvest, did you notice the Harvest Moon last night?

The harvest moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox.  Last night the full moon arrived just 5 hours after the autumnal equinox.  It will be years before it happens this close to autumn again.

Just dropped the hubs off at the airport so he can fly to Denver and pick up his old flame, Bessie! 

Topic of Interest

Do you know people who are so interesting that they could talk about something as mundane as belly button lint and make it sound exciting, enthralling, and desirable?  I do! 
Let me introduce you to Dr. Langston.  We just call her Nicole.  She's a pediatrician at the Riverton Hospital and not only does she know her stuff, she's down to earth, fun and sensible!  (Tauna, I think you'd like working with her!) 

The hospital has community seminars presented by medical professionals.  Nicole, and her husband, Dan, (who happens to be my son) moved here from Albuquerque last month. She was asked to present this seminar.  The topic of discussion that night was...diarrhea in children.  (I know!  Something you'd all want to attend!) She had the attention of every parent in the room as she described symptoms, treatment, when to take your child to the doctor, how it spreads, what to and what not to feed a child who is suffering from this malady.  The word, "poop" was thrown out several times for the layman.

I could only get these two pictures of the good doctor before my camera was confiscated.  Luckily my cell phone was hidden in my purse and I was able to get a picture of the nutritious, anti-diarrheal food served during the seminar.

Nicole, we're proud of you!  Even though your presentation was exciting and enthralling, I don't have a desire to experience the disease. 

 Here's something I'll share with all of you about prevention...WASH YOUR HANDS!  Enough said.

And the Winners Are...

Ladies and Gentlemen! I am here to announce the winners of my new blog design giveaway!

In this corner, wearing a beautiful, yellow necklace from TaiPan is:

Kelly, from "We Don't Mean to Brag"

In the far corner, wearing eye shadow and lip gloss from MaryKay that makes her look like a super model is:

Von, from "Sell...Party of 4"

In the dressing room, changing in to appropriate clothing to wear while spending her $25.00 gift card to Walmart is:

Amanda

Congratulations to all 3 lucky ladies!  Email me with your mailing info!

Istartedout@gmail.com

If you're feeling sad that your name wasn't picked, come by my house and pick up a bottle of Lime Away!  I'll even let you look through my windows!

Through New Windows

Our home was built 38 years ago.  The original, drafty, ill-fitting, aluminum windows served

as the eyes of the house...

...until yesterday!  We got new, energy efficient windows - 

to beautify our home and keep the weather out. They're easy to clean, easy to open,

and if you were to see me through these windows I'd look 20 pounds thinner! (Or so the salesman said, and I believe him) 

Whether peering in, or out, these windows help the world look better! (I think they're magic)

The giveaway ends Friday night.  If you haven't entered, click here.

Conflict of Interest and Camille's Debut!

I went to our local high school to watch the varsity volleyball game.   I was cheering for the other team!  Number 11 is on the other team.  She's my niece, Katie, and she's good!

It was fun to cheer for her but I felt a tad bit guilty. 

Number 9, on our home team, is in our ward and I "played" volleyball with her last year.

The "other" team won!  Good job, Katie!

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Today, my daughter, Camille, was on Studio 5 because she gets to drive a Chevrolet Traverse for a month and blog about it!  You can see her cute self here:

I hope I can drive that loaded vehicle before she has to return it!

I have a question.  What should I do with 6 cases of Lime-Away?  Maybe I should include a bottle with each giveaway I'm having.  If you haven't entered, you better go here!

Moselle Design and a Giveaway!

OK, let's see if I can get this straight. Tauna from Garden of Egan went to CBC and won a $600.00 value blog makeover from Moselle Design! She decided to be generous and give that blog design away on her blog. While I was in China, my daughter, Camille, entered the giveaway in my name and I won! It pays to go out of town!
So, after a few months, some revisions, a design created by my son, Dan, and working with a patient Jared, from Moselle, it's finally finished! The $600.00 will get you a header and canvas. I asked if they could do a button for me and Jared said they'd throw it in!  It's there on the side. You're welcome to take it to add some whimsy design to your blog!

The name of my blog was coined by Bill Cosby many years ago.  He had a routine that started with that line.  Through my design, I wanted to depict how we and our lives transform over the years.  It's like watching a movie where every frame encompasses a tiny portion of ourselves.  Some parts of the movie are fun to watch, while others may be difficult, but it all makes us what we are today.

To celebrate my new blog makeover, I'm having a giveaway!

I can't do just one giveaway, so I have three!

First: This beautiful necklace is from TaiPan Trading.  The picture doesn't do it justice. Yellow is my favorite color so I'm in love with it!   You can go here to sign up for Taipan emails with coupons, specials and more.

Second: Remember my experience with Wal-mart and the sandwich?  That sandwich would have cost $25.00.  Since I got it for free, I'm giving a $25.00 Wal-Mart gift card.  I thought one of my lucky readers could enjoy the experience of wondering what name to use at the store.

Be sure to dress appropriately!

Last, but not least, what's a blog makeover without some MaryKay make-up?

You can win eye shadow and lip gloss to add color to your own personal make-over!  Looking good while blogging is a must!

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me which (if not all) of these fabulous prizes you'd like to win! That's it!
If you follow me, you'll automatically be entered twice!
I'll draw a name...or three on Friday night.

Good luck!

Thanks, Tauna!  Thanks, Camille!  Thanks, Jared!  Thanks, Moselle! Thanks, TaiPan.  And a big THANKS to my son, Dan!  He designed the filmstrip with all the pictures!

Why It's Fun to Have Grandchildren!

You get to attend sporting events where you know the players...

...and get excited about their performance!

You're safe while with them.

To see a smile like this melts the heart and makes you smile!

You learn the newest fashion trend!

You get to play like a kid again!

If you're like me, your arts and crafts skills are the same as theirs!

You can get "down" at a dance party! (unless you're grandpa)

They're ready with a hug and kiss even before you request it!

You can always get some comic relief!

Or just enjoy the sweetness!

But sometimes the nice thing about being a grandma is:

you get to send them home!

I'm one lucky grandma!

Twit Contest!

If you're a parent of more than one child, or, if you have a sibling close in age, you may know what a twit contest is all about. It starts out as fun and games; some laughing, some teasing, laughing/half-crying, more teasing, pushing, wrestling, throwing, laughing, mom telling children to stop. More teasing, more chasing, mom announces, "Take it outside and don't you come crying to me when you get hurt!"  There's more silliness then...BOOM! It happens!  Someone gets hurt. There are tears, blood, bruises, and bumps.  Someone yells, "I'm Sorry!", while following the victim who goes wailing to Mom, expecting comfort and understanding.    Mom asks, "Are you happy, now?" 

(David, 25 years ago after being hit in the eye with a dirt clod during a twit contest with his brother.)

It doesn't change.  Twit Contests are the same throughout the ages!

Poor Mr. Cy!  He is NOT happy now!  Can you guess by the goose egg on his forehead, who DIDN'T win the twit contest?