More Public Transportation

Sometimes I ride public transportation when Jess needs my car and I have to be somewhere else. I really do like to ride buses, trains, planes and boats (if necessary!!) I took the Metrolink and a couple of buses to the Bishop's Storehouse last week. From Pomona to Rialto. It was pricey, $19.50 total, so I am sure it is cheaper to drive straight there, but it's good to know that you can get around without a vehicle when you have to.

Plus, I love meeting all the nice people in the world. I have seen human kindness many times. One example. Two ladies on the Metro at about 8pm at night. They both had a child with them. One lady had purchased Yosinoya (that drive through Mongolian BBQ stuff) and was having dinner with her son and the other lady across from her asked what kind of meat it was. Right away she was offer a taste, she accepted, reaching right over. She liked it and was given a portion for her and her son. How kind. How friendly.

I found out about several people's lives on my travels that day, very nice people, that I continue to think about even a week later. I wonder how often we make an impression on someone just in passing. I am just always touched by the kindness and friendliness of strangers.

For all of you grownups out there, PLEASE talk to strangers, it will change your heart!

My Mom's 70 Years Old

Happy Birthday Mom!
I love my mom and am so grateful to have had her in my life, as my mom and my friend. She is a constant in my life, always there for me. It means so much, just knowing that she is a phone call away. I pray that she has a wonderful year ahead of her, much love, good health and the company of friends and family.
Here's to many more years to come!

I Fell, Luckily I Could Get Up!

I tripped over some shoes this morning and fell on the floor, no I went flying a short distance. It seemed to take along time to get to the ground and just makes you realize how crazy it is to get old. I couldn't catch myself, maybe, maybe I could have, if I wasn't trying to save my glass of soda! Anyways, I did scratch my knee, but other than that, I am A ok. Babies fall all the time and it just doesn't seem to affect them, I know they are falling from a shorter distance and with less weight, but it is embarrassing. My family did show concern, I thank them for that.

My Mission

I was able to go to the Bishop's Store House this past week. I am like all other missionaries, I LOVE MY MISSION! Seriously, I know I am not doing the very hard work and enduring the many sacrifices of a "real" missionary, I would never want to take away from what they do, they are a different breed from me and what I do. Nevertheless, it is a mission, I was called of God through inspiration and my very own prayers (I had long wanted to do more service).

Can I say it again, I love what I am doing. I love the organization of my Church, particularly the Humanitarian side of it. What a wonderful, inspired, necessary, caring part of the Church. It helps and blesses countless lives, all over the world. Check out this site for more info on the Bishop's Store House, http://www.mormonwiki.com/Church_Welfare_Program

Check out the pictures of the warehouse where I work in Colton, CA. That is all food and supplies for the needy or for emergency situations. I kind of took these on the sly, I didn't want to spend my working time snapping a bunch of pics, but next week I will take some of my fellow missionaries and the store.

Can I say something of the store? It really is like a real store. In fact it's made to be that way so people don't feel like they are accepting handouts or are less than any one else. We are told to keep the store neat and clean, well stocked with items in perfect order (nothing upside down or backwards) and most importantly, there is nothing offered that isn't in excellent condition. We don't give them anything that we wouldn't want to eat or have ourselves. We want their dignity preserved. I love this philosophy, and all that is there comes from Church members tithes and offerings, how Christlike, caring one for another.

What a blessing to me to see this in action and to be a part of it every week.

General Conference

Can you imagine the Lord, Jesus Christ speaking to you, directly to you, about things that are pertinent to your life this day? What a great opportunity I have every six months to experience just that, through the mouth pieces of the Lord.
General Conference, my favorite time in the Church. I love to hear from the Lord's anointed regarding exactly what I need to hear and what I need to put into my daily life. I always come away more spiritual, stronger in faith and testimony, more enlightened, more comforted and more dedicated to live my life as my Savior would have me do.
With the wonderful technology that we enjoy, I am able to hear Conference on my own t.v. in the comfort of my own home. With that though, I have become complacent, setting the dvr to record so I can sleep in or do some housework while conference is on. In doing this I have, in the past, lost the spirit of Conference and sometimes not even seen the entire thing. So I am going back to the good old days this coming weekend and am going to go to the chapel to watch, via satellite, Conference the old fashion way, where I can glean all that is offered me.
To all that will be watching next weekend, enjoy, it's sure to be a wonderful, enlightening 4 sessions, as always.

Another Night at the County Fair

The girls having cupcakes

Some scary creatures!

We had a great time at the fair this week, Brandon, Cheri, Jess and Aaron joined us. Have fun looking at the pictures.

Grandma Time

Isn't that the cutest ponytail ever?

At the door, ready to go bye, bye.

Kadence spent the night at grandma's and is having cereal and watching toons.

Spending the night at Grandma's. All snuggled in Uncle Andy's bed watching movies.

Ethan and I dug for worms and threw dirt clods at the wall.

Emma at dance class, Isn't she fabulous??

We go to the library after dance every Monday, and we let Max come this time.

I love spending time with these little people. They light up my life.

Me a Teacher

I am teaching in Relief Society today. I will never get used to it and it's been almost 2 years that I have been teaching every month. I think I do a pretty good job at it, but the week before and the day of I become a stress cadet. I become overcome by self doubt and a huge case of nerves. Once I am up there though things seem to flow and wah lah, in 45mins life is good again. At least for 4 more weeks. Andy is my favorite child by far. He's amazingly gifted and good looking.
Check out the lesson, I really learned a lot in preparing for it and am recommitted to becoming a Celestial Being.
http://www.lds.org/ Relief Society Lesson 18 or go to search and enter three degrees of glory.

Out With the Girls

Last night I was invited to hang out with Jess and Ali (Ali's idea for sure). We went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe, yummy french onion soup. Then we went to Border's Books and read until we closed the place down @ 12:30. I had a really good time. I hardly ever go out to dinner and especially with "friends". These girls are fun and I was happy to hang out with them. I only wish I had taken pictures, who knows when I will get to do it again.

B I N G O

I must admit, I love playing bingo. I have never played very often, it can cost a lot. But I have found a way to play on the cheap! It's with the senior citizens. I love them, well most of them. I always come away with a smile on my face. Most are adorable, friendly and fun. But sometimes I see another side. They can be cranky if the caller makes a mistake, and she can give it right back to them. They have cute little rituals, like blowing a choo choo whistle when I22 is called or calling B1 the little guy and oh ya, B11 is skinny legs. I like being around them so much. My friend Elizabeth has the best attitude and took up jogging at the age of 54 and at 78 still runs 3-4 miles every day. She has great legs. Another is an example to me of how to not to tick off my daughter in-laws if I ever have to live with them. She complains a lot and is very opinionated, not at all like me, right girls??
Anyway, today I went to the La Verne Senior Citizen center for Bingo, I had to change places and days due to school, and I sat at a table with two ladies. One didn't speak English and the other had a very strong Filipino accent. Well the nice Mexican lady won our table 3 pastries, one for each of us. I didn't want mine, they both wanted it and a squabble started over it and neither one would give in, there I was in the middle of it and couldn't understand a word of it. Pretty tense. Oh and I didn't win, but walked away with a smile again.

A Trip to the County Fair

We had a really fun time at the fair, the best part besides the food, was watching Kadence have a blast. Crowds even gathered to watch her run, dance, and make funny faces. She captivated us all with her wonderful personality. Kadence really liked the animals, the ferris wheel (not Jessa too much) and going down the giant slide with mommy, daddy and Jess. Thanks for including us Dustin and Heather.

Happy Anniversary

It looks like on the 30th anniversary of living in my home on 5th Street, we will be doing an overhaul, a major overhaul. It's amazing to me that we have made things last this long, all the while raising 5 kids here. Patti even lived here as a young adult. We have worn this place out!
I still have the original carpet, it should be called wonder carpet. I have cabinets that are hanging by a tread or hinge. My oven door doesn't stay on and has threatened to harm small children and animals. My furniture is a real treat, held together by bungee cords and instead of a real handle we use a wrench for our reclining pleasure. I ripped up the kitchen floor one night, thinking that would spur us forward, and have lived with concrete ever since. I saw on some HGTV shows that concrete is really chic when used in homes. Mine is not.
I am on the very verge of ordering my kitchen cabinets this week. Tomorrow I will pick out appliances, beautiful ones. I have a contractor picked out and ready to go. I am so excited, this has been many years in the waiting. I look forward to having a really big celebration when everything is completed.

I have been so lucky this past year to be able to spend a lot of time with Jess. We drive many, many miles, mostly in the Metropolitan area of L.A., several days a week.
I accompany her to her castings, her calls, her agency, etc.
I just want to say how much I admire her determination, strength, tenacity, smarts, her intuition, her beauty (inside and out), her attention to detail and did I say determination? She just keeps her head up and continues to go forward to the moon and beyond.
I watched her through the glass doors (private party, invited guests only) of the Giorgio Armani store, as she walked the runway, or should I say worked that runway! I wanted to shout through my tears, that's my girl, isn't she beautiful. I could tell everyone around me thought she was.
I just want you to know, Jess, I admire you so, for being able to do all that you have in this crazy, competitive world of modeling and then come to the car where I wait and then go to McDonalds to get a happy meal with me, just your mom.

Also, thanks for taking me so often to the BIG CITY that I love.

Taken Back

I found this Hot Wheel car this morning while I was watering in the back yard. Occasionally I will come across an old, forgotten toy, buried beneath a plant or covered with dirt.
To me it's like finding treasure. One of my boys left that there when he was little. It doesn't matter to me which one of them did and at this point it could have even been a grandchild, what matters is that it takes me back in time, to my memories, to my treasures.

My Summer Spider

Wisdom from a Spider

You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.
Charlotte, "Charlotte's Web"

Doing Exactly What It's Supposed To

I have wanted to have a garden for so long now, but year after year I keep thinking, my pool is going to be put in right where my garden would be.

So without any effort on my part, I have enjoyed a harvest after all!

It seems some things simply know what they are supposed to do and then go forth and do it. I really appreciate that.

While I am busy, too busy to tend anything without a beating heart, grapes are turning purple and sweet, apples are becoming crisp, and my lemons, consistent and plentiful. And right now, I know for sure that I will have the most juicy, sweet oranges for our Christmas morning juice, because they are out there right now, in the dark, growing, just like they are supposed to!

Showing Off, I make things occasionally, have a look. I'll add as I create!

Blankie for Baby Girl Brandler, due October 21st

A nursing cover for Laurie

Blanket for Laurie and Nick's baby girl

Baby girl blanket

Blanket for Kadence, sorry Foof!

Rapid Transit??

Yesterday Jessica had to use my car, she had two fashion shows for Giorgio Armani on Rodeo Drive!! Whoo Hoo, you go girl!! I am so proud of you!!
Anyway, so I had to go to school. Barry dropped me off at 8am and I would ride the bus home. I was actually looking forward to it. I like buses, trains and planes.
Before I go on, I must say that the employees are not very nice or helpful. I didn't know that they don't give change or how to go about getting my transfer ticket. He acted like I was from another planet. Butthead.
So I waited a bit for my 1st bus which took me a few miles south. I got off the bus, crossed the street and started looking for the bus stop, supposedly on the s/e corner. Nope, it's on the other side, back across the street.
I waited, and waited, and waited. No bus. After talking to another waiter/passenger, I found out that this bus is always late. It was so late, 45 minutes, that the next scheduled bus actually picked us up. Barry always says that the train waits for no man. I guess it doesn't apply to buses. I didn't think they could be late.
Boy was everyone upset on the bus. They are going to get "that piece of work women driver" fired. I kinda felt sorry for her, why is she having such trouble. But if I want to continue using the bus, I don't want to be late getting to school. So hopefully on the trip going I will have an "on time" driver.
Rapid transit sure beats, fwy traffic, no parking spaces, and the price of gas. Someone in the system just needs to make sure it's Rapid!!
Also, you can meet some nice people and read a book.

Ethan's little Friends

One of the things I like to do is watch the living things in my world. I feel awe at the wonder of the world, especially wildlife. That is something I always shared with my children when they were growing up. We had silk worms, we fed them and watched them spin silk, we had a garden and collected tomato worms (Jess called them her "Sweet Peas" and she wouldn't touch them now if her very life depended on it!) and kept them in an aquarium until they emerged as Hawk Moths, I brought home chicks and that didn't last long, very messy. We had a baby opossum for a while. Snakes and lizards for sure. Oh ya, and what about the caterpillars that were destroying the neighbors Weeping Willow tree, we took a bunch of them, kept them fed, watched them turn into cocoons and become beautiful butterflies. Wow! What wonderful times. A huge plus, my grown children are really the most compassionate and loving people. I think, no, I know that if children are taught to have a reverence for life, even the smallest, that they will respect and care for people and creatures and know that they have a responsibility to others, and not just to their selves.

Now I get to share it all over again with my g-kids. Here are some picks of Ethan with his "best friends". I call them that because Brandon did when he was little and I can remember having dinner at Sizzler and he insisted on taking them out to eat with us. They seemed to enjoy slimming all over the table as we ate. He thought it was great fun and so did I. Ethan is learning about how they react to stimuli (something I am learning about too in Bio 105!) as he pokes their eyes, so fun. He like to push them along as if they were a hot wheel car. He found out that they aren't very sturdy and that their shell will crack. He has come a long way with snails though, he used to like to use his little hammer to "cack" the snails, until I found other things like acorns and such for him to smash.

The snails are really entertaining for little people, but you gotta keep an eye on them. They may be slow, but they can get away from you. We have lost a few in our house much to Jessica's horror!

Life Lessons from a Hummingbird

I have a constant companion outside my window lately. The little guy goes from the lemon tree to the hummingbird feeder and back again. Only occasionally does he leave the area and when he does it's so he can chase away other hummers from "his" bird feeder.

I thought what a silly little guy. Here he is wasting his time hoarding his food. It's not like I am his only source. He could be soaring here and there, sipping nectar from all sorts of beautiful flowers. He could be having fun doing aerial acrobats, racing his friends, finding a mate, seeing the world, etc... But no he feels he has something special here that every other hummer wants and he is willing to sacrifice to keep it. I think it would be better if he shared, boy would his little world open up!

P.s. The little guy did give me something, an idea for a book I am going to write.