What I Did Last Summer- Part 2

In reality, it was “What We Did Last Summer.” David and I were busy all summer working on a variety of projects. It makes me appreciate how much we accomplished to see all the pictures we took, so we’ll share a few of them, beginning with taking down the two dead 30-year old fir trees in our front yard. About the time that we were trying to figure out how we were going to take down the trees, Brad and Emily arrived with their family. What luck! Brad is an expert in taking out trees! We are so grateful for him, his truck, and the help of our friend, Kimball. It was easy, when you have the right help, the right tools, and a beautiful day!

And, it was fun to have the “peanut gallery” watching from the sidelines.

Once the trees were out, we had someone come and grind up the stumps and roots so that we could landscape. This is the result!

We spent a great deal of our time working in the yard this summer, in the backyard. . .

and the front yard. . .

picking apricots (and making jam, juice, and smoothies). . .

repairing the mortar that had crumbled and trying to match what the rest of the brick looked like (not an easy job!). . .

and waging a “war” with all the deer who thought our new and improved yard

was their nightly smorgasbord.

We worked inside, as well. It is hard to believe that this is the stereo cabinet/bookcase that “lived” in our living room for almost 30 years. It has a new life and a new home in our office.

We painted an accent wall in our bedroom, added some great words by which to live,

and David trimmed the window with molding.

One last look. . . a favorite project because it gives just the right touch of splash and gurgle to calm and relax- a much needed element after all the hard work of summer. Now we’ve turned to grape juice and putting the yard to bed (David has done it all since I am doing my fall thing- giving flu shots) and we are about to start the next big project-

a new kitchen!

Trophy Wife? Really?

I divert. Next up was going to be "What I Did Last Summer, Part 2." However, when my husband says he is having a hard time getting used to my new look and he feels like he has a young trophy wife, I just have to divert....

While we were in Seattle, David had Julie make an appointment with her hair stylist because after seeing Julie's cute hairstyle, he thought I needed a new "do." After so many years of the same hairstyle, different lengths, I guess it was about time. I was ready, but I've always worried that I wouldn't be able to deal with layers, etc. A bob is about as easy as it gets, so that's why it's been around for so long.

So, I spent an hour with a real stylist, instead of the usual 20-minute visit to the Great Clips girl who cuts my hair. Wendy (we're now on a first-name basis) cut it, styled it, and taught me how to do it myself. This is what I looked like right after the hour we spent together.

There was a bit of a learning curve with doing the hairstyle each day, but I'm doing pretty well and it's taking less time each day. Here I am the next night, with Julie, as we take off to the ballet, "Romeo et Juliette."

The big test was doing the "do" after I washed it. But, I survived and this is what I looked like today after going to Church.

Funny.... I never imagined the "stir" I caused by getting a new "do." Everyone at Church gushed over my new look and some said they didn't recognize me until they saw my face. (Too bad I didn't get a "new face," as well!) Even the Counselor in the Bishopric who was conducting today took the time to tell David how much he liked my hair! I have to admit, though, the best compliment of all was David saying that he was having trouble getting used to having a trophy wife! Really!

What I Did Last Summer- Part 1

School has started again and this time of year makes me remember many essays I had to write or pictures I had to draw about “What I Did Last Summer.” So, in keeping with this tradition and with empathy for any of my grandchildren who might have had a similar assignment, here's a (mostly) photo essay of what I did this summer or, rather, what WE did this summer, for David was involved in almost every activity of the summer.

We started the summer doing an Irish jig across the "Emerald Isle" with four fun traveling companions (still need to figure out how to do a slide show with music!)

and ended (a bit into September) with a Seattle shuffle. (We're tending grandkids in Sammamish and

then we'll move over to tend Jessie, my sister’s dog, on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill.) Sandwiched in the middle, we spent some time on the New England coast-

in Maine

New Hampshire and Massachusetts (loved Rockport!)

ending with several days in Boston, for a business conference.

When conference sessions were done for the day, we rode the subway all over Boston seeing fun places, including a visit to John Harvard at, of all places(!), Harvard University

and taking an historic walking tour with "Capitol Cal."

What better way to end our trip than with a rousing cheer for good ole Paul Revere, by the Old North Church!

Visits from our daughters Emily and Amy and their families were big highlights of the summer. Here are a few photos that you might not have seen on their blogs. Emily's family arrived first and we had fun times in Salt Lake

and lots of fun times at our house. Who knew that we would have some
serious bird watchers, especially Braden!

Amy's family arrived and it was one big sleepover!
There was time for sister chatting and playing together at the park

and a fun day at This is the Place Heritage Park.

Braden had a rendezvous with Brigham Young

and the kids got to try Pioneer crafts, including dipping candles.

After our previously documented visit to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple (worthy of another look!)

it was time for some backyard slippping and sliding, a B-B-Q, and, of course, s'mores.

The next morning, the cousins said "Good-bye" as Brad and Emily left for their new home.

Tom and Amy and their family were around for a couple of days and we enjoyed some time at the Rec Center

and celebrated the 4th of July by cheering

for our favorite runners

before checking out the local parade.We loved having our family here! It was a fun, crazy, wonderful time! What is left is lots of memories and some priceless pictures, including this wonderful image...

As they say, one picture is worth a thousand words!

YUM!

I am a sucker for carbs- pasta and breads, in particular. Love, love, love Artisan Breads- especially when they are freshly baked in the country of their origin- i.e. France, Italy! So, when I was passing the time in an airport recently, I zeroed in on a newspaper article about a book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Five Minutes! I was all over that! When I got home, I checked out the book on Amazon.com, read all the reviews, and found a great deal on a new book in Amazon’s “Marketplace.” The book came in record time! Unfortunately, other projects have gotten in the way of trying out the 5 minute bread.

Finally last night, I whipped up a batch of bread, put it the frig as instructed, and after I came home from work today, I cut off a hunk and made up a loaf. It didn’t exactly take 5 minutes, since it was my first try with such a wet dough and I had to go dig through my food storage to find a can of cornmeal (the “ball-bearings” for sliding the loaf off the pizza paddle onto the baking stone), but after all that, Voila!- Artisan Bread, out of my oven!

The loaf looked pretty great for a first attempt and the finished product had a crusty, crunchy crust and soft interior. Yes! Bountiful (Artisan) Bread. . . . YUM!

Eliza's Wish

Wednesday, August 5th, a wish came true for Eliza and her family. For the Allergy Department at the Salt Lake Clinic, it was a wish come true, as well…. I have written about Eliza before. She is a beautiful angel child, 4 years old, daughter of Nikki and Callahan, and the victim of a cruel disease that traps the spirit of this beautiful little girl in a body that is regressing due to a progressive and terminal genetic disease- Metachromatic Leukodystrophy. As described on elizaswish.org, “Essentially, MLD is the degeneration in the white matter of the brain, Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System.”

Faced with having a child with a progressive, terminal illness, Eliza’s parents have sought to turn their sights on reaching out and giving, always focused on Eliza. Before she was diagnosed with MLD, Eliza loved books. Since her diagnosis, books have continued to be a favorite part of her life and even though she has now lost her vision and speech, Eliza still loves listening to her books. Because of this love, one of the ways that this family is reaching out is through Eliza’s Library.

Through donations of books (about10,000 books!), Eagle Scout projects, and monetary donations, books have been placed and libraries have been installed in schools, community health centers and other community agencies, homeless and women’s shelters, various relief agencies around the world, and in medical clinics in Utah and the United States. Last Wednesday, Eliza’s Library was installed in the Allergy Department waiting area. It was the fulfillment of the wish of Nikki and Callahan to honor Eliza and leave a lasting legacy in her name. It also was a wish come true for the department, and especially for me. I have worked on call for the Allergy Department for many years. Over the years, we have seen an amazing increase in the number of children in our department, as patients, children of patients, or brothers and sisters of patients. Some spend a lot of time “hanging out” in our department and many are waiting the required 30 minutes or more after receiving allergy shots. We have had a meager supply of books and a few crayons and coloring books to help pass the time. With the installation of Eliza’s Library, that has changed dramatically.

So how did Eliza’s Library and the Allergy Department get together to make this wish come true? I have had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a large group of women in our neighborhood who help with respite care for Eliza and her mom, Nikki. The time I have spent with Eliza has been a great joy. It is a chance to spend time with an angel! She has such a beautiful spirit and she is so strong and courageous. It has been a great blessing to get to know Nikki, as well. She is truly an inspiration and I greatly admire her strength and positive attitude, her goodness and her gratitude, her great faith and deep love of Eliza, and her example of charity! When I learned that libraries had been installed in other clinics, I wondered if it would be a possibility for the Allergy Department. I mentioned it to Nikki and she was excited about the possibility. I checked with our allergists and with the administration and everyone was excited about the project. Nikki and Callahan set to work to make it happen and, with the help of money donated by a family in Missouri and the artistic magic of an awesome neighbor, Susan, who painted the charming table and chairs, Eliza’s Library became a reality.

Eliza was pretty sleepy as her mom and dad worked to put the books on the shelves and

the table and chairs on the rug.

Our doctors, nurses, and administrators were all on hand for the “Grand Opening” of Eliza’s Library.

There is a rather clichéd line "If you build it, they will come," from the movie "Field of Dreams" that is totally appropriate for what happened just after the excitement died down and Eliza, Nikki, and Callahan left. The shot room was about to open for the afternoon and it happened. . .

. . . a wish come true!

When in Maine... or Massachusetts... or New Hampshire

David and I had the great opportunity to attend a business conference in Boston, so we decided to go in a few days early and go up to Maine. After we landed, we headed out of Boston to Gloucester and then spent the night in Rockport, Massachusetts. The next day, we were surprised to find such picturesque village, right on the water. In fact, one of the most painted places in New England was in the harbor- “Motif #1.” Tucked in among the cute little shops was a… lobster pound! On the top of David’s list of things to do in Maine was to find a lobster pound (where you pick out your live lobster and they cook it for you). But heck, when you find a lobster at a good price in a fun seaside village, you go for it, even if it’s starting to rain on the eating deck. Besides, we figured that for educational purposes, it would good to be able to compare a Massachusetts lobster with a Maine lobster. And so began our study of the epicurean delights of the lobster, or more correctly, in New Englandese, the “lobstah.” Day 1 of our study included that Massachusetts lobstah (“sweeter” than the Maine variety, we were told), a female who had smaller claws and a larger tail than the males. Wow, all I can say is that the first bite was a little bit of heaven! So sweet and luscious!
Later that rainy day, we found a Chinese restaurant in Freeport, Maine that had lobster in the seafood stir-fry. There's more to do in Freeport than shop! (The whole town is composed of outlet stores- most famous is L.L. Bean.)

Day 2 found us braving the elements to walk through the village of Boothbay Harbor, across a footbridge, to a local lobster pound to sample a male (larger claws and smaller tail- yeah, you know that does make sense). We did have an inside table, which was good since it was pouring, so this time we stayed dry as we gobbled up every delicious morsel. And, bonus… this place had been featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay because they were famous for their crabcakes. So, we had to try those, as well. Yummy!

Moving on… in Portland, Maine we found another pound (complete with this guy pulling in customers from off the streets)

and tried a couple of soft shell lobstahs, as we sat on a dock during a short break in the weather.

At Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, we sat in the pouring rain under a big beach umbrella and tried a lobstah roll- a good alternative since the sand sculpture contest was pretty soggy (but impressive).

Once in Boston, we shared a cup of lobstah bisque at Legal Seafoods, and after our historic walking tour of Boston and just before we caught our plane home, we tried a lobstah wrap at historic Quincy Market.

I think you could say that we did not leave a stone unturned (or should I say we did not leave a shell unturned) in our study of the lobstah. Our conclusion- they all were delicious! What a fun way to really experience New England! Of course, we experienced a lot more than just lots of lobstah, including gorgeous scenery, quaint towns, revered institutions of learning and the arts, awesome lighthouses, wonderful historic sites, and friendly people.

It was interesting that the keynote speaker for the conference in Boston was Bert Jacobs, one of the co-founders of Life is Good. I was quite enthralled with the story of his company and its meteoric growth after his brother drew a simple little character named Jake who became the star of the T-Shirt show they operated out of their vintage Volkswagen bus.

The rest is history and his message on optimism, simplicity, humility and giving back to worthy causes was quite inspiring. Turns out that their flagship store was located in an historic Brownstone only a block away from the Convention Center, and it only took a minute or two to find this great shirt for David.
It truly had his name all over it and it was the perfect “day after Father’s Day” gift. It pretty well sums up our New England lobstah experience!

I Did It!

Yep, the lady in black running under the balloons is me! I did it! I ran my first 5K! It felt so good to finish, especially since I was "running on fumes." I knew it would be hard after not being on the treadmill or running on "The Boulevard" for 10 days, but I did think I would be over the jet lag (almost 24 hours to get home from Ireland). Wrong! As I started running, I thought, "What am I doing? I can't do this!" But, I just kept running and then walking a little, running and then walking a little. And, it got easier and I began to hope that I could finish under 40 minutes. (I did!) It was also good to stay focused on why I was running- to help Eliza and other MLD (Metachromatic Leukodystrophy) kids and help buy books for Eliza's Library.

It occurs to me that this is alot like life. There are times when things are hard and we're not sure we can make it, but we just have to put one foot in front of us and sometimes run and sometimes walk a little. It helps, as well, to focus on the bigger picture, have hope, and keep an eternal perspective. It brings to mind a scripture that helps me when I am in the midst of things that are hard: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of god and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

It works for me!. . . Tomorrow, back to the treadmill!