So we went to Arizona...

...and it wasn't very warm there. Highest temps were in the 60's, so no reading my book by the pool with occassional dips to cool down. But the sun was shining most of the time, and we got fooled into thinking that when we came home it would be Spring.

Uh, not so much...

Nonetheless, I am glad to be home...because I always am, and I'm not a big fan of metropolitan Arizona. Seems like the main entertainment in AZ is to be hot, or go shopping. When it's not hot, that leaves shopping, of which I am a big fan, but can't do continually because of the financial consequences.

But that was the best part of my trip because: I got to go to Stein Mart for the first time in my life!! I've always wanted to since seeing their ads on TV...and they are as good as the ads portray. I bought myself some clothing that is suitable for enduring the special tropical moments that seem to come to me without warning. I didn't allow myself to look at the decor items because getting them home would be so problematic...but there was MUCH there to see...Oh, the missed opportunities!!We need to put a Stein Mart in the Delft Square building downtown...In a word: revitalization! It would be awesome! People would come from all around...

I don't know why the City Fathers don't ask me for ideas...

Anyway, the other fun part of our trip was spending time with the farmers and their wives and talking about the peculiarities of farm life...Not everybody gets the farming lifestyle when you talk about it, so it is always a welcome gabfest when we are gathered...And the Co-op board is just full of good people, fun people. I always look forward to spending time with them.

We stayed at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, which is a 40 acre, privately-owned resort that is beautiful! The grounds are meticulously kept, as are the rooms, and all the facilities. The staff is friendly and very accomodating. The family that owns and runs the resort has done so for 30 years -- and you can see they take pride in it. I would definitely stay there again.

At this point, it would be good if I had some pictures of this lovely location to show you ...but I don't. I must be in some kind of mid-winter mood because this is the only picture I took:

And aren't you glad I did! Everyone just loves to see a Mercedes with eyelashes...

I don't know what my problem was...We did see some lovely Arizona landscapes as we drove about the area -- tall Saguaros, medium size branchy tree cactus, little barrel cactus, and all manner of succulents...and some pretty spectacular homes...But I didn't take any pictures of those...

It's gonna be hard to scrapbook this trip with a single picture of an eyelashed Mercedes...I should at least  have taken a picture of Stein Mart! Oh well, with my current scrapbooking schedule, I won't be dealing with 2012 until sometime in 2014, so I have time to make stuff up...

Did I say that out loud?

Anyway, we are glad to be home again, despite the return to mid-winter. There was a package for me when I returned, and it's contents should go a long way in helping me with the wait for Spring.

Oh, Downton Abbey...how I love thee.

Witness my to-do list for Thursday. After a 1AM arrival at home, these were my plans:

As you can see, I accomplished each task...thanks to my DVR, my couch and my Keurig. I did miss them while I was gone...and Daisie, of course!

Today I should probably add a few things to the list, like laundry, and buying milk, and showering...and I better do it before I take a wrapper off those dvd's...because I am a Downton Abbey addict...

...who is very happy to be home.

Are you sitting down?

The Farmer got an iphone…an iPHONE!!

After having an old flip style dumbphone for years, he finally began to wish he was in the world of smartphones. I think the many times he would ask a question at dinner, and the kids would whip out their smartphones to get an immediate answer, began to have an influence. And then when he found out they had maps on them…well, it was all over! A smartphone it must be…

Next thing I know, he has ordered an iphone…straight to the top, it seemed to me. But then this is the same guy whose first purchase on ebay was a Kenworth…Go big or go home.

Of course, the fact that The Farmer got an iphone meant that I would be learning a lot about it…And, in fact, for the next several evenings hours were spent trying to figure out how to run the mumble-mumble thing! We were under pressure, as The Farmer was about to fly to Ohio for meetings, and he would need to know, at least, how to answer his phone – and he wanted to get his email – and he wanted to use all those maps.

But first we had to learn a new language: Apple. We know some PC, but are not fluent in that either. We were looking for buttons to click that were not there. We couldn’t find our folders, or categories, or whatever they are, and even had to go looking in the clouds for our information.

We had severe spelling problems as we used the touch screen. When your fingertip is approximately the width of 3 letters, typing is a challenge, and you say things you really don’t mean…And call people you didn’t know you were going to call…And select things that really mess up your phone usage.

And then there’s Siri…

Of course, when we would get stuck, I would tell Randy to ask Siri how to fix the problem. Siri knows a lot about the world, but she doesn’t know much more about how to run an iphone than I do. Sure, she can tell you what the capitol of Kenya is, but how to add a contact? “I’m sorry. I don’t know ‘contact’.” Yeesh!

We found out that she didn’t know The Farmer either…She started calling him “Spik-ee-wheel”.  Spik-ee-wheel? The Farmer asked her straight out, “Who am I?” “You are Spik-ee-wheel.”

Houston, we have a problem…

A little investigation showed that somehow (think touch screen typing with Farmer hands) a business called “Spikewheel” on The Farmer’s phone contacts list had been selected for the identity of the phone’s owner.

Our lack of fluency in the language of Apple had us certain that from now to forever, The Farmer would be known as “Spik-ee-wheel”. It was already obvious to us that Siri could be pretty stubborn, and when we asked her how to change identity, she thought we were planning something illegal.

At this point, there was some serious buyer’s remorse going on…and a bit of complaining about why a smartphone can’t be more like a dumbphone…And why were all the contacts mixed together, and not sorted…And how can anybody type on these things…and so on, and so on…

I let The Farmer vent, and then encouraged him to persevere! And persevere we did…We found out how he had become “Spik-ee-wheel” and corrected the problem. We got the contact lists sorted out. The Farmer got so comfortable that he bought a few apps, and he drove all around Sandusky, Ohio with the help of Siri and all those maps he coveted.

I still have not been able to give The Farmer a clear picture of what The Cloud is…I’ve explained servers, and storage, but he still thinks that his contacts are floating out there somewhere, not sure they are tethered to earth well enough to stay safe…

Siri can’t explain it either, and we’re both giving up. Just use the phone, and don’t ask too many questions…

Fortunately, the buyer’s remorse is gone, and The Farmer is using his iphone all the time, and I am going to get mine in August when I am eligible for an upgrade...because I want to buy apps and answer questions at the dinner table too!

Hey! Go big or go home.

The Greats were here...

...and I took not a single picture.

But we had a great day, and they were very entertaining.

Colby has entered the "why" stage of life...He'll wear you down until you scream,"I don't KNOW why!"and get you wondering about the meaning of life.

Or you can just say "Because..." -- be sure it has the 3 dots after it -- about 50 million times until it becomes unrewarding to ask why every 3 minutes so you ask only every 5 minutes.

Fascinating times for him at Aunt Weswie's house: The toilet handle broke and it wouldn't flush. Bet you didn't know the inside of a toilet tank was SO amazing! And worth approximately 2500 WHY questions...

Miss Brielle is starting to use her words, but sparingly...She continues with emphatic nods and shakes of the head to do her most succint, and effective, communicating. She is so sweet and quiet, and yet can bellow "NACK!!!!!!" (which being interpreted means SNACK) when there is a need.

Unfortunately, Colby told me that they had already eaten breakfast before they came, even testifying to what was on the menu, so NACK!!!!!! became very important early on in the day.

I fear it was my repeated failures at making instant oatmeal that caused this fib on his part. Who can mess up instant oatmeal? Apparently, Aunt Weswie can -- so an early snack of many goldfish and juice is a better option than being subjected to HOT runny oatmeal, which then becomes HOT sticky oatmeal, which eventually becomes cold oatmeal worthy of industrial strength adhesive applications.

Eggs, kids -- next time we'll do eggs...even if you tell me you already had pancakes.

Their mother isn't going to like me either, because I let them take the goldfish crackers and smash them into many succulent foods -- "peetend"-- that they cooked on my coffee table with the new kiddie dishes I purchased. There were crumbs everywhere...but they were having so much fun! And of course, I told them that only Aunt Weswie's coffee table was available for this sort of activity...really, I did. There was the inevitable transfer of plates pile precariously with goldfish crumbs that flew everywhere as one or the other tripped while bringing me a fresh meal.

Bless their little hearts, they wanted to clean up, so I brought them 2 whisk brooms, and the spent the end of the day spreading little gold crumbs left and right as they tidied. They learned quickly that the best clean-up tool we had was Daisie. They spent a lot of time pointing out the crumbs for her, and she was so obliging. Miss Don't Waste Words actually said, "Wuv you, Daisie!"

Be still my heart...

The day ended with great finale as Colby helped "Unko Wann" put the new part in the toilet, and rejoicing of rejoicing, it flushed again!!!! "Weally fast!!!"

Auntie Cait came over with "Ah-iv" (Olive), and Brielle, who is no judge of dog character, wanted to love on her at every opportunity...though she can be hesitant around the gentlest dog known to man,  Daisie. Colby is the opposite -- loves the big dog, but had to sit on my lap because Olive was in the house...If you have questions about dog character, my recommendation is to ask Colby. Olive for her part seems to understand that these kids are untouchable...to which I say, and I say it so rarely lately, good dog!

Of course, the best part of the day was when Daddy came to pick them up -- and they didn't want to go -- {insert big smile} and were running up and down the hallway, yelling like banshees, until we finally convinced them that Mommy was missing them and making a dinner they would like and then they ran around outside before their dad could get them all buckled in the carseats, while they blew kisses and yelled, "BYE!!!!"

I got out my shovel and cleaned up the toys, and vacuumed up the goldfish crumbs 'cause Daisie couldn't eat any more...And then I went out for dinner.

It was a good day...

Stocking Stuffer Triumph!

My son, the intrepid snow reporter for KGMI – among other things – spent most of last week on the road, checking conditions and finding trouble spots and areas for others to avoid. He would never be able to do this, except for his trusty old “Heavy Chevy”, a pickup truck that has seen a lot of action over the years. It has big tires, and a noisy muffler, and already is in less than pristine conditions so is available for risk-taking.

The perfect vehicle for snow reports…

Last week, Heavy Chevy was getting a work out, and as conditions continued to need monitoring, Old Trusty faltered a bit. As Dillon was delivering one of his co-workers to her home in Ferndale, the truck started fading, and they limped off I-5 to a gas station. Dillon ended up getting towed home that night, and spent the rest of the evening thawing out the carburetor before Heavy Chevy was in working form again.

Concerned that he would lose his mobility if some systems on the truck were not tuned-up, Dillon intended to get the necessary parts in town the next day. He had finished his morning reporting trek around the county, and was warming up the truck to head into town when he decided to put the chains on. During this operation, he bumped the valve stem on a front tire which cracked and immediately started hissing. He quickly plugged the gap, but then he was stuck! If he let go, the tire would go flat, and he could not get to town without that tire on the truck to go fix the tire on the truck or anything else!

EMERGENCY!

He couldn’t even leave the front tire to go get help. After some tricky maneuvering, he got his phone out of his pocket without letting go of the valve stem, and called Tiffany, who was in the house. They had to figure out a way of keeping air in the tire long enough to get to town – a mere 2 miles, but it could just as well have been 10 – to fix the tire and maintain their mobility.

What to do? What to do?

(And here comes my moment of triumph…)

Dillon to Tiffany: “Didn’t Mom give me some glue in my stocking? Find that and bring it out here, but be ready to head for town right away because if this works, we’ll be in a hurry.”

Tiffany found the glue: “Quick Grip” often touted by my blog friend Julie Jacobs, for her most challenging craft projects. And, I admit, I didn’t think the boys would be too excited about getting a tube of glue in their stocking – but hey, it was practical, and nice to have on hand.

Little did I know…

Dillon globbed the glue on the valve stem, and they waited for it to set up…not a sure thing in 18* weather! He finally dared to let go of the valve stem, and it held…no leaking. They gave a little more time to let it thicken, and see if it would keep holding…Then they jumped in the truck and headed for town in a hurry! They had to go through a few small drifts, and the berm the snow plow left at the intersection, not to mention more ice and snow on the road. They kept Heavy moving and were hoping they wouldn’t run out of air before they reached Zylstra Tire…Success! They had enough air to drive into the shop, and there found that the tire had not leaked a bit during their trek! They explained their situation to the tire guys, who were quite amazed that they had been able to make it – a broken valve stem and glue, through snow drifts? Amazing!

When the tire guy went down to look at the problem, he touched the valve stem; it gave way, and immediately, the tire went flat…

But they were in town, where they could fix the tire, and get back on the road to continue reporting for the safety of Whatcom Countians -- all because Mom(that would be me) had put a tube of glue in Dillon’s stocking!!

I pretty much rock.

And now all Dillon’s friends want to know where he got that great glue…so if you see a bunch of farm trucks, and 4 wheel drives in the parking lot at Michael’s Craft Store you’ll know why.

Oh, it's a good day!

We're getting the winter I had hoped for, and I have resolved that I am snowbound. I could get out, but I don't need to, and I don't want to. Just happy to be enjoying the beautiful scenery outside my window...

Daisie was thrilled with the snow today...unlike yesterday. She was eager to go out for our walk yesterday, but halfway through she was carefully stepping in my smoothly frozen tracks from the day before. The melted and re-frozen snow crust was scraping her feet at every step. Later, when we tried to get Olive some desperately needed exercise, the results were even worse. Poor little Frenchton had bleeding feet in short order, and that did nothing to improve her mood! So much pent up energy, and chewing her only release...It's getting expensive for Caitlin between the rawhides, and the destruction that she has caused of late...

I won't say anymore about that -- except that you better not leave her alone with the furniture...

No such problems today! The 4-5" of soft snow was cause for rejoicing for this boxer -- and I hear, for the little Frenchton as well! Crazy running, snuffling, and eating of snow!

Nice snow beard, Daisie!

"Mom -- I'm trying, but I can tell you that I won't be able to eat it all...Sorry."

I don't know why, but boxers always think they have to clean up the snow by eating it...

I've had dreams about a snow day, and how I would spend the whole day doing projects that I never get to...Nowhere to go, there would be no excuse...

The truth is that so far, I have done no projects, have drunk 3 cups of coffee, and boiled some eggs so if the lights go out I'll have protein. Oh -- and I read 3 chapters of my book, and had a nap -- pretty much at the same time.

And I looked out the window...

A LOT!

I think I will consider "Looking Out My Window" an official snow day project.

Purgery...

Nope, I didn't spell it wrong. (Okay -- it's one of my own word creations, but its apt...)

There's been a whole lotta purgin' goin' on in this here house.

It's so much fun!

In my fit of New Year inspired organization, I made plans to unclutter my little office/work area. As I contemplated what containers, boxes, baskets I might need to corral my most important stuff/tools/junk, I realized that I really had no more room for containers/boxes/baskets on my counter...Hmmmm...

It occurred to me that I had several cupboards of stuff that I didn't get into very often. If they were empty, I could open up some counter space...And that's when the purging began!

I found sewing patterns I had never used, and wouldn't fit in anymore. I found embroidery hoops for making those lace wall-hangings that were popular in the early 80's. I found bottles of hardened acrylic paint. I found hanks of inexpensive trims and lace that I had bought at Sprouse Reitz during my wardrobe sewing days. Most impressive, I found a partial box of White King laundry soap that I had saved since 1995, in case we might do that fun snowman craft again...I had a hard time throwing it out as it was still usable. However, the evidence indicates that it might not be a craft that will be repeated -- especially since my kids are all in their 20's now.

Oh...yeah...

I had so much fun purging the craft cupboards that I went on to the Cupboards of Miscellaneous Household Supplies That You Should Have on Hand Just in Case. Of course, there was a plethora of phone cords. We could have hooked up a phone in the house, connected all the cords, and put it in the outhouse in the field for the workers. There were many little plastic bags of hardware that seemed to of specific use for something we did not have anymore, or did not know what it might be. There was a large assortment of screws and bolts and nails in a little box...and I realized that if we needed some kind of screw or nail or bolt, we never used these. We went to the shop where they are in categorized bins. There were bottles of thickened leather conditioner, and old shoe polish, and instruction manuals for stuff that now resides in a landfill. And there were partial rolls of wallpaper...and tile sealer we had never used and clothesline and Christmas light bulbs for the lights that we no longer have...

It was a revelation!  And now I look at every cupboard with a gleam in my eye...What useless stuff might be contained within? What space can I regain for my useful stuff? What treasures might I find to bring to the Thrift Store, where someone else can buy it, and take care of it instead of me?

Because, at heart, I am still a Dutch girl, and if an item is still useful I have a hard time throwing it out...I like to imagine that someone at the Thrift Store will see that extra 50 feet of clothesline, and think "Just what I needed!" and go home happily with a bargain found.

That's the way I justify my purgery.

My Reading List from 2011...

One of my goals each year is to read more, and read more books that are not just entertainment. I did pretty well with that this year...Something about turning 50 just seemed to make my quest urgent. I feel like I don't have time to read "stupid" books; and I've finally given myself the freedom to put one down, or send it back to the library if it seems to fall into that category...A catergory that is solely of my assessment and discretion! And, therefore, I shall leave out my DNF(Did Not Finish) titles, so as not to offend anyone else who might have loved what I deemed "stupid".

1. DECISION POINTS by George W. Bush -- A little too much policy explanation for me to "love" it, but very interesting and enlightening...Behind the scenes information gives perspective.
2. A DOG'S PURPOSE by Malcom Gladwell -- Made me want to believe in re-incarnation...kind of. Nice story.
3. CITY OF MAN by Michael Gerson & Peter Wehner -- A book I need to learn, not just read! Very thought-provoking input on a Christian's engagement in politics, and how that should look. Excellent!
4. BLACK HEELS TO TRACTOR WHEELS  by Ree Drummond -- A definite Guilty Pleasure read...So much fun I couldn't put it down sometimes!
5. THE KENNEDY DETAIL by Jerry Blaine -- Excellent! Very informative as to the lives of Secret Service agents assigned to the President, with surprising details about the Kennedy's. What sacrifices these agents and their families make! Also, the ongoing effects of losing a President on their watch...touching and heart-breaking!
6. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo -- Amazing story, and I'm not sure what I think about it -- except that God can do whatever He wants, and reach people in the most unexpected ways. And I do know Heaven is for real!
7. AFTER THE LEAVES FALL by Nicole Baart -- Chick Flick equivalent, just entertainment.
8. THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker -- I have never seen the movie, and always wondered about the story because of Oprah Winfrey. When I caught a show where she talked about how The Color Purple "was her life", I decided I had to read it...and hated it. So sad that people really live like that...
9. UP FROM THE PROJECTS by Walter E. Williams -- His autobiography. What a guy! Brilliantly devious in his younger years, but his choices and character brought him wisdom...A completely different outcome from the previous book...A man I really respect.
10. KNOWN & UNKNOWN by Donald Rumsfeld -- Great book -- though sometimes I felt it was a "long, hard slog" (inside joke) just because of the volume of material. I loved reading the back-stories of what we saw in the news. Mr. Rumsfeld is a brilliant man, with great integrity. He has participated in many arenas of government over the years, and did all well. Another man I greatly respect.
11. REKINDLED  by Tamera Alexander -- An indulgent read...another Chick Flick equivalent...but I like this one better!
12. AT HOME: A SHORT HISTORY OF PRIVATE LIFE by Bill Bryson -- Sometimes tenuously connected stories of the origins and development of things we find in our homes: kitchens, cupboards, toilets, even the house itself...So interesting! Except for the last page, I loved this book.
13. WHEN MONEY DIES by Adam Fergusson -- The story of hyperinflation in Germany after WWI...Terrible times, and there are parallels in our country today. Very enlightening...
14. UNBROKEN by Laura Hillenbrand -- Louis Zamperini: what an amazing man! Until recently, I had not learned much about the Pacific part of WWII...I am awed by what was suffered by our men as they fought and were prisoners there. To remain unbroken is the grace of God.
15. ONE CALL AWAY: ANSWERING LIFE'S CHALLENGES WITH UNSHAKEABLE FAITH by Brenda Warner -- I've always been curious about the Warner's. This book made me an admirer of Brenda's toughness, and her lack of guile.
16.NOTHING DAUNTED by Dorothy Wickender -- This was supposed to the story of two society girls who left civilisation to go teach in a one-room school in the wilds of Colorado. Moreso, it was a story of Colorado's wilderness towns and travel between them. Still an interesting read.
17. IN THE GARDEN OF THE BEASTS by Erik Larson -- The story of the US ambassador to Germany in the years preceding WWII. Ambassador Dodd saw what was happening long before the President and State Dept. did -- And they would not listen to him. Very good book!
18. IN MY TIME by Richard Cheney & Liz Cheney -- After reading this I am convinced of 2 things: There should be someone in every administration that is willing to be unpopular for speaking the truth. Among many other things, this was a strength of Dick Cheney. I am also convinced of the brilliance of another man, who like Rumsfeld, very ably served his country in many different capacities.

So that's my list for 2011...I have a list of books that are already on my shelf which I shall endeavor to get through this year...Can't wait!