Summertime…

Bet my husband makes better frozen strawberry jam than yours does!

Ha!

Thanks to my husband, Ken, for becoming the family jam maker.  It started one year when I was really busy about the time strawberries were on sale, and he stepped in to help out. 

Now that we know he can do it, and do it well, he gets to take over that role.  He mashes the berries much better than I ever did-I’m too impatient.

He’s been busy all weekend.

Did you know, we worried that he had forgotten to put in corn syrup, but we checked the recipe again and again and corn syrup isn’t there anymore. 

They must have changed the recipe this year.

While he has been making jam, I’ve been able to putter in the yard.  We are enjoying this time of year and all the perennials so much.  Mother Nature does a great job of spring gardening.  Things never look as good when it is dependent on our care. 

For the record, I was able to join up with my sisters on Thursday and spend the day with them.

We had a great time, saw some fun houses, and got a little inspiration for a few new decorating ideas,

but I always come home grateful for my own little home.

Happy rest of June!

♥

JoAnn

Killing time…..

I’m sitting here waiting for a call from our mechanic as he finishes  servicing my car.

Killing time is not one of my virtues.

My sisters Julie and Linda are going to the Utah Valley Parade of Homes and I hope to join them soon.

I was so looking forward to a day of fun with them.

It’s kind of an annual thing to spend a day together: looking at newly built and cleverly decorated houses, talking, driving, eating out, getting lost, wearing ourselves out getting in and out of the car, climbing up and down hundreds of stairs, sweating (or getting soaked from rain-but not this year), and catching up on what is going on in our lives.

Sounds fun, right?

So, the killing time thing lead me to this old drawing by Katie, which caused me to think about how I visualize myself, and how others perceive me back.

I have never claimed beauty as one of my virtues.

On the other hand, I figure I’m not homely either.

Average looking is probably a good description.

(Some hair fashions have NOT helped my cause!)

I tend to visualize myself as much thinner and younger than I am (although that is getting harder to do), and I’m sure I must have that well aged look to the young leaders I serve with in our church’s Young Women’s organization, seeing as they are younger than any of our children.

But, I won’t think of myself as old enough to wear frumpy shoes, mother jeans, or letting my hair go gray! 

So, where is this post going?

I’m not sure.

The mechanic still hasn’t called.

Did I mention that I’m not very good at killing time?

JoAnn

June…who said retirement was restful?

(The 9 cutest kids on the planet!)

I have officially been a retired senior citizen for two weeks now.

Life hasn’t slowed down a bit!

We had some good family time on Memorial Day weekend, with some of our extended family and with our children and grandchildren.

We like to remember our family members who have passed on by taking flowers to their graves and then by having a picnic or gathering to celebrate our family legacy.

It’s kind of nice to think they are aware of us, too, as our little ones who don’t know or remember them climb on their headstones, despite our efforts to stop them.  (I hope they would understand!)

We attended a preschool graduation, a kindergarten graduation, a soccer game, and a birthday party for some of our little grands.  We love being a part of their lives.

My life was interrupted in a big way when my cell phone disappeared.  I must have dropped it somewhere and someone found it and took it to Motel 6.  We never did find it, so I have been out of touch with the world, literally!

I spent a very hectic week preparing for our church girls’ camp.  We worked on schedules, handouts, skits, devotionals, and then we went shopping.  Six hours spent buying food and other supplies to keep around fifteen people happy for four days was anything but restful.

It was a fun camp, despite heat, sun burn, lack of sleep, hiking, a blown over tent (in the middle of the night), and lots of work putting up and taking down tents and other equipment.

(Isn’t recent retiree and girls’ camp leader an odd mix?)

We taught the girls first aid and other life skills as we worked together during the week.  The girls got to zip line, learn archery, and do crafts.  Our camp director was amazing! 

I don’t have many photos (no phone camera), but it was a beautiful place.  Mother Nature never disappoints.

Today, I am officially starting my summer vacation/retirement- if you don’t count doing a week’s worth of mountain-dirty laundry!

Have a relaxing and fun week!

JoAnn

P.S.  The movie, “Once I Was a Beehive”, gives a pretty realistic view of what a girls’ camp is like.  Check out this link for more information.

Mother May I?

May.

For a three letter word, M-A-Y carries a lot of power .

Do you remember being told that you may go to the party, after eagerly asking if you “can” do something and then being questioned back with, “I don’t know, can you?”

Or…

Ever play the game “Mother May I?”

It was a favorite one of mine when we were young and our cousins would arrive for a family gathering.  I had a lot of cousins and some of them didn’t live very close, so it was always fun getting together. We’d all line up on the lawn of my grandparent’s house, which was right next door to my house, and play that game, “No Bears Are Out Tonight”, and “Kick the Can”.  It was a magical time!

Which has nothing to do with the month of May. For the month with the fewest letters in it, it seems to be one of the busiest, most demanding times of the year!

May is always hectic for anyone with school age children, and for teachers it is often the closest time we get to “throwing in the towel”.  (Just finished teaching idioms to my class!)

With the school year winding down, that means important testing sessions, projects due, banquets, concerts, graduations, report cards, packing up classrooms, and on and on and on, all while trying to keep restless, tired students focused and somewhat on task.

This year was an especially busy one for me.

In the words of my daughter Liz,

“After spending 19 years in the third grade, (and 1 year in second grade) my Mom finally graduated today. Happy retirement to you dear Mommy, Happy retirement to you!!!

On the last day of school my family anticipated a bitter-sweet day for me, and arrived at school shortly after the children left to help me with the final bit of packing up and cleaning out.  They arrived with treats, cold drinks, and willing hands. 

I was much too tired exhausted to feel emotional about leaving.

But…

We will see how I feel come August.

I May or May not have some mixed emotions.

JoAnn

P.S.  I do hope to have more energy for this badly neglected blog!

P.P.S.  Don’t tell my husband that I know this cake was the better bargain than having a retirement cake special ordered. 

I still love it!

 

 

 

Enjoying Spring-at the tulip festival

If you love spring, (does anyone NOT love spring?) you might enjoy these pictures we took at the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival on Thursday afternoon.

Since we bought Salt Lake Connect Passes, which included the tulip festival, we decided to hurry and get there before warm weather had a chance to cut short the beautiful spring flowers.

It was a dusty, windy day, but the blossoms more than made up for the weather.  

We gathered all the family members that could go (missed some), endured the crawling rush-hour traffic, and headed south to Lehi.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Top ten reasons to go to a tulip festival:

10.  Lots of healthy walking (exercise)

9.  Beautiful smells

8.  Plenty of photo opportunities

7.  Bonding time with grandkids

6.  Fresh air (dust included)

5.   Benches provided

4.  Local venues supported

3. Meditation time  

2.  Family togetherness

1.  Tulips

Spring is so lovely!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend!

JoAnn

I looked out the window….

Spring has arrived in Utah!

As I write this, I’m gearing myself up to return back to work tomorrow, after a wonderful week long Spring Break.

It won’t be easy!

Spring Break came just in time. 

(Is it called Spring Break because you are getting close to the breaking point?)

We just finished up a term at school and that involved correcting papers, doing grades, cleaning and organizing my classroom, and some planning. 

My husband has been recovering from hip surgery and I am almost finished as his care-giver.  He is doing well and no longer needs my assistance getting in and out of bed, putting on those awful tight compression socks, and being driven to physical therapy.  (He has had an incredible recovery and I’m not really complaining, but it makes my need for a break sound more convincing- even if daughter Heidi did most of the work during the school week.)

We saw “Captain American Fork-AF -The Worst Avenger” at Desert Star Playhouse.  My husband’s first outing at 3 and a half weeks post surgery.

Did I mention that his real first outing was a walk outside the house.  He was going to go to the corner of the street, but decided to continue all the way around the block!

While some of my friends jumped on airplanes and headed off to warm, exotic locations, I was content with staying home and catching my breath.

I stayed up late watching Netflix movies and reruns of “Blue Bloods”.

I caught up on the last few episodes of “Fixer Upper”.

I slept in.

I got a pedicure and a hair cut.

I worked in the yard.

We went to a play and out to dinner a few times.

It was just what I needed!

This weekend we listened to General Conference, the semi annual conference for our church.  The messages were uplifting and full of encouragement.

Just what I needed.

Conference weekends are my favorite weekends of the whole year!

If you want to check out any of the messages you can click on this link.

We renewed our Salt Lake Connect Passes and took our family to the Children’s Museum.

It’s not just for children, you know….

A visit to Wheeler Farm completes the break!

Don’t you love the spring time?

What do you see as you look out your window this spring weekend?

I hope it was a great week!

♥

JoAnn

P.S.  Thanks to Robbie and Brittany for the special sea food dinner they cooked for us!  Yum!

Why I didn’t get any Saturday cleaning done today…..

Saturdays are usually the day I do most of my cleaning, organizing, and laundry.  I love working in my pajamas and deep cleaning my way through the house.  I don’t seem to get much done after working all day during the week, so I really need my weekends.

This morning I met up with some fun ladies I work with in my church.  We serve in the Young Women’s organization of our church-meaning we teach and associate with the young girls ages 12 to 18.  We had been wanting to make our classroom inviting and fun for the girls.

Today we got together and came up with some colorful, fun bulletin boards and other decorations.

 

I hope the girls will like it!

Today we also had a fun outing to Leatherby’s, an ice cream store.

And…

We want to wish a Happy Birthday to Coco!

He just turned one.

 

So…

After running some errands, making homemade Cauliflower soup, hanging out with family, and preparing for the upcoming surgery of my husband (he’s having a hip replaced) I haven’t even made a dent in my weekly cleaning.

And that is OK!

It was still a productive day.

JoAnn

P.S.  Do you find that some days you just have to let go of your obligations for other pressing obligations?

(Pretty sure they will still be there when I’m ready.)