Lunch with the Lloyd Brothers

It's that time of year again.  Take your grandparents to lunch.  When Isaac told me about it, I asked if he wanted to each the lunch at school (sometimes it's his favorite) or if he wanted me to bring it.  Last year in the fall I took Subway, but it was decided on McDonalds this time around.  I gotta tell you, Mr. Mr. Twisted Sister was happy I was there, contrary to how this picture looks!!

I forgot to tell them that he wanted ketchup only on his burger, so we had to pick off the pickles and onions........arggggggggg

This guy has the drill down, you sit and smile when Mims wants to kiss ya....I figure I have a couple more years before he starts to object to this in public.....what do you think?

They are some of the most handsome lunch dates I've every had....and cheap, for the cost of a Happy Meal, I get a few minutes with them, and get to see them interact with friends.  It's priceless. I love them so much and and so grateful for this chance.

There was some weird side walking spider looking toy in the meal, and they surprised me by eating their lunch before opening the prize.......Well Isaac ate his entire lunch, those 10 years olds seem to be hungry all the time.  Alex ate most of his, he put the sliced apples in his pocket for later....

(I called his mom on my way home and told her

so she doesn't have a suprise in her washer!!)

The PTA has this figured out.  As you leave you go thru the "Book Fair" I told the boys how much they could spend.  I cannot believe how mature Isaac is, he picked out a book (minecraft) and it was half of what I said I would spend, he said "I don't need anything else" So I spent extra On Alex.  I purchased this book for myself. The way I remember the old lady swallowed a fly "I don't know why she swallowed a fly, poor old thing I think she'll die." was the way it went......well, the "new and improved" version, says: "I don't know wey she

Bubble-Boy.....or Hunchie.....

 

I have had this "thing" growing on my back for several years....My Dr. has been monitoring it and measuring it and poking it......In May, when I went for my yearly, she said: "Patti, this is getting bigger, it's time to have it removed."
I replied: "Can you do it?"
Dr: "No, you need a surgeon."

Humppphhhhh...........(whatever I mumbled)

 

Fast forward to August.  I had an appointment with my family Dr. and I thought to myself:

"Self, while you're there, ask if it really needs to be removed,

and if he can remove it.

So, I did, and he said yes and no.

Yes, it needs to be removed, and no he couldn't do it, it needed

to be a surgeon.

I think what the heck.....(conspiracy theory)

 

Now, backing up.  This this was pretty big, from the outside it looked like an egg was under the skin and if I leaned back on a chair I could feel it, and Mr. Boyd was calling it "Bubble-Boy" while I preferred the pet name of "Hunchie". 

When I would a massage, they would ask: "What's that? Does it Hurt?"

 

So, I had a consultation with a surgeon, and she confirmed it would need to be removed.  She said I could choose, in her office using a local or in the hospital where they put me out......

I chose the office...because I'm a bit scared of general anesthesia.  After numbing me to pieces she

started, and let's say Hunchie was determined to stick with me ..... but the Dr. prevailed and after about 45 minutes of snipping and pulling and more snipping out come this blob of grossness......the Dr. kept saying.."this is like an iceberg, you can only see about a third of it.  The above photo is it crammed into a speciman cup, it was about the size of the palm of her hand and about 3/4" thick.......gaaaaaaaaa.  It was gross.  I can almost hear it plopping into the cup..... 

I lay on this table for over an hour...

 

The nurse brought pillows and warm blankets, it was a not-so-fearful experience after all.  I had a bit of aching that evening but after that............nothin'.........it was great......I showed 48 hours later, that was the hardest part.   So.....good-bye Bubble-boy/Hunchie....it wasn't so nice knowin' ya.

So if anyone needs a surgeon I have a great one. She is awesome

Meet Mr. Bones

Ahh....it's that Haunting Season again....I know it's a bit early, but when Costco has these bad-boys on sale........before September, you snatch them up and decide.....where to place him.

Ah, as the haunting season approaches......

you wonder if late-August is to early

to purchase this guy......but what the heck, I may need to go back

and get him a girlie-friend......decisions on where to put this guy...

He looks comfy under the afgan.....

Who knew his mama-bones paid for piano lessons......

the possibilities are endless......

Did I mention rolls............

I'm always hankerin' for a sweet roll...."like the ones my mama made" I'll never be the baker she is but I can always give it a try......the "sponge"

This is the tricky part, adding the flour slowly, making dough "just right" elastic and a bit sticky....ready to rise...

ready to roll.........not too much flour here either, it's very subjective depending on the temperature of your home, the humidity etc.  I don't make them often enough to get a really good "feel".

look at that cinnamon-y butter-y goodness...

Oven ready...

perfection ..............

The roll is the just the vehicle to get the cream cheese icing

in yo tummy!!

Piggy....

These were so yummy..... washed down with one of the most perfect drinks of all time,

 the Diet Mt. Dew

1. Random July.....

The Taylors didn't come out for a visit this year....boo hoo.....

but I've requested my "Daily Jo"

We did make it up the canyon for the afternoon....

Yummy Soph-a-loaf...

Silly Miss Harmony.......she's a poser.

Another Daily Jo.....oh I miss her

and another...........

Aimee and McPhie #1 & #2

Harmony napping......lovely afternoon naps...

Miss Sassy Pants herself......Summer days, they come and go and it's nice that schedules become less and eating out becomes more.....and the heat makes me a bit grumpy...

Goodbye.....

I’m not sure how to start this post.  My heart is heavy……and my eyes are red, I may have cried myself dry.  My dear neighbor and sweet friend of 32 years passed away.  She struggled for 9+ years with cancer.  In the process of her battle, her sweet companion Rolf, became sick with liver cancer and died.  We all thought that with Carla being so sick, that Rolf would be the survivor.  We never know what life has in store for us.

 

Having lived next to Carla for 32+ years I have many wonderful memories.  Where to start……where to stop…..Carla was pregnant with their youngest, Alisa,when I married Boyd and moved next door to her and Rolf.  I remember Rolf “walking” Carla up and down the sidewalk during that pregnancy.…..Years later, Carla and I would walk for our exercise…..so many conversations.  It was more than a walk, it was therapy.  We discussed many things, some of great importance and some just fluff. 

 

She was a second mother to my children.  Being a working mom, Carla was always happy to be the “person to call” at school, should my kids get ill and need to be picked up, until I could get home.  Here children were my children’s best friends

 

We had a dinner club, Rolf & Carla, Boyd and I and Bob and Cathe Madison.  We would rotate homes for a monthly dinner together and invite another couple in the neighborhood to join us  Those are memories that I cherish.  We were back-door neighbors, traipsing through our respective yards to reach the other’s back door.  Carla had a warm and welcoming home.  She was a devoted wife and mother and neighbor, always making time for me or my kids.  She was patient, kind, loving and most of all without guile.  When I count my blessings, living next to Rolf and Carla -being able to associate with people of their character -  are near the top of the list.  The 9+ year refining fire Carla went through was long and hard, her brilliance was never diminished.  I miss her.

My laugh for the day.....or week

I got this in the mail today "Dear Mimaw, please send me a round trip ticket to Utah and back. I would like it with a rest of the month stay. And ASAP! Well at least a week stay. I need a break! or just 10 dollars...I love you. Bye"......WOW! This girl needs a break from her summer break.  I laughed so hard when I read this gem.

Farewell to Another Great Guy

 Three days after getting the call about my Uncle Arthur, another call from Mom.....her older brother, Uncle Frank died.   Man, lots of good guys knocking on Heaven's Door.

We didn't see as much of Uncle Frank as some other relatives.  His career was the Air Force.  He lived in far away places, and when he come to see us, it was like he was a rock star!!  He was sweet and kind, funny and soft spoken, yet he was a commanding presence, and he had our respect.  He was handsome and his wife, my Aunt Barbara was about 5 foot nothing, with a deep voice, and a hearty laugh......very throaty, I'm sure from a lifetime of smoking and she seemed very exotic.  Dark hair and dark sparkling eyes, and she was bubbly.  I remember her sitting at our kitchen table talking to my mom.  Being that I was as nosey as they came, my mom couldn't shame me into leaving them alone, I was right there listening to every single word, just being a regular

"Nosey McNoserson"  Aunt Barbara never seemed to mind. 

I remember a little tea set Uncle Frank give to Peggi and I, Mom telling us to be careful and take good care of it....but we were typical girls.....careless.  He retired from the Air Force and lived in San Bernadino, California.  He was generous to those he loved.

"

I was so impressed with the cadets that carried his casket. 

They said it was an honor to provide this last bit of service.

My Aunt Barbra died several years ago,

I'm happy to think of their reunion.

 When I was at the cemetary, I took this picture of my Grandpa and Grandpa Bushar's headstone.  I thought how lucky I am to come from such wonderful, hard-working, generous and faithful family.

Good-bye to a Good Guy......

I got a call from my Mom.....Uncle Arthur died.  WOW.  So many of my childhood memories involve my Dad's older brother, Arthur.  He lived with his mother, my Grandma Rokah, next door.  How lucky I was to have my Grandma live that close.  She doted on us.   My Uncle Arthur didn't get married until he was 42, so we were his first family.  Oh, how he loved us and was to good to us.   He was a business partner with my Dad.  They were the "Paxman Brothers" and they run a dairy farm.  Hard, hard work, and l-o-n-g  l-o-n-g hours.  When I was in 1st grade (I think?) I started taking piano lessons, we didn't have a piano, but my Grandma Rokah did, so I would walk to her home to practice, what fun that was.  She always had double-mint gum on a little shelf above her kitchen sink, so I would always grab a stick before starting......and one on the way out.  Uncle Arthur was a dark handsome man.  Being a batchlor he had lots of different hobbies, like lapidary.  He had rock cutters in the garage, and rocks laying around, and when I would finish my practice,  I would wander around and look at his "stuff" it was great.  My brothers were aware of a particular magazine subscription that Uncle Arthur had........(can you say Playboy....when it was just boob shots!)  I remember Grandma Rokah finding out they had looked at the magazines, and she just said: "Aren't those pretty ladies!" she didn't try to shame them or get mad, she just was so sweet. 

Uncle Arthur got married when I was about 13-ish.  He and Aunt Lynda built a home next to my Grandma, so he was still close.  What fun it was when he started his own family.....I remember when my cousin Jinger was born with dark curly hair, how proud he was.  He continued to take an interest in me and by brothers and sister.  If my Dad and Arthur had disagreements, I never knew of them.  From my vantage point as a child it was a super relationship.  Because my Dad's youngest child was older than Uncle Arthur's oldest, my Dad was there for his kids as well as us.   What a great memory and legacy.

Rest In Peace Uncle Arthur.  You were loved.

Uncle Arthur served our country. 

What a great tribute at the cemetary.  How lucky we are to have brave men, willing to step up and serve.

As we drove home, I contemplated what it would be like to pull up to my parent's home, pull around back to park, and not have Uncle Arthur wander up, at some point of our visit, to say "Hi".  He was much more consistant in coming to check on me than I was to check on him, and for that I'm sorry.  It's hard to loose a key player of your childhood.  I've lost some aunts and uncles, but this one hit hard, because of the closeness of my younger years, and maybe because at this stage I life, I cherish each day more.

My Happy

This is my glorious Tangerine tree.....you should have smelled my home last February....it was intoxicating...she is on the deck enjoying some sunshine...I keep telling her it's just as good as the sunshine in California or Florida....I'm not sure she's buying it.

Why yes....that is a tangerine....hoping some day to grow bigger and turn orange....there are several more on this little tree...oh happy day.  I'm thinking Christmas time they will be ready to eat.

I thought if I put a plastic flamingo in her pot, she would be tricked into thinking she was in Florida.  What do you think?

Oh Delphinium you gorgeous think you......

showing off like the Grand Dame you are.

I planted a calla lily between these (2) sweet potato vines....

it might be a mistake...most likely is.

Basil is poking her nose into the sunshine.......can't wait for pesto.

This is a cucumber plant.....it's an experiment.....

how big will they get in the pot.

Come to mama, you delicious cilantro....

The smell of this sage in bloom reminds me of wildness and dirt and natures beauty.

These a dahlias.....such beauties, and they know it.

It's early in the season, I'm still in love with all things on my deck....by the last scorching days of August, when my feet get burned walking on the deck bare-footed, and it's hard to keep everything hydrated......the love may wane......but picking a fresh tomato and making some salsa will make up for it.