These are gardenias that I didn't think would continue to grow let alone bloom. I have it in our bathroom, with a north facing window.
aren't super sweet so the icing adds the sweetness.
As many of you know we went down to south Texas to visit my folks. Mom is 86 now and still doing quite well. She is somewhat forgetful but was able to learn and then play a couple of new games with us. "Up words" is one game they play regularly and bridge and of course golf. So that is pretty good.
An alternate form of transportation, but they walk at least 2 times a day. They walk quite fast and go all over the park.
Wayne plays pool every day, he is quite good and really likes it. They live within their income and are very careful with their finances.
Things that grow in McAllen are all citrus, grapefruit(Texas Ruby Red), oranges, lemons and limes, papaya, and the favorite AVOCADOS, not to mentions figs and gardenias.
Their home looks just about the same.
The first full day after we got there, LaVar woke up in the morning saying he wanted to go to South Texas College and as them if they wanted a Economics teacher. There is a whole story with that but the short version is we happened on a guy that was elated to talk with us and yes, they were actually looking for a teacher with Dad's creditials and he gave us all a tour of the campus and told us all kinds of wonderful things about the place. I didn't get a picture of that campus, but he also told us that Pan Am was also looking for someone and we could also check them out.....
Mom went to church with us and said as she always does, that she enjoyed it..... So it seems that we feel we should be moving to South Texas, we have been working on getting things paired down yet again and plan on getting our house on the market this next week. This is a terrible time to sell, there are a flood of homes in our area that are for sale, etc. But we will see.
As I see it, if we have to stay here in this gorgious area, near the beach for at least one more year, LaVar making good money, I will not complain. You are all still invited to come, we would more than love that.
On the other hand to be with a great lady, friend, and my mom...... that would, no will, be just great!! Thus the title, wherever, we are planted.
From Pres. Monson
"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, 'They do not love that do not show their love.'3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say 'I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, 'The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.'4"
This is such a wonderful quote from our Prophet and since I let this Valentines pass without any fanfare I just wanted each of you to know how much we love you and thank you for all you are doing to help our grandchildren to grow and end up to be such loveable and loving adults. Some of the grandchildren are reading scriptures on their own, we thrill at that journey for you, some are in sports and activities to strengthen their bodies, we thrill at those successes, each is going to church and are growing spiritually that way, that is the greatest joy to us of all. Thank you, we love you, we miss our association with you regularly. We are grateful for phones, email, and now ichat. We wish we were closer, but we love you, and are grateful for you. Love Grandma and Grandad
This is the ship that we wanted to pass by while Sam and Hadley were visiting, but it maybe didn't go out during the holidays? Well, its floating now.
This is David and Linda Block that we went out to dinner with and then went to see the Tribute to Motown, that was a lot of fun. We could sing along and we did.
Here are more pictures of a different ship, I know it's different because of the number on the back end.
Here is the "before" pictures of our garage. I don't have any "after" pictures, but we did have the furniture company that is going to repair the broken furniture from the move. It has been 6 months, we moved in August 4th. Little slow, the moving company employee has apologized several times, like it changes anything, it still not finished..... we will see.
We have also been cubscout leaders for a few weeks. They now have a couple called but we enjoyed the boys while we served there.
Next attraction.... McAllen Texas trip. We are back..... didn't have the internet for 4 days and I had withdrawls, but we found a library..... that was good.
I went on a TJMAXX trip yesterday and hung out in the clearance isle until I had seen and touched it all. I came away with a "grow" sign, its a metal words with a stake for the ground, that is for our upcoming, Relief Society Birthday Party entitled "Garden Party". I also got a glass bowl that will work well for Lemonade. I have had so much fun thinking about the decorations for this Enrichment. More on it later, it isn't until March 10th.
Here is the basic mix with the * ones being the essential and changes can be made. {Like using molasses, honey and fruit juice instead of the sugar and brown sugar. Applesauce instead of eggs and any variety of flour}
YOU can not take a 6 ft. artificial Christmas tree with the lights still on, up a flight of stairs to take through a closet and shove in the space created by the roof over hang.
Put it back in the box and store it in the garage just like you always have. You are not saving time, energy or anything of the sort and it can be very frustrating.
If you want to save time putting together the tree, buy a fresh one and put up with the irrational ravings of someone afraid it will catch fire if not kept watered or also wanting to wire it to the wall so it won't fall on anyone. (He might surprise you by helping put on those said Christmas lights like he did this year. That was so nice.)
Just a note to myself for next Christmas should this crazy thought pass through my head again.
