Deception Falls

Such a nice day!

Three boys on a rock!

Just a walk in the park. Deception Falls park.

Yup, that is me at the falls. Emily and Jared coordinated a fun trip for us to take just up the road a piece from their house. It was such a fun day! The weather was perfect and it was an easy walk into the senic area. A day for Granny and Papa to spend with family that we don't get to see nearly enough.

Emily and Talia checking things out.

It was such a fun adventure! One to be repeated for sure!!!

Two Dresses

The phone rang, it was my daughter, “Mom, I am getting married!” she said, “Will you make my wedding dress, please?” Of course she knew that I could sew, her grandmother had taught me to sew my own clothing long ago. In fact most of my five children’s clothing had been homemade when they were young. But a wedding dress, that would be something else entirely. And, I was busy with work, when would I have time to sew a wedding dress? Thoughts of worry and concern filled my mind as I pondered the responsibility of making her wedding dress when I heard myself say, “Of course I will, I would love to do that for you.”

The sewing skills learned as a young girl were going to be put to the test with this project, but I had confidence I could do it. A Vogue pattern was chosen, which are known for their complexity and attention to detail so I knew it would be challenging but the pattern was chosen because the design would be flattering to the bride and that was the most important thing. The materials were gathered, yards and yards of fabric. A mock-up dress was made of muslin to ensure proper fitting since my daughter lives in Washington and I live in Idaho and there would be only one opportunity for a dress fitting before the wedding.

With preparations done, the actual dressmaking could begin. Being true to their reputation and standards, the pattern was complex and the details were many but it actually came together well with only a few minor problems to deal with. But then came the part of her request that was not included with the pattern. She wanted a veil and a train so I would have to design them. Fortunately the veil was pretty easy, however the train was going to be a challenge. It was a great blessing to have a friend who makes and fits wedding dresses as her business. She gave me wonderful counsel and a sample train to copy the pattern from. However, the sample required much more fabric than what we had to use and I was at a loss as to what to do.

How to make the train became a matter of earnest prayer as I could see no way that I could make it work. Not only did I need to know how to make it with the limited amount of fabric we had, but I needed to know how to attach the train to the dress as well. The Lord created the heavens and the earth and He knows how to create a wedding dress train! One day, while pondering the problem, my mind was opened and I could see just how to do it. It was so simple! With that revelation I would be able to complete the project. What a blessing to be able to go to the Lord for help with a sewing problem.

Dress number one would be completed on time, no worries, but as we all know the mother of the bride needs a special dress too and I had not had time to worry about that yet. The colors for the wedding were lavender and green which meant my husband would need a dark green suit and I would need a nice lavender dress, preferably something that would not wrinkle because I would have to pack it into a suitcase to fly to Seattle.

Time was passing quickly as my days were filled with work and my evenings and Saturday’s were filled with all the details of making the wedding dress when I realized that it was time to pick out the suit for my husband so it could be tailored in time for the special event. Still I was not giving any more thought to my dress, dress number two.

With just two weeks left before the wedding, my husband and I went to the men’s store and found the perfect dark green suit and they would have it tailored within a week. Hurray! And since we were near the mall I thought I would go into one of the stores to get a bit of makeup that I needed and then we would rush back home to do more sewing. However, the Lord knew my needs and as we were headed out of the big department store I heard the Spirit whisper to me, “Go look for your dress now.” I turned to my husband and told him of the change in plans. We were to go look for my dress now. It was a large store and I had no idea where the nice dress department was located. Also I had recently lost a lot of weight and had no idea what size dress to try on.

A friendly sales clerk showed us the way to the “Ladies Special Dress” department and much to our surprise there were three racks of beautiful evening gowns on sale 50% off. Oh, how I hoped that I would find something on sale! The very first one that caught my eye was lavender. However, because I only knew what size jeans and tee shirt I wore, I selected a couple other dresses to try on as well just in case. I tried on all three dresses but it was the lavender one that fit just perfectly and it was made of material that did not wrinkle. What a blessing, in just ten minutes we had found the perfect dress for a great price. Hurray again!

What a blessing, everything had come together. Dress number one was finished with all of its many details of special buttons and beading, the veil and the train. Then dress number two was found so quickly and easily while running errands for other needs. I truly felt blessed, the Lord had answered my prayers about the wedding dress and train and He had told me where to find my dress.

It wasn’t until sometime after the wedding when I was reflecting back on the whole experience and marveling at the many blessings bestowed upon me when I realized something even greater about what had transpired. Not only had He helped me, but He knew me so very personally as well. When I didn’t know my dress size, He did! It was the only lavender dress that we saw and it was just my size.

It is my hope and prayer that we may all know just how much the Lord knows each one of us personally and just how much He loves each one of us!

Kuna Quilt Show

Once again it is time for the Kuna Quilt Show. It has become an annual event for my family to come to Kuna to attend. This is the third year that my sisters Caren, Cindy, and daughters Catherine and Megan have come to enjoy the merriment. And this year my niece Theresa and her two little ones are joining us as well. It will be a grand time had by all at the Grand Hotel on the Island of Kuna just off the coast of Boise!

The challenge has been to figure out how to give everyone a place to sleep and we finally figured it out. We took the dining room and converted it to a bedroom. Now we are ready! The pool has been prepared for the little travelers enjoyment however the pool boy (Rudy) will be gone Saturday and Sunday to attend the Bateman family reunion in Salt Lake City. Wouldn't you know the two events would be on the same weekend. Divide and concure is our motto!

Tea Party

After two years of not hosting our tea parties, it was tea time at noon for 17 today. 12 little girls and 5 big girls. It was so much fun to get the house ready, set the tables (3) with pretty dishes and wait for everyone to arrive. I invited a new family to the party and they all came dressed up fancy. Not to make them feel overdressed I went and put on the beaded evening gown I wore to the opera a few years ago and put on flashy dangle earrings. What a wonderful time.

Desiree and Marsha planned and organized the food and Kat (the newbie) asked if she could bring something too so all I had to do was make Wild Raspberry tea.

It was so rewarding! Little Madison told me today that she was going to continue the tradition of tea party's with her children and then she came back and said that she would do it with her grand children also. And shy Ashley (6) came and gave me a BIG hug. What more could I ask for?

But no pictures were taken. Sorry!

Hurray! It's done!!!

There is much to celebrate when a quilt is done. The project is completed and you know it will be enjoyed for years to come by yourself or the lucky and much loved recipient. (Anyone who receives a hand made quilt is LOVED!)

This is the second quilt I have done for Ranae. It is a Double Wedding Ring. It took her seven years to mostly hand sew this quilt top together. She told me of the memories she had of all the places and all the road trips she sat with it in her lap sewing the pieces together. And with all the love, sweat and tears already put into it I became very nervous about putting the just right quilting on it. She gave me the quilt in June of last year and I have searched for and practiced design ideas ever since to give the heirloom quilt design an heirloom quilting design as well. There is an X through the white fields and then each leg of the ring has quilting stitches 1/4" away from each side of the seam creating the Hugs and Kisses theme. (OXOXOXO)

The good thing (besides the fact that it is done and delivered) is, she loved it! She is going to turn the edge for and clean finish with no binding and then give it to her son and his wife. And I learned to not let something intimidate me so much. I have been so afraid of messing this up and she absolutely loved it!

End of story, job well done!

Time In A Bottle

Do you remember the song, "If I Could Put Time In A Bottle"?

It has come to my attention lately how we need to slow down and take more time to ponder and reflect on things that are of more importance than our daily routine of work and what's for dinner. It seems to me that if we don't make that time then we sometimes get pushed into it by becoming sick which pulls us out of our busyness. Of course we can just be sick and not use this time to our advantage (other than resting our bodies).

Today is Thursday and I am not in the temple. I have a throat issue that makes me talk funny which started Monday evening. I thought it would be better by now so I could go to the temple but last night I realized that I needed to stay home. It would not be good to share this with others.

By my staying home it allowed Sister Lewis to have one last opportunity to serve in my place before she has to stop working in the temple. She has been called to teach Early Morning Seminary and today is her last day on our shift. It will be a blessing to her and her family but we will miss her. She is the person from whom I learned about the hcg diet. Because of our serving in the temple together and her sharing the information about it I have lost 67.5 pounds since the 29th of March. This is amazing! It is like putting time in a bottle. Every pound I loose lengthens my life and increases my ability to enjoy life and serve others.

I am so grateful!

Death and Dogs

On July 5th Dr. John Jensen, 1st Counselor in our Ward Bishopric, passed to the other side of the veil as well as my friend LaWanna's sister, Gloria. As it was Fast Sunday, the majority of testimonies included thoughts of Bro. Jensen. His funeral was Wednesday and Gloria's funeral was Thursday in the Oakland area. Because we love LaWanna and her dog Buddy we took care of him again while LaWanna went to California. Buddy was so excited to be here again. He wanted to go out back immediately and just ran and ran around the yard.

John Jensen was a good man! He served his fellow beings well and thereby set a wonderful example to family and friends. The funeral was very upbeat and indeed was a celebration of his life with lots of music.

Having Buddy with us helped keep me from being somber. This was the weekend that we planned to go place a headstone on Kimmy's gravesite with Karl and Tausha. The Radford's always have a big 4th of July picnic and we wanted to combine our trip with that. However I felt impressed that I was not supposed to go so I stayed home and was thereby here to visit with John one last time on Friday and then be here to comfort his wife, my BFF Linnie. Look at how many people came to see the new headstone. I has been six years (last February) since Kim passed away and it has been bothering me ever since that we did not get this taken care of. I kept thinking that Rudy would do it at my urging but then finally I realized that if it was going to get done I would have to step up and get it done. So my part of the headstone placement was that we had one to place. It was hard for me to not be there but I think I was in the right place. And besides it was nice to be home alone for a few days as well.

Buddy Returns

We borrowed Buddy again. Lawanna brought him Thursday evening and I took her to the airport. We had him and her car parked in the front driveway for the weekend. I knew that she would be coming Tuesday to get them but she came while I was at the temple.

So question, have you given much thought to "Divine Positioning"? It has been on my mind a lot lately. Perhaps the name I use is a bit confusing, it means being in the right place at the right time or doing something and not knowing why until later. Or as I like to refer to it as "watching God at work in your life".

So the amazing "Divine Positioning" is this; typically I would leave Buddy in the house while we are gone because he is a good dog and never makes a mess of any kind. However, Tuesday morning when we were leaving at O:45 a.m. I decided that it would be okay to leave him outside. It was still dark, but I felt like that was what I should do. So when Lawanna came for him, and found me not home, she was able to get him from the backyard without any problem. No extra trip needed. Her grandchildren were able to see him. It all worked out.

The only downside to the whole thing was I did not get to say goodbye to Buddy and that was a bummer! But the upside was to know that God was at work in my life and the life of my friends.

I'm In The Garden...

One of my all-time favorite movies is, "The Secret Garden", from which the above line is taken.


It was a month ago now that Rudy and I began our Square Foot Gardening project. If you haven't heard of the technique you can check out their website at this link: http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

We have three boxes placed in the back left corner of the backyard. Two of them are 4' X 8' and the one in the corner is 4' x 4'. We call the corner one the Melon Patch because it has five different types of melons in it.

We built the frames out of 5/4" X 6" X 8' redwood that was on sale at Lowe's. Then we put a heavy landscape fabric on the bottom and just laid them down on top of the grass.

We used Rudy's little pickup truck to mix the Mel's Blend soil. (Rudy got rid of the wheel barrow when we were moving to California because our yard was going to be so small.) When we were done mixing it up at the edge of the back porch he just drove the pickup over to the garden box and we unloaded the soil mix off the tailgate and right into the boxes. Pretty handy wheel barrow, if you ask me!

This box has several tomatoe plants, Swiss chard, spinach, three different types of peppers, kohlrabi, cabbage and some marigolds.

This is a picture of the Melon Patch. Our intention is to put up support frames with nylon mesh for everything to grow up on instead of letting them over take the grass.


This is the squash, cucumber, beets, broccoli, onions, and radish patch. We have already harvested the radishes and need to plant them again. I am really enjoying watching the garden grow. We can see changes out there every day. Thus far we have some little zucchini and peppers on the vine.

So when I don't answer the phone you may just "hear" me say, "I'm in the garden..."

A Busy Week

Thus far it has been a very busy week.

Monday I swept the front porch and then washed the walls and windows of the house and then planted the petunia's that I had been making promises too for a month now into the pots on the front porch. It has been two years since I planted anything out there. It is nice to be alive again! And have living things about me! Soon they will be in bloom and beautiful!

Tuesday was our Stake Fill the Temple Week assignment. Rudy and I went early so he could go too. We attended the 5:30 a.m. session and then Rudy left for work and I stayed and did two more sessions. It was nice to be there with Rudy again. He was attending on my regular Thursday morning sift until the new year schedule changed and our first session is not until 6:00 a.m. He doesn't think he could get to work on time starting at that time.

Then today, Wednesday, was "Help Veronica" day. My little friend from the Spanish Ward had a heart attack three weeks ago and now her doctor wants her to take some expensive medicine. In order to make extra money she sells tamales. I am usually only her telephone committee to gather orders. However this time she needed help because of her health so I spent 5 1/2 hours at her house this morning learning how to make tamales with her. It is a lot of work and worth every penny you have to pay her to make them for you! It is funny to listen to the two of us talk. She knows more English than I know of Spanish and somehow we carry on a conversation just fine.

We Borrowed a Dog

Yes, we borrowed a dog for a week. Oh, they call that puppy-sitting don't they? Well Buddy went home last night. The house is empty again. It has been a long time since we have had a dog. He will be back again next week because his momma is going out of town again. Fun stuff!

I am having a slow morning. I hung a heavy metal shelf in my bedroom on Wednesday and my back muscles are still really sore. Time for a hot soak!

Blogging Absence Noticed

Where does the time go? It was over a year ago since my last post. Where have I been? What have I been doing? Goodness me! It was Emily that said, "MOM, you need to blog!"

We are looking forward to the weekend, Megan is coming home for Father's Day!
Yeah! I love having my children home with me!!!

Today was Temple Thursday. Up early (it was OH! Early:30).

We have been dog sitting this past week for my friend LaWanna's dog, Buddy. He is such a good dog. It has been fun to have him with us.