50 is the new 30...

... at least that's what johnny says. i like it. i think i will adopt the saying. oh well, enough on that subject!

last night gram, sherry, annie and i went to the andre rieu concert. the mullens bought tickets for us. it was a combination birthday for me and treat for mom. we were the ones that were treated! mom/gram had been so excited to go to the concert. she enjoys wathing his dvd's until the wee hours of the morning. when we loaded up in the car to leave for the concert she said - "i hope i'm not disappointed." she wasn't.

how i wish all those who love gram could have been there to see her eyes light up. she smiled, she sang along, she clapped. it was an absolutely delightful evening spent under the stars at the usana amphitheatre, being entertained by a talented and beautiful orchestra, and gram! (in the picture below gram is holding what has become her signature sees lollipop. she tells me i give the to her just to keep her quiet! :) )

annie took a great little video of gram. i'll get a copy if i can and post it. she was listening to the music and then turned to annie, nodded her head and said in her very own gram style, "it's good".

thanks am and mike!

chuck e cheese

a good place to party. not a good place to eat!

happy bday anna and timo - what a night.

cindy gardner updates

for those who want to follow progress updates on cindy and what's happening to her will be posted on her blog http://gardnerscompost.blogspot.com/.

thanks for the care and concern.

thoughts

If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell. ~Lance Armstrong If you're going through hell, keep going. Never, never, never give up ~Winston Churchill Cancer is a word, not a sentence. ~John Diamond

hallowed grounds

(statue to youth rising from the waves - normandy american cemetery)

d-day 1944, a 5000 vessel armada left the british shores, crossed the english channel and over 150,000 men from the allied forces landed of the beaches of france. six parachute regiments - over 13,000 men - were flown in 800 plus planes and dropped behind enemy lines. by nightfall over 9000 allied soldiers were dead or wounded, but the rest made it to shore. the average age of the men was 22. in colleville-sur-mer, normandy is the normandy american cemetery and memorial. in it are 9387 crosses or stars of david, marking graves of american soldiers who died on this day or shortly after. all facing west towards home. the names of 1557 americans who lost their lives in the conflict but could not be located and/or identified are inscribed on walls within the memorial. a father and son were laid side by side as well as 33 pairs of brothers. well over 56 million people, military and civilian, lost their lives as a result of world war II.

mom and i watched a pbs special on the american cemeteries in europe. french and belgian citizens visit these memorials often, giving thanks and homage to those who sacrificed for their and all of our freedom. it is on my bucket list to visit these hallowed grounds. i wish to see the poppies grow and walk among the crosses row on row.

i am told that many of these graves are merely markers. the us government has brought home any soldier who's family wanted them near. sue and steve watched "taking chance" this past memorial day and has urged us all to watch it. it is the story of a young soldier's journey as he accompanies another soldier's body home. i think i will rent it for tomorrow night.

in the meantime i shall continue to love history. i shall continue to love my country. i shall continue to honor those who gave and those who are now giving so much in order to preserve freedoms.

large lovely "charming" ladies

last year for cori's big bday all those close to her bought her a charm for her charm bracelet that was also bought. it took nearly a year for us then to get around to taking it into the jeweler to have the charms soldered onto the bracelet, then another 3-4 months for us to get around to going back into the jeweler to pick it up. and then....curses....the bracelet was not to be found at the store! the store owner looked high and look under all the "c" for connors files. he could not find the bracelet. he told her she needed her receipt because he could find nothing and the store kept two copies of all transactions and both of those were missing! hmm. finding the receipt was not an easy task because well, it was 3-4 months ago and cori changed purses and cleaned her car out many times and it just wasn't to be found. a few days ago i went back to the store with cori, without her receipt, just to see if they had found the charmer! nope, no record or anything close to it under connors or cori files. the owner asked if we remembered who helped us. we described the clerk - his regular and though she was not working that day he called her up and asked if she recalled the transaction. she didn't. as he was about to hang up i asked him to tell her that it was two "big" ladies (we like to think of ourselves as large, lovely ladies) that brought it in and we had a younger girl with us - annie. he laughed and said "you don't want me to say that". cori and i emphatically said "yes we do" and cori added "yeah and it was for my 50th birthday so we are old too!" he repeated our comments and lo and behold she remembered us. and just as she was telling the manager where the bracelet was filed, i simultaneously said "pineapple enterprises"! (that's the name of one of cori's business). sure enough the bracelet was safely filed away, waiting to be picked up. yeah! she wore it all day.

moral - it helps to have a memorable physique!

hello again

annie said i need to blog again. cori tells me it is time for me to blog again. (look who's talking) so here it is half past midnight, the lights are turned low, the back door is held open by a ceramic pig while the front door is propped open with an old shoe form. the screens are shut to hold back the bugs. a gentle breeze is flowing. the air is fresh, i'm watching a rerun of cold case and life in general is good!

i'm sure more words will come later, for a more interesting blog, but for now I am content. i will close this computer, curl up with a soft blankie and drift off to sleep. ( in about an hour or two that is, but the drift will be delightful.)

surrounded by angels

the highest of distinctions is service to others. ~ king george VI
this past saturday my family and friends spent a day in the driving rain serving gram and me. and to quote the words of another king - king benjamin - while they were serving us they were also serving their God. i am lucky to be surrounded by such angels.

please excuse the blurry photos...it was really raining hard! on this day weed barrier was laid on my back berm and front lower planter area, tons, literally tons of bark was laid. the garden was tilled, the weeds were pulled and pavers were installed under the back deck allowing for a very nice storage area. many of us had to change clothes three times and those who didn't have extra clothes just stayed wet or tried drying and warming themselves in front of the fire. lunch was eaten standing up outside because everyone was too dirty and wouldn't stop. probably for fear that if they did their bodies would rebel and not allow them to go out again. when dinner time arrived the parkers / murdocks brought excellent eats. we did take time out to sing happy birthday to our wonderful 3 year old buddy parker, ate cake out of a dump truck, very appropriate thank you parker, and then headed back outside. when we were done messing in my yard there was still bark to be moved, so tired as they were, christer, jordon, nate, reed, george, dave, cori and i laid bark at the connors. while johnny and cinny worked on my garden and much to every one's pleasure it finally got too dark to continue working.

thanks gardners, connors, connors, mullens, merrills, hansens, hansens, baileys, harpers and anyone and everyone else who helped out. you are indeed the very best!

my brother john

children of the same family, the same blood with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power which no subsequent connections can supply. - jane austin

happy birthday john! i love you.

earth week

i do not believe we are to take trees down during earth week. aren't we to plant instead?! my heart has been a bit sad these past few days because i made the decision to take a tree down. my lovely redbuds that line my front stairs, offering a canopy of pink in may and glorious shade in august have been struggling. last year dave, johnny and reedo trimmed them for me so that the branches had more room to breathe. i thought by doing this they would not struggle so hard. but last fall the leaves wilted much too early and turned brown long before the cold frost air arrived. i watched and hoped all winter long that the branches that appeared dead or dying were simply in winter hibernation. frodshoms sprayed them for me. last summer and early this spring. and i hoped that just maybe the blossoms were late in arriving because after all it snows every other weekend even though it is the end of april.

of the four trees i have, two were in trouble. i choose the sacrifice one for now. maybe by loosing one the other will be saved. cinny tells me i need to have faith. i don't think i have the faith she does - though i wish i did. instead all i feel right now is sadness. i realize it is only a tree but it is a tree i loved.

here's keeping fingers crossed that the other tree will make it.

it fascinates me -

that an almost 3 year old boy and an 85 year old gram sound exactly alike when saying "iono" and "yup".
.
that I delay getting into the shower just because I don't want to dry off when I'm done. (I love the shower I just don't like drying off...maybe because there is so much of me to dry? hmmm...)
.
that I love having robins, finches, wrens, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, etc in my yard but I chase the poor magpies away! (I'm not really sure why I do this other than the fact I think they are obnoxious but it is just a bird for goodness sakes. poor magpies!)
.
that 12 oz of chocolate equals 5 lbs of weight gain.
.
that 10 years ago i was still thirtysomething. i was also thirtysomething pounds lighter! (soon enough it will have been fortysomething - both years and pounds - oh my).

.
that anyone would consider using anything else but good butter. i grew up and out eating "land o lakes". i knew we were all (connors, connors, murdock, parker, gardner and anyone who likes good food out there) kindred spirits tatiana!

.

that i can spend so many hours blog stalking and just ignore the rest of the world!

Grateful for this day

These past few days are I believe the most significant days in history. What happened over 2000 years ago was planned for and anticipated since the beginning of time and the events changed our world forever. Yet I find that all too often I let the days pass from year to year with only a slight acknowledgement. It has been Holy Week. So many miracles were performed, so many lessons taught. Christ raised Lazarus from the dead and then proceeded towards his own. Maundy Thursday, the day the sacrament was introduced to us and lessons were taught by Him who loves us more than anyone else. I often dream of being in the upper chamber of that home where Christ with a bowl of water and soft towels taught his disciples that love was what it was really all about. With the passion of Peter I wish to declare my commitment. Unfortunately, like Peter, I find myself too often hiding in the shadows. It is not that I do not know or believe, it is perhaps that I am just a bit afraid and unsure of what to do.
Gethsemane. I do not need to physically go there to know or feel the significance of this place of crushing. It is the first cold press, symbolic of the First Born, which produces the sweetest oil. The bitter taste of the olive is removed and turned to fragrant, sweet tasting oil but only after extreme pressure is applied. It is not unfitting that He would intercede for us in such a place as this. But like others that love and follow Him I find myself dozing off instead of keeping watch. When I wake from this earthly life I do not want to be greeted by the disappointing question, could I not keep watch?

When I think about these events it reminds me to be grateful of my womanhood. It was to a women Christ first declared himself as the Messiah. It was the faith of Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, that prompted His compassion to raise the dead. A women, who was about my same age right now, watched as her son was offered up, not without suffering. She did not turn away but stood steadfast in her vigil of love. And in the quiet morning of the third day He appeared once again to a women and, as the Resurrected Christ, instructed her to declare His coming.

I long to be like the sisters of Bethany and the widow of Zarephath or the young Abish who ran through the streets declaring her faith. I need to reach out towards others, offering help and love and in so doing I will touch His robe. For these few days I wish I could set away all worldly chores. It is with family and loved ones that desire to be. I yearn to be inspired to do good things and then follow through with action. "For my soul delighteth in His Words" and they sing out "How great Thou art". Blessed be the Lord God. Happy Easter!

thank you cori

the following is taken from "music and the spoken word" it is one of my favorite entries and as this holy week ends and this season of lent comes to a close i wish to thank cori for her gift of words to us all.

The Power of the Written Word

We have long known the power of the written word. Through their writings, historians preserve the events that shape the destiny of nations. Poets write words that blissfully lift us above the mundane business of life into thoughtful reverie. Novelists, with the magic of their words, transport us into paths of excitement and intrigue. Philosophers and statesmen motivate millions to nobler actions with their written words. Most significantly, words recorded in sacred scriptural writings open our view to the purpose of life and how to live it to the fullest. There is indeed great power in the written word.
Consider the power of our own written words. Some may respond to that idea with the statement, “I’m not a writer!” There are words within each of us that have the power to bless the lives of others. Writing them becomes the gift we give—the legacy we leave. ... Phone calls are nice, but they cannot be reread, bringing joy over and over again.
If we could look into the secret places where people keep their most treasured items, we would find written words from loved ones—words they could not bear to throw away.

It was Shakespeare who wrote, “Go to your bosom; knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know.”1 There is great power in the written word. Writing down what is in our hearts can make a difference in someone’s life now—and perhaps for generations to come.

1"Measure for Measure,” in David St. Leger, ed., A Treasury of Wisdom and Inspiration (New York: New American Library of World Literature, Inc., Signet Key Books, 1954), 91.

ooops

hmmm...i wonder who's blog i commented on? i was reading cori's wotd, "word of the day" posted on her blog. the word yesterday or maybe today was peculiar. you'll have to read her blog . anyway...i made the comment that i wasn't sure how peculiar she was but i thought she was just plain weird! i did place the disclaimer that i knew it was in our genes. well - i verified the post was published and then tonight as cori was reading her blog and comments i asked her if she liked the comment i left. she said "what comment, there is no comment from you". what, but i double checked. hmmmm i wonder who's blog i commented on. well if anyone reads this and i happened to have commented on your blog that i thought you were weird, please excuse me it was meant only for my sister!

not necessarily the breakfast of champions

yogurt and coke. that is what i gave my mom for breakfast this morning. i suppose it is a good thing i never had kids of my own for they would have grown up most likely pouring coke on their cereal, eating cookies and left over steak for breakfast, well actually for lunch because i don't think i would have gotten up in time to make them breakfast, and yummy pancakes for dinner. you want ice cream at midnight, no problem. and i have been known to cook shrimp at 2am, wearing rubber gloves mind you because i am highly allergic to shell fish but mom really likes it. last summer i was really improving on my nutrition skills. i was fixing cheese omelets and toast for breakfast. fresh veggies, fish and fruit for dinner. don't know what happened to me. lately i've been making comfort food like big pots of creamed peas, chicken wings - where it is mostly skin, fat and gristle and not so much meat accompanied with libs ribs sauce of course, filet's with plenty of bleu cheese and delicious dryers lemonade bars that melissa saynor introduced me to. but ... warm weather is coming and i'll have to try and fit into my summer skirts instead of my sweat pants so....after Easter i will try to be better. :).

- - -

ps - besides mom always says "red is best".

pps - can anyone else down a whole roll of thin mints in one sitting?

ppps - and for those who can - walgreens has the best antacids on the market!