Whoops--Monday Memory

So, I was sitting in Ward Council meeting (or as Tarzan calls it, the meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and I took a Wintergreen Ice Breaker mint out of my purse and popped it in my mouth...

Except...

I missed and it went down my blouse...

So, I naturally looked down there to see if I could get it out and it wasn't there...

Thinking no one was looking at me...

I put my hand down between my cleavage to see if I could find it...

I did not find it...

When I looked up, all the brethren in the room had averted their eyes...

I demurely smiled and acted like nothing happened, so did all of them...

When I stood up, it fell out from under my skirt onto the floor...

Once again, I demurely picked it up and put it in the trash.

Don't you wish I had pictures.

Monday Memory, Tuesday Tip, What I Saw Wednesday

Don't think ill of me...

I believe that women should be strong and that we can do anything we want to do...

Therein lies the truth "anything we want to do..."

Here is the memory: I remember when my children were small that they wanted to go fishing. We lived in New Mexico. Their father would not take them, so I loaded everyone in the car, bought some fishing rods and worms at K-Mart and off we went.

We stood on the pier and caught several fish. They had a wonderful time. Brian put the worms on the hooks and they all caught fish.

So, here's the tip: If you don't like to clean fish and there is no one at home who will do it for you, go to the place on the pier where you can clean fish. Stand there with you children around you and wait for the first guy to walk by, then say, "My children just caught some fish. Will you show me how to clean them?" He will gladly do so. You put the cleaned fish in your ice chest and then you just wait for the next guy to come along and ask him to show you how and so on until all the fish are clean.

What I saw: Three delighted children who experienced success.

Anniversary-Monday Memory

I remember 11 years ago, standing next to the man I love and saying "I do."

Saturday we celebrated by going to the Bourbon Steak Restaurant. Wow, what a lovely evening. We sat on the patio and the weather could not have been better. Tarzan had steak, I had lobster pot pie (2 lb lobster in a pot pie) yum. It was expensive, but worth every bite, every minute and every year of celebration. We talked it over and we like being married to each other.

Kinda nice, don't you think?

Easter-Monday Memory

When I was a child, my mother always made sure my sister and I had new Easter dresses. Mom would dress in her favorite suit of the season and with hat and gloves we all dressed up to pay reverence to the resurrected Christ. Mom made it clear that we were getting new dresses to show our love and respect for the Savior and not because we needed to be cute or well dressed.
I don’t know if I instilled that in my children, but I do remember one Easter dress event with them. Tori was about 3 years old and Celia was about 1 year old. I made matching Easter dresses for the three of us. They were yellow and white (double knit polyester :-)). The girls’ dresses had little orange appliqué carrots on the front.

Saturday night, I had hung the dresses on the door in the kitchen so they would be fresh and ready Sunday morning. When we got ready to go to bed Saturday night, Tori started to cry. When I asked why she said “if you don’t turn the dresses around and hide the carrots the Easter Bunny might eat them and ruin our dresses.”

I love children.

I do not sweat--Recent Monday Memory

You remember Papa's Grow Sticks? Of course you do, how could you forget something so important to me? Well, we finally found a lumber source in Springerville, Arizona. They custom cut them for us and every stick is from a forest conservation project so we are not not only made in the USA, we are green.

This is Charlie, he is loading 700 pieces of lumber into the pickup we rented for the trip.

That's a lot of lumber. We are going to be very busy.

See how neatly it is stacked.

Whoa, it looks a little crooked. Watch out Tarzan...

Do you think that pickup can hold a load like this?

Tarzan looks a little worried.

Those straps are ingenious. We thought we were going to have to unbundle it to get it in the truck.

Up-se-daisy

Going doeoeoeown...See Charlie standing up to be sure it goes in the bed of the truck?

And in it goes, we made it...

Tarzan is guiding it along...

Notice the wheel well...

Whoa, that is one heavy load. Not much space left in the wheel well.

Tarzan and Charlie are checking out the weight on the pickup...

We made it home but about 30 minutes into the drive home, we did have to stop and redistribute the weight of the lumber, see in the last picture how it is over to the left a bit? That made things real scary and having had another scary experience with weight shifting, we decided it was worth the effort to break down the bunch and redistribute the weight.

When we arrived home we had to unload that lumber, we were having an unexpected 100° day. I do not sweat. I get a little moist sometimes, but drops of sweat like basketball players have do not form on my body, especially not on my face. Well I got so hot and worked so hard that sweat actually dripped off my eyebrow. I thought I was bleeding. When we finished we were going to run some errands and go out to eat...

NOT

When we finished, we ate leftover roast beef sandwiches, took a hot shower, and fell into bed exhausted.

The ole' gray mare, she ain't what she used to be.

My crazy sister-Monday Memories

My sister, Inez, is so fun.

I have fond memories of playing with her when we were children. I don't recall that we argued a lot. We always shared a room and playing in there alone with her was fun.

Our father was in the Air Force. We traveled all over the world and in our travels we each had a collection of something. She collected dolls. Our father made her a cabinet to put the doll collection in it was painted blue and had glass doors. We were not allowed to play with the dolls...

...that is unless we were alone in our room.

We were oh so careful and soon learned we could not play with the Dresden ballerinas because the glass net on their tutus just crumbled in our hands.

I wish we lived closer.

Isn't she just the cutest thing? This is Inez, Mom, Tarzan, and me at the Springerville, Arizona 4th of July parade 2008.

Memorial Day--Monday Memories

I remember when I had time to relax and enjoy Memorial Day and a cookout with friends.

Rough Out Boots--Monday Memories

Digger always wore black shiny, pull on work boots.

Always.


One year, when my brother and I were both married and living in Utah, Digger began a campaign for new boots. He would say, "Boy I sure would like some rough out boots." And then in a few days, "I have always wanted a pair of rough out boots." And so on, for about 4 or 5 months before his birthday.

Digger was never one to ask for anything, so I'm sure in retrospect he was not hinting for us to buy them for him. Rather, he was talking himself into it.

If you don't know it, rough out boots are brown and they have a rough leather exterior like unfinished leather. Well, not that rough, but anyway, they are not smooth and shiny.

So, my brother and I went together on our struggling college budget and bought him a pair of brown rough out boots, just like his shiny black ones, only brown and rough out.

We all met at his house and had lunch, then he opened his present and put the brand new brown rough out boots on and said, "Boy, these are nice, they would be nicer if they were black and shiny."

My brother, boxed them up, went back to the store and got him a pair of black shiny boots. Have I told you--I loved Digger.

Septic Tank--Monday Memory

I'm a city gal, at least I think of myself as a city gal. I love theater, I love sports, I love the action of downtown, I love the feel of a college campus, but...

I have spent several years in the country, so maybe I'm a country gal. You be the judge...

Tarzan and I had company coming early Saturday morning. Friday night the septic tank backed up. Do city gals have septic tanks?

Anyway, several hours and a few dollars later, it was running again. Thanks you Shad you are the best.

This reminded me of another time and another septic tank in another place where this city gal lived in the country.

The places was Fruitland, New Mexico. We lived on a 2 acre farm with a septic tank. It needed to be replaced, so we hired someone to do it for us. They built it with cinder block and cement. It was all finished...a thing of beauty...the lid was not on yet and we could see that things were flowing into it as they should (sorry if that grosses you out).

The next day they came to put the lid on and cover the tank. With the lid in place, the tractor started covering it up and when the weight of the dirt and tractor ran over it one too many times, you guessed, the top broke and the front of the tractor went down into the hole.

Now, I am laughing at the picture, I hope you are.

Not only did they have to pull the tractor out, they had to clean all the cement and dirt out (along with the other stuff that had flowed into the tank). It seems they had not put enough rebar in the lid for the tank.

The moral is, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." OR "Don't take shortcut they can be a yucky mess."

Embarrassing--Monday Memory

My most embarrassing moment happened when I was 16 years old.

I was taking a speech class from Mr. Udall. He had one day a week when you could give in impromptu speech and complain about anything you wanted as long as you did not slander anyone or badmouth any individuals.

It took me about three months to come up with something to say for that assignment. Finally, a couple of things began to bother me so I stood up and said (with my hands on my hips)...

"I've had two things on my chest for the longest time."

Mr. Udall couldn't get the class back under control and I didn't get why they were laughing. I was really hurt that everyone was making fun of me. When I did finally catch on....

one word

mortified.

What is your most embarrasing moment?

Grandkids Week Aug 2009--Monday Memories

I'm a day late, but you will understand when I tell you that I just spent one week with five of my grandchildren. I was a little busy and a little tired and had quite a bit of catching up to do.

Grandkids week
1
Number of mud fights

Number of splash parks visited

Number of times Tarzan got a personal cool down

Number of Candy Stores Visited

Number of cups of glitter vacuumed up
Number of successful all nighters pulled
Number of 3-D movies in the theater we watched

2
Number of water fights
Number of boys who got to spend 1 hour in the Apple Mac Store

4
Number of girls who got makeup

Number of boxes of cereal eaten

5
Number of Harry Potter movies watched
Number of meals Tarzan cooked outside for us

6
Number of huge trash bags filled

12
Number of tomatoes eaten

80+
number of paper plates used

84
Number of hours spent playing video games

100+
number of Plastic Cups used

168
Number of hours TV was on Disney Channel

174208
Highest score in Snood

???
How many times someone said “Shut the door.”

The Flour Sack--Monday Memory

This story is about Granner.

Granner had fragile health. She would get feeling low and have to rest to get her strength back. One particular time, she was feeling low, but had the weekly bread to make. She was trying to open a new bag of flour.

The bag was one of those cloth bags with a string to sew it shut. You opened it by catching the string just right and then it would unravel and open the flour bag at the top. She would then have Digger pour the flour into a 5 gallon tin can she kept her flour in.

The kitchen was set up like this…the kitchen was on the main floor, then there were 3 steps down and a landing which led to the outside door.

Digger was standing on the landing, the sack of flour was sitting on the top step and Granner was standing in the kitchen and had a knife trying to catch the string and open the flour sack.

Digger was taunting her. He was saying “Come on Inez, get the sack open.” “I don’t have all day, Inez.” “Hurry up Inez, hurry up.”

With each taunt, Granner grew more irritated and less able to open the flour sack until finally…

She raised the knife above her head and thrust it with all her might into the flour sack, then with a swift left to right motion, slit the sack open and flour went everywhere.

She then stormed out of the room and slammed her bedroom door.

My mother, who had been watching the whole thing asked Digger why he did that, when he knew how bad she felt. He replied, “Oh, don’t worry about it. That will raise her blood pressure and she will be good for several days.”

There was a love in that statement that should not need further explanation.Do you have a family story about love

Mini Skirts--Monday Memory

When I was in high school, mini skirts were just coming into style. I was never allowed to wear anything as short as the picture above, but the school rule was -- when you kneel down your skirt has to touch the ground.

I had a brand new, really cute, green skirt that buttoned up the front and had patch pockets. It was full and made of double knit polyester and it always looked nice. I loved it.

I walked into Mrs. Thurber's Home Ec class and she announced, loudly, to the entire room..."Sandi Conant, go home, your skirt is too short." I was humiliated. I am easily embarrassed when caught off guard.

We lived just across the street from the high school, so I went home. My Mom came home for lunch and I told her what had happened. She was really upset. My skirt just barely showed my knees. She marched over to the school during the lunch hour with a pencil and paper and wrote down the names of every girl wearing a skirt as short as mine. It was a long list, including the Principal's daughter.

I got to go back to school. Mrs. Thurber apologized to me and the skirt length rule was never mentioned again.

No such rules when I get my PhD...I can't wait to get started.

Dresses and Softball--Monday Memory

When I was in high school, we were not allowed to wear pants to school. Every once in awhile we had a day when we were allowed to wear pants, but we were not allowed to wear pants that opened in the front...you figure that one out. All of our pants had to zip in the back or on the side. Whatever.

Anyway, we had PE and we wore these extremely tight, extremely short red cotton jumpsuits (in which I looked really good--NOT). We had PE in the gym most of the time, however, in the spring, our PE teacher (who always wore a suit and tie and dress shoes, what's that about?) would take us outside to play softball.

When we went outside to play, we had to wear our DRESSES. I guess they were afraid the boys might see us in our shorts, like dresses are so much more modest when you are running around the bases and trying to beat the ball and sliding for home.

I was always having female sickness on those days. No way was I playing softball in a dress.

Of course there is always the fact I had to face that I would always be the last one picked--you have no idea how embarrassing that is.

Oh, how grateful I am that we have moved beyond such female suppression. I do have to say, though that it would be nice if modesty was back in style and that school pictures did not look like they were taken in the boudoir.

Next week, "Go home, your skirt is too short"

Irrigation Boots and the Boys Stairs-Monday Memory

I was a Senior in High School. LeRoy Negle...I forgot how to spell his last name...anyway, he was irrigating the lawn at the school. At lunch time, I somehow got in the irrigation water. That meant my shoes got wet and muddy.

You were not allowed in the school with bare feet, so I asked LeRoy if I could borrow his irrigation boots to go to history class. I put on the size 12 boots and stomped into the school and on a whimmmm.......

went up the BOY'S stairs.

I was sent to the Principal's office and my Mom had to be called. I was such a rebel.

Why did we have BOY'S stairs and GIRL'S stairs, you ask?

Well, the Boy's stairs were by the Boy's bathroom and we were not allowed to walk past the Boy's bathroom and the Girl's stairs were by the Girl's bathroom and the boys were not allowed to walk past the Girl's bathroom.

I guess it was because we might "see" something. Or maybe it was a way to keep us from walking hand in hand in the halls or something. Whatever.

I am grateful the world has moved past that.

Next week, dresses and softball.

Shaved legs--Monday Memory

This weekend we were watching the Track and Field finals for the US Olympic Team tryouts. As we watched I commented to Tarzan, B used to run hurtles, he was awesome to watch, T ran relay, she was so fast, C did the long jump she was really good, and so on. I bored him with my continuing monologue about how the children had performed in sports while in school. Then...

I caught his interest...

It seems that when T was in 5th grade the school was having a track meet in May and it was hot, hot, hot. I bought her a really cute red shorts and tank top outfit. She refused to wear it and came out of her room ready for the track meet in jeans and a t-shirt. I knew that would never work, it was way too hot to be dressed like that for a track meet.

I asked T several times, in different ways, why she would not wear the shorts. I thought it might be because she thought it was immodest. No, it wasn't that. Maybe she didn't like what I bought her. No, it wasn't that. Finally, T burst into tears and said, "I have hair all over my legs and it's embarrassing."

I said, "Oh, I can fix that," I took her in the bathroom and shaved her legs and she gleefully went off to the track meet in a cute red shorts outfit.

As I thought about that, I recall more than once when the "rules" had to be changed to meet the needs of the individual. The one thing I wish I could redo as a mother is to make more times when I gave my children a little more control over their rules.

Maybe you can take this to heart and ease up a little on some things with your own children.

Going to College--Monday Memory

When our oldest was off to college, we flew to Boston with him. The first is the hardest to let go. It's a scary world out there.

When we got to Boston, we stayed in a hotel close to Havard Square which was a good thing because everyone WALKS everywhere in Boston. We both lost 5 pounds the 4 days we were there, just from walking. I commented that when you are in the west, if someone sees you walking they ask if you need a ride; when you are in the east if someone sees you driving, they wonder where you are going.

I called around to see about a tour bus and they were sooooo expensive. For some unknown reason, I called a limosine service and found out I could have a limo for the whole day for the price of a ticket for just one of us on a tour bus.

Our limo driver took us all over town, we saw all the tourist spots and even went to his favorite pizza place where we stayed in the car, in the middle of a VERY narrow street, and he ran in and got us pizza. It was so kewl. Everywhere we went, people looked at us trying to figure out what celebrities we were.

But the real memory is this:

As we walked our son to his dorm the last day, I looked at the other parents bringing their children to school. All of the students were bright eyed, smiling, standing tall, walking with alacrity while the parents looked worried, slightly slumped, acutely aware of the reality of life.

As I look back on that, it serves as a reminder to me to always keep that childlike innocence around, to remember what it feels like to be excited for a new adventure, to find joy in every experience and not allow the realities of life to weigh heavy on me and bring me down.

Diversity in my Day--Monday Memory

One day awhile back, I had a day to myself when Tarzan went fishing. I wrote down things I heard that day as I went about my business...

"So far this fishing trip has been a bust."--Tarzan having a bad day.

"Welcome to the House of the Lord."--Renewing my Spirit

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first gunfight will begin in 15 minutes."--A western festival downtown

"Did you try the store across they street?"--Looking for something special for Tarzan

"JC Penney Outlet has tons of them."--Looking for something special for me

"Why did you change your signature?"--It was just too loooooonnnngggg so I shortened it

"This job is killing my back."--A guy at the gas station talking to his buddy

It's funny how you can see simple phrases such as this and have a flood of memories come back to you. These are pleasant and relaxing memories of a day spent at my pace, with no pressure.

What did you do the last time you had a day to relax and do just what you want to do?

Family vacations--Monday Memory

I asked my children what they remember about our vacations. It was fun getting their replies--it is a great reminder that you children may not remember that you spent money on a brand new bathroom, but they will remember time you spent together...

"I remember a lot of vacations - lots of camping (as a family or with the church), going to Diggers, family reunions, visiting Gram, going to Texas, Mexico, Thanksgiving with your friends in Farmington."

"Some specific memories: The time we were camping in Colorado and it rained so hard for a couple of days that we finally rented a cabin and the sun came out for the rest of the trip."

"The drive to Texas that took 700 days. Body surfing as the hurricane approached. Eating lobsters with Dick and Inez. Going to the baseball game and being bored out of my mind because outside was an amusement park which was so much more appealing to me than baseball. You taking a picture with the tigers. For some reason, I don't remember the drive home nearly as dramatically - must have been tired."

"The trip to Mexico. The cockroaches in our bungalow and lack of water pressure. The pretty beach which we had almost completely to ourselves. Driving around to other beaches. Eating at a restaurant which made everyone nervous. The fishing boat and getting to catch so many fish and then have the restaurant prepare them and then share them with the other guests. Renting the car and crossing the border and being kind of afraid the whole time - but having a great time and being really excited about it. Buying charms and bracelets (which I still have and wear) and a pink peasant shirt which I thought was SO pretty."

"Tons of fond memories of going to the cabin for family reunions. I could go on and on..."

Wiggle Tail--Monday Memory

This is not Wiggle Tail, but this cute puppy reminded me of Wiggle Tail. This puppy just wandered into our yard looking for food. She is wild as a march hare and smart as a whip. We have taken her to the vet for shots, now we are deciding whether to keep her or give her to a friend who is looking for a dog.

HERE IS MY MONDAY MEMORY:
Wiggle Tail was a Daschund. We were living in Germany. We didn't have a name for her yet so we were going to have a family council, everyone would submit a name and then we would vote on the name we all liked best.

I was 8 years old and had a little book about a dog named Wiggle Tail and I wanted that name for our dog. Before the vote, I secretly went to every family member and told them that my name was a stupid name and no one would vote for my name and asked if they would vote for my name. I won with 100% of the vote.

Some would say that I was conniving, but those who know my true insecurities would know, I really thought no one would vote for my name and that if I asked everyone, at least one person would vote for my name and then I wouldn't feel stupid.

One Christmas we found that with all the humidity in Germany, the Christmas candy Mom kept out in a dish was sticking together. She would just break it apart and leave it in the bowl and we all had a little from time-to-time and gave it to company.

One day Mom saw Wiggle Tail going up the stairs. Right next to the stairs was a table with the candy on it. Wiggle Tail walked up just high enough to be able to walk out onto the table. She licked all the candy in the dish and then went back onto the stairs and walked on up.

Mom moved the candy dish.

Post Script: We are keeping her, she has won our hearts and we named her Ruby.