**************Recuperation from Vacation

We got back Sunday afternoon, from our annual family vacation up in Opher. We went for a couple of hikes and I did a bunch of jogging (that and helping to break camp, which was a lot of work) left me beat.

I have some neat photo's to post, it'll take me a while to arrange them though... until then, I need a vacation from my vacation. ;p So be patient and hopefully what I get posted will be interesting to you. ;D

Opher, Utah

Friday-Shoot Outs - Colors

Don't have much time for the Shoot-Out this week, so please accept my appologies on the lack of commentary. ;D

Somethings working out...

What a crazy week!!

The trouble I was having yesterday involved a check that Sam was supposed to get for some work he did in November. The company that was giving it to us, made us jump through hoops to get it (sign this, talk to the insurance agency to put us on the policy... expense involved here). Then they mailed it to a different address (I think to my hubbys brother, and I think he cashed it, but I am not going there. Well actually I already did, didn't I...) So now they are saying (I think) that they are going to re-issue a check to us and go after whoever cashed the other one. Geez that's a pain in the arse for not checking what our address is. We were counting on that money and with all of the trouble, it was a real pain to hear that the money was just gone, poof!!

At least I have our annual family reunion to look forward to (and I am going to try to be optimistic here, not think of anything that could go wrong). We are going up tomorrow (at some point in time) and will be there through Sunday, so I don't expect to post anything until Monday. (We shall see though if I can find a few pictures for the shoot out).

In another bit of news, I made a fantastic loaf of Gluten Free bread!! So delicious (and I am being tempted for another bite, right now ;p).

I hope you all have a good weekend!!

SG

Stop the Rain, Please!!

It is raining like mad in my life today!!

Reduce Footprints Wednesday's

This weeks challenge at "Reduce Footprints" is to eat local for at least 1 full day!! Wahoo!!

I know exactly where to go to get the bounty of stuff to eat "Real Foods Market"(this would be harder in the winter as they don't have as much local stuff). It will involve eating a lot of veggies and drinking local milk and eating local cheese (with local apples), yummy and a can do!!



I believe I will go check out the local farmers market this Saturday (down town) to see if it's improved this year. It hasn't been the best in the past, the one up in SLC is better, I'll cross my fingers that someone besides the local soap maker and do-dad booths will be there.

Dang I'm hungry, gotta go get me some local cheese!!

A Conversation with My Blog

Well, what do you want to do?

Write

Write? You seem to be stuck, wading around in the muck of your own depressingly boring thoughts.

What if I am!? What's it to you!?

Nothing, nothing, back away slowly...

*Sigh*

Just my life, not terribly interesting... ;D

Today's been a funky day for me so far. Got up early to walk up the hill to my mum's, thought through a bunch of stuff, grabbed my bike and rode it down the hill.

I lost a pound, 1 pound... but I have been pounding the pavement, which tends to make my body react at first by inflamation and holding onto every ounce it can get.

I've lost weight before by doing Weight Watchers, got down to 120 wohoo!! Cept' I felt like a walking zombie (not enough fat in my diet).

So now I am trying to do things the other way round' which is eat right and exercise like well, a maniac and all!! ;D

Another thing that is frustrating to me is the whole money issue. I am so frustrated, we need money!! Sam's trying, plus he's going to school, but things are not panning out.

He took a week off school to run up to North Dakota to work with his cousins who've got a contract up there. Turns out that he needs to take care of a few things down this way before they'll let him onto the army base. So he's neither studying or working!!

But it's been good for me actually to have him gone. I needed some evaluation time, so much has happened in our relationship over the past 13 years, sometimes I get to this point where I am like GAH!! That's it, it's over. Then I will think of what else I can try and keep going.

So with all that I'm sitting here today contemplating re-working my resume (again) and whether I should push harder to get a job.

I just recently discovered a source of Gluten in my diet, the Tapioca flour that I've been using from my local health food store is contaminated!! It's milled on the same equipment with the other grains!!

I went up to SLC with my parents on Saturday to buy some certified Gluten Free Tapioca Flour. I can tell!! A big difference in how I feel, the clarity of my mind, the anxieties, the frikin' stuff goin on in my gut!!

That's what is so annoying about this!! I think I am alright, for me I can go walking around in an "alright" state, but it messes with my mind!! My thought processes!! When I get gluten out of my diet its like I am looking through clear glass, when it is in my diet its like looking through streaked glass. I can see either way, but it is so much better to be looking out of a clean window!

So I am glad to get out the bit of contamination that was in my diet.

What is hard for my dad is the idea that I seemed normal when I was growing up, "Seemed" normal!! If he only knew!! For him I have gone overboard, "a little bit of gluten isn't going to kill you." Well no, not right away, but it will and does hurt me. He kept saying "but I used to make you peaunut butter sandwiches all the time." I'm like, "I know that Dad, but your not taking the time to read about it and understand. It's terrible what it does to you."

Luckily my Mom is now on board, for me having a Gluten problem, though it is a hereditary disease so she and everyone else in my family should be tested. But I am not pushing it because it stresses her out if I do.

Anyhow, that's what's going on. Kazow!! I've gotta get out to garden, the Morning Glory has taken over!!

My Father

When you are with my Dad, you can rest assured that you will never be lost, while bumping along in the high mountain ranges.

When fishing with Dad, you are sure to catch large and plentiful amounts of fish.

It never takes him more than a minute to get a fire started (especially when he uses the home barbecue)

He can be seen in the early morning light out doing everything that needs to be done around the house (he never sleeps in).

He hates birds, especially pigeons, would never consider feeding them. For that matter he really hates dogs, and cats as well. He could certainly not be found telling tales of his old dog "Rebel" or "Blue."

OR NOT

So maybe, we get lost, wandering in the woods with Dad. Maybe we get "skunked" more than a few times when out fishing with Dad and maybe he battles the barbecue at times. Maybe he sleeps in (and doesn't get done as much as he could) and maybe there is so much bird seed over the driveway, that it crunches as you walk on it. That's just my dad.

Dad, dear old Dad (;p) what more could I say? He might not be perfect, but we love him anyway.

Friday Shoot-Outs "Metal"

This weeks theme was chosen by the lovely Audrey. METAL :D

Absolutely the neatest Metal Swingset ever!! There are seats for about 6 kids and someone can make the whole contraption spin while you swing.

Sione and Sam


Me and Roxie on Said Swingset


There is a canal system running througout Orem city. (There used to be one in Provo, but they've taken it underground). People with water rights take their turn by spinning the little wheel around changing the course of the water. My Grandpa's neighbor used to use his water right to flood his lawn and water his orchard in the back.

One of the many turn points for The Orem Canal


One of Orems remaining orchards



Similarly there is a large gate on the Provo River which helps to control the flow, it is currently wide open because the Spring Run off is so great!!

One of the dam controls for the Provo River (I didn't mean to swear, I swear!!)


There is a sort of metal grave yard on the Provo River trail, right before the underpass for the railroad tracks. I found this beauty there...

Metal Railroad Cart (Behind a metal fence)


Missionary (Woops were not doing the M theme :( I thought I would throw this guy in the mix anyway... because well, an "inflatable missionary?" How odd... ;D)


There used to be a burgeoning steel industry in Utah, I suppose these guys are a remenant of the industry.

Mountain States Steel


There is actually a place called "Metal Mart" up further north, I couldn't get up that far this week so I got a pic of a metal stock yard closer to home.

Stacked Metal Building Materials


Metal Chains on the Back of A Metal Truck

Truckers carry these chains to help secure there loads, to secure their wheels through the snow and for various other reasons.



Metal Framework for Building


Like I said, there used to be a burgeoning Steel industy and Geneva Steel was a large factory near Utah lake (it was a very big polluter of water and air, so I am glad to see it go) yet it was a part of Utah's industry for many years and my grandpa worked there until retirement. When Harley Davidson decided to build a dealership in Utah, someone had the creative idea to use the scrap metal from the old Geneva Steel building. I love the result!!

Timpanogas Harley Davidson Building




Along "Geneva Road" is the scrap metal recycling center.



Dirt/Rock Crusher in action and Backhoe


Large Metal Dump Truck Sent to Pick up Dirt From the "Crusher"


Ginormous Metal Power Pole


The Carnival (full of metal rides) Set up just about 3 blocks from my house... but the kids report that they are too expensive (darn).




It was fun getting pictures of metal!! I just wish I had a chance to visit my dad's shop because they bend sheet metal with nifty metal machinery (I love it in there, we used to play with the scraps when we were kids, made swords and such). Next time!! ;D

Shy little Tongan Girl

Isn't it lovely how you find people that are like you, by defining who you are. I have found that when I put voice to my thoughts, somehow those thoughts find other similar thoughts out there in the great wide universe.

I've recently found several people through blogging that I really connect with. I love it!!

In other news, my little niece just came from Tonga. Her being in Tonga has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy in the family, none the least for her mother who was somewhat tricked into leaving her baby daughter in Tonga to be raised by her husbands Aunt and Uncle. Oi' controversy!!

So there has been this gapping hole in the family over here, where she should have been, and now she is here but is different than I have imagined her to be, though I don't know exactly what I imagined that she would be like.

She is basically a conglomorate of my sister in laws kids and an awkward Tongan imigrant. Strange in that her kids are very confident about themselves and she, though confident, comes accross as shy because of the language barrier.

I guess it's just strange to think of how my own kids would be exactly the same way had they been raised by their Tongan relatives. Hmmmm...

;p Time For A Break

Until I feel like myself again, I am taking a break. I've just been neglecting some things, and need to get to them...

Tired, and feeling down... but writing.

Sometimes I fall into these melencholy moods for no particular reason at all. It's irksome irritating!!

So ya' today's been a bit melencholy for me, probably because I stayed up until almost 4 am trying to get Sam off to go work with his cousins in North Dakota (and apparently they are to take a short trip up to Canada as well).

I contemplate things when I am in this type of mood, like what I should be doing with my time rather than what I am doing. Plus I hold arguments with myself, because I tend to put myself down when I am feeling down.

Sometimes it is alright though to get down, and sad. It's normal, it's human, I mean we can't all be Pollyanna right?

So turning my "temporary" down mood into a creative outlet, I wrote a little piece on my.

I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you did not have a down day (unless you needed one of course). :D

Thinking of Important Things

I have run across just recently a post by Maithri Goonetilleke of The Soaring Impulse, "Another young poet, walking the broken road to freedom" about the trials of the people in Siteki, Swaziland in Africa. How far they have to walk to retrieve water from a muddy hole twice a day. How people (bloggers) have donated to help build a water pump to supply the village with water.

This makes me think of the miracle of turning on the tap, and having fresh clean water at my finger-tips. Can saving water, being conscious of it be a bad thing?

Should I feel deprived if I have to walk to the store sometimes? No, no, no I should not.

He also did a post on "The Butterfly Effect"

How scientists believe that a butterfly fluttering in Texas can effect the winds in Brazil.

Yes, certainly little actions that I take can effect a whole host of people.

He mentions how his friend sent him a card with some kind of a mechanism to have a Butterfly pop out when he opened it. That in turn led him to try and send her an e-card, he noticed that there is an e-card that if sent, the organization that is affiliated with the card will donate 10 bowls of food to the people of Darfur and you can send the card to 20 people at a time. 200 bowls of food from sending an e-card. Heck I don't know if it will work but I am going to try it out. ;D

That is "The Hunger Site"

Then behold, my mind dwelling on another beautiful important matter. A lady named Irena Sendler who saved over 2500 Jewish children during WWII. A blogger named John Guzlowski brought this lady to my attention. I love to hear about courageous people such as this. She put compassion for others above her own life and rescued these beautiful children. Read the story of this amazing lady here at "Lightning and Ashes."

Sometimes it is hard to think of all of the suffering that occurs in this world, at times we feel helpless. Yet there are many little things that we can do, one of the most important things that I did today was talking with a beautiful older lady (not that old, about my mom's age) who came over to see me. It was a blessing to speak with her, listen and find out how we could help each other. One of the great things about our churches "visiting teaching" program. I love all of the older ladies in our church, they are my sources of wisdom and strength.

I hope you are all well out there in the world.

SG

Chorister Position ;D

It was nice to get up to church today, sing hymns of praise, learn the Gospel.

A funny thing happened, and I kind of had a premonition about it, they called me to be a chorister in the Relief Society (Rolls eyes).

The thing about it is, my grandmother was the chorister for the Ward for many, many years and she was good at it...

I was called to be a chorister for the Relief Society before. I did my duty and stood up to lead every week, but I just couldn't get the motions correctly. There were a couple of older ladies in the ward who really knew their stuff, they would sit at the back of the room, tsk. tsking and shaking their heads. It always threw me off!!

I was suspicious about this being my calling, because my friend Sunny called to ask me to substitute for today. So I led the ladies in singing today, and I sort of did a patchy job of it... I was waving my arm, trying to concentrate on getting the down beats at the beginning of the measures and singing a couple of words behind everyone else.

Until I pulled it all together about halfway through the song and decided that no one was paying attention to my arm anyway, so I just decided to sing, which was nice because no one else seemed to know the song so I was singing above everyone else. Needless to say, I was glad when the song was over ;p

So, maybe this is a push to get back into music, which I love. I need to go sing with the choir again (it's been a long time). I also have a CD with a voice coach over at BYU who helps people become aware of what they are doing when they are singing. I've watched part of it before (on the TV) so I ordered the CD, but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. I have a range... where I sing alright, but outside that range... I don't do so well. ;p

Anyway... singing and leading, this should be interesting, someone pick me up if I fall over while waving my arm around... :D

We All Do

I can see you, standing there with your sign. You are starving, not only for food but for dignity.

I see you, you are a human being, a brother, I will rush to your aid.

For you stand not alone, no, don't think it is so. I stand, with my invisible sign, starving for dignity, as well as for the food of a good word.

We all do

I see you, there in the darkness of your depression. You feel invisible, alone in the world.

Yet you stand not alone, in the darkness I can see you. I can hear your voice, it speaks to me, for I have hid in the darkness as well.

Sometimes we all do.

You struggle to carry on, you wish for a helping hand, you are just trying to get along in this world.

Yes me too, we do, we all do.

;p Cannot help being happy...

A glorious storm has been brewing outside my window today. Now the wind is finding its way through all of the cracks and crevices in the windows making them shutter and rain is dashing upon the window.

Howl, wind howl

The doors shake on their hinges, as if some ghostly figure is rattling at them, trying to get in.

and I am sipping on Chai Roobios tea and listening to John Denver and Rod McKuen (for some strange reason ;p).

What a lovely day

Friday Shoot-Outs - Stuff that starts with M

Muts





Marlins (Koli's Baseball team)



Mountains






Movie Theater



Meadow Gold Dairy



Mall



Macey's Department Store (in the Mall)



Movie Theater



Moving Around (Yeah so it's a bus transfer point and the next one's a bus. Pictures that I didn't take for the transportation shoot-out ;p)





Meddling