The Last Few Months....

..have gone by and I think about updating and then I think, but nothing has really happened.  So here is a shot at nothing.

I had knee surgery in October.  Just a scope, but I found out that knee replacements are definitely in my future.  They want me to work with what I have until I can't stand the pain any more.  The good news is that I have more movement in my right knee than I have had in years.  One of my problems is that I can sit for hours, but I should get up and move around every hour for about 10 minutes.  I just forget until it has been 3 hours and then I am all stiff.  Getting old is highly overrated.

Mary was Dorothy for Halloween.  Of course I didn't get any pictures.  I am so bad at remembering to get out the camera.  I bought a small camera because I thought I would get it out more often.  Well it got lost at the family reunion.  So I only have the big Rebel camera of Earl's.  I have learned a few things about getting a good picture, but it is so big.  But I digress. Mary had a great time being Dorothy.  She helped me figure out how to make her costume.  That is a tradition that we have.  I have always made her costumes and she loves dressing up all year long so they are well used.

Yesterday we had Family Thanksgiving with Grandma Hymas.  One of the activities that was suggested was to make gingerbread cookies.  Mom used to make them every Christmas and we would decorate them, put them in baggies tied with a twist tie, then use the twist tie and a means to hang the cookies on the tree.  The grand kids love the gingerbread and we figured out last night that the last time we decorated cookies for Thanksgiving was years ago when we all went to my brother's house in St George.  That was before I met Earl, so it was at least 12 years ago.  Those who stayed and made cookies had a great time.  Each person cut and decorated a full tray of cookies to take home.  Mary had so much fun.  She loves creative things.

Mary is doing well at school.  She has discovered Beverly Cleary.  Specifically Ramona Quimby.  She has asked for the whole Cleary library for Christmas.  She has all the Ramona books, so I am working on the Henry Huggins and Ralph the mouse books. Reading has really clicked for her this year.  I am so happy.  I learned to love reading as a child.  For many years we did not have a TV in our home.  Reading filled the time that most kids spent watching TV.  I am really glad that Mary has learned that reading is an enjoyable way to pass the time especially since if you don't know how to read, the rest of life is more difficult.  I'm hoping that at some point, she will pick up math as well.  For right now she is content to figure out equations each time she encounters them.  It won't be that easy once she starts on multiplication.  I had a hard time with multiplication as well so I hope that she eventually gets it.  I did.  I'm still no whiz at math but I can do anything that doesn't require algebra.

Mary has joined a local swim team so she swims with the team 3 days a week.  She is in the non-competitive group for right now so she mostly is practicing strokes and working at swimming 100 yards at a time.  On the other 3 days, she goes with me and she plays in the water and swims while I walk in the water.  The physical therapist suggested that exercising in the water will really help my knees.  It really helps that Mary loves the water so I don't get a chance to rationalize any excuses for not going.

We have a dog named Ben and a cat that mostly gets called Stupid Cat.  I have discovered something the last few days about these two.  When we are around Ben tries really hard to get the cat who stays just out of his reach.  If Ben can get the cat, we usually have to take the cat away from him.  The cat doesn't usually have life threatening damage but I don't really want to have a dead cat on my hands.  When they don't know that someone is watching, they are friends.  For instance, this morning Ben was laying on the icy driveway.  The cat was rubbing up against him like cats do.  Ben was allowing it until he saw that I was watching. (at least 5 minutes).  Then he snapped at the cat.  They just make me laugh.  I'm sure that by the end of this cold winter, they might be sleeping in the same pen.

We survived the blizzard warning on Tuesday.  It was an adventure that, in the end, wasn't too bad.  It was cold and the wind blew around in circles.  The power didn't go out and I didn't have to drive it so all was good.  It has been in the single digits temperature wise but we are good.  We have some friends in the ward who ask every week if they can help me out with anything.  So Wednesday morning I called and asked if they could come shovel my driveway.  No hesitation at all.  They said "sure we can do that for you."  Now mind you, I was speaking to the teenage boys and not their parents. I have complete faith in the next generation.  There are enough of them  that are good that the world will be okay in their hands.

And Mary turns 9 years old

Mary will be nine in 2 more days.  This year to celebrate her birthday, she wanted to go to a hotel (one of her most favorite things to do) invite a couple of friends and have a sleep over.  She also wanted it to be in Salt Lake with Salt Lake friends.  She has been so excited for this.  We finally got to the hotel at 7:00 on Friday.  That was 4 hours later than what we wanted it to be.  She wanted to check in as soon as they would let us.  But of course, I had some work I had to get done.  We ran late but finally the fun started.  We went swimming, ate pizza, watched Grease, polished fingernails and toenails.  Some wanted to go to sleep.  Some wanted to stay up.  Finally at 3:00 everyone was sleeping.  Then we had to get up at 8:00 that turned into 9:00.  Ate free hotel breakfast, went swimming.  Got to friends soccor game late. They won while we were driving around looking for the field. Hung out with same two friends until afternoon.  Went to cousins house to play and visit some more. Left way late and got home even later Saturday night.  Skipped church because we were so tired.  Still not quite caught up on sleep. But we had a lot of fun!

I should have pictures.  I took a camera and forgot to take pictures.  Earl left me a great camera that I barely know how to use.  I bought a smaller camera that fits in my pocket.  It has been lost.  Haven't seen it since the family reunion.  I have a camera on my phone.  I forget that it is there.  I have no pictures.

Pioneer Designs is Featured in The Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49976601-76/pioneer-authentic-gillmore-trek.html.csp


I'm not complaining about the free advertising!  Besides Mary loves to have her picture in the newspaper.

Men and Women

I should be sewing. I have this need to be on my soap-box for a minute. I have been listening to BYU TV today. Today I have been thinking a lot about marriage, the women's movement, equal rights and men.

In today's society it seems to be okay to make men our whipping boys. It seems that whatever the problem, we can blame it on the men of the world. Women make fun of men that if the tables were turned, we women would really be screaming. It is not fair. It is not Christ-like. It is not lady-like. The women's movement has progressed or digressed to the point that we are no longer willing to be equal to men. We want to be better than them. And not in a good way.

Right after we were married, Earl showed me an article that he had read in a waiting room. It was just about this subject and what we women have become. The writer of the article was playing tennis with her husband and 3 other couples. At one point they took a break between games. They all met together at the far end of the courts to relax a bit and get some water. Her husband brought her some water. The other wives commented on how well trained he was. When it came time to play again they decided to switch courts and opponents. She discovered that she had left her racquet at the far court so she ran over to get it, at which time she found that her husband had also left his racquet on the same bench. She picked it up and carried it back to where her husband and their friends were waiting. When she arrived, the other wives jumped on her. She didn't need to be her husbands "pack and carry" "He could have gotten his own racquet" etc. It did not take that much extra energy to carry his racquet along with her own. If the other racquet would have been one of her girl friend's instead of her husband's she would have carried it back to the group and no one would have had any negative thoughts whatsoever.

There are times when I think about arguments and disagreements that Earl and I had. I was so petty. Almost to the ridiculous. I catch myself saying to myself now "Earl you were so right." When you lose your spouse, it gives you a whole new perspective on eternal marriage. I hope that this life wasn't my opportunity to become my part of our eternal relationship. I hope that when we meet again in the hereafter, that we get to keep growing and progressing.

Mary's #1 Dad

Download Meggie Sorensen - Mary's 1 Dad

This is a song written by a cute friend of ours. She has a special relationship with Earl. I love to listen to it. I have so many images in my mind of Earl when I hear her words.

Wow does time fly!

I can't believe that it has been February since I've updated! Life has been crazy for us. Mary is now out of school. She was so excited that she passed her end of level testing and gets to move on to 3rd grade. She really stressed about that. She begged me not to sign her up for the school's summer fun program or summer school. We discussed that I have to work every day, and the summer programs were a way to keep her from getting bored. So she has promised that she will not whine that she is bored while I am trying to work. I know that's like believing in a fairy tale but I decided not to waste my money and effort trying to get her up and over to the school every day when she doesn't want to. On the other had she begged for swimming lessons so I have signed her up for 4 weeks of swimming throughout the summer.

The business is really busy right now because this is the season for pioneers, whether it is trek or other programs we have lots of clothing to make. It keeps my mom and me busy. We are almost crazy we are so busy.

The shipping deadlines are about 3 hours earlier in Cache Valley than Salt Lake. We have only had to make 2 quick trips to Salt Lake because we have missed the shipping deadline here.

Sorry this is so scattered. I just thought I would do a quick update so that you all wouldn't think that we had fallen off the face of the earth or something.

Feb 3, Daddy Day

Today marks one year since Earl passed away. It as been a good day. Mary and I spent the whole day together. I have decided that Mary won't ever have to go to school on February 3. She went to school the day that he died. That should earn her the privilege of taking the rest of them off.

The day started out with a giggle. I was already awake when Mary woke up. She still can not sleep in her own bed. She looks up at me and says "Happy Daddy Day" That set the tone for the rest of the day. We have looked at pictures, worked on a scrap book for him (thank you April Clausen), ate Earl's favorite foods, talked about him and just remembered all the fun things about him. It has truly been a sweet day.

For us, February 3 will forever be known as Daddy Day.

New Vest and shirt finished

This project has taken a couple of months to put together because I have been working on other things as well. I made the client a pair of brown wool trousers as well. I just forgot to take a picture of them before I shipped them.