PROVIDENCE UPDATE... 3 MONTHS LATER

Good afternoon all.  For those of you who haven't seen Holly's new car, voila!  It looks like a smaller version of mine but the color is brighter.  She's having a new barrier that was damaged by an errant blown tire on I-15 installed tomorrow.  What a scary time that was for both of us.  We enjoyed giving it a good workout when we took turns driving to Hamilton, MT a few weeks ago.  She loved those 80 mph speed limits - moi not so much.

She finished paying off her CC bill and celebrated being debt free from that burden and took the thermometer off the fridge. Hurrah!!!

The blond boys and girl couldn't believe how many corn and soybean fields covered the Midwest.  We drove for hundreds of miles as it was making that  beautiful patchwork pattern we enjoy when we fly across the country.  All of the corn is for animal feed and most of it goes to China.

Justin's family and I had a great trip to see and "feel" Niagra Falls and a famous home built for a multimillionaire by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Buffalo area.

The boys were so nice to push me around on a transfer chair and one with pontoon wheels on it and grew more muscles while they did it.  After advancing to the top of Hill Camora a few thought it might be fun for grandma take an exciting roller coaster  chair ride all the way down on my own.  I was all for it, but they decided it might not be a good idea, HA!  The huge pageant was fabulous - bigger and better than when Papa, Brady, Holly and I had seen it a number of times 37 years ago.

Holly tried out the Casterson's newly purchased used camper after Rowan helped his dad get it set up.  Should be much better sleeping for family when they take it out each summer.  She didn't mind the cold nights out there.

One rainy day (which helped the raging forest fires nearby) she did pretty well bowling with the rest of family via Wii.

We spent some time in Rebecca's garden which had been taken over by weeds due to Jesse's recovery from ruptured bowl surgery and her AS and hectic schedule.  Holly spent early mornings out there and really enjoyed helping her sister's luscious vegetables get all the good nutrients before harvest during next months.

Dylan and Rowan love my favorite game of Clue and they are old enough now to be very good at it.  Jesse, Rebecca and Holly still did well as usual

, but as for grand-mama, she didn't have a clue!!!


The new curved glass in living room looks great and hopefully there will be no mope water leaks in that area.




Mike and helpers finished the new deck stairs and stained the deck which
sorely needed that coating.

He also installed new tract lighting above kitchenette so Holly can see what's she chopping each day.  Made a world of difference for her.


I've been busy harvesting our fruits and vegetables and canning and freezing what we will use this winter.  I'm also giving much of it away since our garden this year was a huge success and is producing enough for a family of 10.

I've been doing my part in helping out with the needs of our neighborhood  friends who need meals brought in and sharing my baked goods, fruits and vegetables with them.  Sometimes I'm exhausted, but the warm, feeling I get from serving others means so much to me.

Congrats to Haedyn who after turning 12 years old was ordained to the Priesthood office as a Deacon.  Now he'll be able to pass the sacrament in his ward each Sunday.  I'm so proud of him.

I continue to visit John, aunt Carol and cousin Gretta all not doing as well as I am.  I continue with my leisure time to make "stuff" for those who aren't as blessed as we are.  Holly helped get a folding table up yesterday so that I can start tying some quilts for charity.

And then there's Doyle!  He started bugging me again in MT about his financial woes (what's new) and since he can't go to Henry and Zella for help I guess I'm next on the list.  Holly has been a good listening ear and helps me talk the situation through.  But I'm too much of a coward to tell him what he needs to hear especially with his terrible financial record.  He's not doing well, will be 80 in Jan and I certainly don't want to cause him any more stress  (or another heart attack) than he's already put on himself with his bad choices.

Sarah, Indianna and family welcomed Shad home from middle east this weekend after serving his Army Reverse time there for a year. I'm so happy for them and glad he made it safe and sounds (and so did Lance, et al).  They'd heading back to their new home in Grand Junction, Colorado.

That's it for now......










                                         

MEMORIAL DAY IN PROVIDENCE

G'Day all,

Holly and I finally got the stars and stripes up on dad's flag pole (here's hoping the winds and rains have calmed down).  Yesterday I prepared arrangements to take to Henry's and Zella's graves and then to Elwood, Thelma's and dad's.  It was the first beautiful day we've had

in a long time.  But with all the rain the earth in Providence is lush and green.

With Brent's help digging the cement dirt first Holly added amendments, fertilizer and muscle and we've been planting here and there wherever we could to get our favorite home grown vegetables in between rain storms and cold weather.  This May has been more like a normal April would be.

Then we put walls around the tomatoes to help not freeze and encourage growth.









Then removed to put around peppers which are fragile on the vine.

She's been working hard especially on her days off and has both vegetable and flower gardens looking great for the holiday.

I'm doing better, but it's been a long slow climb back after that six week siege with cough, et al and I still can't give her the physical support that I used to.  One good thing I found out when having all my physical checkups is my cholesterol is down to 157!!!!!!! Yes, I couldn't believe it.  It's been round 220 for fifty years, ha!   Well, a long time.

The fruit harvest on trees won't be as great this year as two apple trees produce biannually and the severe pruning the rest received has cut down on the peach and pear - probably just enough for us to eat right off the tree.  The raspberries are loaded and bees are buzzing awaiting them.

I'm hearing some good things about some of the grand kids.  Hannah is taking her PT on the job training this summer which should be nice change from heavy book work.  Ffiona just graduated from Jr. High and doing well.  Taryn has returned from her adventures in UK and helping her mom in the business, Drew scored a whopping 32 on his ACT test and Haedyn is showing his mettle by dealing with another growth challenge with his leg tendons.  I'm proud and brag about all my grand kids.

I've been doing lots of baking to share with friends and neighbors and dad's cousins and relatives along with mine who are having a hard time and need a visit.  I've also had lots of wedding invitations for youth who I've watched grow up around me.  Wow where does time go?

We're having a family from Brazil move into neighborhood that has nothing but what's in their suitcases.  Mom, 5 children and she's pregnant.  She grew up in the Ogden area.  Dad is Brazilian and hasn't received his visa yet.  So this has been a good opportunity for Holly and I to clean out stuff that we're not using or needing to help furnish a rented home a few blocks away.

Roof is done and looks beautiful.  I chose a charcoal color rather than the light gray.  Guaranteed for 30 years.  Now I'm having the deck steps replaced as they were getting scaring even for my 85 pounds.  Rod did power washing on Fri, then will sand bad spots, put in new steps and then  give it a stain and protectant.  Holly's glad I added in the benches on her patio to the job.  Two weeks ago I had a leak at the hacienda in G.V. and after getting calls and making necessary calls back and forth for days it's finally resolved.  I was scared to death it was another geyser like the one that blew out under the front sidewalk when dad and I had returned in Jan before he died.  A blessing it was not.

Don't eat too many hot dogs tomorrow especially without Providence kraut.  Love, mom

PROVIDENCE UPDATE

Hi ya'll, I'm only about six months behind in my updates.  Waaaaaaat's with that Gloria????

November - had delicious apricot tree felled as it thought it was Jack's beanstalk and grew to altitudes above our reach and then produced only 3 pieces of fruit.  Now that has opened up space for lots of sunshine to come into area for other growing fruits and vegetables.  I'll have to fine another outlet for apricots now.

 Remember that area in front of Holly's window that many of you helped move all those red rocks for her future garden/rock path area?





Well it became of nice deer bed during the past winter months for several nice pieces of venison that Papa would have enjoyed.  Ha!

 While the redheads were at SLC Irish Dancing Feis late mid November, Haedyn and dad came to Providence and he was able to make friends with GiGi.

 Jake was another story though as he kept hiding under forts he's make on Holly's bed, in her SS or another otherplace he could find.

Here's a nice shot of Jake's shadow outside with GIGI looking through the blinds.

Then to the right is GiGi's favorite chair in the parlor.  It's nice and warm and where papa used to sit for same reason.

 Haedyn was good to help Brook and Holly with fall cleanup.

 Then went with Grandma Gloria for car service before our trip to AZ

While we were waiting, we played some ping pong.

 Then  one day he and GG made ginger cookies.

 On our way to church.  He looks very handsome in his Sunday duds.

He loved laying games with aunt Holly and even better when he won!  And
she really enjoyed having him so she could play on her Wii.

Holly prepared the turkey for our 

Thanksgiving dinner together with Brook and Sunshine family as well as Marian, Sunshine's mom.

A week after arriving at the hacienda I hired some guys to fell another tree, take down a broken down shed and plaster, stucco, front of house,   Put three heavy duty coats of plaster on roof after doing some repair for rotted wood, put in new rain gutters, paint foyer, doors, metal gates, and put in two new sliding glass doors from AZ room to patio.  Glad to have that done especially with all the rains ahead down there.

In Dec. Santa left his red bag at my house filled with lots of wonderful gifts.

Then I joined Brady, Mary and Hannah for a wonderful  trip with long flights to AUS and New Zealand.

Those loooooooong flights were quite an experience, but the Christmas Day flight from HI to AUS there were only 60 on the plane.  That was great!

 Saw a seal as close as guide would let us get and then sharp eye Hannah found the rare Blue Pengui in Dunedin.

He's up in center of the cave.

As I've texted and talked about before it was quite a trip and experience that few get very often to fly and sail half way around the world.  

Holly is enjoying the spiralizer she received for Christmas as she replaces it for pasta and puts vegetables

into smoothies.  Amy Johnsond has lost 15 lbs, just using it that way.  She also enjoyed spending some time forJustin and Katie's family over Christmas.  This photo of Justin is of him wearing the new shirt she gave him.