Monday, July 30, 2007

"Katiebug"


Our grandaughter Katie "Katiebug" at our home in Clinton. We were tending the children, but I can't remember where Mike and Susan went to.

They wouldn't like it if they saw their daughter stretched out on our coffee table.

Good they were gone and good thing we don't care. It sure makes for cute pictures.

I'm wrapped up on the couch. Always cold!

Our Arizona Home Gets A Face Lift

Arizona Home Before and After



Notice there are no windows on the side of the home that faces the street. The second picture is after we added the fake windows. Yep! I said fake. We just made it look like there are windows there.

What few plants were there - froze during the winter when our temperatures dropped to a very chilly 28 degrees. The freeze was only one night, but that's all it took! Mike and I added the stepping stones, made the little river and planted a pigmy palm, and other plants.

We also lost the ficus tree that is in front of the front window, that faces the lot.
Notice the live ficus tree in the first picture. It's the won in the middle. Then notice the dead ficus tree in the second picture. It just looks like a stick.






These picture were taken at the time we wrote the offer to buy the home.

I'm standing in front of our Pummelo tree. The fruit looks and tastes like grapefruit, except it is huge, with a thick skin. It is sweeter and less acidic than grapefruit. I ate one everyone and gave some away. The wonderful thing about citrus is that it stays on the tree and never falls off.

I have seen a few oranges fall off our neighbor's trees but our tree has never dropped one Pomelo, also spelled Pummelo.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Nicholas' Birthday Party

This is Nicholas our grandson, with Mike and Susan, (Mom and Dad) and his birthday cake. He was so excited when he opened his present from us and it was the little stuffed dog that sat on our bed, which he adored. We've since replaced it with two more dogs. Better not let Nick see them!

Well, miss Nick and the whole family because they have recently moved from Syracuse, Utah to Rexburg, Idaho. We'll just have to take lots of trips there to see them.



Back Home From Arizona

Our 10 day trip went by fast which is what all our days do.

The temperature in Phoenix when we arrived was a toasty 111 to 116 degrees depending where we were in the valley.

The temperature in our home was 105. It took several hours to cool it down.

We were invited to dinner with John and Sherri and the girls. Delicious and sweet of Sherri as usual. We we go back to Phoenix in October they are coming to eat at our house.

It was a good thing we made the trip. We had a water problem with the drip system and had lost two of our plants. Mike worked on that and even did a little landscaping by bringing some rocks from the empty lot across the street to make some sculptured hills in the yard. When we get there in the fall I want to plant more plants, trees, and place some huge rocks around the hills.

After a week we left and went to visit Dee Anna and her family in Las Vegas. Poor Dee Anna was sick with a 24 hour bug.

She shared it with me!

I was fine until 10 PM the evening we got home and after unpacking everything and cleaning things up, suddenly, I realized I was sick. It was true to her flu and only lasted 24 hours. Glad that's over with.

So we're back to our normal routine. What normal routine? Nothing seems normal anymore. Retired life is go, go, go, but in a different way than it used to be.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Jake Amy Emily and Ashley

Jake and Amy at Sherri's house the day Elyse was blessed.
Our home in Ogden. Mother's Day. 2007.
Ashley in the high chair. Isn't she a cutie?
Grandma Peggy with Emily and Ashley the day with moved back from Arizona to Ogden. We stayed with Jake and Amy the first night.
Emily in the swing. What a little beauty! I think I could win a contest with this picture!










Steve Sherri and Family

I high-jacked the funny-faced picture from Sherri's blog. I'm prejudiced I guess. I think they're cute even when they pull funny faces.


This picture is Anna and Gwinney. They are trying to made a bird feeder, (looks more like a river) in their mother's garden. She wasn't that happy about having her garden reconstructed, and later found the girls hiding in the back of the van in the garage, watching the birds from a home-made bird feeder they made out of a plastic milk container, or something like that. Pretty smart grandkids wouldn't you say?

Anna is in the Green dress in the lower picture. Don't I have beautiful grandchildren? Next, is Anna, Gwinney, and Elyce, taking a breather from the heat. It's been around 100 degrees in Utah this week. Next two are Anna and Gwyn. One year old Elyse is in pink. And last is Anna and Emily, who are best friends! Emily is Amy's oldest daughter.












Sunday, July 22, 2007

Another Plug And Warranty

Mike found another plug and warranty to buy. It's not hard, there are so many to choose from. This one? Another TV. Do we need another TV? No!!! But, I have to admit he found a good deal. It's a new 32" LCD like the one we bought to take to Arizona. That one was a good deal at $1100, and this one is $499. You have to admit, that's a good deal. Steve Brown offered us $75 - $100 on our older but still good 32"er, so that would bring the price down to $399 or something.

You should have seen our Clinton home. It looked like a sports bar! We had five TV's. Let me remind you, there are only two of us! You could stand in the hallway and look straight on to the large TV in the family room. Look a bit to the left and see one in the kitchen. Look behind you and see one each TV in three bedrooms.

Hey, we didn't watch all of them at the same time! We just like convenience, that's all.
At the time we were buying two homes we figured that splitting up five TV, for two homes was just about right. Now, we're buying a new one.

Happy Father's Day Mike! I do always remind him that when it comes to my presents - don't buy me anything that has a plug and a warranty. After all, anything you could buy for a women that has a plug and warranty attached to it - probably means work! Something that glitters is nice though.

David and Christine

These are recent pictures of Lydia. She's had to wear a helmet for the past several months, and I think it's almost time to lose it. Her head wasn't growing round, but rather flat in the back and wide in the front.

My Nephew Chris and Sally's twin had to wear a helmet for the same reason. Only hers was growing more to one side.


Chris, David and Lydia
Taken at Dick & Ellie's Dinner








That's a darling picture of both Chris and Lydia!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Strong Fingernails

My health is improving and for the first time in my life I have strong fingernails. I always knew my nails split and didn't grow because I had poor health. My mother had the same problem and I have the same health problems she had.

If you don't have strong nails, it isn't because you need to buy all those lotions, creams, and stuff they sell to make them stronger. It is because something in your body isn't working right!
I can't tell you exactly what made my nails stronger, except to say that I am really trying to avoid wheat, milk, soy, and all the other foods that my body can't tolerate. I am also taking lots of supplements to help my body digest food.

It could be the enzymes, or the magnesium, or the vitamin B. Those are a few of the new supplements I'm taking.

Whatever did it, I'm happy about it. Not just happy to have nicer nails, but happy to know that my body is more healthy.

Dick And Ellie





Ellie and Dick's Wedding Dinner




Ellie and Dick shocked us after all these years and got married! We were thrilled to say the least!

The wedding took place at the Bountiful Temple, Saturday, Feb 3, 2007. I'm slow writing the blog, but wanted to get pictures on it, and it's taken me this long.

Mike might have taken pictures at the temple, but I haven't found them yet. These pictures are at the Wedding Breakfast at Chuck-A-Rama in Bountiful.

We were living in Arizona at the time, but as luck would have it (in our favor, that is) we were already coming to Utah that week for Quincy's baptism. The timing was perfect!

Pulse Oximeter and My Funny Uncle Dee





Pulse Oximeter is a medical device that indirectly measures the amount of oxygen in a patients blood. As opposed to measuring oxygen saturation directly through a blood sample. Most monitors also display the heart rate. The meter is very convenient because it is portable and small. It is used usually with a fingertip or an earlobe.

My uncle Dee is hooked up on full oxygen on a continuous basis. He lives in Las Vegas with his daughter Dee Anna and her husband Hugh. Two summers ago while I was there visiting, Dee Anna and Hughie went to their son's house to enjoy an evening out with their son Duke and his family. I stayed at home and Dee spent our time enjoying conversation and watching TV.

After an hour or so, a storm arose and the power went out. Suddenly, Dee and I were sitting in pitch blackness. I could hear him fiddling around with his oxygen tank, and I became alarmed. I was sure there was a back up system (there was) and asked, "how long can you go without oxygen?" His quick wit and response was, "I'll be dead in five minutes."

Prankster!

My Poor Nose!




This is my poor nose. Another cancer was removed two weeks ago. I hope this is the end, but that would be hopeful thinking. This is the sixth one in two years.

My doctor says that all of us have cancer cells that were formed as children, playing in the great outdoors without sunscreen. I have no problem believing that, but can't help but wonder if mine was caused from skiing for twenty years in Northern Utah.


When I suggested this idea to Dr. Maughan, he agreed, and said," you would have gotten it both ways, going up and skiing down. The sun would have reflected off the snow and caused even more damage.

At least you can't see the other scars on my nose that have healed. I used a remarkable new medication called Mederma.

This isn't a paid post, I just want to pass the information on to you, that if you have a injury on your skin that could scar, this is the best anti-scar ointment I've ever seen. You buy it over the counter, in the health section.

My beautiful back drop is in Ogden Utah, on the Ogden River walking trail. This is just above Monroe Blvd., at the botanical gardens, a few blocks from our condo.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Baby Lydia

Baby Lydia, born October 21, 2006

Baby Lydia was long overdue. Not the baby’s arrival since she came a week early, but rather, long overdue since we have waited a very long time for this occasion. The anticipation has been exciting and we are finally celebrating the arrival of our own beautiful granddaughter Lydia Christine who arrived the last week of October. She will be loved and properly spoiled by her parents David and Chris, brother’s Tyler and Travis, and sister Hannah. Plus, too many aunts, uncles, and cousins to mention by name.

We are very excited to start our new (winter) life in Arizona except for one thing - we will
miss our children and grandchildren terribly! We would normally have planned on
moving in October, but decided to wait until November because we were expecting a new granddaughter. I was hoping and even prayed that she might come a little early so we could see her several times before we left. My prayer was answered and little Lydia came a week early. She's wonderful of course! She's having a little trouble learning to nurse though. That innate skill doesn't come as natural for either the mother or the baby as one would think it should.

She has a small amount of blonde hair like both parents. Actually, Chris has lots of blonde hair, and Lydia has more than her daddy. That's at least true for the top of the head.
She has blue eyes and so far is quite small. It'll be fun watching Lydia grow.

Lower pictures are: new baby Lydia with Grandma Peggy, Mom, Dad, Sherri, Eylce and Lisa






Baby Lydia

Mike and Susan Come To Arizona

Mike and Susan's family came to visit us in Apache Junction last Jan 2007. We took them to Goldfield's Gold Mine, in the Superstition Mountains, a few miles from our home in Apache Junction.

As you can see it was cold. I was freezing! I know you think, "Oh yeah! Sure, tell us how cold it was?" Well, it was 45 degrees, and there was a cold wind. Susan and the kids will tell you, it was cold!

We were also cold at the pool. You can see the sky is overcast, and Susan and I wouldn't be wrapped up if it the weather was nice. The temperature that day was in the fifties, but there was still a cold breeze.