So, Maybe It's Been About A Year

But I have really been up to quite a lot. 

What exactly?  Well, recently I got my own little business up and running.  I would provide pictures, but am not at home on my computer, so I"ll send you a link to my gardening blog, which has pictures and a link to my business. 

Enjoy! 

Red Clover

Spring

Come Soon?

My Mother~In~Law

A few minutes ago I got off a telephone call with Karen, my mother-in-law.  We had a great talk and spent nearly an hour and a half discussing, laughing, and sharing thoughts.  I appreciate her.  There are many things I enjoy and admire, some of which are...

~ She's funny, and loves a good laugh.

~ She likes Cheerios (Perhaps I should put love in there, too).

~ She is a doer!  When something needs to be done, she doesn't wait for the calvary, she just does it.  (Sometimes she needs to wait for the calvery...wink, wink.)

~ She has great affection for her family & friends, and loves to tell stories about them.

~ She signs everything, "Jomama"

~ She loves to read, and I knew I would like her as soon as I saw "Mrs. Mike" on her bookshelf.

~ The first time I met her I was in her apartment with Kip waiting for her to return home from wal-mart.  She came through the door, and excitedly said, "Oh, you're so pretty!" and then spilled her diet coke (or is it pepsie?) all over the floor.  We had a good laugh.

~ She likes to point out "Heavenly Father things" and recognize his had in her life.

~ Paperwork and Red Tape don't stop her at all.  She plows right through it.  I greatly admire this ability.

~ She raised a wonderful son.

Thanks, Karen/Jo, for who you are.  

Holdaway Rd.

I am very fond of the road I live on.  It's beautiful.  The above photo is one particular view I enjoy.  Last night I spent some time talking to the town mayor and we shared the woes of development; fields and open spaces, leading down to the lake, being sold so more houses could be built.  I do realize that houses must be built sometime, somewhere, but my little town's history and charm lie in it's agriculture history.  Why would we be so quick to throw that away?  

I've Been Thinking

How many times am I my own stumbling block?

How often am I the very swine to trample my own pearls?

How come I tend to place the pricks before kicking against them?

I guess there are two great comforts in these realizations.  

1st ~ I have the freedom to choose.  "Wherefore, men are free...they are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil." (2 Nephi 2:27)

2nd ~ I have a beloved Savior.  "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

The beauty of being your own stumbling block is that you can choose to remove it and then as for help in doing so.  

 

Red Tailed Shark & Other Tails

When I was younger the entire family made an exciting journey to Animal Ark.  We stood in front of the dozens of tanks that filled the entire wall and each choose a fish for the newly established family aquarium.  I got a red tailed shark and we enjoyed a rather full aquarium until they all passed on to a watery grave one at a time.   

Later my younger sister and I kept a fish tank in our bed room and would turn on the florescent lights of the tank and sit on our beds listening to the Deep Forrest CD and watching our myriad of goldfish.  The actually cleaning of the fish tank was what eventually did us in.  

Last night I spoke at a Young Women's meeting, and was given two of the fish that were purchased for the center pieces.  I brought them home, not realizing that they were probably having a hard time with the chlorine, water temp, etc.  The smaller one perished in a jar on my kitchen table.  

This morning Kip and I went to Wal-mart, left quickly, went to Animal Ark, and purchased a one gallon bowl, two gold fish, food, etc., and a small $1 castle.  I always wanted a castle.  We assembled everything and after a few traumatic moments (dead fish in toilet, almost dead but still alive fish getting dropped in the sink, etc.) we're able to get all three fish in.  It's still a little cliquish, and I've been asking the two larger, better looking, stronger fish to please go talk to this third little guy who has just been through a great loss.  Names pending.  

Day Two

We slept in, but made it to the Temple by 10:30 to do an endowment session.  (Picture off church website.)

Jumped on the subway and walked down to South Street Sea Port...

Walking up Maiden Lane (Lane?) to find Zeytunas (lunch). 

Trinity Church graveyard.

Wall Street

One of Kip's favorite streets in Greenwich Village.

After dinner at Tre Giovani's we headed back up towards our hotel, and wandered around the Rockerfeller Center before heading home.