October 10th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLES!!!

I read recipes the same way I read science fiction - I get to the end and think
Well, that's not gonna happen!

Flashback Friday--Thomas animals

The Thomas family always had animals around when growing up which seems quite funny now considering we lived "in town." Behind my dad's store was our red brick home, behind that a garden spot, followed by a large pasture. At the end of the pasture was a small creek (the crik) where Marv and I spent hours.

We ususally had several cats around. Nancy was the lover of cats. Marv and I each had our own cat, one named Vegetable and the other Fruit. Cats didn't last long around our place due to the big trucks that were always delivering food to the store.

Tim came home from preschool one day with a dog. The teacher, Mrs. Benson in St. John, gave each student a mutt one day. My parents didn't have the heart to take this dog away from my 5 yr. old brother, so Bluff became part of the family. We always could tell where Tim was because the dog would be out front of the store or bowling alley waiting for him. Those days were magical. We knew everyone's dog in town by name.



My dad always had a few head of cattle in the pasture. He would raise them and butcher them. Whenever he had his steers butchered, I didn't eat meat for a week or two. I couldn't think of eating one of my buddies from the pasture.

Pops tried raising pigs once thinking he could feed them the old fruit from the store and the lettuce leaves he trimmed each day. That didn't last long. They were noisy and stinky and no one liked walking all the way to the pasture to drop off the green stuff.


We usually had a fish or two. The fish bowl sat in the bookshelf that divided the so-called dining room from the living room. They lasted about a week. When we would go to Logan to the doctor or some other reason, we always ended up at Woolworth's. Mom would usually give us a dime to spend. I usually bought a fish. I would have to hold it in a plastic bag till we got home and got out the over-used fishbowl from under the kitchen sink. When they died, the little goldfish were reverently flushed down the toilet.


A couple of times Tim tried turtles from the same nickel and dime store. They were too much work.






The best family animal by far was Tony, the Pony. He was a little Welsh Pony, bigger than a shetland but smaller than a usual horse. My dad bought Tony from the auction at the county fair. (He always attended the auction and bought sheep or cattle from his best customers. He like buying the Grand Champion because he deducted it as advertising when his picture showed up in the Idaho Emptiprize with the smiling 4-Her and the steer.)



It was the last item auctioned that day and Dennis was there begging my dad for the horse. He paid $300 for him--an autrocious price for that day. The saddle came with Tony. Roger Williams from Cherry Creek sold him. Tony was his best friend and it was hard for him to sell the pony.





We rode and rode and rode the poor horse. He went down the line of Thomas kids. I think everyone of us had a turn riding him in the 4th of July parade.



It was a sad day when Tony died of old age. Tim was in high school working at the store. My dad assigned him the task of burying the animal. Tim went down to the pasture where Tony laid. He dug the hole, put him in and covered him up. The task was done.



One day a month or two later, it rained. The dirt on top of Tony settled. We all joked about the whole Tim dug. It was in the shape of a horse, the exact profile. No sense wasting time digging a rectangle.

Quotes for the Day

Grandma, why are you so old?
... Jack

I think you should take me to McDonald's. That's what families do.
...Jack

Grandma, don't come to the busstop. I will walk home by myself.
... Tommy

Grandma, you are so pretty.
... Anna


“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”
...Plato

You aint gonna learn what you don't wanna know.
...Grateful Dead


the most wasted of all days is one without laughter
... ee cummings

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep...

Life in Minnesota has been fascinating this last week. Lydia and Jeff are in LA at a family funeral; Gramma and PopPop are babysitting. Just when I am at the end of my rope, one of the three kids says something that makes my heart melt and my lips smile. I truly love these sweethearts.

Anna after her bath: "Does my bum smell good now, Gramma."

Tommy: "My dad knows everything." (enjoy it while it lasts, jeff)

Jack: "Gramma, you don't know everything."

My favorite moments are each evening--there is absolutely nothing as sweet and precious as young spirits praying in the quiet of the night. Tommy prays for his parents to come home safely; Anna thanks Heavenly Father for Jesus.

Somewhere between "Help me choose the right" and "Help me have Happy Dreams" Jack interjects "BLESS GRANDMA TO NOT BE GRUMPY."

I hope their faith will help the Lord answer their prayers.

My McDonald's is better Than Yours

Today was very BUSY!!! Among a list of 40,000 things to do, the most important was Jon's appointment with his doctor to hear the many results of testing at the Mayo Clinic the past few days. Everything looked great! Everything looked fantastic. It has been a very worthwhile trip.


When I dropped Jon at the hospital for this appointment, I quickly thought about the task of watching three very active kids in downtown Rochester for 2 hours. It was too cold and rainy to go to a park. The library was an option, but not a very good one. I turned to Tommy and desperately asked if there was a McDonald's nearby with a playground.


"Sure Grandma. It's right next to Toys R Us." There are three places I can get to in Rochester--the Mayo Clinic, Wal-mart, and Toys R Us. Way to go Tommy!


Of course, while I'm on the freeway to the McD exit Tommy announces to the world he has to PEE. Talk about panic city. At 70 mph there was not much I could do but ask the crying boy to hold it while I maneuver through unfamiliar territory. Phew. We made it. It's a great thing he can run like lightning (foreshadowing).

I ordered a well-deserved $1 hot fudge sundae which I savored while the kids ran through tunnels, climbed walls and slid down large tubes. Great fun UNTIL two young, sweet Muslim girls showed up in their religious dresses and hijabs, or head wraps (yea, I looked it up for all my Idaho friends like me who would call it a scarf)


Now Tommy is used to seeing this, but Jack was a little more than fascinated. The two boys began playing Star Wars declaring the two little girls as the Galactic Dark Side characters or something. The pointed-finger ray guns and sound effects began with fervor. I was horrified! Do I make a scene? Do I stop them? Yell at them? Ignore them? Help! Thankfully it only lasted a few round-the-corner attacks before the two Jedis quickly grew tired and began playing another game. I think their moms will have to talk to them.


Then the three grandkids started begging for tattoos. TATTOOS?!?!?!


NO!!!!! Grandma does not like tattoos.


In this particular McDonald's was a senior citizen lady who monitored kids playing while she cleaned. Clean a play area? What a unique concept. Also, if any child did not have socks, the mom could buy a pair for $1. No one played without socks. And, if any young one misbehaved she helped them see a better way. (She was on break during the ethnic Star Wars escapade.) But the most unusual and most popular task were her famous tattoos of pretty butterflies, balloons, flowers, and other objects she drew up and down young, clean arms. Why?

I was solid in my denial until cute little Anna looked at me with her dark eyes and said,

"Please, Grandma. I want a flower." It was all over. I relented.

Don't you love Tommy's lightning bolt, Jack's spider and Anna's flower?




















The tattoos were drawn with scented markers. We all learned on our ride back to the Mayo that Tommy's smelled like lemon, Jack's like licorice and Anna's like throw-up. It has been an interesting day.

My Tender Mercies

Blogging is definitely fun. Tonight, however, is a blog from the heart. Tonight I am overwhelmed. I simply want to share what I think is definitely another series of My Tender Mercies.

The title comes from my favorite conference talk in 2005 from Elder Bednar. It hit me hard the first time I heard it and continues to influence my life.

I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them. ...Elder Bednar, 2005

I want to recognize some tender mercies that have come Jon and my way:

1) My retirement. This has been more difficult than I want to admit. Yet everyday I am more sure and every moment I am more thankful that it had to be. I have needed this time (and no school pressure) to deal with my family and some of our concerns.

Since Jon's adventure with Leukemia and the side effects, I have been overly concerned with his legs, the swelling, the sores (or ulcers), the color, and especially his lack of mobility. The problems have continually increased. Three different, excellent doctors have told us that he would just have to live with the problem. I was convinced he would in the future lose his legs.

In July we were visiting Jeff and Lydia in Minnesota. Tender Mercy #2) Jeff. What an incredible son-in-law. I simply looked at him one day and asked him if he thought there was anything a doctor could do. He just happened to be working that week, the one week in his entire 8 year medical career, in the Lymphedema unit at the Mayo Clinic. "Yes," he states. "Jon has lymphedema. He should see one of our doctors."

Coincidence? It continues.

Jeff called a few weeks later and told us he had arranged an appointment with an excellent lymphedema specialist. Lydia kept reminding us over and over to not miss this appointment. Jon and I began making our arrangements for another Minnesota trek.

Tender Mercy #3) Kristin. Kristin was invaluable to us during Jon's leukemia. There is no way we could have made the strides and recovery without her unselfish giving. She took care of the household and many problems so I could give my attention to Jon.

Well, bless Kristin's heart, she gave me a job at Jaker's a few months ago. She became my boss and trainer as I became the restuarant's bookkeeper. It gets me up and out of bed every morning. We also redeveloped our fun (and funny) relationship. What a hoot! I am amazed and overwhelmed as I watch her at the art of restuarant-ing. She is good! In fact, Jaker's asked her to join the management team with training in Great Falls, MT.

Oh no. The training takes place while we are in Minnesota. So...what better than to take Jack with us. Better for me and Jon, of course. We love this kid. More importantly, it came at a perfect time when Kristin and Jack need to be away from Idaho Falls. The three grandkids are having a blast. I am having a blast. Kristin can go to Great Falls, etc. etc. etc.

Double Oh No. Jeff's aunt died. It is a long story, but he and Lydia really need to be at the funeral in Los Angeles this weekend. They cannot afford the $1200 roundtrip ticket for Jeff, let alone Lydia. What's this? Another Tender Mercy--two roundtrip tickets AND a rental car for a grand total of $400. Oh man, this just doesn't happen.

And we are here to take care of the kids. Perfect.

Then Jon and I go to the Mayo for his first consultation. At this first meeting of the doctor we get the next two weeks schedule. Some days (like today) start at 7 am and go to 5 pm. How will I do this AND watch three kids.

Jon can go by himself. I will watch the kids. This is what we decide until he comes out of his first appointment with wrapppings around his legs and surgical shoes. He looks like a cross between Star Wars and The Mummy. There is no way he can drive.

Now what? Tommy has kindergarten, Anna has preschool, Tommy has swimming lessons, Jeff and Lydia need rides to the airport, grandma now has worries.

Tender Mercy Major: All the thousand of scheduled appointments, they all work around the conflicts listed above. Lydia only had to find a babysitter for two hours tomorrow for Anna and Tommy. Everyone here is so willing to help. Wow!

Jon's condition: We met with the most incredible Physical Therapist, Lucia from Romania. Her story is interesting and requires a separate blog. She wrapped Jon's legs in this stuff from Germany (of course).

Several hours later we went back. Lucia began measuring his toes and ankles and thighs. It began with, "oh this is vedy gud" and soon went to, "this is vedy, vedy, vedy, gud. Amazing." Jon is responding beyond my belief. Tonight he has ankles!!! The swelling is down and will continue...

Lucia is teaching me how to wrap his legs. The best part is putting the wrap between his toes, something that he absolutely cannot handle. He actually went pale the first time she ventured near his toes. It was hilarious. I enjoyed learning this step--getting even time.

The Mayo Clinic is undescribable. One needs to experience the warmth and professionalism to really understand what makes this institution a miracle to so many people. Jon and I met and saw people today that make our problems seem miniscule. Jon was near tears several times as he talked with cancer patients. It once again makes us understand the blessings and miracles we have experienced in the last 5 years.

I'm sure there are hundred and one more so-called coincidences that we have been blessed with, but the night is late and I gotta git these kids to bed.

Flashback Friday--Cles Bug

This is Cles at 2 years old--the tractor hat on his bed post and the John Deer Combine on the other bed waiting for him to wake up and play. His sleeping position earned him the nickname, "Cles-bug" because it reminded us of the position a stink bug takes before it sprays.

Cles played a lot with that combine. One day I bought fresh eggs from our next-door neighbor. Cles used his combine and digger to drill and cut 2 dozen fresh eggs into my green shag 80's carpet. What a mess. What a smell.

Grandpa also gave Cles a pocket full of wheat one day at the ranch. Unknown to me, he planted the wheat in every available spot in my yard, giving each spot a name as at the ranch--19 Holler, Jules, the Big Pasture, etc. Lovely wheat grew and ripened ready for cutting in the fall. I'm sure the neighbors thought something was wrong with my horticultural talents.

Eastern Idaho State Fair-ala Jack

On Saturday Jon and I made our annual trip to the Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. There is not much I enjoy about the event, but I have been every year since I was 8 (the first year I entered things while in 4-H). I'm glad it only happens once a year because it only takes about an hour to realize why I didn't want to be there.



This year as in the past, we took our 5 year old grandson Jack. I wanted to look in the boths and at the animals. But no. All he could think about were the rides. Cheap grandma bought enough tickets for 2 rides. We walked around the carnival and looked at every ride I would allow him to be on. He opted for the safe and kid-proof helicopter and magic carpet rides. Phew! Glad that is over with.



Well, call us crazy but we traveled to the Blackfoot Shindig again tonight! This time with Kristin. Now with mom, Jack didn't take the child-proof, grandma sanity rides. Instead he rode the speeding roller coaster, the ten story slides and the way too high swings--ALL BY HIMSELF. Over-protective grandma had to sit far away so not to have a heart attack.





Jack had a blast.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY--The Sandpile!

When we moved into our new home on South Main in 1957, one of the first things built was a sandbox, known by all as the sandpile. There was a fence on one side, cinderblocks on the next, a board on another, and finally the driveway edging the last side.

My dad took the old Chevy pick-up every spring to an area in St. John called Sand Ridge, and loaded it with sand from side of the road. This stuff was great to mound into hills and dig tunnels throughout. It packed really well and was different than any sand I have ever seen. It was as much clay as it was sand.

We spent hours playing. We had Matchbox cars, tractors and apparently airplanes that went from the top of the mountain to the bottom, in and out of tunnels and over bumps and valleys. This picture is of Marvin, our next-door neighbor Kim Crowther, and me. I have no idea whose dog is taking a nap in the middle of our play area. It is not ours.

Every spring we would buy new plastic buckets and shovels along with my favorite, a sifter. I could make that sand feel like soft flour. I can still feel and see that brown sand in my fingernails. I NEVER had clean fingernails growing up.

Once in a great while, mom would give us permission to flood the sandpile with the hose. This was a treat beyond words. We spent the day preparing the sand by creating flood gates, ditches, canals and a large reservoir. What a treat to watch it all work perfectly. Mom hated the mess we tracked into the back door and into her kitchen.The water also ruined the sand, so this great day was usually in the fall just before the snow fell. The sand would be ruined anyway.

One of the more memorable memories is the cat doo doo we would bump into as we dug or made tunnels. All of a sudden a hand or shovel would hit a sandy lump that was stinky. We simply threw it over the fence, kept on playing, and didn't think a thing of it. It happened often. YUK! We didn't even use Purell.

When Marvin went to first grade (there was no kindergarten in those days), I was home alone. Mom had the baby (Tim) and I had the sandpile. It became my best friend. About 2 days after school started mom received a panicked phone call from the elementary. They had lost Donny Chivers, a neighbor Marvin's age. They asked if mom had seen him. Of course, she answered "No." Then the idea hit. She looked and asked me to go look in the sandpile to see if anyone was there. I was four years old. Donny had been found. He had walked the mile and half from the school straight to the sandpile. Heck, that was more fun than sitting in school any day.

A Historical Day--Mondays with Jack, Part 1

Jack gets to be with Grandma and PopPop every Monday. All three of us look forward to Monday as our favorite day of the week. Today is one of the most important days in Jack's life—the first day of school.

I pick him up in the morning from Jaker's where Kristin is managing. First on the agenda is a haircut. Angie at the Hair Company cuts his hair.

Wow, the kid looks great!

Then off to Linden Park Elementary at 11:30 am.

We are the first ones to arrive at Mrs. Page's room. Jack finds his name and takes his seat.

Then Kristin arrives.

I am ready to leave when I notice three grandmas sitting in the back of the room. Grateful for small miracles, I join the grandma section. One can recognize the "grandmas" because we do not have nervous smiles as we pull cameras from huge ugly purses and begin taking gadzillions of pictures.

This is Mrs. Page. She has taught kindergarten for 12 years. My first impression: Impressive, professional, no-nonsense, organized, warm, disciplinarian, enjoys kids, and Jack is going to have the most fantastic experience ever. Phew!

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

I love coincidences.

• The principal, Mr. Wagner, was Kristin's principal in fifth grade when we moved into our new home. Of course, he remembers her and they have a nice reunion.


• The teacher next door to the right is Kristin's favorite ISU professor, Mrs. Lowinski. They have a warm, friendly reunion.


• The teacher next door to the left is Annette Scott. Annette is married to Neal Scott (Jon and I went to Malad High with him). He was our bishop in Cloverdale. Annette gives Kristin a big hug.
  
• Jack's teacher is married to one of my favorite principals that I worked with for 12 years.

Jack will be watched over, I'm sure.

After a few rules and introductions, Jack joins four others at his first learning center. Today was Play dough. What a blast.

Finally it is story time. As Mrs. Page introduces the book "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," Jack's hand flies up. I am happy for two things: First, he knows not to talk out loud, but to raise his hand. Second, he is not afraid to speak.

What did he say: "I've already heard this story."

Oh man, this is on the list of 10 least favorite things teachers want to hear. But Jack said it so cutely that I'm sure no one cared. Of course, the next time his hand goes up, the teacher wisely ignores him. The right hand goes up, and then the left. I smile.

Kindergarten is looking to be a wonderful year!

And the best part of the day? When we drive over the river and through the woods to McDonald's on the way home to Grandma's where we play Star Wars and light sabers the rest of the day.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY-- Before kids!!!

Jon and I lived on the ranch outside of Snowville, Utah when we first got married. I loved it!

This picture was taken a year after we were married. The hat is Jon's. If he was on the old crawler tractor he needed it to keep the sun off his neck.

I would take a cooked meal to him in the fields. His dad would drive me up and jump on the tractor or combine while Jon ate. Then it was back to work. Jon stayed on the tractor while his dad did other things around the ranch or in another field on a different tractor. It was amazing how much two men could accomplish in one day.

On this particular day we stopped for his dad to take our picture. While going back to the truck a rattlesnake slithered by. Jon's dad finally shovel-killed it under the tire of the truck--right by MY DOOR. That is not a good memory. I never had to kill a rattlesnake, but I saw my fair share of them.

And if you ever sawed it, you would say IT BLOWS

YES, Christmas in August.

I have been transfering my videos from my camera phone to the computer. This is my favorite one(s) that I captured taken last Christmas time(2007).

Sorry it is in four sections but the old camera phone only takes short clips. I lost a few of Jack's words each time I reclicked the phone.

Enjoy:

FIRST Friday Flashback 8/8/08

My favorite blog readings are Lydia's Flashback Fridays. They make me smile, laugh, and sometimes relieved that I didn't know what she was up to while growing up. All in all, it is something I look forward to every week.

With that, I think I shall begin my own Friday Flashback. There is no significance with starting with this picture. I found it easily so here goes:

I have no idea how old I was here. I had the same hairdo from age 3 when I got hair to 5th grade when I got a "new do." I still have this same haircut. But back to the fish...

My brothers caught these. When they went back to work after their fishing lunch hour, mom grabbed them and the camera and took my picture. I think it is funny.

All the Thomas kids fished. My first memory was at 4 years old. My parents had just built the new house on South Main in 1957. Having hardwood floors throughout, my mom bought a huge rug for the living room. It came rolled up on a bamboo pole. My dad simply cut it in half and that was mine and Marvin's first fishing poles.

We headed to Weston Reservoir (up Deep Creek Canyon). My dad, David and Dennis all had real poles with real reels. Our bamboo pole was tied with string of fishing line and a hook complete with a worm.

Being four and five years old, my dad simply told Marv and I if we caught a fish we should run up the hill. We must have been in a hole of perch because we ran up that hill a lot. I remember my dad not being able to cast his own pole into the water. He was too busy taking fish off our lines and re-worming my hook.

Our favorite fishing holes were Crowther's (until Danny K Evans drown while swimming with my cousin Griff Davis--then it was off limits), Deep Creek (until someone saw a rattlesnake up there) and Kid's Pond in St. John, especially the back waters. I learned to kill and clean my own fish. Never did like to eat them, however. My Grandma Peterson ate all the fish I caught and brought home during my fishing career (about 2).

Our trip to the Toy Store!

We had a blast at Lark Toys in Kellogg, MN. First we tried on the sunglasses:Princess AnnaThen we discovered THE HATS: Fits the personalities--witch, cool dude and princess.
That's a hot dog hat in my hands. Tommy has a pizza hat on with Anna's shark head and my skunk.
I have no idea what is on our head but don't ya love the ZZ top Tommy!



A Perfect Day!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Anna July 27, 2008

A PERFECT DAY!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Anna. I love you. You are my favorite Princess.

The best part of any birthday is sharing it with the people who love and adore you.

The Princess Cake. I haven't had chocolate cake on a Sunday with the family for a long time. Thanks, Lydia. You are amazing!

She learned to do it!

The opening of gifts!
She received Princess panties. She was excited. She thought they were socks.

Her favorite present came from her brother, Tommy. He picked this out at Toys R Us. He has a talent at knowing what girls like. Watch out Jeff and Lyd!This is the 15th change of clothes in the afternoon. I think she likes her new birthday clothes!

Oh good. What every girl wants--another Barbie. "Look, it's a Darbie!"Every birthday girl needs to clean the frosting from the beaters.

At the end of the day, Anna announced that tomorrow she was going to have another birthday. "I want a Hello Kitty birthday tomorrow."