An Epitaph

I sure hope this isn't put on my headstone...

Grandma's Funeral

Grandma's funeral was last Friday. It was fun being with family in spite of the fact that we were there for a funeral. All of my dad's sibling and spouses were there; 23 of the 25 living grandchildren were there (some with spouses, most without though); a smattering of great-grandchildren were there as well. My dad and all of his siblings spoke. The brothers sang as a quartet (and I'd forgotten how nice their voices blend). After the service, we went to the cemetery. Following the grave dedication, we gathered for a meal and had a little bit of time to catch up. It wasn't nearly enough time. Here are "the cousins" lined up in age order (minus those who couldn't come or had to leave quickly). Here's me, Margot, and Jennifer- trouble reunited. My aunts and my mom. The pall bearers- cousins and cousins-in-law (minus Craig... where was he?). Susan and 3 of her girls... Sarah (and Macy), Becca and Em. My Aunt Shirley, my mom's sister came to support us too.
Here's my family!

Shopping for Jeans

Shopping for a new pair of jeans is about my least favorite task. I'd rather go to the dentist or clean the bathroom than go jeans shopping. I've learned that when I find a pair that I want to try on, I take 3 sizes of the same style in to the dressing room and maybe one might possibly fit. Yesterday I decided that my jeans were dead. There is a hole, the knees are worn out, and I'm pretty sure that if I were to wash them, they'd come out of the washer as threads. Yesterday I was on a mission to replace my jeans at my favorite jeans store- DI. Seriously, DI is the best place to buy jeans because there are hundreds of different styles to try on. It was a good adventure- I actually found 3 pairs that I liked. I had many "try on failures", but one stands out above the others. Regularly jeans are too tight or too loose in the waist, the bum, the hips, etc., but I've never had a pair not fit me in this particular place. I had my right leg in the jeans. I was thinking that they were potentially going to fit; things were feeling "right". I stepped into the left leg and almost immediately had a problem. My left calf would not fit through the pant leg, and where it wouldn't fit wasn't anywhere in the "calf region". Obviously these jeans were defective because my left calf would not fit through the thigh part of the jeans. Too funny! Obviously I didn't buy that pair.

New Towels!?!

I bought 2 new bath rugs, 2 hand towels, and 4 navy towels for the downstairs bathroom. I needed to shrink one of the bath rugs about 1" so that it would fit perfectly where I wanted it. I washed the rug along with all the new towels, and holy lint!!! I cannot believe how much lint I found in my dryer. I had to empty the lint collector 3 times during the drying cycle. Seriously, it was insane. So, of course, I had to take a picture of it. To give you an idea of how much lint there was, I put a standard size chap-stick tube in the picture. And after all that lint, I'm still picking lint off the towels.

Fun in the Sacramento Airport

My "delay" in Sacramento was easy. Time flew as I wasted it by surfing the web. Shortly before I was to meet up with Scott and Leslie, I decided to change from my "travel clothes" into my "viewing clothes". Finding a place to change in the airport was tricky... I ended up using the "family" bathroom. I put my suitcase on the diaper table and set out my shoes to step into because I was not about to stand barefoot on the airport bathroom floor. It was awkward, but it worked. I bought new nylons for the trip (because it was time...). I performed an amazing feat of balance and got them on while standing and dressed without issue. I loaded up my stuff and headed to the baggage claim to meet my ride. I was only a few feet from the bathroom when I realized I had a problem. My new nylons were "sliding". I thought that maybe they were just "settling in", but within a few dozen steps I knew I had a problem... they'd slipped over my behind and were headed to to floor. I panicked. I feared they'd be around my ankles within a few steps and I 'd be standing in the middle of the concourse looking really stupid. With one hand, I grabbed the waist of my hose, which was sitting at mid-thigh level, and with my other hand I held my suitcase, purse, and coat, and I waddled back to the bathroom. I yanked the hose up as high as possible, nearly all the way up my chest, and prayed they would stay put. Fortunately, they only slid to waist level as I walked through the airport. I nonchalantly held tight to the waist of my hose as I waited for my ride. As I waited in the baggage claim, I noticed some cool sculptures... old baggage carts loaded with luggage! Fun! Well, we Scott and Leslie picked me up and we got to the viewing without incident, however once I started walking around again, my nylons kept sliding down. I had to keep one hand on my hose to keep them on. Needless to say, after the viewing, I stopped at a Kmart to buy new hose to wear for the funeral.

Chocolate Mint Treasures

Oh yum! I broke my sugar-fast with this treat (and I ate lots of it and feel awful now and am immediately returning to the n0-sugar realm). I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine and thought it sounded yummy and thought it might be a good addition to Amy's wedding reception treats. I thought they were a double layer brownie with mint and chocolate on top. Last night when I was making them, I wasn't sure what they were because the batter was so stiff. It turns out that they are a double layer shortbread-ish cookie with mint and chocolate on top. Yes, they are a bit time consuming to make, but so worth it!
Chocolate Mint Treasures
Base Layer
Cream: 1/2 C Butter and 1/2 C Sugar
Add: 1 Egg and 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Add: 1/8 tsp Salt, 1/4 C Cocoa, and 1 C Flour
Press into bottom of sprayed 9 x 13 pan.

Second Layer (it the same as the base but no cocoa and more flour)
Cream: 1/2 C Butter and 1/2 C Sugar
Add: 1 Egg and 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Add: 1/8 tsp salt and 1 1/4 C Flour
Spread over base layer (I smooshed the "dough" between my hands like thin hamburger patties then placed them on top of the base layer)
Bake @ 350 for 18+ minutes, until top layer begin to turn golden brown

Remove from oven and place a layer of After Eight mints on top (which I couldn't find, so I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with mint filling instead). Return pan to oven for 2 minutes to melt chocolate. Spread mints evenly over the top. Allow to cool.

Melt 3 oz Bittersweet chocolate with 1 Tbsp Butter. Drizzle over the top (I think this layer is probably unnecessary as I don't think it really added anything to the final product). Top with white chocolate curls. Cut into triangles to serve.

When Travel Plans Go Awry

I'm sitting in the Sacramento airport. My flight landed about 20 minutes ago. Scott was supposed to pick me up. He's going to, but there's been a bit of a deviation from the plan. But that's okay, I feel flexible today. Scott's flight was supposed to arrive in San Fransisco at 11 a.m. this morning. He was going to take the BART to Dublin, pick up my parent's car, go to the Oakland airport, pick-up Leslie at 1:45 p.m., then head to Sacramento and pick me up and together we'd all head to Chico. Good plan. On paper, it worked. However, Scott's plane ran out of fuel and had to land in San Jose. They had to refuel, then fly over to San Fransisco. From there he took the BART and arrived 5 minutes before Leslie did. I got off my plane, which was about 20 minutes late, called them to find out where they were and to get a "pick-up" plan in place. They were in Livermore; 90 minutes away. Well, I'm not complaining. My only options are to pay for a rental car or be patient. I've chosen patience. Luckily, the Sacramento airport is clean and has free WiFi. I'm sitting in the food court smelling Cinnabon and Sbarros and blogging away. Life is good. Besides, I just checked on the I-80 road conditions (because we were supposed to drive out)... the interstate is closed due to ZERO visibility over the Sierra. I'd rather be stuck in an airport than stuck on an interstate.

Best Laugh I've Had in a While

I have Dan to thank for it. Tomorrow I am flying to California for my grandma's funeral. The original plan was that we all would go to the funeral and we would drive. The weather over the Sierra is not being cooperative and either the interstate has been closed due to zero visibility or there have been miles of chain control in place. We decided that the safest option was for me to fly to California and go to the funeral by myself. Dan will be staying home and playing Mr. Mom. Here's where it gets good. I asked Dan what his plans are for Thursday. He said that he is going to work from home! He must not realize that maybe he'll have 5 minutes of uninterrupted time to "work" with Miles around. Work from home? Really? Hahahaha!

I Did My Toenails

So can it be spring now? I still have the ugliest feet.

Play Time

This is Miles at Grandpa and Grandma Madsen's house. Miles and I took a quick trip to California a week and a half ago to attend Liz Hatch's memorial service. The service was really good with amazing tributes paid to Liz by her sons (her daughters and brothers also spoke and did a good job). Anyway, Miles was intrigued with the banister at my parents house. He liked to get "stuck" between the rails on the stairs and to squeeze himself through the rails on the banister between the dining room and living room.Miles also loved the park. The day we arrived, the weather was beautiful. My dad and I walked to the park down the street. As soon as we got there, the wind started to blow and it was chilly. Miles was only wearing his Onesie and jeans, but he didn't mind. We had to forcefully remove him from the park when us "wimpy" adults were too cold. Miles has never liked slides, until he went to this park. He immediately ran over and started sliding. First on the smallest slide... then on the middle-sized slide... and then finally the tall, curvy slide. He had a great time!

At Least MegaDiamond Picked Up the Tab

Thursday night, Dan and I were summoned to a MegaDiamond event. V.P. Christy and her family were in town and wanted to get together with the business team and significant others for a "fun" evening. We started off with dinner at Cheesecake Factory (sans Christy and family who were stuck on the mountain at Alta). The company was much better than the food, and the menu was completely overwhelming... 21 pages! After dinner we went to a play at the Desert Star Theater in Murray. Here is what we had to see...Seriously. Not Joking. Beverly Hillbillies 90210. How to describe it? For starters, "Painful", is the first word that comes to mind. This play was put on by a cast of 8 and a piano player (who was the best part). It was your typical the "hicks from the sticks" move to a ritzy area. Hick kids and grandma go for the rich kids and grandpa... spat, fight, then peace, love, and harmony. It was like a bad roadshow that lasted 90 minutes. The best part of the show was when rich guy knocked hick guy's wig off and the cast was laughing hard and forgot their lines. Yippee. Glad it's over.

Saturday, Shopping, and Smiths

I went grocery shopping at Smiths on Saturday. It's been a while since I did a "SCORE!!!" post, so here it is. I bought...

• 4 boxes Kelloggs Cereal
• 4 boxes Wheat Thins
• 4 Apples
• 4 20 oz bottle of Sprite
• 2 2-liter bottle of CF Diet Coke
• 2 gallons Milk
• 10 bags of Hershey's candy (for a road trip to CA and to take to NYC)
• 24 packages of Pasta (whole grain, Smart Balance, and good-old-enriched)
• 1 Bagel (to keep my little shopper happy)
  

If I were CRAZY and paid full price, I would have spent $118.81. Instead, I opted to save $102.49 and pay only $16.32. Now I have food for Jonathan for a few days!

Memories of a Tank

Isn't this car a beauty? I saw it parked on the side of the road in Livermore last week and I had to take a picture of it. My parents used to own one of these beauties... a Ford Torino. Ours was green, just like the one pictured, however ours had a black top! My parents bought their Torino in 1971 and drove it from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Livermore. It had green vinyl seats, seatbelts in the front and backseats, an AM radio, and (most impressively) air conditioning. It was a solid 2-door beast. It was driven for more than 10 years, and finally was replaced with a 1981 Honda Accord. We passed the Torino on down to an aunt and uncle who drove "Tank" for several more years. Aly probably doesn't have very fond memories of the Torino... she got her thumb slammed in the door and as a result, that thumb is shorter and wider than her other thumb.

A Pretty Darn Good Day

Yesterday was a pretty good day for the Big Ones! Jonathan's day started off with him finding out that he won the Energy Solutions Scholarship for Timpanogos High! That scholarship is worth a minimum of $2,000 (and potentially more due to scholarship matching). Then the boys spent the day skiing... last time for this year (probably). They had fun in the terrain park experimenting with different styles of jumps. After skiing, Nolan got to go and meet his favorite author, Brandon Mull. He was signing his new book at Costco, so Nolan has a personalized and signed copy of The Beyonders. He also got his picture taken with Brandon Mull.

Margaret Lydia Winters Madsen

My grandma died on Tuesday night. She was nearly 94. She was having dinner at my uncle's home. He was going to take her home when she collapsed in his arms. The paramedics immediately arrived, but she died at the hospital within a few minutes of arriving. She raised 5 children, taught school, and lived alone for 17 years. Now she has gone on to be with Grandpa and those who went before her. She finally can get to know her parents who died when she was very young.

My grandma hated part of her name. She hated the name "Lydia". She was glad that Lydia was her middle name so she didn't have to use it. Grandma always had gum. Grandma always had Tic Tacs. She even made her way up to Leslie, who was having her wedding pictures taken, to give her a Tic Tac. Grandma also had a drawer with candy bars in it. Grandma was a saver and a preparer. Her garage was loaded with everything imaginable because one day, you just might need the stuff (obviously she was raised during the Great Depression). She also had food storage tucked neatly away on shelves and behind curtains in the garage. I remember she stocked "Smiles" brand soda (or "pop", as she called it) alongside her food storage. Grandma also had her washer and dryer in the garage (and I thought that was strange). I assume that Grandma could drive, but I don't remember because Grandpa always did the driving.

Grandma was the only person I've ever know who saved a gingerbread house and displayed it year after year after year. She always wore an "over the head" large housedress-style apron when she cooked. I loved Grandma's deli meat. My mom always bought the meat from the deli that was sliced to order. Grandma had the deli "meat" that came in the sealed bags and the "meat" was sliced so thin and was cut in a circle. I thought that Grandma's deli meat was a treat!

She and Grandpa took exotic trips... Mediterranean Sea, Panama Canal, and Alaska. I remember thinking it was so exotic that they went on a cruise. Grandma played Solitaire for hours while sitting in an arm chair with a brown board she used as a lap desk. Grandma put plastic sheets on the bed for us even when we were grown-ups.

Grandma is also responsible for me reading the Box Car Children series of books. She had dozen or more of the books in the bookshelf in her room. I would pass time at Grandma's house by reading the Box Car Children. My favorite was Surprise Island. She also had a set of Disney books that were loved.

Grandpa and Grandma visited us a lot because we lived near the Oakland Temple. They'd drive down from Chico, then stay with us and attend the temple. Their temple attendance was a great example for me. They both were also journal-keepers.

Seventeen years ago, Grandpa died. Grandma seemed lost. She'd spent most of her life caring for Grandpa. She initially kept up with her life, traveling to her grandkids weddings and such, but eventually she retreated to herself. She became fearful, especially of burglars. She didn't want to leave her house, so she didn't. She lived alone and did her best to take care of herself. As the years went by, she became confused little by little. She fell in her home and broke her hip. She recovered though. A few years ago, Grandma emerged from her solitude. She began attending church again. She made short trips to her kids homes. She attended weddings again.
She still loved alone and liked it. It stressed her out to be gone from her own home for very long. My cousin lived with her and was able to help care for her for the past few months.

Grandma died on March 15th. It was very sudden. She will be missed. Next Friday is her funeral. She leaves a legacy... 5 children, 26 grandchildren, 60+ great grandchildren.

Mind Your P's, Q's, AND G's

Everyone knows that they need to mind their P's and Q's, but many people need to pay attention to their "G's". Sometimes E's are silent, but I've never known a "G" to be silent. The other morning at breakfast we were eating German Pancakes. Diner #1 asked Diner #2 what she was putting on her German Pancake. She said "powdered sugar". Diner #1 took the powdered sugar, tried it, and asked if Diner #2 was sure it was powdered sugar because it "tastes like bacon powder". That's what I heard... "Bacon powder". I thought that Diner #1 was out of his/her mind... powdered sugar and bacon do not taste similar at all, also I'd never heard of "bacon powder", and I highly doubt it would look anything like powdered sugar. While I was puzzling over Diner #1's odd comment, it hit me... Diner #1 didn't say "bacon powder", Diner #1 was saying "baking powder", but didn't enunciate the "G" at the end of the word. While "Baking Powder" makes more sense, I still don't think it tastes anything like powdered sugar.

Hairdryers

This weekend Miles and I flew to the Bay Area to attend a funeral. Since I was traveling by myself with Miles, I had to limit my luggage because I had to be able to handle Miles, a suitcase, a car seat, a baby backpack, and a regular backpack by myself. I was packing up the bathroom stuff and was trying to decided if I needed to pack my hairdryer when I had a flashback to childhood. I remember 2 hairdryers from my childhood. One belonged to my mom, the other to my dad.

My mom's hairdryer was stored in a round hard-sided case. I remember it looking like this, but a robin's egg blue color.The blower part sits in the bottom of the case. There was a shower cap-like thing you put over your hair and a hose attached the blower to the cap... kinda like a portable version of the dryers that some salons still have. I remember using this hair dryer once. My hair was in curlers and I had the cap on my head and while I was initially excited to use the hair dryer, it didn't take long before I thought, "This is so boring!"

My dad had a hairdryer too. I don't remember if it was his alone, but he's the one I remember using it. I asked Aly if she remembered it (to see if I was remembering right) and the recollection of it made us both laugh so hard. I couldn't remember the official name of the dryer, but at our house, it was know as "the max". Aly googled "the max hair dryer" and she found a picture of "the max".This machine had multiple attachments, including a comb attachment and a brush attachment. My dad used it to create his nice and fluffy 70's style hair. It was used so much that the plastic bristles on the brush attachment were smashed flat. I didn't like "the max" because I had such thick hair that "the max" wasn't very effective. This baby was a 650 watt powered machine and had 2 settings- low and high.

Well, I didn't pack my hairdryer for the trip. My parents have updated their hairdryers. My dad no longer uses a hairdryer, and my mom's dryer is powerful enough to dry the mass of hair I have in a timely manner.

Look What's New in Our House

Yesterday, Nolan and I went to Oak Canyon Junior High to register him for 7th grade. Look what came home with him.Actually, it's not a trumpet; it's a cornet. Nolan thinks it's awesome and can produce sound through it that scare his cat. I think the sounds sound like an injured elephant He also likes to play it in the bathroom because it echos. Nolan especially likes the spit valves! I have banished the instrument to the basement. And while I am not enamored with this LOUD instrument (at least for now), I am grateful that I am not living in the Reeves' home... they brought home a cornet and trombone from 7th grade registration.

Deciding what classes to take in 7th grade was/is challenging for Nolan. He knew he had to take the basics, Pre-Algebra, English, Science, Utah History, CTE, Boys P.E., and Health, but choosing electives was hard! He chose Spanish 1, Intermediate Orchestra, and Ballroom for his electives. He tested out of Keyboarding and is taking Ballroom (!) in place of Keyboarding. He chose to study Spanish. He auditioned for the orchestra teacher and, much to his delight, Nolan was placed in the Intermediate Orchestra. So, what is Nolan dong with a cornet if he's registered for Orchestra? Well, Mr. "I Want to Take Everything" can't decide if he wants to continue with violin or switch to trumpet/cornet. For now, he's registered for Orchestra and will take summer band to test out the cornet. If he likes it, then he'll have to choose between violin and trumpet/cornet. If he hates it, then he will know that he gave it a try and chose the violin. In June he will make his decision...

Caffeine Free Diet Coke Revisited

Last week was the Costco Caffeine Diet Coke in the bottle stunt. Today I was grocery shopping with Miles and we were walking down the soda aisle. Miles starting saying, "Co-oh-oh-ke, 'ere ah ooo? Co-oh-oh-ke, 'ere ah ooo?" [Translation- "Coke, Where are you?"] When we walked by the Coke display, he happily squealed "'es!" (meaning "Yes!"). So Miles know what his drink looks like. I had to buy him some. Happy Boy!

To an Athlete Dying Young

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields were glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

-A.E. Housman

It's been a rough afternoon. An amazing lady lost her battle with cancer today. She died before anyone thought she would. She died with grace and dignity. I miss her.

Liz was one of my Laurel leaders. She had a contagious laugh. She was a brilliant teacher. She was loving and accepting. She was a true friend. Liz could talk your ear off. She had a laugh that was all her own. She knew how to have fun. She loved the Lord. I love Liz.

A year ago, Liz was diagnosed with Gall Bladder cancer. I knew that that was one of the kinds of cancer that you don't want. She went through chemo, but said all along, she would decide when she was done with treatment. She went to Legoland, Disneyland, made trips to visit her kids. Recently though, the treatments were making Liz really ill and she decided she was through. She turned to hospice care with her doctor's note indicating that she had 6 months to live. That was last week. Today she is gone, probably having a raucous reunion with those who have gone before, and especially with her best friend Claudia. My heart aches. I miss her.

Bad Night's Sleep

I slept awful last night and have no one to blame it on other than myself. Whenever there is something that deviates from "the norm" the next day, I sleep terrible! For example, if I absolutely have to set an alarm for an out-of-the-ordinary event (like catching a plane), I wake up multiple times during the night to make sure I set the alarm right. Today's "deviation from normal" event was next year's high school registration. Jonathan's registration period opened today at 2:45 p.m. No, I didn't have to set an alarm for that, but I dreamed about it all night long. Registration is done online and I had to register on behalf of Jonathan because he is sitting in an ACT prep class as registration starts (and I have to be "first" because he wants specific classes that might be filled by the time his ACT class is over and he could do it himself). Last night I dreamed that my computers froze, that they both had nasty viruses, that I got the blue screen of death, that the system was too busy and I couldn't get on, and that everything he wanted was full (but how many high school kids really want to take AP Music Theory?). Well, I got up this morning and decided to "practice" the registration process again to make sure that my plan was the most efficient way to register for classes (because there are 4 different ways to access the master class schedule). I logged on and somehow the system was available and I registered Jonathan this morning... 4 hours early. But, not trusting the system, I logged back in at 2:45 p.m. when registration officially opened and verified that Jonathan was still registered and the system didn't erase his schedule. It was there! I'm sure tonight I will sleep fine!

A Very Public Tantrum

I love it when Miles lets the world know that he is two. Today he threw a textbook-classic tantrum. He also chose to demonstrate his tantrum proficiency at Jonathan's high school. There was a parent and student registration presentation at THS this morning. I decided to try and attend with Miles. We walked through the front doors and Miles took one look at the school and started to scream. I managed to get him calmed down enough to go into the auditorium. That's when he chose to really let loose. I love the way his screams echo in a quiet school building. Miles was not showing any signs of finishing his tantrum so I decided that it was in everyone's best interest that we leave. We went outside and I put Miles down so he could finish his tantrum on his terms. He decided to headbutt the sidewalk. Then he walked over to the parked FedEx truck and headbutted the truck's bumper. Then he was content to just throw himself back down on the sidewalk and scream. When I tried to pick him up, he tried to hit and bite me. The Special Ed. kids were returning from an outing. They were getting off the bus and heading back into the school. Miles decided to get up and throw himself in front of where those kids were walking. They seemed quite perplexed at Miles' behavior. At that point, I scooped him up, restrained his arms and trekked him off to the car (which was parked a few blocks away). We got to the car and I nicely set Miles down. He decided to hit the car. Then he threw himself face-first down onto the asphalt in the parking lot. I got the car opened and forced him into his seat. We left. I drove to the bank, which was at least a dozen blocks away. Miles screamed the entire way. I went through the drive-thru at the bank all the while Miles was screaming. I drove to the recycling center (which was another 10+ blocks) and Miles continued to serenade me with his tantrum. He thought the recycling center was interesting, so he stopped screaming so he could focus on all the scrap metal. When we went into the cashier building, he decided to scream some more. Fortunately, the cashier gave Miles a lollipop and all was instantly well with the world once again. In retrospect, it really was an impressive tantrum, but I still am not amused.