Hacer una Caminata

Adding to my vast repertoire of Spanish vocabulary words is this enticing little phrase...translated to say.....Take a Hike.....(in the literal sense)

So my dear Jessica kindly indulged her middle-aged mother by volunteering to hike the desert with me, since I was afraid to go alone due to the possibility of getting mugged or some other equally heinous thing.... I've wanted to do this for weeks to photograph and enjoy the desert wildflowers......and we only have a few more weeks before it will be 110 in the shade.....

Essentials of hiking in back pocket....map and water.....(Jess don't hate me for posting this-I think it's cute)

In case you ever fly to Phoenix and you worry that your pilot may get lost-here are directions conveniently posted on the side of a mountain... (isn't that comforting)

The theme of the desert seems to be yellow.....

With an odd pink thrown in here and there.....

Look at our lovely "clean" air here in the desert, yup, that's the big city in the distance.

I am queen of the world!

Last photo of the day.....my photography skills are sorely lacking...but you get the idea...

Thanks Jess for indulging me...I'm looking forward to our next hike... when the palo verdes bloom....

Bloggy Break

Well-just takin' a little bloggy break here......Let's see....what sorts of Adventures has this Madwoman been up to lately????

Eagle Board of Review on Sunday---verdict---The Eagle Has Landed!

New Doctor-AWESOME....He SPELLS everything and talks slow.......

Trying to master the "new" Family Search.......I've ripped out a few hairs lately.....

Just finished up my most FAVORITE weekend of the year---we can just leave the world behind and soak up the inspiration....I love the spirit that fills my home twice a year. (wasn't Pres. Monson awesome)

This awesome guy cooked all the food for our "semi-annual" conference breakfast with the fam..(I vote for breakfast burritos every time from now on!)

I don't know if the subjects of the photo will be thrilled to be on the world-wide-web-but you get the idea.....we gather every conference Sunday for a pre-conference breakfast feast.

This sweet little boy on the left is allergic to every green thing that God has created on this earth! I am now the proud possessor of an Epi-Pen in case of a bad reaction......yikes! (it's an automatic injector of adrenaline in case of anaphylactic shock....)

Welp....there are a few more adventures but my yoga DVD is awaiting and I can't put it off any longer.....................

Happy Hump Day!

Today is my boy's one-year mark. A year ago right now we were at the airport.....sending him off to serve the Lord for two years. I did really good...I wasn't going to cry and embarrass him.

But then as he was walking down to security, I couldn't help it. It was like involuntary tears just started pouring out of my eyes, just flooding my face. It was a very weird experience.My face is totally wet......

Two years seemed like such a long time....But guess what....that year went by so fast, I can't believe it! Although honestly, right now, another year seems like a long time to me. It has been so fun so see him grow and progress....and we get to talk to him on the phone in about a month!

And I've got one more year to get another one ready to leave-right after his brother comes home......

Somehow one year doesn't seem so long after all.........

It's a Fake

Uh, yea, April Fool's. Check out ksl.com

Have You Seen This??

Snoop Dogg converts to Mormonism.....what?????

Gladys Knight invites him to FHE........

Ummm....well....the date on the CNN report was April 1st......

If it's true, I am very happy for him.

Good job bein' a member missionary Gladys.

Anxiety

I'm feeling a tad anxious today.

You see...as mentioned previously...I have my own bizness. In fact for 15 years. What is it, you ask? It's this:

No, I'm not a doctor. I just transcribe the stuff that the doctors say in those funny machines. Done this for 15 years. It's been very good to me. I have done well. I've been able to stay home with my thundering herd and at least be here physically, although maybe not mentally here all the time.

It's nice to know the doctor lingo-it's amazing how much respect you generate when you are at the doctor 's office and you can toss in an "itis" or an "ectomy" now and then. It has been very useful in the past while dealing with some serious and not-so-serious medical issues.

One of my best moments was when the doctor, dressed in his white coat, was begging me, yes, pleading for me to do his dictation. I consider that one of the highlights of my ego-building experiences.

I have done work for doctors from India, Scotland, and various types of accents from the good ol' USA.

I've done dictation on almost every body part, both male & female, except maybe the colon......

I have heard many interesting things in the background during dictation-music, telephones ringing, other people talking, kids playing, dogs barking. I have heard doctors yelling, whispering, laughing, belching, talking about other random subjects and so on. But the kicker was when I heard this:

(No-he's really not doing that in this picture-wait maybe he is!)

Now, I've lived with a man for over 30 years, I have three boys. I know what this sounds like-but believe me, I couldn't believe it when I heard that telltale sound in the background during the discussion of someone's knee exam....

I had to ask a couple of other people to listen to see if they agreed with me.

They agreed.....

I couldn't believe he was actually going to the bathroom during the recording! Maybe he forgot that I can hear everything that is going on in the background...

So... back to the anxiety. I'm going to start a new doctor today. He convinced me to do his work-although I am mostly retired these days. He starts dictating today. So I always have that little bit of anxiety--wondering if he talks fast, will I understand him, will he like my work, how long will it take to do his work...yada yada yada.

In fact, I am so anxious, I really feel the need to eat some chocolate. And pray that all I hear in the background is some nice soft music or telephones ringing.......

Savoring this Moment

As co-CEO of the family and CEO of my own biz....

And it being the first and all....

Bills to pay...

Billings to send out....

Projects with work, kids, church, hobbies, family history.....

The ol' desk really suffers.....

But after some intensive therapy......

{Ahhhhhh}........clean desk

Probably won't look this way by the end of the day...but I can savor this moment!