Enquiring Minds Want to Know

K-for fun today I've decided to answer questions that have come up in the comments section:

Spanish Final-AWESOME! I give all glory, laud and honor to my lovely dialogue partner who managed to calm me down and get my brain functioning so I could speak in coherent (Spanish) sentences. I'm taking Spanish because I have been wanting to learn to speak it forever, and I serve in a Spanish speaking branch-along with my ward calling. I'm going to school for fun and to keep my aging brain functioning and maybe, just maybe graduate from college-but I think I'm taking a little Spanish break now, thinking of maybe taking another academic class next semester.....What should I take?At the end of the Christmas season, the Christmas tree gets crammed back into the box it came in, (why is it they never fit exactly the same way again?) and goes into the garage to await its debut again in 360-ish days.

Random fact about my Christmas tree:

Jessica pointed out to me this afternoon that I have an ASU tree-complete with red and gold decorations, a fact which will make my rabid ASU fans happy. (boo UofA)

Elder Steve is currently serving in Nashville, TN Spanish speaking mission. His arrival date is April 8, 2009. (this is one of my favorite photos of him-taken at the MTC-his first snow!) This is his last Christmas away. His Christmas package got sent off today-and nearly got sent to the wrong address-----(long story) Hooray-one more thing checked off my list.Thanks for the garden love. Now remember, I live in ARIZONA. It freezes maybe 3 days a year here. We grow all our "cold season" veggies now like lettuce. If I tried to grow lettuce in June here-well, who likes wilted lettuce? or no lettuce at all, or very, very bitter lettuce? This is my favorite time of year to garden. I can go outside without being fried like a french fry. I now present a little ditty penned by my talented niece-Miss Mari.

Marilyn Marilyn not so contrarian,

how does your garden grow?

With cabbage heads and lettuce beds

and carrots being pulled from their rows.

Isn't that just the cutest?

The Day after Thanksgiving

Yes, I know it's ten days after the fact, but traditionally in my home, the Day After Thanksgiving has been....(not Black Friday shopping) but Decking the Halls. Since there has been a severe lack of Christmas-y type postings I thought it behooved me to get in the spirit of things and share my latest holiday acquisitions....


I have been coveting/drooling over/envying/desiring this 9' pre-lit Christmas tree every year in Costco for the last few years. We finally bit the bullet and got it. It is gorgeous! Except now I need to buy more Christmas decorations to put on it. We put our shorter, 6' tree in the living room, complete with all our sentimental decorations and it looks wonderful! Although I need to move everything up 2 feet to accomodate the curious rug-rats that invade our home occasionally (toddler grandchildren).

Each year I buy something new to decorate the house with at my FAVORITE store The Orange Patch, in Mesa which decks the halls in a truly magnificent way every year. This year my lovely daughters (I include my DIL in this title) bought me these trimmings. I LOVE THEM! They took me with them to pick it all out. It was fun, fun, fun.

For more festive holiday photos, I refer you here, my decking the halls from last year.

(now say a quick prayer for me today since I'm doing my Spanish oral final and I am scared spit-less!)

21 Days: Read the account of Jairus in Matthew 9. Ponder "on a time in your life when you had to search for the Savior to find strength beyond your own."

18 Days Closer......

Sister Freeman's challenge today is to write your testimony of Jesus Christ, if you have not already done so. Today (Sunday) is a perfect day to take some time and do that!

Elder Steve

Here's a few of the latest and greatest from my boy. He sent home a box with some stuff he doesn't want to haul around anymore and a picture memory card...hooray! (could it be he may be getting a tiny bit trunky?) No-I don't really think so. He just got transferred to Mayfield, Kentucky, where there have never been Spanish speaking missionaries and he has been challenged to open up the work there........

The day before Thanksgiving.

Pretty red tree!

Recent baptism

This is the "sweet part" he was discussing in one of his letters last fall. (his hair)

AHHHH. The photos he sends home are either really sweet or like this, reminding me that of course he still is a 20 year old kid......

**21 Days Closer to Christ.....Sister Freeman challenges us to read the story of the Savior washing the disciples feet in John 13. The challenge is to "find ways to bring honor to Christ's name by letting the walk of your life exemplify Him."

21 Days Closer to Christ

Yesterday, as I was strolling through Wal-Mart for the fifth time this week, I stopped to browse through the LDS book section (yayforwalmart!) and this book caught my eye. The date yesterday was Dec. 4th and it was EXACTLY 21 days until Christmas and I thought to myself....hmmmm self, this would be an excellent time to focus on this topic since it is EXACTLY 21 days until the world celebrates His birth...

So.....I bought the book and opened it up and read Chapter 1. It gives a series of scripture readings to ponder and very thought provoking questions to meditate upon and write about. The topic of Chapter One was "Come and See" and it recounts the story of Jesus calling his apostles as they were fishing. In John Chapter 1, Simon and Andrew ask the Lord, "Rabbi....where dwellest thou?" and he answers, "Come and See." (John 1: 38,39) They immediately drop their nets and follow Him. He gives each of us that invitation and the question the author asks us at the end of the chapter is, "will we leave behind our nets, which are so full of other interests and everyday challenges? What fills your net and prevents you from "coming and seeing?"

This is a question I could ponder not for just one day--but many days. How about you?

How Does My Garden Grow?

I admit it. I shamelessly look forward each day to comments. I thrive on the "love" I get from my loyal followers (all 4 of them!) So there's time today for a garden update....who knows what tomorrow will bring? (Bubba D just called and told me he is broken down on the freeway.....Dad to the rescue-YAY!)

The lettuce patch. We are now starting to eat salads from the lettuce patch! Hooray...It's a little slower this year-maybe because the garden box gets less direct sunshine (hmmm, note for next year's planting)

The rest of the lettuce patch. I plant in succession so that stuff matures steadily and we can continue to eat it....these babies are a little slower...

The cabbage patch. The leaves are starting to curl around themselves and making tiny little heads! (can you see something is eating my cabbage? anyone out there know an organic way of getting rid of the critters? I've looked for them and they are sneaky-I haven't found any yet) Broccoli is very very happy, no production of flowers yet.

Pea and Onion patch. They are happy too because I forgot and left the water on to drip for about 5 hours straight a couple of weeks ago and it rained last week.......
Pea and carrot patch. I plant carrots in succession too. I figured out the secret to carrots is to THIN THEM. It just goes against the grain to pull out perfectly good little seedlings but it must be done-I thin them to about 2-3 inches apart-so that the little carrots can make big orange roots.

Ok-now go forth and comment so I can get my fix!

Life Happens

Hi-just taking a tiny bloggy break here-working on Santa's list, preparing Elder Steve's Christmas package (he's getting transferred today to a brand new area!), studying for Spanish final, Decking the Halls, preparing Sharing Time, generally doing the mom thing.......I've got some things to share.....catch up with you soon!