KGram

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day

2010-06-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love the rain. When I was a child I remember one spring day dancing around in the front yard singing "Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day" as the spring rain drops fell all around me. I played for what seemed like hours that day in the rain. When I finally went in I was soaking wet, chilled to the bone and happy as a lark.

I love the rain. This past week we took our camp trailer up to Island Park to put it on our lot. It had been raining and we knew things would be too wet to put it on the usual spot but we backed it up into what we thought would be a dry enough area to park. Needless to say, the camp trailer is there to stay until we can put it in it's usual spot for it will take some creative work to get it out from where it is parked. Even though, sleeping in the trailer as the rain falls on top of the metal roof is a relaxing sound. The fresh clean air as you open the door in the morning is refreshing and revitalizing.

I love the rain. The beautiful green of the plants and the vibrant colors of the flowers when there has been a lot of rain in heaven sent. My garden grows better when nature produces alot of fresh water from the sky. The grass is greener and seems thicker when there has been a lot of rain.

I love the rain. All in All, I will be glad for a few days of sunshine. Then it can rain again to bring the freshness to the air, give the plants a lovely watering and freshen the thickened grass.

Ages Ago

2010-05-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

It has been ages since I last posted--of cource you all know that. Lots has happened including I forgot my password to get to this blog. I have retired from teaching and am getting used to be in charge of my own time. I have read a lot of books, done some geneology, enjoyed being with family and have gotten some much needed little jobs around the house done.

I am finding I really enjoy being in charge of my own time. I am having to learn how to use it wisely for there are days that go by that I could accomplish nothing at all but getting up and dressed for the day. I descided to substitute teach for extra money and it is nice to say, "No, I can't today, sorry."or "Yes, that would be great."

The books I have read have varied in genre. I read The Book of Morman in less that thirty days and got more out of that reading than ever before. Two favorite books have been I Am David and The Hiding Place. There have been dozens of others and each has given me oppertunities to reflect on different parts of my own life.

I am into spring and have gone overboard on purchasing plants and seed. I do this all the time but this year I really went all out. Now I have to find places to plant all that I have accumulated. I am proud to say I have peas, lettuce, and radishes coming up.

My greatest joy this year has been time I have spent with my grandchildren. I have watched closely the growing up of our youngest granddaughter and that has given us great joy. I get to spend a couple of day a week with two other grandchildren (if I'm not subbing.) and that has been fun.

Best of all I am getting to know my spouse a little better each day. He too retired so we are together a lot. He is a pretty neat man. He makes me laugh and he make me think. Love him dearly. Oh, I have my days when I wish I had time alone--but they pass and the next day is much better.

I am loving life.

Apples, Apples, Apples

2009-10-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

The picture was ealier this summer. Read on to learn about the fruits of my labors.

Over the last week and a half my daughter-in-law and I have been canning apple sauce, apple butter, drying apples, and freezing apples. We have take a break the last couple of days. Now we are dragging our feet getting back to the rest of the apples.

Two little tips I have learned this year. We made our apple butter in the crock pot--Oh it was easy. Just look on line for a recipe. The apples we froze we blanched , filled pie plates full of apples--froze--then slipped the frozen apples out of the pie plates into air tight bags--they are frozen in the shape of the pie plate. When I am ready to make a pie, just place the shape into the crust--add my sugar, spices and a little flour and bake. Hope it works--I'll let you know later.

Sticky Day

2009-09-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today I made Plum butter, fruit leather and tried my hand at plum jelly. All went well except the plum jelly--I fear I cooked it a little too long.

Progress on my new life changing journey has brought me good forturn. I am down three pounds. Every little pound gone is great. I view it as double great because that means I didn't gain that much weight--so in all reality--six pounds down--wish!!!

About Time

2009-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Time seems to go so quickly whether you are having fun or just doing the day to day things. For me the reason that I haven't been blogging is two fold: I haven't taken the time and I forgot ,my password. Did I mention that time plays trick on your memory also!

I have retired from teaching and am getting used to having time to do whatever I need to or want to. It is a difficult adjustment for me--I end up wasting a lot of time and not accomplishing much at all. I did better when I had to really plan out my time carefully.

We parked our trailors on our lot in Island Park and have spent a lot of time up there this summer. Not as much as I would like but that will come. It is now time to bring the trailors down and put them up for the winter. I am dreading that--I like the option having someplace to run off too.

My daughter-in-law, Rusty, and grandaughter, Jadin have been with us for the summer. It has been fun getting to know Rusty and playing with a newborn again. I love being a grandparent. For one thing it brings back memories of when my own children were babies and all the frustrations of motherhood. For me I just couldn't relax and enjoy the time. I can now though and boy am I ever.

I have another blog that I am keeping track of my progress on a life changing goal of mine. I have always had problems with weight and I hate to exercise so I am attempting for the millionth time to change all that. This time I hope to be more successful and accomplish being slimmer, physically ship shape and psycologically healthier. The blog is Grannykatholyn or Grannyk--time has done wonders for my memory, can't you tell?

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2008-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

In a few days we will be celebrating a national holiday, Thanksgiving. A day of family,food, laughter, parades, and dishes. I enjoy Thanksgiving. One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was when our family spent a few days at the beach. We stayed at a military resort. We enjoyed each others company, went bike riding, walked along the beach and ate Thanksgiving dinner out.
It was wonderful. There were not a lot of people crowding the beaches or the restraunt and we almost had the whole resort to ourselves. Unfortionately, one of the kids got sick but we endured and we all had a great time.

I am thankful for many all my material and spiritual blessings--I have far more than I deserve.

Trick or Treating Fun

2008-11-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

This time of the year when the Ghost and Goblins appear is a fun time. This year was beautiful in Idaho. Last Sunday Byron and I bagged up all the leaves in the front yard, like we do every year, and placed some in Halloween bags to help decorate the front of our house.

We had two very special trick or treaters this year. Madi the Dog and Gabe the Lion. We think these two little tricksters are pretty special. One sad thing happened while they visited--Gabe the Lion took a nose dive into the driveway and ended up skinning his nose and upper lip. A hug and a kiss and he was on his way "door to door" as Gabe the Lion along with Madi the Dog.

Halloween in our neighborhood is a little different. Down the street is an elementary school where they hold "Trunk or Treat" each year and then a few of the children wonder on down our street door to door. What was neat to see this year was that all the children that came to our door were accompanied by one or both parents. I was a family time. Even some of the parents dressed up to escort their little ones. In my daughters neighborhood a couple dressed up as clowns drove down their street in a ATV and delivered candy bars to all the neighborhood kids.

A lot of the local churches had Halloween Parties this week, which families played games and ate together.

Well I have started my holiday shopping and feel good so far that I have gotten everything at sale prices. Let's hope it continues that way. Of cource I don't know what to get everyone but it will come.

Family and the Seasons.

2008-10-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today as I try to write my own history I am reminded of how important family is.(Who knows how many times I have started to do this and never quiet get it done-I have a goal this time.) I remember doing a lot of things with my family when I was younger. Not just my parents, brothers, and sister but my extended family. I miss those times. There is extended family that I have never met and that is sad.

I don't feel like I know my own children's families very well either. Of cource it has something to do with all of us living in different parts of the world but we don't communicate enough. I am partly to blame--for I don't write them much or call them often. I do love them and I hope that they all know that.

It is October 12th and we have recieved our first snow storm of the season. We usually get a little snow in October so it is nothing new but it seems rather early. I love the change of seasons and I think my favorite season is winter although I love them all. What isn't to love--each season in Idaho is so different and it brings with it new colors.

Granny Great Howell Visits Sept., 2008

2008-10-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

Granny Great visited us in September along with Jennifer. We went camping in Island Park and Granny took a short spin around the lot on the 4-Wheeler and then she and Jennifer took a short drive through the developement.

We visited Yellowstone National Park one day--it was rather a cold rainy day but it was a nice drive. We drove around the Lake and then out for lunch in West Yellowstone.

On our way home we took an alternate route past Upper and Lower Messa Falls. This is a picture of Granny at Upper Messa Falls and then Jennifer and Byron taking the dogs for a walk just before we leave for our final leg home. It was a beautiful Fall day, and none of us wanted to return home.

This first week of October has been a busy one. We returned to Island Park on Sunday and came home with the trailer on Tuesday. It was getting too cold to be leaving it up in the mountains and with the chance of snow any day we desided to call it a year. I then went to a Social Studies conference in Boise for two days.

The Boise Social Studies conference was interesting but not my favorite conference especially to be doing on my own time and two week break. I enjoyed seeing my teaching friends who I traveled to Boise with--we presented our trip to a group-to encourage them to apply for the oppertunity. My favorite speech at the conference was "Sex in the City" It was all about the social norms of the early 19th century concerning women. It was a good paper. I also got some ideas to use in the classroom from some other classes I attended.--All in all it wasn't a total wash.

It's Been Too Long

2008-09-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I last blogged so today I was determined. My problem has been I couldn't remember how to do this. So I had to work my way through, a new password and the whole bit.

Yesterday was my 37th Wedding Anniversary. My husband sent me flowers. We didn't do anything really special except to be together. He's is really a special individual. He thinks of all kinds of things that he knows will touch my heart. He's a great father and a wonderful grandfather. It is fun to watch him with his grandchildren--when our own children were growing up he was great but didn't have much time to spend with them and enjoy them because of his career. Times have not always been good for our relationship but we have worked the problems through and today I love him more than yesterday.

My children believe I can't remember birthdays, anniversaries and such--they are wrong--I remember them but not at the right time sometimes. A weekness I have--besides I love celebrating everyday those kinds of things.

Let's add a photo.

2008-08-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

This is a wild geranium found at our lot in Island Park.

Another Day

2008-08-26T05:35:00.001-07:00

Another Day. I never stop to realize what a blessing each day is until I am reminded of it by some tradegy. That is such a shame, because when the day is done I am really greatful for what has transpired that day good or bad. It is all experiences that make me who I am. I love each an every new day.

I Did Remember

2008-08-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I posted that I didn't know if I would remember my password-as you see I did.

I've been busy beginning a new year of teaching. I enjoy my job, but every year I stress out when school is about to begin. I have the teacher nightmares--kids running away, me strangling some student for an action that was unexceptable to me, going to school without any cloths on, forgetting to set the alarm--that one may have some trueth to it. Needless to say I don't sleep well the first few weeks before school. Once school begins and I have a chance to meet my students--the nightmares are gone. The tiredness comes from the emotioan work load of teaching and keeping everyone happy. It takes me about a month before I begin to feel rested after a nights sleep.

My dear sweet husband has been busy clearing trees off lot. I have helped some but he has done most of the work. We have the septic system almost totally in. That was a goal we had for the summer but had hoped to have it completed by the first of July. Only a little behind schedule.

My next goal in this blogging is to make my page a little more attractive. For that I will have to enlist my daughters help.

Idaho Spud

2008-08-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl I loved visiting my grandparents who lived just outside of Firth, Idaho. Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed an occasional evening out. Once when I was staying with them they promised me a treat if I would stay home while they went out. Of cource I chose my favorite candy bar at the time--Almand Joy. To my surprise grandmother brought me back an Idaho Spud bar. I was happy for the surprise, but displeased it wasn't an Almand Joy. Grandmother explained that there hadn't been any Almand Joys to purchase and she thought that I might like this candy bar instead--afterall it had coconut in it. I must say it turned out to be a sweet experience. I have loved them ever since.

You know you can't buy this candy bar just anywhere in the world. You find them mostly in Idaho--surprise, surprise--and in some of the surrounding states. Over the years I have found them to be good Christmas presents for family who live out of state--if they like them of cource.

There is a certain way I enjoy eating an Idaho Spud bar--kind of like when one eats and Oreo cookie. I like my bars cold, that way the chocolate outside comes away from the marshmellowie inside very easily. Once most of the chocalate outside is gone I then eat the marshmellow inside.
I do this when I really want to savor the experience of eating the bar.

I thank my grandmother and grandfather for introducing me to one of my favorite candy bars, the Idaho Spud Bar.

A New Era

2008-07-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is a new era for me--blogging. I felt kind of out of it so I thought if I want to get with it I might as well give it a try. It will take me awhile to learn how to do all this and if I remember I might get my daughter to help tudar me in putting together a blog--she is getting pretty good at it.(My opinion) A number of my young friends and people I work with blog so I was beginning to feel out of the loop. Now I can say I am trying to the loop.