Hell on Earth!!

Yes, it is true.  There truly is a Hell on Earth.  If you would like to see this phenomenon for yourself, come to Bird Street School, Room 1.  I will be there, but I probably will not be available for chatting because I am like a rat in a cage, running, running, running, running, talking, begging, threatening, helping, dragging, pulling, sweating, sweating, sweating, etc.  I am sure you think you understand, but until you have walked a day in these Keenes of mine, you do not know.!!!  I look like I am smiling in this picture, but there is a crazy gleam in my eye and spittle dripping from my lip.

Fortunately, God loves me and has taken pity on me.  In addition to the miraculous infection of the Monte Vista building which delayed Seminary, the powers that think they are in charge, are hiring a new kindergarten teacher and so all my kinders will be in ANOTHER ROOM... THE ONE NEXT DOOR... ROOM 2... OUT OF ROOM 1.  I, however, know who the real POWER is and I am so thankful for his tender mercies.  You may think I am making light of sacred things, but I assure you, I am not.  Anyone who has been to Hell and survived, knows who to thank for their escape!

By the way, do you think that looks like a lot of 4, 5 and 6 year olds?  4 are absent...

Shopping at the Walmart

Here we all are on our daily trip to Walmart... at least it seems like daily.  I suppose everyone has seen those double carts, called the "family cart".  Well, how many of you have ridden in one?  This could very well be Sam's claim to fame.  Here we have Josh and Sam riding side by side on the bench portion of the cart, with Charlee in her bucket riding in the basket.  I guess you can guess who would rather take the picture than be seen with this motley group.

Can you see the barrettes in Charlee's hair?  Oh yes, she is now a "clip girl". 

I don't think the length of the Walmart shopping trip was the reason for Joshie's quick 40 winks.  We might have been there during nap time.  And the bench seats are so much more comfie without Sam.

What a fun trip!   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELEE!!

Twenty nine years ago... a baby girl was born

And now my baby is having babies...

She is a great daughter, sister, mother and auntie.

And she has found a wonderful man to be part of the family.  

Thank you Nick for taking her off my hands.

HELP, HELP, HELP

I need help from all you seminary grads.  

You all remember the good ol' days of Seminary.  Well, guess what?  It is still going on.  There are a number of LDS youth, ages 13-17 , and teachers (mostly old), who continue to get up at the crack of dawn and and attend a morning meeting that ranges from highly spiritual to exhaustingly boring  (depending on who you talk to).

Most of you are glad that it is still happening.  It is kinda like some awful kind of initiation.  "If I had to go, then so should everyone else."  "If I had to go through that kind of daily pain, torture and boredom, then SO SHOULD YOU!!!  Shut up and go."

But now that you have it out of your system, just think.  What could have made it better, (besides having 3 days off a week)?  Help this teacher avoid mistakes that are so obvious to you but may be not so obvious to me.  What would have made it better, what is the best and what is the worst thing a teacher can do.

Help me, please.

10 more days...

Well.... this is my farewell address.  I have to start getting mentally ready to give up my life as I know it and go back to the life of a droid... seminary, school, study, sleep.  (Hey, did you notice that my droid activities all start with "s".)  

Anyway, so long sleeping til 10:30 AM.  So long, Dave (Letterman).  So long, blogging.  So long beautiful house.  So long Chico, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Oregon...  So long trashy novels.  So long Priests.  So long shopping with Angelee and Jo.  So long weedless yard.  Hello weeds.

Anyway, I have to start getting mentally prepared.  Summer is almost over.  I have a mere 10 days of hazy, lazy days.  I will not be depressed about having 30 kids in my classroom this year... because I am grateful to have a job.  I will not complain about Seminary... because this is my last year and I am teaching Book of Mormon.  

I have a blessed life... and who would even like summer if it lasted all year long!!! 

THE NEW ROOM

Well, it's not really a new room, its an old room.  But it is now BEAUTIFUL!!! (Thank you Sam)

Cleaned up, vacuumed, dusted, and 2 pieces of furniture gone.  Angelee says I am not to line every wall with furniture.  Witch!

Jo says, " I didn't know that room could look good."  High praise from Jo

New paint, new baseboards...

New floor

Old oak furniture on new cherry floors.

Are those lovely flowers real or fake?  And how many remotes does one old television need?

Sam is the miracle worker.  I was in Lake Tahoe visiting Kate when this serious miracle happened.  What a surprise!!  I can't wait for Ben to come and see everything that has happened to my mom's house and yard.  I have the best family in the world.  Sam was the project manager but everyone else has a hand (and an arm and a leg and another hand) in this transformation.  Nick, Sam, Angelee and Jo painted, D and Sam put down the floor and Darryl has done more stuff to this house than I have time to mention but includes the kitchen and deck.  

Mike and Shannon are the yard miracle workers.

Thank you, my family!!

NOT ANOTHER PATIO!!!!

OH YES... WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER PATIO IN OUR FAMILY AND WE ARE SO PROUD AND HAPPY TO SHARE OUR SPECIAL NEWS WITH ALL OF YOU.

OF course this is backwards... this is supposed to be the last picture.  Oh well... the almost finished patio of Jo and Darryl.  This is the third patio this summer.  And all of them are different.  We will be having a patio showing  of all three patios at a future date.  Check this blog for further info on this oh so interesting feature.

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The almost finished patio.  What is that pattern? I can hear you asking.  Oh, that would be "planned random".

So nice...   

Darryl had the easy part and the fun part... ok...not really easy but sorta fun.

The grunt labor... D on the rototillar...not much fun! 

More grunt labor...Sam replaces a sprinkler...

I have learned a lot this summer about patios.  The most important part is that the prep work is the hardest and takes the longest time.  It is not fun but it is so important to the finished product.  Shortcuts are not tolerated.  But nobody appreciates the work or the worker of this under appreciated slave labor.  There are many unsung heros out there who have sweat gallons of liquid and have drank, drunk gallons of liquid so they could then sweat more gallons... you get the point...   So a high five to all you slave laborists out there.  Just so you know... there is one person in this world who appreciates you. That would be me.  You're welcome.

Kate in the buff...

So... I am back in Lake Tahoe visiting with Ben and his family... 

Kate is not picking her nose... she is cute in her nightie nights.

We can almost see her 7 teeth... and look at those flowing blonde locks.

Oh my!  Is that a bug?

I am so cute... and I love my daddy!

Is that another bug?  My mom does not like them but I do...

Playboy called and I only pose for "tasteful" nude shots...

Who is that baby in the mirror?  I would like to meet her...

The Patio... done!

So... its done... 

I think this is the most beautiful patio ever (sorry Angelee,  yours is nice, but...) If any of you were watching news yesterday about Elizabeth Edwards you could have seen her entrance to her house and it was almost as beautiful as my patio... but I digress.

Anyway... how lovely is this.  And to think that Sam was foreman, supervisor, laborer, chief of the union and designer. 

Derek was the right hand man... #2 in command... necessary for all projects... and quality control

JG was laborer

Each stone was selected individually, placed lovingly, carefully leveled, and named (just kidding)

My favorite stone is in the middle... named tiger stripe.  Okay, we named some of them.

The walk way to the NEW GATE.

Do you see "California"?  

Another important job... "the sweeper of sand ".

The first stone.  (You know what they say about 'he who casts the first stone'.  It wasn't me, this time)

My Smile

The Wannabees

Eat your collective hearts out... it takes years to get this smile and to think it is the subject of serious ridicule among my supposed loved ones.  Yes, they make fun of it to the point that at Cyndi's b'day lunch at Cheesecake Factory they ALL DID THEIR BEST IMITATION.   Yes, this is what we do when we get together in public.  I used to be embarrassed by them but I have developed unconditional love for them.  

So... here they all are doing their best rendition of  "The Smile".  Actually they are all jealous and I consider it my best feature... in addition to my lovely hair. :)

Charlee gives it a good try...

Shannon does good when the camera is not on her... but is camera shy.  I always tell her, "Be one with the camera".

Jo definately has the most fun.  I actually think it was Jo who started all this commotion.

And as you will see, they all need some practice.

Sam

Ben... not his best effort.  He too, does not love the camera.

Angelee... giving it her best try.  You have a long way to go, girl!!

Cyndi... the winner (and I am trying not to be offended.  It occurs to me that my daughter-in-laws are actually making fun of their MOTHER-IN-LAW.  That takes guts.)

And... ta dah... the one and only!

Rock Day

More boring work... the rock base.

They certainly don't make rakes like they used to.  In case you can't see this, the rake is in two pieces.

And the rock base.  

There is not much to say... it is just a lot of work but not as hard as digging dirt... so they say.  They were dirty and sweaty so it still looked like work.

Friday will be the fun day.  We will be placing the stones.  I have already been uninvited to the event. 

 There is controversy about the big air conditioning unit right smack in the middle of this project.  Angelee (of course) wants to move it.  And to think I could have had it on the side of the house when they first put it in but I didn't care where they put it back then.  And I still don't really care where it is.  After all, this is just my backyard.  Better Homes and Gardens will pass me by for sure with this big eyesore right THERE.  Oh well, I don't need the pressure...

Cute boys available for the picking...

Every man needs a good woman to help him stay on the track, stay focused on what is important and to help him spend his money.  If it was left up to men they would spend all their money on toys or the like... not on what is seriously important.  Every woman knows how to best help their man.  The following is a partial list of some available men... for the field is white and ready to harvest...

JG

This is a seriously cute young man.  He spent the day at my house, working on my new patio with D and Sam.  I don't know a lot about him except that he wants to get into the fire academy at Butte... so that means that he has good potential.  He worked hard all day long and he loves 

peanut butter cookies.  He is quite young and so needs some more time to ripen.

Derek

"D"...more commonly known as Derek.  This boy would make some girl a good husband as he has many skills in the home building and repairing category.  He is a "handy man" to have around.   Besides being cute and cuddly, he is a hard worker and has the capability to make some serious money.  What he needs is the motivation... and this is another example of why every man needs a good woman at his side.

Sam

Now this boy comes with a word of warning.  Be careful... unless you are up for a walk on the wild side.  He is as dangerous as he is cute.   YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

Don't let the fact that he is a nursing student deceive you.  Oh yes, he is smart and career minded... sensitive and extremely loyal.  But he is more... as many broken hearted women can attest.

The New Project

"What now?" I can hear you saying.

By the time "we" are done my backyard will be a showplace.  Oh, not nearly as beautiful as the Robertsons or the Harris' (remember them?)  And not nearly as beautiful as my front yard and not nearly so fun as Walt's backyard.  But, still, a yard that will not be embarrassing.  And it will be suitable and fun for the preschool set.  And oh yes, once again, way too expensive.

The sand and rock for the base... of a new patio right outside my picture window.

I guess everyone knows that a patio of any worth has to have a base of rock and then sand.

This is not the expensive part... this is cheap.  And Jordon Garrett was a really good rock and sand man.

Do you see all this dirt?  It used to be lawn.  But the workers spent the whole day prepping the ground for the expensive part.  A lot of sweat went into this part... the hard part.

The extremely hard workers... "D", JG, and Sam.

Workers working...

The fence is done...

Even the hired help deserve a break... now that the fence is done.

Sam and "D" spent the morning working on the gate.  And it is beautiful!!

The beautiful new gate..  finished!!

A view from the gate.

The new play area... still in the thinking and planning stages.  We put the old chain link on Craig's list and it was gone in 15 minutes flat.  

I have gained 10 feet to my yard with my new wooden fence... not to mention new found privacy and a move from "chainlink trash" to "wooden loveliness".  "D" reminded me that I can now get a full body tan if I should so desire.