Memorial Day

I love Memorial Day! When I was a smaller kid than I am now, my grandma would take me to the cemetery and we would walk through looking at dates, names and stories. She would tell me her own stories about the people she knew and loved. She made it an enjoyable experience, she made wise cracks like "Ohh, it looks deadly in here!" And I learned that a cemetery is not a place to be afraid of. Even now, I sometimes drive through alone and look at the field of stones each standing for someone who has gone before, and I am grateful for a grandma who taught me and showed me that those stones are signifying a person who somebody loved. They were men, women, children, pioneers, hard workers and veterans.

 While I think every day of the people who I love who have already gone, Memorial Day gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to those memories and to those people. The American Legion Post 42 allows me the privilege to stand with them and honor our veterans. This is a unique experience because I get to stand in line with these men who have been willing to give everything. They are courageous, selfless and our service men and women who have gone before, our veterans who stand among us today and those who are actively involved in the fight for freedom deserve all the respect and honor that we have to give.
So, while for many Memorial Day is just a day off from work, I am happy to take some time on that day to walk through and stand up the flowers that have blown over and to bugle TAPS through the cemetery air for those who I owe my freedom to.

Photo by Jo Sansevero

-Mandie

The Taste of a Hug

The blue skies, sunshine, frazzled teachers and overly excited kids and teenagers are a sure sign that summer has arrived whether the temperatures agree with them or not!
Sorry to you moms who have enjoyed taking your time at the grocery store and not having to worry about your sweet little angels following behind you like a destructive storm or running ahead of you with the miniature carts playing crash-up derby with the produce displays. When I walk through and see the poke holes in the chicken cellophane, I'll know that you've been there!
When I was a kid, I remember a few trips to the store with my mom. We were good or we didn't get a string cheese! I also remember the bins of colorful barrel shaped drinks more endearingly known as HUGS! I loved those little barrels of sweetness and they alone were motivation to keep my hands off whatever might be tempting me from the shelves because if I could do that, I would be rewarded with a Hug (the drink).
Imagine my thrill when, just a couple of months ago, I ran across a towering display of my favorite childhood beverage! I snatched up an entire box, took it home with me and was as proud as a seven year old who made it all way through the grocery store without touching, tipping, or destroying!

Ahhh, memories!

And now for my product review:

The box had a convenient tear off end that I had to have my mom remove because the feel of the cardboard was just too much for me to handle! It fit very nicely on the bottom shelf of the fridge, but does take up some valuable space!

I failed to read on the box, in all of my excitement before purchasing, that the newly revamped drink now contains 75% less sugar than before! 

This is not the drink I loved as a sunburned child. You can definitely taste the sugar replacement which is a shock to a sugar lovers palette! 

I guess today's kids are probably accustomed to this reality though, and because they never knew the true taste of a Hug, they would probably enjoy the modern day drink. I, however, did not! I bought them months ago, and am still trying to choke them all down! I have found that they aren't bad if you drink them about 10 minutes after brushing your teeth. 

The colors are beautiful and look pretty sitting in the fridge, but what I  did like the very most about this box of drinks is that they came with individually wrapped straws. One for each Hug. I remember as a kid trying to get the hole in the tin foil big enough to drink out of, but small enough that I wouldn't be drenched after one sip! 

So, I would say that the modern day Hug drink is for the modern day kid. But be aware that they do contain Aspartame. Yum. . .

Storms in the Garden

I have been learning some things while I have been away from my career as a full time blogger (full time being  around 32 minutes per week). Some of these things I have learned have been serious and thought provoking, some are a little funny and some were accidental. I think I'll start off the week with one of the more serious things.
I know you have all been on the edges of your seats hoping for an update on my luscious garden. I know what you're thinking: By now those little plants should be taller, greener, beautiful and well on their way to producing some of the finest produce in all of Clawson. Before I get to that, I would like to point out that I told you all up front that I am not a gardener.

And now, the sad reality that is my garden.

It's like the cup in the window, only much bigger! 

 Yes, that is a trench where my precious plants once harbored. Because I like things to be centered, I planted my plants right in the middle of the boxes without looking up and pondering on the consequences if, by chance, a rainstorm rolled through and the water ran off the house and into my garden. And that is exactly what happened. Within a matter of days after laboring tirelessly over the little plants, 3 days of rain fell upon our parched land. The house became a waterfall and the garden became a rolling river. I had given up hope and abandoned my crop. The dogs were happy with that choice and made the dirt pits their new playground and loved sinking their little paws into the soft sand, hence the holes! Finally, the day came that I had to go out and access the full spectrum of damage. The cracked dirt, the dog holes, the massive trench all led me to believe that there were no survivors, but then there it was. One little tomato plant with its leaves and stem encrusted into the sand. It was still green! And as I looked closer I found three more! Four of my tomatoes had the strength to withstand the storm!

Look closely, you'll see it! 

So, maybe I'm not a gardener, but my garden became a teacher and here is what I learned:

* We can't stay in the shelter forever. Eventually we have to leave our safe places and throw ourselves into life!

* Life is hard. It's supposed to be! If it weren't we would be feeble forever because we would have no need for strength if nothing ever tried our strength.

* The storms will hit when they are least expected. The purpose of the storm is to wash away the weak among us and let the strong prove how strong they really are. Don't let it wash you away. Even if you are beaten completely into the ground, don't give up!

* After the storm hits, there is still hope! Don't abandon everything just because you think there is no hope! Perhaps you are the survivor, or perhaps the survivors are waiting for you to rescue them from the trenches. Don't just turn away, run to help them! If you're the one in the trench, there is no shame in calling out for help! 

* Just because someone does not run to your aid instantly, doesn't mean they don't care.

* When we turn our backs on others or when we decide to give up, the dogs are waiting to take over and finish the job of destroying. 

* It is possible to beat the storm!

"Sometimes the Lord calms the storm. Sometimes he lets the storm rage, and calms his child." 

- Mandie

Rated PG

Today's product review has gone to the movies!

We choose one of the classiest theaters in Carbon County to go to. We paid our eight bucks per person (which I have heard rumors that if you go on a Wednesday night in Price, it's $5,  but I don't know if it's true) and stood in line salivating over the buttered aroma wafting through the air. I ordered my popcorn and was preparing to go sink my teeth into the greasy kernels when it suddenly slipped right through my fingers and launched itself right there across the counter for the world to see! Lucky for me, the girl on the other side of the counter was ever so kind and fixed up a new container of popcorn for me before the tears could spring from my eyes! I walked my feet across the sticky theater floor, sat myself in the rickety extra springy theater seat and tried not to consume all of my popcorn before the movie started! What was the movie called you ask? It was "Parental Guidance"

And now for my "product" review:

I had only seen one preview flash across my t.v. screen for this movie,  but when I saw that it was Billy Crystal and Bette Midler I knew I would have to see it! They are good at what they do!
This movie is a rarity among today's other movies in that it is rated PG and there were no scenes which required me to sink down to that pop encrusted theater floor and pretend my parents weren't there. I would even be willing to watch this movie with my grandparents (unlike "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" that was a mistake). Without spoiling anything, just know that this movie is about two grandparents who find themselves babysitting their three grandkids and being forced to abide by modern day parenting rules.
Some people I know didn't want to go to a movie and risk hearing a cheesy song being sung by the Divine Miss M. If you are one of those people, fear not! There is one instance of singing, but it is a duet with Mr. Crystal and is over quite quickly. It serves a purpose and didn't bother me at all, but then again I have some of her music in my car and don't mind listening to her. If her singing provokes you to wrath, please don't let that keep you from watching this show!
This flick was funny, charming, heartwarming, enjoyable, something that can be watched by everyone and totally worth the 105 minutes it takes to watch the whole thing!

We ran right out and plopped some cash down for it the first week it was released on DVD!

p.s. Before you all start placing bets on 

whether or not I'm standing in a bathroom

for this picture, let me just say right up 

front that I am. . . My professional

photographer, who likes to go by the 

name ALPS, told me that the stripes from

the shower curtain would be a nice 

contrast and add a lot to the picture. Thanks

ALPS!

I'm NOT Behind!

I do realize that I have been a little relaxed when it comes to posting regularly on my Blog. I'm 2 weeks in now and find that I am already behind! But then I thought to myself, "Can you really be behind on something for which there are no deadlines?" To which the answer is no. I get to make my own rules here! And, as I so quickly promised at the end of my very first blog post, this is exactly how my journal writing goes. I do really well, feel totally inspired, and write everyday for 3 whole days! And then it happens, my mind starts thinking without my permission and it convinces myself that all my writing is in vain! "You're the only one who will ever see it. Nobody cares if you lifted a car by yourself. You would be doing something more useful if you were sleeping right now instead of journaling." I didn't actually ever lift a car by myself, but you can bet if I did, I would be holding it up long enough for my mom to try and figure out how to take a picture with my iPod and then I would post that picture on this blog for the world to see!

My  real journal is one that my parents gave me when I turned 8. They even gave me a pencil to write in it with! The reason I remember that is because I wrote about it during my very second journal entry (It was a real cliffhanger). And since I am so committed to writing, there are over half of the pages still waiting to be filled with my snippets of wisdom. The journal doesn't close all the way because it is so crammed full of "artifacts" that will someday, after I lose my mind, spark a memory!

My first journal entry. I was 8 and the spelling

and penmanship were both marvelous!

I love to write poetry, and so my other journal, or what I consider to be a journal, is an old beat up notebook that the pages are falling out of. Each paper is filled with words, scribbles, corrections and random thoughts waiting to be put together. Looking at those pages is probably a lot like what it would look like if you could see my mind... Scribbles, doodles, thoughts...

So, don't give up on me! I'm trying to be more committed, I'm just waiting for something to happen that will be worth your time to stop by and read!

-Mandie

Coconut Delight

The May first blast of Wintry air pierced through the souls of Utah residents yesterday. Some were ever so fortunate to wake up, nearly a month and a half after the first day of Spring, to a nice blanket of fresh snow. Or, if you are a dweller of Emery County, you have enjoyed a weeks worth of door slamming, hair blowing, dust devil, garden killer wind! To get right to the point here, it has been cold! So as I walked down the bread , cracker and cookie aisle at Stewarts, I heard in the back of my mind, a tiny ukulele playing a far off island tune as I reached for a package of Oreos. Why the island music? Because there on the ocean blue package were the words "Coconut Delight Oreo Fudge Cremes". . . I knew they belonged to me!

And now for my product review:

The package alone is enough to inspire one to tie on their brightest and most authentic lava lava and belly dance through the kitchen! With the painted on palm leaves cascading down the left side of the cookie wrapper leading your eyes to rest upon what appears to be a freshly split coconut, how could you not let your mind wander to a more tropical climate? 

The package was a little difficult to open and I had a slight ripping and tearing situation that left the resealable flap with a gaping hole. 

The cookies themselves are like little tropical discs dipped in rippling fudge. They are not as thick as a regular Oreo, which is nice because they are a little rich in flavor! 

The coconut is not overwhelming, it's perfectly mixed with the fudge. 

Overall, I would sit down and eat the entire tray if I knew it wouldn't send me into a sugar coma. My mom even said that she liked them as much as a Girl Scout ThinMint. WHAT?! 

So if you are a coconut eater like myself, and are looking to melt the ice from around your Winter suffocated heart but don't want to try twirling flaming batons around your dry grass skirt like a true islander would, then you might consider a bite or two of the Coconut Delight Oreo Fudge Creme Cookie. 

It's About Time

Can you believe that this blog has been in existence for one week? I sure can't! It seems like it has only been five days since I published my first post, when in reality it has been seven! I am certainly not a mathematician, (they started me out in MAT 095 and by my calculations I think I barely passed!) but I'm pretty sure seven days are equal to 168 hours.

When I was in Junior High, my F.A.C.S teacher had a sign hanging in her classroom which you could only see when the door was closed. The sign said: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift that's why it's called the present." 

Each person on planet Earth has been given the same 168 hours to survive on each week. I'm amazed at how much some people can pack into those hours! I will tell you that as of right now, I am not a wise user of time. In the majority of cases, I'm not a user of time at all!

People my age have been married for years (this is a whole different post subject)! They are buying houses, working full-time jobs and being successful, and I'm just over here like, "Hmmm, should I have toast with jam, or toast with cinnamon?" 

Flattering, I know...

So, yes, 168 hours have ticked right on by, and I barely even noticed! I did spend 3 hours Monday - Friday deciding what kind of toast I should eat. I did spend four and a half hours driving to and from a job where I only worked for 21 hours, I did have plenty of time on Sunday to get to the Nursing Home where I would lead the small congregation as they sang their Sunday hymns, but I did procrastinate long enough that I had to break the law and speed to get there and walked in with only 5 minutes to spare! 

Time is constantly moving forward and, like clockwork, I am standing still! I can see that I have changes to make, luckily I have the gift of today to get started on that, but I'll probably wait until tomorrow because I'm doing this today. 

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin 

-Mandie