Go Figure..

As most people know...I am not a fan of eating fish...any fish. I think most of it smells and tastes quite ghastly. The seafood portion of the menu at any restaurant is not my idea of good reading. (Roy claims he has saved a lot of money on me over the years!) We were at a buffet-type restaurant not long ago when I accidentally spooned some crab salad on my plate, and quite literally gagged when it got to my taste buds. And years ago, Robert took us to a seafood place at Seaside, OR, and was thoroughly disgusted when I wouldn't try the seafood. He said, "Mom, this fish is so fresh...it was swimming this morning!" I know, I know...call me crazy. And the irony is more than obvious...I'm married to a fishing fool!! He used to be a "catch and release" fisherman mostly, and when he did bring some home, he would always give it to the widows in the ward, because he didn't necessarily love it either. But lately, he has developed a taste for fish, and he started keeping all the fish he catches in the lakes and reservoirs around here. Living with me, he has discovered that if he wants to eat fish, he better be willing to cook it himself. When Roy was growing up, all they had to do was catch the fish, bring them in the house, throw them in the sink, and his mom would clean them and cook them! (Sorry, honey, one more way I just can't be as good as your mom!)


Anyway, a month or so ago we gave some fish to a friend who made fish tacos with them. Up to that point, whenever I heard about fish tacos I would get a full-body shudder! But when she described them to me, I thought it would be interesting to try. Find the recipe here.

Surprise, Surprise! I liked them! There's something about the cabbage, Pico de Gallo, and spicy ranch dressing that is so good together. (Maybe it's because the fish taste is drowned out by all the good stuff.) Roy still cooks the fish part, but, hey... baby steps, right?

You Can Always Find the Good...

Last week I was able to go back "home" to Chester to attend the funeral of a dear friend, Cynthia Hillman. She had suffered with Crohn's disease for several months and passed away suddenly at her home when everyone thought she was actually doing better and on the mend. The death of someone so close, in friendship and in age, hit me hard. We had many things in common. She and I both had 5 kids, all pretty much the same ages and gender. We both loved to garden, sew, and do crafts. We served together in YW, Primary, and cub scouts.

It was great to see many other old friends from the ward that we lived in for 18 years, and pretty much raised our kids with. There's something about sitting on the same benches during ball games, wrestling matches, and pack meetings, cheering each others kids on. And sending them to girl's camp, on missions, helping with their wedding receptions, and lending a shoulder to cry on when one of them breaks your heart. When we moved to Bancroft, we left that part of our life behind. People here have been great, but have only known us as empty-nesters and sometimes asked, "Oh, you have other kids?"

There was time after the viewing when there was a little time to reconnect with a lot of these old friends. After visiting and laughing with them for a few minutes, Marsha said, "It's just like she's never left, huh?" And Donna said, "Come back!" And someone else said, "Your old house is just sitting there empty, you know." It made me feel good to know they felt that way. I think there will always be a bond with those people, no matter how many years go by. I will always be interested in what their kids are doing, and sharing in their joys and their heartaches.

So I guess the moral of this story is that there is always good that comes out of bad. I hated that we were there to attend the funeral of a dear friend, but glad that it gave me a reason to see and re-bond with others from that time period in my life that have been dear to my heart.

Time Together

Even though Roy and I are together pretty much 24-7, we had a very special time together last week when we went on a 40th anniversary trip to Florida and the Bahamas. Thanks to our kids, we had a dream vacation that we probably never would have done otherwise. Some of them stayed in touch throughout the week, just to make sure we were having a good time. And, you bet, we were! I want to just post pictures of the two of us this time. We were a couple of Idaho country folk out in the big world...a world of different races, fashion, money, glamor, and cleavage! You get reminded real quick just how sheltered and secluded we are here! I really enjoyed all the different people we met, though. And everyone was super nice.

We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was really January and February down there. When I was digging out my capris and flip-flops to pack, it seemed so weird. The sun was shining and the temps were warm and wonderful. Florida doesn't seem like it really belongs in this country, its so tropical. There was so much to see and do in Ft. Lauderdale to start with. The Everglades, the alligators, the beach, the Jungle Queen, to name a few.

Did you know that the Bahamas are only 54 miles from Florida? I got a real geography lesson on this trip. The cruise ship took about 12 hours to make the trip. We set sail at 6:00 p.m. and when we woke up the next morning, we were there. We spent two night there, and saw a lot of the sights on the island. The ocean really fascinates me. I could sit and watch it for hours. Roy and I loved walking along the beach by our hotel looking for shells, pieces of coral, and whatever else washed up. I'll go ahead and call them our "long, romantic walks on the beach."

I have always loved the water, and was pretty excited about going snorkeling. I had the guy on the boat take this picture just so we could prove that we really went! I was nervous at first, but it all went away as soon as I put my face in the water. What a view down there! Of the 8 people that were snorkeling with us that day, I was the last to get back on the boat. It was awesome... and when will I ever do that again? I think the others were just ready to enjoy the free "Bahama Mamas" that were included with the trip! We didn't think about asking for non-alcoholic ones, dang it.

This picture was on the sailboat after snorkeling and sailing. My trusty new straw hat served two purposes...it kept my lily-white face from burning...and it covered the bad hair, too. If I lived in that kind of humidity, I would definitely have to figure out a new hairdo.

On the cruise ship with the sunset in the background. The boat was about to set sail back to Florida. That night we had a fancy dinner...Roy had roast duck (which he loved), and I had beef wellington (yummy). I hoped I would remember which fork to use, not to put my elbows on the table, etc. The waiter even placed the napkin on our laps for us!

Back in Florida we visited the Miami Sea Aquarium, which was wonderful. I knew Roy would love that place...all the fish and marine life, and dolphin and killer whale shows. It was 80 degrees and muggy that day. We paused for a picture in front of this banyan tree. A great way to wind up our trip. It was back on the plane the next day, and back to reality....winter!

Gone, But Not Forgotten

After waiting over a month since his passing, we finally got to have a funeral for my brother, Wayne. Goeksel and Funda had lots to do to get everything in order for coming to the US. They brought Wayne's ashes with them and got here last Wednesday, the 12th. A nice retiree from Delta brought them from Salt Lake as far as McCammon, where we met them and picked them up. They stayed with us that night.

We knew we didn't have much free time with them, so we asked them if they had ever been on a snowmobile. The answer was no, so Val took them on a short ride outside of town. Funda loved it! I think Goeksel did, too, but didn't show it quite as much. That night Funda wanted to help cook dinner. She is a fantastic cook. Thinking of when we were in Germany 7 years ago, my mouth still waters over the thought of her homemade Turkish cuisine. So she made a yummy veggie skillet dish and a cherry nut cake, which were to die for.

The next day we left early for Mud Lake. The funeral was very nice. There was a bigger crowd than I thought there would be. Beside the immediate family, there was lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Some of Wayne's classmates showed up and it was pretty fun to see them. I remember looking up to my brothers and I paid attention to who their friends were.

At the cemetery we laid him to rest beside mom and dad. The weather cooperated. It was cold, but thankfully, not a blizzard or way below zero.

All of my kids made the effort to be there, and it meant a lot to me.

All of us after luncheon.

We stayed at Gary's house that night and had a great time visiting, eating, and playing "Just Dance" on the Wii game. The next day we did a little shopping on the way home. Goeksel and Funda picked up a few things at Real Deals, Toy R Us, and Costco to take home with them to Germany. They also took us out to eat at Texas Roadhouse (pictured above). The next day we took them to Salt Lake to catch their plane out. It was a real treat to have them stay with us and to get to know them better. They are truly family... and they will feel the pain of missing Wayne more than any of us here will.

It was a week of good times, hard times, great times. As Aunt Fern put it, "I would've hated to miss Wayne's party." And it really was a party.

Christmas in Driggs

Christmas Eve.... The elves were busy!

6:00 a.m. excitement

Sunny Christmas Day sledding

Make your own pizza

Grand kids put on a talent show

Simon STOLE the show

The beanie-minke blankets I made were a hit


More sledding
So fun!

Finding Christmas

I have been having a hard time this year getting into the spirit of Christmas. There has been a cloud hanging over us since December 8 when we heard that our beloved brother, Wayne passed away in Germany. I hadn't seen Wayne since mom's funeral 4 years ago. And I had the sneaky feeling that it might be the last time, especially since he didn't work at Delta Airline anymore with flying privileges. Many memories, tears, and virtual hugs have been given through the internet among the brothers and sisters. What a blessing to be from such a big and caring family.

This picture was taken last Christmas. Wayne is holding his little grandson, Utku. What an amazing blessing that he was able to be a grandpa, even though he never married.

Wayne's adopted son, Goeksel, and his wife, Funda, are awesome and wonderful. They have been the center of Wayne's life for many years, and have brought untold amounts of happiness to him. They have had to take care of all the preparations and it's been so hard for them.

Christmas preparations for me were put on the back burner for a time. I have been dragging my feet getting the tree up, shopping done, presents wrapped, etc. But the last few days, I'm happy to announce that I found Christmas.

I found it while singing in the ward choir at sacrament meeting last Sunday. I found it at the school when I was asked to help with a service project there. (The high school students tied 8 quilts and did other projects for needy families.) I found it here at home when Roy and I tag-teamed some cooking projects for friends and neighbor gift giving. I found it each time I went to the mailbox to find a package from one of my sweet sisters. And I found it when I was sewing cute snugly gifts for some of the grand kids.

My heart is full of gratitude for all the good things Christmas reminds us of. And the greatest gift of all...the reason for the season.

Excitement at the Eddins House

Val found a good deal on a cruise a couple of months ago. He and Megan asked Faren and Avery to go, too, and soon they had a plan. Val and Meg were celebrating their 5th anniversary this Fall, Faren and Ave, their 10th. Seems like a fun reason to do something different and exciting. The dates were set...they would leave November 18 and return on Thanksgiving Day. Anticipation...one of the best parts of any vacation, right?

Faren asked us if we would consider keeping the three boys for the week they would be gone. Of course we would! We raked leaves, did homework, played games, and took a walk every day...even through the bad snowstorm.

I made big points with Simon during his stay. (I don't think he ever really liked me before this.) We are now officially good buddies! A cuter 2-year-old you'd be hard-pressed to find...from his knowledge of all the dinosaur names to his authentic motorcycle impression.

Before the kids left for Florida, they brought Roy and I together for a surprise treasure hunt. Val and Meg had written it all out in poetry form. It started in the kitchen, went to the roof of the shop, into the camper, up in the backyard tree, and back into the house. There on the kitchen counter was a treasure chest with special notes from each of the kids, and plans for the same cruise they were going on! They all got together and gave it to us for our 40th anniversary...to use in January. We were so shocked and totally blown away! What great kids we have! Thank you, thank you, and thank you again. Now its our turn for the ANTICIPATION!