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What to do when Hubby isn't home?

During the day,

 this is easy...

everything you usually do because Hubby isn't home during the day.

Me, I got up and made a batch of cinnamon rolls for the "BOYS",

 cooked a breakfast,

 fetched a few things,

 packed a bag with a malfunctioning pillow,

 and forgot to pack a towel.

Smiled, and waved, and sighed

 and off the "BOYS" went.

To George I went,

 gathering supplies for the "BOYS" for when they come home,

spent a bit of time wandering around

 looking at what I was interested in,

 at stores I don't usually go to,

 and came back home just in time to get Hope from school.

Actually, quite a lovely day,

 doing some things I like to do.

Put up my feet and relaxed for a bit,

 read in a book for a minute,

 looked at  the clock and

 got "cleaned" up.

Erica and Scarlet and I went to George.

  We left at 5.

  Stopped and got our toes done.

 Happy Mother's Day to me, thank you so very much Erica and family.

  My toes are now a nice deep red.  They are ready for my new sandals Hubby gave me for Mother's Day as well.

After toes, we went out to eat dinner,

 Erica was starving...

As we were finishing dinner it was an,

 "OK, now where do we want to go?" moment...

The list is endless,

 everywhere we don't like to take our children shopping.

  So, this was basically an Erica decision

 as the rest of our party was without children responsibility at the moment (Hope had 2 different evenings planned without us,

 unfortunately, both cancelled and she could have gone and played with us).

We went to Target`

 and to Old Navy.

 We were on our way to the mall

 when we realized 9:30 was a bit late.

   A quick stop for gas and

 another for salt and we were home.

  A night out with a few of my girls

 and home a bit after 10:30.

  I didn't even have to go to Vegas!

Temple Walk 2012

22 Mile Stroll

Yes, we did it, 22 miles through the barren dessert, through the sand, through the wind, through the dirt, through the town, and through the streets.  We walked in the dark lit by truck headlights, we walked led by flashlights and headlamps and Sister's voices.  We followed footprints in the dirt and watched for the porta pottie marking our passage.

We chatted, and discussed and commented ...and we thought.  We munched and crunched and trudged.  Some walked backward, some walked forward, some jogged and some jogged here and there.  Some sprinted to the finish line with smiles of joy on their faces.  And some, even rode for a bit.  But, all finished!

Who would have known what a fantastic experience this was to be?  The path was marked with signs telling us how much farther to the finish.  In between were thoughts, scriptures, and statistical facts.  All things to ponder on as we walked and watched  for the next marker.

It was interesting how we began to look forward to the porta pottie in the distance. This gave us a physical statement, we had accomplished another segment of the 22 mile stroll.  As we started in the dark, we had in our mind where we were heading, we had a vision of our end goal.  So we walked.  Just for fun we stopped and turned off our lights and looked at the night sky...we also looked directly around us and realized we were alone.  Beautiful night with Sister's voices murmuring in the distance.

Then a little more than half way we were rewarded with a vista, our goal was now in sight!

Some of us finished with blisters, some with killer knees, some with sore toes, and aching calves, and shins which would not quit.  Some were nonchalant in their aches and pains, and a few of us were without physical pain.  However, I feel all of us have an inward smile of "Yes, I did this".

As one sister commented, "You know, it's kind of like child birth....hard while you are doing it.  But, you kind of forget once you get there and can't wait to do it again."

 

So just what have I been up to???  I would love to say something terribly amazing, however...this is the List!

• Trying to reclaim the shower so it may be used
• Helping Scarlet with a blessing gown
• fixing a formal for a friend of Hope's
• finishing Hope's formal so she can wear it
• washing dishes
• washing clothes
• planning a 22 mile hike
• playing with grand-kids
• helping dad
• helping dad some more
• playing spider solitaire
• looking things up for dad on the computer
• finding parts
• driving around
• watching a few games
• watching a $3000 week houseboat trip never get bid upon
• lending supplies
• finding new patterns
• thinking about Yosemite
• talking with my family
• driving Hope everywhere
• working on a 22 mile hike
• watching the last of the NCIS season we own
• buying pink flannel
• thinking about making over my bedroom
• and the bathroom
• and the kitchen
• and the....
• trying to put Tia's room back together
• going to meetings
• taking pictures
• reading blogs
• catching up on facebook
• and a gazillion other things I just haven't mentioned.

No More Drippy faucets, more like running faucets...

Please notice that small circle thing-y, this was my problem

This was my Monday project, I thought to myself...

"Self, I have had it with the crazy shenanigans we have to go through to turn off the kitchen faucet".

So, I turned the water off to the house, pulled the kitchen faucet apart (a call to Grandpa for back up), went to Ace, and came home with the repair kit for the kitchen faucet as well as a replacement cartridge for the family room shower, and a special tool.

You know, that shower has been dripping for so very long we just have stopped using it.

Call Grandpa and verified my procedure, a while back when he was visiting he talked me through the kitchen repair,

"Remember to use Vaseline!"

Which I did, in all took me about 30 minutes, including the trip to Ace.

Next, on to the shower faucet..

Tyler had already taken the handle off, I already turned the water off to the house, so I used the handy, dandy, tool Ace loaned me and pulled that problem out.  Just like pulling a tooth, no problem.

Then, I looked at the replacement part and it was different than the part I had pulled out.

Hmmmmm, another trip to Ace (I had to return the tool) and I did a quick exchange on the cartridge.  Back home I went, Vaselined the cartridge up and went to slide it into place.  To no avail, it wouldn't go in.  There was a part of the cartridge still stuck in the pipe/faucet.  Some of the cartridge came out with a little coaxing,

however there was a large chunk that just had to stay in there.

Ross came to give me assistance, we heated it up, drilled it, scraped it, dug around on it, still, no success.

Well Ross was busy with other things and he said with a smile, "Keep on trying, just be careful with that hammer!"

Tap, Tap, Tap...  for two hours!

Still that blasted little piece of plastic was stuck in the pipe.  I went and had lunch with Hubby, came back and tap, tap, tap.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.  I changed strategies with my hammer and my screwdriver, tap, tap, tap.

And something happened.  I took out the flashlight and peered through the pipe, the blasted piece of plastic had shifted, I could actually see it!  I dug with the screwdriver this way and that, and pushed the blasted piece back into place.  

No more tapping, I dug again with the screwdriver, flipped that crazy piece around again and grabbed hold of it with a paint can opener.  Plop, out it came!  "WhooooHoooo!" I shouted with glee.

Vaselined the cartridge up, slid it into the pipe/faucet and pushed real hard.  Thank goodness Brian was here, he came in and pushed a little bit and slid the "keeper" into place, then I finished installing the guards, and the handle and Scarlo turned on the water and no leaks!

No Drips!

And best of all, I had a 50/50 chance, Hot is hot and cold is cold.

A final call to Grandpa informing him it was done.  He told me he was just packing so he could come out and fix it for me, ha ha!

It appears I have an unofficial new job....

Going with Hubby!

Riding with Hubby!

Being with Hubby!

Who would have known

 changing Hubby's job description would include me?

This past week,

 I have been to the splash pad with "parts",

 gone to Purgatory so many times I have lost count,

 been to the diversion dam,

 out to the Ivins roundabout,

 gone to get cement,

 delivered lunch (repeatedly),

 been to school,

 attended a happy meeting,

 followed a moving piece of equipment (more than once),

 and have read in my book while I am "waiting".

I have become extremely adept at locating parts catalogs on the "net",

 have figured out some of the clues to what the part numbers really are,

 and then I can even call

 and ask for a part price by name

 or by number or by...

something other than than dohickey on top of the thing-a-ma-jig!.

Fun!!!  I wonder what next week will bring?

Happy Hatters Event

 

The Happy Hatter Social

What happens when you get together with a bunch of wonderful, fun women and direct them to a table filled with stuff?

 

 I wasn't quite sure

 how the ladies would respond to this part of our Social...

I pondered it a bit...

and we chatted as a committee...

and then decided we would give it a go.

 

So, on Wednesday morning

 I wandered around the house

 picking up this and that,

 I wandered into my sewing room

 and looked in all of my buckets,

 I picked up a bag full of tulle

 and stuff for hair bows,

 and grabbed the curling ribbon rack

then into the basement I went...

 

I looked into box after box

 and found a whole bunch of interesting stuff; feathers and pipe cleaners,

 beads and lace,

 lots and lots of ribbons;

 bits of flowers,

 parts for corsages;

 stuff left over from projects...

I also had purchased some colorful paper plates, pipe cleaners,

 and silly little party hats.

We covered a couple of tables

 and tossed all of this stuff

 into the center

 added a stapler,

 glue sticks,

 wet glue

 and hot glue...

Our lovely Day Care Providers

 Truly is amazing

 what can be

 created

 with

 a pile of stuff.

The sisters did this and that,

 some walked up,

 dug around a tiny bit

 and then walked away with a "hat".

 Others stared,

 some truly walked away with a "masterpiece", some had hats

 worthy of the derby.

 Definitely, a fun visit time activity.

We enjoyed a scrumptious dinner

Chicken salad croissants,

a delightful salad

 with walnuts, cranberries, and feta cheese,

the most refreshing fruit salad I have ever had, berries and grapes...yum.

And for dessert,

 all of our favorites...lemon cakes, creme puffs and brownie bites.

And of course,

 the required unbelievable

 collection of Chocolates.

We enjoyed some shared talents

 (thank you so very much)

Amazing displayed talents

 (and truly, what a selection of talent)

And a fantastic speaker.

Great evening.

Oh yes, 

I forgot 

and I went home

 with a few less boxes of stuff!

With a bit of string,

 some watered down glue,

One was enough for Hope, she didn't care for "sticky fingers"

 small water balloons

 and a broomstick

Hope and Kate

 we gathered 

for a very quick 

"project" 

for Easter.

Erica and Scarlet

   

Yarn Easter Eggs!

The stage 1 finished project

What I was in the middle of--Grandmama's Cheesecakes!

Thank you Scarlet

for figuring everything out 

ahead of time 

and so we had an "expert" 

to teach us.

Can't wait for tomorrow to see

how everything turns out!