February Fotos

Winding down from my adventure.

Not good necessarily, considering I’ll be getting up

in five hours to get ready for work.

First picture – the February full moon, from my back yard.

 Then, my belated birthday party with Lucy, Hazel, Ruth and Grant.

(Deee-lish-shus.)  ((And very thoughtful.))

 Lucy on the monkey bars and Hazel’s self photo, at a nearby park.

Dinner at Chuy’s Tex Mex Restaurant

complete with its signature Creamy jalapeño Dip.

 Snacks at Brazos Bend, notable for its alligators.   

  It was cool with a light rain and this eyeball was the only sighting. 

 This next picture was taken in the park in 2009 –

hangs on the wall in the nature center. 

 The girls got to pet a baby alligator.  (And a snake.)

 Spent an evening at the gigantic Houston Museum of Fine Arts

while the girls went to the parent group's weekly tending rotation.

Fun to go to their ward.

Hazel gave a talk in Primary about the blessings of choosing the right.

Grant also spoke in Primary about the same.

Ruth gave the TFOT R.S. lesson.

All three of them were outstanding.

Met Grant’s convert friend here in political asylum from Africa (French Congo),

and he is working very hard to bring his wife and three children.

He gave me a beautiful complete Kaftan!

(Wrapper, headscarf and blouse - "iro ee-roe, gele gae-lae, and buba boo-bah.")

Took Grant’s friend to Smash Burger on Monday

and had lots of fun at the Houston Zoo,

complete with the train and the carousel rides.    

 A marmot on sentinel.

  

 Hazel and Lucy playing bongos in the pigmy village. 

 Mr. & Mrs. Lion. (Giving each other affectionate mug rubs.)

 A flamingo flocking.

Made “snow” for FHE.

Tended this morning while Grant and Ruth made a trip to the temple, about a one-way hour’s drive.

Now that they have a cat (since I last visited), they put the hide-a-bed in with the girls so I could close the door, and we all slept like rocks.  (Eventually.)

Other than than all of the above, Ruth cooked up some very yummy meals including pulled pork tortillas, Yorkshire pudding, Brazilian cheese mini muffins, etc., etc.  Plus we enjoyed dishes of Oreo cookie ice cream from the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, Texas.  (They bake their own Oreos.)

 Timp finally got a coating of white, I noted, on the way home.

 Thanks for having me!  Look forward to the next visit!

Saint George in January

I was the lone ranger from our district in St. George at the state's

Winter Conference for Child Nutrition Programs.

A first.  My boss couldn't go so I took prolific notes - on paper, iPhone, HP Elite.

These first three pictures were on the drive down.

Since I had a Monday a.m. meeting, I drove down Sunday after church.

We had two weeks in a row of talks on "Making the Sabbath a Holy Day."

Speaker that day discussed making it the best it can be,

and "different" (reverently memorable) if you (think you) have to do

something normally nonSabbath.

My making it different choice was listening to the Sounds of Sunday the whole way.

When it faded out, "seek" always found it full force again!

Siri took notes for me of ideas for future music.

One was "I Believe in Christ" on clarinet.

We have a clarinet player in our ward - just need the Spirit (or a neighbor)

to let me know if she's good enough!  ;^)

The hours flew by and after I arrived at the Courtyard Marriott

I finished off my edibles - PBJ, cookies, nuts and dried fruit.

 One of the nights was a poster session.

 These were ours.  Note the truck wrap.
(ITSMeals Provo on Facebook.)

 That is a scratch turkey turnover and yes, it is on our cycle menus.

(Asparagus in season if it's not outrageous.)

Kids actually rave about the asparagus, especially secondary students.

(We oven roast it and drizzle with olive oil.)

 Last summer's guest speaker for our cooks who spoke on

the concept of seeking excellence and not giving up.

(He was cut from team tryouts 7th and 8th grades,

and said he didn't "blossom" until towards the end of his junior year.)
(That's me in the snip up top.)

 Our schools who made the most of this year's CNP sports theme,

Beyonce's Move Your Body:

Move It!

The next night was a fun night - dinner at Texas Roadhouse with Jewel.
My biannual steak.  ;^) (Maddox each October.)

Stopped at the office on the way back Thursday evening,

to drop all the loot off

sans projected wetness. (See the rainbow?)

Per the weather, it was supposed to be dicey

Friday morning, but as usual, this winter, it was dry.

(December was the driest on record.)

There's a flag, courtesy of the Scouts, on my lawn today.

Which reminds me of this recent shot as I was leaving Walker's in Pleasant Grove.

 "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain..."

Above, from my driveway.

Below, earlier the same night, Provo Canyon from State Street.

(My parents used to harmonize this song,

watching the moon rise while sitting on a garden bench.)
To hear all of it:
Kate Smith

 Downtown the night before Christmas Eve.

(Suddenly remembered I forgot to pay the city bill - rats! Add $10 to an already outrageous bill!!)

 Three (count 'em) nativity snow globes, all gifts.

 Laura & Kate - baked craisin oatmeal for brunch.

 Bad lighting; good people:
@ dining table:  Velvet, Grace, Don, Lois, Eldon, Janeil.

(Carl stole my spot @ the desk.  Bless 'im.)

 View from the street on Big Plantation Ave.

 Spiral ham and scalloped potatoes, green beans in butter and red wine vinegar,

pumpkin and pecan pies.

(After a big spread of hors d'oeuvres.)

Uncle Seth & Raygen.

 One of Raygen's favorites.

(And I can still hear in my head,

her Mom at the same age slamming the door again and again.)

 Another of Raygen's favorites.

("What's this," she'd ask Dad, over and over, then run back to the easel,

excitedly proclaiming it's name as she posted it.)
Other cute quotes in cheerful tones:  "Hey, guys!"  "I'm here!"

 Hayden describing his gift for Mom which he picked out by himself,
earrings and necklace.

(Johnny's maternal grandparents in the background.)

 Johnny's gift to Jewel - a fancy running watch.
(She gave him an Amazon certificate to get a better deal
on the the frames he wants for eye glasses.)

 Johnny & Seth's favorite team (grandparent's stomping grounds).

 My gifts - peppermint tin with p. Kisses from my VTer.

An amaryllis from the Londons.
A flower pot from Jewel & Johnny:
"Grandma's Garden of Love" on one side,
"HaydenRaygenHazelLucy" on the other.
An Olive Garden gift certificate from Grant & Ruth & girls.
Slippers from Jewel & Johnny.
A soft cheese knife from Janeil.
Whisper Hill lavender candle, soap and aloe
& goat's milk bath salts from Velvet & Carl.
A clever cap/scarf from Robin, Johnny's mom.

Oh, and one more thing - some serious bling
Hayden picked out just for me.

Perfect fit!

 Can't see a lick of the mountains, but Utah Lake looks frozenly inviting.
And for what Utah lacks in snow, it makes up for in sunsets:

 Tonight, SW from Pleasant Grove Drive @ State Street.

Tonight, Timp, from 1100 N.

Tonight, SW from our old driveway (Penrod end).