One of three roses to bloom this year from Ashley's Rose, the rose bush I planted in them memory my dear cat, Ashley (1991 - June 23, 2006).


Beautiful rose from Mom's garden

The weekend ended way too soon, but they always do.  Friday I was let loose on some hedges with an electric hedge trimmer.  Yeehaw!  Mom gave me permission to take a good 18 inches off the big, tall bushes. It was completely exhausting but it was a great stress reliever.  Dad was a little anxious to do something so I asked him to come out and help me pick up branches.  Next thing I knew (he's quick when he wants to be!), he went to get the loppers and chopped the hell out of a hedge on the west side of the house.  There's a gaping hole where he lopped three one-inch branches from the bottom while I was on the ladder trimming the other side.  It was apparent he wanted to get rid of it before he told me so but I reminded him that I need it for shade in my bedroom. I won the battle because I held a bigger trimmer ;-).

When Mom came to inspect my work, she said it looked great. I then told her to walk to the south side of that bush to see Dad's handiwork. She gasped then laughed because she knew he wanted to get rid of it too. She thanked me for the work I did as well as tuckering Dad out so he'd take a nap and not do any more damage with the loppers when she went out to finish the bushes.

I took a nice shower, a nap, and then went back outside after dinner to finish planting my flowers and help Mom with the tomato plants that needed to be planted. She planted the cucumbers last night and I hope they live. I worked hard to keep them alive for two months and they were even blossoming in my basement! I was so excited; however, since she took them outside and didn't plant them all weekend, they looked unhappy.

Saturday, I had a ME day and took a drive around to the back side of the Ben Lomond Mountain range. Everything was lush, green, and gorgeous! I drove around a camping area called North Fork to get some good shots of the mountain and of a small river.

Back of Ben Lomond Peak


Back of a smaller peak on the range


North Fork River




Then I drove around Pine View Reservoir and it was so pretty; such a brilliant blue. There were a lot of boats in the water but I got lucky on this shot, only a couple in the distance.


I drove down Ogden Canyon on the way home and stopped at the waterfall at the mouth of the canyon. It's a small waterfall but I never grow tired of seeing it.
Top of waterfall


Bottom of waterfall


I came home and washed the dust off my car and vacuumed the inside, cleaned the inside windows and dash, etc. It's now all spiffy... now watch, it will rain. After that, I was exhausted so I got in my jammies and relaxed all night. Sunday was a PJ day - enough said. Yesterday was nice; I slept in, went to lunch at the diner my sis works at, then Mom and I took some roses (from her garden) to my late SIL's grave. I also took my camera and wondered around the cemetary and took some photos of some of the older headstones. I found three graves of my ancestors, the Bybee's, that I found when I was a teenager when I went to the junior high by the cemetery. Mom never saw them before and I don't think any of my aunts have either.

I saw my late boss' grave, the dentist, who died from a brain tumor in 2001. His family has it decorated nicely and one thing there made me laugh. They had an open bottle of Pepsi for him. It's something that seems odd to those who didn't know him, but those of us who had the honor of knowing him, it's great.

I've rambled on enough! How was your weekend?? Have a fabulous day!

Memorial Day is much more than a holiday when family and friends get together for picnics, camping, and BBQ's, it's a day to give thanks to those who serve our country, have died protecting our country and our lives. Each year, I am more grateful to the men and women who are willing to give their lives and serve our country; fighting for what they believe in and for our freedoms.

The words, as Americans, we spoke every morning at school may not have been fully understood, but they were important. I cherish the words and I will forever keep these words close to heart and I will never take out "under God," that, I vow.



The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day.Now, more than ever, listen to the meaning of these words.

"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"

I
me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.
Allegiance
my love and my devotion.
To the flag
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherevershe waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
of the United
that means that we have all come together.
States of America
individual communities that have united into 48 great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country.
And to the republic
a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands, one nation
one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"
Indivisible
incapable of being divided.
With liberty
which is freedom -- the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice
the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.
For all
which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine. Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance...
UNDER GOD
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America!

Listen to Red Skelton's words HERE.
**************
Isn't is a pity that happened?

So, now I ask you to thank a veteran and/or an active duty person for all they sacrificed and let your flags fly high.

Gee whiz, who knew there's more than one use for a flasher!

Mother Nature does, indeed, have a sense of humor. I wish I could take credit for these photos but I cannot; however, taking photos such as these is a goal of mine. *snicker*

I have taken all of these photos in the past two to three weeks. I love the spring! I had a pretty good weekend, besides watching/listening to baseball all weekend, I met my friends for dinner on Friday and had a blast; we talked, laughed, and giggled for over three hours. Saturday, I was out helping with yard work and planting some flowers and yes, I took some photos; that's a given! Yesterday, I was basically a slug for most of the day because my whole body hurt. I had Lost, Supernatural, and the Utah Jazz/San Antonio Spurs basketball game to watch. I was bummed the Jazz lost but they hung in there and were close to catching up in the last quarter (final score 100 to 108) It was definitely a fight to the end.

Here it is Monday again. Here's to Monday - Thursday speeding by so we can enjoy the long weekend. Have a great day!

1.  Gee whiz, it's Thursday already.  Why is it that when I have time to relax and life isn't so fast paced that time goes so fast?  I've been out of school for one week and it seems like two days.  I need to have a chat with whoever is responsible.

2.  I have discovered that this Utah girl has led a semi-sheltered life *cough, cough*, or perhaps it's the fact that we, here in Utah, have our own meanings for words.  I will go with the latter.  During a discussion in my Language class, the word - or should I say acronym, SNAFU was the topic.  The Utah meaning of snafu is a glitch, however, I found out that snafu is not a word at all but an acronym that stands for:  situation normal all f***** up.  A big part of me wanted to say, "duh" to myself but I found myself laughing... yeah, it figures, Utah natives wouldn't know that.  It's sort of like the saying, "I shot my wad" has nothing to do with m*sterb*ting but spending all one's money; again, Utah meaning.  However, I knew the "national" meaning.  Imagine a Arizonian's (stationed in Utah) surprise when my boss told us that he shot his wad.  It was priceless.  She started to say, "Too much information," when I whispered the "Utah" meaning, then it made sense.  The boss spent all his money and couldn't go to lunch.  *snortle*

When talking about these funny experiences, my office mate, introduced me to PIDOOMA.  Example:  "Where did you get that idea?"  Reply, "PIDOOMA."  Pulled It Directly Out Of My A&&... gotta love my office mate.  He is not a Utah native and worked on jets in the flight line in several bases while he was in the US Air Force for 10 years.  The man has a lot of knowledge and it's no wonder that we never get on each other's nerves because there is too much entertainment around us.  He doesn't hold being native against me.  He even knows the gee whiz joke, thanks to me giggling so much about it on the phone with friends (gee whiz, Ms. Vickie!).   

I can also get a way with saying the word bugger (the Brittish cuss word) whenever I want.  Utah is a beautiful place to live; more than just the scenery!

3.   Speaking of Ms. Vickie, in one of our phone conversations the past week, we were talking about having to go potty a lot (thanks to lasix), and I wondered who have the throne the name John.  It's all well and good for women to say "I'm going to go see John" or "I'm sitting on the John, " but what about men saying that?  Doesn't that sound a bit queer?  Why don't they say "I'm sitting on the Betty,"?  Just one of those weird questions that pops into my head.

I couldn't let it drop, I had to Google it.  Apparently, at www.victoriancrapper.com, claims that, "One English company, Thomas Crapper, has more than any other been remembered in name at least as his name became indistinguishable from his product. (Sources also claim that the slang "John" for toilet came from the John Douglas company of Cincinnati putting his name on his toilet for the American market, but actually there were several manufacturers with John in their name.)"  Another source, on Funtrivia.com, "John Harrington did design the first "necessary", in 1596, but he never made another (there is some question if any were made at all)and the idea was lost (much like the 1715 typewriter in an earlier question). Crediting Harington for inventing the toilet is the same as anointing Leonardo Da Vinci as father of the helicopter.”

Gee whiz, it's amazing what Google finds!  

4. I made a note about a gee-whizable that says, "cucumber," but I don't remember what it was... but gee whiz, all I have to do is mention a cucumber and all sorts of thoughts come to mind, so use your imagination on this one, however, keep it clean.  *snortle*.  Come to think of it, I think Dawn was teasing me about it because I was craving cucumbers the other night.  Yeah, that's it!  Cucumbers are a woman's third best friend; the first being diamonds and the second being B.O.B's.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!   

N-O  S-C-H-O-O-L! 

Yesterday during a staff meeting that was running long, a coworker said, "Hey Karen... it's after 4:00, what are you still doing here?"  Immediately, a big grin came to my face and I felt a feeling of bliss, as I replied, "I'm out of school for three weeks!"  He then asked how I will spend all that extra time.  I almost snorted as I replied, "Don't worry, I have plenty of things that will find me to do."  It never fails, I have a list of "thinks I want to do," but it always seems that "things that come up" are what I spend my time on.  I call that, LIFE.

I do have one fun activity planned, Friday my friends and I are getting together for an early dinner at the local Olive Garden... hmmm... perhaps someone should warn them?  Nah, let it be a surprise.  I'm looking forward to getting caught up with everyone and hopefully we'll get into some *interesting* conversations. 

I really want to see the movie, Delta Farce... it looks like an absolute hoot and it's got two of my favorite comedians in it (Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall).  

Over the weekend, I was miserable, suffering from a light case of heat exhaustion.  My nephew's wedding was beautiful but it was held on a 90+F degree day (I was there from 2:30 to 8:30) with not much of a breeze.  I stayed in the shade most the time but still got sunburned.  I don't deal well with heat and it usually makes me sick... and did.  I drank a lot of water but it wasn't enough.  Saturday and Sunday, I spent rehydrating myself and resting (except for making dinner for Mom and taking some photos outside).   

My time outside was worth it, even though it was still a hot day.  A group that I'm a member of on Flickr, Department of Art and Visual Communications, weekly assignment was "long exposure" (with a camera... get your minds out of the gutter).  I have not taken anything with the long exposure so I had fun trying it out.  I had to wait until dark to try anything otherwise it came out a white screen. 

Here are two of my attempts:



I took some more photos - quite a few, actually, of the blooming flowers in Mom's garden. I was amazed at what happened in the week I didn't have time to take photos. I'll share those later, hopefully for Wordless Wednesday tomorrow.

I suppose I have rambled on enough now and better get my hinny to work. Have a fabulous Tuesday!

It's funny how one little girl, who has developmental problems, can teach adults so much about life. She inspires me to be free to play and express my emotions as they flow out of me. The video is of an amazing ittle girl, my niece, Elyssa, playing with her shadow at my nephew's wedding last Friday. Even the other children needed other entertainment, but Elyssa was happy just playing with her shadow - no other interaction, other than hearing her family around her, laughing and having a great time. Life is really simple and it's incredible having her remind me of that fact.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, whom I wouldn't be the person I am today without her influence and love.  (I'm the baby in the photo with my sisters, Susie and Kathy)

 Mother's Day wishes to all mothers!! 

Here is the photo collage I put together with the poem I wrote for my nephew Travis and his new wife (as of 3:00pm today).  Click on it to embiggen.  I took screen shots of their wedding photos and put them on my photo of Bridal Veil Falls.  Jacque Lynn Taylor is the portrait photographer.  I was utterly amazed at the photos, they are so "them."  Sara's bridal photos are incredible and her dress is so beautiful. 

I am so excited for their wedding... and to help my nephew Adam decorate their truck or blazer - not sure which one they're using.  *evil grin*   However, I'm tearing up already, thinking of my Gomer growing up and getting married.  I'm a sap.  ;-)

Something that makes me happy but doesn't make me cry is that I saw my online gradebook for  Management and my term paper grade was posted:  297 out of 300!  WOOHOO!!!  My final grade:  94.86%  Ahhh, I worked hard for that!  *shaking my boootay*

Have a wonderful weekend!!    

Happy Thursday!  I, for one, am So Happy It's Thursday.  I'm beyond ready for the weekend.  So, what's been so gee-whizable the past two weeks that I haven't rambled about already... hmmmm... gee whiz... let me think (which is more painful than you know!). 

1. My dear friend Eve sent me a photo of bottles of shampoo that are quite phallic in shape and she thought this photo would be gee-whizable.  She is correct... it is something I'd definitely see and giggle about and of course, I'd have to buy it, for the shampoo or perhaps... something to giggle about.  I actually wonder if the shape of the bottles are meant to stand out and get women's attention?  Even the "Phelan" part of the name made me giggle and made me wonder if that was also something to get women's attention, being a play on words.  Just some things that make me wonder... gee whiz...

 2. One of my duties at work is creating reports from student critiques of the workshops my team teaches.  I've seen some interesting comments on what students liked best about the workshop and what they liked least - or thought would help us improve the workshops.  However, I read one last week that was the funniest I've seen before.  The comment was, "When is the first urinal going to be fixed?  I'm tired of having to pee in front of an audience in the 2nd urinal."  Ummm, OK.  As if WE could do anything about the facility's urinal problem.  As for the stage fright, I suffer from that as well at times, so it's a good thing I am a woman and don't use a urinal.

3. This gee whiz may make Monica's day... in my Sociology class 2-3 terms ago (??), there was a cute guy in my class, who was off limits (married) and he and I usually chatted before class.  Well, one night, I was on the phone with Monica before class started and she told me to ask him if he had a brother (for me) but instead, I asked him, "My friend Monica from Texas wants to know if you have a brother for her."  *snortle*  Sad to say, he didn't have a brother, but it was fun to get Monica's reaction!  *evil grin*  Anyway... back to the gee whiz, as arrived at the building where my Language class is held, a cute guy was behind me but then rushed up the stairs to get the door for me.  How sweet is that?!  Anyway, it was the same guy!  We chatted for a few minutes once we looked at each other and had that "OH, it's you!" thing. 

Oh darn, Monica!  I didn't ask if he had any friends for you...........  *snortle* 

4. Last night in Language class, my teacher didn't give us the final (we didn't play Jeopardy); she said our final was on Monday when we answered the questions for our study guide.  Sneaky of her but we were not upset, not one bit.  She brought in pizza for us and then we shared our nightly vocabulary words and discussed all we learned, then watched a short documentary.  One guy in my class had the funniest vocabulary word:  onionbooty.  Definition:  "When a woman's behind is so hot, it could make a grown man cry."  We laughed and laughed about that.  I'm still giggling.  He got the word out of his urban dictionary.  Gee whiz, is that a crack up, or what?? 

Have a great day! 

Just a quick note and another photo - I hope you're enjoying the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. It was a loooong day yesterday; I didn't get home until 10:30 last night and didn't get to bed until about midnight. One more night of school then I'll get a break for 3 weeks.

I gave my management presentation last night on Situational Leadership and my teacher said I improved (compared to my last class and presentation), which I was happy about. Although I wasn't the best in the class (I almost said DUH), I did "good." I'll take good. However, I did excellent on my final! Just like my mid-term, I got 100%! So, depending on what I get on my paper and the presentation will determine if I get an A or not. Right now, I'm at 93.51%. I'm pretty sure I've got an A in my Language class because I've gotten A's on all the papers and presentations. I'm aiming for Magna Cum (*snortle) Laude; now I'm right on the edge of it, being a Cum (*snortle again) Laude, just like my nephew Travis.

Have a great day!

It was a busy weekend between doctor appointments, errands, cleaning, work, working on my Management presentation, and studying for my Language final. I had a complete lazy day yesterday; it was a fantastic PJ Day. I'm trying to gear up for my week and don't have much to say this morning so I'll let my photos do the talking. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Here are more of the photos I took last weekend at my bother's house.

My nephew Travis just graduated from Weber State University, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) Cum Laude. He was 1/100 of a point away from being Magna Cum Laude. I'm one proud auntie. Here are some of my favorite photos of Travis, which make me smile and laugh everytime I see them. (click to embiggen)



Here is a poem I wrote for him for his graduation and below the poem is the photo I took of him last night.

There was a special day,
Over twenty years ago when you were born,
In your tiny hands, you held hope and love,
From where you came, from up above.

Never before could I imagine
What an incredible gift you were from Heaven,
With the sweet red-haired boy
Who brought us so much joy.

As you grew, you taught us to express
All the love we had in our family,
You taught us to say, “I love you,”
From our hearts and verbally.

When you were young, you loved super heroes,
You were our Superman and He-Man,
You believed you could change the world,
By running around on the gymnasium floor.

One thing you may not know,
Is you were always my hero,
Whether in sports or standing in defense,
Of those who could not fight.

I loved Saturdays the best,
Because that is when I saw you the most,
Whether you were playing football,
Or spending the day with me.

I see you now and my heart swells,
For I see how you’ve grown and how well,
The boy you once were, now is the man
Who has made cannots into cans.

All you have accomplished,
Are realities from your wishes,
The boy who wanted to ease everyone’s pain,
Is now the man who has everything to gain.

It is difficult to express in words,
All that is in my heart,
How proud I am of the man,
Who is a son of my heart.

You have an amazing life ahead
And I look forward to seeing it all,
Congratulations, my Travis and Gomer,
And know that you will always be my hero.

"What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life." - Leo Buscalgia

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise man grows it under his feet." - James Oppenheim

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." - Dalai Lama

"Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Possessions bring pleasure, not happiness. Happiness is found in the heart - Bing

"Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient." - Aristotle

"The perfection of wisdom, and the end of true philosophy is to proportion our wants to our possessions, our ambitions to our capacities, we will then be a happy and a virtuous people." - Mark Twain"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis." - Margaret Bonnano

"People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within." - Ramona Anderson

"Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, And in their pleasure takes joy, even as though t'were his own." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing." - George Sheehan

"Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are." - John B. Sheerin

"Happiness is not a matter of good fortune or worldly possessions. It's a mental attitude. It comes from appreciating what we have, instead of being miserable about what we don't have." - Anonymous

"Happiness lies in our own backyard, but it's probably well hidden by crabgrass." - Anonymous

"Happiness is like jam. You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself." - Anonymous

"Happiness is an inside job." - William Arthur Ward

"Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses." - Dale Carnegie

"Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date." - Dale Carnegie

"It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable." - Roger L'Estrange

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." - Storm Jameson

"Happiness is the only sanction of life; where happiness fails, existence remains a mad and lamentable experience." - George Santayana

"Lead the life that will make you kindly and friendly to everyone about you, and you will be surprised what a happy life you will lead." - Charles M Schwab

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude." - Denis Waitley

"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." - Victor Hugo

"To live happily is an inward power of the soul." - Aristotle

"Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have." - Unknown

"It is easy to sit up and take notice, what is difficult is getting up and taking action." - Al Batt

"It's easier to go down a hill than up it, but the view is much better at the top." - Arnold Bennet

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Sir Winston Churchill

"Remember happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think." - Dale Carnegie

"It's not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts." - Addison Walker

"Fear is the darkroom where negatives develop." - Max Walker

"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." - Albert Einstein

"Money and success don't change people; they merely amplify what is already there." - Will Smith

"We must become the change we want to see." – Gandhi

"Treat people as they are, and they will remain that way. Treat them as they are already what they can be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." - Goethe

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." - Theodore Roosevelt

"Sometimes you've got to create what you want to be a part of." - Geri Weitzman

"The heart that loves is always young." - Greek Proverb

"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." - Albert Camus

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" - Lord Byron

"Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others." - Buddha

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Jung

"The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure." - Francoise de Motteville

"That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest." - Henry David Thoreau

"The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances." - Martha Washington

"Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder." - Anonymous

"Happiness is not given but exchanged."

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling." - Margaret Lee Runbeck

"In life, we must not look to make ourselves happy, but instead, we must strive to love others and our own happiness will come of their satisfaction." - Paul Acquasanta

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

"Happiness is good health and a bad memory." - Cesare di Bonesana Beccaria

"By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." – Socrates

"Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence." - Sydney Smith

"There is this difference between happiness and wisdom that he that thinks himself the happiest man, really is so; but he who thinks himself the wisest, is generally the greatest fool." - C C Colton

The really happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery when on a detour."

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the Way things turn out." Art Linkletter

"Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises." Leo Buscaglia

One of the functions of humor is to help all of us take ourselves less seriously. [The Urantia Book, p. 549, par. 2]
"True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all." - Socrates

"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself." ---Galileo"

Throw some love into the wind