making life a little easier (review)

E-Mealz - I heard about this site on the radio - recommended by some people I totally respect. So, I checked it out to see for myself. It's very inexpensive - affordable by any family's standards - only $15 for 3 months worth of daily recipes. They have recipes (from vegetarian to Weight Watchers New Point System) to choose from plus shopping list. BUT, the 'jury' is still out on this one. Why? When I purchased, I thought there were recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I found out - it's dinner recipes only!

You DO download (2) sheets per week that include:

1. MEAL, INGREDIENTS and INSTRUCTIONS on how to make the meal
2. GROCERY LIST (shopping list) with detailed breakdown on foods needed in catagories: produce, meats, dairy/refrigerator, frozen, canned/bottled, packaged
3. SUPER EASY TO UNDERSTAND and WELL organized

The reason I like this little company so much is that they don't charge an 'arm and a leg', provide good/healthy meals and save you a lot of time in planning. Click into their blog and get some good ideas on COUPON clipping and shopping! Give it a try!

we're going NATIONAL!

Yeussssss, it's TRUE! Got word that about 4-5 of our photos are going N.A.T.I.O.N.A.L. ! ! ! Yellowstone Teton Territory are using the photos to promote our area in a national advertising campaign that will appear in USA TODAY - I haven't received a copy of the final ad - but when I do, I'll "blog" it and show you! I saw an early copy of the ad but they didn't send it in jpg form so, I couldn't load it (drats)! The ad should run sometime in April - watch for it! This is pretty-darn-exciting - I'm calm on the outside but my insides are screaming, "YeeeeeHawwww!!!!!" The photos that are appearing in the ad are "Cortney fly fishing", "Tetons", "Yellowstone Buffalo"

THEN, our 'cover-girl' Nicole is going NATIONAL as well and will appear in "True West" magazine ad campaign. She will be part of a similar ad but her photo will appear along with "Lower Mesa Falls", "Tetons" . . . or something like that.

THEN, a similar ad will appear in the ONLY magazine allowed inside Yellowstone National Park! I am super-humbled but super-excited and I'll SHARE it all with YOU when I get a copy of it.

winter rose - mosaic monday

It's been a long time since I've 'done' Mosaic Monday. We had some crazy snowfall last night so thought I would document "winter - phase 2"! It's been so warm lately - approximately 35 degrees during the day - shirtsleeve weather. Last night a storm blew in and left it's calling card - approximately 5" of new snow. So, here it is as Mosaic Monday!

Drop by Mary's place and join in the FUN - just create a mosaic and enter it into her weekly post.

it's friday update

When you live in 'snow country' you can only hope you'll see a flower again, one day!!! This photo was taken of a little survivor in Yellowstone last year - right in the middle of a sulfur hotpot! Amazing - kind of like us living in subzero temps all winter long!

I swore I would be more specific in titling my blog posts - but when you can't think of what to call it, go with "friday update"!!!! Have you ever tried finding something you wrote about on your blog and can't find it - that's me! So, in January, I decided to be more specific entitling my posts. Then what happens? I stop writing all together! LOL!

How are YOU? Me, just fine! I haven't heard from anyone lately so I've been wondering how you're doing! Yesterday I thought I would climb the walls - I had a good old fashioned case of cabin fever. If you've ever lived in the frozen north country before, you know what I'm talking about. I emailed Bob and said, "I've GOT to get out of here AND fast!" When he got home, he whisked me off to dinner and some sanity time! We had a little sunshine yesterday so I can't figure where the cabin fever came from. I'm even taking vitamin D3 but it happened anyway. I rarely ever get feeling that way - that's why it caught me off guard.

So, as you can see I keep a good stash of chocolates (Merci) to spice up our cold lives around here! No, not really - my mom gave this to me for Valentine's Day! She has a really good talent of doing nice things on holidays and birthdays to remember everyone - I think that's cool. Aren't you so proud of me for not eating any of it? It's taken Herculian-strength not to partake? But, they look nice. The really funny thing is that I hid these little-bites-of-heaven AND . . . . you know the rest . . . I CAN'T FIND THEM!!!!! Seriously, I'm dead-serious. Anyways, if you've never tried these, you'll have to - they are a.m.a.z.i.n.g. imported stash!

This photo (below) shows I'm dying to get out and take pictures of something so everything in the house has gotten a mug-shot - sad but true! Speaking of mug-shots - Heather has been taking a lot lately and she's opening up (on Main Street U.S.A.) a photography studio! Yes, in less than a year, she decided this is what she wants to do and is making it work. The studio is called "INNOV8" and will be ready soon for business! Fortunately, she and Brian own the building so the overhead won't be that high - they're remodeling the old "SledShed" as we speak and it's looking pretty groovy.



A few other updates:

Grif is working with some BIG names in Hollywood - can't reveal anything as I'm sworn to "be quiet or you'll die" threats - just know he's doing GREAT and Katrina is rippin' the legal world as well. Just like the rest of us, they don't see much of each other but they get well-earned R&R on weekends.

Shawn and Kandee got back recently from a trip to Mexico - fishing and sight-seeing ruins (I wonna-go, I wonna-go!) They said the weather was great and beaches awesome. Bob and I got to Thornton the other day - only those living in Idaho can appreciate what I just said!!!

I'm off to take pitures - have a GREAT day!

february 15th - guess who's special day?

Tyler - present will be there tomorrow - sorry about that!!!! . . . you'll like it!

thots for the soul

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”C.S. Lewis

“I truly believe there is nothing larger than life.”

― Uta Hagen

"EVERYDAY is another 24 more hours to CHANGE the world!" -unknown

“Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”― Lida Clarkson

“People who keep journals have life twice.”―Jessamyn West

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the year.”

― Spanish proverb

“Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them, that’s what makes you strong.”

― Sarah Dessen

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”

― Steve Martin

“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”

― George Eliot

“Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

― Franklin P. Jones

“If there’s no struggle, there’s no progress.”

― Rachel Robinson

heather's bday - sunday

Heather had a burfday . . .



if you come to this party, you have to act your age . . .

Carter helping the party to get rolling . . .

notice Heather blowing out the imaginary candles - great pucker, great actress . . .

Kelton and Brian picked this beauty out at the store - ice cream delight . . .

family in full-partaking mode . . .

Morgie basically ROCKS my world . . . Brian ain't bad either . . .

Grandma brought this little beauty to the party . . . for me . . . for Valentine's Day . . .

so SWEET! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Hea-due-girl!

Journal Notes:

It continues to amaze me just how old our kids are getting!

just a thot

"you heard that?!!!" (before i forget)

I have to get this down in writing before I forget how great is was - you might even call it hilarious - you be the judge:

My mom had some major physical challenges this past year and quite frankly has done a great job dealing with everything. My dad has been gone for many years but, she hasn't had to face them alone, she has her family.

Increasingly, I have noticed you have to repeat things at least a few times before she can understand what you're saying! "Mom, let's go get your hearing checked - maybe you could use a hearing aid!" I can't tell you how many times I said that with really no interest what-so-ever on her part! Frankly, I've suggested many things with no interest on her part! So, I generally don't say much any more unless she asks for help!

One day, on our way to town, Mom mentioned she was hearing some strange sounds when she was trying to sleep at night. She got up, looked around, looked under her bed but could find nothing. It continued hour after hour until she finally left her bedroom and resigned herself to a night on the couch. But, the sound continued - relentless, never-ending! Since she had been having trouble with her ears, she finally decided that this was just another one-of-those getting old things that was going to continue to drive her crazy! Since my opinion rarely mattered, I didn't say much! Week after week she continued to mention her new condition! I really didn't say much other than to make sure she wasn't in any pain - she wasn't. Poor mom!

I went to town one day to fetch Mom some medicine from the pharmacy and plopped down in a chair to visit as I wasn't pressed for time that day. As we were visiting I heard a beep coming from the direction of the hallway. Immediately I recognized the sound and said, "Mom, the batteries in your smoke alarm are low - you better get that battery changed!" Like a deer in headlights, she didn't move a muscle yet her eyes rolled to one side to look at me, "YOU HEARD THAT?" she said slow and deliberate? "Yes I did? It's your smoke alarm - it does that when your battery is low to remind you to replace it." It seemed like a long time before she even moved a muscle - I could tell she was thinking! "You really can hear that?" "Mom, is that the sound you've been hearing all these months? It's your SMOKE ALARM!!!" The relief (and embarrassment) was unmistakable on her face. It was over - the mystery was over! She still asks you to repeat everything you say but I'll bet you $10 bucks she remembers when it's time to change her smoke alarm batteries!

(Disclaimer: No grandma was harmed in the telling of this story!)

you have to LOVE your home!

When you awake in the morning and hear on the radio that school has been closed due to severe cold, you know it's cold outside - let's say -21 degrees and dropping! Remember, I was getting up early for a guitar lesson - well, after making a few calls at 6 a.m. to parents of students, I hopped back under the covers and commenced to hibernate for a few more hours. The dogs didn't even want to crawl out from under their blankets! Yes, they have blankets (and they love them)!

Tonight I was going to a meeting but it was so dang cold outside, I decided to stay home and warm! Wimpish - and proud of it!!! You really have to LOVE your home when you live in the frozen north-country and especially really good space heaters. As you can see by the photo above my photo subjects lately are home-bound-subjects . . . pretty boring I know but bright and cheery!

Lately, I've heard some weird sounds coming from our house! Several times a day a creaking-sound coming from the living room area! Hummmmm, what could it be? I thought it was 'me' but then Bob heard it the other morning as he was leaving for the day! We really didn't know what to think - but after much contemplation, we think it's the very heavy snow on the roof. We have more snow than ever before and it's so heavy due to weather changes - I'm a little afraid it could be putting too much pressure on the roof. So, I'm praying daily that the roof doesn't cave in! Bob went out today, braving single digit temps to pull some of the snow down. After all his efforts, the sound came back again tonight! Eeeeeek!

My entries are pretty boring - there's a lot going on yet there's not much going on. Make sense? Tomorrow will be different - time to get out of the house for sanity sake. You have to love your home in weather like this - quite frankly I'm pretty thankful for it - sure hope that roof holds!

such a slacker!

Photo: Jackson Pass, Jackson WY - Took this photo on our way to buy our Subaru about a month ago! - It was cold then, it's colder now!




Yes, I am such a slacker! I have so many things going on right now but, none the less, I'm a slacker. I have been put in charge of a HUGE program at our church as I'm in the Presidency of our Young Women's organization. Challenging! But, it'll get done and it'll be great!

The weather is pretty miserable around these parts - but not as miserable as back east right about now. As I write this it's -2 degrees (F) here and dropping - probably -10 tonight! Heather's (my daughter) pipes froze last night as I think it was -28 degrees (F) at their place last night - forgot to call and remind her to drip her water!

Have an early guitar lesson in the morning - so heading to bed early tonight. I told my guitar classes several weeks ago that I'm NOT taking on any new students as I'm going to RETIRE from teaching soon! Haha - you should have seen their faces! I was a little shocked I said anything - after 38 years of teaching, I think it's getting close! More on that subject soon!

Night everyone - stay WARM! ((((((shiver))))))