Bubonic Plague

This post if only for those who can stand to hear something really awful and disgusting. Here goes.
We have macadamia nut trees. So we have rats. And the rats decided to build nests in the macadamia nut trees. I felt it was my duty to get rid of the nests. So I took the saw, clippers, ladder, etc out to the grove and started cutting back the branches. At first it wasn't too bad, but when I got to the high branches, I had to stand underneath them and saw away, while all the dirt, decaying nuts, and bubonic-plague-infested rat poop fell on my head. It was so disgusting.
So, if I die suddenly, it will be because of the plague I contracted while dealing with rats nests. I will try not to infect others.
PS. Did I mention the horrible smell?

The Amazing Race

I love the amazing race. It is a great show that is fun, original and just plain amazing. I have always wanted to be on the race-it would be so amazing (there's that word again). However, there are a few things you must be able to do before going on the race:
1. Drive a stick shift car
2. Read (you have to read the clue)
3. Be willing to eat or drink something weird
4. Be comfortable in water
5. Be willing to go somewhere high
6. Be physically fit- in other wards- its a race you have to be able to run.

This isn't a very long list, but you would be surprised at how many people are lacking in several of these areas. Unfortunately, that probably includes me. Heights are a problem. We just drove up to Sawtelle Peak in Idaho, and I was freaked out that we would go over the edge of the winding, narrow road. But the view along with the race, is worth it.

Saved by the Wall

My husband likes to do woodworking. He was sawing a round board when it went whizzing (is that a word?) off of the saw, through his shop, through the shop wall, through a crawl space, and through the bathroom wall on the other side. Can you image the force of that wood if it would have hit a body---like my body or any other unsuspecting body that might be helping with a project in the shop? I don't even want to imagine it. My poor bathroom wall. I may never fix it-- as a reminder of how careful you need to be with tools.

Cupcake Craze

California is finally joining the cupcake craze. I have always hated cupcakes, but thought I should give the new ones a try. I looked for a cupcake place near me and couldn't find one. Downtown San Diego is too far to go even for a cupcake. So today I found a coupon for cupcakes only a few miles down the road.
Let me recommend, the German chocolate, lemon with raspberry filling and chocolate cake pops. Now, I did have several, but they were mini-cupcakes. I'm sure that I will find reasons to go back (visiting teaching gifts, etc). It's a fun craze while it lasts.

Support BYU

We are BYU fans. Everyone is our family graduated from BYU. We all have great memories. So to support BYU, we like to shop at the bookstore whenever we are in Provo. We were too poor to buy anything when we were students. We were lucky if we had money to share an ice cream cone at the cougar eat (which basically is no longer, but that's another story).
My latest purchase (after my cute trailer hitch cover and license plate holder) is a BYU drinking cup. It was time to give up the water bottles, help save the environment, and purchase one more item at the bookstore.

My Ultimate Quilt

I like to watch a cooking show called America's test kitchen. My daughter-in-law Lisa told me about it. They test everything and come up with the ultimate recipes. Now everytime I try a new recipe, I tell my husband that it's the ultimate. So, I am now into making the ultimate of whatever I do.
So here is my ultimate quilt. The ultimate because of all the hand work. I probably won't do that much embroidery ever again.

Retirement Job in DC

I found the perfect retirement job for my husband in DC. There is a beautiful piano in the lobby of the White House. Someone was playing it on my visit there. My husband could do that. He just needs to brush up on a few show tunes, and we are in at the White House.

White and White House

I got to go to the White House for the Christmas tour. It was fabulous, but cold. Here are pictures of us going in and coming out.

The decorations were fabulous. I kept asking "Why doesn't my house look like this?" Oh, yeah, I'm not a professional decorator. Any way, I especially loved the white chocolate white house. The main Christmas tree, along with all the others, was gorgeous(as long as you didn't look too close at what was displayed on some of the ornaments- Does Brittney Spears represent California?)
Then the white (snow) started, my flight home got canceled, my re-booked flight home three days later got canceled, and finally my re-re-booked flight got me home two days before Christmas. DC really shuts down when it snows. This is the view from Jacque's balcony.

So my quick jet-setting trip to DC turned into a White House delight and white-out delay.