IF YOU BUY IT THEY WILL COME

This is our new motto.

So in keeping with our motto, we purchased a fun new Ranger. Unfortunately, with the cold and snow of Idaho, we have only taken one ride so far. But we hope it's great fun.
(We heard that there are missions where the couples get to ride around in their Rangers. I think we may put- Have Ranger- on our mission papers)

Screeching Eels

We just returned from a trip to Hawaii. We stayed in a wonderful place where we had our own lagoon with volcanically warmed water. There were lots of fish in the lagoon, including several very large Coi that we fed everyday.




After several leisurely swims in the lagoon, my friend Kathy decided to snorkel. She was on the far side of the lagoon looking at the rock wall formations when a very scary eel poked it's head out of a hole in the rock, mouth open and teeth glaring. After discovering the "screeching eel", dips in the lagoon were less frequent and limited to the other end. Do you think the eel left his rock cave? I don't even want to know.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Skirt

I was with friends one week-end and saw this skirt in a second hand store. I am always looking for white temple clothing so it caught my eye. It had a stain, but I decided to take a chance and buy it, at an even more reduced rate. My friends were envious, but I thought--it's just a white skirt.

The stain washed out, so I wore it to the temple with just a plain white (but nice) T-shirt. I work at the temple on Thursday mornings when it is not very busy and there are not many people around. But that first time I wore it I got 6 compliments (raves) over my skirt. I was a little surprised. Then the second time, I got 5 compliments. Strangers were going out of their way to tell me what a darling skirt I had. I have worn it now 4 or 5 times and every time I wear it I get compliments on my skirt.

Then one of my friends had a daughter who was getting married. She wanted to wear the skirt. So I mailed it to her to wear on the special occasion, and she mailed it back. So it is officially a traveling skirt. I just want to laugh every time someone raves about the skirt, and if they ask where I got it --I love to tell them about my about my second hand, stained skirt that everyone loves.

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.