Fact: Idaho is a really cold, dry place.
Fact: Not many bugs survive Winter, or Spring, or Fall in Idaho.
Fact: I really like not having so many bugs around.
Maybe Fact: Little gnats have a special way of hiding in the dirt and making it though the hard Idaho Winters.
Fact: Little gnats are my least favorite bugs, but my most frequent house guests.
I love house plants. I have a lot of them. I have an Ivy from my roommate, an Aloe from my boss, a spider plant I swiped from somewhere public (just a clipping mind you), the basil, parsley, and chives I've been growing in my kitchen window for the past year, and a few others. I've noticed over the years that when my plants do well so do the gnats that live in them. So sad. So I got into the habit of putting them outside during these sunny winter days to try to freeze the bugs out. I'm pretty sure they dig deeper into the soil, because it never works.
Well, this past two weeks have been warm so I put the plants out while I cleaned the rest of the house. Then at night I brought them in again. Matt liked that idea a lot, so Saturday while I was working he put the plants out. They were sitting on the floor waiting for another sunny day like that one and he needed the room in front of the washer and drier for other "husbandly duties." (IE: doing my chores for me while I was at work.) I got home late and we stayed in to watch a movie.
Sunday morning we slept in then went straight to church. During our services, the Idaho Winter dealt us a cold blow and left the ground and roads covered in snow and ice. As we drove home slowly I looked up at our apartment like I always do and noticed something green on the patio. "Are those our plants?" I said. All Matt said was, "Oops." It was really cute and I just laughed. We got inside and made lunch then pulled the plants in out of the wind. The basil had icicles, the waxy plants were completely gone, and the chives and aloe looked a little shocked, but the ivy looked like it was just soaking it up.
Now it's Tuesday and we've made some observations.
Fact: You can't kill an ivy, you can only make it stronger.
Fact: You can't kill gnats, you can only make them stronger.
Fact: You can't kill love, even if you kill most of the house plants.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
600>25
Hum! I was just doing some math and I noticed that we've had about 600 hits and up to this point only 25 comments. Let me count again. Maybe I missed some. Okay, a few email comments brings us to about 30. Good that make the math really easy. It seems as if 5% of you are doing 95% of the talking.
Alright you Blurkers, unless you have some kind of excuse, like talking to me in person or over the phone or sending me a real letter in the last month, you'd better speak up. =)
I'll post more often and try to give you a chance.
Alright you Blurkers, unless you have some kind of excuse, like talking to me in person or over the phone or sending me a real letter in the last month, you'd better speak up. =)
I'll post more often and try to give you a chance.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
3 months
I don't know if Matt has caught on yet, but every month I try to plan something special to do for our "anniversary." It's never a really big deal, and he might not notice because he does so much every other week of the month for date night, but I try. In March I decided to go on a little adventure. See that water tower in the back of our blog pic? Yah, that one. Matt and I love it, for no real reason except just that it's cool. We can see it from our apartment and we always had a silly idea when we were dating that we would climb it.
So, We were off:
We have never even been close to this water tower, so this was a real adventure. We pulled into the right parking lot at least, but we were greeted by this sign.
Let me read it for you. "RESTRICTED AREA Tailrace fishing permitted during daylight hours only. visitors/fishermen check in with dispatcher." Well, the gate was open, so we figured it was still daylight. We weren't exactly fishermen anyway, unless you count fishing for adventure!!!
You know, if they didn't make those 8 legs so conveniently easy to climb, I think less people would try.
We were very lucky to have a nice dispatch officer come out and remind us that just because the fence was open doesn't mean we can actually climb the tower. We said sorry and went to dinner.
I felt like a fish sandwich, so we went to a place that just got one on the menu.
But after waiting for about 10 minutes while we watched the employees shuffle back and forth and look at us funny, we decided to inquire elsewhere.
After dinner we went to see a movie to end our evening. The whole night was very satisfying.
Other news for us on this three month mark:
I have a calling as the Relief Society bulletin coordinator. Matt and I have made lots of new friends in our new ward, and little young couples and families keep moving into our 8 unit complex. Matt is still playing basketball every Thursday with the ward team and most Tuesdays with friends. And we are beginning to plan our garden, even though it snows about once a week.
Life is very good.
So, We were off:
We have never even been close to this water tower, so this was a real adventure. We pulled into the right parking lot at least, but we were greeted by this sign.
Let me read it for you. "RESTRICTED AREA Tailrace fishing permitted during daylight hours only. visitors/fishermen check in with dispatcher." Well, the gate was open, so we figured it was still daylight. We weren't exactly fishermen anyway, unless you count fishing for adventure!!!
You know, if they didn't make those 8 legs so conveniently easy to climb, I think less people would try.
We were very lucky to have a nice dispatch officer come out and remind us that just because the fence was open doesn't mean we can actually climb the tower. We said sorry and went to dinner.
I felt like a fish sandwich, so we went to a place that just got one on the menu.
But after waiting for about 10 minutes while we watched the employees shuffle back and forth and look at us funny, we decided to inquire elsewhere.
After dinner we went to see a movie to end our evening. The whole night was very satisfying.
Other news for us on this three month mark:
I have a calling as the Relief Society bulletin coordinator. Matt and I have made lots of new friends in our new ward, and little young couples and families keep moving into our 8 unit complex. Matt is still playing basketball every Thursday with the ward team and most Tuesdays with friends. And we are beginning to plan our garden, even though it snows about once a week.
Life is very good.
Setting Sail
About at month ago Matt and I went to our local history museum to see a very cool exhibit about the Titanic. The evening was great. (It was actually the opening benefit for museum sponsors, and we were invited because some of our friends are just that.) As we walked in, each guest was handed a Boarding Pass and told to enjoy the cruise.
We went through the benefit part of the exhibit. They had a third class meal set up in a very cold cement floor room with benches. The meal consisted of chili, soda bread, and what I thought was ice cream. (I later realized it was butter scooped with an ice cream scoop. I don't make it to many of these things. I didn't know.)
Down the hall was a lovely warm room with tables and chairs, a band and delicious looking banquet foods. We filled our plates and had a good time admiring the punch bowl which was made completely of ice. This room was supposed to represent the first class meal.
The whole exhibit was wonderful, I'm sad I couldn't take pictures for you. There were parts of the ship and people dressed up to tell you about who they were and what their reaction to the sinking was. My favorite parts were the comparison of the 3rd class and 1st class price and room set up, (I'm pretty sure the last time I went cruising I paid the 1st class price for a 3rd class space.) and the giant iceberg in the foyer you could hold your hand on to see how long you might stand clinging to one while waiting for a rescue boat.
At the end of the exhibit you could check the survivor and non-survivor posters to see if the person belonging to your boarding pass was one of the lucky few.
Here's the name on mine:
Matt kept telling me I survived, he knew for sure. I thought he was just being nice, but then we passed a poster about Molly Brown. Yah. Not only did I survive. They made a movie about it.
Matt did not fair so well.
We went through the benefit part of the exhibit. They had a third class meal set up in a very cold cement floor room with benches. The meal consisted of chili, soda bread, and what I thought was ice cream. (I later realized it was butter scooped with an ice cream scoop. I don't make it to many of these things. I didn't know.)
Down the hall was a lovely warm room with tables and chairs, a band and delicious looking banquet foods. We filled our plates and had a good time admiring the punch bowl which was made completely of ice. This room was supposed to represent the first class meal.
The whole exhibit was wonderful, I'm sad I couldn't take pictures for you. There were parts of the ship and people dressed up to tell you about who they were and what their reaction to the sinking was. My favorite parts were the comparison of the 3rd class and 1st class price and room set up, (I'm pretty sure the last time I went cruising I paid the 1st class price for a 3rd class space.) and the giant iceberg in the foyer you could hold your hand on to see how long you might stand clinging to one while waiting for a rescue boat.
At the end of the exhibit you could check the survivor and non-survivor posters to see if the person belonging to your boarding pass was one of the lucky few.
Here's the name on mine:
Matt kept telling me I survived, he knew for sure. I thought he was just being nice, but then we passed a poster about Molly Brown. Yah. Not only did I survive. They made a movie about it.
Matt did not fair so well.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Being Married is Like . . .
Happy President's Day Weekend of our lives!
Every President's Day for the past 5 years my sister Mary and I have got together somehow. When she lived in Provo, I would drive down to visit. Last year when she was in Taiwan, we met over Google-talk. Now, she's in Texas and I'm in Idaho, so we spent an hour or so talking to each other as she drove down a central Texas highway and I sat on my kitchen cabinet looking for a cinnamon roll recipe.
As we talked, Mary asked what everyone asks, "What's it like being married?" I love being married, but you know me, I like to say exactly the right thing to express my feelings. We talked about it a little as I tried to find the right words. We talked about how you can be a good person but you finally get to a point where you can't do it on your own anymore. And then I thought (and said) what I feel like is the best way for me to express what being married is like for me. Being married is like having a personal trainer, someone who is always there helping you remember what type of person you want to be. When you're doing well they are there to cheer you on, and when you're having a hard time, they're there to hold the bar for you and help you up, and when you want to stop training, they're there to remind you of your goals and help you get back on track.
The other side of that coin is that, being married, you are your love's personal trainer as well. Now, I don't know about you, and I've never personally had a trainer, but I know what kind of personal trainer I would like to have. So if I'm going to be a personal trainer I'd better be the kind I wish I had and not a hard and mean one. I want to be the type that notices the hard work and not just the fat, and who realizes that everyone needs a day off and a cookie sometimes.
So, being married is like having/being a personal trainer. And mine is keeping me on my game!
Every President's Day for the past 5 years my sister Mary and I have got together somehow. When she lived in Provo, I would drive down to visit. Last year when she was in Taiwan, we met over Google-talk. Now, she's in Texas and I'm in Idaho, so we spent an hour or so talking to each other as she drove down a central Texas highway and I sat on my kitchen cabinet looking for a cinnamon roll recipe.
As we talked, Mary asked what everyone asks, "What's it like being married?" I love being married, but you know me, I like to say exactly the right thing to express my feelings. We talked about it a little as I tried to find the right words. We talked about how you can be a good person but you finally get to a point where you can't do it on your own anymore. And then I thought (and said) what I feel like is the best way for me to express what being married is like for me. Being married is like having a personal trainer, someone who is always there helping you remember what type of person you want to be. When you're doing well they are there to cheer you on, and when you're having a hard time, they're there to hold the bar for you and help you up, and when you want to stop training, they're there to remind you of your goals and help you get back on track.
The other side of that coin is that, being married, you are your love's personal trainer as well. Now, I don't know about you, and I've never personally had a trainer, but I know what kind of personal trainer I would like to have. So if I'm going to be a personal trainer I'd better be the kind I wish I had and not a hard and mean one. I want to be the type that notices the hard work and not just the fat, and who realizes that everyone needs a day off and a cookie sometimes.
So, being married is like having/being a personal trainer. And mine is keeping me on my game!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Josie's Styles Salon
For Valentine's Day, Matt and I decided to go out for a "couples outing." That is what my "stylist" at Josie's called it. She was a thirty year old Colombian girl who looked like a 20 year old and also looked disappointed when I said I was married to the man I walked in with and not as young as she thought.
Matt's "stylist" was an older blond woman who Matt later said was "used to cutting old lady hair." Matt and I both needed trims for our wedding photo retakes next weekend and my usual place was booked for Valentine's, so we decided to see what the West Side had to offer. After driving though a few strip malls around our apartment we finally found a barber shop and salon right next to each other. We walked in to Josie's and felt like we had walked into a different dimension. It was like stepping into someone's closet that hadn't been cleaned out for a few decades. Before we could turn around and walk over to the barber shop we were both swiftly ushered into chairs and robed.
After finding that I had no good life stories to dish, Monica, "my styles," asked me what I though about the economy and commented that it looked like I had never gotten my hair professionally cut before. At the end of the cut I refused a $10 styling, pulled up my wet ponytail, and looked for Matt. He had just been gelled and his hair had an unusual part in it. I walked over to him and tried not to laugh. On our way out Josie, the Josie with all the style (too bad she couldn't have cut our hair), offered us soda's and chocolate for Valentine's Day and said what a cute little couple we were. "Come back and see us again, Okay Kids?" That's the last we heard from Josie and her house of style.
We laughed all the way home and then I reclipped Matt's hair and trimmed my bangs.
The best think about Josie's Styles Salon is that you never know what style you're going to get, but if you're willing to take a risk (and have a week to grow) it's only $8.99 a cut.
Matt's "stylist" was an older blond woman who Matt later said was "used to cutting old lady hair." Matt and I both needed trims for our wedding photo retakes next weekend and my usual place was booked for Valentine's, so we decided to see what the West Side had to offer. After driving though a few strip malls around our apartment we finally found a barber shop and salon right next to each other. We walked in to Josie's and felt like we had walked into a different dimension. It was like stepping into someone's closet that hadn't been cleaned out for a few decades. Before we could turn around and walk over to the barber shop we were both swiftly ushered into chairs and robed.
After finding that I had no good life stories to dish, Monica, "my styles," asked me what I though about the economy and commented that it looked like I had never gotten my hair professionally cut before. At the end of the cut I refused a $10 styling, pulled up my wet ponytail, and looked for Matt. He had just been gelled and his hair had an unusual part in it. I walked over to him and tried not to laugh. On our way out Josie, the Josie with all the style (too bad she couldn't have cut our hair), offered us soda's and chocolate for Valentine's Day and said what a cute little couple we were. "Come back and see us again, Okay Kids?" That's the last we heard from Josie and her house of style.
We laughed all the way home and then I reclipped Matt's hair and trimmed my bangs.
The best think about Josie's Styles Salon is that you never know what style you're going to get, but if you're willing to take a risk (and have a week to grow) it's only $8.99 a cut.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Winter Picnic
So, this is from a few weeks ago, but I finally have time (am making time) to tell you about our so fun winter picnic. For Christmas I got Matt a pair of snowshoes and a map to my favorite Idaho spot. Here's a pic of him being a snowshoe model.
We drove up to Rexy and hiked into my favorite summer spot. It's a good thing I married an outdoors man or none of this would have even been possible.
Here a pic of me taking a pic of our route and destination. It wasn't a cold as it looked. The sun was out just a little. We're going to that big heap of rocks to the left.
Here's our amazing "camp fire" and picnic. Yum, hot dogs.
On the way back we took some hills at a full run. so much fun!
I hope you can see from the look on our faces that this won't be our last snowshoeing trip!
Here a pic of me taking a pic of our route and destination. It wasn't a cold as it looked. The sun was out just a little. We're going to that big heap of rocks to the left.
Here's our amazing "camp fire" and picnic. Yum, hot dogs.
On the way back we took some hills at a full run. so much fun!
I hope you can see from the look on our faces that this won't be our last snowshoeing trip!
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