June 2025

 We are still enjoying ( kind of) plenty of radishes from the garden, plenty of lettuce, and never enough spinach. Granted, it IS hot and spinach is more of a cool weather plant. But I NEVER get big Texas-sized leaves. Just baby spinach. But it is good! 

Today, Mike and I enjoyed lunch out on the deck. SOOOOO pleasant. 

Last night, Monday June 9, we went to the first dress rehearsal for the Greenshow at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. They needed an audience, so we obliged. Along with a couple of hundred other nice folks. This is Another favorite way to spend part of the evening here in good ol' Cedar City. Yes, I'm ushering again this year. Mike said he might be willing to substitute on occasion. No photos of that. But watch for us in their promo videos. We might be in them!

Saturday  was a lazy day, but Cindy Williams came by to see if I'd be willing to go Floating with her for an hour at the Lake at the Hill

 So we did! Cool, comfortable, nice way to visit and chat away the late afternoon. And I wasn't doing much, anyway. Just reading for Book club later this week.

Last Friday, Mike and I attended the Utah Summer Games opening Ceremonies. Great crowd! Lots of fun stuff and superior fireworks display---which my Mom SLEPT through! I couldn't believe it! Granted, she was at her home, asleep in bed, but they would have woken ME up!!

Flags surround the field for the parade of athletes ,  and many, many sponsors, all of whom were flinging swag up into the stands. DUCK!

ATHletes out on the field during Brookes and Dunn Tribute Band concert. 

 

Today is only the 10th. We've had a busy first week and a half. Gayela concluded her visit to Utah and we took her to the St George Airport to fly home to Aurora, CO. And Mike and I stopped by Cold Stone for ice cream while down there. Yummy. 

I've played Pickleball a few times, too. We actually had a good exercise workout-- I was sweaty! We had a birthday party on Monday. Shirley is 77. I want to be like Shirley when I grow up.

I helped a bit with Relief Society at Our House the first Wednesday . It's our Ward's turn to assist with Sunday and other LDS services there---like weekday Relief Society meetings.  Mike and I will be speaking in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, Father's Day.  And between the two of us, Mike and I worked or served in the temple for MANY hours last week.  26 hours to be exact. A lot of subbing for others was done so we can be gone in weeks to come-- Fishing in Florida in July, and our cruise with Donna and friends in September/ October.

Spring has sprung, Summer is almost upon us.

One rose is from my back yard. I'm always fighting aphids. The others I snitched from over the wall at Levi's. So pretty!

The Garden begins

 

It's just the beginning. A few baby radishes, some (volunteer) lettuce leaves, and a pile of baby spinach. 

Memorial Day, 2025. Mike and Gayela ( Who has been here for a little over a week) decorated  graves up north last week while Mike took Gayela to SLC to spend time with her kids and attended a HS graduation for Mason, her grandson. He took these pretty yard flowers to my Dad's grave.

 And then ON memorial Day, Nick took his family to the Veterans cemetery.

I made some new red, white and blue decks for the front door Wreath. I think they need some adjustments.

On the Tuesday after Memorial Day, we drove to St. George and visited with Lowell And April Penrod. Mike and Lowell have known each other since they were 12.  It was a nice visit. 

We are so blessed. 

So VERY blessed.

♥️♥️♥️

We have our health, great kids who love us and each other...it's a good life that we have. Truly.

My lowest GOLF score

 Ever! I've never done so well! 

May RS birthday dinner

 It was my turn to host the birthday dinner for RS Ladies in the 17th ward who have birthdays in the month of May...and those who were unable to attend during an earlier month.

I made salads and we had a salad bar. Yummy! Hot German Potato Salad, regular picnic potato salad,fruit platter, veggies with dip, Strawberry Jello Salad, pasta salad, rolls, rhubarb cake for dessert.  Water to drink. Eight people were here. Gayela joined us, as she is here for a bit.

The peonies are gorgeous.

As are the irises! 

Sunday and home! May 11, 2025

 We have been on the road a LOT this past week! But now we are home and happy to be here. Except that it's really, really windy. 

We spent Saturday night in Gallup, New Mexico, at a Red Roof Inn that was pretty comfy. Before we found a hotel, we decided to grab dinner at McDonalds. You know, I think our picnic meals was better than that meal at McDonalds. There was much to NOT like! But that was the ONLY meal we purchased on this trip. We ate at Damian for two to three meals, out to eat in College Station once, Damian's treat. We ate at the Jaixen's in Ft. Worth. All the rest were picnics and snacks. But they were GOOD picnics!

 OUR room was comfortable. Poor Pam got the short end of the deal with practically NO water pressure ( ours was like a waterfall in the shower!) and squeaky floorboards overhead and people walking across them. All. Night. Long. There were incredibly loud motorcycles going up and down the street that woke me a couple of times, too.  We were tired and went to bed kind of early. I was awakened about every time I turned over and have been battling a very sore and stiff neck...which has now moved to my upper back, too. Hard Pillows? Too much sitting? I'm not sure, but I DO know that I have been taking more ibuprofen and Tylenol the last two days of this trip than Mike has, and that's very unusual. 

We drove thru lots of reservation lands on Sunday and stopped at the Four Corners Monument. It's fixed up quite a bit, lots of room for lots of tourists and lots of venders. I bought a magnet. We took some pictures.

We didn't stop for anything else but gas, water and pop, and potty breaks. And at Lone Rock for a photo of Lake Powell. 

Lone Rock

 There IS water out there, but it is way down...the ranger said it is 70% down. 

One of the options in Google Photos as I'm editing ( mostly just cropping) is to "adjust the sky color." Why would I want to do that?!?! It is GORGEOUS just the way it is. We have truly been blessed with the most lovely weather on this drive. And beautiful wildflowers, too!

We had plenty of snacks in the car ( healthy ones, too... Not that we ate any of those😉). It was Mother's Day and Mike wanted to stop and buy us [and him] ice cream as a treat, but most places were closed, or it was a busy restaurant... So we drove on. And on. And on. 

And now we are happy to be back to our own home to find all well here❤️. Great trip!