Autumn Cooking, and Other Adventures

This week has been interesting to say the least. Having a full time hubby takes... patience.
Wednesday, we had to go switch his phone over from his former company's plan to a personal line. Sounds simple, right?

Wrong.

It was way more of a hassle than in needed to be - we ended up going to 4 different places until we found someone who could actually do it (involved "jail-breaking" from one service provider to another, setting up new plan, etc.)

The girls and I were all due for upgrades on our phones, so we did that at the same time.
Then one didn't like the color she picked, and we had to switch them around...

It was a frustrating all-day affair.

By the end of the week, we both worked, so things got back to some semblance of normalcy.

Jenny and I both applied for new jobs this weekend. I hope at least she gets it - I just hate how she's mouldering away in the basement by herself, and sleeping her life away. She SO needs something to make her feel useful and productive. Her friends are all still away at school, or married, so she has nothing anymore.

My manager is leaving to manage another store next week, so I have no qualms about looking for something else myself. I just don't make enough where I am to contribute to my family in any way.

So much for this week's vent - today, my grand daughters have parts in the program at church, so I'll be going to theirs and mine plus choir - then dinner on demand between 5 and 6 (hubby's lunch break.)

Sundays.

I hope there will be at least something resembling rest today.


I have to do New Recipe Nights every once in a while, because I get so tired of the same-old, same-old stuff.
I love the Autumn season because of all the warm and toasty comfort foods like soups& stews, all the stored up summer squashes, grilled sandwiches etc.
So, I've been busily looking up recipes for new dishes lately.

I found this recipe in last year's Taste of Home Ultimate Halloween magazine:

Sweet Potatoes and Apples au Gratin


Can't wait to serve this with my pork chops tomorrow!
(Click link for recipe)

...And I ran across this one somewhere - I can't remember where, but I found it again online:

Stuffed Baguette

It looks like something fun to try for a snack...
(I posted it here so I won't have to hunt for it again. Click on the link for the recipe)

Been trying out all kinds of panini's and planning my Halloween dinners & treats...

Ginger Snaps, mini meat pies, and I even found a recipe for pumpkin flavored Congo Bars!

*Drool*

I wonder if any of these are approved by Weight Watchers... ?
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New Dawn

Hubby is home now, and settling in to the new routine of being unemployed.

His trip to California was an excersize in futility. He only went because he was supposed to make some money for his time, but it ended up costing him instead.
He and his travel companion butted heads the whole time - it turned out to be such a nightmare.

I'm just so glad to have him home again - I had such a bad feeling all the time he was gone. I've never prayed so hard for his safe return.

Yesterday we celebrated by going out to breakfast (our favorite thing these days.)
Today, he's trying to get used to not having a slew of emails to answer.
He mostly piddles around in the yard, while I try to get used to having him underfoot all the time. ...Curtains wide open everywhere - drives me nuts!
Like being a duck in a shooting gallery! LOL

Adjustments.

I moved the sewing machine into the living room while he was away, and have been trying to revive those old sewing skills. I made 2 pairs of P.J.'s for my girlie's Christmas yesterday, and hope to finish the third today.

It's all good - like riding a bicycle...

The weather has turned fallish, which is lovely temperature wise, but it has also kicked up the allergies to uber-drive for some reason.
Having a hard time breathing lately! Even Melissa (who is not prone to allergies) has noticed the difference. Ugh!

The other day at work, a lady came through my line and mentioned that she was on her way to her painting club. I inquired about that, and found that she belonged to the same group I was in about 20 years ago! I was so surprised to learn that they were still up and functioning.

I've been sending out emails trying to contact them - I SO need something like that to get me going again. Jen even says she wants to go with me...

That would be so cool.

I tracked down the former president, and she put me in touch with the current powers that be.

Just waiting to hear back...
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Good Byes

Hubby's job is officially over now. Thursday was his last day.
I don't know how he's dealing with it, because he's been out of town since then.

He left from work (his second job) Thursday night to help a friend move some stuff out in California. We were supposed to go pick up his truck from the parking lot that night, but we dilly-dallied a bit...

Around midnight he called and told us to go get it ASAP! The store security had called him and told him they found it with all the doors wide open - someone had broken in to it!

We dropped everything and ran down there - but found it intact.
Nothing had been disturbed or taken from it - I guess someone had just been messing with him, but still, it was a bit of a scare.
(I had to calm baby down - she was ready to get all up in someones face for it! LOL)

Saturday, I attended the funeral of my neighbor's daughter. She was only 34, but had been bravely battling cancer for a lot of years.

She planned the funeral herself, and it was perfect - for her.
Mostly friends talking about the good times they had growing up. It might sound strange, but I've been feeling of her love and seeing her face before me all weekend.

I worked with her in Primary back in the day - she was a hellion back then, almost worse than her brothers! Having her in class was a challenge.

I worked with her again in Young Women's.
By then, she had channeled that energy a bit - she was amazingly talented at the piano, and sang like an angel. I loved listening to her - such pure sweet tones, and they always came from her heart.
She was dependable and always willing to lead out in whatever she was asked to do.
- Always with a great sense of humor.


She was the kind of girl who had an opinion about everything, and had no qualms about sharing it - but, she would just as quickly share her testimony.
It was all such an integral part of who she was.
I've never known anyone who was more comfortable and secure with her own identity, especially at such a young age. (Except maybe Brad LOL)

She became an amazing human being, and touched so many people in her short life time.
I feel honored to have known her.

I was chatting with one of my close neighbors yesterday - and we reminisced about the days when we were all young families "growing up" together.

We joked back then that one day our neighborhood would become a senior citizen community - but back then I would never have dreamed the children would start going before us.

Sharolyn was the third of our neighborhood's children who have passed from this life.
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Off We Go...

Today is officially hubby's last day on the job.

Does he have anything else lined up?

No.

Are we scared?

Youbetcha!

Having no visible means of support is terrifying - but on the other hand, it's kind of freeing. I like entertaining thoughts that we could go anywhere we want to go now - nothing is holding us here.
It would be so nice to start fresh somewhere... All it takes is courage.

How did the old time pioneers leave everything behind and strike out across unknown territory?

They believed that there was an ultimate plan, and that something better was waiting for them.

Faith.

It's my turn to host the book club again tonight, and then it's a chick weekend for us. Hubby leaves from work to California on what we hope will be a somewhat profitable (and hopefully safe) trip.

On a sad note, one of our long time friends and neighbors lost a daughter to cancer this week. My heart goes out to them - I can't imagine anything worse than loosing a child.
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Weekend

This weekend has been filled with ups and downs, but mostly ups.

Saturday, I went to the Scrapbook expo. with Amy.
It was a fun day of shopping and indulging in more things that I really don't need. Ha!
I didn't buy as much as I usually do, but I did find a few good bargains.
It was a super fun day!

Yesterday, the renderings of the new Payson Utah Temple are finally up on the internet:

It's much bigger and grander than I imagined!
I just learned that the ground breaking is scheduled to take place Oct. 8th - supposedly the reason for all the obnoxious road construction here in town.
We are all so excited to see the work begin!

Sorry the picture is so small, but that's the best I could do...

The weather has been so nice this week, and the evenings are starting to turn chilly.
I'm thinking we'll start seeing color on the mountain by the end of the week.

Lovin' it!
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Labor Day Weekend

Otherwise known as Onion Days to those of us in Happy Valley.

We had a fun weekend - Saturday we were able to go watch the grans' little dancing group perform in the park after the Children's Parade...

Ellie is the cute Giraffe in the back


...And Millie got her hula on. (She's on the far right)



Monday was the perfect day. Sunny and mild - a great day for enjoying the parade.
My sister and her son (& fam.) came down to spend the day with us.

The girlies were all in the parade:

Ellie rode in the wagon... (the little blondie on the end)


Millie marched along behind. (front & center with a big smile)


Arilie was with her Martial Arts class.
(Black shirt, just above the symbol on the sign)


The happy parents (and cousin Jer - The Andrews' in the background.)


Sis & me
(Looking for all the world like Humpty-Dumpty with a thyroid condition)

Oy. I so need to hit the treadmill!


It was supposed to rain today, but it never did. Last night, the weather cooled down, so we threw open all the windows & enjoyed.

Welcome Fall!
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Sweet September

September is here and the long HOT Summer comes to a close.

My youngest and I have a tradition each Fall where we pick the date when we think the leaves will start turning in the valley.

The loser treats the winner to ice cream!

It's been so miserably warm this year that I was going to guess the first of October, but someone flipped the Autumn switch last night - the breeze coming in my window was downright chilly!

...So I'm thinking I'll have to adjust my projection.

Labor Day is our town's big celebration.

I used to hate that it came so late in the season, but over the years, I grown to appreciate the fact that it falls when the weather is starting to cool a bit, and it's kind of nice that it ends the Summer with the biggest of BanG's.
Folks from all over the valley come to spend it with us.

It's the big final send-off to Summer... And the kick-off to Fall.

Hubby finally got the definite date for his lay-off. September 14.

He's known it was coming forever, but when it gets down to the final days, it's... well, sad, depressing, - scary.

The worst part is wondering if they are going to come through with his severance pay or not. At first they told him he would get paid through March, then they said it would come as one final pay-off.

The thing is, this company isn't really big on following through. We'll be on pins and needles until the check is actually in his hands.

If they don't come through - we're basically screwed.

Prayers and crossed fingers.

For now, trying to remain upbeat and looking forward to Fall.
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