What's Up?

I have been so busy telling my grandmother's story on Time Travel Tuesdays that I haven't really posted about what I've been up to lately. If you follow me on Instagram @marianneloose, you have likely see some of these photos, but my Mom doesn't do Instagram. Frankly at 93.5 years of age I am impressed that she gets on her Email and Facebook accounts all by herself! You GO Mom! So, Mom...here is what your little girl has been doing, and a bit of the rest f the gang too!

Sometimes brides have interesting color choices for their receptions. One of our lady Cougar swimmers asked me to make an apron for her that matched her color scheme. These colors are beautiful. I pictured gerbera daisies & paper lanterns.
I wondered, however, if I'd find fabric to match. 

 I shouldn't have worried!

It turned out so cute!

I also made two of these sweetheart aprons for servers at a 50's themed 50th anniversary party.

Not wanting to pay $12 for the pattern, I made up my own! 

I guess I've been doing this long enough, huh?

We have had a really cold spring. It's good for the snow pack up in the mountains. The longer the snow stays up there, the more water we have this summer. Down in the valley, however, we were freezing and ready for warmer days!

I had already cleaned out the fireplace for the season but I had to relent. Our resident pyromaniac has moved to Provo where she enjoys her gas fireplace in her new condo. We were glad to have her here one cold, stormy night when I needed a fire-starter!

Cold temps call for comfort food. I saw this recipe on Facebook one day and had to try it. It was so good we had it twice in one week! It's so easy! Just scrub your potatoes clean and slice them thinly with a very sharp knife. Careful though! Don't cut them all of the way through! Put them in a dish that has been sprayed with a no-stick spray. Drizzle them with olive oil and add your favorite seasoning. I used Mrs. Dash one night and lemon pepper the next time. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
SO GOOD!!

This was April 2nd. A few days after the fire and the potatoes. A massive hail storm that froze us out again.

Roxie and I have had it with winter!

She finds this sunny spot every morning. I wish I fit in it!
Phooey on the cold!!

So, being housebound, I turned to two subjects I love...Family History & Scrapbooking!

I am nearly finished with these beauties!

I love mornings when the Skype ringer goes off on the computer! It means I get to spend some time with my sweet girl Diana and her little man!

One morning last week they called to show me how Lucas had painted his Easter Egg holders...

My latest sewing project was these darling Matryoshka dolls.

 They are made from a pattern by Retromama on ETSY.com

I love everything she creates! Aren't they cute?

Rachel and her friends, Brianne, and Melissa went to ComicCon today. Rach and Melissa went as Totoros and Brianne was The Black Widow from Marvel Comics.

Rachel and Melissa made their cute little outfits the other night.

So many people aske them if they could have their photos taken with them.

ComicCon is basically a Nerdfest and they loved every minute of it!

Patrick Stewart (Capt. Piccard from Star Trek the Next Generation) was there!

She got to see Adam Baldwin who plays John Casey on "Chuck".

She also saw Nathan Fillion, TV'S "Castle"...DREAMY!!

Then, if you are a "Dr. Who" fan, she saw Karen Gillan who portrays Amy Pond! 

She is home now, and very happy!

The 2013-14 BYU swim season is over. It's good because we get to see the coach a lot more!

The guys gave him this memento of the year in which they were all allowed 

to grow a mustache for Mo-vember.

 Yay! A hairy mustache in a frame! 

It's going back to his office desk in the Richards Building!

Lastly, may I leave you with this adorable photo of my grandson, because I cannot get enough of him!

He planted marigolds with his daddy the other day in sunny California and his Mama shared this with me.

She says this is his "CHEEEEEZE" face.

Oh. My. HEART!!!

Adventure Time!

Today as I look at blinding whiteness outside and listen to the sound of money being eaten by my furnace, I close my eyes and think that less than 24 hours ago I was here:

...ahhh

It was heavenly warmth and sunshine that is otherwise known as Los Angeles, California. I know that to some of you this is more or less a year-round thing, but for little me, February in Utah County means snow, boots and gloves, thermal jammies and hot cocoa, and hours of yearning for summer.

So, I went on a mid-winter's adventure. I traveled to LA with the BYU Swim Team to attend their conference championships. It was so much fun! May I just say that those kids are a blast to travel with! They are an amazing group of athletic talent and high energy. They are funny and young (I was once!) and they are really good people. More about them later...

We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and by 8:15 the next morning I was on my very first train ride!

 I took the Metrolink train from Montebello to Oceanside where my sweet Diana & Baby Lucas met me! It was such an interesting experience. First of all, a bit intimidating for the first time. I learned I had to switch trains at Los Angeles Central Station and it gave me pause...I told myself if my girls could do this all over Europe not even speaking the language fluently, I can do this! Thankfully my husband prayed someone there to help me, literally. We met a kind woman at the Montebello station name Melanie. She normally took an earlier train but "for some reason" she decided to go to work an hour later. Thank goodness! She was so nice! She showed me where to stand, to get on the train fast because they don't mess around waiting for people, where to sit so I could get off quickly with my big old suitcase full of baby clothes, then she sat with me and visited. When we got to LA if she hadn't been with me I would have panicked. I am sure I would have found the right train eventually, but having her to follow was the best! She was taking the same connection so she just took me under her wing. She got off in Tustin but not without much advice and lots of laughing and smiles. I hope she is blessed for her kindness!  Below is the tunnel we took under the tracks to get to our Oceanside connection. Down underneath it was bustling and there were pillars with platform signs. I thought briefly of running into one with my suitcase to see if I came out on Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express!

I think I would love to take a long train trip someday. How relaxing to just sit and read, listening to my favorite Beach Boys, and get somewhere really fast! Before long, the industrialized, graffiti-ed view we had of LA gave way to scenes like this:

What a life!

I want to rent a bungalow and stay here!

Cute cafe...

The closer we got to Oceanside, the closer to the beach the tracks were. It was gorgeous!

I got off of the train in glorious sunshine and was met by this cool dude and his mommy!

 It was so wonderful to see Diana and Lucas, and later Nick. I love these guys so much and to spend the next few days with them was such a gift!

 

It was GRAMMA HEAVEN!!

More later on our fun times!

Emerging...

I am alive! Just thought you might want to know. I am starting to feel better and I can get around a do a few things now. I even wore make-up for the first time on Friday. The nurse at my doctor's office was surprised. She said, "You are only two weeks out from your surgery and look at you! You should see how most of the women come in here at two weeks." Believe me, that would have been preferable...sweats, messy hair, no make-up...it's much less effort! I suppose I just have some pride (and I look really old with no make-up)!

In keeping with my feeling better physically, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous! We even had our windows open yesterday. It was a glorious 70 degrees! Not today.

Springtime in the Rockies is schizophrenic! Multiple personalities designed to bewilder this Arizona girl's heart! At least it will all be melted off by afternoon.

I think I'll curl up under my quilt and go back into "rest and recover" mode.

Catching Up

I have not been the most diligent blogger lately. Today I am sharing a few photos I intended to show you awhile back, as well as a few new ones.

My two eldest, Britt and Sarah ready for church the day after Christmas. They are good sports and pose for me even though they are not 7 and 4 any more!

 Every time I cook something all I have to do is look down and these eyes are looking up at me. He is my floor clean-up crew!

 Thank goodness these beasts are gone from the front porch! It was an ice rink out there for about a week!

 

 This picture is for Grandma Helen. The girls wanted to show her what they bought with their Christmas cash. They found a really FUN boutique called "Bags That Fit" in American Fork and bought the tops they are wearing. Thanks G-ma!

 The guys went to a model train show last Saturday. Did they remember the camera? Yes! Did they get a photo of themselves together? No. What's a Mom to do? Theydid get some shots of cool stuff though. Someone had set up a Lego train world.

 Starbuck's is everywhere!

 This house reminds me of my Mom's childhood home.

 There was a Hogwarts Express that took you all through a Harry Potter world.

 Tuesday was the Master's birthday! His students brought him balloons and all sorts of goodies!

He is well-loved by the kids.

 Brittany prepared his favorite...salmon and roasted red potatoes.

 Happy birthday Big Boy! Britt took this one on her I-phone with some filter that ages the photo..(I don't need any help aging, thanks!).

Thanksgiving Wrap-up

It's 10 degrees in Utah Valley today. I have a great Time Travel Tuesday for you but it's going to be Time Travel Thursday this week. I must post my Thanksgiving pictures today before it becomes December tomorrow!


The day before Thanksgiving brought a blizzard of sorts. The National Weather Service adequately warned us, we bought food, fire wood, batteries, and hunkered  down for the duration. Turns out, it hit the Salt Lake Valley to the north of us much harder. We had fierce winds howling and white-out conditions but the north got more snow. At any rate, it made for a cozy evening in front of the fire and some family togetherness time!

Here is a little clip of how the winds looked outside my kitchen window! Horizontal, then swirling, then...

 

Turkey day brought bright sunshine and bitter cold. Perfect mood weather for 

"Over the River and Through the Woods"! 

Can you see the snow? Kind of bright and blinding, isn't it?

My awesome son-in-law humored me and pulled out the china even though 

it must be hand washed  afterward.

Didn't he do a good job setting it out? You taught him well, Tami!

Here is the gang. Really, this is the best you're going to get.

Thank you Master Dee, for posing for me! The others look silly don't they?

Maybe next time they will co-operate!

 (Actually, Rachel was trying but I only caught the corner of her glasses in the lower right.

Richard too, although his head is hidden by his sister's directing hand)!

Our cozy fire! It was heavenly! 

I have discovered that I have several pyromaniacs in my family! They kept it going, for sure!

Friday brought my 35th birthday...OK, who reversed the candle order?! I think I'll just leave it this way! Dee did right by me and provided my favorite, Red Velvet cake! Nick decorated with three coupons for free peppermint chocolate chip shakes at Chick-Fil-A. My favorite!

Saturday night brought a huge snow storm.  It was gorgeous but SO cold!Poor Sam put off going outside to use the facilities until he had to be forced. 

Brittany made it easier for him by outfitting him in his dapper snow gear! Cute, huh? He is humiliated, I know!

I have vowed to get better pictures of the family next year in similar fashion... by FORCE!

 I hope you are all staying warm where you are!