Day #246 - Playing w/Fire

I keep telling him to STOP TEACHING THE KIDS to PLAY with FIRE!!!

Yeah, Yeah...it looks cool...:)

I Am Grateful (you didn't burn your lips OFF),
HB

Diva Quote: "You play with fire, you're gonna get burned" Unknown

Day #245 - Here Kitty, Kitty...Kitty?

I have an "Inside" cat...her name is Echo.

Our first pet ever was a black and white cat named Pepper and she was an "Inside/Outside" cat. This worked out perfectly because, like a dog, she meowed at the door when she needed to go outside to do her business and meowed at the door when she wanted back in. We only needed litter on hand in winter when she preferred the box to the snow. Then she devastated us by getting hit by a car. It was a pretty traumatic experience since she was Trav's first pet EVER and we vowed NEVER to have an "Outside" cat again...

My little girl is very friendly and SUPER curious. She hates being left out of ANYTHING and always wants to be outside when we are out there. She will carry on for the entire time we are out on the deck until we tune her out like those kids that just say "mom" over and over.

We started letting her out on the "Breakfast" deck because it is enclosed. She pretty much stayed put until recently when she started hopping up on the railing and I knew it was only a matter of time before it went from this:

To This:

She is SUCH a STINKER!! We also had a hole in our screen to the "Dinner" deck (on the other side of the roof she is on above) and she figured she might be able to fit thru the hole...sure enough she made it big enough to squeeze through and we started putting a basket in front of the hole meaning to sew it up someday...soon. Last night I didn't notice that she was messing around with it and got out - that is until it was time to lock up and go to bed...ok...it was past time, but she was NO WHERE in the house. Sure enough Travis woke up at 5:30 a.m. hearing her crying to get in. I was in BIG trouble for not paying closer attention.

I like to think she learned her lesson; that she won't be so anxious to get out again, but truly I think it is only wishful thinking. I wish I could explain to her that we only want her to be safe; that there are raccoons, porcupines and dogs out there that don't care about her like Travis, Bart and I do. The dogs she meets outside may not be as friendly as the one she lives with. Sometimes it really does feel like we have a kid...I wonder if I just need to let her make her own mistakes even though I KNOW what is best for her and it really could be life or death for her out in that big world...dramatic, I know, but still true.

I am very happy she is safe and sound inside our house again. First thing this morning I sat down with needle and thread to get that hole taken care of. Not the most professional patch job, but hopefully it will keep her safe.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "“The choices we make by accident are just as important as the choices we make by design.” Dr. Shad Helmstetter

Day #244 - Painting Party

We actually did it...we painted the fence today. My sister Melissa brought her 4 kids up, Keri and Amy came with their children and then there was Travis and me. I had purchased the stain and paint brushes yesterday and cut branches away from the fence this morning before they arrived.

Here is the fence BEFORE.

It is just really weathered and I want it to last for many years.

I can't believe how quickly the paint went on this fence. With all the helping hands it only took 2 hours from start to finish. We also unloaded dirt by buckets from my Dad's truck to my yard, cut down several rogue branches, moved all the branches I have been cutting down and stacking in my back yard to the front yard to get them made into bark by the Summit Fire Department; stained the stairs on the back deck (ran out of stain last year to finish it) and stained the wood around the fountain.

Below are the areas of the fence I have been dreading since I made plans to paint the first part of this year...How the heck was I going to get behind the fence to paint the fence...that sentence sounds about as smart as the two fence concept. Who thought up this brilliant idea? I guess the photo below answers my question...just climb on in.

I am so Grateful that they came up to help with this project. It would have taken Travis and me many more hours to have done this project on my own. And it is SOOO nice to have one of my BIG jobs DONE!!!



I sure did get tuckered out for the day...whew eee - I am sleepy.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Many hands make light work" John Heywood

Day #243 - Half Days

Today I left work at 1:30 and got home to do lunch and a movie with Travis. I love working half days and today was good because it was slow. I could have mowed through a ton of work, and did, but I could have used the whole day quite effectively if I stayed. Even Travis told me that. The problem was...I didn't feel like it, so I left. Sheryle is a good sport and was happy to cover for me.

I will work another half day on Weds and then Debi will be here for a visit. I talked her into talking Mike into spending the night at our house...I hope it worked. Debi is coming out for a family reunion they do every Summer, so this is the only night I get with her then she will be off again until I go visit her in Sept. This long distance friendship thing blows, but it is better then not getting to see her at all.

On Thursday I think my Sister is bringing her kids up and they are going to help me paint my fence...I feel kind of guilty making them do it, but when you have willing hands...one must take advantage. It is raining pretty good here tonight, so I hope it will be good weather on Thursday...if not, I guess we will just have to treat them to mac 'n cheese and a movie.

The next few days will be busy, fun, tiring and then it will be the weekend again...not a bad gig.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Don't count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count."

Day #242 - Buzzzz

I thought it would be a good idea to get the whole family together and go to a Bees baseball game one night. There are several nights in July that offer a pretty amazing fireworks display. With our group rate we got really good seats for $7 (THANKS DAD). The problem with baseball is the pace...The game was pretty much over when it started since the Bees took the lead at 10 to nothing and the innings dragged.

I did get some good photos...This first one has the All Teddy Bear in it. This humongous bear struck me as kind of creepy. It reminds me of "Ghost Busters" when the friendly looking dough boy gets possessed and starts taking over the city, but my Mom loved the thing.

Also in the photo are some of my nieces and nephews. Below are the rest of the clan...

There was a lot of chaos, including my Mom who wanted to do a physical take down of a girl that couldn't stay in her seat, but all in all it was a good game. The Bees got a Grand Slam and now we get a free Grand Slam breakfast from Denni's..Yee Haw!

After the game came the fireworks - just a few great pictures to share...

Fireworks extravaganza - it looked like they were shooting up from a tree

and it was helpful to have the fire station right next door...

Elle is afraid of loud noises -

Amy covered her ears with her hands and Elle kept pulling the

blanket over her eyes to hide.

I thought this was such a sweet family moment, I just HAD to take it.

I am not sure I would recommend a game for super active kids, especially babies, but it was fun to go with the whole family and the fireworks were REALLY quite spectacular.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: ""When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." Joyce Brothers

Day #241 - 2nd Round of Flowers

I do love working in the yard - even if I am pulling weeds. It gives me time to admire my flowers. On a whole sometimes they don't make such a huge impact, but individually each flower is so beautiful I love to look at them, touch them, smell them...I guess I would say it makes me feel peaceful. I just wanted to share:

Maybe they look like more of the same, but I can tell the difference...

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day #240 - Spidy Senses

I went to the Dr. yesterday to get a few mosquito bites checked out thinking I may have scratched them a bit too enthusiastically and created an infection. Dr. Sandra took one look and said "YEP, those are Spider bites". She put some steroids in the bites and then gave me some antibiotics and steroid cream to apply to the leg and I am taking some allergy meds for several days as well.

Here is a picture for your enjoyment:

It really doesn't hurt at all, but it sure itches. My Dr. told me she has seen more spider bites this year then any year before. I guess I shouldn't have cancelled my Terminix appointment in May. The best part of the whole thing was my Dr. making the suggestion that I "might" want to change my sheets. Does she think I really don't change my sheets? The even better part is - I DIDN'T!! I will change them this weekend when I clean.

I am glad I had a brain on this week and went to see the Doctor, I am glad it is not too bad yet, I am glad there is a way to treat it and I am glad it doesn't hurt...I'm a wimp for sure!! My friend at work told me she was disapointed I didn't turn into "Spider Girl" - who knows? There is still time...

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: This song came to mind...

"The itsy bitsy spider  

climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider

climbed up the spout again."

Day #239 - BART

My dog just got a haircut...he is SOOOO CUTE!! It immediately turned him from cantankerous old man to cute frisky puppy...I wish I had a before shot when he is all hair and baring teeth, but here is the after:

He really is such a good boy...he is now about 13 or 14 years old and he has a bum hip that pops when he walks, but I am so happy to have him in my life. I just need to remember this when he gets into his diaper years...Hang in there old man...I love you.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am."  ~Author Unknown

Day #238 - Stampeding

I haven't been blogging this weekend because I actually went out of town...the Nephi Stampede...yes, that is right...the Nephi Stampede.

The Stampede consists of 3 nights of parades - 1) the Horse Parade, which we unfortunately missed; 2) the Float Parade, which was unfortunately slow moving w/only 1 band, but on the bright side had more then a few horses, some amazing looking mules and lots of Royalty (of the County kind) in bright dresses and crowns; 3) the Bathing Beauty Parade, which I would have refused to go to even if everyone else had wanted to...Just KIDDING - of course I would have gone.

BUT...Parades are not the ONLY Brilliance of the Nephi Stampede...there was also a 5k race that my sister and her kids ran in (M took FIRST place in her class and I think was the 4th or 5th woman overall - NICE), a waffle breakfast at my Aunt Darla's house (a mountain man breakfast in the park put on by the Lion's Club if preferred), a Car Show (attended by my Dad, Travis and 2 nephews), booths with goods for sale and a Rodeo stretching over two nights that was interesting and worthwhile.

I also got to spend time with the Hall Cousins on my Mom's side, whom I quite like. Two of my fondest memories with them as a kid was a) throwing peas at each other at Grandma's house during Thanksgiving dinner; b) hunting for night crawlers, tickling their bellies to pull them out of their holes, then selling the fresh bate to fishermen - not a bad summertime gig.

In the interest of spelling the word correctly, I looked it up (I often 2nd and 3rd guess my spelling and then I get confused and have to resort to the "look up") here it is:

STAMPEDE - noun

1. a sudden, frenzied rush or headlong flight of a herd of frightened animals, especially cattle or horses.

2. any headlong general flight or rush.

3. Western U.S., Canada . a celebration, usually held annually, combining a rodeo, contests, exhibitions, dancing, etc.

I think we experienced some of all 3 this past weekend - I also got to spend more time with my Parents, my husband, my sister and her kids and my brother's youngest, which was fun and probably deserves it's own entry. For today, I am grateful for the opportunity to do something different, to have soaked up a bit of sun and to spend time with people that I love.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "It's my first Rodeo!!" My Dad, Cortney Dana at age 67...Good for you Dad!! Go get 'em Cowboy!

Day #237 - Proper Messaging

One of life's convenient, accessible, time-saving, irritating, aggravating, time-sucking technologies is...voice mail. I was reminded of this when I called my sister and she answered "Hello?...Are you there?...Hello?...Well...I am not here, please leave a message," while all the while I am saying "...Hi...Hello? Yeah, I'm here can you hear me...?" Looking at my phone like a moron to see how many bars I have. Please DO NOT do messages like that - VERY UN-COOL!! Just kidding...It is only super lame for a few minutes until I get over feeling stupid. Still...

Since I must be the master of messaging, in my own mind at least, here are some tips:

• DON'T leave a huge loooooong message, or frankly ANY message unless you also leave your phone number for a quick call back. Cell phones hold the number, but office phones normally don't and if I am checking my phone remotely I won't have anyway to call you back
• Leave ONLY your name and phone number with zero explanation for your call...NOT!!! Please explain why you need me to call you back - that way if I get your voice mail, I can answer your question and we don't have to keep playing phone tag
• DON'T leave me multiple messages in one hour...I am not avoiding you, or trying not to take your calls - I am BUSY, or on a conference call, or at LUNCH and will call you back as soon as I can.
• DON'T call me 5 times in a row, back to back. This is SUPER insulting - like I am just going to hang up on the person I am talking to so I can answer the "determined" caller. Trust me...you will be DND'd if you keep up with that nonsense - if this happens...Just leave me a message :).

I like voice mail more then I dislike it - frankly, what would I do without it?

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "A message prepared in the mind reaches a mind; a message prepared in a life reaches a life" Bill Gothard

Day #236 - Little Jewels

I FINALLY put out the hummingbird feeders tonight. This is one of the greatest joys of Spring and Summer - the little jeweled birds who flit around squealing as they go. I think the sound is from their wings zipping thru the air on their way to and from feed zones. I want my house to be a feed zone for them.

This Spring was so late getting here this year I thought we had missed them altogether, but as Trav and I sit on the deck in the mornings we hear the whirring sound of the sweeping birds and he keeps prompting me to get the feeders out.

Then I felt guilty when the cuties came by the feeding zones 3 different times to check it out. DUH - what am I thinking? It probably took 10 minutes to put everything together and now I am hoping the little guys come around. I also hope I dumped enough sugar in there for them.

If you want to see some facts about humming birds go to: http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/facts.php

My favorite: A hummingbird's metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.
I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days, seeing beauty in everything." Amethyst Wyldfyre

Day #235 - NEW COMPUTERS!! WINDOWS 7!!

FINALLY, we are ALL getting new computers at work w/the most updated programs. Just knowing that made my week a zillion times more incredible. It has been super irritating to start a program in the old 3 version of Word, take it home, work on it in the newest Office 7 and then go back to the office and have it error out. My clients all have the upgrade, but I haven't had it. Kind of embarrassing..."can you scan that and send it to me in pdf format? My computer only shows squares when I open it in word."

Everyone's computers have also been very sssssllllloooooww...Probably a lot of it has to do with connectivity and not so much our computer itsself, but I KNOW it will help. It was the first BIG GOOD news we have ALL received in a long time. It is so great that we all get to share in the upgrade instead of just Kay or Carrie...or ME - who deserves it the most (JK).

Very happy about this surprising turn of events. When Klayton (IT Manager) came around asking what kind of computer I had, I felt my heart give an excited little hop...that was HOPE. I was soon able to squash it with "maybe someday"...Now I must say "Oh Heather, ye of little faith" and shake my head like Travis does.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde

Day #234 - Foreign Language

Sometimes I wish I was from a different State - TX or MA - so my syllables twanged or yawned in a way that wasn't just dropping T's like moun-ain or Lay-on. I suppose Utah has its own accents, but really, isn't Utah the only State WITHOUT a noticeable accent...OK maybe not, but surely one of a few.

I am reading a book, just started it, written by Marian Keyes called "The Other Side of the Story". I have never read Marian, so don't take this as a recommendation...yet...but I am about 20 pages in and have to say I wish I was English. So many fun words and phrases...Going Loola or Stone Mad, Fancy Biscuits, Snogging, Bullocks (probably a swear, but who knows)...these are the few I can think of off the top of my head. It reminds me of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - taking the tour with the Oompa Loompa's (SP?) - "Schnoz Berries, who ever heard of a Schnoz Berry?"

Today I got in the elevator with a friendly English type, maybe he was Australian - I couldn't tell, only that I wished I was going up to 10 so I could conversate with him (yes, I know conversate is not a word...JUST KIDDING - I just looked it up and it IS a recognized word since the year 2000 - HA). Since I was a few pages into my book and still in the accent mode I wanted to ask where he was from, but I bet he gets so sick of hearing people ask that...he would probably say "Boston" and I would have spent the rest of the day wondering how I could mistake "Anglend" for "Bastan" and "Porridge" for "Chowda".

It is fun having such variety in the world...I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "The funniest line in English is 'Get it?' When you say that, everyone chortles." Garrison Keillor

Day #233 - Not the Only One...

My roof leaks...not terribly, but still...

I REALLY HATE to say this, because it is pretty lousy of me, but I'm glad to know I am not the only one in the neighborhood with a leaking roof. My next door neighbor took a section of his roof off last week - totally rotted thru. Another neighbor around the corner had half his roof off as well. Would it be terrible to take pictures? If you have to ask...

The reason this is on my mind is it rained HARD this evening and I thought about my own issue and THEN I thought about my neighbor and hoped they had that plastic nailed down good and tight so no water poured into their kitchen. I don't even look for my leak anymore because it is too frustrating to think about something I can't do anything about. I have talked myself into not worrying about it so much since it is on the section that USED to be the exterior side of the house before the addition of the garage - it used to be ok for water to run down the siding...so it must still be alright. I just hope I'm not missing the wood for the trees.

PHRASE - I used the phrase "sometimes I can't see the hills for the trees" - decided to look it up and found out I got it wrong. Turns out I got the usage wrong as well. I meant it as missing the details due to only looking at the big picture...should have been the opposite.

From THE PHRASE FINDER: this phrase means..."Too beset by petty things to appreciate the greatness or grandeur; too wrapped up in details to gain a view of the whole. In America we are likely to use the plural, 'woods,' or possibly to substitute 'forest,' but 'wood' is the old form and is preferable.

Yes, the saying is at least five hundred years old, and probably a century or two could be added to that, first known recording in 1546 in John Heywood who wrote 'Plentie is no deinte, ye see not your own ease. I see, ye can not see the wood for trees.' 

Just sharing...I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" Oscar Wilde

Day #232 - Independence Day

Today is the 4th of July. I got to visit with my family, including my sister from Florida. The best part of the day was watching my niece, Seerie (1.5 years old) try to scoot herself down the slip and slide and then throw a tantrum when she didn't get to keep playing in the water; then watching my Brother-in-law Lance do the same thing (sans tantrum). We also had a girls ping pong tournament, which I lost, but it was fun to play again after several years. Luckily Travis represented and got the Barker name on the wall when he kicked some arse in the boys tourney in the parents basement!! Whew HEW!!

Travis and I didn't really do much this year as far as actual 4th of July celebrations. No parades, no fireworks (although I have heard plenty), but I will take a moment to share my gratitude for living in the USA. I heard someone say it best the other day - "Even at its worst, America is the best place to live." I have to agree with this statement even though I haven't lived anywhere else. I think I often take for granted the many blessings I have just by living here - it may not be perfect, but I feel pretty blessed.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy."  ~Paul Sweeney

Day #231 - Oddity

The classic double take, the mental 'huh?', the head cock to one side, the furrow of the eye brows and pucker of the mouth, the 'why don't I always hold my camera at the ready?' moments...gotta love 'em.

I was driving to work today and on the corner of 90th and State there was a nice looking 20 something doing push-ups on the side walk while wearing a back pack. I imagine it was like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, only "how many push-ups can I get in while waiting for the light to change?"...

The best part was looking around at the other drivers - yeah, we were all looking at him. I saw one guy bobbing his head up and down with each push-up and counting, I saw another couple both looking over at him, one with his head back mouth open on an out loud laugh, another guy with the puckered brow-head cocked to one side while slightly shaking it back and forth. I think my own eye brows were raised in surprise.

It was a funny moment and I can't help admiring the dude for not caring what anyone thought...he just did what he wanted to do in that moment. I also can't help but think what a great advertising ploy that would be - put a big sign on your back and people would look to see what it said.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "When in doubt, make a fool of yourself.  There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth.  So what the hell, leap."  ~Cynthia Heimel