OOPS!!!

Tonight we decided to have a bbq with steak, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, salad and corn on the cob.  I got my portion of the meal ready and had it warming on the stove.  I had everything done except for thickening the gravy. 

Dick told me I had about five minutes left before the steaks were ready so I got the gravy thickened and reached up into the cupboard and got the Kitchen Bouquet to make my brown gravy rich in color.  I replaced the cap and was putting it on the shelf…OH CRUD…WHAT HAVE I DONE…WHAT DID I PUT IN MY GRAVY….there sat the brown bottle of Kitchen Bouquet and I am holding a brown bottle of vanilla.   YES VANILLA!!!  I hurry and take the gravy pan to the sink and try to get as much vanilla out as I possibly can, return to the sink and this time put the correct stuff in the gravy.

I started to laugh and was nearly doubled over when Dick came in.  I was laughing so hard he could not tell if I was crying or what was going on.  I tried to tell him, but the laughter was so strong and I could not even catch my breath long enough to tell him.  I finally got calm enough to let him in on the “joke” and then he started laughing.

We sat down to a very lovely meal and ate our Vanilla Gravy on our mashed potatoes and just giggled through our meal. 

If anyone is needing the recipe, I would be more than happy to send it to you.

Rain Storm Adventure…

We are currently in the monsoon season here in Arizona.  This is a wonderful time of year when the rain comes pouring down and fills all the drainage ponds that are in every neighborhood.  We have a pond directly across the street.  When it is not raining, the pond is beautiful with the green grass, there is a basket ball hoop and large pad for the kids to play on and there are two soccer goal thingies there.  All the roads are graded with the slope directing the water into these ponds.  Today our pond is covered with water as we had a tremendous cloudburst last night.  When these rains come there are many flashfloods that rush everywhere leaving a trail of mud and debris on the roads.  This morning there were several pieces of heavy equipment trying to clear roads so cars could get trough.

We went to Gilbert to celebrate Brook’s birthday yesterday.  After the meal was over, Dick noticed that the sky was looking rather strange and said we needed to head out as we did not want to get caught in a storm like last time (read here).  We live about 40 minutes from Brook’s house so we were in a hurry to get home before the storm hit.

We got part way home and the rain really was getting worse and it seemed like we were driving into the eye of the storm.  The roads were beginning to puddle with water making the dips rather full.  We went through several of the puddles and no problems then all of a sudden our car began to spit and sputter and dies.  Dick got the car off the road on to the side (here they do not have shoulders like we are used to in Utah) with part of the car in the outside lane.  He tried to get the car to start but nothing would happen.  We waited for 10 minutes and tried….yeah.. it started…for only two seconds and then died.  We waited for another 10 minutes and it repeated the same scenario.  All this time I am praying that we will get the car started so we can get home.  We are about 8 miles from home at this point.

A young family stops and asks if we needed help.  Dick explained what was happening with the car and tries it and lo and behold it starts and stays going.  The man gets back in his car and leaves…and our car dies.  We wait another 10 minutes and again the same scenario happens. 

As we were sitting there waiting for another 10 minutes to pass a Pinal County Deputy Sheriff pulls up and wants to know what is going on.  Dick told him what the car was doing and tried to start the car but nothing this time.  He stopped the traffic and him , two other gentlemen and I pushed the car across four lanes of traffic to a side road.  Thanks were given for their help in getting us off of the busy main road and they all leave.

We called Elton and Brook to see if they could come and help us get home.  I called the insurance company because we have towing coverage on our vehicles and they took all the info to give to a tow company to come get us.  While we were waiting another gentleman stopped to see if he could help us but we told him we were just waiting for the tow truck to come. 

In the meantime Brook and Elton get to within one mile of us and the road is closed and have to divert three different times before they could find a road that was not blocked to get going back toward us.  Dick tried the car one more time and it started and stayed going.  Goody, we get to go home.  We headed for home and I called and canceled the tow truck and called Brook and told her we were headed home and she should go home.

Everything was going perfect when all of a sudden the road was covered with standing water…and once again the car dies…Dick gets it over to the side (we are about 50 ft. from an intersection and four miles from home).  I open the door to see how high the water is and it is 1 inch from the bottom of the door.  This is not good I am thinking.  I hurry and call Brook and they were just waiting a mile up the road to see if we got home.   About that time the same deputy sheriff stops, going in the opposite direction, and just shakes his head.  Dick told him that we had someone coming to get us.

All of a sudden a jeep, filled with four young adults, does a U turn and comes to the side of the car and wanted to know if they could help get our car out of the water as the rain was suppose to get worse.  They hooked on to us and pulled us out of the water and into a parking lot.  They told us that all the roads were closed going east and no one could get through.  Brook and Elton followed us to the parking lot where we had to leave the car for the night and took us to their house where we had a nice warm bed to sleep on.

This morning we borrowed Brook’s car,  came home and got the van home safe and sound.  When Dick went to start it, it just turned over and purred like it normally does. 

Angels were in attendance with us last night and my many prayers were heard and answered.  The Lord looked down on us and sent His angels to assist us in our time of need.  This was a blessing as Dick is having such a hard time walking right now and there was no way he could have pushed the car out of the road or gotten down in the water and strapped the cable to our car to be pulled.  Yes, I do know that my Father in Heaven does watch over us and hears our many pleas.

Texas Sage

Texas Sage is a plant in Arizona (probably other states as well) that I have been smitten with.  It blooms with purple flowers during the year, but right after a rain storm they are vibrant with color.  The last two days we have had rain and this is what they look like today.  These pictures are looking across the street from our front yard.

 

 

I was a little bummed that one of the bushes in our front yard were not Texas Sage and two days ago I realized that the two bushes on the side of the house are on our property line and were ours and this is what they look like today.

I am one very happy camper….to bad they are not on the side of the house that I can see them from.  Will have to make more trips to the side of the house.

I can sit at my desk or my sewing machine and the view is gorgeous. Not only do I get to enjoy the Texas Sage, but there are lots of Birds of Paradise also to enjoy. I do love my view out my front window.

Latest Project

This is my latest project in the sewing department.  I love to quilt and would do it every day if I had the time.  Nothing brings me more satisfaction than to take a piece of fabric and construct something beautiful from it.

This table runner was made for the birthday girl today.  I know that she is going to love it as much as her mother does.

Happy birthday to you Brooklei Ann. We love you.

Happy Birthday, Brook….

On July 24, 1974 a precious little baby girl was sent from heaven to me.  Oh how happy I was to have this precious spirit entrusted into my care by my Heavenly Father.  She was the gift from heaven that I needed at a time in my life when all seemed lost.

She grew into a beautiful woman and has done some amazing things in her life.  When she sets her mind to accomplish a goal, she will work double hard to achieve it.   She is a feisty little minute of a person and no one and I mean no one will get the best of her.

This year there are no parades or fireworks to celebrate her day, but Utah will always have the biggest parade and fireworks just for her.  When Brook was little, she thought that the big Utah celebration was for her benefit and didn’t realize the pioneer importance of the day.  She was happy having the big parades and fireworks just for her special day.

We love you dearly our precious Brooklei Ann and hope that this day is as special as you are.

Nightly Bird…

For several nights I have seen this bird come to our patio.  Tonight we were out there and he kept flying around my butterfly wind chime but would not land.  Finally he got enough courage and landed.

I think that he has decided that he loves this wind chime and is making it his roost for the night.  How very fun it is to live in the desert and see all the little creatures that Heavenly Father has created for me to enjoy.

Dust Storm Adventure

Today we went to visit a Barnes and Noble book store over by the temple.  We found our way without using the GPS, which is a big achievement for us. 

We drove by the temple and it is pretty, but my heart is so taken with the beauty of the Brigham City Temple that right now nothing can compare to it.  I do miss seeing that gorgeous building.  I know that I will come to love the Gilbert temple just as much.

On the way home we had to stop at Walmart to get some paint to finish a desk that Dick is working on.  We went to a different store than we normally go to and one that was on a street we had never been on.  We came out of the store about 30-40 minutes later and a dust storm was coming through really hard.  We hurried and got in the car and headed down the road.  Here are pictures to show how bad these get:

The beginning of our trip home trying to get ahead of the storm…

We are going real slow at this point as the dust is getting worse and you can’t see to far in front of you…

Things are really brewing up out there…

At this point, cars are beginning to pull over and wait this thing out, but we are still going along… 

About this time I realize that we are going in the wrong direction and not headed for home.  I told Dick that we were going in the opposite direction that we needed to be and he was insistent that we were going the correct way.  Well….I was right… and we ended up at the Home Depot that is totally in the opposite direction of home.  We turned around and had to go back through this junk again.  Thank heavens it had started to disperse and was not nearly as bad as going through it the first time…

When the storm ended, just a mile or two down the road, these beautiful clouds with the sun rays coming through appeared.  They were so beautiful hanging over the cotton field and was a most welcoming site….

It was like a breath of heaven shinning down on us…

Oh the beauty of the day…

We went from what felt like being in hell…to a little piece of heaven here on earth in just a very short time span.  I much prefer the heaven feeling.

My Painting made by Kalista

Dear Kalista,

Thank you for this beautiful painting that you made for me.  It is so pretty and I love it.  You are my special Angel Girl and I am so thankful that you are my niece.  I do love you very much.

This painting is going on my bookcase where everyone who comes to visit me will be able to see it.  You are such a precious child and we share the same letter “K” in our names.  That makes us both special.

Thanks again for thinking of me and making my day so bright.

Love you forever and always,

Aunt Kathy

Happy Birthday, Dick…

Happy Birthday Dick.  You have been such a joy in  my life and I am so thankful that out paths crossed 36 years ago.  You have been my best friend since the day we met.  I admire so many qualities that you possess and wish that I could have a thimble of your talent. When it comes to working on wood, there are few that match your talent.  I am amazed at how you take a piece of wood and can make the most beautiful creation with it. 

This day could not be complete with out my expressing my feelings on what a wonderful father you have been to our children . They love and adore you. You are the best. Our grandchildren are the lucky ones that have you in their lives. Your face beams when you are with them or get to talk with them on the phone. They are your world.

You have been the very best husband and have put up with me for all these years.   I am truly blessed and am thankful that you are my eternal companion.

Happy Birthday, dear…I love you.

Curry/Bierhaus Family Pictures

Today we went to “The Pecans” a gated community in Queen Creek and took pictures of the Curry/Bierhaus family.  It was so stinkin hot and humid and I thought I was going to melt away.  It was a quick photo shoot done by me with my trusty little digital camera.  Brook wanted pictures as Kelson is leaving tomorrow morning for Fort Collins, CO to live.

Here are just a few of the pictures that we took.

 

  

 

 

 

  

       

Not to bad of a looking family.  So glad they are mine.

Happy Birthday Kelson

Happy Birthday, KJ.  It was fun to have you here on your birthday.  We love you very much and hope that this 21st birthday year is filled with lots of good choices and goals that will be met.  I am so glad that you are my grandson and that you chose to be a part of our family.  You have brought so much joy to my life and I just pray that your dreams be lined with silver and that your goals will be attainable.

Love you so very much.

Our Saturday Adventure

On Saturday we took the family and had an adventure.  We live in the agricultural part of Arizona and right now hay is being cut, baled and stacked. There are tons of cotton fields and they are just starting to blossom out.  This is a cotton field not to far from our home.  The watering system is rather interesting as there are not any overhead sprinklers (have seen very few) as they irrigate from huge canals and flood fields.

We drove by the Gilbert Temple.  It is about 30 minutes from our house.  It will be nice when it is finished.  We are about a year out before it is opened.

We drove by Brook and Elton’s house to see what the tent looked like.  They moved into a house that had bed bugs and it had to be fumigated with a gas.  They stayed with us while this process was being done.

We went to the Olive Mill and got to see olive trees with olives on them and got to play under the trees. 

        

    

   

    Inside of the Olive Mill is a man that roasts coffee beans and makes his own blends.  He let Brea and Payton help him put the beans in the roaster.  It was a very educational experience for me as I had never seen this process done before. 

     

We had a good time.  Thanks Curry family for going with us on our adventure.