The First Weekend of My Summer Vacation

Friday was the last day of the school year.  The students weren't required to be at school, although some students did come to say goodbye.  Teachers were told we didn't have to show up until 8 a.m. (about an hour later than a normal day) and we could go as soon as our rooms were cleaned, our technology locked up and our year-end check list was complete.  I left about 10:30 a.m..

After lunch, we headed down to Utah County once again to look at a house that is for sale.  The house we looked at is shown in the picture.  It was a nice house and it was in our price range, but we still want to see what options are available to us in St. George, so we will be heading back to St. George soon.  Earlier in the spring, we found a house in St. George which we initially liked and hoped to buy, but  after thinking about it, we decided that it wasn't exactly what we wanted, so we continue to look.  Because of the high interest rates,  a lot of sellers are starting to lower asking prices, so we keep looking, hoping to find something that is affordable and feels just right. 

We also went to one of our favorite bookstores in Utah County and I was able to find this book, The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore.  It is a novel based on a true story.  I have been looking for this book because my daughter read it and told me about it and recommended it to, so I will be reading it soon!

Saturday was a rainy day.  It poured rain from early in the morning until late afternoon. 

We had plans to meet up with some friends in a small town about an hour north of us, called Brigham City.  Our friends told us there was a good restaurant there and some fun shops - including a used bookstore. 

The restaurant is called Idle Isle Cafe and it is one of the oldest restaurants in the state. It has been in the same building for over 100 years!  The food was good, and we had a very nice visit with our friends.  (I borrowed this picture from the internet.  The skies were definitely NOT blue the afternoon we were there.  It was cloudy, gray and pouring rain).

After lunch, we did a little browsing/shopping at some of the fun shops in Brigham City.  This is the fun used bookstore we went to.  It was small but had quite a good selection. 

We also visited a thrift store in Brigham City and I ended up bringing home this Seasons of the Heart complete set of books by the Canadian author, Janette Oke.  I had read a couple of her books years ago and enjoyed them, so I decided to get all four books in this series because they were only $1 a piece!  That's a bargain considering they are probably out of print now.  (On Amazon, a complete set like this, used, sells for over $32!)

We also got some Pure Utah Creamed Honey at a local boutique store that had some fun and interesting things made locally.  

By Sunday morning, the rain was gone and we were up and off to church early. We attended both the main worship service and the classes after.  Today's topic in the class was integrity and we had a good discussion on a virtue that is so lacking in our society today.  Good stuff.  I came away with a renewed commitment to stand for and defend what is right instead of what is politically correct.  As a public school teacher, this is somewhat challenging so I found the lesson inspiring and very relevant.  

Sunday afternoon was nice and sunny, and I enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood while listening to a couple of Christian podcasts I enjoy. 

I put up the flag for Memorial Day. Since we keep our front porch light on all night, I figured it would be appropriate to put the flag up today and leave it up for tomorrow. 

Our Sunday dinner was oven baked chicken with potatoes and green beans. This is an old "tried and true" recipe that I had never made before.

It was really delicious - a 5 star recipe for sure!  We enjoyed it with green salad and French bread.  

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in quarters

2 can green beans, drained or 2 heaping cups fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 lg red-skinned potatoes, cut in quarters

1 pkg zesty Italian dressing mix (1.25 oz)

1/2 c butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9x13 pan, place cut chicken breasts in the center, green beans on one side, and potatoes on the other.

2. Sprinkle the Italian dressing mix over the top.

3. Drizzle the melted butter over it.

4. Cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake 1 hour.

Above are the directions for our "winner, winner chicken dinner".  The only modifications I did was using gold potatoes and also adding dry onion soup mix, in addition to the Italian dressing mix because Charly and I both like onion flavoring.  The recipe above comes from the website Just a Pinch.

I also made some zero calorie Dr. Pepper brownies for dessert.  It was a tasty way to finish off the meal!

After dinner, we watched our scripture master class on Youtube.  It was so good.  I love our weekly scripture master class, and always learn something from it.  

Later, I went outside to water the flowers and plants in the vegetable garden.  I was so happy to see these little baby grades on my grape vine.  The grapes we got from this vine in the past were delicious, so I am looking forward to having a special treat later this summer of grapes from our own vine. 

Weekend Gratitude:

• School is out for the summer!
• Lunch with friends on Saturday.
• Safe travels in the rain.
• Good conversations with Josh.
• Our grandson's baseball game on Thursday.
• Living in the United States of America - a free country defended by the best and bravest in the world!

Please take time to remember and give thanks for those who gave their all to defend our freedoms this Memorial Day.  Freedom is never free.

Until next time, 

🎖Deb🪖

"Courage is contagious. 

When a brave man takes a stand,

the spines of others are often stiffened."

~Billy Graham

 

Best of the Week

It's the end of another week and I am looking back to remember the highlights of this week with gratitude.  I am linking, as always, with Susanne and friends over at Living to Tell the Story to intentionally be thankful for the blessings of the week. 

😊 I am grateful that we had a nice rainy day on Monday of this week.  I planted some seeds and plants in our yard on Saturday and a nice rainy day was just what they needed. This is a picture from our doorbell camera that I captured when the rain was coming down quite heavily.

😊 Tuesday was our oldest grandson's high school graduation.  We are so grateful that we were invited to be part of this happy family event, and we are always grateful for our children and grandchildren.  

😊  Our grandson gave us this sweet thank you note.  I thought it was super nice to get a thank you note from an 18-year-old boy.  I think his mother (who was also taught to write thank you notes when she was young) might have had something to do with it.  I am grateful to have grandchildren who are being raised to be kind and considerate.

😊 My final grades are in, my classroom is clean and I am ready for the end of the school year.  I am grateful that I was able to get everything finished up quickly and easily.  I am also grateful for the students who came in to say goodbye and ask me to sign their yearbook.  It is always nice to know that I have had some kind of a positive impact on the young people I work with. 

😊 Thursday, because my grades were finished and posted, I was able to come home a couple of hours early and I was able to get chores done like mowing the lawn.   I am always grateful for some extra time at home to get stuff done. 

😊  I'm not much of a TV watcher, but Charly and I recently watched a couple of super interesting documentaries on Netflix.  My favorite was Blue Zones, which is about people around the world who live to be 100 or close to it.  How do these people do it?  The show focuses on how diet, exercise, faith, and relationships can lead to long, healthy lives.  I even bought the book about the show and a cookbook that goes with it.  I am grateful for a very interesting show with good information that I plan to implement as we try to eat healthier. 

😊  It's little league baseball season again.  Thursday night, we drove to a town about 55 miles south of where we live to attend one of our grandson's baseball games. It was chilly and we were late getting home, but we loved being there at his game.  I am grateful that, now that school is over, we will be able to attend some more games.  I love spending time with my children and grandchildren in whatever way I can.  

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a good weekend. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Don't just count your blessings.

Be the blessing that others count on."

~anon.

 

Books

I don't usually participate in Tuesday 4, but decided to this week (even though it's already Wednesday), because the questions about about books - and books are among my favorite things.

1. Do you have some books in your home? If so what subjects are they? Which is your favorite? Yes, we have a lot of books in our home.  Both my husband and I are avid readers.  We have all kinds of books - mystery, suspense, historical fiction, Christian fiction, history, religious, and psychology/self-help are some of my favorite genres.   My husband also reads a lot of history books, and he also likes sci-fi and fantasy.  When our children were little, we had lots of books for them, and read to them every day. The picture is of the bookcases on either side of our fireplace in our living room. 

2. Do you enjoy browsing around in bookstores ? Do you have a favorite you like to go to? Yes, both my husband and I enjoy browsing bookstores.  There is a good used bookstore not far from our home, but I get most of my books at thrift stores.  If there is a specific title I want, I order a used copy using Amazon.  The picture is of the used book store that is about a mile from our house during their recent $1 used book sale weekend. 

3. Do you think real books are clutter or do you just love having them around you?  Both my husband and I enjoy having books in our home, but, like everything, the number of books in a home can be overdone.  I am trying to do better to part with books that I don't really like or never plan to read or refer to again.  This is a work in progress.  My husband on the other hand, rarely gets rid of a book he has read.  The picture is of my two bookshelves in our family room.  Looking at the picture now, I can see that I really need to go through them and see if there are some books I can "re-home."  I also read books on the Kindle app of my phone.  I have an old Kindle from 2016 which doesn't work well and plan to get a new one eventually.

4. What is the oldest book you've read and what is the newest book you've read or are reading. The oldest book I have read is The Bible (not that my personal Bible is all that old, but it is truly one of the oldest books we know of).   One of the newer books I am currently reading is It Will All Be Worth It by Liz Kazandzhy and Kyle Lund.  I received an advance copy from the publishing company so I could write a review.  It was published this year and released for sale last month.  I am enjoying it.  

That's all for now. I'm off to do some reading!

Until next time, 

📚Deb📚

“It is remarkable, the character of the pleasure 

we derive from the best books.” 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Our Oldest Grandson's High School Graduation

Tuesday, I took the day off,and we attended our oldest grandson's high school graduation.  It was held at the UCCU Events Center on the campus of Utah Valley University.   This venue holds about 8,500 people and it was very nearly full of friends and family of the high school graduates. 

Here is the graduating class all seated and ready to begin the ceremony. 

Here is our grandson on the Jumbotron as his name was announced. 

Here he is after just receiving his diploma cover being congratulated by the principal of his high school. 

Meanwhile, his little sister, our youngest granddaughter who is five, was cheering on her big brother with all her heart and soul.  

After the ceremony, it was time for pictures.  Here are Charly and I with our grandson Miles.  

Miles with one of his graduation gifts.  

Miles with his mom and dad.

Here's the whole family with their newly graduated son and brother.  

We are so glad that we were able to be part of this happy family celebration for our grandson Miles.  I remember the day he was born and also staying overnight to help his mom his first night home.  The years pass so quickly.  Miles is a good guy and we are proud of him and grateful that he is our grandson.   God bless the class of 2024!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"A journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step."
~Sun Tzu

 

Mid-May Weekend

 This was our mid-May weekend. 

Friday was a busy day at school because it was the final day for students to turn in work for the grading period.  A lot of students did turn in work and a lot of grades came up, which is good.  I didn't sleep very well on Thursday night, so by the end of the school day, I was tired.  I came home and napped for about an hour. That helped a lot.  After dinner, we had a few errands to run and stores to visit. We went to Home Depot to get some more garden soil and some more flowers to plant on Saturday. 

I also got gas and ran the car through the car wash.  I like a clean car and take the car through the car wash often, so for me, a car wash membership is a bargain. 

Friday was an absolutely beautiful night.  This is the view of the moon from our backyard about 9 p.m..

Saturday morning, I got up early and met up with a couple of friends. After I got home, Saturday was a day of yard work. I planted the flowers we bought Friday night.  This purple Lilly... 

...and this bright yellow one. 

I also planted some seeds in the garden - green beans and pumpkins.  I have more vegetable seeds that I will plant next week. 

I planted the petunias we bought in pots that are now on both sides of our front porch steps. 

Sunday morning, we were up early to get ready and attend church.  We had excellent messages and a wonderful musical number provided by two missionaries.  Our bishop (pastor) announced that our congregation has been asked to serve dinner at the local homeless shelter this week and a few more volunteers were needed. Charly and I signed up to help out this Wednesday.  We have served at the homeless shelter in the past and it has always been a good experience to help those in dire need.   I am looking forward to doing it again. 

This afternoon, I went for a walk. It was a beautiful day with a cloudless, blue sky and temperatures in the low 70s. 

These are some of the flowers I saw as I walked around the neighborhood.  I love this time of year and the gorgeous flowers that are everywhere. 

Our Sunday dinner was Sloppy Joes made with Beyond Beef, French Fries and Asian Salad.   It was a delicious meal. 

I have been using plant based meat, like Beyond Beef and Impossible Beef a lot more in an effort to cut back on our red meat consumption and eat healthier. 

Here is the recipe that can be made either with plant-based or real beef.  You can see that we really liked the recipe.  I gave it 5 ***** stars! 

After dinner, Charly and I drove about 35 miles south of where we live to Utah Valley University to scope out the venue where our grandson will be graduating from high school this coming week. We wanted to make sure we knew where the event center is and where we will be able to park.  We are really looking forward to attending his graduation on Tuesday. 

As the new week begins, I have four different books I am reading - The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg,  Understanding Our Catholic Neighbors by Mathew Schmalz and Alonzo L. Gaskill,  It Will All Be Worth It edited by Liza Kazandzhy and Kyle Lund, and $2.00 a Day by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer.  It seems that I am always reading multiple books at a time.  For the past several months, I have also been reviewing books for a Christian publishing company. They electronically send me one book a week to review.  That's a lot!  I don't get them all completely read, but I do try to read enough to get a feel for most of the books I am sent so I can write a review.  A majority of the books are pretty good, so I am honored that I get to be one of the first to read and review them. 

Weekend Gratitude:

• Planting more flowers in my yard 
• Getting part of my vegetable garden planted
• Having time to relax and read
• Getting together with friends
• Enjoying the spring flowers in the neighborhood

Coming up this week:

Tuesday - Our oldest grandson is graduating from high school.

Wednesday - We are helping with dinner at the homeless shelter.

Friday - It's the final day of school for the school year.

Saturday - We are getting together with good friends for lunch in another town about 40 miles north of here. 

After I post this, I'm going out in the yard to water my newly planted flowers and seeds.  I also need to get ready for tomorrow and then I hope to do some reading before bed.  Thanks for stopping by. Have a good week. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

• “Flowers always make people better, 
• happier, and more helpful; 
• they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” 
• —Luther Burbank