Managing Mom's Meds

My mother is losing her ability to retain information. Just a minute after telling her something, she forgets. My sister came down from Idaho last week and we took her to two different doctors. They took her off some meds and put her on others. Before my sister went back to Idaho she and Mom wrote down what pills to take morning, noon, night, and which to take just once a week. Medications were removed that she no longer needed. I bought a wonderful pill dispenser yesterday and took it out to her today. I discovered that the "removed" meds were back, one prescription bottle had disappeared, and the 50,000 units of vitamin D she was to take once a week--well, she took five of those pills in three days! (She won't need any sun for a year:) After filling up her new dispenser for the week, I took all the rest home with me. I left with a headache...and plenty of aspirin!

As I was leaving Mom's, I noticed the soft light coming off the Ben Lomond mountains, which I later discovered was the reflection from a beautiful sunset.

Green French Fries and Tacos

We tended Lacie and Weston tonight. How lucky to have seen all the grandchildren in the last two days!

Princess Lacie with all her jewels. She even wore clip-on earrings. Lacie just loves to dress up. It's been fun to have a room for the grandkids to play, dress up, be creative and use their imagination.

Weston added green French fries to my play dough taco. He also created presents for me in the shape of a heart, elephant, fish, boat, and a train.

After Lacie went to sleep, Weston and I watched James and the Giant Peach.

The Jazz vs. Gram - Who Won??

Shaury and Dave were debating whether to take Hazel to the Jazz game. Jonah and Ez were excited to go. Then they overheard their parents talking about whether to call Gram Rice to tend Hazel. Ez perked up and said he wanted to go to Gram's house. They questioned him about wanting to see the Jazz. But no, he wanted to come here. Then Jonah asked where Ez was going and he, too said he wanted to go to Grams! Shaury and Dave mentioned that maybe they could get a neighbor girl to come over to tend. Then the kids said they wanted to go to the Jazz game if they couldn't go to Grams!

I bought a new doll for the playroom. It came with a little comb. pet dog and a change of clothes. Hazel didn't let go of it or the comb all night long. It kind of looks like her - long blonde hair. So now Hazel has a new doll at HER house! By the way, there are times when Shaury's family calls Hazel, "Hazel-Jayna."

Here's Jonah and Ez in the playroom, wearing their Jazz jerseys.

We "baked" cookies. Note: I did not say we "made" them...

Matt and Amber dropped by to show us their new puppy. We were upstairs in the playroom. It (no name yet) initiated the carpet by, uh, you-know-what.

Skyping at Work

We have been using Skype at work so Joanna, who is still in the hospital, can conduct and be involved in our staff meetings. Last week we Skyped without the video camera (Joanna had a bad hair day:), but this week was much nicer in that we were all able to see each other.

Don't You Hate it When That Happens?

Don't you hate it when you're just driving along and a big semi comes up along side of you and throws you a ROCK?

Blueberries

I love blueberries.

Demotivators 2010 Calendar

Every year I pick out twelve pictures and quotes from the http://www.despair.com catalog for the office. It's probably the only confirmation email that I enjoy receiving. This company could "spam" me every day and I would laugh right out loud.

Here's their motto: AT DESPAIR, INC., we believe motivational products create unrealistic expectations, raising hopes only to dash them. That's why we created our soul-crushingly depressing Demotivators® designs, so you can skip the delusions that motivational products induce and head straight for the disappointments that follow!

BLOGGING

Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.

If you go to the Customer Service portion of the website you'll read the following:

Troubled Tickets

In an effort to further reduce our personal interactions with customers, we've added our revolutionary Troubled-Ticketing™ system. If you would like to report a problem, simply click the link below, and complete the accompanying Problem Report. After firing the responsible Little Person, their replacement will get back to you as soon as is convenient for us.

The Yearbook and Facebook

The other day I received a friend request in facebook.  The trouble was, I didn't remember him. I noticed that we had two fb friends in common from high school, so I pulled out my yearbook. I don't think I've looked at my yearbook since I graduated.

It was fun to read friend comments and look back at "old" photos.

From the green Scottish hills

Where the proud pipers play

To the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch

There's no better clan,

Nor will there ever be,

Than the friendly, fighting Scots of Ben Lomond.

We're proud of Ben Lomond

And all that she stands for,

And though o'er the earth we may wander

A part of our heart will always yearn to be

In the mem'ry hallowed halls of Ben Lomond.

Galoshes

Galoshes is not a word used much anymore. As a child I wore rubber boots similar to these.

"Princess" Hazel's Birthday

Today is Hazel's second birthday - hard to believe. She loves princesses, dolls, dressing up, make-up, Tinkerbell and shoes. I found a darling netted dress-up skirt for her and some fun magnet "paper" dolls.

Schoolwires

The school district has purchased a new web program. Our department's responsibility is to understand how the program works, migrate all the present department sites into new sites for each department, prepare and teach the program. My main responsibility has been to create sections and channels for each department and to create the new technology website. I will be responsible for a lot of the troubleshooting as departments and schools come on board. It's been a bit challenging, since Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Schoolwires has crashed. The architecture of this new web program is very different from the former one, which I could troubleshoot with my eyes closed. And words such as channels, migration, sections...have taken on new meanings - it's like learning a new language!

"Lovely Betsy"

Shaury decided to create a small business selling vintage clothing. She's launching her Etsy site tomorrow. She asked me to be her "photographer" and her friend, Aleesha to be her model. They came over tonight and we had great fun taking the photos and deciding where in the house to model them. Her Etsy site is: www.LovelyBetsy.etsy.com

Shaury and Aleesha

Jared's Birthday

Jared turned 33 today - hard to believe I have another kid even older than him!  Happy Birthday, Jared!

Good Things Utah

Cathy and I went to Good Things Utah this morning, attending as part of the studio audience. Though I've only seen this show a couple of times, it was intersting to see how a TV segment is put together. I've always enjoyed watching the behind-the-scenes action of plays and live theatre, so this was fun too.

It was interesting to see how the whole platform was just moved to another area in preparation for the next segment. The girls didn't even move off the set.

A cooking segment with the "science" guy using vinegar in bread and pasta.

Cathy took this shot from her TV recording, showing us on TV - our 5 seconds of fame!

After taking lunch to Joanna and visiting with her in the hospital, we headed home via Farmington Bay to check if any eagles had landed. We saw one flying and a couple way out on the Bay.

Monochromatic Winter

On the way home from Jared and Carrie's this afternoon, after tending the grandkids overnight, I stopped by the side of the road as this winter farm scene, and frosted weeds, caught my eye.

Icicles and Grandkids

I thought this melting icicle looked like it changed its mind and decided to go in another direction!

 A face in the crowd...

Weston was very excited with the treasure box I brought out as a surprise. I included some sea shells and little rocks.

Sweet Lacie Kay

Ugly Cookies

These cookies are made with only two ingredients: a cake mix and a can of pumpkin. They might be ugly, but they're good and moist. Pretty low cal too, unless you add in some chocolate chips!