Tuesday, January 25, 2011

music



We have a new favorite at our house.  We cannot get enough of these guys from North Carolina.
The Avett Brothers.

check out this video (don't mind the 15 second ad at the beginning).  here

They describe themselves as a mix between country, rock, and blue grass.

This one is Cole's FAVORITE

Mom, click on this one, you will like it

For my birthday, I want one of these...


Have you seen this?

Listen to him here.  I should have visited while I lived in Mississippi.

If this isn't enough for one day.  You can listen to these guys from the UK (if you watch the whole thing, keep an eye out for what he uses for his kick drum)

Seriously wish I had time to learn how to play the banjo.  Although Summer & Sierra's music teacher plays the banjo...maybe I could give up something else like laundry & sleep.

Speaking of Summer & Sierra and music.  They are playing at the Springville Senior Citizen Center on Feb 9.  Let me know if you want more details.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Vintage Postcards


Several years ago (shortly after Summer was born) I inherited these vintage postcards from Rick's family.
I have a stack of them.  This is just a sample.
Most of them were actually sent through the mail.
They were all written either TO or FROM Miss Elsie Hansen.
I have always heard Elsie referred to as "Aunt".
Aunt was the one who raised Clead Blackett, Rick's Grandfather.

A little bit more about Aunt.  Or Elsie Hansen...

She was born December 15, 1883 in Salina, Sevier County, Utah.
She was one of ten children.  When she was six years old the family moved to Scipio and lived there until she was 21.  She attended school in Scipio.  At the age of 18 her mother passed away and she took card of 6 younger brothers and one sister and her father.  Her baby brother, Marion was just 1 month old.  She also had some help from her little sister, Augusta.
At this time her father moved his family to Mills, Utah where he bought a farm thinking that was a good place to raise a bunch of boys.
While living at Mills, she met Delbert Ward and later they were married on March 15, 1911 in Nephi.  Later solemnized in the Manti Temple.
She and her husband bought a dry farm in Mills and their main crops were wheat and rye.  They lived there until 1920 when they decided to give up dry farming and moved to Scipio.
They were there 2 years when her sister Augusta passed away leaving 4 small children; the baby, Clead, was only eleven days old so they took the children to care for and raise.  She still found time to raise a garden, can fruit, and help her friends and neighbors in many ways.
Her husband died April 23, 1942.  She stayed in her home in Scipio raising a garden and many beautiful flowers.  
In August 1964, she moved to Nephi to help Clead and Randy.  (Clead's wife had passed away).

Some things that Grandma Bette remembers about Aunt:
"We knew when she was miffed at us because she would begin to hum or sing a church hymn.  The hymn message would usually teach us the lesson we needed to learn. 
A brown leather purse accompanied Aunt wherever she went.  Clead had carved and tooled the purse for her.  Within the purse you would find many goodies.  Black Jack gum was a favorite of Aunts.  The gum may have been chewed for a couple of days, at bedtime or when she was tired of chewing, she would carefully wrap it back in its wrapper and it proved to be quite satisfying at a later time.
'Tammee Tea' was a treat we learned about in Scipio.  It was good and we sort of felt grown up drinking it.  Aunt made it for us often on our visits.  The recipe was quite simple:  hot water, a little milt or cream and a heave dose of sugar. Sometimes Aunt would take us along the ditch banks to gather mint leaves and then we had fresh brewed mint tea."

So, as we were putting together a family history for Clead Blackett, we also put together a few pages and stories for Elsie Ward, the woman who cared for and raised Clead.  When we were going through papers, documents and photos, we found a stack of post cards, all of them written over 100 years ago.

So, Amara, because you asked...that is where I get some of the post card images that I post.  Some of the postcards I have framed.  There is a cute one of a lady hanging laundry on a clothes line that I put up in my laundry room, a few valentines cards, and a few Christmas ones.  (And a few of the images I have just found on the internet)

**If there are any more of Aunt's postcards sitting around collecting dust and nobody wants them...send 'em my way.  of course.




Saturday, January 15, 2011

5 months

that's how long until the Utah Valley Marathon/1/2 Marathon.

Thanks for all of your support.  Thanks for humoring me.  Thanks for letting me harass you.

Thanks for signing up.

Looks like it will be Me (1/2), Rick (full Marathon), Summer & Sierra (5k)
Kris (1/2)
Teresa (1/2)
Grandma Bette (5k)
Brandi and Jason  & some neighbors (1/2)
Audrey (1/2)
and at least 5,000 other people.
And Grandma Nanners is logging hours and hours on her new treadmill.  Keep it up.

Way to go.
Rick was telling me the other day about how he was crying when he crossed the finish line when he ran it in 2009.  He said he was crying because of the pain, but also because of the sense of accomplishment.  Less than 1% of the population ever accomplishes this feat.  I'm sure there are a few more folks out there that run 13 miles at some point in their lives.  But I cried, too, when I crossed the finish line of the 1/2 marathon that I did last year.  And for both of the same reasons.

It's dang hard work.  It hurts.  You want to quit.  You want to eat treats.  Keep going.

I found this quote last night...

Pain is temporary.  Quitting lasts forever.
--Lance Armstrong


so, 5 months. 20 weeks.  I hope you have your running shoes.  spandex.
and training schedule.
after 13 miles

Friday, January 14, 2011

Zombies

The Walking Dead


Has anyone else seen this show?

It's AMC's the Walking Dead.

We started watching it over the holidays.  All of the shows we normally watch were reruns, so Rick took it upon himself to find a show that we could download (or whatever) and watch in the evenings when we were on the treadmill.

Well, Rick came home from work one day and told me that he found a show.  He didn't tell me the name because I'm sure he knows me well enough by now to know that I would not agree.

We watched the first episode and I thought I was going to throw up.  ZOMBIES.  So not my type of show.


6 episodes later and I cannot get enough.  it's so gross.  But, mostly it just makes me want to get back on the food storage/emergency preparedness kick.  And stock pile ammunition.  You never know when you will be overrun by zombies.  If you've seen this show, you'll know what I mean.

I can't wait for the next season.  And if anyone asks, I absolutely DID NOT recommend this series.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Happy Birthday Grandma Ethel

well, I'm taking a family history class (Sunday School) right now.  There are few things I already knew (I know just enough to be dangerous) and I have learned a lot of new things.  And there are a lot of changes since technology changes so quickly.
Anyway, one thing that I wanted to do was to get more stories.  So, I have been following the instruction in our class manual and finding places to look for information.  My brother, sister, + families were at my mom's house on Saturday for dinner (it was a lot of fun--almost like Christmas all over again).  Since we were all gathered together, I mentioned that I was taking this class and that I was trying to find stories about the Robison Family.  I want to know WHY they started out in New York, made a stop in Michigan, relocated to Nauvoo, lived in Winter Quarter for a time and then ended up in Utah (serveral generations later).  I'm sure there are some good stories out there.  So, I asked if anyone had any stories that they have come across.

My moms words exactly (and remember, I never exaggerate):
"Well, whatever I had, you have already stolen so why don't you just take a look in your own basement."

Hum, that was successful.

So, being the obedient, (and apparently slightly dishonest) daughter that I am, I went to the archives of my basement and searched through ALL of the things that I have stolen collected through the years.

I did not find pages of Robison Family History, but I did find this:


Altogether, I found about 10 pictures of my grandmother.  Aren't these cute.
Now, I have scanned them to my computer.  And I will have copies for my mom, sister, aunt and cousin when we get together on April 1 for our Ancestor Photograph swap.

And just because my mom is such a stinker...

Nan in blue terry cloth pants on Puffer's Mountain in the '80's I'm sure

So, Happy Birthday Grandma Ethel.
And I hope the rest of you girls have done your homework.

Friday, January 7, 2011

I also got this for Christmas



Somehow this also ended up in my "basket" in my Amazon Account.  then, I got instruction from Rick:  "whatever you do, DO NOT read any emails from Amazon."  Great advice.  Little did he know that his Christmas present was also coming from Amazon and I scanned my email regularly to make sure his gift was on its way.
I still acted surprised on Christmas Morning.  I swear I am going to learn how to use this thing.  Rick has a co-worker that promises she can teach me how to take decent pictures.
I keep thinking that I will get bundled up and go for a walk and practice taking pictures.  It has a setting for every. single. situation. you can imagine.  Seriously.  But, I never make it outside to take pictures because it's too blasted cold.  I spent too many winters in the South where the snow melts within 4 minutes of falling.  Not 4 months.  I feel like going to bed right now and waking up sometime in February.

But, I promise I will learn how to use this camera.  Even if I have to plan a trip to Hawaii to use it.  hehehe.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

just what I wanted:

Product Details
well, it happened.  I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas.  It wasn't hard since I dropped enough hints, added them to my Amazon shopping cart myself.  Add hit ORDER myself.  And opened the door when the guy in the big brown truck knocked on the door.  And wrapped them myself.

But, like they say, if Mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy.

So, at least we have the system figured out here.

On Christmas Day, I finished off all of the chocolate, chips, crackers, cheeseball, candy, cupcakes,  and eggnog.  The next morning the house was completely carb free.  We went to the grocery store and stocked up on all kinds of leafy green stuff.  I have had a few spells of sugar withdrawl (seriously, folks), but mostly I feel better and have more energy.  And my jeans aren't feeling quite so tight.

So, with my new Christmas present (running shoes!) it's time to get busy on signing up for the Utah Valley Half Marathon.  This race is supposed to fill up by the end of this month, so don't wait too long.

Here is a link to jeff galloways 19 week training program for a half marathon run walk.

So, you have 3 weeks to sign up and get yourself some spandex.  The race is in 22 weeks.  This is 19 week training schedule which will put you right on schedule for a June 11 race.  And it's a run/walk program.

There is also Hal Hidgon's 12 week training guide.  You don't even have to start this training schedule until March.  Perfect weather to get out and walk/run.

Either method is good.  Take a look and decide what you want to do.  I have mixed a little of both methods.  It's just good to have a schedule to go by so you know where you are in your training.  And then at the end of each week, you can just cross off your accomplishments and the next thing you know, you are running (or walking) a half marathon.

I think I will use Hal Higdon's training schedule, but I will implement some of Jeff Galloway's techniques.  It's gonna be fun.

This is the Jeff Galloway book that Rick and I have used before.  It has tons of good training ideas and techniques.  All kinds of ideas to keep you motivated.  Ways to prevent injury.  Tips on where you should begin training (slow) and how to improve your times once you get going.  I love this book.  It's usually in the bathroom for the times when you just have a minute or two to read.

Summer and Sierra are going to do the 5K.

And if I still have not convinced my mom to do the 5K, let me just say that there are tons of 60ish aged men who do these things.  I'm pretty sure most of them are single, wealthy, and available.  Did that work?  How about the Sierra West gift for each finisher?  How about I will sign you up myself?  You get a t-shirt?

Saturday, January 1, 2011