- THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER -

MONDAY, MAY 17, 2010 Yesterday, after I was feeling a little better, I decided to go for a ride. I headed west past the turnoff to Corey’s house. I hadn’t gotten far when Corey called and asked where I was. I told him. He said, “Oh, I need a few things from your house to make a Cassoulet recipe I found on the Food Network website.” He told me what he needed; an onion, two carrots, some thyme and some bacon. Instead of driving all the way back to my house, I went to Smith’s and got them and a few more things I knew they could use. As I was driving up near his house, I called and asked if I could get some help carrying stuff into the house. As I pulled into their driveway, Corey and Jayden and Bailey came piling out of the house. Corey and Bailey grabbed stuff and took it into the house. Bailey came back out for the last gallon of milk. Jayden had a sheet of paper in his hand. It turned out to be the music and words to Scripture Power, one of the Primary songs. Judy told me later that it is one of the kids’ favorites. It is a long one and took up both sides of the paper. There are two verses so you have to turn it over twice; twice on each side. Jayden proceeded to sing to me, reading the words as he sang. He sang it over and over and over again and every so often he would look up and make sure I was looking at him. He is a good singer. We went through the same thing before Christmas when he was learning a Christmas carol when he was in the school choir, though that time it was in his head. He wasn’t reading it. Today after I picked him and Bailey up from school he sang it for me again. After school today, the three of up went to the park and shoot hoops for a while before we went back to their house and Jayden went to Zak and Cameron’s to play. Earlier, at Niki’s request, I took our hose and attachment to her house. I stopped at two Wal-Marts and between the two of them I got four pink geraniums and some yellow cascade petunias. When I got to her house she squirted down her back deck for Alexa’s birthday party tomorrow; this one is for her friends, eleven of them; twelve including herself. Alexa and I planted the plants in the two planters on their front porch. After that we swept up the mess we had made and the rest of the porch and step then we squirted it down to finish the job off right. Niki came out to help and before long she and Alexa were squirting each other and giggling like crazy. What a couple of goofs. Of course I was my usual stoic self. As I was getting ready to leave for home, Alexa went in to take a shower. If I heard correctly she was going to shower with her cloths on. Niki went to see as I was leaving. I picked Judy up at the airport at a little after seven this evening. She has been in Minneapolis visiting her mother and attending a memorial for her old harp teacher, Frances Aspnes. We went from the airport to Z’ Tejas at the Gateway for dinner.

KATRINA KROPUSHEK

SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2010 A few weeks ago, Katrina Kropushek, a young lady in our ward called Judy. She said she was running for Miss Saratoga Springs. She was playing a piano piece in the talent portion and asked if she could come over and play for Judy and have her critique it for her. She and her mother Moana came over and she went through it several times. She played from memory while Judy had the music and read along as she played. She played well but without a lot of dynamics. Judy helped her with that portion. I sat, mostly in the other room and just enjoyed the beautiful music. Yesterday Katrina came over with a thank you note and $50.00 change for the $100.00 bill I gave at the fund raiser for the youth the other night. I asked Katrina how she did in the pageant. She said she made first attendant. I thought that was very good and told her so. Following is the contents of the thank you note: Judy, You are so talented! And you are so awesome! Thanks so much for helping me with my piano piece for the Pageant! It really helped! It made a huge difference. (I even got in my comments from the judges that I had great Dynamics!) You are such a loving person! And I am so grateful that you let me play on your beautiful piano! Thanks for everything! Love, Katrina Kropushek.

POTTED PLANTS

SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2010 I went out this morning and hit all the usual “garden” spots; Home Depot, Lowes and two different Wal-Marts. I got potting soil, some geraniums and a couple of six-packs of white petunias for the pots I have at home. As I was driving in to our house, the “little voice” told me to do the potting on the patio in back. So, I lugged two heavy bags of soil, the two heave (big) geraniums and the smaller ones and petunias around the house. Ug! I hadn’t gotten far into the project when Jolayne (sp) Call, our next-door neighbor came over and said her hose bib on her patio was broken and she couldn’t use that hose. She said they were throwing a wedding party on their patio this afternoon and asked if I wouldn’t mind washing down their patio, which I did and did some sweeping also. I thought I should clean up our patio too to make it more presentable since it is right there close and visible. I also decided to place my plants close to their patio so they would make their party nicer. I ended up going back to our Wal-Mart and getting more plants and potting soil. I intentionally didn’t get enough the first time out so as to gage how much I needed. Everything turned out nice and it appeared the party went off well. Later this evening, David came over with a cherry pie as a thank offering. Monday, they are going to Lower, Alberta, Canada, where Jolayne is from and won’t be back until the last day of the month. They asked if I would take care of their potted plants while they are gone. Jenn and Sierra were in an auto accident today. All are ok. I am sure Jenn will tell about it on her Blog. This evening, Corey, Stacey, Jayden and Bailey and I had sushi at Won Won Wok. Yum!

ALEXA and GAVIN

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010 Today I picked Alexa up after school. We were our usual silly goofy selves. We went home to her house and watched the Disney Cartoon channel. Gavin was ornery, but to his defense he has a cold and generally not feeling well. He has a snotty nose and is on cold medicine. Niki took the time to try to fold clothes thinking or at least hoping with me there with the kids she could get some free time. Not to be! Gavin had to be right in her lap most of the time. He would let me tease and play with him as long as he was there secure but not one on one with me. Alexa can be a good big sister but she can pick on her little brother too. A couple of times today, when her mother wasn’t watching, she would get in his face and be at least a little mean. Niki finally put Gavin in his crib and let him cry himself to sleep. Alexa’s eyes were sagging and Niki looked like she was well overdue for a nap. At that point I went home. I am not feeling too well myself; but then what else is new!? Alexa has only three more days of school this year. Oh, by the way, Alexa and I painted each others toes, purple on top of blue. this is at least the second time we have gone through this ritual.

ANOTHER DAY at THE OFICE

MONDAY, MAY 10, 2010 This morning Corey called and said that Jayden has a cold and is coughing up stuff and asked if I wouldn’t mind staying with him. Stacey went in to work early and was supposed to get off at two. On Mondays, school gets out at two thirty so chances were I would have to pick Bailey up too. Not only did Stacey get delayed getting off, thanks to Corey and Greg giving her a project at the last minute but it started raining and hailing badly and it’s a good thing Bailey didn’t have to walk home. Jayden lay on Corey’s side of his and Stacey’s bed watching cartoons. I lay down on the other side and listened to him describe in detail the cartoons we were watching and also Iron Man II. I am amazed at how well he can describe things and events. I am nowhere near that good at it. In fact I am a total dunce when it comes to stuff like that. He has shown that over and over again to me. Bailey is right behind him in that area. Yesterday, they and their cousins on Stacey’s side of the family went to Wayne’s for Mother’s Day and on to the cemetery to put flowers on Ginnie’s grave. After that, Wayne took them all to see Iron Man II. As I was driving to Corey’s to be with Jayden I passed an alfalfa field that had two adult and about ten, one year-old; or maybe this years crop of antelope in it. I thought it strange that their mother’s weren’t with them. Maybe that is the way antelope do things. Also as I was driving to Corey’s, Alexa called and asked if I knew Mickey Mouse’s phone number. She wants to invite him to her birthday party. She will be four soon.

SACRED ORDINANCE

SATURDAY, MAY 08, 2010 This morning my favorite cousin Sherilyn called to remind me that her granddaughter Analise was getting baptized this morning at 10:30. It was a nice and unique ordinance. Unique in the sense that she and Marlon have fifteen children, all but David living, all but two, if I’m not mistaken, married and most of them have children. One at least has six children of their own. We nearly filled up the Relief Society/Baptismal Room. I think there were only two that weren’t family members and only three of us family members who weren’t Sherilyn and Marlon’s family. Their youngest child Angie who I keep thinking of as a twelve year old but who is now eighteen and graduating from Lehi High School on the 27th gave a wonderful talk on baptism. She pulled up two chairs facing each other and talked as if it were just the two of them but of course loud enough for everyone to hear. The program went as follows: Baptism of Analese Marie Kent May 8, 2010 Conducting Emil Hahn (a member of Marlon and Sherilyn’s bishopric.) Chorister Sherilyn Kent (grandmother) Pianist Tawnya Harrison Opening song Called to Serve Opening Prayer Marlon Kent (grandfather) Talk Angela Nicole Kent Baptismal Ordinance Performed by: Alan Kent (father) Special Musical Number (song) Sarai Kent (sister) Talk Kristin Kent Ordinance of Confirmation Performed by: Alan Kent Closing song I Am a Child of God Closing prayer Sherilyn Kent Later Judy & I, Chris & Sierra, Jim, Molly & Austin, Corey, Jayden & Bailey, Greg, Niki, Alexa & Gavin all met at Joe’s Crab Shack at Jordan Commons for dinner.

THE NEXT FEW DAYS (see previous entry)

FRIDAY, MAY 07, 2010 Tuesday bright and early Judy dropped Corey and me off at the airport for our three day adventure. We boarded; in first class together, the Sky West 8:55 flight to Houston. Chris’ Lynn met us at the Houston airport with Chris’ car. We plugged in the Tom Tom and off we went towards San Antonio to see the River Walk and the Alamo. About three and a half hours later if I remember correctly we arrived at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio next to the sights. We got to our hotel after the Alamo closed but we spent perhaps a couple of hours at the River Walk walking up and down and eating at a Mexican Restaurant and taking the boat tour which takes from thirty to thirty-five minutes. Jayden and Bailey wanted Corey to bring them home a Texas souvenir each. Bailey wanted a cowboy hat and Jayden wanted a cowboy belt buckle with Texas written on it and a belt to go with it. We went through several shops. Corey got Bailey a pink cowboy hat in one and Jayden a belt buckle a couple of shops later. One cute side note; at one point Corey received an e-mail from Stacey with a picture of Jayden washing dishes. She said something like, “Jayden told me to sit down and rest and he would do the dishes. I wonder what he wants.” Corey had asked him earlier to help out and not let his mother work too hard. Jayden had done something like that for his mother once before. He’s a good kid. Later Corey sent each of the kids, pictures of their hat and belt buckle. They were ecstatic. Wednesday morning we were up it time to be at the Alamo when it opened at nine. We didn’t spend a lot of time there but spent maybe half an hour and read the major plaques and signs and looked at artifacts then sped off to see the Carlsbad Caverns which was 462 miles away. On the way to Carlsbad, through West Texas we saw two semis, each carrying two huge turbine blades. A little later saw hundreds of wind generators across the landscape mostly up on bluffs. They went on for miles. Carlsbad Caverns were fascinating. We got there too late to walk the natural entrance which is a mile and a quarter hike. We probably wouldn’t have taken it anyway. We rode one of four elevators which descended seven hundred and forty-fifty feet or seventy-four stories. Corey and I got in free because of my National Parks senior discount card. The part of the caves that are visitable is one huge room shaped something like a “T”. The trails which are in two parts and basically go around the outside of the cavern are around two miles. (Another source says one mile.) At the end of the tour I bought the kids five 3-D postcards of the caverns. We drove into Carlsbad city and ate dinner at a Chinese buffet restaurant then headed off for Albuquerque. Some time, approaching dark, Corey shouted out, “Oh deer.” I looked up wondering what he was Oh dearing about. There were two deer standing at the side of the highway waiting for us to pass so they could walk across. Corey called his mother and she (Judy) and Jim got online and got us a room in Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) through Hotels dot com. They tried to use Priceline but couldn’t make it work. The hotel was north on Rio Rancho Boulevard in Rio Rancho which made it nice yesterday morning so we didn’t have far to drive to get to the 505 for our drive home. It was the Inn at Rio Rancho I think. (?) We got breakfast burritos at Federico’s and ate them as we drove. They were so big Corey couldn’t finish his. We got Whopper Jr.’s in Green River, Utah which again we ate as we drove. We got home around seven last night. Last night Judy Jim and I ate at Texas Roadhouse in Lehi.

THE LAST FEW DAYS

Monday, May 03, 2010 Well, it has been a week or so since I have written. Until now there wasn’t much to say and I’m not sure if this is very interesting either. Friday, Judy flew to Albuquerque for the Stars South Regional competition. I left at 4:40 in the Morning driving. Through Spanish Fork Canyon it was snowing and I was a little nervous and drove rather slowly. The fact that it was still dark made it all the worse. When I got to Monticello I decided to continue south through bluff, bend west then south again then east to Shiprock. It was a change of pace and added about forty-five minutes to the trip. I got in late; we had to be up before the crack of dawn for the daylong competition. We got in bed late after the competition and dinner at El Pinto Mexican Restaurant. We were up again at a little after four a.m. to get Judy to the Albuquerque airport by five to catch a six a.m. flight back home so she could be back in time for choir. On my drive to Albuquerque I ate at Church’s Chicken in Farmington, New Mexico. On my way home I bought a breakfast sandwich at Burger King on 550 coming in to Bloomfield then pulled over to the side of the road in Farmington and took an almost half-hour nap which was badly needed. As I pulled back onto the road, I saw a sign saying Durango next right and since I liked what I had seen of Durango the last time I drove through there in semi light I decided to see it again in full daylight. When I got to Durango this time I drove around a while up and down major streets etc then pulled into the Burger King which was right there and used their bathroom. As I was walking out of Burger King the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train was just pulling out. It is an old coal burner and puffing smoke, blowing its whistle and was really neat. It looked like it was carrying quite a few passengers. I thought I would like to make a trip sometime to Durango and stay a couple of days, ride the train and drive down towards Cortez and see Mesa Verde National Park. When Judy got to church she found out she was being released from her choir job she loved so much and it appears she is going to be a gospel doctrine teacher. She was in tears. I am afraid neither she nor I are scriptorians. My memory is faulty. I can read something and fully comprehend it but don’t ask me to explain it or repeat the story line. I have not read all of the Old Testament. Today I was with Jayden and Bailey after school. While Douglas, the boy across the street was there, Bailey let Buddy out and Buddy bit Douglas (also called Morgan) on the leg and gave him a pretty good puncture. Later we all met at Olive Garden for dinner. While we were eating they told about Jayden going to the bathroom the other night. As he was walking in he said, “I’ve got to do my business and my business is good!” When he came out he said, “My business was good but I should have taken in some reading material.” It looks like Corey and I are taking a flight, first thing tomorrow morning to Houston, getting Chris’ old car and driving it back to Salt Lake via San Antonio (the River Walk), Carlsbad Caverns and Albuquerque. I was hoping for another day off before me next adventure.