*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear walk, so weird to say walk instead of run.  I didn't get much of either on Monday, but at least I got out! I am not if sure this dang injury is taking a hike or what?  My fridge has decided to take a hike though.  It's not running either!  We are both injured!  When I want to complain that I have to walk "all the way" to my garage now to get my fridge stuff, I try to remember that the pioneers had to walk to the river or some hole in the backyard. I still have it pretty good.  Plus it's more exercise and burns off more calories! hah  But I am beyond ready for it to be fixed!  I think I am less patient with it not running than myself not running!

dear cleaning the temple, I signed up to clean the temple for Monday afternoon.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Audrey there as well.  It's always more fun when there is someone you know.  Unfortunately, we didn't end up in the same group.  She cleaned the first floor and I cleaned the second one.  I have to say I was happy I wasn't assigned the bathrooms again.  I am willing to do them anytime, but it's nice to get a variety.  Cleaning the temple isn't really cleaning.  You go through the motions, but everything is already pretty much clean.  The bathrooms (maybe) are the only place that you actually feel you are cleaning, but the rest of the place is cleaned so often that you rarely see much dirt.  I was excited when I found a Box Elder bug in the chapel!  I let him live because I figured he must be one spiritual bug to be blessed enough to get entrance into the temple.  I would have felt terrible kicking him out if he had a temple recommend! 

I really enjoy cleaning the temple.  Maybe it's because there aren't very many people there and it's like you have it all to yourself almost.  And once in awhile you are even alone and can just enjoy the unrushed peace you feel while there.  I was alone this time while I vacuumed the chapel.  Even with the noise of the vacuum, it was still so peaceful.  I also dusted and dust mopped.  My floor had the dressing/locker rooms as well.  I was fortunate enough to be assigned the Bride's room, which is my second favorite place there.  The Celestial room would be number uno, but it's on the third floor.  Someday.  I worked with a man named Mike and we made good time.  We also had two other sisters working on our floor. We were supposed to be done at 6:00 p.m., but we were all out of there by 5:00.  It made me want to come home and get my own house that clean.  Maybe if I had a team of 15 peeps, it would happen.  But one person (me!) to do three floors alone is a little foreboding. Therefore it's never all done at the same time.  I no longer have my helpers!  And Dave is too busy right now to do a lot inside because he has so much to do outside.  Though he does still make the bed everyday and does a lot of laundry and cleans a couple of the toilets once a week.  But I would love that peaceful feeling of having everything spotless at the same time.  That is a peace I seldom feel. Of course, most homes aren't temple clean because we live in them.  But, it still would be nice.   My friend Dawn has a sort of a hidden room behind her bedroom that is so cool.  I think of it as a temple room.  It's so pretty and calm and just a nice little place to go for peace.  I wish I would have thought of doing that when we built our home. My goal is to get my bedroom to be a spot like that.  Not sure it will ever happen, but that is my goal.  We will see. 

dear dinners for just two, I thought Taylor was going to be coming by and so I made a big pot of garden soup because he loves soup.  No such luck.  But the soup was good!  I basically threw everything in it from our garden.  Other than the celery and carrots, it was all from our garden (well, not the beef - I don't have a cow growing out there).  But It was YUMMY!  I love hot soup on a chilly fall evening.

dear harp,I had my harp lesson on Tuesday morning.  She wanted me to have Dave sing along to Teach Me To Walk in the Light for FHE this week,  but he kind of refused.  lol   I felt really good about all pieces.  However, when I had to sight read the rest of Teach Me with some really low notes in the left hand, I felt like a dyslexic when it came to reading the notes!  I can find them, but saying which they are got me rather frustrated.  I went to the music store and bought me some flash cards to see if that will help! 

dear lunch at kneaders, Karen invited me to lunch again this week for Mickey's birthday.   Dave's parents also came. I can't believe I forgot to take a photo!  Especially cause we went to Kneader's again.  I had some butternut squash soup and it was delish!   It was fun. 

dear errands, after lunch I got in my errands before heading home.  On my way home the sky darkened and I got caught in a downpour.  It was great!  I called my mom and they were getting pounded on.  I don't know what it is about a stormy day that makes me happy, but it does.  Every. Time.

dear walk, I am not liking this walking as much as I thought I would.  When I am running, I am thinking how nice it would be to walk, but when I'm walking I am thinking how bad I just want to run!  I do enjoy the peace and quiet though.  It's nice to have that time to just think and to pray.  I never take my music when I'm walking.  I prefer the quiet time and I don't need it to keep me going.  

dear black toenails!  WHAT?  I took off my polish to redo it and I discovered not one, but TWO black (purple) toenails!  My blister is still hanging on as well.  I am sure I will lose both of them.  The joys of running!  But hey, at least they are purple!  Woo-hoo!  Sorry to torture you with my ugly toes.  I'm not talking just about the nails, I have really ugly toes!

dear blog, I actually was able to find some time this week to catch up!  Yippee!  Now to  stay on top of it so I don't get behind again!  I long for some time to get it put into a book!  I think I need to hire Dawn and Audrey!  You are my inspiration!

dear haunted house, I seriously have the funnest friends!  I planned an adventure for the "Sista's" to go to the Haunted Hallow this week but things weren't looking too promising. I was pretty sure we were going to have to cancel. I didn't want to go unless we had at least four because I would be too scared with less than that.  Eeek!  I basically had to talk everyone into going because they were a bit leery!  I told them it would be fun!  I love to be scared!  I love scary movies too. I don't like the evil, gory, bloody, gruesome ones, but the ones that are the nail biting scary ones.  I love Alfred Hitchcock movies like The Birds, Rear Window, etc.  Anyway, we ended up having four "for sures" and Carla brought her daughter Jessica to protect us, so we had five total.  I was hoping for more and there were a couple that didn't come I really wanted to, but I was still so excited!  We met at Gri-Deli's in Slaterville for dinner before.  I brought the glo-fangs, glo-gloves, glo-sticks and glo-necklaces and Kathy brought the hilarious masks.  We had some time to get some photos before.  So, of course, we did!  Jessica took them for us and holy cow, she took a million.  She took a lot of candid ones that really made me laugh. I had the hardest time choosing which to post because they all were a riot, so prepare for picture overload!

 PICTURE OVERLOAD for sure!  But, so much fun!

 Kathy also brought us all a pumpkin!  Then we loaded into Carla's van and headed to the Haunted House!  It wasn't too crowded and so we took a few photos before getting in line.

Eeeeeek!!!

Trying to get our brave on!  Actually, we were ready to spook the spooks!

The upper left photo is of everyone trying to get their glow in the dark stuff powered up!  lol The bottom middle is of two guys we went through with.  We (I) kind of asked them to go with us to protect us.  It's a long and funny story (too long for here) but it makes me laugh! 

This is my FAVORITE photo of the night!  LOVE IT!

Love this one too!

I brought Hot Chocolate (complete with whipped cream and sprinkles!) for us to warm up with after!  Mmm....... 

 It was really a fun night and WE SURVIVED!  Whew!!!

dear walk,  I went and walked the track on Thursday.  While I was there I did a pass through the parking lot because it was fall break and no kids were there.  I found 97 cents just in the parking lot!  I also found a fork in the road.  I tend to see a lot of those. ;)    LOVE finding that many coins!  #allinadayswork  #penniesfromheaven #whosaysrunningdoesn'tpay?

dear one of those days, ever feel like the day came and went and you got nothing accomplished?  That was how I felt Thursday.  I had a lot on my TO DO list but didn't seem to get anything done, other than make and take some RK treats and a pizza into a family whose parents are gone for 10 days.  I stayed busy all day and I didn't sit around and do nothing, but that doesn't mean I was productive.  I did practice the harp, but when I look at what I got done, it didn't seem like much.  

dear friday morning chilly walk, the temps were in the low 30's when I woke up. Luckily, it got a bit warmer by 9 a.m.  But I could see my breath! I am so not ready for winter!  This whole week the morning temps have been in the 30's.  Brrr....  I know it's coming, but I'm not welcoming it. At. All.

Can you see my breath?  The camera doesn't capture it very well, but trust me it was there!  I did some hills.  I can still feel the piriformas pain. I had to stop and stretch quite often.  I saw some fun sights though.

dear annual trailing of the sheep,  also on Friday, I headed out on my walk but kept updated from FB when the sheep would be coming through town.  I LOVE seeing this so much and I missed it last year.  I have just happened onto it a couple times while out running in the past.  But today I KNEW they would be coming and so I planned my walk around it. I was out there quite a while because they were behind schedule. But it was worth the wait!  They trail 2000 head of sheep from Mantua down Sardine canyon, into residential neighborhoods near mine and then down into Corinne.  It's so awesome!  LOVE watching it so much!

 I got this photo off of FB. I was more west this year but this is a great photo.

I was down on 6th north when they came by.  This year they had police escort as well as a street sweeper following close behind! 

There are so many people that line the street waiting to see it.  It really is a sight to behold!  Did I mention I LOVE IT?  The only bad thing is there is so much sheep do-do covering the street and even the sidewalk!  I somehow got some on my leg!  Bleh! 

I was in a very punny mood and posted this with my video on FB:
Things "ewe" just don't see everyday while out running (okay, while walking -still injured)! "Shear" excitement for me!
Okay, those were "baaaaaaaaaaa-d", but check out the video anyway! They had a street sweeper trailing behind them this year. GOOD IDEA! But, somehow I still managed to get some sheep do-do on my leg. #smalltownperks #annualtrailingofthesheep #makesmehappy

That started a hilarious comment thread.  Here are a few of those:

Fred They look pretty RAMbunctious. Kind of an inconvenience blocking the road but can't really LAMBast the shepherd - gotta move those sheep.

Jodi  EWE are very 'punny' Fred! I HERD there were 2000 in this group!

Jodi Surprised you didn't start up a tail-gate baa baa que! (response to Kathy)
Melanie "ewe" only see that in BC.

Jodi  We are muttons for punishment here. (Baaaaaa-d!)

Skyler This thread is ridiculous 😫

Jodi  What? You're a baaaaaa- humbugger? A looms-dayer? Ewe don't think it's punny? ;) I think it's a shear delight. Maybe a bit sheepish. Sorry.....you had that coming for making my heart bleat! hehe

Michael What country do you live in?

Jodi In the EWE -nited States!

Michael  ❤️ ewe

Jodi  Awwww..... thanks Mikey. You made my heart skip a bleat!

I loved it all, even though Skyler wasn't exactly on board!  But, frankly, my deers (I mean sheep) , I don't give a lamb!  ;)

I tried to upload the video, but it's too large. :(  

dear date night, for our date we decided to do carryout from Domino's.  We had some great coupons and so why not?  We then made a homemade apple pie together with the apples from our tree.  I used a pie plate that was too large for my crust and so it didn't look really nice, but it tasted YUMMY!  There is nothing better than homemade pie!  Especially with homemade crust! 

While it was baking we watched the movie 13 Days with Kevin Costner. It's an oldie, but very interesting about the Cuban Missile Crisis. I like historical films.  Especially if they are accurate about what happened. I think this one was pretty spot on.

Dave found me this perfect heart shaped rock in the garden!

dear saturday walk, I am so ready to write RUN!  I headed to the high school track again, because for some reason it's easier to walk around the track then through my hood. It seems shorter for some reason.  I did take a detour to the bowling ball company's parking lot and found the coolest purple rock.  It was painted or something.  I also found another fork in the road. Still makes me laugh. 

And then I found 81 cents around the parking lot and track and under the bleachers.  I tell ya, there must be millions of dollars of lost money out there. I was surprised because I had just found 97 cents on Thursday! I didn't think there was any left.

dear package for mckay, I found out this week that one of the Elder's in McKay's mission who is being released this month is being picked up by his parents and they live in our city!  I contacted his mom who only lives about two miles from me and asked if she would possibly have any room for a package for McKay.  Bold I know!  The last package we sent him never arrived. I'm sure it was confiscated because it had some allergy meds in it.  Not to mention probably valued at $80 for the contents of the treats and other stuff we sent.  And then another $85 to mail it!  Oh well.  What can you do?  She told me she was going to contact me and ask if I had anything she could take to him.  I was so happy!  We are limited to an 8x11 envelope to send him for Christmas and so I worked this week on finding things to send to him.   We are very limited because he doesn't have a lot of room to take things with him either because of moving so much, so I focused mainly on treats (mini Starbursts, Butterfingers, Snickers, peanut butter (they can't get it over there), mint hot chocolate, Crystal Light to add to the water, etc.) and then I put in some small photo cards of Christ and a couple missionary book things.  I did add a tie. Just one.  :)  And some work gloves and latex gloves for all the service he does. I also put in a game (Farkel) because they have so many game nights and a mini puzzle.  I did add two ELDER Christmas socks but could only fill McKay's. I told him I wanted more than anything to fill up the other one for his comp, but there was no room so he has to share.   That was about it.  I couldn't fit it all in one and so I had to divide it up into two.  They were small boxes.  I am not sure if she will have room or not, but hopefully.  I also put some more allergy meds in a ziploc and just told her if she can get them to him great, but if Customs takes them, then oh well.  I didn't want to put them in the boxes because I fear they would take the entire package if I did that.  I pray she gets it all through Customs!

I took it over to their house and I was there for a couple hours just talking to her and her daughter.  They are going to be there for three weeks and she told me the hassle it has been to plan the trip.  It will cost between $8-10,000!  But she feels it will be worth it because they have had so many changes in their family while their son had been serving.  One son had cancer and almost passed away but he is okay now, but another one committed suicide a year ago and so it has been a struggle for them.  We talked for a long time about all that and I shared some of my feelings about losing Tyson and we had so much to talk about.  I feel bad I didn't get to know her sooner!  Her son is serving as a Branch Pres currently.  That is crazy to think they actually do that as Elders!  I can't wait for his homecoming!  And I can't wait to go to lunch with her when she returns to hear all about Russia!  Such a great family!

dear witches ball, I got an invite this year to the Witches Ball they have here in town. I was excited to go.  Actually, a friend at Homemakers told me she wanted to be in my group because we have so much fun (my high school friends) and I told her to come and join us!  Then I suggested we get together and do something, and suggested we go to this Witches Ball. I put a message together on FB and invited several peeps, but in the end only one could go.  I also invited my friend Julie to go because she loves things like this too. It's a fundraiser and so you have to pay, but we thought we would give it a try.

I got ready in my purple dress and black wig this time. 

No idea what I am doing in this one. ↓  I look like I threw out my hip!

I picked up Julie and Lynda and we arrived at the ball.  Instead of my glass slipper, I lost my new gloves!  Dang!  They were so cute too!

They place and decors were AMAZING!  It was quite the set up!

Lynda, Julie and Moi.  Actually, Matora, Dulca and Camba.  We were given Romanian Witch names for the night.

The food was so fun and so much of it!  I made the witch brooms (top left) but I got some cute ideas for future Halloween treats!

We are and then they had a contest of the best costume and hat.  Only eight costumes and 4 hats were in the running.  Some people went all out!  I think around 65 witches flew in.

They played some games and then gave away some prizes. I won the bottom right purple Santa, but I gave it to Julie because she loved it and I have no where to put it!

Nadine and her green nose!

'Twas a bewitching time!

dear sunday dinner, I decided to try out a new recipe called Korean Beef.  It was really good! I think I will make the leftovers into lettuce wraps for tomorrow.  Really tasty! I will definitely do this one again.

Korean Beef and Rice

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
• salt and pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, diced
• Rice, cooked

Instructions

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat and brown beef with garlic in the sesame oil.
2. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions. Serves: 4

*For lettuce wraps add chopped water chestnuts and cashews.

dear boys, Taylor took off for Texas for Fall Break on Wednesday with his roomies.  CJ's mom lives there now.  She showed them a great time and kept them all well fed!  The cool news is Taylor's USU flag football team won the championship and now they get to go play at Arizona State in three weeks for the national championship!  I am hoping I can go and watch! 

Bryce is working hard in Idaho still.  I am worried about him because he has no help right now.  We may go up and help him next week on Dave's day off.

And this boy, is just as cute as ever!

dear random, THIS popped up on my Facebook memories!  Two years ago this week, this boy got home from being gone for two years!  Pretty crazy!

My cute friend posted this on FB thanking me for them.  I forgot to post a photo of the purple broom. I got me one too!  She is my witchy Halloween partner in crime! I love her to death! 

My friend Jen is in Europe with her husband and seeing all kinds of amazing things.  She is very gifted as a photographer and some of their photos were stunning that she posted on Instagram.  I rarely get on Instagram, but I have been getting on all week just to see what she posted from her trip!  It's been fun to learn about the art, the gorgeous statues, the architecture. I have been to Europe, but not Italy and I want to see Rome and Greece. The entire Mediterranean!  I want to go there with Dave, but he isn't really on board. He doesn't have wander lust like I do! I may end up going alone if I can't convince him.  I wanted to add this collage of some of their photos because I want to stay motivated to keep trying to convince him. It looks incredible! 

dear quotes,