*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 monday, today I got out on a short walk. My ankle is still not doing too great and I am limping first thing when I wake up again and then most of the day. I guess I overdid it with that 5K on Wednesday. Not sure why I was okay after my first 5K down the canyon and not now, but it is what it is. I have pulled back a lot and have not and will not run until all the pain is completely gone. 

I came home and practiced the harp for a while. Hung out with Taylor and McKay for a while and tried to get one week on here caught up.  I succeeded!  But I am still about a month behind! Gah.  However, the pantry is still looking good!

 

Taylor made dinner tonight. Yay!  He made chicken bundles and they were great. I made some broccoli and the gravy. Dave put in an apple pie later on and it was so delish ala mode. 

I was freezing all day!  Brrr... Before bed I watched a movie about Stalin and his dictatorship. Man, I am amazed at what so many people had to suffer through in this world through the ages. 

Copied and Pasted: (how it really is right now)

I can’t keep up. I just can’t. I’m exhausted trying to figure out what we’re all supposed to do, believe, and be outraged by next. Two months ago First Responders were all the rage. In fact, they were heroes. Today we hate them and want them shot and defunded because they can’t be trusted. Truckers were appreciated and now they are blocked and pulled from their rigs and beat. Nurses and Doctors are still cool for now. Unless of course they truly believe all lives matter. Then they’re filled with hate and are part of problem like so many others. Just 45 days ago protests weren’t “essential” and were considered criminal and a murderous activity. Today they’re gloriously critical and celebrated. All of the obvious criminal and murderous activities are simply ignored. If you protest about lockdowns for freedom you’re selfish and you’ll spread a virus. If you protest, loot, and riot for social justice you’re a warrior and the virus cedes. Trust the experts. No, not those experts. Don’t wear masks, wear masks, don’t wear masks. Not sure, but if you don’t you hate people. For 3 months NOTHING was more important than Social Distance, in fact, we gave up all of our liberties for it. We canceled schools, medical procedures, activities, closed businesses, and wrecked the economy for it. Then came Social Justice and Social Distance was no more. Now things are more cut and dry though. Black Lives Matter. OK, let’s do it. Then multiple black police officers and individuals were killed during the “peaceful protests” and I don’t see any outrage. Black individually owned businesses burned to the ground. Silence. Deadliest weekend in Chicago. NOTHING!! I’m really confused now. Look at the data, NO, not that data. Do the math. No, you can’t do the math like that. Just listen to the black community leaders. No not them. If you’re silent you’re part of the problem, if you speak you’re part of the problem. If you have to ask you don’t understand. If you don’t ask, you don’t care. It’s all so predictable, tedious, and exhausting. Nothing adds up. It’s one gigantic common core life problem with ever changing denominators that I’m sure the media and politicians are eagerly ready to solve for us....Can’t Wait!!

*Copied and Pasted

*I lost everything I had already written for the rest of this week so it is basically just what I can remember from pix and my planner since I am so behind.

dear tuesday, today I got up and practiced the harp. I then had a dentist appointment to fix my bottom filling that had come out and had partial decay in it. Yay, no more mercury fillings on the bottom! He numbed me dang good and it was not fun for about four hours after but I would prefer that than to feel the pain of the drill like Dave's mom does. I went to lunch with Julie and Tracy after. Well, we went to a park in Perry and had Maddox take out. We had a good time catching up. This was my very first lunch since the lockdown on March 17th!  Crazy!  It was fun!   

I got my MRI test results back and the MRI was clean!  What a relief!  It is a bit unnerving whenever I go in for an appt or a test because you just pray and hope that you will get good news. The fear is always there. You just never know what can happen with the C beast!  But for now, I am so happy and so relieved!

dear wednesday, today I got in a walk. It was a little chilly. Brinlee and Liam stopped by for a little visit. It was so fun having them here. I haven't seen them for so long. 

Sky and crew came over and had burgers. 

Carson and Taylor had a sleepover planned in the tent in the backyard. Taylor even hauled the TV out there so they could watch a movie. He said they were "glamping" not camping. I'll say!  LOL  So cute! They had the volume up pretty loud though!  

dear thursday, Carson went with me on my walk this morning. He was a trooper. I made him Funfetti pancakes. Yum!  I cleaned the boys bathroom (and cupboards and drawers) while he took a looooooong bath in there. 

 We went on a walk to the park and he had so much fun playing with a few boys that were there. He hasn't had many friends to play with lately and he was in heaven. 

I got him his own mask.  The state was giving each family free ones and I got some children sizes. He looks like a Ninja. 

 I made lasagna and it was so yummy. Dave delivered it to his parents and Sky and Sarah came over later and ate some with us and then we played with the bubble machine. It was fun!  I love bubbles. 

The many faces of making bubbles!

I got some bad news today. My brother has been diagnosed with cancer. Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Not good. My parents called me and then he called me. He is being very positive and upbeat as he always is.  That will be the biggest thing in this journey if he can stay that way. That and being hopeful. I am in shock I think. I guess it's in the genes. My dad had throat cancer when he was 17. I had breast cancer and now this.  He has a very rare form which is not good. He has T cell ALCL ALK negative.  If it's spread to his organs or bone marrow that will not be good. If it's in his bone marrow it will be stage IV. NEVER good. I am just so sad. He sounds so upbeat but this is just not a good thing. Just sick about it all. But there is always hope!  And his docs say it is treatable. He might have to have stem cell transplants too.  His is the rare of the rare of the rare and all the little add on things make a difference in the treatment and overall survival.

Saw the cute Littles again today!  They crack me up!  Look at their golf form. Grampy would be proud!  LOL

dear friday, I didn't sleep too well last night. I was pretty distraught about the news of my bro. I got out on a walk. It did me good. I think I just need to be outside to process life each day. It's so therapeutic.  Sky, Sarah, Carson, and Taylor all went wave running.  Then Grammy and Grampy stopped by. They brought us some Maddox take out. We did more bubbles and chatted about Jerry's news. They are worried too. 

I LOVE this photo!

dear saturday, I went on a walk by the high school today and saw this:

  BHS Lakers?  That's kinda strange!  My alma mater on the track at BEHS?  Hah  Then I saw this:

 It looks like HUGE asparagus growing at the high school.

I'm sure it's not but it looked exactly like it! Maybe I should chop some and see if it tastes like it!  LOL

 Then I saw this:

No idea what they were doing, unless it was training on how to operate the hose!  Even stranger.  

The pool was open!  Wasn't sure I would see that happen this year.

I came home and dug in and cleaned out my closet!  I didn't get started until after 1 pm but I worked until pretty late and I am still not done. I had bags and bags of stuff to donate but I still have so much to do.  

I need to get my whole house done. I know people say you need to move to really do that but when I go through stuff I am trying to pretend that I am moving so it motivates me to get rid of more. Sigh....   We just have too much stuff!!!  

BUT....

I did find some funny "treasures"

A few old dance photos from college...

 The top guy is named Mark (I think) and the bottom one is named Kirk or Kirt (I am pretty sure but not 100% certain!)

 Then I found this letter Dave wrote when applying for a transfer to the U of U for medical school.  We were very blessed that he actually got accepted. They RARELY took transfers!  It was a HUGE blessing for us because Tyson was born right before we found out and with his situation (being hospitalized in serious condition for so long) it saved us!

I also found these letters to and from the Toone's.
They are quite hilarious!

These all just melt my heart!!!

dear sunday, today was a quiet Sunday. We had german pancakes. My fave!  So good! 

 Carson was sick and so they didn't come over. 

 Bryce and crew did. We had smoked ribs and tri-tip. It was good. The littles were so cute and we had so much fun with them. We played Diner and it was a blast. I just love them so much!  

Haylie sent me this!  How cute!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef (OR turkey)
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Hamburger buns
• Sliced pickles

INSTRUCTIONS

• Set a large pot over medium-low heat. Add a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil, and saute the garlic for a minute or two until just fragrant and very light golden brown. Add ground beef, increase heat to medium/medium high, and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as meat cooks. Drain grease from meat.
• While meat is browning, make sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, until well combined. Pour over browned meat, stir, and simmer for a few minutes until heated through (or longer, if you have time, to allow the flavors to meld).
• Serve on hamburger buns or rolls with sliced pickles on top.

Notes

• This Sloppy Joe sauce is intended to be slightly sweet, but it's really a matter of taste. If you prefer a more savory sauce, feel free to use less brown sugar. Additionally, you may use unrefined sugar (or even a squeeze of honey) in place of the brown sugar, if you wish.
• If you like your Sloppy Joe meat with onions and peppers, you may dice up half an onion and half a bell pepper and cook them in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened (about 5 to 10 minutes) before browning the beef. Remove the onions and peppers from the pot and proceed with the recipe, cooking the meat and then stirring the onions/peppers back in at the same time you add the sauce.

dear random,

Check out these QUARANTINE BARBIES!!!

These two are me...LOL