Somethin' Else

Somethin' Else  I am an expert task-delayer.  This is my first attempt at recording my songs with Mac Garage Band.  It's a lot easier to use than my four-track cassette recorder that I used twenty years ago in my basement recording studio.  I was supposed to be recording another song.  There seems to be a pattern here...  Click on the link Somethin' Else to be taken to SoundCloud, where you can listen to this song and others that are relatively hot off my press.

Coyote

Coyote  This song tells the story of how my Mom & Dad met, in the late 1940's.  Today a Gringo marrying an Hispanic would not be the cultural scandal that it was over 60 years ago.  Thanks Mom & Dad, for taking the risk and bringing us all here.  We miss you! ( Click on the first word, "Coyote", which is the Sound Cloud link.

Backward Glances

Backward Glances  This is the song that I wrote a couple of decades ago.  My blog subtitle is taken from the lyrics of this song.  Since writing this, Rich and I have a fifth child, who has also brought us so much joy, and has also "helped me write my greatest song"!  By clicking on this link, you will be taken to Sound Cloud, where you can listen to this song.  I have also posted it on FaceBook, but I am aware that not all of my family and friends use it.

Red Door Lodging, Cedar City, Utah

      So.  It was May 24th, the second to the last day of school.  I, Carolyn, work in a school computer lab.  We had no plans for the summer.  Rich and I were on our way to our grandson's kindergarten graduation.  The above duplex, which Rich had built in 2008 was going to be vacant for the summer.  (The east side, that is.)  One side had sat vacant the summer of 2009, and we'd considered turning it into a vacation rental.  The timing to do that was not good.  My mom passed away that May, and our daughter, Maria married Shay.  It was completely full the following summer, so the vacation rental plans remained on the back burner.
     Back to May 24th of this year.  I realized that THIS WAS THE YEAR to make the transformation from a college student rental apartment to a fully furnished vacation rental!  Rich, Megan and I kicked into high gear for the next four weeks.  The main floor and upper floor were ready for photos after a couple of weeks, and we immediately listed our rental on vrbo.com,  homeaway.com, and vacationrentals.com.  We got a booking just a few hours later!  The whole process has been very energy, time, and money consuming.  And exciting!

      This is one of two bedrooms upstairs.  We decided to have the same bedding in each of the four bedrooms.  We actually chose our bedroom color schemes according to the bedding colors.  Because we've been in the apartment business for possible a couple of decades, (tenants leave a lot of things behind that they don't want to take with them when they move) and because we moved last year from our old 2700 square foot house to the upstairs (1700 sq. feet) of Kevin and Lori's wonderful home, we had a lot of furniture in storage.  Those of you who know us well and have been to our home will recognize some of the furniture in these photos.

 This is one of four bathrooms.

 This furniture was very recently in our own living room at home....  I must also mention that this rental has a TV in each of the four bedrooms.  The one in this photo has been replaced with a 32" flat screen.

 Former tenants left behind the really nice wire rack above the sink.  Rich spray painted it copper.  We made quite a few runs to the Deseret Industries thrift store to buy vases, picture frames, etc.

 Tenants even left behind this washer and dryer.  Lucky for our vacation rental renters.  We've also used several of Rich's and Megan's photography to adorn the walls.

 This rental is three levels.  One bedroom and bathroom are on the main level.  Two bedrooms and on-suite bathrooms are upstairs.

 This wasn't in our original plans, but when we had so many inquiries to house more people than we were advertising, we decided to make the connecting basement available.

 If you are a Chatwin relative, you may recognize my parent's bedroom dresser that I inherited in this family room.

 The old apples painting on the wall was in our house in Provo's basement when we moved into the house in the late 1970's.  The house was built in 1901.  We don't know the age of the print.  Rich says it probably isn't as old as I think it is.  Anyway, this photo lets you see some of the kitchenette and the basement bedroom.  We charge extra for the basement add-on.

 My parent's nightstands.  The matching file cabinet is going to serve as a dresser.  A TV sits on top of it.

The basement bathroom is a 3/4 one, meaning, it does not have a bathtub.
     This is one of the many things that we have occupied ourselves with thus far this summer.  Rich is extremely handy and energetic.  Megan has a good eye for decorating and has been very helpful.  We have juggled her Westside Studio Dance Boot Camp with getting this place ready. Her dance lessons have been an hour away from this rental, so we are very grateful that gas prices are going down.

Happy Easter!

He lives!

Happy Easter!

I (insert heart icon) Craftiness

     We've been able to eat standing up lately because the kitchen table is covered with rubber stamps, card stock, ink pads, rubber stamps, ink pads, craft punches and paper trimmers.  Why?   Last week the 16 & 17 year old young women in our ward (I'm their advisor) came to make and decorate some Valentine's Day pouches. We will fill them later with Chex Muddy Buddies and give them to some lucky people who are also our ward neighbors.

    Since the kitchen was already a MESS, I continued on, making boxes, filling them with candy and selling them at the place where I exercise away the Valentine's Day candy calories that were inside the candy that didn't make it inside the boxes.  I wanted to make sure several times that I wasn't selling inferior salt water taffy and cinnamon gummy lips.

    Last night, Rich told me, "You're getting behind on your blog."  He's lucky he didn't say, "You're getting a behind," which, could happen if I keep quality-testing the goods.

A Medium-Olde Mormon Mom

'Tis what I am.  I've been writing this book, off and on.  Mostly, off.  I'm not a Middle-Aged Mom, mind you, because when I think of "Middle-Aged"  I think of the Middle Ages, when people didn't brush their teeth, or shower.  And, what did they use for toilet paper?  I'm going to be 53 years old pretty darn soon, which is older than young. If I were middle-aged, then I'd have to commit to living to be at least 106 years old, which I am not planning to do.  However, if I did succeed in sticking around that long, I might be lucky enough to have a nice article written about me in The Week magazine, which I just love because it's articles are concise.  Like this one is.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I made a dozen of these boxes last year and filled them with goodies.  I gave them away as monthly prize drawings for 12 lucky students who did well on their reading quizzes at work.  (See previous entry below.)

I then made another dozen this year, with lollipops for the tails, which was a lot easier than cutting out 72 feathers.  I love making things with card stock and have a lot of fun making things  when the holidays roll around.

Where I Work

I work in this computer lab every Monday, Wednesday, and every other Friday.  It's called a "Writing Lab", but what mostly happens is there is 6th and 7th graders coming in to take an Accelerated Reader quiz on books they've just finished reading.  I help them find the quiz they are looking for, and reprint their reports when they forget to leave the browser open and their report doesn't automatically print.  The lab is mostly used by the language arts classes, but is also used by the social studies, health, and home economics departments.  I also do other things, but helping the students with the AR Quizzes is about 75% percent of what I do.  I enjoy my job.

I'd post something, but have to go and make dinner.

It's my penance for accidentally throwing away receipts I was going to turn in to the school where I work, for reimbursement for buying supplies to make fabulous prizes for the drawing I have monthly. I was going to buy Papa Murphy's because it's Customer Appreciation Day, which has now become"Turn Your Receipts in As You Buy Things For School Prizes" Day. Dang it. By the way, there is only one photo of me cooking in existence, and it was taken so long ago that it isn't in digital format. Hence, the stock photo that I use on Facebook to advertise our 11th Annual Mexican Food Potluck Party that you are invited to next Friday and Saturday, September 10th & 11th. 6:00 pm both nights.

Happy Birthday Megan!

Happy 15th birthday, Megan! You're a talented, graceful dancer, a wonderful and witty daughter, a great photographer, blogger, seamstress, and I'm so glad that you're continuing with learning to play the piano even though your official teacher (Lori) moved away. I love you very much and am very grateful to be your mom. (And someday, I will learn to use Aperture and crop this photo!)

"Babe"

Happy Birthday, Melissa! This photo was taken when Melissa was three years old. Her Dad and I began calling her "Babe" when she was a toddler.

This is Melissa's third grade photo. She'd been taking ballet lessons for a year by then. She was an excellent student in school, and in her dance lessons. She was a little younger than this when Maria was born.

Melissa (9), Maria (1) and Kevin (6) take a break on the front porch swing after helping me in the kitchen on a hot summer day. (Maria's apron is her bib.)

Melissa and daughter Madelyn after Melissa's guest performance at Ballet Arts of Southern Utah annual recital. 2005

This photo of Melissa was taken at a family photo shoot. She has planned most of our photo-taking sessions. Melissa has a gazillion talents: she's an excellent photographer, a gracefully strong ballet dancer, is generous, thoughtful, smart, crafty ( you should see the jewelry she designs and makes), a great and witty writer/blogger, and is a wonderful cook.

We love you, Babe!

Thanks, Mom

Happy Birthday Mom! I Wore An Apron of Yours Today..

Dear Mom.

Dear Mom,

Please do a new post.

-Megan

P.S. Or I will make the roof my new hanging out place.

Nutcracker Pictures

Contents Under Pressure

In all my excitement of finishing my first official Christmas project of the season, I forgot to take a picture of it before Rich and I miraculously stuffed it into a large flat rate shipping box, which will explode when it's opened, like those pressurized biscuit cans do when you bang them on the counter. This is what the project was: a twin sized four-patch quilt made with fabric that I inherited from my mom when she passed away in May. I have five siblings, and divided the cloth into six color groupings. Each Christmas I'm going to give one of my siblings a quilt that I've made with my mom's fabric. She left two 18 gallon containers full. She sewed aprons and pillowcases and was an accomplished embroiderer. I'm sending it to my sister in Colorado today.

I have a Blog??

Meg's First Day of 9th Grade

Sometimes I forget that I have a blog. It's four weeks late, but here is Meg's adorable first day of school photo. She's a ninth grader now. Her favorite classes are: Spanish, sewing and Seminary. She's doing well in math, too. Thanks, Mr. Fitzgerald.

The day after school started, I got a call from Hurricane Intermediate School, asking me to come and interview for the Computer Lab Assistant position I'd applied for. I'd applied for it over a month before then, and thought I wasn't getting the job because school had already started. So, Rich and I were going to attend BYU Education week. But it was only if I hadn't gotten one of the SEVEN jobs I'd applied for.

So, of course, I said I'd come and interview, cancelled the BYU and staying with the Thaynes plans and took in my resume and interviewed. The next day I was offered the job. Hurray!! I really wanted this one and I love it so far. I work with 6th and 7th graders in the writing lab, helping them get started taking computerized book quizzes, etc. Someday I will take my picture holding my official name badge. I work 2-3 days a week, and get home 45 minutes before Megan. I leave 45 minutes before she does, which is very early for me. It's a great thing that I have been sleeping better lately.

Send Me Some ZZZZZZ's

My personal alphabet of life doesn't have a "z" in it. When I go to bed at night I close my eyes and breathe. After two or three hours of just laying there, I start thinking about the national debt, Michael Jackson's mother getting custody of his children, who I'm going to vote for in 2012, and about my food storage little black bug infestation. This should explain why I've looked and acted like an "ombie" this past year. And why this is such a short post. And why I use such short sentences. And why I haven't posted very often.