Taking the plunge

While removing the clog from the toilet (with the plunger not my hands!) the other day, I suddenly had a flashback to childhood: playing with the plunger-pretending it was a pogo stick or some other fun-filled toy. I paused in disgusted awe at my -what would you call it...naivete? obliviousness? I don't know, but I am still disgusted when I recall that. Why do kids think the plunger is such a fun thing? Why do cartoons always show a plunger getting stuck to someone's mouth? Ugh! I just thought that was funny as a child but now... ewww gross!

Apple Juicing

Back in October, we made some delicious apple juice using the apples straight from our trees. It was fall break so two other families from the neighborhood came over and we all went to work. Thanks to the ingenious Bro Sanford we had a system that worked really well and we ended up getting gallons upon gallons of juice (more than forty I think, but I can't quite remember now!!)

We had the harvesters,

the scrubbers,

and the mashers.

Then there was the press

and all the lovely yummy juice that we put into coolers and jugs and pitchers and whatever we could find to hold all that sweet nectar.

Thanks so much to the Sanfords and the Sorensens for wanting to do this, bringing all the workers and the equipment and most of all for using so many apples!

Here are some more pics of that fun day






And this is one of my favorite pictures from that day:

It's the three babies! (sorry Googs! I know you aren't a baby anymore, but you'll always be your mom's baby!)

A New Goal

I went to a funeral for wonderful lady yesterday. She was 90 years old...three weeks from her 91st birthday. It was heartwarming to see how many people loved her and had felt her love though the years. But the best thing was when I heard this in one of the talks:

"She was the Thirteenth Article of Faith." What a wonderful thing to say about someone. And it was totally true! I didn't know Sister Pasket extremely well, but she was honest, kind, loving, compassionate, sought the good in all things, was willing to help others and share her testimony of Christ and His gospel.

I hope the same can be said of me when I pass. That's my new goal.