Tag Archives: 50 years old

50 for 50 #31 – 25th Anniversary

Posted on by

 

from our wedding announcement 25 years ago

This week marked 25 years since Bill and I got married. I find it funny that I’m celebrating my 50th birthday and my 25th wedding anniversary in the same year. I spent some time thinking about the fact that I’ve spent half my life married. It feel kind of strange to think that I spent as many years single as I have married. Then my thoughts went to where will I be in another 25 years when I’m 75 years old and celebrating my 50th wedding anniversary.

It was my turn to plan our anniversary. With everything else I’ve done over the summer I forgot about our anniversary until about a week ago. So my plans had to be simple. I came up with 12 things to do with our courtship and marriage and wrote them on small pieces of paper. Then we drew a paper out and did what was on the paper. Bill took the day off work so we had the day together. We did a variety of things, including going to a movie (Dark Night Rising) in the theater where we our first movie together to downloading the first movie we saw (Mannequin) and watching it on Bill laptop. We had Chow Mein for dinner. I think this was the first meal that we fixed together. We drove by the business where we met and went to City Creek because the mall that use to be there is where we bought our wedding rings. It was a fun and relaxed day together and I’m grateful for the relationship that we have after 25 years.

What are your favorite things you have done to celebrate an anniversary?

 

50 for 50 #30 – Popsicles

Posted on by

Meadow Gold Twin Pops

I’ve loved Popsicles for as long as a can remember so they are another perfect way to celebrate my 50th year. I love all kinds and shapes and colors but the classic “twin pop” is the one with the most memories. I don’t know how many times I’ve bought a bag of twin pops and eaten all of them in just a day or two. One particular summer comes to mind that I ate lots and lots of Popsicles. Bill was doing an internship at INEL in Idaho and staying with my parents. So after work, all alone in our hot apartment I would eat Popsicles one after another, after another. The apartment was littered with wrappers and Popsicle sticks.

me enjoying a rootbeer twin pop

As a child I made Popsicles in ice-cube trays with toothpicks for sticks. I made them with Wylers or Flavor-aid. Koolaid was more expensive so I rarely used that. I mixed them up using less water than for a drink so the Popsicles had more flavor. I actually put up a sign on the door and sold Popsicles to my neighbors. My mom was very good at teaching me about profit. I paid her for the supplies out of my sales.

As an adult I’ve made Popsicles in small paper cups out of everything from fruit juice to homemade yogurt with fruit for added flavor. If I didn’t have enough Popsicle sticks I would use plastic spoons or even forks. They work surprisingly well. I think there is nothing better on a hot day than an ice cold Popsicle! Unless it is three or four Popsicles!

50 for 50 – #29 Camping

Posted on by

the crew at girls camp

When I put “go camping” on my list of possibles to do for my 50th year, I didn’t envision the kind of camping it turned out to be. A few months ago I was asked to help with Girls Camp for the young women in our church ages 12 to 18. The timing wasn’t great but I felt like I should help so I said yes. I had lots of fun working with Cherri as co-directors of camp. We have different strengths but similar views on how things should be handled. She took care of all the food planing and I got to do the kinds of things I like to do. Well this week the rubber meet the road when we headed off to camp bright and way too early Monday morning.

two bucks who walked through camp

We were lucky to have a spot at the wonderful Heber Valley Camp. It is a lovely place with lots of evergreens and quakes. The cabins are nice but simple with electricity. There are flush toilets and hot showers. The cooking arrangements are great too with a fridge and two-three burner propane stoves. The only downside was the fire ban due to the dry conditions.

On our three mile hike

It was a fun week with lots of hard work by both leaders and girls. Not everything went according to plan but most things were successful. The girls got to take part in a challenge course with a pole climb, a walk across a wire and then a zip line. They got to ride in canoes while the leaders tried to navigate the lake in paddle-boats. We had a hike everyday including a sunset and a sunrise hike (I think the girls might hate me for the sunrise hike), plus a three-mile hike to fulfill the requirements for the first year campers.

Pat and Pam in the paddle boats

We made survival bracelets out of paracord and had bedtime stories every night. The food was great and we had more than enough of everything. One of the high lights was when the older girls when on a short overnight backpack trip. We had a small group left in camp with just the first year girls. For a special treat Cherri took clay pots lined with foil and put in a couple of briquettes. Then the girls roasted marshmallows, Starbursts and other things over the hot briquettes. It was lots of fun to experiment with adding things like strawberries to s’mores.

Legacy Lake

Camp was a ton of work and I wish I had been more organized when we left. But overall I think it was a successful week with lots of opportunity for the girls to learn new things and grow in their appreciation of God’s creations.

Monk’s Hood

 

50 for 50 – #28 Martin’s Cove

Posted on by

 

Mark, Daedre, Eric, Noreen, Raelyn & Bill

This week I got to do something I’ve wanted to for a long time, go to Martin’s Cove. It seemed the perfect way to celebrate my 50th year by honoring my great-great grandmother. There was just a small group of my family there with me, my sister and one cousin plus our spouses from my generation. My nephew was the only participant from the next generation. We had the best participation from my mom’s generation with her and one sister and one brother, plus their spouses. It seemed especially important to get my mom there to see the Cove. At 89 it is hard to think that she has many years left to do outing like this. I was very proud of my mom for coming even though she didn’t know how she would be able to take part.

My Mom in a hat from one of her ancestors

At first we were planning to get one of the rickshaws to take her to the Cove, but they were all out. But there was an even better solution. They have a couple of rovers that they can take people out to the Cove and either drop them off or bring them back. So my parents and my Uncle Sid and his wife Katherine took the rover to the cove overlook.

Treking to Martin’s Cove

My Aunt Lucy and her husband Jack were the only ones of the older generation to brave camping out and walking with the handcart. Lucy even helped push it from behind. It was rather hot and by the time we got to handcart parking, the heat was taking its toll on Lucy. But soon after we got there the rover came up with the rest of the older folks. So they unloaded and Lucy and Jack to the rover up to the Cove Overlook.

Sid, Katherine, Ray and Iris in the rover

Another cool thing that happened was the missionary who ended up driving the rover for our family was also from Rexburg, Idaho and my parents and Aunt Lucy knew him. Jacob, my nephew was also done with treking so we left him at handcart parking with my parents, while those of my generation started the walk up into Martin’s Cove. No handcarts are allowed in the Cove and we learned that the man who owned the land for many, many years never farmed or developed the land in the cove in any way.

In Martin’s Cove

The Cove has a peaceful, reverent feeling and as we walked we reflected on Mary Taylor and her family and the hardships they experienced here. It wasn’t hard to imagine the pioneers camped out along the Cove. It is shaped like a horseshoe with a high area in the middle. The 500 or so people would have been spread out along the Cove. We saw many antelope in the general area of Martin’s Cove but only one deer. That was well up into the Cove. Daedre got the impression that that was where Mary Taylor was camped. I was struck by a spot a little further up the Cove where several patches of purple wild flowers made the spot especially beautiful and peaceful. I’m so glad I got to go to Martin’s Cove and to experience this historical place with some of my family.

 

 

 

 

50 for 50 #27 – Hollyhock Dolls

Posted on by

My Grandmother’s Hollyhocks

My grandmother had a big patch of hollyhocks behind her house and as a child I remember making hollyhock dolls. Even today when I see hollyhocks I think of my grandmother. My sister has a few hollyhocks in her yards so this week I decided it was time to make a hollyhock doll. When I went to do it I wasn’t sure that I remember how but I did it anyway, thought I don’t think it was the way I did it as a child. I found this video on how to make hollyhock dolls.

my version of a hollyhock doll

Here is how I did it. I used straight pins to hold it together and my sister suggested a couple for eyes so I did that too. It brought back memories of my childhood.  I One of these years I’m going to plant some hollyhocks in my yard too.

50 for 50 #26 – Learn Somthing New

Posted on by

The year is half gone and I’ve now crossed over the half way point in my 50 for 50. This week I decided it was time to learn something new. Bill has played around with making bracelets out of paracord. He is coming up to the first day of Girls Camp in a couple of weeks to teach the girls how to make them. He showed me a new sample bracelet that I really liked, so today he taught me how to do it. It is the KBK Bar and there is a very good video on how to do it by TIAT. Tying It All Together makes the best videos on how to tie knots that I’ve ever seen.

Here are the photos from my effort. The rope I’m using isn’t paracord but it works ok for practicing. We have a bunch of paracord on order but it hasn’t arrived yet.

my finished KBK Bar bracelet

wearing my new KBK Bar bracelet

50 for 50 #25 – Knocking Out Teeth

Posted on by

Me with my missing teeth

When I was three years old I knocked out two of my front teeth while playing on the swings. Here is what my mom wrote in her diary:

Our three-year old Raelyn recently tried to copy the big kids by jumping out of the swing before it stopped. Result: She is eligible to sing all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

It is funny how memory works. I thought I was swinging on my stomach and fell out face first. But that note of my mom makes it sound like I was trying to jump out of the swing and didn’t navigate the landing. Now I wonder what really happened. Usually the closer to the time something happened the more likely correct. I also thought that it was my two front teeth but the one photo I found it show one front tooth and then the tooth next to it. I guess this is also a lesson in how facts can get shifted around in time.

I also remember getting really sick and tire of the song, “All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth.” It was several years before my permanent teeth came in so every Christmas it was the same old thing.

I did have celebrating this incident in my early childhood on my 50 for 50 list but I thought that I would celebrate it by finding a swing set and having a swing. But instead I knocked off part of my tooth eating a sandwich with crusty sourdough bread. At first I thought that somehow a rock got into my bread. But the truth came out a few bites later when I realized a chunk of my tooth was missing. I think the dentist called it number 12. So my 50 for 50 this week was getting a crown on tooth #12. I’m guessing it was a lot less painful this time around.

50 for 50 #24 – Eat Something New – Kale Chips

Posted on by

Kale

All week I have wondered what I wanted to do to celebrate my 50th year. This morning we picked up our produce from Bountiful Baskets and I found the answer, kale. I few weeks ago we got into a “kale” discussion with a waitress. This lead to an internet search and the wish to try some kale and maybe even grow some. So I had a bunch of kale. Now how do I fix it to eat it? I did a kale search on AllRecipes.com (my favorite recipe site) and found a recipe for Baked Kale Chips. I remember the waitress saying something about kale chips and the recipe was simple enough so I gave it a try. From reading the reviews the big key to success is in cooking it just the right amount of time. I think I succeeded. They were very crispy but not burnt. The taste reminded me of broccoli. Bill didn’t seem to like them much, saying something about them being an acquired taste. I only used about half the kale so I’ll being trying another recipe soon.

my lunch with a sandwich, apricot and kale chips

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten kale before today and I’m certain I’ve never had kale chips. Have you ever eaten kale? Did you like it? How have you prepared it?

50 for 50 #23 – See the Ocean

Posted on by

Rockaway Beach, Oregon

While we were in Oregon we drove another hour and a half so that I could see the ocean to celebrate by 50th year. It was a rainy day so we missed much of the beautiful view of the Oregon coast but it was surprisingly not too cold. When we got to Rockaway Beach I bundled up in a heavy sweat shirt plus rain gear. I didn’t want to get cold. I wanted to enjoy myself.

Me and Parker on Rockaway Beach

There were only a few other people on the beach. I like it that way. As we wandered along getting closer to the water’s edge we were rather surprised when the next wave came in closer than the earlier waves. We scrambled to keep of the of way but I didn’t make it. I felt that shock of cold water on my feet but then I decided to just enjoy it. I got soaked half way up my calves before we left the beach.

My feet in the Pacific Ocean

We just enjoyed ourselves strolling along on the sand and in the water. I picked up a rock, some broken shells and a couple of crab shells. Before we left the rain stopped and that made it easier to see what was going on around us. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And I think Bill and Parker did too. I’d love to go back sometime in the future.

Parker on Rockaway Beach

Do you have a favorite beach? I’m not sure if I have a favorite but if I had to pick one I think it would be La Jolla near San Diego, California. What do you like to do when you go to the beach? I love to wade and look for interesting rocks, shells etc.

50 for 50 #19 – A New Puppy

Posted on by

All four of us on Zodiac’s puppy day – photo by Lisa Monson

My plan was to get a new puppy in August but when the opportunity came to get a “Z” boy this past Friday I somehow couldn’t say no. So the 19th thing that I did to celebrate turning 50 years old is getting a new puppy.

Zodiac is a fun mix of stubbornness and adventurer, with a bit of unexpected caution thrown in. He is happiest when he gets some freedom to explore his surroundings. Most of his complaining has been about being kept from learning about his surroundings. I told you about his stubbornness in last Friday’s post introducing Zodiac. Then there is his fear of his food bowl. It is stainless steel and when Zodiac is about 3/4 of the way through eating he has a tendency to step on the edge of the bowl, which flips it. This scares him so he backs off from the bowl. It is funny to watch him. He wants to go back to his food but he doesn’t trust the bowl to stay put. It helps to understand that in the puppy kennels they eat from a doughnut-shaped dish that they can step into. If you we hold the bowl he comes back to finish his meal. Such a silly boy.

puppies from the Tito/Denisha litter – Guide Dogs for the Blind flickr site

The first few days with a new puppy are the hardest. The whole relieving outside is new to them and puppies don’t have a clue what you are trying to teach them. But it gets better quickly once they start to catch on. In the meantime, I am getting up several times a night and making lots of trips out during the day. And there are still more accidents to clean-up than it seems possible.

A really bright spot is how well Yakira and Zodiac are getting along. She is being a good mentor and learning to play to his level. They are so very cute together. What a fun way to celebrate turning 50!