I've Been Tagged?

I'm not sure about this, but I read on Amanda's blog that she was tagging me. Is that all it takes? I didn't feel a thing! Whether you want it or not, I guess I post 6 random things about myself. It is hard to think of anything that would interest you that you don't already know, but here goes:
1. Lima beans are the only food I have tried that I absolutely hate. Not the nice little green baby lima beans you find in vegtable soup and such, but the really big white disgusting things that my grandmother used to make, and delighted in scooping into a big bowl. I was always taught I had to eat whatever was placed before me. I tried to choke them down several times, but everytime I found they wouldn't stay in my stomach. My stomach didn't get the memo about eating everything, and absoltely refused to make a spot for Lima beans. It was finally decreed that I could pass when lima beans were served as I tended to spoil everyone else's appitite when I submitted.
2. My feet have grown a size and a half since I married. I believe my nose has grown accordingly, but can't prove it since I never measured it. It's my father's nose and I should be proud to wear it, but quite frankly, I hate my profile, and would be very happy if an inch or so of my nose was lopped off. However, I understand it will continue to grow in my old age, and it will probably meet my chin by the time I die. Please make sure no one sees my profile when I am in the casket. In fact, either have the undertaker do a little nip and tuck, or give me a closed casket ceremony.
3. If archeologist someday excavate a certain ranch in Monolith California, or on Leland Ave, in Bakersfield, they will probably run onto dozens of treasures that were long ago buried by Lizzy Bailey and her pirate captain, Tom. We loved to make treasure maps, and thought it would only be fun if the map lead to real treasures. So we would bury our favorite things. However, we were very poor map makers and rarely were able to recover our treasures. It was a sad loss, and apparently a hard lesson to learn. We were overly optomistic, I guess you could say.
4. I can eat an entire pound of Sees candy in a single evening. I have proven this more than once. Of course, this is why I am continually having to diet! Moderation has never been my strong suit!
5. I once got a jaywalking ticket, and was able to talk the District Attorney into "fixing" it for me. Of course, I swore to give up my life of crime in return.
6. I have never really learned to swim. I can kind of keep myself afloat, while in a pool and can awkwardly make my way from one side of the pool to the other. As I was growing up we always went swimming in the public pools after working on the farm during the summer. In order to swim in the "deep" end of the pool where all the "cool" kids hung out, you had to swim from one side of the pool to the other in front of the life guard, and he would pass you off, or flunk you back to the shallow end. I tried over and over again to pass, and never made it. It was a major humiliation to be exiled to the shallow end year after year!! I was once nearly drown at the beach when I was young, and pulled under by a wave and couldn't get out from under my boogie board. I have been terrified of the ocean ever since, and will never go further than ankel deep.

The Greatest News!

You will never guess who will soon be hearing the pitter-patter of little feet. Your darling cousin Cindy Anthes and her husband are joyfully expecting a baby. They are far beyond excited!! It has been a very long wait for Cindy. They just moved into their beautiful new home that her brother Richard built for her right next door to him. She is the Primary President in our new ward, Stockdale. It is fun to see them all every Sunday now.

Fred and Ginger, Move Over!!

For those who don't remember that far back, and don't watch old movies, Fred and Ginger were the best ballroom dancers on the planet, back when. Move over!!!! Greg and Lizzy are the next best thing!! Well .... sort of .... kind of ..... well ... maybe ... not even close. But we sure had a good time trying!! Our programs went very well. The first night Greg was so nervous I was afraid he was going to pass out, or even worse, wet his pants. But he hung in there and did a terrific job. There was one step where he caught the heel of my shoe and it went flying. We missed a step or two while I got it placed back on my foot, and we got right back into it. I have to admit that I was partly to blame. I had never practiced in my heels while wearing stockings. That night, feeling very dressed up and elegant, decided I needed to wear stockings to make it all perfect. That was a very bad move. I hadn't taken into consideration that I had never practiced in those shoes with stockings, and choosing to change our normal routine for a performance was a very bad move. I had my toes curled up the whole time trying to keep my shoes on. I didn't care what happened with the steps as long as I ended the dance with both shoes in tact! The secong night I lost the stockings and did much much better! Greg wasn't nearly as nervous the second night and stayed off my feet. I was very proud of us both. Of course we heard all kinds of comments about how wonderful Molly and Scott were. They do dance beautifully together, but there is that extra chemistry that no one seems to miss. I think the whole stake got the message that Molly and Scott are in-love!! Congrats to them for their great performance! If I get some help from the Geek squad I will post a couple of pictures later.

Light on Our Feet

Greg and I weighed in again today at Jenny Craig. Greg was down 5 pounds in one week!!!!! I was SOOO proud of him!!!!!! That gives him a total of 29 pounds!!!! He is trying for 60, so he is almost half way there. He is looking so good! I was only down 1 1/2 pounds. My weight comes off so slow. But since I started sooner than Greg I still have a total loss of 21 1/2 pounds, just a little more than half way to my goal. Tonight is our dance performance, and we will both be a little bit lighter on our feet. I wish you could all see Greg dance!! He's looking more like Fred Astaire every day. "So You Think You Can Dance" here we come! Wish us luck as we perform the Waltz! We've been getting tips from the judges and hope we can get it right. Maybe I can figure our how to post pictures, and put some up of our dance.

Dear Bloggersville, You would never guess in a hundred years that old fogies like us could catch "the ballroom fever." Well, we have and we don't want the cure!! We have been having so much fun the last few months preparing for the Stake's big Extravaganza this weekend. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles Temple. Greg and I are participating in the waltz number, done to "Lovers Waltz." Molly and Scott are dancing as well, and it has been a lot of fun preparing for it. Greg has turned into a great waltzer! It is the prettiest and most elegant dance in the program. We were so excited once we got started that we decided to join the class we dropped last year. It is a round-dancing class. We learn various ballroom dances, but everyone does the same steps in a circle. We have someone who gives us the cues as we go, kind of like square dancers have. It is so much fun and great exersize. Molly and Scott have joined us there as well, and Scott's parents joined also. It makes our monday nights a lot of fun. Molly and Scott have been coming back to the house afterwards for a visit, and we really have enjoyed that. If any of my readers are interested in getting their own feet dancing, check to see if your community has classes available for "Round Dancing."

"It Was the Best of Times, and the Worst of Times"

I guess I could title my blog "The Best of Times and the Worst of Times." My life certainly feels like a contridiction of emotions. My best times have always been mixed up with my greatest heart-aches. There is a merciful God!! I will try to keep this blog focused on the "Best of Times." Right now the center of my life focuses on my mother. She is a woman of infininate wisdom, with a long history of life experiences to draw upon. I admire her deeply, and love her more than words will allow me to express. I have the great honor of caring for her as she struggles with age and infirmaties. We have created a rountine for our days that always ends with me tucking her in bed at night with a last hug and kiss and turning out her light and shutting the door. I am dumb struck to realize how fast the years fly by. It seems like yesterday that last hug and kiss ended with her turning out the light and shutting the door. It is true that life is just a short minute. It is a small circle of time, and if we live long enough we end up where we started, and then return to the Father who created us, hopefully a wiser and more humble soul. I hope that doesn't sound sad to anyone. The truth being, it is a comforting and even exciting thought for me. When I look back on my life, I look back on the many many changes that have come and gone and made me who I am today. The only constant is change itself. I expect to make many more changes if my Father in Heaven sees fit to leave me here on earth long enough. This is an incredible experience we are all allowed.

First Post!

This is my first post.