Tape People

Have you ever seen a spirit?

I don't know if I have, unless you count the white personage flying through a pillar. (See photo.)

Some say spirits look just like every day people.

Some say they're invisible. 

I don't know what to say about spirits, but whoever made these "floaters" at Desert Hills High School had a great deal of patience, creativity, and imagination!

Have you ever seen/heard/felt a spirit?

Decorating Irony

What did you get for Christmas?

More stuff?

(Ooo, pick me, pick me!) This plaque can help clutter your home as it encourages you to simplify your life!

And then there are potentially cluttery activities. What about plain old nail polish?

No.

My little sister Carolyn wanted PINEAPPLES on her fingers!

(Well, okay, maybe sometimes it's worth the time to do something extra. They did turn out kind of cute.)

Here's the pineapple girl herself. And if she brings that thing home, she's going to have to cut it up! 

I'm more of an Open-The-Can-Of-Pineapple girl myself.

What do you like to do/have/spend time on that's worth the clutter?

A Christmas Carol with Mallory

If you thought you saw a scary Dickens' Ghost of Christmas Future in "A Christmas Carol" without seeing the Snow College production of 2018, then you may want to think again.

This was one creepy ghost, with my granddaughter Mallory and my sister Carolyn.

I was so happy to see Mallory in her performance at the college play. She auditioned, and got a part.

Is that a Hollywood face, or what?

(There are other Hollywood faces in my family, too, but this was Mallory's night.)

By pure chance, I was delighted to find that my seat was right next to Mallory's great grandma, Doreen Brugger! (And the auditorium wasn't even all the way full!)

Do you have a favorite Christmas play or movie?

What is it?

Why do you like it?

Girl Squirrel Underpants for Christmas!

When I saw this in a thrift store, I thought it might be the perfect gift for the person who has everything else they want.

It would also get a check mark if they love squirrels.

(Do you know anyone like that? Oh, yes, the 14th person on your list?)

Since these are clearly marked for girl squirrels, I don't know what boy squirrels are supposed to do, unless they like the color pink.

Or unless they don't like underpants.

What's the most unusual gift you've seen/given/received?

(By the way, I only took pictures and left these on the shelf. I don't know any squirrels.)

RESTROOM?

This was one of those funny/sad moments in life. We were at a church when my little sister Carolyn said she needed to use the bathroom. So she opened up this door, because the sign next to it said, "Restroom," didn't it?

Well, not quite... the poor girl opened the door, looked at the platform with chairs and microphone stand, then looked at the sign, then looked through the door at the platform again.

It was a real "Candid Camera" moment. When I finally stopped giggling, I was able to point her in the right direction.

My worst bathroom incident happened in kindergarten when I was too afraid to tell the teacher I had to go. By the time my friends convinced me that the teacher would say, "Yes," I had to go so badly that once in the bathroom, I didn't dare let go of holding it in (you know, the classic hand stopping the flow) so I let out a wail of fear and pain.

The teacher hurried in to my rescue, along with the whole class crowding around the bathroom door! When she told me in her no-nonsense Mrs. Garrison voice that of course I could go in the toilet, wonder of wonders, I could!

I don't even remember if she shut the door first.

(I didn't even care!)

What's your best bathroom story?

Volunteer Police?

I know that police officers do some pretty selfless acts, such as working with the "Shop With A Cop" program each year around this time, which helps children in need buy Christmas gifts, but Volunteer Police?

What's that all about?

I looked it up online, and here's what I found:

The Utah County Sheriff's Office is a Proud Sponsor of the VIPS(Volunteers in Police Service), a nationally recognized program which is committed to developing a spirit of cooperation and partnership with the community. In conjunction with the Utah County Sheriff Jeep Patrol we recruit, train, and retain talented volunteers who will be encouraged to participate in meaningful community safety, security, and service programs, in addition to emergency response situations. 

I've heard some news reports about people who don't appreciate the police. I'm not saying that every police person does the right thing every single time. They're people, too.

But with family on the force, I kind of like them overall. One of them saved me from being an orphan after I lost my family when I was 6 years old. 

Since I'm a Curious Girl, it was interesting to find out about the Volunteer Police Program. It seems to me like a program that embodies the spirit of giving. 

And isn't that what this season is about?

(Go, all volunteers to good and worthwhile causes everywhere!)

What is your favorite volunteer place?

Not Enough Parking Lot

Have you ever had someone ding your vehicle door when they randomly fling their car door open as wide and as fast as they can while you're in the store and your innocent vehicle was just sitting quietly in the parking lot, minding its own business? 

That's happened to me more than enough times, so I don't mind parking out in the South Forty with NO CARS beside me. I would rather walk than gave my car door dented in.

So why, when there were open parking lot slots ALL AROUND my little candy blue Ford, did a big ol' honkin' truck decide to park RIGHT BEHIND ME?!

Not that he could ding my doors from behind, but what if I wanted to put something in the back of my car? Would he mind if I butted up against his grill and got bug guts all over my backside?

It might save him a carwash.

Maybe the truck driver has abandonment issues, and didn't want to park all alone in the many, many empty spaces available around my car.

Maybe it just wished it could be a candy blue Ford Focus.

 Where do you like to park? Close up and personal? Or way out yonder?

Thankful for Thanksgiving

My little sister is in the best holiday mood, reminding me that we should decorate for Thanksgiving.

Shirley Scrooge... (or is it Turkey Shirley?) didn't want to bother. More expense, more stuff to store, to lose, to look for in subsequent years (like the adorable little pilgrim dolls our sister Loraine sent Carolyn last year. (I KNOW we have them, and I know where I put them, but Carolyn rearranged and we haven't found them yet.) So Turkey Shirley encouraged Carolyn to wait for the time to put up Christmas decorations.

Over the course of four days, Carolyn gently insisted that she thought we ought to decorate for Thanksgiving.

Shirley finally relented.

BUT GUESS WHAT?

The stores we went to didn't HAVE any Thanksgiving decorations!

Yet Thanksgiving is such a gentle, refreshing holiday.

(I'm not talking about the arguments that the Native Americans were booted off their land and all of that stuff. I'm talking about the spirit of gratitude.)

So we got a plastic table cover and made our own decoration, because we have a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Welcome Sign!

Some people live in the same neighborhood all their lives. 

Other people move around a lot.

How would you feel if you drove into a neighborhood and saw this sign? 

We're one of the ones who have lived in many different neighborhoods in the 40 years we've been married. (I just counted again, and it looks like we've moved 14 times since we've been Mr. and Mrs. Bahlmann.) 

We've liked ALL of our neighborhoods. (Only one started out idyllic, but unexpected circumstances turned it sour, so we moved to another terrific neighborhood.)

Now we're so glad we live in another great neighborhood that welcomes people with a bright, cheerful sign!

Do you like your neighborhood? Is it the favorite one you've lived in? 

If you've spent time in more than one, which one have you liked best?

Food With A Face

Bob doesn't like mustard.

(I don't understand it.)

Not only is mustard tasty, but it's such a cheerful condiment. I mean, if you were to dress up your burger with ketchup, it wouldn't have the same sunny quality, now would it?

So what's your vote? Mustard? Ketchup? Mayo? Or some other condiment that makes your tongue do the happy dance?

Eat More Veg's Before the Spiders Do

I  promise that this squash wasn't on the counter very long...maybe a couple of days...before I noticed that a spider had laid claim to it.

(The only reason I found out was because I spilled some protein powder on the web.)

Who knew that if I didn't eat my vegetables, the spiders would?

Cruisin' to Ensenada

Once upon a time I wanted to go to Hawaii, but thought I'd never make it, so I bought the Magnum PI TV series DVD's instead. But then... guess what? I went to Hawaii!
I've also wanted to go on a cruise for years, but due to current life circumstances, I thought I'd never make it. Guess what? I went to Ensenada on a cruise ship a week ago! (My first time ever in Mexico! Ole!)
I went with my sister Carolyn and my sons Jeff and Brian and their families.

Carolyn loved the room service cheesecake!

We got a window dining table.

 They made the fruit platter look like a colorful little ship.

 Carolyn said one of her favorite parts was the food!

 La Bufadora blowhole at the edge of the ocean in Ensenada.

 I got my finger in the picture.

 Carolyn was scared to try zip-lining on the Canopy Tour, until she actually zip-lined! (Thanks to daughter-in-law Aspen for helping Carolyn along.) 

 Lunch seemed expensive, until you converted pesos to dollars. (Why they use a dollar sign for pesos, I never found out.)

 When you forget to pack a flower for your hair, you can improvise with colored curly plastic mosquito bands from your nephew's Texas wedding that you never cleaned out of your purse.

 Each night at dinner, a song played and we danced with the waiters. (It helped shake the food down so you could eat more!)

 Carolyn loved the towel animals left in our room. She even kissed a frog. (Hey, it couldn't hurt!)

 Customs made me take my hat off before they let me back on the ship. It must be a pretty good disguise if they didn't recognize me!

 Carolyn loves "pineapple" trees!

 Catalina Island golf cart rides are the best!

 Brian and Aspen using mad golf cart skills to maneuver the narrow streets of Catalina Island.

 Ocean Girls.

 Carolyn said she wanted to live in the cruise ship because it felt like home.

 Jeff was part of a cruise ship game show, but lost the grand prize to the little guy he's shaking hands with onstage.

 En route to the ocean at Yermo, California, we spied a GIANT ice cream confection that let us know WE'D ARRIVED at the "Eddie World" candy store, where you can find delectable treats such as Dog Drool Soda and gummy candy coated with hot pepper sprinkles.

Have you been on a cruise? How was it?

If not, would you like to go cruising? Where?

St. George Marathon Madness

Carolyn and me at the beginning of the 

2018 St. George Marathon!

(Yes, it's early. Around 6:00 in the morning!)

If you've never been at the starting line of the St. George Marathon, which happens to be on the highway that runs through Central, Utah (the TOWN Central, population approximately 800, not the generalized middle-of-the-state location) then you may not realize the scope of the event. There are SO MANY people there, (3,999 runners finished the race) with bonfires, music, snacks, and lights. 

Before the race kicked off with wheelchair contestants, Carolyn made people smile with her dance moves. 

(Carolyn's in the purple coat with her hood up, not dancing, because the music stopped for the National Anthem, and didn't start up again.)

She had lots of fun offering high five's to runners!

(Bob apparently had lots of fun watching from the background.)

Carolyn even got a high five from Dave Parrish, who was mayor of Ephraim, Utah when we lived there!

Bob and I counted portapotties, not only at the start of the race, but also along the highway. There were 219 at the gathering place, and 120 spread along the 28 mile route, equaling 339!

That's probably more than all the houses in Central.

Do you like going to events or celebrations in person?

Or would you rather watch them on TV or the computer?

Do-It-Your-Suffer Project

I have made a bit of a reputation for myself for making or altering things to suit my 'tude. (That's "attitude" for anyone not in the know.) I've combined patterns to make clothes, taken clothes that weren't quite right to unpicked and re-sewed in order to shape them to my will, and generally make things just how I want them.
So I felt confident in my ability to make a custom backpack. It was just the right color, had see-through pockets so I COULD FIND THINGS, and plenty of outside pockets so I wouldn't have to dig for stuff. 
It took HOURS to make, but I was happy with the end result. It was perfect for me.
That is, until I took it on its maiden voyage.
Then, like the Titanic, it fell apart. 
When one strap broke in the airport, I just slung the remaining one over my shoulder, thinking of the best way to re-attach the errant strap. 

But when the SECOND strap broke, holding on by a single thread, I gave up on thoughts of any future salvage attempts. I didn't want to suffer through any more zipper sewing and piece fitting and thinking through what would fit where and what had to be sewn first, second, third...100th! So I carried the bag in my arms to my nephew, Curtis's, wedding, determined that it would be its final voyage.

When I mentioned to my family that I'd like to go out and find myself a piece of luggage that would get me home, my 6'4" brother, Greg, offered me his suitcase, as he had another, newer one. I thought his old one looked kind of big, but he assured me that he'd used it as carry on luggage more than once, and never got stopped from taking into the airplane cabin with him.

Apparently if you're 6'4", any piece of rolling luggage looks smaller by comparison to your towering body.

Half an inch shy of six feet got me STOPPED and told I had to check the bag. That meant going to carousel after the flight and waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and finally getting home at 4:00 am.

(I still appreciate my brother's effort to help me out. He even sent me a horrified little face emoji when I texted him about my predicament.)

I admit, I was jealous of my little sister sleeping on the back seat of the car as I made the 2 1/2 hour drive home. I remember sleeping in the back of the car as a kid, the comforting motion of the car creating soothing sleep, even though most of the time we 8 Anderson kids were sleeping on each other's shoulders.

We had so much togetherness, we didn't even need our own chairs!

(That's me in the middle, brother DellRay on my right, sister Rebecca on my left.)

Did you ever sleep in the car as a child?

Do you still sleep in the car?