Lots of Ways to Eat It

If someone gives you a chocolate cupcake, what would you do with it?

You could hold it in your hand and take bites from it.

You could chop it in pieces in a bowl, pour milk on it, and eat it with a spoon.

You could warm it up and put a scoop of ice cream on top and eat it.

You could say, "No, thank you."

You could even put the whole thing in your mouth, like Carolyn did!

There are lots of ways to eat a treat, and who's to say which is right or wrong?

Do you like treats?

What's your favorite?

Carolyn Gets Back To Where She Started From!

Carolyn was thrilled to return to New Jersey, where she was born. The look on her face when she caught sight of the Atlantic Ocean by Sea Isle City, New Jersey, was priceless!

She could hardly wait to get in the water.

She said she wanted to buy a house and live there.

She simply loved the ocean, which was pleasantly warm.

We were so in tune with the ocean scene that we even matched the beach umbrellas!

Carolyn found some beautiful pebbles and shells to keep, and was in awe when she spied a seagull.

We three sisters (Rebecca McGarry, Shirley Bahlmann, and Carolyn Anderson) all loved getting our feet wet, but there was nothing to eat there...well, nothing that we wanted to eat.

So we went to Mike's Fish Market.

Hey, we were there on free mussel Monday...how could we say no to THAT?

Carolyn looks like she wasn't thrilled about the free mussels...she only ate one. (Maybe that's why.)

Carolyn enjoyed her chicken. (Yes, it counts as sea food. You must have heard of "chicken of the sea!")

We had the BEST table in the whole place, with water on two sides of our table. We were practically floating!

Even the bathrooms were amusing...if you didn't pay attention to the hurricane warning.

Carolyn also enjoyed a big, soft pretzel.

She was also certain that because she was born in New Jersey, everyone there knew who she was, no introduction necessary!

(She made lots of new friends.)

Have you been to New Jersey?

Have you been to the ocean?

(Do you WANT to go to either place?)

Wookie Hugs

I saw Chewbacca in the store, and I couldn't hold myself back. I mean, he's just so fuzzy and huggable! (Kind of like Bob if he forgets to shave for awhile.)

The debut Star Wars movie came out the year before I was married, so being so close to Chewie just made me feel young again!

Carolyn! Look out! He might step on you by accident!

*Whew!* She's got fancy footwork!

What about you? Are you a Star Wars fan?

Shiny Girl

Carolyn got a hat, a silver hat, a shiny hat that looked good on her. It looked good in the house...

...but it looked fantastic in the sunlight!

(She must have had a good idea, with all those lightbulbs coming on at once!)

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?

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?

Old Friends at The Drowsy Chaperone

After Edwina Jones (costumer, choreographer,) and Colette Smith, (laughing audience member), and Carolyn Anderson, (little sister) and I saw a play, "The Drowsy Chaperone," we took a picture!

It looks like I'm choking Carolyn.

But I'm not.

Just ask her.

(As soon as she can speak again...)

Carolyn's Easter Bonnet and egg fingernails!

My little sister Carolyn was feeling very pretty in her red Easter bonnet on Sunday.

Not only that, but our friend, Quincie Long, painted Carolyn's fingernails to look like little Easter Eggs!

She had fun finding things to put in her Easter basket.

One funny thing...well, funny to me, maybe not to Carolyn...is that when she saw a chocolate bunny, she said, "I like chocolate, but I don't like them killing rabbits."

Startled, I replied, "You think they kill rabbits?"

She pointed at the chocolate bunny. "They kill it, then put chocolate on it."

Managing not to laugh, I explained to her that there is no rabbit killing in the making of chocolate bunnies.

We hope you had a fine and happy Easter, too.

Dancing Carolyn!

My little sister Carolyn watched the SUU (Southern Utah University) dancers at her weekly Special Needs Mutual activity, and then she joined in the fun after the performance!

Ooo-la-la, Carolyn, is that even legal to do in church?!

 Look at that skirt twirl!

 Uh oh, I think I see an ankle.

 Oh, where is the propriety? Now I see 2 ankles!

 That skirt's swishing higher and higher! Change the dance step, girl!

 You can dance anything!

 I'd be falling-down-dizzy after a spin like that! 

 Everyone else is talking... Carolyn's still dancing.

Way to go, li'l sis.