Grandma Honey: 6/1/21

Proof enough for me...

Eleven years ago Den and I took a retirement class together, and out of all the things we were taught, the one thing we both remember is this:

"It's not good to retire with tile floors. If older people fall on them, they will most likely break bones."

We especially think of that when glass things fly out of our hands and shatter all over our kitchen floor.

Since our bones aren't getting any younger we've been shopping for vinyl floor planks. We explained our reasoning to Ashley at Quality Carpets.

I think she's a little worried about us being disappointed later so she said, "Ya know, I'm not sure bones won't break just as easily on vinyl flooring."

So we decided to put it to the test.

Elora, our granddaughter, volunteered to be our glass breaker. We set some vinyl planks side by side to the tile floor, and she dropped 2 little glass bowls at the same time.

And look what happened:

Rome

Do you recognize this?

I didn't either at first.

Apparently this is how they store their blenders in Italy.

How smart is that.

The blender is actually on John and Suzanne's

kitchen counter in Rome.

(my brother and sister in law)

Because of the pandemic,

they'd been on stand by to serve their mission in Rome,

for months now.

The day finally arrived this month!

And best of all,

here's what John had to say about their first week on their mission.

I hear they are planning to stay at least a year.

Week One—Rome Mission

After 19 hours

Total travel time

We arrived in Rome

Yesterday at 10:30am

We were on a Covid-free flight

So we were all tested three times

The first two were alright

The third poked a hole in our brains

Taken first to the mission home

Where I spent a night 46 years ago

It was built in 1924

And includes a wine cellar

Rome is hot, muggy and beautiful

Our apartment is on the third floor

What they call here the second

Piano terreno (ground floor), first, then second

Suzanne loves it

Marble floors

Blackout shutters

Two foot thick walls—quiet and dark at night

There is an elevator

Rated for 4 persons

But the paper sign says

One at a time

We have a washer and racks to dry clothes

With both room air conditioners on

The washer has already blown the fuse twice

Down to the basement to flip a master switch

The other senior missionaries

Are all very nice

They operate the visitors center

The Temple, Institute, etc.

We have our first client appointment next Tuesday

With MEDU—Doctors for Human Rights.

We are already funding about 5 projects for them

Mobile medical and psych clinics mostly

All of our work is for refugees

Many from the Maghreb

That includes Libya, Morocco

And some pretty rough neighbors

They arrive by the thousands

Each year

Coming by human trafficking boats

To Lampedusa or other parts of Italy in the south

In mid July we fly to Sicily

To meet with 7 partners there for a week

And to visit old friends in Monreale

Near Palermo

Tomorrow we meet up with our in-country boss

Ether Simoncini who lives in Verona

He will be passing through on summer leave

And has a new computer for us

Monday will be our first attempt

At residency permits

They take three appointments and up to a year

To obtain

Then it’s off

To get an Italian registration number

Monthly bus and subway passes

And eventually we are to be assigned a car

At the Mall in Rome today

We had the best Cornetto

With Pistachio cream

For one Euro

That’s about $1.20 US

It’s all about the food here

Even the smallest market

Has great stuff

In addition to writing up grants

And giving our funds to other NGO’s

We visit, photograph facilities

Interview and supervise the proper use of funds

We also anticipate working

In the temple every two weeks

Holding a calling in our Ward

Like maybe teaching a class in English for temple prep

Helping the President’s Wife

cook for the incoming missionaries

And generally doing whatever

Needs to be done—all with stomachs full of gelato and pasta

Listen to 12 seconds of what they get to hear from their balcony at 5am.

Turn up your volume.

A little story about the 2 brothers

You see this brother right here reading the newspaper?

That's Leo.

And notice the arm of couch right next to him?

Well one day last week, I suddenly noticed he was

standing on the arm of that couch.

I said to him, "Oh Leo. I think you need to get down off there. That's an old couch and I don't want to have to buy a new one. I'm really hoping I can keep this couch for the rest of my life."

His older brother Rich who was standing by listening,

looked at the couch,

and then looked at me,

and said, "I think it'll work."

Thanks Rich.

🤣 😂 🤣

It's nice to know you think I'll live as long as my couch.

Listening to Leo

Suddenly while standing by a bush in our back yard, Leo went into teaching mode.

So I turned on my camera.

He's only 7 1/2.

Happy Father's Day!

Dr Laura (from her radio program) was asking for pictures of fathers for a video she was making.

So on a whim I sent one in.

Her video is not even a minute long, but look for my Dad right about 24 seconds into it.

PS Just a little clarification here. While I have learned much from Dr Laura through the years, and know she has done much good in the world...and even continues to at nearly age 75.... I also emphatically disagree with some of what she preaches.

Are they magic or not?

So this is how it went....

While the girls made Princess wand kits,

their brothers had truck kits to make.

Leo, Daisy, Juliet, and Rich

The girls were feeling especially empowered with princess magic.

That was until one of their brothers told the girls,

"Your wands have no magic."

This brought Juliet near tears. I hurt for them and said, "Let's go in the garage and I have something that you can all share (binoculars), but you and Daisy can use it first."

One of the brothers over heard this.

"Can we come in the garage too? We want to see it!"

I told this brother, "No, this time you both wait here, and us girls will go get it and bring it back out here to share. Just wait right here for us. We'll be right back!"

So Juliet, Daisy and I head for the garage, going in through the house and out through the laundry room. As soon as we entered the garage, look what we saw!

The brothers may not believe in magical Princess wands...

but I'm pretty sure they are crazy about their little sisters.

Our Idaho family is on its way!

First time in 18 months....And we are ready!

First time all 4 littles will sleep in the same room.

I found a Cinderella sleeping bag left here

from cousin Scarlett years ago...

I'm hoping this will help Daisy feel more at home.

I think this will be the first time the parents have slept at our house without a baby in their room for the past nearly 10 years!

Soon after their arrival, Karen and Tyler

will push these twin beds together.

It's tradition now.

Last time they were here Daisy was a "baby"....barely a year old.

Now she's 2 1/2 and I don't want to offend by the baby towel.

So thanks to Amazon a big kid towel is on it's way....

Uncle Brock set up our light and music show

for when we have "special restaurant night" in our dining room.

We have a little playdough center set up.

(AKA no room for table in bedrooms this week)

Grandpa Dennis busy putting new batteries in all the talking birds.

Juliet (age 5 now) had been talking to us for 18 months about these birds. At one point during the pandemic she wanted them so badly

she said, "I'll ask my parents to drop me off."

The kids have asked through the past 18 months to see their birds multitude of times. Juliet never forgets how she decorated hers.

Lots of treats in our freezers, and this one I made today.

I dare say, this is upside down.

Got some fresh flowers at the Farmer's Market last week. I put them in a vase without water and they will last a year. I know, I didn't believe it either. But it worked last year.

(and of course only works with this type of flower)

I also put some in the parents' bedroom.

Our fridge and freezers are stocked and ready.

Extra apples all washed, and drying off before they go in the fridge.

Also excited for Karen to help me with this!

She gave it to me for Mother's Day.

If I have any hope of tomatoes, I need her to get me started right.

She's the expert.

And this book...can't wait to read it to them.

I'll report back. Eventually.

The scary, the food, and the babies...

If I look at this picture long enough it will give me nightmares. Literally.

That's Jessica 2 days ago on a 10 mile hike up Yosemite.

(Can see spot McKay's foot?)

When they came back from their long day there, Jess looked wiped out and said to us, "I'm glad I went, but I will never do that again. I just wanted to take a nature walk!"

Apparently they saw some nature, too. Like this bear. Jess said she looked at that bear and thought, "Oh so this is how it ends. Married a year..."

The next morning they woke up hungry but amazingly fine.

Like no big deal.

A little more of what we ate.

Hey what can I say, it's what the grands like.

Thank you Trader Joes.

And for dinner I will just show you McKay's plate.

Always interesting how people put their Chinese Sundaes together.

Soon Jess and McKay had a plane to catch and we had to say goodbye to his first born grandchild...

Thank you Jess and the new McKay. ❤️

We so enjoyed having you both with us!

McKay will make a great dentist.

He is kind and patient, and very bright.

I can tell these things. Even in just a few days.

One of the perks of being old.

This was one of the very first pictures Den sent me before I even met him. Jessica with her baby cousin Emily.

I would stare at his beautiful babies, and then stare at his hands.

Always loved his hands.

Here's 2 more pictures he sent me back in the day.

Oh baby Jessica!

Yeah, he pretty much had me before we met.

Jessica and the new McKay

Have you ever envisioned how something would look, then you make it and realize....uh no, not so much?

I was picturing a little stick cookie in the middle of it all. These looked like they were going to take off...like shoot off somewhere.

Dessert is not my strong point.

I used what I had on hand..

Everyone was more than polite about it.

Even asking for seconds.

Feels so good to have family gatherings again!

We have several planned for this summer.

Brock, Erin, Jessica, and the new McKay, and Elora

Our granddaughter Jessica and her husband McKay are our first overnight visitors since the pandemic. Hurray for vaccines, and the prayer and scientists that have opened doors for us. Literally.

(Oops... I just remembered, sweet Violet was our first overnighter several weeks ago!)

Our first night's dinner was easy.

Pizza, strawberries, and a salad with orange and red peppers, carrots, bacon, corn off the cob, mandarins, garbanzos, and olives.

Violet came with all these little people she drew from a show

she and Cami watch together.

Those two sisters have the best time together. Even their own language. I don't remember this so much before the pandemic.

Jessica and McKay will be leaving for dental school in Ohio,

in just 4 days.

They have lots of packing and goodbying to do,

but they chose to spend 4 days with us.

And, not only that, they arrived on their 1st wedding anniversary.

We are honored! ❤️

Some wonders around here lately....

1. We go through one or two of these each week. We have the best produce here in central California.

2. I got this much hair cut off once the pandemic calmed down.

Katie measured and said it was 5 inches. That's alot for me!

Then 2 weeks later, she took off even more.

I actually enjoyed wearing my hair on top my head.

But I had enough, so I moved on.

3. This set of twins I follow on Instagram are a super rare phenomenon called Superfetation. Their Mom got pregnant while already pregnant. Born the same day, but one is a month younger than the other. I learned of these special twins through the news, and now I'm enjoying watching them grow up through Instagram.

4. uhh, I have this very nightgown.

5. Our granddaughter Juliet just lost her first tooth...

The tooth fairy in Idaho makes me laugh!

6. For years I've followed a blog written by a woman who has 8, soon to be 9 children. Her first born, age 12, is very sadly dying of bone cancer. This was the first line of her blog one day last week:

“an incredible human we know is giving us a week of packed lunches for the kids. it was so magical to not have to worry about lunch for my kids today... and for the coming week.”

7. We got to start singing again at church last week!