Salad Bar Temptaion

Yesterday, I showed candy at the store check-out counter,

so today's post is a much healthier choice -

the salad bar at allen's almost-favorite restaurant...

chuck-a-rama.

We enjoyed lunch with dear Ann Kearns, a friend from our previous ward in SG.

She's a wonderful friend, writer, person, Sunday School teacher, widow, and Gospel scholar.

So, good salad, good conversation.

Grocery Store Temptation

I feel so sorry for kids who shop with their parents as they go through the check-out line...

Wouldn't it be great if - instead of the candy bars- the stores put apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes....that is a great idea.

But, it probably wouldn't work.

Early Morning Beauty!

It won't last long, but what stunning beauty for the few days it's in bloom!

Paper Deliverers

Could there be two cuter paper delivery personnel than Addie and Stockton? Oh, so cute. I love when they come over each day to bring the paper. It's certainly worth the piece of candy I pay each day.

Death of a Techno Friend

WOW, call it fortuitous, call it a blessing, call it a miracle.

I talked Allen into getting a new laptop to take to China. He reuluctantly agreed, so we bought one on Tuesday night - well, really two (one for him also).

Then, he began to transfer my files onto an external hard drive because I had been telling him my desktop computer was slow, locked up, etc. Then, shortly after he had moved the files onto the external drive in preparation to move them to the new laptop, my computer crashed, died, gave it all up, AND became infected with a terrible virus. I cannot turn it on, look at anything, view my pictures, make cards, etc., etc., etc. It's a goner!

This now-defunct computer over the past years has:
*done family history, including taking names to the temple
*kept a blog
*written to father-in-law Hubert every Sunday for many years
*written to missionaries,
*kept in touch with family and friends (including reconnecting with a roommate of 40 years ago) via email
* shopped for bargains and non bargains
* learned the news
* googled at least a gazilllion times
*looked up phone numbers @ whitepages.com
*looked up scriptures and other items at LDS.org
*found addresses and church meetings times when out of town
*brought music into our home via ITunes
*kept my pictures semi-organized
*found via Facebook a former exchange student from Malaysia who lived with us for a year
*ordered books for my Kindle, ordered clothes for my body, ordered gifts for my family

OH, I'm gonna miss you, desktop computer with the big screen and great keyboard.

Thanks for the good times.

Thursday - day 168 - TWINS!

Congratulations are in order for RAH and LGH who are celebrating the arrival of their new twins. Each twin weighs in at a little over six pounds, has a 500 G hard drive, dual core processor, and is sure to keep the proud parents awake at night.

Wednesday - Harvest Time

These cost $2.98 per pound at Harmon's:

and they are free here...well, that's not exactly true either.

Allen has worked VeRY hard to get these.

Tuesday - Alaska Farewell

What a great blessing to have stayed in the Alaska home of Jim and Gail Hansen.

Beautiful home, so comfortable and pleasant.

At an Anchorage GIft Shop

I noticed her watch as she wandered around the store....to myself, I said, "She HAS to be from Utah or Idaho.''

"Excuse me," I said, "where are you from?" (Knowing the answer ahead of time.)

"Rupert, Idaho," she smiled.

"I knew it!" I showed her my beaded watch.

Because you see, right now, it's a Utah/Idaho/ thing going on.

Gotta love those Utah/Idaho ladies and their crafts!

A Father Wishing His Father a Happy Day

In church today, we were asked if we had fixed breakfast in bed for ourfathers/husbands? HA! HA! That answer - for me- was a guilty NO! However, I did wish him a Happy Father's Day very first thing in the morning...does that count?

And, we did have a great father's day lunch of Campbell's Soup...so, what more could a man ask?????

How to Catch a Fish in Alaska

Now, that is one big fishing net! Betcha they don't sell these in every Costco!

New Favorite Flavor!

I Need to Eat Lots More Like This!

Wednesday - It's Little, It's Handy, It's Adorable, but....

at $84.00 it was definitely out of my price range!

Seen on Wednesday at the Native American Heritage Museum

Tuesday - Driving Through the Neighborhood

Eagle River, Alaska...
we were just surveying a quiet neighborhood, when Allen said, "There's a moose!"
Indeed there was. We snapped lots of pictures, then we said,
"Oh, look, there's its little calf."
And, in just a moment, there came another little calf.
What a beautiful sight. They all enjoyed a tasty treat while the owner of the home and his children
watched in awe from their bodroom window.

Monday - Exit Glacier

"Exit Glacier may appear static, but this river of ice is actually moving."
from the sign posted by Exit Glacier near Seward Alaska...

An amazing site...truly.

What is even more amazing, are the signs leading up the trail to this glacier.

the first marker says 1899...which is where the glacier was in that year.

That marker is by the parking lot, and is one mile from where the glacier is today!

Dr. Penman and His Lovely Wife

He's a pediatrician and he loves his job here in Alaska....they are the parents of four sons, and their oldest son is in South Africa on a mission. He went to the University of Washington where our son went to school. It was fun to meet them.

Here's an interesting fact about the ward we visited today:

There are 13 missionaries from this ONE WARD. WOW, unreal...amazing...awesome.

We enjoyed church today, as we always do when we visit other wards.

Saturday Afternoon At the Zoo

Friday....If It's Not a Door, What is It?

Cuddle Up!

Well, of course, they look cuddly, but I'm referring to this bear in the Alaska airport, which is the largest brown bear ever caught/trapped/ etc.

For All You Crab Lovers Out There....

Thunderbird Falls

Small falls; huge mosquitoes.

Monday Night...You Get What You Pay For!

Dinali Lodge on the Hill - Room $400 per night, complete with private bath - we didn't rent that one.....
Bear Plaza - Room $220 per night, with community bath - we didn't rent that one.....
Bear Plaza - Room $100 per night, communal bath with normal size door - we didn't rent that one....
Bear Plaza - Room $65.00 per night, communal bath with door for midgets.....we did rent this one....

and that is why I was singing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho; it's home from work we go!" all night long.

I felt like one of the seven dwarfs!

I Don't Normally Take Pictures In...

church, but today, during a meeting, I looked down and the person next to me had taken off his shoes, and the guy in the row in front of me had also taken off his shoes. I found that quite amusing....because usually it isn't MEN who take their shoes off...it's usually women.

But, other than that, I focused on the meeting, which was really wonderful.

New Hat

He doesn't spend a lot of money, or buy much, but he agreed to buy this new hat....it's great, right?

The Iceberg Has a Baby!

To give you perspective of the size of this chunk of ice, look closely up on the road and you will see a yellow car driving by....so, that's a pretty big chunk of iceberg.

No Thanks!

After trying:
frog legs
alligator tail
cactus french fries
Allen decided he'd pass on the reindeer sausage...
"No strange meats for me any more!"

North to Alaska

That's A.M.; not P.M.

Lots on my mind.