We Are All Odd In Our Own Ways

When my parents brought home the Christmas tree, I did this:

It smelled so good! My dad said it was fresh off the truck from Oregon. Can we trade places? The tree and I? I'll take its place on the truck BACK to Oregon. Sound good?

Oh yeah, I hugged it too. I love trees! I felt bad that it was all tied up. I know I sound like I belong in a mental institution, but oh well.

psst, Jenna got wrapped up in it all, thus the little arms and legs...

Relief Society Dinner

Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Magleby's chocolate cake.

But wait, I'll come back to that in a minute.

This Thursday evening my mom and I attended the Relief Society's Thanksgiving dinner. My aunt Lani was part of the planning committee and she did a fantastic job! There were strands of lights hanging above us and candle lit tables. After dinner there was a gift exchange. We were to bring something we were thankful for or something that represented us. My mom said she was going to bring a roll of toilet paper. Yes, you read that right. While I too am thankful for toilet paper, I told her I'd be embarrassed so she better come up with something else. She came up with this...

She likes cleaning and this makes washing dishes much less gross than washing with a washcloth. Trust me, I know. If you use a washcloth you may as well use your hand. That's my opinion on the matter. Anyways, the sponge thing is better than toilet paper- I think.

I did a watercolor of two of my favorite things- hats and dresses. I gave the best one away but did these others so I'd have some for myself. (I scanned these but they didn't turn out to well...)

And now back to cake. When they announced what was for dessert, my heart fluttered. When Lani came to ask if we'd had any yet, I said no but I totally would, and that she knew how to lure me to events such as these.

Obviously we came to support Lani which was a perfectly fine reason for attending all by itself. However, Magleby's chocolate cake? I almost can't resist. Even if socializing is on the menu too.

A Golden Afternoon

On a perfect Saturday afternoon we drove up Provo Canyon, past Vivian Park and into the mountains to hike the Big Springs trail. It is beautiful!

My mom and I hiked it a few months ago and I was smitten. We found wild raspberries (which I eagerly ate) and up at the spring were such tall flowers and ferns that I felt like I was in another world- one where I was small and nature not so small. Sadly, this time around, the flowers and ferns were all dead. Have you ever seen a dried up fern? They are pretty, in a different way, to that of alive ones.

Each season has it's beauty and what does autumn bring? Gold. The color of the long grasses in the pictures is true to life. They were glowing. I finally understand why writers write things about golden fields and artists paint golden landscapes.

We hiked all the way to the spring and took a break to enjoy peanut butter and honey sandwiches and some veggies. The talk was of building ourselves a house up there and how we would be so far removed from everything that the government wouldn't be able to find us! At least that was Jenna and Anna's exciting idea. I wouldn't mind living like that, apart from bears and mountain lions. But you know, other than that, I'm game.

Oh, and I brought my camera. Usually I don't because I like to take everything in without worrying about taking pictures. However, since I'd hiked it before, I thought it would be okay.

How many pictures did I take? So many that you can take a virtual hike! Here we go...

These next pictures can't do justice to the experience of walking under a canopy of trees with the sun poking through, then bam! you come out and a giant meadow awaits you. When things are green, though gold is gorgeous too, it's magical.

 

I call this field "The Last of the Mohicans field". If you know what I'm talking about, great! If not, don't sweat it.

 My mom took these two of me and said I was practically skipping with glee- which I was. I loved it.