Homemade Wassail

I came across this recipe for homemade wassail. I thought this would be a great gift to give to the families my husband home teaches, for the sisters I visit teach, family, friends, and neighbors.  When I first read the recipe, I imagined that it wouldn't taste very good where the basic ingredients were Tang, Country Time Lemonade, and Sugar.  I thought the small amounts of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger would totally be over powered.  It sounded like it would be way to sweet, but I bought the ingredients and gave it a try.  To my surprise, it was actually very good.
Yesterday, my husband and I went to Idaho Falls and while there, I found the cutest little octagon, pint jars at Walmart so I purchased two 4-packs.

So after finding the jars, today I went to work making wassail.  It mixed together really quick and before I knew it, I was done.  All I did was fill each jar with wassail, make an instruction label that I adhered to the top of each lid before screwing on the ring, and tied a knot with ribbon around the top neck of the jar.  Voila.....DONE!

 

Thanksgiving With Blue Skies And Traffic

For Thanksgiving this year, we traveled to Utah.  We went to my sisters home and our daughter, who lives in Provo, also came and joined us.  Thanksgiving with family and great food was all I could ask for.  It was a great, short trip, but well worth the drive. 
For photos, I forgot to even get my camera out and take any pictures of Thanksgiving dinner, but I sure got enough pictures of the ride down to Utah and our ride back home.  I love taking pictures of the sky.  From one moment to the next, the sky gives you such a variety of cloud formations.  I also got some pictures of traffic...............YUCK...........living where we do, I'm sure not used to the traffic.
Traffic, traffic, traffic...........everywhere we looked!
Starting out, it was pretty gloomy and the sun was trying its best to peek through the clouds.

But the further we went, more and more of the sun made its way through.

 

 

According to Wikipedia, these next clouds are defined as lenticular clouds.  Here is the definition from Wikipedia:
Lenticular clouds (Altocumulus lenticularis in Latin) are stationary clouds that form in the troposphere, typically in perpendicular alignment to the wind direction. They are often comparable in appearance to a lens or saucer.
There are three main types of lenticular clouds: altocumulus standing lenticular (ACSL), stratocumulus standing lenticular (SCSL), and cirrocumulus standing lenticular (CCSL), varying in altitude above the ground. Because of their unique appearance, they have been brought forward as an explanation for some unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings.

As we traveled further, nearing Utah, the traffic started.  And the fact that we went through "5" construction zones really slowed our traveling.

And not including construction, the traffic was just...................

And, to top it off, a truck (SEE DETAILS HERE) hauling cattle took to sharp of a turn on the freeway at an overpass and overturned. Because of all the cattle on the top overpass and the cattle that fell to the lower part of the freeway, the freeway was totally closed for hours.  We were able to exit the freeway along with many others and it took us 3-4 times to get through each red light.  Aghhhhhhhhhhhh! 
I sure would not have liked being in the truck in front of us.  That was a lot of smoke he was blowing out his window.

Once we got back on the freeway, there was still a lot of traffic...going both ways.

I again turned my focus to the clouds.  Much more interesting than traffic.

Later in the evenings, the skies were beautiful.  The skies hold and give us so much to see if we only look up.  Sunrises, sunsets, stars, sun, moon, cloud formations......ETC.

And even some hang gliders. I took this picture at the "Point of the Mountain" as we were leaving Lehi, Utah.

As we entered Idaho, it was sure good to see cattle out grazing in the field.  I'll take cows over traffic, any day.

Ahhhh, back to beautiful scenery without cars, buildings, and traffic pollution. 

I'm not saying that cars, buildings, and traffic are bad, I'm just pointing things out from my perspective and the type of surroundings I am used to. I guess I'm just a country girl that loves wide open spaces.

December 2017 Visiting Teaching Handout/Poster

As I mentioned before, I use these graphics as both a handout and a poster.  I place the poster (full-sized sheet of photo paper) in front of the R.S. room, posted as a reminder all month long as to what our message/theme is.  If you click on the picture, it should bring it up big enough to copy without making it blurry.
This months visiting teaching message is on "Willing to Bear One Another's Burdens."  What an appropriate message for this time of the year as our thoughts are turned to helping and giving to others.  What a great way to keep "Christ" in Christmas, as we bear one another's burdens.
As stated by President Thomas S. Monson..."We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness."  "We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to life His children.  He is dependent upon each of us."

Thanksgiving Desk and Horseshoe Tree Decorations

At first, I just started out decorating my horseshoe tree and placed it on the mantle above the fireplace/wood stove.  Then one time, I decided to move it to the entryway desk and add a few more decorations, tying it all in together.  The past few months, I have added more, and more decorations.
Here it is today, my Thanksgiving/November decorations for the desk and tree.  At first glance after getting it all decorated, I thought, hmmmm, added too much stuff.  But after looking at it each day, it grew on me, so grew on me is the way it stayed.