My New-To-Me Ford XLT

I took these pictures just on a whim and my husband thought I was crazy and now I’m posting them which makes me even more crazy.  I guess it’s what I do when my husband is out home teaching and I’m sitting here being a little bored.  You could say I’m a little bored and excited at the same time because I’m posting about my new (new to me) vehicle I bought this past weekend.  I’ve been looking for months for a new vehicles, an SUV to be exact.  When I went to Utah this past week I was looking on kslcars.com when I came across a Ford Explorer XLT……a 2006 with almost 100,000 miles.  My nephew (by marriage) works as a mechanic at the place that was selling the vehicle so I had him check it out before I got too excited.  He stated that it had never been a wreck, had all original parts, rode really nice and seemed to be an ok vehicle so I bought it.  Agh-h-h-h!  I hope buying an older vehicle with that many miles doesn’t come back to bite me.  It cost more than I make in a year so that in itself was a pretty scary purchase for me.  I did, however, pay extra to get a 100,000 mile, 5-year warranty.  Not far from home, my new vehicle turned to 100,000 miles.  I pulled off the road, which my husband thought a little strange, and took pictures.  Pictures from both sides of my vehicle, the front, and the actual mile gauge.  I know, C-R-A-Z-Y, but that’s the way my life is sometimes.  Have to entertain myself somehow!

Savior of the World

This past weekend, my entire family had the opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City and see the live play, Savior of the World, performed at the Conference Center Theater.  If you get the opportunity to witness this play, you will thoroughly enjoy it….very professionally done.  The following site gives you all the information in regards to days and dates to watch this play.  And here, you can read about the set/stage design, etc.  You need to order tickets early as they go fast.

Before the play, we went to see the new City Creek Center and the Salt Lake Temple Christmas lights.  All were within walking distance of the play.  An evening very well spent!

Wild Turkeys Photo Contest

I have entered a new photo contest through our local telephone company, ATC.  My picture of some wild turkeys has been added to a group of thirteen finalists for the chance of winning a Kindle Fire.  I would like all who view this blog to please go to the following site and vote on my photo: www.atcnet.net/calendar .  There is a very short time for voting.....November 20th thru November 30th, so please cast your vote today and invite all your Facebook friends etc, to vote too!  All you need to do once you go to the atcnet site is scroll down to the big 2013 ATC Photo Contest (red) box, look for the blue rectangle under that box that contains Vote Now.  Click on the Vote Now, find my Wild Turkeys picture and click on the green, Vote Now, box.  It's that simple so please Vote! - Thanks, Marsha
Here is what my picture looks like:

 

4-Point Buck

I went out to start my car this morning to let it warm up a bit before I drove it to town.  As I walked out the door, I noticed a doe standing on the lawn and not far from her, on the other side of the fence stood a big 4-point buck.  They both just stood there and watched me start the car and then go back into the house.  I told my husband to look out the window if he wanted to see a big buck.  By the time he got to the window, this big fellow had jumped the fence and moved to the front part of the house.  I started taking pictures, hoping to get a good one because it was still a bit dark outside.  When I loaded them to my computer, I was able to lighten them up but a few are still a bit blurry but at least you can see how big he was.

After taking these photos, I decided it might be light enough to get a video shot.  Still not the best cause I was trying to stick my lens through the blinds on the window but good enough cause I had to head out the door for the day.

Homemade Applesauce

Applesauce – YUM!  Started at 8am this morning washing bottles while my husband washed 1 1/2 bushels of apples.  I found on the internet where you could sterilize your bottles and bottle bands by putting cleaned bottles and bands in a 225 degrees oven and baking them for 10 minutes.  I’ve done this for the past two years and it seems to work wonderful……so far – Ha! 
To make our applesauce, we put all washed and quartered apples in a pot of boiling water.  I did not time how long it took but it wasn’t very long.  When I poked them with a knife and the blade went in fairly easy, we removed the apples from the boiling water to a Squeezo Strainer and we were off and running.




The Squeezo Strainer is the handiest little gadget for making applesauce.  All you do is place your cooked apples in the top, plunge apples with plunger while turning the handle.  The applesauce comes out through the strainer while all the seeds, core, and peelings come out the other end.  Simple.


After the strainer process, we dumped all our applesauce into a 20 quart pot.  To our pot of applesauce, we added 1 1/2 cups sugar and it was ready to bottle.




Now all there was left to do was fill bottles, clean bottle rims, place on lids and bands, load the steam processors, put on the dome lids and process for 35 minutes.  I had two processors….one purchased off of E-bay last week.  Sure made quick time of processing.


 



And now the rewards………….20 golden bottles of edible Sunshine!

Last of the Fall Leaves

According to the weather report, it is supposed to start spiraling into winter this coming weekend.  But, as of right now, or at least Sunday, there were still a few pretty leaves hanging around.  Weeds with long thorns, but still leaves.  I’m sure going to miss the fall season.  I love how beautiful the earth turns at this time of the year.  Too bad it is for such a short length of time.  But, I guess each season comes with its own beauty.  Enjoy each moment.

Stayin Alive Concert

My daughter and her husband gifted my husband and I with an early Christmas present.  They wouldn't tell us what it was, they just told us we needed to be at their home on Friday before 6pm. 

This was our "Early Christmas Surprise"……


Yes, I’m getting to be, as they say….an Oldie Goldie!  I definitely came from the Disco Era and loved it.  My husband and I used to go dancing weekly.  At one time, we even got asked if we were professionals.  Too Funny!  The early Christmas was a total surprise and we loved every minute of it.  Here are a few highlight photos.  Although it was quite dark and the pictures aren’t that great, the evening sure was.  This group sounded amazingly similar to the original Bee Gees.  








They had an area in the back where people could go and dance to the music if they wanted to.  I asked my husband if he would like to go give it a whirl but he didn’t want to.  I thought we should have cause some of the people dancing didn’t have a clue as to what Disco moves were.  Oh well, it was all fun.  They even had a Disco ball hanging from the ceiling to add to the mood of the concert. – Fun.


Here are a few short videos I took and once again, because of the darkness, they turned out pretty bad but it gives you some clue as to what the concert was like.

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After the concert, we walked around for a bit looking at a lot of pictures in the new BYU-Idaho Center.  As we were walking down the stairs, my daughter was in front of me and I had to snap a photo of her hair.  Isn't it gorgeous.................considering two years ago  we almost lost her to Septic Shock and she lost most of her hair.  It's taken quite awhile but it's grown back in thick and full.

 

The next three pictures are of the Rexburg Temple that I took through the windows of the BYU-Idaho Center.  I thought the reflections were beautiful.

After our walk, Amber and Corey took us to a fun little place called "The Coco Bean", where you could get gormet cupcakes, etc.  Pricey, but good.  Amber and Corey ordered for us since we hadn't been there before, and I must say.............Good Choice.