The Ravages of Age and David Garcia (?)

I am sure you must be wondering what in the world the ravages of age have to do with David.... um.........Garcia! (?) Well, I have no doubt that you've guessed that there is a story to be told......

A week or so ago, I went to grab a sandwich at Arby's with my two sons. Those two boys are extremely entertaining, to say the least. I'm not quite sure where they came from--they quite outdo their mother in the "wit" department. As we sat munching away in the restaurant, they were poking fun at the piped in music. They didn't much care for it. Just as we were finishing up, I heard a song that I recognized from current radio play. I said, "Hey, this is that song by that Utah kid that almost won American Idol last year. David........... um........... David............... oh, you know. What is it? David.............. is it Garcia????"

Seriously folks, I couldn't remember his last name. Now I am not an American Idol fan, and I never watch the show. But I would have had to be living in a cave in Africa to not hear about David. I know his name as well as I know my own. You heard about him on the local news every single day for six months. But do you think I could remember???? Well, that's all it took for my sons to launch into the merciless teasing of their mother. "No mom. It's not Garcia; it's Gonzales." I KNEW it wasn't Gonzales. They proceeded to say it was every Latin name they could think of. But nothing had the right ring.

When we got into the car, I had the bright idea of calling my daughter. I knew she would know. So I got Katie on the phone and posed the question. The boys were yelling as loud as they could, "Don't tell her, don't tell her!" Katie, being the sweetheart that she is, said: "Mom, I can't believe you don't remember. It's David Enchilada!" Well, that did it. I dissolved into tears of uncontrollable laughter. I was also just slightly perturbed that she wouldn't give me the answer.

After we got home, I decided to call my mother. I knew that she would know, as well. I was very sneaky about it, because I didn't want the boys yelling at their grandmother to keep me in the dark. Sure enough, mom had the answer. "Why, it's David Archuleta!" OH, OF COURSE!!! How could I possibly forget that!!! (I'm sorry, David.) Later in the evening, I received a text message from Katie that said, "Do you remember the name of the people that live across the street from grandma and grandpa?" I couldn't figure out why she would ask such a question. But then I realized, "Their name is Archuleta." Katie really thought the word "enchilada" would trigger my memory. She tried to help me without incurring the wrath of her brothers. But, alas, her hint was wasted on me.

I'm noticing that memory lapses such as this happen a little more often than they did when I was younger. Should I worry? Probably not, according to the experts. They say when you forget your own name, or where you live, or other fundamentals of your everyday life; then you should worry. So worry about it? No, I won't. But laugh about it? YES! ABSOLUTELY! For years and years to come. And I know three other people who will NEVER let me forget it!

And you know what? I will never think of Mr. Archuleta as anything but David Enchilada for as long as I live.......

Ghost of Vacations Past

Last week when Katie was showing me how to load pictures onto my blog, we ran across this photograph. At first we were confused by it, then fascinated, then highly amused. This was taken in environs outside of Ensenada, Mexico. We took a bus to the famous Blow Hole (can't think of the name right off). I took the picture through (or at) the window of the bus. Yes, that is my disembodied hand you see holding the camera that is taking the picture. It's like something you'd see on those documentaries about paranormal events.

Isn't it odd?

I wonder if I could pass it off as a ghost or something and sell it on E-Bay for hundreds of dollars?

Just Learning..............

I'm just learning a lot about Blogspot. I've learned now that if you save a blog for later publication, and it is dated before your most recent published blog, it will not show up at the top of your list.

So everybody needs to check out the second one after this one. It's called JOEY'S IN LOVE............

Now how's that for a teaser. Hurry up--go check it out.

Daniel - The Man of the Hour

As you can see, we had a very important event in our family this week. On Friday, Daniel walked in his graduation ceremony at the University of Utah. He actually finished school in December of last year, but he decided to savor his victory and participate in the "big march." The University invited author, David McCullough, to address the graduates. I had been looking forward to hearing him speak, but I have to admit that I started to nod off in the middle of it. Boy, was I relieved when Daniel told me he had the same problem! The student speaker was very impressive, but nothing impressed me as much as my son marching into the Huntsman Center, a college graduate. He's worked very hard, and I couldn't be any more proud! (By the way, I wanted the picture of just him at the top, but I have yet to completely figure out how to get pictures in the order you want them. Hrmmmph!)
From the time he was a small child, I always knew that he was destined for great things. Any 2-year-old that can say to you, "Was that really necessary?" to his mother when she burps aloud is going places. I'm very sure he will do great things with his life. You can see from the top picture that he's anxious to get on his way to wherever he's going. The day was made even better due to the fact that his best friend, K.C. Marett, graduated with him. Those two have been best buddies since 4th grade. After the ceremony, we were able to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa for a celebratory lunch. It's a day to be remembered for years to come.
And what could make the day any better than hanging out with my very favorite peeps on the planet. They can even make a trip on public transportation entertaining.

I don't think there's a luckier mom on the planet than me!

Joey's In Love

OK, before anybody gets all excited, let me explain. Yes, it's true. I'm in love, but not in the traditional way. Nope, I'm simply in love with my garden. After allowing them to wallow in dormancy for several years, I decided that I wanted to revive my Square Foot Gardens this year. It has rejuvenated my winter-shrouded soul.
Anyone who really knows me will tell you that I love to play in the dirt. I don't know what it is (perhaps genetics), but it definitely works for me. I simply cannot be angry, sad, upset or disturbed when I'm working in my garden, getting dirty.
I really enjoy things that are orderly and compartmentalized, so you can see that this is the PERFECT gardening method for me. Every type of plant is neatly boxed in it's own little space. There was a bit of work getting them up and running, but nothing major. The boxes were already built, so I just dug about 7 inches down in each box (at least Dylan did). Then I made the soil mix in a wheelbarrow (8 batches for the two boxes I worked on). Before pouring the dirt in, I laid down some weed barrier fabric. Then all I had to do is make the grid out of some wood strips, and I was ready to plant. I started planting in mid-March, and things are beginning to take off.
This spring and summer, we will be enjoying radishes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, onions, garlic, shallots, kohlrabi, peppers, tomatos, cucumbers, peas, squash, chives, beans and parsley. I can hardly wait. There is just something so gratifying about planting and seed and watching it pop out of the dirt. I can hardly wait to get home from work to see what's coming up, or what has grown. I do believe I'll have some radishes ready to eat within a couple of weeks.

For anyone who is curious about Square Foot Gardening, let me just say that it makes growing vegetables FUN. There is little-to-no weeding. The soil mix is so workable, all you need is your fingers to pull an occasional weed or plant a seed. You hardly even get your hands dirty. Stay posted in the coming weeks for more pictures of what's growing. If you want more information about this method, just type Square Foot Gardening into your browser.

This is my very favorite time of year--and this spring is turning out to be one of the best yet for me. I hope you're enjoying yours, too.