Wanderlust

I have been travelling a lot lately.

  March 4-7, 2015  Las Vegas, NV

I went to Las Vegas to visit my friend Leisa and to go to the Rascal Flatts concert at the Hard Rock.  The concert was AMAZING!!!!  It was fun to see their new home and meet their new foster daughter, Caleigh.  I spent some quality time playing ball with the boys and had a great break.

 March 8-10, 2015  San Clemente, CA

Yup.  I was home for less than 24 hours.  We left Reed home alone and went to see Parker’s graduation from MCT.  He had liberty on Sunday afternoon so we were there for that.  On Monday we explored a bit and I took a long nap because I had a bad cold.  The best part of this trip was the 5 or so hours we spent with Parker in LAX!  It was super hard to leave and watch him walk away.  I had no idea how many people witnessed the event, but about half the plane spoke to me as they went by me.  The flight attendant kept a steady stream of Diet Coke and chocolate flowing, but I could not stop crying.  I’d think I had it all together and then a tear would slide down my cheek.  Yesterday Parker posted this about that day:

“A few weeks back I was at the airport with my parents saying my goodbyes before they boarded the plane my mom was crying like moms do and I remember looking over and I saw a lady crying. At that moment I realized something. For 18 years my mom has loved me and supported me through all of the long nights after surgeries. the days where I was so tired I'd pass out in the shower and her and my brother would have to carry me into my room, she'd take me to the gun shop to buy a new rifle. she fed me, taught me what is right and wrong. she made sure I knew what she expected of me. And she is what made me the man I am today. I don't say this enough but I love my mom to death! And yes my mom is so cool she can do failure drills with her handgun. ‪#‎watchoutshespackin and she even let me play with machine guns. Sorry guys but my mom is the coolest. Love you mom can't wait to see you!”

Yeah.  I cry every time I read it!!!

  March 11-19  HOME!!!!

       Ed did some travelling but I didn’t.  Reed had a couple of concerts.  It is fun to watch him perform because he seems to enjoy it.  He is excited about being in Encore next year.

 March 20-27  South Portland, ME

      Uncle Len died on the 16^th, so I headed to Maine- and so did ALL of my brothers.  We cannot remember the last time we were all together.  How sad is that?  I was supposed to leave on the 25^th but so was the rest of the tribe so I stayed a couple extra days to feather it out for Aunt Thelma.

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March 29-30  The Cabin

      Ed brought the dogs down yesterday since we were getting new tile laid to fill in the holes from our construction project.  Today we switched places so that he can go to work and I will take them home when the grout dries tomorrow.

And yes. . . we leave on Friday for Miami and the Eastern Carribean.  Then maybe I will stay home for longer than 8 days.

Siesta

I have truly begun to see the value of the siesta lately.  I think the Spaniards are on to something.

About 17 years ago, Ed and I traveled to Spain with a group of 21 students from Calais High School in Calais, Maine.  Calais is a small city on the eastern border of Maine.  Although most of the students were comfortable passing through customs to go into St. Stephen, New Brunswick, many of them had never made it to New Hampshire. 

To those of you who think Ed and I are brash and pushy now, imagine how much we have probably mellowed in those 17 years!  One of my favorite memories of that trip was from Malaga- a resort town in Costa del Sol.  On the tour bus our tour guide was regaling the students with tales of this beautiful hotel where we would have the honor to stay.  She made sure that we understood that it was a four-star hotel and that we should act with utmost respect.  Soon thereafter we walked into the lobby of a once-beautiful but quite run-down establishment.  While the students were oohing and aahing with a fervor that would have made Franco proud, Ed plants his feet in the middle of the lobby and questions with a loud voice, "Was that four stars out of one hundred?"

Alas, I digress.

The point of my story was that it drove Ed and I crazy that the whole country shut down for a couple of hours each afternoon.  Sure it was hot, but we had paid good money to see Spain and were not happy about our sightseeing efforts being thwarted.  Methinks we may  be a little too Type A.  It amazes me every day how well we get along. . .

But now, in my middle-aged years I am beginning to understand the value of having the noonday meal be the big meal of the day and then taking a nap afterward.  I am way more productive with the rest of my hours and I only need 5-6 hours of sleep at night.  This is especially useful on days when I know that the Lehi City Council meeting will easily go from 5:30pm to midnight.

Hey!  Maybe we need a "siesta ordinance."  Long live the siesta.

Whoopie Pies

Hearth Kit by Shalae Tippets, Decorative Swirls-Grunged by Lori Cook (Scrap Girls)

I have a deep and enduring love for Whoopie Pies. If you have never had a Whoopie Pie in New England (especially in Maine. . .) then, you have never really had a Whoopie Pie. Yes, there are many recipes floating around and many "similar" items, but there is something magical about these individually wrapped culinary marvels that are available at any gas station/convienience store worth it's salt throughout my home state. The first whiff of chocolate when you tear through the cellophane barrier heightens the senses, but that first bite. . . ooh. . . the fluffy but moist chocolate cake with the creamy, sweet filling. . . let's just say that it is nearly a religious experience.


My sweet husband was in Maine two weeks ago for his Mother's funeral and I almost asked him to bring me back a Whoopie Pie, but these are not items tht travel well in a carry-on bag. As soon as it came, the thought was forgotten. Until Monday. On Monday Ed walked through the door with two boxes bearing "WhoopiePies.com" and a simple drawing of a Whoopie Pie. Immediately my heart began to race. I grabbed one out of the nearly empty top box (he had shared with his friends at work!) and tore open the cellophane. As I took my first bite of that confection, I was overwhelmed by my husband's thoughtfulness and homesickness for that state that still remains "home" in my heart. The tears started to roll down my cheeks- much to Ed's surprise! I had to take the boys to Karate, so I gave Ed a big kiss and dashed out the door. I think Reed and Parker wondered what I was crying about all the way to American Fork, but they are pretty used to how weird their mom is, and just let it go.


So, I don't really know what my emotional attachment to Whoopie Pies is. . . I probably need some serious phychoanalysis because every time I even think about this event I cry all over again! What I know without a doubt is that WhoopiePies.com has just scored a regular customer!