The Cotton-Tailed Bunny Run In

While we were in Kentucky last month at our family reunion we painted Easter tags and made some Easter egg bath bombs for Easter gifts. (Bath bombs are little soaps that burst and fizzle when they are dropped into water. My grandson, Jackson, calls them tub bombs!)

Every spring bunnies show up in our yard. This year was no exception. While painting more bunny tags at a friend’s home last week, my husband stepped out of our side door and met one of them head on. He wrote up what happened for our grand-kids to read. This is his story:

I knew that it must be close to Easter because when I came out of my garage door on the north side of the house on Wednesday I had no sooner stepped outside the door when I felt and saw a little cotton tailed bunny run right into my leg as it scampered to the little hole next to our wire gate. It shot through that hole like it was a bullet. I was so shocked at being hit by it that I almost fell over. As I got my bearings I realized the reason for the little bunny’s haste was that there was a little dog from down the street chasing it! The dog hit me as well and came to an abrupt stop at the fence, not fitting through the tiny little hole. I’m not sure if it was the Easter bunny, but it did escape unharmed. The people watching who own the dog must have gotten a laugh at this, but they were apologetic for the commotion.

I hope everyone had a nice Easter!

With the true meaning of Easter on my mind I’d like to share a link with you that will take you to a 2 ½ minute video about Jesus Christ. It’s a beautiful video. The Prince of Peace: FindingLasting Peace through Jesus Christ.

Happy Spring!!

Life Happen's When Making Other Plans

In January I painted 40 Valentine tags for a friend/client. At the time, it seemed like I’d never get all the tags done, but they were so fun to paint and I got them done fairly quickly, that one tag led to another until in the end I must have hand-painted about 80 Valentine tags/cards. Thanks Mary Kay for getting me to think about Valentine’s long before I normally would have!

At some point in my tag painting I decided I wanted to paint my children and grandkids a personal Valentine tag as it sounded fun to acknowledge them on Valentine’s Day. The only problem was I wanted to send a gift along with the tags and I was at a loss as to what that gift would be. During my dilemma two memories came to mind:

1.     When our kids were younger, we unexpectedly received some store-bought valentine cards (the kind children pass out in school) from my parents. Inside each valentine was a dollar bill. Although monetarily it wasn’t a lot per grandchild, I remember it meaning a lot to me and to our kids. It meant enough that I still remember it to this day!

2.     Del’s mom, who none but my oldest child knew, gave 2 dollar bills to her grandchildren on special occasions. This was such a rare bill that my oldest daughter still has hers in a scrapbook from almost 30 years ago.

Putting these two thoughts together, I decided to send the couples some money for a Valentine treat, and give 2 dollar bills to the grandkids. Although none of this is monetarily all that much, the whole Valentine tag/gift took on new meaning to me as I thought about these two incidents from our parents’ lives. So…that’s what they got and I’m sure I had more fun getting all of this put together and mailed than they had opening it. 

 But now for a rather funny story that goes along with all my other Valentine tags…

…for life is what happens when we are making other plans…

I have 12 girls in my church group (called the Beehives). I’m also a visiting teacher and my husband is a home teacher (titles relate to church). So…why not make large sugar cookies, put them in a baggie, and tie them with one of my hand-painted tags?!! Knowing part of the ending of this story, my sister Teresa wrote:

"First of all, when talking to Dad and Mother today…they mentioned that you had been so sick from making sugar cookies!  Sounds like you overdosed on mint and almond extract????Hahaha!!!  I shouldn’t laugh, but who knew?  Wow!  I also had to laugh because you remind me so much of me!  Why is it that everything we decide to do can turn into a BIG PROJECT???  Your simple act of kindness for Valentine’s Day not only puts you in bed sick, but you probably had nothing to show for your kind gesture…after all that!  Oh boy, do I relate!"

The reason for her comment: I baked about 30 large sugar cookies and 30 smaller ones. If you’ve ever baked and frosted sugar cookies you know it’s almost a full day’s work. I accidently poured in mint flavor extract into the frosting, so I tried disguising it with a lot of extra almond extract. Thinking it tasted terrible, but not wanting to waste my frosting, I frosted all the cookies thinking “although I can tell, maybe no one else will!” But in the long run, I ate at least 7 cookies to test out my theory. I wasn’t convinced I could give them away to the adults, but maybe the 12 year olds wouldn’t notice!! Into the freezer they went, waiting for Valentine’s Day.

That was my thinking until the next two days “happened”. I was sick in bed! The mint/almond frosting did me in and I was now determined NO ONE would be subjected to those “killer” cookies.

But this wasn’t the “normal” sick in bed due to food sickness. I didn’t put two and two together until a few more days had passed…

So back to before I knew what really happened: after 2 full days in bed, feeling horrible, I made it to church on Sunday and to a few who had heard I was sick, I told them my “horror” story about my homemade cookies (I didn’t want them thinking I was at church with the flu!). I also told my children, my parents and a few of my siblings via email.

Then Monday came along and I now had to go shopping for something to give to those we home teach, visit teach, and to the 12 Beehive girls. I was indecisive and took several hours only to decide on some cute lollypops! (Remember my sister’s comments above: turning something simple into something big?!!)

And then Monday night came. Del realized I was having “another kind of pain” due to a hernia I’ve dealt with for many years. I had shoveled wet, heavy snow the day before I baked cookies and it was acting up…just as it had been hurting even during all this “other sickness”.

If you know anything about hernia’s, you have probably put this all together. How was I to know that having a hernia pinched could cause everything to be trapped and backed up in my system, leaving me feeling bloated and sick and flu-like?!! After reading about hernia’s online, a light went on.

Do you get the humor in all of this?!! Oh my…I saw my cookies as “killer” cookies. I wasn’t going to subject those to ANYONE, not even 12 year old Beehive girls!! I had spent two days in bed thinking my cookies had poisoned me, more time shopping for an alternative gift, and lots of time sharing my story with others. And as it turns out, I simply had stomach problems as a result of side effects of a hernia, which will be addressed surgically on Monday! (I can’t tell you how funny I find this. I laid in bed Monday night with uncontrollable laughter. To think I had blamed my symptoms on my homemade cookies!! And as I laughed that night Del kept saying “hold your hernia! Push it back in”! Oh my goodness!! One might think finding out you need hernia surgery isn’t all that funny, but I do!

And sometimes even when you discover the truth it’s still hard to accept it and remove the craziness from your prior thoughts. Even while sitting in the doctor’s office I couldn’t help but try to figure out how to make the cookies a part of my symptoms. This matter-of-fact doctor certainly didn’t see the relevance of how cookies played any part of my medical problem. And my husband did all he could to not burst out laughing!

And so…life happens.

I do feel bad though that I won't be going to my dad's to help him when he has his hernia surgery. I was making flight plans when all this other happened! Ironic, huh?! So sorry dad!

Oh my…

And by the way, the cookies still taste terrible!! I tried another yesterday. Do I really need to throw them away? I guess I need to think of the trash can as Cookie Monster! “Me want cookies!”

Joseph B.Wirthlin, “Come What May and Love it” October 2008 General Conference

What Season Is It?

I hand-painted 10 of these tags for Mary Kay. FUN!!

Shortly after Christmas  I was painting with some friends. Most times we paint all the same things, but on this occasion we each had our own project. We were at Julie's home and when her husband showed up for lunch and looked at his kitchen table he said he was having a hard time deciding what season it was. I was painting flower tags for a friend, even though a foot of snow was on the ground. Julie was painting a Christmas elf, but Christmas was over. Chris was finishing up her pumpkin painting we started in November. Gabby was painting a Christmas moose, and Jamie was just visiting. She started a picture of Christ, but wasn't happy with it. I think it was facing down when Brad was looking at the table. 

Painting! 

It's just fun to paint, regardless of what it is!!

And creating friendships is even better!! 

Thanks for having us Julie!! 

It's a privilege to be a part of this group☺

This photo was taken a week after this story,
We once again worked on our own projects.

Frogs...

Last Friday (1/28/17), supposedly in bed for the night, I decided I wanted to paint a frog. I jumped out of bed and painted for 2 hours. The next morning I got up at 5:30 to "try again". 

Am I crazy?!

Why frogs?

Why give up sleep for it?

Here's one I painted in December.

And here's one I painted a few years ago for my grandson.

What's up with frogs?

A friend bought 15 of my frog tags this past December to give to her friend for Christmas. 

(Her friend loves everything frogs!). 

I painted an envelope for her too...but thought they were so fun I kept painting more.

Frogs...I guess it's just fun to paint something someone else might like.

What fun thing do you loose sleep over? 

What do you do just because it might make someone smile??

Wishing you a HOPPY day!!

Snow Day

I’m a list maker. Most days my list of things to do in one day is rather long. It includes not just the "have to's", but the "want to's" and "ought to-do" items. Last night I added a bunch of errands I need to run to my already lengthy to-do list for today. For those of you who live where it snows, have you noticed how a “snow day” seems to make you think you have nothing pressing to get to, even though your list is still as long as ever and you’ve now added snow removal to that list?

Because my husband shoveled snow 4 times yesterday and I only once, I decided to take my turn early this morning. As I headed outdoors through the garage, this is what I found! 

A foot of snow had fallen during the night. The prediction was 1-3 inches.

Between my husband and I and our kind neighbors with a more powerful snow blower than ours, we got our driveway shoveled. My husband cancelled his appointments at the office and is home for the day. And even though we can now make it out of our driveway, I’ve decided my errands can wait. For some reason it just feels like a “free day” to do something different.

I hope you find a free day now and then. It rejuvenates the soul!!

I painted the reindeer in December and thought it sounded fun to post it. Nothing urgent, right?! Just something fun to do.

The sun is out - maybe I’ll step back outside. I think more snow has fallen, but an inch or two will be easier to shovel than 12!!

Happy winter.

A Cautionary Tale of Christmas Candy

Before our children were married, we spent most of our Christmas’s in California with my parents. In my parent’s home is a candy closet, full of many, many “favorites”.  It is known by the nickname of: “Grandma’s Candy Closet”. To pass time while driving to Sydney’s parents for Christmas, Nate (son) and Sydney (daughter-in-law) wrote this poem about Grandma’s Candy Closet:

A Cautionary Tale of Christmas Candy

‘Twas the night before Christmas

Grandma's Candy Closet - Trudy, December 2016
"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups:
candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."
(quote by Buddy on "Elf")

And all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even a mouse.

My parents in bed,

My siblings asleep.

On quiet tip toes,

To the closet I creep.

In daylight restricted,

At nighttime guard free.

I stuffed all my pockets,

More candy for me!

I turn to go back,

No time to delay.

What’s that out the window?

Did I see a sleigh?

My face flushes white,

I know what I’ve done!

If I’m caught red handed,

My Christmas won’t come!

I emptied my pockets,

And dashed for the hall.

Those sleigh bells I hear,

mean St. Nick’s come to call!

Could I be so careless, so thoughtless, so dumb?

Had I, as Icarus, flown too close to the sun?

The one night a year I’m to be extra mindful,

I’d gambled it all for a single sweet mouthful.

Down the chimney he’s coming,

I’m sure as can be.

My parents, Keith & Lucile Tibbitts and Del

There’s still time to fix this!

I’ll slip past the tree!

I made it to bed

And quickly feigned sleeping,

And hoped that St. Nick

Wouldn’t hear my hard breathing

My ruse overcame me,

I started to doze,

But swear to this day,

I heard three Ho, Ho, Ho’s

So to kids a reminder,

On this Christmas night,

Delay your adventures

And stay tucked in tight!

Del & Trudy, December 2016
Santa (my dad) bought 2 boxes, 2 pounds each, of Sees Chocolates!
Our favorite!!

You're Never Finished Until You Quit Admiring It

·       I was organizing my paintings the other day. I came across this darling face I painted for a book I illustrated for a friend. I had a hard time figuring out how I wanted the girl in the book to look, but I finally created this cute face and fell in love with her! Is it okay to fall in love with your own creation? I did! My husband is a good fix-it man. He fixes things until I don’t want it fixed again! We’re still using a toaster we got for a wedding gift because he’s been so good at fixing it. I told him I wanted a toaster wide enough to toast a bagel. He fixed the toaster so good last time (ten years ago) that I don’t think it will ever break. He believes in a penny saved is a penny earned, so why get rid of something that still works? I want a bagel toaster! But of course I could get one, so I must not want it bad enough -  but don’t tell him that!! Anyways, what I was leading up to is that when my husband fixes something or builds something he will go back and back to look at his good work. I smile about that. Today he drilled a hole in a cupboard so he could move our Bose Sound Touch to a more convenient spot in the house. He’s passed by it often today, pausing long enough to take a good look. Last week he installed a new facet in our main bathroom. A few months ago he installed a soft close toilet seat and thinks it’s one of the best inventions of the 21^st century! And a few years ago he built us a sun-room. The list could go on and on. The point is, each time he builds or fixes something, he looks and stares at it, not just for a few minutes, but for days. As he keeps returning to where he moved our speaker (above where I’m typing this) I told him that I’m no different. Each new painting becomes my favorite (not always, but often). Some get placed in my kitchen where I can look at it until a new one takes its place. Right now a snowman’s face has the coveted spot. Last year an Ostrich painting sat in the same spot. Before that, it was this girl’s face…. Hummmm…. Is this human nature or just something silly my husband and I do??