Dwarf Bear Poppy

St. George has a claim to fame!  There is a flower that grows here that does not grow anywhere else in the world.  No, really.  They can't even get it to grow in a lab.  It grows in a preserve they have created for it just about 10 miles from our house.  It is barren desert land, with a kind whitish- greyish soil.  And, I guess, that is what this plant likes- that rocky soil.  It blooms for about a month each year.  And it is beautiful.  Ken and I recently went out to see these rare, endangered flowers and to photograph them.

They grow in clusters like this.  Aren't they pretty?

Rachel Ray's Garbage Bowl

I haven't for years, but I used to watch Rachel Ray's show.  Is it still on?  Anyway, she always talked about having a bowl by where you are cooking for waste, garbage and trash- saving yourself many trips to the garbage can.  You put it all in there, then just make the trip to the trash can once and dump it.  I actually found one that Rachel Ray sells at Kohl's on sale several years ago.  I have loved this thing.  I do use it as she suggests, but I use it for other stuff, too. I peel potatoes and carrots right into it.  I put all the cooking trash in it as I cook.  It saves so many trips to the garbage can.  I keep it washed by the sink.  When I need to wash a few small things, I use it for a washing bowl.  I use to warm eggs to bring them to room temperature when I'm baking. I cool blanched vegetables in it.  It is just right there, easy to grab, and is deep, so it works for lots of stuff.  I would have a hard time cooking without it.  Get yourself a garbage bowl.  It is one of my favorite things!  You can find it here:  It comes in several colors, but of course I chose red.

Here it is full after making a soup.

To see other of my favorite things, click here.

The Post

We've been finding all the Tom Hanks movies that we have missed.  This was another good one.  It tells the true story of the decision the owner (played by Meryl Streep) and manager (played by Tom Hanks) of The Post had to make about whether or not to publish the truth about the presidential management of the Viet Nam war.  It is tense and exciting.  Though Hanks' character is not particularly likable, he sure plays it well.  Three stars from us.

Other shows and movies we have enjoyed can be found here.

Lemonade

Who cares what it is called?  Just open it!

The Minuteman

The Minuteman: The Forgotten Legacy of Nat Arno and the Fight Against Newark's Nazis by Greg Donahue

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This was a short audible book about a man that US history has acknowledged as a hero. In the 1930s pro-Nazi groups began popping up all over the US. New Jersey was especially affected. Nat Arno was asked to lead the charge against these groups. He was an ex-boxer and not afraid of vigilante violence. He died kind of in disgrace, never knowing that he would later be credited with keeping the Nazis from getting a stronghold in the USA. I didn’t even know this happened. It was interesting to learn about.



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Our Harlem

Our Harlem: Seven Days of Cooking, Music and Soul at the Red Rooster by Marcus Samuelsson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Several years ago, my daughter and I vacationed in New York City. On a Sunday, we visited Harlem. We ate at Amy Ruth’s, a delightful local diner that featured chicken and waffles. We realized we were the only white people in the restaurant. We were surrounded by women in their bright Sunday outfits with matching hats (yes, all of the women wore beautiful hats!) and men dressed to the nines, all there for a bite of lunch after church. It was a delicious and cultural experience. I felt I was transported to another time and place. Since then, I have been fascinated with Harlem.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audible immersion into Harlem’s culture, history, music and food. The writer/ guide is Marcus Samuelson, owner of the Red Rooster in Harlem. You may know him as a judge on “Chopped.” In this audible book, he visits with other Harlemites and interviews them about Harlem’s history, culture, music, food, etc. It is just delightful. He also cooks a dish with each one, and recipes are available on the audible website.



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Before We Were Yours

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a hard book to review. I hated it, but I loved it. It is difficult for me to read about abuse, especially child abuse. It is heart-breaking. That’s the hate part. But this historical fiction tells about a dark secret our country holds. It is important. It is beautifully written. It is powerful. It presents a new literary hero who sacrificed everything to try and hold her little family together. That’s the love part. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Was it hard to read? Yes. You decide.



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The Desert in Spring

Ken took some beautiful shots on his hike up Webb hill the other day.  Even the dry desert offers beauties in the springtime.

Frameable

Ordinance code in our area allows chickens, but not roosters.  Someone released this unwanted rooster into the wild.  He will make a nice dinner for a fox or coyote.

Our artichoke bush is getting ready to produce a lot of artichokes.

One day, Kristen posted on our group text: " Post a picture of something that is bringing you joy today."  This is what I posted.  We love to sit at the table with our door open and watch and hear the birds.  They come and bathe in and drink from our bird bath.  We have a huge variety of birds come: robins, three kinds of doves, orioles, red-breasted nut hatch, Say's phoebe, house finches, house sparrows, etc. and hummingbirds to the hummingbird feeder.  

What Was the Date of the First Vision?

Our mission president sent the link to this movie where they discuss the actual date of Joseph Smith's first vision.  I admit when I started listening to it, I was quite skeptical, but by the end was pretty convinced.  Scientists and historians have independently decided that the most likely date of Joseph's First Vision  was Sunday, March 26, 1820.  If you are interested, click on the link and see what you think.  At the very least, it is thought-provoking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6MsQ6QBMMY

Same Kind of Different As Me

This was a moving movie, based on a true story.  We highly recommend it.  4 Stars from us.

We watched it on Netflix streaming, but I see it everywhere.

Other movies and shows we have enjoyed can be viewed if you click here.

Getting Out of the House- Easter Picnic

Easter Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day.  We decided to have a socially distant picnic and enjoy the beautiful day.  Traditionally, through the years, we have always picnicked on the Saturday before Easter, including our Easter egg hunt. This time of year was always busy for Ken as it was tax season at work, but he would always take a couple of hours off to picnic and have our Easter egg hunt.

  We wanted to continue the tradition-sans the egg hunt.  In our stake, they have recently completed a new stake center. It was scheduled to be dedicated in March, but the pandemic has prevented that meeting.  It is out on the egde of current civilization in our stake, but there are plans to build all around it.  In the back is a beautiful pavillion with picnic tables.  We decided it would be the perfect place.  We enjoyed a nice picnic, short walk, and then drove around through booming neighborhoods in the area.  You would never know there was a pandemic going on, as so many people were out enjoying the absolutely gorgeous day.  It was wonderful to get out for a couple of hours.

Scoop Colander

Several years ago, my sister, Pam gave me a scoop colander for Christmas.  I had never seen one before.  But it has become one of my most valuable kitchen tools. How did I ever live without it?  I use it to scoop pasta out of the water and put in the sauce, I use it to retrieve boiled eggs, potatoes, or tomatoes when blanching them.  What else?  It seems like it is the perfect tool for so many uses.
You can buy one here:
https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-10066-Colander-Strainer-Slotted/dp/B00LMCWL7A/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2EBIR0601ZZ6Q&dchild=1&keywords=colander+scoop&qid=1586811970&sprefix=colander+scoop%2Caps%2C586&sr=8-1


Thanks Pam!  To view other of my favorite things, click here.

Getting Out of the House- Zion National Park

On Monday, March 23, I was getting pretty discouraged being couped up inside.  It was time for an outing.  Ken was excited to go to Zion National Park because it was raining that day.  Zion National Park transforms when it rains.  It is just gorgeous:  cloud shrouded, the rocks that are always beautiful shimmer like jewels, and waterfalls form everywhere, spilling over the cliffs.  So, after waiting for a repairman to come, we made a simple picnic and drove the hour to Zion National Park.  We found it with very few people, allowing us to easily keep our social distance.  Please enjoy pictures of Zion National Park on a rainy day in March:

In Zion National Park are a pair of California Condors (endangered species) that live and nest there.  That is one of them on the crest of this cliff.

Another picture of the condor.  If you look, you can see his white tag on his wing, put there by park officials.

It was raining, so we picnicked under a covered bus stop.  We were entirely alone.  This was our view.

No, I didn't put on make up.  I haven't worn it for weeks!

Deer by the side of the road

A close up of a turkey vulture.  It was way bigger than it looks here.

It was just what I needed- to get out of the house!  They have now closed Zion National Park.  I'm glad we went before they did.