Carlton's log, DC...Manassas, actually

Hi. My name is S'mee; and I hate war.

I am a child of my era and I am not a fan of fighting at all. I am more along the lines of Rodney King who stated, "Why can't we all just get along?"

I am naive in my heart of hearts. I know that in the grown up world someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong. Someone must stand up and say: "ENOUGH!" in order that people become and remain free. However, I am still not a fan of war.


Please understand me however, when I say, I fully support the men and women who chose the military as their career for a limited amount of service time or for their life. I admire them. I thank them. I am amazed at the unselfish, heroic job they claim.



In the east, and especially in and around the D.C. area you are inundated with symbols, statues and memorials all in someway connected to war. It is difficult for me to be around all of these emblems of sacrifice and heroism. I am the kind of person who personalizes too much. For me, these memorials become tributes to unknown family, unknown people in my heart and after a while, I just can't take it anymore.



As we drove out to see yet another historical site, Manassas, I felt consumed with the thoughts of war and its' cruelties and began, again, to associate all this military drama, the scenes, the scents, and the emotions with someone I know.



We watched a film documenting the battle that took place at Manassas. The battle that was thought to be the only one, after this battle the war would be settled and that would be that. As it turns out, this battle was the precursor for the rest of the civil war and just the beginning of what would become our nation's greatest nightmare.



I was caught in the reenactment on film. Young boys standing a few yards apart and literally shooting each other to death until there were no more. Family members unfamiliar with the realities of war made picnic baskets and took the kiddies out to cheer on big brother, dad, and uncle. To their dismay they could only hear the boom of the canons and to their choice blessing, the smoke of those canons blocked the view of the horrors. Later after the smoke cleared they would rise to see hundreds of their loved ones piled upon each other, dead where they lay, waiting for someone to claim them and take them home.



I watched this film as if it were real, for it was. It upset me more than the others in the theatre. One man snored loudly as the bodies fell. I have never been able to be desensitised, this is why I hate war. It is always real to me.



I am amazed at the bravery of both sides. Young men who stood and took their shot, knowing it was just a matter of time before they would not go to an earthly home when all was finished. Young people still are doing this today. Young people who believe that what they do is for a greater cause than themselves. For them I have love and gratitude. It is for them I raise my flag each national holiday. Never do I raise the flag to honour war, only those who fight in one.


Last Saturday an elderly friend of mine fell. This is a man who devoted his entire life, since his 17th birthday, to the military service which became a literal part of him. This is a man who saw many of the atrocities and terrors face to face and witnessed the death of over half of his comrades. He saw WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and others. He wore his uniform as an indication of his commitment to freedom and to the land of his fathers. He dedicated his whole self to being an example of a warrior and a gentleman. Above all he was a gentle man.



He earned 6 purple hearts and the Congressional Medal of Honour. He earned 23 various medals and too many ribbons for me to remember without his record in front of me. He was admired by Colonels and Majors, and all the men with whom he served. Upon hearing of his death, a Colonel serving in Iraq telegramed my friend's wife so that she would know he loved and admired his life and service to others.



It was this man who I saw lined up as a civil war youth, taking a hit for freedom. Bravely standing, knowing he would fall for the rights of his country and fellow man. It is he who I thought of as I wondered at the bravery of men and women still who, although we have weapons with stealth capabilities, still have death to face everyday. It is he who I will mourn along with his widow.



I echo the words of F.D.R....



"I have seen war. I have seen war on land and on sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives.

I hate war."

Carlton's log, DC, windows

Carlton's log, DC

So here's the view we had from our hotel... if you stood in the middle of the street. Yup, just a three minute walk from our room to the rooms where most of the major decisions in the U.S. are made. Cool. From our hotel room we could see the very tip of the Capital's finial and a construction site directly below us across the street. A couple of bonuses we did not have the times previous. The construction began each day promptly at 6:00 DC time which was 3:00a.m. Thor and S'mee time. But it worked well as Thor's meetings began each day about 7a.m. so we didn't need an alarm clock, we just woke up to jack hammers and the guys' morning chatter.

The day this particular photo was taken it was obviously overcast and in the low 70's, but actually the weather was a kind of every other day schedule of a menu switching back and forth between high 80's and high 60's...never needing a coat or umbrella. Lovely.

The hotel where we stayed also had a few moments of historical (minute at best) interest. We had a visit from Ms. Clinton. Actually she was there to chat with another group, but we were told by our friendly valet man. Chronicler and I had hooked up and we had been out to the temple in the morning and when we came back for a change of camera cards there were protesters on the sidewalk and all kinds of "suits". You the kind. Very serious guys in black suits, curly wires connecting their ears to their chests, dark glasses, and the occasional talking into their armpit or shoulder. Mrs. Clinton was whisked away, however, out the back via a tunnel due to hotel security not wanting to deal with the protesters. No photo opts for us except for the "suits" and a few high ranking military gentlemen we saw rushed inside.

This was the same day Thor and his associates walked out into the front lawn of the capital to focus recognition to workers rights. With bright neon green shirts and a few large signs designating the different labour groups there was a large gathering of working men and women who hoped that the folks who make the decisions would catch the vision of good U.S. home grown labour and the need to keep work here in the U.S. and also a living wage for a quality product.

Hillary in the hotel, Thor on the Capital lawn... pretty good day.

Meanwhile, Chronicler and I were on a mission to see as much of the Smithsonian as possible. Um, well, much of the Smithsonian was still under winter wraps and unavailable for viewing. Grrr. Not to be discouraged we headed for the museums we could get to and were not disappointed...

catching up before I leave

I have been caught up again in a swirl of activities once again. Saturday was the dinner for the Stake Presidency, the clerks, and high council and their wives between sessions. It went well. Sunday was Stake Conference. Monday was my best friend's birthday and her mother's funeral. I was honoured to sing at the funeral. It was out of town, so I was gone from about 11:00 - 10:00. A long day, but worth it.

Today another meeting 8:30 - 12:00, followed by washing and packing and preparing to leave tomorrow for D.C. I am excited to go. I like the D.C. trip. Poor Thor gets stuck inside a conference room for ten day and I get to drive around and see the sights and museums and this trip...

a brand new baby!!! Yup I am hoping to catch up with my niece and Chronicler for a day and meet the new baby boy. I am very excited!!! Any who, I'll take a ton of photos and let you know all the details.

from the tribe of Levi 501s

I love the Travel Channel. I love, was absolutely hooked on, "Living With The Kombai Tribe" and wish it would just go on, but it's over. A documentary type program of two journalists who join one of the last “prehistoric” societies on the planet for the span of three or four months, learning, eating and living as the tribe does and has for thousands of years. True “hunter and gatherers”: the men hunt, the women gather, everyone works from morning to night, and happily. If you get a chance, click on over there and check out the photos. I want you to see the women of the tribe, some beautiful women.

These women are very beautiful to me. They have dark chocolate skin, a tight knit scrub of short hair, wide noses and even wider charming smiles. Their eyes are friendly, deep, and jet-black, and they have wrinkles, sagging skin, and enormous feet for their height if compared to the rest of the women in the world their age. They wear skirts of large leaves, no shoes, no purses, and no make up. The only jewelry they possess is a necklace of dog’s teeth. Surprisingly pretty against their ebony necks, the white teeth adorn each bride and are added to as she goes through her life. These women, untouched by modern society, are natural and beautiful.

I also like those new "Dove" ads. Everything from shampoo to deodorant and lotion, one company saying it's o.k. for women to be real in an ad campaign. Real pretty, real thin, real plump, real old. Real wrinkly or full of real gray hair, or a woman who hasn't got any extra weight on her, but a real woman whose skin is a bit loose from years of wearing. Kind of like your favorite jeans: tight when you first put them on; and comfy and a bit saggy by the end of the day, your favorite pair of jeans; perhaps your favorite woman.

A little over a year ago I had the ol' girl parts yanked. It was a very good thing for me. I had been having some trouble with my body and when the only permanent solution was to have a hysterectomy I was on board. All in all it went as predicted. Some of my friends had been through this before and expressed that after two weeks I would feel better, after six months I would be a new woman...they were right on.

As in dominoes however, you topple one and others follow, it is the same with my "new" body. I have gained more weight than I expected in one year. I have drier skin than before, and then there are the wrinkles. I am 49. I have never felt a need to hide my age or worry about dying my gray hair. But I have to admit, before last February I had very few wrinkles to worry about, no "crows feet", not too many "laugh lines" and people complemented me on my 'flawless' skin. Not so much anymore. I have noticeable wrinkles and laugh lines and they are there even when my face is relaxed and expressionless. My eyes look as though they are made of damp sand and the crows have hopped all over and left their tiny little imprints before flying off to someone else. My face looks like I live with Robyn Williams.

I got very old in one year's time. That is the hard part for me. The gray hair came a strand at a time, the aches and pains also built slowly, but the wrinkles came all in a week I think! Even still they are my wrinkles and I am 49. I get that 50 ain't what it used to be -even as close as ten years ago, but let's get real...I am still hitting 50 next year and wrinkles and gray hair are a natural part of that. Throw in "spider" veins, Relief Society arms (under arm flab, bat wings, whatever you call them), falling arches, and sagging… well, everything, and you get the idea of what a natural woman looks like.

Every night I reach for my (as Chronicler labels) hope in a jar and slather myself like a tragic scene from those black and white movies in the 50’s. You know her, the house frau with the face full of night cream. At least I rub it in and go to bed without the white face. But slather and rub I do.

Each morning I wake up, get water as hot as I can stand and I lay a thick steamy washcloth across my face. I love the way it perks me up and refreshes my skin. I bend over the sink so that I can clearly see the reflection of "me" in the mirror. Usually I see my mother. It's o.k. My mother was very pretty in her day, and frankly, today she is pushing her mid 80's and she doesn't look over 60. She teeters and feigns a smile and nods when she can't hear a comment, she repeats her conversation sometimes, and doesn't do the things as accurately as she used to. You know what? It's o.k. She's 80 something years old and she’s supposed to do those things. So I look more and more like my mother each morning. Fine. She is where she needs to be, I am where I am supposed to be.

I have never worn make-up except on very special occasions. I know that I look tremendously better with make up, but I feel better without it. I can't work with my hair down so most days it's pulled uber tight into a ponytail rather than fluffed in a more flattering style down. My wardrobe is less than stellar. I am a sure candidate for "What Not To Wear" 99% of the time, but I clean up well and look presentable, again, when occasion merits the discomfort. I dress in suits for Sunday meetings and have dress slacks etc. for business. I actually have 10 or so evening gowns in rotation for Thor's business dinners and events- and I love to get all gussied up for those. I wear ugly shoes and my legs haven't seen the light of day for over 30 years. All but one piece of my jewelry is CZ or costume because I can't bear the thought of spending real money on something so trivial. I'm o.k. with me. I am o.k. with being 49. I’m o.k. with being “o.k.”

I don’t want to just "get old"; I want to fight it as much as the next gal. However, what I do not want –for me- is to go at it in a way that isn’t “me”. If I could, I would get lasik eye surgery, get rid of some fat, maybe a lid lift so that I fend off the blood-hound look that is rapidly hiding what little lashes I have. Chances of those options happening for me are nil. I never wore make up when I looked young and fresh, why start now? I don’t want to dye my hair, because frankly, I worry about that inch of root coming in when I don’t have the time or money to get a touch up. I am vain; I don’t want roots. I also don’t want to announce to the world that I am trying to regain some sex appeal by suddenly becoming a red head or a blonde or heaven forbid “high lights” –all of which scream “Mid Life Crisis!” to me. My cankles decided long ago that only sensible shoes are in the closet now. But I still have a weakness for a cute purse.

I guess what I am saying is that I am happy where I am at in life. And I am at 49. I have wrinkles, dry skin and gray hair. I have the experience that comes with 49 years. I have some wisdom. I am a wife. I am the mother of 5 adults. I am a gramma. I also have enough confidence to go out in public with out make up. I am a comfortable pair of jeans.

You're invited! (to a pity party)

Not that I want to give you a blow by blow account of my body fluids and what they have been up to lately, but hey, this hasn't been a fun past few weeks or days. It started with a cold, developed into a nasty allergic reaction to a drug (NOT fun), and ended up weakening me to the point of losing my voice and running into walls when I walked. Then we helped pack and move my son and his family 2 1/2 hours away (NOoOOooooo!), then followed a church assignment: I had to help put on a stake activity (not LDS? this equates to a party/with live entertainment, with a schmancy lunch for 200). There were four of us on the committee, and yours truly got stuck in the kitchen.

So after finishing up with the loveliness that was my "cold", I got to lift and work on my feet for 10 hours a day for a week and a half in a row, which took it's toll on my system -and if you know me, that means I didn't/couldn't walk for four days after that.

The move went well, we took two days to pack and clean/paint. The third day we packed the final stuff and drove to the new town. Through a comedy of errors Thor and I didn't have the address to the new place and drove around for an hour trying to find it. Eventually we hooked up on the phone and got directions. We unloaded what we brought and began to unpack some things until Mommy and her mother came later that night. I set up one bathroom and the kids' room as best I could so they could at least sleep in a bed. The guys put together the master bed and laundry room set up. Some of the front room furniture was arranged and we headed home at about 8:00 that night. By the time we got home we fell into bed.

Later came the luncheon for 200 and the "entertainment". Fortunately for me, and the rest of the committee, the program was planned and performed by another group and we just needed to do the set up and take down.

Three days before we went shopping. One of the gals has a retired fire fighter for a husband who (BLESS THAT MAN) volunteered to marinate and flame broil the chicken for us. His dear sweet wife asked if she could cut all the lettuce for us. This was the bulk of a lot of work! Each of the four of us made 100 mini muffins in different varieties, plus 8 -8 inch- round cakes. The other gals decided to make their cakes ahead of time, I waited until the day before to do my baking.

The day before two of the gals went and picked up plants, trees and shrubbery to be used as a back drop scenery for the entertainment part of the program. The tables were set up by a group of men (THANKS!) and the chairs were draped with chair covers, the tables with clothes.

That afternoon we four met at the building to assemble the fruit skewers and cakes. The idea was that each layer cake would be thick enough to divide into two inch thin pieces. We would take three layers and make one cake. The bottom filled with vanilla pudding the top layer with strawberry jam. The whole thing would be cover with a 7-minute frosting. What's that they say about all good plans??? Well, the cakes made by the other gals were extremely thin, some even thinner than the one inch needed for one layer. Most could not be divided at all. But when they took their cakes from their ovens, each of the other gals made more than their 8 required cakes. That was a good idea. Because I have worked with Chronicler, and because I have had much experience with making and decorating cakes I understood what was required to make a nice thick moist cake. I also used professional pans so the sides of my cakes were straight up and down. (I want to say here that I tried to warn and advise the other bakers, but to no avail...they knew better than I at the original decision making meeting. Things changed while we were struggling the night before.) Another difficulty we encountered was the choice of filling. While tasty and probable for a "eat the same day" cake...not so much if the cake needs to sit over night. The weight of the top layers, along with their instability and cracks made for quite a sliding catastrophe. The 7 minute frosting turned into 70 minute marshmallow goo and was waging its' own war against gravity. These cakes were the centerpieces for each table. We made 16 that night and went home at 10 p.m..

Most of the cakes managed to survive the night, however the marshmallow did as most marshmallow does and became a thick and chewy covering. During the opening greetings we noticed that our numbers had increased and we needed to add an additional table, with settings, and yup, another cake centerpiece. So I grabbed two more cakes from the fridge (thank goodness we did not throw them away the night before) and grabbed a can of frosting from a cupboard and managed to make a similar cake (#17) for the newly added table. We also had 12 more servings to come up with.

At the last minute the other two gals were asked to join two numbers in the program, one each; so they were unable to come back and help serve. We had one hour to get our lunch assembled. Luckily we had a simple menu and most of the prep work was done. I got busy portioning lettuce so we could add dressing and ingredients rapidly and with accuracy. The other gal set out the plates in table groups and as I got the lettuce dressed she added chicken, croutons, etc. We put crescent rolls and fruit skewers on the plate and held our breath until they were all set.

The two other gals had long left the kitchen and so we got working rather quickly and efficiently to get as many plates up and onto serving trays as possible. We were stacking plates by table size and hoped that when the time came we could just walk out a tray at a time and the natives would remain happy. For the most part that is exactly what happened. There were a few folks who somehow forgot that there were only two women working the kitchen and had something pleasant to remark. grrrr Oh yes, and the one gal who insisted we made her plate "to go" because she had a shopping trip to go to with two friends who, btw, "need a plate as well". I wanted to throw food at her, but we had plenty so I just asked her to wait until we got those who were staying fed. She groused a bit, but at that point I didn't care.

I just kept cleaning and serving and cleaning and serving and tried to keep the final clean up as little as it could get. For the most part we just had to throw things away and clean up cake plates. The majority of the other dishes I had already finished by the time it was time to clean up and go home. We had to fold 200 chair backs, gather linens to wash at home and get all the borrowed trees and bushes back into trucks. All in all it was a long couple of days. But the event was a huge success.

The following four days I had a very difficult time walking and ran into several people and walls! I waited until Monday to do my share of the laundry... I was pooped!

I hope that you feel pity for me. Send chocolate. Somebody call the Waaaambulance!

I have a few projects in the works and hope to blog about them soon.

In the mean time I am excited for my niece. The one who thought babies would be something the other girls would experience. Congratulations to the first daughter, to her hubby, and of course gramma and grampa. This is a stranger event than expected -they have the first boy in the family for a long time. Wooohooo! New babies are such fun! He's a real cutie too. Go check him out at Chronicler's.

ugh! Sorry folks, I am SICK! Yikes, I think I caught whatever Lisa has through reading her blog! It's taken me a couple of days just to get this post up and will probably take a few more days to get another post. Just thought I'd let everyone know I am alive, but not enough to do anything. I'll write soon. Thanks for hanging in there with me, see you soon.

What I did on my summer vacation...1976

Per Lisa's request - she wanted to know what I did between high school graduation and marriage:

Well, in those few months between June and November, I helped put the finishing touches on my wedding. Yup, I got married the November after graduating.

Very early on in my little girl life I decided that I wanted to be a mom when I grew up. I also decided I would never marry. I had seen enough of that and wanted nothing to do with it. Now back in the day single women did not rear children. That was unthinkable! If by chance some poor little thing was taken advantage of or had a huge laps in judgement she was shipped off to an aunt in the midwest and the situation was quietly taken care of. I knew this. I was nothing if not observant as a kid. I saw that After School Special played out a few times and I knew enough not get involved in that way with anyone! But I was also pretty naive and had not had "the talk" with dear ol' mom, so although I knew a boy would be involved, I wasn't exactly sure about Slot A and Tab B.

By the time I "grew up" I had a goal.."kids sans husband". How to do this? Well like I said I was observant and noticed that those with money got pretty much anything they wanted, even when it broke the rules. I would go to school and do what my parents wanted me to do, then go back to school and become a commercial artist, live at the beach, and eventually have enough money and go by me some kids. I would adopt. I would be rich and no one would stop me. That was the plan.

Then in the summer of my 15th year Thor's parents moved to our small little town. He would enter his Senior year in a brand new school, and he wasn't super keen on the idea, but it was a move to help the little girls in the family and give them a better neighborhood than they had in the old town. So move they did.

Thor and I met that summer; and by the following New Year's Eve we had our first date. By February I knew my plans of never being married would be done with. I was in loooove!

Side-bar: In Thor's family everyone had a habit of marrying young...YOUNG. Mom hit the alter at 16, and the older brothers all went forth at the ages of 17 and 18. That said, his parents had a happy marriage and the older brothers seemed to be doing just fine too.

So we dated, steady-eddies until I was a Senior myself and would graduate. Although this broke the previous tradition, even in love I wasn't stupid enough to graduate as a married lady; so we waited. He was 19, I was 18; and on November 12 (the 12th of "never"), we were married in the Los Angeles Temple. After two years of honeymoon time we began having all those kids I wanted. They came like clockwork every two years for eight years, and then we took a three year hiatus and were delightfully surprised by #5 after Thor took a job at a broken Nuclear Power Plant.

I never went to school to be what my parents wanted me to be, I never got rich enough to live at the beach, but I got the best wish of my childhood and Thor to boot. I did pretty well for myself.

That's the short story. Here's a slightly longer version for those truly bored.

We met in church. I was assigned the youth talk for that summer Sunday and I wore a dress I had made earlier that spring while I was sick and home from school for 7 months. I was very ill and had lost so much weight I was probably about 92 pounds when Thor first laid eyes on me in an "India Print" gauze dress, with elephants dyed and marching along the hem. I had -to my waist- straight as a board- dark brown hair and he was the new boy. He was skinny and shorter than most of the guys, but he had a great big smile and the prettiest green eyes you ever saw. Plus, this new guy had shoulders on him like a mack truck. They were huge and broad. He had the thickest brown hair and goofy clothes. He was the sweetest, most dear boy I knew. I trusted him immediately and worried that all the other girls would sweep him away and I would never get a chance to even talk with him. We officially met when he offered me his seat in Sunday school class, which I took, then thought how bold I was, got embarrassed and left the room changing classes for the next 5 months.

Our first date was News Year's Eve at the church dance. He was almost two hours late and I thought he stood me up. But he showed up, we danced, and then we sat by each other on the bus that would drive the ward down to the Rose Parade. We talked the entire trip while everyone else slept. By the time we arrived everyone woke up and Thor and I fell asleep and never saw a single float go by. The Bishop joked that "Now you need to get married, you slept together on the first date!" ha ha. Not so much, I was mortified. This was my first date with the guy and back then (hard to believe but true) I was SHY. Very SHY and not so confident. This was humiliating and everyone laughed! Oh well, it was prophetic. The stars were set and everyone saw it before we did.

So there you go. My Summer essay. Hope I get an "A"!

Advice from 3 hollywood types

I love this photo. It came with the computer program. Someone was able to capture what I have been feeling lately. The blues, wanting to take a long walk off a short pier, alone, a little sorry for myself, mourning, and a general chill. It will pass, it's not that big of a deal, and yeah, I'm fine. Really. From the look out there in blog-ville I am not the only one experiencing a bit of the "can spring just get here already?" ho-hums.

For me the reason was a bit of information I received and it kind of threw me for a loop. I was talking about it today and what I came up with is similar to the whole "Matrix" feeling. You know, "take the red pill and know the truth."

Up until that information hit I thought something was the truth. I took the pill and now I know that everything I felt before wasn't real. How do you live for 40+ years thinking that the dress you have worn for 40+ years has always been blue plaid and wake up one day to find that, in reality, it is a red stripe? There is so much of me that feels like a "matrix", what is real, what was a lie, what was a nice story to pacify me, what was truth? Even in the fabric of my dress threads were pulled to weave another garment. A garment worn by another person; making my clothing full of holes and thread bare.

There are so many holes in my fabric that at times I wondered if what I wore all my life was even a dress. Maybe it was a jumper, or shorts, maybe I had a heavy coat on all those years, or maybe I wore jeans and a tee shirt. At this point I question what is in the mirror on a daily basis. I can't trust my own memories and judgement in some areas, and that has me freaked a bit.

I know that in the long run it doesn't matter what I wear on my body as long as I know who resides in my heart. I refer to another great film of our time, The Lion King. In one particularly educational scene Rafiki bonks Simba on the head and reminds him that certain things are in the past and essentially that makes them a moot point. What really matters is that Simba listen to his father and realize his potential future, his right to be king. I went for the blue monkey, took the bonk on the head and am listening to my Father. Hopefully this will keep on a course that leads to my own Royalty someday.

I am sorting things out lately. I need to clean out my head -and like a closet, all the stuff is on the floor and being sorted out. Some things need to be boxed up, other things tossed, still others labeled and filed. Right now my mind is a bit empty. In the words of another good housekeeper: "It's a good thing!"

I haven't had a good idea for blogging in quite a while, the brain is otherwise occupado. But I am open to suggestion. Got something on your mind? Got a question for me? I am pretty much an open book and if you have read this blog at all, you know I have an opinion on pretty much everything. So give me a topic, ask my thoughts on your dilemma, send me a laundry list of ideas, or whatever.

This is your big chance...it's open mike night, let me have it!

Carlton's log, day 4, photos

Carlton's log, day 3, Year of the Pig

Carlton's log, day 2, Ethel M.

What to do after a day hiking? Why go to a chocolate factory of course! Henderson, just south of Vegas, is home to Ethel M. Chocolates. For any who may not know, she and her husband became famous for making a tiny contribution to the war effort in the manner of a convenient tasty, non melting energy source that came to be known as M&Ms. Named for Mr. & Mrs. After that came Mars Bars, and a variety of other chocolate bars and later grandsons added things like Skittles.

In the late 80's Mrs. Mars got an idea that she should make "fancy" chocolates like Mr. Mars' Grandmother did way back in the day. Bada Bing, Ethel M. was born.

Today you can go to the factory in Henderson and hand pick assorted chocolates, everything from the run of the mill hand dipped to the extra fancy (and uber expensive) specials... things that resemble cocktails to fruit and spice. The "regular" chocolates run you 6 pieces for $5.00. The specials go for just under two bucks a piece. The specials however, are a higher cacao percentage and special ingredients, so you are supposed to feel better about purchasing them.

I have to tell you, I didn't go for the specials. I just couldn't bring myself to try it without Chronicler there. I passed them up and went for the 6 for $5 deal. Both Thor and I felt they were the same caliber as Ghiradelli, a bit waxy for the price. They were very tempting and extremely pretty, just not worth the price.

Back to the tour. It also is a self tour with signs along the way pointing out what is happening on the factory floor behind large glass windows. The day we were there the factory seemed to be shut down. There were workers all in one spot shining and cleaning and a few others down the assembly line finishing up a few items, but all in all the place was shut down for the day. As the tour came to an end, we talked with a provider of free samples who mentioned the factory had a malfunction and blew chocolate all over the place. They had to shut down and clean. Oh. My. If you look at the hand wheel in the photo that was the last proof of the meltdown as it were, chocolate still covering it and the floor and space around it.

There was a small gift shop as you entered the factory and also one at the end of the tour. The first for run of the mill Mars products, mainly M&Ms, the latter strictly Ethel M. The center of the self tour brought you to what looked like a candy store. I am not sure if you can purchase items there, (it was empty the day we were there) but the cases were full of candy and there were display cases on pedestals with chocolate sculptures spotlighted on the floor.

I have to say that the employees were friendly but uninformed about both product and displays within the tour. We read the signs and asked questions of the hostess and she pretty much argued the point. The hostess actually went down to a particular sign to "prove" what we read was wrong information, however apologized when she read the sign herself. Others in the store were less than informed about ingredient and percentages of cacao, paraffin, and other ingredients.

You may purchase pre-packed boxes or hand pick, however you may not mix regulars with specialties. Just FYI. One sales person gave an extra piece of candy to one of us, while another sales person stuck to the 6 for $5. Go figure.

They do offer a free sample of chocolate. Our choice was a "Espresso Truffle" of "White Chocolate"...no name or what was inside (a white chocolate ganache -nice but all the same flavor). As you make your purchase you are offered a small brochure that pictures and describes their specialty line of chocolate.

Another very nice part of this factory is the botanical garden of native desert plants that are on the property and free to anyone to stroll around in. Lovely and fragrant.

Ethel M. is located near the corner of Sunset and Mountain View in Henderson. If you have children I would definitely put this on my list of places to go if I were in the area. Plan on early in the day as that is when the factory is most busy and the "views" are better. Everyone gets a free piece of chocolate and there are plenty of M&M gifts to please any little gal or guy.

Carlton's log, day 1, Red Rock

Well another trip to Vegas. This time however, I met an associates "wife" and we went in search of free fun. Our first stop was Red Rock, just north of sin city. The day was beautiful and brisk and we began in the Visitors Center. There were very nice exhibits, a photo contest -winner's display, and all kinds of opportunities to get into nature and learn more about the native Nevada desert. We took the self tour and read the info, walk the grounds and then headed for the drive loop around and up towards the main attraction: petroglyphs and pictographs!

The first go round we evidently missed the particular drive off the main loop and so we just got back into the park and drove around again! We found the right spot and made the very short walk to the pictographs of Native American hand prints. (You can see one, faded but there, red print in the center of the photo; and there are about six or seven more that go to the right -very difficult to see.) About twenty feet down the path there is a large roasting pit, larger than my living room, it was a roundish shallow pit filled with gravel that the Native Americans used for...roasting!

As we drove around the loop we came upon wild burros, who have been fed by so many tourists they have no fear of us. They saw the car, crossed the road and walked up to the passenger side window looking for a snack! Several cars began to stop and before long the burrows were eating bagels and scones from Starbucks. There you go. I predict they become as the bear in Yosemite... and that's not a good thing. Stop feeding the wild life folks. It's like the saying goes: "Feed a bear (or a burrow) and sign it's death warrant." They become conditioned to snuggling with the tourists and when nature takes its' course (Siegfried and Roy) the normal course of action is death to the animal. Stop feeding the wildlife.

Any who the day was great. It was a good day to be out in the fresh air, walking around and catching up on "old" times! The next time you are in Vegas, may I suggest a trip out to Red Rock for some EASY hiking, gorgeous views, a few burrow sightings and a history lesson for the kids. You may even see some rock climbers like we did...oh my heck, on straight up rocks...fantastic!

Joys of NEW blogger

Since I have switched over to the new and improved blogger, my blogging has stunk! One reason for this is the "new and improved" ain't so much.

For instance, the comments. Like many of you, I despise the comment verification. YIKES. So I thought why not just disengage it so the four people who visit here and make comments don't have to go through all the decoding and button clicking. Done. Check.

Well I also have a really cool bloggy thing that informs me when a new comment has been made on my blog. They send it straight to my mail box, I click and read, follow the link and then viola! I can reply to the comment.

Since disengaging the comment verification I have had an incredible amount of comments on past posts, ones from like a year ago, all informing me: "that post was really cool but having a larger p*&%s is cooler!" or "I love the way you write, but I would love you better with larger b*&#s!" Are they kidding? Obviously they have never met me in person.

Now I am faced with the dilemma of continuous e-mails from concerned for my intimate personal life commenters or making the real commenters decode all the stupid word verifications. I am going nuts. I hate blogger sometimes.

And have you noticed the lack of photos or links since the change over. Yeah, me too. I know there is that http://www.trylinkingtothissite.com thing that you can cut and paste, but frankly, it is harder for the technologically challenged to do it on this new system. Yeah. ugh. I'm not a geek? Somehow that worked in my head.

Then my Flickr! account decided I was at the limit. grrr. I need to make a new account or pay for a pro account. I am cheap. No pro account for me.

I am hoping to figure this out soon, until then, keep hanging in there with me.

sunkissed!!!

Not sure why, but I have had blogger's block lately. That and nothing cool to say when I visit other folk's blogs! But today was cool, so I'll blog about that.

Actually the last few days were cool, but busy so there you go.

Father in law's 80th b-day was Saturday and so there was the surprise family party at the house. Pretty much everyone came. We missed the youngest of the siblings due to a very pregnant wife and sick little ones and the fact they live out of state and the drive would have done in the best of parents. All forgiven there. Dad was surprised and everyone had a terrific time. One of the brother in laws made enough food to feed a small army, which is good because when this family gets together there is a small army! He had steak , chicken, casseroles and a bunch of side dishes...the guy's is a great cook; and crazy.

At the end of the evening before everyone went home we all gathered in the living room (well as many as could fit...some stood in the hallway and spilled out into the family room). Starting with the eldest sibling we all took turns telling dad a favorite memory and why we love him. It was a pretty good tear inducing ceremony, but in the end very sweet. He's a really great guy. Thor pointed out on the way home that you could see each person's personality by the view they had of dad and the experience they chose to share..it was insightful and cool.

After most every had gone home I had the opportunity to sit with my niece and talk about her life. She is the youngest in her family. She also has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. What she described as her 'normal' life was at the same time both frightening and courageous. I admired her for being so blunt and honest with me as she talked of how long she endured this mental illness alone and how she and her husband go through everyday life. I am glad that I can talk with her about things. I feel much closer to her and I have a totally new view of her than I did ever before. She has a lot of wisdom in regard to her personal situation for someone so young.

I also had the opportunity to go with Chronicler on Friday to Ontario and sit in on two bread making classes offered by 'King Arthur Flour'. I learned so much in those two sessions. About gluten, steam, proteins, what it means to have "bleached, enriched and bromated" flours; and I refuse to buy a flour that has been any of things ever again! It is alarming! Don't get me started on genetic altered foods... e-freaking-gads! I have a peaked interest in making bread again and hope to pop out a few good loaves soon. Spending the day with Chronicler is always good for a lot of laughing and good for incite in things that I have no clue about!

Today Thor and I had a trip to Anaheim for an annual pilgrimage. It was the most beautiful day, and I am sad to report to any one not from SoCAL, it was in the mid 80s!!! Yup, I actually came home tonight with a sweet sun kissed face! Woooohooo!

I also wish to report that the Haunted Mansion has some new, or rather old, ideas in place. Originally, waaaay back in the day, the idea was to have a story about a bride who murders her husband on their wedding day. Considered too gruesome or whatever, the idea was sacked and put on the back burner; until this year. The ride begins as usual and then after the initial cruise past the hallway with the floating candelabra, you begin to see scenes of bridal preparations, photos of the happy couple in their wedding attire, only the groom loses his head in Haunted Mansion portrait morphing style! Their is also a full sized bride with an axe and commentary! Another cool surprise is the famous talking head of the medium at the seance... this go round the entire sphere her head is in floats over the table in a circling-bobbing motion! OooOOooohh! If you can take your eyes of the medium, on the wall behind her is a very large ghoul, illuminated in the shadows. Hidden in the graveyard are new ghosts and ghouls, and one particularly creepy one in a crypt just before the ride ends. eeeeeeeeeeek! I love this ride!

The Pirates of the Caribbean also had one surprise since the last time I was there just a few months ago. I am not sure if this is new or just a new to me experience because we sat in the very front seat of the boat. However, as we passed between the pirate ship and the port's fortified walls, a canon went off and we were "hit" with a blast of air that felt like the cannon ball flew right by our faces! That was cool!

Finally we "killed the cat", and then ate it. We finally booked reservations at the Blue Bayou. The hoity toity restaurant at the Pirates ride. We have tried for years and never have been able to get in. Today was the day. Hmm. Good food (read "good" not "WOW"), but certainly not for the money, the hype or the ambiance. I had a pork chop, that was tasty, mainly from the tart diced apples on the top, tough and hard to cut. Thor had the beef ribs, very tender and tasty, but more bone than meat...I guess that's ribs though. Both of us had the scalloped potatoes (over peppered) and veggies (carrots - good, leeks(?) and squash...not so much). The rolls we had were similar in every way to those one would get at the local grocer's, not close to home made, but with real butter. The service was great and the surroundings were also.

We came home tired and happy and sunkissed! All in all a great day.

inexpensive gift exchange

A couple of days ago I got a phone call from the Young Women's presidency asking me if I would find a quick (under ten minutes!) inexpensive (read: FREE) project for the girls to make each other.

Their next meeting night (tonight) they would be reviewing the Young Women Values (faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, and integrity). The leaders decided that having a 'round robin' activity of fun projects would be a great way to get the girls and their moms interested and involved. My assignment is in the 'good works' theme, and they suggested that each girl draw a name for a "secret sister". This is another girl who they secretly give a small inexpensive gift to each day for a week. They do this similar gift exchange during their camp week in summer time, so the girls are familiar with the concept. At the end of the week they exchange the last gift in person and have an opportunity to chat with a new friend, or an old friend they have gotten to know a bit better through the experience of self-less giving.


Because there are 20 girls I needed to think very carefully on what I had or could get for free that would still be a nice gift, plus easy enough for the girls to make in 10 minutes, and also be pleasing to the age range of 12 through 18! Of course I consulted with Chronicler! She gave me several ideas, one of which she will be blogging about herself in a few days...with a tutorial: Crocheted Flowers. Together we brain stormed and came up with many ideas. One was an accordion folded mini scrapbook.

I love this particular one. I think it has a nice 'wow' factor the first time you see it as it pops open to reveal your photos or quotes, etc. Plus it is SO EASY and FAST! I grabbed 3 sheets of paper for each girl and a few feet of ribbon. Most of the girls have access to paper and ribbon at home, so this helps keep their costs down if they want to repeat the process later. The interiors and exteriors of the book can be embellished with more scrap papers or drawings, words, etc.

In addition to the little book, we'll make another small package for a tiny treat, like a snack sized candy bar or little notes, etc. It's just a tube of pretty paper that you glue closed on each end to make a triangular shape. Each girl will go home with a list and a few examples of other very inexpensive gifts they can easily make and exchange this week. Some of the ideas are:

felt or fabric strip book marks that can be added to their scriptures to give them more ribbon markers.

Shrinky-dinks, remember the old shrinky-dink plastic jewelry, embellishments, hair doodads, etc? They'll get some examples and instructions.

Large homemade cookie in a decorated paper CD holder.

Crocheted flower pins and hair ornaments.

Paint chip card holders, mini books, frames, mini drawers, and photo books.

Envelope accordion books for keeping receipts or notes for class, photos etc.

Card stock no glue (hand folded - self locking) envelopes for notes or special sayings, etc.

Hershey kiss roses.

Home made sugar scrubs.

Home made oatmeal facial.

Flat marble/glass magnets.

Origami decorations.

Key chains.

Painted terra cotta pot.

Paper boxes.

Hand made cartoon flip book.

Kettle Corn and flavored popcorns.

Hand made make-up tote.

Small recipe book.

So there you go! I am hoping the girls have as much making their gifts as I did coming up with the ideas.