Christmas at Our House

This year we heard that Anthem had the "nation's tallest Christmas tree." Anthem's not too far from our house, so we decided to go take a look. We got there early enough to see the tree in the daylight, and stayed long enough to see the tree at night, with the lights on.

It really was quite tall!

Yesterday, to celebrate Christmas, Jesse and I drove over to my mom's house, to share the day and dinner with her. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures... Guess that was a "Duh!" moment. But, we had a very pleasant time visiting with my mom and her friend Evelyne (my mom didn't want Evelyne to spend the holiday alone.

We stayed at mom's house until the sun was setting so we could stop at the Mesa Temple, on the way home, and see the Christmas lights. It seems impossible, but I think they added even more lights this year!




During dinner Evelyne mentioned a "Tumble-weed Tree" in Chandler. We'd never heard of such a thing, so we looked it up online (using my new Droid 2 phone... a Christmas present), and decided to go see it. It seemed like it took forever to get there (probably becuz we weren't real sure where we were going), and eventually we had to stop and ask for directions. No kidding, the 2 people working inside the Circle K had no idea what I was talking about! The best part: Chandler had an electric parade and tree lighting on December 4th, and all of this happened about 4 blocks from the Circle K! Any way, we had actually driven by it without realizing that it was a "tumble=weed" tree. Close up we could definitely see the tumble-weeds but from any distance (like from the road to the tree) it just looked like any other Christmas tree. Maybe if we had seen it in the day time it would have been different.

One More Time

After fighting (pretty close to literally) with the doctor's office for the past week, I finally had the vein oblation on my right leg. This all started back in September, when I had huge, superficial blood clots in my right leg. At that time, I went to Urgent Care, which sent me to the emergency room, which sent me to Dr. Sumar's office. That's when things started to go amuck. I had leg mapping done, and an echocardiogram, but then they called (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, on the home phone, while I was at work, and left a message) to tell me they cancelled my appointment for the oblation becuz they said, "My insurance would not cover the procedure." Now, considering the fact that I have tWO insurances, I was a bit confused, so I tried to call the office back on Friday. This was the beginning of the big run-around, which continued until yesterday at 9:45. Needless to say, I was not happy.

Fortunately, this was all finally resolved, and I went in at 7:30 this morning and had the procedure done. I am now wearing a "beautiful" black support hose on my right leg, which can't be removed for a week. I'm still kinda groggy, so hopefully this post makes sense. And, hopefully the oblation will keep my veins from exploding! I guess time will tell. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanksgiving 2010

In my weird family, holidays are anything but traditional. This year my mom decided to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house, but Linda (my older sister that has been living at my house for the past 7 months) is mad at my mom so she made things difficult by choosing to not ride over to Mesa; first becuz she wouldn't have gas money, and second becuz she refused to ride over with me (apparently, I can't drive to her satisfaction). Any way... Without Linda and Bill, it was just 3 of us, so we chose to go to Marie Callendar's instead. Mom made reservations for 12:30, we got there about 15 minutes early and they took us right in. The restaurant only offers 2 choices on Thanksgiving (ham or turkey), but we all made the right choice: turkey! The portions were HUGE! And, yummy! Best part: No cooking and NO cleaning!!! It ended up being a very nice time enjoying each others' company!

And, now... The 2010 list of things that I'm thankful for (in no particular order):
Jesse
my pillow
bed
house
shower
pj's
chocolate
pepsi
my car
air conditioning
computer
scanners
cell phone
internet
musicals
kittens
my pets
garage door opener
TV - for my shows
humor
music
those who protect me (soldiers)
my religion
fruit
peanut butter
clothes
shoes
pain pills
smoothies withOUT yogurt
ice cream
paper towels
paper plates
toilet paper

Wierd combination, but those are the things that came to my mind!

Fishies

This was NOT a good day for the Taylor fishies. Their tank has been clouding up a lot lately, so Jesse decided to clean out the tank. Within an hour of putting the fish back into the clean tank, both Kitty and the tetra were dead. Not long after that, "state fair fish" was also dead. We don't know what happened, but Kitty will definitely be missed! He lived almost 4 years!

Cat Walk

A couple of weeks ago, Jesse convinced me that we should go to Eagar to place flowers on Gary's grave. I don't know what it is about Eagar, but I don't like going there; it causes all kinds of anxiety attacks, which just plain makes it unpleasant. So...

I decided if we were gonna go, we'd make it a "couple days" trip. First, we headed for Safford, so we could see the new Gila Valley Temple.

We continued east toward Mule Creek. It's been a long, loooooong time since I've driven that direction, and ended up missing my turn. I was hoping for a convenience store or gas station, but is was pretty desolate ahead of us. Fortunately, there was a highway patrolman, parked on the side of the road... I think he was waiting for speeders... But I sure was happy to see him!

The road through Mule Creek was a whole lot twisty-er than I remembered, too, but some of the views were beautiful!
Jesse had never been to the Cat Walk, in Glenwood, New Mexico, so I wanted to show it to him. First, though, we stopped at the little gas station/store across the street (this was always a part of every trip, since it was the nearest indoor bathroom for miles). Believe it or not, while we were there, this man said to me, "Hey, how are you doing?" When I turned around, it was Steve Hamblin, from Eagar! What a coincidence!!!

Next, was the Cat Walk... Boy has this place changed! It now has a paved parking lot, bridges, and groomed trails. We really did pick the perfect time to go; the weather was beautiful... My favorite time of the year!







Once we got to Eagar, we check into the Sunrise Best Western motel, right across the street from the stake center, where I used to go to church. We then headed toward the Eagar cemetary to put new flowers on Gary's grave. This place is so difficult for me to visit. I feel like a hypocrite visiting my husband, that I spent 15 years with, while standing next to the man that I've been married to for the past 5 years. It just really tears at my heart strings. it doesn't help to know that the plot next to Gary is reserved for me. Just thinking about it gets me all teared-up; just too many emotions.


After the cemetary we took a tour of my old stomping grounds; past "my" house, that Gary and I finished, and I put my own personal touches on. It looks soooooo different now. I spent so much time cleaning up the yard, adding fences and a chain link fence. All of it is gone now; over grown trees and weeds. It's sad! We also drove past the high school that the plane crashed into in June. And, of course, we had to go to the Safire to get a green chili burro. I was hoping to not see any one I knew, but that didn't happen. In fact, as we were eating, the waitress came up to me and said, "Everyone wants to know if you're Robin." Albeit flattering, talk about being on the spot!

First thing the next morning we headed back to Phoenix, going over the mountain toward Show Low. The quakey trees were a brilliant gold, standing against the deep green of the ponderosa pines; especially around A-1 Lake (aka Robin's Lake).





That pretty much sums it up. The beautiful weather and colors, and of course, the company, made a potentially miserable trip much more pleasant than anticipated.

Legend of the Robin

Thought I'd share this with those of you who have never heard it...


The night that Christ was born a little brown bird shared the stable with the Holy Family. During the night, Joseph built a fire to keep the family warm, but as they slept the fire burned out. From its nest the bird flew down and fanned the embers with its wings. The bird was very close to the fire and the heat turned the bird's feathers red. The breast of the Robin has been red ever since to remind us of its love and compassion for the baby Jesus.

Wow!

This week a couple of interesting things happened at school.
1. One of the girls in my homeroom said a cuss word. Since this is not allowed at school, I told her if she did 10 push-ups I wouldn't write her up. She really
didn't want the referral, but wasn't sure about doing the push-ups, either. Just as she was about to get down on the floor, one of the boys in my homeroom came up and said, "Mrs. Taylor, can I do the push-ups for her?" OMGosh!!! Talk about chivalry! Of course I let him do that for her!

2. The Friday before fall break we took some of the 7th graders outside during the last 1/2 hour of school. While we were out there, one of the girls asked me what I was planning on doing over the break, to which I replied, "I'd like to go to San Diego but I can't afford it." Here's the good part... She replied, "I have about $375 in my savings account. I'm going to give $150 to my friend so she can buy a trumpet for advanced band. If you'd like the rest of it to go to San Diego, I'll give it to you." Can you believe that! What an awesome, sweet, wonderful, young lady! I am so honored to teach her!

Baseball

The PTSA at work had a bunch of Diamondback tickets, and they gave me 3; one for Jesse, one for mom, and one for me. We went to see the D-backs play AND BEAT the LA Dodgers! The final score was 5 - 2!!! It was a great game... I've never seen a game of pickle in the major league; too bad it didn't turn out favorably! Hayden, the winner from "Big Brother" (the reality show, which I watch faithfully) threw out the first pitch. And, there was a fan on the field... TOO funny! Everyone in the stands was cheering for the fan. But, they cheered even louder when he got caught (and was literally drug off the field)!


About 1/2 way through the game they opened the roof and the windows. It was an awesome view of the mountains at sunset!
We had a really FUN day!

Sunrises and Bulletin Boards

Recently, I've been pretty fascinated by the sunrises that Jesese and I see each morning, on the way to work. here's a couple of examples...




Once a year each teacher is assigned to create the bulletin board in the front office. This year I decided to use three assignments the students recently finished: Life maps (a prewriting strategy), cause and effect for "Rikki Tikki Tavi," and a timeline for "Titanic." Plus, I added a few "little people," that I made with the Cricut; they're ALL in uniform... Too cute!

In the classroom, since I'm the reading and writing teacher, and I instruct my students to read Newbery winning books, I created a bulletin board, with several Newbery titles. It reads, "Reel in a good book and read!" The fishing pole is real; the books are just copies of the covers. I thought I was clever!

9/11/2010

Last Saturday was the 9th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center. Each year a group in Tempe has created a "Healing Field" by posting an American flag for each of the people that died that day, due to the attack.

Each flag had a card attached, with the name of a person, how old he/she was, where they were at the time of death, and a paragraph about their life.

Jesse and I took the train over to Mesa, where we picked up my mom. It was her first time riding the train.

Happy Birthday (sorta)!

A couple of weeks ago I had to take 2 days off from work, but this time it was for something fun (not doctor appointments)! You see, Jesse's family planned an 80th birthday party for their mom, Rosaleen. Her birthday really isn't until the end of September, but with half the family living in states that start school AFTER Labor day, they decided to have the party early. Just a side note: For me we celebrated 1-1/2 weeks AFTER school started.

Any way, Jesse and I left immediately after work, and drove as far as Vegas. Considering how stiff my knee still gets, and only being a couple of weeks after having knee surgery, it was a smart idea. Plus, it got us into Provo a lot sooner than we had anticipated.

Jesse's sister, Dora, and her husband, Phil, plus 3 of their kids, came in from Virginia.

His sister, Karen (whom I've met before) and her husband, Roger, along with their kids, came from Iowa and Minnesota.

We had dinner together on Thursday, pictures on Friday, a BBQ Friday afternoon, and the big day was Saturday. Faye and Tammy reserved a pavillion at the Lindon Park; which is across the street from Faye's house. There was a NICE turnout of family and friends, and I really think Rosaleen enjoyed herself!

Who I Am?

The other day I was sitting and thinking and wondering, "Does anyone really know me?" I suppose any one could ask that question, but sometimes I really feel like a cypher in the snow (that's the title of a church video I once saw). Any way, they say everyone has a story to tell, and that everyone has a voice, but sometimes... more like most of the time... I feel like no one is listening to what I have to say. I have feelings, and opinions, but when I try to express them they seem to get lost in the shuffle of someone else's feelings and opinions. For now, I will share a few, and if I remember, as they come to me, I will share them here.

Pepsi... I think Pepsi tastes better than Coke. People keep trying to tell me they're the same, but to me, they're NOT!!! I don't like Coke, and I don't want to drink it. If I'm in a restaurant that serves Coke, I will find something else to drink, and it's okay.

Water... I drink it, but I don't like it. I've never liked it. As a kid I refused to drink it... It tasted like the pipes it came out of. As an adult I realized it's kind of a necessity, but I still don't like it. I insist on buying bottled water (in gallons) and refill my sports bottles as needed. Trust me, I can still taste the difference!

President Obama... We (as Americans) had a choice a couple of years ago, to vote for a president. The candidates were Barrack Obama or John McCain. I do NOT like John McCain. He's been a senator for the state of Arizona for as long as I can remember, and I don't think he's done anything in that time to convince me to vote for him as president. So, when it came time to vote, I voted for Obama. He may not have as much experience as some would like. He may not be the religion that some would like. And, most of all, he may not be the same ethnicity as some would like, which frankly, I believe is IGNORANT. But, I truly believe he is doing his best. Most of the crap that is happening these days is literally out of his control, compliments of the other whackos in Washington, who are trying to promote their own personal agendas. This makes me NUTS!!! We didn't vote them in so they can be a part of a popularity contest. We voted them in to get the job done. Keep what's best for the American public as the primary concern!

Insurance... OMGosh! If I go to the doctor and he says I need a certain medicine or a specific test done, where does the insurance get off telling me, "NO?" When several doctors write a note, explaining that a procedure needs to be done for my well-being, and not as a cosmetic procedure, then the insurance company (which is paid for by ME) should allow that to happen. Right now, I have a prescription for Singulair (which is used to help breathing), but my insurance will NOT pay for it. Why??? I have NO clue! GGRRRRR!

Cable TV... It is just plain too expensive! I watch about 5 stations on my TV, but you can't get just those 5 stations; you have to pay for a bundle of stations, that you don't watch. Since the cable company has to pay for the right to those other stations, they make people like me pay for all those stations I don't watch. If it weren't for Big Brother and Survivor, I swear I'd turn the TV off... Not sure how Jesse would take this!

Talents... I don't have any. Seriously, I can't think of one. Other people have so many; things that just come naturally to them, and I feel like I have to try so hard at everything. This is so frustrating, and maybe even why I feel like I'm a cypher... No one would miss me, cuz there's nothing that makes me stand out.

Knee surgery

For several months my knee was very sore. Looking at it hindsight, it may have been becuz I fell one day at school (I slipped on something in the lunch room, and landed on my left knee). Any way, it eventually got to the point that I decided to go to urgent care (that was April 23). Although they took an x-ray, they told me it was inconclusive, and suggested I go to my pain doctor for an MRI. Of course, the pain doctor couldn't save me a step and let me get the MRI before the appointment, so I went in for them to tell me I "need an MRI." Didn't I tell them that?!? So they set me up for the MRI, and then I went back in to the pain doctor. He said I would need to see an orthopedist. It was now June! I go to see the orthopedist, who looks at the MRI and says he's not sure what's going on, probably a tear in the meniscus (cartiledge), but it could also be arthritis, so he said, "Let's try a cortisone shot. If that doesn't work an arthroscopy would be the next option." Well, the shot didn't help and it's now July! So, when I went in for the follow-up we made the arrangements for surgery, on July 21st. There was a tear in the meniscus, plus arthritis. He (Dr. Sirounian) repaired the tear and did something to create scar tissue that should help create a buffer between the bones. I've been on crutches for a week...













This is what it looks like a week later.

Mexican Riveria 2010

Jesse and I spent our summer vacation on a Carnival cruise to the Mexican Riveria: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas, and had a marvelous time!!!

We drove over to Long Beach, on Sunday - July 4th, and left the pier around 5:30 PM. The first 2 days were "fun days at sea." That means there were no stops until we reached Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday. That night we met our dining room partners: Davor and Katie and Sam and Ilene... They were excellent company! We also saw an act by a comedian who was HILARIOUS!!!

Monday was COLD! Who would've thought a trip south, in July, would be so cold. But we found plenty of things to keep us busy on the ship, including attending Carnival's edition of "The Newly Wed Game." Very funny! Monday was also "formal night." I have been waiting for this night for a loooooooong time because I bought the prettiest dress about a year and a 1/2 ago, and this was my first chance to wear it.

Tuesday, the weather warmed up, enough to make it to the pool and hot tubs!

Wednesday, back on land in Puerto Vallarta! We took an excursion to the down town area, and then to the beach. We got to stop and go shopping at a couple of places, saw a beautiful 19th century cathedral and then we stopped at a restaurant on the beach.... Seriously, we walked around barefoot, on the sand, inside the restaurant. I also had my hair braided. OMGosh, I LOVE it!!! Talk about easy to take care of!!!























Thursday, we made it to Mazatlan. We didn't plan on an excursion, but when we got off the ship, there were several companies offering tours. We decided to take a van to some of the highlights of the town, including: the highest lighthouse, another
19th century cathedral, the "Golden Zone," and cliff divers!!!










Friday, was Cabo day. Since we had been there before, we decided to stay on the ship, which was wonderful! It was quiet, we pretty much had the Lido deck to ourselves, which meant the pool and hot tub; we even went down the slide on the 11th floor! It was a nice, relaxing, peaceful day!














Saturday, was another "fun day at sea." The trip back was cold and windy! We tried to lay out by the pool, but we were both covered up with clothes and towels... Tee! Hee!

Sunday, we woke up in Long Beach, again. The debarkation process was very quick, compared to past experience. On the way home we stopped to visit Cathy Flaherty. Such a special treat to cap off the end of our trip!