Minnesota Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Memories from Minnesota!

Here is the inside of my suitcase about 10 days before we left. When I told Angie to tell Elise that I'd packed "The Sound of Music" so we could watch it while we peeled potatoes, Elise's response was, "Grandma's already packing?"

I AM OLD! If I don't do something when I think of it there's a real possibility that it won't enter my mind again, so there ya' go. So prior to leaving I packed the DVD, the advent calendar, salt and pepper shakers and paper plates, just in case they didn't sell paper plates in Minnesota. I seriously almost packed a can of jellied cranberries but decided against it and then turned out we had the hardest time finding any the day before Thanksgiving because everyone was sold out.

This is the awesome entrance into the guest bedroom at the Hallstrom Hilton. Early morning Seminary classroom! How sweet is this? I love that these kids all have their own personal quilts. Grandpa and I were behind closed doors in our bedroom the day before Thanksgiving while Forrest and 20 Seminary kids were right outside the door studying the Old Testament. Ah it's cool to be a Mormon!!

Speaking of cool Mormons, here are two of them! Fabulous piano player Wyatt Dean and his fabulous piano teacher. She was one of the first members of the church baptized in Ukraine, which I believe was next to Bosnia Hertznagovitch!

Here is Wyatt learning the Great-Grandpa Hiatt rendition of "Blues in the Night" and he practices it religiously! He is a natural, and his hands are juuuuuust big enough to reach the octaves for the bass part. I think Jonas, Elise and Ethan may not particulary appreciate this song by the time Wyatt has mastered it. But I sure dig it!

And in keeping with the Wyatt theme, he is so cute. Hazel is too.

This captures the classic Thanksgiving that we got to revel in while in Minnesota. Forrest smoked his turkey to perfection then put it in the oven to finish it. Here he is just after stepping in from this scene as pictured  below..............

A perfect backyard winter wonderland for Thanksgiving morning. Sometimes when autumn starts spilling into pre-winter, I'll say "It feels like Thanksgiving today" and I can almost smell the onions and celery being sautee'd on the stove for the stuffing. Well this is the kind of day that it feels like!

The bread Angie chops the night before to add to the onions and celery!

Minnesota Thanksgiving Dinner 2015!
Featuring the Hallstrom gang: Jonas Leo; Wyatt Dean; Elise Julia;  Grandpa Sweat; Ethan William; Angela Denise and Forrest Stephen. Photo taken by Grandma Sweat.  People I love who made this year's Thanksgiving particularly wonderful!

Speaking of people that I love, here is a Fun Fact:

My dear family consists of my fellow Sweats (Andrew and Tony's families), and then all the rest of the your last names start with the letter "H"!!
Hiatt
Higgins
Haynie
Hallstrom
Huish

That random happenstance just kills me!

Is this a man ready for a feast or what?

And then we get to have Forrest's turkey gizzard soup for dinner the next day accompanied by Angie's perfect Paninis.

And here are the canned jellied cranberries that it took four people and three stores to find, so that grandpa could make.........

.....the best sandwich of the year!

Happy "day after" Thanksgiving!

Also on the day after Thanksgiving we were found pounding the pavements for Black Friday shopping at the Mall of America! Here are Ethan and Wyatt, with the rest of the gang in front of them. It was so festive and fun! And the day before Thanksgiving Angie and Forrest took us to the breathtaking Minnesota Museum of Fine Art, where I took, oh about the usual 1200 pictures because everything was so exquisite. And we've had computer problems since we returned, and for the life of me, somehow I don't have any photos of Chinese everything downloaded. I don't know where it ended up, so the memories will have to be etched in my brain and not on my blog. ArghhhH!

Elise, Jonas and Angie checking out the window displays. Me, I was busy either A) Losing my driver's license AT THE MALL OF AMERICA ON BLACK FRIDAY;  B) Losing my WALLET AT THE MALL OF AMERICA ON BLACK FRIDAY. Fortunately they were both turned in by good souls, one of whom chased me down to give me my license. Lesson to be learned? Bring your purse to the MALL OF AMERICA ON BLACK FRIDAY.

Here is the Seminary class turned into Home Economics class, where Lou and I made PJ pants. We needed the help of our resident sewing machine expert to fix the tension on the bobbin. Grandpa Sweat to the rescue! After we got married he worked at:

A) Schoppe Company (installing heating and air conditioning. It was owned by his good friend Steve Bunting's dad) B) delivering pharmaceuticals to nursing homes for Uncle Joel's Jolley Rexall drug; C) AAA Tent and Awning selling tents and awnings; D) managing a community swimming pool;  E) Sears, selling sewing machines and vacuum cleaners, along with six other men who were all married heads of households, trying to keep a roof over their heads, and fighting for the commission from every poor lady who came in to buy a new zipper foot.

You learn something from every job you have. Grandpa learned: A) he doesn't like manual labor so he'd best stay in college; B) he sure wished his dad owned his own business so he wouldn't have to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up; C) he was much too tall to pose as the model for the AAA tent and awning pup tents (they had to re-shoot the whole thing with a shorter guy); D) there are some really creepy people who own swimming pools on North Temple; E) he didn't like fighting for a commission by selling zipper feet to poor old ladies, so he'd best stay in school.

But he DID learn the guts of a sewing machine like the back of his hand. He's a natural seamster! And he also sold used cars for exactly one week, and he learned a ton from that experience too. He has saved us a lot of money over the decades using the wiley ways of a former used car salesman.

Of course he's a natural at tossing a football too, and thus graduated from the University of Utah majoring in P.E. but was still left wondering what he wanted to be when he grew up! Luckily, and this is a cool story, after he graduated he took a job in Reno, Nevada selling nuts and bolts (which he HATED!). While we were living there for all of six months, we chose an apartment that was located in a ward where the Elder's Quorom President was an undercover Police detective for the Reno PD. One week out of the blue he invited Dennis to ride along with him. Dennis went along for the ride, and came home that night knowing he wanted to become a Police Officer. Thus our lives were set in motion. Pretty cool. And also Tony was born while we lived in Reno which explains his wild and crazy personality.

Here's Jonas who also wants to go to college so he doesn't have to be a sewing machine salesman when he grows up. Actually he was helping me figure something out on the sewing directions, because the boy has a very logical, intricate brain and is organized and smart and can help people figure things out! This will serve him well at the University level and beyond!!

He and Wyatt are also expert cheese dip makers (and Wyatt an expert lemonade maker!).

But mostly they're expert cheese dip testers! As am I.

And Angie is the expert in charge of all of it. Cooking, organizing, testing bells for an upcoming Primary Sharing time activity; and grading, grading, grading papers written by a new generation of University kids who are learning how to write so they don't have to be sewing machine salesmen!

While Elise works on her dramatic sweeps of soft, warm throw blankets, and also cooks up a storm, works, goes to school, sings in her High School ensembles and choruses, and works on filling out her college paperwork for BYUI!!!

And here is the whole Hallstrom clan on the way to church on a Minnesota Sunday. Minnesota is gorgeous. I love it. I love the placement of the trees, even in winter. There is a long stretch of farmland on the way to church that is so picturesque. Sometimes they have Garrison Keillor on the radio too which is too perfect. The road is called, oh I can't remember, let's call is "Fielding Road" for the sake of this story. Angie's friend, another member of the ward with a large family, said that's where she always to do the "Fielding apology" where she has settled down from getting upset at everyone because they're late for church and then each week "apologizes" to them on Fielding Road. Thus, the weekly "Fielding apology." Funny!

Ethan William Hallstrom - Age 19

Wyatt Dean Hallstrom age 8.

Angela Denise - The mama, the MAMA!

Elise Julia Hallstrom age 17. Really? 17? That's too old Lou!

Jonas Leo Hallstrom age 14.

Forrest William Hallstrom the papa!

It's so fun to enjoy other people's pets. I wish they had "Rent-a-Pet" where we could get a puppy whenever you kids come to visit. Someone told me there is actually something like that! Here are a few quick shots of Hazel Hallstrom helping me wrap presents.

It didn't take her long to nestle right into the middle of the Target bag. Target is good for so many things, including a temporary shelter!

And here is Wyatt coming home from school on Monday, the day we left; waving at me from clear down the street!

And then we said our farewells until we see each other again next summer. Such a wonderful visit. Thank you! They sent us home with home made raspberry jam and TSA didn't approve (nor did they approve of my SEWING SHEARS!). What was I thinking? What was Salt Lake International thinking letting me through in the first place? Anyway, after being detained, they let Dennis check our luggage with the jam, and actually let me keep my shears? On the flight home, the fellow sitting next to me was fighting a nasty cold, which who knows if that's where I got it, but I've had a nasty cold for the last 10 days. Can't shake it, and have laryngitis to boot. I had to look that word up. Could you have spelled "laryngitis" without looking it up? Oh, you say you went to more than one year of junior college? Sweet memories. Love you all, Merry less than two weeks and counting 'til Christmas when we all make more sweet memories. XOXOX

Catching up

We went over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving this year, and had a wonderful time in Minnesota visiting Angie and Forrest and the kids! I will post about that soon!

I'd been working on this "Catch-up" post for a few weeks before we went to Minnesota,
but our computer crashed right before we left and we had to buy a new hard drive. Luckily, Dennis decided to back up everything for the first time ever about a month ago. We just got it set up so I can download the Thanksgiving photos from my phone. I've been a little bit under the weather this week and am just coming out of the fog so I can use my head for something like catching up on a blog!
Here are some old photos for what it's worth: (and they're out of "telling a story order" but oh well.)

I'll add Thanksgiving soon!

These first photos are from when Grandma Hiatt and I were together while Grandpa Hiatt and Denny went to Washington D.C. for the World War II Honor Flight. It seems like it happened AGES ago! Every day I made mom and I the same lunch - Tomato soup and cottage cheese with mandarin oranges. And every day she exclaimed how good it was!

This is our honored WWII Veteran and Denny bright and early in the morning before they left for the airport.

Denny had written down the itinerary for Grandma Hiatt, and she enjoyed reading it often! I took this picture because she'd get to the part where Denny had written that she was accompanying Grandpa Hiatt on the trip as his "Guardian Angel" (that's what they called them, which is what they were), and mom would read it and say "Guardian Angle" and laugh. She was convinced it was spelled wrong. Over and over. I kept telling her it was spelled correctly, but being more of an English Major than our English Majors in many ways, she appeared from the bedroom with a dictionary in hand. I'll bet she's the only person within 100 square miles who had used a real hefty dictionary in the last couple of years. And sure enough, she found out it was spelled correctly and was satisfied. But she wasn't going to be satisfied with just my word for it! Smart girl!

We also put together this sweet 100-piece puzzle. I just loved the colors in it!

And of course we played lots of duets. Especially "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown."

I slept in Grandpa's bedroom and he has this photo of his father, John Hiatt, next to his bedside. I think he looks like Brandon! The nostrils, even the eyes and mouth.

We would send Grandpa Hiatt and Denny updates all along the way.

It was Conference Weekend and we watched the Saturday session together. Mom was excited to point out Denny's childhood friend Edie Isaacson every time she got some screen time. And she got a lot of screen time!

We also got caught in rainstorms TWICE. The first time I had mom dash through the parking lot with me (dashing as well as an 86-year-old can dash) but the second time we used the bumbershoot.

Grandpa Hiatt and Denny sent me this beautiful gift basket as a thank you. I don't think I've ever received a gift basket full of goodies like this before. It was so nice!

Because it was conference weekend, we got to join up with Cindy and the kids and go to one of my favorite spots on earth, Gardner Village. Calvin tried his hand at the bell.

And so did Vivian.

The whole cute gang - Reagan Elizabeth age 15; Jane Marie age 13; Calvin J age 4; Vivian May age 7; Cindy Lou still in her 30's and expecting #7 in January; Eli Andrew age 10; and Lauren Anthony age 16.

There is a quilt store which is housed in an old pioneer home (like much of Gardner Village buildings are, which is why I love the charm) and you can go upstairs and it feels like you're in a big bedroom. It's so fun. Calvin has never been old enough to remember going up there before, and he loved it. He said he was pretending he lived there, which is exactly what I do when I go up there! It's got a big bed with quilts on it and it's all you can do to keep the kids off of it. And Grandma Sweat.

We wore Halloween socks to Gardner village.

We returned home and that night after Priesthood session was over, we headed out to the National Guard Armory and picked up the celebrity! It was really special. Such a great experience.

This is Grandpa Hiatt right as he spots Grandma Hiatt.

....and gives her a big "I'm home!" smooch.

The whole gang who welcomed him home, minus our photographer, Dennis. Lauren, Eli,
Cal, Cindy, Reggie, Joey, Grandma and Grandpa Hiatt, Denny, me and Emma.

My visiting teacher gave me the plaque that says "Take Time to Gather Memories Along the Way" for my birthday and I thought this picture fit with those words! This was after we had all dug into the gift basket.

XOXOXOXO
Mom

Up North

See the little directional icon at the bottom corner of this map, with the North arrow pointing "up"? To me, North is always up. If I'm facing North everything is fine.  But if I turn to the West, then West becomes North. If I were the Kardashian baby, I'd be so confused if my name was North West! There are no magnets in my head. If I were a bird, I would probably fly North for the winter and perish.

But beginning this winter, I am going to fly North every Thursday morning and Friday afternoon, and serve as a Church Building Hosting Service Missionary at the Conference Center! I am excited and nervous. It is under the Public Affairs department. They ask for a 24-month commitment and that we be there 80% of the time, which gives plenty of time to go visit kids, catch a cold, have family reunions, or go to Cancun. Or combine them and have family reunions in Cancun and catch a cold!

I had my interview yesterday after interviewing with my Bishop and Stake President and then waiting forEVER to hear from downtown. They had needs at the Conference Center, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and the Relief Society Building. I was thinking about the Relief Society Building on my drive downtown and how when I've gone to a training there it seems so filled with the Pioneer spirit. A real link to the past. And maybe that's where I'd choose.

While I was waiting for the Sister who is over the whole thing (there are 900 volunteers at the conference center alone!) the Sister in charge of the Joseph Smith building poked her head out of her cubicle and said, "Choose the Joseph Smith building!" followed by the sister over the conference center playfully saying, "No, choose the Conference Center!" So I said, "I guess I'll have to pick the Relief Society Building" and they said, "If you want to take a nap!" Then of course she quickly followed up by saying everyone who serves there loves it.  But, I bet it is pretty quiet there most days. So when I met with the Sister who is over everything, I told her I'd serve wherever they needed someone, and they needed people at the Conference Center so that's where I'm going. I'll start training sometime after Thanksgiving! It doesn't involve working there when they have "events." That's another group of volunteers. So, no checking handbags during the Christmas Concert and listening in (dangit).

Part of my brief initial orientation included telling me that as part of our day we are also the "eyes and ears" for church security and that they give us training on what to be watchful for when we're giving tours.  She was very sober when she went over all of that. Then she gave me some handouts which included a flow chart of all the supervisors over each area, a list of appropriate dress code requirements, worthiness requirements, and a map of the "35 acres" encompassing the various locations of all of the church buildings downtown. I can't wait to learn more about them so I can answer questions! They recommended that I take a tour at the Conference Center too so I can get a taste of what it's like. I seriously hope I can remember everything...........because.................after I finished the interview I headed back to the gorgeous lobby of the Joseph Smith Building and sat in one of their cushioned chairs and called Dennis to make sure those shifts were okay with him. He was really happy for me, and who knows, he may join me at some point (but he'd have to shave off his goatee :-). Then I stopped by the Nauvoo House restaurant and bought a bowl of tomato soup to go, burned my tongue terribly because I it was so hot and I was so hungry, found my car in the conference center parking lot....pictured below. They fill me with terror because of the magnet thing.

Then I headed home..........(South).  At some point, I looked around for my handouts. I didn't have them with me! I was already a security risk! I remembered vividly what happened. When I called Dennis, I put them on the chair next to me and then forgot to pick them up. At every red light I'd call the church offices and first was asked if I'd like to speak with Shauna who is the one who GAVE them to me. And I said, No, not yet. Not a good beginning. Then I got transferred to one voicemail after another. Finally on the third try I got an employee who said she'd go look for them herself. She asked if I was sitting in the chairs at the South end of the lobby? I started to explain to her about the missing magnets in my head, but then she asked if I was sitting by the revolving doors and I said "YES!" AND SHE FOUND MY HANDOUTS! So she scanned them and emailed them to me and then shredded them. Whew.

I LOVE being downtown. The energy and hustle and bustle of it all. Below are a few photos I took on my way back to my car, right after losing my papers and burning my tongue. I am excited for this opportunity to serve!

They are getting everything ready for the Christmas season!

City Creek waters.

"My Conference Center!"

Love, Mom

Pineapple Tidbits

Winter is blowing in over the Wasatch as I type this on a chilly Sunday night. We're supposed to get snow tomorrow. But I'll still hold out for a few more gorgeous days. I want my whole 90 days of fall. And then winter - BRRRRRING IT ON! Let's get it over with. Although I read something about someone from Russia or somewhere freezing who said to embrace winter - the coziness. And I do like the coziness. The smell of the furnace when the heat comes on; the early evening twilight; wrapping up in a warm blanket and watching whatever is on t.v.. I also love the photo above with dribbles of fall decorations along the mantle. They match Tony's painting so well. That painting is of Center Creek in Heber City where the Sweats settled.

Autumn is also time for crisp apples. Angie introduced us to "Honey Crisp" apples. They're so good. Big and crisp and honey-ish. But they're $473/lb. So this one is a Gala at $1.39/lb. Remember back in the good old days when life was simplier and apples didn't have individual bar codes stuck on them? Andrew, please tell Avery Dennison to use lighter glue.I wonder whose job it is to stick them on. Oh, well, probably automatic.

I'm doing a couple of random "catch-up" blogs. ..."Tidbits."    "Pineapple Tidbits." I've always liked that name. It's a fun Sunday activity. It was Reagan's birthday in September and they had a picnic and party at the park up the canyon close to where we go when we have family reunions. It was so pretty up there. Happy 15th birthday to Ray!

 I can still smell the leaves Calvin and Vivi were tossing into the air that night.

Cindy made a pinata. They also played touch football too and I tried to play. My brain and my legs don't match any more.Not that they ever did. It was loads of fun, although Jane plays a mean game of football!

and Lauren plays a mean game of "demolish the leftover pinata!"

 I also took three different trips up the canyons this fall. All of them were soul-satisfying! Brilliant.

 Phones can take some good photos.

Here is a quaking quakies video! UPDATE: Apparently it didn't work. I think my Flashplayer is broken. It was really gorgeous - just picture in your mind's eye the wind rustling beautiful mountains of quakies.
I'd never uploaded a video before. And it takes about a hundred years. Patience is not my best quality. Random memory about patience: When we were first married we moved into a little one-bedroom apartment on 3rd Avenue. Dennis had been living with Ross for the summer prior to our getting married. When we returned from our honeymoon (and Ross has skeedaddled to who knows where), the first thing I saw was a poster hanging on the wall with two vultures sitting in a tree looking down at a I don't know, some kind of carcass. One of them is saying to the other, "Patience My ***! I'm gonna kill something." I didn't get it. I was baffled. Kinda funny looking back. .

Speaking of looking back, and of our first apartment on 3rd Avenue, here are some photos of that little apartment with our adorable Angie! I love her smiles and eyes, and her pretty auburn hair and the one of her standing up in her crib. That was her favorite thing to do after she woke up in the morning - play with the mobile standing in her crib. Don't worry, she was generally in pj's. Oh what sweet memories. The one in the lower corner is Great-Grandma Jolley holding three generations of little girls: Granddaughter Kimberly Jolley; Great-Grand-daughter Angie Sweat; and Great-great Granddaughter Brooke Heaton. Dennis hasn't changed a bit. I think he still wears that shirt.

These last four photos are more of one of our hikes.

We weren't the only ones up the canyon! This is the hairpin turn coming down Big Cottonwood. It was unbelievable.

That's all for tonight. Love to alL!
Mom