Up On The Roof Top

An quartet of strutting, squawking peahens turned up this evening on the roof of our home in Clearfield, Utah. The ruckus raised by the birds is startling. Caws and squawks carry through the trees, with a new round of racket starting every few minutes. The dog did his best rouse them....they simply looked over the line up.

Girl's Trip Saturday, May 26, 2007

Memorial Day Weekend 2007 ~

With an itinerary packed full for the day we started out shopping at Cabelas. We left with only a few items -- mostly CHOCOLATE!

We continued our trip to see a few Utah County Parade of Homes. The first homes were in the price range of a mere $400,000. None of us would have traded what we are now living in for those new models. We really liked a few of the accessories, especially the picture frames. I wouldn't be surprised to see them show up in our homes in the near future. After seeing two low end homes, we ventured into the "IF YOU HAVE TO ASK ~ YOU CAN'T AFFORD!" category. The homes were spectacular to say the least.

We stopped in between homes for some lunch at Prestwick Farm's, a nice little restaurant at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. We took a couple of pictures with hand bags from their gift shop. The proprietor did even question us taking the bags off his display, he even took our picture with them. I understand that is NOT going to happen in Milan!

Woodland Hills was beautiful. Spectacular homes, staggering scenery, and a couple of deer wondering the streets wondering why their habitat has been so invaded.

Next stop Loafer Canyon. I love the canyon --what more can I say? We drove around Salem Pond and I shared my love of the pond with my friends. My grandmother took several of her grandchildren there often for picnics. Lots of modern improvements have taken place since my childhood days, one of which is you can't drive right up to the beach anymore. There were lots of people enjoying the afternoon there, so I'm happy that it is still a favorite spot for so many.

We have been on the road for almost 7 1/2 hours but still found the energy to stop at the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. Took plenty of pictures, had a brief guided tour, and browsed the gift shop. Interesting.

Couple of stops to visit my family, hear a few of my father's stories, see his beautiful yard, and have him tell us it's time to get on the road home. I was able to share lots of memories with my friends about Utah County. Hope I didn't bore them completely.

We were going to make one last stop at IKEA but seeing how it was almost 8:30, I think we were all a little on the weary side. Besides the parking lot was still overflowing, so we'll check it out another day.

Of course, Memorial Day is about remembering the sacrifices that our military men and women have made over the last 229 years. We are still a young nation, but one that has made many sacrifices to remain free. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families who have made the sacrifices necessary to keep our nation what it is today.

Check out my Slide Show!

Dear Family and Friends,

Another birthday oh my! How many is this you might ask...I was born in 1950 - so you do the math.

Thank you so much for the all birthday wishes and thoughtful gifts! They truly brightened my day.

Joy comes into our lives when we have something to do ~ I like to think I keep busy :}, someone to love ~ thank goodness there are so many of you I can love :}, and something to hope for ~ I'm hoping I can make all of your lives as happy as you have made mine.

Love you all,

LeAnn

Book Club Night

After a wonderful evening with the book club girls, I woke up this morning to find this picture on Jason's photo gallery. Big Wow Jason!

The girls talked until 2 am --we must be crazy!

Nina served a fantastic meal with a plate full of desserts and peanut brittle (which was the best ever!). We couldn't get enough of discussing the book, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. I believe this book club was one that helped everyone with one or more problems. To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I loved every chapter...every page...and almost word(with the exception of the description Fred gave of the Viet Nam War). No doubt the title...was enough to get all of us reading, but the deciding factor for me was the chance to read about an actual book group and think that any one of us could be one of the angry housewives, if only in our fictional world. Of course, eating the great meal and fantastic desserts that Nina served was "non può resistere a" because, let's face it, what's a few calories amongst friends...especially the friends from our book club.

My only disappointment for the night was that left my camera home on the kitchen counter! I have got to go back and take a few pictures of Nina's gorgeous backyard and all her bird feeders.

Passport Arrived

After 98 days of waiting the passport arrived Wednesday, May 16, 2007. And just to make sure none of you forget...I'm going to Italy with 2 of my very best friends.

I promise to send back lots of exciting pictures, news, and laughs on this blog spot.

Check out my passport and bracelet.

Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad

3 cups (8 0z.) Radiatore Pasta, uncooked
use your favorite salad pasta

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves

1 tsp. fresh basil leaves

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 lb. cooked large shrimp

1 cup quarted cherry tomatoes

1 pkg. 8 oz. Cheese Crumbles your favorite flavors

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the cooking water for the last 3 - 5 minutes of the pasta cooking time; drain. Rinse with cold water: drain well.

MEANWHILE, mix dressing, oregano, basil, cherry tomatoes, and lemon peel.

PLACE pasta mixture in large bowl. Add dressing mixture, shrimp, and cheese; mix lightly. Serve immediatley or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Two contrails converge in the blue sky,
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it crossed the horizon.

Thank you Robert Frost for your inspiration!

Joe Fox - Trainer Extraordinaire

Joe was the first to respond to my e-mail about this new blogspot...

so he gets the highlight spot today.

Joe made my job as Host Family Coordinator a breeze. I couldn't have done it without him. At the end of the season in 2005 - Joe stayed in our construction zone basement for the entire winter....I don't know how he did it. I miss having him around the house. GREAT GUY!

Here is Joe's BIO:

He is a 2001 graduate of Central Michigan University’s Athletic Training program. After graduating from CMU, Joe was a Graduate Assistant at Alma College for two years. He then worked one year with the Florida Marlins in Jamestown, New York and two years with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Ogden, UT before returning to Alma College for the season.
Joe is a Certified American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED instructor as well as a Professional Rescuer. Joe is currently finishing his thesis for his Masters in Sports Administration at Central Michigan University.

He is currently the Athletic Trainer for the Great Lake Loons.

Check out my Slide Show!

Here is the darling Jennifer Parker ~ I'm so glad she was part of my experience.


I am home from my 2ND visit to the endodontist. All of you who know me are well aware of my 1st visit. OOPS Wrong TOOTH!

Why would I need an endodontist, well Halie my granddaughter says, "Let me see your cavities," so I show her and she thinks I need them fixed...that's not the whole story, but enough of it.

The brochure from the office said that Endodontic treatment is necessary when the pulp becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay--was my problem.

Well today we (probably the endodontist really) made the decision that my problem might be fixed without the second root canal. This makes me pretty darn happy. We discussed it for several minutes, and I leave the office without the procedure. I truly hope it was the correct decision. I'm happy about it for now.

The best part of the story is that after leaving the dentist, I'm talking with my friend Nancy, who is the wife of the regular dentist. We talk about my tooth for a few minutes and then about filling up the car with gas ~~~which today is $3.15 a gallon in Utah. This makes me more crazy than having a root canal. Lucky for me I found gas at Costco in Ogden for $2.94....everybody hurry over to Costco! Maybe buying gas is just as painful as a root canal.

Bronx is Burning

Our Player Elliott Ayala - makes the movies and more! Here is an article from the newspaper in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Oh yes he is the young, cute one in the picture from "THE BRONX IS BURNING"

ESPN TV MINI SERIES



Good Spring gets Ayala more playing time
By RYAN DUNLEAVY Staff Writer
BRIDGEWATER -- Alert the Discovery Channel: Elliot Ayala is a MythBuster.
The myth: Eight days of Atlantic League spring training is not a long enough period for a player to make any substantial progress or change preconceived notions about himself.
The bust: Ayala played every inning of the Somerset Patriots' five spring training games, proving he could be an everyday force. His two triples also made him one of the team's most exciting players.
The result: Ayala, who re-signed with the Patriots as a utility reserve after appearing in 12 games last September, has started the first four games of the season at four different positions, including batting leadoff and playing right field Tuesday night against the Road Warriors.
"I put him in there because he did have a good spring," manager Sparky Lyle said. "The way he swung the bat, I think he was a little more aggressive (than last year). We knew what we had with him."
Whatever potential Lyle saw in Ayala last season, Ayala is at least meeting it this season.
Ayala, 28, spent most of the two weeks leading up to spring training in Florida working out with his cousin, Tampa Bay Devils Rays pitcher Ruddy Lugo, at the Devils Rays minor-league facility. The extra preparation paid obvious dividends in Ayala's timing at the plate and in the field.
"Every day I come to the ballpark with the mentality that I expect to play," said Ayala, who only once has played more than 75 games in a season during his nine-year professional career. "I worked a little everywhere. I took ground balls at short, fly balls in the outfield and in the (batting) cages."
While the rest of his teammates have cooled off after a solid spring training offensively, Ayala's bat has remained hot. His four hits and .364 batting average lead the team, and his valuable speed led to one of the team's four stolen bases.
"I like to use my speed," Ayala said. "I can hit the ball in gaps and run around the bases. That's the type of player I am."

Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

One of the perks of being off track is that I get to enjoy my passion for cooking. Today I gave Crab-Stuffed Deviled Eggs a try --photography is a relatively new hobby so this picture was a big experiment.

The weather has been so beautiful that we will be grilling tonight and adding the deviled eggs as an appetizer. Yummy - Yummy

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We welcome the new little guy to the Zito Family. Dillon Sutter Zito was born May 7, 2007 at 1:43 PM

He weighed in at 7 lbs 7 oz and is 20 inches.

What a handsome guy he is going to be. Mom, Dad and Big Sister are all doing well. They went home from the hospital this afternoon to Grandma Lynette's home.

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Baseball - For the Love of the Game

Frank Candela was our first experience with hosting professional baseball players. He was the 5th round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers.

I would like to be able to find all of our players in the near future. We are still in touch with many of them. So let's start at the beginning and see how many I can find.

Derek Lee ---I'm looking for you!

I know it is well in advance, but this is the MODERN hotel Mercure Piazza Bologna we will be staying in. It is set 5 minutes from Piazza Bologna and the tube station in Nomentano quarter, where at the beginning of XX century lived the upper middle class and the diplomats.(And the 3 of us!) It will be our great base to start exploring the city of Rome. I'm a little excited and still waiting for my passport ~ as is my friend Nancy. Of course Nina is still wondering why we didn't have a passport in the first place. We are going to have sooo much funnnnnn.

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I couldn't resist adding this. This weekend I spent time with my son, his wife and the grandchildren. We went to a park close to their home where this large goose was wandering. This was a calm picture that Jason captured. Either the goose was protecting a flock or just didn't want his picture taken. He flared his wings and chased after us with vengeance, then waddled off towards the pond.

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This is what the new cabin will look like, on a lot a little ways down the road from the old cabin. Lots of things have changed since 1960, the cabin will have a BATHROOM...and several bedrooms. I can't wait to spend time in the canyon once again.

The Old Cabin

Here is the old cabin - what a gorgeous setting.

This is the beautiful Loafer Canyon near Salem, Utah. My first visit to the Canyon was in the early 60's and I remember sitting on the front porch of our cinder block cabin breathless and overwhelmed at its beauty. It seems so unreal. It seems so peaceful and over the top beautiful. The first time I could have sat there all day. I feel the unmistakable pull of The Spirit there. My Dad and Uncle Neil built this cabin. We enjoyed it for many many years. I hope my children and grandchildren will enjoy the new cabin and the canyon for many years to come.

For book club this month we are reading "Angry Housewive Eating Bon Bons" Lorna Landvik has created unforgettable characters, strong women who discover amazing things about themselves as they adapt to changing times and changing lives. I heartily recommend this most enjoyable book and am very grateful I belong to a group very similar to Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.