Musings on Magazines

As I was driving in the car this afternoon deep in thought, I wondered if people knew this about me - I am a magazine freak. I have been for years. There is so much pleasure in sitting down at the kitchen table after the dinner dishes have been cleared and going through a magazine one page at a time.

I try to limit the number of subscriptions I have, but when I tallied them up I was surprised. Granted these days some magazines only come every two months.
Here is the list I came up with for my current subscriptions:
1. Reader's Digest (now in larger print for the husband)
2. Prevention
3. Ensign
4. Money (gift subscription Christmas 07)
5. Everyday Food by Martha Stewart (gift subscription Christmas 07)
6. Weight Watchers
7. Fon's and Porter's Quilting Mag
8. Better Homes and Gardens

I like to rotate my subscriptions, for example I probably won't renew Better Homes and Gardens and Weight Watchers when the time comes. In the past I subscribed to Sunset, and acquired a nice collection of gardening tips and recipes. I will subscribe to Reader's Digest my whole life, it's just that kind of magazine.

I guess you can tell a lot about a person by the magazines they read, kind of like the company they keep.

A real treat to me is when I'm traveling and I buy an Oprah or In Style magazine at the airport. Sometimes I break down at the grocery store and in addition to my bi-weekly People mag, I'll toss in a Shape magazine, or Women's Health or Martha Stewart. Yes, we are drawn to what is on the cover, aren't we?

I don't have the attention span to read books as often as I would like, I guess that's why I'm drawn to magazines. If I can read and learn something new in only 10 minutes I think that's great. Today while waiting in the Doctor's office I read about cooking homemade pizza on the grill. I think that just might be my next new subscription - Eating Well Magazine.

Happy reading!

Check out my cabin vacation pictures!

House Project Update

Before we left for vacation another section of siding and a new window were completed. (Still needs the second coat of paint - maybe this weekend).

More Baby News

Vanessa Grace Nielson was welcomed into the world on Saturday, June 28th. She weighed over 8 lbs and has lots of hair. She's still in the hospital and we pray she is improving each day. Congratulations to her parents and grandparents!

Summer Vacation

Tomorrow morning we leave for our annual trip to the cabin in Eastern Idaho. It's a vacation I look forward to every year. It's a lot of work shopping and packing to prepare for it, but the payoff comes Sunday night. After 1 1/2 days of travel we arrive at the cabin on Sunday afternoon. Usually right behind the rainstorm of the day.

The week is ours to enjoy. We eat, we sleep, we read, we sew and we eat some more. And then we just sit outside and enjoy nature, looking at the lake and the mountains. The scenery is majestic and the air clear. The sounds are different than here at home.

Whenever I travel away from home I think of all the things I'm going to accomplish when I return home. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe just being away from my regular routine gives me time to think and plan.

When I return I'll post some photos and tell about our trip.

Baby Update

Here's a picture of Harper snuggled in her own bed at home.

Pictures of Harper

Harper is still in the hospital but is doing well. Here are a few more pictures. Two days old.

June Brings.......

It's June 8th and so far I have received four high school graduation announcements, three wedding announcements, one 90th Birthday celebration announcement, attended one funeral and now welcome my great niece, Harper Rae Madson into the world.

She was born in the wee hours of Sunday morning, June 8, 2008

Yes, the scale is right, 9 lbs. 5 oz.

Congratulations to her Mom and Dad and all the other family members that have anxiously been awaiting her arrival.

House Project

Life has been busy and I haven't had time to get pictures posted until now. Wally has been working daily putting up the new siding, (me) painting and installing the new window. We still have to do a second coat of paint. In the pictures you'll see the blue masking tape which I haven't removed yet. We still have the section on the other side of the door to do with the new siding, windows and paint.

Before Picture

In WorkNew Paint, Old Window , Flowers in Bloom
New Window, Flowers in Bloom

Remembering Mike

Today our neighbor Mike passed away. He was one month away from his 72nd birthday. He passed away from cancer which had not been diagnosed until a few weeks ago. By that time it had spread too much. He was in the hospital and then moved to a nursing home just this week.

We've lived across the street from Mike for 20 years. His wife died the first few years we were here and we didn't know her very well. After Mike retired he became a regular "garage buddy". My husband has a workshop in the garage and when he has the garage door up and is working on a project, neighbors like to come by and chat. Mike was a regular.

When I would pull into the driveway and walk through the garage into the house, Mike would like to say, "the fun is over". We are sad that he is gone. When someone passes unexpectedly, you stop and think when was the last time you saw them, what was the last conversation you had. Too often we do not get the chance to say good bye.

Mike left home to go to the doctor's office a few weeks ago and never returned to his home. His sons are now here trying to sort through his home and have the task of selling the cars, the motor home and the house.

I look around my home and worry about all the "stuff" I may leave behind for someone else to clean up and throw away. But I have decided that for now it is my "stuff" and I like having it around me. The reason why may not be apparent to my daughter 30 or 40 years from now, but that is okay. Today it means something to me.

Remember each day to be kind, be loving, and remember we do not know what others may be going through. Cherish one another, live with no regrets.