Touchstone Tuesday

When we still lived in Utah

my husband took several work trips to DC.

On one occasion he talked me into going along.

This was another trip without kids.

WHY are these so memorable?

We really DID take our kids on most of our trips!

DC was a dream vacation for me.

This was before we had any CLUE that

we would be moving here

and LIVING our dream vacation.

Thinking back I can't BELIEVE I did some 

of the things I did then.

Ignorance is definitively BLISS.

While Lincoln worked,

 Me, Myself and I

took the GREEN line

 (oh my!) 

downtown, 

wandered around

and saw some of the sites.

I was pretty scared then,

(but probably about the wrong things :)

I had never ridden a subway

and had to figure it out on my own.

I was clueless about DC

and really that was probably the best way to be!

While here/there, I ate my first bonafide Maryland Blue-Crab Dinner.

Maryland is a very "crabby" state!

We ordered all-you-can-eat crab.

Sat down at a table covered in brown butcher paper

decorated with a roll of paper towels.

The waitress brought a bucket of crabs

and DUMPED them on the table,

gave us corn on the cob, rolls,

melted butter, hammers and a bucket,

and

LEFT US TO IT!

I think it took us 2 hours to get enough crab

out of those little critters to satisfy us.

We have recreated this meal several

times for people who come and visit us.

I'm SURE it leaves an impression on them!

I had to have something "crabby" 

for a keepsake/touchstone.

This copper-crab-cookie-cutter fit the bill perfectly!

Touchstone Tuesday

A redwood bowl from the Redwood Forest
It is only about 5"s across.
For a few years it had an actual redwood tree growing in it
that we grew from a nub that was cut off of a host tree.

This touchstone dates back to the early 90's.  

Chancy my third child was probably less a year or so old

when we made a trip to Oregon

and then out to Oregon's coast

and down the coast ultimately to LA and Disneyland.

We did so many things on this trip,

but as far as the bowl goes,

it represents a stop in 

the Redwood Forest.

If you've never seen a Redwood tree

you are really missing something.

It is unbelievable how majestic they are.

Can you imagine a tree big enough to live in?

This is not our car . . . . but it gives you an idea of how big these trees are.

There are only two pictures of us in the Redwood Forest . . . . this one is the
best one, and it is BAD!  We are so YoUnG and tHiN!!!!

Touchstone Tuesday

REMEMBER!!!!!  (The Alamo)

Our "touchstones" are mostly pretty small.
(This one is 3"X 2")

This is one of the few trips that Lincoln and I took by ourselves.

If you consider a trip taken as a "work" trip by ourselves :)  

This trip occurred around the time of our anniversary.  

I remember that Hurricane Katrina had just happened . . .

and although Texas wasn't very involved, they were feeling the ripples 

of the hurricane.

Because Lincoln was working 

I had a LOT of time to spend on my own.

I remember I had just read Mosiah in the Book of Mormon . . . 

and San Antonio is full of beggars . . . . 

(aren't we ALL beggars?)

and when they find out you'll give,

you can imagine what happened.  

I quickly went and exchanged my 20's for 1's.

I never felt unsafe, however.  

They were nice beggars.
(I'm wondering if the word beggar
is Politically Correct . . . . .  LOL)

Lincoln, bless his heart let me give away plenty of money that week.

I rented a car and went to see the Alamo 

along with a some other "missions" that were in and around San Antonio.

BY MYSELF . . . . fun times!

Lincoln, because it was our anniversary wanted me to go for a "spa" treatment.

I, instead, went and got my haircut,

and for the first time e.v.e.r purchased a flat iron,

had the hairdresser teach me how to use it,

and started straightening my VERY CURLY hair.

which was definitely different for me!!

The rest is history.

After my hair appointment I went to lunch with Lincoln

where his co-workers were giving me very curious looks.

When I finally spoke, one of the men said,

"THANK GOODNESS it's YOU, Tina,

I thought Lincoln was with "another woman"!!!"

This is not the only time I've been accused of being "the other woman."

Lincoln teases that he is married to more than one woman . . . . 

one with straight hair and one with curly.

See what I mean about touchstones?

Look what that little keepsake did for my memory!

Sunday Morning Post

Lincoln hardly ever sends me "junk" e-mail.  

He hears me complain about it all the time, 

and so

when he does send it I know

HE KNOWS, that I will like it.

Here is the last thing he sent me.

It is 5 minutes long

and Worth the watch.
(especially for those politically minded)

NO KIDDING!!!

Ronny & Barry Discussion:

Driving Drama

Odd things happen when I drive my husband's car,

 which is a Mazda Miata.  

He leaves it with me occasionally 

when he has lots of "stuff" to take to work. 

Right now,

it is nice "top down" weather for this little car,

and the other day, 

while I was waiting for McKay to come out of his guitar lesson,

a lady stopped in her tracks,

gave me a double take,

and then asked me if I'd trade

our MIATA for her Mazda 5.

I knew she was just teasing, 

but I told her my husband wouldn't like me giving away

HIS car.

Today, I was driving, top down again,

and was at a stop light.

A lady pulled up and passed me in the other lane,

in her Lincoln NAVIGATOR,

put her SUV in reverse, 

backed up,

and asked me

"You from Utah?"

(we have Utah plates, or tags as they call them here)

I nodded my head,

and before I could say anything

She put her's car in drive and left,

leaving me to wonder 

"Why do you ask?"

Is it the election?

HMMMMM.

You wouldn't believe the reaction

I get from the Jamaican guy

at the drive through at McDonalds

when I drive the Miata.

You'd think I was driving the worlds most

coveted vehicle.

(my older kids would kill me if they knew

McKay gets McDonald's breakfast every morning

after seminary,

and don't tell me how unhealthy that is please!)

Lincoln gets a much different reaction 

when he drives the Miata 

each and every day.

He gets flipped off.

and cut off.

and spit at.

It kinda scares me to hear his stories,

but until something bad happens,

I'll just take the top down, 

roll down the windows,

let the wind mess up my hair,

and the sun kiss my skin,

slow down (or speed up, whichever I feel like)

and enjoy the ride!

Touchstone Tuesday

Lately I've had blogger's block.  I haven't been able to think of a thing to blog about.  I was reading someone else's blog and came upon a entry about "touchstones."  If you look in the dictionary, the definition for an actual "touchstone" isn't anything to what I'm referring to.

A touchstone in this case is explained thusly:

There are so many things we touch everyday with hardly a thought. A butter knife. A pen. A keyboard. Doorknobs. The phone. The steering wheel. Yet sometimes touch lingers on particular things, special things. And there’s a story attached to every piece, isn’t there? Which of your objects tell stories? These objects are touchstones.

So an idea was born!!!  I have many touchstones, and when I read this blogger's post, it gave me validation for having them around.   "Touchstone Tuesday" is hereby given life on my blog.

I'm going to start with one that hasn't been around very long. For some reason, I love turtles.  I have a few of them as touchstones.   This one we acquired in North Carolina at the Biltmore Mansion.  The gift shops were filled with f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s things.  So many fabulous things that I was overwhelmed and I wasn't in the mood to purchase anything (lucky Lincoln!!!)  My family could tell that I loved this turtle.  I passed it by, much to their chagrin.

Lincoln tried to be sly and went back and purchased the turtle for me.  It really touched me that he would do this for me.  I've placed it in my front yard under our Japanese Maple.  He moves occasionally, sometimes he is further under the tree and sometimes not. . . . he doesn't achieve this on his own I'm sure!!! He gives me a shock as I'm walking up the side walk because I forget that he is there and he looks realistic to me!  When I see him I remember how sweet my husband was to go back and make sure I brought home this little guy . . . . .

While I was outside I couldn't resist taking this picture of one of our hosta plants.  My plants all took a beating a couple of years ago with the hailstorm and last year didn't come back very well.  This year they are back with a vengeance!  I love how big these leaves are.  They have a blue tinge to them, which is really pretty.  The world is such a pretty green right now, it almost hurts the eyes!  So beautiful.

I had to do a yoga balancing pose to get my foot in the photo!  Believe me this is hard to do and get a clear picture!

For you Georgia!
On more reflection I think I like turtles because they are a reflection of me.
Hard shell - - - soft underbelly . . . . .