Creole Wisdom

Rodeo

Never been to the rodeo, it was entertainment at its finest:

Thee old rodeo crew, i.e. a certain BYU ward.  Can ya find me?  Ya, I'm wearin' a dress.  Is that not rodeo-appropriate.  Sorry!  It's how I wanted to roll, and ya- the cowgirl hat clashes.  Oh well!

Ma ticket.  Oh, I was thrilled.  Cost me a whooping $0.00.  Whew, glad I can afford good shows readers.  Glad I can afford em'.

Wavin' our flags.  Rodeos are one patriotic, all American, storybook come to life event..

Ride that horsie!  Hold on! We cheered them all on.  Who can miss watching people try to stay on a bucking, wild animal?

I'll leave ya with what is bound to happen when you're around livestock: poop!  And yes, that's my dusty cowgirl boot peakin' out from the side.  No, I am not afraid of a little poop-

an adventurous crew

date night in provo, observe:


get something to eat at a really good thai place.  laugh in a kind of annoying way so that the ladies at the next table look over at you awkwardly...

devour the above and praise the person who invented sticky rice (nom nom nom)

on a whim: go to the most giant party store i've ever laid my minnesota eyes on and find hats.  i need the cowgirl one for the rodeo tomorrow!

provo is entertaining...

leaves

So, I started my classes.  I'm only taking two, but so far they have been really great.  I am so happy that I decided to take a genealogy course.  I am one of those people who just marvels at history, my past, and family trees.  I am envious of those who can trace their ancestry back generations.  But, with the hope of this class I might someday be one of those lucky people-

The leaves on my family tree are made up of people who I come from.  Some I know, and some I do not.  Some are white, and others are black, but they all have one thing in common... me! 

I may not know everything, but I do know some.  I am lucky to have inherited my paternal grandfather's giant collection of photos (which I am slowly scanning in to my macbook pro).  These are a few favorites:

(Left to right: Uncle Vincent, Dad, and Aunt Barbara.  Location: Pinewood Avenue, Toledo, Ohio.  Date: 1957?)

Sergeant Willie B Harris (my paternal grandfather, and fellow photographer!)

miracle saturday

Because it was about 5,000 degrees outside, combined with the fact that the sun here is like no sun I've known (altitude to blame?), and the fun reality that sitting by the pool can only entertain one so much... a bunch of friends and I decided to go down to Manti for the pageant. 

Getting there is fun (it was about a 1.5 hour drive):
•Oh Utah, you are so beautiful.  I'm sorry but you are also really hot in the summer.  You look lush!  But your heat- it is killing me-

•Because we were hungry our group of six stopped at the most charming Trolley Restaurant in Springville (Emily Kate, you would of loved it, if you haven't already been).  I ordered the Chef's Choice salad (if you ever go get a 1/2 order because they're big!)


•Passing the gorgeous, green hills (this was taken from a moving Hummer, readers, a moving Hummer!)

•These things are huge!  I wish they had been turned on, that would of been cool to see... Go Wind Power! Err... whatever that means. 

•My most favorite part of the ride (minus all the car singing/dancing we did) seeing the cows!  Ahh

•And then, after endless country and rolling hills we arrived in the tiny, charming town of Manti.  The Temple looked lovely.  We were excited, and after a potty break and managing to hide a full bag of snacks under a large blanket we made our way to see the pageant.  Oh, and I was the Minnesota girl spraying everyone down with bug spray like a pro.  Here's how it goes: cover your eyes and close your mouth and in about 20 seconds you will be covered head to toe in bug spray.  I am a bug spray queen!  I reigned readers, I reigned.

•The performance was fabulous.  They do a full, live show on the hillside beside the temple and it is really well done.  I've never been to an outdoor, pageant before, and I would def. say if you can go- do it.  Fun.  And my favorite shot of the night:

a fortunate friday

I had the perfect Friday, really.  I did.  Can you believe it?  It all started like this:

•I finished a piece at work, it's all ready to air Monday, and that just feels good
•When I got home I threw off my work clothes (yep) and put on my suit
•From 5-7:45 (7:45!!!)  I sat by the pool and basked in the glorious, albeit intense Utah sun while reading:

•After my arms looked like cinnamon and my face was covered in freckles I decided dinner time was in order and went back inside
•Started the evening out right by hanging out with a bunch of my new friends at one of the guy's apartments
•After talking we decided to watch a movie, I expressed an interest in snacks!  You know how I am!  So we went to the Creamery to pick up the necessities: like two jumbo 2-for-4 packs of sour patch kids and homestyle popcorn
•We watched:

•That's a Series of Unfortunate Events, and it was a beautiful film.

fresh

Salads are my mantra for summer dinners.  I just love eating them.  Here's one of my favorites, if you aren't a cheese person stop reading this blog now. ; )

Warm Goat Cheese Salad (source: my mom):
•Toss salad with dressing of choice
•Cut log of goat cheese into slices (about 8 per log, 4 pieces per person)
•Lightly roll slices in olive oil
•Then roll slices in bread crumbs
•Place slices on baking dish and bake 8-10minutes at 450 Degrees
•Put on top of salad and enjoy!

So I ended up adding a handful of chopped pecans and crasins, but that's just me.

It was so good dear readers, so, so, so good. 

I'm going to be reading a lot from these because...

I just got called to be the First Counselor in the Relief Society.  I am in shock.  Ugh, me?  What? I cannot believe I was chosen.  This is really exciting.  I cannot wait to get started- it's not been the easiest adjustment to Utah. It's just different, okay!  But this week has been really fabulous so far, and this- this just made it better- shout out to Emily Kate, who was the first person to know!

But wait- you know I have an awkward story on how it all came about (didn't think you could quit reading so quickly about my ridiculous life), so here goes:
-My appointment to meet the bishop was at 7:30 in my apt's clubhouse.  Next to the pool.
-Since the pool is finally open I decide to chill by the pool in my shade get up before the meeting
-I left to go change back at my place for the meeting when I hear
-"Katie" by one of the bishoprics, "did you know you have an appointment?"  And I am standing there in my suit (albeit with a coverup, but ya know, it was an old(er) man, uhh)
-"Yes, I know, I was just going to go put some clothes on" I say feeling really ridiculous...
-"Well, we can see the pool, and you have a great modest suit on (ha ha) so you could come in right now if you want. We are so happy to see modest swim wear"
-Ahhhhaaa.  Can you believe that?  You know I was dying.  And no, I did not hear my news about my calling in my beach wear. 

Only this happens to me.  I swear. 

sugar & spice

a little bit of sugar, a little bit of spice, basically my life.  haha, that rhymes!

spice: having to gently remind my roommate about four times to do her cleaning.  I feel like a mom, but it's not fair for me to do all of it, especially since I purchased all the supplies- and it's her week anyway.

sugar: laughing really hard at whatever Rob and Anna say at work.  Sometimes there isn't much news work going on in the "news room."

spice: Someone bent one of the rungs in the fence at the pool, and so the apartment management is punishing the entire complex by closing the pool until 11am tomorrow morning.  Keep in mind today and yesterday were really, really hot.

sugar: Getting the chance to do a photo shoot of Jennifer's doggy, Snoop, for a fun project she's up to.  Can't wait to let you all in- if you have a dog/cat get ready, it's going to be fun-

spice: Not knowing whether or not to plan a dinner for tonight.  The nice guy Trevor, who picked me up from the airport was really good to me- did I mention I was hysterical on the phone to him twice because of Frontier airlines and their drama on my way here.  Yikes, I'm sure he thought I was psycho.  And bringing three "overweight" bags... all which he took up to my second floor apartment while nursing a sprained foot.  So yes, I told him that I would cook dinner for him and his roomies, and we had a plan, but they haven't gotten back to me... Boys sometime are not equip with the planning gene.

sugar: Wearing a skirt from two years ago.  And that it fits the same.  I know I shouldn't take that for granted...

spice: It's really hot here.  Way too hot for the middle of June.  I called Karen on my way home, walking down 9th and I felt like I was breathing in the most dry, parched air.  Give me humidity!

sugar: I'm interviewing a sort-of-celebrity in the flesh later this week.  Some people who were present/remember the 70s might be especially excited. 

spice: My alarm is set for 6:45 am.  I have an early morning work meeting tomorrow : (

sugar: Getting back in touch with an old scrapbook friend, and discovering her blog.  I love that.  She is one talented woman! Go Kelly.  Oh, and a little site note.  Kelly was the first person who suggested I submit a scrapbook page for publishing, and because of her I was published in Paperkuts the summer before college.

spice: Payday isn't until Friday.  Not that I need to urgently buy anything, but you know, it would just be nice to have my summer session shopping (books, notebooks, other school supplies) done already.

sugar: Excited for mom's visit the first week of July.  We are going to have so much fun, especially since the 4th is really big here.

cute as pie

One of the "perks" of blogging it getting to know fellow bloggers, and then reading, keeping up with their lives, all via their blog.  I think Emily Kate started talking to me when I posted on a scrapbook site about the church, way back in high school- She was kind, encouraging, and soon we started reading each other's blogs.  It was apparent that when I finally came out here that we plan a little get-together.  We met, along with another buddy at a great place in Provo-

We tasted gelato, and gabbed, gabbed, gabbed.  Favorite topics of convo:
•Filling each other in on the "real stuff," i.e. stuff that has to be vague on blogs- getting the full story!
•Learning about who I need to avoid (boy wise).  I will be wary from now on, guys!
•Just laughing over sharing  "crazy" stories

Emily was so kind to give me a ride home, and I hope  we'll get together before she heads out for exciting adventures  (eek! so thrilling).  Meeting blog friends is sort of like a treat- you kind of "know" them, so it's fun to see it all in the flesh.

celebrating dad, utah style

There are lots of fun ways to celebrate dad, but starting off with showing him around Provo and having him sit in the studio- listening first hand to the story I did on father's day was pretty thrilling. 

We set out for Park City Friday morning after a full-fledged BYU tour complete with lunch at, you guessed it, the MOA. 

Dad never gets lost and can navigate a place without a map in his rental car of choice, a hummer.  Our first stop landed us in the gorgeous, idyllic Sundance. 

I felt in love immediately as I smelled the mountain air, eyed the steep lift, and stepped up the wooden planks to their "general store" filled with goodies.  I found presents for mom and sorority sisters alike-

On to our destination, we checked in at our condo at the well-appointed Silver Queen Hotel.  Park City is exactly how you imagine an old Western Town, with modern upgrades, and all the shopping, site-seeing, eating, and photograph opportunities abound-

So, one of the highlights of the entire adventure was having root bear with Dad in an authentic, old, western saloon.  It was pretty memorable!