Easy like a Sunday Morning

Taking it easy this Sunday reading the paper, blogs, sipping coffee and resting.

This past week I have had a hard time concentrating. I have had a sharp pain in my lower back. It is not a constant pain. More of a sharp stabbing pain when I move in a certain position. But not the same position. This makes it difficult to diagnose and find a remedy for.

I rarely have pain such as this and find it difficult to relieve. How do you know whether to 'work it out' or 'sit it out'? Do I use Ice? or Heat? or both?

This recent pain was not caused by an event. I didn't strain it or overwork it in any way- that I could recall.

I have tried it all. Ice, Heat, Exercise, Stretching, Resting and anti-inflammatory's and mild pain killers. So far, nothing has helped.

It is not a constant pain. I have been able to take long walks, play tennis, stretch and exercise with no pain at all. However, sitting and then standing again can take my breath away with pain.

It could be that I have a nerve pinching between vertebra...

The worse part is I have no insurance and a real tight budget due to my continued unemployment.
I will wait it out and continue to exercise, ice, heat and rest.

I have enjoyed the time with my girls on long quiet walks in she sunshine and some time on the tennis court.

Here is a bit of my childhood I relived through one of our walks to the tennis courts. Hollyhock Dolls:

This is a hollyhock plant. Here in Utah it is often pulled out with the weeds. Not many here see it for its beauty.




It grows well in arid soil and needs little to no tending.
When I was a young girl they grew all along our fence line in our back yard. They don't have much of a scent but the deep rich colors range from white to the deepest reds and purples.

Here is a little easy craft if you have little girls:





Using one blossom and one un-bloomed bud,

Simply insert a toothpick between the two through the stem center.

The bloom makes the full skirt and the bud becomes the head.

Underneath the skirt is enough pick for a 'puppet handle'.

Simple fun

Mom and Daughter Bonding

With my son gone, and my daughters oh so busy with all their work and extracurricular activities lately, I decided we should have some girl time.

After sleeping in a little bit and my CBS Sunday morning fix, with the cup o' Joe, I asked the girls if they were up for a short hike to the falls.

Just about 2 miles up the road from our house is are the foothills of Mt. Timpanogas. There is a trail that leads to the marking on the mountain for the high school letter. Just south of that trail there is a trail that leads to a very beautiful waterfall. Although my daughters have hiked this trail many times, I had never been. So we ventured out.

As you can see by this picture as we had just started out my youngest, on the right, was not too keen on the thought of actual exertion. According to her, she was excited about the bonding time, but she was not the outdoorsy type.

Her idea of outdoors is camping and sitting by a campfire- not actually hiking in to look at scenery. (Translation- exercise was not her thing.) I give her props for going anyway. Even if she looks as if she just found out that she has to repeat all of her high school history classes or something!

And she looks as though she really wants to get this over with.... am I wrong?

She was like 20 paces ahead for most of the beginning of the hike... then she slowed back as the trail got steeper.

Isn't this gorgeous? Would be even better if I had used a better camera, but even this Instamatic was on loan from my daughter. So this is the best you get.

You will just have to imagine the colors about 10 times more vivid- like those old Kodak Kodachrome commercials of the 70's and 80's...

And then we saw water-

There is something to be said for the sound of rushing water in nature.

This is my church- this, in my opinion is as close to God as you can get. I'm not going to get all prophet on you. Just love the feeling of peace and contentment you can feel in nature.

The girls informed me that this pretty little cold as the arctic pool was where my son and his scout troop held their own version of the Polar Bear club swimming in the dead of winter when they were mere children of 13 or so.

Brrrrr !!!!!!!!!

Some things it is better that a mother not know until much later when she can do nothing but sigh..

I took this one in order to show the absolutely breathtaking colors of autumn (today is the first day of autumn) in Utah. again, if I had a fancy Schmancy camera, you could see what we saw. But still, beautiful.

A view of the valley below. There is still farmland in Utah county- who'da thunkit?!

You can just see Utah lake.

sigh! again.

and then the falls--

We took a few pictures using the timer function on the camera... no small feat as that hill is steeper than it looks...

And when you only have 10 seconds.... you cant always get your best view.

My best side!- Or not

These little critters were EVERYWHERE!

They were cute as ever! Can you spot him? He is wearing his camo-

Sorry he is a little fuzzy- Get it? Caterpillar ....fuzzy....?

Oh I crack myself up!

ahh these cuties will do anything for their mother... even climb over rocks in an ice cold river, risking falling in and freezing their little wet patooties off... even forcing a smile when 'Outdoors is not their thing!'

I love my girls!

And what my younger daughter calls the adventurous one, took off across the river for a better view!

Note: This water is only about 5 inches deep.

However, it is moving pretty rapidly. And its COLD!

A view from the top!

Of the waterfall that is...

Approximately 20 feet or so...

Now you can see some of those colors!

And the pool below.

'The adventurous one' looks over the edge.

White water flowing over mossy rocks.

Nature at its finest.

Another smaller waterfall a little higher on the mountain.

Hmmm....Enter man. Ugly!

On the way back down I saw this cave-like hole in the hill, I had somehow missed on the way up. Coming down you are a little less conscious of your breathing and more aware of the beauty.

We couldn't help but wonder if any critters had used this for shelter.. or if it was just plain a hole-in-the-wall.

It was a nice afternoon....

Labor Day

Today I spent my Labor Day doing everything but laboring. I lay, relaxing with a cup of coffee this morning, then later a cup of tea while watching court TV (a vice of mine) and cuddling up in a small throw while listening to the rain and thunder of our first signs of autumn here in Utah.

I cant wait to to take the girls for a ride in the mountains to watch the colors come out soon. I am a summer child. I love the heat of summer, I love getting out into nature and I am definitely more comfortable in warm weather than cold.

But Autumn in Utah is so beautiful. I am enjoying this day. Cuddling, spending time with my daughters. Enjoying time, time that was a rarity when I was in school the past 8 years. (I just graduated from night school this past year) These little things in life make all the trials and tests all worthwhile.

Blame global warming, the seasons are not as distinct as they were in my youth. I miss that. But there is something to be said for a great and beautiful state where all four can be enjoyed in their entirety. Alas- I will close now, maybe have another cup of tea and a game of monopoly.