It's July and I've been in Utah hanging with my peeps, where the mercury has been hitting record highs! As in 103 degrees in the shade! As my dad (and every other Utahan) likes to say, "It's a dry heat..."...well dear old dad, so is a microwave! And 103 is still 103!! I am melting...just like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz...draw your own conclusions.
My mom and I have been all over this past week - we've lunched at The Montage (pictured above, it's in Deer Valley which is above Park City, the waiter said the elevation was 8,400 feet...but even then it was hot! Lunch wasn't worth the $75 price tag...neither was the view, which was only good as you're leaving the parking lot!), Pig in a Jelly Jar (they put roasted cabbage in their baked beans, different but good!), Morelia Mexican (if you Utahans haven't dined there, go, it's pretty darn good, or course it's not Cafe Rio but then what is?!) and Pei Wei and Mimi's...we've hit TaiPan and the mall and while that's not much to write home about, this is...I went to all of those places looking like a burn victim with red, swollen, itchy eyes and not a trace of make-up...quite embarrassing, I tell ya! I've had an eye issue, a serious one for 5 weeks! I've been seen by a nurse practitioner, who said I had Blepharitis, an eye doctor who said I had Ocular Rosacea and a dermatologist who said I had a bad allergic reaction...bad being the operative word! I ended up at Urgent Care and after lots of $$$ and several different medications I think I'm on the road to recovery, and if not then I'll be on the road to plastic surgery! For now, most of the swelling is down and I no longer look like I have ostrich eggs under my eyelids...more like quail eggs but at least I can open them without bawling! I would have taken a picture to show you but I didn't want you to be scarred for life.
Quaking Aspens - they are so beautiful! I think this is what is meant when they say you can't see the forest for the trees! I love being up in the mountains, the air is so clean and fresh. We took the Grands on a picnic up Big Cottonwood Canyon...it was beautiful and at 8,700 feet (I'm somewhat fascinated by elevations lately...just call me an elevationist, it's my new thang) it was just cool enough to keep me from flaming out.
We packed some Kentucky Fried, loaded up my dad's Peanut Wagon (that's what the kids call it) and drove up the canyon past Solitude and Brighton ski resorts to Silver Lake. It was SO beautiful!! It was quite a bit cooler on top - so, so refreshing! Max and Elsa fed the chipmunks who joined us for lunch - and I'm sure the chipmunks ate more than they did! Then we went on a Toad King hunt...I told Max all about the elusive Toad King, you know, a toad that wears a crown and rules a tiny kingdom full of colorful little toads? Well, he was in search of the Toad King all afternoon - great fun! Little Elsa was happily entertained with picking wild flowers and looking for ducks.
Max is now 6 years old and Elsa is 2 1/2 - it amazes me to think how fast they are growing! I had so much fun with them - and with my parents - it always ends too soon.
After our picnic we went back to mom and dad's so mom could complete another spray paint project. If there is ever a Spray Painting Event for the Olympics my mom would represent our country well! These are just a few of her recent sprays...
Both of the benches were wood and iron, and the little wicker table was white but after mom got busy.... presto/chango...they are now happy! Not one of us dares sit still too long...no telling what color we would be!
One night Mom thought it would be really funny to "scare" dad or to see if he would know she wasn't in the bed...so she fixed her bed to look like she was there, sleeping, using a stuffed bear, wig and pillow...she laughed herself sick! Dad said not a word. Now do you see why I'm the way I am?
Two more shots of my adorable grands...it's so hard leaving them! Max is already asking me when I'm coming back, he reminded me we have to pick apples in September so September it will be! While I was away Seattle had record heat! The mister did a great job keeping everything alive and I came home to my first RED tomato of the season!! And it's still JULY!!! After 22 years of trying and failing to grow tomatoes I may just get a crop (any more than one is a crop in my book!) One more day on the vine and then I'll pick it and we'll have some sort of tomato-ceremony before we slice it up for dinner!
Now it's back to the grind...the mister left me a couple of loads of laundry, a sink full of dishes and kitchen counters littered with stuff...just his way of letting me know I was missed!
