Thank goodness for my Sister!

I've always thought this job would be easier if there was 2 of me. This last week was what we call "Hell week" at work. Our boss's bring in customers from all over the world and show them our pea fields and varieties. We, meaning me, feed them lunch in the field for 2 days. But this year our boss's decided it would be so great if we added a steak dinner the first night. With all the fixins', and a band. Ok, so it isn't like work stops at the office for this big event. So I hired the best person I could think of to help me. My sister Lyn. They set up a couple of tents on the ditch bank in the dirt and that is where we hold this extravaganza. The wind was blowing and no amount of duct tape would hold the table cloths on the tables and We spent every spare moment wiping dirt off the tables- over & over & over again! As soon as lunch was over we started preparing for the Big dinner.The wind was really whipping up a storm now and so I ran to town to get sides for the big tent. In the meantime Lyn was dicing & slicing and baking & mixing & putting together the dinner. We even got Shana in on the event, even the 2" New York Strip Steaks couldn't compete with the cakes she brought covered with the Pure Line Logo and each piece had a candy pea pod with peas in it. It even impressed the corporate big wigs that were there. The dinner was a huge success "thanks to Lyn" and all of her delicious food. We couldn't even taste the dirt that had blown into the food. As the dinner was ending and the drinking began, we fired up the generator and the JR Swafford band began playing. Our boss's seemed shocked that we could come up with such a great band on such short notice. One of the boss's wife's even joined in with the band singing a couple of songs. As I sat there that night looking down at my filthy feet, tired, and out of energy, knowing that tomorrow we would have to serve them food again, I realized how thankful I was for family. To Shana for making the cake, the GerriAnn and JR for the music, for Ed who was there working along side of me and putting up with my stressful outbursts, and for my sweet sister Lyn. We worked, we laughed, we sweated, we laughed some more. I couldn't have done it without her.

Announcement!

I haven't heard all the details yet but sweet Skyla Cox is engaged! We are so excited for her. More details to come........

Help Wanted: House Cleaner

I went down to Mom's last night around 8:00 pm and she had her table and chairs moved out of the kitchen and was mopping and waxing her floor. I guess she had given up on the promise from her daughters months ago that we would do that for her. Sorry Mom, but I can't even find time to mop my own floors. I know that is no excuse whatsoever and dad is probably cursing me for not taking better care of you. But right now I would pay for someone to come mop my floors and clean my house. Yes, I am that desperate. I can't remember the last time I vacumed. My toilets used to be so clean you could eat out of them ( sorry for that analogy) But I prided myself on having a clean house even when the kids were all little. Now that all of them are gone I am more behind than ever. You've all read that poem that says something like Dust and cobwebs will have to wait cause I'm rocking my baby today. Well my baby is going to be 25 and that excuse ran out years ago. I still have one baby left at home, Ed, and he won't mind me when I tell him to pick his stuff up. He won't do dishes or dust but he does do his own laundry and he is building a very nice fence in our backyard. So the housework is pretty much up to me. I just need 8 more hours in a day and a good nap. Or a 3 day weekend. Or a housekeeper. Anyone looking for an extra job? Of course you would have to be sworn to secrecy that you wouldn't tell anyone what a mess my house is. Sorry there won't be any slide shows on this one!

Olson Family Bike Trip

Ya Hoo!!!! I figured out how to add a picture, aren't you so proud of me. Well anyway this last Sat. we took our annual (well 3rd time)13 mile bike trip down the Hiawatha trail. The 1st time we ever did this Amy was pregnant with Jake and Ronnie with Brennen. The 2nd time we did this Cody, Jake & Brennen were babies and were in a pull along that Brian pulled behind his bike.They started screaming when we went thru the first dark tunnel and screamed all the way down. So this trip was so fun because all the kids that went were on bikes(except Emily who rode behind Mike. It started out a beautiful day. The sun was shining and it was just the right temp. We stopped for lunch about half way and the clouds started to gather it started to get darker and so we knew what was coming. Yes, it started to pour rain and I mean pour. Other bikers were zooming past us trying to get down the mountain. You have to realize that we had little kids on little bikes. Jackson was peddling about 20 peddles to our one on our big 10 speeds. Madi, Mckenzie, & Brennen were doing about the same. (this is an old train train track with lots of dark cold drippy tunnels to go thru also and our dinky lights hardly showed the way. Ed had taped my flashlight on my bike and it pointed at the ceiling so it was not much help.) But the track is all down hill and a very smooth ride. There wasn't much complaining until it started raining and it was cold but we pressed on. About 3/4 of the way down Jackson decided he wasn't going to peddle another second. He was a real trooper to make it that far. But how do you get an extra bike down the mountain- hence the bike strapped on Tyson's back. And poor Michael had to give up his only seat to Jackson and finish the trip standing up. As we rode thru the finish line the sun was shining and everyone was smiling. It took us a little over 4 hours I think. We ended the day at the Hot Rod cafe in Post Falls. This was a great family activity that will be a memory forever. I hope next time we'll have all of the family there.

Did I do that?. . . . .

Mom and I were talking the other day about that commercial where the husband found his wifes keys in the fridge and the ad said that if you are putting things where they don't belong you should have an exam for alzheimer. If that were truely the case I would be at the Dr's office all the time. Mom even said that more than once someone had knocked on her door and asked if there was a reason she left her car door wide open. I realize with old age comes forgetfullness. I don't know when it turns into alzheimers. I have often gone into a room to get something and forgot what I went in there for. Not long ago I ordered a dress from a catalog-received it-tried it on-didn't like how it fit-sent it back. Last night I was looking through a catalog-saw a dress- started to order it even though it look familiar and so cute-then at the last minute realized it was the dress I had just sent back. I can't tell you how many times I have brought home a "Woman's Day" magazine only to realize I had already bought and read that magazine. Its funny what we do remember. I remember what I got for my 4th birthday, but I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday. I would like to think that my brain is just on overload and I'll use that excuse till I don't know who I am anymore. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad having alzheimers. You could just go around doing anything you wanted and you wouldn't care what anybody thought. Yes they would be talking about you, but you wouldn't know, you wouldn't care. You would embarrass your kids to death, but it would just be pay backs for all the times they embarrased you and they didn't care. When you get my age you get a whole different way of looking at things. Scarey, huh?

An Accident waiting to happen. . . .

I wish I knew how to put pictures on my blog. I know it would really spice things up. Especially with the event that happened last night. I recieved a phone call about 4:00 from Mishelle - she had fallen at work and was being taken to the walk in clinc with a possible broken foot. Bill Porter, Moses Point golf course manager had come to her rescue. You all know that Mishelle doesn't slow down for a minute and as she was rushing thru a puddle of water at work her feet slipped and down she went landing on her foot. I got to the clinc and found her sitting in a wheel chair with a bag of ice on the most black and blue and purple foot I have ever seen. It was an almost comical moment but she was in so much pain I dared not smile. She told me the story how she had slipped and fallen and then had to crawl into her office - get a baggy - fill it with ice from the freezer - put it on her foot, then call for help. So I got to the clinic in time to wheel her into X-ray. Then we had to wait for about an hour to see the DR. Poor Mishelle, she had taken pain pills but was hurting so bad. So mommy ran down town to get her a Tropical Smoothie from Jack in the Box and that seemed to help a little. The good news is her foot isn't broken but badly sprained and in the Dr.s words "a sprain is as bad as a break sometimes" So we drove around town getting perscriptions and finding some crutches. Then home to find Kyle doing the dishes and the kids cleaning the house. Its a painful way to get your husband to do the dishes and your kids to clean the house but for 1 night she got to be Queen for a day. She is a little better today but the Dr. said no working for a couple of days. I hope she's getting a well deserved rest.

Thoughts From an Old Warden Graduate

I can't believe its been 40 years since I graduated! I graduated on a Friday and started Beauty School in Moses Lake on Monday. Not much time to celebrate. I don't miss school at all. I was not what you would call a model student but I did make the honor roll- barely. My favorite subjects were English and Biology. I hated math and barely passed bookkeeping so what am I doing here at Pure Line as a bookkeeper you ask? I am one of those persons who - once they got out of school - got an education. I took sewing and cooking in home ec but didn't learn how to do either until I got married. My mom sewed my home ec projects. I wasn't good in sports, never tried out for cheerleader, but I did try out for Miss Warden and still have night mares over that one. I would have to say my most embarrasing moment in High School was eating a cookie, baked by the boys in Home Ec, frosted with Ex Lax. I stayed home for 2 days- not because the ex lax worked but because I was too embarrassed to go to school. Such a little thing now but I could have died from mortification at the time. One of the hi-lites of my Senior Year was being Prom Queen chosen by the Junior Class. What a shock for me that was. I was sick with a sore throat,no voice and a terrible headache. Almost didn't go but glad I did. I was so busy at that time with end of school stuff that I didn't even have time to go get a dress. My mom went to Spokane and picked out the perfect one for me. I loved it. I had alot of friends in school but now we hardly talk. Life is funny that way. All I ever really wanted to do in life was get married and have children. Its hard to believe that I'm still living in Warden and working at my age. When I think of my school days I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling. I'm sure my mom was glad to get me out of school also. I loved Beauty School. I love being married and having kids and grandkids. I like where I am right now. I know I learned alot of life's lessons in school and that its a big part of who I am today. What I really miss about school is summer vacation! You never get over that.

Family Happenings

Many of you know already but to bring you up to speed - Ben Bisnett is home from his mission for surgery. I've heard 2 stories but not sure which is true, but he broke is ankle, stepping off a curb or playing BB.(I guess you'll have to visit him to find out the truth) He had surgery this morning in Moses Lake. If all goes well he will go home today also but will be home for a couple of months to heal. Then back to California to finish his mission. As if the Bisnett family didn't have enough drama Levi was hit by a car yesterday on his motorcyle. A hurt shoulder is what I know for sure but he walked away from the accident. (Lyn you're just going to have to get a blog. I'm not a very good reporter.)Get well soon, Ben & Levi! Can you imagine being without hot water for 3 days. Well that is what happened to Grandma Cox this week. When you live in a Rental you have to wait for whoever is in charge to do something. We are just not used to roughing it these days. I guess cold water is better than NO water but who wants to take a cold shower! On a lighter note, Grandma and I attended Mishelle's debut as a Pampered Chef Host last night. I have to say I was pretty impressed. Except for dropping a bag of cheese on a baby's head and flipping a piece of chicken across the room she totally entertained us with her newly acquired cullenery skills and delighted our taste buds with delicious food. I was a bit skeptical when I heard she was going to do this but I think she will do really well with this new venture. If anyone wants to host a Pampered Chef party I'm sure she would be thrilled to accept your invitation. I'm glad its Friday today, Even though there are many things going on this week end - I love Saturdays.

Announcement!!

Ed & Lorrie Olson are pleased to announce that our family is growing again. (drum roll please) Brian and Ronnie are expecting a baby due Dec. 31st. I wanted Brian to blog about it but he gave me permission to. Ronnie has said for a long time that her family was complete and so this has been a pleasant suprise to us as well as to them. Yes, they are suprised also. So maybe - there will be a New Years baby in the family this year. I know that Becky and James announced their baby news at the Memorial day picnic and we are happy for them also. TJ and Misha are also expecting Is there anymore out there we don't know about yet? How many does this make Grandma Cox? I gave up counting a long time ago. Anyway, Congratulations Brian, Ronnie, Brennen and Madi!!

Are You Ready For Summer?

Hot weather, kids home from school, vacations, BBQ's, picnics, and swimming. Back in the old days when I was a much smaller size - I used to love summer. Before having kids I didn't look too bad in a swimming suit and really enjoyed summer activites. In fact in my senior yearbook there is a picture of me in a swimming suit. (Scarey thought, huh?) I wouldn't wear a swimming suit now for a million dollars. Well maybe a million but not one penny less. Its not fair that men can sash- shey around the pool with their belly hanging out but just let a woman do the same and look at the heads turn. Not that women don't do that anyway. Have you gone to a public pool lately? I didn't know they made bikini's that big? But hey, more power to ya. Each season brings new activites and good things. Change is good. I love summer- even in my long shorts. I love watching everyone come out of their homes after a long winter and spring. We're like bears coming out of our caves after hybernation. Its fun to visit and watch what everyones going to do with their yards. I know I will be ready for fall when it comes but right now I'll enjoy summer. Happy summer everyone!