HELLO MARCH . . .

March is the time to bloom with kindness and grow with grace. 

Welcome, March! Our month of birthdays, extra cake, and maybe a few added pounds — and so much love. I’m incredibly thankful for all the special people in my life that I will get to celebrate this month. 💗

On my playlist -  Written by Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is one of my favorite songs. It’s often called one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and I believe that’s true. I especially love Glen Campbell’s version — he sings it so beautifully. It speaks to feelings I carry more often than I wish I did.

The Birthdays – Nathan is our very first March birthday, and he sets the bar high for the whole month. He’s a freshman in high school this year, and somehow he manages to be amazing, smart, talented, and genuinely funny all at the same time! He can be a little goofy (which definitely keeps life interesting), but underneath that is a steady confidence and capability that makes all of us so proud.

Nathan can fix just about anything. If something’s broken, he’s the one we call. He’s an incredible welder—patient, precise, and creative—and he has such a natural artistic ability. It’s a rare and wonderful combination: strong hands that can build and repair, paired with an artistic eye that notices beauty in the details.

He loves to fish, run, ski, play video games, and camp—basically anything that gets him outdoors and moving. He’s happiest with fresh air, open space, and something to accomplish. And yes, he’s very handsome too. ;0) But even more than that, he’s kind, capable, and deeply loved. We are so grateful he is ours to celebrate this month.

Update – Nathan has a bad cold, so we won’t be able to celebrate with him today. :0(

I'm Thinking About - Clara! This is one of my beautiful granddaughters! She is smart, talented, sometimes a little crazy and playful, sometimes quiet, sometimes giggly — but always amazing and so very loved, especially by her family.

Clara is a freshman in high school, and last month she placed first in the state debate competition, competing against seniors! She will be heading to Virginia for the national competition, and we could not be more proud of her.  She is also number one in her freshman class at her high school!

She’s a girl after my own heart — I loved debate and speech when I was her age. I’ll be cheering her on every step of the way!

I’m Wearing – Comfy jogging pants, a t-shirt, and my fluffy white slippers. Even though the sun is shining, it’s still cold here in Idaho. Sunshine doesn’t always mean warmth this time of year!

I’m Creating – I ordered the yarn to make a blanket for my granddaughter, and I’m so excited to get started. I hope it turns out as cute as the pattern. I also finished my cross-stitch project! I can still see plenty of little flaws (why do we always notice those first?), but it will be beautiful once it’s framed and hanging on the wall — whether in my home or someone else’s. ;0)

I’m Dreaming About – Warmer weather, garden plans, camping plans, vacation plans, patio-sitting plans… you know, all those things we start dreaming about when spring is on its way. 

We’re planning a trip to Nauvoo, Illinois, with one of my daughters and her family this summer. We’re so excited to visit the places that are so important to my faith — to walk the same ground the early Saints once walked, to imagine their sacrifices, their courage, and their deep trust in the Lord. There’s something powerful about standing in a place where so much faith was lived out in real, ordinary days. I’m looking forward not just to seeing the historic sites, but to feeling the Spirit there and remembering what matters most. There’s still plenty of planning to do, but we’re getting there — slowly but surely.

I’m Working On – Getting into shape and building my stamina. I bought a rebounder (aka, a mini trampoline), and I’ve been using it for about two weeks now. I love it! I can already feel improvement in my balance, stamina, and strength. If you’ve been thinking about something easy and effective, get a rebounder. It’s also fun! I put on some upbeat music, pop in my earbuds, and bounce away.

From My Kitchen – Earlier this week, I was in the mood for soup. It was cold, snowy, and windy — basically a perfect soup day. I always buy a rotisserie chicken when I go to Sam's Club because they’re delicious and one of the best bargains in the store at $4.98 each.

This week, I put the chicken bones in the Instant Pot along with carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and a few tablespoons of vinegar, then pressure-cooked it for two hours. Perfect bone broth every time. I picked through the bones and vegetables, saving the good bits for Indy, and discarded the rest. Then I added more fresh vegetables, some chopped cooked chicken, and a can of white beans to the broth. It was delicious with fresh rolls — I love a good, brothy soup.

I also made bread. I usually bake bread every two weeks.

I decided to make cookies for Bob.  He's been asking me to make these for a long time.  I love a nice chewy chocolate chip cookie.  He loves fluffy, soft, chocolate chip cookies.  This could be  problem!  But, This recipe is the best one I've found for perfect, fluffy, delicious chocolate chip cookie...

I'll freeze these cookies and just take a few out when we want them, and keep a few to eat this week.

You can find the recipe here!

Something Fun - On Friday, we went to the Elk refuge in, Jackson Hole, Wyoming with my daughter and her family.  It was a windy day, but not too cold... Just a gorgeous and fun day.

When we boarded the wagon and started talking with the young woman who was taking us on the tour and steering the wagon, we realized we knew her. She’s the same age as my granddaughter — they went to school together and played baseball together for years! I remember her being such a fun, bright young woman. She still is!

It really is such a small world. My granddaughter was so excited when she saw this photo — it brought back so many memories for her. It made the tour even more special for me.

You can see Snow King ski slope in the background.  I learned to ski at Snow King... Such great memories!  A few runs have been added since I skied there ;0)

You can see how bare the ground is this year.  Usually, you would take the wagon ride in the snow and watch them feed the elk, but because of the lack of snow, there has been enough vegetation to feed all of the elk and buffalo this year. This of course is just a few of the elk on the elk refuge where we were, and no buffalo... There are actually another two thousand or so elk that we could see way in the background.

The horses that pulled our wagon were a beautiful pair of Percheron's.  Their names are Colt and Rugger.  They are smaller than some of the other teams they have at the refuge, but they're so beautiful and equally strong.  It made me miss the days when we had our own horses in our pasture.

At The End Of The Day - I haven't  really looked for sunsets lately.  I know they are there, somewhere under the clouds.  This is a beautiful sunset photo from, September of 2024.  

Just sayin' - 

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead.  I will try to have one as well.

Hugs and Much Love,

Barb