Today is the day I had looked forward to for almost two years.
We were to have taken the shuttle to the Las Vegas airport with our friends, Jim and Kathy,
to fly to North Carolina this evening, then to Puerto Rico to board the Viking Star
and sail to stops in the Caribbean,
and across the Atlantic to Madeira and three stops in Spain, ending in Barcelona.
Disappointing though it may be, postponing that same cruise until February, 2021, was the only smart thing to do.
To our knowledge, the ship will sail, despite the Coronavirus Pandemic,
but Viking offered 100% monetary credit to be used in the next two years.
Luckily, we had booked our air and our post tour in Barcelona with Viking.
So, what a great time to count our blessings
and to catch up on some of our Sweet Celebrations in 2020 so far.
The end of January we were invited to the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce Dinner and Gala
with the theme, Hats and Bows.
They honored people in the community with awards in different categories,
and the big ones at the end of the program were for Susi Lafaele, who has been with the Chamber for over ten years, and Pam Palermo, the outgoing president.
They have both been major forces for the community.
I have been volunteering for over eight years and have so enjoyed working with Susi.
She is fun and upbeat, efficient and loved by everyone!
She has taken a job with Washington County and is over the fair, among other things.
They honored her that night and declared a Susi Lafaele Day!
They also honored our outgoing president, Pam Palermo, who has since moved to Arkansas, and declared the day following Susi's day, Pam Palermo Day!
I have also loved working with her.
It was so fun to be there that night and see those two honored for the work they've done for the Chamber.
They were a great team together and wonderful videos had been put together showing them
at some of the many events they organized.
I failed to get a pic with Susi or Pam that night, but I got a couple of them with Susi at the Chamber.
and the big ones at the end of the program were for Susi Lafaele, who has been with the Chamber for over ten years, and Pam Palermo, the outgoing president.
They have both been major forces for the community.
I have been volunteering for over eight years and have so enjoyed working with Susi.
She is fun and upbeat, efficient and loved by everyone!
She has taken a job with Washington County and is over the fair, among other things.
They honored her that night and declared a Susi Lafaele Day!
They also honored our outgoing president, Pam Palermo, who has since moved to Arkansas, and declared the day following Susi's day, Pam Palermo Day!
I have also loved working with her.
It was so fun to be there that night and see those two honored for the work they've done for the Chamber.
They were a great team together and wonderful videos had been put together showing them
at some of the many events they organized.
I failed to get a pic with Susi or Pam that night, but I got a couple of them with Susi at the Chamber.
Pam had already moved when I realized I didn't get a pic with her.
One of my mom's best friends in Caldwell as I was growing up was Helen Mar Clark.
In fact, Mom and Dad enjoyed getting together with Helen Mar and her husband, Wayne for years.
Their son, Jeff, is my age and their daughter, Susie, was a year younger
and one of my favorite friends growing up.
Then both couples bought homes in St. George to spend the winters years ago.
Now Helen is the only one left of those dear people and she is a delightful force.
She turned 100 years old in February and her family held a birthday open house for her.
I threw in a pic of our Pathway/Connect Gathering.
We meet with these kids every Thursday evening
to review their lessons
they have been studying on their computers all week,
led by rotating student leaders. It is Hayden's turn this evening.
We really love these wonderful young people!
Another fun gathering we enjoyed is a Game Night with Steve and Viki and Jay and Anne at the Whitmer's.
Chyrrl, Roger's sister, and husband, Glynn, came to St. George for Glynn to ride horses with Jim Andrus.
Jim and Mary are friends they met on their mission to Nauvoo.
We met up with them at the movies.
Roger's sisters had been taking such good care of their mom, Lois, giving her 24 hour care,
and Chyrrl and Glynn got away for the weekend.
She is staying on her own now and almost all of the way back from a really scary period of time
when she was recovering from illness.
Roger and I went up north to stay with Lois for a few days a couple of times.
She really enjoyed Roger showing her pics and reading my blog to her of our family.
My Birthday Celebrations
My favorite part of having a birthday is getting expressions of love from my wonderful family and friends!
Roger took me for lunch at this place, which used to be called Egg and I.
The food and decor are much improved. I loved this dish we shared - arugula, avocado and beet salad on poached eggs and toast!
A major treat that night was enjoying the set Valentine's Day menu at the downtown St. George restaurant
in the new Advenire Hotel, an upscale boutique hotel of Marriott.
The food was great chef good, and the chocolate torte for dessert was to die for!
Roger is not a rich chocolate fan, and he loved it!
On Saturday we took a day trip to Vegas to shop for my birthday and found amazing President's Day sales.
We had lunch at our favorite place, Mon Ami Gabi, and I was treated with my free birthday profiterole.
I get texts of free food items to try if you just show your waiter the message on your phone,
and we have actually had this one before. Neither Roger or I like goat cheese,
but because it was free, we tried it, and, wow! It is amazing!
Birthday Celebrations just kept going! Every year since Jane and Dan moved to St. George from Price,
we get together for lunch or dinner for our birthdays - Jane's is February 13th, and mine, the 14th.
We have known them since our college days, both living in the married student housing at USU.
Jane and I carpooled to our teaching jobs at South Cache Junior High School.
I really get into the free birthday dessert thing!
The Dandoys, a couple in our branch, are moving to Arizona and Jeremiah
planned the Branch Golf Schedule for years,
which was really a labor of love coordinating it.
The Barney's (pic below) held a farewell party for them in their home,
inviting the golfers and wives in the branch.
Bob Laird made a special cake for the event.
A pic was taken of the golfers who attended after we ate and played games.
Jerry Dandoy is in the first row, center.
Bob Moskus entertained us with silly songs on his guitar.
Roger recently enjoyed a hike with these branch friends
to an Anasazi site
at the top of a big round hill near Costco called Shinobe Kibe.
There is a large sun dial made by the Anasazi Indians and the rocks point an exact north, south east and west.
They enjoyed a pretty view at the top.
Large navigation arrow at the top of the hill
The new Chamber President, Don Willie, and other employees took us four volunteers
to a Hibachi lunch at Sakura.
They also ordered some great sushi for us.
Me, Sherri, Fred, Don (volunteers) and new President, Don.
The two Dons
When Pam was President, they called us Pam 1 and Pam 2.
Employees Carissa, Tammy and Trevor
My childhood friend in Caldwell, Anne Flower, posted this newspaper clipping on Facebook.
Wow, looking at all of those faces of my classmates brought back so many memories!
Just for fun, I posted this pic of last Sunday's dinner, brined pork chops, hassleback potatoes, homemade apple sauce and corn.
Roger enjoyed golfing at the new Copper Rock in Hurricane with Aggies Steve Whitmer and my friend,
who just moved in our branch with his wife, Nancy, Loran VanNoy.
It's amazing how many of our Aggie friends have shown up to live in St. George!
Roger said that they had a great day of golf together.
With all of the unrest going on in our country and our world with health concerns,
Dow plunges, oil wars and political fights,
I have taken time to evaluate how blessed our lives still are!
Love for our country, our family and of our God doesn't change and is huge cause to Celebrate!
