Request for Navy Bean Soup

2 cups navy beans, 

4 cups water

Bring to boil, turn off and let sit for 3 hours. DO NOT DRAIN  add about

2 cups of chicken broth

add some grated or sliced carrots

add chopped onions

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

 Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil then let simmer till everything is tender.  

Mash the beans some 

Bob likes a splash of vinegar in his bean soup. 

Enjoy with a slice of home made bread and butter. (I make my own butter from time to time)

Being home for a day

I got sooooo much done today.  Never left the house except to pick up a couple of items at Yokes.  I had a lot of phone calls to make and sat on hold a lot.  I even got appointments made for Bob and I to get our oil changed. 
AND cleaned an old computer out to give to a nun from Uganda to use at school.
Made 2 types of soup... love navy bean soup. 
Made bread pudding at my husbands request. 
Gosh I love being able to stay home.
BUT God has me doing a few other things and caring for a few people. 
Time to go snuggle with the man of my dreams....

Where does the time go?

YAHOO I am feeling good again.... My new knee is better than ever, still swells now and then, but 99% pain free.. in that knee.  All healed and ready for Bob and I to take the 3 oldest grand kids on a cruise to Alaska.  Perfect weather, smooth sailing and the kids were so fun and well behaved. 

We toured, we panned for gold, gold mine tour, sled dog training camp and fun entertainment on the ship.  I was hypnotized to my grand kids delight, becoming the talk of the ship.... We are all looking forward to another cruise one day....

After the cruise, Misty moved, leaving Bob and I missing her and Elijah.  It was time for her to begin a new life, and spread her wings.  I am grateful for all she did for us.  We are very glad she and Elijah are only 4 miles from us, and see them regularly.

And then... my sister now lives closer to us also.  Alexis and Kayla moved back to California for her job, living a void in my sisters life.  We found a great place that the home owners have to be over 55.  She seems pretty happy and that makes me happy also. 

25 Wonderful Years

Let me tell you a story.   
I was working for Pacific Norwest Bell at 501 W 2nd Ave in Spokane WA. Bob had just moved back to Spokane. He also worked for PNB and there were a ton of people I worked with were telling me about this guy.  I was hearing a lot of nice things about him.  One Saturday I was working and a supervisor, Steve Styren, was telling me all about Bob.... My mind was spinning by the end of the day. Words like "family oriented" "good worker" "dedicated" "fun" "Christian" were used to describe him. Was I interested in meeting him?  HECK YES!  I was introduce to Bob on the following Monday.

Now, Bob's version goes a little different. Bob claims Steve said, "Let's go into the "Maintenance Center at 501"  (In English ... We’re going to the office)  I want to introduce you to someone.  Bob wasn't too sure about this, but had no choice, Steve was his boss.  

I  was introduced to Bob and my thoughts were "Wow, if he is everything they say he is, I am game for getting to know him"

Bob's thoughts were "If any woman was interested in a guy with 2 teenage sons to raise she must be crazy and if she was crazy why would I want to marry her?"

 I took every opportunity I could to answer the phone if I thought he was calling in to get some more work to do.  The other girls would sit and laugh, because I was the fastest phone answerer… Making their job a lot easier. 
I felt like I needed a 2x4 to get his attention.  I was thrilled when he first asked me out.  We met at a place called Dewy Cheatham & Howe.  By this time in life I had decided that drinking wasn’t fun, and Bob wasn’t much of a drinker either.  BUT it was the “thing to do”.  After our one drink was gone I felt funny just sitting there when the waitress came by for the 10^th time to see if we wanted another drink and we kept saying no. So I made the excuse that better get home and start packing for my trip to Europe.  

Bob’s claims this is what he heard. “I need to go home and wash my hair”.  He knew I wasn’t leaving for Europe for another 3 weeks. 

But it was true.  If you know me very well, you know I believe that planning the trip is ¾ of the fun.  Heck, we aren’t going on our cruise to Alaska until Aug 2 and I have already been making lists of what to pack.  

Bob and I talked often but he never asked me out again.  My roommate was going to throw me a bon'-voyage party. I had invited one of the fellows I was dating… my roommate invited Bob… to surprise me.   The night of the party she told me she invited Bob…. PANIC! I had 2 guys coming to the party.   The one fellow I was dating was the jealous type and I didn’t think it would be smart to un-invite him so what stupid thing did I do?…. I called Bob (I thought he would understand). (DUMB MOVE) 


I went to Europe.  I sent Bob numerous postcards to his home.  Do you want to know what he thought?

Oh Mary must have sent post cards to all the guys on the crew to their home.

Like, yeah the rest of the guys on his crew were either married or NOT dating material.  

After I returned from Europe we talked often and went out a few times, but always took the boys with us.  I really liked that.  Bob was not only dating me, but another girl.  But that was OK, I was still dating a bunch of different guy.   Until one day… My friend and I were sitting home with no dates, bored to death.  The phone rings and it was Bob.  He had a friend come in from out of town. Do I have a friend I could call and we could double date?  (I looked at my friend, covered the mouth piece on the phone and TOLD her she would go out with Bob’s friend.)  

Bob’s take on this …. He was getting ready to go on a retreat.. he was thinking of asking Nancy, one of his girlfriends, to marry him. (I foiled that plan!!) But….. His friend calls and tells Bob that he is in town for the weekend, does he have a girlfriend with a friend?  Bob thinks, Nancy doesn’t have any good looking friends… so he calls Mary…   

We double dated and had a great time.  I am now encouraged.  However,  we went out now and then, but not enough for my liking. My thoughts were “What is it going to take to get this guy interested in me? A 2x4 wasn’t working… so I got out a 4x4 and hit him upside the head with it.   …. This is what took place next…
“Hey Bob, I am in charge of the Company Christmas Party and I don’t have a date, would you be interested in going with me?”  

Well, ummmm, yea, I guess so.

Then I panicked… what am I going to where?  I was nonstop planning and trying to find the “right dress, the right shoes, how I should were my hair, should I get it cut, oh dear, oh my, oh dear….  I called my friend Cheryl.  Sure, she had a dress I could borrow. Ok, take a breath Mary, breath. 


We began to date pretty steady.  We included the boys in all but that Christmas Party Date. I was falling for all 3 of these guys.  Then one snowy Sunday Bob picked me up to go to church.  Mike and Rich were in the back seat of his rather small, sporty, Toyota.  When we went over a bump Mike hit his chin with his knee.  “Dad, we need to get a bigger car”  Bob, being Bob, started thinking out loud.   “If I trade my car in for a van and traded Mary’s car in for a pick-up…”      
 WAIT just a minute, are you trading my car in???  Oh, well I was thinking if we got married we could…..So are you asking me to marry you?
Well, yes, I am working this Saturday, how about the following Saturday Day Valentine’s Day? …. No, I work that Saturday.  How about your birthday March 1?  OK the date is set…. On to church we went.   After we talked to the pastor he said we couldn’t get married until the 15^th. We need to do some pre marital counseling first.

So, on March 15, 1986 I became Mrs. Robert E. Phillips. Since that day, my life has been filled with blessings.  I became a stepmother to 2 wonderful boys.  Rich was 10 going to soon turn 11 and Mike just turned 14.  Now I am a grandmother.  Four beautiful granddaughters, Emma, Gabrielle, Adriana and Kate.  Three very handsome grandsons, Jay, Luke, Seth. And one very special angel, Baby Rose, in haven.

All to Jesus I Surrender

Where has 2010 Gone????

I don't have the best memory these days, but I really can't remember what I accomplished this year.  That is why I am blogging.  All I have to do is remember to Blog!!! 

After all the canning and baking I had to get serious about Christmas shopping.  I have to thank Kris, my daughter-in-law for helping me find some bargains. I held to my budget and paid cash for all the gifts. Well, I charged my Black Friday shopping, but went home and sent the full payment in.  After Christmas I had to return a couple of things so now I have a credit on my credit card. 

The fun part of Christmas Day is watching 9 kids open their presents.  The squeals  and smiles, the jumping and running and laughing is so worth it.  Sure things get noisy and every house full of kids has a squabble or two but that is part of life.  We had lots of food and plenty of talking.  At the end of the day this was one very happy and very blessed Grandma... and a bit tired, but I will do it again because FAMILY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.

My prayer this year is for all of my friends and family find 2011 to be filled with blessings. I pray that peace and joy fill your homes. I dream of a world where there is no heart ache or pain, but that is what God promises us in eternity, not here in this fallen world.

HAPPY NEW YEAR MY DEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

PS  This is my "Charlie Brown" Tree.  My grandsons chopped it down for me from our property. Truly one of my favorite trees.

Apples, Apples, Apples!

Sunday was a fun day; I had an apple canning party.  Most of you have seen my Facebook Posts so you know we made 2 kinds of apple sauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling and pie crust for the freezer.  All from the apples we gleaned from an orchard in Greenbluff.

The best part of the day was building friendships. Catching up with each others lives. Working together and teaching each other a lot of things.  Kris shared how she bought a gallon of milk, chocolate milk, 6 deodorant sticks for Mike, 3 boxes of cheerios and a lot of other stuff at Rite Aid for 98 cents!!!What an awesome wife and mother she is. Denise gives us info on places to shop, ideas for crafts. She is a beautiful woman with a tender heart for teen moms.  Sarah shows off her apple peeling skills, her gracious spirit and the heart of a praying mother for her sick daughter.

These are reminders of what life should be about.  Caring, loving, sharing and praying with and for each other. Woman working with each other and learning from one another.

Life is short and generations of wisdom are dying. It is up to my generation to pass on what we have learned from our parents and grandparents. Activities like whittling, canning,  gardening, woodworking, board games,  skip rope and hopscotch. It won't be long before baking and cooking from scratch will be a thing of the past.  Fast food and frozen dinners may become the way of future generations.

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it." Thomas Fuller