The Butlers' Quarters

Brothers

2010-05-16T14:39:00.021-06:00

April is a month of transitions. The seasons are changing which means days of warm sunshine followed by snowstorms, bare trees begin to blossom with new buds, and bulbs break free from under the ground. As anyone who has played the back-and-forth game of heater and air-conditioning can attest, transitions are not always comfortable. We had our share of transitions in April, and like sunny/gloomy springtime itself, they each included beautiful flowers and a sense of remembering the past and looking ahead to what the future will hold.

April began with a happy occasion. Congratulations to my brother Ryan and his new wife Valerie! They were married on April 1 which was a cold but wonderful day. We welcome Valerie and wish them all the best in their new family.

On April 9, we got the shocking news that Rusty's brother Rhett had passed away. It was completely unexpected. Rusty and I immediately planned a trip to Georgia to gather as a family and to say goodbye. It was extremely emotional and difficult, but we came away with peace and a firm knowledge of the eternal nature of families. I have feelings and experiences from this visit that will stay with me forever. I've never been more proud to be a member of the Butler family. Their strength and wisdom inspire me. We will miss Rhett and look forward to being reunited with him in the future.

So in April we gathered two weeks apart for two brothers of the same age for two very different transitions. They were surrounded by flowers and loved ones. We know they are both where they are meant to be with the people who will help them progress to the best they can become. I'm genuinely happy for them both.

Olympic Fever

2010-02-21T14:07:00.007-07:00

Winter is cold and flu season, but Rusty and I have been suffering from an ailment that has not been seen in such severity since the strain out of Beijing in 2008. I am speaking, of course, of Olympic fever. Could you be at risk? Look for these warning signs and symptoms:

Loss of sleep- when Olympic coverage goes past bedtime

Seeing spots- of gold, silver, and bronze

Ringing of the ears- which sounds a lot like cow bells

Dizziness- from watching athletes spin, twirl, twist, jump, and flip

Loss of interest- in activities and shows usually enjoyed

Increase in appetite- because those Chicken McNugget commercials are very effective

Moodiness- emotions range from anxiety, hope, disappointment, pride, and patriotism

There is no cure for Olympic fever. It must run its course, but expect your life to return to normal in about a week.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-18T19:23:00.014-07:00

I love Christmas! I wait all year for Christmas. I pretty much count down all year long, but that's something I've learned to keep to myself for fear of the Scrooges amongst us--I was literally hit in the arm at work when mentioning the three-month mark this past September. Grinchy, huh!? Anyway, since this was to be my first holiday season with a blog, I imagined myself writing festive posts about my love for all things yuletide and the delightful way that Rusty and I were celebrating and preparing. These posts were to fill the reader with such warmth and magic that they would bring back cherished childhood memories which had long been hibernating deep below the heavy daily responsibility that is being a grown up. Ah, disillusion! I quickly remembered that being a grown up can trump even Christmas sometimes. No, that's not true. But it can certainly trump writing about it on a sporadic blog. While December was filled with the usual treats and music and specials, it also brought along some stresses: changes at work, a new calling at church, and some illness. (And a fire across the street!) I wish this past year had offered me more time to revel in the season with fewer "real life" distractions, but I'm glad to be left with nice memories and happy pictures. One very good thing about Christmas, among so many, is that it always comes back. Eleven months, one week to go... ;)

Each Christmas since we were married, Rusty and I get a new ornament with the year on it. This S'mores Santa and reindeer is the collection's most recent addition.

We bought a gingerbread house kit to make together. It was fun and frustrating! I'm convinced that the people who decorated the example on the box were using more professional tools than those included. I like how our little house turned out, though. One day I came home and a few of the Spree candies out front were missing. Rusty said he felt a need to shovel the driveway a bit. :)

I love Christmas specials! A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my all-time favorites, so I couldn't resist this little tree.

We got matching Mickey Mouse PJs for Christmas. And we must have been on the nice list because Santa was pretty good to us, too! We're very lucky.

This cracked me up. You gotta love Christmas!

Trick or Treat!

2009-10-31T15:32:00.004-06:00

Happy Halloween!! I celebrated yesterday, so I have to keep reminding myself that today is the real holiday. The theme this year at work was classic Halloween and I was a witch. Another smashing sewing job from my mom! I got a lot of compliments on my costume and passed them straight on to her. It's just too bad the outfit didn't come with real magic powers! Have a spooky day!

The Ghosts of Halloween Past

2009-10-25T12:52:00.010-06:00

It’s that time of year again! I have gotten into the Halloween spirit much more these last few years because it’s a big deal at my work. We choose a theme, decorate like crazy, and do our best with costumes. That’s why I’m so happy that my mom sews and sews well! (I’m sort of a costume snob. The cheapy store-bought ones just won’t do.) She’s been very obliging in helping me put together great outfits each year, so I thought I’d do a quick showcase of her work and visit Halloweens of yesteryear…

This is Halloween of last year. The theme was Old West. Most of my workmates wore cowboy stuff that they already had or bought new to wear in the future, but I’m pretty lacking in that department. What’s the practical alternative to purchasing a western shirt? Saloon girl, of course! ;) This was a lot of fun. I think more clothes should have bustles! The boots, however, were my least favorite. I think the feeling came back into my toes about four days later.

Here is Halloween 2007. Our theme was the movie Hairspray. I was the character Amber. I’ve always wanted a dress with a full skirt and slip like those of that era, so I was crazy about this costume. The most fun was searching the internet for retro patterns. (Fun fact: the style with the full skirt that I love so much is called “rockabilly.”) I could seriously get hooked on shopping for vintage patterns from various decades! I found this early Sixties pattern for a bridesmaid dress that had never been used. I just wish I could have gotten my hair bigger and flippier that day. My dress may have been authentic, but my hair, unfortunately, fell a little flat.

Halloween 2006 was my lucky year. Not only did I get to be Dorothy, the star of the show, but we also won the annual contest between all the departments and $25 each! This is probably my favorite costume, if I absolutely had to choose. People who couldn’t see my feet would ask if I was wearing the ruby slippers. Of course I was! They were very impressed to learn that my mom had made those, too. We took sparkly, red sequined fabric and laid it over plain black dress shoes. The result was perfect! Thanks, Mom, for all the great costumes! :)

Craft or Crap?

2009-10-08T15:24:00.006-06:00

I love holidays. I love decorating for the holidays. I'm excited that it's October and time to get out all of my Halloween things. My mom cleaned out her basement this summer and found something for me to add to my collection. I made this wreath years and years ago. I got the idea for it all on my own--it's made using the orange plastic bags that newspapers came in. I even knew at the time it wasn't the classiest of projects; it was more for fun than anything else. I never thought the end result was that bad, but I also realize it's kinda junky. My mom said, "either take it home or I'm getting rid of it." Not my precious art! ;) I rescued it and it now hangs on the door that leads to our garage. I'm not crazy in love with it, but I think it's maybe sorta cute. I asked Rusty, "craft or crap?" He settled on "crappy craft." I tend to agree. Any thoughts?

A Fair Way to Spend a Day

2009-09-19T14:48:00.010-06:00

The unofficial start to Fall for me is the Utah State Fair. If you've seen one state fair, you've seen them all, but I would still be disappointed to miss it. This year, my dad, my brother Damon, and I went on opening day. I think my favorite part is the home arts building where they display all of the quilts, sewing and stitching projects, etc. I can only imagine the satisfaction of creating a gorgeous quilt, let alone being awarded a big ribbon for it! I always enjoy the art and photography displays, too, and the 4-H building is one I hate to miss. It reminds me of my good old 4-H days! We also spent about twenty minutes at "Kachunga & the Alligator Show," which was actually pretty entertaining. Of course, we walked through all of the animal buildings, too!

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

2009-08-06T15:48:00.008-06:00

Every once in a while my job has perks. Because we are a sponsor of Miller Motorsports Park, the marketing department had a few free tickets for the Nascar Camping World Series race last Saturday. I entered the drawing for the tickets and won a pair! My dad and I used them and had a really fun time even though we aren't big race fans. The part we enjoyed most was the fact that we had business club tickets which kind of made us VIPs for the day. We were given lanyards to hold our tickets around our necks and had access to the clubhouse and everywhere else. My dad bought us lunch in the clubhouse restaurant, we took a tour around the facility, and watched some of the action from a nice, grassy spot close to the track. Those cars certainly are fast--and loud!

Pioneer Day

2009-07-25T12:35:00.023-06:00

The 24th of July is one of my favorite holidays! It marks the anniversary of the pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake valley in 1847. What a trek! No wonder they began celebrating this date just two years after their arrival! I'll bet I had ancestors participating in some of those early celebrations. My immediate family's history with the annual parade goes back decades. It has been a tradition since long before I was born. We were determined to watch this year even though our usual viewing spot is no longer along the parade route due to road construction. Luck was on our side! We found a fantastic spot. Not only was it close enough to have a good view, there was a nearby tree keeping us out of the sun for the whole thing! It was a great parade, too. It's so neat the way so many people volunteer their time and creativity to put on a grand celebration of heritage and diversity.

A fairly new tradition in our personal Pioneer Day celebration is to enjoy lunch immediately after the parade at the Lion House Pantry. It's so delicious! We ate outside in the garden this year which was pretty and peaceful. (It also brought back nice memories since it was the location of my wedding reception!)

Happy Birthday, Rusty!

2009-07-22T17:35:00.002-06:00

I Love Modern Living

2009-07-19T12:20:00.003-06:00

Our typical weeknights are usually filled with watching TV or movies. I realize that this is probably not the most rewarding or responsible use of our time, but it makes us happy. Last Monday, we had the opportunity to see what it’s like to go without our favorite pastime. The power went out just after 5 p.m. and didn’t return until almost 10:30 that night. Rusty hates when we are without power; I usually get a kick out of the power being out but this was almost too long of a stretch! We played a game (Chutes and Ladders is a classic—I don’t care how old you are!), chatted a bit, and I read the entire issue of my newest Entertainment Weekly. Rusty was smart enough to remind me to get ready for bed before I was doing it in the dark. By the time the sun went down the novelty had definitely worn off. Without air conditioning or fans the temperature rose. I was amazed (but not surprised) to discover how limited we really are without electricity. I couldn’t run the dishwasher or throw in a batch of laundry while trying to fill the time. I also tried to keep the fridge-opening to a minimum. We finally gave in and began watching Simpsons DVDs on my portable DVD player. After two episodes the power was back on and we could go back to our normal lives, fully dependant on electricity. I am thankful to live in an age of technology and comfort. Considering the entire history of the world that we could have lived in, it’s really a privilege. I am also kind of humbled by the fact that nature still has a way of besting man’s efforts—our five-hour power outage was caused by a flock of birds. ;)

You're a Grand Old Flag

2009-07-04T21:08:00.009-06:00

Happy 4th of July! I began the day early so I could celebrate the way I have for most of my life. Rusty is not much of a morning person, so he happily exercised his freedom to sleep in. I enjoyed a nice breakfast with my family, then we went to watch the Tooele parade. I used to be embarassed by how cheesy and small-town it is, now I appreciate the fact that this is what America is all about! People all over the country were celebrating the very same way. I like to see kids waving flags and families participating in traditions. I watched with my brothers, parents, and grandma. This was the first time I ever remember being chilly on the fourth of July. It was cloudy and breezy, but it never rained on our parade! (Oh, and by the way, you know it's a hokey Tooele parade when the grand finale is a Wal-Mart truck!) Now that I've had an afternoon nap and watched "A Capitol Fourth" it's time to go out to the backyard and see if Rusty and I can catch some fireworks--yay! Happy 233rd birthday, America!

Park City Anniversary

2009-06-21T16:58:00.021-06:00

Rusty and I spent two nights in Park City to celebrate our anniversary. It was a really fun getaway! We stayed at The Yarrow hotel, which was very nice. We began our anniversary with a delicious breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel then visited Utah Olympic Park where we enjoyed exhibits and displays from the 2002 Olympics.

The U.S. Freestyle Team was practicing while we were there. It was cool watching them slide down the mountin into the water. I can’t imagine flying into a pool with ski gear on!

We also tried to walk down historic Main Street and play some miniature golf, but sudden rainstorms derailed both of those plans. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as warm or predictable as we would have liked.

Luckily we found a movie theater where we saw My Life in Ruins. It hasn't done too well with the critics, but we laughed at all the jokes and liked it anyway. It was fun exploring Park City and enjoying the mountains, but the best part of the trip was just getting away and spending some time together.

Looking Back and Ahead

2009-06-16T19:32:00.015-06:00

Rusty and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this week. When we were first married, looking ahead to five years seemed so far away, but here we are! Not quite as thin, but just as happy. ;) We've learned a lot about each other and been through a lot together. We're looking forward to many more years to come!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Duck!

2009-06-08T18:30:00.007-06:00

June 9th is Donald Duck's 75th birthday! The date is the anniversary of the release of his first appearance in "The Wise Little Hen" from 1934. It wasn't a large role, but a star was born! Donald quickly surpassed even Mickey Mouse in popularity during the years of the Depression. His quick temper and tantrums were somewhat theraputic viewing to audiences with a lot to frustrate them in their own lives. Decades later, our favorite duck continues to entertain. I grew up watching all of the old Donald Duck cartoons and I'm happy to report that they can still make me laugh out loud today. I have a nice collection of Donald shorts and specials on DVD, but for those not so lucky you can (and should) catch a few online. It's classic stuff!

What does your husband do?

2009-05-27T16:34:00.005-06:00

It seems like I get a lot of the same awkward questions in spurts. I've got to say, I'm glad that something has recently replaced the all-too-often "Do you have kids?" (Inevitably followed by a surprised, "How long have you been married?") The question on everyone's mind lately is "What does your husband do?" He prefers to say that he is retired. I guess that's sort of true; he is a new member of AARP! The truth is that he is disabled and receives monthly payments from Social Security. Many of our friends and acquaintances already know this, but for the friends and family that do not, perhaps it will offer some clarity. Rusty suffers from bipolar and anxiety disorder. We have tried many different options over the last five years. He has been in school and attempted numerous jobs of different types, but his illness has always gotten in the way. Each new chapter began with enthusiasm and optimism only to be squashed by the reality of his panic attacks in a short amount of time. It became exhausting. My thoughts of, 'Maybe this will be the job that sticks,' turned into, 'Here we go again. How long will this last?' When Rusty feels overwhelmed, he often suffers a panic attack that causes him to lose consciousness. Each new set of responsibilities would inevitably lead to this. I grew tired of leaving work to rescue him from his job or to meet him at the emergency room. As much as I wanted to encourage him, each new attempt took more and more from me. We had talked for a while about him filing for disability, but of course, wanted that to be a last resort. This time last year we reached that point. We began summer of 2008 by meeting with a case worker at Social Security and filling out the mounds of necessary paperwork. Then we waited. In the meantime, we heard multiple stories about how you never get approved the first time and that we'd have to get a lawyer to fight the decision. We were prepared for that outcome, but hopeful that things would go our way. The answer came in December--he was approved! We were thrilled and felt like it was validation that it was the right decision for us. We received a sizable payment that helped alleviate some of our financial stress, along with the relief that we would also be getting monthly deposits. Of course, we would be much happier if Rusty was healthy and able to work, but this has been a wonderful blessing to our family. We have had some critics, but I feel no need to defend our decision to anyone that does not fully understand our situation. I am not ashamed of our status, but as you can see, the question "What does your husband do?" takes a lot longer for me to answer than most others!

Where We're From - Part 1

2009-05-24T11:36:00.016-06:00

Rusty grew up in Cairo, Georgia which is located in the southwest part of the state, just 30 miles above Tallahassee, Florida. It is a small town with just over 9,000 people and the county seat of Grady County.

Cairo (pronounced kay-ro) is Georgia’s “Hospitality City,” but it is also nicknamed “Syrup City” because of the former Roddenberry’s factory located in Cairo. It produced many items (peanut butter, pickles, etc.) but its most notable product was cane syrup. This is responsible for the name of the pride of Cairo, Georgia—the Cairo High School Syrupmakers football team. The story goes that during a long ago football game, it began to rain. The fans in the stands borrowed employee ponchos from the nearby factory that were emblazoned with “syrupmaker.” The name stuck and followed them to their most recent win as 2008 AAA state champions. Go Makers!

Rusty’s parents’ home is actually outside of town, a twenty or so minute drive from downtown Cairo. A red clay road leads up to the woods secluding their house. Their closest neighbors are the variety of birds and animals that live among the beautiful trees. Rusty and I love visiting his parents in Georgia. Their home is always filled with that famous southern hospitality!

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-23T17:31:00.006-06:00

A tradition that I've had for many years is watching the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS, and I'm looking forward to the broadcast tomorrow evening. It's a good way to celebrate the holiday. Memorial Day is not all about camping, barbecues, and big sales, although that's what it seems to have become. The National Memorial Day Concert brings the real reason for the holiday to the forefront. It is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a live broadcast from the west lawn of the national Capitol in Washington, D.C. The program salutes and honors those who have served in the military through personal narratives and music. I recommend it highly. (I would also recommend watching with tissues.) I appreciate the fact that the holiday offers me a day off work and unofficially kicks off summer fun, but I'm glad to take out some time to appreciate all those who have made significant sacrifices on the behalf of so many.

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T18:31:00.006-06:00

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! I guess you could say that my celebration began on Saturday when my brother Damon took us out for Mexican food, but I honored the actual day today by visiting our neighbor to the south via the Elvis movie Fun in Acapulco. According to the back of the DVD: "In Fun In Acapulco, Elvis heads south of the border, where he's fired as a boat hand, hired as a lifeguard and singer, admired by local beauties (including Ursula Andress) and inspired to jump off a 136-foot cliff. Put another way: he overcomes a fear of heights in spectacular fashion. Spectacular, too, are the scenic vistas and Latin-beat tunes. Dive in!" It was an enjoyable fiesta. (Even though I took a slight "eye-resting" siesta for a half hour or so during the movie. Woops! It's not like I haven't seen it before.) It's no worse than any other Elvis movie; and this one probably makes it into my top five. The fun of Mexico with Elvis music and none of that pesky swine flu. Ole!

Thank You for Being a Friend

2009-05-03T10:59:00.006-06:00

The Golden Girls is one of my all-time favorite shows. I've probably seen each episode more times than I care to admit. I usually know exactly which funny line is coming up, word for word, but still laugh out loud the moment it is said! It is my favorite thing to have on the TV when I'm up in the morning getting ready for work or getting ready for bed at night. I go way back with this show; I have memories of watching it on Saturday nights after my bath from a child-sized rocking chair while my mom combed the tangles out of my wet hair. The Hallmark Channel is showing a Golden Girls marathon all day today in honor of Bea Arthur's passing, so I'm sure I'll have it on for quite a bit of the day. The Hallmark Channel's website has a quiz: "Which Golden Girl Are You?" I'm Rose. I should have Rusty take the quiz and see which Girl he is. He guessed that he would be Blanche and we both had a good laugh. ;)

I'm Thirty!

2009-04-26T11:59:00.030-06:00

"You've had a birthday; shout 'Hooray!'

We want to sing to you today.

One year older and wiser, too,

Happy birthday to you."

On March 31 I turned 30. Yikes! Actually, I wasn't that fearful of 30. Sure, there are things I would've liked to have accomplished by this point in my life, but everything happens when it should, so I'm content with my own personal timeline. It's an age that sounds like an adult, but I still feel like a kid. My 30th birthday was actually one of my very best. I spent it at Disneyland! :)

My dad is the best! He treated the two of us to a quick three-day trip. We started on Sunday at Disney's California Adventure. A lot of the park was under construction (big things are coming!), but we still found plenty of fun things to do. We started at the park's newest attraction, Toy Story Midway Mania, an interactive 3-D ride. Lots of fun!

One of the highlights of the trip for both of us was the Pixar Play Parade that we saw that day at California Adventure, featuring characters from the Disney/Pixar movies. The floats and costumes were so great!

We spent the next two days at Disneyland. My favorite! We started bright and early in Fantasyland and worked our way through the park in our traditional fashion. Some highlights of that second day of our vacation included the flag retreat ceremony held in town square, featuring the Disneyland Band, and catching a little of the "Celebrate!" Street Party which had made its debut just three days earlier.

Our third, and final, day at Disneyland was my actual birthday. There were plenty of other people in the park to celebrate with me, as a few southern California school districts were out on spring break. But we didn't let the crowds discourage us. Luckily, my dad and I are very savvy Disneyland visitors, so we knew what to do when and how to use Fastpasses to limit the time we spent waiting in line. That day was all about fitting in the attractions that we wanted to repeat and catch some that we had missed.

I was happy that we were able to get a second ride on 'it's a small world' on my birthday. It had been closed for about a year for renovations and had recently reopened with some changes. The addition of Disney characters in their respective countries has been very controversial with some Disney purists, but I saw the changes as harmless improvements. It was cute!

I can't thank my dad enough for the perfect memories of my big birthday. I also appreciate Rusty for being so willing to let me go while he stayed home to hold down the fort. It was a fantastic celebration. Going to Disneyland only makes me want to return all the more! I just don't think I want to add another year each time. ;)

Thanks for Reading, Thanks for Writing

2009-04-25T15:34:00.005-06:00

First of all, I want to thank anyone reading my blog. I appreciate you taking the time to check in. But, more importantly, I want to thank those who have blogs of their own. I have enjoyed keeping up with many friends and family that I don't see or talk to as often as I'd like. It has been a great way to stay informed on what everyone is doing. I know that we all have busy lives that pull us in a lot of different directions, so I appreciate the time and effort it has taken all of you to put your sites together and keep them up. Your work doesn't go unnoticed. Thanks for giving me an online glimpse at your lives through the stories, thoughts, and pictures--keep up the good work!

Earth Day

2009-04-22T19:07:00.010-06:00

Happy Earth Day! I always remember that April 22 is Earth Day, but this year I've thought about it more than I ever have in the past. Simple steps really can make a difference. My "Earth Day Resolution" this year is to be more responsible in the disposal of my old magazines. They sure seem to pile up fast in our house. (Thanks to frequent flyer miles--we don't have enough to actually travel anywhere, but we can order random magazine subscriptions by the mailbox full!) Every once in a while I gather them all up and toss the heavy stack into the garbage can, but I am going to attempt to make better use of them. My mom can take some of them to use in the waiting area of her office, and I will try my best to get the rest of them to a recycling center.

Happy New Blog!

2009-04-21T18:46:00.003-06:00

Welcome! I am usually behind the times on things--something will become popular and I catch on just in time to see it go out--so let's hope blogging sticks around for a while now that I have finally jumped on the bandwagon. Rusty has thought that we should have a blog for quite some time so I give him credit for its existence. I think it will be kind of fun and hopefully entertaining to anyone who chooses to look in on us. I apologize for not having cute and funny kids or cute and funny pets, so readers will have to endure stories and pictures of Rusty and me for the time being. :)