Star Factoid:

  

   Here is our fair city and it's limits.  Can you find the street we live on?

This is our library.  It is in a strip mall.

To the right of the library you will find our only other fast food chain restaurant.  It is Pizza Hut!

We found out the hard way, that they close at 10 p.m. on the weekends.  Welcome to small town life!

Book Stores

Today I got about 45 minutes of heaven.  I got to go to a book store.  Yeah!!!

It wasn't quite the one pictured above, but it was a book store nonetheless!!!  Sage and I wandered around looking at everything.  Ok, so I was looking at everything.  Sage was only happy because I said she could pick out a book.

My quest today, was to find something that I can use for work.  I need to come up with my own activities for my clients to do to accomplish their treatment goals.  I have a couple of books that I've gotten at the library, but I just had to find one that I could buy.  I think I found a winner.  It was on the clearance table & could be used in primary, young women's, relief society, and work.

Of course, while on my hunt, I found some cute activity books that I can use with my kids to keep them reverent in church.  (Or to keep me reverent in church.)  I was happy to find a Hello Kitty sticker activity book, also on clearance.

Although I am grateful for the Idaho bookstores that I have found, I am extremely saddened by the fact that my favorite of all favorite bookstores is not located here.  That would be......

I even sent the company an email requesting that they put a store in the greater Boise area.  I even volunteered to be am employee!  (I haven't heard anything from them, yet.)  I love this store because I could always find something that was both wanted and affordable.  And I could sell them the ones I didn't want/like.  Which, of course, led to more buying.

My absolute favorite was a little place in German Village (Columbus).  I have gotten lost there several times.  There are a multitude of rooms to browse.  Enough to occupy a bibliophile for hours or days.  I was able to wander it's wonderful, little rooms and climb/descend it's labyrinth of little stairways one last time before moving with my mother.  Sigh.  I guess it is better to have loved & lost, than never to have loved at all.

I think I need to open a bookstore!!!

FALLing

This weekend fall has come.  We woke up Saturday morning to overcast skies, cooler temps, and rain.  But that's ok.  Friday evening I was able to kick off the fall season by attending a craft night with my friend Amy (fellow Ohioian).  I made a cute wooden wood thingy that says to give thanks.

Saturday, Amy came with me to my ward's Souper Saturday.  There, I made a "welcome to our home" sign and learned had to use fabric & decopage to turn plain ol' wooden bracelets into works of art.  Had a delicious lunch and became better acquainted with some of my ward sisters.  (This is where I became aware of the great Sunday Trick or Treating debate.)  

Saturday night, after the grocery shopping was done, Ivan sat down to watch a movie.  I had my first hot cocoa of the season.  I found a bunch of flavored hot chocolate packets at the Winco (raspberry, carmel, hazel nut, mint, and chocolate supreme) & just had to have one.  Yum!!!  

Life In Idaho

There are two strange new things here in Idaho.  (New to me.)

Burn Days:
There are designated days at the end of summer that folks are granted permission to burn things.  I'm assuming that it has to do in part with the threat of fires that only certain days are marked for burning.  What they are burning:  all the left over stuff from the farming season. Not sure why they don't just plow it under.  So, it smells here in Idaho.  And the sky is all hazy.  I'm not liking burn days.  Neither do my eyes, nose, or throat.

Trick-or-Treating on Halloween.

I'd never actually thought about it before because in Ohio we also took the kiddies out the Thursday before.  Then all the adults could do their partying on the 31st.  Normally it wouldn't be a problem.   But here in Idaho they go begging on the actually holiday.   And this year, Halloween is on Sunday.  Keeping the Sabbath day holy is the major debate.  It even made the news.  Hmmmm.  I guess I'm glad that we have a Ward Halloween Party & tri-ward trunk-or-treat.

First Week at Work

This week I began shadowing the lady who helped me get my job.  She was explaining how things work & some background info on my first client.  She is a wealth of information and experience!  There is definitely room for creativity in working with clients!  This should be interesting!  Friday, I get to meet the parent! 

Look out Primary, Here I come!!!

  

Sunday I was officially called & sustained as the Star Ward Primary President.  (Talk about jumping into a new ward with both feet!)  I was able to spend my last "free" Sunday observing & learning from the previous presidency.  I am so grateful that I've had the experience of being a counselor.  Rebecca was a great trainer.  Now I get to be the senior companion!!!

The worst part is just that I don't know very many people yet.  I don't know who's who or who goes with which kid.  Oh well, that will come with time. 

I did get to enjoy a couple of months off (for good behavior?) and the opportunity to meet a few folks.  I was even able to befriend someone who is newer here than we are.  (I'm a R.S. big sister, now.)  

Anyway, I hope this goes well.  I looking forward to my new adventure with optimism and renewed energy. 

Saturdays in Star

Here's is a photo of the one traffic light that we have in Star.  This is the intersection of Star Road & State Street.  


A right turn will take you the slightly larger Middleton, Id.  They may have more traffic lights than we do, but we have our own police department & they don't.


If you go straight you will end up in Meridian.  (They have lots of traffic lights.  A LOT!)


A left turn will get you right to the heart of our fair city.  From the official Star City website: 


Welcome to Star, Idaho. We are a small town located about 20 miles west of Boise. Our community offers a pleasant atmosphere and we are close to many of the recreational opportunities that Idaho has to offer. Star offers a lifestyle that is still within reach, a four seasons climate and a very low crime rate. Because of this, many have found Star to be the community of choice to raise their children. It isn’t uncommon in Star to see local children walking down to the river with their fishing poles in hand.


It's true!  I've seen Opie Taylor.  Actually, the kids and I have gone fishing in that very river, the Boise River.  It's a short bike ride, south on Star Rd., just down the street from our church building.  


In the photo, you can see one of the two chain fast food joints in town.  And yes, they sell the $5 footlong!  Can you guess what the other fast food joint is?  A prize to the winner!


The building that you just barely see on the left houses a message parlor (do they still call them that?) and two hair salons (one on each end with the masseurs in the middle.  


Idaho is quite tough on speeders (since the crime rate is so low).  Most towns boast a speed limit of 20 mph unless otherwise posted.  And most traffic lights also have cameras.  Say cheese!  Luckily I don't have one of those souvenirs!!!