Halloween

Halloween originated from an ancient Gaelic harvest festival. It falls on the eve of All Hallows Day or All-hallow-even. Halloween has always been a fun night for me. I liked wearing a costume as a child, celebrating Halloween with my elementary students, and making costumes for my children. In earlier times masks and costumes were worn to mimic or placate the evil spirits that roamed on this night. According to Celtic traditions the division between earth and the spirit world is blurred on Halloween and spirits can contact the earth. People may still believe in this tradition. As I walked by the cemetary today I saw several Halloween decorations including a witch and a scarecrow. Autographed pumpkins with messages for departed loved ones sat by some headstones. I'm sure that bringing these remembrances helped these families feel closer to their loved ones. As for me I focused on the living and passed out treats. The trick or treat custom came from Ireland where children visited neighbors and collected fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Halloween festival. Ghosts, goblins, princesses, and super heros came by my house collecting sweets. Parents and dentists hate all that sugar, but I see it differently. It's a fun tradition that only comes once a year.

Aurianna, a Snow Princess

Aurianna was 5 on Saturday. I attended her birthday party, a winter wonderland designed by her clever Mom, Larissa. A sign greeted us at the door along with Aurianna, the snow princess, wearing a long blue gown, her blonde hair topped with a glittering crown. Nine little snow friends soon came wearing princess dresses, a firewoman suit, and a Mrs. Santa Claus costume. Her favorite cousin, Sophie, came dressed as winter bunny, but this costume was quickly replaced by a princess dress. The little girls played games including winter word scramble, gossip, and freeze tag. Next they cut out snowflakes and made marshmallow snowmen. Finally they whirled and danced to "Enchanted" music and Aurianna opened a stack of presents. For refreshments we ate cupcakes with blue frosting and a snowflake (clever Larissa again) and ice cream snowballs. The afternoon was fun with a precious princess and I felt lucky to be invited.

Bambi

It's always a challenge to walk up 750 East, but I love the view when I go down. Today I saw five deer feasting on the grass and flowers by a house--four big ones and a Bambi. They didn't notice me so I froze to watch them. A car saw me and stopped too. A father and a child pointed at the deer. I've never been that close to a herd of deer. I marveled at their slender bodies, sturdy legs, long ears, and large eyes. A big deer stared at me and didn't seem afraid. I stayed still, but something frightened it. Moments later the whole herd leaped gracefully over the fence and ran down into the gully. I thought about the deer and what beautiful creatures they were. I remembered the movie "Bambi" I saw as a child and how I cried when the deer died. Winter is coming and these deer may not survive, but the newspaper reminded me of a greater threat. This weekend 72,000 hunters will be combing the hills with their guns. I hope my little herd stays hidden. Even though I'm all grown up, I still feel sorry for Bambi.

Feeding the Missionaries

Today I volunteered to feed the missionaries. I haven't done this for several years. Many people fed my four sons during their missionary years so I like to return the favor. I made taco soup with chips and fresh rolls. The soup was all right, but the rolls were a hit. Two young men in black suits arrived at 5:00--an Elder from Canada and an Elder from Germany. We enjoyed our meal and David joined us. I felt a special spirit when the missionaries blessed the food. The Canadian Elder asked many questions and was a great listener. He talked to David about Iraq, missionary work, church history, politics, etc. David loved every minute and the hour sped by. The Elders left a blessing on our home and the spirit of love seemed to linger after they left. This simple act of service blessed my life and my home today.

St. George Marathon

It's rained twice during the marathon in thirty years. Today was the second time. It's hard to run 26 miles and it's even harder in the rain. We stood with our umbrellas in the rain at the finish and waited for an hour. Jon came running in close to his estimated time of 10:15--about three and one-half hours. We yelled and yelled, but we were on the opposite side and he didn't see us. Keith tried to take a picture too and missed. We felt frustrated, but found Larissa with the children. A few minutes later Jon found us. He was shivering and his lips looked blue. He had a black garbage sack over his wet clothes. I gave him my jacket and umbrella. Larissa whisked him home to a warm bath and hot chocolate. Keith and I found Jon's discared clothes and Michelle called to say Danny had finished too despite some injuries. I was extremely proud of these two young men. I watched men and women of various ages cross the finish. Some looked almost dead and others still had energy. Everyone deserved their medal today. Later we celebrated with Jon and Larissa at "In and Out Burger." In commemoration of these historic achievements, I ate my first hamburger in years!

Do Nothing

It's hard for me to do nothing. I like to be busy. Like many people I only feel worthy to live if I'm busy. We all need more nothing moments. A nothing moment could be a time for meditation and reflection. Many books on aging suggest meditation as a stress reliever. Being still can have youthful benefits. Our mind and body will thank us. My mother bought me some chairs to sit on my front porch. "I'll buy these chairs," she said, "if you promise to sit in them." I've only kept my promise a few times. Sometimes I long for the good old days when neighbors had time to sit on the porch and visit. It would have been easier to live in a simpler time; yet the only thing keeping me from doing nothing is myself. A voice in my head keeps whipping me and saying, "Get busy." I'll silence that little voice and be still. My chair's waiting.

SEPTEMBER HARVEST

Thirty-eight years ago I became a bride. Like many newlyweds we were poor and idealistic, a struggling student and a brand-new teacher. We drove a VW bug, feasted on beans, and lived in a tiny basement apartment. For awhile we shared our home with some mice; one night be trapped ten. During the next five tough happy years we moved five times, including an extended stay in Tunis, Tunisia, with our infant son, David. Back to America and life assumed a normal routine: more work, more children, more work. On September 4th we gathered our harvest of six children, with four spouses and five grandchildren. As I see our married children with their little families, I want them to experience this same joy someday. So what would be my advice? Be flexible, be friendly, be forgiving. Then watch the green apples ripen into gold.

Dress Up

Today we had a wonderful family party at Jon's house. One of my favorite parts was a fashion show by Aurianna and Sophie. Two beautiful little girls paraded around in fancy princess dresses while we snapped pictures. It reminded me of the evening gown competition on Miss America. Here the big girls dress up. Do women ever outgrow the love of dressing up? Cruise ships host formal nights. On the Queen Elizabeth II we had a formal night every other night. Women dressed in velvets and satin and sparkling jewels. Dress up is fun because an ordinary woman can feel like somebody special for an evening. We all grow up on fairy tales and deep in our hearts wish to be a princess or a queen. I loved seeing all the white haired ladies in their gowns on the Queen Elizabeth II. We met a charming lady in her 90's who we called "Lady Sally." She came on cruises to eat, sleep, and dance. We saw Lady Sally at every dance where she floated around the dance floor with the gentlemen hosts. You don't have to be young to be a princess.

Back to School

Back to school again as summer fades into autumn. Leaves on our backyard maple are still green, but east on the mountains I see glimples of red and gold. I've loved this day all seasons of my life.
SEASON ONE: A girl with frizzy curls wearing a plaid dress and squeaky new shoes jumps in an old black Ford. It's her first day in first grade. She didn't go to preschool or kindergarten. She's scared and excited to learn to read with Dick and Jane and Sally and Puff. Her dad drives her to a country school and he stays the whole day. He's the sixth grade teacher/principal there.
SEASON TWO: Twenty-five chattering third graders troop into a classroom, excited to meet their new teacher. She's fresh out of college, enthusiastic, and scared. No computers, no videos, no CD"s in this classroom, only a 16 mm projecter she doesn't know how to thread.
SEASON THREE: A happy/sad, scared young mom watches as her four children dressed in jeans and T-shirts march out the door. Their backpacks are stuffed with pencils, crayons, and apples for their new teachers. Moments later a neighbor drops by. "I'll stay with your new baby so you can walk to school with your kids," the neighbor offers. The mom smiles and hurries off to school again.
SEASON FOUR: Loaded with textbooks, syllabi, and class lists, a backpack rolls into a classroom. The professor looks into eager adult faces, faces of someday teachers and hears their stories. Some are fresh from high school, others from real life at great sacrifice. They're all scared, but they'll learn from each other. They dared the first day.

Camping Trip with Jon's Family

AUGUST 11—We drove up American Fork campground to Granite Flats. We found a campsite and set up our tent. We saw squirrels and chipmunks near our camp and hiked many trails by camp. The girls called it “adventuring.” We found snail shells, blueberries, and trees. I brought two small fishing poles and went with Jon, Madelynn, and Aurianna fishing at the reservoir. We drove Jon’s new red truck and listened to John Denver. Being in the outdoors gives me great memories of my childhood. We ate Italian chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob and peach cobbler for dinner. Everything tastes better by a campfire made with logs from our old pine tree. Madelynn tried to catch butterflies, but finally captured a moth and put it in a bottle. Madelynn hiked to the top of the mountain so she could draw the sunset. The girls slept in the trailer and the boys slept in the tent. Aurianna was my bunk mate. She tossed around, but we still managed to have a good sleep. I’m a kid at heart in the woods.

Strength to Endure

Anneliese Klein was a small girl when Hitler came to power in Germany. Her two brothers desert the family and join the army. Anneliese marries Kurt who is involved in hiding Jews. They hide a Jewish man who is discovered by the SS. Kurt and Anneliese are sent to Dachau. They both die, but their infant daughter, Liesl, is smuggled out of camp. She is adopted by a French couple who bring her to America. I've always liked stories about World War II and the Jews. This book was well written and suspenseful. I liked the short chapters and it touched my emotions. A gospel message was skillfully interwoven into the story.

Rain

I love the world after rain--the fresh air and green grass. Rain can catch us unprepared. Once I dashed across campus because I forgot an umbrella. I ran into a student who shared her umbrella. Maybe we should wish for continual sunshine, but we need rain. My friend Wendy from England loves to visit our sunny state. I never appreciated the sizzling summer days until she came. Rain spoils a parade or does it? It rained during the last parade I watched with my husband's mother. She laughed like a child as we huddled together under an umbrella. Flowers love rain and so do children if they can be outside. Rain brings all those puddles and gorgeous worms. Sometimes I feel like playing in the rain too.

Transformation

Today I went on an early morning bike ride. My legs pumped. My heart pounded and my hands griped smooth leather. I sped past joggers, dog handlers, and weight watchers. I heard birds chirping, sprinklers spraying, a train choo chooing and a plane rumbling. Pungent-scented exhaust floated on the air and a breeze tickled my face. My senses feasted in the present moments, but not always. Sometimes my mind reversed and I drifted back to long ago riding days. This time I was pumping on a sandy road, not a paved street. My younger self perched on a blue and silver Western flyer, with no gears, nothing fancy. Ahead stood old houses to explore, a canal to swim, and a country store to buy penny candy. Life was simpler then. A horn honked and I glanced behind, expecting to see my dad in the 60's Ford Falcon wagon. Instead an impatient teenager in a Honda Hybrid zipped around me and my mind snapped back. Again I'm a middle ager with all the joys an problems that maturity brings. But I don't worry. Tomorrow's another day, another bike ride, and another chance to be transformed.

New Kid on the Blog Again

I had a blog site a couple of years ago, but I haven't written for awhile. I missed it so I'm going to try again. I hope to make some new friends and publish some of my ideas. I performed a spring ritual today. I planted flowers and my garden. I love digging in the dirt and feeling close to the earth. This reminds me of my childhood roots on the farm. My green thumb has grown from many years of experience.