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!