Scotland, Cambodia, London, Japan

I have not, "in the past", been hooked on specific blogs and made a habit of looking at them regularly. The exception would be family blogs. I find I have some time Sunday AM that I didn't have before and have gotten in the habit of looking at some specific blogs.

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Cambodia, a couple on a mission, London, the same except he is a cousin, Japan, both from the point of view of a neighbor who works there a lot and takes great pictures and an occasional look at a mission president we know about. Then too not really a blog but a weekly or so newsletter from Nauvoo, again a couple on a mission. It is interesting to see first hand a lot of things that otherwise we would not see. The pictures above are from Scotland and Cambodia. No need to guess which is which.

Trivia?

The phase, "I spent a month there one night" was used by Kramer on a Seinfeld episode called "The Merv Griffin Show". George and Kramer were talking. GEORGE said "So they're flying the tiny instruments in from El Paso" KRAMER answered : El Paso? I spent a month there one night.
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Yesterday I got a note from one of the guys who worked for me the summer I worked in El Paso, course I ought to say I spent a lifetime in El Paso one summer.
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Another guy I used to work with came by to talk a little today about his next job move. Another one I used to work with changed companies today and called to tell me. A guy that worked for me 8 years ago sent a note last week. I suppose you have to decide at some point was the experience you got in the name of "getting experience" reall worth it. Sometimes it seems as though the people you meet along the way make it worth it and then sometimes you wonder where they all went. Even when a lot seem to pop up more seem to be long gone. It would be useful to meet some of the folks in "another life, "I think".
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The mountain is in El Paso by the way. Kind of reminds me of the place.

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I guess I will just title today's post "Trivia". Trivia it is indeed but then on the other hand at least it is of some interest to me, I think?

Same place that we saw him last time................

We stopped this morning on our Saturday walk to say hello to this buffalo. He seems to always be waiting for us in the same place. Exactly the same place for that matter.

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Yesterday I went out and lightly jogged for 4 miles. Today it was probably about 3+ miles but in both cases it was farther than I had gone in a long time it seems.

Some just bring "hope"

Summer will come...................

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:29-31

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The 13th Article of Faith

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We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

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- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

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I am pondering the idea of "hope" some today. Where does it come from? We have hope that the tree will again regain is leaves. We have hope in a better day. We find hope when we leave our place and step out into the world. We know that "He" can indeed give strength to the weary, but how does he do it. My conclusion is that "He" uses people to bring "hope". Some people just by knowing them bring us "hope"

Could these thoughts be original, or maybe I just read that somewhere

It has been a while since I read King's book "A Memoir of the Craft - On Writing". I like the note in the inside flap of the cover,

"If you don't have the time to read,

you don't have the time or the tools to write."

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When I read this I figure I ought to be a better writer if for no other reason that that I have found a lot of time to read. I would agree that the more that I read the more I want to and when I give some thought to "reading" it leaves me with some questions about why it helps one to "write". The easy example would be to pause here and mention why reading is important and to draw on a book by Harold Bloom titled "How to read and Why?" and mention the quote from the book that sort of ties in here. Bloom answered he question by saying:

Why Read, "Because it Matters".

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So now that I have practiced what King suggests, drawing on my reading to write this, I still wonder where one finds an "original thought".

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Do "original thoughts" exist? That is an interesting question and might be worth some focused writing. I don't see any original thoughts in the politics of the day or our times in general. The news doesn't bring original thoughts to focus but the news can and does seem to make people think that it is all new. Original and unique problems they have brought to our attention. Guess that is good writing. Guess we should be saying thank you. Drawing from the old and making it sound different pretending it is original. Guess Fox News and CNN, and any thing titled news, is a good example of why both the statement from King above and from Bloom are both true. No on second thought it probably has more to do with King comment than Bloom's. The fact that I found something to write about from Bloom illustrates the point. Using the statement is of more value than the statement itself. Finding a comment on "What Matters" is after all just a way to be creative, or pretend to be, rather than finding what does matter.

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Another conclusion from all of this might be that the news probably doesn't matter as much as what you have spent your life filling your mind with. King seems to be implying just that. Of course I am putting some words in his mouth here. He suggests you can not write, or I would suggest be creative in your writing or thoughts, or hope to find something original, without reading or looking at what already was presented as original. His point suggests that compared to having read about something the flip side would be turning on the news and being sold on the originality of the completely un original.

Saturday sun Day

Today and especially yesterday have been sunny days. Went for a walk in my short pants. Felt the sun on my face. All good things.

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Such a Day, What a Reflection

March 10th ...Happy Birthday to my daughter. I looked for some "memory" type pictures that might help bring attention to this day. The best one was the picture of what is most important to her. It was indeed her reflection that was the picture.

It isn't easy to think of Katie without thinking of her smiling

Her kids are special and she is reflected in them.

It is really something to be a father and have a little girl.

Two very cute, very important special people in my life

How did that little girl become a full partner in helping her family so early in her life. She was a friend from the beginning

A dad has a short, short, time where he be with a young lady of such elegance in a picture like this. Such an adventure with such a young lady.

This picture reminds me of her "social side" but it also captures her mother service and love. She devoted her own life, like she later did, to her own children............... above all else.

Like the lady in the middle................

yes indeed, imitation is a sincere form of flattery............ Most who come to this blog will recognize where the picture came from. Some, or at least one, will recognize that quicker than the rest. I was taken by this picture and pondered it for a while. I like the idea that it is indeed "an idea unfolding". My thoughts on it, not that anyone asked, starting with the women in black and white suggests that our "day to day" is or probably just becomes "black and white" and this starts and marks an expression of escape from the "day to day". The lady in black and white shows us her thoughts starting with the pure white on her head. The pureness of her attempt at thought then evolves and changes, (perhaps which each blog) and pesents itself in new color and form. Not just color but several varieties of "her self". What she becomes is still her but each time a very different, "her". Guess that is what a blog does for us.....................