It was just different than it seemed

If you were to walk into my library and office, at home, you would find books on all the walls almost floor to ceiling. Over the years I have read a few books and the variety is in many ways pretty broad. At year end or anytime I suppose it is enjoyable to just look around and see what catches my interest.

With a lot of blogs over the years I have on occasion just mentioned a book or two. This year what catches my eye, and pauses me to ponder some, is that

four of the most interesting and different

books I can recall reading just "happened"

to me and were read over these last

few months.

They were "so" different than what I had read before and really in their own way were sort of life changing type books. One just does not continue on unchanged after these books.

What it is that causes me to think that they are life changing has to do with the subject of the books and a new insight into things that I thought I knew something about before and found I didn't. In addition a "personal connection" with the books theme can be a big thing when you venture into something different. Our son's mission was the connection to the two Hmong Books. Lots of things connected us with the book, When Faith Endures. It was about the fall of Saigon. A pretty big event in our lives but still mostly just a news story watched. The Van Nguyen (pronounced Tay Van Win) was charged with evacuating members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from his war-torn country and he tells it right up to and then after the helicopters so many. He was the President of the only Saigon Branch for the church. The national tragedy was added to by his hope to get his own congregation out of harms way.

Getting to know about something you thought you

knew something about and didn't is the common

theme in these4 books.

My connection was just "living through the time", learning about the Hmong who offer their own perspective of all of those events, of course, and knowing the Mission President in Hong Kong who helped this man through it all.

Then a book about a Doctor, "The Best........in the West" and he really seemed to be just that. It was in the 1800's in Soda Springs Idaho, and again through new eyes it was another look at a time when my own ancestors were going West. It was Kathy's Grandparents that provided the connection probably having gone to this interesting Doctor themselves.

So all things considered it was a good year. Needed my own Doctor by years end. Guess "my" book will have to wait.

2009 stuff

When I put together this collage of pictures I was hoping to capture some of the things done and even thoughts that captured 2009. Great things happened. I suppose I will personalize the thoughts a little more and send them on as an email or two........................The collage looks better when you click on it and it gets bigger...............

Little Girl

Love that little Girl. Course how we see ourselves now might have a lot to do with how we remember ourself then.

Holiday Food thoughts

I was just reading about a person I know very well who thinks of Fruit Cake around this time of year, and it isn't the guy standing in the hallway in these pictures. Course I changed this picture a couple of weeks after I first posted it and it would be a mircle if anyone noticed that and it ever comes up again? Seems as though her, the lady who loves good fruitcake, Grandma used to send a very good fruit cake to her family when she was growing up and it is now a good Holiday memory..........With this inspiration I wondered a little what food item might have a good holiday memory for me. Two things come to mind. Not because I particularly love these items but my Dad did. Cherry Chocolates were an easy gift for him. We knew he liked them. Also I often got him some "orange sticks". They were orange inside and covered with chocolate and in a long box. I can't think of a brand name. I just know that I bought them for him a lot of times. I suppose I would associate the holidays, food wise, with good dressing and good yams both of which KJ is the one that does them best. So this next part is about some good foods or food memories......................Good Jello salads or another type of similar salad that I like that again is a KJ speciality. I just don't remember a real "favorite" food of my own when I was a kid, myself. I liked RC Cola, Red Pudding, French Toast, Artic Circle ( or the 7 for $1 ones from Albertsons) hamburgers, chicken fried steak from the truck stop, ice cream , cream soda, and fresh peaches and raspberries. Corn on the Cob was always good. Candy Corn and cotton candy was good. I don't think I every had lasagna until I was married and of course that is another KJ produced favorite. Should have mentioned Creamsicles and Fudgesicles. Peaches ought to be mentioned twice on a list like this. So a little holiday food trivia. Ho Ho Ho.

truth is

I will have to admit I am getting a little blog weary. I have used this blog to record a lot of daily thoughts over the last few years. I also have used it to put pictures of the thoughts and moods and events that have been on my mind. Some pictures have made it to the blog several times. Guess I ought to find a way to print it all up and have it made into a little book and then just tuck it on a shelf somewhere. Might do that. Guess the more I think of doing it the more inclined I am to just put a family shot or something more about us. I have to admire KJ's blog. She never intended it to be anything other than for a few folks and it is far more interesting.