Good Things can come from Change

Today is General Conference. It is also the day after I walked a half a mile for the first time in a month plus. It is the day I looked closer at the quotes and pictures I have up my computer. One says:

"Without Change their would be no Butterflies"

Conference offers a chance for change. A way to see how we might re focus on things that will make the most difference in our lives.

The heart of the matter

The Heart that gives Gathers
Marianne Moore
*
This is a great quote. We make each other better. We are better by being around good people. Who we like to be around says a lot about us. We sanctify each other one way or another.

Hang in there..........................

The best sermons are lived not preached............Cowboy Wisdom


Wondering about what Cowboy Wisdom is? It may have something to do with the type of wisdom you would "think" would come from someone who was rugged and independent and who was sort of tough? Maybe "Cowboy Wisdom" has nothing to do with being a "Cowboy" at all. Maybe it has to do with being willing to just press forward and to work towards good things.

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day, saying.........."I will try again tomorrow". Mary Anne Radmacher

Where does the influence of Change come from.........

Sometimes in the "Winds of Change" we find our true direction......

A good quote. It does indeed seem that a "better direction" can be the result of unexpected influences.

*

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so it is every one that is born of the Spirit" St. John 3:8

*

Another good quote that came to my attention this week is "If you don't Stand for Something you will Fall for anything"

Trying seems to worth something

It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life..........
Than no man can sincerely try to help another
Without helping himself
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thought for the day.................................

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

stuff about stuff, 23 miles later

Pictures of "Stuff" and then a week full of thoughts ought to be enough to find a theme for a blog................ Having said that I will have to tell you that yesterday on the way home I pulled up to a light and in the lane next to me was a Harley-Davidson. The guy on it older. As I listened to the sound of the bike and watched it pull ahead in the other lane I thought for a time about the freedom that it may have represented. Earlier in the week I got a post card at work from a company selling trucks. The same thoughts as the Harley. Might be interesting to just drive one, again. I have always had a fascination with large trucks and in various ways they have been part of my own career. I knew a man a few years back who owned a large national trucking company. He had retired and his kids had taken over. He had a white truck and trailer that was made up for him and he would every few weeks go on a "run" around the country somewhere. Course I go on a run around my country often, except for the last few weeks.......................................

Quote for the Day,Absolutely Nothing or 22 miles today

There will come a time when you believe everything
is finished. That will be the beginning.
by Louis L'amour and his book Lonely on the Mountain
*
T.S. Eliot
We shall not cease from exploration, and the
end of our exploring will be to arrive
Where we started, and to know that
place for the first time
*
Proust
The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes.
*
Neal Maxwell
The issue is not what we have done but what we
have become. What we have become is more
than our actions. It is also the result of our
attitudes, our motives, and our desires

Millcreek recollection

Millcreek Canyon has along the South facing slope the “Pipeline Trail” where once an old pipeline was used to transport water from the canyon to Salt Lake City. The trail is found near the top of the South Slope and it then runs in a nice flat grade up the canyon. Early May mornings in the canyon find the air cool and crisp. I left the road at “rattlesnake gulch” and started out on the dirt trail that would wind from side to side to the pipeline. This Saturday morning I was alone. No running friends were with me. I knew that once I reached the top of the South slope that I would be able to run with the warmth of the sun. I had no coat, short sleeves and was quickly finding the air a little cold for my dress. The trail was overhung with trees on each side as it started the climb. Well into the trees with the road far behind me I turned a corner to find sitting on the side of the road not too far ahead a Bobcat. The face appeared to be extra wide due to ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears and the long whiskers. On the other hand maybe this was just a very large Bobcat. I will say that my memory of it seems to make it larger as time passes. Of course the good news is that Bobcats prefer rabbits, rodents and even deer to runners. Like myself that day, these cats are largely solitary but then they are territorial and I figured the best thing to do was stop and back up. After walking carefully backwards until I could not see him anymore I stopped and had a choice to make. Go back, forget the run I had come for or figure out how to move forward again. After a while I found some rocks and threw several ahead in the direction where I had found this rather large Bobcat. After a few rocks and some time I moved ahead. I didn’t see the cat again and figured it was a good time to start out on a full run. Once I got to the top I figured I was in good shape. Probably nothing to worry about except a few snakes.

RE Tweety and so on

Having wondered what a Tweeter is I learned that a Tweeter is a Twitter Interface that allows you to post new tweets through Facebook. Tweeter apparently can be used directly and one can "Tweet" to all they want. I guess the "need" that this fills is that some folks might like to "follow" other folks, (this means they are are followers in Tweetlatin) and other folks like to have followers (you might think that I am of that persuasion but then if I was I would be expounding this on Facebook rather than to my small small group of occasional readers here). In addition some folks really do, probably, want to know what other folks are thinking and then of course some folks want everyone to know what they are thinking. Of course this brings the "Re Tweet" into question. Yes "Re Tweet" is indeed something that happens. When you Re Tweet I have learned that you then have a "outstanding opportunity to improve your standing on the Twitter". You see some folks just don't Tweet about how they like their potato salad and if they have a headache but they sometimes offer up thoughts about all the stuff that might be meaningful to their followers. Sometimes links and articles so then if you want to Re Tweet you just take that interesting stuff that you get and post it as a Re Tweet giving credit to the folks that came up with it. (I am tempted to suggest you add that if all that read it don't re tweet in 10 seconds that "they will be sorry, ect you know what I am saying here") Anyway truth is I do not see any advice on threats needing to accompany Re Tweets.

*

Todays blog may not be a real insight into anything as of this point so I thought I would retweet a thought, kind of like I did yesterday.

*

You see in my opinion I think that the whole economic mess is not just the result of bad democrats or republicans as far as the parties are concerned. I think it is the result of greed, corruption, dishonesty, and peoples pride. I offer up a Re Tweet on this...........One of them will work hopefully................................. actually I am retweeting KJ's note to me or should I say tweet to me today...........................

Blumner: Greed and self-interest to blame for economic meltdown -

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_11856071?source=email

Were all in the waiting room now thanks to Pride

I hope this link works because it is really interesting. I found the subject, the rant on the news by a wall street guy about the unfairness of the "guy next door" a little ironic when I saw it and before, apparently the "Daily Show" saw that within the rant was a interesting way to poke fun and lay bare both Wall Street and those poor folks who just wanted to make money, at everyones expense. The issue I think it that the problems we are having have everything to do with greed and pride and corruption and probably little to do with politics.

*

No matter who tells the joke it is indeed a "joke", sad one indeed, that so many seem to be so hung up in their own agenda's. Pride may Go before the Fall. The pride of those that this video pokes fun at should have slipped a little.

*

Pride may be the issue in a nutshell.

*

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220252&title=cnbc-gives-financial-advice

*

One definition of pride in the first sense comes from Augustine: "the love of one's own excellence."...................... In this sense, the opposite of pride is humility. Then humility, or being humble, is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others.......................there indeed is the issue of so many who have hurt the country...............................

the pit

As noisy as the Delta Center

Another Hat

"Another hat", another day, a new blog, some quotes from another blog, thoughts about blogs, wondering about face book, listening to the news, keeping my foot up, getting some great help and care, in some ways a nice weekend, wondering about books, a book blog, how to get my stuff loaded on the blog, do I need gmail, will the stimulus package work, what will happen on Lost next, remembering "Alias", not that I forgot it but I couldn't remember the name: All stuff to think about.
*
These are some great quotes. Actually I did not just find these and put them together and I admire the person who did. It says a lot about her outlook.................................
*
"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." — Mahatma Gandhi

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." — E.E. Cummings

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." — Mahatma Gandhi

"It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities." — J.K. Rowling

I do own the cane, hypothetically

The right foot needs to be in this boot another 4 weeks. This last week has of course not been great, "foot wise". This blog probably may have lost whatever it had, but then since I might print it all up one day soon I might as well keep putting some thoughts down for a while. The blog was originally named "Random Specific Thoughts". I guess the idea is that a specific thought may have a lot of thoughts to go with it and then those thoughts connected from day to day may appear "random". The thoughts about canes, and feet and being less mobile are pretty specific. Then again compared to what else I have posted they may be somewhat random. Well into the 2nd season of "Lost". DVD's are great. 3rd rock got us hooked. So did that other great series that I can't remember the name of right now.

Let it be that you own the cane and that it doesn't own you.........I do own the cane, hypothetically, and the hat too.

The cane was once owned by my Dad. Figured I'd post his hat too since I was bringing up his cane, actually "my cane"?....................................... Yesterday was his birthday. I suppose I will mention that as another significant event. Dad's birthday, if he were with us. Stock Market's worst performance in my lifetime. (Dad would not have lost much, if anything, a valuable lesson from him). New crooks on every newscast. Taking note of the news and trying to stay positive I might mention some positive input from news watcher Mike. Course you have to be in the business of selling ground beef to be able to fully understand the significance of this comment.

*
"Good to know people are still eating Ground Beef and not all waiting

in line for Bread Rations and Roasting the Family Dog for Warmth yet."

*

Lot's of help with my foot. Sister called. Probably miss Church this weekend keeping foot up. Suppose it is ok to say that, the church thing not the dog thing, on a blog? A good weekend to just keep it elevated. Great cookie I just finished. Think I grab another, or two.............................(might blog tomorrow, might not)

Cane, Sparky and whatever

Cane's may not seem like important blog subjects and certainly not something that Old Sparky would expect his owner to have but then my cane is indeed the subject of the day. Don't have a "Sparky" by the way, and if I did I wouldn't name him "Sparky". Having twisted my ankle today I thought about getting some crutches. I remember quite a few years ago I was training for one of my first marathons and I fell and sprained my ankle. ( did that today while doing some cleaning at the church). I remember it was pretty painful. Today too. I heard a "pop" today. I remembered that before I just figured I would keep walking and I actually was out running again in a few days and I actually didn't miss a beat and was ok for the marathon a few weeks later. Today I had to decide about what to do so I decided to try to stay on my feet. I suppose I will use a cane some, but I suppose I will try to walk and stay active on my ankle, foot ect. My grandfather had a cane. The cane I am using today was my Dad's. The one my Grandfather used was wood and was painted white with a red tip. That was to help folks know he was blind. I remember it was my Dad that bought it for him and painted it for him. I remember my Grandfather using the cane. Then too I remember the last time I saw my Dad he was walking to the bus to go back to Pocatello and he was walking with the "cane". I guess the point is that what is important and perhaps the most important thing depends on the situation. Maybe the cane is important today...................................

Even More

*

*

*

*

On Valentine Day one thinks on the "other one". Looking back it has been a long time. I remember in school each Valentine Day, at least in grade school, everyone brought a Valentine for each person in the class. The fear of not getting one from someone you thought was "a neat person", (girl) was real. Then having got a Valentine from someone who perhaps you secretly liked created thoughts that were "not real". Looking back it seems to me that the sooner one finds the person they like the better. It is so much easier to know who you want to be with and who is most important to you. I have always liked pictures of two very young kids together as if they had found each other. Then too, I recall the first time I saw a picture of the person I like "the most" as a very young girl. It was as if I had found her all over again and loved her even more...................................................

Twins, 89 today, different but connected

A lot of colors and designs make up this blanket. It was put together from pieces of material and from various things that were in a “special cedar chest” that my Mother had. Often as I grew up I would go through the cedar chest to see what secret treasure it contained. I think most of the fabric pieces had been in the chest from before I was born and some had come from my Grandmother. I am not sure what was ever intended for the fabric but they came together in this quilt with some help from my Sister in Law, Ann.

I knew the Cedar Chest needed to go to my Sister but when my Dad asked me on one of several occasions what I would like from the house I asked for the fabric scraps from inside the chest.

I recall a picture of myself as a young boy in a “silk” shirt? Too bad I didn’t get that cut up and put into the blanket too.

The value of the blanket now that it is put together is very high compared to the bag of various fabrics that I took, at least it is too me.

Today my Mom would be 89. Her twin Sister, Leta is 89 today. Twins have a connection that is very important. I know that because my Mother told me so many times. They needed each other and were often at peace when they were together in a way that was not accomplished any other way.

Mom’s Twin was stronger. Mom lost a year of school when she was young to being sick and her Sister waited for her. She spent much of her life wishing that her Dad had not thought of her as "the weak one". Of course I know her better than I do my Aunt but it does seem that she was the more emotional one and as her oldest I often had occasion to hear her express her feelings about wanting to have more of her own identity. She pushed her self on the Piano and in part did it because it was "her".

My mother taught me a lot of things.

She taught me to “fight”, once pushing me to defend myself. On that one occasion I did defend myself and lost, but really I won, and mostly lost the fear of a tough fight.

She taught me that a lot of feelings could be behind how one perceives things.

She taught me a lot about unconditional love but then that what motherhood is………..

A few weeks ago I had occasion to see Leta. She is indeed the “strong one”. My earliest recollections include memories of my Aunt Leta. I remember walking up to her and tugging on her dress when I was less than 4 years old and being embarrassed that it was not my Mom. I knew who my Mom was.

They were different, but connected……………………..

Saturday

Looking forward to some warmer weather. Opportunities to run in the sun and feel the heat. Summer is coming and we have even had some days that seem like it is close.

45

Time: late 1950 Place: Grandparents Farm near Malad.

One visit took me to the old barn in back of their house. Somewhere in that barn I came upon some 45 caliber bullets. As I recall the bottom half were more brass and the top was lead and was gray. I was able to bring a number of them home. They sat in my room for years. I am not sure if these were the exact same bullets that I might have given another cousin who lived near by. The memory is enhanced by the recollection of the bullets "going off" one day. Either me or my cousin were just bumping them together. Not a wise idea we found.

A gift from a cousin has been a treasure.

J. Stevens A & T Co. Chicopee Falls Mass. 22 Long Rifle

The rifle has an interesting history and brings back a lot of memories. This rifle was in the home of our Grandfather Jones as the family grew up. I am not sure which of the boys would really lay claim to it but my father told me he used it during the time that he grew up and often hunted with it. The gun is a lever action single shot. About 1 million of these were produced by the J. Stevens Company in the 1890’s.

My Dad told me that on the farm he often hunted rabbits with this gun. He also told of catching rabbits with snares. Traps, sometimes metal, and sometimes like little ropes were set in the regular paths taken by the rabbits in the winter. Under the bushes where the snow was broken some animals found small trails that ran to areas of food and they would regularly use the trails making them prime for small traps.

My cousin Michael Alyworth gave this gun to me. My Grandmother lived in his home in Salt Lake for a time after my Grandfather died and I am sure that was the reason that this family gun came to be in Michaels possession. Michael worked with me in a wholesale business in Salt Lake when I was first married. We had moved to Salt Lake from Pocatello. One day he brought this to me and told me he had felt it was a gun my father had used and probably his as a boy and he wanted me to have it. The gun has been in my study area for many years and always makes me remember my Dad. It also has many times made me think of my cousin Michael.

HB KJ

Happy Birthday KJ.

Nothing original here. The picture has been posted before and so has the poem. Both favorites. Don't know how to say it better but then it still falls short.................

How Do I Love Thee?
Poem lyrics of How Do I Love Thee
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love with a passion put to use In my old grief’s, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints; I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death

A village in Wales

Great Grandfather Jones was born November 2nd 1831 at Yetgach-Llanllwng-Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Several life stories have been written that will be more interesting and complete than this. When he about 18 years old he went alone to Liverpool where he boarded a ship named the Trnbadore in a group lead by Captain Dan Jones. The ship took 7 weeks and 3 days to cross the ocean. It landed in New Orleans and they then went up the Mississippi River to St. Louis where they then went west to Salt Lake. A cousin is by the sign on a trip taken a couple of years ago. The Chapel by the cemetery is most likely where John's parents were married. From the cemetery is a good view towards house where they lived across the valley. Then another view near the house. Also a view of the area where the house is hidden in the tree. Then a view of the house with our cousin and the people who now live in the house

"Old house" with "old" memories

This house is where my father grew up and where as a young boy I went to see the "Grandparents". To the right (South) of the house was a stream. In back was a large underground potato cellar as well as some chicken coops and open land. Somewhere back there was the "Silver Fox" pens written about in the last blog but by the time I remember going to the farm the fox pens were gone. In front of the house was a road that when I was young was the main highway from Idaho to Utah. Across the road, to the West, were the fenced off areas for cows and hay storage. A trail went much further west to where the cows spent their days. Each morning the cows were taken to their fields on a horse and then again late afternoon the horse went to bring the cows back. They were heavy with milk and wanted to be milked and they came back quickly. This farm was only 60 miles away and we went to it often. The experience of going for the cows and living in the country was an influential part of my youth. My father, having grown up on this farm, didn't look at it as much else than just hard work and never had any interest in living again on a farm.

*

The front room of this house was the main room. It was the kitchen as well. A stove heated the room and the back room that was mostly a large open bedroom was heated by a smaller stove. The main stove was also used for cooking. The stove had several top burners and a oven and wood was the fuel that provided the heat and allowed the food to be cooked.

Silver Foxes were like "common stock to" my Father

Somewhere around 1920 to 30 + many ranchers in the Western United States raised Silver Foxes and made money selling them for their fur. Some years the prices were higher than others and the market had its ups and downs. On my grandfathers farm were Fox Pens where these animals were raised and sold over several years. My father had the assignment over several years to feed these foxes daily and to care for the needs of the animals in their pens. It involved carrying food to the pens each day and working out the water needs. This was a project to raise funds and was viewed in later years by my father as a hard lesson in speculation. He remembered a a few specific years very well. He told me that the price of the foxes and the cost of the food resulted in a loss not even counting the cost of "time". It was largely, at least for the years he remembered, his time. The issue was that the price of the fur went up and down and was really responding to speculation by investors.

*

Probably my fathers Silver Fox experience lead in part to a rather conservative approach to savings and investments on his part over the rest of his life. I recall that he really never owned any "common stock" and stock for him was just too much subject to the influence of speculators and a market that moved up and down. The only exception to his never owning stock was some company stock at his employer but interest bearing investments were his focus.

*

Remembering his commitment to interest bearing investments took me many years to appreciate. How glad I am that I was finally influenced.

Appreciate the Blue Sky, a New Year, and you too

this is my 454th blog.

*

The odds of getting to 908 are not real high. I have reached the point where the subject of the blog is the number of blogs so that fact may have some deep significant meaning? Or on the other hand it may mean nothing. It is now 2009. Another interesting number. "So far so good" is all I can say about 2009.

Highlights of 2009.............

*

Utah wins the Sugar Bowl.

Time Magazine has a very funny article on voter intelligence. Seems as though the recount in Minnesota has verified, according to Time, that voters and their ability to read and then follow instructions is a very funny subject.

Blue Sky in New Mexico continues to be outstanding. Actually based on an actual 3 State visual survey just completed New Mexico is significantly bluer.

*

A special thank you and I appreciate you goes out to all 4 of you that have read this blog over the last while. Consider yourself Appreciated.............................

See calm ahead or around us now reflects on where we are looking and who is with us.............

Thoughts at Christmas? Peace be still. Calm can come. Faith. All good thoughts. I was visiting with a man who is about 87 earlier this week. He had taken a fall and was going to be in a nursing home for 2 or 3 months now that he was out of the hospital. His mood was positive and he was very alert. I asked him to recall his favorite Christmas and tell us why it was a favorite. He remembered being a kid in his parents home and the year he got a favorite dog for Christmas.

Maybe a Christmas that is often ignored when one asks someone to remember their "favorite" is the Christmas we are now having. An answer to what was your favorite time could or maybe should be "now".

This picture is an interesting one I think. The "now" for those in the boat might be very different based on where those in the boat were looking or what their eyes saw. The picture was a painted as a portrayal of Christ just before he calmed the weather and the sea. I wonder if you were one who had been in the boat if you would look back at this time in your later years as a "favorite time" or a time you would always remember? What is better, to get the dog you always wanted or to have the seas around you calmed. It takes some faith to see the seas calmed around us sometimes. Maybe that is what Christmas really is, a moment to look closer at how calm the seas around us really are or what we have come through or who stands in the boat ready to help.

What we see around us depends on what we seek in life.

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another, of hundreds of others, in seeing the hundreds of universes that each of them sees. - Marcel Proust

Lotayear.................

Year end is a good time to look back. This year pictures have been useful in capturing some of the changes. This is a lot of things that remind me of the year just passing.

looking for 23

I was out running today and didn't see this sign. Guess something might be coming up soon.

12 days until Christmas and a E Card

I am going to send this picture and this brief note out as a "Christmas Card" or really instead of a Christmas Card this year. Doing it by email will enable me to add a message and a specific note to those that I send it too. Over a lot of years we have noticed the "newsletters" that a variety of friends and family have sent each year and it has been interesting to find out what has been happening in their lives. From this picture you will be able to see a lot of what has been happening to "us" this year.

One of us took a lot of pictures. We went to the State Fair, visited family, family came and visited us. We took some interesting walks. I changed jobs to a large Fast Food chain.

It has been a very good year and one that has made us appreciate a lot of things.

Ho Ho Ho, No Tree, No Tree, No Tree

Yep, "No Christmas Tree for us this year". No lights on the tree. We had some older trees and last year we were planning on selling the house and in an effort to clear out some room we took a run to the local Goodwill industries. We found that they don't want old trees but nearby we found a dumpster that just seemed to be waiting for a couple of old trees so we dropped ours off. Well here we are a year later. No tree. Maybe by posting a Christmas miracle will happen and we might find one between now and the "big day".

Looking Out to Understand First.

Looking out the window to my left. Wondering about the day ahead. Thinking some about lunch. The question of how to recap the interesting events of the last week since the last blog is worth some thought. It has been about a week since I finished my book on "Sitting Bull". I realize that biographies hold my interest the best right now. Habit #5 in Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is "Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood". Maybe really "understanding" another person is the key. It certainly works as far as enabling me to find a book of interest these days. Covey's principal puts the need "to be understood" after understanding the "other". Fact might be that once you really understand the "other" the pressing need to be "understood" yourself may just be a lessor need. When I opened up this blog today I noticed my prior blog heading.........."Thankful for now". I am going to go back and change it to Thankful For, "Now". Seems like my title may not have been reading the way I intended it to. I have thought a lot about whether I am really most thankful for "now" since Thanksgiving Day. Yes, is what I come up with when I ponder this.