Delaware Blue, Tortillas, but not wraps

A Yucca Tree reminds one of a palm trees, but then they are found in the desert and they are interesting. This one lives about a block North of us. Earlier this year the once short tree shot a branch straight up out of what we thought was the main part of the tree. Next a bunch of branches grew out and then these little bushy grouping went into bloom. It seemed like it all happened this summer?

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Guess I might ponder if going for a walk or light run is as interesting through the neighborhood and in a desert setting vs's up a canyon an in a mountain area. Well it is interesting but I would still like to have a good canyon near by.

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B Days went by, Fathers Day went by, June went by and not many blogs went by. Guess I don't have a lot of "blog" thoughts lately.

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We did have a nice vacation in early June. Nice to do something different. Nice to see the "folks" up North.

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Some guy was calling on me at work a few days ago and was talking a lot about "food wraps". I suppose we have food wraps at some of the stores in the area but mostly we call them "tortillas". This actually means "little cake" in Spanish but it is far more common in our area than "wraps" which I think are just very thin imitation tortillas. So I mentioned to him that "wraps were for Northerners". Course the question is "corn or flour"? Sort of like "red or green" if your talking sauce "down here". I like the flour and red by the way.............

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On the other hand a close friend of mine was telling me all the things I couldn't or shouldn't eat and was reading me an article that mentioned that anything with fructose in it. Seems that fructose may be worse for you than hamburgers. Excessive carbohydrates were also on the bad list. Fried foods, soda pop, canned fruit in some syrups, peanuts, cashews, ham, hamburger, lobster, shrimp, perhaps all meats, sea foods and anything that has salt in it are all on my list of bad things. On my list of good things are Shredded Wheat, bananas, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and apparently chicken is what I have on the good list. (course it all tastes like chicken, some say)

HFD to Me

happy fathers day to me..............the young lady sitting next to me has a father I am thankful for. He was a good man and had a fine daugher.

Pa

thoughts for the day.................Fathers Day and a Birthday coming up real soon. All milestones. Good to be a Dad. Good to have a Dad. Good to know good Dads. Good to know that our Grand kids have a good Dad. I remember my Dad referred to his father as "Pa". Always called him "Pa" and then his Mom was "Ma". I remember when I was around 5 or so and frankly I suppose I would admit that it was probably the case until I was close to 12 that I called my father, "Daddy". Course Mom was not "Mommy" so don't think it was. I think that the "Pa" is an interesting name and I wish I understood more why that was the case. My mother called her father "Daddy" most of her life. So I suppose that this subject may need expanding later...........

Better today than yesterday and so on...............

Truman Madsen wrote a book called "The Eternal Man"> It was published in 1966 and shortly after that I bought a copy. I have been re re reading it the last few days.

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The first essay is titled "Whence Cometh Man?" It discusses the foundational LDS doctrine of the pre-existence and highlights that men and women have always existed as uncreated and indestructible intelligences and are co-eternal with God. The doctrine states that we are spiritually begotten of God, and that physical life is to obtain a physical body and prove ourselves worthy to return to God's presence. The remaining chapters cover the following issues: 1. The Problem of Identity, which reviews the LDS position on "self" compared with orthodox Christianity, Existentialism, and Humanism. 2. The Paradoxes of Creation, which discusses the LDS rejection of creation "ex nihilo" and its profound impact on many philosophies. 3. The Mind-body Problem, which talks about the Mormon view that the body and spirit combined form the soul of man and how the physical resurrection and permanent union of these is one of the objects of our creation. 4. The Problem of Human Freedom, which shows how humans truly are free agents and are not simply creatures and the impact of this thought. 5. The Problem of Evil, of Suffering, which can be explained much more easily given that fact that we are eternal beings here to learn to love and be tried and strengthened, which can only happen with true free will and its consequences. 6. The Problem of Self-awareness, which reflects on those flashes of remembrance some of us have related to the divine that many poets have discussed and how this relates to our spiritual pre-existence

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I borrowed the summary above from a review. I thought it was a very accurate overview of the book and the book itself brings up what is truly unique about this faith. Many would take issue with these ideas. On the other hand the implication is that we are becoming something and adding to ourselves. Worth knowing. Worth being reminded of. Worthy of eff0rt.

notes from a scrapbook


1."the funniest thing I can remember about my Dad" ...................The funniest thing I can remember about my dad was when we were moving in and the piano dropped off the elevator thing (lift on the rental truck actually) while my dad wasn't watching and it chipped of part of the TV. ( course it did as it landed on the corner of the TV). My dad didn't think it was funny. (Times change)

2. "A Lady Lawyer From Laramie Wins Global Fame by writing letter mocking legal pretnetiousness" .........................no notes on this one, nothing but the article, course no notes are needed to just remember the laughing non stop of KJ when she tried to re tell this title a few times.

good man

a day in the neighborhood

Friday night we watched a movie on TV. It was a N flick called Rebbecca and was an "old" movie. Saturday AM is a combination of stuff. Catching up on mail, short walk, pick up MJ at the auto dealer but then not needing to, getting a key made, catching up on a weekly blog for the 2 or 3 folks who read this and wondering about lunch. Course the grandcat came over for a visit. Not a bad day really.......................

No Camera for this post, probably.................

Every once in a while you google something and someones personal blog comes up? I wonder how often that happens? I remember checking for someone by name and having things they wrote and talks they gave come up. I have a FcBk account but I haven't opened it in a month or so but I suspect that you might see the day when things put on there can be pulled off with search tools, if it isn't already the case. I suppose the point of these observations is whether or not having any privacy is really important. I remember reading George Orwell's 1984 and thinking it was an odd prediction to have camera in all parts of ones lives. Today it is sort of common place in most cities that cameras are everywhere. What difference does it make? Who would be interested in things that happen that are just routine anyway? This blog might get read by 3 or 4 people tops and if anyone happens in this paragraph at the top of the blog won't grab much interest. I remember thinking over the years that maybe one ought to be quoted or have events recorded. I have mostly changed and wonder if anything of any real importance would be worth posting. Things of real importance may be a matter of viewpoint. I read a book earlier this year about David O Mckay. It was as important for me. Took a walk this morning with my friend. It was important. Probably could have posted a better blog to those subjects.

You can do it

good times

On the other hand................................. you can read the Washington Post or the NY Times by going to the left (accurate in a lot of ways I suppose) scrolling down and clicking on the link. Speaking of links you can go to other sites from the same list of links or to Amazon. I have a regular reader who does go there often and buys some stuff and I have used a number of credits. It is appreciated of course. Then of course I have some reviews there. I suppose the reviews don't get read much more than this blog but it is a way to keep track of things.

More about the NY paper later......................This is an older picture of "us". Today we were not even on this "little trail" this morning but we went out and had a nice walk. Blue skies, of course. Got home and decided to go to the grocery store. Figured I pick up a newspaper. ABQ paper probably isn't enough for MJ so I pick up the NY paper for him.

2nd post today

I came home from Church today and left the person formost on my mind today, and most all the time for that matter, at Church. How does one do that? In my case it wasn't that I forgot about "her" it was that I forgot that this Sunday we went to Church together? We normally don't. I don't understand how I could forget that. I remember driving in the garage after coming home and seeing her car there and thinking it was odd that she beat me home. I think mis remembering a situation might be a different problem that forgetting something. I just don't remember why I think this...............

This is the "camp site" that we went to this weekend. Friday night. Fathers and Sons church outing. First one in probably 12 years for MJ and first one in at least 3 for Z.

up in smoke, thoughts about folks, and who are those two

This picture of the family is a good mothers day thought and of course KJ's get's top billing. On the other hand I notice that I am a heavier guy in this picture, but then that has changed some.

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Spent a night in the mountains at a Fathers and Sons outing. Slept on the ground. Hadn't done that in a few years. Wore my straw hat. Figured I would post the "hat" picture since the hat gave up the smoke at this event. Got sort of trashed and nothing left to do but let it visit the campfire.

Looking at this guy "in the eye" makes me wonder if I am really looking at me. I do remember my Mom when she looked like this picture. Faces change but in some ways we are really the same. The real challenge in this picture would be to try to recall or understand what were the thoughts of that day?

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For no particular reason, if that is possible, I liked looking at this car today. It is a little like the one I had when "we" got married. Ours was a four door and the paint was a little faded but it still was a good year for some of the good Chevy years. I think that the best years were 57, 55, and 58. Not that it matters much but I was looking at a picture on the wall of a local "Diner" yesterday that had a lot of cars out front one day and took a picture of them. Guess that made me think of my old 58, and of course my old 55.

Already mentioned the hat, above. Guess this is the last time to take the state for the hat.

Nothings changed

Remember when I was young and so were you

and time stood still and love was all we knew

The week happened and we have "hope"

Not sure who that guy is but then it is never easy to find a picture that works. We have a picture frame that changes and we have it full of pictures and I suppose you can find this guy with 20 more lbs on if you watch it long enough. I think you can even find him with hair on his head. This one is probably best titled "hope". Hope for a better day, Hope for hair again in the next life. Hope for some shoes and time to go out for a run. Hope for Sunshine all day, course that looks like it will happen.

week after another week

Fog all around. Can't fly up. Can't fly down.......................................






more about that below.............

Read a good book this week. Most of it was read in the Denver Airport while waiting to get to Wichita. "Peacegiver" by James Ferrell. Much better book than I expected.

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Finding a book that you don't want to put down is really a good thing. Probably a bright spot in the week really. I have noticed a practice I see often in other blogs is to make lists. So I am going to post below a list of 10 books I can think of that I "couldn't put down" and just almost read in one sitting.

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Before I get to that I thought I would mention that I did spend one night this week in the hotel in the front of the picture above. My window overlooked the dome convention center and the river. Wichita was mostly a visit to a meat plant for me this week. Even though this picture which was especially taken for me "once upon a time" I will have to admit that it was dark when I arrived. The fog mentioned was in Denver. It first caused a diversion to Colorado Springs. I would have posted a picture of us sitting on the runway but somehow I just missed that opportunity. The Denver connection was missed and was the cause of many hours there ( used to read a book of course) as a matter of fact.

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Special List below

Top 10 books I can think of right off the bat that I read in one sitting or almost so.

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When Faith Endures by Nguyen Hughes

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadimann

The Best Damn Doctor in the West by Ellis Kackley

A Town like Alice by Nevil Shute

The Latehomecomer by Kao Kali Yang

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephan King

Righteous Warriors by John Byetheway

The curious incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Hadden

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Another week

Great weather this week. Nice walk today. Good to see the blossoms from last weeks walk changed to leaves this week on so many trees. Looking forward to summer. Hoping for blue sky and sun.

Things are more like they are now

than they ever were before.

The Week

Looking back at the week for things that were noteworthy. Mike's birthday. It was nice to get together for that. I had some last minute help from Zach getting me what I needed at the airport. Guess we could look at that in more than one way. One could just say too bad I needed to get some help having forgot something or one could be glad a support system and help was available and could respond so fast. It was nice to have the help. This morning might be consider a noteworthy event. Great weather out there. Figure I need to be too......................................

The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new lands but in seeing
with new eyes. Proust


There is a spiritual meaning of all human acts and earthly events. John A. Widsoe

What determines Who

Reflecting on the week, and then more than the week, the question of "who are we" comes to mind? Mid week I had a opportunity to look at a video of two different young men in very different situations both very young men. One young man had taken a bath in the sink at work and posted it on the Internet and then with his slurred speech and tattooed body he just rambled on and on having found his spotlight, and then the other young man was in Germany with his family playing the piano in a international competition. His father had taken the video with a great deal of pride. It was posted for friends and family and perhaps to help build his credentials. Two kinds of pride. What a difference in the course of two lives.

John Ruskin was a 19th Century English critic who said, "Taste is not only a part and index of morality, it is the only morality. The first, and last, and closest trial question to any living creature is, "What do you like?" Tell me what you like , and I'll tell you what your are."

David O McKay wrote in his book, True to the Faith, "I will know what you are if you tell me what you think about when you do not have to think"

I wondered some about the idea of "time when you don't have to think". Good subject for thought, by the way. Time is unforgiving. It happens. The way we fill it might just be our real distance run in life. I suppose you can fill it with thought or actions but we shape who we are as we do so.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run,

Yours is the earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more- you'll be a man, my son.

Raspberries make for a good day

Some days start out good. Raspberries are good. Shredded Wheat has no sodium and that is hard to find. Looked out the back window and saw the blue sky and some good looking shrubs. Went for a walk and noticed the mountains which seem to continue to surprise me at how good they look. Picked up a tree to plant and brought it home. We planted and made lunch. Pretty good day so far..........................................

Existentialism probably exists? and so do snakes

I was looking down my blog at my pictures today. Like those pictures. Anyway I was thinking about a story I heard the other day, "again". Seems as though this young boy was near the top of a high hill and he fell. As he looked up he saw a snake. He was face to face with the snake and the snake just looked at him and said, "don't be afraid, I won't hurt you" Then the conversation began. The snake added that he needed some help and wanted the young boy to take him down the mountain. The boy was indeed afraid and started to back away but the snake continued on assuring him he would not hurt him and really needed help. Finally the boy agreed. He picked him up. As they started down the snake again said I won't hurt you but could you wrap me inside your jacket so I can feel the warmth. The boy finally did that and they went down. As they reached the bottom the snake was happy and the boy put him down. The boy turned to walk away and the snake bit him. The boy was shocked. He looked at the snake in pain. He said to the snake, "why did you do it, you promised". The snake answered. "You knew what I was when you picked me up".

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Moral: Snakes Exist.

Missing the Sunny days

This last week lacked one of the best things about this part of the world, normally. We have been missing the "sunny sky". I finished a really good book on David O. McKay this week and really wish I could find another individual biography that would be as interesting. Odd to sit in a room full of as many books as I do and wonder what to read. Sometimes you get on a roll and it just turns out that you buzz through a lot of stuff, which has been just what has happened the last few months, but then it seems like you can't think of anything so that is where I am at.

Drawing a picture / didn't draw the one below, wish I had

Have not blogged in a bunch of days. Not sure why. I suppose one wonders what to say at times. I was thinking about the metal cactus that is about 2 1/2 miles down the road to the North. It catches my attention when I go on longer runs (4 miles) but then I have not done that in a couple of months. I have been going out for a one mile walk the last couple of weeks and the last few days I have been sort of jogging or running slow. It has been good. I also have found that a mile a day is so much easier in a lot of ways. It probably is better than one or two "only" longer runs a week.

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Thinking back about January. A nice B Day dinner out with the Fam. Love Lobster. I have read a few books since Mid December. Michael Crichton, Pirate Latitudes, James Bradley, the Imperial Cruise, Edward Kennedy. True Compass, and then I re read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Love to read when I find things that hold my attention. Probably the best of these was the Kennedy book because it was about so much of my own life's history. The Pirate book was a trip to another place and it was nice to get away. Heart of Darkness is symbolic of anything one would want it to be. I guess the question is not so much what I have read but why did I read it. The good news is that I know the answers to that question.

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What would I do if I could and that I don't do cause I think I can't. Good question. I suppose it really doesn't matter if I pick a few things since I have ruled out doing them but then I would love to "dance well". I would love to be able to paint a picture. I would like to paint a yellow flower. A sunflower. That is what I would like to paint. It would be tall. It would have a thick stalk holding it high and it would be full. A black center. Large yellow petals would surround the black and the weight of the head would cause it to hang down. Other shoots with smaller flowers would surround it. Blue sky. Sand. Rocks. It would be a surprise in it's environment. The yellow would be as bold as the blue in the sky. I can see it. I on the other hand can't paint it, I suppose.

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Re reading a book can be just as good as reading one for the first time. Maybe better. On the other hand I am not sure I can get lost in a book after the first time.

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A friend called the other day. It was a good thing and if I were writing down each day the good things that happen I would have put his call down. I know that I have been tempted to write down everything I eat each day. Wonder which would have the greater impact on my life. Writing down what I eat or what good things happen? I suppose both have big implications on what direction I am going. Course just trying to find the good things that happen by making the effort to find them point me in a direction. Good things happen often. Sometimes you see the hand of a very good influence in what happens. Sometimes you see it as it happens. Listening to what happens rather than looking back at what happened is a interesting goal. Anyway the friend called. He mentioned that he felt that I was a strong active person in his view and that he had always seem me as being young. I wonder if I need to be young to not be old. I wonder if being young might be in some ways just as much of a drag is it is to be old. I wonder if having typed this much today if the value of this days post is much more than what a lot of the posts have been? Not sure.....................I would like to paint a lot of things..

weekend

Saturday today. Sun in the sky. Good to have folks around.

Just today, what is of worth?

The question might be, whether the events of the day show something new, or confirm an outside hand in a life, or whether the events are just the predictable outcome of prior days? Should I look within or look outside myself today as I ponder the days events?
Pain in moving one of my feet today and to much thought about a tired frame have made the day seem a challenge but then events confirm more than an internal focus for the day what is of worth.
Two young men brought a thought to our home tonight and then suggested something of more value than an internal look at self. They proposed that how we talk to each other may be of more value than how we feel about our self? They proposed that if "I believe" that it can help others and I ought to say so. So then I"do believe"so ok.
Wondering if that is then what today was for but then someone calls asks if I like fruit? What is really being asked is "are you ok"? I am thinking of you? I want to bring you something? Maybe what they are saying to me is "they believe". Glad to be thought of.
Maybe we believe because we care or then we care because we believe.............

wish I had the picture but it is upstairs

To bad I can't post the picture of "her" standing by the river in Idaho Falls 43 years ago. I took the picture and it was indeed a great picture.

Didn't get to wear a hat either

Hard to figure what to say about this new year just yet.................

Friday PM, story of a special box

I should have posted a picture before of the very nice box that Zach made for me for Christmas. The story of this Christmas Box is also special. He had noticed my black shoe boxes that I had on my shelf and that I was using for finished genealogy names and thought up this idea for a box. He measured it out, planned it out, and started on his plan. That took him along with me to the store to buy the lumber. I of course was never told who the planned project was for or what it was and thought it very well could be for Mike. Since I wasn't told it probably was a "tip off". Later we went together while he looked for stain for the box. He spent many hours on several trips to a family friend's house, Arlo, using the power equipment and getting help. Likewise a lot of time was spent here in the garage working on "the project". The four drawers will handle a lot of names and it is something that will be a great way to keep those names. What a really nice Christmas present.

Friday

The weather has been cold. We even had some cloudy days. On the other hand things are pretty nice out.

Thursday

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 -Neal Maxwell

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It has been several weeks since I had a chance to tell my own "life's story" to a group of friends in a church meeting. The goal of that occasion was to get to know each other. One of the nice things about getting to know people at church is that they often are just friends. They could, but don't necessarily do, relate to you in terms of "what you can do for them" so it could be consider somewhat "safe ground". Even so I have noticed that "men" do not take such opportunities to just be themselves and really associate with each other openly very well. Going to a game together, for example, is not the same as telling someone "who you really are". I suppose if I were to try to offer some real reasons for a life that includes a church would in part get down to just being with some "good people" regularly. Well anyway this day a few weeks ago it was my turn again and I shared some thoughts about myself. I found that more so than in years past I was willing to share some of the things that have not, at the time, seemed like they went all that well or that were "good things?". Sharing some failures, if they indeed were failures and that is probably the point here, is also more interesting that sharing successes.

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"The issue is not what we have done but what we have become".

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Who we are eventually shows up as our attitudes, motives and desires define us. I suppose whether we like it or not we are refined and polished. "Come what may, and love it". I think we should enjoy recalling our challenges, course they keep coming. Another good piece of wisdom:

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"Careful out there"

Working through Change

Brother Wirthlin's words of "Come what may, and love it" came to my attention, again, in an email from a friend in our ward. She mentioned the quote as a comfort in a time of some change. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin is best known as an Apostle of the The Church of Jesus Chirst of LDS. I remember him also from earlier days when he ran a meat distribution business in Salt Lake. One time many years ago I made a call on his company and sold them a few items. I have always been impressed with the companies reputation in those days. He was indeed a good man.


http://vodpod.com/watch/1732551-come-what-may-love-it

how we see it, I guess was "Brown"

So "How Now, Brown Cow" seems like a pretty deep thought for today, January 2nd 2010. Then again a blog can be pretty routine and just reflect the same old stuff. Guess that is why I like the family blogs we watch.

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I remember a couple of years ago I found a blog of a guy somewhere around the Great Lakes and I really liked the pictures he came up with day after day. I went on and looked at the blog several times a week for a few years and was often surprised at what he posted. Then all of a sudden he stopped posting? It just ended and in fact the whole site went away. Wish it hadn't. Not sure I can remember what all the great pictures were about.

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Today I checked out some of the "other blogs" that I have looked in on occasionally........The first was an old neighbor's home blog from up North. The blog now has just ended and it is now a business blog. Not at all as interesting. Guess that is par for the course. Then I looked in on the "Pioneer Woman's" "slick" blog about being a cow girl in the mid west sort of Martha Stewart's cowboy clone? Pretty slick blog. Good pictures of some horses on it today. Well done. Did I mention "Slick", cause I meant it. Even so, it pretty much is the same as it has been. and is still interesting. Next I went to a "Mission Presidents" blog in another country. Always feel guilty "peaking in" on this probably private blog, since it was passed on to us, but it is interesting to see what a lot of very nice people seem to be doing with their lives. Love the mixed culture this blog reflects.

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Good thoughts for the year ahead.......

*I believe in Christianity as I believe that the "Sun
Has risen", not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C.S Lewis

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes.- Proust

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.