pre dinner thoughts

Just to the right of where I sit is a chair that I like. I bought it at UNM a few years ago. It is actually pretty comfortable for a wood chair. I sat in the chair a few minutes ago as we ordered take home and Mike went to get dinner. Guess this little story is hardly blog worthy but what is really when you think about it. The bottom shelf behind the chair is full of binders of "stuff" gathered over a lot of time. Above the screen I am typing on is a lot of favorite books. Figure this is enough for a Friday Night short blog.

2 doors

Thinking back about all the cars I have had over the years is something that probably most guys do on occasion. Mercedes, Lexus, and Jag were some of the ones that I probably should remember first or put first on my list. I saw a list today of top countries in the world for this or that and had some amens and "your nuts" to say about what I read earlier today with Mike regarding those lists but then my own list right now, far more important by the way, would be my list of best cars I ever had and I think I would put the "Cougar" on the top of the list. I got it while in California. I don't know how we afforded to get it because we didn't make much money in California. Even so we did get it and it was with us as we moved back to Utah. Of course that memory is from a long time ago in a state far away. This picture is the "Cougar" being loaded up to leave California, back then. My brother helped us that day. He had just gotten his first job out of school in the very town we were leaving.

another fountain

Today at church we had a talk about journals. So I could just say "another talk about journals" and that would sum it up. They are "a good thing and we ought to keep" them would be another good summary of the message. The speaker added that you didn't have to follow good writing rules and implied that you could make up your own "style" in your own journal. So I came home and went in and corrected the "journal like" entry I made yesterday improving the grammar a little. I didn't want to have my own style be "poor grammar". That said I suspect that I have my share of poor grammar show when I write.

*

A few years back I read the book "As I lay Dying" by Faulkner and I really liked how the book sounded when I read it. Just reading the words brings the sound of the words to your mind because they just reflect the culture and the setting of the novel. Some books go on with "he said" and "she said" and others just "say it" with a remarkable accuracy to who would have been doing the "saying".

*

So as far as this pictures overall meaning today, which in a way is also a journal entry for the day, it goes back to when I was 14 and my sister was 2. I do remember when I was 14. I thought my little sister was pretty cute and I had a soft spot for her. Being able to like and appreciate little girls is pretty easy. This fountain is on Temple Square. As I recall, and I do recall it, we went from one fountain to another that day and she got a drink from them all. I remember that there were a lot of fountains on Temple Square. Lot's has changed since then.

*

Today is her husband, Gary's, birthday. I should be making an entry on his behalf in honor of his birthday but I figured a picture of his wife at 2 years may touch his heart. I love to see pictures of Kathy when she was a little girl.

the park,

I started writing in my journal when I was 31 years old and have regularly written in it for 33 years since then. I didn't start at the beginning of my life and experiences but often remembered various things and wrote them as memories. The journal is focused mostly on the last half of the time.

This picture is the park across the street from "Wyeth Street" where I lived from about 7 years old to about 13 and was a time I appreciate a lot of the memories about it. Living in an old house in an old neighborhood near a river and a park was a blessing and makes for some interesting memories. I remember a fight I had in this park and then too plenty of times with my dog running in the park. Some times playing baseball and climbing trees or at the rivers edge which ran by the park and our house.

Thought of this time today while out for a early walk with my best friend...........................

Saturday Run

Today I went for a walk and took my camera. I decided to just record the journey. Not that today August 7th is particularly unique or that I haven't' been on this course several times this week but I figured I would just record the journey.

So I would say that the day is one of watching, observing and taking note.................



*

"You can observe a lot by watching."
Yogi Berra

"The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery."
Francis Bacon

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

here again

Went to lunch with this lady today. It was nice.

I haven't recorded much in this space the last few weeks. I have been spending time working on my journal.

blond even

I suppose I could do a few blogs just to prove that I had "hair" once upon a time. Course this picture is indeed "once upon a time" I am pretty sure that it was in the 1940's.

What's Up, lately for a start

Read a post about what my "favorite person had been up to lately" which was interesting, (not the person to the left in the picture but my real favorite person, probably upstairs right now).

*

I think back over the last few days and remember in particular getting up one morning and telling this same favorite person that life, I might pause here and mention that a comment about life if probably logical for me to be making this time of day, since I seem to often read before I go to bed and some of the books tend to focus on "life", anyway I mentioned that life wasn't bad and overall and was not a problem, except for the "people". Then of course I will have to admit that a case could be made that "except for the people" why be here in "life". Anyway people are indeed interesting one way or another.
*
Another thought I recall over the past few days was again thinking back and realizing that the challenges and problems and adversity that perhaps I have past through are more valuable to my "life" than a lot of what might be thought of as successes.

*

Muhammad Ali / Favorite Quote
Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated

can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up

with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the

match is even.

all the difference

So glad our roads are the same

So glad I didn't travel alone

So glad for our time together

Life being together has made all the difference.

*

*

*

*

*

The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

*

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

*

*

There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength, let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us. President Gordon B. Hinckley

Golden Flowers may be my favorite

I have been blogging for a few years and it is highly likely that many of the pictures and thoughts have repeated. I have tried to use this blog just to make notes about what I am doing at the time I blog or thinking about at that time. In addition to that approach sometimes I have tried to put down things that happened in the past that seem worth remembering.

*

I always remember things when I see flowers. Lilacs always remind me of the house I grew up in by the river. Flags remind me of Malad and cemeteries near by.

*
Dandelions remind me of Pocatello but it would be hard to say exactly why. Lots of grass in my front yard when I was very young. Maybe it was just a preview of a much more impressive golden flower that many years later I found.

*

Golden Rape Flowers remind me of Zach and of Korea and of a land that was so beautiful.

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?

*

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.

*

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.

*

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

*

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.............

*

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.

*

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

*

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.

*

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?

*

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.

*

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.

*

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.

*

Special List below

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

*

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

*

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".

*

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.

*

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.

*

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.

*

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.

*

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..