As to when I shall visit civilization, it will not be soon,

I think.  I have not tired of the wilderness; rather I enjoy

its beauty and the vagrant life I lead, more keenly all the

time.  I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star-sprinkled

sky to a roof, the obscure and difficult trail, leading into 

the unknown, to any praved highway, and the deep peace

of the wild to the discontent bred by cities.  Do you blame 

me then for staying here, where I feel that I belong and am

one with the world around me?  

From: Heart of the Desert Wild

by: Everett Ruess

You cant know how very thrilled  i am to have red rock pics back up on my blog!! It feels almost as good as being out there among the rocks and sand...but in truth NOTHING can feel as good as being out there again!

Theres no way of knowing just how many times Ive been on the Slots hike in my hiking career. At least a hundred times Im sure.  But is had been at least 5 yrs since I've visited the trail.  I had my willing, patient companion in Clark...and off we headed to what I thought would be a most familiar trek.
The first bugaboo was discovering that the normal place that we have parked for years was no longer "legal." WHAT????!!  How can this be!!??  I tracked down a local  and asked what had happened, and why parking was no longer permitted.  He kind of rolled his eyes and said that things had kinda gotten out of control...too many cars, fender benders and law suits had made the citizens of the street feel that they needed to put up the signs. ugh
He told me that Snow Canyon had to put up signs too...prohibiting hiking where we have hiked for years. Sigh

Anyway...the short of it is that he directed me to a place to park and from there is was easy to find the familiar trail and begin the hike.

Oh how glorious it was to be out there!!

 Newspaper Rock with neighbors....

But alas....my aging brain found some places unfamiliar!! How could this be!!!?? I was sure I could have done this hike blindfolded!!
But there was no need for real concern. I do know this hike. I just did it a little differently than 'normal.'

For this being an "off limits' hike...we sure did see quite a few people enjoying the same scenery as we were and ignoring the same signs we were.

And may I also mention how heart-breaking is was to see spectacular , million dollar homes not 50 yards from Newspaper rock!?  People sitting out on their beautiful patios could easily see the petroglyphs on the rock!!  That just doesnt sit well with me...but Im not in charge of the world am I?!

Thank you Clark for going out there with me!

Cat tracks!!!

Can I just say ...how blown away I am by modern technology!! I ...little old me, has figured out how to get pictures off my phone for this here blog!! Thats crazy!! Im so grateful!! Im "grateful to Clark too...for his help and support...but this time I did this on my own!! yay for me!!

All my life I thought that the story was over

when the hero and heroine were safely engaged-

after all, what's good enough for Jane Austen 

ought to be good enough for anyone.  But its a 

lie.  The story is about to begin, and everyday

will be a new piece of the plot.

from: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by: Mary Ann Shaffer

It was just a year ago that we Stephenson had the great joy and pleasure of planning a wedding.
Clark and Jenna had found one another on the campus of BYU, and had decided to take on one anothers gifts and foibles for better or for worse.  Jenna's exuberance  is contagious.  Clark's patience and goodness are a gift.
Its been a tumultuous year...for them, and for most of us.
Im remembering that 1st babies are tough...and as is often the case, so can the first months of marriage be also.
They have worked hard, have studied hard, have tested well, and have applied to many medical schools (at GREAT expense I may add)
Well today is the day ---- they received great news!!!!!  They both received letters of acceptance to the medical school of their choice!!  It looks like come August they will be heading to Kansas City to start school!!
These two are so full of promise on so many levels...
But today all I want to do is to  CELEBRATE with them!!!
But I live in Logan.
It aint happening.
Someday soon we will find an opportunity to do so!!!

PARTY FOR THE STEPHENSONS!!!!

Final Day In Cally

Crying does not indicate that you are weak.
Since birth, it has always be a sign that you are alive.
from: Jane Eyre
by: Charlotte Bronte

We went to beach...and earnestly tired to make plans for the day. In California there are always numerous  possibilities.  But, truth be told...I was out of money.  Judy, as always, was more than generous, and was willing to fund me for as long as I would like.  Strangely though, it felt like it was time to go.  Common sense was saying go home. My heart and soul wanted desperately to stay.
Be that as it may...we still mulled the decision over for hours.
We walked.
We napped in the sun, and watched the ever-present surfers.
We took photos of phantasmagoric oceanside cairns.
And we mulled over the idea of leaving again.

But in the end we packed up Lola, again, with an additional 5 lbs of stray sand in the carpets,  and turned on the mystifying and inexplicable GPS to get us home.
And I cried.
Of course I cried.
I cried on the beach.
I cried in the Southern California traffic.

I mean really...how would it be to actually live in a place like Southern California?.... A place where every 5th car has a surfboard innovatively strapped to it.
Where flip flops can be comfortably worn every day of the year.
Where people dont seem as fixated on how you dress.  (not counting the very rich and famous...but they dont count...they dont hang at the same places.)
Where the sun always shines.

I guess I'll never know though...
California isnt on the list of places My Builder ever wants to live.

Because we did linger too long on the beach this day...we felt very tentative about driving too long into the night...we were beat.  We wanted to be safe and conservative in our travels, so we decided to stop for the night in Primm, Nevada.

If you blink you miss Primm, Nevada.

If you try to find a room, that's habitable, you have a choice of one.

Before hitting the hay we had a Chocolate milkshake in honor of National Chocolate Milkshake Day. (seriously)

And we slept.

The next morning we headed to St George for squeezes from grandbabies and to say hello to my folks and My Builders folks.

Then it was on to Orem.

Where I slept again

The next morning I was to head back to Logan.  I cried some more while saying good bye and thank you to Judy...and then again to David as I thanked him for letting me swipe Judy for the week...plus letting us take such a fine vehicle with us. 

And then I climbed into Clarks car to head North.  Clark was willing do drive me to Salt Lake where My Builder would meet us. (Clark knew he'd get a free lunch for his efforts. :-)

We had made plans to meet up with Joe and Natalie and their handsome boys for lunch too.

More kissing and hugging.

Then it was truly back to reality...life in Logan.

It was a marvelous adventure!!

I am blessed.

And grateful for the opportunity to travel.

Jick, when people fall in love the way we did, its...I dont mean this

like it sounds, but its like being sick.  Sick in a wonderful way, if you

can imagine that.  The feeling is in you just all the time, is what I 

mean.  It takes you over.  No matter what you do, what you try

to think about, the other person is there in your head.  Or your

blood, however you want to say it. " It's,"  she shrugged at the

impossible again..."there's no describing it beyond that." 

from: English Creek

by: Ivan Doig

Last week I learned how hard it is for me to keep a secret!!!
I'd rather eat nails than have to to that again!!

 But now its now totally official!!! Clark asked Jenna to marry him...AND SHE SAID YES!!!

 A beautiful girl from Chicago came to BYU and caught my Sparks eye...
A reluctant young man found himself at BYU...so he could find the coolest girl there...
and now they're going to make history....together.  

 We are so pleased and excited for the two of them..that they found one another and that they seem to us to be the perfect match!  Each of them have so much to offer the other. Heaven played a hand in this one!! We are so, so grateful!

 And now we have another joyous celebration and marriage to look forward to in December!! A bright spot in what I fear will be a cold and dismal winter... away from St George.

Congratulations you two!!  The future is yours!  And we get to watch and reap the rewards!!  We are so proud of the two of you!!  And couldnt love you more!!

On the macro scale, I perceive what physicists tell us

is true on the micro: Even in chaos there is order,

purpose, and strange meaning that invites- but often

thwarts -our investigation and our understanding.

from: Odd Thomas

by: Dean Koontz

 Any ideas on what to do with Spaghetti Squash!! We have a few!!!

I cant believe its already been a week since we harvested and canned tomatoes!! Today we arent even going to think about tomatoes!   Our garden is producing like crazy...but the weather is really cooling down at night, so I think its slowing things down out there a little.  Whew!!

10 baby ducks are supposed to be delivered some time this week!  Its amazing what can be shipped through the postal service.  Cant wait to meet them.

My job...makes me feel my age.  Additionally...Im gaining weight..which I hate!!  I work harder than I have in many years...and Im gaining weight!! The food we serve is too tempting and all around me!! Im so exhausted at the end of my shift that I can barely pedal home...My Builder comes and rescues me more often than not and throws my bike in the back and drives me home, where I collapse on the bed and cant move while my feet throb and ache.  Poor pitiful me. (not really)  Im grateful for the work and I enjoy the people I work with.  I just need to toughen up and stop EATING!!!   PS- Im so very grateful for the restorative power of sleep!! I sleep like a baby and can get up the next morning feeling fit enough to take on another day at The Grill!!

My Church job...it keeps me hopp'in.  This week we had what is called Enrichment meeting. It was a wonderful success..due to the committee chairs and their creativity.  Lots of ladies showed up and we had a marvelous time playing 'get to know' you games..which we desperately need.  The names of all the women are beginning to stick. Whew


My family....seems to be getting along just fine without me.  Which of course is a good thing.  Brian is enjoying his first semester of college and ROTC.  I think ROTC is his favorite time of the week though. I've proof-read a paper from both Brian and Rob...and am so happy to help.  Joe is stick'in to the hard things too...he's still attending his early morning (7:00am) class and all the others! Plus, he's looking  for a different part time job...Walmart stocking wasnt working for him!! Clark's class load isnt for the faint hearted and he seems to thrive with the challenge; plus doing what he can to keep sweet Jenna happy and interested. Ahhh..to be young again!!!

Extracurricular activities- I spend too much time on facebook, more than I probably should. I'm the 'marketing specialist' for  Sherwood Forest and now for The Center Street Grill, and for Rob and Utah Mortgage!! I really enjoy the challenge and the research process.  I think I may be making a real difference and that feels good!!  (The Center Street Grill gig is a paying venture!!)
I havent read  a whole book in weeks. sigh.  I fall asleep.
Its so hard to get to the Temple. sigh.  I fall asleep.
This is the first 'writing' I've done in weeks. I'm too tired and lack inspiration...
speaking of which...
Where is my inspiration? Is it in the dishwater at work? Is it in the shake machine that splatters shake matter across the front of my turquoise T-shirt no matter how hard I try to not have it happen?  Is it in the fry sauce squirt bottles that seem to have mysterious vacuum- like void at their bottoms, for they never stay full!!??  What do people do with all the fry sauce!!!??? Do they fill their pocket with it, or are they emptying it into their  to-go mugs to take it home to their kids? Im quite sure we go through at least a gallon of the stuff a day!! No kidding!!! (It's a secret recipe....maybe folks are smuggling it out and taking it to a lab for testing....)  Can my inspiration be found in the lonely old men who come in every single morning for their coffee, biscuts and gravy with hashbrowns?  As I evesdrop...with great descression...I hear them talking about the same things, complaining about the same things, and am filled with mixed emotions.  Some of them are as sweet as can be..and are quick with a hello and a generous tip...and we love them. And some of them are as grouchy as cats with their hairs bent back!...and they are so much more difficult to love;  instead I feel I want to lecture them on attitude adjustments!!  Needless to say..inspiration seems to be in short supply around here lately.

Sweet Anna spent way too many hours on the couch with me last night..helping me to figure out how to  'slurp' my first year of my blog into book form. It looks like I may have to rob a bank in order to pay for such a treasure between two covers...for we are only half way through it ...and we are up to 50 plus pages of pictures and my ramblings. But..it feels like a worthwhile project and would be money well spent. Im up to   wiping down, and clearing a lot more tables. I can wash more spoons and greasy floors and tolerate the grouchy old men...and some disagreeable  young folks too, for such a treasure!!! I will grovel for tips!!
Its been so fun going back and remembering 2007!!!  Check it out if you'd like to see what Im talking about!

Hope your weekend is delightful friends!!

.

Seek freedom and become captive to your

desires.  Seek discipline and find your liberty.

from: Dune

by: Frank Herbert

 Its amazing what one can find in the dumpsters in an apartment complex! I think this may be a treasure...depending on what I can do with it to make it mine...creatively speaking that is...any ideas?! Bri has a great one..Im just wondering what anyone thinks I could or should do with this!!? I think it cool!!!

 Sweet Anna fixed her dad his favorite meal for his birthday...Lasagna!! And this is even better..'cause its make with squash instead of noodles! We have squash coming out of our ears here in the garden, and there is no better way to eat it than to smother it with cheese and tomato sauce!! Yum!!! (notice her cute table that she and David and My Builder helped her to create too!! darling!!!)

 Anna also somehow tempted her brothers and Jenna up to Logan to help celebrate My Builders birthday! It was so fun to have them for  24 hours and to go to church together!!  Love these people!! So very much!

 And yes..this is real! This is indeed a tomato grown in our garden! We are going to be canning tomatoes this weekend I think!! Plus..they are as delicious as they are big and beautiful!! We are lucky!! We are grateful!!

Baby Benjamin is almost 7 months old...and this weekend he's experiencing his first bout with the common cold! And Im here to tell you its much harder on his parents than it is on him!  He's a trooper!

And...this is where I have spent the vast majority of my time this week...and will be from here on out. Its not red rock, and Im not gathering coral dust...instead I come home covered in dishwater stains and ketchup smears. My feet ache...but its not the same as that fabulous pain after a hike.  Im meeting good people, and I love being busy and working.