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!!

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

-Dr Seuss  

Christmas is most definitely my least favorite holiday.
And I believe I can explain this with a few short words.
unfulfilled expectations
commercialism,
disappointment


No matter how hard I try to change my mindset on Christmas...discontent rears its ugly head.

When ones love language is so NOT 'gift giving' , Christmas  becomes a little dreadful and a burden. When ones love language is 'spending quality time" or 'acts of service', then you can see that Christmas hasn't gone  well for me, (or my family) for many years.

My dream Christmas, since my family began, is to bag the gifts and go away, board a plane, or pack into cars, and spend the time and money making memories that will last forever.  (who remembers what they got for Christmas last year?) To not be buying gifts that will soon be forgotten, or that leave the recipient feeling less than satisfied...or wanting something different, or feeling that's its a lame gift, or that someones elses gift is better...and on and on... Its all nonsense and weighs heavily on my heart when I go to bed after the brouhaha of Christmas.
My simple solution:
Maybe next year will be the year my 'fantasy Christmas' will materialize.
Plane tickets for all instead of socks
Beach house instead of jewelry
Service instead of gift cards
Memories instead of electronics
No regrets or unfulfilled expectation, only joy and great memories.

PS- my kids are GREAT! This is not their problem or their fault. I was born this way.  MyBuilder is the bonified spirit of Christmas in our house. I would have thrown up my hands in defeat years ago if it weren't for him. Bless him!!

 When we ask for God's blessing, we're not

asking for more of what we could get for

ourselves.  We're crying out for the  wonderful,

unlimited goodness that only God has the power

to know about or give to us.

from: The Prayer of Jabez

by: Bruce Wilkinson

I know Christmas is about Jesus...I know this well. And my journey to know Him and love Him better is a good one.  My concerted efforts to study  and learn about His life and Gospel has become a beautiful thing for me.
But what is Christmas without family?  Family was a little sparse this year...with it being an 'off' year...But there is nothing "off" about having Clark and Jenna and Gideon here and with celebrating with grands. William and Ben's enthusiasm and wonder are the reason for the season as well.

Im not embarrassed to admit...whenever we go to the DI we find a treasure. This time if was an armful of grandma furry hats!! They made us happy..all those hats and fur collars...that smelled like a grandmas drawer...talcum powder and musty perfume. We think we sport them well, dont you??!

 You gotta love Old Main Hill at the University!!  And the sunshine on this day was heaven sent!!  It felt like it had been months since the sun had shone around here!! A perfect day for sledding!! PERFECT!!!

 I love these people!!

 I challenged David to a race...he started of strong....but I beat him in the end!! Good times!!!

Im so grateful for my good, good family. They bring me such joy and happiness, and fun times.

And words cant express how very proud I am of of these two kids. Medical school is a challenge I cant possibly comprehend...and to have them both so challenged is remarkable to me.  Their being able to relax for a time was such a gift ...for I know not what else I could do for them.... God bless them.

Isola doesnt approve of small talk and believes

in breaking the ice by stomping on it.

from: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel...

by: Mary Ann Shaffer

 This seriously could be his head!! He said he was enjoying the back row..for there is more room to do the push-ups!!

So this is Robs class of fellow recruits.  Somewhere in that sea of shaved heads is our Robby.  He has completed his first week...the first 2 days.  He has been patient enough to talk to me each night about his experiences.  First off...I can hear the satisfaction and enjoyment hes having in his voice, as well as the fatigue.  The 2nd day was physically demanding to be sure...so demanding that the class of 70 recruits has already been reduced to 65!! But my 'boy' his happy.  He's pretty confident that he 'can DO this!!"  I am so very relieved that he can stand up to the psychological torment.  I know hes plenty strong...but a mommy worries about what I believe to be his tender soul.  But he WANTS this bad...so he is indeed  going to do this!!!
Chelsea seems to be holding up great too!! She's the domestic goddess and has yummy, warm meals waiting for him when he gets home.  Thats a Big deal!! He has mentioned them to me both nights that we've visited!! He's so tired and so hungry after his day!!  Rock Stars one and all!!
If you too are interested in following him and his class you can go Here and like the page

Maybe there is a bigger purpose, a bigger

picture that we only contribute a very small

piece to. You know, like one of  those thousand

piece puzzles?   There's no way you can tell by 

looking at  one piece of the puzzle what the puzzle 

is going to look like in the end.  And we dont have

the picture on the outside of the puzzle box to guide

us.  Maybe everyone represents a piece of the puzzle.

We all fit together to create this experience we call

life.  None of us can see the part we play or the way

it all turns out.  Maybe the miracle's that what we see

is just the tip of the iceberg.

from: Making Faces

by: Amy Harmon

MY THANKSGIVING PRAYER

of 2015

Thank you dear Heavenly Father, for these good people who do their very best to take care of one another and to be mindful of each other and who love one another.  We are truly blessed with more than plenty.  Plenty of food, plenty of talent, plenty of love, plenty of fun and of course, plenty of blessings from Thee.  (For look where we can celebrate this day!!!!)
May each of these dear people around this table be blessed with continued peace and prosperity and with continued  determination to do their very best and to enjoy their journey.  May we each feel love, and give love and be love.
May we be mindful of those what cannot join us at our table this year.  Please God, send them our thoughts and prayers. We miss them.  We wish our table and our circumstances could hold them all! May we all continue to work towards our hearts' desires and that these desires will be in alignment with what Thou would have us do and to be.
Thank you!!  Life is good!!
Amen

 These bags of groceries are maybe just an 1/8th of what we hauled in to feast on!!

 Handsome boy whom I so enjoyed playing card games with!! Notice the homemade egg rolls!! YUM!!! Thanks Mericar!!

Im like a light-weight electron, lonely and out of 

place, orbiting a room full of heavy-weight protons.

from: Fizz

by: Zui Schrelber

So I've gone and done it. I've turned in my letter of resignation. It was a tough decision to make, for these last 8 months have widened my horizons, opened my heart to a whole new kind of love and have wizened me up a bit.  Who knew that being a PE teacher could do all that for you??!! I've made new friends, and I deeply care for and love more than 300 kids and my feelings about public schools have been altered for the better.

Dear Sue,

Im writing you to say thank you. To acknowledge how very kind and generous you have been  to me throughout this very tumultuous last year of mine. You will always find me eternally grateful for your support.  But now it appears that coming back to work at Ellis is not in the cards for me.  Admitting this makes me quite sad….  much sadder than I expected in fact.  For this truly has been a school year filled with much joy and satisfaction.

Nobody prepared me for falling in love with 300+ kids!! And who knew that a school is actually a living, breathing, empathizing, generous, selfless ‘being’, with YOU as their fearless leader and model!!?   My eyes have been opened!!

I had many a kid attending public schools years ago….and I suppose I just didn’t pay close attention to its inner workings way back then.  Today I’m in awe.  I never understood the impact that a GOOD principal has on a school AND on its community.  You and your dedicated teachers and staff have been a wondrous thing to behold.  It was indeed a privilege to have rubbed shoulders and to learn from you Sue.  But my crazy life and my many feelings of inadequacy, plus my unknown future have now led me to this difficult decision to resign.

This has been a very gratifying year in my life. I will look back at this chapter with the warmest of memories and as a changed woman.  I am grateful that you gave me a shot and the opportunity. So very grateful!  I feel real sorrow when I realize that I wont enjoy the rich blessings of seeing and interacting with your beautiful children next year,  whom I have come to deeply love. (and…if by some good fortune of mine, I find that I haven’t burned my bridges to thoroughly, maybe I could come back next year just as a volunteer?)

Again,thank you so much Sue.  I pray that you find a more qualified P.E. replacement for this grateful, “limited in skill”, grandma that I am.

With much love and respect,

I cant imagine my replacement loving these kids more than I,,,but I am SURE that they will be better coached. Whoever follows in  my footsteps will undoubtedly be more skilled in teaching  the finer points of basketball, soccer and tether-ball etc, etc, etc.  I had no confidence in my ability to do this....but boy did we have fun playing all sorts of games.  Sure, I raised 4 boys...but I havent a clue how to teach the proper dribbling of a basketball or even how to call off-sides in soccer.  How was I thinking that I could possibly control a soccer game with 5th grade Latino boys and white boys all with various skill levels and with aggression and competitive issues.  It aint happening!  We just didnt go there at all.  I attempted some basketball drills and soccer drills but that was the extent of it. I was a glorified camp director of sorts instead of being the 'coach' they all need.  

Beside all this...Im longing to turn in the whistle and put my Mimi hat back on.  It may be  a selfish thing to want to spend more time with our grands...at this juncture in life, but thats what Im choosing to do for the next little while. This is my greatest desire. 

There are about 10 days of school left...and we all remember what these days are like.  There will be Field Day, Faculty Follies, a choir concert, the community Fun Run, more testing, random field trips and a faculty party...

and then this chapter of my life will end. I truly gave it my best.  I will miss the kids and the people I have worked with.  But now I say..."bring on the grands!"

1st grade toothless smiles are the best!

PS- (other random thoughts on this day) Dont you hate it when you spend a significant amount of money on a 'good ' mattress...and then wait the allotted 160 days of 'free trail" and then decide that its not so great a mattress!!!??  Ugh!!

PSS- dont you just love those 6 perfectly ripe, unbruised avocados that come in those mesh bags at Sams Club!!??? YUM!!!

A Weekend of Gifts

You loved Ferris Wheels more than roller

coasters because life shouldnt be lived at

full speed, but in anticipation and appreciation.

from: Making Faces

by: Amy Harom

I know, I know...Christmas is over.
But I love the weekends that still feel a little like Christmas...as this last one most certainly did!!
Gift  #1 arrived in the mail ...from far off  Blessed St George!!
There's nothing better than homemade granola ...blended together by the loving hands of 'grandma' Stephenson.  Thank you dear Ethel..my dearest mother-in-law and grandmother to my kids and great grandma to my grands!! Thank you!!  (I think I was lucky enough to snag one bowl of the divine concoction before it disappeared.  Rationing next year....hiding it under the bed!!!)

Gift#2-
Company arrived!! We LOVE company on the weekends...company any time!!

Gift #3-
Soup!! But in truth..the word soup is not adequate enough to describe our Sunday meal. Im sure there's a better word...probably in Italian...for the bowls that were placed before us last night.   Soup is just to simple a term. For when you think soup you probably think of Campbells or even Top-Ramen,  But this 'soup was food fit for the gods...starting with Brazilian gods...for it was a Brazilian dish, tweeked by Mericar.  You SHOULD be JEALOUS!!!

Gift #4-
Fog is a gift.  All weekend it was foggy...pea soup foggy. Fog is so much better than snow and freezing temps.  Every mild day in January is a gift.  Any day that  isnt like lasts years January is a gift.  Thank you God!

Gift #5
We had game night...and day!! First bowling...then the kiddies went to bed and we played Phase 10! It was fun!! Why dont we do it more often??!!  TV always sucks us in.

Life is good!!