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

Water is pure after flowing over 21 stones.

-proverb

(My talk for my mothers funeral)

Our dearest mom, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother is no longer pounding her forehead wishing for a brain transplant.  She is new, she is reborn.  She is sharp, smart, alert and better than ever now.  We are so grateful for this knowledge that all is not lost…just added upon.

Those of you in this room knew my mom well…for you are here..to pay honor to her and to my dear dad.   You loved her…and undoubtedly you admired her.  You have  probably wished, as I have, that you could be more like her.  Not many people we know were as truly selfless as she.  She did not care one wit for the things of this world.  She had beautiful homes and they were filled with beautiful things that over a liftetime had been gathered from all around the world…but those “things” weren’t important to her.  She loved the history behind them..the stories they held….but her joy in them came souly from sharing the stories about them with anyone interested. Mom was a most humble servant of  God. Serving God and her fellow man was where she found her peace and contentment.    

All of us learned what true religion  is by her quiet example. For true religion is nothing more than love. …unconditional love…utterly selfless love; a love that seeks no reciprocation, and  no thought of reward.  Her love impelled her to action…all of her life.  That is the love God expects us to hone and develop.  Pres. Eyring said it perfectly-  “God loves his children.  They have great needs.  Everything belongs to God, so there is not much you can give HIM, after you have given him a repentant heart.  But you can give kindness to His children.  If you were my earthly friend, you would win my heart by being kind to my children.  God loves His children more than any earthly parent, so think what your kindness to His children means to God.”

In the obit I mentioned that her middle name should have been “volunteer” and that  her mantra in life was…”how can I help.”  Whether it was across the fence with a neighbor or across the world in Russia…she took EVERY opportunity to help someone- somehow.  Im not exaggerating when I estimate that  she knitted or crocheted literally 1000’s of hats and scarfs, blankets and sweaters for  the needy. Her needles were always clicking away…and Joe and I were duty bound to find homes for the bags and bags of beautiful warm results.   She was resourceful and persistent in finding places for them to go. Mexico, Africa, Russia and who knows where else  these little hats can now be found. And of course there are a dozens to be found on our own shelves and on the heads of grands and great grands too.  And we mustn’t forget our beloved pumpkin hats. There is no possible way to calculate the countless hours of volunteering she has done throughout the world and in the communities she lived in. From the red cross to emergency preparedness with emphasis on Earthquake preparedness to using her nursing skills, standing on sidelines cheering folks on and I could go on and on and on…she just wanted to help.

Mom LOVEd to learn!  Nursing was a love and she graduated   with honors from the UofU…and she was filled with awe as she watched the practice of nursing change thruout the years. Watching the world change filled her with  wonder, especially the technology aspect.   Education was important to her and to my dad…and I  think we’ll never really know how many young people my folks have helped along the way to a better education.  I have found Letters of gratitude  tucked away all over the house.

Mom was always learning. My earliest recollections of this was, when we were little and living in DC , mom volunteered to be a docent at the National Zoo.  She came home with THICK note books…not one, but many notebooks full of amazing information about the animals at the zoo…and she was to learn it…for Im sure she wanted to be the best docent she could be.  Later in life she took classes  in sign language and became dang good at it…and helped people that needed  the translating.  Who does that in their 40’s…learn something completely new!? 

Mom LOVEd the great out doors and all things that God and Nature provided.  Im surprised sometimes that she didn’t turn out to be a bigger hippie than myself.   She was a conservationist without the rebel hair, and peacesigns  or the attitude.  She taught us quietly and by example to LOVE this glorious world in which we live.  All of our kids remember and loved the hikes we’d go on with her.  There were also the personal  trips that each of the grands were privileged to go with her to places of interest that were personal to each grand..  Those trips  were learning experiences and filled with good times.  When growing up it wasn’t  junk tv we were allowed to watch….at night we sat down.. sometimes.. and watched shows like Mutual Of Omaha Wild Kingdom  and National Geo and the likes.  Or it was the Olympics. Oh how we all loved to watch the Olympics together… the appreciation of the spirit of man  and  wonder of what the human body can do was instilled in us early.

Mom loved anything that came in miniature. Her home is full of all things miniature. And no one could make cuter things from an ity bity pine cone.  But as we all know, her heart was Huge.  I can confidently wager all I have that none of you in this room have ever heard an unkind word pass her lips.  Im betting that no unkind thought was ever  formulated in her mind either.  And I may have stumbled on more proof of this fact as dad and I have discovered some journals this week, of hers…that neither of us even knew existed. You’re gonna love these Joe. I don’t know what your journals look like…but mine are disjointed and a mess…AND sometimes full of angst…and some venting…But NOT MOMS!!   Her journals are full of peace and  calm and extremely reflective.  Just as mom was.  The pages  are full of the quiet ways she tried to help people and of her struggles of inadequacy as she tried to serve in the church…3 times as YW president and 3 times as RS president.  She was a wonder and a pile of anxiety about whether she was doing enough  and doing it well enough.  

Oh mom…you’re “not enough” puts the rest of us plebes to shame. 

She may have been loosing the present…but she certainly was clear and joyful about her past…she loved remembering her childhood and could recall things from her past that most of us with healthy brains couldn’t pull from our own brains even now. She loved remembering the time she had with her good, adoring brother. She loved remembering her ‘orchard’ in California, that produced the most amazing, delicious peaches. Oh how she loved canning and eating those peaches…and all the gallons of applesause she made from the apples they grew.  She loved to entertain…she loved a good dinner party and having people in their home.  She loved living so close to the temple here in st geroge…and loved serving there…in any way she could.   She loved watching Wheel of Fortune and Jepordy with dad every night…and was very skilled in coming up with the answers.  Dad was always impressed.

But moms greatest joy was her family.  Family dinners happened every night as we grew up…dinners often shared with fascinating people.  Family dinners were her pride and joy.  Her greatest joy was a table full of family…grands with their beautiful wives and husband, and greats on down. Her grandchildren brought her such joy and pride…the good kind of pride. Her great grands filled her with wonder…mostly that she could be so blessed to have so many. 

The blessings of Moms life and her  passing are disguised in our sadness today, this week, and for a while…but there is no doubt that moms wishes have been fulfilled…by a loving God and her adoring family.   This is our gift and blessing this day.  The plan of Salvation is real.  Thank  God for that. 

We dont go to God as a way to ignore our 

 pain.  We go there to give Him our pain,

that we might soften around it as we relax

 into our trust in Him.  We then become bigger

than the pain and thus able to absorb it.

from: Illuminata

by: Marianne Williamson

(Mom's Obituary, written by me)

Pauline Burnham Sharp, age 80, passed on Feb 21, 2015 in St George Utah with many of the 4 generations of her family surrounding her in love.  Pauline was born in Washington DC to Paul Franklin Burnham and Ida Schofield Burnham on April 19th 1934.  She married Joseph C Sharp in the Salt Lake temple on June 7th, 1956, after having completed her nursing degree at the University of Utah.

She lived in Washington DC, Maryland, New York, Northern California and Utah, all places of which she enjoyed and made a better place for having been there. She enjoyed the adventure of exploring, walking, traveling and to take any willing child, grandchild or great grandchild in tow with her…all of whom had a hard time keeping up with her along the way. 

‘Volunteer’ should have been her middle name.

“How can I help” -her most common mantra.

Pauline was creative, selfless and an untiring example of service.  Her greatest joys were found in her family and in service to others, whether it be in the temple or holding the hand of a  neighbor or sitting quietly knitting the countless warm hats, scarves and sweaters for the needy.  People from Russia to Korea to St George, Utah benefited from her talented hands and needles. She was generous beyond description and wouldn’t hesitate to literally give someone in need the very shirt off her back.

She loved to learn new things…and could whoop most anyone at Jeopardy.  Pauline truly enjoyed new ventures as she traveled the world with her good husband and her family. It was especially sweet for her if she could do humanitarian work along the way.

Pauline practiced what she preached as she nursed, toiled and searched for ways to help others. She served often and faithfully as a Relief Society president 5 separate times and as Young Woman’s President 3 separate times both in California and in Utah.

Pauline is survived by her husband Joe and her 2 children, Cindy Sharp Stephenson  and her husband W Robert Stephenson  who are currently residing in Logan Utah and her son Joseph Clemensen Sharp and his wife Debbie Filler Sharp living in Highland Utah, and her 8 grandchildren and their families,  Robert John Stephenson, Joseph Val Stephenson, Anna Christine Stephenson Sherwood, Clark Vernon Stephenson, Brian Romney Stephenson ,  Joshua  Joseph Sharp, Meagan  Melissa Sharp, and Amber Alyse Sharp.  She found great joy and pride in her 12 great grandchildren as well.

In lue of flowers please feel free to make a humanitarian donation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One must train the habit of Faith.  The first step is to

recognize the fact that your moods change.  The next

is to make sure that, if you have once accepted

Christianity, then some of its main doctrines shall be

deliberately held before your mind for some time 

every day.  That is why daily prayers and religious 

readings and church goings are necessary parts of

Christian life.  We have to be continually reminded

of what we believe.  Neither this belief nor any other 

will automatically remain alive in the mind.  It must

be fed.  And as a matter of fact, if you examined a 

hundred people who had lost their faith in 

Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn

out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument?

Do   not most people simply drift away?

from: Virtue and Vice

by: C.S. Lewis

If one were to seek the praises of men...I suggest you wear these boots!!  Perfect strangers would and did stop in their tracks and compliment my fun, new boots.  (That just doesnt happen to frumpy me..in Logan Utah.)  I do NOT seek after the praises of men. Not much anyway.  But I DO enjoy a great pair of shoes/boots!!
Thank you Margot and Natalie for your help and guidance in obtaining such praiseworthy objects.

I do ask myself...often of late...what is it that I should be 'seeking after'?
The answer of course is- The Kingdom of God. But this is too grand a goal...to seemingly unattainable.  So Im looking to be more realistic.
I am seeking for meekness, for patience. I seek for holier Sabbaths, and meaningful prayer. Most especially Im seeking for joy and peace in my day.
This week we read in Matthew 6:
Take no thought for your life, what  ye shall ear tor what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 
 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 
 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 
 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Its so easy for me these days to get sucked into the worries  of the day...to become overwhelmed with concern about the future. More  often than I care to admit, I am filled with bitterness and hopelessness. I have learned that I am weak and that my foundation was mostly a sandy one. I have also learned that My Builder is the rock.
But  I do not want to be thought of as a quitter. I dont want to give up. I intend to find my way back to the spiritual being that I once was.
I've been looking in many other places for enlightenment, besides the scriptures. I have found great instruction in learning about meditation and the practices of Buddhism.  (Mormon friends..dont freak...there is truth everywhere!)
Here's a dumbed down version of my new journey-

If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not "washing the dishes to wash the dishes." What's more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink.  If we cant wash the dishes, the chances are we wont be able to drink our tea either.  While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of the other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands.  Thus we  are sucked away into the future,  - and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life. 

from: The Miracle of Mindfulness

by: Thich Nhat Hanh

All in all Im seeking, no, longing for peace. Peace with our circumstances. If I can find peace, I can have joy. If I can learn to live in the present...I can feel joy again. I know these things...but living them is a whole different matter.

But there's not way to avoid regret.  Dont let

anyone tell you different.  Regret is just life's

aftertaste.  No matter what you choose, you're

gonna wonder, if you shoulda done things

different.  I didnt necessarily choose wrong. I

just chose. And I lived with my choice, aftertaste and all.

from: A Different Blue

by: Amy Harmon

Tues brought snow-blindness.  We had that pea soup fog I mentioned earlier..for about a week,  Monday evening we had snow...it was snowing hard when I went to bed...Tuesday we woke to a winter wonderland.  That afternoon the clouds parts and the sun shone and I was dazzled and blinded as I fulfilled my recess duty.  We were blinded by the whiteness, the brilliance,  of the pure driven snow.
Im here to also report that kids are oblivious.  All they saw were the slushy puddles to soak their bootless feet in and snow to kick at one another or to use to construct snowmen.  I wish I had thought earlier to take out my camera and take more pics of the variety of snowmen built that afternoon. I was too concerned about the wet, cold feet and the soggy clothes on these kids...all things that they would surely regret  having to  endure throughout the rest of the day.  I for one think there cant be a worse discomfort than wearing wet shoes and clothes all day long. I personally avoid those conditions like the plague!!  Bless their sweet, smiling faces...AND their immune systems!!

God is pleased to dispense himself variously.  But while

I fill up my mouth with prayers, they bring no comfort.

My words rattle against each other like the beech leaves

on a winter branch, and though a hard wind scours the 

forest, it cannot free them from the bough; it will not lift

them upward into the wide white sky.

from: Caleb's Crossing

by: Geraldine Brooks

Do you know what song I keep hearing in my head over and over and over again?
"Jesus take the wheel...take it from my hands...I cant do this all alone..."
(Carrie Underwood right?)
Over and over...

But Im think'in  He's not too interested.

Or, I guess its possible I just dont recognize Him or the direction He's having us go.

Then about a week ago BF Jude gave me a vignette  she'd heard in church that Sunday.  She thought of me when she listened to it and found me a copy.

A Tandem Ride With God

I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like the President. I recognized His  picture when I saw it, but I didnt really know Him.

But later on, when I met Jesus, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Jesus was in the back helping me pedal.  Ididnt know just when it  was He suggested we change, but life has  not been the same since I took the back seat to Jesus, my Lord.  He makes life exciting.  When I had control, I thought I knew the way.  It was rather boring, but predictable.  It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places  and at break-neck speeds; it was all I could do to hang on!  Even though it often looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"  I was worried and anxious and asked, " Where are you taking me?"  He laughed and didnt answer and I started to learn to trust.  I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure.  And when I'd say, "Im scared."  He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy.  They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord's and mine.  And we were off again.  He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight."  So I  did, to the people we met, and I found in giving I receive, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life.  I thought He'd wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear rocks, fly to shorten scary passages.  And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and Im beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when Im sure I just cant do any more, He just smiles and says..."Pedal."

(author unknown)

Im working on the trust and the enjoyment of this ride. Stay tuned.  

I like it when it rains hard.  It sounds like white noise

 everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.

from: A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

by: Mark Haddon

What I've Learned Today:

I am fortunate...at least 50 friends took the time to say something nice to me for my birthday. I am grateful for all the birthday wishes this week. I am grateful for another year!

If I had a 100 million dollars or even 2 billion dollars I should give it all away to help others. This is the way to find true happiness. (I bet you can  tell that I watched THE ULTIMATE GIFT with my mom)  Or, as C.S. Lewis said, "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.  In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably  giving away to little. If our charities do not at all pinch  or hamper us, I should say they are too small.  There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them."
gulp

I am indeed a terrible passenger. Road trips are best when I can have command of the wheel.


Again, nothing is for sure in life ...except for change.

Living one day at a time is easier said than done.

My dad's Toyota Prius will spoil me for the rest of my life.  Gas prices suck!!

I do love hiking with Lovely people.

My dad and mom are so very generous.

My kids' joy is my joy

Pepsi is a thorn in my side.

My mom has a beautiful smile...and.. shes always smiling.

Baby girl Evelyn is a princess. Already.

Im grateful I wasnt born in 1682 in tsarists Russia. So grateful. (Reading Peter the Great by, Robert Massie)

I'd almost forgotten what rain looked like, felt like and smelled like.  Salt Lake has had rain!!

..politeness is the lubrication that makes the gears of

society turn smoothly.  Without it the parts start

grinding against one another, wearing one another down.

from: The Geography of Bliss

by: Eric Weiner

I have a brilliant, funny, adorable cousin, who lives a long ways away.  She's a class act and a true southern belle. And she's a Sharp.
 Thats a good thing...and sometimes its not. I know, 'cause Im a Sharp too...without the class and the good manners.
Sharps have inherent non-sociability traits.  Many of us are doomed. Its an uphill battle to overcome said traits, especially if you're over 50 and set in your ways.  Sharps seem perfectly happy hang'in  with what they know.  (of course Im guilty of generalizing a bit...but over all I believe Im correct.)
dum dah dum dum...
Lynley is like me...or..I strive to be more like her...for our 'deficiency'  doesnt sit right with either of us. There is something wrong with a picture when  there are cousins that we dont know. Wonderfully, Lynley does things about it.
Lynley came to Utah.  With great effort and sacrifice she came west.  This made me love her even more. And..she grew to love and appreciate Utah..for a time..plus she added another degree to here portfolio while she was here.  Utah State touched her life.
I miss her. I wish we could see one another more often...more than once every 10 yrs or so anyway. Im wishing her the best and all the happiness she deserves!
Bless you..and keep on doing what you do to make this world a better place!!

Old Sharps!!

Joe, Merv, Steven

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,

do good to them that hate you, and pray for

them which despitefully use you and

persecute you;  that ye may be the children

of your Father which is in Heaven.

Matt 5: 44-45

What do you think?
Do I lead either a good, 'safe' life....or a very boring life?

The DMV issued me this form...proof of my boringness...or some might wonder at my luckiness.

No arrests

No citations

No trouble

Ho Hum

But I need to rant.
It was a day that looked as though it would be full of social injustice's...for little ol me.
Why did Washington County move the DMV out into the middle of nowhere!!!?? Seriously!!! The vacant fairgrounds and the prison are its only neighbors!!  What were they thinking!!??  And then to have to pay for proof that Im boring...that Im a great driving risk....umph! They could have just asked me about my driving record. What happened to trust and a honest hand shake?

Then to add insult to my already inflamed sense of inequity... My next stop had to be for a drug test!!! (My drug of choice is Pepsi...if that counts.. I'll fail...hands down.)  So I found myself at yet another dysfunctional governmental institution run by people who can't  seem to think for themselves or ease the way for anyone.  I had the privilege of waiting ONE AND ONE HALF HOURS for the honor of peeing in a cup. It was a WorkMed office..whatever that means...and I shared the waiting room with only several dozen men....no women. (what was that about!!!??)
All this to prove I dont take drugs...
Dont they know ...I lead a boring life? I had proof...my driving record was still fresh off the presses in my angry, tremulous hand!!

This was not going to be a banner day.

BUT WAIT!!

SUDDENLY IT WILL BE!!

June 6th, 2014 will now be known as the birth date of our newest baby girl grand!!!

Evelyn May is here!! Healthy and beautiful...just like her mom!!!
Welcome little Dolly!!!
It suddenly doesnt matter a jot...all the time I wasted this morning...fuming and muttering about the incompetence I had to endure.
A miracle has occurred...Evelyn is here!!! 

Week In Review

Most of us are solar powered. We have to see the sun, 

or some similar brightness in order to find our happy buttons.

 Color, I believe, has a direct connection to those happy

 buttons. Color is healing.

from: Put A Cherry On Top

by: Ben Behunin

 A romp in the stream with Knox and Olive!!  My definition of bliss!!

When i was a young girl...way before parents felt it was unsafe to be alone and outside wandering and exploring by ones self...that is what I did.  I wandered and explored the woods and streams that always seemed so close by our house in either Maryland or upstate New York. The streams and ponds were my favorite hangout spots. Tadpoles, frogs, turtles, and newts were brought home to buckets that were kept in the garage for me to observe. Tiny footprints in the mud or sand and in the winter, in the snow, fascinated me. They stirred my imagination. My favorite book at the time was My Side of the Mountain. Living and thriving while calling home an old hollowed out tree stump was my idea of heaven. Add a pet raccoon...nirvana!! All these years later...and I think Im still the first to throw off the shoes and wade in, to find something new beneath the surface an inviting body of water.

 A baseball game for Lachlan...a perfect way to spend an evening! (except of course if I was being REALLY honest...I'd tell Lachlan that I miss his soccer games. I love to watch soccer...baseball not so much.) But in the end...of course Mimi will follow him anywhere and be perfectly happy about it.

Im told by my mom that there were no real organized sport things going on when I was a young tike...which worked out fine for me. I was too busy playing outside in the mud and tramping through the woods to be bothered with organized sports.

 A happy balloon for my dad...'cause it was his birthday, and because Jenna is clever and fun loving!!! Olive Garden and good company!! The perfect ingredients for a happy day!! Love my dad!!

Some day My Builder will be surprised to discover a tattoo...but for now I was thrilled that Spark was willing to share some of his artistic talent and his newly purchased henna dye from Malaysia... and create a work of art on my ankle!! Oh how I wish it would last for more than a few days!! Thanks my love!!

In return...Clark received a pedicure ala me!!

It was a weekend full of birthdays!! How lucky we were to have Jenna in town to celebrate her 23rd birthday!! Homemade Ice Cream and Carrot cake!!Yum!! Love her!!

 Oh oh...Look what has happened to Lachlan....

Saturday in the park, I think it was the Fourth of July

People dancing, people laughing, a man selling ice cream 

Can you dig it (yes, I can) And I've been waiting such a long time

For Saturday

Funny days in the park, every day's the Fourth of July

People reaching, people touching, A real celebration

Waiting for us all, If we want it, really want it

Can you dig it (yes, I can), And I've been waiting such a long time

For the day

by: Chicago

 Saturday did indeed feel like a celebration. 
People watching...a favorite pastime of mine...led me to believe that this day may have been everybodys' first day out after a long cold winter.  There was not a grouchy person to be found at Liberty Park. 

Everyone had a dog..a well behaved, interesting dog. (Im so so ready for a dog!) 
The park felt international. Folks from every nation seemed to be represented as we all strolled the promenade. Every picnic table was full...with people eating their favorite treats, from Little Caesars Pizza to BBQ's and ethnic favorites!! Yum!!
There were bikers of all shapes and varieties, flower-giver-outers, Rollerbladers (which I would love to give a shot at trying) paddleboat paddlers, skateboarders and lots and lots of walkers and thats not counting all the baby strollers of every make and size with moms or dads at the helm.  Even the ducks and geese all seemed happy to be alive at Liberty Park. 

This photo of Liberty Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor 

The trees at the Park seem to have been there since the Park's establishment in 1882..(what were you doing in 1882?)  I have never seen such impressive, healthy  Cottonwoods before! These massive trees have seen mighty changes in Salt Lake City...changes that they couldnt have possibly dreamed of when they were wee saplings being  planted in desert soil on good faith that they'd provide much needed shade and respite from the harshness of the environment some day. 
What a glorious day we had at the park, my sweet daughter and I.... with darling little kiddos to entertain. The day was a gift. To reconnect with my bestest of friends...to leave worries behind us for a time...we seemed to meld easily into the philosophy of the day ...."Leave your grumpy faces at the entrance and enjoy sweet relief on our grassy knolls."

“A first child is your own best foot forward, and how you do cheer

 those little feet as they strike out. You examine every turn of flesh

 for precocity, and crow it to the world. But the last one: the baby 

who trails h{is}er scent like a flag of surrender through your life when

 there will be no more coming after--oh, that' s love by a different name.” 

from: The  Poisonwood Bible

by: Barbara Kingsolver

 Today I have found inspiration on the pages of my sister-in-laws blog..which incidentally, I have been reading for years. But today I had an epiphany. Why do I always have to worry myself...often into writers block...with words?!  Pictures are supreme in telling a story.  I have a story to tell..and since writing is harder to come by for me these days...I've decided I can still share my life and thoughts with pictures.
So stay tuned for more of a pictorial journal.

What strikes me first as I think about the last several weeks... is the hustle and bustle of wedding planning going on north of me...and I having so little to do with it.  Mission Control is in Provo...and I have been only a small blip on their radar. We are down to T-13 days and counting!! 13 days!!!
Our two love birds have survived the trials and stresses of wedding planning along with  subduing their desires for one another plus work and school loads. ..and will now soon be rewarded for all their efforts!! . So proud of them both!!
Words will not express how thrilled and in love we are with dear Mericar and that she will soon be officially joining this crazy family of ours!!
Happy Days!!

California  here we come!!

Reserving judgement is a matter of infinite hope.

 from: The Great Gatsby

 by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

My Builder asked me ..."if you had a magic wand..what would you do...how would you wield it?"
The very first things that came to mind were...

Susan Seeley wouldnt be dead.
God would be 'Heavenly Father' again...
We would own a home....
and travel with the kiddo's.
My Builders back breaking work would pay off.
People in the world would be nice to each other.

I suppose, if I could possibly get item #2 straight in my mind, then maybe the rest of my "magic" would more easily fall into place...
But I cant...
God is unalterable and aloof and domineering. This life is a test. There is no cheating..and no outside help. God rules with an iron fist.  It is up to us to make the best with what we are dealt.

There is no magic wand.
Just ones' resolve...
and attitude.

They say that trials will either make ya or break ya...
The jury is still deliberating for me and about me on this one.

And at this juncture it looks as though we are going to take matters into our own hands.   At the risk of appearing selfish..wish is highly possible..and dare I say also appearing hopeless...my Builder and I are taking a new tact, we are taking control of our/my happiness.
I am heading South again. With my Builders blessing Im going back to my idea of paradise and hike once again for Desert Cliffs. I am giddy with excitement, and riddled with guilt. Im a mess.  I am determined to make the best of what we've been dealt..or with what has befallen us. 2 years in Logan has felt like 4...and its time to switch it up. Im too old to just make do.  Bless my GOOD Builder for getting it!!

For those of you who may now be concerned for my eternal welfare...please dont. I give God ALL due credit for ALL the blessings in my life. I do.  He is wiser and grander than I can begin to comprehend. I am grateful. But also hardened... and marred by life.  A  domineering "Father" has been  a hard pill for me to swallow right now. So I'll be looking for warmth, sunshine and fitness..both in body and spirit back in Southern Utah!!
Wish us/me luck.

In the 1950's Canadian psychologists implanted electrodes

deep within the brains of rats and connected the electrodes

to levers that the rats could press to stimulate the pleasure

center of their brains. Left to their own devices, the rats 

would repeatedly press the lever-up to two thousand times

per hour. They ceased almost all other normal behavior, even eating.

from: The Geography of Bliss

by: Eric Weiner

I know its not Lent. And everyone knows Im not Catholic.
And by now everyone  knows Im a weak woman.,, and I suppose Im a little bit obsessive compulsive too.
But I do love a good challenge.
so....starting today...Im putting the computer away. For 30 days.
I will continue to blog.
I will continue to maintain the Sherwood Forest Facebook page.
 And I will need the internet to study for my Sunday School lessons.
But nothing else.
Nothing for 30 days.
This is a character building exercise. For I need more character and to acquire more self-discipline. Even at my age its a battle of wills and of practicing restraint.
Just what is it about Pintrest and Tumblr that hypnotizes or sucks restraint from ones body?!?!  What is it that makes one succumb to its power?!!?
Anyway...Im logging off. Figuratively pulling the plug.
Tumblr opened a vein...and all my self-discipline has drained away.  It affects my sleep pattern. I dont get  things done that I need to get done. Important things are being neglected.
What's interesting is is that I know I can do this... till January 13th.  But what'll I do after that? Open the vein again; pick at the scab?  I will miss it.  It truly is a creative outlet for me. Why does it have to be all or nothing with me?!!?
Sigh
Over and out for now friends.
Lets talk again on this subject come January 13th shall we?! And wish me luck and fortitude!

Expect everything I always say, and

the unexpected never happens.

from: The Phantom Tollbooth

by: Norton Juster

(like me---lumps on the couch)

I missed the bottom step this morning.
I was rushing about, getting ready for work.
I was distracted.
It was 6 degrees BELOW zero outside, and the hallway was unlit.
I toppled like the love affair with Obama.
I was laying face down on the ugly teal carpet before I knew what happened.
I stayed down, without moving for a handful of seconds, mentally going over each member of my unsupple body to see how I fared after such an ungraceful fall.
My wrist will be sore tomorrow.  I got off easy.
Mostly I was grateful that it happened indoors...and not outside where my face would have frozen to the ground on impact.  I was grateful I  didnt have an audience.
Im dismayed to admit this...but just a blink ago I wouldnt have fallen with such a minor mis-step. I was agile and limber not so very long ago, feeling younger than my age. Now Im feeling older than my years.  My flexibility is gone. Im stiffer than dried old leather. (or Obama without a TelePrompter...te he.)
Therefore..I have a resolution!!
Yoga come January!!
Yoga 'till I can touch my forehead to my knees!!
Yoga 'till I can squat without holding on desperately to some unmovable object to haul myself up again!!
A reasonable goal to ward off the relentless march to old age!!
Remembering to turn on the light in the stairwell is a reasonable rational too!!

Peace my friends!

Thanksgiving 2013

All sorrows are less with bread.

from: Don Quixote

by: Miguel de Cervantes

There can be no doubt that each person  who traveled over the river and thru the woods to this grandmothers house for Thanksgiving this year, will have a different take on how the day looked and went. (In fact, it would have been fun to take a survey of adjectives that our visitors would  use to describe it.) This is the beauty of family get-togethers I suppose.
The following is my take on the  gathering.
There was a great deal of traveling involved with this Thanksgiving. Grandmas try not to worry about all the traveling...there's those highway speeds and driver error and the overall margins for catastrophe  in such undertakings. My Mom and Dad, and Joe and Natalie will get this years prize for traveling the longest distances....all the way from St George.  (and may I just say it again...It will never cease to amaze me that we can travel the whole length of this great state in just one day...in just a fistful of hours. I still imagine the pioneers and anyone else taking this trek, before the invention of the steam engine... and it took weeks of toil and trouble. Its a marvel that will always marvel.)
Im so grateful that my folks went to the trouble and expense to join us. It would not have been a complete celebration without them. I can only now imagine  the adjectives my folks would use to describe their visit here. I think they spent the greater part of their time here in stunned amazement at how much motion and noise can exude from such small little bodies of kinetic energy known as great grandchildren. Mom was ever the busy bee, wanting to help wherever she could and dad was once again the Master Turkey Chef!! Our 29 lb turkey..which quickly became a 30+lb turkey after being stuffed with his prize winning dressing, was once again a divine hunk of white and dark moist meat!! YUM!!! Thanksgiving isnt Thanksgiving without Dad's turkey!!
Gratitude is a paltry  word to use when I think about the journey Joe and Natalie took to get here. Over rivers and thru woods was the easy part Im sure..what with 3 rambunctious boys in the back of the mini-van. As far as Im concerned it was 48 hrs. of bliss once they got here. Wishing it could have been longer was fruitless...so Im staying grateful that we had them all at once. To have them under the same roof sharing breakfast, and smiles and making crafty things ...plus their sharing with us their HAPPY,HAPPY news about another beautiful baby joining their family in July was bliss on top of bliss!!  My major inroad with this dear family....was holding Beckham with nary a squeal!! In fact I was able to squeeze a sheepish grin from those adorable chubby cheeks!!! Score!!! Another lovely addition that came with Joe and Nat was Natalie's little brother Zac. Oh what a little gentleman that 11 yr old is. We were delighted to share our table with him and to get to know him a little better!!
Next visitor..who I suppose has a legitimate case to plead for the prize for traveling great distances would be sweet Lucie Lou, Davids daughter. Lucie now live in the boondocks of central Nevada. It was quite the drive for David to go and get her. We sure are glad he did though...for Lucie is a gem of a girl and her sweet face added beauty to our Thanksgiving table and celebration!! We are grateful that she gets to stay with us until Sunday!!
Clark and Jenna and Brian and Mericar were the next guest to arrive. Their travels thru woods and over rivers happened in the wee hours of the night...and I missed their actual arrival for I can no longer keep a  late night vigil. I didnt hear a peep in fact. I didnt hear the air pump blowing up the air mattress in the very next room. I didnt hear whispers or the goodnight kisses. I guess I was sleeping the sleep of the dead. But oh what fun to have young love under the same roof as ours. What a blessing it is to have such fine young ones amongst us!!
And last, but certainly not least, dear Brent and Kelly and kids arrived, having made the journey from Salt Lake bearing arm loads of goodies and smiles galore!! What a welcomed addition to our our feast!! More beautiful faces at our table and a crockpot full of heavenly yams  and leafy greens to boot!! Once again words will not express how welcomed their visit was for us!
Anna and David were perfect hosts.  Anna finds great joy and satisfaction in cooking for the masses. Her carrot cake will go down in history along side Grandpa Sharps turkey. Their sweet little Will will be remembered as  the 'prince of the ball'. The copious contents of their fridge will always be remembered as satisfying.  David acted as the outdoor ringmaster. The kids would follow him anywhere...even when the temps were cold outside!!
So all that was missing from our near perfect Thanksgiving celebration was dear Rob and Chels this year. Traveling over rivers and thru woods just wasnt in the cards for them this year.  They were sorely missed. Perfection is a hard thing to achieve...but boy were we close this year!!
The following is time lapse photo/video that clever Clark set up...unbeknownst to me!! It too is near perfection in my eyes. These are the days that sparkle as magnificent gems in our often dull crowns of life.

 Thank you all, for coming.

My custom has always been to ponder grief,

that is, to follow it through ventricle and aorta

to find out its lurking places.  That old weight

in the chest, telling me there is something I

dwell on, because I know more than I know

and must learn from it myself.

from: Gilead

by: Marilynne Robinson

ITs a wonderful and blessed thing when I stumble upon a beautifully written phrase or two, that explains better than I ever could ...even in a million years....how I feel.
When words open up images and emotions  in just a few short sentences...without being in the form of a poem, what a gift! What a blessing for the reader.
These are my thoughts for the week, as the last of the weekends' snow melts today.

As winter deepens, the loss of light saps spirit from even the sturdiest souls.  It is a critical time of year- the earth has tilted as far as it will go in its orbit and sent the bright winter stars sliding over the western horizon.  Days are short; the mid-day sun is low and weak. It is easy to feel despair, or at least a nagging uneasiness in the waning light.  Could not day disappear altogether and we be left in darkness? 
Each morning, I impatiently count down the day to the moment when the planet makes its final great arc downward and joyously tilts back at the winter solstice.  It is a private celebration, a magical, mysterious moment when the war with darkness is once more won and again the earth turns it beautiful, flawed face from death.

The hands of the clock have fallen behind an hour. So I now arise in the pitch black of morning, by habit and by necessity. (my inner clock is still saying 6:30)  I long for light and warmth. As I write, I huddle by the space heater in our bedroom, and look for any sign of light in the window.
Today Im grateful for Nancy Baird and her poetic words. I see why she was awarded the Utah Poet of the Year award in 1996.  It seems well deserved.

Peace

"Dwell in the solution," which is shorthand for something a Christian

writer named Emmet Fox once said, which was, "Do not dwell in

 the problem, dwell in the solution; the solution is God."

  Now my father didnt believe in God, but he believed in the

 existence of the sacred, of the holy; it was pretty hard not

 to believe in anything in the face of Bach, or our mountain.

from: All New People

by: Anne Lamott

We need your prayers.
Growing ones own business isnt for sissy's.
Important decisions loom around every corner.
I think we have the biggest decision of a life time coming at us this week.
We need your prayers..so that  we make the right choice for us.
2 long years we've been at this.
Growth has been slow but steady. There's been enough growth to keep me hopeful. Barely.
3 strong personalities at the helm. (I just listen.)
We all just want to do the right thing for long term benefits.
I wish God would crack open the heavens for just a moment and yell down to us what we should do.
ha!
We pray and we are still confused...its that stupor of thought...but we dont know the cause.
Pray for us please.

Peace

Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.

from: The Fellowship of the Rings

by: J.R.R. Tolkien

TROUBLE IN THE TERRESTRIAL KINGDOM

(OR ...A SHORT REVIEW OF MY WEEK)

Gravity...the movie...a joy ride!! Trouble in the outer atmosphere! An intense and stunningly beautiful journey. 

Our front yard looks like a bomb went off...as it indeed did...a bomb named Raymond. Raymond the well intentioned but inept landlord. My Builder could write a book about this mans ineptitude in home improvement projects. The front yard will never be the same. Never.

Money .. a quote from my last Sunday School lesson..."I dont like money actually, but it quiets my nerves."  My nerves could stand some calming.

BEN HAD A COOKIE AT CHURCH!!! A cookie made with white flour. oh my

We made grand plans to start putting in some food storage again. There are lists.   Im doing my part by collecting 5 gallon buckets from work. I have plenty of buckets...but nothing yet to put in them.  

Logan had a 3.6 earthquake this week. I missed it.  Anna...my worry wart...did not.  

My Builders elbows and shoulders  are complaining.  Repetitive work is tough.

The government shut down has come and gone. I didnt notice a thing.  Utah saved its own prime resources...and opened up our 4 National Parks, with our 'own money." When there's a will, there's  a way.  Maybe Parks should privatize?  

Storm windows have gone up and new functioning weather stripping has been installed. (note above- about a bomb named Raymond) Battening down the hatches represents impending doom.

The last raspberries have been harvested from the garden.

So long to short sleeves..not because its getting cold...but because I now officially have saggy skin hanging from  my arms.  Im definitely struggling  towards old age.