Voice From the Past

This is the second time today I've posted this - the first time was a real mess, and I finally figured out what to do about it.  I can't remember if I posted the gist of this letter before, but if not, it truly is a gem. Dorothy and I spent the weekend going through boxes of letters, and she is going to scan them for the family, but this one I kept - it is such a gem.  When I was a senior in the spring of 1953, I was in the senior class play, staying all week with Kells, and going home on the weekends for six weeks.  Ann kept me in the family loop by sending me little messages via Audrey Baxter, also a senior, who rode the school bus.  This letter is a real gem, and deserves to be immortalized.  It wouldn't mean much to those who did not know our family, but it is definitely meaningful in all aspects to us.

Flowers for Solace

These are the beautiful yellow roses that Judy chose for Blood family contribution to Jenny's funeral.  They were a ray of sunshine on a very drab day.  Interestingly enough, Ron chose this bouquet to take to our hosts, and was so pleased when Judy told him that she had picked them because they reminded her of Jenny's smile.  Judy had chosen the spray that we purchased, and proceeded to separate it into multiple bouquets to put around the house.  So, we just exchanged - a very good thing to do on such an occasion.  The funeral itself was beautiful - Ron, Julie and Andrea spoke, and then Judy Frizzell, one of the Home Teachers to Jennifer spoke.  She is a wonderful teacher, and we were so pleased with her talk.  We had so much support in Olympia - very grateful for friends who have not forgotten us in the 17 1/2 years we have lived in Preston.  More about this gathering later on my blog.

The Picture

Ron hasn't seen the birthday wishes in the posting  below as yet, but thank you (for him).  He did have a celebration or two while we were in Olympia.  We stayed with friends the first few nights we were there, and these balloons were on the table waiting for him the morning we were leaving.  (You can't see the top one, which said "Happy Birthday".  Our friend, Stephen, had gotten a speeding ticket the night before, as he left a church meeting and went to Safeway to buy the balloons.  "No good deed will go unpunished."  That made these particular balloons very  expensive.  We went on to have a birthday celebration at Julia and Mike's house with lots of family and friends there - What a blessing!  Ron's 80th came with one of life's more difficult occurences,  but we do go on, and are glad for each other.

Powell’s trash heading to Cowley

Powell’s trash heading to Cowley: Powell’s trash heading to Cowley
Written by Tessa Schweigert
Beginning today, the city of Powell will take all of its trash to the Cowley landfill. On Monday night, the Powell City Council voted 5-2 to accept a proposal from Big Horn County.
The one-year agreement allows Powell to take its trash to the Cowley landfill for $78 per ton. That’s $12 a ton cheaper than the $90 Powell has been paying to take its trash to Cody. Park County commissioners chose to offer Powell no discounts, providing only a list of current landfill rates.
Monday’s meeting became heated at times, as leaders from Park County and the city of Powell rehashed years of landfill debates.
Councilmen’s decision means Park County will lose roughly $450,000 in revenue from Powell’s trash in the coming year, while Big Horn County gains an additional revenue stream. See related story
We’ll have a lot more details about Monday night’s discussion and the potential impacts of the decision in Thursday’s paper.

This shocking news definetely takes Cowley off of the preferred living areas to move.

Another 80th Birthday

Congratulations to Ron on his 80th Birthday 

I went on a hunt for a photo of Ron and realized I need to take a camera and go to Preston.  But in the meantime, it only seems appropriate to at least make note of the fact that today he joins the ranks of the true "senior" members of our family.  

Congratulations on "achieving" this milestone.  

I'm Calling To Warn You

The last couple of days have been full of conversations with kids who are trying to survive in the mountains of snow, while others are fighting the dreaded cold/flu/sick in the foots diseases, and with sisters who call to "warn me" about the delightful opportunities for discussions of who has what and when was it purchased and who knew before whom.  So, here goes.

1.  Dwight bought a new computer - a Dell - because he ran out of memory (oops, not him, but his computer) with all of the photos he has stored on his hard drive.  Yes, I bought a new computer - an HP from Costco - but did not share that with anyone at the time.  However, just last week I did share that bit of information with Dwight, who was somewhat concerned because I had not related that info to him earlier.  He always wants to know how much memory, how fast, and other mundane tidbits.  If Laura isn't around I just fake my answers.  Now, if I had suggested that he save his photos on the "Cloud", would that have saved him the money he spent on the new computer so he could have bought a Panini Press?  I think we all know the answer to that question.

2.  Dwight bought a Shark Steamer to clean his floors with and the grapevine has relayed the info to me that he loves it.  Should I have told him I bought the little Shark shoulder pack vacuum to clean my floors because it is easier to for me to move around with and it only cost me $50.00 at Kohls because I could use my Kohls cash?  Granted, his Shark Steamer has the wet stuff, and my Shark only does the dry stuff, so maybe we both need both?

3.  Judy needed something new to do, so I suggested it might be time to learn about Pinterest.  She has obviously made great progress in that direction because when I opened my email this morning I was informed that she is following ALL of my boards on Pinterest.  Now I have to be really careful what I pin because someone is following me.  So, just to make sure she didn't feel left out, I have decided to follow all of her boards.  Does Dwight know how to use Pinterest?  How about Elizabeth, Louise, Steve?  Does anyone want an invite?

4.  Elizabeth has empty nesters luncheon this next week.  Who knew that? Who is advising her on how to do a minimal cleaning because no one will notice anyway?  She needs our help.

5.  Steve is busy putting photos on my Facebook page (which I visit once in a blue moon, but when he calls me to check it out, I try to be obedient).  So far, he has posted a chicken photo and a photo of a young woman who has a moose for a pet.  Life is good!

6.  Louise must be busy trying to keep warm.  She is probably smarter than all of us, with more of the new fangled things to keep her busy than we can guess.  Maybe she even has a Panini Press.

7.  It has been recommended that I learn how to text via my computer (because my cell phone isn't very fancy???) so I can send texts to our grandchildren, such as "hope your having a good day, etc."  I am concerned that means there is one more thing I will forget to do when I should have done it.  Does Dwight text?  How about Judy, Elizabeth, Steve and Louise.

So, here's the deal.  Life has become very complicated, although I have always thought when I turned 70 it was time to sit back and just be thankful I can remember how to play DVDs and turn up the heat. However, with the impetus to try and keep one step ahead of my siblings, I think I will go check out Costco.  Welcome to Saturday!

Eggs From the North

Strange Happenings in Dixie Part II

In part I, I explained where Dixie is and set the stage for what is to follow.

When I returned home at 4:00 p.m., with a pasty $1.49 junior bacon cheeseburger from Wendy's, since I had not had lunch, the interesting and strange happenings began.  The first thing we noticed was a message to check the front door.  We checked the front door and here is what we found, much to our surprise, and it wasn't a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer:

Note: unfortunately, I cannot post a photo.  Dang Blogspot won't let me search photo files to upload photos, link is defunct.  Spent two miserable hours trying to figure out.  Does anyone know?  I'm about to abandon Blogspot for something that works.  Also, I realize that this post will be on top of post I but there isn't any way I know of to reverse order. 

So anyway, to get on with story while I am in a Fowl mood from dang Blogspot, here we go.  I discovered a carton with a dozen golden eggs in it with a red ribbon tied around it and a message: to wit, "Special Delivery.  This carton contains Real eggs from real Chickens grown in the 'North country". Happy New Year!"

I looked around, expecting to see three French hens who delivered it, but quickly realized that it would take three French hens four days to produce a dozen eggs, assuming each one did one's duty each and every day.  So then I noticed a flock of twelver really strange looking chickens landing on the doorstep claiming credit for the delivery.  I asked the chickens, "How did you get here?"  The lead chicken, whose name I soon discovered, was Botilda, said, "We were in the clutches of the infamous Tanner gang in the frozen north and we were too miserably cold up there so, like magic, we flew down here to escape." 

In querying Botilda further, I she told me that the flock had patterned itself after the Penrose Relief Society in days of yore, and that the names of some of the hens were Botilda, Tilda, Minnie, Jane, Rosie, Lizzy, and VerDean.  Botilda explained that the flock had regular lessons, just like the Penrose Relief Society.  I asked for further information, and here is what I learned:

Lesson 1: How to Lay an Egg.
Lesson 2: What to say when you lay an egg:  The basic formula is "buck buck buck, baguck", with either one or two "buck bucks" acceptable.  That is the signal that the hen has done her duty and can now go socialize and peck around the rest of the day. A hen may need to fake the cackle on occasion just to convince the Tanner Gang that an egg has been laid, just for self preservation.
Lesson 2(a): Ladies, there are no roosters around.  Roosers are noisy because they wake folks up early in the morning, as the rooster did at our Orem neighbor's home.  Roosters go cock a doodle doo, and act like they are the kings of the kingdom.  So forget about roosters.
Lesson 3: What happens if you don't lay an egg.  You may get by with non performance for a few days, but beware, beware, fellow relief society fowls, if you miss for very long.  Do you know what they will do to you?  Oh the fate is horrible, horrible.  They will wring your neck, let you flop around headless on the ground for awhile, then stick your carcass, feathers and all, in a cauldron of boiling water, then pluck your feathers, then singe your pinfeathers with a torch, then throw your cold clammy body into a pot of boiling water and boil you for hours and hours.  Then they will make soup out of you.  They could care less how many eggs you produced during your short life.
Lesson 4:  When you get old and non-performing, you are now an old biddy.  Yes, that's where the term old biddy comes from.  Old biddies can be tough, however, and maybe even too tough for the soup pot.  Be sure you sign up for Medicare Part B to be taken care of in your old biddy stage.
Lesson 5:  Cultural enrichment.  Back in the day.  Learn to peck a peck of pickled peppers along with bugs, worms, grubs, box elder beetles, junebugs, slugs, and whatever else crawls, climbs, and flies.  In the winter time, your captors will provide you with expensive chicken feed, but not very much.  Yes, folks, that's where the expression "that's chicken feed" comes from.
Lesson 6:  When you get too old, your slave drivers will decide it's time for young chicks, just as movie stars do.  So try to escape if you can.

As you can see, feathery friends, your life will be sweet and short.  After you lay a few eggs, your owners will put all of your eggs in one basket.  Yes, that's where the phrase "don't put all your eggs in one basket" comes from.  Your owners will then fry, soft boil, hard boil, poach, scramble, make omelets and quiche, bake cakes and goodies, while you sit out in the cold fluffing your feathers and trying to stay wam in the twenty below zero weather.  Life is not fair, and can be fowl. 

Meanwhile, I am about to proceed with the demolition of my much appreciated egg gift.  The chickens, which so magically appeared, have now vanished, I hope to head further south where it's a bit warmer than nippy St. George.  I discovered the eggs are brown and not gold, so I wonder what color the yolks are.  I'm not so interested in chickens, but I'm thinking about a litter of pigs in my back yard for unlimited bacon and sausage.  Have a nice day.

Strange Happenings in Dixie Part I

For the uninitiated, Dixie is the term used to describe southwestern Utah.  The term came from the late 1800s when Brigham Young sent a colony of settlers to raise cotton.  J. Golden Kimball, one of the LDS Church's more colorful characters, is reputed to have said "If I had to choose between living in St. George and living in hell, I'd rather live in hell."  Dixie had nothing to do with the Confederacy or the Civil War.  It was a term just used to describe a place that gets to be in the middle one-teens in the summer.  Before air conditioning, that was hot.  Now scads of stuff around here is named Dixie as the first name--Dixie Regional Medical Center, Dixie Whatever, long lists of them.  Now the entire community is engaged in a civil war over renaming Dixie State College as it achieves university status.  The anti-Dixie types are squabbling with the pro-Dixie types.  Many speeches, many letters to the editor, much vitriol and bile being spilled.  But I digress.  I return to strange happenings in Dixie.

Yesterday, my dear wife wanted me to accompany me to Walgr een's so she could maintain the same hair color she had at 18.  So I bought a couple of six packs of Hawaiian Sun guava and orange passion, the only place in Utah I have found that carries it.  Hawaiian Sun has a strong tug of nostalgia for our many visits to Hawaii.  Little did I know after I left Walgreen's, following enduring a dear lady who sort of barged in front of me at the cash register with a whole boatload of stuff and who couldn't find her Rewards card and had to fish for awhile to find her cash.  But I tried to make allowances, since it is the New Year,  that I would be accompanying my wife to the Dollar Store.  Yes, I know this is a long sentence.  Live with it.

The one advantage of the dollar store is that you know immediately how much everything costs.  We bought exactly thirteen items.  But I was not through.  My wife then opined that the water softener salt was gone and I needed to buy salt at Lin's Grocery, next door.  Whereupon I quickly rounded up a few grocery items we were out of such as pancake syrup, paid for it plus five bags of extra course salt, and headed for the car with a healthy young man to load the salt.  Whereupon I asked him, as I ask every young person of college age, "Are you going to school?"  No, he said, I'm, a swimmer and I broke my leg so I'm working for awhile and then I'll go back."  He then informed me he was going into physical therapy, and I said, that's great, I have a grandson in the physical therapy doctoral program at UNLV.  So I had my college student discussion in the parking lot since I am of no use on a college campus any more.

When we returned home, the strange happenings began.  For that, you need to go to the next post.