karne's korner: life in the garden

The New Year

2012-01-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

A new year beginning
The old year is past.
Live this year better,
Look forward, not back.

Learn to do well--
Wash, become clean.
Use judgement, be better
In word and in deed.

Why should you be stricken
Or wounded by sin?
Reach out, feed your weary soul
Be made whole again.

Christ waits for your return
with patience and love
Turn to Him, don't despair--
He watches above.

Praise to the Lord,
The old year is past.
Now let us remember Him,
And come home at last.

Year end report

2011-12-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

I hope your Christmas was Merry and that your New Year is happy!!

So many good things happen each day, let’s see if I can remember a few.
Grandchildren: We have visited with all five of our grandchildren this year. And they are wonderful!
Megan gave birth to a brand new baby boy, Derek Michael Watson born 10 days before Christmas—on December 15. (If he hadn’t been brand new the birth would have been difficult.) He is a wonderful boy.
Steven, Liz and Amara moved in with us in October and we celebrated Amara’s first birthday together. She is of course the most incredible one year old in the world. She started walking at ten months, bosses the dogs around, and wraps her Granddad around her littlest finger!
Nola and Talia came to visit for a couple of weeks before school started. We had a good time every day. We are just waiting to get the whole family out here from NYC!
Mike and Gabe came for visits last winter and again in the summer. Gabe and Granmuz went for lots of hikes. Gabe won every race to the tops of the hills! We miss them!
Education: Michael finished a Master’s Degree in Spanish this year, and Charlie and Leslie, both graduated in May. Michael came out for their graduation, and we celebrated 3 Master’s Degrees in the family. Ari is finishing her Master’s Degree at Pratt, and Maren is working and going to school for her Master’s at U of Az. She’s been hard at work recording Hopi oral histories. How can you call that work? Morris just finished his first semester at Columbia! Wow. It’s not the community college that’s for sure.
Life: Mo and Seung Hee are working non-stop. Seung Hee is at MOMA, and Mo is still working at TBRC. They’re busy, busy, busy!
Steven is working construction at the border, waiting to hear on a more permanent job. Liz is teaching me to make Mexican Hot Chocolate and other tasty treats!
*Graham’s working up in Phoenix, but he’ll be back in school in January.
Dogs: Dogs?? Since when? We agreed to take care of Megan’s bulldog Dozer for a few months while she was expecting, and he has really moved in. We were just getting used to Dozer when a friend offered us a pure black German Shepherd. Well, I do have a soft spot for German Shepherds, and so now there are two dogs sharing our space. Who would have ever imagined? Certainly not me!!

We’re happy, we’re blessed. We have 8 kids who are grown, and employed! We’ve enjoyed visits with all our kids and their spouses, all 5 of our grandkids, and with family and friends in California, New York and Utah this year. (California for a funeral, New York after our son in law was crushed in a horrible work accident--and made an amazing recovery!) I keep hoping the doctors will find a miracle cure for Mike’s back, but in the meantime life goes forward!

And may the greatest gift of this holiday season, Jesus Christ, continue to bless you and your home throughout the coming year.

We love you and miss you all.

Mike and Karen

Writing at night

2011-12-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was great--happy, traditional, family centered. I should check the blogs more. I used to blame facebook for the slow down in blogging, but I don't have anything to blame for the very little I post on facebook!
Today was day one of year 38. What a lot of years together, and as the song wishes us: And many more!
I love reading Megan's posts. That's really what brings me to the blog spot! Ok, I am rambling.
Good night all.

Deja Vu all over again

2011-11-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Nearly seven years ago Michael and his wife moved to Rio RIco. They stayed with us while they found a house and got settled in. We had been here about a year, our garage was full of the things that still needed to be sorted after a move from a big house to a smaller one. We had two kids living at home, and then a third son came back. We were excited that our married son and his wife were coming to Rio; we looked forward to seeing them, being neighbors, attending church together. . .
But they had three dogs: 2 pit bulls and an old, much loved shaggy little dog.
I am not a dog person generally. We were going to move the younger boys into one room, but I did not want dogs in the house.
I thought it was reasonable for big dogs to be outside dogs, they disagreed. We compromised (?) finally when I agreed that the dogs could live in the garage, and Michael and his wife would also sleep in the garage. We moved our detritus to a storage unit.
This was in Arizona in late summer.
The dogs ended up in and out of the house. We all survived. But, it wasn't the best solution for a young newly wed couple. It's funny the things we dig our heels in on.
Michael moved away. Our grandson who was born here lives in California. I wish. . . .what? Lots of things.

Now a younger son has moved home with his fiance and 11 month old baby. No dogs.
We moved furniture out into the guest house (built since Michael lived here with the hope that it would provide a comfortable place for our kids to come visit, but now used by the missionaries.)
We arranged the other end of the house so that our son and family have a bedroom, bathroom and nursery. It's nice to have kids in the house again.
And, to bring it full circle--we have Megan's dog! Yes. He lives outside, and comes in to sleep in the evenings. He is happy here. His owner thinks he should be an inside dog. . . .
What is it with dogs?

Pretty soon

2011-11-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Pretty soon I'm going to post again

A warlike people

2011-07-30T12:01:00.001-07:00

I talked to a man a few years ago who was born in the US but raised in Mexico, because he said, his father did not want him to grow up among a warlike people.
I have thought about that periodically wondering if it could be true, and so below, I quote Spencer Woolley Kimball:

We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel -- ships, planes, missiles, fortifications -- and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior's teaching:

"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" (Matthew 5:44-45).

Monkey Traps

2011-07-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

I read some years ago about a group of men who had gone to the jungles to capture monkeys. They tried a number of different things to catch the monkeys, including nets, but finding that the nets could injure such small creatures, they finally came upon an ingenious solution. They built a large number of small boxes, and in the top of each they bored a hole just large enough for a monkey to get his hand into. They then set these boxes out under the trees and in each one they put a nut that the monkeys were particularly fond of.

When the men left, the monkeys began to come down from the trees and examine the boxes. Finding that there were nuts to be had, they reached into the boxes to get them. But when a monkey would try to withdraw his hand with the nut, he could not get his hand out of the box because his little fist, with the nut inside, was now too large.

At about this time, the men would come out of the underbrush and converge on the monkeys. And here is the curious thing: When the monkeys saw the men coming, they would shriek and scramble about with the thought of escaping; but as easy as it would have been, they would not let go of the nut so that they could withdraw their hands from the boxes and thus escape. The men captured them easily.

And so it often seems to be with people, having such a firm grasp on things of the world -- that which is telestial -- that no amount of urging and no degree of emergency can persuade them to let go in favor of that which is celestial. Satan gets them in his grip easily. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit.

In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had -- in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people -- a condition repugnant to the Lord.
--Spencer Woolley Kimball

mending

2011-07-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

This life of ours
These wasted hours
The time we've spent
And how it went;
Everything's done--
Oblivion.
The battle lost
Our hearts the cost.

Take heart dear son
Life's just begun
There's time to spend
to make amends--
The battle's won
By God's own Son.

His hand's extended
Reach out too
He knows your heart
He waits for you.

Hmm

2011-07-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep, counting sheep. One A M Here I am.
Where are you? Wide eyed too?

One more time
Sleep's sublime. . . .

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
G'night

First time

2011-07-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm scared. I'm excited.
I feel like I'm going to throw
up. This is what I've dreamed about since
I was a little girl playing with dolls, but I'm not a little
girl anymore. And this won't be a doll. I'm going to be a mom.
A real mom. I am growing a baby inside me. If this didn't happen every
day, I'd think it's a science fiction movie--a tiny alien. My friends have
had babies but you just don't know
how bizarrely cool it is until
it happens to you. Will he look like me? Will he look like his dad? Both?
How can something so close be so far away: I know him,
but I don't know anything about him. I can hear the heartbeat. His kicks
practically lift me off the ground! But is everything all right? I mean is he
developing all right? Is everything okay?
I can't wait to see him. I hope he looks like me. Or his dad. If he's healthy, I'm good
either way.
I hope I didn't jinx something by talking about this!

From a March of Dimes ad. Do you remember the first time? The eighth time isn't much different.
The anticipation, the hope, the worry.
The love.

I love all my sweet babies out there. The worry never ends!

Wars and rumors of force without war

2011-07-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

From a very interesting military manual written in the late 1980's:

"In the last four decades since World War II the Unites States has participated in more wars, caused more casualties, and lavished more money on war and arms than in its entire history up until then. Between 1945 and 1975 was a period during which some 120 wars were recorded globally. The United States participated directly in 27 wars and indirectly in 36 other wars. Even now, out of the 40 odd current (1988) wars raging over the Third World, the United States is involved in over one quarter of them. If one was to judge its involvement on the basis of its arms supply, then involvement is even greater. For instance, out of the 41 countries at war today the United States is the major supplier of arms to 21, and the not-so-major supplier to 18 others.

In all from 1972 to 1981, relative years of American innocence, its military assistance to countries engaged in war was $51 billion. . . The United States has ready at literally any moment's notice forces for projection into any corner of the globe to coordinate and direct its forces for war. It has parcelled out the globe into regional, unified military commands, an arrangement to which no other country has resorted. . . .

At present it has nearly half a million armed personnel abroad in some 333 military installations in some forty countries. In addition some 241 thousand men straddle the globe afloat in U.S. navies ready for war. . . . In addition to fighting wars which according to one estimate, added up to more than 100 years of American wars since 1945 the United States has used its armed forces to interfere in Third World countries on over 260 occasions through acts of invasion, threats of invasion, blockades, demonstrations of military force, surveillance of sovereign states and other similar acts of war euphemistically labeled as 'coercive diplomacy' or 'force without war.'"

This was written nearly 25 years ago when we were just getting warmed up, and when $51 billion really meant something.

Libya is today's example of "force without war."

The tab in Afghanistan is moving toward half a trillion dollars.

Not to mention Iraq.

or Pakistan.

No one in power can afford to bring it to an end.

From another and more instructive manual, Matthew 26:52, "He who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword."

Suffer the children

2011-07-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our second president, John Adams, said, "Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak, and that it is doing God's service when it is violating all His laws."

We knew a guy who fits that description. He was a Nazi Colonel in WWII and a medical doctor. He relocated to Mexico where he opened an orphanage, studied exotic plants, collected beetles, and lived in comfort with his wife and 8 children for nearly 50 years. He probably planned to live out his life in Mexico, doing his good works. But, he was deported finally after a trial in which he admitted to molesting numerous orphan boys in his care over a period of many years.

His response? He said that he had helped those boys. He said he was more intelligent than most people--He had needs that the rest of us simply could not understand. They weren't Germans after all, just indians. . . .

When he was given the opportunity to leave the country his wife of 60 some years chose not to accompany him.

Remember the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, but in all things hath forbidden it from the beginning of man.

Power always thinks it has a great soul. Our Nazi acquaintance is dead now. Buried in Costa Rica.
He can make his case to a higher court.

Child sacrifice

2011-06-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

In 587 Bc the great city of Jerusalem was destroyed and its inhabitants carried off. The people had been forewarned by Jeremiah and other prophets who for 40 years prior to the fall of this great city had preached repentance to no avail.

What was it that Judah was doing that brought about the destruction of the city? I alway imagined rather vague sins of disobedience and pride. But. . . "The spiritual condition of Jerusalem was one of flagrant idol worship. King Ahaz in Isaiah's day had set up a system of sacrificing children to the god Molech in the Valley of Hinnom just outside Jerusalem. His son Hezekiah led in reforms and clean up, but Hezehiah's son Manasseh continued to foster child sacrifice along with gross idolatry which continued into Jeremiah's time. Josiah's reforms repressed the worst practices outwardly, but the deadly cancer of sin was deep and flourished quickly again after a shallow revival. Religious insincerity, dishonesty, adultery, injustice, tyranny against the helpless, and slander prevailed as the norm, not the exception. . . ."

Religious insincerity, dishonesty, adultery, injustice, tyranny against the helpless, and slander? Yes, that could be us. But idol worship?? child sacrifice??

Maybe it's all in how we define ourselves--just like the people in Jerusalem, who ignored the prophets, justifying themselves because they were following the law. So, think about this, since 1973, more than 52 million abortions have been performed in the United States. 52 MILLION. That seems to fall into the category of child sacrifice to me.
But they are legal so it must be alright.

Why do we expect God to be any more lenient with us than he was with his Chosen People. Why do we assume (just as they did in 600 BC) that we are too big, too powerful, too righteous to be destroyed?

Maybe it's time for a change of course. . .is anybody listening?

Working in the garden

2011-05-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Been out trimming mesquites. AGAIN. Three acres of Mesquites can be a year round job, even with a house in the middle. But, paraphrasing Jacob, a natural tree is an enemy to the garden. Especially mesquites and pomegranates. Some trees want to grow up, but those two seem to believe they were born to be bushes. They are so busy putting out suckers and side branches they would never reach their potential without me and the trusty saws-all. But once they are trimmed up they can become actually amazing.
And something else. The living water? Unless you are trying to grow a garden, create an oasis around your house and home in the desert, that expression may not have as much meaning as it could. But, I start and end my day with watering. And, things I never thought I could grow are flourishing. Cut off my water and we are dead here. I mean literally--DEAD. There goes the corn, the strawberries, the callow lilies the daffodils, all of it.
Pulling weeds I thought of this "There is order in all things" and I thought it must be our job to find it. I mean left to themselves the weeds would wreak havoc, where now they are tortoise food! They never even imagined they were putting all that energy into growing up so I could pull them out for tortoise food.
My husband says the corn rows looked like they were planted in the dark. That is the kind of order I like. Kind of mellow, wandering rows that end up at the right spot at the end of the field.
I do know this. There is hardly a nicer way to start a day.

And the fruits of your labor shall be sweet!

Perspective

2011-04-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

OK. I've listened to the news.
But outside the sun is shining, corn shoots are poking through the soil, broccoli is getting bigger on every broccoli plant, onions are in bloom--yes I let them go too long again!, and the melons, squash, cucumbers, etc are showing their little sets of leaves. Grapes clusters are forming, peaches and nectarines are there in their infancy. . . Hope is in the air, at least in the back yard.

Standard and Poor's? Here it's Standard and Wealthy's--there is the promise of good things to come--
and without a television I think my perspective is improving!

Treasure

2011-03-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

The scriptures are very clear. There are two types of treasure. The treasures of the earth are controlled by Satan and include money--mammon, gold, silver--and power. But the treasures of heaven are a different sort. The treasures of heaven include Knowledge, family and posterity, snow, clean water, sunshine, golden grain, fertile fields, health, etc.

So when the Lord promises the righteous treasures, don't expect that he is going to fill your bank account, and never equate your bank account, the size of your home, the elegance of your car to the measure of your righteousness.

How lucky am I? I am rich. My life is filled with treasure. And none of it is in the bank.

But, I increasingly fear that the treasures of heaven are in danger from those seeking wealth and power above the well being of those with whom we share this earth, from those who arrogantly pollute and poison our water and air, who genetically alter the fruits of the fields, who unwittingly produce retroviruses, filoviruses, microscopic fungi that have the potential to destroy life, to cause infertility and vague, indeterminate illnesses as well as specific and deadly illnesses.

Sunshine is the strongest virus killer we have--why didn't we ever get sick while we were bug collecting, sitting around UV lights in hot, tropical jungles?
The center for disease control decontaminates workers from level 4 virus labs by bathing them in UV light--it's out there in our sunshine.
And sunshine is free! Try using a clothes line, lay out in the sun, read a good book while you're there and quit buying antibacterial cleaners! They are effective for less than 5 seconds, the sunshine makes you feel good all day!

And to those who simply choose not to have family because it's too expensive? Aren't you valuing, believing in, putting your faith and trust in the treasures of the earth over and above the very real treasures of heaven?

Take a risk. The Lord will provide. You can't afford not to have children. They are our greatest treasure. So seek knowledge about everything, including the Spirit. Choose wisely. Live with joy.

Your lives depend on it!

Feeling warm and fuzzy?

2011-02-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a link worth reading:
http://www.examiner.com/drug-cartel-in-national/napolitano-is-too-late-drug-cartels-issued-their-own-warning-months-ago

Every second, a choice

2011-01-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

All of them. Every moment of your life, every instant, looks like this. Do you see?
You are always in a universe of choices. Any moment of your life can go in any direction you choose.
How?
Learn to choose.
How?
Learn to see. This is your life, what it looks like to God. Every second of every day.

from "The Hummingbird's Daughter"

III. The grimmest fairy tale

2010-12-28T00:10:00.000-08:00

Finally, we had the story of the 8 little children who lived on the edge of the cold North Sea. The oldest girl was the leader, and the children took care of one another. They lived by their wits, gathering sea shells in the summer to sell in the village so that they could survive the cold of winter all together in their snug little house.

But there were trolls in the mountains, and the trolls hated the sounds of happy laughter. Of course they wanted to make the children miserable. They planted a sea shell made of ice from the heart of the troll King on the beach, and the oldest sister picked up the shell.

The cold went right up through her fingers and into her heart and the laughter stopped. Before long she left the beach and the sunshine and went to live with the trolls.

Her brothers and sisters looked everywhere for her. When they discovered that she had been captured by the trolls they pooled their money, bought a mirror and climbed the high mountain. They slept in the pine needles under a tall tree outside the entrance to the dark cave the trolls called home.

With the first light of dawn, the little brother held the mirror so that the rays of the sun shone down into the cave, melting the trolls into puddles of dirty water and freeing the beloved big sister.

My oldest daughter hated that story. I didn't get it. I kept telling it.

I thought the story was about good and brave children who would do anything for one another. I think for me the meta message was that even the biggest, the strongest, the leader could by vulnerable and that only by working together could everyone be safe and saved. Or maybe, that by working together even the smallest and weakest could overcome obstacles as dangerous and treacherous as the trolls, bringing everyone back home.

So, after all these years, I want to say that the story showed how good and brave all 8 of the children were and how much they loved each other.

And there are still 8.. . And there are still trolls that hate the laughter of happy people, which is why we have to pool our resources, climb the steep mountains, sleep under pine needles--whatever it takes--to make sure that every one of you knows without a doubt that they belong to this group that will not abandon them in the cold and dark.

Come out into the light.

It isn't easy to do alone, but you aren't alone.

And no. This story was never about a bad big sister. She was the best and the brightest--her brothers and sisters gave everything they had because they needed her with them.

So much for fairy tales.

Good night.

II. more grim fairy tales

2010-12-28T00:01:00.001-08:00

Another favorite was the Grinch. I personalized stories--depending if it was a son or a daughter the child who with all good intentions wandered away from the safety of the house and yard, was either a boy or a girl. And of course once they were away from the house, on the edge of the woods, the Grinch snatched them up before they even had a chance to see him.(Evil lurks!)

The world can be a scary place, and only by keeping their wits about them, controlling the fear and panic, and thinking back to advice and counsel from the past could the child outwit the Grinch and make it back home alive. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but in the end the child not only outwitted, but also bested the Grinch every time and made it home, while knowing that danger stood just outside the door.

But those were meta messages.
And, in the end everyone was happy to be safely home.

I. Grim Fairy Tales

2010-12-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

Do you think fairy tales have meta messages? I mean unlike fables, which always end with the moral of the story, do fairy tales teach messages without consciously stating what the message is?

And does every listener get the same message?

We had some favorite stories that were told over and over again. The big bad wolf and the seven kids was a favorite. In the end the kids are all saved, and the wolf drowns. The kids had been warned by their mother not to open the door to anyone, but the wolf was tricky. Even when the kids thought he was really their mother only bad things could happen when they opened the door to him.

But was it right to fill his stomach with stones and let him fall into the river?

I always thought so. You have got to keep the wolf away from the door.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

2010-12-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

message in a Christmas card. . .

"A lot of people are like garbage trucks--They run around full of garbage, full of frustration and anger and disappointment. As the garbage piles up they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump on you! Don't take it personally.

Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. You never want to stay too close to the garbage. And don't take their garbage and spread it around to friends at work, at home or on the streets."

Some things never change!

2010-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

This was written by a granddaughter of Charles Monk in Spanish Fork, Utah. She was a child in the late 1800's. . .

“Grandfather had some hives of bees. I remember one time when we grandchildren were small we poked a stick in the holes of the hive to watch some bees come out, and of course we received some stings which gave us a lot of discomfort. I have watched grandfather extract the honey he took form the hives.

I remember our kids, the great great great grandkids of Charles Monk poking a stick into a wasp nest at the park one year when we were spending the summer at BYU. Yes, wasps came out. Yest, they were angry!

But what kid could resist????

Mo Boy

2010-12-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

It's so fun going through old papers. I get to throw away a ton of junk and then once in awhile I come across some little treasure. I found a letter I wrote to my parents on August 2, 1983--four or five days after Morris was born. So here are some excerpts:

Hi, I'm a little tired... I figure if I can just adjust to this schedule I'll learn to do without sleep altogether. Actually Morris went 4 hours last night without a peep! I laid down abt 1:30 for a nap and of course he woke up at 2:15.

Janelle fixed us a big dinner Sunday and we ate the leftovers yesterday. By dinner time its nice to have someone else looking after things.

Megan and Ari have been doing laundry. Its a 2 man job at their size. One stands on the hamper and hands down wet clothes while the other fills the dryer. Megan made my bed this morning. I was thanking them for being such big helps and they said, That's OK. We have to start school in a couple of weeks and then we won't have to work so hard.

I called Morrie Carlson, the announcer on KSL yesterday and asked him if he liked his name and if other kids teased him when he was little. (What do you mean? Why would they tease me?) He mentioned on the air that we were naming our baby Morris and he had helped us to see what a fine name it was.

Well, I guess I better go change the little pooper. Love you lots....

See what I mean? Such fun to find these little tidbits with the details we might otherwise forget. Thanks Janelle, and Megan and Ari. You are all the greatest.
Not to mention Mo, you little pooper!!

I love you all!!

The true story of Thanksgiving by Karne

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

OK. I have listened to people on the radio and on TV trying to explain the true story of Thanksgiving--everything from the failure of Socialism to the celebration of the subjugation of the Indians. WRONG. So here is the real and true story:

Everyone knows that a group of religious dissenters along with a group of settler adventurers came to Plymouth Rock to start life in a new world. Most were leaving Europe for better opportunities. Life was hard, the winters were colder than what they were used to, the plants and animals were new and unfamiliar. Many people died.

Fortunately, in the vicinity of Plymouth there was an area with plowed fields, buried baskets of seed corn and other stored food items, but no people. That seed corn helped the little colony survive through the winter.

Where were the people who had plowed the fields? Squanto was able to answer that question. He had been a part of the tribe that had lived in the area, but who had died the previous year in an epidemic of some sort. And why was Squanto still alive? He had spent several years working on a British fishing vessel. He had learned to speak English, had visited England, was shipwrecked on his trip back home, captured by Spanish who wanted to sell him as a slave, and bailed out by the Brits because he spoke perfect English. He got back to his hometown just in time to discover that his people had been wiped out.
Squanto was happy to see the pilgrims. He offered them the use of the ancestral fields, he taught them what foods were edible and which ones weren't. He helped them establish good relations with the neighbors, and basically helped them survive in the new world.

So, after the harvest, the Pilgrims held their traditional Harvest Festival, to thank God for the bounty of the new land, for the success of the harvest, etc. And of course they invited the neighbors, who also held a traditional harvest festival and came with venison and who knows what else. Games were played, food was fixed, and a great time was had by all. Friendly relations were maintained for generations--sixty years of more.

Now, imagine: Turkey, pumpkin, potatoes, cranberries, strawberries, corn, and other foods I can't think of at the moment were unknown in Europe. They are native to America and were unknown to the pilgrims prior to their arrival here.

So on this most American of holidays, we eat native American foods, we thank God for our survival, and we celebrate the fact that we live in America and escaped Europe!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Welcome to the New World!

Immigration Reform--I guess we don't need a program!

2010-11-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Obama quietly filling major U.S. cities with amnestied illegal aliens

* November 21st, 2010 8:07 pm ET

Filling American cities illegal aliens

On Tuesday, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University released a report which examined the number of case dismissals in immigration courts across the nation.

The report found the following results:

-Houston dismissals grew from 10 percent in FY 2009 to 20 percent in FY 2010.

-In 2010 Los Angeles dismissals were up 11 percent from 2009, with 27 percent of illegal alien defendants going free.

-Both Miami and New York saw increases in case dismissals from 2009 to 24 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

As has been rumored for some time, the Obama administration has started a ‘backdoor amnesty,’ dropping large numbers of deportation proceedings against illegal aliens. The new policy actually began in Houston over the summer.

In August, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, Richard Rocha, announced that the Department of Homeland Security was reviewing thousands of immigration cases and prioritizing them according to criminal history.

If an illegal alien has no serious criminal record, that is, no felonies—deportation proceedings are simply being dismissed. Illegal aliens who have been inside the country for at least two years and have only been convicted of misdemeanors will be allowed to stay.

As was feared with this president, now that Obama realizes he cannot push an amnesty through Congress, he will simply do it by decree.

Read how Obama’s backdoor amnesty began: http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/obamnesty-it-s-here-feds-now-dismissing-thousands-of-deportation-cases

Hesiod and immigration

2010-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hesiod, the Greek who lived between 750 and 650 BC wrote about his father who came to Askra at some time before 750 BC. A long time ago.

"Even as my father and yours brother,
Used to sail around, trying to make a living
And so landed here, after having journeyed much. . . .

Not running from prosperity or wealth or success,
But from the grinding poverty such as Zeus gives to men.

So he came here and settled in the Mount Helicon country,
In a miserable little community,
A vile place in wintertime, a hard place in summer,
A nice place never!"

So there they were, making a new life. . . .

Has anything changed in the intervening 2760 years????

Reading Hugh Nibley. . . .

2010-11-21T18:40:00.001-08:00

The name Mephistopheles denotes the ultimate frustration of the Evil One, who with the worst intent in the world, can only contribute to the exaltation of man by providing the opposition necessary for testing him in the time of probation upon the earth. (Just in case you wondered who Mephistopheles is. . . )

In the early Christian Apocrypha Satan's rebellion in heaven begins not with a refusal to worship God, but with his refusal to bow down to Adam. "I have no need to worship Adam, "he says in one early writing,"... I will not worship an inferior and younger being. I am his senior in the Creation; before he was made I was already made. It is rather his duty to worship me! When the angels who were under me heard this, they refused to worship him also...", and so the revolt was on. (Pride goeth before the fall in a big way here. Also note the recurring theme of the older brother refusing to acknowledge the position of a younger sibling who is willing to follow God.)

"Now the Prince," says the recently discovered Bodmer Papyrus X, "not being righteous wanted to be God," he had his own counterplan to propose, and the apostates of the Church "actually accept the plan of the serpent whenever they reject God's plan." (That's the choice guys, we follow God, or we're following Satan who we have already rejected once. Come on, Hang in there on this one!)

"If I am a fisherman of men," says the Lord in the Gospel of the XII Apostles (a writing which Origen says is older than the Gospel of Luke), 84 "the Devil is also a fisherman, who catches many in his nets. ... If I have come to take for my kingdom those who are mine, why should not he do the same?" (Be aware! There is more than one net cast in the sea for you and for me!)

"O Adam," cries the Evil One upon meeting him out in the dreary world after the fall, "I was cast forth from my glory because of thee, and behold I have caused thee to be expelled from paradise... because thou didst cause me to become a stranger to my home in heaven. Know thou that I shall never cease to contend against thee and all those who shall come after thee ... until I have taken them all down into Amend with me!" (I assume Amend is Hell. Nibley assumes we know as much as he does. I do know that this contention will never end and it is up to us to follow the Savior.)

"Light and Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers to one another. It is not possible to separate them from one another," in this world, that is, though in the next world where only the good is eternal this will not be so.

"Truth did not come into the world naked, but she came clothed in types and images. One cannot receive the truth in any other way.

(Remember, and perish not.)

Ground Effect

2010-11-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

I heard someone talk about ground effect recently. I knew immediately what it was and I knew that it could be dangerous. Ground effect is the pull on an airplane when it is close to the ground.
Why is it dangerous?
Because, an airplane flies best when it has air under it's wings, and more is better. But close to the ground, gravity and a lack of lift conspire to bring the airplane down.
This is why take offs and landings are generally the most dangerous times to be in an airplane. (Not counting terrorists.)
As a flight attendant for Pan Am I sat through many take offs and landings, and obviously I survived them all. But, I always gave a sigh of relief when we were up and flying free or, at the end of the flight when the wheels touched down.

There is no way to fly without taking off, escaping ground effect and allowing lift to raise and carry the plane. You have to pull away from the earth and into the air.

So, here is what I thought about: Ground effect in our lives are the things that keep us from being our best selves, from moving up and doing what we were born to do. It is dangerous, it holds us down, and if we can't overcome it it keeps us from being lifted by the spirit which is always there around us, above us.

Wouldn't you much rather fly than crash back into the ground? It takes power to overcome ground effect. But we have power.
So rev your engines, give it your all and soar.

Diet, no exercise

2010-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor awhile back with severe stomach pain. She told me I had damaged the vagus nerve, and my stomach could not contract. So she put me on a special diet. I followed the diet and lost 25 pounds, and then when I returned to the doctor she told me I had been misdiagnosed. So, here is the diet which did work in terms of losing weight and not feeling hungry.
First: Eat six times a day. No high fructose corn syrup, no soy.
Second: Eat liquids, soft, low-fat, and low-fiber foods. Include protein in every meal. This is your most important guideline.

So, here is what I ate generally--

Breakfast: poached or scrambled egg, small glass of 2% milk. small glass of juice. Cut fruit juices with water.
or small bowl of shredded wheat or oatmeal with 2% milk (oatmeal and shredded wheat bypass the fiber/protein rule)

Mid morning: fruit, fresh, canned or frozen w/out peel. Plain yogurt. I made fruit smoothies with fruit, 1/2 c yogurt and ice in blender. Nice.

Lunch: Cheese stick, 1/2 can chicken noodle soup or other thin soup.

Midafternoon: Small salad, with tuna or sardines or canned or grilled chicken;
or cottage cheese w pineapple or tomatoes or tuna etc. McDonalds grilled chicken salad is great, but on this diet I could only eat about 1/2 of it.

Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast or other meat (small 1/2!) green beans or other veggies, drink water.

Night time I started having 12 cup of plain yogurt w/bottled grapefruit slices and juice. It started to seem like a really delicious bedtime snack and is really low cal.

You could have white bread with your eggs, salad, etc. But I don't like white bread. I had saltines w/ the soup. You could have gatorade or other low cal drinks, but I preferred water. Drink something with all six meals.

I rearranged the meals for what I was hungry for at any given time. You have to eat something every 2 1/2 or 3 hours. I really cut my portion sizes. I adapted it as I went along, adding more fiber like carrot sticks, broccli, cauliflower, etc.

It was easy and I still eat less than I did before, but it is hard to eat 6 times a day now that I am not following the regimen.

Two of your meals can be liquid--smoothies, fruit or veggie. But remember to add protein everytime. Plain yogurt or cottage cheese, low fat make good base.

The doc said that 2% milk is a nearly perfect combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates. So I use 2%.

Also, don't try to go on a no-fat diet. The no-fat diet stops weight loss--your brain functions off of fat. You have to have a little fat. I only use olive oil in cooking--even in bread and cookies. (Healthy fat.)

So there it is. Simple. Use the foods you like that fit the guidelines.

Worked for me!!

Eighth Grade Memories

2010-11-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

Afternoon shadows on pink cinder block walls
Recall childhood memories of hot, frustrating days,
Peeling, curled, cracked linoleum,
The armies of ants parading across unwashed countertops
The hope and joy of a new home, new school, new job
Turned stale and all too much like the last new hopes, new homes,
And new husbands.
The constant nagging dreads that tomorrow will be as much like today
As today is like yesterday.
MKH

Life in the garden

2010-11-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

Everything I need to know
I learned in the garden.
Patience, perseverance, hope.
Water deep, nourish, hoe.

Plant the seed, wait,
Wait longer
Nourish hope, Keep adding
Water.

Keep out rabbits, keep out pests.
Protect the seedlings,
Put up fence!

Too much sun burns tender sprouts.
Too much wind can dry them out.

Then one day the world turns green.
Plants grow stronger—vines,stems and
Leaves.

Ground that’s planted keeps out weeds.
With some help gained on my knees!

Ticaboo Mesa

2010-11-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mide Ticaboo--Hello friend!
Those were the words a Paiute Indian spoke to my great grandmother in the 1860's in the Sevier Valley of Utah. When I found those words written in the story of her life, it gave me the courage to move to Ticaboo.
It seemed like she was speaking to me! And so we too lived out in the wilds of Southern Utah. Those who remember it will have only happy memories I am sure!

Jaywalking

2010-11-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Coming back from the dentist across the line I crossed the street against the light. I jaywalked--when in Rome. . . .hey, in Mexico everybody jaywalks. I was exceptional because I jaywalked in the crosswalk, but I digress.
Crossing the street I thought of a conversation I had recently on consequences and rules. One of my kids told me about watching a man as he tried to cross a street in traffic. He was hit by a bus and thrown 20 or 30 yards toward where my son was standing. And he was dead.
He talked about how helpless he felt standing, unable to do anything to prevent the inevitable accident, a feeling almost of fear. Then I remembered and recounted an incident from years ago, when I lived in London. A woman was hit by a taxi outside our house. She lay on the sidewalk in front of the house with her skull fractured, thick dark blood oozing out of her head. We brought out a blanket, called the ambulance, felt uneasy, helpless. Not something you forget easily.

There are times when we think that those who break the rules should suffer the consequences, they should be brought up short, they should learn that they cannot break rules without consequences.
But--then when we see the stark reality of the consequences we have to back off. Do we really want to suffer the consequences of our foolish, thoughtless decisions?
Justice has its place, but I vote for mercy. Without mercy we are all stepping out in front of the bus.
And so in this life, I hope we learn, I hope we follow, and I hope that we do not always suffer the consequences of our actions.

Thank you for mercy, and second chances, and third. . . . Maybe we'll have time to learn and change.

Halloween

2010-10-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

The house is decorated, the Jack-o-lanterns are lit, the big bowl by the door is filled with candy. But no trick or treaters have come to the door, no trick or treaters are expected--we live out in the hill country of Southern AZ. There are no street lights or sidewalks and kids want neighborhoods, houses close together, company!

But I had such fun carving pumpkins!

Wait!! There's the doorbell. A little vampire stands and asks for treats. Halloween success. These three pumpkins are for you Nola, and Gabe, and Ta! I do have more!

Tamazunchale

2010-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

OK. I didn't actually do justice to Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
First. We always pronounced this town Thomas n Chahhhlie. Which is a pretty close approximation of the correct Spanish pronunciation and easy to remember.

Tamazunchale sits in a narrow valley with a deep gorge on the north side and mountains on the south, east, and west sides. When you come down out of the mountains from the north you cross a bridge over the verrrrrry deep gorge with a river in the bottom and make a turn to the right and you are in the town.
I think it sits in a little microsystem of its own. I don't know anywhere else this far north where you can grow cocoa for instance. But, I do know that when you cross that bridge you enter a different century. The popluation is Huastecan, people sit on the sidewalk shucking corn kernels from off the cob using an already shucked cob. I stopped in at a grocery store and looked at the copal wrapped in little rectangular packets. I was curious. I asked the storekeeper, a tiny woman with long braids, (made longer by the ribbons braided through her gray hair and tying the 2 braids together at her lower back) what the copal was used for. She looked at me like I was a real dummy--You know, you put it in the coffin with the deceased. Oh, of course. How could that have slipped my mind.
When the boys got haircuts with hand held clippers it was in the Plaza under a huge old tree, but in a proper barber's chair.
I don't know. I am not giving you the feeling of this place.
One thing more. There are two roads out of town to the south, both eventually take you to Pachuca, both run through the sierra in the state of Hidalgo, both look like they head into endless tropical cloud forest, shrouded in fog and mystery.
You know when your take-off point is Tamazunchale that you are headed out past the far end of the middle of nowhere.
I love that little town.
I wonder what's happening there today???

Tamales, Beaks and Claws

2010-10-17T17:54:00.001-07:00

Continued from previous post. . . . .

We got to Tamazunchale, cleaned up and walked around the town. There were monkeys here, it was tropical! I bought cocoa beans in the market and the woman who sold them to me explained how to roast them in my frying pan, peel and grind them to make cocoa powder. We climbed the steep trails between houses on the hillside to the very top of the mountain and looked out at the ocean of green below us.

We bought Baygon at the drugstore and Mike sprayed the van thoroughly to kill any remaining scorpions. The boys got haircuts at the barbershop. The barber used hand operated clippers--no electricity. I wish I had bought a pair while I had the chance, though they did tend to pull the hair.

I went back to the market near the heavy colonial stone church and bought dozens of tamales from a tiny woman cooking over a little brazier. The chicken tamales were wrapped in corn husks, the pork tamales were wrapped in banana leaves.

Everyone was hungry. Everyone unwrapped their tamales and started to eat. What unexpected treats--a rooster claw, a piece of beak, a bit of bone with the pork. Somehow the kids lost their appetites. They just couldn't eat chicken tamales that had that much chicken in them!!

We crowded into a small room; everyone slept well. We were up early, ready to hit the road. Charlie and I walked up the hill to a panaderia and bought fresh, warm bolillos for breakfast. By the time we got back the van was packed and everyone was sitting up waiting to go.

The Smith boxes--collecting boxes about the size and shape of cigar boxes, but made of light wood--were stacked between the two front seats of the van. As we started out Mike asked me to hold the boxes, he was afraid they would slide around. As I picked them up I saw two or three scorpions under the top two boxes. "Scorpions," I yelped, and pulled open the door as I dropped the collecting boxes onto my seat. Charlie had the sliding door open and was half way out when we both noticed that no one else was alarmed. They weren't moving. They were laughing.

Something was really wrong here.

I was suddenly suspicious, and with good reason: While we had been busy getting breakfast the hooligans had discovered scorpions killed by the Baygon and planted them where they would be sure to scare us to death.

Back into the van, and down the road. . . .

Scorpions and Duct Tape

2010-10-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Continued from previous post . . . .
We headed down the road toward Tamazunchale in a heavy rain. Not too many miles south of Valles the road crew was out with bad news. The road was washed-out ahead, flooded and closed.

We looked at our trusty Guia Roji maps of Mexico and took a sharp turn to the east on a secondary--no, tertiary at best--road. We dropped down through a small town where the bulldozer pushed a path through the mud in the road for us to follow. The water had been 4 or 5 feet deep in the buildings on the sides of the road, but we were fortunate again. The water had receded, leaving only deep mud behind.
We stopped at a small Huasteca ruin at Tamuin and saw the partially excavated altars and temple mounds, then turned south on a road that could only be described as pesimo. Really ugly. There was a mist in the air, the tall grass was wet and butterflies covered the telephone poles along the road--even they knew this wasn't travel weather.

Charlie had been talking for days about getting a cowboy hat. When he got to Mexico he wanted to get a straw cowboy hat. We wanted to look at the butterflies on the poles, and pulled over to the side of the road. The van door slid open and Hopkins descended. Much to Charlie's delight the storm had blown a nice looking cowboy hat his way--there it was sitting it the wet grass. He snatched it up and tossed it into the van.

We spent a while collecting butterflies. They just sat and waited for us. They couldn't fly in the wet air. Coming from Arizona the air felt great. Finally we all got back into the van and ready to go. Suddenly, from the far back a voice yelped, "There's scorpions in the car!"

Mike hit the brakes and everyone bailed out. Sure enough there were scorpions looking for cracks to hide in on the floor of the van. Mean looking scorpions not quite an inch long. Lots of em.

While I stood gaping, Mike grabbed the duct tape and wrapped it backwards around his hand and started sticking scorpions to duct tape. When he had a handful he changed tape. They didn't have a chance.

One of the kids wondered aloud where the scorpions had come from, and the light went on as a chorus of voices sang out, "The hat!"

Mike snatched up the hat, and in the crown was the four inch mama with babies still scrambling down from her back. He did not try to trap her with duct tape. We didn't even put her in a collecting bottle. We crushed her dead.

Finally, hoping we had captured all her little poisonous offspring we loaded our offspring back into the vehicle and headed down the road. We traveled on roads that could have provided great moguls for skiers--if they liked mud. We traveled through tropical villages, under huge trees where we saw our first electric blue morpho butterflies on the wing, and finally, hours after leaving Valles we turned back west and hit the main road less than a hundred miles from where we'd started that morning.

We stopped in Tamazunchale and spent the night in a little hotel behind the bus station.

To be continued. . . . .

The brown van and bolillos

2010-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990's we began vacationing in Mexico, spending the entire summer wandering from one interesting spot to another. We called these trips our TGV's--Tres Gran Viajes. On our second TGV we traveled over to Brownsville, Texas and then drove down to Ciudad Valles to spend our first night in an older hotel with a room on the second floor. The rooms were large and opened onto a wide covered porch. Drinking water was available in a large glass jarro outside the door. There was no TV, just double beds, ceiling fans, and space for eight kids to spread out on the tile floor.

During the night the hurricane arrived.

When we got up in the morning I volunteered to go to the panaderia and buy bolillos and maybe fresh fruit for breakfast. I stepped outside. It was raining. Really raining. I went down and got in the van. I think maybe Megan and Charlie came with me. We asked directions to the panaderia, got in the car, and headed south on the main street. The water in the street was deep.
It got deeper.
I turned onto a side street where I expected to find a bakery, the van stalled out. When I stepped out the water in the streets was up past my knees--maybe higher. No cell phones back then. No phone in the hotel room. Just me and the kids stuck in deep water. I walked--slogged--up the street and found the bakery, bought bread, bought carnitas next door. Asked if anyone had a phone. Someone pointed me to a house further up the street. Who could I call?
We walked back to the van with the food, wondered what to do. Across the street and down a little I saw a firestone dealer and mechanic. So it was back into the water and wading across four lanes of deep water through traffic.
I can't remember just what the mechanic did, except that he came and looked at the van and got it running and charged me nothing.

I was always lucky in Mexico.

Back to the hotel, warming up, drying out, eating, and back into the van.
Now we all drove south through the rain in our warm van headed for Tamazunchale.

To be continued. . . . .

Yes, I can!

2010-10-02T22:23:00.001-07:00

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. -- Groucho Marx

(Thanks Sarah, I stole your quote!)

OctOber!

2010-10-02T22:11:00.001-07:00

Must be October. Everything's turning orange and pumpkinny!

Great Quote!

2010-09-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

I didn’t marry you because you were perfect. I didn’t even marry you because I loved you. I married you because you gave me a promise. That promise made up for your faults. And the promise I gave you made up for mine. Two imperfect people got married and it was the promise that made the marriage. And when our children were growing up, it wasn’t a house that protected them; and it wasn’t our love that protected them—it was that promise.
Thorton Wilder

In memorium to Don Garate:

2010-09-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever

Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.

In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.

The Holy Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking,
Or else remain the slave of permanence.

Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.

So be it, heart. Bid farewell, until
we meet again.
(adapted from Herman Hesse)

Chip, the family dog

2010-09-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 1993 we decided to get a dog. I didn’t want a very big dog or a very expensive dog, so we looked through the want ads for a small dog that we could afford.
We found the perfect ad for a little blue heeler offered for free to a good home. That was us! We called and then piled into our little blue Honda Civic and headed out into the country—all the way out to Riggs Road near Queen Creek. We looked for the address and finally found a farm house off the road.

We knocked and a woman came out. We told her we were there to see the dog—that we were the people who had called earlier in the morning. She was very surprised. A family had just left with the little dog. She had assumed they were us!

Charlie, Megan, Michael, Steven and Graham (I can’t remember exactly which kids went with me) were all ready to take a pet home. Their disappointment must have showed on their faces. Suddenly the woman said, “Wait, don’t go. I have another dog. He will be perfect with your kids.”

Imagine my surprise when the woman brought out a three year old German Shepherd. This was not a small dog at all. But the kids seemed to like the big dog. The woman explained that the dog had been through training at the Police Dog Academy, but had flunked out because of his mild temperament. If we wanted him, we could take him.

Despite my misgivings the kids climbed into the little car with the dog squeezed in with them in the backseat. The lady even gave us a big bag of dog food. During the drive home I wondered if this big dog would behave. I wasn’t sure if I knew what to do with a big animal like this one. But there was lots of petting and talking which was reciprocated by licking. There was no barking, no lunging or biting.

When we got to the house dad said, “That’s not a small dog!” But he seemed to like the German Shepherd too. We decided to name him Chip in honor of his police dog training and the California Highway Patrol—CHP.

Just as the woman had said, Chip was a very friendly, mild dog, and he was very well trained. The afternoon was spent commanding Chip to sit, to stay, to come, to wait for a treat. He responded perfectly.

Dinner time came and everyone sat to eat at the big table in the kitchen. Chip went over, turned around several times and then settled onto the rag rug in front of the kitchen sink. When dinner was over and the table cleared, the kids went off to do homework or watch TV.

After a few minutes I came back into the kitchen to clean up a little. There was Graham, nearly three years old, lying on the rag rug with his arm around Chip’s neck. As I stood in the doorway watching Graham leaned over and looked the dog right in the face. “Come on, you can do it Chip,” he whispered. I leaned forward to listen. “Come on Chip, say Graham. You can do it. Graaaa amm.”
I started to smile, listening to the sweet little guy snuggled up to the big, nice dog.

And the big dog looked into Graham’s face, opened his mouth, and. . . .
licked him across his face!

Needless to say for all the years Chip was with us, Chip and Graham had a special friendship, speaking to one another in a language they both understood

What is Love?

2010-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I have it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

MKH

Snap, and it's gone

2010-09-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

In a casual conversation the other day I assured one of my sons that I would be around for another 30 or 35 years, and he laughed and said that wasn't very long. I agreed, but in 35 years I will be 96. That's kind of shocking and it isn't very far away.

Thiry five years ago I was about to give birth to our first daughter. Just yesterday.
Thirty years ago I had four kids and a fifth would be born within the year.
It doesn't seem very long ago. I feel about the same as I did then.

But this is life. It is happening right now, and it only goes one way. So start living it. Choose to be happy. Take risks, enjoy everyday. Be nice to the people who love you. Stop looking for perfection. Get married. Have kids. Now is the only time you can do it. Love your kids. love your spouse. Don't expect perfection!

Find a job you enjoy, or a job that will pay the bills and enjoy life. Make friends, keep friends. Say your prayers. Trust God. Put your life in order. You will be happier than you imagine.

But most important of all, call your mom regularly. She loves you, and she won't be here forever!

(And don't forget to call your Dad! He loves you too and he's already older than I am.)

Trip Log

2010-08-27T20:23:00.001-07:00

All the way home from Utah I thought of all the great things I was going to blog about. Well, now that I'm home I just can't seem to get to it. So this is notice. Day 1 is coming! I promise. After I get all that other stuff done. . . .

Trip Log

2010-08-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Grow where you are planted. . . .

2010-08-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

OK. So, when I plant the seeds, I tell them to grow where they are planted. But come the monsoons, they forget all of my advice and just grow everywhere!

The entire back yard is covered with vines: pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, crook-necks, zucchini,and others that I have forgotten. They cover the carrots, the tomatoes the onions, the peppers. I have to dig through massive vines to find the fruits of my labors!! Ha ha.

The sunflowers on the other hand are drying out. This is the only one still upright, so it's time to harvest the seeds.

And the grapes? They can spread as far as they want to. I love em! What a gorgeous day!

Night time visitors

2010-08-01T12:56:00.001-07:00

Right out of a Bug'f Life. Who would ever want to squish a good looking guy like this one?
Is Steven hungry or horrified? All I know is he has this fellow by the horn.
First a gorgeous female Strategus beetle came knocking on our window. We let her in, admired her and set her back outside the back door. Wouldn't you know it, a male wasn't far behind! And he was a really big and handsome fellow. We watched him for awhile and finally let him back outside to play!

President Obama and the post racial era

2010-07-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here is an article that I found informative: http://blog.cagle.com/2010/07/20/president-obama-you-are-no-dr-martin-l-king-jr/ Enjoy!

No bagels for breakfast!!

2010-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting item in the current Better Homes and Gardens: "Bring on the bacon and eggs! A new study shows that eating a little fat first thing and keeping the fat and calories low in the evening might ward off metabolic syndrome--a cluster of symptoms, including abdominal fat, high triglyceride levels, and insulin resistance--that increases risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
You first meal seems to program metabolism for the rest of the day, says Molly Bray, PhD professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama. A relatively fat rich breakfast helps you metabolize fats and carbohydrates during the day, while a carb rich breakfast seems to promote only carb metabolism, in addition eggs reduce hunger so you eat less at lunch and all day long. In a new University of Connecticut study breakfast egg eaters ate 112 fewer calories at an all you can eat buffet lunch three hours later than bagel-eating counterparts. They also consumed about 400 fewer calories in the 24 hours following breakfast than did their bagel buddies."

So there you have it. Wanna lose weight, fry an egg for breakfast!! I knew it all along. . . .

Lovely Sunday

2010-07-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Nice day spent with Steven. Maren and Justin came down, Liz came over. The weather is perfect, and it's time to refill the bird feeders~

Prophets

2010-07-18T00:33:00.000-07:00

In the Old Testament the prophet Joel teaches that God will do nothing save He reveal it through the mouths of His prophets. God is active in our world today, and He continues to speak through His prophet on the earth today--God is the same yesterday, today and always. This is a wonderful gift to us. We can choose not to listen to God's prophet, to put our opinions above his, but in doing so we deny that he speaks for God on the earth today. And today we really, really need all the help we can get! So listen and follow the word,
After Christ's death and resurrection, and after the martyrdoms of the Apostles there began to be a falling away, and a perversion of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul and the other Apostles warned their followers of this apostasy, of the wolves in sheep's clothing who would enter the flock. A restoration of the gospel and the priesthood authority which allows men to act in the name of Christ needed to be made. The gospel was restored as prophesied in these the latter days and we once again have the keys of the kingdom, the priesthood and a prophet on the earth.
How did this happen? God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared in answer to prayer to Joseph Smith as he inquired as to which church he should join. Over a number of years he was taught and prepared to reestablish the Church of Jesus Christ again on the earth as it was in the primitive Church. These keys and authority have been passed down to succeeding prophets since the time of Joseph Smith up to and including our day. It is for this reason that we can trust in the Prophet of God, who speaks for our time.

Scripture

2010-07-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

I believe that the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments are a gift of God, written and preserved for us by Jewish prophets in the Old World. I believe that the prophets of the Old Testament testified of the coming of Christ; that the Blood of the Lamb on the doorposts which caused the destroying angel to Passover the homes and spare the firstborn sons of the faithful was a prefiguring of the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God. Likewise, the sacrifice of Isaac was in the similitude of the sacrifice of Christ and helps us to understand what was to come as well as God's love for us. (Only 2 small examples of many)

I believe that the Book of Mormon is a gift from God written and preserved for us by prophets in the New World, and that it also testifies of Jesus Christ. As Christ said, "Other sheep I have who are not of this fold." We know that Christ is the God of the entire earth and that his Atonement is in force in the entire world. Likewise he shared his message with peoples in every land.
The Book of Mormon was translated through the power of God and brings us closer to Him as we read and study His worlds.

Faith

2010-07-14T17:51:00.001-07:00

I believe that the foundation of Christ's gospel is Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism by immersion, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Faith and repentance have to be constantly renewed. They are not a destination that we arrive at and there we are. We wax and wane and so we have to be mindful of our faith, tending it like a garden.
Christ gave us the example of the proper form of baptism when he went to John the Baptist and was baptized in the River Jordan to set an example for us and to fulfill the law of righteousness.
The Holy Ghost is real and personal in our lives if we listen, pray and seek guidance. What a truly great blessing.

I know that life is fragile but that God is mindful of each of us, he loves me, he loves you. Follow Him.

Atonement

2010-07-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

I believe that because of Christ's atonement EVERY person born on this earth will be resurrected and receive an immortal body of flesh and bone. In addition, through obedience to God's law we can return to live in His presence. Through the Atonement we are given the opportunity to repent and prepare ourselves to live more perfectly, knowing that Christ has paid the price for our sins and imperfections, our pains and our sorrows. The Atonement is infinite and incomprehensible to me. It was an act of perfect love for us from our Older Brother, who we knew in the Spirit World prior to this life and who we chose to follow at that time. It is the greatest gift we could ever be given allowing us to change our lives if we so choose and helping us to do so when we choose. As Isaiah tells us, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." This can happen only through God's grace and our acceptance of it.

It's a jungle out there!

2010-07-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here is part of my garden. I took this picture before the rains. The monsoon rains finally started yesterday, steady and heavy all day.

This morning there were 6 hummingbirds on the feeder. I think I need more hummingbird feeders! And everything is still wet and dripping, all the leaves are standing tall. I love July in Rio Rico!!

Creation. life and death

2010-07-12T07:14:00.001-07:00

I believe that the earth was created spiritually before it was created physically, and that it was created over six periods of time out of material that already existed.
Adam and Eve entered the Garden of Eden in an immortal state, but by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil a physical change took place in their bodies, causing them to be mortal. As mortal beings they were able to have children and death became a part of life.
The Fall was a part of God's plan and was necessary for our eternal progression. As mortals we live in a probationary state--a time to prepare to meet God, to repent, to learn to love and serve one another. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 it is very clear: As in Adam all die, so in Christ all may live again.
The way for us to overcome death and to return to our Heavenly Father was planned from the beginning when Christ offered himself as a sinless sacrifice and an example that we can follow.
We are not punished because of the Fall, in fact it is a blessing to us from a loving Father who knows our imperfections.
I am an imperfect follower of Jesus Christ, trying to listen and do better!

Who is God?

2010-07-10T16:25:00.001-07:00

I believe in the reality of God, our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. I believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate and distinct beings with bodies of flesh and bone. I believe that the Holy Ghost is also a separate being, who at this time does not have a physical body, but acts through the Spirit to influence, assist and warn us as we are willing to listen.

In John 17:11 and in many other verses in the scriptures Christ exhorts us to be one, even as He and the Father are one. I believe that God, Christ and the Holy Ghost are one in mission and purpose, but are not 3 in 1!

I know God loves us and is mindful of us.

to be continued. . . . . .

It's July

2010-07-08T18:09:00.001-07:00

We're past the fourth, enjoyed the fireworks, and the fire on the hill behind the city display, followed by the lights of the fire trucks. Every fourth should have such a display.
The heat is bringing in moisture and the moisture is washing away the heat.
Mid eighties and light rain today.
Monsoons should be here this weekend.
Hurray. The garden will rejoice!
Me too,
Lovely. . . .

Mothers everywhere worry about their children.

2010-06-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

Two Muslim mothers are sitting in a cafe chatting over a plate of tabouli and a pint of goat's milk.
The older of the two pulls a bag out of her purse and starts flipping through photos. They start reminiscing.
"This is my oldest son Mohammed. He would have been 24 years old now."
"Yes, I remember him as a baby," says the other mother cheerfully.
"He's a martyr now though," the mother confides.
"Oh, so sad dear," says the other.
"And this is my second son Khalid. He would have been 21."
"Oh, I remember him," says the other. "He had such curly hair when he was born."
"He's a martyr also," says the mother quietly.
"Oh, gracious me..." Says the other.
"And this is my third son. My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He would have been 18," she whispers.
"Yes," says the friend. "I remember when he first started school."
"He's a martyr too," says the mother, with tears in her eyes.
"After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim mother looks wistfully at the photographs and says...
"They blow up so fast these days, don't they?"

You know I love elephants. . . .

2010-06-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."
- 17th Century English Proverb

Teenage delinquents were killing their neighbors. A few years ago, the TV news program "60 Minutes" first reported on this story. But they weren't talking about humans; they were talking about elephants. It seems this story actually began about 20 years earlier in South Africa when an overabundance of elephants in a preserve forced ecologists to relocate elephants. It was difficult to relocate adult elephants, so most of the male elephants were killed and the young elephants and some of their mothers were relocated to another preserve.

Years later those fatherless and orphaned elephants developed into troubled teen-agers; teenagers that began harassing and killing other animals in the wildlife preserve - namely the scarce and prized white rhinos. In addition to killing rhinos, the juvenile elephants acted aggressively toward tourist vehicles. Eventually researchers had to kill five of the elephants because there is no reform school for animals. Or is there?

The park rangers began looking for role models. They brought in older bull elephants. The bigger, older elephants established a new hierarchy and provided much needed training and restraint for the young elephants. The lead field ecologist at the preserve compared the change to a group of teen-agers who have been acting up who are suddenly confronted by their fathers. After the big bull elephants arrived not a single rhino was killed and the younger elephants quickly fell into line.

A simple story. A simple truth. Societies, even elephant societies, need fathers.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you great dads. (We need you old bull elephants!)

Traveling the back roads

2010-06-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Day 1 at Elephant's Feet

I was gone for a week and the garden seems to have doubled in size. Nothing like sunshine and water. Nice.
We took 600+ pictures. So this is just a tiny taste of vacation.
Especially tiny since it quit adding images.
Oh well. Have a nice day!

A letter to a friend

2010-06-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Irisita--
I don't know what the media are saying in California, but Arizona is a wonderful place to visit. Remember, one in three people in this state are Hispanic--do you think the police are going to be stopping every third person??
The bill that was just passed does not allow the police to stop anyone to check their immigration status. The police can ask for proof of status only after stopping someone who is breaking the law.
By the year 2050, Hispanics will be the majority here. In Rio Rico/Nogales they have been the majority forever. I think the non hispanic minority at the high school made up about 6%.

But the real issue is not ethnic, it's criminal--the Mexican cartel mafia, with its kidnappings and crime is operating in more than 200 U.S. cities. Arizona, with its proximity to Mexico, is one of those. Phoenix is second only to Mexico City for the number of kidnappings World Wide.
The “anti illegal immigrants” legislation that was just approved is related to these violent events, and it doesn't go into effect for another month. Our Attorney General talking about the kidnapping rate in Phoenix said today that for other than illegal aliens Phoenix is one of the safest cities in the world. The travesty is that the kidnappings are Mexican gangsters preying on Mexican illegals.
I'm kind of getting off target here, but the point is that Arizona is not anti-hispanic. Arizona is anti-criminal. The federal government needs to figure out a real policy on immigration. But right now, living on the border we see the downside of the drug trade daily--seven bodies were found in Nogales, Sonora again yesterday.

We wish it wasn't happening in Mexico.
We don't want it to happen here.
Sorry for the diatribe.

Roots

2010-05-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Just a thought. It takes patience. You plant a tree, it seems to grow an inch or two a year. But, it is growing roots. And in three or four years the tree will suddenly take off and grow from a sapling into a real tree. Even the seeds I plant. I watch the ground sometimes for weeks, then suddenly up pops the little plant. We don't see the roots, but we all need them. And patience. And time to grow.

Immigration and the backyard

2010-05-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

Mexican Margaritas and African Aloe
Fred at the waterhole

I live in a garden. It takes some work, but I like the results. I had to decide what it was I wanted to grow and whether the plants I planted would be compatible with each other. (Yes, it is true, some plants do not thrive next to some other plants!) I select my seeds carefully from a wide variety of choices. I use both heritage seeds and hybrids, and I save seed from year to year. When I look out at my garden I see my mammoth Russian sunflowers, my Swiss Chard, my African daisys, my margaritas, and of course my native gourds, tomatoes, peppers and squash. I have yellow cucumbers, and purple zucchini. I have Peruvian potatoes--There is alot of variety and it works pretty well. Oh, and don't forget the Chilean mesquites.
There are another kind of seeds however that take root in my garden univited. These seeds come over the wall or under the gate. They take root, and if I am not vigilant they literally strangle some of my other plants. These are called weeds. I spend a few minutes six days a week pulling weeds and feeding them to Fred. But, I can't use an herbicide because it is too broad in it's effect. The herbicide would kill the weeds, but it would also kill my sunflowers, my chard, lettuce, carrots, squash, tomatoes onions, Italian grapes, Indian corn and so on.
And it would make Fred sick. Me too.

Once again. With immigration aren't we painting with too broad a brush, or spraying with too harsh a chemical? Isn't there a need and a place for the beautiful, the delicious, and the healthy. Can't we nourish the good and eliminate the destructive at the same time.
And can't we admit that there are both?
If we can't recognize this simple truth, the weeds will take over.
I won't let that happen in my garden!

2010-05-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

El Universal (Mexico City) 5/22/10

Proposal to combat human trafficking in Mexico
Chiapas – During the XV Regional Conference on Migration held in the southern state of Chiapas, vice-Ministers of North and Central America agreed to combat the traffic and smuggling of migrants. The assembly, consisting of representatives from Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico, agreed to strengthen and normalize policies for the repatriation of undocumented migrants. The representatives from Guatemala and El Salvador demanded that Mexico stop the violence, maltreatment, abuses and murders committed against those without papers who transit across Mexico’s territory to reach the US. They cited in particular the recent assaults by federal police on undocumented Central Americans riding freight trains. There are abundant times the Salvadoran government has sent diplomatic notes expressing displeasure for assaults and abuses committed by Federal Police against migrants. The Mexican response is that they are investigating the complaints.

Immigration

2010-05-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Let's get serious here. We don't want to kick people out of the country. We need to change our whole mind set. We need people, productive people. We need people who want to be a part of this country and who come to work and make a better life. Better life =better country. Right? What we don't want is corruption, drug running, human smuggling, corrupt politicians, violence...
What we need are laws that facilitate legal immigration.
What we also need is for law enforcement to be able to focus on criminals--real criminals, not unauthorized entrants who don't fall into the narco, gang, corrupt, smuggler categories.

Example of the day: I have a neighbor who was born here in Arizona. Her parents were both born here in Arizona. So were her brothers and sisters, and her kids. They are all US citizens.

Her grandparents came to the US from Mexico more than 50 years ago. Her grandmother was 10 years old when she came here with her parents. She is now more than sixty years old. She is illegal.

That's right. The grandparents do not have residency papers. They have lived here all their lives. Why would anyone want to deport them? They have 4th generation family members living here in this country legally. Something is wrong here.

AND they are not unique. I think I will give you another example manana. And the day after that. Immigration law does not make sense.

SB 1070 is not the problem. The entire immigration law at the federal level, and people's perceptions and fears are half the problem. Criminal illegal immigrants are the other half. Who will work on making a system that makes sense instead of working only on reelection?????

Demography is destiny

2010-05-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you to United Families International for an excellent presentation on demographics--really it is kind of scary how completely people want to disbelieve the facts. READ this interesting article below:

http://unitedfamiliesinternational.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/demography-is-destiny/

Pain in the neck

2010-05-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

So after canceling Friday's surgery, we get a call this morning saying the fine doctor has decided to operate on the elbow on June 7 and do the neck later. Can anyone explain this?
No, he is NOT smiling. He is gritting his teeth. (See below)!!

Scheduling

2010-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't there a better method of scheduling hospital procedures than calling at 8 in the morning to say that the previously scheduled surgery has been postponed for a month, AND that they have decided to operate on the upper spine instead of the elbow? OK. We'll wait and see what happens a month from now. And, I hope they give us a day and time before the morning of. . . .

They're wonderful, they're wonderful

2010-05-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

My kids that is! I found a box of tulips outside the door this morning. No card. I called and texted, but no one claimed credit. Finally, I asked the youngest about flowers
"The tulips? They're from all of us."
And I know who you are. Thank you.
Dozens of tulips, gorgeous flowers!
Then, this afternoon the neighbor girl came over with another box. "This was delivered to us, but it's for you" she said.
Calla lilies. from Megan. Beautiful.
And the mirror I got across the line I also consider a mother's day gift from my honey. Sweet!

Hugs

2010-05-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

I remember when Iris came from Chile in 1965. We met her at the airport and all very politely shook hands. She told me later that she was devastated, we were so cold and unfriendly. Chileans hug. And that is why I love living on the border. I just came home from church. I got my full quota of hugs this morning. You don't shake hands. You hug, you kiss, men, women, children. Four of our kids and 3 of their novios plus Mike's little sister from Utah were here yesterday. We grilled carne asada and ate and talked, laughed and acted silly. The boys wrestled like puppies. It was good to have family in the house. When it was time for everyone to go home we hugged and kissed each one before they left the house. Mike's sister stood back and watched. You've got to admit, it's not cold or unfriendly.
Abrazos amigos!

Shhhh. . . .

2010-04-27T18:45:00.001-07:00

I went out into the yard this morning early to feed Fred. I stood in the early morning light, enjoying the green that is returning to our hills, the quiet, the. . . quiet? I heard a low drone coming from the pepper tree. I walked under the tree and looked up. It was so loud under the tree that I expected to see a swarm of bees.
The tree was full of bees, no swarm luckily, but full of pollinating bees, covered with yellow pollen. We had to go to Tucson, but I thought about the tree all day--I want to enter a photo in a contest called Pollinators of Southern Arizona--yes, a small niche contest!
When we got home about 4:30 I put the longest lens on the camera and went back out. There were still bees, but the sound was subdued. I stood outside for a long time, taking bee pictures. Then I heard a helicopter kind of sound coming in for a landing. I looked for the sound and found this tarantula wasp. As soon as he landed I was back to a low drone. A few minutes later a loud whistle streaked past and I watched a huge bumble bee fly from the north end to the south end of our yard and over the wall.

I usually don't hear the bugs. I certainly don't listen to distinguish the sounds of one from another. But, this afternoon I could hear, it must have been magic.

More on roses

2010-04-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

I used to look down on roses. Just another pretty flower that needed tending and care to really grow. Too showy, too flashy. But I have changed my opinion. Now I wonder why I haven't taken care of roses for much longer than I have. It's nice to be pretty and to smell good. It's good to be colorful and open to the world. But, it's also important to have thorns. Never forget the thorns. There are predators out there and even the sweet and beautiful need to keep up their defenses. Not just anyone can take hold of these stems!.
And I like roses because the more they're pruned, the more flowers you trim and put into a vase so that the house smells rosy and good the more the rose bush produces flowers. If you ignore the blossoms and let them die on the stem, that's it. But if you trim and enjoy the flowers more and more will grow.
The rose is related to the apple. I can feed the leaves that I trim to Fred. He doesn't mind the thorns. I am sure he prefers rose petals, leaves and stems to cactus. It's sometimes hard to tell with a tortoise, but I do know that he loves tomatoes and strawberries. Maybe he just likes red. If I wear sandals into his domain and if and only if I have red nail polish on my toe nails, he nips at my feet. That is the only time in all our years together that he has ever nipped at a human, but he never fails to go after red toenail polish.
I still think rose petals are a better choice. Luckily there will be roses all through the summer. Good for Fred, good for me.
So, if you sometimes think I'm prickly remember that I am also beautiful and I smell great. No, I am not a rose, but I too thrive in the garden.

After hours poring over the Danish census, I turn back to my novel . . . .

2010-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Once you get started in these things it is addictive. You wonder if everyone and everything in the world is intimately related. You're a time traveler and suddenly the past is alive, the dead are walking, cracked walls gleam, the rivers run free. Those old newspaper files are just a keystroke away and you're off on another search. You pluck a thread and it leads to. . . .everywhere. Is there a limit to relatedness?" (from The Tree Bride by Bharati Mukherjee)

Water

2010-04-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

If thou knewest the git of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Without water there will be no garden. This is a fact of life in the desert. Without water there is no life.
Every day I water. (I cheat--I have six hose timers) The garden is still young and fragile. I have tiny peaches and tiny nectarines. Little 5/8 inch fruit. I was so delighted to see that baby peaches are fuzzy, but baby nectarines are already shiny and red. What should I have expected? But, no water, no fruit.

It has been overcast for 3 or 4 days but no rain. Still, the cooler, indirect sunshine is good for new and fragile.
Drink deep.
We are new and fragile.
Dehydration kills the body

Think deep.
The spirit may be fragile.
Dehydration kills the spirit.
Drink deep and live!

Six times a day?

2010-04-15T18:35:00.001-07:00

Well, no more BBQ ribs for me! Dang. I went to the Dr today and she said I can only eat small meals, but I can eat six of them every day! And nothing with high fructose corn syrup or soy. Doesn't that mean nothing that is canned or bottled? Oh well. I guess I'll be stuck with my regular day long snacking on carrots and grilled cheese sandwiches--on home made bread--, with shredded wheat for breakfast and smoothies when I'm bored. It's the break in the routine that kills me, those occasional real meals!

Are poppies weeds?

2010-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

My yard guy came over to weed the yard. We walked around the whole yard, front and back, and looked over the hill. There was nowhere he could weed without taking out the spring poppies. They are spreading across the yard more every year. We finally decided we couldn't weed at all until the poppies go to seed. So the weeds and wildflowers have full reign for a couple of more weeks. Isn't it great!

These are African daisies. They absolutely cover the fields off Continental Rd in Green Valley--at a nursing care complex. Last year after they went to seed we brought home a handful of seed pods. And they are growing where they have water. Next year they too will be everywhere. I love it!
Well, this was the beginning of BBQ ribs before I cut up the peppers. But since they too are pretty and colorful, here they are.
And I hope you too have a beautiful day.

Who are the dumb animals?

2010-04-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I found a quote I like:
"Cows are not troubled by their calves. Mares are unperturbed in their love for their foals. The smarter people become the more their kids bother them. What happens to simple sweetness? Who are the dumb animals?"
JPS Brown, cowboy

I'm with the cows and horses on this one. I vote for simple sweetness. I think we all need a little more sweetness, a little less trouble and perturbation.
Guess I'll start with me!

A piece of the family Tree

2010-04-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

My mother in law was out walking last night at about 7:00 PM and suddenly fell to the sidewalk headfirst. You may ask what an 87 year old is doing walking the streets of Phoenix at that time of the evening. She was on her way to some friends' house to share in family home evening with them. A member of her church ward happened to be driving down the Street and saw her fall. He pulled over to see if she needed help. Another ward member saw her on the sidewalk and also stopped. They called the paramedics and got her down to the hospital. Then they called her bishop. He went to see my mother in law at the hospital, then called the facility where she lives. Not getting an answer on the phone he went over to her building and pounded on the door until someone let him in. He asked that a list of her medications be sent to the hospital, and then he called and notified us.
I am happy for the support systems that we have, for people who are willing to stop and help when they see someone in trouble, and for those who go the second mile.
We all need a support system. As they say--No one expects the Spanish inquisition. Or even a header on the sidewalk.
Today she will get a pacemaker and a CAT scan of the head, just to check that nothing is broken. Her heart was beating well, except that it stops and takes a pause now and then. Not a good thing if you don't want to pass out.
Life goes on, thanks to good friends, good family and caring acquaintances. And there is nothing like having brothers and sisters in the Gospel to back up the rest of us who aren't close by.
Thank you so many times.

He is risen. Celebrate Easter

2010-04-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's all in the seeds

2010-04-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

I like to work in the garden. When I plant a lemon yellow cucumber seed, I know I will eventually get a lemon yellow cucumber plant.
We are children of an Eternal Father. What can we grow to be?

The fig tree

2010-04-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I planted a fig tree.
I grew up in California. We had fig trees on the property. They were wonderful climbing trees, the branches spread out and up, the big, heavy leaves made plenty of shade and in the middle we had a wonderful fort.
I wasn't trying to grow a fort, just figs. We live in the desert, but we are at 4500 feet. Sometimes we get a little snow in the winter--very little. But it does get cold. And in the winter my fig tree died. Come spring I had a dead, dry stick where a fledgling fig had tried to grow. I snapped it right off. But just in case I watered the roots.
That year a sprout grew up and formed a new, small tree. It froze in the winter. Year three, the tree roots put up an entire circle of branches that grew out, low to the ground. And I got lots of figs.
The fellow who helps with the yard wanted to prune my fig tree, shape it up. I told him the tree had found its shape. It lived through the winter, thrived, gave me lots of figs again.
This year the branches are stronger and taller, and new leaves are out. Not one branch died back during the winter.
When it gets cold, remember: spread out, stay low and keep growing!!
Works for figs.
In the meantime, keep watering.

2010-04-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my, oh my!! Yesterday it was 81 degrees here in the afternoon. Right now it is raining like crazy. I could be filling barrels with rain water. Everything looks wet and shiny and green--well green is relative. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, and then we move to partly cloudy and back to sunshine! Hooray for April Showers!

A rose by any other name. . . .

2010-03-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

You would think, living in the desert, that cactus have all the advantages. I used to worry about my rose bushes. But roses thrive with all our sunshine. They have a heavy dark leaf and a fairly heavy clustered petal. No. Roses do fine as long as they have water. What I did find is that some types of cactus need protection from direct sunlight at least for part of the day, and so I plant them under the rose bushes where they can get shade. They do well there.
Never fear, not everything prickly is as tough as it appears. A lot of us can put on a good show, all mean and thorny--but what we really want is the shade and moisture under a deep green, fabulous smelling rose.
And a few of us are roses.
Which is what makes life in the garden infinitely interesting!

2010-03-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

I love springtime. I love pre-springtime. I love anticipating the garden I am going to grow and starting my little seedlings inside in the kitchen. Every year the same foolish notion. And the seedlings grow up in their tiny boxes in their oh, so protected environment, and then, because I have been waiting so long to see the lush garden begun, I take them outside in the sun, and the wind, and the cold evenings, and I kill them. Patience Karne, patience. That's what makes your garden grow. So, yes once again I have killed my tender little sprouts, and once again I am ready to plant seeds directly into the dirt, where they inevitably grow up and are strong and sturdy living plants. But the first method always seems like a good idea. Next year, no more babying the little guys, I'll just have to outwait myself and do the first real planting outside!

Post it note

2010-03-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Do you think facebook is just too easy?? I can write a sentence or two and that's that. But, fewer people are making fewer posts on their blogs. Where are you? Come back. One of you is me!

Night in Nogales. . . .

2010-02-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

Coyotes howl in the dark
A dog barks on the hill
Voices. . .
I wonder
Who wanders in the cold
night rain?

Rain is falling all around, again

2010-02-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

Lovely rainy day. Worked in the yard until I got rained in. We drove to Nogales for Taco Bell, came home and watched movies, made a screensaver with our 700 favorite photos, thought about making oatmeal cookies. . . manana.
Got to save some fun for the next day!

Blue Agave

2010-02-11T17:02:00.001-08:00

They look so harmless. I felt like I was moving sharks. Sawing wasn't so bad. It was the picking them up to put in a pile that riled them up. I got bit numerous times!

Do these blue agaves seem just a little too BIG for the front of the house?? They get all the rain off the roof and they have prospered!! You can see that I have trimmed then at the bottom. That is just so some poor stranger like the Fed Ex guy can come to the door without being stabbed to DEATH!

I know they are beautiful. But I think they'll have to go.

The ugly little plant in the middle is a different agave which put up a gorgeous stalk this year. The stalk became our Christmas tree, but the plant had put it's whole heart into producing seeds and soon died.

I had to trim the agaves to try to remove the dead neighbor, but I think maybe all three will have to go. We'll see~

Bloomin' Springtime

2010-01-16T09:36:00.001-08:00

The daffodils are blooming. Leaves are starting to come out on the Mesquite trees. . .Does this mean Spring is here??? It is mid January after all. Enjoy the weather while you can!

Year End

2010-01-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Right after taking the Christmas pix in the previous post we headed out from Rio Rico to Chandler, first to see Mike's mom-gramma Abbie--and then to Christmas with the kids. Abbie made a momentous holiday move, from independent living to assisted living. Since she had been in her apt for seven years, major sorting was called for. Can you believe it's been seven years? Next thing you know we're going to be 87 going on 88. Time just keeps slipping away.
We got all the paper work done, and then enjoyed Christmas day with Charlie and Leslie, Megan, Maren and Justin, Steven and Graham. Not a bad bunch. Plus we had Christmas dinner with Leslies parents, niece, and 3 of her grandparents. Presents were placed by the christmas tree with care, then opened with abandon, a rip and a tear. All seemed quite pleased with the goodies and treats. I'm just happy no one's out on the streets.
We came home on Saturday, then returned north on Monday for the actual moving from one apt to another. It was nice to visit with Abbie and pack and move and unpack and rearrange for two days. I don't think we will ever leave this house we are in. The truth is moving is exhausting. We left Abbie curled up in bed at 6:00 in the evening so we could rush home in time to be at the Dr in Tucson on Wed morning. Got that out of the way. . .
Thursday night, party animals that we are we stayed up late enough to wish the kids in New York a Happy New Year, and the kids in Arkansas a happy New Year, but then we fell asleep about 11:30, secure in the knowledge that 2010 had arrived without incident in the USA!
Today we went to a new year's luncheon with about 6 couples who have all retired down here. I can't imagine how we ended up with this bunch of very nice, older people! But we did have a fun afternoon! So, keep smiling. Life continues ro get better daily. Graham is home and kicked back. Love you all.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Merry Merry Christmas. We are in Phoenix to help Mike's mom move into a new apartment and to spend Christmas with the kids who are in the area! I wish you were all here!
We love you and miss you, especially during this season of hope and joy.

Christmas in the Southwest

2009-12-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming--today was the first really cold day. (I know, cold is relative!)

The full nine foot Southwest Christmas tree. This is what you get in the desert!

I cut down three agave stalks that grew up during the Spring in our yard. Then I cut about six feet off of the fullest stalk, (yes, this one has the most arms and seed pods) put it in a bucket and brought in our "fresh", "live" tree. It was fun to decorate, took very few ornaments, but I still have to figure out the lights!

Merry Christmas, yee haw, y feliz Navidad to y'all.

Instant Christmas!

2009-12-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I got out the tree, popped it out of its tube and set it up. I had forgotten just how small it is. I guess I'll go ahead and get out the regular old tree that I love decorating!

But until then here's a little Christmas cheer!

Satisfaction

2009-11-28T00:35:00.000-08:00

Unlike Mick Jagger, satisfaction fills our week. This week includes a Thanksgiving that lived up to its name, the birthday of our oldest son, and our 35th anniversary. I am smiling just thinking about it. I hardly feel 35 years old myself!
We came up to our son's house in Chandler and celebrated the holiday here with our oldest daughter, our son Steven, Charlie and Leslie, and Leslie's family. And it felt like family--comfortable, relaxed, everyone helping themselves to the food, wandering in and out like one big family--which we are!
Maren and her sweetheart Justin came over on Friday bringing Justino's dad's famous pecan pies. A friend of Megan's stopped in for pie. The dinner was traditional and delicious. Turkey sandwiches and desserts filled the house following the main meal and should carry on through the weekend. Shopping was moderate--no Black Friday frenzy. The brothers went golfing. The movies were all good at the mall and on DVDs. And the guys are going shooting in the morning. a
And then we are heading south and home. Wow. That sounds like more than enough for a month of fun. But Sunday our oldest son turns 31, and even though he is far away, it will be another happy day. We love him and miss him. Next year maybe we can celebrate with him.
Then, Monday we'll have to celebrate again--just the 2 of us, because 35 years is a long time, but it has gone by very quickly, and I am very happy to be celebrating with the man I love still, or is it the man I still love? Either way will do.
As if that isn't enough Charlie will be 30 five days after our 35th, and Christmas is just around the corner.
Morris and Seung Hee and Graham called on Skype and shared Thanksgiving dinner, eating their turkey in NYC while we ate here in AZ. That was just great too. It was so funny to see them and hear them and vice versa almost like they were in the room, but sitting over at the kids table. Wow.
I think I'm going to need a vacation, but right now I need to wipe the smile off my face and go to sleep. Ciao bellos. Love you all.

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

View from the back door

View from the front door

Baby tortoises at Charlies, under the red heat lamp--only a few of his brood. . . .

View from the driveway into the garage!

Home again, home again jiggity, jig.

We went to Chandler, visited with Charlie. Fun was had! and now we are home. Clean sheets on the bed. Cool morning air.

Been searching on line for another kidnapping victim in the Colonias. Not a word anywhere. Nobody sees anything. Nobody reports a word. But someone is missing.
Shhhh.

Nothing new under the sun . . .

2009-11-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Nothing to do, nothing to do.

Put some mustard in your shoe. . .

Why would you even try that? Doesn't it sound kind of yucky and squishy? It must be one of those days.

And there it is again. That good looking solar array which is actually non functioning and being taken apart.

Why doesn't every house in Arizona have Solar Power? How about solar power now instead of health care reform?

Just a thought.