Writing My Life

Now and Then

Tag Archives: NaBloPoMo


by 3 Comments

… 31 straight days of posting, and all I’ve got left is “scrum” …

Thank you, Flickr, for this foto!

You know how you hear a word for the first time, and then flood gates open and you hear it again and again and again? For example, I remember the first time I “saw” the word “akimbo” – as in “she stood there with her arms akimbo.” It means she stood there with her hands on her hips. Guess that description was too blasé for Harper Lee, so she introduced me – and probably many other readers who poured over To Kill a Mockingbird – to that most unusual word.

I thought it sounded like a character’s name from Roots: Akimbo Kinte, son or daughter of Kunta???? There were not enough context clues to help me figure it out, and so I looked it up in a dictionary – this was before mass Internet. And, as often happens, the word started popping up all over the place. My favorite discovery occurred on the trip home from St. George one summer. We passed a truck hauling a sail boat and as we zipped by I noticed the vessel’s name plastered on the side: AKIMBO! Perfect name for a sailboat, don’t you think?

My latest addition to my vocabulary is SCRUM. Not being a follower of Rugby, I had NEVER heard this weird word. But on Friday evening at Joe’s pinning – NEVER heard of an MBA pinning either – the dean of the college asked the grads to “scrum” forward to pose for a class picture.

“Scrum”???? Like “scrum of the earth?” I guess that would work if the “scum bag” was also a “rummy.” But then would it be “scrummy?” No. The dean used it as a verb. Luckily, my daughter-in-law attended Highland High School – not MY Highland High in Pocatello, ID, but SLC’s HHS, where Rugby reins supreme. She clarified the term for me even though the dean used enough context clues that I was able to figure it out.

Obviously, SCRUM is a Westminster College favorite because the graduation speaker weaved it into his comments the following day, which accounted for the second time I heard the word.

The 3rd repetition was a surprise. Just minutes into Pirates of the Caribbean 4, viewers are introduced to a singing pirate named – yup, SCRUM. How he came by that moniker, I don’t know as there is very little written about the mate.

BUT, I’ll wager that he is one of them lovable RUM-swillin’ ScumBags!

Oh, and see you soon – but NOT tomorrow! 😉


by Leave a comment

… one more Memorial Day tribute … maybe ….

 

Dad dressed like this while serving as a Top Turret Gunner in a "Flying Fortress.

When I was young I thought Memorial Day or Decoration Day – as it was also called – was set aside to honor ALL whohad departed. And Americans do that, but I did not realize it is primarily a day to remember those servicemen who are no longer with those they fought for. While we attended the grave sites of both my father’s and G.E.’s, I thought of the time a few years ago when we learned more about my Dad’s’ war by visiting the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum near Savannah, Georgia. It was a great experience for us both, and the biggest thrill was finding Dad’s name carved on the long veteran’s wall.

Here is just a taste from that day of learning and thanksgiving.

The Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum 2003

The 379th Bomber Group

What they all fought for - PEACE!

G.E. points to Daddy's name on the Veteran's Wall

My hero!


by 2 Comments

… maybe I can be religious AND spiritual …

Personally, I need the hard back of a pew to keep me pointed toward God. So I guess I’m more religious than spiritual. ~ Lavar Webb

Lavar Webb and Frank Pignanelli are politicos who spar via their column in the Deseret News. Among several other topics discussed in today’s newspaper, the two addressed the difference between being “spiritual” and being “religious.” This interesting debate stemmed from a comment by potential presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Junior’s “articulate dodge of the religious question” as reported in TIME Magazine.

When asked about whether or not he was a practicing Mormon, our former governor replied that he was more spiritual than religious. Webb prefaced the above quotation by suggesting that “lots of people consider themselves spiritual, but not so interested in organized religion. They find spirituality in nature and meditation.”

Now I am NOT interested in debating whether or not Mr. Huntsman wanted to distance himself from the “Mormon question” in order to appeal to “closet agnostics,” Baptists,  or moderate Republicans or Democrats. I am merely reflecting upon my own condition. Am I …

  1. more spiritual than religious?
  2. more religious than spiritual?
  3. religious AND spiritual?

Tonight, I’m going with number 3. While many observers might see religion in the light of the “letter of the law,” I see religion as my doctor’s office. The place I regularly  go to check-up on my “spiritual” well-being. It is there, that my heart is examined through words from the pulpit as shared in Sacrament Meeting talks by fellow church members and through lessons in Sunday School and Relief Society.

To be clear, it is NOT church members or leadership who pinch and probe, it is that spirit that accompanies my reflections as I listen to and learn from others. And just as I do at the clinic, I commit to trying harder and doing better. Why? Because my spiritual life is dependent upon the “good-for-the-soul” changes I constantly work on.

I think the hard back of the pew does point me toward God who is so patient with me and toward friends who laugh at my craziness, family members who forgive my carelessness, neighbors who extend and receive kindnesses, clerks I meet at Maverick’s stations, frustrated drivers who flip me off when I inadvertently cut them off, co-workers I learn to respect, and people in far away places that I don’t know but want to help.

Many may not feel they need weekly prodding to do good. But I need all the help I can get to become more patient, more faithful, more prayerful, more grateful, “more spiritual.”

Yes, I find spirituality in nature, in meditation, AND in organized religion.


by Leave a comment

… a day to honor Dad and the Grad …

On the 28th day of May and of posting, G.E. and I enjoyed memories PAST and PRESENT. We visited the cemetery this morning to decorate the grave and honor my sweet father who has been gone from us for nearly 4 years. Seems impossible.

Mom, Sis, and 2 helpful husbands reminisced for a few moments as we set 3 pots of colorful mums around the site. We admired the headstone with its etched flag on Daddy’s side and carved flowers on Mom’s. Then we recalled once more how much my father loved Old Glory. Mom reminded us how he had to hang a flag at every house they ever owned – and there were several over the years. Connie talked about the time they first moved to Oregon, and she and Daddy drove all over Gresham to find a store that sold flags.

“That’s when we discovered Fred Meyers,” she said. “And it soon became Dad’s favorite shopping place.”

Mom had been tearful when we first arrived, but remembering and chatting and laughing soon brightened us all up.

A short time later, G.E. and I watched our Joe cross the stage at the Maverick Center to OFFICIALLY receive his MBA diploma from Westminster College. Yup, he was CAPPED, GOWNED, and HOODED, and I didn’t snap his picture fast enough before he shed the heavy and HOT regalia!!!

It was a joyous and lengthy occasion highlighted by that 15 seconds when the announcer called out our son’s name, and our small contingency of his supporters – Kara and the two little girls, Cindy – Mom-in-law, Dad and Mom, and Uncle Carl – shouted HURRAHS and clapped, Clapped, CLAPPED!

The college was organized in 1875 by members of the Presbyterian Church, and one of the great delights is Westminster’s tradition of employing bagpipes and drums to introduce and dismiss the graduates.   The group was amazing, and the music brought chills and tears. What a great day. I LOVED it!


by 2 Comments

… PINNED …

image

image

image

Tonight Westminster College pinned our son Joe. After an 18-month “courtship,” it’s now official. The college bestowed him with an MBA, and he committed to become a lifetime donor. At least that’s how the dean explained the evening’s event!

CONGRATS to our Joseph and his beautiful, brilliant, and super supportive wife Kara!


by 6 Comments

… Memorial Day ~ may be one of my favorite holidays …

Those who know me will say, “Of course, Memorial Day is your favorite! It’s your birthday!”

This year that is true, but since President Nixon relegated the day of memories to the last Monday of May, sometimes the holiday is and sometimes it isn’t on May 30th – the ORIGINAL Memorial Day AND my birthday. While I am THRILLED to celebrate another year here on earth, birthdays don’t quite offer the same delight they did when I was 6 or 10 or 16.

Memorial Day does bring me a HUGE dose of nostalgia, and for a person who is ALWAYS nostalgic, that is saying something. Tonight is a case in point. I decided to rummage through some boxes of old photos looking for who-knows-what, and I found all but 2 of our sort of “official” family pictures. For a long time I have wanted to post them, and decided that I’ll start off the Memorial weekend with these “happy family” photos. (Of course, we all know what goes into organizing a trip to the photographers – hence the sarcasm.)  So here we go down Memorial Day Lane.

We looked SO happy because we were!

I look at this picture and fall in love all over again.

The Bouffant and the Soldier Boy!

The beginning of the BOYS!

The boys have ALL ARRIVED including Teddy, the Cocker Spaniel.

TOTAL 80s look going on here!

We were all together for the first time in 2 years because Andy had just returned from his LDS mission.

We had gained AND lost some daughters-in-law about this time, so I'm just posting the ROOT of our family.

My niece took MANY photos of the fam, but I LOVE this CRAZY-FACES pose! AND we were happy to welcome the NEW daughter-in-law who married into the family that year!

This is a terrible PICTURE of the PICTURE 'cause I don't have one that does NOT hang on a wall. It's WAY out of date because 3 more little peeps have joined the family. Maybe we can just "photo-shop" the new additions!!!


by 1 Comment

… “lollypop, lolly pop, OH! LOLLY, LOLLY POP!” … may be the most disgusting treat IN THE WORLD!

It is DAY 23 of posting EVERY DAY IN MAY! Sheesh! I do have some important things to write about, just not tonight. Mondays are always SO tough, aren’t they? And this has been a pretty rotten day for some family members and friends.

To liven things up, I pulled out a photo taken by Grand-daughter Taylor. It features a VERY creepy, crawly, AND CRUNCHY treat I brought back from Albuquerque. Believe me it took courage to even buy these little suckers! And I just know there is a story to be told about how these “alacranes” found themselves in such a predicament!

Which do you prefer: Pineapple, blueberry, or apple SCORPION???

Maybe we could retell a favorite tale – something like “3 Little Scorpions.” They crawl off through the desert to seek their fortune but end up swimming in vats of artificially flavored corn syrup. Imprisoned in their glass-like houses, the 3 are packaged and trucked many more miles until they end up in the home of the bravest kid on earth – one who actually EATS the suckers … scorpions and ALL.

YUKKY!!!!


by 3 Comments

… weary of bad weather? maybe blossoms are the cure for the grumps …

Utahns have been griping for weeks, maybe even MONTHS,  because of WAY below-normal temperatures and WAY above-normal rainfall. At the slightest ray of sunshine, we run out to play or work in the yard – so thrilled to feel even the tiniest bit of warmth on our faces.

I love this representation of spring in Utah: snow in the mountains, trees in bloom, and trees struggling to bud.

Yesterday – while waiting for the Rapture – I, too, rushed lumbered to the front yard to pull up spent tulips and to plant pale pink petunias and lavender creeping flox. It was the perfect time to weed and plant because the soil had been softened by so much moisture.

Our flowering crab apple tree surrounded by pink petunias worshiping at its feet/roots??? Pansies peeking from the background may last the entire summer if temperatures stay this cool!

Because of the other “bucket-list” plans on the day to end all days, I didn’t have much time to bask in the handiwork of my gardening. But after lunch with Mom and Connie B, and after attending the wonderful heart-warming play at the Hale Theatre, I drove up to my yard with a greater appreciation for all that was blooming!

"In the leafy tree tops the blossoms are blooming!"

This is my favorite tree in bloom is this little Japanese flowering tree – whose full name I can’t remember. Grrrrr. It is also the tree-of-choice for our little yellow-feathered friend. He finds something yummy to eat among the branches and blossoms. I hope he returns to dine soon.

It amazes me that this delicate little tree survives and thrives - showing up bigger and heartier looking kin.

Not all that long ago snow covered our young snowball bushes. Soon the little green blossoms will burst into big puffs of white!

I wish I had the memory to remember the names of everything I plant, but I don’t. If any readers can tell me what this pretty pink flowering perennial is, I will be ever so grateful.

The plant reminds me of bleeding hearts, but those don't thrive out here on the western desert like this nameless beauty does.

While this montage may bore many, I am thankful I took these pictures and posted them because a rather nasty thunder storm – complete with HAIL – descended upon my lovelies and stripped some of their beautiful blossoms. The remnants lie scattered upon the green lawn much like strands of hair piles up on the floor at the barber shop.


by 3 Comments

… that cute little bird may be the toughest little chirper in our yard, too …

Remember that cute bird I “think” is the Orange-crowned warbler? I said I hoped to catch a picture of him. Well, I’ve had my Nikon CoolPix at the ready all week, but he flitted in and out of our yard so fast that I couldn’t catch him – until today.

Bless his heart, he flew CRASH, BOOM, BANG right into our picture window, leaving behind a small smudge of goop and a feather. G.E. witnessed the near-tragic event and hollered that our bird was sitting in the flower bed in a stupor. I just happened to have camera in hand and so I rushed out to capture these pictures.

Think he has a concussion?

LOOK! You can see his ORANGE CROWN. Or is that blood?

Thankfully, he was still alive, and he didn’t seem at all concerned about the giant ShutterBug snapping his picture. In fact, he seemed happy to see me. More importantly, he flew off after about 15 minutes.  He wasn’t about to be “Left Behind.” Snicker. Snicker.


by 2 Comments

… I think maybe the world is supposed to end tomorrow or something …

I just learned from watching the 10 o’clock news that the world is supposed to end tomorrow at 4:00 P.M. I thought I had until 2012, gosh darn it.

Who is right? Reverend Harold Camping who resides, preaches, and prophesies in Oakland, CA. Or the 5125 year Mayan calendar, upon which the flopbluster movie 2012 was based.

Because of the late notice, I haven’t done much to prepare for the event. I don’t know how I missed the one Utah billboard planted near Lagoon that announced the earth’s demise or the thousands of placards and brochures being passed out across the nation or David Letterman’s Top 10 list of “How to Make the Apocalypse More Fun.” 

I always thought that NO ONE knew the day or the hour that the Lord would return to the earth, not even ad men. I understood that “He cometh like a thief in the night” – NOT at 4:00 in the AFTERNOON when I’m attending a play with my sister and mother.

When I was little – not in girth but in height – I had nightmares about the world’s end. Of course, my dreams weren’t of earthquakes or tidal waves but of the BOMB. Fires roared everywhere around a big white house where I stood on the porch watching people running from the flames. It was pretty traumatic.

I had never heard of the RAPTURE before living in the south, and I happened to be in Georgia when the LEFT BEHIND series of books were flying off shelves. Everybody was talking about those novels, including the teachers and students at the school where I taught.

One day after the dismissal bell, I step out of my shoes, shed my sweater, and dropped whatever I was holding all in a small pile in on the floor. Then I rushed to the rest room. My colleague next door walked into the classroom to  chat with me. All she found were the shoes, sweater, book and papers. Maria then announced that the Rapture had occurred and Renae had been taken; the rest of them were left behind.

This was quite surprising because my team mates were Baptists and Methodist – sects that really don’t think Mormons like me have a chance in h… of being caught up in the Rapture!

Before bidding you all farewell, I’d like to thank the Rev. Camping and the Mayans for the warning, but if I’m not ready for such an event by now, I doubt I will be.

If the good fellow is right THIS TIME, I won’t be able to finish my month of blogging every day, and I won’t be able to claim my badge from NaBloPoMo.

If he is wrong, I’ll announce it tomorrow right here in this spot. In the meantime, have a good day tomorrow as it just might be the last.