A brief update

My hopes have been flushed. Someone must have got there before me because the 1 fer $50 or 2 fer $100 deal on the Royal Thrones must have caught someone's fancy...either that or the Code Enforcement Officer drove down 7th street today.

THE TOILETS ARE GONE!!!!

The family reunion spot

Every year its a family reunion...but it's always a surprise to see who shows up. I'm talking about the cemetery tour of course. I'm a die-hard when it comes to cemetery visitin' & flowerin'. Well, maybe not a die-hard, but I can't remember a single Memorial day that I did not do it. And we now incorporate Mike's family too, so we add another day in the weekend. Fun family memories, the opportunity to share our heritage with our kids, and remembering those that came before. Good stuff.

I attribute my flower placin' passion to my ancestors...my parents of course, my grandparents and quite as well important my uncle Willard. Willard was my grandfather's brother. When I knew him he lived alone in a house next door to my grandparents. He had the most wonderful, enchanted play place under HUGE pine trees complete with stumps for walking on and playing anything your imagination could cook up. He had a tiny little kitchen that always held some sort of sweet and a beautiful piano in his parlor. He was the only one I knew that had a parlor. He loved to hear it played--loved to listen to hymns. But word to the wise, don't play Sweet Hour of Prayer at twice the speed just so you can show him how fast you can tickle the ivories. He was a simple man, a poet, a sailor, a lover of all things artistic. I'm sure there are many things I don't know about him, but I love what I do. One of those things, is he was the keeper of the cemetery. He carefully cleaned each headstone and arranged the flowers perfectly around with the help of my Grandmother and her incredible garden. He also made it known that you were not to step, climb or sit on those stones. That stance is debated in my family now and maybe I just have too much of the youngest child-want to please everyone syndrome, but I have it deeply ingrained in my soul and teach my kids the same because of Willard.

Ahh, but I digress.

The exciting thing about visiting the cemetery is that you know it will soon become a family reunion. Who will show up? Well that's anyone's guess, but you can bet on a few old and a few new--but all related faces.

So for this year's Guess who popped up at the cemetery list we have:

*Cousin Terry, who is related to the White's who are next to my family who are descendants of Robert & Annie one of the founding family's of Smithfield.

*Grace Afleck, okay she didn't pop up, she died in the 1800s but we found her grave. She was the second wife of John Thornley after his first wife Hellen died., the oldest member of our family buried here...born 1801. My sister-in-law happened upon a descendant of hers while on a business trip with my brother in Wine country California.

*Ray & Joy (You met them in a previous post)...well we do get to see them just about every year, but it is always fun to catch up.

*My uncle Virgil (My Mom's brother) and his daughter my cousin. This is about the only time we see Virgil anymore, as my Mom's older brother he knows a lot of the family history on that side of the family that we just don't know.

Part of the ritual is to repeat old stories and come learn new.

This year we learned all about my Grandpa Anderson. He was a member of the Utah National Guard and served in the First World War in the 145th Field Artillery Regiment Battalion A. He trained at Camp Kearney and served in France. I found this little tidbit on the Internet about it. (Paragraph 10). We also learned more about the orchard he owned on the land I now live and about his career as a shoe salesman. I never knew my grandfather, he died just a few months before I was born. I love hearing the stories.

So why is it so important to visit some green grass with rocks poking up? That's a good question. Couldn't we honor our departed relatives over a root beer and a barbecue? All in good time of course, I'm definitely not opposed to grilling up a hamburger. But there is something, real and almost tangible about hearing those stories in that hallowed place. About hearing about Robert and Annie, how in 1859 as they traveled to Smithfield they struggled because one of their oxen couldn't make it through the sandy soil and Robert had to hitch himself up...in the place they called Sand Ridge...the place they now call Roy. The thoughts of mothers & fathers and wives & husbands, sisters & brothers losing family members in 1919. The flu hit hard in our family. The memorial to Moselle 1902-1902. The heartache that must have been felt. Wondering how Grandpa felt when his cousin only 2 years younger than him died. Finding out that John outlived both of his wives...and they are both buried in the 'old' part of the cemetery. He must have lived by himself for many years. Wondering about one of the other founders of Smithfield. Seth and Sarah Langton. Noticing that there are never any flowers at their memorials. Wondering if their family has just moved away or if the family name simply died out. On Mike's side remembering how his several great grandpa John Walker survived Haun's Mill and his son William walked to Utah as part of the Mormon Battalion. Learning that your Mom's mom used to ride the Union Pacific to California to visit her fiance that was scheduled to ship out to France in the 'Great War', then marrying just days before he deployed. Yes, hearing the stories does the spirit good. We find out that we have incredible strength behind us that has weathered many a terrible storm. Somehow that makes it easier to forge ahead into the blustery unknown ahead.

Like Father....Like Son...

Like Father...

Like Son...

Coming soon, the results of all their hard work. (Just don't hold your breath as we are prone to drag projects out much longer than needed.)

The Perfect Combination...

Railroad tracks...Magic Tricks...Bubbles...Petting Zoo...Animals that still want to be combed even though they are nearly threadbare...New Backpack...Iconic Heroes...
Everything perfect for the 5 and under crowd...
Leaning out the window as the wind whistles by...

Must mean we had a Day out with Thomas.

(p.s. it's ok if you don't know Thomas...that probably just means you don't have a boy between the ages of 3 and 5.)

5 W's Rant

At the risk of sounding elitist, WHO on earth, leaves a used toilet on the front lawn with an attached for sale sign? Better yet, WHO buys it?


WHAT in the heck is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi thinking? And WHO does she think she's fooling?


WHEN will I be able to clean a room without the fear of equal damage being done to a different room?


WHERE is my sanity?


WHY, when there are at least 4 different ways to drive my kids to school does EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM include construction and WHY do I ALWAYS pick the route with the most delays?

My take on Governor Huntsman.

It was annouced Saturday that Utah's Governor Jon M Hunstman Jr. has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the position of Ambassador to China for the United States of America. See link here for more information.

Here is my take on the latest in Utah Politics.

1) It is a bit irritating when you vote for someone only to have them bail on the job 5 months later.

BUT...
2) I think he is VERY qualified for the Job of Ambassador to China.

3) When he ran for Governor I was NOT a fan of Gov. H. As a County Delegate to the Republican convention, my first impression of the man was 'plastic', 'entitlement', 'kingish'. I was very upset that he refused to come to Ogden to debate Nolan Karras (and others) during the primary. HOWEVER, I have found him to be a REALLY GOOD Governor. This is a man who just days (maybe hours into his term) had to deal with a natural flooding disaster near St. George. Has had to deal with a legislature that slants FAR right of his moderate views, and has fortified Utah for the hard times.

Some things I have liked about him:

*He has fortified education spending like no other governor in (Utah) history.

*He lowered the corporate sales tax significantly to be more in line with surrounding states. The consequence has been HUGE growth in businesses in Utah. Some I can think of off hand are Amer Sports, Hershey, Proctor & Gamble. All of have opened either corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants or distribution points in the last few years.

*He has taken on tough issues like the environment. I know he has done some crazy (stupid?) things there too, like the whole cap and trade agreement. Please someone explain in terms I can understand why that makes sense because I can't grasp it. BUT, on the other hand FAR too many republican members act like the environment is a democrat issue and they are not to be bothered with it. Well guess what the environment is a people issue. It is what we breathe, what we see, and what we are. We MUST pay attention to it so our kids are not strapped with health care costs like asthma and so we can continue to entice businesses to come here. I drove through California a couple of years ago and saw first hand the pollution around L.A., Utah because of its mountain setting is headed for that ugliness if we are not careful. We definitely need to preserve and keep clean our environment.

*Gov. Huntsman has taken on the Nuclear Waste lobby head on. He even once said he'd chain himself to the trucks /tracks if they tried to bring spent nuclear fuel rods into the state. He has stayed firm and unmovable on that important point.

*He has been proactive throughout the downturn in the economy. Calling special legislative sessions to stay on top of budget concerns rather than making drastic cuts because he waited too long.

*He has been fearless in implementing his ideas. Going to a 4 day work week was not too popular, and he did it just before an election. That takes courage.

*He pulled out the stops to get Real Salt Lake a major League Soccer Stadium built in Utah. There was a HUGE uproar about that, but I think he did exactly the right thing. The tax funds contributed to the stadium came directly from a tax set aside for tourism. It did not come of school funding or health care or anything else it was from a tax that could ONLY be used for supporting tourism. I think this is a wise use of the money as the stadium in only a short while is repaying the benefits by booking concerts, and international soccer matches. When they hosted Real Madrid and they didn't even have their stadium they had people from all over the world flying in to see the game. Controversial? Yes, but he stood firm.

In short I DID change my view of him and I think he has been an excellent governor. Does that mean I agree 100% with everything he has done? NO, but if I did don't you think there would be a problem with one or the other of us? Disagreement is central to a working society, its how we work out the differences that matter.

4) That said, I would have liked to see him stay on the job and work on some other pressing issues like health care and immigration.

5)Like I said before he is VERY qualified to be the Ambassador and that job will be of GREAT importance in a time that our economy is so closely connected to the world's largest population. It makes me feel better to have a person that appears to have high morals, high standards and a great work ethic tackling the issues.

6) For the future--I think if like speculation suggests that he might run for president someday, I think the move could only help him.

7) I'm not sure about Gary Herbert. There are a few things that bother me, but I had doubts about Gov. Huntsman too so I'll let things play out before I pass judgement.

I resemble this today...

I'm still picking gnats out of my teeth and eyebrows. BUT, I made it 16 miles on the Legacy Parkway trail today (It's a very nice trail and I saw and heard some cool birds), 13 miles last week, next week I'm going for 20 and the week after 26. So...on race day I'll just have to add 11 miles more. No problem right? The numbers sound daunting so I'm coming up with a new plan.

I tend to ride until I can't then take a break. I'm thinking though that if I took scheduled stops say like every 5 miles whether I need it or not I should be able to last the distance. Which by the way is now 37 miles instead of 35. What's up with tacking 2 more miles on the end?? Maybe I'll just add them to the beginning. :D

So Peggy, if you are reading this, what do you think?

21 Days and counting. If I was smart enough I'd add a counter on the side...but as of yet I can't figure it out. Anyone have ideas?