Autumn 2013

This pictures reminds me of the Big Piney River in Missouri  where I grew up.  I always loved setting on top of the bluff and over looking the river.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.  

Autumn is my favorite season. I love all the colors of the trees and the crisp air  I love the memories of raking huge piles of leaves as a child and then jumping in the pile with my sister and destroying it. I remember fondly gathering walnut and hulling them to eat during the winter.  

Walking through the woods was a favorite of mine. The autumn colors were always so breathtaking. What a gift nature gives to us. I enjoy the cooler nights and the warmer days. I especially love the fact that the bugs and snakes are gone for now, and I can enjoy my walk without a concern about either of those.

I love the memories of getting my children all dressed to go trick or treating and having them come home and count all of their candy.  

For me autumn is a time of reflection, and getting prepared for winter.  I love to see the squirrels gathering the acorns and storing them for winter.  

Color me SPRING

One of my favorite seasons is spring.  I love watching the trees and flowers come to life after a long COLD winter.  Of course, along comes with spring the allergens that effect so many of us.  I am just grateful for the medicines that have been developed to help with that. 

I remember when my oldest child Lori, was growing up, she couldn't go outside

as her allergies were so bad.  Each spring we would go to Missouri and visit my parents on the farm. My other children four would run and play outside, but Lori had to stay inside and read.  And when someone mowed the lawn she was miserable.  She was a good sport about it, and would try to do activities with us, like floating the river which was an annual event.  I think we all loved that. 

In addition to the pollen, all sorts of bugs, snakes and other creatures come out of hibernation.  Even with all of that going on, I look forward to the warm days and the cooler evenings of spring, to the rebirth and renewal of the earth.  It's Spring......Let's REJOICE!!!

Shoe Shoeshoeing in the Wasatch Mountains of UT

I love hiking and snow skiing in the mountains, but had never thought about shoe shoeing until this year.

 I decided it would be a wonderful idea to get my husband and I snow shoes so we could get out in the fresh air and enjoy the mountains together, since he doesn't ski as of yet. However, finding the snow shoes just before Christmas was a challenge.  It seems that snowshoeing is now one of the fastest growing winter sports in the world, and I can understand why. It is easy to learn, virtually inexpensive compared to other winter sports.

On Christmas Day we had our first snowshoeing adventure.  We began at the Little Cottonwood Trail which was idea as the elevation gain was not difficult for a beginner.  We enjoyed the hike through the snow covered trees and the sound of the bubbling creek nearby.  The natural setting of the steep granite cliffs was beautiful.  We only did a short hike on Christmas day, but went back on Saturday December 29th, and went further up the trail.

My husband said he felt exhilarated when we got back to the car. 

Skiing the Mountains of Utah

Snow skiing in the mountains, is always such a treat for me. Each Ski Resort has it's own beauty and all are like a winter wonderland.

My first husband and I had five children, two of which are twins.  When the twins were three, I decided that our family was going to ski together. My husband had been skiing a few times in his young life, but neither me nor the children knew how to ski.  The children ranged from the ages of 31/2 to 11 when we first attempted our first ski trip.  That year in 1976 we all got skis for Christmas, which was a stretch for us, but that was the beginning of many wonderful ski days as a family.  We all learned to ski  together on the bunny hill at Alta Ski Resort.  We would fall, laugh and get back up and try again.  It was a joy watching the children learn to ski.  They quickly learned and became much better skier than I ever will be.  But the important thing was having fun together as a family and with friends.  

I enjoy the adrenaline rush I get when I am faced with a challenging run and the satisfaction of accomplishing it. Skiing is physical exerting and relaxing at the same time. 

As I am skiing down the slopes, I enjoy the peace and solace of the mountains, the smell of fresh pine trees,  fresh air, the speed of the ground flying past me, and the sound of my skis slicing through the snow. 

Skiing clears my mind and invigorates my soul.  I love being in the great outdoors, conquering the elements, putting my body to the test as I schuss down the groomed runs.  All my troubles are forgotten and I am transcended for those moments in time.   

I love skiing with my family.  This year my daughter Michelle purchased, she and I and her husband Brad, annual passes for Wednesday's at Solitude Ski Resort. This is especially exciting to me, as I never thought I would ski again as I had a hip replacement done 7 years ago, but last summer the doctor gave me the OK to get back on the slopes, but to stay off the moguls which is fine with me. I went last Christmas with my son Michael and his son Douglas and we skied at Alta Ski Resort.  I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to ski since it had been so long since I had last skied.  Michael was a good instructor for both Douglas and I and before the day was over, the fear had left me.  It was a joy to be with them and watch my grandson Douglas learn to ski too. 

There is nothing like the feeling I get after a day on the mountain skiing with loved ones.  It is an such a peaceful, happy, feeling. 

Why Go Back to work after Retirement

Why would anyone who has retired and not have worked for five year want to return to work.  I guess there are a lot of reason. For me, I happen to like working.  I like the social interaction and financial benefits that come with being employed in order to maintain a desired lifestyle.

I missed the mental stimulation of work responsibility and contact with other people.  

Some people can fill their retirement years with volunteer work, travel, hobbies and family activities.

Richard and I did a lot of traveling those five years, when I didn't work,which I enjoyed.

After 5 years, I knew if I didn’t go back to work in my insurance industry it would be difficult to find a job later as I grew older.  I feel very blessed to have found a job working as a Secretary to an insurance agent at Farmers.I started working on September 4th and so far I am enjoying it very much.   I work 4 days a week. 

Tee Time!!!!!!

Why would anyone want to hit a little white ball and go chasing it down just to do it again? I began playing golf because my friends at work had a "girl's night golf outing" once a week and I wanted the social interaction with my co-workers and wanted to learn more about them on a personal level.

Before I began playing with them, I took golf lessons at Nibley Golf Course at 2780 South 700 East  Salt Lake City, UT.

I had such high expectation of myself.  After I had taken a few golf lessons, my instructor and I played a "real game" of golf.  I was so disappointed that I wasn't playing par golf on all of the holes.  My instructor laughed at me and said  "you are playing better golf than 1/2 these people on this golf course."  That made me feel better.

Each week my co-workers and I would visit a different golf course and play a game on the Executive Nine.  We never used a golf cart, as we wanted the physical exercise.

I find golfing to be very stimulating as I try to improve my game each week.Some weeks I do very well and other weeks I don't.  But I always leave feeling exhilarated, tired and happy.

I love the beautiful golf courses we have in Utah.  I love being surrounded by the mountains. 

I enjoy playing with friends, but most often my husband and I play together.  When we decide to go, we just get in the car and go.  We strive to play each Monday Night during the Summer, Spring and Fall.

Golfing is AWESOME!!!

Why..... Family Reunions?????

Friday, August 10, 2012

Why.... Family Reunions??????

We just returned  from the Flaming Gorge, Utah area where we spent Friday Night, Saturday and a half day  Sunday with (29) family members who came from Hawaii, Canada, Colorado, Texas and Utah just to spend a few days together. Why would people use their precious time and money to be together as a family for a weekend?

I know that years ago families would gather for an annual picnics, holidays,weddings and funerals. But normally they all lived in a closer proximity and it didn't take days of travel and lots of money to get together. 

As I have thought about the current time in which we now live, I am reminded that we truly do live in a "global world". Our family members live where their work takes them so their sense of home may not be rooted in a place, but in the larger family unit. Thus we have Family Reunions.  

It takes a lot of planning and preparation for a family reunion to occur.  One daughter who lived in Canada planned, organized, made assignments, and truly made our Family Reunion a happening event. Of course everyone did what they could to assist her as well.  

As each family member arrived at the campsite, it was truly beautiful to see each of them so excited to see each other and to be together. 

Some family members stayed at the campsite and camped while others with small children stayed in a condo or cabin but we were all together again.  A highlight of the trip is floating the Green River.  We made two 7 mile float trips down the river on Saturday.  There was lots of fun, and laughter. 

After it was over and we were driving home, a granddaughter who was riding in our car with us,  ask me what my favorite part of the reunion was.  I told her it was seeing the cousins all get together and reacquaint themselves together after not seeing each other for a year or more and also seeing the adults interacting and being kids again.  I also told her I enjoyed "running the river" with everyone on Saturday.

I think it is vitally important to get together as a family.  It shows the children,teenagers and  the adults that they are a part of something  bigger than just their immediate family.  It gives all who attend a sense of belonging to a large extended family that cares about them.  Each family member is different, but we can learn, appreciate and celebrate each others differences.