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. 

Hiking the Watsatch Mountains

Sunday, May 20, 2012

There is something about being on a hiking trail in the mountains that is completely therapeutic to me. I enjoy the solitude, the scent of the mountain air, the sound of rushing water in the streams/rivers below, and just being so close to nature. There is satisfaction when I make it to the next curve in the trail, and a sense of accomplishment when I finally make it to my final destination. 

There is a beauty in hiking that you just can't find in looking at the view from the bottom of the mountain or from the top either, for that matter.  You have to be" in the mountains"to experience the serenity of it.  It is interesting too, being in the woods and feeling such peace, because if you look closely you will see it really is chaos.  There is fallen dead trees and leaves everywhere, which if that was in my yard at home, would not be peaceful at all.  I would have to clean it up. But here in the mountains, I don't see the chaos, I just enjoy being one with nature.   

Recently, my daughter Michelle and her husband Brad invited our family to go up Millcreek Canyon to enjoy a picnic by the stream with them.  My husband, Richard, wasn't able to join us as he had a prior appointment, so I rode up the canyon with Michelle, Brad and their dog Sadie.  We arrived at their desired campsite about 3:00 p.m.  I immediately wanted to go on a hike, but  Michelle and Brad wanted to relax around the camp area with Sadie.

 I decided to take the same trail that Michelle and Brad had hiked a few days before.  However, I took a wrong fork in the trail and ended up going on a completely different trail.  It was beautiful. Much of the hike was by a creek which was awesome.  I crossed over about three log bridges before starting a steeper climb.  I had decided to hike until 4:00 p.m. so I would be back by the time my other daughter Kim and her two children arrived.  What I didn't realize was that my watch was an hour slower than the original time.  So when I turned around to go back down the mountain it was 5:00 p.m instead of 4:00 p.m.  I figured it would take me about an hour to get down, which it did.  I arrived back at camp just a Kim and her children got there.  Michelle and Brad were starting to get worried about me.  Even if they would have started to look for me, they wouldn't have been able to find me, as I was on a different trail.

When hiking, it is imperative to let someone know exactly what trail you will be on, and when to expect you back.

This was my first hike in the mountain since we returned to Utah after being in Missouri for five years.  Richard and I used to hike in the summer every Friday Night after work.  I loved it.  Sometimes we would hike with friends, other times we hiked together, but I had never hiked alone before, so this was a new experience for me.  I found that I really enjoyed hiking, it fees  my soul. It gives me time for reflection, peace and solitude. 

I know I pushed "my limits" physically, as I returned to camp exhausted but exhilarated.  Then being able to sit around the campfire, breathing in that fresh mountain air, with several members of my family was such a joy.  I loved watching the two little ones roast their marshmallows as Uncle Brad showed them how to roast their marshmallows just perfectly (without burning them)  for their smores, was delightful. 

Michelle had prepared the food for the picnic with all the cut up fruit, chip, hot dog, etc.  It tasted delicious.  She and Brad have this camping and eating outside to a science.  You should have seen their car, loaded with every thing needed to make the experience for all of us enjoyable.

It was a memory building day, and I thank Michelle and Brad for inviting us to go with them. 

If Not Me Then Who? If Not Now Then When?

Monday, April 23, 2012

I was reading an article the other day and this question caught my attention "If not me then who? If not now, then when?"  I have thought about that question and how it applies to my life. I think it can apply to the little things we do on a daily basis, like cleaning the house, doing the dishes, visiting the sick, listening to friend or family member, or reading a book to a child.  It can also apply to the bigger things as well like going back to work after a five years sabbatical, changing a career, going back to school to finish a degree, getting fit, and enjoying a more healthy lifestyle or changing a habit. There are many ways that we can effect change in our lives.  

As with everything worthwhile in life this question of change requires effort and action.  Change in our lives is inevitable. We just need to take charge and do the work to make the change needed.  Years ago I was taking an oil painting class and I had just completed a painting which was an autumn scene.  I took the painting home, and realized I didn't like it. The following week, I took the painting back to class and told my teacher that I didn't like the painting.  She said "well, if you don't like it, change it."  I said "I can do that?  She said "of course you can." I asked "how"?  She said "you have always loved winter scenes, so snow on it" which is exactly what I did.  I went to work, adding snow all over the autumn scene, and it has been one of my favorite painting ever since.  I have it hanging in my bedroom, and every time I look at it, I am reminded of this statement " if you don't like it, change it".  That painting to me represents "change" every time I look at it.

Change is not easy,  it takes believing in yourself and faith to make positive changes.  Sometimes it feels like  walking from the light into darkness or from the known to the unknown, which in fact we are. My niece posted this statement on facebook today which goes along with what I have been thinking. "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."-Martin Luther King Jr.
We need to Believe in Change, not just for ourselves but for others too. 

As we learn to recognize options and opportunities,and  if it feels right then,  "go for it"!  Trust yourself knowing that if it doesn't work out, you can change it. 

We all need to pursue our dreams and grow from our experiences and asked ourselves this question occasionally  "If not me, then who? If not now, then when?"

Words are Powerful

Sunday, April 1, 2012

I love words.  They can be thought provoking, empowering, enlightening, enriching and motivating when properly used together.  They can also be sharper than a two edge sword.

I was inspired to write this while visiting with one of my daughters a couple of months ago.  In her home she had typed up different positive"feel good" words, cut them out, laminated them and put them on a wall in her hallway between the bedrooms, bathroom and living room so that each day the family could see these positive, uplifting words.  In her kitchen she had also a framed picture with words that inspired. I thought that was a brilliant idea.

Words are like crystals, they change when viewed from different angles of ones life.  We all come from different backgrounds and certain words that were used in one persons while growing up, can be viewed very differently from a spouse or significant other in a relationship, which can create anger, hurt, disdain, and arguments causing disharmony in a home.  Everything we do and say in our lives is shaped by our particular life experience

I was discussing this subject with someone the other day, and this person said that she and her husband had talked about the words each had use frequently in their parent's home and what that word meant to them.  What they realized was that what one word meant to them wasn't what the other meant at all.   It's all about perspective as words trigger concepts, ideas, memories, situations, circumstances, actions, thoughts and feelings from your past.  They appear to relate to the subject at hand, but in most cases they have little or nothing to do with the subject at all.

Growing up in a home with two brothers and a father who couldn't complete a sentence without using a swear word.  I didn't use swear words but learned to use substitute words such as "darn", "heck" "gosh" etc.  I am sure you get the idea. I not only was physically and emotionally abused by a particular member of my family but also was verbally abused.  As a protection against hurt, I responded by inappropriate behavior and snapped back with verbal sarcasm. It has taken me years to overcome most of these words and behaviors and yet I still find myself at times in that same protective mode.

Just recently I had an experience with my three year old grandson.  As I had picked he and his sister up from daycare and was driving to my granddaughter dance class, I said one of those substitute words. Immediately, my three year old grandson said "Nana, we don't say that word."  I told him I was sorry and said "Oh, spaghetti".  They both started laughing and we had a good time making it a positive experience. The words of a scripture in Isaiah 11:6 came to my mind, " and a little child shall lead them."

There are other people who can't get through a sentence without using the word "like".  It is difficult to concentrate on what they are saying when they use that word several time in a sentence.  It would be wonderful if our society could get back to a more pure language. 

Then there is the word "WHY", which is a word we need to use in asking questions.  So how can "why" be a negative word? Have you ever been asked "why" you did a certain thing when you have no idea why you did it yourself? How does it make you feel? Do you feel like you are being judged, or being treated like a child? How do you react to that statement? Do you take on a helpless role thinking “I never do anything right” or do would you simply withdraw from the situation thinking“okay, whatever”.  Most of the time it is how the question was asked,what  body language or intonation of their voice that was used and most likely the person who asked the questions has no idea, it was offensive.

Words are Powerful.  Our children are faced everyday when they go to school by put downs and verbal abuse.I have seen this starting with three and four year old children.  The only defense we have is to make our homes a safe haven. We can do this by choosing our words wisely so we build, encourage, and inspire those we love as well as anyone we come in contact with.

The Importance of Time

Monday, March 12, 2012

I have been thinking a lot about the value of time lately.  We all have 24 hours in a day, but what do we do with those hours?  I hear a lot these days about "living in the moment", but just exactly how is one suppose to do that, when there are so many distractions around us.

For me it has to do with the attention I am giving to a family member, friend, or complete stranger as I   actively listen to what they are saying, or the attention I am paying to a task I am doing.  I used to pride myself into think I was a great multi-tasker. But now, I don't think my the brain is capable of multi-tasking. Oh, I can talk and breathe and do a task, but when it comes to doing high level tasks, other that breathing, I have to give that task my full attention.  Now some might say it is because I am getting older.  I don't think that is necessarily so.   Studies have shown that people in the workplace who are sending emails, answering their phones, sending instant messages or being on Facebook, Twitter or My Space- all at the same time are making 50% more errors and their work takes twice as long to do. We are not supper human.  


Someone once said that" time is an illusion.  There is only a constant change and that is "NOW".  Even the words I just typed is now in the past.  But for some reason, it is so easy to put our attention to everywhere except the "NOW".  


As I think back over the past three months, I cherish these precious moments with family and friends
1.  Skiing at Alta with my son Michael and Grandson Douglas.  
2.  Having enough room in our home to have family and friends stay with us when they are in town. 
3.  Getting our Missouri home rented to Michelle and Marty Martinez on February. 
4.  Staying with Lori, Sean, Kadin and Kaia in February, where we played games together,watched Kaia in her gymnastic class..
5.  Getting my UT drivers license and car registered in UT, so now I am legal.
6.  Sitting in a hospital room with my dear friends Pat Prather while her husband John Prather tried to recover from a fall, putting him in a coma never to regain conscious again.  What a loving feeling in the room during those two weeks he was in a coma.  The morning he graduated from this life into the next, I was with Pat and John's three girls, only five minutes after he passed, and there was the sweetest feeling of peace in his room. It was a feeling of peace and tranquility which I had never experienced before.
7.Attending John Prather's funeral and there reuniting with several dear friends, I hadn't seen in many years from the "singles ward."
8. Driving to a doctors's appointment in only five or ten minutes. 
9.  Picking up my grandchildren,Emy and Gunner Wares from daycare on Tuesday afternoons and taking them to Emy's Dance class where Kim picks them up after she gets off work.
10. Having my daughter Michelle and husband Brad moving to the Salt Lake area and living only four miles from us.
11.  Babysitting my GrandDog (Sadie) when Michelle and Brad are out of town.
12.  Enjoying Sunday Dinners with family members
13.  Being able to fly back to St Louis and attend Kadin's 4th grade class program and enjoying watching her receive recognition for her academic achievements in Reading, Science and Social Studies. 
14.  Reading good books
15.  Having friends over for dinner.
16.  Playing games with friends.
17.  Enjoying my time with husband Richard.

We never know how much TIME we have allot to us.  As it says in the scriptures in Psalms 90:12 .  "Our days are numbered".  We don't know how much Time we have left on this earth.

My focus is going to be on Living my life fully, enjoying what and who is with me and appreciating every moment I have as well as everything the Lord has given me.

Reflections of 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

This is the time of year that I look back with cherish memories and celebrate life, health, family, and good friends.  Family is a BIG part of my life all year long.  There is nothing sweeter than being with family. We seem to grow closer during the holidays.

Last Christmas we broke the tradition of staying home and spent the Christmas Holiday in the Northwest. We were able to spend with daughter Michelle & her husband Brad during the holidays, in Troutdale, OR. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was spent with son Paul and his family in Ashland, OR.  Son-in-law Brad Gerttula, was our pilot on Skywest as we flew to Medford, OR where son Paul Stone picked us up.  He drove us over to where he and Roxanne worked and then we all drove to Ashland,OR together.                                                                                                       

 We were also able to visit with long time friends Lynn and Ann Humble, who live in a suburb or Portland.

On January 1^st we attended granddaughter Nichole Catlett’s marriage to Justin Wamsley. What a beautiful wedding and reception it was.  Nichole was a beautiful bride. 

February 1^st we experienced firsthand “The Snow and Ice Storm of the Century” as we were driving from Missouri to Tucson, AZ to visit daughter Kim and her children. We were held up in a hotel room at Shepherd Air Force Base for two days and even then we probably shouldn’t have left as the roads were extremely dangerous. 

In April, our daughter Michelle and her husband Brad gave us an early Mother’s Day gift and Father’s Day gift by inviting us to go with Michelle to see our son Michael, his wife Carrie and their three children in Germany. It was a joy to be with our family in Europe. Michael and Carrie showed us as much of the area as possible, in the short time we were there. A highlight was an activity called “Tree to Tree”, where Michael, Michelle, Richard and Douglas climbed up wooden rope ladders to different aerial obstacle courses.  There were four different courses: Green, Blue, Red, and Black Diamond.    All of them got progressively more difficult. The different elements contain as many mental challenges as physical ones.

In June we made a trip to Salt Lake City for Grandson Josh’s McIff’s high school graduation. 

In July we flew to Salt Lake City for three different family reunions. We so enjoyed seeing several family members and watching the little cousins play together. One of our grandchildren said “I didn’t know we had such a big family”.  So cute.

We also met with a Real Estate agent who spent the day showing us homes for sale, as we were thinking about moving back to the Salt Lake City area. 

After return to our home in Missouri in July, we were looking on the internet and found a condo in the same Utah condo complex that we used to live.  We made an offer on it that very day.  It was countered and we accepted the offer by Sunday. On Monday, Richard was on a plane again to take the earnest money to our agent. He had to stay a few days until the inspection was done. 

August was a BIG month for us.  Our son-in-law Sean was in a serious motorcycle accident in UT. He spent 3 weeks in the U of U hospital, but we are happy to report that he is doing better now and is back working again. We also attended Grandson Ryan Sant’s Eagle Scout Award Ceremony, as well as his Mission Farewell to Argentina. By the end of August, we had moved back to Utah. 

November  From November 2^nd to the 14^th we were given an early Christmas Gift. A trip to Dusseldorf, Germany and Paris, France.  We were gone almost two week.  It was relaxing,fun, and  educational .  Seeing the Eiffel Tower was amazing.  We were able to go all the way to the top.

December:  We will be having different family members staying in our home from December 14^th to January 6^th. My Daughter Lori and her two girls Kadin and Kaia arrived on Dec 14th.  We had fun making decorating cookies, going to see the lights at the Zoo, attending a Dance Recital for Granddaughter Emerson Wares.  Lori's husband Sean got here on Dec 18th.  My daughter Michelle arrived here on the Dec 22nd and her husband Brad arrived on the 23rd.  Michael arrived in SLC on the 22nd and Carrie and the children, Douglas, Annaliese and Ava had came in earlier and was staying with her mother. On the night of Dec 23rd, Michael, Carrie & family, Michelle & Brad and Richard and I all went to see the lights on Temple Square.  They were so beautiful. 

December 24th, was extra special this year.  Michelle and Brad had gotten each of their nieces and nephews two gifts each.  They had put a lot of time and effort thinking about each child and what gift they might want.  We arranged for everyone to meet here at noon, and let Michelle and Brad give their gifts to the children so they could watch them play with whatever they had gotten them.  Michelle said it was her best Christmas ever, watching those little children play together.  Every single gift they gave was exactly what the children wanted.  It was a thrill to watch.  

Richard had invited three of his children and their families over in the afternoon.  Tiffany came with her three children.  Her husband Jeff was still in flight from Canada.  Wendy and Lance came with Tyson, Dakota,and Payten.  Charlie came as well as a very dear friend to Richard, Jan Mayer and his friend Beverly.  So we had in our home at one time 29 people with 16 adults and 13 children.  What a joy to have them all around. 

It is our Faith, Family, and Friends that sustain us in our lives, no matter what else is happening in the world. We are so grateful for all the friends and family that support and love us.