September Visit to Utah

My two older children remain in Utah, as do four of my seven grandchildren.   It seems I never get enough time with the Utah family.  The grandchildren are nearly grown, so time with them now becomes all the more precious.  When the grandchildren were younger, and when I was teaching, most of my visits would occur around the Christmas holidays, or perhaps I would visit for a week during Spring Break.  I also tried to visit the family during summer.  Rarely, have I had an opportunity for an extended visit.  This year is different.  My son and his wife have gone to Europe for a visit with her parents.  They are also making a bit of a vacation out of their time away.  

While they are gone, I am supervising my seventeen-year-old grandson, Bridger.  

I'm also getting to know him better.  That is a real treat!  When he was younger, I think he was always busy with his older brother and sister, or with the other cousins when I was around, so he and I never had much one on one time.  I've come to know some things about Bridger that I didn't know before:

• He makes his coffee really strong.  I learned that the first morning I was here when I poured myself a cup of coffee from the pot of coffee he had made before school.  He loves to brew his special coffee and add frothed milk before he starts his day.  
• He usually fries himself two eggs over easy before he heads out to school.  As I watched him cook, I said, "Bridger, you make your eggs just like I do.  Not many people can cook eggs for me because I am so picky.  I will eat eggs the way you fry them."
• Bridger has great social skills.  He is able to strike up a conversation, and keep it going, with nearly anyone.  I have so enjoyed talking with him.  When he is speaking with someone, he asks questions that show he in genuinely interested in the person he is speaking with, and he remains engaged in the conversation.  He is intelligent, has a great sense of humor, and truly is just a pleasure to be around.
• He goes to bed early and gets up early.  He is quite self-suffient.
• He works hard three days a week after school.  This means that he drives great distances on those days because he works because he has a commute to school, then he commutes to work, and while on the job he also commutes. He is the courier of products between the stores in the family owned business.  He loves his job because he gets to drive, gets a tank of gas out of the gig, and he gets paid also.  All of that adds up to a winning deal for him.
• He has good friends that have pretty much been his lifelong friends.  He likes hanging out with them too.
• While his older siblings are away from home in college and working, he is also an awesome brother to his two step-brothers.  He called to see if they could take in a movie this week while they are with their dad and while their mom is gone.

In truth, this gig of staying with Bridger has been an easy one so far. It has been great staying in someone else's beautiful and comfortable home.  

While I've been in Utah, I've had plenty of time to spend with my oldest daughter, and I've made plans to meet up with old friends that I don't often get to see.  I've also had time to read, walk, and explore my surroundings, or learn to find my way around areas that once were familiar years ago.

Before Ryan and Sheridan took off on their trip, they showed me the ropes so I could stay here with Bridger.  Then, after lunch with them, I drove them to the airport.  I snapped a quick photo before they left, and then they were off.

I was so excited for them.  They have been working so hard that they barely had time to plan this get away.  Being young and adventuresome is an advantage when one travels.   Once they landed at their destination, they jumped into vacation mode and were ready to explore and enjoy the new sights,  museums, foods, and culture.  

Family Time in Utah

The next evening after Ryan and Sheridan left, I was able to go to a concert with my daughter Keicha at Red Butte, a nature center in Salt Lake City near the University of Utah. 

The performer for the concert was Kacie Musgrave.  The show was fun and upbeat.  The setting was spectacular.  It was so much fun to spend the evening with Keicha.  We have too few of these experiences together where just the two of us can have a fun night out.   I made us a pasta salad, bought some meat and cheese, fruit, and other picnic food for us to eat while we at the concert.  I loved being with my girlie.  We talked, and laughed, and giggled over other times when we have made some pretty funny memories.  

The next night, I was again able to go out with Keicha.  This time, we attended a fund raiser for the Nature Center in Ogden, Utah.  I took no pictures.  I wish I had because everything about the event was perfect:  the setting, the people, the food.  Over the years, I've met a number of people whom are friends of either my son Ryan or my daughter Keicha.  It is nice to connect with their friends again on an evening such as the one we had.  

After the fund raiser, Keicha and her friend Kelly went to the baseball game.  I had planned on going, but I wanted to head the forty miles towards Ryan and Sheridan's home before it got too dark.  It was actually the first time I've ever done any highway driving since my cataract surgeries this spring, so I was a bit anxious about getting the drive over.

On Sunday, Keicha, Bridger, and I had Sunday brunch together.  Keicha was taking her turn at taking a meal to her grandfather on Sunday afternoon, so we all went with her to deliver the meal she had prepared.  It had been a longer time than I wish since I had been to see my former father-in-law.  In fact, I had not been to see him since my former mother-in-law passed away several years ago.  He has always been a very dear and special person to me.  

While we were at Grandpa's house, Keicha made sure Bridger's height was measured and recorded on the wall where family members record growth records.  Grandpa and Bridger caught up on things in each other's lives.  Bridger was quite fascinated to learn Grandpa had gotten his pilot's license in his younger years.  

I think we all have places that have become central to us when we look back on our lives.  Certainly the home of my former in-laws is one of those places for me.  It was in this home where I first got to know my former husband and his family.  Fifty years ago last month, I left this house to walk across the street to the church on the corner to marry my former husband and father of my children.  

This past Sunday, as I walked to the front door of that house, so many memories flooded back.  In 1966, I sat on those front steps with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law on long summer evenings or on Sunday afternoons eating sour apples sprinkled with salt that we had picked from the tree out back while my new husband was away doing his basic training for the Army in Ft. Ord, California.  It was during these summer evenings that I not only got to know my new family, but I bonded deeply to them.

Nearly every Sunday afternoon or evening during the years my family was young when I lived in Utah, we would visit Grandma and Grandpa at their home.  Often we were treated with homemade raspberry ice cream made by Grandpa.  The raspberries came from his garden.   His garden kept his grown family and probably half of the neighborhood in fresh produce throughout the summer for as long as I can remember.  How I loved those fresh tomatoes from his garden.  Often, my lunch consisted of just garden fresh tomatoes from Grandpa.

The backyard was the gathering place for so many summer evening picnics to celebrate a birthday, a baby shower, or Father's Day. I asked Grandpa how his garden was doing, and he said he only had a few tomato plants that had not done well this year, oh, and of course there were the raspberries.  And, there had been some good peaches earlier, he said.

Hoping to find some raspberries, Bridger and I headed to the backyard.  We were in luck.  There were a few delicious ripe raspberries waiting to be picked and eaten.  

Keicha came out to see what we were doing.  As she stood on the stairs of the deck memories of the day she walked down those stairs on her wedding day to be married in this very yard also came flooding back.  

My former father-in-law, now in his early 90's,  is a bit stooped over, and he said he can't hear or see "too good," but his voice was strong as he asked for all of the the children and grandchildren, my husband, and for my mother.  He told about a book he was reading.  He reminisced  a bit about the days he was a pilot for Bridger.  His once youthful, handsome face now seemed as if it had been refined by the years he has lived.  He has always been such a kind and good man to me.  Always.  I kissed him on the cheek when we left and told him I loved him.  He remains "Dad" to me.  It was hard to visit him and know that "Mother" is no longer there with him.  I'm so grateful to have had this short visit with him.

One evening, my granddaughter Regan stopped by with one of her girlfriends to visit.  She is living working and living up in Logan, Utah, with her brother Parker.  He is going to Utah State, and she will attend school up there next semester.  That girl lights up my life.  She looked well and happy.  She is becoming an independent young lady.  

Last night I had dinner with Keicha, Bridger, and Gillian, Keicha's daughter. Gillian, now a senior in high school, is working after school, so it is hard to find time to spend with her.  She is doing so well.  She told me she had just gotten a raise at work.  I'm so proud of her.  It was good to have a quiet, grown-up dinner with these two.  Aren't they beautiful?  I love their dark, thick curly hair, their smiles, and their personalities.  What a blessing grandchildren are.

I marvel at the way my grandchildren have grown-up.  It happened way too fast. 


In the evenings, I have tried to get my 10,000 steps in by walking.  The altitude is lower in Utah than in Colorado, but I have quite a climb to make as I head towards a beautiful walking path near the place I am calling home this week.   Actually, the path is not really a path; it is a boulevard which is situated on a bench created thousands of years ago when the water from the pre-historic Lake Bonneville receded and evaporated.  This great walking area also provides me with the perfect place to gaze west out over the valley where below the city the landscape changes from cityscape to flatlands, marshes, and then mudflats that meet the Great Salt Lake in the distance. Beyond that, I watch the sun set on the horizon behind the mountains in the distant west.

To the north, I see the 9,716-foot mountain called Ben Lomond.  This is northern most peak of the Wasatch Mountain Range.  It is at the foot mountain where I lived for so many years in Ogden, Utah, which is located about forty miles from where I am now staying. 

It always takes me a while to adjust to what I see as the "weirdness" of Utah.  The landscape of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah fascinate me, and I find them beautiful, but I am always struck by how different it is from the landscape along the Front Range of Colorado.  The mountains in the Wasatch Range are not as wooded as the foothills and mountain near my home.  The mountains themselves are not as tall as the mountains near my home.  In fact, when I first moved to Utah over fifty years ago, I was asked if I liked living by "our beautiful mountains" by a neighbor.  I looked at the mountains near our home in Ogden, Utah, and replied in an unintended rude way, "Where I come from in Colorado, we call these foothills."  In my defense, I had just left Leadville, Colorado, where the city at over 10,000 was surrounded by mountain tops all over 14,000 feet in elevation.  I was just trying to wrap my head around how odd the landscape appeared to me at the time.  I find I still do that.  

I wish I had brought my camera with me on this trip, but since I didn’t, I attempt to capture the beauty of these sights with my iPhone camera which I aim through a chain link fence that surrounds the golf course just below the sidewalk where I walk.  

The days are getting a bit shorter as we head towards the official beginning of fall which will occur on September 22.  The weather is also becoming a bit cooler.  All of this signals that summer is nearly over.  

I was in Utah in late May this year.  As I walked the evening path this spring that I am now walking in the fall I note that the early brightly colored spring flowers no longer appear on the hillsides at all.  The daisies have given way to jaunty sunflowers now having their last days of glory.  In someways, I have felt that same way.  The life I have ahead is so much shorter than the life I have behind me.  So much has changed.  The springtime of my youth spent in this valley seems so long ago.  Summer is over.  The days of harvest seem to be here.  I am reaping the benefits of years of work that went before me when I was busy raising children, going to school, and working.  Now I am retired.  The children of my children are now teenagers and young adults.  I am seeing the generation that was before me fade away.  

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons.  As summer gives way to fall, I want to capture the sunflowers before they see their last days of glory.  As the sun sets on another day, another season, I too want to hang on to each day of beauty illuminated by the evening sun before day gives way to night.  

Summer Is Fading Away

On a Sunday morning in late August, sidewalk art caught my eye.  Even though it seemed a bit crazy to do, I stopped to take a photo of an image that provided me with a metaphoric representation of a message I have been unwilling to accept:  Summer is fading away.

The faded sidewalk art must have been so bright and colorful on the day that an unknown artist brightened up a bit of sidewalk by painting a sunflower.  I imagined the artist painting the flower in anticipation of an upcoming festival at the beginning of the summer.  Since that day, many feet have passed over the painted flower throughout the summer.  Its brightness has faded as the paint was slowly chipped way to leave only a faint rendering of the original image.  

Artists do not paint on sidewalks if they wish the art they are making to last long.   As I age, I find that like temporary sidewalk art, I am very aware that summer seems to be the most fleeting of all the seasons.  It is also the season I most wish to extend.  I wish to deny that another summer is ending which means that the days ahead will be less full of sunshine, flowers, and warmth.   

Flowers can't bloom forever.  For everything there is a season.  I can't deny that truth.  I am grateful for each season of the year.  Each is needed in the cycle of life where I live.  I would not want to live where I wouldn't be able to enjoy the changes that each season brings.   I am also grateful for each season of life, but as I age, I find myself asking myself how many more summers I will have where I will be able to do all those things that make summer so special.  

Summer ~ A Time to Be Outdoors

Recently, a friend who had not seen me since spring said I sure was tan.  "Yes," I said.  "I've spent a lot of time walking this summer.  I've been out soaking up as much Vitamin D as I can whenever I can."  My summer walks have been so healing to me this year.  I find I have so much more stamina than I did before my relatively new pacemaker and a heart ablation kept my heart from beating so wildly fast whenever I tried to walk.

 I haven't hiked any mountains, but I do climb a 300 foot incline in less than a mile when I make my way up the road and around the bend of a big circle that comprises most of the walks I take with my hubby and the dog. 

Jim and Boston in front of our home after one of our walks

Jim and Boston Our new front patio provides another perfect place for enjoying summer mornings or evenings.

Living in the foothills, I see some spectacular sights as the sun begins to set behind Blodgett Peak.  

Other days, as I walk I just rejoice at the beauty of the neighborhood where I live.  I never know what creature I may encounter along the way.  Can you see a doe poking her head between these walls and houses as she searches for food or shelter?

As I got closer to this sweet little doe, I thought she seemed so small and vulnerable as she stood behind some bushes.  I noted her skinny little legs and inquired as to her health.  She just watched me with her soft doe eyes as I passed by without making any movement.  

As much as I fret and fume over the damage the deer do, I also feel so much compassion for these beautiful creatures who find themselves living in an urban setting which is really not healthy for them.  

This summer, I attended a Wildlife Management Seminar that quite informative.  In my area of town, this topic is an important one.  I hope to write a blog post on what I learned at this meeting soon.  

Summer ~ A Time for Creativity

I began this summer with high hopes for the small garden plots I created around the house last summer.  The grasshoppers, the slugs, the rabbits, and the deer all have feasted on my plantings.  Needless to say, my impossible garden did not live up to my expectations, nor did I see my dreams of flower blooming around my house realized. I did manage to get one bouquet from the delphiniums I planted before the bucks showed up and ate the plants down to the ground.  These blooms represent a victory of sorts and my determination that I will grow flowers in this environment that seems to be set against me doing so.  

Many evenings and afternoons were spent on the back deck writing in my journal or reading.  I love summer evenings spent in the quiet solitude provided by my back deck.  

I've also spent some time with my writing group this summer.  Those times are so enjoyable and motivational.  

Summer ~ A Time To Enjoy My Man & My Dog

Boston celebrated his fourth birthday in August by gobbling up his favorite treat:  peanut butter pie. 

I do think dogs enrich our lives so much.  This special companion is so loved by us both, but there is no denying that Boston is Jim's special boy.  We love taking him for walks.  Recently, after a walk in the nearby Garden of the Gods, we stopped in Manitou Springs to buy some popcorn.  When Jim sat on a bench to enjoy people watching while he ate his popcorn, Boston was right there next to him in no time.  He'd be a lap dog if he could be.  He's not allowed on furniture at home, but takes every opportunity he can to hop up beside his dearly loved master on an outdoor bench.

Summer ~ A Time for Travels Both Big and Small

Summer has been a time when we have taken a few trips.  One was to New Orleans.  I have yet to blog about that wonderful trip.  

There have been a few medical procedures that I have had this summer, but all have had wonderful outcomes and results.  In late July, I had to have a pancreatic procedure in Denver.  That test provided us great news.  Problems with a duct from three years ago have been resolved, and the pancreatic cyst is stable and has not grown.  All of this was great news.  

Because we traveled to Denver for the test, and because I might have had to spend the night after the procedure in the hospital, Jim treated me to a wonderful stay in a great hotel across the street from the University of Colorado Hospital.  I'm grateful to have such a thoughtful and generous husband.  Side note:  I love the slippers that came with the room!

When the tests all came out well, Jim and I drove to downtown Denver for dinner.  After the endoscopic ultra sound, my throat was very tender.  For dinner, I wanted something easy to digest and soft on the palate.  All I could think of was the wonderful trout dinner at the Brown Palace Tavern, so off we went to one of my favorite places.  What a treat.  The dinner did not disappoint.  It is always a treat to step inside the Brown Palace and enjoy the ambiance.  

And, it is always great when a mini-vacation is squeezed out of a medical appointment.  That is what I call finding the silver lining behind every dark cloud.  We just have look for those silver linings.  I've found that I usually can find them in every situation.

Summer ~ A Time For Some Interesting Weather

The end of August has brought much rain our way.  I read where many of you need rain.  I wish we could share some of ours.  At the foot of the mountains, we seldom have gentle rains this time of year.  We have thunderstorms instead.  Those storms are sometimes quite violent and scary because of the torrents of rain that fall and create rivers out of streams or dry creek beds.  We also have a lot of lightening and thunder.  Sometimes, we have hail.  Yesterday, we had one of the worst hail storms I have ever seen.  Thankfully, it missed our house, and thankfully I missed driving in it.  I was just three blocks way from the site of this video about 15 minutes after the worst of the storm passed through.  I hope you can access this video.  https://www.facebook.com/KOAA/videos/10154554272333939/

Summer ~ A Time for Limited Structure to Schedules

In summer, I find I return to the types of schedules I liked to keep when I was teaching and summer vacation finally rolled around. I like to read fluffy novels that keep me up late at night.  I love going to bed late.  I like sleeping with the windows open so I can feel the cool mountain breeze flow down through the valley where we live and through our bedroom as we sleep.  I love being awakened by the chimes from Mount St. Francis a mile from my home.  I love not having a strict schedule.  I have purposed having a healing, relaxing, and mostly stress free summer.  I have mostly accomplished that goal.

 I hope to return to a more regular schedule soon.  I hope to again also have a more regular schedule of posting to my blog.  Summer has meant that this year,  I did not blog.  Forgive my absence from reading your news.  I hope to get caught up with you all again soon.  

I hope your have had a good summer, and I hope you enjoy these last few days before the Summer of 2016 fades away forever.  

Sally- Summer 2016

The Importance of Family

My earliest memories are of times spent with my father's family.  He was the oldest of six children.  He loved his siblings and always liked spending time with them.  The times they got together were times of great story telling where their shared wit and humor came to the forefront.  I mostly remember fun and laughter from the times I spent with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Family ~  Where We First Learn Social Skills And How To Become A Part of Community

Times of wall to wall cousins sleeping in a bedroom in the back part of the summer home my grandparents had in the mountains of Colorado are among my happiest memories.  Nighttime in that old house was the time we giggled ourselves silly, told scary ghost stories, had tickle fights, tattled on each other, cried over slights one of the other had done to us, had pillow fights, jumped on the bed, and got yelled at by our aunts and uncles for being too loud.  Grandma would pound on the wall from her bedroom with a broom which meant we better quiet down!

Day times were spent roaming the hills looking for antique bottles, or other treasures left from long ago mining days, or we played on the relic of an old horse drawn wagon from the past that Grandpa had in the front yard,  and pretended we were pioneers.

Our parents played card games and had good times while we were all supposed be sleeping in the back room.  It was a great joke to take a photo of Grandma French with a big liquor bottle in her hand because she and my grandfather were teetotalers.  (Upper photo: The cousins in Victor, Colorado in the late 50's.  Aunt Caroline is sitting on the car bumper.) (Uncle Don, Aunt Katherine, Mother, and Grandma French at the dining room table in Victor, Colorado.)

My mother was an only child and her parents had died before I was born, so I only had my father's parents for grandparents, and I only had his siblings as aunts and uncles.  I loved being surrounded by this close knit group of people that were my father's family from my earliest days.

I was born just as World War II was about to end.  My first Christmas was spent at Grandma French's house that was one block from my house.  My father, serving in the Army, was not at that first Christmas celebration, but my mother is seen sitting in the middle of the family gathering holding me.  My father's family was her adopted family, and my Aunt Katherine holding my cousin Donna was my mother's best friend.  Also missing from this photo is my Uncle Bob whom was serving in the Marines.  Uncle Charles, holding his wife on his lap, was home on leave from the U.S. Army where he had been a paratrooper in Europe.

Family ~  Where Learn About and Create A Shared History

Family history was always an important topic at gatherings with my father's family.  I learned the histories of my Grandfather French's family that dated back to the earliest days of this nation from my grandfather.  He was proud of the heritage we held.  When I'd ask him what our heritage was, he's say, "We are damn Yankee rebels,"  We have had a family member fight in every war since and including the Revolutionary War.  

Dyed in the wool Democrats, my grandparents modeled political activity by attending many functions held by the Democratic Party.  I clearly remember all those political debates in the fifties that took place at family gatherings.  They were informed, but passionate, discussions.  I don't think there was much dissension in the family around the topic of politics when I was growing up.  I just remember it was an important family value that family members be involved in the political aspects of life.

My grandparents lived across the street from the church where my parents were married and where I was baptized as an infant.  Most of the family also went to this church, The United Presbyterian Church, so it was also a center for many family gatherings.  Faith was not as important part of the family life as church going was, but the seeds of my faith and the faith of most of my family members were planted here.  (My brother at a church reunion a few years back is touring the grounds of our old church.  The family home that belonged to my grandparents in the lower right corner was photographed while I stood on the church lawn.)

Family ~ Where We Form A Sense of Identity As We Celebrate Together

Times together with family are times where one learns the value of shared histories, of shared stories, and of the value of creating a legacy of love of family.

Wonderful family times formed my personality and created my sense of what was important in life as much as any other experience I ever had in my life.  Family became of supreme importance to me at a very early age.  I remember telling my grandmother I wanted six children when I grew up.  I didn't quite reach that goal.  I had five children.

Growing up in the middle of an extended family where birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions were always celebrated together left  an expectation of always having family nearby.  That is not the way things worked out in my adult life.  I lived away from the extended family all through my high school and college years.  I then lived in another state away from all family for a decade and a half.  I think that is why I treasure every large family gathering that we are able to put together as I grow older.

During the years that my siblings and I were raising our families, we would try to get together at my parents' home as much as we possibly could.  Generally, these gatherings took place at Thanksgiving, or Easter, or maybe the Fourth of July.

During those early years, when our children were young, we would all stay at Mother and Daddy's house.  What a group that was!  Each couple usually got a bedroom, but there weren't that many bedrooms, so I don't remember where we all slept.  We cooked big meals, and somehow we survived with 2 1/2 bathrooms to serve the entire tribe.  

My children and their cousins got to know and love each other during these gatherings just as I had gotten to know my cousins at such gatherings.  There were toys and books in the basement for them to play with, but I think they mostly made their own adventures and games by playing outside.  They took forbidden trips down to the Colorado River.  The times were full of laughter, games, stories, and much fun just as the times I had as a child with my cousins and aunts and uncles had been.  

We celebrated milestones such as my parents' 50th Anniversary, their 80th birthdays.  Then, as my parents aged, we weren't together as often because the events were hard for my parents to host and our children were growing and were busy with many activities.  When my father passed away in 2002, most of us gathered to celebrate his life and to support my mother during this time.  In just four short years later, we all gathered to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday.

My mother's one hundredth birthday party celebration on June 25th of this year provided the perfect opportunity for a long overdue family gathering.  She is last surviving member of the family that was the core group of my childhood.  My grandparents, my father, and all of my aunts and uncles are now gone.  She is the center of the next generation that has carried on the love of gathering together as a family.

A few of my cousins made the trip over to celebrate my mother's birthday.  Cousin Diana and husband Steve came for Mother's actual birthday in May, while Cousin Donna came for both celebrations.  Cousin Janet brought her daughter and grandchildren with her to celebrate.  It was wonderful to have members of my extended family with us on these occasions.

Donna, Janet with Mother, a champaign toast with family on Mother's birthday, Donna, Jim, Diana, Sally, Carol, Keicha, Mother, Michelle, Brittany, Michelle, Tony Mother's 100th Birthday and Celebration

Family ~ The First To Show Love and Support When The Unthinkable Happens

Barbara Bush once said "To us family is about putting your arms around each other and being there."

When Julie died, I will always remember and treasure how we as an immediate family came together. All of my remaining children and their children lived together at daughter Amy's house for much of the traumatic week that followed her death.  Those days we bonded deeper than we had ever bonded.  We gave each other strength and comfort.

My sister came from California and stayed across the hall from Jim and me with her husband at our hotel.  They guided us through the deep waters of grief as we made funeral plans as a family.  All of my nieces and nephews, the cousins of my children,  came to Colorado from  California, Massachusetts, Texas, Nevada, and parts of Colorado.  Only Michael serving in Afghanistan was not there.  Their tears, their stories, their laughter, their love provided balm to our broken hearts that no one else could have provided.  I love these kids so much!  I have the most amazing nieces and nephews.

Family ~  Where You Can Always Feel At Home

I  think of family as a dynamic organism that keeps changing while also remaining the same.  The past generations are now mostly gone.  Only my mother remains from the previous generations of grandparents and aunts and uncles.   Only my cousins and I and my mother have the shared memories of that time.  We remember the stories, the histories, the personalities, the humor, the wit, the fun that those precious ones brought to each gathering.  They remain in our hearts as we gather with the younger generations.

We are so fortunate to still have the home my parents lived in when my children were small as home base.  This place represents the family home to all.  Toys, books, and other items from days gone by are still there.  My son Ryan went to get his wife a drink of water and came back proudly holding the prize cup from childhood days. "I couldn't believe it when I saw this still in the cupboard," he said as he handed his wife some water.

On the day of the family party to celebrate my Mother's 100th party, after the invited guests departed, the family gathered to eat and have fun.  There was music.  It was time to dance and have a good time.

Nephew Adam indulged me by dancing with me.

Niece Cristy and her husband Jim entertained with fancy dance steps.

We gathered for group photos.

 Siblings Suzanne, Carol, Rell, and I were photographed with Mother.

The older great-grandchildren, five of whom are my grandchildren were photographed. 

Grandson Bridger, grandniece Gabby, grandson Mason, grandson Atticus, granddaughter Hannah Granddaughter Gillian Mother

Finally, most of the greats in attendance were gathered for a photo.

Thoughts of how dear and precious these times are caused me to be overwhelmed with emotion.  I know how rare these times are.  I know what treasure they are.  I was surround by those I love most, and suddenly, I could not hold back the tears.  They were mostly happy tears, but they were also sad tears.  

Son Ryan and wife Sheridan, daughter Keicha, Jim, Sally, daughter Amy, son Jonathan and wife Samantha

Knowingly, Amy hugged and held me tightly.  She was crying too. 

 I was happy with my loves surrounding me, but I so missed that one not there.  I looked to the other side of the large yard and remembered her playing red rover with the grandkids on Mother's 90th birthday.  Now, Julie is not with us and the grandkids are teens.

This place, my mother's home,  holds so many memories that do not change as much as those whom come to remember times past and to create new memories do.  Home and family remain the same in the heart, only those whom make up the family configuration change over time.  

A part of us always remains young when we are home. 

 When I am with my family, I am free to be the one I was when my sis and I would dance and sing at the top of our lungs from our earliest days.  Time at home and time with family would not be family time if we didn't shed a few tears of sorrow, frustration, and joy together.

When we are home we can run through the grass in bare feet and feel like a kid again.  When we are home and with family age has no number.  I am crazy Aunt Sally who drank two glasses of wine at the party, and you know what wine does to her.  I, crazy Aunt Sally, also will admit that at night after the grand party as we gathered around the fire pit at the hotel,  I even took a few puffs on my son's cigar and enjoying the taste of if before I felt very sick.  

At the family celebration,  I danced with my sis, my first and probably favorite dance partner.  

And we all tore down the ribbons from the trees and danced the conga.  

Where else but with family can one feel so free to have outrageous fun?

If I leave nothing else to my children and grandchildren, 

I hope I leave a legacy of loving and celebrating family.  

Summer Update

It is just past noon on a Tuesday morning.  I love mornings at home when the agenda page on my iPhone calendar is clear.  Jim is at work, so I don't even get sidetracked by his company.  No appointments take center stage when planning the day; however, the long to-do list in my head does nag at me:

1. Water the plants
2. Fertilize the flowers and bushes.
3. Find out what bugs are eating your flowers and deal with them.
4. Take a morning walk.
5. Do some household laundry.
6. Schedule appointments for next month.
7. Write those notes to friends that need to be written.
8. Organize your stacks of stuff in the upstairs office.
9. Organize that even bigger stack of stuff in the downstairs guest room/quasi office.
10. Go grocery shopping.
11. Fix a healthy meal for lunch and dinner.
12. Check in with your blogging friends and see how they are doing.
13. Try to get a blog written and published.
14. Take a shower.
15. Fold laundry.

So far, I have accomplished getting numbers 1 - 4 finished.  Somehow, I skipped down to number 13 and sat down to write a quick blog while I cool off from my outside work and my walk by sitting in front of the open window in my study.  The breeze feels refreshing.  

The familiar sound of a plane from the nearby United States Air Force Academy  pulling a glider across the sky connects me to the place in which I live.  I think of those young air cadets training to get their wings. I envy the freedom and excitement the young cadets must feel when that glider is pulled into the skies, released from the aircraft that has taken the glider to to the required altitude, and the glider itself  then soars and swoops and then glides back down to earth.

Such an experience is not gained by these cadets without hard work, solid academic performance, and sacrifice.  These cadets have a schedule, and they stick to it.  They won't succeed if they do not use discipline and organization.

The gliding through the air does appeal to me.  At this point in life, I find the schedule that leads to accomplishing much in life doesn't hold much appeal.  

I also know myself well enough to know that I don't function well without schedules.  I fight against them.  Always have.  As I grow older, I probably need a proper schedule more than I ever have, but I hate them all the more.  

I want to glide, and slide, and be free of those time restraints in life that continue to bind me.  Life just seems too short to do laundry, clean house, shop for groceries, and fix meals.  I want to read, write, walk, play in the yard, dig in the dirt, eat lunch with friends, enjoy time with my husband, and visit my children and grandchildren.  

I also want to stop all these medical appointments because of medical issues.  Summer is for fun.  It is not for medical procedures.

Many days I am very well.  Other days I am not.  Last week, I had an earlier than expected colonoscopy.  The results from biopsies are not in.  This week, on Friday, I will have an endoscopic ultra sound of my pancreas at the University of Colorado Hospital.  I had the same procedure three years ago,  at least I know what to expect with the procedure.  I just don't know what to expect on the outcome.  I may require additional risky procedures that same day.  There is talk of a stint for a malformed duct.  Most of my pain and discomfort comes from the pancreatic area, but thankfully I haven't had any bouts of pancreatitis that required hospitalization since 2013.    

As if all of this were not enough, for the last few weeks I have been bothered by floaters that block my vision.  The latest, a very large one that has been assailing my vision for three days in a major way, has made reading and writing nearly impossible.  My stubborn nature went into overdrive so I could write this overdue post.  Defying that seemingly pencil eraser size floater, I sat at my computer and wrote this.  Don't worry, I've been to the eye doctor yesterday and I have not tears or detachments.  I'm just dealing with the aging process in the eye that seems to have gotten worse since cataract surgery in March and April.

So, dear blogging friends, I haven't forgotten you.  I'm just not spending much time using a computer or other technological devices due to my eyes.  I also have been out enjoying life with my dear hubby and my precious family and wonderful friends as much as I can this summer.  I have been working with my writing group every other week.  I meet with church friends for prayer or breakfast.  When Jim isn't working, we have lunch, dinner, or breakfast with couple friends or with my cousin Donna. Other days, when Jim is home,  long walks in the morning invigorate while more leisurely walks in the evening bring peace and joy.  

Some of those things on my to-do list can wait until the weather forces me inside.  In the meantime, the deck or front patio are ready and waiting for friends to drop by and visit.  Books are being enjoyed in the cool of the shade.  I'm winning a few wars with the wildlife by planting and protecting my impossible garden.  I'm also staying strong in spite of health problems that continue to hit.  Keep me in your prayers on Friday.  I hope to be back to summer activities soon.

Summer Update

It is just past noon on a Tuesday morning.  I love mornings at home when the agenda page on my iPhone calendar is clear.  Jim is at work, so I don't even get sidetracked by his company.  No appointments take center stage when planning the day; however, the long to-do list in my head does nag at me:

1. Water the plants
2. Fertilize the flowers and bushes.
3. Find out what bugs are eating your flowers and deal with them.
4. Take a morning walk.
5. Do some household laundry.
6. Schedule appointments for next month.
7. Write those notes to friends that need to be written.
8. Organize your stacks of stuff in the upstairs office.
9. Organize that even bigger stack of stuff in the downstairs guest room/quasi office.
10. Go grocery shopping.
11. Fix a healthy meal for lunch and dinner.
12. Check in with your blogging friends and see how they are doing.
13. Try to get a blog written and published.
14. Take a shower.
15. Fold laundry.

So far, I have accomplished getting numbers 1 - 4 finished.  Somehow, I skipped down to number 13 and sat down to write a quick blog while I cool off from my outside work and my walk by sitting in front of the open window in my study.  The breeze feels refreshing.  

The familiar sound of a plane from the nearby United States Air Force Academy  pulling a glider across the sky connects me to the place in which I live.  I think of those young air cadets training to get their wings. I envy the freedom and excitement the young cadets must feel when that glider is pulled into the skies, released from the aircraft that has taken the glider to to the required altitude, and the glider itself  then soars and swoops and then glides back down to earth.

Such an experience is not gained by these cadets without hard work, solid academic performance, and sacrifice.  These cadets have a schedule, and they stick to it.  They won't succeed if they do not use discipline and organization.

The gliding through the air does appeal to me.  At this point in life, I find the schedule that leads to accomplishing much in life doesn't hold much appeal.  

I also know myself well enough to know that I don't function well without schedules.  I fight against them.  Always have.  As I grow older, I probably need a proper schedule more than I ever have, but I hate them all the more.  

I want to glide, and slide, and be free of those time restraints in life that continue to bind me.  Life just seems too short to do laundry, clean house, shop for groceries, and fix meals.  I want to read, write, walk, play in the yard, dig in the dirt, eat lunch with friends, enjoy time with my husband, and visit my children and grandchildren.  

I also want to stop all these medical appointments because of medical issues.  Summer is for fun.  It is not for medical procedures.

Many days I am very well.  Other days I am not.  Last week, I had an earlier than expected colonoscopy.  The results from biopsies are not in.  This week, on Friday, I will have an endoscopic ultra sound of my pancreas at the University of Colorado Hospital.  I had the same procedure three years ago,  at least I know what to expect with the procedure.  I just don't know what to expect on the outcome.  I may require additional risky procedures that same day.  There is talk of a stint for a malformed duct.  Most of my pain and discomfort comes from the pancreatic area, but thankfully I haven't had any bouts of pancreatitis that required hospitalization since 2013.    

As if all of this were not enough, for the last few weeks I have been bothered by floaters that block my vision.  The latest, a very large one that has been assailing my vision for three days in a major way, has made reading and writing nearly impossible.  My stubborn nature went into overdrive so I could write this overdue post.  Defying that seemingly pencil eraser size floater, I sat at my computer and wrote this.  Don't worry, I've been to the eye doctor yesterday and I have not tears or detachments.  I'm just dealing with the aging process in the eye that seems to have gotten worse since cataract surgery in March and April.

So, dear blogging friends, I haven't forgotten you.  I'm just not spending much time using a computer or other technological devices due to my eyes.  I also have been out enjoying life with my dear hubby and my precious family and wonderful friends as much as I can this summer.  I have been working with my writing group every other week.  I meet with church friends for prayer or breakfast.  When Jim isn't working, we have lunch, dinner, or breakfast with couple friends or with my cousin Donna. Other days, when Jim is home,  long walks in the morning invigorate while more leisurely walks in the evening bring peace and joy.  

Some of those things on my to-do list can wait until the weather forces me inside.  In the meantime, the deck or front patio are ready and waiting for friends to drop by and visit.  Books are being enjoyed in the cool of the shade.  I'm winning a few wars with the wildlife by planting and protecting my impossible garden.  I'm also staying strong in spite of health problems that continue to hit.  Keep me in your prayers on Friday.  I hope to be back to summer activities soon.

Retired English Teacher Teaches A Family Member English As A Second Language

Family Ties ~ The French Connection

At least 30 summers ago, there was a Fourth of July French family reunion and picnic at the home of one of my cousins.  A favorite cousin, one I had not seen in many years, was there with her three beautiful young daughters.

The day was a hot one.  For some reason, I asked the girls if they wanted me to put their hair up in French braids.  One by one, each sat on the floor before me as I brushed and braided each one's hair.  That is when I first got to know and to love my first cousin once removed named Annie French.  I think she was about eight years old at the time.

Unfortunately, I didn't see a lot of my cousin and her daughters while the girls were growing up.  The next time I spent any time at all with them was twelve years ago when we gathered in Cousin Mary's hospital room just before she passed away from ovarian cancer which was discovered very shortly before her death.  The girls were still so sweet, so beautiful, and so very young to lose their wonderful mother.  They were barely out of their teens and into their twenties.  My heart broke for them.

I knew Mary had given them a wonderful foundation. She, a single mom, had raised them to be strong, independent, yet loving, and caring young women. She also raised them to be strong in the faith that she had taught them.

Annie, the one I call Mary's mini me, always wears a glorious, winning smile just like her sweet mama did.  After her mother's death, Annie went on to graduate from college and to travel around the world as a single woman.  Most of her trips were mission trips.  She journeyed to Peru to take some seminary classes from a branch of the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Peru.  There, she met her future husband.

Thanks to Facebook, I have been able to follow her journey from afar.  I saw the photos of the beautiful bride that Annie was when she married her handsome smiling groom, a native of Peru, in Peru.  I read of their missionary work in Peru and in Costa Rica.  I was thrilled to see photos of the beautiful daughters they soon had.  I admired Annie's handiwork of sewing that she did for her husband, her home, and her daughters.  I was impressed by Darwin's work in the the ministry.

Perhaps, our lives would never have intersected again except at family gatherings when the Torres family might be stateside if Darwin and Annie had not come to the United States late this spring for an extended sabbatical.  Their plans were that they would return to Peru to plant a church in Cusco, Peru.  They were being sent out to do this work by Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Colorado Springs.  They hoped that during the time the family was stateside, Darwin would also be able to take the test to become a U.S. Citizen.

A Springtime Meeting ~ An Answer to Prayer

In mid-April of this year, I wrote in my journal, "I am feeling stuck in a holding pattern of clouds and rain and storms...As I look out the window, I see patches of blue, lots of patches of blue as the clouds dissipate.  I got stuck in a storm pattern before the storm even materialized.  Our feelings really have next to nothing to do with reality."  I went on to write that I would be happier if I dug deeper into what made me happy and got unstuck from my holding pattern.  I prayed for opportunities to do more of what I love best: working with people and teaching.

Later, that very day, I got a message from Annie on Facebook.  Not knowing my professional background, she asked if I knew anyone who could teach her husband English so he could pass his citizenship test!  

Just prior to returning the the United States from Peru earlier in the spring, Annie had been working with Darwin so he could take the test for citizenship while they were in the States.  At home in Peru and in Costa Rica, the girls were learning English and were bilingual in Spanish and English.  Annie and Darwin communicated only in Spanish, and the girls spoke Spanish to their father.  This meant that Darwin's English was quite limited.  When he first took the test, he did not pass.  They hoped he could take it again soon, gain his citizenship, and they could return to Peru to begin their new ministry.

When Darwin did not pass the test the first time, Annie asked her aunt, my first cousin, if she knew  of someone whom might be able to help Darwin with English.  My cousin said, "Ask Sally.  She taught English.  She might know someone who knows how to teach ESL."  

I was beyond excited when Annie contacted me.  I told her I would be thrilled to help Darwin.  I told her of my background and even told her I had been praying for an opportunity to teach again.  We scheduled a time to meet at my home.  I dug out all of my old books and got ready to get to work doing what I love to do: teach English to speakers of other languages.  

I was a bit daunted by the task.  We didn't have much time.  Where should I start?  

At our first meeting, seated around my kitchen table that was covered with books on grammar, picture dictionaries, and other resources, I did an assessment to determine Darwin's understanding of and use of English.  Once that was complete,  we set our goals and objectives for the times we would meet.  Annie was my translator when Darwin and I could not connect.  I told them that the first goal would be that they would no longer speak in Spanish at home, but would use English.  I knew that we didn't have much time, so I wanted Darwin to use English for speaking and listening as much as possible.  I also suggested he start reading English storybooks to the girls at bedtime.

From there, we took off.  Darwin was such a gifted and willing student.  It was such a joy to work with him.  Along the way, we got to know each other and were able to share a bit more about our lives and about the faith we shared in common.  My heart became quite knitted together with the beautiful hearts that live in Darwin and Annie.  Darwin has a gift for language.  He is a bright and able student.  He worked so hard on learning English.  He expanded his opportunities to listen to English by going on a retreat with other men from his church.  He began going to Bible Studies taught in English.  He sought opportunities to have conversational English times with other men in his church.  

The French Connection ~ A New American Citizen

On June 20th, Darwin took the U.S. Citizenship test for the second time.  This time, he passed with flying colors.  Many prayers were answered.  He was not nervous during the testing.  He remembered what he had learned when the questions were asked.  He especially remembered the conversations and times we had when we went over "Who" "What" "Where" "When" and "Why" questions.  Those type questions can be so hard for second language learners.

Last night, on July 5th, Jim and I were able to have Annie and Darwin and the girls in our home for a celebratory dinner.  We grilled hamburgers.  I made potato salad.  We even had that American dish of apple pie topped with ice cream for dessert.  

My profession which has given me so many wonderful experiences over the years just keeps on giving back to me.  I am so grateful I was able to work with Darwin.  I am blessed beyond measure to   have taught immigrant children, young adults from other lands studying English as a foreign language, and adult learning English for various purposes.  To have the opportunity to work with Darwin in his journey towards citizenship will be one of my great joys.  I loved getting to know this wonderful young man of God.  I am excited about following his journey as he goes to Peru to plant a church.  I have been so richly blessed because our lives have intersected at this point in time.  I needed this experience of teaching him and learning from him and from Annie more than they will ever know.  Now our hearts are forever knitted together.  

Darwin and Sally photographed in our classroom setting: the kitchen table.

After my father retired, he spent much time working on family genealogies and gathering photos and stories about the French family history in the United States.  My paternal family history in the United States, the history that Annie and I share,  goes back to 1676 when our ancestor first came to these North American shores 

Now, 340 years later, I had the opportunity to welcome a new American citizen to our family.  He came from South America.  He married into the French family and became a much loved family member.  I couldn't help but reflect about the rich family history that keeps being written in this wonderful land that has been home to my family for over three centuries. 

A few years ago, I wrote a reflection on what it means to me to be a citizen of the United States of America.  You can read that post here:  I Am An American.  Now, I can add this chapter to my American story just as Annie and Darwin are writing their own American story.  

Our connections are deeper than that of family history.  We are more than cousins.  We are bound by our love of Jesus and by our Christian faith.  

I was reminded of Ephesians 2:19 as I thought of the connection that I now have with this family.

...you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household.  

The French Connection:  Annie, Darwin, & daughters with Sally

Darwin and Annie will leave to return to their new home near Cusco, Peru, in less than a week.  They will begin the work of establishing a church and working with those whom already are anxiously awaiting their return.  I will miss having this family as a part of life, but I am so happy that they are returning to the land of Darwin's birth to do the work they have been called to do. 

Thank you Annie and Darwin for including me in your journey.  Thank you for making me a part of the story you two are writing with your lives.  It has been my honor to work with you.  I love you.  My prayers go with you.  

Milestones ~ Part Two

Truly few meet the milestone of reaching 100 years old.

So when one does, that is an event that deserves to be well celebrated.

My mother reached that milestone on May 29, 2016.
As a family, many of us celebrated with her on different occasions for nearly a month.
On June 25, 2016,
all of my mother's children,
grandchildren,
and most of her great-grandchildren gathered to throw her a
fabulous festivity
full of
friends,
family,
food,
and fun!

Many memories were shared.
And even more precious memories were made.
Stories of family, the fun we had, and the faith we've shared were exchanged.

This milestone of my mother's one hundredth year was a milestone for us all.

I dare say none of us will ever forget the pride we felt for our much loved matriarch as she so graciously greeted friends and family from her chair beneath the shade of the globe willow my father planted so many years ago.

No queen on her throne could have been given more honor or love that she was shown that day.
This space, the home, the yard, have been under her domain for 43 years.
She has planted every tree, vine, rose bush, shrub, and flower that flourished beneath her care.
She nurtured this place of beauty that my father provided for her.
Where tables now stood for birthday guests, she once had a huge vegetable garden.

This place is home to us all.
The grandchildren will always carry a sense of home associated with this place.

What a blessing it was for all of us to gather in this place to honor the one who has shown us how to live life,
one hundred years of life,
in a way that builds community, family, and faith.

She is
the charming gardener who makes our souls bloom. ~ Mareel Proust

Pablo Picasso said,
Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist when he grows up.

In so many ways, my mother remains a young girl at heart.
This was never more evident during the birthday celebration then it was when the firemen with Engine No. 5 showed up with fire engine sirens blaring.
She was like a young child sparked with excitement when she heard her firemen coming.
She literally jumped up with joy.

I couldn't help but think of the irony of their visit when I mused over the events of my mother's life.
Mother's life has been marked by fire on more than one occasion.

When she was only about five years of age,
no firemen came
when she watched her home and all of her family possessions burn to the ground
on a cold winter morning
in 1921
in Woodland Park, Colorado.

Her family lost everything except
their lives,
and
their determination to build again.

My mother's pioneer spirit that she learned from her homesteader mother lives on in her today.
She just gets up each day and makes do with what she has and lives her life with hard work, ingenuity,  grace, dignity, intelligence, wit, good humor, charm, determination, and independence.
She leans on her God,
and by His Grace she lives by faith.

She says,
"I'm here not because of anything I've done, but because God has kept me here
and provided all that I need."

Here is her story through her own words.
This poem written by my mother was first penned twenty-three years ago.  She's added to it over the years.

Where Can All Those Years Have Gone?

Seventy-seven years I've been on this earth.
It's been a long time since the day of birth.

Where is the girl with dark curls so long?

The days of fun and games and song?
Where can all of those days gone?

Where are the days of school and boys?
I'd put aside all childhood toys.
Where are the days when the jobs came along
To pay for the things for which I did long?
Where can all those days have gone?  

Where are the days of dates and dreams?
Hours spent together in heaven, it seems,
With that special one that came along.
We both worked late, the nights were long.
Where can all those nights have gone?

We had a car but not much money.
We were man and wife and life seemed sunny.

We found then, we'd be three before long.

Mom died that year, but life went on.
Where can all those years have gone? 

We had a blue eyed baby boy, so sweet.
Bill worked two jobs to make ends meet.
Pop lived with us. We bought a house with a lawn.
Pretty soon a little Sally came along.
Where can all those years have gone?

The world was at war and Bill had to go.
Pop died.  I knew I'd miss him so.
Now just Rell, Sally and me.  I had to be strong.
But somehow life had lost its song.
Where can all those years have gone?

The happy day when Bill came home
I knew I'd no longer be alone.

His job was waiting; the children grew strong.
Then, baby Carol came along.
Where can all those years have gone?

There we five of us in that little house.
There wasn't room for even a mouse.
We remodeled the house - never did get it done.
Then, Suzanne is born when I'm forty-one.
Where can all those years have gone?

The moves started coming when Suzanne was two,
to Pueblo, Leadville, and Utah.  Boy that was new.
Our lives are quite changed by the people we've known,
by the places we've lived and the things we have done.
Where can all those year have gone?

Our kids go married.  We had grandkids and great.
We live in Grand Junction, in the west part of the state.

We've grown old together.  Done some right things, some wrong.
But, Lord, we're so thankful that thru the years we've not been alone,

that You've been along.

By Alberta G. French

July 1993

Now, here I am ninety years old

And there's still more story to be told.

The family kept growing with weddings and birth.

All through the years we said to each other

"When can we sit and just recover?"

Finally, we sat on the porch, each in our own chair

And looked at sunsets beyond compare.

One day God said to Bill, "come home."

So now I look at them all alone.

But, I'm not alone.  God is so near.

And friends and family are all so dear.

To God be the Glory is my song.

But where can all the years have gone?

Alberta G. French

May 29, 2006

Today is the 100th year of my birth.

The day I came to this old earth.

The days of fun and dolls and making mud pies,
The days of friends, both girls and guys,
Where can all of those days have gone?
I met Bill and married him.
Had children four.
Didn't want any more.
One day we moved out west.
Those days turned out to be the best.
Then one day God said to Bill "come home."
And some day soon He'll take me by the hand and say,
"Alberta, come along."
And then we'll no more have to wonder,
Where can all those years have gone?

Alberta G. French

May, 2016

No matter how much longer she lives,

I will never be able to think of my mother as old.

I worried about her on the day of her party.

She sat in her chair and visited with friends and family from early in the day until late into the night.

I kept asking,

"Are you drinking enough water?"

She'd look at me with that stop being so nosey look

 and nod at the ice tea she'd been sipping all afternoon.

"That's not enough water, Mother."

I once said, "I think you need to go inside for a bit."

"Why?" was her response.

"It's hot.  You look tired.  It's been a long day."

I got nowhere.

She wasn't leaving her party.

She bid the firemen goodbye with a wave and a smile mid afternoon.

She was moved from her position under the willow to the other side of the yard where we would eat dinner under the apple tree.

I couldn't help but think of a photo from long ago under that same tree.

Who could have known we would gather again so many years later to laugh and dance and play under that apple tree?

The kids were actually decided to reenact a photo they took under another tree many years ago.  Grandpa and Julie are were sadly missed when the new photo was taken, but all the rest were there.

Throughout the evening, we danced, we laughed, we passed a candle to tell of our wishes for mother and for our family.

We made many happy memories.

Mother stood to give us a few words and to thank us for her party.

I must admit that I had eyes filled with tears.

I am sure I was not alone when I listened to her in awe.

I thought to myself how blessed we all are by her life and legacy.

I worried a bit about the party being too much for her, but then I thought,

"There she is with a bit of chocolate on her white pants, 

a smile on her face, 

speaking with wisdom, strength, and competency,

completely cogent,

adding a bit of wit to her words,

surrounded by a loving and adoring family."

 How could anyone ask for more than having a day like this  after living

36,500 days of life?

Wait there is more.

The day ended with a bang.
There were fireworks!

Mother's 100th birthday was celebrated well.

Very well.

Milestones ~ Part One

Milestones ~ Those Rare and Precious Moments in Life

Rose Kennedy once said, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." To me milestones are more than mere moments.  Milestones mark significant points of reference in life.  When one reaches these milestones, a celebration allows for those special moments associated with the milestone to occur.  Such moments are the treasured memories that we remember long after the event is over.

 The day a child is born marks the entry of the child into his or her journey into life.  This milestone brings significant change into the lives of the parents.  The grandparent sees the birth of a grandchild as milepost that signifies that the journey though life has progressed to middle age or beyond.

The child progresses from infancy to childhood to adolescence.  The grandparent watches in awe and disbelief as all those moments go through a myriad of  transitions during the first few decades of a grandchild's life.  The moments seem to roll along with a rate of speed much faster than the grandparent can believe. 

Suddenly the toys that were such fun for the grandchildren during those golden days of childhood are gathering dust in grandma's basement.  The grandchildren are no longer interested in dolls, stuffed animals, trucks, puzzles, coloring books, children's books, and trips to the zoo.  Pancakes made in the shape of Mickey Mouse are no longer requested after sleepovers at grandma's house.  In fact, sleepovers don't even take place.  The grandchild is too busy with sports, and friends, and events, and homework to have time for grandparents anymore.

Too soon, the grandchildren have skipped over the important stepping stones of leaving grade school, entering middle school, and then entering high school.  Too soon they have driver's licenses and are dressed for proms.  Too soon they become young adults and leave high school head out into the world where they must make their own way.  

Thankfully, milestones such as high school graduation are celebrated.  It gives the grandparent a chance to stop and take a deep breath before turning to face the new direction of the life journey the dearly beloved grandchild will take as he or she sallies forth into adulthood.  The Free Dictionary so aptly defines sallying forth as "a sally into the wide world beyond his home." The grandparent recognizes the pitfalls of so much that is in the world.  They know that the dearly loved grandchild is off on a venture with an uncertain outcome.

A Family Milestone:  Regan's Graduation

This past month, I attended my oldest granddaughter's graduation from high school.  My dear, sweet Regan, a beautiful granddaughter with whom I was never able to spend enough time marked that great milestone in her life:  high school graduation.

I flew from Colorado to Utah on Sunday, May 22.  My son Ryan, aka Regan's dad, picked me up at the air port.  In no time at all, I was in the middle of preparations for Regan's graduation party that would be attended by family.  Son Ryan loves to cook, so he jumped right into making a great celebratory meal.  Once he and wife Sheridan were in the kitchen, the entire family gathered in this family's favorite gathering place:  the kitchen.

Henry, Regan, Ryan, Sheridan, Parker, & Bridger

After an evening spent enjoying the company of family while eating great food, we were all off to bed.  I spent the night in borrowed pj's since my suitcase did not arrive from Colorado when I did.  (Note to self:  When you can fit into your oldest son's pajama bottoms, it is time for a diet.  Go on a diet!)

At one o'clock in the morning, I received a call from the airline telling me that my bag had arrived in Salt Lake from the trip it had taken to LA.  Did I wish to have driver wake me up when he arrived at the house with my bag, or should he leave it on the porch?  I said to leave it on the porch.

The next morning we were all off to Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, for Regan's graduation.  Her big day had finally arrived.

We were able to capture a quick family photo of Regan with her dad and with Sheridan and Sheridan's boys Henry and Max before we entered the ceremony.

Newly graduated, Regan was hugged by her very proud papa.  That girl has always held a great big special spot in her father's heart.  What a beauty she has become.  She is also one of the sweetest girl's ever.  Congratulations, Regan.

After graduation, we all went to lunch at an Ogden favorite, Rooster's.  Lunch was hosted by Regan's mom, Stephanie.  Regan is surrounded by beautiful women: her mom and her aunt Keicha.

Regan lovingly kissing her mom and thanking her for the party.

Regan with her mom Stephanie and her father Ryan.

Parker's Milestone: He publishes an article in a magazine.

While we were at the graduation party, I learned that grandson Parker, Regan's big brother, who just finished his second year at Utah State University, published his first magazine article in Outdoor Utah Adventure Guide 2016.  Parker, an outdoor enthusiast, who loves to hunt, fish, hike, and camp, is also studying to become a journalist.  His goal is to become a photo journalist.  He had landed a few gigs writing up coverage of lacrosse games for a lacrosse magazine during the last semester of school.  Then, he was able to write an article that was published in this travel magazine.   I am so proud of him!

The article, "The Canyon that Hides It All," is about Logan Canyon.  He did an excellent job writing about this beautiful canyon that is near Utah State where he goes to college and near Bear Lake where he spent so much of his childhood at a wonderful home right on the lake that once belonged to his paternal great-grandmother.  Parker is working in Bear Lake this summer.

This spunky, good natured, and good hearted young man, ended his second year of college by living in a campground in Logan Canyon.  He had a roommate situation that didn't work out at the very end of the semester.  It was too late in the semester to find alternative housing, and being the adventuresome young man that he is,  he lived in his car and in a campground for the last few weeks of school.  During the day, he spent many hours in the library studying.  His grades reflected his commitment to study and his hard work.  He tells me he is keeping a journal of all of his adventures.

Home Sweet Home Parker with Regan's graduation flowers in front of his trusty Subaru.

******************

Graduation from high school is a milestone that marks a juncture in life.  It is a turning point.

This grandmother has seen two grandchildren reach that milestone.  Next year two more will, God willing, also reach that rite of passage that marks the end of childhood and adolescence and marks the entry into adulthood.  I truly don't know where the time goes.

***********

While I was in Utah, I was able to spend a bit of time with daughter Keicha also.  I was anxious to see her garden and some of the improvements on her home she has been making.  The rose bush I bought her to as a remembrance of Julie was in full bloom.

Easy Does It

Julie's memorial rose.

May can be a very difficult month for me.  

It was good to be with family marking milestones and building new memories.

I thought of how much Julie would have loved to see Regan become such a beautiful young woman.  

It really doesn't seem that long ago since Regan was a baby and Julie was feeding her a summertime supper at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house. 

During those milestone moments, such as graduations, I don't express my sorrow over Julie missing another important event in the lives her "true loves," her nieces and nephews.  

Sadly, I do experience a deep grief in the midst of joy, but the joy reminds me that we have much to celebrate in the accomplishments of the living.

Milestones are to be marked with joy, thanksgiving, gratitude and celebration.

I carry such hope for my grandchildren.

While they do sallie forth into ventures with unknown outcomes, they are only doing what all of us did as we moved into adulthood.

 I see great resilience in the two grandchildren whom have moved forward into adulthood.

For that I am grateful.

Resilience is such an important trait to cultivate.

I see their resilience in the way they approach life.

They demonstrate confidence, intelligence, good social skills, and determination.

They are hard workers.

They put others before themselves.

*********

On Regan's graduation day, my heart is full of joy and anticipation for her as she steps forward to enter into the next phase of life.  

I see her kind and generous heart.

I know of her success in high school.

I know she is hard worker.

She has what it takes to realize her dreams.

She will take a gap year before starting college.

She will be teaching gymnastics to younger children in the gymnastics school where she once trained.

She will also be working in the family business:  Hip and Humble.

*****************

Julie left a message to us all.

It was found in her apartment.

I know this is her wish for Regan and for all of us:

I pray my grandchildren know that this is what I also want for them:  Live well.

You are greatly loved.

You are surrounded by family who loves you and will support you with love and encouragement when you need it.

You have a legacy of love to build on.

You are in my daily prayers.

What a joy it is to mark the milestones in the lives of those whom we love so deeply.

Congratulations, REGAN!

Traveling Woman

Without warning, I disappeared from the blogosphere in late May.  Even though I knew I'd be traveling for the next few weeks, I thought I'd be checking in on blogs and even writing a few posts on my own blog.  That hasn't happened.  I've been so busy that I took an unannounced blog break.  I hope to be fully back to reading and writing blog posts soon.

Since May 22, I have been on an amazing journey.  I'll give you a few of the highlights.

Milestones

On May 23, my oldest granddaughter graduated from high school in Ogden, Utah.  Not only did I get to attend her graduation which marks a milestone in her life, I also was able to spend time with my oldest son and his family and with my oldest daughter and her daughter. My time with my Utah family is always so precious to me because I only see them once or twice a year.  

                          

                                               Ryan and Regan

I flew back to Colorado on May 26th so that my husband and I could drive to the Western Slope of Colorado to where my mother lives so we could be with her on her 100th birthday. What a milestone this day was for my mother and her family.  I was blessed beyond measure to spend this day with her and with the family that gathered to mark this momentous occasion.  I promise I will write more about this day later.

                                                   Keicha, Mother, and Sally

A Journey

My husband and I then drove back to our side of the mountains, a journey that takes nearly six and a half hours, to return home on Monday, May 30.  We then flew out of the airport in Denver on June 1 to New Orleans.  I had a conference here this past weekend.  The rest of the time, we have eating our way through New Orleans.  Thankfully, we are also doing a lot of walking.  This is our first trip to New Orleans.  We have fallen in love with this amazing city!  

We return home on Wednesday, June 8th.  Until then, I will be on a blog break.  I hope to catch up with you all soon.  

Happy Mother's Day to My Mother

Happy Mother's Day to My Mother

Today's post is an update on a post I did four years ago  Mother has slowed down a bit since I originally wrote this post, but she still attends church twice a week and is feted to lunch with friends on a regular basis.  

We will celebrate her 100th birthday later this month.  She truly is an amazing woman whose life is an example to many.  

Happy Mother's Day to my mother.

She began life as an only child born to parents who were both 40 when she was born.

She grew up in the small mountain town of Woodland Park.

Her mother, a seamstress and a milliner made her beautiful clothes throughout her life.  This hat and coat are examples of her handiwork.

Mother with her pet hen

She had many adventures with her friends.

Mother and her friends on a camping trip

 When my mother graduated form high school, her mother made this dress and hat for the occasion.

Mother said it was made of dotted swiss.

My Mother on Graduation Day

Mother's Graduation Portrait

After my parents were married,

and after my father came home from World War II,

they bought a home in Colorado Springs.

This was my childhood home.

Easter Sunday Daddy, Mother, holding Carol Rell & Sally

Mother taught us much about life.

She also taught me many life skills that I have used throughout my life.

She taught her daughters how to cook, clean, and sew.

She read to us.

She taught us to see the beauty of the world around us through an artist's eye

She played dolls with us, and I even remember her playing hopscotch with us.

She went fishing with our dad.

She planted gardens.

She even helped our dad remodel houses.

I remember her in work clothes along side of my father as much as I remember her dressed in her Sunday best.

She wasn't afraid of hard work.

She was the one who did the painting because she was very particular about how a room was painted.  

She made every home we lived in a welcoming and inviting place.

She also made nearly all of our clothes, and they were beautiful clothes.

Many of the clothes we wore, such as our amazing formals, were designs she made up herself after looking at clothes on the rack or pictures in a book.

We'd say, "I want that dress." and then she'd make it.

She made the dress she is wearing below, and of course she made our nightgowns also.

This dress was made of raw shantung silk.  It was actually drapery fabric that she repurposed as dress fabric.  I loved that dress.

Mother reading to me and my sister

 My mother is a beautiful woman.

She has never lost her sense of style.

When I took her shopping last month, she had to get a new bottle of her signature perfume:

Chanel no 5.

I see in the photo below that she has earrings on that she made one year.

I can faintly see the Christmas tree that she hand painted on ceramic before firing them in her little oven.

She only got more beautiful with age.

She is an expert gardener.  These blooms are nearly bigger than she is.

Mother is an artist.

Here is only one of her wonderful paintings.

It is of the Colorado Monument which you can see from her back porch.

This was my father's favorite view.  She painted this for him.

Mother continues to cook her own meals even to this day.

Ten years ago, we as a family all gathered to celebrate her 90th birthday.
We will all gather again in June to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Here she is surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in 2006.
All were there on this occasion except for my son Jonathan.  He was in Bangladesh at the time.

Mother is still going strong.

In the photo below, she and I are standing in a peach orchard near her home.

This photo was taken when mother was 95.

She still lives on her own and is very involved in life.

Her blood pressure, pulse rate, and cholesterol are better than mine!

She is a woman of great faith.

Her trust is in the Lord.

She is an inspiration to all who know her.

In the photo below, she is reading a scripture passage to her family on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

Nearly every day I speak to my mother by phone.

She answers the phone with such an upbeat voice that it always amazes me.

She sounds like she did when I was a child.

I will never be able to think of her as old.

She keeps redefining that word for me as each day goes by.

My model for life continues to model to this day.

Now, she is teaching me how to age gracefully.

She is teaching me the importance of independence as one ages.

I'm so very proud to call her my

Mother.

Happy Mother's Day, Mother.

I am so blessed to still have you in my life.