Food Traditions

Most of our family traditions involve food from the expected--Thanksgiving and turkey to the stumbled upon--Christmas Eve and Chinese Hot Pot.  Some just happen and we don't really know why.

For several years our Scout troop would have a Court of Honor at the end of the summer that always included a pot luck meal.  One of our boys suggested we bring these layered jello jigglers one year and they immediately became a tradition each year.

The silly things took a whole afternoon to make with the timer going off every 20 minutes to remind me to add another layer.  But, the effect of that rainbow of jello goodness was worth the work.  The oohs and awes as we walked in with the big bowl of jello were fun every year.

Then, 5 minutes later, the entire bowl was empty and the tradition was done for another year.  We learned quickly to grab some before the batch left home if we wanted any!

Fields

My Dad used to talk about a farmer being a "man outstanding in his field".  So, I guess this is me being outstanding in a field as well.  With a doll of course because dolls are important accessories for every occasion.

A few years after this picture was taken our family rented a farm house for a couple of years.  The farmer wanted to live in town but still worked the farm.  I loved that place.  We had cats all over the place, a dog at least some of the time, cattle ponds to swim in and ice skate on depending on the season and fields everywhere.

I don't think I'd actually want to be a farmer--too much to do and no days off.  But, I sure loved the space and lack of people right next door.  It was wonderful to look out the window and just see land and sky.  Empty space is a wonderful thing.

Camping Traditions

My favorite part of camping with my family was waking up in the morning and hearing my parents talking while fixing breakfast for us.  It was usually really cold out so I'd stay snuggled into my sleeping bag and just listen for a while. It was such a secure feeling knowing they were close by fixing food for us.

It was quite a let down when we took our own kids camping to realize that we had to be the adults and be the one to get out of that warm sleeping bag to fix breakfast (after a night of not much sleep of course).  We had to go out and shiver until we got a good fire going and then find all the ingredients to feed hungry children while they stayed warm in the their sleeping bags.  I assume they all felt nice and secure and loved while all this was going on.  On the other hand, they probably just slept right through it.

Camping is a funny tradition.  We love it as kids so we want to give that same experience to our own children but for parents of young children the whole thing is not really that enjoyable.  You spend all night trying to keep the little ones warm and then spend the day trying to keep them warm, fed, alive and not lost.  And yet, because of those great memories from childhood, we keep the tradition going.  Thank goodness, because camping with children and their children is wonderful!

Things to rely on

This picture is 40 something years old and I remember all of us looking just like this.  I don't remember why my cousins were in Logan that year although I assume it was about the time my family lived here and they came to visit from Arizona.  I love the cuteness of this picture!

15 or so years later we were all at the Logan temple again.  This time it was for my wedding and these cousins all came, along with a few more.  I was so impressed that they would come all that way for my wedding.  I love the constancy of family support through the years.  

We've had a few of those trips of our own over the years.  Quick trips up to Boise for weddings, a two day jaunt up to Canada for another wedding, and a couple trips down to Cedar or Arizona for the funerals of my grandparents.  When those events come up, it really doesn't matter how far the trip is or how inconvenient, it's family and you go.  That support continues to be a constant.  

I love this picture! The dress is beautiful, the white shoes and socks are perfect and the necklace is quite silly.  Inside the lovely pink flower (or whatever it is) was a Liddle Kiddle doll (the one I did not get from Santa at Christmas).  I'm assuming I got this doll for my birthday which is conveniently shortly after Christmas.  Many of my birthday presents have been part two of Christmas gifts or the things that Santa didn't quite get done in time.

Tree climbing

One of my grandsons hit a big milestone a while back when he figured out how to climb a tree near his house.  He was justifiably proud of this accomplishment.  Tree climbing opens up a whole new world.  Those extra few feet give you such an expanded view and make you feel powerful.

One of our houses when I was growing up had apple trees.  Both trees were good for climbing but one actually had some semi comfortable places to sit as well.  A book, unlimited golden delicious apples and a tree to sit in make for a great afternoon.  Also, it was far enough away from the house that I didn't have to listen to badly played piano pieces from my mom's students all afternoon.

We had another tree in that yard that I loved to climb until the day I fell down it.  It was a beautiful, tall pine tree with branches spaced perfectly for climbing up quite a ways.  Those same branches were also spaced perfectly to catch me a dozen or more times on the way down, scraping up the insides of my arms all the way to the bottom.

Dolls and Santa

Raggedy Ann only got to enjoy all this space for a month. Then, on my birthday in January, Andy showed up and from then on they had to share the high chair.  They didn't seem to mind too much as far as I could tell.

My Raggedy Ann had a handkerchief in her pinafore pocket which could be taken out and put back in.  This was quite the upscale feature as I discovered that Sunday at church.  I took her with me of course and was playing with the handkerchief during the meeting.  The girl behind us also had a new Raggedy Ann doll but hers did not have a removable handkerchief in the pocket.  She was quite disappointed.  I, on the other hand was quite proud.

A few years later I got my comeuppance.  While comparing Christmas gifts with my best friend she showed me a liddle kiddle doll (it was a thing back then) that she had gotten in her stocking.  I hadn't gotten one but I was sure I just hadn't looked deep enough into my stocking because of course Santa would have brought me one too.  I rushed home and pulled my stocking out of my mom's cedar chest.  It was sadly empty.  No doll was hiding in the bottom.  At that moment, the seeds of doubt started to form about the existence of Santa.  He had let me down terribly and was obviously not the man I thought he was.

Mud holes and snow forts

This was a fun day! What more could you want than a muddle puddle and two good friends? I'm not sure how my mom felt about the looks of my swim suit after this adventure.  When you've found a great mud hole, who cares about things like that?

This apartment complex was a great place to be a kid.  In addition to mud holes, there was the sandbox which we played in most of the time, unless one of the neighbor boys was going through his "this is my own personal litter box" phase, along with a playground which was great for all the usual reasons playgrounds are great--climbing, swinging, sliding etc. Then there were the speed bumps that we fun to ride over on a bike, unless your toes got stubbed while going over (barefoot of course because who would actually wear shoes when it was summer?).

One year we had "the snow".  School was cancelled for a week because there were no snow plows in the state of Oregon apparently.  My best friend and I built an igloo that was massive for a few days.  Then it was slightly less massive as the weather warmed up, but still really, really cool! From what I remember it was as big as a living room with bench seating all around the perimeter.  We probably could have fit the whole neighborhood in there....or at least 3 or 4 small kids.

All this childhood wonder took place in what had formerly been army barracks (if I remember right). We probably should have been deeply offended that we were living in such low income circumstances but somehow, we survived without any psychological damage.  Life is quite wonderful when you're a kid.  Especially if you have the occasional mud puddle to spend the day in.  

Grandmas and Babies

Two Great Grandma's with a baby for each.  I know which one is me in this picture (the smaller baby) and that the other baby is my cousin but I'm not entirely sure which Great Grandma is which and who the others in the picture are.  But, even knowing just the little bit that I do makes this picture really important to me.  I remember one of these women from when we took peppermint candy canes to her and then once when we admired her crocheted hot pads (done in wildly clashing colors since her eye sight was so bad).  The other one I don't remember at all.

The really cool thing about this picture is that these women got to meet me.  They probably cooed about how cute I was (or not, but we'll sure pretend they thought I was cute) and discussed which side of the family I took after.  I may have even spit up or drooled on one or both of them.  Because I was their great granddaughter, they loved me.  That much I know.

This past week we've had a few multi generation pictures taken with my mother in law.  Two were five generations of her family.  I watched how much she instantly loved those little fifth generation babies the minute she met them and that's how I know that these women loved me.  It's just the way it is with grandmas and great grandmas.  There are some constants in life that can be depended on.

Fantasy meets reality.

I've always loved the architecture of Russia, Ukraine and the like. The bright colors and onion domes just seemed so cool and foreign to me. So, when we took a trip to Ukraine a few years ago, I couldn't wait to see those buildings for myself. 

When we got off the plane and drive to our lodging I was really disappointed by what I was seeing. Huge apartment buildings that were really boring and ugly was all we were seeing. It was awful. I bad been lied to my while life!

The next day, fortunately we headed into the city of Kiev. There I found the bright colors, domes and all the foreign architecture I'd been excited to see. 

Freedom

Satch loved to run. The neighbors really enjoyed watching him when he got loose. He'd take off at top speed, legs and ears flopping all over the place. And he'd run and run till he was ready to come home.

Once he started getting seizures, he kind of slowed down a bit so I didn't think much of putting him outside on a day when they were really bad and he was losing control of himself. But, apparently, once outside he remembered the joy of running and off he went, never to be seen again. I hope he ran and ran till he just dropped. I picture him in heaven, just like this, pure joy all over his face and ears just flopping away.

I love these two pictures--one from 40 something years ago and one from last year.  First we have my mom helping me down a hill and then my brother in law helping my mom down a hill a little over a year ago.  Both of us really needed that help at those times.

I would always much rather be the one helping in these situations.  But, somebody's got to need help so I guess it will have to be me at some point. I just hope I can graciously accept that help when I need it. 

Bonna Lue

My mother in law is amazing! She is going on 96 and apologizes for slowing down in her old age.  We're just happy that we finally have a chance of keeping up with her now!

Early in our marriage we'd go help her pick raspberries. We'd pick everything we could see and she'd come along behind us filling her bucket from all the ones we'd missed.  She taught me how to quilt and then quilted circles around me.  She could get more work done in a couple hours than I could even think about doing in a day.

Today she's hanging out in the hospital after having a heart attack last night.  She'll need more help than she's had but no one minds that.  It's about time the rest of us stepped up and took on some of the work!

Spiral staircases

Last fall we visited Wales and when in Wales one must of course visit castles.  This was my favorite, mostly because of this tower.  I found a winding staircase that just kept going up and up.  It was exciting to find at each floor that it just kept going.  It ended up on this turret and other than a rather queasy stomach from a fear of heights it was a great view.

I love stair cases, paths, trails, doorways, etc. that lead to mysterious new places.  You just never know what is beyond that bend or hill.  It could be the most exciting thing you've ever seen!  Usually it's just another bend or hill but that doesn't stop me from getting very excited about the journey.

Now, if only I could get that excited about my life when it seems be a path with lots of twists and turns.  Instead, I just get frustrated at not being able to see the end right now.  I should probably learn some sort of life lesson from this turret.  Maybe next year.

Generations

Every since I married into the Pack family, Memorial Day has meant a day of visiting graves, a day of cleaning up headstones and decorating with flowers and a day of visiting with family. After a few years of complaining and whining for a good part of the day it is now something I look forward to every year.

I love the whole concept of extended families and the chance we get to see each generation grow and move on to each new stage in life.  I remember family reunions when I was little and how I thought my great aunts were just the most amazing people around.  Over years of sporadic reunion attendance, I watched those aunts get older and a bit slower but through it all still amazing.  That generation is all gone now and the next one is heading into the "elderly" phase of life.  I know that someday it will be me with the arthritic fingers, faulty memory and more age spots than skin.  But, having watched previous generations go mostly gracefully down that path, I'm not overly worried about it.

Each of these people leave behind a spot in a cemetery but that is just a starting point for lots of stories and memories.  Every time we visit one of these graves, the stories are shared and of course embellished by the descendants.  Written history is a wonderful thing but nothing beats the story as related every year by Uncle so and so.

So, I guess at this stage in my life, my job is to make sure there are some good stories worthy of embellishment for my children and grandchildren to pass on.  I hope to be able to sit in on some of those graveside story times in the distant future.  Or hover above, whatever it is spirits do.

A Well Used Yard

These three are now much bigger and one is in the army while the other two are on missions.  But, if they were all here right now, this is probably what they'd still be doing.  They're a silly bunch.

This yard has had a lot of use over the years.  Games of capture the flag, ghost in the graveyard, hide and seek and many more. In the summer there would be an improvised slip and slide and water fights.  If you didn't get completely soaked, it wasn't a successful summer day.  As the boys got older there would be intense discussions about life on the trampoline till all hours.

Our neighbor had big dreams for beautiful landscaping in the part of our yard she looked out on from her gazebo.  Instead, she got wandering boys and dogs and noise till late every Tuesday night all summer.  She may forgive us some day...

Ivy Covered Towers

The vine on our house has been a subject of discussion (and argument) at our house over the years we've lived here.  We had one neighbor tell us that we should remove it immediately or our house would disintegrate.  We've had random strangers follow us home to find out what kind of vine it is so they can start one at their own house.  We've had members of the family (me) who feel very emotionally attached to the thing and other members (husband) who pretty much think it is a scourge.

I think a lot of my attachment to it comes from my dream of living in an old house surrounded by trees and covered with vines.  Which, other than the old house part, we pretty much have.  So, here we are, preparing to sell this rather perfect house, vine and all and move to who knows where.  Sometimes, the the things that are right to do aren't really the most fun.  But, when it's right, you do it.

As part of prepping the house, the vine has be cut back to almost nothing, in case prospective buyers are part of the "scourge of the earth" camp.  The poor thing is confined to a very small section of the house now and looks rather pathetic.

But, if the new owner has had a long time dream of living in ivy covered walls, the vine is ready to grow.  A year or so and it will be back to it's former glory, covering every available surface and causing discussion and arguments all over again.

November

I remember walking to high school one day in November and just thinking that it was the perfect month of the whole year.  It was overcast and cold and just made me so ridiculously happy.  November is such a perfect month!

I love the leftover colors, the cold nights and off and on cold days.  Sometimes a little snow gets thrown in to add excitement and sometimes it's drizzly rain that makes me want hot cocoa.  There is still enough color in the trees to keep it from being non stop gray and life is just beautiful all over.

From my window at work, I can see a street that is lined on one side with rather normal, mid size trees.  But, around this time of year they get around to changing and they're amazing!  It's always exciting to see the first leaves on those trees start to change, hinting at what's to come.  Taking a detour along that road becomes a daily thing for a week or so.

The other thing that makes November so wonderful is the anticipation of the holidays.  Thanksgiving is great and fun with not a whole lot of stress (because I love cooking) and Christmas is far enough away that I can be excited about it without having to stress out about it.  I have learned that at least for me, anticipation is usually more exciting than the actual event so it's a perfect time to anticipate all the wonderfulness of the holidays.

Which of course makes October quite wonderful too since I can anticipate the amazing November and then September is great because I can anticipate anticipating November.  That's as far as it goes though because August is just hot, humid and something to be endured.

So, back to November, looking at this amazing yellow tree, taking detours to work and wrapping up in a blanket with hot cocoa.  Life is good.

Easy is boring!

From the scenery in this photo I'm assuming it's somewhere near Cache Valley.  I don't remember any details but it this picture makes me happy.  It brings back all the hiking, camping, picnicking and general outdoorsiness of my childhood.

The most memorable camping trip we had was to the Badlands in South Dakota.  The Badlands themselves are amazing and one of my favorite places to visit but that's not what made that trip so memorable.  One of the first things my mother did when we arrived was find a paper sack to throw up in.  Then my Dad broke one of his front teeth eating an apple.  It's a really good thing we weren't around people we knew or that probably would have scarred me for life.

Then we camped.  In the rain, lots of rain.  The only way to cook dinner was somewhere with a roof so we ate fondue in the women's restroom.  Then we slept in our mostly waterproof tents to the sound of non stop rain.  There was more to the trip than that and we probably actually did some sight seeing somewhere in there but that's not what made the trip so memorable.

Since then (especially while raising rambunctious boys) I find myself getting through the not so fun times by telling myself how great it's going to be to tell and retell this story.  Life would be quite boring if everything went smoothly.

Four Eyes

Glasses and I have had a love/hate relationship over the years.  When I was little they were just a fact of life (since I started wearing them at two).  They started to be a bit of a bother when I took swimming lessons, spun around on the monkey bars or tried to play football with my cousins (who wouldn't let me do anything but throw the ball and get out of the way so no one would break my glasses and get in trouble).  Then Jr. High came and I got self conscious about pretty much everything in my life.  I would come home from school and fling my glasses across the room, hoping that they would break and I would never have to wear them again.  Apparently my parents bought me the really tough glasses.  Darn.

Part way through high school my eyes actually worked without help and I was glasses free for the first time in 14 years! Life was good.  All my problems were over.  I would finally be popular.  

Looking back I really don't think anyone but me really noticed much whether I had glasses or not.  The huge, life changing event in my teenage life really wasn't that big a deal.  

So now, back in glasses since my mid twenties, I wake up in the morning, pat around blindly for my glasses and then put them on to see a crisp, clear world.  I love glasses! 

Books, books and more books

I have no idea what book we're reading in the picture but I find it funny that we're sitting on a rock, in the middle of the great out of doors, reading a book.  Funny, but fairly normal as well.  With an English professor for a father and a mother who rereads "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" for fun every once in a while, what else would we do?  

The earliest stories I remember my parents reading to me were from Winnie the Pooh (Help, Help a Horrible Heffalump!).  Those were cannon in our family--even used occasionally in Sunday School lessons by my father.  I had a whole set of stuffed animals to represent all the characters--Pooh was actually a Teddy Bear and Tigger was some sort of Tiger, Kanga was a stuffed Siamese cat from what I remember and it kind of went downhill from there.  They were very good act acting out the stories though so all was well.  

There were always plenty of books to choose from between our bookshelves at home, the books in my father's office at the college and of course the local library.  My goal in life was always to have at least as many books as my parents did.  

Fast forward enough years for a couple more generations to show up.  We had a family party this week, last one in the house my parents are living in before they downsize a bit.  As part of downsizing, they are getting rid of a lot of their books that they don't really read much.  The grandchildren were free too choose any of those books to keep.  When we got to the party a bit late, we saw piles like this all over the place, marked by a purse, a jacket or being hovered over by the person who picked them.  And the legacy lives on.