TIME FLIES

Can't believe my week on the farm is almost over.....Sher called and they were back in Salt Lake, be home in about three hours. Her boys have been great and a lot of fun, but they were hoping their folks would be here when they got home from school. This morning I enjoyed watching the deer in their back pasture while I drank my coffee. So much peace and quiet and privacy here. Of course, there is no place like home!

Have you ever thought about the Laws of the Universe? You know after your hands become coated with flour or grease, your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee......Law of random numbers--If yu dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.....Variation Law--If you change lines or traffic lanes the one you were in will always move faster than the one you moved to.....wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy--As soon as youu find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.......The Law of Results,--When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work----it will!....The coffee Law-- As soon as you sit down to a hot cup of coffee, the phone will ring and they will talk until your coffee is cold.....Brown's Law of Physical Appearance--If the clothes fit, they're ugly.....These are just a few things that make life interesting.

VERNAL, UTAH

This week I am spending the week in Vernal, Utah with my two grandsons. What do I know about Vernal? Really nothing. So I googled up Vernal and learned some very interesting things about it I did not know....Vernal is 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is nestled in the midst of beautiful scenic mountains, rivers and colorful deserts. Vernal is in eastern Utah near the Colorado state line, bordered on the north by the Unita mountains, one of the few mountain ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the north-south direction. Vernal lies in Ashley valley named in honor of William H. Ashley, an early fur trader who entered this area in 1825 by floating down the Green River in a bull boat made of animal hides. Vernal, unlike the majority of Utah towns was not settled by Mormon pioneers. Scouts sent out by Brigham Young reported back to him, the area was good for nothing but hunting grounds for the Indians and "to hold the world together." The same year President Abraham Lincoln set the area aside as the Uintah Indian Reservation. The major economy of the town is derived from extracting natural resources through out Uintah County including petroleum, natural gas, phosphate and gilsonite. Tourism also plays a major role in Vernals economy. People have been drawn to the dinosaur fossil beds (bone beds) that were discovered in 1909. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the dinosaur beds as Dinosaur National Monument in 1915. Dinosaurs once roamed here. Their fantastic remains are still visible embedded in the rocks. Petroglyphs hint at earlier cultures in the area. When excavation eventually ended, over 1,500 fossils were left in place on the cliff face so visitors can view them in the position they were found. I have been up to see them, the children love them. So I will continue to enjoy the Christenson's beautiful big house that has a great view of the lake, and the biggest big blue barn in Utah!

TIME.......

This clock hangs in my kitchen and has a great thought on it....."WhatEver".
We are in a hurry. America is in a hurry. Time has skyrocketed in value. Time has become the most precious commodity in the land. Why, we even have a mountain named "Rushmore!" a
As I enter my golden years and look back at the many birthday cakes I have eaten and all the candles I have blown out I realize how much time has passed in my lifetime. I have gone through a decade of wall calendars marking off one day at a time and then tearing off one month after the other just taking for granite that cakes and calendars will go on forever.......wrong!
I now celebrate each day (48 hours)as a gift. I try to put something special into each day, even if it is no more exciting than watching the little birds flock to the birdfeeder on my back porch. I enjoy each day for its own unique quality and it makes getting older a pleasure instead of a burden.....I am sitting in Sherrie's beautiful big home with winter wonderland surrounding it and look forward to my two grandsons happily returning home from school and a fun evening together.

ONCE UPON A TIME........

Since I was young enough to remember I was spoon fed wonderful fairy tails that began 'ONCE UPON A TIME' and when we got to the last page was the wonderful words "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER".........any story that begins like that has to end with those words. You just know the story promises a story of adventure, romance and perhaps mystery. It contains tales of courage, hope and usually everlasting love. In most stories nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil, but no matter what, the best part of the story is the ending when they live happily ever after.
I think that is what we all desire in our lives; to be like the heroes and heroines of the nursery rhymes we all love, to triumph over adversity, to experience life in all its beauty, and in the end, to live happily ever after...... Beauty and The Beast.....Belle becomes a captive to a ugly beast in order to save her father. In Ruumpelstilskin....a poor miller promises the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. Locked in her room she later faces the danger of losing her firstborn child unless she can guess the name of the magical creature who helped her in this impossible task.....and Cinderella endured her wicked stepmother and evil sisters as she slaved for them, but later showed them. Think about it. Everyone has had to go through some kind of dark valley involving temptation, sorrow and trials. Perhaps the death of a loved one or pet, a divorce, a bad disease, lose of a job and home.....life is an endless road of ups and downs all part of the life that begins Once Upon a Time and hopefully ends with Happily Ever After. Without the bad times we would not appreciate all the good times God has given us. Today I am enjoying a beautful winter day on the farm. The lake out one window, the horses out another, waiting for my two boys to get home from school.

I LIKE THIS THOUGHT.......

"A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." Ben Franklin..........Tomorrow I will be having lunch and bridge a my house for some of my dearest old friends.....it is a lot of work! At the left is a picture of some of my oldest friends. Elaine Sorensen on the right died a few months ago and will be sorely missed. At this age you never know what tomorrow will bring.
The following story is one we should really be thinking about: At 92 he manuvered his walker to his new room..."I love it he said", "But Mr Jones you have not seen it." That doesn't matter he replied, happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like the room or not does not depend on how the furniture is arrange.....its how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work.....or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift I will focus on, the new day and all the memories I have stored away. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you have put in. I advise you all to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of your memories.
Will be packing my bags for another trip out of town this week.....Looking forward to another fun week with fun people. Finally had a good snow storm and feels like winter.

THIS I BELIEVE

God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close. If you need God to open some doors for you......Don't hesitate to ask him. Try it, it works.
I wonder.......is God ever in a bad mood because of bad weather? Does God get ruffled over long lines or traffic jams? Does God ever refuse to rotate the earth because his feeling are hurt? For some reason I think he is above all this......so I need to work on these things in my life, realizing I am always being tested.
My two dear friends came over today for coffee and our monthly therapy session. Next to shopping," retail therapy",........... gripping, moaning & groaning and bitching about problems in our life with two of my best friends can be very redesigning and uplifting. We take an oath that everything said here does not leave my dinning room table.......I have to laugh at that, by the time they go out the front door I can't remember most of what we talked about anyway..........
Wish I could get rid of being dizzy, it seems to come and go and I'm thinking it is a sinus infection. My one ear feels plugged. I just don't do "sick" very well. Two days to get my house in order and ready for bridge and lunch at my house on Monday. Thank goodness it only comes onc a year.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know bargain hunting is a challenge, researchers explain, and challenges,

deliver a dose of hyper-alertness known as "eustress"---brief but intense positive stress that our brains respond to with pleasure!

Many women find shopping relieves stress and lifts the spirits......it does me.... In fact in my family it is known as Retainl Therapy.......But if you think that you need lots of cash to reap those benefits, think again: New research by British neuroscientist David Lewis shows shopping ups our happiness levels the most when we are actively hunting down bargains. In fact, scoring a great buy produces such powerful surge of mood-boosting endorphines, it's as much of a euporic thrill as skydiving! It even makes your heart race faster than eating chocolate or kissing.......Well, when I was young I might argue that last point with you, but today I will happily agree. I pour over the sales in the morning news paper, especially on the weekends. What's out there for $19.99, kinda my limit when at this age, you know you will not live long enough to wear out something that costs fifty bucks. My cousin Lucille is bargain queen and is good to call me and tell me when she finds a great bargain. However, her deals usually don't help me much like 5o pounds of flour or sugar or rice .........at an unbelievable price, again who would ever use that much when you live alone and live on Progresso Soup? But, where I shine is in my closet! It is full of wonderful bargain......some even still have their price tags on them........ but wow, the feeling I got when I bought them was worth it!

Oh, I have a couple of cruises coming up and you ought to see the bargains I found today!

SO WHAT5 IS NEW?

If you have heard it once, you have heard it a hundred times......"Have a good weekend!" Just exactly what is a good weekend? Everyone seems to be different so that makes them all good, unless your sick in bed. This weekend I am grandmothering which is one of my favorite past times.

I am determined to make life an adventure. You know even something simple like a conversation with a strange, a cooking class, a road trip. Adventure should be anything that excites or stimulates you. Adventure should be life.

A real adventure takes no planning, no control, no guide book or internet research, no list of "to do or see." Just go with the flow----get hints from the natives who know the place. The natives this weekend are 16, 18 and 10.....and are always taking me on a new adventure. Today is a cloudy, grey, cold January day......looks like a storm might come in which would be welcome to many (not me). But, I know the sun is shinning somewhere!

EACH DAY IS PRECIOUS.........

You will show me the path of life, abounding joy in Your presence, the delights at Your right hand forever. Psalm 16:11

I love this quote I saw on my facebook: "You think when you wake up in the morning yesterday doesn't count. But yesterday is all that does count. What else is there? Your life is made out of the day it's made out of....nothing else." Cornac McCarthy

Yes, I can see my life is made up of almost 80 years of "yesterdays"! With those many days, that I am very thankful for, I encountered many choices and consequences that have gotten me to where I am today. I am not rich or famous, have never done anything great or noteworthy but I have done my best and I am at peace with my life today. Family is what makes the difference in a good, better or best day. There are very few days I don't hear from one or two people in my family.......and extended family. Yesterday Sherrie and Kenny were in town for lunch, a good visit and help me with some chores around the house. My sweet granddaughter spent a few precious hours with me doing her home work on my computer, (should I be happy her computer is down????) and later her brother dropped by to pick her up and spend some time with me. I don't understand the whole thing about homework now days.....something about the teacher puts the lesson in the computer, you work it out on paper and put your answers in, (by 11:00 pm) then turn your work page in the next day. It was chemistry and French......and way over my head!

GREAT THINGS HAPPENING......

The excitement was building about now.....you know that last stop to be photographed......just before you step into that ship. First cruise for the three children. None of us were exactly dreaming of a White Christmas, which didn't even happen at home in Salt Lake City! In my office I have framed all the "last minutes" before my many cruises and now they announced to me they had finally made......my wall. It was a great trip with many wonderful memories made. I think we voted our day in"Atlantis" was definitely a favorite.

It has been a hectic day trying to find 7 people to play bridge at our up coming bridge date at my house.....sometimes I wonder if it is worth cleaning house for and preparing lunch......but then I realize that the other seven bridge members also get their turn at doing the same thing when it is their turn......which I do enjoy. Now I can start washing windows, getting down cob-webs and corner cleaning. Spring house cleaning, yea!

Off to baby sit this weekend............wonder how many times I will lose at UNO?

AGING

This picture of my mother brings home so many memories. I never felt she was old. When she died at 58, after three years of cancer her hair was no longer dark, it had come in white and curly. But somehow I just never labeled her old. Have you ever conversed with someone who is getting on in years, someone who has torn so many pages off the calendar that their recent history is a blur, rendering them barely able to remember what they had for breakfast this morning? I am not quite there yet and when you ask me about the good ole days, instantly the years dissolve, clarity returns and I begin recounting the wonderful years of high school, college and being a stewardess in vivid details. I decided not to think "old" no matter how many birthdays I have so my kids and grandkids .......will have the imagine of a "kinda young" grammy.

"As you age, you realize you can be happy in the present. You don't have to wait. It's something you cultivate by paying attention to what's in your life right now."

Feeling better today, thankgoodness.

THE POWER OF A LETTER......

Taking a pen or pencil to paper seems like a lost art, but often the m0st meaningful, life-altering words are the ones expressed in a handwritten letter. Letter writing was big as I was growing up and most of my life until email and texting came along. Letters from boy friends, letters from your parents when in college or married, letters from old friends. I still have many of my parents letters and a few of the man I married. Simply opening the envelope and unfolding the pages fill us with excitement. And, when the last words have been read, we can refold the pages and tuck them away for another day to read and reread. Although the paper may yellow and edges may fray, a letter will always be timeless. I can recognize my mother's writing and love the feelings that bring. My father always printed and had beautiful writing. He didn't write too often until mother died, that was her job then. I

loved getting mail from one of my three sisters. Because no one wants to take a few minutes to write some one or buy a stamp (no, they aren't 3 cents any more) but we make more money than back in the old days, the poor post office is going out of business. Yes, it is our fault! To my family and friends I would say write a few more letters.

Not up to much the past few days because of an inner ear infection that makes me walk like a drunk indian. I can't afford to fall and break something so taking my medicine and staying close to the bed......of course, a little computer work breaks the monotony.......

WHICH ANIMAL ARE YOU DRAWN TO?

Having grown up with and near many Indians of America I have heard often of spirit guides or totems that are key aspects of Native American beliefs, and generations of healers have studied the character traits of both humans and animals in order to understand how spirit guides influences affect our lives.......explained by author of Animal Spirit Guides.

Your totem, is a valuable ally in helping to navigate life's challenges, empowering you in both the material and spiritul worlds. The author listed an owl, a horse, a wolf. a bear and an eagle and said choose the one that draws you in, then read the message to uncover why your totem is sending you this message to help you feel more joyful every day.

I looked them over and was drawn to the Eagle and it's message to me: Your happiness secret Post A Gratitude List.....If the eagle resonates with you, your are destined to be a positive role model for those who get bogged down by day-to-day stressors. "The eagle has an amazing perspective that land animals miss." "When you focus on the big picture, you're benefiting from the eagle's wisdom" Try making a list of things you appreciate and value---posting it where others can see it---to guide you and your loved ones to true contentment. That is so strange because of a new years resolution I made a list for an "attitude of gratitude" and have already started sending thank you notes.....to people in my condo who work tirelessly to make it a nice place for me to live, to three of my grandchildren who so uncomplainingly clean my house and do yard work for me, I don't ask, but their mother is teaching them to reach out. A nephew who went out of his way to remember me at Christmas and a cousin who faithfully checks on me and worries when she can't contact me. Coincidents? Maybe, but I think not! My list is long and I will continue to say thank you to many people.

HAPPY NEW YEAR......A DAY LATE

Happy New Year......a day late. Just didn't get to the computer yesterday, enjoying the New Year. Leaving town for Christmas put me behind in my Christmas deliveries and phone calls. Feel better today and I am determined to move into 2012 with an "ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE" letting others know how grateful I am to have them in my life. I am inspired by President Monson's Ensign message. He challenges each of us to undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what he calls the abundant life----a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings. Start with a positive attitude. So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. Charles Swindell said, "Attitude, to me , is more important than....the past....than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day." We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude. Believe in yourself and have courage! This will bring you an abundant life and a happy new year.