ST. PETER'S DECISION.....

               FOUND THIS CUTE STORY......SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT DON.....
Waiting in line at the Pearly Gates......ahead of a priest is a cooley dressed guy named Don.  St. Peter asked who are you....so I know whether to admit you?.....I am Captain Don  Peterson, retired Delta Airline Captain from SLC.  St. Peter consults his list of names, smiles and says, "you have earned a silken robe and a golden staff...enter the kingdom"...... The Priest steps up;..".I am Father Phillippe....Pastor of St Mary's for 37 years."   St. Peter consults his list and says...."For you a cotton robe and a wooden staff....go forth into the Kingdom."  "Just a minute says the Priest....Don seems pretty crazy and done many bad things and I cannot believe he gets silk and gold.......and I get cotton and wood......How can that be?"
Up here we go by results"...........says St. Peter......"When you preached.....the people slept."........"When Don flew, the people prayed"
            Sorry DON could not resist......

CHRISTMAS ALREADY......

              My thoughts exactly.......The first of September, Christmas decorations began to appear and push the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations out of center stage......Hobby Lobby.....Walmart....Target.....Shopko and even Costco are ready for Christmas......I AM NOT....Although I am about half way through my Christmas shopping.  By the time Christmas gets here we will be out of the mood to celebrate it.  Brayden said there was about 6 inches of snow at the cabin last night......guess winter is on its way. Bray and Libby are off to Karrie's for dinner and she will take them to the airport to fly off on their honeymoon.

MEMORIES......

I wish I could get with this Family Tree thing......but do I really want to know or care what all those people were like before I came along?  I am proud of my kids for the time and effort they are putting into tracing all the weird relatives we once had.....and I am sure they will be rewarded for it.

I am more concerned in my old age about just keeping going.  Old age is like a bank account, you with draw from what you have put in     ...So my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in your bank account of memories.  I also want to thank many of you out there for your part of filling in my memory bank......I truly feel sorry for people who do not have a large bank account of good memories to draw from......I had a wonderful family and sisters and a brother that I loved very much, always good health and talents.....college days and stewardess days.....three beautiful daughters who gave me 9 fun grandchildren to help raise......parties, school functions, vacations, weddings etc.My fun days of Concierge and my travels around the world.....Now in my old age I am still depositing many wonderful memories......BUT THERE WILL BE MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR!......And that is OK......Just suck it up cupcake and move on.

PEOPLE I LOVE......

Some days you just have a lot of gratitude in your heart for the people who make your life what it is.....This darling couple are Amy and Dave Baine......some of  the Christenson's very best friends.....and mine.  Dave is Darren's dad manager of his apartments in SLC and right hand man who does everything for Bud.  She has great parents that went to Mexico with us once......and they are great fun on the house boat.

This smiley group are my grandkids and significant other......Matt and Annie......who is quiet pregnant, Richie, Ken and Alex......Scott didn't make it because it was home-coming at Brighton High that day.....and of course the star of the day was Brayden.  I thank my three daughters for having these wonderful children for me to love.

This is my Nicci on her wedding day in Minneapolis 4 years ago......she has moved to Seattle to work for Amazon as she thought they were more progressive than General Mills where she worked in MN.  She is my party girl and social butterfly and very smart.....Bill.....her husband will be working for Microsoft in Seattle.  I am lucky to have Tiff and Will in Salt Lake and get to see them some.

Cold Fall day......Ken and I went to Walmart this morning.  Patty came by for coffee.  Hope we can find something good on TV tonight.

A GOOD DAY

WEEKEND.....TGIF

    This weekend looking a bit dull after last weekend.....Here I am with Libby and Mike Mendoza.....who sent me all these fun pictures......as usual my cell phone was dead....Who is Mike?  An interesting story how he got into our family.....raised back east.....one night as he sat watching TV the police burst into his apartment and shot him 9 times.....(SORRY....wrong apartment).....30 days later when he came out of his coma......he had lost one eye and his body a mess.  He followed a girl friend to warmer country in Phoenix.....then on to Page......where she later committed suicide.....When he was at the bottom Darren's dad came to his rescue .....as he was renting one of Bud's apartments.....made him manager and the fell in love with Sher, Dar and the boys and is now one of them.....He lives in Page and manages Darren and Bud's property and looks after their house boats.
      Had Domino group yesterday.....so did clean up today....Ken is here for the weekend as his parents are busy, busy.....I think that big beautiful home with seven bedrooms and six baths, office, movie room, two kitchens etc. feels pretty lonesome now they are "empty nesters".....so they are jumping into their business and their Stake Church Jobs.......to keep busy.  We will check the movies and no doubt hit Walmart.....Ken's favorite.
       The weather has definitely turned into Fall.....42 degrees when Ken left at eight this morning.  Pam in St. GEORGE  with neighbor for a girl's weekend.....Rob off to Idaho with the dogs to fish....I am at the point in life where I just want my family happy, my faith strong, my health good, my mind right, my dollar tight and NO extra drama!!!

GOOD TIMES......AND FUN MEMORIES

SHERRIE....Mother of the Groom.....looked so great.

The happy couple leaving the Vernal Temple......

A few words from Darren.....Groom's father.....and oh yes, I got a picture of my twins together......Karrie still has her problem.

ANOTHER WEDDING.......Sept 15...2017

     WEDDING DAY for Libby and Brayden...... Yep......it rained and the outside lunch and nightly reception......got moved into the Christenson's garage.  Top picture shows the deli ma of where to put what for over 100 people......then the bottom picture shows the magic we made of the garage when all was done!!!!!  Now a dozen people in Vernal want to have their wedding receptions in the garage.  Sherrie worked very hard on the table decorations......Bought flowers in SLC and her helpers Amy and Laurie and I went to town on flower arrangements.....cute door nobs with numbers told the people which table they were seated.....a list was posted on a window shutter as they entered.....small keys were favors which also opened the pop bottles offered for lunch.....real napkins folded with names on them on the plates.....Yes, it was a job putting all that together......They had a salad bar, rice, rolls and pulled pork.....desert cookies and gelato in a lot of flavors.   That night the Slaugh's were in charge.....Fun lighting and music tied it all together......to heck with the weather when your having fun.

WHY????

Why is the world suddenly inundated with all these terrible hurricanes, fires, floods and a big earth quake in Mexico today......and we had a small one in Park City yesterday?????  Are we in the last days .....?  Maybe Maxine has the right idea, grab a drink and sit back and see what comes next......Been trying to get rested up from my big wedding weekend......Darren and Sherrie flew Ken and I home from Vernal Sunday night.....I was just too tired to drive three hours and I knew they were not up to three hours in and three hours back home......so Gigi and I consented to the flight.....and it was very nice....... 55 minutes.  Did make it to the store today, tomorrow coffee with some friends then Thursday the Mexican Train group at my house for lunch and game......and it is the weekend again.  Rained most the day and Fall is here.....two inches of snow at the ski resorts....Keeps me busy watching the hurricanes line up and head our way......Harvey, Irma, Jose, etc......they just keep coming this year.

YES ......MY KIND OF GUY......

YES.......Here is my great-grandson making out with the University of Utah Cheer Leaders last Saturday night!!!!!  He seems dressed appropriate and enjoying it.  Pam and Rob were tending him and they were enjoying the tail-gateing think.  I'm not sure how the game turned out or who was playing......as I was in Vernal........ Love ya Aaron, go for it!

CAN'T FORGET.......

SATURDAY WAS THE COOK'S 26TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY...........

I can't find any pictures of Karrrie and Richard but this is the result of their 26 years of marriage........Darling Scott, Andrea and Richard Benjamine.     They are great kids and I am so proud they are my grandchildren......I know they love me and I miss seeing them.  Andrea is pregnant with my second great-grandchild.....a girl.....Rich was married, but she walked out after two and a half months and Scott is in high school.......so 26 years ago I was as busy as Sher trying to put a wedding reception together......alone.....for Karrie.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE COOKS

CATCHING UP........

WELL, I GUESS THE BIG NEWS OF THE WEEK IS BRAYDEN MARRIED LIBBY!

I went to Vernal on Thursday to help get ready for the Friday wedding......planned for a nice back yard reception in Sherrie's back yard.......they planted....weeded.....put in a a sprinkler system and new grass.....put up lights.....planted  zen garden with a fountain ......put up lanterns , bought new patio sets and fire pits ,etc......IT RAINED AND THEY HAD IT IN THE GARAGE!!!! BUT

It turned out beautiful......now everyone wants their reception in the Christenson's garage?  Thank goodness they had a humongous garage.....with lights, candles, music system, and good food it was a great success.  They were married in the Vernal Temple.......then lunch at twelve in the garage that Sherrie and Darren gave and the reception at six that evening with Libby's family in charge.  Sherrie's family and Darren's drove down from Salt Lake for the luncheon and Temple seramoney, but all left before the reception. I set with Don and Bud and the Pannier's (who got lost in Roosevelt?}.....for lunch......the Cooks had their own table with the boys......OH WELL.....we got through it!  Tam Staley surprised us and showed up......it was great and it took many of Sherrie's wonderful neighbor's help to make it happen.  They are very lucky to have so many wonderful friends and neighbors.

THE WEDDING WAS SEPT 15......FRIDAY

TRAVEL FAR AND DON'T LOOK BACK......

We have all been issued a passport  to life------One of God's gifts when we are born......My passport is one of my most treasured possessions.  It is rather small, has just a few pages, is usually blue or green......and has oh so much power!  It is like a magic carpet that allows you freedom to wander over vast areas......Even if you had a million dollars, without your passport you could not have this freedom.  I use it over and over and have renewed it many times.  It allows me to investigate our wonderful world and the treasures of people and new friendships.  Unbelievable scenery and magnificent structures.......or not.  It has opened my eyes to my many blessings of freedom, health and prosperity compared to many in the world around me.  These things I do not take as lightly as I use to......I love to turn through it's pages and slide back to the times I stood there while some stern looking official stamped a new countries name in it.   My sign of entry or exit into a new experience that never fails to add something that makes me a better me.  A new friendship, a few words of a new language, and introduction to a new food or custom.  New money and scenery.....Yes, I am part Gypsy!  And I cherish those little stamp marks I see on the pages as I leaf through, a diary without words........Just dates and memories.

It is not that I don't love my home, family, pet, neighbors and country......I do.  And, I can read about the the sunsets in Tahiti, Bali and the great feat of the Panama Canal, but I need to see them, feel them and hear their sounds for myself.......to experience them and log them in with my own feelings and emotions.......Not the words or pictures from someone else's framework of life.  I realize that is enough for some people.....but not for me!  How can I be and " International Cultural Consultant"......if I don't check it all out?

If you do not have  passport.....get one.....and use it, use it, use it!

I hope I am not remembered as setting in a rocking chair on my front porch knitting,,,,,No, I want to be waving good-bye from a cruise ship on my way to another adventure.  (So far...... 6 of the 7 continents, all 50 states and about 120 countries of the world)......Wonder if I will need my passport in Heaven?

SAD DAY.......

 

We feel we are having a bad day with Harvey destroying Texas and Irma destroying Florida and 16 years ago the twin towers were hit.......9-11 is well known to all of us as a very sad day......Now so many without homes in our US.  All of us must say a little prayer for them and then add a few words of GRATITUDE to God if we are safe......We seem to be living in the last days of fire and water destroying our land......maybe before North Korea gets us!!!!!

HEAD FOR THE HILLS........

THESE TWO PEOPLE HAVE SAVED MY LIFE SINCE I MOVED FROM 6298 MADRID ST!!!!

This is Gay and Ivan Hill......and they gave me permission to HEAD FOR THE HILLS......IF I EVER NEED ANYTHING!!!  And I do.   Ivan has weeded my flower beds and gets out his snow blower and cleans my side walk and drive way in the winter......they bring me food and take me to church functions....Gay is my confident and Relief Society teacher........"GOD DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE PEOPLE YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE.......HE GIVES YOU THE PEOPLE YOU NEED."......They were my life savers and my kids like them.   I have other wonderful neighbors who feed Ken and I and check on us constantly......Hhon....who is VIET NAMESE keeps us in goodies and Suzanne, who grew up in Farmington,NM......In the Four Corners is wonderful......She is single.......about 10 years younger than I am.......and her grandfather's brother....BOBBY TAYLOR......from RED MESA, NM.....married Don and I 61 years ago????

I DO BELIEVE IN KARMA.......

LAWS OF KARMA

1......CAUSE AND EFFECT.......You reap what you sow.

2.......CREATION............We  create what we focus on.

3......HUMILITY.....Accept what is and let go what was and work towards what will be....... 

4......GROWTH.......We must change ourselves.....not others to grow.

5......RESPONSIBILITY.......Our lives    are a result of our actions.

6......CONNECTIONS.....Everything is connected and   serves an equal purpose.

7.....FOCUS......One cannot focus on good and bad at the same time.

8.........GIVING.....The way we treat others proves our intentions......

9......HERE AND NOW.....All we really have is this moment....(my favorite).

10......CHANGE.......Life gives us the same lessons until we learn them.

11,,,,,PATIENCE AND REWARD.......We will always get out of life what we put into it!

The usual weekend......slept yesterday, church today and glued to the TV watching IRMA destroy Florida.....so sad.  Talked to my sweet sister and made my day.....I should be there helping her.  As I was watering the plants on my patio and smelling the good bar-b-q of the neighbors....I had to just stop and say 'THANK YOU GOD'  I am not going through the fires and hurricanes that are happening all around me......my thoughts are with those wonderful people going through all the heart aches of losing their homes and all their treasures of a life time.\

"THERE WILL BE MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR"

REMEMBERING........

SHERRIE AND HER BOYS......BRAYDEN, KEN, ALEX AND ADOPTED GREG.....OH ALEX'S BIG RED GOT IN THE PICTURE.......

Sherrie popped in to pick up Ken yesterday.......going 90 miles an hour getting ready for her son's wedding next Friday.....the 15th!  She looked so tired and I wish I could be more help....but we do what we have to do......

This time 24 years ago I was trying to put together Karrie's wedding.....all alone.....no mother, no sisters, no sister-n-laws or neighbors help.......I made her wedding dress......at her request.   I used a big round Batinberg table cloth, three pillow cases and a long table runner.....the best thing i ever sewed!   Find the place, plan the menu and wedding cake, wedding pictures, invitations, music etc......and paid for it all alone.......no one wanted her father involved and he probably wouldn't pay anything anyway. 16th of September.......You do what you have to do.  Knowing Sher she will pull it off great and it will be first class.

Her cute Greg is waiting for his girl friend to get home from her mission next month......They were both in Calif on the Polynesian mission......so they both will be speaking the same foreign language.......Sher has promised to help with his wedding?????  IF AND WHEN.

HURRICANE SEASON.......

     I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE THIS LADY (?) MOVE IN NEXT DOOR TO ME.....I HAVE BEEN GLUED ALL DAY TO THE TV WAITING TO SEE WHAT HURRICANE IRMA DOES NEXT?  I FEEL SO SORRY FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE BEING CAUGHT UP IN THIS HORRIBLE HURRICANE.......I HAVE BEEN TO CUBA AND ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL CARIBBEAN ISLANDS THAT ARE BEING COMPLETELY DESTROYED......WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO GOD AND SHAPE UP......WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS FOR SURE!  IF I THOUGHT HER SOLUTIONS WAS THE ANSWER I WOULD JOIN HER.......BUT!.....ALL I CAN DO FOR THEM IS PRAY .......THEY CAN SURVIVE IT.

AND LIFE GOES ON.......

            HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT DAY AFTER DAY.......BABIES ARE BORN, PEOPLE GET MARRIED AND PEOPLE DIE?  SOME TIMES THEY ARE IN YOUR FAMILY, BUT USUALLY NOT.......WELL ONE WEEK FROM TODAY LIBBY AND BRAYDEN ARE GETTING MARRIED.   SHERRIE RAN BY TO PICK UP KEN FOR THE WEEKEND AND IS GOING 24-7 TO GET READY FOR THE LUNCHEON AND THE RECEPTION IN HER BACK  YARD.......I WILL GO OUT NEXT THURSDAY TO HELP.....IF I CAN.   SOME GOOD NEWS....I AM BEING SEATED FOR LUNCH WITH HER FATHER-IN-LAW AND HIS GIRL FRIEND AND MY X!!!!! WHICH I APPROVED AS DON AND I ARE NOW GOOD FRIENDS.   I DID NOT WANT A FAMILY TABLE WITH THE COOKS AND PANNIERS!!!!!  I AM TOTALLY SURPRISED THEY WERE GOING OUT TO GO THROUGH THE TEMPLE WITH BRAY.  PAM AND ROB WILL DRIVE DON OUT FOR LUNCH.....HE HAD A BAD FALL TENDING PANNIERS DOG LAST WEEKEND AND IS DIZZY AND DISORIENTED  .....THE KMART LADY TOLD SHER......OF COURSE SHE HAS BUSINESS IN LA AND WON'T BE THERE....YEA!
           SHER ALSO TOLD ME KORINA, TAMMIE AND MIKE WILL BE STAYING AT HER CABIN THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE MONTH.....JAMIE CANCELED......AND K0RINA IS SHARING DIXIE'S GENEOLOGY......WITH THE COUSINS.....I THINK WE CAN HAVE A GREAT COUSINS HOLIDAY!!!!.......I DON'T DARE TELL LUCILLE OR SHE WILL HAVE HER VICTOR UP THERE.....MAYBE MIKE OR SHER CAN SHARE LATER.....DO LOVE HER BUT????

LABOR DAY.....

                   HAPPY LABOR DAY.......
                    IN AMERICA MANY ARE TIRED AND COLD AND HOMELESS THIS LABOR DAY AND MANY WONDERFUL AMERICANS ARE LABORING VERY HARD TO HELP PUT THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER.......THAT IS WHAT WE DO AND HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN AMERICA.....MY HEART IS WITH THEM.
                   I WILL PROBABLY SLEEP MOST THE DAY.....THE PANNIER FAMILY IS IN DENVER FOR A FAMILY WEDDING......THE CHRISTENSONS ARE IN LAKE POWELL FOR A FAMILY REUNION AND THE COOKS?????   WELL, ANYWAY HAVE A HAPPY LABOR DAY!

FALL......

I use to love Fall......the kids excited about school starting.....and you too.  The weather cools down and when you live where you have four seasons the hills turn red and orange and gold.....you dig out your favorite sweaters and the stores are full of Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations.....and all those fresh vegetables everywhere......BUT....... now Fall only says one thing to me.....Snow in a couple of months and arthritis kicks in.......time to hibernate!  My only exercise now days is "retail therapy".....you know pushing your cart up one isle and down another while you shop.....you do get lots of steps in.  OH, I get a little more exercise if you count.....I JUMP to conclusions .......I DRAG my feet a lot now days.....I still try and THROW my weight around a little.....I STRETCH the truth now and then.....Then I PUSH my luck and PULL other people's legs now and then......next time I go into the Doctor and she asks about my exercising......I think I will mention some of these to her???

NEWS.....SAME SHIT....DIFFERENT DAY!

                I guess Maxine doesn't live in TEXAS......I feel so bad for all those people who lost everything in the floods.....we are definitely living in the LAST DAYS when God is going to cleanse the earth of all its anger......this was a record breaking storm and they didn't even have an Ark to run to.  I have been watching it play out on TV for a week.......and wonder where all that water will end up...... we are just beginning Hurricane season and they are forecasting more out there......but hope we have had ours for the year.........AND how soon before North Korea sends their atom bomb to our shores......AND last night on National Geographic ....a real eye opener to the drug cartels all over America......I have been very lucky in my life to have lived in the happy go lucky years.....good years......in America and worry for my grandchildren lives.

JUST SLEEP.......

WHY IS IT WHEN YOU GET OLD.......YOU CHANGE?

I guess for so many years you have a mate and a house full of kids around......and everyone is coming and going......and then you get old and alone and you find out they are going.......not coming any more!!!!  My sister keeps tempting me to move down by her and who knows in a year when I  finish my mission?????  I JUST MIGHT.   I doubt the kids would even notice I was gone......

NO......I  don't enjoy being old....but i would rather be old than dead!  OLD is such a scary word and denotes bad things........maybe we should start referring to "age" as "levels".......I am at level 85, and of course level 100 would be everyone's goal.......Sounds cooler than just being "an old person."

What do I do with a long quiet Holiday weekend when all the kids are out of town???? SLEEP.....AND tend dogs.