LAND OF ZION.....

This is the Great Salt Lake Valley.......The land where a piece of my heart is, for a number of reasons.  The mountains, weather changes and good people......oh yes, and my family and our church....temple....... make this place HOME.  Since I arrived in January 1954 I have lived in a total of 8 different houses in this town. I lived in 2 different places when I was flying.  Got married and lived with Vadal, then to a little house on the West Side, then our first home on Millcreek Way..  Off to Denver one year , then back here and in two different houses on Lauri Kay Drive and after the divorce to my condo here on Madrid.  So feel I have checked out this little valley......and love it.

It is human nature to think negatively.  Studies show that negative thoughts and emotions are quicker to form, attract more of our focus, and more likely to be recalled than positive one.  Confidently people are not immune to pessimistic self-talk, but they also recognize and value their strengths....and you should too.  If you have trouble pinpointing your positive attributes, think of one of your traits that has served you well.  Seems all I can think of now days is the hazards of Obama care in my life.....I am old, and all my health care is being taken away or doubling in price....how can I be positive?

Think Positive.....be impeccable with your word.  Don't take anything personally.  Don't make assumptions....your not a mind reader. Always do your best! Oh yes, Betty.......things happen for a reason......just believe.

WHERE IN THE WORLD.....

As I look at this little chunk of our world......it takes me back to many wonderful vacations, adventures, trips and get-aways...........in my past many years.  The only country you see listed that I was not on......but saw twice as we sailed by.....is Gibraltar.  Some places I visited several times.  I have had the privilege to see may wonderful works of art and enjoy the past through what remains in these countries. I want to tell in my blogs some of my stories of these 22 countries I visited on this map.  My wish would be every one would have the opportunities I have had to travel.......however......I know some people who would not want to.  That is their loss. I find now at 81, with bad knees, the getting in and out of tour buses, climbing stairs and sitting on long airline trips is just very hard to do............soooo I will enjoy my many memories of the past. I do thank Ann, my sister Leslie, friends..... Linda and Jimmy Cox, my nephew Mike and various friends for always being willing to join me. Also my girls were with me on some of the great trips.

Chapter #10....around the worrld.....

This is the beautiful rebuilt city of WARSAW, POLAND.  When  we went to Poland we were some of the first people in after the war.......and there were still many shortages for their poor people.  We were with a group of airline people and when we went to buy cheese and bread for a snack..... and we had to stand in line with the locals..........you could tell the people felt some hostility toward us for taking what meager supplies were available to them.  Their co-op had many bare shelves, they were still suffering.  I felt bad about it.  We enjoyed what old architect that was around and there were many statues of their leaders.  After several day we took a train to CRACOW....... where one night at dinner, Leift Leuensa (not sure of spelling) came in to dinner also with a big group of security people.   Don did shake hands with him.....years later he was made one of the leaders in Poland.  Next day we took a tour to AUSWITCH - BIRKENAIR.......This is something I WILL NEVER FORGET!  Why?  You can feel the sadness and evil as you walk through the front gate.  You are lead through this prison where thousand were gassed and killed by HITLER.......My children.....grandchildren......and great-grandchildren should read the history of this place and the wicked people responsible for killing so many Jews.  If this is hell.....I hope I am spared.  The gas furnaces.....the bins of the dead people's shoes, hair, suitcases, eye glasses, false teeth, and legs and arms......taken before they were gassed.  These many years later......I still cherish this as one of the "must sees" in the world.

 

MEMORIES OF HALLOWEEN....

Well, welcome to NOVEMBER.........October was a beautiful month in Utah and hoping our good weather hangs on till Thanksgiving......This is my oldest granddaughter Tiffany Pannier/Horton........Yes, she is at work, but it's Halloween......and legal.  I bet this was the fastest day she ever got ready for work.  Out of bed....on to Trax and Good-morning everyone!  She looks really cute when she wakes up in the morning......and has always had neat costumes on Halloween.

This is my youngest granddaughter on the right...Andrea Cook.....she could break any cowboys heart......so fun to watch the kids jump in and enjoy life......and Halloween. We did not have any kids for 'trick or treat'......so had to enjoy cute costumes here.  Pam, Rob and I went to Market Street and celebrated Halloween!  They are off to Island Park for the weekend , so a good time to catch up with the bills, laundry and cleaning this weekend. Now to jump in and get ready for the next holiday......THANKSGIVING!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.....

Happy Halloween to ya' all out there!  To me it is just another day in the land of Zion, but the kids are excited.  We don't have trick or treaters back in our Condo Unit, so I don't buy all that good candy that I could munch on for weeks afterwards.  A little rain is forecast but should be  fun night for the kids......I remember some years when it was so cold and stormy and the kids so bundled you couldn't even see their cute costumes. This year no fun trip to the grade school to watch one of the grand kids in their room by room march through the lunch room, to show off the many different ideas that the little ones have......Scottie moved up to middle school this year.  I do have lots of fun memories though of the years gone by.

No, this isn't Pam and I dressing up for Halloween......We are dressed for the 1K mile race at Nicci's wedding.......even though we would easily fit into any Halloween night costume party????

Happy Halloween for Rob......he is off having a colonoscopy.  And oh yes, the Boston Red Socks won the championship last night.

Chapter #9.....around the world......

One of our favorite parts of the world was a trip to Tahiti for a couple of nights.  We stayed in a beautiful hotel on the side of the mountain and swam in the ocean.  My first experience of black sand! Then off to the Island of MOOREA.......stayed in little bungalows a few feet off the ground with chickens running under them.  The water and beaches here were wonderful and the twins loved this beautiful water and shells and bright fish. All of our first experience in snorkeling.  Down the beach was the fun beach Club Med. Many top-less girls running around .....which Don thoroughly  enjoyed ,and was an eye opener for the little girls.   Just their culture we explained! Went back another time taking Pam and Rob......which was even more fun with the whole family.  My first Peru was

from Moorea.  Climate unreal.

Later I went back to Tahiti to spend a few nights before a cruise with Ann  and on down to all those islands in that part of the world.......

TOMORROW IS BIG DAY.....

Woke up to rain and a cloudy day.......but I woke up so I guess that is a plus!  Been listening to the bad news of the coming of Obama care.....Sebelius testifying......lies, lies, lies! An email I received just stated any one over 76 will not be treated for cancer!  Hello......I am 81 with a family history of cancer......should I just write farewell notes to all my family and friends now......just in case?  It seems to me they just want old people ......those over 76.......to roll over and die!

Tomorrow is an exciting day for all the kids....HALLOWEEN!  I hadn't really planned to " trick or treat" but a list just came to my attention that made me wonder if it was a good idea.  Important reasons Senior Citizens should not go 'trick or treating.'......... #1. They keep knocking on their own door.......#2. They take out their false to change their appearance........#3.  Ask for soft high fiber candy only.......#4.  When someone drops a candy bar in our bag, we lose our balance and fall over.....#5. When the door opens we yell "trick or......."and can't remember the rest.  #5.  By the end of the night, we have a bag full of restraining orders. #6.  Choose carefully a costume doesn't dislodge your hair piece  #7. You find your the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a walker!......#8. People tell you, you have a great mask AND your not wearing one. #9.  Big reason .......seniors have to keep going home to pee!.....Hey, we're just human.

                    "I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success.  I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest monuments of pride." (William James)