PROMOTE WHAT YOU LOVE.....

This is such an important time in my life........It's my time to reflect and redirect. This is my time to fully picture my beautiful future----a powerful step toward making it happen.   My time to choose my next move, the one that will take me to great places as my next birthday is breathing down my neck. 

   Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.......

Positive thinking goes a long way.  Be a positive influence.  Promote compassion, love being a friend, embracing others' differences from yours, lending a hand, being  there for someone instead of promoting gossip, hate, ignorance, being unkind, judgmental etc.  I hope I have raised my girls to think and be positive.

Karrie called and invited me to lunch........".I haven't seen you all week Mom".........A bowl of soup at ZUPPAS, one of our favorites.  It is so wonderful when your busy children take time to be with you and share what is going on in their lives and the fun things the grandchildren are doing.  I feel Karrie's love and concern and the great bond we have.  I am a lucky Mom.

Talked to Lucille......yesterday was Brian's birthday and they were off to dinner tonight.  Talked to Leslie and she was excited about getting a job at the Eurecka Conceino.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAZILIAN MISSIONARY.....

Two long years have finally passed and our first family missionary sees his family tomorrow and a Happy Birthday today to Alex Christenson.......... a big 21 years.  Sherrie and Darren left today to bring him home in a week.  Send them away as a 19 year old boy and they come home two years later a 21 year old man.  I am staying with the two little brothers.....

Today I also took the Panniers to the airport and they are on their way to Argentina to fish.......in fact they crossed paths in Atlanta!!!! 

I had a great day with good friends playing bridge and having lunch at the Town Club......didn't win, but had a great time. My turn next month......groan......Been beautiful weather but have a storm coming in for the weekend.

SUCCESS IS NOT THE KEY TO HAPPINESS........HAPPINESS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS!  If you love what your doing you will be a success................

TWO OPINIONS........

There seems to be two different opinions about drinking coffee.....MINE and the CHURCH.......No......I keep seeing articles from Doctors that say a couple of cups a day are good for you..... and.no worse than a couple of huge coke drinks with caffeine.  So why can't the world let everyone make their own decisions without condemning someone?  I very much enjoy a couple of cups of coffee in the morning with my paper......and I am not feeling one bit guilty about it......so many worse things I could be doing out there.........

COFFEEOLOGY

Expresso Yourself.........Better Lattee Than Never.......Take Life one Cup at a Time........Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Bad...(.or cold)....Coffee....... Take Time To Surell The Coffee......Deja Brew......That Feeling you've had This Coffee Before.......So many coffee jokes around also.  So to everyone, to have or not to have ......a cup of coffee is up to you.

The best gift you could ever give someone is your time.....because you're giving them something

that you'll never get back!

Beautiful day 62 degrees today......Time flying for the 3 girls all traveling this weekend.  Sherrie counting the minutes till she leaves tomorrow to pick up her missionary in Brazil.....two years is a looooog time!  Panniers off to a fun adventure fishing trip to Argentina......and the Cooks off to Scottie's LaCross tournament in Las Vegas.   ME....I am hanging up my DUNNROVIN' sign!!!!

CHAPTER #31....around the world cont.

BEAUTIFUL SCENES LIKE THESE OF HAWAII NEVER END.....I HAVE BEEN TO HAWAII MANY TIMES AND EVERY TURN IS A PICTURE......So Ahhhhhh,....... Everyone needs to visit Hawaii some time in their life.... The many trips to Hawaii as the children were growing up were good memories for me......The children's father was an airline pilot for Western Airlines and we could fly on passes whenever we wanted.....so going to Hawaii or Mexico was like driving to Las Vegas for most people.....and cheaper!

No, we didn't get to stay in the famous "PINK HAWAII ROYAL" every time, but we did stay there once with some relatives.......but it was fun just being there buying mumus and good cheap junk and especially escaping our cold Utah weather each winter.......

Occasionally we rented a car and drove around the island....Sugar cane fields, pineapple fields......We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Aquarium.  Loved the programs the hotel put on and Hawaiian music is my favorite music.  I remember several luaus, but never learned to like poi.  I did fall in love with PINA Colatas and sun tanning. No one can disagree the sunsets, atmosphere for relaxation and the interesting people call you back many times.

When the twins graduated from high school  their senior trip was to Hawaii......Their cousin Mike graduated from BYU Hawaii and got married then,,,,,,so my whole family enjoyed a great vacation.

After my divorce, Ann and I visited all the islands checking out the WESTON HOTELS  for the travel agency we worked for......it was a whole different kind of visit for me.

DOWN THE ROAD A WAYS.......

What can I say......a Grandmother is just out there.....This is Alex with a picture of  his last baptism and a picture of him with a lady missionary from El Salvador that he thinks he can't live with out!!!!!  What is the answer to this.....I wish I knew....I only know when my mother insisted she take a baby Navajo girl and raise  her in our family.......it was a disaster......Linda was raised feeling she was a white child like all of us, but when it came time for school dances, proms etc.  No white boy was here friend, no Navajo boys around and she was left with the Mexican boys in town........ which she was not happy with.......It only got worse as she got older.....I know things have changed a lot in the past years and many mixed cultures try to work it out........Alex we do have many, many, many darling girls in Utah........His parents are picking him up in Brazil a week from today and her mission ends in July.....so we shall see how it ends........

It may  be painful for us to see our children modifying or even rejecting ideas that were important to us and adopting others that could never be comfortable for us.  But out of that difference may come the reinforcement of two other important values.....One is tolerance, and other is awareness that people who disagree over the things they hold dear really can live together in love and respect.......It may be differing about some of what we represent in the way of culture, traditions, and values....IT IS....WHAT IT IS.....and .THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON, JUST BELIEVE!.

CHAPTER #30....arouund te world cont......

The  beautiful island of MALTA and the city of VALLETTA!.....Going ashore here brought back to mind......the ancient-ness and history of these small islands around the world that were fought over for many years.......each leaving it's marks and traditions very noticeable.  This island was made famous because of the movie "POPEYE"....which America loved. Valletta hugs the side of a cliff and  has a nice harbor.  The water all around was blue with good beaches and donkeys still hauled their loads up narrow streets......The people are called Maltese mixed with many British.  They are good and religious and have many old customs they pass from generation to generation.

My favorite custom there is:   When a child is a year old they set him on the floor and surround him with various things........ money, bible, boiled eggs, crucifix, books, tools or whatever the parents want.   Whatever the child seems most interested in will reveal the child's path and fortunes in adulthood.  Money to a rich future while a book expresses intelligence and possibly a career as a teacher.  If pen or pencil selected, perhaps a writer, a bible or beads, a clerical life, a hard boiled egg....... then long life with many children and a good cook.   I  love the customs of each island or country I have visited.......

Spent today with Pam looking for pillows, carpets etc. for her new home......Lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and hit a few more stores.  Went to see her new curtains and see if what we bought worked......some did......some didn't!  We got another snow storm but it melted down here and melted as fast as it fell.....Nice tonight.....but cold.  One week from today, Pam and Sherrie are both off to South American....... for different reasons.   Sherrie to pick up her Missionary and Pam on a fishing trip with her husband.......I get the dogs!

 

PILLS AND THE ELDERLY..........

With each passing day.....and year....... I feel my kids just have to become use to all 'my strangeness'......I guess they just chalk it up to......she's gettin' old!  I look at it as some rainbows of old age are wrinkles and fat don't hurt..........most my friends can relate to the following.

A row of bottles on my shelf......Cause me to analyze myself....One yellow pill I have to pop, goes to my heart so it won't stop.......A little white one that I take, goes to my hands so they won't shake......The blue ones that I use a lot, tell me I'm happy when I'm not!.....The purple pill goes to my brain, and tells me that I have no pain......The capsules tell me not to wheeze, or cough or choke or even sneeze.......The red ones, smallest of them all, go to my blood so I won't fall......The orange ones, very big and bright, prevent my leg cramps in the night.....such an array of brilliant pills, helping to cure all kinds of ills.....But what I'd really like to know.....Is what tells each one where to go?

What is the secret to longevity......"KEEP BREATHING".

Off to bridge this afternoon......means  I don't get much done today.......