Happy Birthday, Barrett

Happy birthday to my only little boy. I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. When he was little we used to sing this line of a song and he would do some silly actions and sing so loudly. He reached his goal of being a doctor, but his greatest accomplishment is his wonderful sweet family, his two cute kids. And of course, being our son. Happy birthday!

This and That

I found out I am in worse shape that I thought. Not from the doctor that I saw yesterday, but just from my daily activities. Right now I am having trouble even typing, excuse me, keyboarding as we say in school, because my hands are tired. Yes, my hands. I just got done doing something I haven't done in a long time and my fingers are tired. I am really having to concentrate on where my fingers go and where the letters are. It is amazing that fingers can be so out of shape. You will never believe what I did for about one hour. I played the piano! Yes, really played. Songs I haven't played before. And I am out of shape. Right now I feel like your legs would if you ran around the bases and then tried to walk a little. They just don't want to go like they normally do. I am walking, or rather sitting proof that a wrist can get tired. My left wrist is killing me!
I was asked if I could come up with a piano piece for Sacrament sometime in July or August, before school starts. So I went to Deseret Book to pick up a new piano book with arrangements of hymns. What a mistake. There should be a law against selling piano books without a chance to try them out. Would you buy clothes without trying them on? Not me! Why can't I try out piano music? I picked out two books, didn't look too difficult and you can't go wrong with Primary songs or hymns can you? Yes! Although I like the songs, I don't know if they are appropriate for Sacrament meeting or if I can get them ready within a year. It's just not my style of arrangements. And besides, everyone listens to me every three months anyway. I need to practice my finger exercises again! It will take me forever to get back in shape.


We went to Logan yesterday to see if Dr. Walker could give me any answers to my crazy things. He ordered a lot of blood tests and a chest x-ray and told me to come back when I am really sick. Yes, it was more than that, but he wants to see what happens when I am having a really good flair-up. If the rash comes back on my leg I need to get a biopsy so they can look at it closely. Maybe the blood tests will show something. So I am just waiting again. But I am to stay off the prednisone for a while. I hope I can walk and breathe while I am in Missouri.

We had a good visit with Ross and Linda, as well as Cleve and Mary. We didn't get to Kaye and Duane's because they were going all different directions but maybe next time. We drove out to Lewiston to the cemetery for a few minutes, then through Cornish and saluted at our old house. It looks like there is a deck off the back so I suppose someone took out the large window and put in a sliding door in the dining room. It was a very nice house with a pantry to die for. I really miss all the room that house has.

By the time we got home my feet were so swollen, even my toes were big. So I am staying close to home and the water pills are working well.

Just for Fun.

First of all, Happy Father's Day to everyone. Hope you are all having a great day. I didn't have anything to add to my post from last year, so if you are interested in a Father's Day post, read last years. Basically, I'm just too lazy to think of anything else to say, except that you are all great fathers and I love you all.

Yesterday Garth and I were doing work at Magnusons on the floor and I found this list of fun sayings I thought I would share. I think it is all something to ponder and consider. Very profound thoughts.

1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psychokinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
22. Just remember--if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your bottom tomorrow.

Have a happy day!

Just a Day

Yesterday (Friday) we decided to go to the wedding reception for Kyle Westover, the son of Melanie, our niece. We knew it would be an opportunity to see some of the family that we don't see very often so we took the long ride to Tooele. I don't remember ever being there before, but it sure seems like a nice place. I can tell it must be growing bigger than it used to be because of all the new homes and businesses. I can understand why people are moving there, with the beautiful view of the lake and the mountains, secluded in the valley like it is. I was impressed.
By the way, I went all the way to Tooele and back home without falling asleep on the ride!
We stopped in Provo to see Dad on our way up. I was thrilled to see him sit himself up to the side of the bed, stand up to the walker, and walk down the hallway. I think he is walking better now than he did last February. It looks like he should be able to get home soon. I know they are waiting for the wound-vac to get done doing its thing, and for him to be doing more on his physical daily care like showering, etc. But I don't see that it should be any problem for him at home. I know we all have different thoughts and feelings about that, but after seeing him yesterday I am very hopeful that he will be able to take care of himself better than before. Yes, I understand that we will need to check to be sure there is food, house care, etc, but I know we can do it. What I saw was encouraging.

Today Garth and I are striping and waxing the floors at Magnusons. It is pretty much in exchange for a wooden shed we want to purchase from them. We decided to put up a larger shed in the garden area, so we can move things out of the storage shed and save ourselves some money. It will pay for itself within two years by saving the money that is going out for the storage unit. We dug up the tomatoes and planted them in pots. Now we need to tear down the old metal shed and get ready to build.

I have now been off the prednisone for 6 days and I am starting to feel the effects.
My knees and ankles really ache when I get up to walk, but after a few steps I don't walk quite as crippled. Breathing is a bit more labored with the peak flow down 50 points from 350 on a good day to about 298 last night. I am hoping it doesn't get much less before I see the doctor on Tuesday.

We travel to Logan on Tuesday to see Dr. Walker, a specialist that was recommended by Dr. Labrum. I called the specialists in this end of the state but couldn't get in for at least 4 months. When I called Dr. Walker they got me an appointment in 2 weeks. I hope he is able to piece together all my silly little symptoms and come up with some reason for all of them. I guess I just really want a diagnosis so I can justify being on prednisone forever. I know it is such a wonder-drug but also has so many hard side-effects. But it sure improves my quality of life. But also don't want my life cut short because of it. The weight gain has been the worst of all! I didn't need to gain any more than I already have!

We are sorry so many of our family have been sick with the flu. The Browns and the Gales seem to be hit hard. I will stay away for a few weeks, thank you. We pray for everyone to be getting better soon.

Happy Father's Day to everyone!

Mr. Swinburne

I just got back from the funeral for Mr. Swinburne. From the number of people in attendance from the two counties, you can tell he had a lot of influence on a lot of people. He is certainly someone you can call a very nice, humble man.
I have memories of Mr. Swinburne from the time I was very little. According to his son, they moved to Huntington in 1959, so I am sure he was teaching at North Emery High School when dad was teaching there. I remember the Swinburne family when the high school teachers had a picnic at Old Folks Flat the day before school started. This was an annual tradition for the teachers to bring their families to the Flat and spend the day together. I remember playing with Doug and Ted Swinburne, David and Scott Kinder, Natalie and Nathan Johansen, and Peggy Jorgensen. Natalie, Peggy, and I would jump around on the logs and rocks bordering the firepit, dodging David and Ted as they tried to push us off. I remember Mr. Swinburne and Dad coming out of the faculty room at the beginning of the day just after they win the ping-pong game against Mr. Bill and Mr. Peacock. They were ready to start teaching.
Mr. Swinburne was also the principal who called Garth one day and offered him the job as custodian at the high school. He was always been a great teacher and example.
He and Lurene raised two great boys, along with their daughter, Kim. Doug and Ted were also gentlemen, very nice looking boys and very good students. I remember when I was in high school Dad would say we were going to the Swinburns to play ping-pong in the evenings. We would go there and I would never get to play ping-pong because I was in the kitchen sitting at the table with Mr. Swinburne helping me learn my math. I never caught on that we were going there for my private tutoring sessions! I wonder if Mr. Swinburne ever resented the fact that he didn't get to play, either! What a great guy, to give up his evening for me sake. That was the kind of guy he was.
Both Doug and Ted are now pastors in their church. As Doug said "We lived in a small town that was dominated by Mormons, but they never dominated us. They respected us and we respected them and we loved each other." Both boys spoke of the love they have for the parents and communities where they grew up and the church friends they had in Price. It was very interesting to listen to their experiences in church, and how they were raised in their faith. They believe in the rejoicing of their father with his daughter Kim who died at the age of 19, twenty-five years ago. What a happy reunion they just be having.
Mr. Swinburne was very religious, reading his scriptures and praying daily. He is a great example of a man who loved and lived his religion. He was a wonderful teacher, both in school and in church. He is loved by many and admired by all. As I talked with his wife this morning, she mentioned his love for our family, my mom and dad and sisters, as well as our own children. They are both wonderful people and we really admire both Mr. and Mrs. Swinburne. I pray the family will be comforted during this time of separation.

I Will Do It, I Will Do It......

I did it! I went for a long walk and I did it! I made it all the way back home before I collasped. For the past few weeks I have been walking around the cemetery, up and down a few of the "roads" and around the outside a few times. It is nice walking because it is pretty level and there are benches where I can rest when I need to. But it is also very easy to decide to stop because my car is right there in the parking lot outside the gate and I can quit any time I want. I decided to do something different this week. If I am forced to walk back home I can't give up so soon. So I decided to leave my car at home and walk up Draper Lane, along Mill Dam Road, past the Law's house, up the hill to Toomers and downhill to my house. That is a long way, for me anyway. But I did it! I stopped to catch my breath along the way just a few times, didn't ever sit down because there was nowhere to sit, slowed down my walking when I got too winded, and limped home the last two blocks. I walked for a full 45 minutes, which is out of my league. My foot was hurting like heck by the time I got home, making it difficult to even bend my ankle, but it got better after rest. I am hoping there isn't a stress fracture there, but I have been nursing it along for several months and I am afraid there is something there. I hope I didn't get myself so tired and worn out the I decided to stay in bed tomorrow. I know the walking is good for me, and I need the exercise to keep my heart strong and my lungs working. I'm just not so sure about the distance! I took my phone along in case I needed to call 911, but just kept right on going. I am proud of myself for completing it.
Garth came home for breakfast so now I need to clean up the kitchen before getting in the shower. I want to check some things out at school, transfer some computer files to my flash drive so I can enhance some of my math lessons while at home. I already spent one hour working on Koy's stocking this morning before my walk, but want to do some more. I also need to start stretching those cloths for the temple.
The sun is shining and I doubt we will get rain. We haven't had what the rest of the state has had this month. It should be a good day all around.
I will post more on the passing of our old friend, Bob Swinburne, as soon as I hear any details. I am still shocking about this, as I thought he would surely outlive my dad. We never know when we will be called home.
More later, if you are waiting!

When is summer coming?

I don't believe it will ever be summer here in EC. We have constant wind, clouds, and a few rainstorms that last only a minute. But the wind is constant. It hasn't been super warm at all since before school ended. But even with all the wind, I am still loving the weather. Not the cold, but the weather.
We had fun with Tyler and Nancy here for a few days. He is growing so much and is able to do so many things. He loves his videos and playing in the sand, even though he has to strip down to his nothings, then hated getting rinsed off. He loved the swimming pool, which was new and exciting for all of us. Definately someplace fun to spend the afternoon. We also took in the aquarium with Tammy and her kids, along with Nancy and Tyler. It was fun and I loved to learn about all the tropical fish. Koy got scared with the shark came right up in his face. And I even touched the sting ray. Aren't I brave?
We went through the new temple (I won't attempt to spell the name of the mountain range it is named after). I was surprised at how small the ordinance rooms are. Only about 50 seats in each room. Of course, I was checking out all the altar cloths in each room and saw some beautiful work. Makes me anxious to get back to making more. This week I plan on starching,stretching, and blocking the four I have completed. I can't wait to see them in the temple some day.
We had an interesting experience in the sealing room we went in. There was only the guide couple and us there and I noticed the altar cloth was turned with the wrong side facing, so the man said, "Let's just turn it over and make it right." So we did. Then he asked where we were from and Garth responded to him. Then he said Garth looked very familiar to him, but he didn't know anyone from our area. Garth then told him he grew up in Bennion, after which the man asked him his name. When Garth told him, he started grinning and introduced himself as a cousin. The son of Garth's Aunt Joyce. He is younger than Garth but they both remininced about their memories of the families. It just goes to show that you never know when you will run into someone you know.
When we exited the temple it was raining really hard, so Nicky and Garth went to pick up the cars while Nancy and I kept the kids under the cover. We were talking with the tour guides there and one of the men asked my name and said I looked very famliar to him. I told him my name and where I lived and he said his name was ....... I can't say it because it is Polynesian, but I responded back with "Oh, the Book Mobile Man!" He had driven the Book Mobile for several years when it came to the elementary schools. We had a nice but short little visit before we got into the cars and drove away. Again, you never know so behave!
I hope to post more about our summer in the next few days. Right now I am going to the basement to watch the laundry, sew on Koy's Christmas stocking, and try to keep the Sabbath Day holy, if sewing isn't considered breaking the Sabbath. It is relaxing to me, not work, and I am using a talent that I have been given.
Hope everyone has a great week with very little rainy weather.

A Beautiful Morning

It has been a beautiful morning so far today. I had decided I needed to take a walk this morning, to see if my legs will actually work, so I headed out to a place I had already picked out as a place for a good walk. It is relatively flat most of the way around, with no traffic or other visitors. I could walk in relative peace and quiet. There are nice benches to sit on if I needed a rest and it is very beautiful and quiet. Where is it? The cemetery, of course! No one was up and around at 7:00 am, so it was very quiet. I parked in the outside parking lot and went around the outside, up and down a few "streets" and then back to the car, about 1/2 mile in all. NOt too far for the first walk of the summer, but got my heart beating, which is what I needed. The track at the high school is being torn up this week, so that was out of the question. And it is so busy with other walkers. I wanted a place a bit more private, since I don't like others to see or hear my huffing and puffing. I hope I have enough self-control to get myself out of bed each morning and keep walking.
When I got home I put on my gloves and took the clippers and worked on the rose bushes for a little bit. For some reason, the bottoms of my feet hurt so badly when I am standing around doing that work I thought I would start crying. It happens all the itme when I stand in one place for very long. The bottoms just ache and hurt. I cut out what I could, then went inside to rest my feet. I have a hair appointment at 10:00, then time to work around the house.
Charlene and I are taking dinner to an expecting sister who is on bed rest, so I will be making dinner today. Any suggestions? I think chicken enchiladas will be coming up, or something else with chicken.
I hope everyone has a good day. I love you all!