It's Tough

Yes, that's how this whole day has been. Tough. How many times did I hear my dad say that? Now, after one year, it is still tough. I thought if I waited until later in the day the tears would be gone, but they aren't. In fact, they are more than ever. I haven't done much today, just don't have the ambition or desire. It's just been a tough day. I knew that Julie and Kent had gone shopping, and noticed that Ruanne and Larry were gone. I felt Garth and I were here alone. Just like we were last year on this day. But it did snow today, just last last year. I will be curious to see if it always snows on December 18th.

I am so thankful for parents who raised me to appreciate the little things in life. I don't need a lot of "things" to make me happy. Material things are far down on my list. But I love the little things like memories, talking with kids, hugs from grandchildren, pictures, messages, all those little things that really end up to be the big things. I am thankful for sisters who I can call at any time. I am thankful that we had family experiences that we shared, that bind us together.

I am thankful that I know my parents live on, that they are together, and that they are waiting for us to join them in the far, far distant future. As I stood there in Dad's bedroom just a few minutes after he passed away, I hoped that he was standing with Mom and watching me as I looked at him. I felt that they were both there in the room, but for just a fleeting moment. I wished I could have been there alone so I could have felt their presence better, but there were lots of people there, and lots of confusion, so it didn't last long. But I know they are together, and that makes me happy.

I'm sure Dad would say "It's not tough here! So just get busy and do what you have to be doing there." So that is what I'll do. I'll just keep on doing what I have to do. And I hope he can be proud of all of us.

School Starts

This time of year has always been a very busy time. We have several family birthdays coming up, our anniversary, and the beginning of school. So there may be several posts in the next few weeks, which will really be a change because lately there hasn't been much to write about.

I think most people's lives revolve around the traditional school year and vacation times. Even though I grew up in the home of an educator, school starting was important because we were actually going to school, not just because our dad started working in his usual place.

Mom would spend hours making all of our clothes. We were lucky that she was such a great seamstress and could make such beautiful clothes. I think making clothes was a necessity because we really didn't have anywhere to get clothes. Back in those "olden-days" girls always wore dresses to school. It wasn't until I was in high school that we were "allowed" to wear nice slack pants to school. I remember one year it was so cold in the mornings that we wore pants under our dresses on the bus, and took them off when we got to junior high. Anyway, Mom made lots of dresses for us. When I got older it became my job to do the hemming on all those clothes. I would spend hours pinning them up and hand-stitching the hems in. I didn't know you could do hemming on the sewing machine. Mom insisted on a hand-stitched hem. Then I would press all of them. I don't think I had a store bought dress until I got my formal for junior prom.

Our first "beginning of school" activity, outside of fabric shopping, was the annual mutton fry picnic for all the high school teachers. I think they had the faculty meeting in the morning, then we traveled to the mountains for a big family picnic. I remember going to Old Folks Flat up Huntington Canyon and jumping around on the big rocks as the men fried the mutton and scones. I remember eating corn on the cob there. A few years we were in Indian Creek, but I remember being older then. The high school faculty was a very fun group who enjoyed getting together. I meet my friends Natale Johanson and Peggy Jorgensen there and we always had lots of fun.

On the first day of school we would pose for the traditional photo shoot. This picture must have been when Ruanne was in high school and I was still in junior high because Ruanne is in contact lenses and I still have glasses. (We weren't allowed to get contacts until we were starting high school.) And we were still in dresses. Look at that early 70's flipped up hair-do with bangs! You can't see my skirt here, but it was gold with big pleats. I am sure I have gold knee-hi's on as well. What wonderful fashion.

Now school is starting again. I am looking forward to a new class full of new challenges and lots of fun. I am excited for my grandchildren starting school again. I love that they are excited to learn new things and that they are good students. I love hearing about what they are learning and look forward to those phone calls full of excitement about their fun in school.

PS. I just looked closer at the photo. Notice the clippers sitting on the window sill. That was their traditional place! If we didn't put them back there we would never have found them again. Such a silly place to put clippers, but you always knew where to go to get them. What a funny memory.