3rd Day of Christmas

I gave myself a birthday gift a little early (with the help of my mom's generous gift of cash) - I actually planned to do some more decorating, painting, etc. but decided to just go ahead and enjoy it now since other, more urgent needs have taken precedence. The old quilt was looking pretty ragged. I like it - gives my antique bedroom set a bit of a lift! It's amazing how a little improvement can go a long way. Steve helped me arrange some furniture so it feels great!

MoTab - My First Day of Christmas (Sunday)

(Photo by Tom Smart, Deseret News)

Sunday morning I was able to enjoy the Music and the Spoken Word and Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas mini-concert of The Wondrous Gift of Christmas that followed. I tried to get tickets for one of the evening performances Thurs, Fri and Sat. but I was only able to get the Sunday show. But, it was so good, I couldn't have missed much, plus I got to watch the broadcast, now in its 81st year and the longest continuously-running program on radio.

I was once again amazed at the high quality performance, the number of people involved in making it happen, the volunteers, hosts, security, etc. In total the four performances delighted 80,000 people and it was FREE! I have paid a lot of money for shows that were not nearly as elaborate. Besides the guest performers, Natalie Cole and David McCullough, there were the bell ringers of Temple Square, the Mormon Tabernacle Orchestra, several children's choirs, dancers, a wonderful organ performance, and of course MoTab! The set was beautiful and this photo was taken from just about where my seat was. It was worth braving the rain turned to snow by the end of the show, the slush, icy roads, sidewalks, parking hassles and being stuck once!

(Photo by Tom Smart, Deseret News)

David McCullough said,

"History should not just be perceived as just politics and the military," he said. "It involves the whole realm of human expression and human experience. And to leave out music, art, literature, architecture, dance, poetry, drama is to leave out not just color and flavor and sound, but a lot of the soul of a culture. Many civilizations are known only for their art.

"That's all as much a part of the American reality and the American story as our expected protagonists of history," he said. "In this one performance we have musicians, dancers, people speaking great literature, singing, architecture, all working at once. And we should never ever take it for granted."

Like many of us, 2009 has brought trials to Natalie Cole who underwent a kidney transplant and lost a sister to the same fate as her talented father, lung cancer. She appeared deeply moved as she received thanks from President Thomas Monson and the Traditional God be with you 'Til We Meet Again by the choir. She said,

"This year has been a very emotional year for me," she said. "So to close it out working with these wonderful people is just such a feeling of goodness.

"I really think we are here to honor our Lord Jesus Christ. He will be definitely honored, and I'm sure he's pleased. It's so nice to take the I out of it and make it a team effort."

I couldn't agree more.

Utah State Fair opens today

I have lots of memories of the Utah State Fair. When I was young, my Aunt Betty worked in the Home Arts Building. We always went to the fair and stopped to see her along with the lovely sewing and cooking entries. We also knew that my Grandma J's sewing surpassed anything we saw there and she would have had Sweepstakes ribbons if she had entered her work. Since I inherited her interest in sewing, this has always been my favorite exhibit.

Betty's husband, my Uncle Wayne, also participated in the fair as a second, temp job while he worked as a Driver License Examiner and later he was involved as a Utah Highway Patrolman. He used his influence to help me get my first job there. I worked in one of the industrial buildings selling homemade fudge and candy. It was the display where they had the big taffy pulling machine as the attention-grabber. This is when I first learned to count change - a skill I'm still grateful for. In this day of computer-thinking, many cashiers couldn't function if the machine was on the blink.

My mother worked at least one year in concessions to earn Christmas money. I know it was difficult for her because of health problems and she needed surgery at the time.

As a pre-teen I remember going to the fair with my cousin Kathy and looking for boys. I also remember seeing the actress who played "My Little Margie" - a short-lived television show we liked. (I entered cookies in the 4H exhibit of the county fair and won a blue ribbon.) Steve reminded me of how we used to save milk cartons (Meadow Gold) for Fair entry. I had forgotten about those things we would do to manage admission. We also sometimes got special deals because of the family members working there.

As an adult I took the kids a few times, when I could afford the price of admission. We carefully avoided the carnival due to high priced rides and kind of a scary environment.

Three years ago I decided I wanted to go to the fair partly for "old times' sake" (I had unsuccessfully tried to find someone to accompany me for several years). I went alone, listened to Kenny Rogers outside the Home Arts Building so I didn't have to pay for entry to the concert and I really enjoyed it. It was a groundbreaking experience for me when I realized I really could do what I wanted to do and did not have to be restricted by what others wanted (or didn't). I kind of claimed my independence there. The last two years Steve went with me because he didn't like the idea that I might go there alone again (I think he felt it was still kind of scary). He didn't really want to go but I only recently learned of that - he hid it well! He wanted me to be happy and not alone. Gotta love true friends!

If you want information about the fair, click the post title for schedules, etc.

The Hermitage

I stayed in Hermitage, TN on Saturday and toured The Hermitage, home of Andrew and Rachel Jackson. This is one of the goals I had listed on my blog of places to visit! Check off another goal, even though it came about unexpectedly. I enjoyed reading some biographies of Andrew Jackson and especially enjoyed, The President's Lady, so it meant a lot for me to be able to see this. I was able to stroll through beautiful, serene land. I found Tennessee to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. The Smokey Mountains aren't the Rockies, but the rolling and endless green was quite pleasant and it wasn't as humid as South Carolina. If I had to relocate to the south I believe this would be my choice. I loved the warm Atlantic Ocean but Tennessee captured my heart.

A perfect day with a wonderful walking trail.

Andrew Jackson worked the property as a farm with enslaved African-Americans. He considered himself a farmer and General but his presidential term was done as a "community service" and not the remembered identity he desired. Throughout the tour he is called, "the General" which is even how Rachel referred to him.
A beautiful southern-style estate. The original log cabin he built for Rachel is still on the property and it was later "downsized" so it could house slave families. It was considered inappropriate for slaves to occupy a previous two-story home of a senator so it was reduced to one level, the walls were whitewashed and the nice things removed in order to make use of the vacated home. What a travesty and scar in American history these atrocities were.

The front of the home as it was restored by Jackson following a fire. Rachel never actually saw it with this facade; only with the red brick since she died before the restoration. Her adopted son and daughter-in-law, Sarah, rebuilt and furnished the home. They also named their first child, Rachel, after her grandmother whom she never knew in this life.
Rachel and Andrew dressed as they were for a birthday celebration for George Washington. The models are made to scale, he being 6 ft. 1 and weighing 140 lbs; she being a foot shorter and "stout."
Trees surround the property and General Jackson brought a tree back from every battle site which he planted at the Hermitage.
Tour guide in period costume.I'm at the well
The back of the mansion
Part of the property
Beautiful grounds
The back of the home that opens to the farm area

Pay it forward

I received the nicest compliment today. Twice in the past two years I have had someone from my very distant past say something I had said or done that made a small, positive difference in their lives. In both cases I was totally blown away at the detail they remembered after 45 years. Don't get me wrong - it was no big deal, but it testifies of the impact even the little things can have on a person. This is not to discount the nice things people say to me now and the compliments I receive from very thoughtful friends and loved ones. I was just totally surprised at these "old" acquaintances. It really made my day at a time when I needed a lift. These people have now kind of repaid whatever they perceived to have gotten from me.

Karla also got an official due date - 3/3/10 - might just arrive on Jon's birthday.

Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant

Only once in my life, during the 70s, did I take advantage of the fantastic experience in Manti they call the Mormon Miracle Pageant. Finally this weekend I did it again. It was great! It runs 5 days per week Tues-Sat for two weeks in June and has been ongoing since the 60s. They put up 13750 chairs for it and it pretty much fills up plus people on the outskirts who prefer their own camp chairs.
Any night of the pageant you can also buy dinner at the Stake Center - barbecued turkey (Manti grows lots of Norbest turkeys), mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, salad, roll, and cake - $7 for adults; $4 for kids. This was my kind of camping - I didn't need to cook anything.
Breakfast was served at the park. For $4 a plate you got Fried ham, eggs, hotcakes, juice and milk. What a deal! The sign says $3 because someone took down the 4 that was covering the 3 - apparently the price went up at some poing but they kept the old sign.
I have lots more pictures - not of the pageant (too dark and too far away) but we got behind the set on the Temple hill. Very cool! It's amazing to see the little town come to life. The town also allows tent camping in the city park - it was a sea of tents. There were some loud all-night teenage gatherings - just talking really; nothing crazy but still loud. Even though it was apparent there were hundreds of people sleeping all around them in tents, they seemed oblivious. But, they were having a great time. Next time ear plugs.


The city pool is right across from the temple so if you made a little vacation out of it, you can cool off there - besides, they probably have showers which the city park did not. I headed to the city cemetery, also across from the temple, and found some pioneer ancestors. There's also a DUP museum. I saw the farm implements outside (and the outhouse and log cabin) but the actual house with relics didn't open until 2 and I wanted to hit some more cemeteries. We did hit pay dirt!

Truman Madsen - Gospel Scholar, Great Teacher

A great philosopher and educator passed away on May 28 of cancer. He was buried yesterday, June 2. I had work obligations that kept me from attending. I hope there will be a broadcast recording of it. This 18 1/2 minute video wrapped up his professional life as an educator. See it here. It's worth seeing and it would be an honor to have people respect and revere you as they do him.

I have attended one week of his Sunday School class - I am proud to say I have been able to see this master teach, at least once. Sometimes we get to glimpse greatness in humility. A few quotes: (For more click here)

"My testimony to you is that you have come literally 'trailing clouds of glory.' No amount of mortal abuse can quench the divine spark. If you only knew who you are and what you did ... if you knew the latent infinite power that is locked up and hidden for your own good now -- if you knew these things you would never again yield to any of the putdowns that are a dime a dozen in our culture today." (The Highest in Us, p. 12)

"If 'pray always' means vocally, none of us can. But if 'pray always' includes the kind of prayer that is wordless and from the heart, we are getting closer. And if it means even more that we are to be in the spirit of prayer regardless of what we may be doing -- living prayerfully -- then all of us can." (The Highest in Us, p. 82)

"'To be or not to be?' That is not the question. No one can choose to be or not to be . ... What is the question? The question is not one of being, but of becoming. 'To become more or not to become more.' This is the question faced by each intelligence in our universe. At this point, and not before, the absolute and inescapable need for God and His Christ arises." (Eternal Man, p. 31-32)

Tribute to a contributor

Steve and I had the privilege of attending local hero and philanthropist Larry H. Miller's funeral yesterday at the Energy Solutions Arena (known better by its previous name, The Delta Center) which he made happen, along with his other financial risks he took for the community such as buying the Jazz so we could keep them in Utah.

It was a very touching service, attended by a number of well-known, non-to-well-known, dignitaries, friends and fans. There was a little woman sitting alone in the section over from me who wore a Jazz sweatshirt, that looked like it had been well-loved and proudly worn for a while - my guess is at Jazz games. Larry helped many worthwhile endeavors including BYU and the U. He gave hundreds of college scholarships and endowed gifts to nearly every local college, though he, himself, was a dropout early in his career at the University of Utah.

Yet he once tried to talk his son Bryan out of attending business school. There was no use for an advanced degree, Bryan remembered, if a businessman had common sense, worked hard and knew his addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. "He proved that," Bryan said.

I really agree with the common sense part since that's not something that can be taught in school and I've witnessed many graduate-degree recipients who still lack common sense, never seem to notice what goes on around them, don't learn from history, buy in to political rhetoric even when clearly contrary to basic economics and who couldn't balance their own checkbooks.

Larry H. Miller may have lost the battle with type 2 diabetes when he died Feb. 20, but, friends and family reiterated at his funeral Saturday, he "won the war."

"He felt it was his responsibility to do as much good as his assets would allow," said Carisa Miller, who started off her grandfather's funeral by reading his obituary to a crowd of several hundred. "He coined and lived by the phrase, 'Go about doing good until there is too much good in the world.' "

As she recounted his life, Carisa Miller made no mention of the world-class racetrack, the motor sports park, or the NBA franchise her grandfather constructed during his lifetime. She didn't talk about his 42 car dealerships, his movie production company, his restaurants or even his philanthropic organizations. Instead, Carisa Miller — as well as subsequent speakers — called to mind the more personal triumphs in Larry Miller's family life.

"He was a man who lived well, laughed often and loved much," said Karen Miller, his only daughter. "He gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children."

"Yes, Utah knows this guy," said Elder M. Russell Ballard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, playing off Larry Miller's television advertising campaign. "And we love him."

Larry Miller frequently went out of his way to help those less fortunate than he, said LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson, who named the businessman as a personal friend and confidant.

Once, President Monson recalled, when a local burger joint was in danger of closing, Larry Miller set the owner up with new, rent-free property so he could continue making the "best burgers in town."

"Those kinds of things — the little things Larry did every day — weren't in the newspapers," Monson said. "If we will just remember not to overlook the forlorn, not to shun a person who has no friends, but rather open wide our hearts and souls, everywhere we go we'll have an opportunity to pay tribute to Larry." (Elizabeth Stuart - DesNews)

I borrowed some photos from the Deseret News. Click on the post title for the actual article and credits. Eventually they'll probably not have it available but the pictures are done by Deseret News photographers.

John Stockton hugging Gail at the viewing on FridayThere was a wonderful display in the lobby at the Arena with photos from Larry's past and even a Jazz car.

Jeff Hornacek, former Jazz team member and nice guy!

Karl Malone - I love to see a grown man cry (when it's not because the Jazz are losing!) - the other half of "Stockton to Malone." An amazing sculpture of the two of them has a permanent home outside the arena.
Karl and Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan. John Stockton (Jazz superstar), Greg Ostertag, other former Jazz stars were also there.
A UHP Trooper salutes. There was a huge motorcade of police motorcycle escorts leading from the ESA to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. You could just imagine them hearing, "Gentlemen, start your engines" and the cycles and cars all started at once. (I was glad these officers were busy because my car was parked in a two hour streetside and I wasn't sure if it was enforced on Saturday but I couldn't get to the car if I'd wanted to because of the parade).
Included in the procession were cars from Larry's private collection. He loved everything to do with cars and his dealership earned him the money to do the great things he did. He began his career as a parts store clerk. It's a Rags to Riches story like all Americans appreciate.
Larry's wife, Gail, son Greg (who is now at the Larry Miller helm) and family. I enjoyed Greg sharing a story that tells of Larry's personality. H described his father as a "nickel shooter," who reused sticky tabs and once passed up an open space in front of Siegfried's Deli downtown when the two were out for lunch. When Greg asked if he had changed his mind about going there for lunch Larry answered, "No, I'm looking for a parking meter with some time on it."
Greg arranged to paint his casket to match his beloved Ford Cobra, complete with racing stripe. All 21 of his grandchildren spoke of something they loved or loved to remember about their Grandpa. The LDS First presidency was in attendance along with many other Church leaders. One of Miller's projects was financing The Joseph Smith Papers. When M. Russell Ballard spoke about him he said that as the days went on and his physical trials increased, their talks became more and more spiritual in nature. The family emphasized the man who loved his Savior, Jesus Christ, was devout in his faith and who loved to have fun with his family.
Current Jazz team - they sat on the home bench in his honor.
Home of the Jazz - the place he built and loved to be.
Son, Greg and the "Cobra Casket." I come from a racing family but I didn't realize there's a whole Cobra following out there. A number of men were in attendance wearing their blue and white Cobra jackets.
Greg driving the Cobra and the other children following behind in his other cars.
Tribute from the Jazz.
Miller was buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery with a 21-gun salute. Greg wore a Jazz jersey with his father's No. 9 to Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings. Larry H. Miller is a fine example of a life well lived.

Click here to see some interesting trivia about Larry. LHM
Photos were from Deseret News online desnews.com

The kitchen work in progress

Now we're tackling the kitchen. I'm not sure you can fully appreciate the "before" from just this picture. The countertops were laminate that had been painted and then sponge painted over that. Unfortunately, the top coat of paint flakes off so besides being ugly, it's not really food-friendly. You can see the painted countertops have also faded. The extension cord was my only electrical outlet here because the two on this side of the kitchen were located behind the stove and behind the fridge. I do love my double oven I bought as a scratch and dent shortly after moving in. I also bought Chris's fridge when he moved to Japan so I now have an in-door ice/water dispenser. So, it's a bit a mix but it fits my budget and works well.
Steve started by adding an electrical outlet on each side of the stove.
We've started the new tile - cut to size but not yet glued down.
Steve added four new outlets so now my kitchen will be up to code on that and no more extension cord for the countertop appliances. Below, you can see the cord for the telephone that had to be plugged in through the hole in the bottom of the upper cabinet (that was the only electrical outlet on that counter. We're doing new laminated countertops. While I'd love to be able to afford something really great; this is kind of a facelift on a budget, but I'm really excited about how it's coming together.
I'll update as we continue - it takes a while but we're enjoying working on the project together after work hours.

My new ceiling fan...

I got this for $20 on KSL. That was the easy part. Steve picked it up for me, delivered it and wired the ceiling, put in the boxes, etc. This room needed more light and ventilation.

Today is Chinese New Year - Stubborn Ox

Chinese New Year to China is like Christmas to the West. In essence, it means spending time with family, gift giving and, the all important, food-fest.

Jenn and Fred (who thinks he was supposed to have been Chinese - also his college major) celebrated the Year of the Ox with their kids and friends who also have Chinese ties. If you don't know where you fall in the Chinese Zodiac, you haven't been to a Chinese restaurant often enough - it's usually printed on the placemat. Click on the post title to get this information.

If you wonder what to give, red underwear is one of the most popular gifts for sweethearts to exchange between this day and Valentine's - not so different from our own customs. Wearing red is for good luck (see explanation below). Red heart flanked boxers for both men and women are common in our department stores too.

Apparently this is a lucky year for a famous ox, Barak Obama. He must be wearing his red underwear (Hmmmm, I don't remember the press actually asking him what kind of underwear he wore as a candidate, like they did Mitt Romney). The stubborn quality could be a good thing - or not.... Other famous oxen are Princess Diana, Gerald Ford, Bill Cosby, and Margaret Thatcher. Stevers was born under this sign but he's the only ox I know personally and his ox qualities are good ones. Oxen are known to be stubbornly loyal to those they love.

imikimi - Customize Your World!


Those born in late January to early February may sit on the border and may not be clear cut by year. For the most part those with birthdays this year divisible by 12 are oxen. To get specific dates for the Jan/Feb birthdays, check this site: http://shop.yearoftheox.net/

According to about.com,

"For those turning 12, 24, 36 etc. (the Chinese Zodiac uses a cycle of 12), termed benming nian, or the meeting of one’s zodiac year, traditional Chinese belief is that it can be an unlucky year. To ward off any dangers that might befall you in your benming nian, it helps to wear red. Red is one of the luckiest colors in Chinese traditions, standing for loyalty, success and happiness.

If you’re really traditional, you should wear red every day, all year long. If you’re not a big fan of the color red in your outer wardrobe, red underwear is an easy way to protect yourself against the hazards of benming nian. Better ask your sweetheart for more than one pair! "

The year of the Ox (element: earth) (Jan 26, 2009 to Feb. 13, 2010 - Lunar calendar).

Qualities of those born under this sign:
- Mentally and Physically alert
- Born leaders - inspires confidence in others
- Can be too demanding
- Fierce tempers and can be stubborn
- Methodical and good with their hands
- Hate to fail or be opposed
- Make skilled surgeons, generals, hairdressers

A Nice Re-do

I hope to soon post photos of my completed "new" living room. The paint was my mom's Christmas and birthday gifts to me, the labor (painting) Jenn/Nat and their husbands gave me for my birthday. It's looking great and Steve hung the curtain rods today. The table is the one Rob made and he and Nat gave me for Christmas (it will be painted soon). I'm also planning to one day get a new couch to finish it off. My favorite TV viewing is HGTV. My dream is to be chosen by them for a redecorating job! My DIY version would probably fall in the category of Decorating on a Dime.

(Any suggestions for how to get the dust specks off my camera lens?)

Catching up...

Our neighborhood tends to go for the HUGE. I noticed this snowman that's much bigger than the house. The nose is made up of a whole bundle of carrots, pie tins are the buttons and cake pans are the eyes. The tongue looks like a scarf - I guess it was too small for his neck!
The weather has been frightful but at home, Aubrey snuggles with Avery. Doesn't a baby feel great on your shoulder?
Aubrey left on Friday for Kansas. She is going to help Steve get things squared away, then drive home with him. He is officially discharged from the Army on Jan. 8 and will be looking for work son. Aubrey has hardly been able to even live in her apartment due to serious water problems. So she has been showering at our place and sleeping here much of the time. Pretty frustrating! Hopefully the nasty drive west from Kansas will be dry and things will settle down once they get home.

I've been so busy along with being sick that I haven't even written my Christmas letter. I'm hoping we can get it for New Year's soon. I'm waiting for a family picture from Chris to include, now that his family is finally together. But since Kiyomi's mom passed away they've been very busy there too. At least I have the blog...

Jenn, Nat and their husbands been painted my living room. What a difference a fresh coat of paint makes. I am very pleased with the color we chose - of course it's hard to stop since this makes the other rooms look especially bad. Fortunately, Steve is willing to help me with the redecorating and remodeling I'm doing. Kind of nice to have a project in the dreary month of January.

The 13th Day of Christmas

Christmas Day night brought a major storm and we woke up to this today....



I guess you know what we did today. Chris's house and mine kept us busy all morning. Otherwise it was a day to relax and recover from the craziness and the illness that got me down for the days before Christmas. Somehow in all the busyness it was over before I even realized it was here. It's been years since I hadn't even wrapped a thing prior to Christmas Eve.

The highlight of this year was the sub-for-Santa. How nice to help someone in need. It helps us to keep things in perspective and be grateful for all we have been blessed with. I received nice, thoughtful gifts and I enjoyed seeing everyone's creativity. Hope your Christmas was nice too.

My Birthday and the 2nd day of Christmas

What a surprise to get a big start on my kitchen update for my birthday. The counters are being remade in a nice, new laminate with a beautiful, large kitchen sink. We'll eventually get to the back splash and the rest, but it looks great so far. Thanks, Steve, for the idea and the great gift.

Nat also surprised me when she said she and Rob are going to paint my living room for my birthday. Wow! I'm getting a house makeover. I am also working on the living room right now so this is great.

We're all a bit overwhelmed with Christmas and everything going on right now. Noah's birthday week started Friday, the day of the ward Christmas party (cute pictures will be posted on my grandkids blog but I was having internet trouble on Sunday but I'll get to it soon), then he had lunch on Saturday with his parents followed by the Madsen family Christmas party, then cupcakes last night when we had a little impromptu Christmas gifting for Liz and Madi since Karla and the girls leave tomorrow for New York (her sister's wedding, then Jon will join them for Christmas with the fam in Manhattan). The cousins did fun exchange gifts this year. They were to do the shopping themselves, be creative, and find something special they could afford (or make themselves) for the cousins whose names they drew. Nat's kids did a great job finding clever gifts for the two little girls.

Elizabeth loves her gift from Olivia - a little vanity table she found at the D.I. and cleaned up with 409! The little telephone and bear were Madi's gifts from Ashlie - also personally refurbished. This is turning out to be a great idea and so much more fun for the kids than when mom just goes out and buys something for them to give. Jon/Karla and family also gave nice stamping and scrapbookign gifts to Jackson girls and a creative gift for Noah's birthday. We're seeing so much ingenuity here.
Karla, Madi, and Adam
On this day in history.... (What it REALLY says - not "separation of church and state, as some think it does)

December 15, 1791 The First Amendment, U.S. Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (italics added), or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The secularization of Christmas with "Happy Holidays" in place of "Merry Christmas" is not a new phenomenon of course. Our ancestors fled their native lands because of religious persecution and in search of religious freedom in America. As a result the founding fathers wove protection into the Constitution. Nevertheless, we live in a time where such freedoms are in jeopardy and if things continue as they going due to efforts of some special-interest groups, we may once again be forbidden to sing the carols of Christmas. Let's pray that this does not happen.