Another Perspective

We recently allowed our soon-to-be-adopted children to travel to Oklahoma to visit friends and family there. We were comfortable that they wanted to come back and be part of our family. We were wrong. Oklahoma DHS (Child Welfare) called and, in a matter of hours, decided that they would keep the children in Oklahoma. We were shocked.

Right now we are reeling because this changes the whole complexion of our family. The best that I can do is to get a job, though other agencies are trying to recruit us. While that validates us, it doesn't fill the empty hours. Driving a potato truck for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, should do that.

We will eventually figure out the positive aspect of this disruption. Soon, I hope.

Beauty

At a family funeral I was visiting with a cousin-in-law. She stopped speaking, looked at me, then said, "You are beautiful!" I was a little startled but she was speaking of inner beauty, not physical. Drat! She went on to say that it was obvious that I am a happy person.

We had a discussion about happiness. I believe that a person can be as happy as he or she makes up his or her mind to be. Yes, everyone has troubles. Some can be addressed while others must be survived. I have had both kinds but I choose happiness. This does not mean that I ignore tribulation; it hurts me as much as anyone else. All it means is that I am securely loved by my God and many others. Consequently I have a constant JOY in my life, for which I am deeply grateful.

May we all be beautiful people.

Global Warming?

Last night, when we went to bed, it was below 50 degrees outside and just above 60 inside. The term, "Global Warming" is incorrect. It should be referred to as "Climate Change" or something that reflects what's happening to us.

We have seen more elk this year than ever. A group comes so often to the field below us that we've almost lost excitement when they're spotted. On a backwoods road trip last week I spotted a herd of about 200. This estimate could be like a fishing tale, but there were a lot and they made the hills come alive with their movement. My friend spotted a bear cub. Those make me nervous because Momma Bears don't like humans to interact with their cubs.

All things considered, while the urban lifestyle has its place, I'm happy to live in a rural setting. The biggest noise we hear in the evening is the neighbor's cow. Or the turkeys. Or coyotes yelping. Or...

In The "Good Ol' Summertime"

This year marked a first: We had the heat on in the summertime. 62 degrees inside, with little hope of the sun shining, made us run for the heat. Sad. We've had so much rain that everything is green and lush. Much of it we've missed as we've been traveling for surgeries. We hope that we are finished with them, even though everyone was very nice. Still, Salt Lake City is a far cry from rural Oregon.

Yesterday we went fishing. Our daughter saved the 4 little blue gills we caught and put them in her personal pond. They are still live, mostly, this morning. She also has a catfish in her pond. She feeds them dog food every morning.

Our young son is busy making a "tree" house. We thought that it would be better being close to the trees rather than in them. The tree can grow without messing up the fort. He's thinking that pulling nails from boards isn't particularly exciting. Life is filled with the mundane so that the excitement is a flash of brilliance. We appreciate it all the more.

GRATITUDE

So much has happened since the last post! We were busy enjoying idyllic Spring days and reveling in daffodils. After 2 Life Flights, we still appreciate the daffodils but we also appreciate health.

Our son was riding, sitting down, on the front of a long board. It collided with a pickup and he bore the brunt of the impact. Everything that happened to him has had the best possible outcome. Skull fracture? Healing itself. Bleeding from the ear? Fractured eardrum which is healing itself. Needs a skin graft? Outstanding plastic surgeons ready, willing, and able. His prognosis is for a complete recovery with no losses anywhere. He will receive a ticket for failing to wear a helmet. That is as it should be.

We are extremely grateful for all the prayers in behalf of our family. We feel much-loved and that is very comforting.

Fakeout

We did have a couple of days of Spring but, alas, it was all a trick. Since last posting, we've had: snow, (waking up to 3 inches), wind, cold, rain... Where are those balmy Spring days that I love? The poor daffodils were faked out that it was time to awaken and many of their stems have broken from the weight of the snow.

A lot is bandied about on the topic of global warming. Perhaps we should refer to it as "Climate change" because it sure ain't warmer here!

Spring Has, Indeed, Sprung!

We had our first daffodil yesterday. At 4,100 feet in elevation, we're a little behind many places. We had a contest going to see who would spy the first one and the winner was (Tah-Dah) Rachell. They seem to be very late this year but the snow is almost completely gone. This is good. We had a big bonfire after cleanup yesterday. We roasted hot dogs while the fire was hot, giving us Char-dogs. Still tasty. I have some blackberry plants to put in this next week - hope springs eternal that I will one day reap a harvest.

This is my favorite time of year. All the plants yawn, stretch, and reach for the sun. They put on such a glorious show that it's very easy to be joyful. Hooray for Spring!

Sunrise

Getting up in the middle of the night (before 6 a.m.) has its advantages. OK, it has ONE advantage: I have seen some spectacular sunrises. My early rising, coupled with the fact that I live in the mountains on the west side of the valley, have given me some panoramas. This morning, and for the last several, the sun has looked like molten gold as it spills over the hills in the east. First comes a pinkish glow. After that, it starts turning reddish-gold. Just before it pops out over the tops of its barriers, the rich red comes. It can be blinding. I suppose if that were the last thing I saw in this life I'd count it a full life. That, and grandbaby smiles.

Spring Break Travel

We had such fun visiting far-away family during Spring Break. Coming home is never fun, but it is a necessity.

We had planned to go to church and leave directly from church. Ah, the "best-laid plans..." A couple of hours before church, it began to snow, heavily. It's almost April for pity's sake! We decided to forego church (truly a tough decision) and head out. This would add 4 hours to our traveling window. We spent 2 hours getting from SLC to Tremonton at 40 miles per hour with the 4-wheel drive one. I thought about putting the posi-track on, but that might have been overkill. At Tremonton we spotted blue in the sky and headed for it. Cool. Alas, Wind can be blue. We had wind, heavy wind, from Snowvilled to Boise. Filling up at Burley was nasty as we had to get out of the car. We averaged 15 mpg for that leg of the trip.

After we arrived in Boise and visited family we headed out again. Arriving in our valley we saw a calm and beautiful evening with the sun shining brightly. Oregon rocks!

Changing the clock

For starters, we have "early" church, at 9:00 a.m. This is always difficult during the Spring time change, more so with children. But, we usually manage. I dutifully set my alarm an hour ahead last night, which was 5:45 a.m., the time I usually get up on weekdays. When it went off, I groaned and moaned but finally got up. I went into the bathroom and next to my bleary-eyed face was a clock saying that it was shortly after 5:00 a.m. I had forgotten that my clock can "think" and resets itself automatically. Dare I admit it, but I think I got up at 4:45 a.m. for church?

The children are VERY lucky I figured it out before I woke them.

Sharing

Each of us shares the space where we live. I'm told that cats who aren't yours are not a blessing. This is true. I love my cats and will put up with a lot from them as we share space.

Interestingly, David does not share my sentiments. The cats will sleep on my bed when he is not there but won't come near it when he is. I think that is due, in large measure, to the fact that he will launch them from the bed. They don't like that.

Right now I have a cat in front of my monitor and I have to peer around her as I post. I could move her, but we share. On her terms.

"Winter" Colds

Now and again I hear people bemoan colds of various seasons. Colds are nasty, no matter the season. Some things I know are: Colds are a virus, all colds are different, and I've had several in my life. Now, shouldn't I be getting immune to some of them?

The trouble with feeling poorly is that one becomes unable to appreciate any goodness in life. This helps me to understand and appreciate my general good health. It's just on hiatus at the moment.

Hidden Things

Today on the early morning bus run I saw a pair of foxes. The one was running across the field and the other was waiting ahead. That paled in comparison to what my neighbor saw on the bridge: a young cougar. Not a puma or a mountain lion, but a cougar. It was a young one, apparently out for a morning walk.

Now, I think this cat has been here all along. I think that, because we didn't see him/her, we might think he wasn't there. We've walked that bridge many times, living life in denial that we were sharing it with such a powerful predator.

And, speaking of predators, I remain grateful that we have no rattlesnakes. Many places in northeast Oregon do. They, too, hide very well.

Perspective

Today is a beautifully crisp, clear, winter day. That is, if one is sitting as I am, on the side of the mountain. The valley floor looks as if as giant cotton ball was dropped on it. If I go down, it'll be a drab, dreary, dark day.

Both areas are the same place by many definitions. But, fog settles. So, we sit and think what a marvelous day this is while our neighbors wonder when they'll see the sun again.

The New Year in Our Community

2009 is here and, with it, the annual Christmas Tree Pickup. Every year the Scouts canvass the city, picking up the trees. The Scouts have a lot of fun - one of the major high points is jumping on them to mash them down into the dumpster so that they can be mulched later. Other Scouts like collecting the many donations. Some like to toss the trees. Service can be fun!

This would not be possible without the support of many volunteers. I have organized this for years and am almost at the point where I could do it in my sleep. The Scout leaders are the backbone of the process but the news paper makes sure everyone knows about it, the garbage service donates the dumpsters, and the entire community is ready and waiting for us to pick up their trees.

So kudos to all the volunteers out there: No one can ever know or gauge all that volunteers do.