A Good Friend

A good friend and family member lived these things:

Do what you love.

Work hard.

Play hard.

Keep your family first.

All people have value.

I hope we can remember and live these things.

Meandering Through the Miles

There is a bumper sticker that I see quite often that says,

"All who wander are not lost." 

I believe that to be true.  On our recent vacation, we made a conscious effort to stay off of the freeways and most direct routes as much as we could.  Our decision was made, in part, because we were towing a travel trailer and driving on the freeway is sometimes a challenge.  But we also wanted to disconnect from the fast pace and make a choice to really see the countryside we were visiting.  Because we stayed off of the interstate, we saw huge berry farms, christmas tree plantations, lovely old barns and lots of interesting people.  We got lost a time or two and had to back track.  We really "saw" the small towns and country  farms we passed through.  We don't have a GPS that tells us which turn to make, so we read the map and decided how to get to where we wanted to head.  It turned out better than "okay". 

Sometimes life gets so very busy that we don't "see" the stuff around us.  We had to take a long trip in a truck to reconnect as a family and really be with each other.  There are lots of pictures to remind us of where we went, but what I will remember most is that we didn't use the cell phones,  or the iTouch and we didn't miss it.  We used the computer a bit to look up places to see and things to do along the way and there are some great things out there to go do.  You can see more of them at 55 on a two lane highway going through the back of beyond on a road you don't know.

Instead of traveling the same route every day or going to events on the same path, choose a different way.  It could change a lot of things.

Graduations etc.

On Saturday, my oldest child got her Masters of Education degree.  She has worked long and hard to achieve that.  In the audience, her parents, in-laws, infant daughter, grandmother and siblings all cheered her on.  It was a glorious day to celebrate a huge achievement.

Over lunch, we discussed a unique family tradition that has been established.  Grandma earned a masters.  Mom earned a masters.  Daughter has earned a masters.  It's not often that three generations of women in one family would  all achieve this high level of education.  I hope my daughter's daughter will earn one of her own someday.  I hope I am sitting in the second row of prime balcony seats to see that happen. 

One of the doctoral candidates wrote their dissertation on parent's expectations for their children prenatally.  I would love to read the summary of that document.  We had a discussion out on the lawn after the commencement about that. I don't know what is "normal", but as a young couple we certainly began thinking about that very early and I know that these new parents began thinking about it very early.   We did discuss it before she was born.

I believe that parental expectations drive the achievement of the children.   I am glad that the three who are out of the nest understand that there is more to learn and experience than what is presented in high school.  Life long learning is a good thing, but there is one more thing I hope they learn out there.

Mitch Albom delivered the commencement address at the U this year.  His key point was that we will probably spend much of our early adult years earning and getting, but what matters most at the end of a life, is the giving.  Usually commencement addresses are forgotten in the moments leaving the stadium.  This one was important.  In all their seeking, and earning and getting, I hope they also remember the giving.  It's not what you get, it's what you give.

An elusive purpose

What good is a blog about ordinary family doings?  Does it serve a purpose in the universe?  Is anyone interested in the ramblings of a middle aged mom with five children, several sheep, a whole herd of chickens and enough garden to feed several families?  I don't know. 

I just recently checked the readership of this page and amazingly, it extends beyond my immediate family and friends.  People I don't know, in places I've never been to, and probably will never see have peeked in here to see what life is like.  I wonder what they learn.

I hope they have a sense that life is good here.  We have been blessed with enough of all that matters.  The adult kids are off to successful lives.  The youngers are plugging along.  Not to much happens here that is traumatic, dramatic, or otherwise awful.  It's all OK.  

Across the globe, lot has happened in the last two days.  It touches our thoughts because many people that we know are out there serving far far away.  Here, things are pretty much just carrying on like they should.  And I am thankful for just that much. 

Trying very hard.

We are trying very hard to have a Springtime around here. I am anticipating a large vegetable garden that will produce enough to put some in the storage room too. I am almost forcing the season. Today is in the low 40s. There is a wind blowing. We got out there anyway. Garlic, chard and potatoes got planted. Raspberries and rhubarb got checked.

The rhubarb is really trying to come up.  This plant is on it's third summer, so it should be really good for pies and jam soon.

The raspberries all got trimmed back about a month ago.  I was afraid that I had trimmed them too much, but all of them are starting to leaf out.  We have two rows about 15 foot long so there will be a lot for eating and jam.

A few infant pepper plants starting out on the windowsill.  I planted a mixed packet so we will have all kinds and colors of peppers this year.

More started seedlings on windowsill.  There is basil, chamomile, and marigolds that should be put in bigger pots soon.

Every year we try something new in the garden.   Last year's potato yield was really bad for some reason.  We probably didn't get back even what we planted.  These are potatoes planted in fabric containers.  As the plants grow, you add more soil up to the top until the bag is filled.  In the fall, you dump the whole thing out and see how many potatoes are in there.



After you work hard, there is a treat.   Fresh biscotti is a good thing.

 And as cold as it is outside, the garden can wait for a bit more.  



You just never know.

We have an old ewe in the pasture that was being considered for the freezer.  Not a big deal usually.  Today we came home and this ewe has two of the most beautiful lambs with her.  They are tiny, but they are dry and up and about.  All good signs.  And they are lively.

I planted onions about three weeks ago.   It's the right time on the calendar.  I worked the bed nicely.  I bought pretty good sets.  Not a one of them is up.  It's time to replant.

Kris is a good ball player.  He's a good hitter and a fair ball handler.  He reliably gets a hit and brings kids in.  Last night he got a ball to the helmet.  It happens to everybody when the kids are learning to pitch.  Tonight, he stepped out of the box every time.  He's pretty sure he's played in a "thousand" games and it won't happen again.   You never know.

Sometimes you think you know what's what, but actually you don't.  We've had lambs and gardens and kids for a long time.  We are still surprised every day. 

Oh, the places you'll go!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

The view from the overlook.

The skyline on an absolutely gorgeous day.

This is Snow Canyon State Park outside of St. George.  It is a really beautiful spot.  We found it while visiting the kids down there.  Vic visits a lot of places but who knew...  Actually there are a lot of places Vic gets to visit that we haven't been too.

Just a nice pic of of our travels lately.

It's snowing at the moment so it might help to think of warmer places.  I looked at the Burpee seed catalog too to think of warmer days and the garden.  If I think about planting spinach and peas maybe I can will the the weather to change to about 75 degrees instead of whatever it is out there now.  Hotter than 75, I just don't care for but 75 is good.  

A big deal.

Prom was more than a month ago. I am just now posting about it because prom takes a while to process sometimes. This year Serena went with a fantastic young man. He asked her to go without prompting or coaching and did an awesome job of making it a good time. He is what we casually call "normal" but what he did is far above what one would expect of a normal senior. Her teachers did her make up and took her to the salon for nails and a hair do. A good lady made a great hair piece for her to wear on her special night. Everyone made it a good time.

In our small community PROM is a big deal. There is a choreographed dance that everyone participates in. The parents and siblings dress up in Sunday best to go and watch the production. There is a slide show of baby pics of all of the juniors. Only about an hour of the whole event is a typical teenage dance. The rest is for family and community. A BIG DEAL.

In this year's prom, there were three students with significant challenges participating. Given the state of the world and our community, there were probably a whole lot more than that but these were the kids that everyone knows have big challenges. They participated. They had a grand time. And I hope that everyone who helped in this effort knows how much the event means to the kids. It wouldn't have happened without a lot of people working together. It was a big deal and it doesn't happen every where. But it does happen here.

Spring???

It's Easter Sunday. It is alternating between hard rain, sleet, and hail the size of marbles out there. We didn't even let the chickens out this morning because they are better off in the coop. Inside the house, I have turned up the heat. It feels like February and if I were more ambitious, I would build a fire in the stove.

I have started plants on the window sill with a vision of a large garden in July. Small tomatoes, peppers, basil, and chamomile plants are in small pots hoping to grow up into a productive garden. I have high hopes for this years garden and I want to use every space and pot to grow something edible. Onions are planted and I should get some carrots, parsnips, spinach, and chard out there this week. I want squash and pumpkin vines to fill in odd spots. I want cucumbers enough to bottle pickles. At least in my head, it will be grand. In July, it gets a little weedy and out of control, but that is a long way off.

All of the fruit trees we planted last spring are just about to pop out of bud. They all made it through the winter. They may not produce anything this year, but they certainly will be mature enough for fruiting next spring. We have two eight week old chicks out there in the small coop to keep down the weeds. In a few more weeks, the three that are in the garage brooder will join them in the sectioned off part of the pasture that we hope becomes a small home orchard. At the moment, the raspberries are starting to leaf out but I wonder if they will grow in this cold.

I found some interesting reading out there. Google 1919 War Gardens. In the period 1918-1920, the federal government published materials to encourage people to produce their own food in back yard gardens to support the post war effort. Imagine what would happen today if everyone had even a few plants producing food on their patio or porch. We have always had a garden as a hobby and out of necessity. With the price of gas and food increasing every week, a few tomatoes or peaches in jars in the storage room make all the difference to my peace of mind.