A Snow Day in Utah.

So....it's almost spring in Portland, Oregon where I lived for many years. Soon the trees will be budding with hints of green, and floral coloring. There is rain, and very few hours of grayed sunlight. When the gentle transition of winter to spring took place in Portland I would dash about my life as usual. UNTIL! I would stop...in my car, (safely at the side of the road).... or in my walking and be transfixed by the magic of BLOSSOMESes. YES, you heard me right. It's pronounced BLOSSOM s es. (OK...so they never taught me phonetics in school, alright?)

The wonder of BLOSSOMESES! A winter browned tree would suddenly exude a hint of pink, then it would burst into the full brilliance of blossomed spring's beginning. I used to wonder, how is it possible that anyone could see this tree and NOT stop to observe the miracle that is happening here? (OK, I admit it, I'm a little...well shall I say....unique?)

Yet this "uniqueness" of mine I simply love. The miracle that I witness fills my soul with hope. Belief that just as winter is swallowed up by the renewal of spring my life will continually be filled with the promise of joyous days to come. Nature's renewal helps me face gray days, when the gray is NOT caused by winter's heavy handedness but by life's difficulties.

I Think the World is Glorious

When I was a little girl I would go to Primary which then was a meeting held once a week for children. One of my VERY favorite songs was, "I Think the World is Glorious." The lyrics were, "I think the world is glorious, and lovely as can be, the birds and bees and blossoms bring sweet messages to me, I sing, and sing, and sing, and sing, a song of joy and love. I sing, and sing, and sing, and sing, my thanks to God above.

Those words are very sweet to me today as I look out of our large windows into the sunshiny day. The snowcapped mountains that ring our valley rise up in jagged majesty into the lightly clouded blueness of sky. The neighborhood where I live has 5 condominium complexes. They are new (ish) and attractive. On the south of our street are fields of cows, sheep, and various types of crops. To the west of us are fields where currently horses reside. It is a lovely blend
of features.

As I walk around in this beauty I give thanks to God for creating such a lovely world. It makes me feel humble inside to think that He created all of this beauty for me....for you...for all of his children in all the world. He made the earth a lovely place to give us comfort and joy as we came to this earth and spent our lives here. The prophet David said, "Who is man that Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels."

So here we are, "A little lower than the angels..." Take even five minutes today to watch the sunset in the power of heavenly color. Go for a walk with a child, a friend, a friend's child. The most important thing, give thank's to our beloved God for this beauty.

Weddings and Such

Our niece Garnet got married today. It was the best kind of day...the day when the sky is clear, blue, and beautiful. In addition it's a day when two great families are joined together in marriage. I have a feeling that for the rest of my life family occasions will be when I feel the closest to my beloved Nyle.

Nyle became very ill on our wedding day. He fainted, and well tossed his cookies to put it mildly. So jokingly he told Garnet NOT to do that on her wedding day. I think it may have worked to the opposite for she spent a great deal of her reception desperately sick to her stomach. YIKES!

They were both the youngest in their families....here's hoping that is NOT a familial trait!

It is such a great thing to be connected to loving people. I have made the astute judgment that one can NEVER have too many people to love. That is a VERY good thing in our family because we have a HUGE family. I have over 70 first cousins....I only have one sister, and one brother, but I have four brother-inlaws, and five sister-in laws. (That's between both my husband and I) We have 32 nephews and nieces, and over 40 great nephews and nieces. We even have ONE great great niece!! AWESOME!

So, I am grateful forever for the blessing of family. I'm also grateful for friends that become family as you move through life...YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Through good, bad, and indifferent, a loving family is one of the greatest blessings that life can give. Now for those of you who haven't this blessing, create a loving family from your circle of friends...I know it's possible. When we lived in Oregon for 17 years we had no family there but our own little circle. So over the years we gained a family that was there for us through good, bad, and indifferent. I will ALWAYS treasure that part of our family as well.

I want to thank all of you, that have blessed my life. I hope that there is NEVER a time that I have offended any of you. If I ever do please know that IT'S NOT ON PURPOSE. Talk to me about it...sometimes I'm a little slow. (OK, so I'm getting pretty close to those Senior Moments that I've heard about).

Valentine's Day, A New NORMAL??

I'm sitting in the semi-darkness. My Valentine's Tree (aka as my Christmas tree) lights are blinking softly, lighting my heart. Every ornament on this tree has a story, and every decoration
connects me to my sweetheart Nyle.

I don't remember our last Valentine's Day together, last year. It bothers me that I can't remember but what I DO remember is how special Nyle made EVERYDAY that we were together. He had such a joyeux de vivre. The worst times were made better by his ability to be silly, to goof, to joke, but most especially to love.

I'm ever so grateful for the gift that he left behind for me...our two daughters. They watch over me with care and patience. It's an early role reversal. I expected eventually for our daughters to reach out to take care of me when I became old and possibly feeble, more fragile. I NEVER planned on their having to take care of me before I even reached the generally accepted age of seniorhood sixty.

Yet they give, serve, and love with such seeming ease that sometimes I forget to notice that I AM being served. All through their young lives they have taught me about so many things. Now they teach me about dealing with grief by serving others.

Valentine's Day can be a difficult time for those who have not had the chance for romance, or those that face divorce, or death. Yet I have found great joy this year, even as I fight great sorrow....through the loving gifts given to our family from others.

So....I miss Nyle with every breath that I breathe, but I am thankful for the years we spent together. I WILL overcome my anguish by following Nyle and our daughters example of service.