The Last Lecture.

I have added this book to my favorite book list. If you aren't familiar with this book it was written by a college professor who was dying of cancer. Not that his illness got him to thinking about life and its perspectives....he had lived a life full of perspectives. He had wonderful people cross his path and he also had a gift for passing on his view through words. You need to read it.

Excerpt: Look for the Best in Everybody. This is beautiful advise that I got once from Jon Snoddy, my hero at Disney Imagineering. I just was so taken with the way he put it. "If you wait long enough," he said, "people will surprise and impress you."

As he saw things: When you;re frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.

Jon warned me that sometimes this took great patience-- even years. "But in the end," he said, "people will show you their good side. Almost eveybody has a good side. Just keep waiting. It will come out."

Arizona

When I was a little girl I had a great sense of pride that I lived in Arizona. I lived in the Pines but there was always this image of Arizona as a desert. I accepted that. And loved being a part of it.

In the 3rd grade we learned the state song. It went something like..."come to this land of sunshine....." and I sang it with great emotion for a little girl. Not that anyone noticed but I did.

I think alot of those feelings came from my dad. he liked being a part of things and being a part of Arizona was something. Just saying the name...Arizona....was something.

As David and I drove home the other morning the desert was so beautiful. Green and healthy.

".....I love thee, Arizona, my Goddess and my Queen..."

Lee's first game at Glendale

Friday night was Lee's first real game at Glendale Community College. They won in three. Good start! She played all around all three games except for a little bit when she said, "my passes were bad" so the coach took her out.




















Here are Lee's fans. They are watching the game. Really they are!

Grandkids!!

Seven and a half years ago David and I didn't know any of these little people. Now they own our hearts. Can't you see the individual personalities in each face? And the entertainment value of each one of them can't be matched.

Left to Right:
Megan 7 1/2 (Peter)
Abbey 2 3/4 (Tim)
Melanie 3 3/4 (Peter)
Michael new (Tim)
Quinn 4 (Jill)
Parker 2 1/2 (Jill)
Bode 2 1/2 (Heidi)

Where does Bode shop?

I am always interested in Bode's

T-shirts. They

seem to match every occasion....

this one his Dad's

graduation day.

I love a man in a uniform.

Jeremiah graduated from ALEA on the 8th of August.

Congratulations, Jeremiah!!

Having said that, I am so surprized that I have two sons who

are police officers. This I know: If I had a problem that required

a law enforcement officer to help me these are the kind

of men I want. They are men of God. They are men of Integrity.

And they are big and strong!

As part of the graduation a cadet can have a family member who is

an officer give him his badge. He asked Tim to do that. I was pleased

that he asked Tim.

MR. McGREGOR'S GARDEN ~ SORTA

I love having a garden. Except when I don't.

This one is really showing off.

I have a ton of stuff coming on. I did plan to grow a bunch of green

beans and I got my wish. I have a whole shelf in my storage room

devoted to green beans. Dad has been taste testing them and is so

pleased that I have been picking them at the peak of ripeness and

not that other stage where they are getting a little leathery and stringy.

My bad bad mistake was this: I thought I was planting summer crook neck

squash and I was planting zucchini. Oh my! Every morning I pick the zuks

and take them to the neighbor's doors and then run away.

The big squash plant here is a turbin squash plant and it has taken over.

I am also getting alot of cucumbers. I might try pickling. My friend, Carol

Gardner grows dill weed and has offered to give me some along with

her recipe. See how that goes.

The neighbor boys across the street lost a small green bouncy ball in there.

They asked if they could look for it. I thought there is no way they can find it.

They did.

Jimmie Dale Bolton

Today was a good day! We had a phone call from

a dear friend who was in town. Jim Bolton was

a high school classmate. He had come to Show Low

to see his ailing brother and had some time to come

and visit David and me.

This was one fun guy. He moved to Show Low when

the 8th grade started. I remember very well overhearing the

boys talk about the "new boys" and they were

agreeing that the "new boy, Jim" was a good guy.

He laughs so easy. Then and now. It was

so uplifting to see him. Knowing that he wanted

to come and visit just made our day.

He brought his son. Ty. Handsome young man. He

is a water polo player. From the sounds

of things he is the star. Can you imagine being

the best at such a strenuous sport?

Jim lives in Modesto, CA. His wife, Becky, wasn't able

to travel here because of work. They has 5 sons. Ty is the youngest.

Scout

Cute kitty. The sprinker was dripping just a little bit. I watched Scout for quite a while and then ran and got the camera and she was still there. Do you think she smelled water or did she see the dripping?