Straight and Narrow Path

I decided I need a visual picture of the

straight and narrow path.  If I am going to

stay on one then I want a beautiful one.

My path needed flowers and water and

green things!  I know just what it would

look like because I have been to a place

in the San Juans that is perfect.  If we are

there at the right time the flowers are

amazing.  And the surroundings are these

magnificent mountains.  Yip, this is

what I would choose for my straight

and narrow path.

 

I hope it is ok to imagine my own individual

path.  Not that I am doing it "my way"

but in the end we are all judged individually

so we each have our own path just so things

don't get mixed up..

I just imagine mine as more than a

line on a chalk board drawn on Sunday morning

in Sunday school class.

 

 

 

 

Then there is this other thought.  I have tried

to imagine me passing over and what I would

first see.  I have always envisioned a large

 white room with people. My understanding

is there will be family there to greet me. That doesn't

seem to fit me.  I have read many stories of

individuals who have had near death experiences

and each one has a different experience.  Some are

in very beautiful settings with flowers and such.

So it isn't such a big stretch to think that might

be my story.

 

I have imagined the other side and me on

this much loved path.  I don't see anyone

there greeting me right away.  Some tell of family

being there right away and others not so quickly.

 

 

Well, this is what I imagine:  I am walking on my

path and I see a young man walking towards me

on my path.  Although, I have never seen

my son, Michael, as an adult I know it is him.

He is tall and he is smiling a smile that says "here

I am, Mom, its me".  His eyes tell me he knows how

much it means to me to actually be with him.

 

Then I see my parents.  They are young and

they are together.  They are holding hands and

they are laughing....maybe more of a giggling.

I never saw this in my parents here.  There was

always conflict....no hand holding and

no smiles.  I love thinking that they fixed

things with each other. 

I realize they are so excited to see me.

 

 

One of my favorite Christmas movies is
One Magic Christmas.  It is a story about a
young wife named Jenny.  An angel sets up a
series of events to help her "believe" in Christmas.
One event is the death of her husband by
a desperate man with a gun.  In the end Jack,
her husband, comes walking down the snowy
street.  He is alive!  She runs to him and kisses
him and tells him how much she loves him.

That part of the movie always touches me.
I can imagine her feelings.  She saw her
husband die.  He was gone.  She was alone.
But then out of the mist he appears.  He is alive
and in her arms.

I hope David and I die the same day.  But if I
am left behind and make my journey home after David,
he will know where to find me.
 He will know my path. I will be like Jenny.
 The unbelievable joy and relief and love will
 be overwhelming.
He will have some concerns.  Did I stay the
course?  Did I get distracted?  But I'm
there! I will run to him and
kiss him and tell him how much I love him.
I can only imagine the joy!

At some point in my path's journey I

would turn around and there will

be my other children and then my grand children.

How I love them.  I am so glad we are together.

 

I don't know how this all really works.

I only know that it is my belief that it does.

I am on a path here but it doesn't end

with death.  We are eternal beings having

a mortal experience.  We are here to test

our obedience.....we are here to try and

stay on the path home.

The straight and narrow path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Power To Change

I heard this thought in correlation to Fathers

Day: No one is a perfect parent

and all parents live with regrets.

And all children have some bad

memories. But the key is to remember

only the good.

I have thought a lot about this.

Letting go of the memories of my

childhood that I use to justify

my shortcomings may be more painful

than the memories themselves. I have

become quite comfortable with them.

Exercising my mind to build on

the good will mean breaking

mental habits used as crutches

for some of my behavior

and the excuses I use that keep me from

changing.

 

Remembering only the good

memories will be a sign of true

forgiveness and that is what

Christ asks us to do—Forgive.

I am a whole person. My parents in

no way warped my ability

to function normally.

But we struggled as

a family and my parents

eventually divorced. I don’t

remember much guidance and

this is where I struggle. I have always

wished I had examples and

teachings from my childhood home to

help me in my adult home.

I have always been aware of people

who did have that foundation

to use in their lives.  I have always

been angry or hurt that I didn't.  I

was left to my own devices!

I need to say I will always be grateful

for the Gospel. I have been guided

in all my responsibilities.

The key is to follow Christ’s example.

The hopeful thought is I can truly let go of

my anger or disappointments. I can truly

experience forgiveness! And the key

may be as simple as replacing

bad memories with good memories.

Pinus massoniana lamb

 

I wanted to post my aggravation with

pine pollen.  I looked for something to

title this post and found this advertisement

for Pine Pollen.  Who knew it was the

cure to every problem a 60 year old  person

can list.  (Dave says he doesn't see

anything on this list that applies to him.)

Pine Pollen helps to rebuild your immune system, amongst other immediate benefits.
• Promotes longevity with specific anti-aging compounds;
• Dramatically improves your vitality and stamina;
• Raises low testosterone in men;
• Increase male fertility by raising sperm count;
• Balances the Estrogen to Testosterone ratio in Women and Men;
• Prevents prostate disease;
• Promotes liver cell activity aiding in liver detoxification and rehabilitation;
• Regulates metabolism;
• Increases energy unlike any other food or supplement can;
• Improves muscle tone;
• Eliminates sexual dysfunction due to low androgen levels;
• Aids in weight management and promotes weight loss;
• Improves overall health, greatly promoting immune function;
• Easier and quicker time getting back into shape;
• Gentle daily cellular detoxification;
• Burns off brain fog and increases attention span and brain function;
• Improves skin elasticity (anti-aging);
• Clears acne;
• Dissolves and removes age spots on skin and in the body.

 

Just the same.....it is a mess!

 

This is my porch vacuum cleaner.

Need I say more.

 

 

 

Elephants and grandchildren never forget.

The exodus from the valley heat has begun.

In my daughter Lee's case, it was hastened

by her husband's Air Force Reserve unit

 going to Germany for 10 days. 

 

Lee made a list of things to do and

helping get my garden started was one

of them.  Thank you, Lee.

 

I had an idea of my own.  A blog I read

suggested that a good activity for grandma

and grandchildren was a visit to the Temple.

I don't know if she will remember it

but I felt good to take Daisy there.

 

"I'll go inside some day."

 

 

Bear thought it was a nice place.

A bit hot but nice.

 

Grandma shot.

 

We also put fresh flowers on

David's parents gravesite in Taylor.

The plan was to hit the Show Low

Cemetery but after the stop at the Temple

and the cemetery in Taylor we were done.

 

This is family to Lee's husband, Aaron.

She had seen recent pictures of this site

and found it.

 

I enjoyed Rockwell.  He is still a slug.  And

he is a happy little slug.  Such a cute smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 Our next round of grandchildren came

two days later.  Abbey, Mike and Ben

came to be Grandma's sidekicks.

 

 

My title to this post applies to

Abbey and Mike.  They remember things

we have done before and places we have gone.

So we do our best to do them again. 

 

Mike was here last summer and when he

got out of the car he wanted to go

"see the pumpkins".  I felt bad that

nothing was up for him to see.

But he remembered everything.

 

We went to Woodland Lake to feed the

ducks....who were not the least bit

interested in us.  David said it was my

homemade whole wheat bread....

it can have that effect on you.

 

Abbey was pleased to find Dandelions to

blow on.  She is quite the earth science girl.

I love it.



Mike humored me by blowing on a

Dandelion.  And that is Ben always

trying to make an escape.

 

Of course, this is a thistle but Abbey thought

she had found the biggest Dandelion ever.

Abbey was the mom.  She would take

care of these boys.  She would call to them

"boys" do this or come here, etc.  They

would come every time.  They are pretty

tight.  Love it.

 

We took this picture for their dad

and Fathers Day.

 

 

We had time for a trip to Sheep's Crossing.

I love this picture.  Abbey wanted to hold

this stick so she would have "good balance".

And there is Ben making an escape.

Mike before he got soaking wet.

Boo Cameo.

"He who plants a tree, plants a hope."

 A hope....maybe that is one reason I don't

like cutting down trees. 

 

But on the other hand it ain't so bad.

This Spruce was overpowering our

house.  People stop by and will comment

on how different but good it looks.

 

 

This is Pete and Tim on a summer morning

as Pete was leaving for Camp Raymond.  So

he was probably 12 and Tim is 7.  And the

tree is a puppy.

 

Once again, here is Thad, our tree guy.

(We had actually asked two other guys

to cut these trees and they disappeared.)

 

 

Does this give you that feeling in

your belly like it give me?

Ouhhh

 

Looks clean!

See the Spruce behind the Apple tree....

it's on the chopping block next year.

 

 

This is a case of less is more.

 

The Lord works from the inside out. 

The world works from the outside in. 

The world would take people out of the slums. 

 Christ takes the slums out of people,

 and then they take themselves out of the slums. 

The world would mold men by changing their

environment.  Christ changes men,

 who then change their environment. 

The world would shape human behavior,

But Christ can change human nature.

Ezra Taft Benson

Dash Alden Merrill

Baby Dash was born this morning.

If ever there was a long pregnancy this

was it!  I felt this way, Brittany's mother

felt this way, and Mom and Dad felt this way.

 

Brittany lost a baby almost two years ago.

So to get this boy here safe and sound couldn't

come soon enough! 

Happy Birthday, Dash!

 

He weighed over 8 pounds.  All filled out

and so perfect. 

 

For those who have studied the faces of Pete

and Brittany's other children you will see

all three of them in this baby.  By the way,

he has his dad's hairline. 





 So glad this boy is here!

 It has been hard work for Brittany to build

this baby.  But she looked so beautiful today.

Tired but beautiful.  Congratulations to

Pete and Brittany.  Love you and your family.

Can't Stay Away

We seem to make a trip to Big Lake at

least 3 times a month....maybe four.

So when Lee brought her children up for

a visit (Aaron is in Germany with the

Air Force for 10 days) she wanted to see

Big Lake.  We were happy to oblige.

We also put some Bigfoot cards in

the Store.  Hoping to get some tours

going soon. 

 

Not very many boats on the lake this weekend.

Lee and Daisy.

 

Passengers in Bigfoot. 

If the tree guy tells you you have scale on your Aspen trees believe him.

 A couple years ago we hired a man to prune our

apple trees.  He did and then he told me that my Aspens

and all other trees had scale.  He could fix that

for me for $600.  I thought two things "I'm not

paying $600 and I can do it myself".

 

So I talked to my friend at the nursery, he came by,

confirmed scale on the Aspens, said no other tree

was affected, and that I could indeed treat them

myself.

 

I had to buy a couple of bug killer mixes,

cover myself from head to toe, and spray

the trees before May 15th (which is the time

the scale make their yearly move upward and

spread death and destruction).  When the

bug killer spray dries you climb up and use a

scrub brush and clean off the dead critters.

Did that too.

 

I should have paid the man.

By early spring this year it was

obvious that my trees were too far gone.

 

Sad. 

 

So we hired another friend to

cut them down.

He climbed the tree and

wrapped a belt around it to keep

himself from falling and cut

it up one piece at a time.

Watching him gave me that feeling you get

when you look over the Grand Canyon.  Scary.

He's almost to the top.

 

After all the branches are down he cuts the

trunk one piece at a time and works his way down.

I thought I

would really miss them but strangely enough

I like how clean it looks now.  It opened up

the front of the house.

 

When my son, Tim, was our baby we bought

a tree permit from the Forest Service and

went and dug up this tree.  We brought it

home and planted it.  It was about 5

feet tall and leafed out so fast after planting

and then the leaves shriveled up and fell

off.  We were so sad.  But then they came out

again and they lived next to our home for

for 34 years.

 

We will say our final goodbyes this

winter when we will use them for firewood. 

Graduates of Preschool

 

My little preschool people graduated and left me.

I had so much fun with this group of children.

I wonder if they will remember me. 

I will remember them.  They added just the

right amount of sunshine in my home!