THE BAG LADY AND THE SHEEPHERDER

This handsome couple (who loved each other dearly) were my grandparents. Pearl Grant and David Lee.
Pearl was actually an educated lady, she went to the Brigham Young Academy and was an elementary school teacher, in Duchesne County until she got married and started a family. David and Pearl had seven children 4 boys and 3 girls.
David had a sixty acre homestead in the Rock Creek area of Duchesne and had a sizable herd of sheep. During the mid to late 1920's David sold his homestead so he could open an auto repair business in town, with his brother. Not long after getting the business up and going the country was hit with the "great depression" and the Lees lost everything they had. David and Pearl moved into a home in Charleston, Utah in an area that is now beneath Deer Creek Reservoir. After a house fire that destroyed their home David moved his family around several times but eventually went to work for US Steel in Orem, Utah, and built a home in the river bottoms area of Provo.
I was eight years old when Grandpa died so I don't remember much about him except that he had a mop of white hair that reminded me of Mark Twain, and it seemed that he smoked a lot.
I remember visiting Grandma in her home in Provo, where she had moved the bed into the living room next to the kitchen so she would not have to heat the whole house. She was always afraid that if the house was too warm it would start on fire (in addition to house fire in Charleston Pearl had been burned badly as a child, when her dress got too close to the stove). Grandma was a bit of an eccentric artistic type. She would walk the streets of Provo gathering "stuff" that she could make crafts with. I remember her making artificial flowers out of cellophane bread wrappers (her sons refused to let her leave them on any graves at the cemetery). She once gave us grand-kids small necklaces that she had made out of old tooth brushes by cutting the handles into small squares and stringing them together. She always had coffee cans full of buttons, broken ceramics or anything else that she found interesting. Just before Grandma died she was moved into a rest home, I remember that my Dad and his sister's husband took their trucks to her house and just loaded everything she had and took it to the dump. I don't think anybody even went through anything to see if there was something of value, either monetary or sentimental. In general I think most of Grandma's family (at least her children) saw her as a bit of a kook or nut case. But I always saw something more. I was captivated by her artistic talents and her ability to see beauty in what others saw as junk.

HOW BLESSED WE ARE

In the right hand side bar of my blog you will see a "flag counter" it tracks where in the world people are located that view this blog. Recently a flag appeared for a country I have never heard of. This prompted me to learn more.
The country is in Western Africa North of Ghana, and is known as Burkina Faso.
The country has a population of just over 15 million, and is about the size of Colorado. The life expectancy for a Male in this country is 50. They have an unemployment rate of 77% and about a 20% literacy rate.
They have very little industry and almost no agriculture. Most of the working adults leave the country for seasonal work in surrounding countries.
This is the first hit on my blog from the entire Continent of Africa and it amazes me that anyone is over there setting at a computer surfing the web at all.
I am so thankful that I was born and live in the United Sates,we are so blessed, or maybe even spoiled a little. We take so much for granted about our life style and the beauty that surrounds us. The ability we have to get in a car and go. We have houses to live in and food to eat. And even those that we call poor, are better off than the people of Bukina Faso.

NO THANKS, JUST LOOKING

Today I saw Borin' Orin Hatch (R) at Walmart, in Salt Lake. Yes Walmart. He was just walking around the store pushing an empty shopping cart. Not really shopping just walking around the store pushing an empty cart. I tried to get a picture of him so I could post him on "peopleofwalmart.com" but every time I got out the cell phone he would give me the evil eye, so I gave up. I thought about taking a picture from the back so he wouldn't catch me, but from the back side Orin (R) looks just like any other pervert in a trench coat.
After a while he returned the cart to the front of the store and left. Did not buy anything, just left.
The real question about this incident is; What the Heck was Orin Hatch (R) doing at Walmart.
A. Shoplifting.
B. Just hoping to be seen so people would think that he actually shops at Walmart, and is just a regular guy. (because regular guys always wear pressed trench coats and face makeup)
C. Looking for a good deal on health care, and wanted to check out the $4 drug deal.
D. As usual he didn't have a clue what was going on and was hoping to meet Ted Kennedy (D) for lunch. Sorry no Christmas miracle here, Ted is still dead.

And by the way. If he was trying to get attention it failed. Most people were ignoring him, just like they do everybody else at Walmart.

GOOD TIDINGS

"Fear not for I bring you good tidings"
Is it any wonder why the Lord chose to first announce the birth of His son to the shepherds? Not to the rich of the city, not to those presiding in the synagogues, but to the shepherds. The humble shepherds keeping watch at night. He that would be known as the good shepherd had come into the world to save all mankind.
Shepherding is hard work. Sheep are very dependent and delicate animals. They demand much attention. The shepherd had to love the sheep, even unto death, if it was required of him. He slept with them, ate with them, and would give his life to rescue one in trouble. In other words, a shepherd had to be a faithful worker, who loved his flock, and would do anything for them. A true, selfless servant indeed!

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of my savior and redeemer. As we honor and worship Him at this special season of the year my prayer is, that we might all take the time to kneel and give thanks for Him and His mission.

POLITICALLY CORRECT HO, HO, HOOEY

Enough already of "Happy Holidays" I will continue to wish every one I see a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" because that's what it is, and that's what I want to do. It is Christmas. A celebration of one of the greatest events in human history. This whole being politically correct about everything has gone too far. Yes we shouldn't call people hurtful names or use ethnic slurs. In the words of the great Michael Scott "You don't call retarded people retards". But when being politically correct forces us to withhold wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, just to keep from offending someone, it has really gone too far.

If being politically correct goes on much longer we will soon be hearing songs about "Frosty the Person of Snow" and "Rudolph the Nasally Empowered Reindeer"
And your children cannot make snow angels anymore because this obvious display of religion might make someone feel uncomfortable. I think Santa's reindeer are even using aliases now, because they are so embarrassed.

I love almost everything about Christmas. The music, the food, the sights and sounds. The snow, and the presents, the happy children and all that goes with it. What a glorious time of year to be alive.
This CHRISTMAS when you hang your stockings next your alternative heat source, and the children are tucked in their beds, with visions of lentils and warm whole-grain breads. Remember to put aside all political correctness, at least long enough to wish everyone a.....

Merry Christmas.
As we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace,
the King of Kings.

DIRT POOR AND HAPPY

As the temperatures outside are quickly dropping to single digits it makes me appreciate all the more that we have a warm home to come to each night.

When I was very young our family was not in the ranks of the middle class. My dad worked for the automotive department at Sears and I'm sure he made close to minimum wage. (was there even a minimum wage in the 50's?). When ever something had to be replaced such as a car or a major appliance Dad would work a part time job at a local gas station or a lumber store until the said item was paid for.

I remember one winter when our refridgerator needed to be replaced. Christmas was coming and I'm sure available funds were already allocated. Well Dad was if anything resourceful and somewhat of a make do kind of guy. He constructed a shelf on the back of the house just outside the kitchen window. That is were everything was stored that should have gone in the fridge. The kitchen was on the back of the house and faced North, so the sun never reached this location so food stayed safely cool. The shelf on the back of the house was our fridge for most of that winter. It you needed a glass of milk you just open the kitchen window and bring in the milk.

Even though we did without a lot things when we were young, I don't ever remember thinking that I was a poor kid. We were happy. My parents would do what ever was necessary to make things normal. I thought macaroni and cheese or peanut butter sandwhiches were just normal everyday food and that was what everyone ate.

My dad is gone now. He died six years ago, the first week of December. It was very cold that year also. I can still remember the clear cold December day that he was buried, with full military honors, in the Manti cemetery.

Wealth does not come from bank accounts or fancy cars. Real wealth is happiness, belief in God, family, and love. Love for all these things and all else that you are blessed with.

BEING THANKFUL

This week is Thanksgiving which gives us the opportunity to reflect on the things that we are most thankful for.
And the opportunity to over eat in grand fashion without guilt.

I am thankful for my family, and the love that we have together.
I am thankful for my wife, who never gives up.
I am thankful for my children.
I am thankful for my grandchildren 8 of the best looking kids around.
I am thankful for the little things in life that added all together make me happy.
I am thankful for the blessings of the temple that make our family an eternal unit. (Picture of Salt Lake Temple)
I am thankful for Nov 14 of this year (picture of Zane and Quinton) one of the happiest days of my life.
I am thankful for the changing seasons that continue to give interest to our lives, because without winter we would not have tulips in the spring.
I am thankful for my Mom who turned 80 years old this year. I'm thankful that she is still with us. (She's the cute kid in the picture above)
I am thankful for laughter.
I am thankful for tears.
I am thankful for warm clothes.
I am thankful for a home that is cool in summer and warm in winter.
I am thankful for my testimony.
I am thankful for my knowledge of my savior Jesus Christ.
I am thankful for my ward family, that gives me strength.

And now for the lighter side of being thankful, but still very thankful
I am thankful that guy from the halfway house I ran into with my car this summer was not hurt, just his bike.
I am thankful I have pockets, because the guy from the halfway house had his id and all his money in his sock!
I am thankful for people who don't text while talking.
I am thankful for good Mexican food.
sometimes I am thankful for mediocre Mexican food.
and for pizza.
I am again thankful for laughter, except when it makes soda get in your nose.
I am thankful for people who can drive without rage.
I am thankful that I am taller than Tom Cruise, who is stupid.
I am thankful for the "office" because we all need an escape from reality. That's real reality not reality TV, which we also need a break from.
I'm thankful that I have never been mugged going to work.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Not always known for his "political correctness" Randy Newman is a fantastic songwriter. With such great lines as "short people got no reason to live" and "we're rednecks, rednecks, don't know our a** from a whole in the ground" But he has also written some great movie music, including Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and others. Here are the lyrics to one of my favorites "Political Science".

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot
And Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one
There'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paris
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town
Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono babe
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now
Let's drop the big one now

TOO MANY WALLS

It was 20 years ago today (Nov 9) that the check points were opened and the Berlin wall came down. A very real symbol of a socialist government. The great wall went up and came down in my life time. It stood for only twenty-eight years. We should never take for granted the freedoms that we have in this country, that many around the world do not share. We should especially treasure our rights for freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The Berlin wall is gone, unfortunately there are still too many walls, some not so visible but just as thick and hard to penetrate.

"The greatest infringements of religious freedom occur when the exercise of religion collides with other powerful forces in society. Among the most threatening collisions in the United States today are the rising strength of those who seek to silence religious voices in public debates, and perceived conflicts between religious freedom and the popular appeal of newly alleged civil rights."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Full text of Elder Oaks talk

Halloween Tricks

Good old fashion Halloween tricks.
I'm glad that our children have grown up in a time that most Halloween tricks have gone by the wayside.
When I was a kid we were more into candy than playing tricks on people, however we did start the farmers outhouse toilet seat on fire once. That about sums up my childhood Halloween pranks.
My dad told me that when he was a teen they once took a guys model T apart, moved it to the barn roof and put it back together.

Hope everyone has a safe
and trick free Halloween

check out this vandalism instructional video courtesy of The Office.
you'll have to watch a 30 second commercial before it starts, but it's worth it.