So Many Books

Here are two of my new favorite pictures:

B and I drove almost 2200 miles to b-ball tournaments -- first to Anaheim and then along I-5 to San Francisco, then the Pacific Coast Highway to Seattle, then home. On the way home, we picked up L and Baby D. It was fun having them here with us for the holiday. We also went to Grand Junction for another tournament. Along the way, I read a lot of books having picked up a sackful from our local book exchange. Some of them were good, some not so much. The standouts were The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and The No. 1 Ladies Detectives Agency by Alexander McCall Smith series (I've read the first two and have four more to go!!). When I got home there were three books waiting for me: Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (have read twice prior but can't wait to read it again), Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons From My Grandmothers by Adriana Trigiani, and Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack. I also fell in love with a new song: Valerie (original by the Zutons, covered by Amy Winehouse, covered again by Santana (Naya Rivera) on Glee).

I really liked the Josi Kilpack books and plan to get others -- not only for the stories but for the recipes. I've read the first two chapters of the grandmother book by Trigiani and am totally loving it. If The Hunger Games trilogy doesn't show up under the Christmas tree, it will probably be an after-Christmas purchase.

My book club is reading The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens, a great story to read at Christmastime. I've read it previously but it is almost scripture and can be read again and again to remind us who He is and why it is important to know Him.

It is hard to believe that it has been a whole month. Wow! I guess time really does fly when you are having fun. My book reads this month were limited. I read Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray for our Book Club and really enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the homemade cake we had at the Book Club lunch! (recipe from the book)

Since I didn't have any new books to read, I read magazines. Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living. I went to the Book Fair and listened to a review given by one of my favorite people (Marilyn Arnold) on one of my favorite books Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks was also being reviewed at the same time.

Baby D came along and seemed to enjoy being out in the crowd. He's a very good baby. Easy to please. We had a good time taking care of him over the weekend while the parents were playing in the woods. Anytime, I say! We love being grandparents.

Recently, I purchased three new books: Hope Is the Thing With Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds by Christopher Cokinos; Bittersweet: A Daughter's Memoir by Marilyn Arnold; and The Quickening by Michelle Hoover.

It is this last book that I choose to write about today. It was very good. Some difficult themes but very good. Two main characters narrate the story and they have VERY different points of view. Each have their flaws, and good points, and both are in interesting situations. The story takes place in the Midwest farming area during the Depression. A situation is presented and the reader suspects something but it isn't confirmed until the end. I guess the most interesting part of the novel is the question: what motivates us to do what we do -- childhood, parents, sorrows, happiness, values, inner nature, spouse, children . . . the list can go on and on. The resolution of the book is heartbreaking. I would recommend it as a good read and plan to give it the second read test soon.

I like it when I hear a quote from a book, play, poem, etc and know the source. For some reason, it confirms something. Not sure what exactly, but it is a confirmation of the soul. It has been fun hearing my son talk about his English Literature class. They are reading short stories and poems that I used to teach to my English classes so many years ago.

William Carlos Williams (This is Just to Say, The Red Wheelbarrow)

e. e. cummings (In Just-)

Kurt Vonnegut (Harrison Bergeron)

and more.

I'm glad we have a common vocabulary of literature.

I'm enjoying Hope is the Thing With Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds. The title is based on the poem by Emily Dickinson.

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

The Periodic Table or Why I'm Trying To Like Science

The other day, my husband and son were talking science. Now, it was in English and it was with words that I recognize are in Webster's Dictionary, but it was science. I never really enjoyed science in school. Maybe because there was math involved, or spatial relations, or something but I could never really wrap my head around it. Technology is wonderful but I just do not have a mechanical or scientific mind.

Anyway, the guys were talking about the Periodic Table. I know what it is and I think I can even name a few of the elements on it and know what they do as well as what they are used for, but . . . it still boggles me some that I don't know very much about science. As I was driving up north for a visit, I was listening to NPR and Sam Kean was being interviewed about a book that he'd written about the Periodic Table. The conversation was interesting, and somewhat scientific, and as a result, I wanted to read the book.

So, I have been reading The Disappearing Spoon. It is very interesting and has some terrific stories about how the various elements were discovered and how they have helped (and hurt) our world. Even though it is full of science, I am doing okay. There is a bunch of stuff that I'm having to read and re-read, but I've learned a lot. I'm considering taking some science classes at our local college. Maybe that will help me broaden my scientific mind.

Speaking of science, I have been conducting my own experiments in the back yard. As a result of a hot summer, lack of water, and my being gone in the summer, our back yard went the way of all the earth. This weekend, I tackled the job with the zest and vigor of hopeful steward caring for my part of the Earth. I did my usual weeding, seeding, and feeding, but added peating and re-peating to the mix. We will see if any green sprouts come out before winter's chill comes. I have been dutifully watering 3 (yes, 3) times a day just enough to keep the peat wet. My son asked me "what exactly is peat moss." I looked it up and found

Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss(North American usage) or sphagnum peat (British usage) on the other, the latter being the decaying matter underneath. Bogs are dependent on precipitation as their main source of nutrients, thus making them a favourable habitat for sphagnum as it can retain water and air quite well. Members of this genus can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; some species can hold up to 20 times their dry weight in water, which is why peat moss is commonly sold as a soil conditioner.

I am hopeful.

Blessing Day

Baby D was blessed on Sunday. It was wonderful.

A few things that are special about him:

He will be a great big brother.

His parents so looked forward to his coming to Earth.

He is loved by so many people.

We had a great celebration. Lots of family, and good friends (who are basically our family) came to the house and enjoyed yummy food. Thanks to L & R for providing the occasion, thanks to Bob, Bec, Brooke, Carolyn and D for helping me get everything ready, and thanks for everyone who came to the party.

I'm grateful to say this again:

my cup runneth over.

There aren't quite enough words to say how I feel about

this little guy.

Fun. Exciting. Cute. Cuddly. Love. Love Beyond Love.

His parents are pretty cool too.

Being a grandparent is a lot of fun.

We made it back from the cabin where the weather was delightful and I slept peacefully each night. Came home to the heat where I was awakened at 3 am by dogs who were too hot under the covers. Now I feel dragged out and don't want to do anything productive.

I re-read Custer and Crazy Horse (mentioned in my previous post). A lot of historical information. The battle of Little Bighorn was over fairly quickly, but it spelled doom to the the Plains Indian way of life. I liked one quote specifically "At the Washita, Custer was serving his nation and helping his nation realize its destiny. Every person who has even taken a train to California, or settle there or in Kansas, or driven an automobile through the area, or eaten the wheat or beef grown on the Plains, has reaped the benefit of the Washita battle. History is not black or white nor is it propaganda. History is ambiguous, if told honestly. It is hard enough to figure out exactly what happened and why; it is impossible to play God and judge the right or wrong of a given action, even the Washita." The Washita battle was prior to Little Bighorn. It was probable cause for other battles -- two peoples defending their rights to survival. The books left me wondering about a lot of things as well as where I stand on certain issues.

Borrowed

George Armstrong Custer

Chief Sitting Bull

(notice the butterfly pinned to his hat)

This week has been a productive week. I worked hard in the yard (repaired the porch and walking path), sewed a quilt top (Yellow Brick Road pattern), sewed the binding on two quilts, sanded and refinished a table (the one my Dad made as a microwave table 28 years ago and now D will be using as a bedside table), finished a book (The Last Standby Nathaniel Philbrick), did my daily exercise 6 days in a row, wrote in my journal, and read the scriptures.

Concerning the book The Last Stand, it was a bit of a challenge to read. There was a lot of historical background. But all of it was necessary to understand the situation. Philbrick does an even account from both sides. He presents Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse as individuals who were trying to save their way of life. He presents Custer with first-hand accounts; what a man he must have been! Full of ego and bravado, and just the type of man to lead a charge into dangerous territory. However, the battle scenario was a bit too graphic. I sort of felt the same way I did after reading Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley --

too much information in some areas.

Haunting information.

But in circumstances of war, it is haunting. Hand to hand combat is not pretty.

I've also read Crazy Horse and Custer by Stephen Ambrose. I will re-read it to see of it parallels The Last Stand. I remember thinking at the time that the historical aspects of Little Bighorn are complex and not easily explained.

There is a little bit of hero and villain in both Custer and Sitting Bull.

Since I didn't have any photos of my own,

I borrowed some photos from

L's blog.

She borrowed some photos from someone else's

so I figured it would be okay.

When you see how cute the photos are,

you will understand why I wanted to borrow them.

Don't you agree these pictures are darling?

Happiness

Now isn't that happiness.

This is more happiness!

It was love at first sight.

L always talks about how sexy it is for her man to hold their baby. I will have to agree, except this time it is my man holding our new darling grandbaby.

We went to the cabin for a week. It was a very lovely week. On one of the days, Bob rode his bike from the cabin to Kamas and then back again (about 90+ miles) Wow! what a guy. The same day, I drove to 3 different states: Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. Lin and I drove to Bear Lake to meet with one of her friends, and while she was visiting, I took the dogs on a little drive. I had heard Idaho wasn't too far away so we drove to the border to see what we could see. I was very proud of the three dogs. It was a lot of time in the car and they were very well behaved. Except for when Buster ate the leftover Twix bar.

We had some of Randy's co-workers over for dinner and I made lasagna with whole wheat pasta. It was pretty good. Yummo.

We have some furniture now: a real bed and a comfy couch. Yeah for furniture. Yeah for RC Willey and their determination to deliver. They couldn't quite find the place but didn't give up all day.

Not much in the way of reading; I'm still working on the book about Alexandria. I plan to read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver again. Also I am going to do The Help by Kathryn Stockett for a book club in November so I will need to read it again. The next book on the list is The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan. I've read it once before and I know I will enjoy it again.

"To read a book for the first time

is to make an acquaintance with a new friend;

to read it for a second time is to meet an old one."

Thanksgiving

"take upon you the name of Christ;

that ye humble yourselves even to the dust,

and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in,

in spirit and in truth;

and that ye live in thanksgiving daily,

for the many mercies and blessings

which he doth bestow upon you."

So grateful for the past 24 hours. Our whole family together in one spot. Our little spot of heaven here on earth. We took a quick trip up to the cabin to see L & R, and baby D. It was beautiful. We saw sand hill cranes, three different pair. They were majestic. We didn't get pictures so we will have to remember them in our minds. It was fun to see the men work together cutting down trees. R is a good teacher and both D and B learned a lot. While we were on our walkie with the dogs, L and I picked wild strawberries. Little ones, but very sweet. On our way home to the desert, we saw an incredible lightening storm. It was truly a day to see the handiwork of God.

". . . all things denote there is a God;

yea, even the earth,

and all things that are upon the face of it . . ."

The Difference . . .

We tried grooming our dog, Buster.

The clippers stopped working half way through the job

The new clippers worked but only have one setting.

What is the old saying?

The difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is few days?

Something like that.

He seems a little embarrassed, but we really think he is enjoying not being so hot all the time!

Do you want to know what I could do all day? Here's a good example:

I am trying really hard to let L take care of the pics of baby D, but these two just took my breath away. The story behind the fiddle is too funny. The bass fiddle was Grandpa O's and we've had it for about 20 years. It is missing a string. I remember how hard Grandpa worked to refinish it and he would play for us once in a while. It is one of our family treasures. The photographer wanted to give it a try but we were worried baby D would fall off so L hid behind it and held him up. She folded herself up really small because you can't really even see her shadow. The blankets that he is wrapped in for both of the photos were crocheted by Grandma G. Again, family treasures. All of our grandparents have "gone the way of all the earth." We miss them, we remember them, and hope they are smiling down upon us. We look into the eyes of baby D and hope he met them before he came to Earth. Sometimes we don't want to think of the whole circle when it comes to the circle of life; we just like the beginning or the middle, but the ending becomes the beginning again. It seems like just yesterday that we took a six-day old baby up to the cabin and now she has her own baby. It is a joyful thing to see L & R as parents! They are so cute as a couple and I knew they would be great parents too! The circle keeps moving and it is our turn to be the grandparents. We are glad to have that responsibility and look forward to what the future will bring.

We went to Yosemite for a few days and rode around on the bike trails. Not only was the scenery so incredibly beautiful, it was a lot of fun to be out on the bike. After looking at the picture, I realized "wow, my legs are really white this summer!" We had a great time together and it brought back some fun memories from B's childhood. His family used to go camping a lot and Yosemite was one of their favorites. It is certainly a place of magic and awe.

New Book: Work Song by Ivan Doig.

It is a follow-up book to The Whistling Season and its main character is Morrie, the school teacher who is now a jack-of-all trades librarian. Again, Ivan Doig knows how to use language to convey feeling, action, history, and knowledge. I really liked it but then again I have enjoyed most of his books. I'm going to have to give Sea Runners another try. I'm also in the process of reading a book about Alexandria. What a place! I wouldn't have been considered a great thinker/scientist/philosopher but I would have loved to see the manuscripts in the great library and toured the great museum and stood at the top of lighthouse on Pharos. I liked reading about the legend of how the Septuagint (first Greek translation of Hebrew scripture) came to be.

Went up Webb Hill today x 3. It was hard but then again it really isn't ever very easy. My only goal at this point is to make it down on the third time without collapsing and so far so good. One of these days, I will move the goal up to actually keeping up with my walking partner.

Easy Going

My sisters, M, M, B, and I went to the Romero Family Reunion hosted by our cousins, L Romero and his wife, J. They did a fabulous job. It was a lot of fun. After talking with our aunts, we decided the Romero part of us is "easy-going." I like that -- go with the flow, roll with the punches, let it slide off your back -- I'd like to tap into my Romero side more often.

The first Romero that we can trace to is Francisco Xavier Romero, who came to New Mexico in 1693. He was a shoemaker and he practiced medicine. Two of his sons, Bernardo and Nicolas, had sons named Julian. One of the Julians died but parents weren't included in the burial record. Nicolas, Bernardo, and Julian (along with other Romero men) were part of the Truchas Land Grant of 1754. Julian Romero and Ana Teresa Montoya had a son named Salvador Manuel Romero. He married Maria Ramona Torres, and they had a son named Juan Antonio Romero. Juan Antonio Romero married Maria de La Luz Martinez, and they had a son named Jose Rumaldo Romero. At this point the Romero family had stayed in the Truchas area but sometime between 1860 and 1870, they moved to the Santa Barbara Land Grant that was near the Picuris Mission. Rumaldo Romero married Maria Dolores Fernandez and were the parents of Abel Romero (my grandfather) who was born about 1873. He married Bernardita Miera (his second marriage) and they were the parents of my mom, who is fondly remembered as "easy-going." I miss my Mom and Dad very much. They come from a very proud heritage and I hope I can bring honor to that heritage.

This month's family history lesson for the college stake is on military records. I have been able to locate WWII records for both my father and B's father. I have also found WWI records for both my grandfathers.

One of the most amazing military records is one I found for my 9th great-grandfather, Bernardo Miera y Pacheco. He was age 65 when he signed the military enlistment in 1779, and had recently returned home from the Dominguez-Escalante expedition of 1776-1777, having been the mapmaker. He was 5 feet 5 inches, with greying hair and eyebrows, blue eyes, with a grey beard, and a white rosy color. He was a member of the light dragoons -- his sons were members of the leatherjackets.

Because he was in the military in 1779, he is considered a New Mexico Patriot by the Daughters of the American Revolution. His maps were instrumental in the all of western US exploration. Lewis and Clark, John C. Fremont, even Brigham Young used the maps or had knowledge of them.

I'm sitting here by little D and I can say he's pretty "easy-going" except when he's hungry or has an uncomfortable diaper. He smiles at me.

Okay so it has been over a month. But in my defense, I have been busy. Way back in May, I went up north to hang out with L while R went into the forest for work. I got to go to doctor's appointments and had the BEST lunch at Crumb Brother's. Then we traveled south to get ready for when D came home from his mission. On June 1, we traveled north again for more doctor's appointments and Crumb Brother's. Baby was due June 8. L was induced June 16 and had Donovan Sawyer Derek Denter via C-section. We were all there to witness the fun and joy. Then I traveled south for a few days because Buster was sick. And then on June 21, I traveled north again to hang out with L and Donovan while R is in the forest. We will head to the forest ourselves on Monday, then I will go to SLC to travel with my sisters to NM for a reunion over the 4th of July holiday, and then I will travel south with L for a few days in the heat, and then I will travel north to babysit Donovan while L works for a few days, and then on July 17, I will travel south to sleep in my own bed.

What an adventure. I am so glad I-15 is in good working condition!

One More Week/Three More Weeks

We have one more week until D.O. comes home. ONE MORE WEEK! I can hardly believe it! It has been a frenzy at our house with cleaning, and getting things ready and just thinking about him coming home. Did I miss the boy? You bet I did, but I was also very glad to have him gone for two years serving the Lord on a mission. I know he will be all the better for it and I'm grateful for the individual growth I've experienced myself. There have been some difficult times here at home but he had to face those same difficult times on his own. Our boy left two years ago and I know when he comes back, he'll be a man. Just with the same goofy sense of humor.

AND THEN in THREE WEEKS! L and R will have their first baby, and our first grandbaby. We've been lucky to have her here with us while R is up somewhere in the middle of Wyoming working for the Forest Service (and he's loving it by the way!). We travel between our home and their home periodically for doctor visits and then back again to work on things for the above-mentioned homecoming. They eventually plan to be together -- all three together -- at the cabin. R gets to be a ranger (complete with uniform) around the cabin area (LUCKY!). I just had to take a picture of L in her tie-dye. When she walked in the kitchen, I said, "Wow!" She is beautiful.

Can't wait to get up in the woods to the cabin. So many things to look forward to. I am happy for today, for this moment, to enjoy the happiness right now. Although looking forward is always a good things, my Mom told me to enjoy the here and now. Here and Now is looking pretty good and it is with a grateful heart that I thank Heavenly Father for the bounty in my life.

So sad. It had been 7 weeks so I tried having the splint off for a day. The Finger Bent. So it looks like six more weeks of winter . . . oh wait a minute . . . I mean six more weeks with the splint.

But we always tell the truth . . .

I haven't been able to type very well because . . . well because I had a torn tendon in my finger (ring - right hand). I did it taking off a sweatshirt! In my defense, I was taking off the sweatshirt and it caught on my glasses and I didn't want them to break and then it got too tight around my neck and I started to choke and I started seeing stars and I panicked and then I pulled really hard and then it felt like something bit my finger. So I have had a plastic splint on my finger. It has been an interesting adventure. Think of how many times you wash your hands in a day. Yeah, and the tape needs to be changed every time. I started wearing plastic gloves to do the dishes which is something I've never liked to do. And I wore a plastic glove in the shower so the splint wouldn't fall off when I washed my hair. When I told my neighbor friend (who by the way is age 7) how I did it, he looked at me so incredulously that I almost fell over laughing. Then he ran home to tell his Mom. They came over because they couldn't believe it. When I said that I'd have to make up a better story, my little friend looked at me in all seriousness and said, "But we always tell the truth." So every time someone asks, my little friend's voice runs through my head and I tell the truth (to be honest, I couldn't have made up a crazier story). The worst that has happened is the splint got caught in my brake handle when I was barreling down a hill on my mountain bike. The funniest is when my niece's daughter was afraid of "The Finger." The doctor ordered 6 weeks to wear it day and night, and thereafter an additional 6 weeks at night. If the finger got bent, the six weeks started over again. So I've actually been wearing it for about 7 weeks. I think I have only 1 more week to go. Yeah!

I was sort of feeling sorry for myself -- especially on the aforementioned day when it got stuck in the brake handle. Then at the top of the hill I saw a fellow who was riding his mountain bike with a prosthetic leg. He was amazing and I instantly realized that there are those who have it tougher and keep on going.

We've had L & R here along with their friends S & T for the weekend. It was a lot of fun. We went on an amazing flower hike. The desert provided a beautiful garden for us. The hill was pretty steep. L is 8 months along and S was toting her 8 month son, but they were like mountain sheep and scaled it without a problem. I was very proud of both of them as I huffed and puffed my way behind them. When we got back to the truck, we lost track of Buster for a minute or two. Then R said he had him. As I approached I couldn't see Buster. R told me to look down. There was Buster smiling at me underneath the storm drain. Thankfully, the grate came up easily (Thank you, R, for your bicep) and apparently it looked like so much fun, Buddy and Prana wanted to climb inside too. Needless to say Buster enjoyed a bath when we got home. Buddy, too, because he had rolled in something. Not sure what but he was happy. I am going to take B on the hike so he can take pictures. We will need to identify the wildflowers.

I have been reading The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt. It is amazing; he is amazing. I knew he was an important figure in early Church history but . . . wow, it is well worth the read. The next book I am looking forward to is The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick. He is the authro of Mayflower and In The Heart of The Sea, both very very good books. I think I've read In the Heart of the Sea a half dozen times and loved it every time. I've read several books about the battle of Little Bighorn so I'm familiar with the story. I am excited to read this one also.

Old Photos

I finished scanning some old photos. Here are a few of my favorites:

Dad

Mom

wedding 1947

Florentino and Ramoncita

Maximiano

Juanita

Abel & Bernardita

Rumaldo & Dolores

MMM

B&C

The countdown is on

I'm trying to not get overexcited or start some kind of countdown, but . . . we have received official word that Elder D.O. is coming home 25 May 2010 at 11:08 AM! Okay, I'm overexcited and am really looking forward to seeing him. I'll try not to cry but prolly (to borrow one of D's words) will. I'll probably hug him until he's blue in the face. The time has really flown by and there is a flood of wonderful memories.

one year

sixth grade choir

D, Mom, and Grandma

Sacking the Quarterback

Dunking the Ball

Going on a mission!

The past two years have been full of joy, of sorrow, of fun, and full of life. So many things will be coming in the next few months: D coming home and L & R having their first baby -- our first grandbaby.

L & R (photo borrowed from L's blog)

There is a lot of excitement coming. Truly my cup runneth over. . .

Books. As far as books go, it is a bit of dry spell. I've read all of the Book Club (both of them) books, and I've re-read most of my favorites. Nothing new in way of summer reading. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Just finished working out in the yard -- seeding, weeding, feeding, trimming, and planting. Six new tomato plants have joined the family. We'll see how they do. My neighbor gave them to me. He said that was his good deed for the day. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful neighbor.

Buddy is doing better since Saturday night. We're not completely sure, but we think he got bit by a scorpion. When he came in from outside, he sort of fell over and acted like something was biting his leg. Then his back leg went stiff and he couldn't climb the stairs. We looked at him but couldn't see anything unusual except that he couldn't really walk. Easter morning, our vet (thank you Dr. B) put him on a steroid and an anti-inflammatory. Slowly the leg is coming back, but it is difficult to watch Buddy dragging his back leg. He wagged his tail for the first time last night. So, it must have affected his back side up into his tail. He was pretty sick Sunday and Monday, but now wants to get outside and check out the action. We're not going to walk him until next week when we hope he is running on all fours again. Buster is missing his big brother. Today Princeton (a mini-shnauzer) joined him as we walked up the Hill. It was fun but not the same as his Buddy!

Today is Book Club. We read Ivan Doig's The Whistling Season. I really have enjoyed Doig's books. If I haven't said this already, they are somewhat similar to Stegner. I hope Doig considers that a compliment because it is. The Whistling Season tackles a lot of concepts from the perception of a young boy, who tells it like it is. The descriptions of a wild Montana were fantastic. I imagine teaching school in a one-room schoolhouse would be an incredible adventure. My other Book Club is reading Murder at Astor Place, a good murder mystery.

One of my friends taught in a one-room schoolhouse here in southern Utah-northern Arizona. I keep nagging her to get her story finished because I consider it history, delightful commentary, and a look at life that passed too quickly in our days of technology. I'll keep you posted in that one!

Finished Wolf Willow by Wallace Stegner last night. It is mostly non-fiction about the area where he grew up in Saskatchewan. My favorite books by Stegner is Angle of Repose, Beyond the Hundreth Meridian, and Mormon Country. I enjoyed Wolf Willow because it is social history about the West. Although it concerns a specific part of Canada, it could easily translate to most of the settlement of the West -- irrigation, rainfall, buffalo, cattle, wolves, coyotes, and most importantly, the blue sky. All of those "Western problems" were part of this country long before Anglos came and will always be something we have to deal with by living here. All of those words are held in both good and bad esteem. As for me, I try to conserve when and where I can, I planted globemallow and red yucca because they don't need much water, and I enjoy eating red meat. I'd love to see the buffalo roam, I consider spotting a coyote an omen of good luck, and I would be thrilled to see a wolf in the wild as long as I wasn't considered dinner. I have some friends who are cattlemen and they have the right to protect their property so they see coyotes and wolves in a different light. But it's okay because we both live here, and we have to figure out how to get along for us to continue living here.

If there are any spelling errors, please forgive. I broke a tendon on my right ring finger and am wearing a lovely finger splint for the next 6 weeks day/night and then another 6 weeks at night. The finger just keeps jumping out wanting to press additional keys so although I am trying hard to keep track of additional letters in words, it might happen without my control.

B and I just got home from a 3 hour tour. Yep, a three hour tour (thanks Gilligan)! We rode our bikes from home up Snow Canyon. I had a hard time making it up the Canyon, but B followed along and gave encouraging words to my weary soul. We ride together to the base of the Canyon, then he takes off to ride to the top, and then comes back for me. My goal today was to make it off the bike path and in to the road before he came back -- that is about half way. I was just getting started up the road when he met me. I was so hot -- not smokin' like making it up the hill fast -- I was burning up with heat! Our room was cold when we got ready so I put on one of my warmer jerseys, along with an undee-shirt and a vest. After we passed through the gate, I took off my jersey and just wore my undee-shirt and vest. I had to stop a few times to rest. I was a lot cooler, but boy was my head on fire. I was so glad a breeze kicked up and by the time I got to the top, was feeling a lot better. I put my shirt back on and had a great down hill on the bike path. We rode through town and made it home in one piece.

Next stop is la chicken tostada pollo con frijoles negros y arroz con salsa mediana, no crema, and Diet Coke with a lime.

I read two books this week that essentially address the same subject: what does our faith mean and how do we show our faith? Both books agree action in and of itself isn't always a demonstration of faith but our hearts and thoughts can lead us to position faithful action. For example, a person can attend church, teach Sunday School lessons, and even donate large amounts of money to charitable organizations but not treat his neighbors very kindly. After reading both of the books, there are questions about my own faith and action. For example, instead of reading books about faith, I should be reading the books of my faith. I realize faith is personal and is based on free will; our God will not force us to be faithful. I liked both books and would recommend them. I'd also recommend The Book of Mormon. In the spirit of my son's serving a Spanish-speaking mission, I am reading it in Spanish. Surprisingly enough, I can also understand it. But I'm slow. Reading aloud helps. Many of the passages bring me to tears -- especially in realizing when Nephi writes that the book will be saved and prepared for us to read now and I am reading now in Spanish. This somehow connects me to something greater . . . I can't quite put into words.

The first book is Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom, the same author who wrote Tuesday with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, and For One More Day. The other book is The Holy Secret, by James L. Ferrell, who also wrote The Peacegiver.

We are also watching our neighbors' dog. Since he is named Buddy, the two Buddys get a little confused when I call either one of them, or both of them. All of the dogs are getting along very well. Right now, little Buddy is sleeping on the couch while the other Buddy and Buster are outside. We walked up The Hill and everyone, including the humans, are enjoying the calming effect of exercise. When I feed little Buddy, I give big Buddy a kibble, then Buster, then I put down a handful to little Buddy, who gobbles it up while the other two wait somewhat patiently for their pieces. I repeat a bunch of times until little Buddy has had enough to eat. I tried putting the other two dogs outside while little Buddy ate his food but they seemed hurt. And little Buddy doesn't seem to eat when I leave him in his own backyard. This way, I know he is eating and the other two dogs get some "candy." B gave me a pretty good compliment. He said, "You are almost as good a Dog Mom as my Mom." Everyone who knew her agrees she was the Greatest of All Dog Moms so I took this compliment with a huge smile on my face! Thank you, GTO, for showing me how to do it right!

We went with L & R to Hardware Ranch. It is a winter elk sanctuary. There were about 350 elk in the meadow. The sun was shining and everything was so bright and warm. A good day and a good visit.

We walked all the dogs (Buddy, Buster, and Prana) up the canyon three different times.

I also got to feel the baby kick!

I'm in the process of reading The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. She is also the author of March, which won a Pulitzer Prize, and Year of Wonders. The one drawback to the books is there is usually come sexual aspect that I don't care for and I think is unnecessary for the story to progress. It sounds somewhat prudish but I'm a firm believer in "if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" and I like my books to fall into that category.

Here is the rest of the Pack.

Holly on the run.

Buddy trying to keep up with Holly.

Meeting Buster for the first time.

Out on a scouting trip.

Two very sweet dogs.