The Circle of Life

Tom and I went to McCall for a small get-away and stayed at the Shore Lodge on the 22nd. Our actual anniversary was on November 26. We went all out and paid for the mid-grade room that had a balcony and view of the lake. Even in November the lake is very pretty. Tom was making all kinds of plans (snowshoeing and ice skating, etc) but when it came down to it we stayed at the hotel and relaxed in the outdoor hot tub. That's always fun when there's snow on the ground and the water feels so nice. 


We bought the dining package with the room so we enjoyed dinner in the hotel dining room. Gourmet food at it's best...except I found myself wishing for regular food...lol. Tom loved it though, and we both waddled back to our room and sat on the couch moaning because we'd eaten too much.  


I'll have to post some photos later. We forgot the camera and ended up using a single use one instead of the digital. So now I need to get it developed. 


I remember when my parents were celebrating their 25th anniversary. Tom and I had been married less than a year. We took my parents back to the temple they were married in...Idaho Falls. It was the first time they had been back to that temple since they were married. My grandparents went with us, too. It was a special day. 


But I remember thinking that 25 years was such a long time. It was so far out there I thought we'd never be that old ourselves. HA HA HA Here we are! Now my parents will be celebrating their 50th anniversary next August, we've celebrated 25 years, and Johnathan has celebrated his first. 


The circle of life! 

Thanksgiving at our house

We decided to go non-traditional this year. 

Tuscan Style Salmon

Green salad, yams, olives and cranberry sauce

(the kids wouldn't give up cranberry sauce and Linda wouldn't give up yams...lol)

Rolls and fruit salad...rice wasn't pictured

After the Thanksgiving meal we had a nice afternoon. 

Linda and I made Peanut Butter and Oreo Truffles. 

And we all decorated a gingerbread house to send to Tim. 

Our TV fare was "Hymns of Thanksgiving." Guess what! My luck held out. I didn't see every single foot of the program, but as far as I know there was only one shot where you might have been able to tell it was me...and I was behind the microphone! lol 

Amazing Stories

I've been in the mood to watch documentaries lately. The other day I watched one about some mountain climbers who had a harrowing experience. It was called "Touching the Void" and I was totally amazed at what the one climber did to get off the mountain alive. After that and the ones I've watched about climbing Mount Everest I've decided that any mountain climbing I do will not be that exhausting or that cold. I don't want to risk my life or battle frostbite for a little fun. It doesn't sound fun to me at all. 


Most recently I've watched a few about the Holocaust. "Steal a Pencil for Me" was about a young couple who met before they were taken to the camps. They wrote love letters the whole time they were in the camps and were fortunate to survive. It's possible that their love kept them going. They have now been married 60+ years. 


"The Hidden Child" was about a lady and her sister who were hidden from the Nazi's. She told about the first time she had chocolate when the town was liberated. 60 some odd years later she eats chocolate every day and remembers when the troops came to liberate them. 


The most amazing for me was "Forgiving Dr. Mengele." It was about a lady and her sister who were part of the twin experiments Dr. Mengele did during the war. Eva was determined to survive and at one point it was her determination that saved both her and her sister. In later years Eva's sister died from the experiments that had happened to her, but Eva was able to forgive all Nazi's. She says several times that forgiveness is freeing yourself of the pain of the past. 


I've discovered that same thing myself, and I'm always amazed at how many people never fully understand forgiveness. It's so simple, but so hard at the same time. So many just can't wrap their minds around the fact that they can forgive without the guilty party asking forgiveness. They want to hold on to the anger until the other person comes around. Eva said that as long as she waited for the Nazi's to apologize she would remain a victim, and she didn't want to be a victim any longer. She has spent years trying to help people understand forgiveness with little success. I know how she feels. I guess it's something people have to be ready for at specific moments in their lives.  

As luck would have it

I've had lots of fun being in this choir, although if I'd realized how challenging the work on my kidneys was going to be I would have waited until next year to do the choir. I feel good when I see the progress we have made with the songs. A couple of them are really challenging, but we're getting them! Only three more rehearsals, and then it's performance time. I'm getting a bit nervous since it's going to be on TV, but I keep telling myself that my past luck will hold out. 

My luck is that I'm always in the crack. 

Back in high school, during my junior year we performed "The Sound of Music" for the school musical. I was one of about 50 nuns, which meant I was on stage three times...at the beginning, middle and end. They had a photographer who took photos through out the performances, and later gave us the chance to order the photos we wanted. The photographer took several photos from one end of the stage to the other right at the point when all the nuns were onstage for one of the songs. Since I was on the front row you'd think I'd be in one of the photos. NOPE! I was in the crack. One photo had up to my left-hand neighbor and the next one picked up with my right-hand neighbor. 

In the past decade I've gone to BYU Women's Conference about 4 times and I always sign up for the Instant Choir. One year my sister-in-law did it with me. When I watched the broadcast later...guess what! My sister-in-law, who was standing right beside me, was on the screen, but I was in the "crack."

And there's the time when Craig Worth came and did a story on my marching band...Yep! I was in the crack on that one, too.  

There's only one time when I haven't been in the crack. It was while I was in the BYU Flag Corp, and they took a picture during one of the half time shows. I'm front and center, and on the official BYU 1983-84 calendar. 

There it is. My one claim to fame! 

You'd think it would give me a complex, but actually, I get more nervous thinking I could be seen by billions of viewers. I've always enjoyed my anonymity.

So, I keep telling myself I'll either be in the crack or hidden behind the conductor. LOL