Dream

Rex, LM, Owen, Dad, Grandma and Kenvin

(Uncle Marvin not pictured)

I woke up this morning recovering from a dream that felt so good.  I dreamed that everyone I know and then some were in a great big room.  I looked around and there were my uncles, my dad’s brothers.  I could see Uncle Marvin with a great big cowboy hat on.  I could see my uncle LM in his Army uniform.  Uncle Rex, Owen, and Kenvin were there.  They were standing side by side with their wives.  They all looked so big, young and handsome.  There were other people there that resembled the Peery brothers, but I didn’t recognize any of them. 

Eti was there and my children.  I turned around and there stood my dad and mom.  I hugged them and then I clung a little longer to my dad and he said, “Who is this?” pointing to Eti.  I said this is my husband, and my dad hugged him and then turned to all my children and greeted them as though he already knew them.  It was such a wonderful feeling.  I vaguely remember all my uncles looking on. 

Somehow I’ve interpreted this dream to mean that my dad would be pleased with what I have done with my life so far. Who knows, but one day we will find out. 

Grandpa and Grandma Peery

Women

Women of God can never be like women of the world.

The world has enough women who are tough;

We need women who are tender.

There are enough women who are coarse,

We need women who are kind.

There are enough women who are rude,

We need women who are refined.

We have enough women of fame and fortune,

We need more women of faith.

We have enough greed,

We need more goodness.

We have enough vanity,

We need more virture.

We have enough popularity,

We need more purity.

                Margaret Dyreng Nadauld

 

Emilee and Susi

 Just two of the beautiful women in my life!

I found this quote while preparing a lesson the other day.  I thought that in this day and age it was truly pertinent.  Many women instead of progressing seem to be digressing.  Many movies and tv protray women as objects instead of equals.  Either the women are too powerful and know it all and condescending or they are stupid and flighty.  Where are our women of virtue and goodness?  The true woman encompasses all the good and virtuous qualities and is offended by how the "fairer" sex is represented. 

So as women, I hope that we strive for the better things in life that will build and uplift our society and make us women of faith and purity.  I personally don't care for how we are portrayed by the media and what the media tells us we should be.  I have my own ideas and expectations, I don't need someone else telling me how to I need to look and act.  I would hope that all women understand this.

To Do List

I was thinking about all the things I need to do, please don’t not confuse them with the things I want to do.  They are two different lists.  So I thought if I wrote them down and shared it, I would be more likely to get them done.  We’ll see.

1.     Wash windows and glass and clean light fixtures.  This is harder than it sounds, because I’m a little nervous about climbing on a chair.  Maybe I’ll borrow a step ladder.  That would work!

2.    Dust, dust, dust.  I don’t know why I have such a hard time doing this.  I think part of the reason is I always had to dust when I was a little girl.  It also seems like a wasteful task, you just get it done and you have to start over.  Any way I need to dust furniture, walls, ceilings and well just everything.

3.    I need to oil my cabinets and clean out the cupboards.  Enough said!

4.    Clean out my oven, again another one of those tasks that I really don’t mind too much, just need to do it. 

5.    Clean out freezer, both in the fridge and the one in the garage.

6.    While I’m at it, I need to clean out parts of the garage and haul some stuff off.  I also need to organize all my pans and stuff out there.

7.    Let’s move outside now.  I really, really need to weed.  In fact, I’m putting this at the top of my list.  I’m hoping to do that this weekend.

8.     Plant a tree.

9.     Plant vines that will cover our chain link fence.

10.Clean just behind the house next to our bedroom.  The little girls like to play there and I worry about spiders and other bugs.  Yuk!  I want to move all that stuff and either put it someplace else or get rid of it.

11. Put rocks in the dirt on the other side of the house to try and make it look a little nicer.

Surprisingly enough, I would like to start cooking again.  I haven’t cooked in a long time, but I need to go shopping and in order to do that you need to have money.  Such a problem.  I have found all kinds of good recipes I’d like to try, maybe I’ll work on it.

I guess I should put the cooking on the things I want to do, It kind of goes both ways.

Anniversary

Today is our anniversary.  Eti came into my classroom this morning with flowers, a diet coke and pretzels.  He knows the way to a girl's heart.  He then sang let me call you sweetheart.  The kids loved it!  I have several of the rugby players in my first period class, so it was fun for them to see their coach in a different light. 

I have loved the ups and downs of my life.  When I think of all the wonderful experiences I have had, I realize that I have been truly blessed.  I am grateful for five beautiful children.  I am grateful for wonderful daughters-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law.  I am especially grateful for the joy of grandchildren and the special light they bring into my life. My children bring me great joy.  I am grateful for Eti and his wonderful and generous spirit.  His goodness radiates from him.  He has always been an example of Christ-like qualities.  It's been great and I'm looking forward to many more years.

Spring Break

Greg, Doris, Me, Eti

Pier at Santa Barbara

Spring break is almost over.  In many ways it saddens me, yet I look forward to getting back to work, because the sooner we start, the sooner it will be summer.  We had such a good spring break with good friends.  We went to Solvang, CA.  This destination had been on my bucket list for a while.  The drive was a little more than we bargained for.  We got stuck in NASCAR traffic outside of Vegas.  Then we get just outside of Primm and hit traffic again.  At first we thought it might be an accident, but we could see no signs of one.  Then we thought maybe it was the agricultural stop going into California, but when we got there they waved us through.  Luckily on the way Doris and I got the giggles.  I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.  It did my heart good.  Needless to say, by the time we hit Barstow, we were worn out, and so we found a place to stay.

Next day we made it to Solvang.  The drive through the orange, lemon groves and strawberry fields was beautiful.  It is always exciting to see the ocean.  We had a great time site seeing.  We enjoyed the architecture and of course the food.  We rode over to Fess Parker’s vineyard. (Davey Crockett)  I enjoyed the rolling hills.  It is easy to see why the early settlers loved California.  We spent three days there and then came home.  Words can’t begin to tell how much fun we had.  We always enjoy our trips with Greg and Doris and feel so blessed to have good friends in our lives.

Here are some of the pictures.  The Danish believe that a stork on the roof is good luck, so many of the buildings had storks.  We went one afternoon to Santa Barbara for lunch on the beach.  Breathtaking!

Solvang

Lunch

Fess Parker's Winery

View from our Hotel Window.

Tuba City

Hopi Dancers

This past weekend we went to Tuba City to Oceal’s baby’s birthday party.  We had a fun time and it is always nice to go over and see new friends.  There is something about the place and the people that just gets in your blood.  While we were at the party, someone said that the Kachinas were coming out of the kiva down in the Hopi village.  Since this is a rare occasion, we hurried and went down to see if we could see them.  The Kachinas, of course, are Hopi, and they have sacred ceremonial dances.  We managed to get their while they were in between the houses and dancing.  It was fun to see the people up on the roof watching.  There was a circle all around them and we couldn’t see very much.  They passed out gifts, carrots, potatoes, fruit etc.  I don’t know what it means but I think that it means prosperity.  All of a sudden the crowd parted and made a line.  We were standing right there and they danc3d past us.  They were so close, I could have touched them.  It was exciting to see.  They went back sown in the kiva and would be down there for probably three or four hours.  So we left and went to Pizza Edge to eat.

We left Pizza Edge and went over to the community center to see the Powwow.  I’m always impressed with how they honor their veterans.  They honored them with dance and song.  All the veterans who were there got up and danced.  It was very impressive.    Then they had the Grand Entry where they come in with all the flags and then the dancers follow.  The arena director announced each tribe as they come in and it is inspiring to see them dance in with their beautiful clothes.  (We don’t call them costumes).  The colors, feathers and bead work are intricate and beautiful.  They reminded me of a time when they were a more noble and strong people.

We left the powwow and went back down to the village.  Luckily, the Kachinas were just coming back out of the kiva.  Amber and I stayed in the car while Eti and Susi went to look.  We could kind of see from the car, and I was tired.  Amber said that she felt awkward because we were the only whites there, and I tended to agree with her.  Anyway it was a wonderful and a spiritual experience.  I’m grateful for the time we spent on the reservation and the experiences we have had.  We certainly have gained a greater appreciation for the Native Americans and their contributions they have made to our lives. 

Cars

I was thinking the other day about my first car.  Daddy bought me a 1953 Plymouth with the shift on the column.  I was so excited.  He did this so that I wouldn’t ask to borrow his car.  I can remember him handing me the keys, telling where the gears where and then sending me off down the road.  I asked him if he was going to go with me and he said, “No.”  I look back now and realize that was a very smart move on his part.  As I have taught each one of my children, and Eti, how to drive a standard I know that Daddy’s temper would have flared up.

That car took me everywhere, up the mountains, over to Provo, down to Nephi, dragging Main, and out in the fields.  It was wonderful having that freedom.  My friends and I would all pitch in a quarter and buy gas that would take us all night to use up.  I remember gas being about 20 cents a gallon.  I drove that car all through high school and my first year at BYU.  All the memories that come with this car take me back to a simpler, carefree time.

I remember going up the hill one day on my way to campus and it died.  When I finally got it started again and got back to my apartment, I called daddy.  He came and got it, sold it and bought me a 1967 Plymouth Fury.  I was so sad to see my “Puddle Jumper” go.  If I could, I would find another one, make sure that it works and drive it all over town.

Some of my other cars:

Plymouth Fury – 1967

This car was kind of a rust brown.  I drove this car for the rest of my year at BYU and then while working at European Health Spa, ZCMI, and when I started at the court house.  This car took my friends and I to Vegas, American Fork Canyon, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Yellowstone.  We had a wonderful time in this car.  However, not my first car and the joy that comes with that car.  (I hope that my  Fury doesn't feel bad.)

Dodge Colt – 1976

This car is the first car that I bought on my own.  It was similiar to the pictures except silver with black trim.  This car saw me through numerous heart breaks.  I would get in her and drive and drive.  I loved that feeling.  I most remember this car taking me to Idaho, Phoenix, California, and all other points in between.  In this car, my neice Kelly and I had the adventure of our life getting stuck in snow up American Fork Canyon.  We named the day "Carport 1977."   We laughed and laughed.

Plymouth Arrow 1980

This is the car that I bought when I came home from Hawaii in 1980.  My car was a light blue.  Again this car took me everywhere, and I had a lot of fun.  It helped me get to my job at the J.Reuben Clark Law School and then again at the law firm in Salt Lake, Holmes Roberts and Owens.  This car saw a lot of action.  When Eti came over, this is the car we drove.  When we were married, this was the car we drove.  This is the car that I taught Eti how to drive.  (Refer back to my first car where my dad gave me the keys and said go.  I should have done that.)  We were coming home one night from Springlake and we were on the 6th North Exit in SLC.  Eti shifted the car down and it started to lurch.  He pulled it over, got out and sat on the side of the road and said he wasn't going any further.  It was one o'clock in the morning, and he is so stubborn.  Finally I was able to get him in the car and I drove the rest of the way home. 

We shipped this car to Hawaii and slowly watched it rust out.  However, it did take us all over the island and gave us many a thrill.  One time while Kirk and I were driving down the freeway by Millilani, the hood flew up, and we couldn't see a thing.  That was frightening going 70 miles an hour and bam right in the face, not being able to see.  We laughed and laughed and tied it down with some rope that was in the trunk.  When our family left Hawaii, we gave the keys to a neighbor and said do what you want with it.   

Since then we have had numerous cars, mostly vans and they have taken us on wonderful outings with our kids.  We have gone to New Mexico, Texas, California, Arizona, Woodland and well all over in between. 

Now it seems like the only place we go is the dump.  Sigh!