Gendreau Bonding

Perfect flooring for me is solid flooring in the public spaces and carpeting in the private ones.  This past week that vision came true for us, at least on the main floor of our house.  While we were away visiting daughter Jessica, Chris and family, workers were busy installing and refinishing hard wood on our main floor.

Jessica in Bumbershoot Books.

In the meantime, Layne and I drove to Seattle (Normandy Park, actually) so that Layne could help Jes with her bookstore records.  We spent most of our time in the bookstore.  Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to just browse the aisles of a good selection of books.  I searched through the art books (it is a tradition with me) and the children's books mostly.  I bought some, as I always do.  I don't want to appear biased in any way, but Jessica's store is the nicest bookstore I've been in.  There are bigger ones for sure, but none match the charm and warmth of her little shop.  Comfortable chairs share space with books, pictures adorn the walls and a fireplace is always burning its welcome.  Music is plays in the background.  There is something to feed every one of our senses.

Jessica and I visited a glass museum in Tacoma during some of her time off.  We had such fun watching glass being made and seeing all of the exhibits.  Jes and I found time for several good visits.  All three children seem happy and involved in good things.  Chris and Jes are very attentive to their kids. I often worry that there isn't enough time with family but perhaps occasional but close exchanges are enough.  I hope so.

Glass in the ceiling at the Glass Museum in Tacoma.

Jessica holding lighted letters at the Glass Museum.

Here I am doing the same thing.

Lighted letters at the Museum for patrons to organize any way they wish.

Me and Jess at the Museum.

Layne got the bookstore paperwork done and we mended some of the bookstore furniture.  Between visiting and working I think we made the most of our two days together.

                                                                        Peyton

                                                                          Gemma

                                                                            Miles

 It rained most of the time we were there.  We haven't seen rain for some months now, so it was a treat to get wet outside.  We headed for home on Friday morning amidst, you guessed it, rain.  Lots and lots of it.  So much that the windshield wipers had trouble keeping up.  But once outside the Seattle area the rain and the traffic lightened, then left and the rest of our trip was in the sunshine.  We got home Friday evening and entered our freshly varnished home.  Whew, what a smell!  It was hard to take.  Anticipating that, I made arrangements to spend the night with my good buddy, Pat Green.  But Layne opened all the windows and turned on two fans and soon the worst of the smell was gone.  So, to my disappointment, Layne pressed to stay home.  We did and we lived through it.  By Saturday there was little odor left.  It all feels quite normal today, smell-wise.

Pouring rain in Seattle on our drive home Friday.

                                 Our new floors!

I love the floors!  I was thinking that we could move things back on them this weekend.  But our workers said nothing on the floors until Tuesday and no rugs for two weeks!  Wow.  I was a little surprised at that but we will stick to it.  So we have set up meals, such as they are, in the garage.  It is a whole new experience to munch at our table next to the work bench and in the company of the cats.  They seem to think it is a bit strange too.  But we will stick to the schedule and live in a bit of chaos until our new floors are ready for us.  It'll give me time to shop for a new living room rug!

Going and Coming

Scott left for home on Wednesday morning.  We loved having him here and I feel that we got much closer to him than we have before.  As my sister told me recently, one on one time is one of the blessings of living away from family.

My cholesterol is elevated these days.  So says my doctor.  Knowing my aversion to drugs, she recommended that I take niacin.  Sometime during our busy summer months I began to feel lethargic and tired.  I thought it was all the extra activity that we experienced.  When the doctor asked me to take three times as much niacin, I really felt the effects.  Not only did I feel tired but also nauseated.  I finally considered that it might be the niacin and stopped taking it. Sure enough, in just a day without it I began to feel better.  I told all of this to my pharmacy friend, John Amini, who is an expert in supplements and such.  He said my reaction was not unusual and that 1500 milligrams was too much to take.  He suggested 500 milligrams at night, along with two doses of fish oil instead.  I've been doing that for several weeks now.  I'm not sure what that will do to my cholesterol, but I feel great again.

This coming week we are going to replace our living and dining room carpet with hard wood.  I'm so excited about it.  Once it is in, we can use our dining room with abandon; no more worries about white carpet.  The kids helped us empty out all things on hard wood as the installers are going to install new flooring, then refinish both old and new to match.  We have to be gone while they do it, so on Tuesday, after Audrey and kids leave, we will head to Seattle to visit Chris and Jess.  We will come home on Friday to new floors.  I feel so blessed!

Our empty living and dining rooms.

We talked to Gerald on face time and took this picture of him and Angelica.

We have two mature fruit trees in our yard that didn't produce much last summer.  But this summer is different.  We discovered to our surprise that we have a plum tree that produces delicious, sweet little plums.  The tree is full of them.  Right next to it is an apple tree that was empty of any fruit last year. This year it is loaded.  Not knowing what it would do, Layne didn't spray it for worms, so every beautiful apple has a worm.  Still, once the worms are cut out, the apples are very good.

Our apple tree is on the right and behind it the plum, both loaded with fruit.

Audrey, Isaiah and Allegra with some of the fruit of our labors on Saturday.

Audrey, Allegra and Isaiah arrived here for the weekend on Friday.  I presented them with the fruit tree challenge and they were excited to help me pick and bottle the fruit.  So on Saturday Isaiah led the way making applesauce.  Allegra and I made plum jam.  Audrey helped too.  We picked over the garden and, by Saturday night, we had bottles of fruit and a dinner out of the garden.  It was all such fun.  So much so, that they have agreed to work on the fruit some more tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes.

Getting Creative

When I was a girl, we lived, for a time, in a small tract house in San Leandro, California.  It had one bathroom, shared by all 4 of us.  Maryanne and I each had our own room; mine was powder blue.  I picked the color.  I can't imagine what I was thinking in picking blue; it is now one of my least favorite colors!  But I digress.  Daddy bought nude furniture for my room and painted it to match the walls.  I thought it was wonderful.  He made other improvements too.  He built shelves in the hall and made an odd shaped table top for the kitchen eating space.  I loved that especially.  He and Mom made a couch and Mother made drapes for the living room windows.  The house, as you can tell, was uniquely ours. It was a green house and, one day, Daddy painted the front door red.  I thought it looked fabulous!  Ever since then, red has seemed like the most desirable color for a front door.  I see our green house on Grace Street in San Leandro with its red door in my mind so clearly.  And it set a precedent.

So this week I painted our front doors red.  In honor of our San Leandro house.  In honor of Daddy. To celebrate the wonder of the color red.  And I love it.  I love it enough to paint the back door red too.  I'm going to do that tomorrow.

The red front doors, seen under the newly pruned tree.

Scott is a temple worker in the Oakland Temple until he leaves for his mission in November.  He and I went temple shopping on Monday to get him the temple items he still needed then took him to the temple on Tuesday.  It was a lovely time.  

Scott and Layne have just about finished their fall work in the yard.  Scott loves to work and he has been a great help to Layne.  As it happens, one of his best friends, a lovely girl named Taylor, happened to come to Idaho to visit her sister, in nearby Meridian this very week.  She and Scott have recorded some music they made together and have become close.  Just how close is Scott's secret, but as he talked about her I could tell that she is important to him.  They made plans for her to come here on Saturday.  Since her birthday is next week, Scott wanted to celebrate it.  So he asked me to help him make up a CD of their music for her, complete with originally designed label and storage case.  We worked on all sorts of designs until he was satisfied.

"Grandma," Scott said, "Taylor loves the beach.  Can you draw her a picture of the beach with a sunset?  You can do that pretty quickly, right?"  And so we picked out some pictures of the beach and sunsets that he liked and I set to work.  I combined the ocean from one picture with a sunset from another one and made the effort.  As usual when I attempt an art project, I got lost in it.  But I finished it in a couple of hours, matted and framed it and presented it to Scott for approval.  He did, and so all was prepared for the birthday celebration.

The beach scene I did in pastel for Taylor's birthday.

Except for the food.  "Enchilidas and apple pie, Grandma," suggested Scott.  And so, yesterday Taylor arrived and partook of all our preparations.  She is a lovely, pure-hearted girl by all appearances.  She and Scott get along very well and both are into such things as good music and scripture study, which they spent their time together pursuing.  How can you wish for more than that?

Scott and Taylor, about to eat Taylor's birthday apple pie.

Our time with Scott has been fun and bonding.  He has become more talkative as the days have
passed and I am beginning to feel that I know much more of his heart.  This time with him has been fun and such a blessing.

Our Time with Scott

                                                     JOSEPH SCOTT GALBRAITH

Layne told our grandson Scott that he would be welcome to work for us for a couple of weeks, to earn money for his upcoming Church mission to Thailand.  He decided to do it.  Since then Layne has been collecting projects for Scott to help him with.  For awhile now every time we discuss what has to be done around here, he says, "I'll save that for Scott."  So he had quite a list of "to-do's" by the time Scott arrived last Tuesday.  With little time to settle in, they set to work.  A routine soon emerged:  work outside until 4 PM or so, eat dinner, watch a movie.  We've shown Scott the movies that we most admire and find inspiring:  "The Scarlet and the Black", "The Impossible" are at the top of our list.  We also watched "Courageous" at Scott's recommendation.  That was powerful.  So much so that we ordered some 10 copies to share.

Scott is a very musical guy.  One of the first things he did was play for me a collection of music that he sang, accompanied and solo played the piano in.  It was all lovely and uplifting stuff.  He told me that he wanted to make me a copy, which I will love.  As we talked, an explosion of ideas regarding his music came forth.  He's now working on that with great enthusiasm.  The lovely girl that sings some of the songs in the collection is going to be here in Boise this coming weekend.  Scott is hoping that he can get together with her here and, perhaps, celebrate her birthday.  I think he likes her.  But Scott is a man of few words so it is hard to tell for sure.

Scott is comfortable to have around.  He and Layne have accomplished quite a bit in the yard and, thanks to Scott, it is going pretty quickly.  The guys have occasional sore muscles and growing farmer's tans.  Scott will be here another week.  I'm looking forward to it.

The big job:  spreading new gravel along the front of the yard.  Layne says it was grueling.

Scott, shoveling the gravel into the wheelbarrow.  He was pretty sore after this.

Island Park

When Layne and I travel, getting to our destination is everything.  When I occasionally suggest that we stop for something or someone interesting along the way, I can count on Layne to respond with a desire to just keep driving.  This past week it was different.  We get together with our friends Bill and Trudy Ostler a couple of times a year and last week was one of those times.  They flew here from St. George on Monday.  We met them at the airport and began a 6 hour drive to Island Park, ID, where Layne's family cabin sits in the midst of the forest.  We arrived in time to settle in and go to bed.

North fork of the Snake River.

Bill and Trudy love adventure.  Layne had a variety of things to do all arranged, according to the interests of our guests.  Every suggestion of an activity they enthusiastically supported.  So we wound up doing all sorts of things we would never have done without them.  Tuesday we rafted the clear waters of the north fork of the snake river, not far from the cabin.  But here's the thing; the north fork springs out of the earth like magic at Big Springs.  It is quite a sight to see a river emerge from what appears to be nowhere.  Suddenly, there is water and bunches of it.

Big Springs, where this water springs up out of the earth.

In 1959 a huge earthquake hit the Hebgen Reservoir, not far from Island Park.  At that time, tons of dirt and rock fell from the surrounding mountains and the shake moved the earth and nearby reservoir, trapping people and burying shoreline homes.  The area is now called Quake Lake and it is quite a sight to see.  The signs of the earthquake are everywhere.  The landfall can still be clearly seen in the scarred mountains.  The piles of dirt and rock still stand where they settled years ago.  The homes half buried in water are still there.  It is a haunting place and, if your interests turn to geology, there is much to see and admire about the forces of nature and what she can do when upset.  We lingered there until nightfall as we explored all we could fit into the remaining daylight.

Signs of the landslide during the 1959 earthquake; trees still have not returned to the mountain.  The reservoir sits below.

Trudy and Layne in front of one of the large boulders that rolled from the mountain across the water to settle on the opposite shore.

Wednesday we headed to Yellowstone Park and drove a complete circle through it.  Of course we stopped at every conceivable sight.  We saw Old Faithful, which looked much different than I remember as a girl.  Geyser basins appear in much of the park and they were fascinating to see.  The earth bubbles with heat as steam and the smell of sulfur fills the air.  Yellowstone covers a giant volcano which, if it decided to erupt, would cover the west (so we are told). With the earth steaming, it wasn't too hard to imagine the heat that must be stored beneath the earth, waiting for a trigger to come forth.  Perhaps the basins provide some relief to the pressure  We can hope.

Layne, Bill and Trudy in front of Old Faithful.

One of the many geyser basins in Yellowstone Park.

We drove through a herd of bison as we proceeded to a place called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  It was very grand and majestic.  The area provide quite a romantic spot for one couple.  As we moved along the path to the best view of all we came upon a small group assembled to witness a young man proposing to his sweetheart.  With all those witnesses, I'm happy to say that she said yes.  We all applauded.

The buffalo!

The waterfall in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

There is a small live theater in the town of Yellowstone.  We attended an evening performance of "Le Miserable".  Most of the performers were from BYUI, working for the summer.  They were great.  Bill, Trudy and I loved it.  Layne wasn't very familiar with the story or the music so he spent much of the time trying to make sense of it.  But all in all, it was a very fun evening.

Layne and me in front of the Galbraith cabin in Island Park.

We took our time driving home on Thursday, stopping at whatever place looked interesting.  Our first stop was Rexburg, where we visited with grandson Chase for a few minutes.  After a milkshake at Chase's recommendation, our journey home began in earnest.  The drive was prolonged by Bill missing the right road and driving for quite awhile in the wrong direction.  But we even enjoyed that.  We toured an interesting sight of an old volcanic eruption called Craters of the Moon.  Nature does some amazing things.  It would be a good location for a space movie.  Our 6 hour drive home actually took twice that long.  But it was fun and Layne didn't complain a bit.

Craters of the Moon.

Trudy, me and Layne in a country restaurant for dinner on our way home Thursday.

Bill and Trudy flew home on Friday.  We spoke in another ward on pornography today.  It was our best yet and I think it went well.  Scott arrives this coming Tuesday to do some work for us for a couple of weeks.  He is earning money for his mission to Thailand, which begins this coming November.

And so the busy days of summer continue, but not for long.  Our temperature is down 10 degrees and the coolness of fall is beginning to descend.  I'm rejoicing.  Layne is mourning.  

Sun Valley

By all accounts, Idaho is rich with adventures and sights.  I'd really like to take as much of it in as possible.  Once we have been here awhile longer, I fear that we will be like so many locals; hearing about places but never seeing them.  Because, after all, we live here and there is time.  We were that way when we lived in California.  I'd like to not be that way here.  I've mentioned that to several local friends.  Larry and Carol Wintersteen have taken it to heart.  "You've got to see Sun Valley," Larry told us several times.  And so he planned a trip there, to show us one of the brightest spots in Idaho.


Just outside Boise; look at all that water!  I continue to be amazed at all the water in Idaho, despite the desert that surrounds many of the lower lakes and streams.

I've not paid much attention to, or heard much about, the famous Sun Valley.  It was developed by a railroad man named Harriman in the 1930's.  He dreamed of making the valley, surrounded by mountains, into a ski resort for the wealthy, to attract more riders on his train.  Over the years, many of the wealthy and famous have come.  Even today, it seems to be a quiet snow mecca for them.  We became one of the observers of life in a wealthy town, for a few days.

Larry directed us north, through some of the forests of Idaho and along the Blue Tooth Mountains, on a beautiful country drive.  In spite of the heavy rain (in summer!), the sights were breathtaking in places.  We stopped at an almost ghost town called Idaho City.  There we happened upon a map at the visitor's center that showed the oldest home in the town--the "Galbreith House."  We couldn't resist checking that out.  Sure enough, there it was.  Not only that but a pioneer cemetery was located nearby, where we found a group of Galbreith graves.  There are not many Galbraiths in this world, no matter how the name is spelled.  Layne was excited.  "Perhaps," he said, "we were inspired to find these souls, lost in an isolated cemetery in the wilds of Idaho."  He hopes to do a bit of research to see if we are connected.

Layne at Idaho City, an almost ghost town.

Here is the Galbreith House, the oldest in Idaho City.

Sun Valley is a well planned community, laid out years ago by the wealthy owners of the area.  It stands as a contrast to most places that simply evolve.  It is a lovely place as a result.  I wish all places could be so well laid out.  There are fewer people there in the summer as it is a ski town.  We stayed in a condo Larry arranged for in the nearby town of Ketchum.   It was a lovely time, highlighted by a ride on a lift up the side of the biggest mountain, filled with a wide variety of ski runs.  We rode to the top, where the views were panoramic.  The countryside was filled with wildflowers and green views.  I cannot imagine it being lovelier in winter.  No, I don't think it could be.

Sun Valley with the lift we rode in the background.  It is one of many.  Lifts were invented here, to carry the wealthy up the mountainside.

Looking up from our lift.

Layne and me at the top of the mountain.

View from the top.  You can just barely see the town below.

View from the lift on the way down.

 We had some sweet conversations with Larry and Carol.  The kind where you can see into one another's souls.  It was the bonding kind.  We came home more rested and relaxed than when we left.   And I believe that we strengthened our friendship with the Wintersteens.

Larry and Carol Winterstein.

And so we can check off one of Idaho's most famous sights.  We have seen it close up and been embraced by its beauty.  Not so many of the rich and famous were here without the snow.  I like it better that way and feel happy to have seen it in the quiet days of summer.

The Pleasures of Inaction

I like to attempt to live a life of action.  I have an endless list of "to-do's" placed in strategic places to remind me that there is always something productive to do.  I have difficulty with the advice to spend some time doing nothing but thinking.  I seem to be built for action.

And that is what we got, for four weeks.  We loved our time with summer guests and felt so happy being with family at the reunion with our children in Oregon.  Once we returned home and unpacked, I began to feel a little like a deflated balloon.  With no demands anticipated for a week or so, we lounged around doing the very thing I have an aversion to:  nothing.  It was a delicious week, filled with naps and a bit of reading.  Even now I look forward to sleeping.  So I guess I'm not done resting up.  Perhaps we just wore ourselves out.  Whatever the cause, we spent a week filled with relaxation.

This past week Layne's twin, Lynn, and his wife, Camille visited for several days.  In the middle of that visit my sister, Maryanne and hub Bob also spent a night with us.  It was a fun time, filled with chatter and pleasant company.  One of the blessings of living in Idaho is that we are closer to Utah, where our siblings live.  So, in theory, we can get together on a more regular basis.  I especially hope to spend more time with Lynn and Camille.  I say that because, over the years of our marriages, we have seen very little of each other.  Our children don't know each other.  "We are very close," Layne tells me of his relationship with his twin.  Hum.  Do they talk?  Maybe once a year.  Do they see each other?  Maybe every 5 years or so, until recently.  So, what exactly is "close" between these two brothers?  It is a mystery to me, so I press for my version of "close", which would be to actually talk and visit regularly.  I'd like to do that with the rest of his family as well.  I suggest it regularly but Layne simply smiles and sticks to his usual explanation that he loves his family and would be there for them if needed.  Sometimes men are hard to understand.

Lynn and Camille cuddling up with Ben Franklin in an interesting place here called Walter's Ferry.

Layne reading with Mark Twain.

Me and Abe.

Since our calling as addiction recovery missionaries, Layne and I have regular discussions on the nature of addiction.  He is very strong on the ability of anyone to do what he really wants.  Addiction or not, if someone really wants to change, he can.  It is part of the gift of agency given to us by God, he explains to me.  I believe him, but also feel the difficulties of overcoming addictive habits takes a mighty effort.  Sometimes it takes several tries.  Wanting to badly enough to make that effort is hard to come by for most.  Addiction involves surrendering some agency to the habit.  One has to figure out how to reclaim it and use it to readdress the behavior.  I can see how hard that must be.  On a smaller scale, I have difficulty changing some of my own behaviors.  So does Layne.  I guess we mostly disagree on the idea of agency:  I think addiction involves giving up some of our agency and surrendering to the addiction; Layne thinks agency is never removed and can be reclaimed at will.

This week we are headed for Sun Valley with our neighbors the Wintersteens.  They want to show us the area.  I'm excited.  Layne, my stay at home boy, not as much.  But once we are on the way I think he'll get into it.