74

I find myself much older than I anticipated.  Somehow I never planned on being a woman in her 70s. I thought a lot about who I would marry.  Then I thought a lot about children and how I would raise them.  But I didn't think much about grandmothering.  Or being a parent of grown children.  But here I am.  I'm thinking about it all now and still trying to figure it out.

I turned 74 on Wednesday.  It was a lovely day.  My children called.  Friends sent good wishes.  I got flowers, from Layne and from son Ben.  Several local friends took me out for a Birthday Brunch.  Then it began to snow.  Huge snowflakes fell all around us, filling the roads with snow and our views with snowy fog.  After the brunch, Layne took me to Costco in this weather.  I found it magical.

Me and my flowers, plus a edible bouquet from local friends the Becks.

There were few shoppers in Costco.  Layne planned to take me Birthday shopping afterwards, but the snow was heavy so I told him I'd pick something out in Costco.  I'm happy to report that I found three tops and some tights that suited me just fine.  I suppose I should be slow to admit that my fashions are sometimes Costco-inspired.  But I'm shameless so there you go.

We drove to a car dealership to pick up a part for Grandson, Chase after our Costco adventure.  Cars were backed up all around.  It was bumper to bumper but we managed to get the part and make our way, very slowly, back home, where we were greeted by an accident that blocked off the entrance to our development.  We were stuck there for an hour while they cleaned everything up and allowed us access to the rest of the road.  So we didn't arrive home until 7 PM!  It was a day in the car, pretty much.  But the excitement of the snow storm made it interesting!

Here's Layne making his way into the dealership for Chase's car part.

The view on our drive home.

"Coldest, snowiest winter in 30 years," the locals say.  I've never lived in so much snow.  But I like it.  There has been some flooding as some of the snow has melted, but, generally, everyone seems to be adjusting.  I know I'm getting carried away talking about snow.  But I'm so taken with it.  Walking through our yard takes some time now, as the snow is several feet deep.  Each step sinks down, making balance a little challenging.  But falling is not a problem; the snow offers a soft landing.  It is all such fun!  I have a feeling this is a winter to remember for a long time.  If winters return to normal in future years that is.

White World

Who could have predicted such an interesting winter?  It is 3 degrees outside tonight.  The snow is still piled up.  Neighborhoods are still struggling with icy, snowy roads.  The road in front of our house, however, is clear.  So here we sit, enjoying lovely white views, coming and going as we please, with no problems.  I like this winter.  In spite of the complaints of many of the locals, I think it is beautiful and interesting.  It is really not so bad outside, if you keep moving.

We've been moving all week.  We went to dinner with our California gang on Friday and they made a special anniversary cake for us.  We've been married 50 years in 2016, if you remember.  We did go on a cruise as a sort of anniversary celebration.  But there hasn't been much of a family celebration of our marriage milestone.  So the efforts of our dear friends here were sweet and so appreciated.  I find the friendships here to be exceptionally enjoyable.  Who knew, that at this time of life, we would be collecting so many new friendships.

Here is our anniversary cake, made by Lisa Young and topped with a wedding couple provided by Pat Green.  Such a sweet gift to us.

We have bustled about all week, doing errands and connecting with friends in spite of snow in all directions.  It has rained in between snowing, lowering the snow level and making it wetter and crunchier.  Walking out to our compost pile in the back yard has become a little bit of an adventure, as each step sits me on top of the ice crust and then sinks me down a foot to the ground beneath.  It took some time to walk in this manner to the compost pile at the back of the yard.  It was fun, in its way.  The birds love to check out the pile, so I feel inclined to keep up the food dumping.

Layne, and occasionally me, spend a bit of time shoveling the snow from the driveway, but mostly it is cleared by our neighbor and friend, Jim Wilkey, who has a 4 wheelers with a blade.  He travels the neighborhood clearing driveways and roadways.  What a sweet world it is when people help each other.  People here are like that.

I am happy to report that my annual exam has proven me to be a healthy woman, with no meds to make it so.  But I have shrunk a total of 1 1/2 inches!  I was shocked to learn that I'm getting so much shorter.  I don't feel any different.  I guess that is part of my old lady journey.  So far it isn't so bad.

The Banana Belt

Boise, the "Banana Belt" of Idaho, is now buried in snow.  An amazing amount of snow.  "Very unusual," the locals say.  They must be right since snow removal equipment cannot keep up the clearing of the roads.  So the schools are closed for now and today Church was cancelled!  I am just a  California girl, but it seems to me that life could go on with the snow.  It is not unusual in other snowy places and they manage.  But here in Boise life has come to a definite slow-down.

There are dire predictions for the coming week.  A slight warm-up will bring some rain, which a cool down will freeze, adding ice to the snow accumulation on the trees and power lines.  Hence a warning that we could lose power for awhile and some trees could fall from the frozen weight of the ice and snow.  So yesterday I trudged outside and shook the trees free of a lot of the snow build-up.  With the weight off, the branches happily bounced back to their usual position, as if to thank me for freeing them.  The snow began to fall during my snow efforts and soon, between the falling snow and the plops of snow from the branches, I was covered in it!  As I marched from tree to tree I fell a number of times, with the softness of the snow giving me pleasant landings each time.  It was fun even if I returned inside covered in snow with ice icicles hanging from my hair.  I like the snow! 

So, for now, our life continues inside.  Except for occasional trips outside to clear the sidewalks and drive-way yet again.  Perhaps, with all the western storms at work right now, we can call the drought over.  We can be thankful for this excess and hope for the best!

Holidays

Not long after our Treble Clef singing series began we got a call from our friend, Rachel Tan.  She is in charge of the Oakland Temple Nutcracker that we danced in for several years.  Layne told them that, since we now live in Idaho, we would no longer be dancing in her production.  "Please," Rachel said to me when she called, "dance in Nutcracker this year."  Knowing what Layne would say if I asked him about it, I told Rachel to talk to him herself.  I also knew what he would say to her.  Sure enough, I heard him tell her, "sure, we'd be happy to."  Hum.  He would never have agreed if I'd asked him.  Just saying.  So we headed for California right after our last singing performance, arriving just in time for the final Nutcracker rehearsal.  We performed twice the following weekend, December 16 and 17.  It went very well.  We did our grandparents dance with Layne dancing a solo of sorts and ending as he usually does, bent over with a hurt back.  It all felt familiar and very comfortable, as Layne himself admitted.  Rachel introduced us to the audience before the last performance, as her inspiration for organizing her Temple Hill Nutcracker.  She gave us a beautiful bouquet and Nutcracker memory book.  It was a lovely moment.

After the last performance we met up with our good Nutcracker friends, Howard and Sandra Burnham.  They are great people; Howard is a professional actor and Sandra a professional dancer.  I love them both.  Here we are with Rachel in the middle, Howard and Sandra on the right.

Temple Hill in Oakland is so festive and fun during December.  There are productions of some kind going on every night in December.  The Temple grounds are filled with lights.  It is so magical!

I keep wondering why our Boise Temple does nothing for Christmas.  It sits right off the freeway.  Imagine what a glorious Christmas message it could broadcast to just about everyone in this area, if only we did a little decorating.  Why don't we?  I have asked but no answer is forthcoming.

Both son Reed and daughter Audrey performed on Temple Hill.  Reed's performances were done before we arrived, but I got to attend Audrey's.  She did a beautiful job.  I'm so proud of my musical children!

I have a hard time celebrating the holidays without my children.  So it was a joy to share Christmas with the California kids.  We spent Christmas Eve at Audrey and Cliff's, with all three CA families.  We did a Nativity Story slideshow, had a Bethlehem dinner, shared our feelings of gratitude and opened the traditional Christmas Eve gifts--pjs for the kids.  It was fun!  

Our sample pj kids below are:  Bruce, Tia and Jon, with Vincent behind them.

Christmas morning was fun and followed by a lovely evening at Ben and Jessica's.  Ben prepared a great dinner and many of the kids performed at our annual Family Talent Night.  They are a pretty capable and talented group.  I feel so grateful for family!  I will say though, that not being in charge of family gatherings takes some getting used to.  I used to so enjoy planning activities that I thought the kids would enjoy and benefit from.  But I think those days are gone.  I need to learn to let go and enjoy what they plan instead.  I'm working on that.

Because we were in California for almost two weeks, we had time to visit with friends we don't usually get to see.  That was a special pleasure.  I'd really like to follow in my own parents' footsteps and check on the people we love, friends as well as family, on a regular basis.  I have to talk Layne into it though; his family didn't do much socializing when he was growing up.  He's good at it when he does it though.

We didn't get to spend Christmas with Chris and Jessica.  But they designed a great Christmas photo.  Here's the whole family:  Gemma and Chris in the background, Peyton in the middle, Jessica and Miles at the bottom.  

We flew home on December 26th.  It felt good to be home.  So good that we spent the following day just laying around.  The day after that grandson Chase and his wife Morgan and baby Hunter came, followed by Audrey, Cliff and girls the following day.  We had great fun together, hanging out, eating pie every night for dessert and playing in the snow.  Snow.  Yes, lots of it.  We even went to the movies.  we saw La La Land.  Loved it.  Ben said I would and he was right.

Hunter is a very cute little guy.  He's 6 months old already.

Here he is with Grandma Audrey.

We made our annual trip to Caldwell and the amazing holiday light display they have every year.  If you look carefully you can see (L to R):  Cliff, Audrey, Rayne, Allegra, Hunter, Morgan, Chase and Layne.

We stayed up to welcome in the new year.  Well, most of us did.  Layne went to bed early.  We played games and toasted with 7-up and happily went to bed.  Everyone left the next day.  Except for Allegra.  We drove her to BYUI in Rexburg on Tuesday.  Snow was everywhere but with clear roads we made great time.  We dropped her and her baggage off, checked into a motel then took her out to dinner where we ran into old Fremont friend Jerry Regnier.  So good to see a familiar face!  Well, he is a bit older now and not too recognizable until he started talking.  Then I knew him.  After returning Layne to the motel, Allegra and I went to a movie--Fantastic Beasts.  Loved it.  

Our drive back home the next day was filled with snow storms and wind.  The roads were icy and slick.  I'm so glad Layne was driving.  It was stressful but we made it home safely.  It just keeps on snowing and snowing!  I've not seen so much of it here before.  Now that we are home, I'm liking it.

Here's a look at our drive home.  

Here's the peaceful, beautiful snow after we got home and the sun came out---the next day!

2017 is upon us.  I"m looking forward to it.

PS:  Grandson Scott returned from his mission in Thailand December 30th!

Holiday Time

Last weekend I decided to make a rush trip to see my sister Maryanne and Bob.  Being a snow driving chicken, I checked with the weather predictions and it looked nice and dry.  So I headed out Friday, December 2nd.  It was a lovely drive; just what I enjoy most,  with cloudy skies and dry roads.  I sang my way to the Berrett home.  We only had about a day and a half before I had to drive back home.  It was short but fun.  Bob loves Christmas lights so their home is wonderfully lit each night.  He invested in some amazing lights that surround the top of the house.  They project color combinations that are controlled with his phone app.  It's a pretty eye-popping sight to see them.  Combined with the snow that rests around their home in the mountains, it is so lovely.

Bob's lights.

The drive home held more cloudy skies, but also some stretches of icy, slick roads.  It was a white knuckle experience for me.  With a prayer in my heart and hands clinched on the wheel I stressed along until, finally, I hit dry roads.  I was so thankful to reach home and Layne's welcoming embrace.

The rushed trip was necessary because we spent most of the week singing with our Treble Clef singing group.  It is exhausting but uplifting.  Both Layne and I have bonded with our little group, so friendship, singing and associating with the people we sing for carries us through our performance days with happy hearts.  But I"d so like to sit in front of the fire and just veg for awhile.  Life seems to be filled with extremes; overwhelming amounts of experiences or a dearth of them.  I long for balance.  We will soon be finished with our gigs, and then I'll miss it.

Layne and me, singing our introduction to "Winter Wonderland".

Me and buddy, Carol Wintersteen, in our singing garb.

It has been snowing here.  Our world is full of white and it is lovely.  Except for walking and driving in it.  Layne has been giving me snow driving lessons and I think I'm making some progress at not being scared to drive in it.  Looks like I'll get plenty of practice as more snow is coming.  Our local skiing resort opens this weekend.  Winter is really here.  It is especially nice to sit in front of the fire and view the white world beyond through the Christmas tree branches.  Such pleasure!

Our backyard scene of the first snow.

Here's my view of the snow through our Christmas tree branches.

I've been reading a good book on addiction, He Restoreth My Soul.  One of the ideas presented in it involves the steps our minds go through when we are tempted to do something we feel we should not do.  It has helped me to catch myself before the temptation becomes irresistible.  Mind control is valuable but definitely takes practice.  I'm working on it.  I had two pieces of berry pie last night after dinner.  Does that give you an idea of how successful I am at mind control so far?  

Pre and Post Thanksgiving

I don't feel inclined to write much when there isn't much happening.  So there have been a few weeks of normal, everyday events that don't seem worth mentioning.  Our days are cooling down and the yard is going to sleep.  I have been getting things organized for the holidays.  This year, for the first time since we moved to Idaho, I have felt like decorating.  So I filled the house first with Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and now Christmas.  When our days are so dark outside, I like to light up the inside.  So the house is full of lights, timed to turn on in the dark of morning and the early blackness of night.  Their sparkle adds to the joys of this holiday time.

The kitties huddle in their snug beds most days now.  How would it be to spend your days just eating and sleeping?  Sometimes that seems pretty attractive!

Holidays are hard to celebrate without family.  My great regret in being here is missing having family close by.  But this year we will manage to celebrate the winter's special occasions with some of our children.  We drove to Seattle to spend Thanksgiving with Jessica and Chris and their kids.  It was a pleasant drive there and back in spite of threatened snow storms.  They simply didn't show up when we were on the road.  I count that a blessing.  Spending time with the Gendreaus is always pleasant.  It is nice to be able to say that I like them all as well as love them. I spent Wednesday painting their living room.  It went from green to gold under my hand.  Not easily though.  The first coat, in spite of guarantees, didn't cover well.  So we bought more paint and I added a second coat.  It took the whole day!  But the result was quite a change.  I think I like it.  And I think they do also. It seems to add a bit of warmth to the cloudy days that frequent Seattle.

What do you think of the new color?

We spent Thanksgiving day with Chris' parents.  They hosted a lovely meal for us and most of the rest of their family.  I really like all of them.  They were very welcoming and served a delicious dinner.  My only complaint is that there was no thanks given; no sharing of gratitude or prayer of thanksgiving.  I missed it.  But visiting with the family was rewarding and fun.

You can see Peyton clearly here, playing a game with the Gendreau cousins.

What a privilege and blessing it is to have family.  I'm grateful for that, and for the good feeling between us.  Here's a self-portrait drawn by Gemma.  Her artistic talents continue to grow.  I love her imaginative touch.  This picture hangs in Jessica's bookstore.

We were back home by Friday afternoon.  It is always good to be home, surrounded by familiar things and arrangements that suit us so perfectly.  Now we are in the midst of our Treble Clef singing concerts.  For the first time since I've joined the group, I have been perfectly at ease.  We are into our third year with them now.  Layne and I are singing a brief duet this time.  it is not a worry!  That is saying something, as singing in front of people makes me nervous almost always.  But not with this group.  Perhaps it is because our audiences are seniors in care centers.  They appreciate us no matter what we do.  It is a perfect situation for learning how to sing without fear.  Perhaps it is because we are all amateurs who just do our imperfect best.  In spite of that, I'm told we make a pretty good sound.  But I'm still scared to sing in Church, except in big groups!

Here's Layne, practicing a Christmas song with friend, Stan Beck.

One of our early performances:

We've got two more weeks to go!

By Special Request

My good friend, Hedy Eyre, asked me a few months ago if Layne and I would be willing to give a pornography awareness and prevention presentation to her ward in Fremont, CA.  It's our old ward.  We agreed that we would come October 30th.  So Layne and I drove out to CA to do the job.  We stayed with Audrey and Cliff, as we usually do, and managed to fit in visits with all our kids and give the presentation, as promised.  It was total joy to be with our Fremont friends.  We have spent 40 years with these precious people so being with them was especially sweet.  We raised our children together, worked and served together and grew in the gospel together.  They are in my heart always and forever.  Being with so many of them again was a little piece of heaven.

Relationships are where it's at so I'm willing to go out of my way to keep them fresh and alive in my life.  We visited with Reed and Dorothy and took a picture of our grandson, Bruce, in his Halloween costume.  He is in kindergarten now!

Reed and Dorothy are solidly good people.  I love being in their company.  Ben and Jess have purchased a home in Palo Alto.  We saw it for the first time last week.  They are so excited to have their own home, where they can do whatever they want to it without worries.  They've put fingerprint locks on their bedroom and pantry, two places where their babes love to go and explore with abandon.  The house is bigger; there is comfortable room for everyone.  It is lovely too.  Alexis and Abigail asked me to paint a mural for each of them on their bedroom walls, above their beds.  So we researched pictures online that they liked, then painted them on their walls.  Abigail wanted mermaids and dolphins and Alexis wanted outer space.  Here is how they turned out:

The girls were excited and pleased, and that pleased me!

We visited with Uncle Mike again this visit.  He is 97 now!  Cousin Judy and hub Stan Perry came with us.  They are a lovely couple and we enjoyed the 2 hour drive to Healdsburg and back with them.  We chatted the whole way.  Uncle Mike seems healthy and spry.  He lives in Kiser chaos.  As with all the Kisers I know, he saves everything!  I got a DNA sample from him for Maryanne, who is really into DNA for confirming family relationships and nationalities.  I feel the need to see Uncle Mike more often since we don't know how long we will have him.  He is the last of the older generation; after he is gone, we are it!  Here he is, with Judy and me.

We stayed with Audrey and Cliff, giving us some nice visiting time with Audrey.  Cliff is quite busy with work.  He leaves very early in the morning to beat the traffic.  Audrey also leaves early to teach seminary and Allegra also leaves very early for work.  So they are all in bed by 8:00 or so.  That is fine with us, for who doesn't like sleep?  It is always fun to spend time with them.  We were there for Halloween.  They had tons of trick or treaters; far more than I have ever experienced!  It was fun.  Cliff turned their front porch entry into a Halloween monster; pretty clever!

Our little great-grandson, Hunter, wasn't with us in California, but we found this cute picture of him in his Halloween costume, in Black Foot, ID.  so I had to insert it here!

 We drove to CA and back, but this time we divided the time by staying in a motel in Winnemucca half way into the drive.  It made the trip so pleasant!  Fall colors were everywhere and, happily, during most of our CA stay it rained.  The countryside had a lovely new green, nourished by the rain after so much drought.  Perhaps this winter will end it.  The Sierras had snow; a good sign this early in the season.

All throughout our drive the sights were lovely.  We live in a beautiful world.  I'm grateful.  This coming week we vote.  Our prayers are for the best possible outcome.