Some Things Do Not Improve With Age

I still love to read though,

I
I part my hair on a different side.

 

Hmmm, do I look any wiser?  I don't think so.  But pictures are in color and all the scars from cancer surgery have changed my nose, which was not too great to begin with, oh well, that's life, too much sun in my youth and sailing days.

One Thing Leads to Another

So I am reading "Bright Lights, Dark Shadows" the story of ABBA and I start watching some of the songs the books is talking about.  They are all on You Tube.  Then I am reading about what they were doing after their divorces and I see a clip on Frida singing a song about Falling in Love and someone has pieced clips from the movie "Falling in Love" with Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro to Frida singing the song.  What?  Somehow I had missed that movie--two great stars, romance, how did I miss it?

Anyway it was a beautiful song and I found the movie on Amazon.  It only had a rating of 6 but someone doesn't know a romantic movie when they see it.  OK, it was about two married people falling in love...but, it was romantic.  Two such great actors showing the pain of falling in love when you are not supposed to...and try not to...

The Roots of the Olive Tree

Finally, finally, I read the book Marjorie's granddaughter wrote "The Roots of the Olive Tree".  Her name is Courtney Miller Santo and she lives in Tennessee.  I do not want any more books on my shelves so I waited to read it when I got my Kindle.

Wow, she is a great writer.  I could not put it down!!  Thoroughly enjoyed it.  How great to know how to write a good story that everyone would like to read.  I can see why the publishers were so taken with it.  Hope she writes some more.

 She has such insight and ability to express it so well.  It's about five generations of women living together in a town near Sacramento where they raise olive trees that were planted by the father of the oldest woman, who is 110 when the book begins...and it is believable!

Curiosity Leads to Joyful Finds

I have always been a very curious person, which often leads me to ask inappropriate questions, but also leads me to find out very interesting things, unfortunately or fortunately as the case may be, that I soon forget! 

Meagan sent an email about the books by Vilhelm Moberg that her inlaws  were enjoying reading.  That sent me off on a curious search and a start to reading the first book "The Emigrants" on my Kindle.  Then I read about the musical that the ABBA male duo wrote about the books called "Kristina fran Duvemala" and a search for that.

I found the videos on You Tube and love the music, I found it had been recorded in English after a concert at Carnegie Hall, but I like the Swedish lyrics so that sent me to a wonderful find of the interpretation of the lyrics and I printed them out--about 100 plus pages.  Now I can listen to the music and know what they are singing.  I would like to find a good Swedish CD but so far the one I found I wanted is way too expensive so I will use You Tube in the meantime.

However, that sent me a curious search of what happened to the ABBA ladies and I found a lot on You Tube about them and found that Agnetha had made some CDs which I just happened to love and so I downloaded a couple of those to my IPod but then I was curious as to what happened to them and their breakup and that led me to a book to help satisfy my curiosity.  Of course, because they are Swedish and that is my ancestry, too, it makes me more curious than ever.   But I did love the Abba music, introduced to me by Meagan's Mom, as I recall.  And then, of course, I was able to see "Mama Mia" on Broadway with Melissa's Drama Group, loved that, and I have the CD, of course, and saw the movie.  Why is it that I have absolutely no musical talent, but love music so much.

Oh, my, what a couple of interesting days and still so much to read...fun, fun, fun.  So much to learn, to read, to know in my shortened days...

Also in the meantime a former high school friend contacted me and offered me CDs of some of my favorite music, she has a fantastic collection of about 9000 pieces, and many from our youth so she said she would send me what I wanted, I am anxious to get those, too.  I only asked for about a 60 or so of my favorites, though, I am not greedy...

Day at Legoland in Carlsbad

The Stewarts from Las Vegas are visiting the Pulsiphers in Carlsbad and spend the day at Lego Land.
I don't know what the purpose of the finger business is but they surely are darling, grandchild (Sarah) and great grandchildren, Kate, Brynn, and Ryan.

 

 

 

Just In Time

Good timing, Matt came up this weekend and looked for work to do, as usual.  He put the pad which had just come under my new carpet, could never do that alone.  Then he bought the tools he needed to put the net side bags I had ordered for the back of my Subaru and got those in place and then he changed out the 4 way hose nozzle at the front of the house.  All things I could not do for myself.  He also got new oven lights and put them in and filled up my gas tank.  Busy guy while he was here, he likes to keep busy.

We had a nice barbeque steak dinner Saturday night and then a good Happy Garden lunch on Sunday.  I really appreciated Matt coming all the way up here.  He also gave Bruce a really good bath in the front driveway.  Sadie was so happy to see Bruce and Bruce for the most part let her nuzzle him a lot.

Great weekend with Matt and Bruce.  Thanks you so much, Matt!!!

I finished "Caught" by Harlan Coben.  He writes the most complicated mysteries but they are always enjoyable to listen to, yes that was an audio book.  I also finished two more Nora Roberts books, one a mystery, one a romance and am currently reading "War Brides" who also wrote "Sisterhood" which was a very unusual book.  The author Helen Bryan was a CEO and quit to write, she must have to do a lot of research for her books because they are historical novels.  After reading "House of Mirth" and "Tess of d'Urberville" I was very appreciative of the long way women have come into today's world.  Although in many ways society still messes up people's lives as it did in "House of Mirth".  We are continually having to rise above living our life to please other people and worrying too much about what others think.  Gave me lots to think about, both books with sad endings.

I was interested in the comments about Nora Roberts trilogy about Boonesboro in western Maryland.  Some felt she had just "cut and pasted" from other books so she could write about the businesses her family owns in that little town.  I must admit some of her books have much more depth than others.  I have several classics on my Kindle now so I think I will delve into them next, so much more depth in every one I have read...TV hardly gets turned on anymore though I enjoyed watching "Switched" with Jennifer Anniston which I had never seen.  I also watched some more of the "Joseph Smith Papers" last evening--have really enjoyed them.  So much to read and see and do, so little time....I have now read 8 books since I bought my Kindle about two weeks ago and listened to one on my computer.

Happy Birthday, John!

This is a picture of John and his daughter Meagan I had not seen before.  Zoo, Wild Animal Park???
Charming.  We miss you, John.

 

Also 46 Years Ago

 

 

Taken in Aunt Ellen's backyard after the burial of my father in Ogden.

46 Years Ago

It was 46 years ago that my Dad Ferrell Anderson had a heart attack while fishing at the Lamar river near his cabin in Silver Gate, Montana.  This is a picture I recently found of him that so depicted who he was.  The big smile, the happy husband, father, friend, leader, merchant, outdoorsman--what a great guy whom we all loved so much.  I remember when he was reading something about there being no mountains in the hereafter (I have no idea what it was he was reading, whether it was true or not) but he was devastated--how can we live without mountains??? 



Ferrell's daughter Marilyn shares a memory of Dad's last day on earth.  He was at his beloved Silver Gate cabin.

We were a few days late getting to the cabin.  Randy and Bobby both were getting over the flu.  Jeanne and her family had been to the cabin the week before and Mom and Dad had taken a few days to go back to Idaho Falls before we came.  Dad had worked a day at the Church Farm and had felt like he had a heart attack.  They went to see Dr. Lyman Knutson, Lorin’s son-in-law.  I think he wasn’t sure but he did give Dad the nitro pills. 

We arrived Sunday late afternoon and as soon as we had eaten Arky and Dad went into the park to fish.  I think it was around 6 PM. 

Around 8 PM a ranger came to the door and said there had been an accident and would Mom and I follow him.  Sherry was about 11 and we left the kids with her.  I had never driven into the Park so fast.  Mom was very quiet. We followed the rangers to the curve in the highway where the Soda Butte meets the Lamar River.  The ranger stopped right at the curve and we also.  I jumped out and left Mom and I ran across the Soda Butte (not too deep) and ran across the field and trees to the Lamar River where I could see Arky waiting.  Since we had just arrived from the low altitude Texas, it was a hard run. 

The second I saw Dad with a smile on his relaxed face and a full creel, I knew his Spirit was already out of the body and I felt his Spirit and it was a most wonderful, peaceful feeling.  It was a big testimony to me of life after death.  Dad was there but I felt so peaceful and strangely calm.  I have never had that same feeling again.  Mom already knew also and was calm and peaceful.  It is strange to think that now but it was so. 

 

Arky, son-in-law of Ferrell, describes what happened prior to his death:

Late afternoon Ferrell and I drove the Toyota down to fish the upper Lamar River.  We parked the Toyota across the road from the spot where Soda Butte Creek runs into the Lamar River.  We took our fishing gear and waded across the Soda Butte, headed upstream on the Lamar, fishing along the way.  I went quite a distance ahead and fished till it was getting late and headed back toward the car. 

I had walked some distance in the meadow beside the Lamar when I spotted Ferrell some thirty or forty yards ahead of me.  He seemed to be looking at me, but before he could say a word he collapsed.  I rushed to him and couldn’t feel a pulse so did mouth to mouth resuscitation with no sign of breathing or pulse.  After a short period I spotted a fisherman coming down the trail and I asked him if he would stay with Ferrell while I ran back to the car and drove to the Lamar Ranger Station to get help.  They had the Silver Gate Rangers get in touch with the family at the cabin. 

The rangers brought the body back to the highway.  I think an ambulance came from the Lake Station hospital and took him to Lake Hospital.  We returned to the cabin.  This was a sad day but Ferrell did catch his limit of fish.

  

Roaring 20's

These are a few pictures I have not seen before of my Mom and Dad.



So young with first baby Richard.

All dressed up.

Playday for Mom and Dad

My Dad with first son Richard (I think)

 

My Mom with David--2nd Son--pretty coat!

My Dad

Here is a really nice picture of my Dad that I do not remember seeing before.  I have no idea what all the flowers are for or what date this was taken but I love his big smile which he always had for everyone.  It looks like it could be a Christmas decor, maybe at my brother's house next door.

I have been scanning all the pictures I went to my sister's home in Orem last October to find.  I had made a Book of Remembrance for my Mom and also a photo album and I wanted to scan the originals instead of just the copies which I sent up to the cabin.  Jeanne could not even remember what I was talking about so asked me to fly over and see if I could find them.  They were actually at her son's Steve's house.  Anyway I am almost finished and then I will send them back.  I am so glad I am doing this because the pictures are so much better and I am finding some I did not remember.

A New Joy In My Life

I am so happy when something really pleases me and the 6" Kindle Paperwhite does please me.  One reason I have been able to get so much work done is that I know I can stop and rest and read from one of my good books on the Kindle whenever I am tired.  I have read at least four in the past week.

Why do I like it so much?

1. It is small and light.  It is so hard to hold a book when you read in bed, so hard to turn the pages and to get enough light on it.  Now the kindle is easy to hold, no turning pages. love it.
2. There is always enough light, even in the dark!!!  No more looking for good lighting when I am visiting my children or reading in bed or strange places, love it.
3. I can download in an instant from my Wifi or Computer, love it.
4. Amazon keeps tabs on what books I have and what to do with them, love it.
5. With Library to Go I can have 6 books checked out all the time or have some on Wait List, no more running to the library, love it.
6. I actually like to read rather than Audio, of course I can still do audio with my computer, but I prefer to read, because I read so much faster and don't fall asleep midstream, love it.
7. Amazon has free books and special deals so I can even get books besides my Library to Go, love it.  The deal today was Eric Fromm's "The Art of Loving" for $1.99.
8. When my eyes are tired I can increase the size of the letters,. love it.
9. I just tap on which ever book I want to read at the moment and it goes to the right page!

While I am on it, I think Amazon is an amazing company.  I love doing business with them and they seem to have their hands in everything.  Now the owner buys the Washington Post for 250 million, what is he going to do with it?  Something very techy I am thinking.  Besides my Kindle manager they also send me my Pamela's Bread Mix every three months and they sent me an Aeblskiver pan for practically nothing and I love their Instant Videos--how come some people are so smart and the rest of us are just consumers.

Yes, I quit Facebook, so commercial now, but I love Amazon, they are actually doing things to make my life better and making it so easy to do them.  It is all commercial, but it is my choice what I choose, love it.

More Moments with Keira

Meagan captured these pictures, here we are all ready for the Sunday night concert.

Keira likes the little cedar benches that Matt made.

Walking with Sadie with a fruit bar.

 I
I think she has the swing down.

At last, proof that I noodle in the lake.  It holds me up, honest.

Life is good.

This is a little scary, I probably have not combed my hair, no makeup, and a scrunched up face.  But look, Keira scrunches her face, too when she is concentrating.  She just looks so much cuter doing it.

Doing the Guy Stuff

I was always happy being  a girl because I never wanted to do the "guy stuff".  I was always contented with the guy knowing how to do everything and taking care of me.  Ha, be a widow for 16 1/2 years and you are going to have to learn to do a lot of guy stuff.

This month I have fixed the refrigerator, the vacuum cleaner (I know how to take apart and clean out every possible juncture for problems), the dishwasher (I did try and get a plumber, no one would call me back, but I pursued with what Johnny told me and finally found the last  answer on the internet at 9:30 pm), the disposal (yes, after not working for more than a year I applied the Richard Hardy method with the broomstick one more time and voila, it works!),  I also mended the cut in the hose, of course it looked so easy when Mike did it but guess what, I have no muscles in my hands.  It took five tries and five water explosions before I finally got it to stay.  Even now I expect it to pull  apart every time I turn the hose on.  I also tackled the front hose with pliers and wrench and got that fixed.

My hands hurt and my arms hurt and my back hurts but for the moment everything is fixed.  I also cleaned the carpets, the couches and stained the back deck and front stairs.  Front deck remains to be done and that should be done tomorrow.

My nightmares of vulnerability have stopped, is that because I have conquered the appliances???  I am holding my breath till the next thing breaks.  I have lived here for 14 years now, so hard to believe, but I love my little cabin in the woods.

 

The former living room rug.

"These are a few of my favorite things."

As I looked around my home this week I thought about where everything came from.  The couches are from the 70's in our La Jolla home, had three different covers, but still very solidly holding up.  The rockers are from 88 and our Rancho Bernardo home, also recovered, wonder what happened to the other two rockers???  The glass case Richard picked out himself in 88 for the RB home, I treasure it but would have missed seeing it except for him and I love all the memories collected in it.  The grandmother clock is also from the 70's in La Jolla, I have had it fixed once but right now it is stopped on the moment Richard died and is not working, still love it though.  The coffee table and couch table are from RB as is one of the couch tables and the other end table is from our Pacific Beach home in the 60's!!!

Also in the living room are painted pictures from nephew Brian of the Silver Gate cabin, the Arches, Pilot Peak, and the monument of "This is the Place".  There is also a painted picture from a budding artist from the 60's of a sailboat, a favorite of mine.  There is a sign with our Rancho Bernardo address on it that Maria painted, the clock my sisters gave me when I moved in and the painted sign Camber gave me for Christmas stating, " The Hardy Family Est 1959".  The organ Richard bought for me from a client in the late 80's.  There are three of John's photos, one from Montana, one from Nepal and one from Peru.  On the coffee table is the replica of the Hot Dog Stand Richard always wanted, the hand painted vase from Vida (I took it back from Maria as it is both our favorite, she can have it when I die) the shell collection John created in a glass jar, and the little house Maria gave me with the note inside and the handmade glass lookee from Idaho.

  Only the lamps were bought for my cabin home here.  The mail tray on my end table is a wedding gift from my childhood friend Carla.  The fish hook glass holders are from John and the others are from Guam.   There are special rocks and shells and wood things from my travels and John's and his beautiful book ends.  Sitting at the organ is the Victorian Rag doll Linda gave me.  Sitting in the rocker is the special velvet Rabbit Richard bought for me at the San Diego Craft Fair--I think I named her Esmeralda.  On the dining table is the silk bouquet Carole made for me in 1988 when the Fuquas were living in San Diego.  On the glass case is the silk bouquet made in Big Bear to go with the picture we had over our  La Jolla bed--which I still have, love my electric bed so I can sit up and put my feet up while I watch late night movies.  The large mirror over the organ was from our RB home, love it.  The pillow covers on the rockers are from Croatia and the wonderful Mediterranean cruise with James.  The Grandma pillow is from the Valko children.

Amd now there is the new shag rug which I now want to snuggle my old, tired feet in.  I think I had a similar larger one in RB????  My RB home was supposed to be my retirement hone...life has it's little surprises.

So it is easy to see why I did not want to sell my home here, it has my past, my present and so much of myself and memories in it, it is a place of peace and security in my last days. (I hope).

One More Thing about Keira

Keira found this cut down tree in the woodpile and decided on her own it belonged in the garden, not the woodpile.  Very good logic I would say.

Footprints and Handprints at Lake Almanor

Keira added her footprints to the Grandchildren foot and handprints.  The stones are all from Montana.

I tried to reconstruct Melissa's but it is too far gone, I saved some cement and a pizza box for her to do another.

The others still look quite solid.

 

 

 

Farewell to Meagan and Keira

 

Since there was 24 hour road construction on 32  we drove west on 36 to Red Bluffs and then on 5 to the airport, it worked well.  I came back on 70 and 147 and it took me longer and it was much too zig zaggy for me anymore.  Keira would not have liked it as she did not like riding in the "jungle" down 32!!

Great trip, so glad they came to visit me.

Lake Almanor Mud and Swim

Sadie loves the mud.

And so does Keira.

What is as fun as playing in good old mud? 

 

 

A nice rest after a hard swim.  As one man said as we passed on the Rec 1 Road, "Another stressful day at Lake Almanor."

Loved having Meagan and Keira visit!!!

On the last day Keira takes command and swims around the lake.  "Look, Mom, no vest!"

 

"Love my swim."

Supposed to storm at 2:30--drats, just another lovely day at Lake Almanor.  That is Meagan and Keira on the right.

Meagan and Keira Visit

As Melissa and Meagan load the luggage, Keira says Hi to me.  They arrived at the Sacramento airport at 1 pm Saturday, the 20th.  I had stopped in Chico to pick up Melissa to help drive.

Since then I have not taken enough pictures, here is Keira as the two big happenings at my house pose together, Keira visiting and the yellow lillies all abloom at once.

 

Alan and Elaine Hardy Visit

Richard's nephew Alan and his wife Elaine are taking the scenic route on a trip to Oregon and so stopped by my home for a night.  It was such a delightful visit with them.  They live in Boulder City and have another big home in Gunlock, where they have a huge garden and can and bottle foods and juices.  We stayed there once and what a wonderful place to gather family.

Elaine brought a jar of pomegranate jelly she had made and I finally had to get up in the middle of last night so I could have a toaster waffle and spread it with the jelly.  It was as delicious as I thought it would be.

One thing interesting is that Alan wanted a couple of head shots I had in Richard's Memory Book of Warren Hardy and Caroline Blake and I said I had just scanned them from another book.  I then asked him if he was into Family History and he said he was.  I suggested he come and look at the Family History books I had from his Grandma Vida and if he wanted any he could have them.  He had as much right to them as my children did.  He was so happy to find just the book he had been searching for and in fact he had prayed he could find a copy.  I am sure neither one of us had  anticipated such an event.  Prayers are answered.

Speaking of, I found my phone!!!  Last Tuesday I had carried my phone in a bag with a tin plate and utensils and a water bottle to a picnic in the Clear Creek Park with the RS Ladies.  The next morning I could not find my phone.  Of course, I went to the park and expected to find it under the picnic table I had sat at.  I could just imagine that it had tumbled out of my bag when I brought the bottle and utensils out of  my bag.  Alas, it was not there.  I sent emails and phone calls but no one had seen it.  I stopped the service and prayed I would find it.

Today I decided I better go in to Verizon when I went to Susanville for a Walmart run and see what my options were.  I took my old phone with me to see if it was able to work and have my numbers all transferred to it.  On the way to Westwood I noticed my Blue Tooth was reading my phone so I pulled over at the Clear Creek turnoff and did a more thorough search than I had already done three times before!!!  Lo and behold it was hiding in a nook and cranny behind the front seat.  I wish I had thought about that Blue Tooth before.  I would never make a very good detective!

Thinking back I realized what happened.  On the way to the park I had stopped to pick up Karen and while I waited for her I noticed my bag was full of water because my water bottle had turned over.  I took the bottle out and got out of the car with the bag to get the water out.  The phone must have tumbled out as I exited the car and I never noticed it was gone till the next morning.  I did search the car at least three times but it was in a weird spot and I missed it and the only time I had driven was when I was  showing Alan and Elaine around the Club and so I had not noticed that my Blue Tooth was on.  Whew!!

 

Happiness

I watched a couple of the Ted talks from Lifehack and was impressed with Shawn Achor who argues that instead of doing our work harder so we can be successful so that we will be happy that happiness inspires productivity so create the happiness in the present and you will be better and do better at everything you do.  He suggests rewiring your brain by:

• Writing down 3 gratitude's a day for 21 days and at the end of 21 days our brain will be trained to  a pattern of looking for the positive things in our life
• Journal about one positive thing each day so you can relive it
• Exercise everyday so our mind and body know that our behavior matters
• Meditate so we can get over the multi tasking and learn to focus on one important task at a time
• Do random acts of kindness and it will become a habit of happiness

"Ripples of positivity will turn into a real revolution."  You will be happy in the present and thus more productive and do better in every phase of your life.  Makes sense to me!!

It goes along with the "as if" theory that Richard tried to live by, living as if everything was just the way he wanted it in his life.  And James always tells me he only wants to hear positive things, no negative thoughts in life.

Unfortunately I am too much of a realist at times, which leads to always waiting for the other shoe to drop and expecting the worst instead of the best.

I must say I have tried to make a habit of a few of the above items--I can do all of them.  How about those 20 shows of yoga I have saved to do someday, why not start today!!!

And my three gratitude's for today are 1--my legs that are still working and I can do most everything for myself  2--my brain is still functioning and I can do many writing, thinking, and creative tasks  3--my house to live in and keep me safe and warm (or cool).