From Utah to Colorado

Yesterday Bobby S drove me from Jeanne's house is Provo to Golden, Co.  It was a very pleasant easy drive and you use the southern route.  It was a beautiful drive and we went through Vail but did not stop there.

Safely arrived. I am at my sister Marilyn's house..  Easy trip over, sunshine and bare land all the way until a few mountains and ski areas just before we got to Golden.  I will be living in the lap of luxury for awhile.  Huge room with wi fi, tv, place for computer stuff and empty closets, large room.  Feel like I am in a hotel!!

Tanner and Marissa Marry

Yesterday Tanner and Marissa were married at the Salt Lake Temple.  It was a joyous occasion.  

Arky is Laid to Rest

Graveside services were held for Charles "Arky" Smith on Saturday, October 26, 2015.  About 35 people were there, 18 of them being relatives.

Pictured here left to right are Bobby Smith and his two sons CaseyGreer and Ben Smith, Holly Twenhofel ( Daughter Laurie's daughter), Zach, Daughter Sherry's son, Marilyn, Debbie (daughter) and Tom Brusehaver with Maddie, daughter of Debbie's daughter Megan (next to Tom) and her husband Shirantha Fernando behind Randy Smith, the youngest boy in front is Randy's, Debbie and Tom's sons are on either side of Randy, Antwone and Daejon, Adam Smith (son of Randy) and lastly Matt Chirrick and his wife (son of Debbie).

Arky Passes Away.

Arky Smith, husband of my sister Marilyn, passed away at noon today.  It was peaceful.  Here he is with Debbie's daughter Megan and her daughter Maddie, who were visiting from Minnesota.

Most of Marilyn's family are gathering at her home this week, coming from Montana, Utah, Texas and Minnesota.  They will have a graveside service on Saturday.

Fortunately most of the family had visited Arky this summer.  He has had lymphoma for almost five years and had become quite anemic, having to have many blood transfusions this summer.

This past week Debbie was visiting and he requested a catfish dinner.  She bought it and he told her how to cook and they said he really ate a lot, really enjoyed it.

I remember when Marilyn and Arky visited us in San Diego and for our dinner out he wanted catfish so we found a place and took him there.  It was a western place with Line Dancing and lots of fun. They also served hush puppies with the catfish, quite good as I recall.  Arky loved his catfish.

I will be going out to Colorado after Tanner's wedding and spend time with Marilyn.

Marilyn and Arky married Nov 24, 1954.  It would have been 61 years this year!

Charles Meredith Smith 

Charles “Arky” Smith, age 88, died peacefully on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at his home of 40 years in Golden, Colorado. Born May 8, 1927 he was the only child of Ina and Charlie Smith of Magnolia, Arkansas. In school, he excelled in sports and worked summers in the oilfields near Magnolia. He attended University of Tulsa on a football scholarship and excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. He played football in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day in 1945. TU was where he earned the nickname “Arky”, which he went by throughout his life. He graduated with a degree in Physical Education. He left school for one year to serve in the Army as a Security Agent in Washington D.C. Arky graduated from University of Tulsa in 1948, went to work in the oil fields for a year, and then went back to school for two more years to play baseball.

Arky met and married Marilyn Anderson in 1954 in Glendive, Montana where he was working for Baroid Drilling Co. Their three daughters were born in Montana before they moved to Monahans, Texas where their two sons were born. In 1967, the family moved to Midland, Texas, where Arky enjoyed coaching little league, golfing, hunting, and caring for his yard. 1975 took him to Beirut, Lebanon for a job transfer, but due to the civil unrest there, he chose not to move the family and came home after six months. 

Arky was an avid golfer for over 60 years, winning countless tournament trophies, leading groups at his local clubs, and had two hole-in-ones. He didn’t quit golfing until he couldn’t see the ball in the air anymore, but even then was still only 2 over par. Later in retirement, he worked as a ranger at Foothills Golf Course in Denver. In retirement he also enjoyed keeping his yard in tip top shape and collecting apples from the tree in his backyard for baking apple pies. He loved being outside and spending time with family. His home was always open to family get-togethers and frequent visits from his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was kind and generous, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. 

He was preceded in death by daughters, Laurie Twenhofel of Lakewood, CO and Sherry Smith of Austin, TX. 

Survivors include his wife Marilyn Smith, his children: Deborah(Tom) Brusehaver of Eden Prarie, MN, Robert Smith of Orem, UT, Randall Smith of Townsend, MT. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. 

The Masseys Are Here!!

The Masseys arrived on Tuesday the 25th!!  I so enjoyed having them here.  

The monitor I had in Keira's room did not work so Keira had to watch "Annie" on the big screen in the living room.  Sometimes you just have to nap.

 Eden is a quiet one who climbs up, looks down and investigates everything.  Unfortunately my yard is very dry and so walking out into the backyard is always an invitation for dirt to stick plus there was sap from the cedar tree so feet and sox and shoes were also covered with stickiness as well as dirt. Nevertheless they seemed to enjoy the yard, hammock, dirt and all.

While Mom and Dad took Keira to the lake I got better acquainted with Eden.  She even gave me big smiles as I let her play with Keira's tinker toy creation.

Eden was happy to pull Sadie in the wagon, but Sadie wouldn't stay there too long.  Sadie was very gentle and patient with both Keira and Eden.   And Keira had him walk over and over and over a little plank in the backyard we called a bridge.  He did her bidding.

Although I didn't do anything too much, I was still tired by the end of the week.  I decided to follow Dr. Tonya's suggestion and ditch the blood pressure pills, I think they make me more tired than playing with great grandchildren.  Both Keira and Eden are delightful. And I love have Meagan and Matt come to visit with their family!

 Keira was getting tired of posing and anxious to get on their way to visit her cousin Molly!

Overall Friends.

Linda and Maria at My House!!!

Linda and Maria came up in Maria's car last Sunday!  Maria was here part of the time and spent other time with Matt, Mitch and their girl friends in Tahoe.  It was wonderful having them here and they also helped me a lot.

Before Maria went down to Tahoe, she and Linda had bagged all the rest of the yard which I was never able to finish!  Then they cleaned out the garage and we accumulated a car full of Thrift items. Linda and I took them to the Thrift.  Maria also found a lot of things of her to throw away!

While Linda was here we (mostly her) put up the new blinds in the two bedrooms.  At last we can open and shut the blinds again.

Then we found some paint from when the house was originally built I guess and Linda painted the hallway, part of the entry way and a couple walls in each bedroom, that finished the paint.  She also painted the trim on the garage door.  And then she stained the front deck and steps!!!  Wow, really appreciated all her work.

Finally we made trips to the dump and disposed of all the bags of waste and lots of trash from the garage cleanup.  What a lot of things we accomplished while they were here.

Maria and Linda are both such beautiful, smart, loving ladies who are so giving and kind to me. Such

wonderful daughters, I am fortunate indeed!

For my part, I did try to feed them well while they were here.  Except I have very little sweets around and Linda had to munch on the marshmallows to satisfy her sweet tooth.

Me with no make up or hair combed!!!  Thus the sunglasses.

Tanner's Engagement Party in Carlsbad.

Marissa came to Carlsbad and the Pulsiphers had an engagement party for Tanner and Marissa at their home tonight.  I missed it, of course.  There were about 70+ there.

I wanted to put a picture of them and so printed one off and then my printer ran out of ink and I made a fuzzy picture of them.  Such a darling couple, they are planning on finishing their education at Ricks.  I will attend their wedding October 24 at the Salt Lake Temple.

Wha Happened??

I was feeling so well and so productive in April, May, June and then wham the storm hit and I couldn't even finish the clean up of that.  Now for the last month I have felt lousy, fatigued, and have accomplished nothing.  I can't sleep either.  I had been sleeping well and tasking a nap besides!!  

Somewhere along the way my left leg started hurting and I have been using a heating pad on that every night.  Then the sore throat started and I shut the house up, turned on the humidifier fan and have stayed inside.

About a week and a half ago I did find out what one problem was.  Before the Hardys came I took my box of prescriptions and supplements and put in my bedroom and just took the oxybutynin and allergy pills to be used every day and put them on my sink.  I was taking three times a day what I thought was oxybutynin and one allergy pill.  Then when I was talking to Marilyn I told her the oxybutynin was not working for the last month and that I was so tired I could hardly move.  

After the conversation I went in to get the oxy and was thinking I needed to change the prescription (it is a bladder control pill and I had been running to the bathroom about every hour).  Lo and behold it was my blood pressure medicine of which I should only take one a day!!!  I measured my blood pressure and it was 110 over 62!!!  No wonder I was so tired, three a day is an overdose!!!  I consulted an online dr and they said go down to the one pill a day and I could possibly take two again but never three.  If it was not working right I should go to a doctor and change the prescription. About then the sore throat started.

I treated the sore throat as allergy related and the dryness outside.  On Wednesday I decided I better see if something else was going on as my whole mouth hurt!!  Lozenges were not doing the trick and the throat was not getting any better.  When I told Dr. Tonya the whole scenario (except about my leg) she gave me a prescription for a fungal infection!!!  I looked it up and it can be caused by changing the mix in your throat and mouth by being on antibiotics ( I was on that in June) and dry mouth is also a culprit to change the mix.  We always carry the fungal candida but when it gets upset it can get out of control.  She said it should get dramatically better after even one dose if that is what it is, if not, she would have to resort to antibiotics instead of the Nystatin for fungus.

Well, it did get dramatically better, however the pharmacy gave me one 10 day bottle supply and said I would need to come back for the other bottle??? 20 days, Really?  It was $75, too!!!  I called in to the Dr but no call back so tomorrow I will have to go in and see if two bottles is really necessary.

UPDATE:  I talked to Dr Tonya, she wants me to take it for 15 days and then keep the other on hand in case it comes back!!!  I dd read how dangerous it can be if left untended.  If it gets into the bloodstream, it can be deadly.  Elderly and babies are most vulnerable.  This dry mouth from other medicine is dangerous, who knew????

Will dropped off a bunch of light bulbs as he is cleaning his garage and didn't need them.  I am sure I can use them except for the flood lights.  I wish I had some of those kind of lights.  He called to tell me and I told him I have been sick, I have not been out except to water for almost the whole month. He mentioned going out to dinner again, I thought we established that was not going to happen???

Dr. Tonya told me to take my bp every morning for a week and bring her the results.  She may wean me off of them, I hope so.  I just want to get well.  I have been so tired and so depressed for so long...

Have managed to listen to books though.  I especially liked Kate Atkinson "When Will There Be Good News?"  I have put on Hold two more of hers.

I am having a hard time getting anything on the computer done because my left leg hurts more when I am sitting at the desk,  oh, woe is me.

Bird Watching

I missed the launch of the baby birds, must have happened on eve of Thursday.  For two days or so the baby birds were sticking their heads out and looking all around and then it was just one bird, and finally none...darn.  Hope they survived.  How to clean the birdhouse???   I read you should do that every year but it is nailed down...

It's a Hard Knock Life

What an exhausting week and I am only half done bagging!!!!  I have 15 so far and probably 1 and 1/2 times that left!!!!  It is really hard on me to bend down so much but I notice my belt was a hole tighter yesterday so maybe it is worth it!!  Saturday I tackled the house and it was a mess and finished the laundry.  So much work this week I was really feeling sorry for myself.  So what is new.  I guess my role in life is to work, work, work.  No rest for the weary or wicked, whatever...


Sue and I were commiserating at church, she has a lot to clean up, too but her neighbors were so much worse off than both of us.  Their home is lower on a corner lot and they got mud runoff from all directions and it stopped right on their lawn etc.


Today I really needed to go to Susanville and load up on things but I decided I was too tired so stayed home and caught up my financials.  I also did the watering and two more bags and then in for a long morning nap.


In the afternoon I decided to quench my donut craving and made some of the donut holes from my Gluten free book.  They really hit the spot and I froze some to see if that works.


I wish I could get a picture of the two baby birds peeking their heads out looking for their Mom or Dad.  Soon the Dad, I think, swooped in and they disappeared.  I had to use binoculars from inside my house to make sure I could watch them undisturbed but I can't zoom my camera that much.  They have fat little faces.  When I look at how lower the base of the birdhouse is I wonder what they are standing on--is there that much nesting stuff in there?  Very interesting.  I wonder when their launch date is and who were all the six birds I took pictures of earlier this week?  I also buried three birds this week, I wonder who is killing them?  Sadie brought home a little baby birdie which I quickly buried.


I had such a hard time hearing Jim in SS.  He tends to mumble to himself it seems and he is aware he does not talk loud enough.  I was telling him afterward and he said he would try and talk louder and I should sit in the first row.  Ron said I should get hearing aids but out of all the reading of scriptures there was only one personI could not hear besides the teacher.  They just do not talk and project their voices for some reason.  Reminds me of the speech class I took at BYU.  I heard the recording of my first day and I was like a mouse and then for my final I was really projecting my voice and it sounded good.  I can't remember what we had to learn to do though to make it so.  He puts his hand or his remote up to his mouth and chin and drops his head which makes it even worse.  He is a good teacher but today he was much quieter than last week, maybe because we were in the chapel last week...strange.

An Old Friend Calls

Yesterday I got a call from a deep voice that said, "This is one of your old boyfriends, George Samuelson, remember me?"  Of course, we send each other birthday greetings each year, if nothing else, as our birthdays are on the same day.

George and I were pretty inseparable from second to 7th grade and we had our first real date in sixth grade but went to Rec together a lot also.  He had the Put Put car and shared a Hershey bar and the most sought after bubble gum in WWll with me.  I remember our first kiss in 2nd or 3rd grade through his hanky and his sweaty hands when we held hands in the movies in 6th grade.  We have quite a history after that also.

In 7th grade Norma Kay moved to town and became a best friend and also interested George in other girls as well.  We dated once or twice in high school but it just didn't go anywhere.  We both dated other people.  I went out once with him on a college break but we really did not have any chemistry at all.

When I moved to Billings to teach school and try to make it or break it with Harry he called and asked if his girlfriend Suzy could live with me and my roommate as she was working there.  And she did, and she became involved with another guy and married him.  I remember most the long telephone conversations she had with him.  George wanted a few answers from me, he was heart broken.   When I broke up with Harry for the last time in May of 1956 and took the bus to Port Angeles, WA to take a trip with my old roommate Colleen to look for teaching jobs in CA, George drove my car and took the rest of my stuff home to Glendive.  (He took over his Dad's Auto Parts business and did very well financially after graduating from Missoula (where he had met Suzy). When I took the train to San Diego in August he was also on the train with the National Guard and we sat together and commiserated about our losses.  Harry came up to our train car and talked to us both, too for a minute.

George in high school, on the right.

I never saw Harry again except in 1958 for a minute at a basketball game in Glendive when I took Bill home for Christmas until the reunion in 2000.   I saw George once more when I went home for my brother's funeral in the 70's and have not seen him since.  He had married someone else and eventually divorced and Suzy also divorced and he and she reconnected in 1990 I believe in Flathead, MT and married and have been happy and well since I think.  They go back and forth between homes in Arizona and Montana.

Suzy and George, a few years ago

He called to say they were still in Arizona and were going to San Diego for a trip to get out of the heat and wondered if I knew of a hotel near the beach who took dogs.  He had just started looking and of course, I did not know as I never take my dog to a hotel but we chatted.

He said he had recently talked to Andy and Andy had throat cancer.  Andy was my sort of boyfriend when I was a sophomore.  He also said Curt Milne's oldest son had cancer, he lived in Arizona, how said.  Patty J is at a home in  Coeur d'Alene, ID and Hal has an apartment there and visits her every day. He likes living there, but how sad. Sad to here what is happening to all of us in our old age.  Couldn't think of any other recent news about anyone but will keep me posted.  I shared with him my latest adventure with the Big Storm.  He asked about all the family.

Andy behind me, on the right side, I am in the middle

Norm (Andy) at 2000 Reunion

I told George I did not recognize his voice and kept waiting to hear the "George" I knew.  He said I sounded different also.

Hearing about Andy reminded me of the cartoon that was done about us when I was a Jr.  Harry had moved to town and I had been going with him all year.  It is a picture of me sitting on a couch and Harry taking Andy out by the collar and says "Taking Out the Interference".  Then I saw another cartoon which I do not remember noticing before.  It is a picture of four cars parked near the airport with the initials under the cars.  We used to park and neck, like all teenagers I guess.  Although today they do not stop at necking.  The last car has the initials D. K. & B.M. H. and H. B. & J.A. which would have stood for Dean  Kampschorer and Berta Mae Huebl and Harry Becker and Janet Anderson.  I surely do not remember that.  Anyway funny how things make you remember something from so long back.  Andy and I talked a lot at the 2000 Reunion.  He was having problems with his marriage and told Marilyn he thought it was such a waste I was living alone in the mountains.

Cartoon about Harry and Andy (me on the couch)

Parked at the Airport, Harry's car on right

Harry at 2000 Reunion

Maria and Melissa Skills

I was having an interesting conversation with Maria about her work.  She is the highest paid Budget Analyst at her college now!!!  She also developed an Excel Assessment which she used to determine whether or not job seekers really knew Excel.  They all say they do but with this little test she really knew whether they did or not.  It is so good that it was adapted for the other CSU's to use also!!!!

Maria was always so detailed and dug deep to get the answers and figure everything out.  She worked as Richard's special assistant from the time she was a sophomore but she also worked on many projects for him for years before that.  And yet most all the higher learning she did was after she married and on her own or special classes.  She really is amazing.  She says Melissa is amazing, she understands all that and is so creative with her skills as well.  She says the Business graduates from college now really know the Excel program well but she is always having problems with her older lady assistants who either just don't get it or want to get it.  Computer skills are so important, I hope all the grandchildren realize that.

The Birds

Today there were six birds, the two really blue ones I thought might be the new babies and then there was another one added to the mix and the father was chasing him but they all settled on the line again and there was still one more in the house.  So are these the new children or just friends?  So confusing but fascinating.  They surely like Matt's bird house, it is a big one, but how can I ever get it cleaned out???  They will have to do that themselves.

Don't Eat Raw Carrots

While working on my puzzle the other night I wanted something to chew on and remembered the big carrots I had bought.  It wasn't long before I had had enough and also felt that bad thing in my throat when food is caught in there.

Drank hot water and coughed..no luck, then I tried the remedy I had read for phlegm.  Hot lemonade with honey. I sipped on that until it was almost gone and then I started coughing up the carrots.  It was so easy, they just kept coming, I wonder if any got to my tummy at all.  It is called acid reflux so they say, I just know it had not happened for over a year and then it was eating spicy food.

But anyway, DO NOT EAT RAW CARROTS AGAIN!!!

Janet, The Handy Lady

Tuesday night after working for two days cleaning up from the storm I also decided to tackle the dishwasher not draining and the disposal not working.

A quick trip to You Tube for a reminder of how and I learned something new--put a little baking soda and water together and pore down the dishwasher area where I had just cleaned out the screens (where it drains) and then pore vinegar and then hot water down.  It works.  Dishwasher draining.  On Good Morning America the other day the demonstrator lady said it did not matter if you rinsed--ha, she never had debris get stuck in her dishwasher drain.  Of course it matters.  Rinse!!!!  Scrape Off!!!

Then to the disposal.  Tried the thingy on the bottom, did not work, but You Tube showed me where debris usually gets stuck and I found a tooth pick wedged in there!!!  Got it out, and used the broom ( as Richard always did) and the red button and voila, it is working again.  It emphasizes how important it is to pull the plug out before start working on the disposal.  All I need is more chopped fingers...

Anyway You Tube to the rescue for the third time this week, Johnny had directed there me to get the folding door off the dishwasher area earlier.

And now today they are bringing the new washer.  I wonder how many loads to wash I have.  My guest tub is full of all the towels (from cleaning up leaking water and my bath towels) plus all the dish towels, etc.

The hamper is full of jeans and shirts used everyday and during the clean up outside and the laundry bag is full of undies!

I finally bought a laundry plastic basket for $2.47 from Walmart so I can carry wet laundry etc., how have I lived so long without such a cheap but needed thing???

The Beat Up and The Survivors

I have spent the last three days doing clean up, today I am taking a rest and will have to finish bagging another day.  The raking and branch gathering is done.  Many need chopping though.  Still lots of bags today.  Have only four done!

The hardest part was getting all the dirt and mud off of the patio.  I used the hoe (scraping sound) when neighbors were off boating and then the weeder in between the rocks, lots of broom and raking and till finially it was clean enough to put new sand.  I had asked Maryanne to buy play sand from Lowes which was on sale but all she could find was the utility sand.  I am glad because the utility sand almost cements them together and its much more stable and no slipping on the fine sand.  So, lesson learned, do not use the fine sand.  It also has more texture and a darker color between the rocks. Good job, Janet!  Oh, yes, I also used the blower and it worked very well to get rid of some of that mud!

Day after Storm, picnic table is all pitted also

Now

The Beat Up

The Survivors

Of course, it was just a few flowers for me but I thought about the pioneer ancestors who the hail and drought meant whether they ate or not...