Update on Baby Evy

Evy is home! She has gone from 1 lb. 3 oz. to 6 lbs. 10 oz. and growing! All seems to be well with her except a little more eye development is needed. Keep up the prayers!

Playing with Words

My friend and I walk today,

the path drowsy with threatened rain,

bushes flattered into aspen brightness

or avocado-skin green, briers brown

as leather, crowding west toward

a white fence pointing the way

to the distant Cinderella highway.



When Joan dropped me off after our walk she said, Go write a poem. This is a five minute draft, not off the subject technique or other layers. I have no idea how it will or will not develop. My walking partner, Joan, is in Colorado with her son's family now. Anyway, this post is weeks after that walk. Whoops, there is more...



A pied-billed grebe disappears

in murky stream, waters low,

a stop sign surrounded by dry bushes

appears for us to puzzle over until we remember

high water in spring, low bridge ahead.

Concrete tunnel beneath the road

echoes with our footsteps

and a Halloween screech.



Downstream, the grebe emerges

shakes a drop from its bill

and submerges again.



I forgot that I had added on to the thing so I guess it was more like 15 minute draft. It needs a lot more revision but it is a start. Thanks Joan, for the challenge. You do that for me a lot and I appreciate your caring.

Eight is Enough?

Can't believe it's been so long since I posted. How easy to get out of a habit, even a good one. Thanks to Kimberlee (again) I decided I would write today. Her tag makes it easier to get with it!

8 TV shows I love to watch...

Jon and Kate plus 8
Little People
The O'Reilly Factor
Professional Bull Riding
Joseph Smith Papers
Any Jazz game or tennis broadcasts
American Experience
Keeping Up Appearances

I watch HGTV, Create, and PBS programs, too. I used to watch American Choppers. I could never figure out why I was so fascinated by it. My favorite was a week when they were tearing down their old garage and moving to a new one. They drove into sheetrock partitions, crashed around like crazy with stuff flying around like an explosion. I laughed my head off. I didn't like the way relationships were handled but I did like seeing the soft side of the dad. The language finally got to be too much and it was broadcast somewhat late, so I gave up watching it.

8 things that happened yesterday...

I went to the dentist and got a way to go, keep on doing what you are doing.
We had hot dogs and Bush beans last night for dinner.
I was still cutting 6 inch squares for I Spy quilts.
I didn't find athletic shoes at Nordstrom Rack because I am fussy about fit.
I picked up a gorgeous red maple leaf in the parking lot. (Love the smell of autumn!)
I read two pages of Dick Francis' new book, Silk, before I feel asleep.
Art showed me a weather site on his computer.
I got a book in the mail from PaperBackSwap.com. It was mailed from Syracuse Utah.


8 places I love to eat...

El Farol, Fazoli's, Sweet Tomatoes, Golden Corral (Saturday breakfast), Chuck-a-Rama, Poetry party potluck at Marillyn Johnson's, (how's that for alliteration?) Navajo tacos at BYU food court, and Lone Star. Oh, I forgot hamburgers, fries and shakes at Woody's. Just plain old food!

8 things I look forward to...

Going to a memory writing class taught by my cousin Carol.
Maybe playing the cello again if my arthritic shoulders will cooperate.
Thanksgiving at Kimberly's.
Helping Alyssa's little dog Cupid know I am his friend.
Making new Christmas memories.
Having Nick, Brittany and Stephanie over.
Going to NYC in January to visit my dear friend Royce.
Getting acquainted with Evy after flu season is over.

That's it. And thanks again Kimberlee for the motivation to get on this blog again!

"To A Hip Couple"

This is what one of our fun friends wrote on a little card to be put in the guest book at our anniversary party. I guess it's true. We also thought of our old notion that this party gave a whole new meaning to "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" The party was so much better than we even imagined. And it was wonderful to be able to walk around without limping. There was a steady stream of our friends and relatives and everything was taken care of by someone else! We felt so blessed. Once in a while we even caught ourself looking around at what we needed to do but there wasn't anything except to visit and feel grateful. One of the special things for us was getting to see the friends of our children. We realized again that everybody has a special place in our heart. Another thing that struck me was how comfortable people were and how much like a reunion it was. I really enjoyed watching people visit with each other. The thought also kept coming to me that there were those who were not able to come who were sending love our way. It's hard to describe what a good experience we had. Thanks to everyone!

September 11--seven years (or fifty) later

Today was my last day with the physical therapist who has been coming to our home. We've gotten fond of her; between her visits to both of us, we've gotten quite well acquainted. Anyway after the door closed, I started to cry. I didn't feel that way until it was final. Of course, it is a day of reflection with feelings close to the surface anyway. We are keenly aware of how blessed we are, particularly since we will be given the gift of a small celebration of our anniversary--3 months and 2 days after the fact! It is an amazing thing to have a friend do all the preparations for us--we just have to show up. It was decided on such short notice that we couldn't even do invitations but if anyone reading this would like to join in, you are invited to a backyard party, Sunday, Sept. 14 from 4-6:00 PM. The address is 6822 South 300 East. Art and I are blessed to have had all these years together. 50+!!!

Fuzzy Brain

Again today I am noticing that my thought process feels somewhat like my thigh--sort of bandaged when it is not and flickering with nervous energy then lethargy (or numbness) settles in again. I feel it particularly when there is a decision to be made. I think anesthetic must be exaggerating a tendency that is already somewhat habitual. Decisions. I can think of 25 different possibilities for any given problem. It makes settling on one idea feel impossible. I know it's not true but with this habit, I think I need help. Or the calmness that comes when I pray in a serious way. A good thing to do on a Sunday, right? Or any other day, for that matter!

Where did the summer go?

Where to begin...my hip surgery was incredibly successful! The recovery has been fast, the pain minimal, our hospital, rehab and home care people have been easy to work with and I now walk without walker or cane--for the most part. (Cane is a security thing in case I walk further than I thought and still have to get back home!) At my visit to the Dr. he said the x-ray indicates that the hip is "perfect" and I have no reason to think otherwise. We have an excellent Dr. and love his nurse, Portia. All in all, I had a good experience. I went to church last Sunday--Art had a cold so he stayed home. I did notice that I had a slightly harder time following lessons and talks. Just not as alert as usual, which I attribute to the residual effects of anesthetic. Now it's time to continue to walk and use stationary bike, slowly building up to more and more time. I don't know if you have seen the TV ad with the coach of Duke University. The particular brand of prosthetics he touts is the same brand used for Art and I. So I rather like watching the ad. For some time, Art has wanted to replace our driveway and extend it over to the fence so that we could have the cars side by side rather than rearranging them all the time. We just had it done last week. Midvale City will put in sidewalk and gutter for us in October, although we will pay half of the cost. Our tomatoes and squash planted for us by our next-door neighbors are doing well. We both cried when we saw that someone had put them in for us, as early in the summer we could not have done it for ourselves. Good neighbors are invaluable! I don't know why I haven't updated before now. Somehow, the day to day things were just hard enough that I didn't have the inclination to add one more thing, I guess. Anyway it's good to be back--and even on a new computer!