New England Beauty

So, Dallas and I started off the vacation with the all night flight from Salt Lake to New York City on JetBlue Airlines. Everytime I take this flight I vow I will never take the flight again. It is like no sleep for 36 hours. We met up with our friend John in NYC then Dallas and I took a pedicab through Central Park. We had never really seen the whole park and I have to say it was beautiful.

Our first stop was Boston. It was much different than I expected and the amount of history there made me giddy. I love history! We visited all the usual sites while we walked the Freedom Trail. We even stumbled up the Cheers Bar from the television show.

Portland, Maine was my favorite place. Small, quaint and so beautiful. This is a famous light house but I forgot the name. We saw like 5 of them right in the harbor.

The following day we sailed in to St. John, New Brunswich in Canada. Not a lot there. Fundy Bay with the Reversing Falls is the big draw. Unfortunately we hit it right at calm time. Nice town with an interesting church that looked impressive in the fog. I really liked the fog when we were on the ship. You could here all the ships in the area blowing their horns to alert each other.

Halifax, Nova Sotia was very interesting and bigger than I expected. The Fairview Cemetary was a nice bus ride away with a ride through the suburbs. Again, not what I expected. The Titanic graves were located in the middle of the cemetary in the middle of Halifax suburbia. Something really cool was that as we left Halifax they had Scottish Pipers playing.

We had an amazing vacation and I saw things I have always wanted to see and they were unlike anything I have seen before.

Goin' Cruisin'

NO! Not Motorcycle cruising, but like a vacation cruise on a ship. I am so excited. We leave next week for 10 days. A couple days in New York City and then we board the ship and go to Boston Massachussettes, Portland Maine, St. John's New Brunswick and Halifax Nova Scotia in Canada. The leaves should be changing (that is what Carnival Cruise Lines says anyway) and the temperatures should be nice. BUT.... If you know anything about our vacations, anything that can go wrong just might. We have had some success the past few journeys, but still.... I just hope we don't get sick, lots of colds and crap going around and it would be just our luck to have some hurrican come up the coast and get us. Be sure to check back in a couple of weeks for details and pictures. If we survive that is!

My Friend Dick

Today was my friend Dick's 80th Birthday. He had a big, big party with lots of family and friends and food. I hope that Dick will at least have one more birthday before he has to go, but I'm not sure. I just love sitting outside on a summer evening with Dick. Sometimes we talk and sometimes not. It is just relaxing. He always tells me when it is time to plant something in my garden. In the winter I like to sit on the leather couch in the house with Dick. It is relaxing. I did this for several months a couple years ago when I didn't feel good. He would read the paper to me and tell me everything was going to be ok. Everything was just perfect today at his party.

Thanks for being my friend Dick!

In Honor Of The Grand Old "G"

I Am A Farmer!

After 103 years they have closed Granite High School. I have mixed emotions about this. Many members of my family are Granitians. It was the 2nd High School in the Salt Lake Valley.

I went to a Good Bye Open House last Friday to have a last look around the school. Not that I have been back since I graduated 31 years ago. Not much had changed. They had bricked up the opening over the entrance in the "S" building. I don't know why. Sometimes when you walked into the "S" building you would get hit by a paper ball or something, but nothing bad. It also let light into the upstairs hall. It was really hot. I remembered the hot days in the fall and spring. It was an old school, there was no air-conditioning and it was ok.

I have many memories because I lived so close to the school. There was open plunge on hot summer days, football games on autumn evenings. My friends and I would ride our bikes around the school and have water fights at the outdoor drinking fountain donated by the class of 1970. It was just a hole in the ground by the time I graduated in 1978. It is no longer there.

When I finally attended Granite High, every morning I was out the front door, down the street, throught the alley, across the student parking lot, down the stairs through the tunnel, up and outside to the "S" building. I had arrived at school and I loved it.

It is always sad to have things in your life leave but I will always have the memories just like The Song of the "G" states!

SONG OF THE "G"

When sight and sound of the campus
Fade in the long, busy years,
Yet will return in our memories,
Echoes of old Songs and Cheers...
You, of the field, track and diamond,
Fighters for clean victory,
You who love the fair, square sport,
You'll hear the song of the "G"!
Fo it Granite! Go it Granite!
Hear the battle cry;
Go it Granite! Go it Granite!
Yours 'til we die...
She will remember,
You'll not forget her,
Though you are far away
She is calling, calling to you ever,
Honor the Grand old "G"!

Sallie in the boys gym in the "A" building

Sallie and Dallas by the seal in the main entrance of the "S" building

Sallie in Sardine Hall of the "S" Building.

Dallas pointing at his Senior year locker #12.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

So.... about 2 months ago we purchased a new 2010 Mazda 3 We have never owed an brand-new car. I love this car. It is peppy and easy to drive. I really love the remote entry and the blue tooth for my phone. I really like it when someone is admiring the car because I don't think anyone has ever admired something that I have been driving before. It feels nice and that new car smell............heavenly!

The Last Graduation?

So, Dru graduated from Southern Utah University yesterday.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude, something that no other family member has achieved.

It was what one would call a bitter-sweet day. President Thomas S. Monson was the main speaker. He basically stated; "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, and live in the present." He also advised to never stop learning and progress to be better in all aspects of life.

As Dru was entering the auditorium with the other graduates I thought WOW! I can't believe the time has actually come. My last child is graduating from college. It was something that always seemed so far in the future that it could never actually happen. Here we were in the moment, it had happened. Then I thought, man, I feel kind of old. This was some goal that seemed a thousand years away and it had actually come to pass.

Each member of our family has a Bachelors Degree. What do we do now????????

Off the Treadmill, out the Front-door and onto the Parkway!

The other day it was so beautiful outside, so I decided that I would jog to the park. Nature is so beautiful when you allow yourself the pleasure of experiencing it. I left the ipod and headphones home and let the birds be my music. The chirps, tweets, whirs, peeps and cheeps blended perfectly and made the most relaxing and uplifting symphony.

I first passed the tulips in my own front yard, then down the street to the Parkway and noticed the new leaves on the trees and bushes.

I also noticed that the Beavers had been busy. I love the Beavers but I hope they don't continue to chop down all the trees along the river.

As I ran I looked over and saw a group of pelicans. WOW! I had to stop and watch for a couple of minutes and take pictures. I have not seen them on the river before.

I continued on my way and noticed the little purple flowers in the native grasses on the side of the path and bank of the river.

I ran under the freeway and onto the bridge over the river. I noticed the black and red birds flying from tree to tree and talking to each other. All the birds seem to be doing this. I passed the golfers and watched as one swung his club, hit the ball and head it splash in the river. Finally, I came to Winchester Park and saw the ducks and geese floating in the little pond at the park, a couple were walking around and honking and quacking to each other. I turned around and headed back toward home. I felt energized and uplifted except my knees hurt from pounding the pavement. I had experienced a few small pleasures of life from Heavenly Fathers vast creations. All I had to do was get off my treadmill and go out my front-door. What a great place to live!