Shopping at Cabelas

While in No. Utah, we went shopping at hubby's favorite outdoors shop.

No they don't sell fish but have lots in an indoor aquarium. 

A little crowded but the meals are regular!

Different kinds of fish, black bass, rainbow trout, sunfish
catfish, sturgeon, pike, etc., etc.

No fishing allowed here.

Hubby checking out the fly fishing rods for future use someday.

Several displays of animals from all over the world.

Animals from our part of the world.

Cute moose that would fill up your whole bedspread!

Smaller wild animal figurines.

This is quite a moosey store-we looked lots but didn't buy anything.

Safely Home...

Had a good Thanksgiving with two of my sons and their families in Northern Utah then off on a snowy ride home to our desert home where it's sunny and warmer!

I was taking photos––so didn't get in any photos, but I was there.

Traveling to Thanksgiviing..

Over the hills and through the mountains to Dan's house we go.

A restless dog next to us at the gas station in Washington, Utah

View from gas station of St George area

Tuscher  mountains with snow as we head north to Beaver

Snow is getting closer as temps cool

Cloud formations in mountains north of Beaver

Mt. Timpanogos in Utah Valley-we are here...

Utah Lake view from Highland Utah

Sunset at the end of our day of traveling

Spring Literary Arts Festival in March 2016

Come join us March 3-5, 2016 in Southern Utah. Find your muse and explore your creative voice.

Virgin River runs through Zion Park and is next to our lodging.

Th-March 3, 2016 from 7-9 pm, free Z-Arts presentation in Springdale, Utah’s Canyon Community Center by our visiting poet Dr. David J. Rothman of Western Colorado State University speaking on Plein Air Poetry: Encountering the Natural World. Bring your favorite nature poem to share. Lodging available at reduced early spring rates at Zion Park Lodge or Cable Mountain Lodge in nearby Springdale or in St. George, Utah. Carpools available.

Cable Mountain Lodge is in Springdale next to the Virgin River

Zion Park Lodge where Poetry in the Park will take place. Guests who want to stay overnight can stay here or  in Springdale.

Fri-March 4 from 9 am-4 pm the seventh annual Poetry-in-the-Park workshop with Dr. Rothman will take place at Zion Park Lodge, hosted by Utah State Poetry Society and Zion Natural History Association, tuition-$60 includes free park pass, guided nature walk and more. Come enjoy Zion park before the shuttles begin and the crowds. Made possible by grants from Utah State Dept. of Arts and Museums and National Endowment for the Arts. For details:  poetry-in-the-park.com  email Director Lin Floyd email lin at sunrivertoday dot com.

The classroom where we'll be meeting in the Zion Park Lodge.
That's a gas fireplace if needed for extra warmth in the room.

This is for a reception––we will have tables facing one way.

 Fri, March 4 from 7-9 pm free Chaparral Poetry Award Program in St. George Utah. Come listen to youth through adults winners read their poetry. Hosted by Redrock Writers and St. George Arts Commission.

View out the windows of the classroom is majestic-Zion Park

Sat, March 5 from 9 am-4 pm twentieth annual Redrock Creative Writing Seminar in St. George featuring outstanding writers and poets: Dr. Rothman-Plein Air Poetry, Marleen Bussma-Cowboy Poetry, Brian Passey-Photo Journalism, and Marilyn Richardson-Writing with Tension. Tuition-$60 includes lunch. Details, see redrockwriters.org or email Redrock Seminar Director Alma Richie alma.m.richie@gmail.com

Redrock Grill with great food for eating outside or inside: vegan, gluten free and buffets + sack lunches 

Fall Colors in Zion Park

The weather was in the 60s this past weekend, so we decided to take a day trip to nearby Zion Park. What a beautiful place to visit in fall when it's cooler and the crowds have thinned somewhat as summer vacationers are back to work.

The Virgin River carved out a beautiful canyon on the way to Zion Park

Here we are and get in free with our senior pass!

I love the natural colors, no photoshopping needed here.

Red rocks, green yucca and yellow fall leaves...

Layers of color in every direction witness God's handiwork

Amazing what time, wind, rain and erosion can create!

Value of Journaling

Well, it was time to clean off my desk and start weeding my paper stuff which accumulates faster than anyone can imagine. Mail comes in almost daily and I try to throw away or act upon those items that need my attention BUT what do you do with years/decades of old journals. You know what your spouse or kids will do after your funeral. toss them in the nearest recycle barrel. So I decide to help them out by doing that myself first but first I had to read each page-lol.

Our old home in New Harmony has lots of trees––we moved in 2017.

What can be gained from reading old journals? It's amazing the insights that can come as you see your life repeating itself with some of the same old procrastination faults still living with you today.
It can also be a healing process as you see the growth you have made dealing with some of the same issues again and again.

Hubby carefully calculates the curves for fittings.

One thought from reading my journals hit home with me. ˆWe must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so we can find the life that is waiting for us." That's a good thought for me, as I've lived my whole life with unrealistic fairy tales and dreams. i.e. Living happily ever after with little needed on my part because I deserved to be happy. LOL! Anyone else agree with that?

The model fits perfectly now to cut the boards to fit.

Well what I have discovered is LIFE IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE and situations will repeat themselves till we have learned its LESSON. And another important thought from my journal that I hope to be able to incorporate each day. "Our future depends on a healed past and a well lived present. " Not living for a better future but focusing on the present is so important.Rereading old journals can help you heal from past experiences.

Masking where the epoxy won't go saves lots of cleanup later.

Weeks are rushing by...

Somehow it's already Wednesday

hump day for another busy week

that just began yesterday it seems.

It's not even the holiday rush

but time is leaping forward

in expectation of celebrating.

What if we could slow down

each day and celebrate TODAY.

Just an ordinary day...

full of unappreciated blessings

like: hot water, dishwasher,

food in the frig, good health.

Not looking forward or back

but relishing the day we have

before it becomes yesterday.

The Saga of the New Eye Glasses

These days nothing seems easy. Though the cataract surgery went smoothly, I now have almost perfect far vision but limited near vision. Before the surgery it was the opposite I could read without my glasses but seeing far away was a dilemma. Now I feel like Mrs. Magoo for those of you old enough to remember near sighted Mr. Magoo. Easy enough to fix that with glasses-right? WRONG!

Now after my second pair of lenses and new frames, I can see a little better...but not perfectly. I just want to be able to read the comics in the paper and the news, but it's blurry. After three different eye exams, I think we may have found the problem. I have a floater in my left eye which slightly blurs my vision both near and far. It's suppose to go away 2-4 weeks after my surgery....hopefully. So in the meantime, I'm using reading glasses from my friendly Walmart with a power of 3.0 and have a pair with 4.0 ordered. As I said...life is full of little challenges.

Autumn Surprises

Well, I finally got my autumn decorations put up just as my friend Caryn is putting up her Christmas decor. But fall weather is still arriving in So. Utah as the leaves change. Then we had a big surprise-no hot water. Just the other day, I commented what a luxury it is to have hot water. Then last night as I tried to shower it was gone!

Decor made by the Chinese for crazy Americans...lol! 

I love to decorate my shelf in the kitchen each season or holiday

Finding a plumber to come out immediately wasn't easy, but possible!

The old water heater of 17 years needed replacement

Allen had to clean out a corner of our garage/workshop...

New water heater says bye to old one on the right.

All settled in and hooked up, it's ready to go....

Relief Society giving relief

Our church has a women's organization called the RELIEF SOCIETY. We meet on Sundays for spiritual lessons then have monthly activities on a weekday. This month our activity was called "Dinner in the Bag" consisting of all the ingredients except for a turkey that a family in need would want for a turkey dinner. Other groups donated frozen turkeys. It was a fun time of visiting, working and serving others.We donated more than 64 bags of food for making a Thanksgiving dinner.

Poster advertising our event

Donations for turkey dinner fixings are many 

Jello, yams with marshmallows and more

Time to feast on homemade soups and visit

Making a quilt is on the agenda too

Counting and fixing the bags

Loading up the trucks with bags