Rereading OLD JOURNALS and BLOGS

It's amazing how a blog can be like a diary recording your activities and thoughts with photos and words. I spent a few minutes reviewing my blog entries/posts for the past year and it was like reliving some of the good times...I made this list of monthly accomplishments:

Grandkids and Dan-Tina

JAN-genealogy research takes up lots of time in our cold weather.

FEB- Tour of Provo City Temple and time with family in Utah Valley, son Frank V's 50th birthday-I'm getting older.

MAR-Busy with Poetry in the Park and Redrock Writers Seminar, robins are nesting and two eggs soon to hatch.

APR-Busy with traveling to Utah State Poetry conference in SLC area and Mesquite Fine Arts Festival in Nevada.

l-r: Emilee and Heather

MAY-GRADUATION for twins and family reunion, lovely Mother's Day visit with son Jeff and his two kiddos.

JUNE-Summer heat is here, working on family history again, exercising-walking in the outdoor pool.

JULY-My birthday and fun trip to Cedar Mountains and to visit Sagers in Hatch, Utah.

AUG-Reading Julia Cameron's book -It's Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativy and Meaning in Midlife and Beyond. I want to teach a class about this! Released from RS presidency-now I'll have more time to do other things.

 SEP-Grandparents day with James, Folk Dance scrapbook photos and visiting the twins-home from college.

OCT-Floyd sisters-hubby's daughters reunion, Caryn's back!

NOV-Thanksgiving at Dan's and Kanab trip for writers conference plus trip to North Rim of Grand Canyon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes.

DEC-Holidays-Dan's family visits on their way to Mexico for a family service project.

Looking back...

Today I spent quite a bit of time looking back at old memories captured on photos and stored in my dropbox file which is getting filled up. How fun to see earlier times and realize how many memories of family and nature's beauties were experienced.

Sunset on Great Salt Lake on the way to the SL Airport

Four years ago enjoying the new Salt Lake shopping mall

Trying to sell some of the five book I wrote-gave up on that...lol!

Enjoying a hike on the Virgin River Confluence Park

Appreciating the "stark beauty of our desert surroundings"

Exploring Snow Canyon park in St. George city area

Hubby is my chauffeur and designated guide on these excursions

Family Christmas Visitors

Dan, Tina and family stopped by briefly on their way to  Mexico for a service project they do each year helping build homes for LDS members in Puerto Penasco. It was fun to see everyone, they'll be back on their return trip for New Year's Eve...

 

Hatch family enjoys homemade stew and pumpkin pie.

The breakfast cooks: l-r Emilee, Heather and Daniel

 

 

Our cook James slept in...

Emilee and Nathan who is growing a foot every time I see him...

Getting packed for the trip south in the rain.

Heather looking good after a successful semester away at a Snow College.

Heather taught me how to do selfies...

Emilee also had a successful semester away at BYU-Idaho

Can't believe my first grand children are almost adults and in college!

My son Daniel is a successful college teacher now at UVU=Utah Valley University

Poem published in UTSPS Panorama

My days of being published are over except for poems. When I retired I wrote 5 books in 5 yeasrs: My books are still spotlighted on my blog in the left column at the bottom and available: (1) Looking Back at the Good Old Days (2) Nature Notes for Kids: collection of poetry for my grandkids, (3) Find Your Voice, Write Your Life Story, (4) Family Home Evening for Empty Nesters and Singles, and my last attempt: Discover Your Voice After Divorce: Writing workbook for Healing and Recovery. The last two books are available as e-books from Amazon.com So guess you could say I've achieved some success if not monetarily...lol!

So here's my latest published poem in Panorama 2016 entitled:

DEPARTURE

  

Gingerly he crosses

the uneven ground

afraid of falling,

holds firmly to his cane.

Three months have passed

since she departed,

leaving him behind, alone.

Sixty years ago,

they were so young, in love,

pledged their vows solemnly.

Oh, to return now 

for one day or just an hour,

hold her in his arms,

tenderly express his love,

feel again her sweet touch.

Time is too cruel

taking her away so suddenly,

his dear companion.

He leaves a single daisy,

her favorite…on the grave.

AWARDS:
1. League of Utah Writers Contest 2012
Narrative Poem, 3^rd Honorable Mention
2. Published in LUW’s Shimmering 2013
3. UTSPS Panorama 2016

My youngest son is 34!

Happy Birthday JEFFREY!

He's 34 this year-still a young man and loving father and husband.

Growing up, Jeff was the last to leave the nest and has done well.

The family taken last year...Jeff, Lorien, Eddie and Rachel

Christmas Preparing

MESSIAH concert finally made it after living here nine years....

Dixie Poets Christmas party pot luck and poet readings was fun!

Caryn's front door

I love the Father Christmases she has everywhere with trees and reindeer.

Festive pillows add a touch of red cheer to the room.

Not to mention this cute wool jacket she found while shopping.

I like Caryn with her brown hair again, we both tried white hair but....

That's a green pumpkin leftover from Halloween

She made the cute nutcrackers...

Not an ich that isn't lovely decorated.

Time for Christmas parties and programs

Our four LDS branches or congregations in Sunriver put on a display of creches or nativity scenes this past week with a musical program featuring choirs and musicians from other faiths. It was a lovely occasion and I was amazed by all the countries represented in the nativity displays. Many of our LDS members have served missions in other countries, so it was quite the collection. Click to make them larger.