My dad sent this to me, and it made me smile.
Whether a man winds up with a nest egg, or a goose egg, depends a lot on the kind of chick he marries.
Trouble in marriage often starts when a man gets so busy earnin' his salt that he forgets his sugar.
Too many couples marry for better, or for worse, but not for good.
When a man marries a woman, they become one; but the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.
If a man has enough horse sense to treat his wife like a thoroughbred, she will never turn into an old nag.
Many girls like to marry a military man - he can cook, sew, and make beds and is in good health, and he's already used to taking orders.
Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Winter Trip to Gardner Village
Erin flew in from Hawaii this morning. Just before she moved there she took up knitting. Well, obviously the knitting supply options on Kaua'i are rather limited, so she's been dying to go to a knitting store she found at Gardner Village last October. We went this afternoon with Paul's wife Kelsey. Here are some pictures.
The three of us in the Knitting Shop.
Erin and Kelsey outside some of the shops. Brrrrr (Erin was dying! It was 80 degrees yesterday at her house).
Kelsey and Erin at the restaurant.
The three of us in the Knitting Shop.
Erin and Kelsey outside some of the shops. Brrrrr (Erin was dying! It was 80 degrees yesterday at her house).
Kelsey and Erin at the restaurant.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year
Well, another year has come to a close. This 2009 has been a tough year for us but it's also been filled with many blessings.
"I will seek elegance rather than luxury, refinement rather than fashion. I will seek to be worthy more than respectable, wealthy and not rich. I will study hard, think quietly, talk gently, and act frankly. I will listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with an open heart. I will bear all things cheerfully, do all things bravely await occasions and hurry never. In a word I will let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common."
~~William Ellery Channing
Happy New Year!
"I will seek elegance rather than luxury, refinement rather than fashion. I will seek to be worthy more than respectable, wealthy and not rich. I will study hard, think quietly, talk gently, and act frankly. I will listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with an open heart. I will bear all things cheerfully, do all things bravely await occasions and hurry never. In a word I will let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common."
~~William Ellery Channing
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December Cruise
Last February, two of my married kids found a great cruise deal online that they booked, which would take place in December. It would remain inexpensive because we could all drive to San Diego together. So I went ahead and booked it too. Unfortunately, since that time many things have changed, and it turned out that Ed and I were the only ones who were able to go.
We got to see Grampa Hanson on the way there and even attended a ward in Beaumont that is the home ward for the son of a neighbor here in Utah. Boy is the world small.
The cruise was to Catalina Island and to Ensenada, Mexico. We'd been to Ensenada last January and didn't want to go again, so we stayed aboard on that day. It was a nice break, but Holland America (our January cruise) really spoiled us for Carnival. It was okay, but really paled by comparison. I doubt we'll ever do a Carnival cruise again.
The ship was decorated for Christmas and was very festive.
Catalina is fairly large, but the development is limited to one mile. It's filled with all kinds of cute little shops. It was VERY clean! Avalon Harbor is a fun name because it always makes me think of King Arthur.
Ed made friends with some birds.
We went on a glass bottom boat tour and watched a bunch of fish. Makes me want to see that Doris Day movie "The Glass Bottom Boat" again.
We got to see Grampa Hanson on the way there and even attended a ward in Beaumont that is the home ward for the son of a neighbor here in Utah. Boy is the world small.
The cruise was to Catalina Island and to Ensenada, Mexico. We'd been to Ensenada last January and didn't want to go again, so we stayed aboard on that day. It was a nice break, but Holland America (our January cruise) really spoiled us for Carnival. It was okay, but really paled by comparison. I doubt we'll ever do a Carnival cruise again.
The ship was decorated for Christmas and was very festive.
Catalina is fairly large, but the development is limited to one mile. It's filled with all kinds of cute little shops. It was VERY clean! Avalon Harbor is a fun name because it always makes me think of King Arthur.
Ed made friends with some birds.
We went on a glass bottom boat tour and watched a bunch of fish. Makes me want to see that Doris Day movie "The Glass Bottom Boat" again.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
A Christmas Story
My daughter Erin shared this with me, and I loved it so much I had to share it too.
A Simple White Envelope
“For the Man Who Hated Christmas”
by Nancy W. Gavin
It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.
Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.' Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.
That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.
Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
A Simple White Envelope
“For the Man Who Hated Christmas”
by Nancy W. Gavin
It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.
Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.' Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.
That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.
Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Random Thoughts
When I talked with Erin this morning they were getting ready to head to the beach. I'm looking out my gloomy windows, wishing we'd get some kind of moisture. It's been really dry lately, and the air is funky, the fun fall colors have now all dropped from the trees. I decorated the house yesterday, and I'm trying to finish up on the tree. I don't do nearly as much as I used to now that the kids are all grown.
We got through Thanksgiving with everyone healthy. It was odd only having seven of us to dinner though. Poor Robert had been assigned to bring soda, and he bought tons of it. He forgot our numbers would be down by more than half. It was very quiet with no grand kids around. It's a good thing I only baked an 11-lb turkey (we usually have 22-pound bird). We were able to talk with Erin on the phone, while everyone was here. She had company coming over. I'm so glad they've found good friends there already. Because of the time difference, we were only able to type a line to Dave and Shannon. They are planning to go to the Hong Kong Disneyland for their Christmas trip. What fun!
Here's Paul and Kelsey (and Adam from the side)
Robert and Michelle
Ed and Kelsey cleaning up after
Like my social commentary on the cupboard? *laughs evilly*
Last night Ed and I went to the Borders in Provo to see Brandon Sanderson who was doing a book signing. He's going to be here in Orem on the 5th, but Ed and I will be driving to California that day, so it was last night or not--and I really wanted to ask some questions about the Wheel of Time series.
I am usually not into the whole get your picture taken with an author/actor/singer/well-known personality thing, so this was a first. I figure once in over half a century isn't too bad. And he's one of my favorite authors now.
As we discussed one of my questions, he handed me a card:
Just have to wait for 2010 for the Towers of Midnight to come out. *sigh*
We got through Thanksgiving with everyone healthy. It was odd only having seven of us to dinner though. Poor Robert had been assigned to bring soda, and he bought tons of it. He forgot our numbers would be down by more than half. It was very quiet with no grand kids around. It's a good thing I only baked an 11-lb turkey (we usually have 22-pound bird). We were able to talk with Erin on the phone, while everyone was here. She had company coming over. I'm so glad they've found good friends there already. Because of the time difference, we were only able to type a line to Dave and Shannon. They are planning to go to the Hong Kong Disneyland for their Christmas trip. What fun!
Here's Paul and Kelsey (and Adam from the side)
Robert and Michelle
Ed and Kelsey cleaning up after
Like my social commentary on the cupboard? *laughs evilly*
Last night Ed and I went to the Borders in Provo to see Brandon Sanderson who was doing a book signing. He's going to be here in Orem on the 5th, but Ed and I will be driving to California that day, so it was last night or not--and I really wanted to ask some questions about the Wheel of Time series.
I am usually not into the whole get your picture taken with an author/actor/singer/well-known personality thing, so this was a first. I figure once in over half a century isn't too bad. And he's one of my favorite authors now.
As we discussed one of my questions, he handed me a card:
Just have to wait for 2010 for the Towers of Midnight to come out. *sigh*
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Another Update from China
Dave sent the following via Skype:
Its been really cold here lately too. Everyone keeps saying that this is weather that we normally see in January. So hopefully it won't stay this cold too long. We stay pretty bundled up, but the classrooms are cold and not heated at all. They leave the windows open too. Students wear like three pairs of clothes and jackets in class.....kinda crazy.
But its funny. Our kids don't wear as much clothes as the rest of the students so their teachers are freaking out. They can't understand it. We try to explain that we are from Utah and they are used to colder weather than this but they still don't get it. A few kids wear the gloves but most don't. I usually have a sweatshirt on in class, so its not too cold, but way different than schools in america, and the whole leave the windows open thing is definitely different. They want to keep fresh air in the classrooms so the students don't get sick.
We celebrated Thanksgiving last week. There is a restaurant here that is owned by a chinese lady from Hawaii. She makes really good western food, and she wanted to do something big for the teachers. Alot of teachers are also from Canada and their thanksgiving is a few weeks before ours so she split the difference and did a big thanksgiving buffet. It was a lot of fun. And our friends said it was the best thanksgiving dinner they've had in the six years they have been here.
We had turkey and ham and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. I had never had sweet potato pie before but I had heard of it. It was really good. Much better than I would have thought. So after thanksgiving, we decorated for Christmas. The kids were way excited. Before we came out our friend bought a bunch of stuff from some other teachers who were leaving this year, and managed to get a christmas tree and ornaments and that kind of stuff. So we have a little four foot tree in our living room with lights and our stockings hung on the wall. We are definitely going to do Hong Kong Disney as part of christmas. Its not as big as other disneylands, and is mostly kid based so it works out perfectly. Shannon has a friend in Hong Kong who will let us stay at his place for a few nights and so we are going to go in two weeks. We only get Christmas day off from school for the holiday. We normally get two but one day falls on the weekend so they said that counts....funny. So it works out better to go early when we have a three day weekend.
The kids are getting really big. They have grown up a lot since we got here. Tyson is picking up more and more chinese. What we mistook for random gibberish from him one day was actually some chinese words. Alot of times he will just make stuff up so you never know what to believe, but the other day we were in a store and he was spouting off some stuff, and a chinese lady who spoke english was very impressed with him. He was saying "You are my little friend".
Savy's teachers were so excited the other day because they finally got her to eat something. For some party or whatever the kids got a big piece of cake and they were so excited to see she had eaten 3/4 of a piece. Savy told us later that she ate all the frosting off and hid the rest of the cake behind some books! Shannon and I laughed and laughed at that one. What kind of kid doesn't even eat cake?
So those are the highlights for the last couple of weeks.
Its been really cold here lately too. Everyone keeps saying that this is weather that we normally see in January. So hopefully it won't stay this cold too long. We stay pretty bundled up, but the classrooms are cold and not heated at all. They leave the windows open too. Students wear like three pairs of clothes and jackets in class.....kinda crazy.
But its funny. Our kids don't wear as much clothes as the rest of the students so their teachers are freaking out. They can't understand it. We try to explain that we are from Utah and they are used to colder weather than this but they still don't get it. A few kids wear the gloves but most don't. I usually have a sweatshirt on in class, so its not too cold, but way different than schools in america, and the whole leave the windows open thing is definitely different. They want to keep fresh air in the classrooms so the students don't get sick.
We celebrated Thanksgiving last week. There is a restaurant here that is owned by a chinese lady from Hawaii. She makes really good western food, and she wanted to do something big for the teachers. Alot of teachers are also from Canada and their thanksgiving is a few weeks before ours so she split the difference and did a big thanksgiving buffet. It was a lot of fun. And our friends said it was the best thanksgiving dinner they've had in the six years they have been here.
We had turkey and ham and mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. I had never had sweet potato pie before but I had heard of it. It was really good. Much better than I would have thought. So after thanksgiving, we decorated for Christmas. The kids were way excited. Before we came out our friend bought a bunch of stuff from some other teachers who were leaving this year, and managed to get a christmas tree and ornaments and that kind of stuff. So we have a little four foot tree in our living room with lights and our stockings hung on the wall. We are definitely going to do Hong Kong Disney as part of christmas. Its not as big as other disneylands, and is mostly kid based so it works out perfectly. Shannon has a friend in Hong Kong who will let us stay at his place for a few nights and so we are going to go in two weeks. We only get Christmas day off from school for the holiday. We normally get two but one day falls on the weekend so they said that counts....funny. So it works out better to go early when we have a three day weekend.
The kids are getting really big. They have grown up a lot since we got here. Tyson is picking up more and more chinese. What we mistook for random gibberish from him one day was actually some chinese words. Alot of times he will just make stuff up so you never know what to believe, but the other day we were in a store and he was spouting off some stuff, and a chinese lady who spoke english was very impressed with him. He was saying "You are my little friend".
Savy's teachers were so excited the other day because they finally got her to eat something. For some party or whatever the kids got a big piece of cake and they were so excited to see she had eaten 3/4 of a piece. Savy told us later that she ate all the frosting off and hid the rest of the cake behind some books! Shannon and I laughed and laughed at that one. What kind of kid doesn't even eat cake?
So those are the highlights for the last couple of weeks.
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