Monday, June 28, 2010

Girl's camp

Girl's camp was invented for three reasons: to draw near to the Lord and strengthen your testimony (OK, that's two), to get away from the material trappings of life and to have fun (i.e. pranks). I'm leaving for girl's camp tomorrow. It will be my 15th year at camp as a leader.

Here are some things I take with me:
1) my scriptures
2) a flashlight
3) needle and thread to sew people's sleeves and sleeping bags
4) snacks
5) ear plugs
6) my Nalgene

Here is what Gladiola takes:
1) her red lipstick
2) her horn-rimmed glasses
3) one pink sponge curler
4) blue eye shadow
5) her shoulder pad vest (it really belongs to my mom)
6) her 'not normal' visor
7) pink shoes
8) straw purse with things glued on the side
9) crab hat
10) Minnie Mouse glasses

I don't know why I love camp so much. It could be the chance to be as weird as possible and not caring what people think. It might be the setting - here in Utah it's among pines and aspens. Just sitting in a grove of these trees, looking out over God's creations is an awe-inspiring experience. Maybe it's that camp, high in the mountains, is closer to heaven and it's easier to feel God's presence. It could be hanging out with friends, getting emotional about tender things or laughing hysterically. Maybe it's just a lovely combination of all these things. Whatever it is, I love it.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

The dads in my life

Today is Father's Day - a contrived holiday to help us remember our fathers. It's probably a good thing to set this day aside to honor our fathers. While we should be thankful for them every day, it's good to get a nudge to do it, if only to buy one more tie or make a delicious pie.

There are three cherished fathers in my life: my own father, Riley, the father of my children and Winston, Riley's father. Here is a top 10 list of likes and memories for each:

My dad:
1) Could build or fix anything.
2) Loved his wife and kids.
3) Taught me how to work and just as importantly, how to play.
4) Had a firm testimony.
5) Loved green jello and green gummi bears.
6) Went for bike rides with me.
7) Taught me how to shoot a gun, shoot baskets, walk on stilts, snowmobile and water-ski.
9) Visited me in California and Texas.
10) Wore cowboy boots.

Riley:
1) Loves when I make him a pie.
2) Makes his own colorful belts.
3) Walks the beaches, hills and mountains of the world chasing bugs.
4) Lets me sleep.
5) Makes the best pancakes.
6) Loves me and loves his kids.
7) Is a worthy priesthood holder with a steadfast testimony.
8) Likes thought-provoking movies. And action ones.
9) Has well-defined taste buds, more so than mine.
10) Can fix most anything that breaks, but knows when to call a repairman.

My father-in-law Winston:
1) Nicknamed me Kaye Bagel.
2) Loved my fried potatoes. Or anything else I cooked.
3) Pushed our kids in the swings in his yard.
4) Had a strong testimony.
5) Did crazy things when the video camera was aimed at him.
6) Bought our first video camera for us.
7) Drank Coke and ate Ding Dongs.
8) Was a lifelong scouter.
9) Loved his wife and sons.
10) Gave candy to the neighbor kids if they recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

I love these three men. I'm a better person because they are/were in my life.

Friday, June 18, 2010

A love/hate relationship with pie crusts

I used to have a love/hate relationship with pie crust. I followed the recipe, rolled it out just right, peeled it up, messed around with it falling apart and cussed at it for flaking on me with I needed it to hold together.

That was before I found the best pie crust recipe in the world (and before I learned patience). Now it is a delight to make pies and although I don't make them often enough to satisfy Riley (he really loves pie), he appreciates when I make one. I made two pecan pies today for a Texas gathering tomorrow. They are beautiful. And I didn't have to yell at them at all.

Friday, June 11, 2010

30 years

I'm really not old enough to have been married 30 years. Not quite sure how that happened except that these are the things that made up those 30 years:

1) We were sealed in the Logan Temple June 12, 1980 - lots of memories from that day!
2) Our first apartment was in Brigham City for three months. Riley worked at Thiokol. I worked at Sears telephone center. We had a kitty named Meno and found a tiny abandoned black kitty we named Yoda.
3) We moved to Logan for Riley to get his Master's. I found out I was pregnant! Got a job at USU Housing office where my best friend from high school, Merry Giacomo Hitchcock, worked. Lots of firsts in Logan - first Christmas, first baby - Jason was born 10 months after we were married. :) He was the best thing to come into my life since Riley - I had two boys to look after and loved being a wife and mother. First vehicle bought together - I had a red jeep, he had a gold Mustang. We sold the jeep because it wasn't safe for a baby. We bought a little Chevy Luv pickup for Riley to drive. Second baby Andrea was born in Logan in July 1983 - we had a cute little family!
4) In 1983 when Andrea was three months old we moved to Springville - we stayed with my parents for about 6 weeks until we found a mobile home we wanted to buy in Provo to live in while Riley got his Ph.D. at BYU.
5) We spent five fun years in the mobile home at 1375 West 500 North #111 in Provo. At one point we had three kids in one small bedroom after Amy joined us in May of 1986.
6) We said goodbye to my great grandma Dora Ford and my grandma Leah Wheeler the summer of 1984. We lost Riley's mom Aileen and my grandpa Shirl Poulson at the end of 1986. My grandma Poulson died spring 1988. We lost a lot of beloved people in those four years.
7) The Nelson's Big Adventure started in August 1988 with a move to Daly City, Calif. I had never lived outside of Utah and this was scary and exciting for me. Our little family blossomed as we became closer living away from extended family. We loved our year in California, even though I got pneumonia from living in a fog bank.
8) I had started winning radio contests (and others) in November 1987 in Utah. This continued through California, Texas and back to Utah - I won at least one thing per month for 17 years! It was a fun part of my life and supplemented our family outings to places like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and an A's game in California and tons of stuff in Texas: Schlitterbahn, Sea World, free dinners, concerts - Billy Joel and Elton John, James Taylor (3 times), Santana, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker and Sting (front row). I won airline tickets, trips to Cancun and Acapulco, coats, shoes, T-shirts, money, money, money, diamond earrings, pearl earrings, Thanksgiving dinner in a Mayflower moving van and more. I could write a book. Maybe I will.
9) We moved to Austin, Texas in August of 1989 and thought we'd only be there one semester. We ended up buying a house and lived there for 10 wonderful, fun-filled years.
10) I had a great job at Purchase Power, a national company, where I worked for six years. It was the best training for learning the computer, learning how to right consumer wrongs, learning the ins and outs of a national business and more. Wonderful job - thanks Noah.
11) Our kids grew up in Texas - we have tons of family memories that include lots of wonderful people from work, church and neighborhood. Thankfully, we still keep in touch with most of them.
12) Riley's dad Winston died in August 1995 after his cancer came back. Riley, his brothers, sister-in-law Jean and I took turns going to Utah to care for him for several months. He died while Riley was on a trip to Costa Rica. That's another book to write.
13) We moved back to Utah in the summer of 1999. Riley was hired at BYU to teach biology courses. I was a nearly full-time helper to my dad who was paralyzed in a snowmobile accident in April of 1999. He lived for 19 months and while it was excruciatingly difficult to see him in his new life, it was also wonderful to be near him and my mom and serve them. He died in November of 2000, two months after Riley's brother Randy died. Two great men.
14) I began work at Canyon Crest Elementary where I ran a reading program for below-level readers for five years. During that time I served as Relief Society president in our ward and I started back to college, just to take classes for fun. That was in 2001.
15) By 2005 I knew I wanted to be a journalist because I've always loved to write so I declared my major and worked through the comms program at BYU. I was a reporter for The Daily Universe, then the A&E editor, then the Opinions editor, at the same time interning at the Deseret News. Then I was the TA for the reporting class and graduated in Dec. 2007. Andrea and I walked for graduation in April 2008 - a milestone I never thought I would accomplish!
16) For a year or so I freelanced for Wasatch Life magazine, writing fun articles - there's even one with Riley's photos that we collaborated on. I also worked as a food critic for area restaurants but the best break came when The Daily Universe called me to take my adviser's place in the newsroom. I've been there almost two years and it's really the best, most perfect, most fun, challenging yet fulfilling job I've ever had.

There's lots more to my life with Riley. I really would have to write a book to make sure I mention our travels to Tahiti, Taiwan, Australia, Argentina, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and Paris. What about all the family cats: Meno, Yoda, Yeow and her babies, Callie, Tiger, Callie II the cat from Hell, Pika, Guida, Heiva, Stella and many more. The other family pets: rabbits, fish, turtles, cockroaches, mice, spiders, frogs, etc. I'd need more space to write about those fun contests, health challenges, jobs, kids growing up, aging, friends, Gladiola's adventures, girl's camp, theme parties (PeeWee Herman, Napoleon Dynamite, ponies, pirates, Wizard of Oz) our favorite family movies, songs, sayings, TV shows, outdoor adventures, house adventures including floods and renovations and more. I guess I really should write a book.

Anyway, the past 30 years have been one wild ride. I'm going to hang on for much more.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A place to reflect

I had not been to the temple since March. My goal is once a month so I'm sad I haven't met my goal these past few months. I'm going to make up for it by going several times this month.

I fasted as I went to the temple this morning seeking peace. There are hard things to think about in my life right now and I wanted Heavenly Father's assurance that he is still there, guiding me through rough waters. I got that and more. It's an incredible feeling to lay your soul open and ask for help and get it ten-fold. It's like I took my empty cup in and came out with it spilling over. Calm assurances, answers, suggestions, peace and promises were what I came home with.

I won't be a stranger to the temple again.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Pay it forward

I've done this a few times - paid for someone's groceries behind me in line. It's not easy to do because you have to be sneaky with the grocery clerk. I usually do this with kids because adults are too suspicious and unrelenting. Tonight a kid behind me had a 2-liter bottle of Mt. Dew. I slipped the clerk a couple of dollars to pay for it. She scanned it and the kid handed her his money. She handed it to me. I handed it back to him. He looked confused. The clerk said, "she just paid for your drink." He stared at me. I said "Pay it forward." He stared harder. I asked, "Do you know what that means?" He shook his head. He was only about 11. I said, "I did something nice for you, now you do something nice for someone else." He mumbled thanks. I walked out of the store. He was behind me. He ran to his car yelling at his mom that some lady bought his drink for him. He stopped running and yelled, "Thanks lady" to me. I told him he was welcome and to have a nice night.

A fun end to a good day.