Beauty And The Beast...

Newport, OR has some of the most amazing talents.  Friday night (a week ago) Dean and I attended a local production of "Beauty And The Beast."  Twenty of the cast members were from our Newport Ward and the Director, Jodi Hannah, goes to my Church.  Her husband, Brian, was the man responsible for the set design and building.  He is amazing.  He also played "Lumier!"  (Hr was so funny!)

The costumes were superb, the set design was outstanding, and the acting and singing were something akin to a Broadway Show.  I loved Mrs. Potts and her little teacup, "Chip!"  And Belle's father stole the show with some of his humorous antics.  He is a good friend of ours, and we always see his personality light up the stage.

In my mind, this performance should have won an "EMMY!"

How are we so fortunate to have such talent in one small area of the world.  It takes me back to my High School days, when we were blessed to have Don Bluth (Creator of "Feivel", the little mouse that comes to America; and "Land Before Time"; and "The Secret of NIMH" and more!).  He directed such plays as "The King of Rio Ricos," "The Mikado," and others.  He also directed and wrote all of our Road Shows.  I was privileged to star in a few of his productions and, as a Ward, we had the time of our lives.  He later took his talents into the community and opened a small community theater in Santa Monica, CA and my sister, Christine, starred in some of his plays.

These are the experiences that the youth, adults and families of the Church will hold dear in their memories for their whole lifetimes.  I know I have.

Sunset of My Life...

Consider the beauty of a sunset...
The whole sky changes colors from blue and white to grey to pink to salmon to red.  The eye beholds its magnificence!  There is no sound, so there is nothing to hear except the beating of your heart and the singing of the birds; you cannot touch it so there is nothing to feel  except joy; and you cannot smell it.  But your heart delights in its beauty and you snap a photo in your mind (or physically) for your memory.

Those who stay long enough will experience that last sliver of light as the sun slips beyond the horizon and out of sight.  And with its passing, it leaves a promise that it will return one day.  It says to us, "I will return on the morrow."

The year 2017 is coming to a close, and like the sunsets I have viewed, I pause and consider the beauty of the past year.  I have experienced pain and sorrow; I have experienced family delights; I have given up a portion of my independence; and I have grown a little older.

I have grown, I have fallen (literally), and I have mellowed with the experiences of this past year.  God gives us experience for just these purposes.  And he tests us and tries us to make sure we are ready for better things to come.  Like the iron ore that is put into the fire, shaped and bent and hardened, our lives are shaped and bent and strengthened.  God works His wonders through our lives.  We cannot see what He sees, and sometimes it is so very hard to realize that "this is for your own good!"  Only He knows the outcome.

I am experiencing the sunset of my life.  I'm sure there must be some beauty there, but some days it is hard just to get out of bed and get moving.  My hair has turned nearly white; my eyes are dim; my ears don't hear as sharply as they used to; and my bones and joints have an ache to them that sometimes slows me down.  Simple tasks, like getting in and out of a car, find me moving with such deliberation that patience must prevail.

One day, like the sunset and like another year's end, I will be facing the promise of tomorrow, but not yet.  The sun will return; a New Year will arise; and I shall return again with that same promise that "I will return on the morrow.

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I'm sure I will see quite a few more sunsets in my life and I will see a number of years begin and end before I face that last sliver of light fade from my life.  And so, for now, I will enjoy the many sunsets to come...whether or not they are on the ocean or the desert or the mountains...they are all so beautiful.

Forgive my rambling.  Just an old woman alone with her thoughts as 2017 comes to an end and I am wondering what 2018 will bring.

                                             HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!
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My Cup Runneth Over...

The past several months have found me caught up in a flurry of activities...so much so, that I hardly have time to even think, let alone write!  It has been one of those quarters in the year where I hardly know where to begin!  You know how it is...you have a list so long that it overwhelms you and so you do nothing!  But there are so many important events that I cannot leave a single one of them out.,  So...here goes!

In July, my son, Billy and I started on a road trip--just the two of us.  His brother, Eliot was getting Married August 2nd and Billy was to be the Best Man.  I drove to Redmond, where I met Billy and the following morning we took off in my car.  (Don't ask why this particular arrangement...it's complicated!)  We drove all day that day and arrived in Orem, Utah (where we stayed overnight with his sister, Debi and her husband.)  We stayed in Orem an extra day, because we were early.  We had an awesome visit and Billy got to rest his eyes for the next leg of the trip.

The following morning, we said our good-bye's and headed south to catch Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon and on to Denver, Colorado.  Another 10-hour drive!  I don't know how Billy does it.  We arrived in the early evening in Denver and went ti the Motel Eliot had arranged for us.  We were both exhausted!

Denver is a crazy town!  Traffic, traffic, traffic everywhere and Freeways that don't make a bit of sense.  (Much like Salt Lake City.)  It's interesting how those big cities start out with one main thoroughfare and then keep adding on until it looks like a spaghetti bowl!  I do not like driving in the cities.  The next day, Dean arrived via airplane.  We had a very nice family gathering.  Eliot drove all of us to the venue where the wedding was to be held and we took some pictures.  I like this one the very best!

                                                    Those boys are always goofing off!

There wasn't very much rehearsal involved, so we just walked around and got to know the park.

The wedding was the next day and we weren't allowed to take pictures of the ceremony.  Eliot and Tamiya had a photographer who took care of all of that.  (As of this writing, we have received no photographs!)  We did take one of Dean and I standing on a little bridge.

August 2, 2017                            Dean and I on the bridge.


The wedding was very nice--very simple, but nice! Dean and I were way too overdressed!  We dressed for a "wedding" and I guess folks don't take that as seriously as Dean and I do.  Just about everyone else were dressed in jeans and tee shirts!  Oh, well..it was the marriage we came to witness, not a fashion show!  (When I am able, I shall post photos of the wedding.)

With the wedding behing us, we all went our separate ways.  Eliot and Tamiya to their new life, Dean to the airport to fly back to Newport, and Billy and I to travel back to Utah.  Ugh!  Another 10 hour drive!

We took a different highway back--I-80--and stopped in another town, where Billy went to see Alicia and the girls who were visiting friends. Alicia got to meet her real dad and a sister for the very first time.  Billy and Alicia are going through some really difficult times lately and it was awkward.

On our way to Salt Lake City and Billy and I had some really long and deep conversations.  Getting to know my son has been quite a wonderful experience.  Somehow, all that talking made the miles just melt away.  There were no real long silent periods and though the trip took 10-11 hours, it seemed we were there in no time!

Debi met us at a KFC on Redwood Road.  I said goodbye to my son (I'll miss him) so he can continue on to Redmond (another 10 hours).  I don't know how he does it!  Debi and I ate some lunch--not the best KFC we've ever had--and continued on to Orem where I will be staying for most of the rest of the month os August.  I hope she can put up with me!

I love staying with Debi.  She and Brian give me my own space with a bedroom and a bathroom and I am always very comfortable.  They work every day, but that is OK with me.  Debi goes to the gym every morning, golfs a couple of days a week and still plays baseball!  That girl!

                                                     Brian and Debi's Cabin


On Friday, we went to Brian and Debi's cabin in Indianola,  It is a beautiful setting.  Brian and Debi have built an amazing log cabin on the property. The property has been in Brian's family for years.  Just last year, they built a second cabin, called "The Shed," and furnished it for guests.  That is where I go to stay.  I love the mountains...I felt so free and loved just walking around taking pictures; I even liked using the "facilities," (an outhouse that Brian built.)

                                                         "The Shed"

                                                          The Facilities!

On my walks, I often come across some interesting wildflowers,  I love to photograph flowers!

I had a lovely time at Debi's.  She is always the perfect hostess...and daughter.  There is so much more to tell, but this writing is getting too long, so I will do this in sections.  I will call this one Section One and continue the story later in Section Two.

Memories of England...

I don't know why,k but today my memories were flooded with thoughts of England and their beautiful gardens.  I was mesmerized by them.  The weather in England is much ,like the weather I have enjoyed here on the Oregon Coast for the past 12 years.  And it is on the coast of Oregon where we grow the most beautiful flowers.  Well, more on that later.  For mow I want to get back to my memories of England,

We traveled there in June of 2003, a year after my mom died and just months after my first eye surgery that left me basically with extreme vision problems.  My vision was not great to begin with, but after surgery my world was truly foggy.  My husband was worried that I wouldn't see anything...and in some cases he was right.  But, there is a lot of fog in England so it didn't really makje a huge amount of difference to me,.

We stayed with a Mason friend of Dean's on Chapel Lane in Urchfont in Devizis, England.  Their home was in the country where there are rolling hills, forests, remnants of ancient inhabitants... and gardens!  They called themselves the "woodpeckers" and had the cutest little woodpecker for a door knocker.  It was here that I fell in love with England.

The Pocock's were perfect English hosts.  They lived in an old cottage full of Antiques.  John was an Antique dealer and Jean was an incredible decoratot.  In the front entry of their home was the most unique desk I have ever seen.

"I'll bet you have never seen one of these before," John said to me.

 I could honestly answer that I had not.  "It is called a 'Davenport Desk!'"  I was astonished!  I had never heard of such a thing.  And then he proceeded to tell me the story of this amazing desk (much of which I have forgotten over the years).  As I recall, it was a sea Captain who wanted to make something very special for his wife, and so he designed this desk, full of little hidden nooks and cranny's to hide things...important things.  I loved that desk instantly, and not just because it bore my family name, but because it was the most charming desk I had ever seen.\\

John Also took us on a tour of the rest of his collection of antiques!  For instance, we would be dining on a 900 year old dining-room table for dinner!  Floored again!!

While Dean visited with John, Jean took me out to the back yard to walk in her garden!  Oh my, I cannot find the words to express the beauty of it all.  Lavender and Heather and Roses galore.  And all perfectly trimmed and "dead-headed" so there were no dead flowers anywhere.  I believe it must take a special skill or art to be able to accomplish such beauty.

After tea, we walked into the charming town and passed house after house of beautiful gardens.  On the corner there was a little plot set aside for more beautiful flowers and shrubbery.  Jean told me that a little widow lady who lived across the street devoted all of her time not only to her own garden, but to this little plot on the corner.  She was a crippled lady, who got around only with the aid of a wheelchair.  I wanted to cry!

How is it that a small little village in the middle of England can elicit such beauty?  It has to be inbred into their souls.  When Dean and I wer in Londonm we visited Kensington Palace and all of the beauty there.  We walked along well manacured walks to the lake in front of the Castle, where swans were lazily paddling their way through clear waters.  It was a beautiful scene.  We walked for what seemed like an eternity and came to another area of the property called Diana's Plasyground.  It was a park for children that Princess Doana had designed and oversaw the construction for the children who came to play there.  It was enchanting.

Across the street, we drifted into a little cafe with hundreds of pictures of Diana on every wall.  We learned from our waiter that it had been one of Diana's favorite "hang-outs" to get away from it all.  Everyone loved her and had nothing but kind things to say about her  She loved her children and she loved all children..  Hers was a tragic end and I felt sadness creep into an otherwise beautiful day.

We had an amazing time in England, but I think the beauty of its gardens  will forever live in my memory.  One day, I would love to return and stay longer in London.  But that will have to be perhaps for another lifetime.

Being Seventy-Eight...

Seventy-eight years!  Wow!  (Just pretend there are 78 candles on that cake!)

What is "78?"  It's a prety big number.  It's the number of years I have been privileged to live on this earth.  It is the number of candles on my Birthday cake.

I am so grateful for those 78 years!  I have been blessed with my greatest blessing... most of my memories intact.  All it takes is a word, a picture, a smell, a book, a smile, a face, a place, or anything familiar to call up to my memory the vivid pictures of the past.  I am grateful for that.

I recently received a telephone call from a friend I have known since I was 3-years-old!  We shared many memories during that call and a lot of laughter.  It was a wonderful day.  Another friend remarked on Facebook that we shared memories from our childhood of 70 years ago!  We remembered our years of dancing at Mahri's School of Dance in Santa Monica, CA and I smiled with those memories.

I live by the ocean on the coast of Oregon and the smell of the salt air mixed with fish takes me back to my childhood in Santa Monica (which is also by the ocean in California.)  I had so many happy memories back then.  Days spent on the beach tanning, swimming in the Pacific, walking the boardwalk or the Pier.  My favorite was riding on the Carousel on the Santa Monica Pier!

I recently attended a reunion of several friends from my Church in Santa Monica.  Some of them I did not recognize, but others came quickly to the forefront of my memory.  The faces have aged, but the eyes remain the same!  Reunions are amazing.

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And so, as I celebrate another year, create another memory, eat a few more bites of a wonderful Birthday cake and live to love another day, I share my gratitude with all whom I have contact with on this day.  Thank you for being a part of my life and helping me to build more memories.

Here's to another 22 years, when I reach 100 and, hopefully, my mind will still be as sharp as it is today!  We shall see!

An Unusual Sandscape...

My husband and I like to walk the beach on occasion and for the most part the sand is smooth, even and pretty easy to walk on.  Not so on one of our sunny days last week.  We drove to Agate Beach (a nice beach about 2 miles from our home) to enjoy a leisurely walk.  We had no idea what we were in for until we got there.

It was as though we just stepped off a spaceship onto the surface of the moon!  I had never seen so many dunes...hills and valleys...and really interesting patterns in the sand before.  There were little mounds perfectly sculpted by water and wind and blowing sand that from a distance looked like some of the sandstone formations I have seen in some of Southern Utah's canyons.  But these were not hardened over centuries of wear and tear from the elements; these were still just little mounds of soft sand that fell apart if you touched them.

Walking in the sand was a real work-out, too.  We tried to stay on top of the dunes, but occasionally we encountered a dead-end, requiring us to slide down the dune into the canyon (relatively damp and easier to walk on) and then up the other side of another one.  From the parking lot to the water's edge must have been about 2 blocks!  (Or, at least, it seemed like it!)  We were exhausted by the time we got to the water...and then we had to go back

 We shall never forget our outing to the beach on this particular day.  We are going to try and go back in a couple of weeks (when it stops raining) and see what has changed.  And change it will, because that is the nature or the beaches on the Oregon Coast...ever changing.





Exhausted!










Hills and Valleys!

Alien Markings?




Moonscape? or Sandscape?  It was awesome!

Sometimes A Phone Call Can Make You Smile...

It was just another ordinary September day on the Oregon Coast.  It was a cloudy, off and on rainy day...you know, the usual ones we get in September on the cioast.  I was busying myself with some crucial tasks, trying to organize our tiny space, when my cell phone rang.  I don't assign original rings to specific people, so I could not tell who it was just by the ring.  But the Caller ID gave it away!  It was my dearest childhood friend from Santa Monica, Joan Trent, and I am always delighted to hear from her.

We chatted about a number of things, including childhood memories, when she got down to the purpose of her call.  She had been going through some old Christmas letters that she kept in a notebook and ran across one from me.  It had been written in the year 1990.  It had madre her laugh and she wanted to share it with me.  Oh, she is so much like me--keeping verylittle thing that has some sentimental meaning to her.  She read it to me and we had a good laugh together.  Such a dear friend, that one!

I don't know how long we talked, but knowing phone calls from the past, it had to have been nearly an hour.  Seventy-five years as friends, and we still keep in touch.  I love that girl and am so grateful that she hasn't disappeared like so many others have.  Thank you, Joan, for turning an otherwise ordinary day on the Oregon Coast into a day filled with sunshine and smiles.